[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14952]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 TRIBUTE TO MR. J.D. WILLIAMS, A TRUE PATRIOT AND PRESIDENTIAL ``POINT 
                               OF LIGHT''

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. TERRY EVERETT

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 30, 1999

  Mr. EVERETT. Mr. Speaker, as our nation prepares to celebrate 
Independence Day, I would like to pay tribute to an American patriot 
who never forgot this country's veterans.
  Mr. J.D. Williams' selfless attention to the memory of America's 
veterans was recently highlighted by The Pike County Citizen in Troy, 
Alabama.
  As the newspaper noted: ``Anyone who has lived in Pike County . . . 
no doubt saw the late Mr. Williams honoring the memory of military 
veterans by placing American flags and white crosses at grave sites of 
veterans in Pike and six surrounding counties. For decades, practically 
every day of the week, Mr. Williams would visit cemeteries, locate 
veterans' graves and, on behalf of his country, pay tribute to their 
service and sacrifice.''
  ``Funds to purchase the thousands of flags Mr. Williams left at 
cemeteries came out of his own pocket. The thousands of wooden crosses 
he placed near grave markers were constructed and painted with his own 
hands. Not only did Mr. Williams leave flags and crosses at veterans' 
graves, he also would clean or repair any unkept grave site.''
  Mr. Williams, the article points out, paid no attention to the color 
of the deceased veteran or even if they had served in the Confederate 
Army; just so long as they were veterans.
  It was this remarkable dedication to his fellow man and our nation 
that earned Mr. Williams national recognition as a ``Point of Light'' 
from President George Bush some ten years ago.
  J.D. Williams passed away in July of 1994, but his self sacrifice is 
now being honored by the members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 
7055 who have recently placed a permanent American pole on his grave.
  At a time in this nation's history when many of our national veterans 
cemeteries are neglected by our own government, we need more people 
like J.D. Williams. This House owes him its thanks.

                          ____________________