[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Page 25055]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL GEORGE SHERMAN

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, on Wednesday, September 5, 2007, the State 
of Nevada and our Nation lost a true hero: Retired U.S. Army Air Corp 
LTC George Sherman, who served our Nation during World War II as a 
member of the famed Tuskegee Airmen.
  Like so many African-American soldiers during that time, Colonel 
Sherman answered the call to fight for freedom and justice abroad, even 
when it was categorically denied at home. These men traveled and fought 
thousands of miles from their families--when every day, their mothers, 
fathers, sisters and brothers faced injustice at home.
  While our Nation can never fully repay the debt to our veterans, in 
March of this year Congress officially thanked Colonel Sherman and his 
fellow Tuskegee Airmen for their service to our Nation. Colonel Sherman 
joined nearly 300 other Tuskegee Airmen in the Capitol Rotunda as 
thousands watched President Bush and leaders from the House and Senate 
award them the Congressional Gold Medal.
  Colonel Sherman and the Tuskagee Airmen were in prestigious company 
in receiving the highest honor our Nation can bestow upon private 
citizens. Other honorees include individuals such as President Harry 
Truman, Jackie Robinson, Reverend Billy Graham, Rosa Parks, and Dr. 
Martin Luther King, Jr.
  I was pleased to have the opportunity to watch Colonel Sherman and 
his fellow Tuskegee Airmen proudly take their place among all American 
heroes. Yet in addition to their accomplishments as Tuskegee Airmen, 
Colonel Sherman and many others continued to serve their country and 
local communities.
  Colonel Sherman had a long record of service to Nevada. After 22 
years of military service, he made his home in Las Vegas. Colonel 
Sherman was a tireless supporter of the Boy Scouts of America, where he 
earned the highest honor of the Silver Beaver Award. He was active in 
the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, which supports achievement in every 
field of human endeavor. Colonel Sherman also served on the board of 
directors of the Nevada Black Chamber of Commerce. And he continued to 
inspire young people to pursue opportunities in aviation though 
numerous speaking engagements across southern Nevada.
  Again, Mr. President, we have lost a true hero. Our thoughts are with 
his family and loved ones.

                          ____________________