[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5105]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING MICHAEL J. QUIRK--A TRUE AMERICAN HERO

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ALLEN BOYD

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 4, 2003

  Mr. BOYD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Michael J. Quirk for his 
service to his country and as a volunteer with the United States Coast 
Guard Auxiliary. At a time when the President is encouraging all 
Americans to serve our nation in a volunteer capacity the United States 
Coast Guard Auxiliary will recognize Michael J. Quirk on his retirement 
from the Coast Guard Auxiliary with over 22 years of service. What is 
truly remarkable about Commodore Quirk is that prior to his involvement 
in the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, he had also well and faithfully served 
our nation in the military for over thirty years.
  In World War II, Commodore Quirk was a member of the famed 56th 
Fighter Group of the US Army Air Corps and achieved the status of 
Double-Ace. On his 100th mission he was shot down and was held as a 
prisoner-of-war until April 1945 at Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany. For 
his World War II service he received the Silver Star among other 
decorations and the Purple Heart for wounds received when his plane was 
shot down.
  Following his return to the States in 1945, he entered Catholic 
University and, while pursuing his degree instructed Air National Guard 
to fly the P-47 . . . the plane he flew in Europe.
  In 1947, after the service was formally established, Quirk returned 
to the service of his country with the US Air Force and over a thirty-
year career saw service with the 4th Fighter Group flying F-80 Shooting 
Stars; Langley Air Force Base where he flew F-86 Sabre jets; La Paz, 
Bolivia training Bolivian pilots to fly the P-47; the Central Air 
Defense Force from 1951-52; Commander of the 87th Fighter Interceptor 
Squadron; 453rd Tactical Fighter Training Wing; Seventh Air Force 
Headquarters, Tan Son Nhut Air Base, RVN; and completed his Air Force 
career at the Tactical Air Warfare Center, Eglin AFB, Florida, retiring 
as a Colonel in 1977.
  Soon after his retirement from the US Air Force, he and his wife Kit 
joined the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, the volunteer force of the United 
States Coast Guard, and rose through various positions in further 
service to the nation and served at Commodore of the 8th Coastal Region 
in 1990-1991.
  On his retirement from the US Coast Guard Auxiliary with over 22 
years of volunteer service, the nation joins the US Coast Guard 
Auxiliary and the US Coast Guard in saluting this great American.

                          ____________________