[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16110]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                PAYING TRIBUTE TO COLONEL JOHN F. GROOM

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JON C. PORTER

                               of nevada

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 26, 2006

  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Colonel 
John F. Groom, who passed away on Tuesday, July 11, 2006. He will be 
buried at Arlington National Cemetery on August 8, 2006.
  John was originally from Rochester, NY where he attended Brockport 
State University earning a bachelor's degree. He later attended 
Syracuse Law School but received his law degree from Western Law School 
in San Diego after he retired from the military.
  Col. Groom had a long and distinguished career with the United States 
Air Force, highlighted by his command of the Thunderbirds aerial 
demonstration team at Nellis Air Force Base in 1962 and service as an 
airstrike adviser to Army General William Westmoreland in Vietnam. Col. 
Groom was in training during World War II, and flew B-29s during the 
Korean War. In 1965, Col. Groom served as director of inland airstrikes 
under an effort code-named Tiger Hound. Later, he attended the National 
War College at Fort McNair in Washington, DC. He went on to become the 
last commander of Wheelus Air Base in Tripoli, Libya, before it closed 
in 1970. Col. Groom was a key player in the evacuation of Tripoli and 
was responsible for getting American citizens out of the city following 
the coup d'Etat led by Moammar Kadafi in 1970.
  John spent the last fifteen years of his life living in Las Vegas. 
John leaves behind his wife Barbara, sons John Jr. and Tom, four 
grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
  Mr. Speaker I am proud to honor the life of Col. John F. Groom. His 
service to this country is admirable and shows that he was truly a 
patriot. He will surely be missed.

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