[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 18010]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                        COMMENDING CECIL HARRIS

 Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize Cecil Harris. The 
following statement was read at the dedication of a highway named in 
his honor on May 25, 2009. I ask that the statement be printed in the 
Record.
  The statement follows.

 Cecil Harris Highway Dedication Ceremony, Cresbard, South Dakota, May 
                                25, 2009

       Thank you for the invitation to attend the recognition 
     celebration for Captain Cecil E. Harris to honor his 
     achievement as a World War II fighter pilot. While I regret I 
     am unable to be with you to recognize Captain Harris at this 
     important event, I want to extend my greetings and best 
     wishes to all of you in attendance. I applaud those 
     individuals, many of whom are here today, whose hard work and 
     dedication have made this event possible.
       It is especially fitting that you are celebrating this 
     event on Memorial Day. We should pause to remember what 
     Memorial Day is all about: honoring those who have defended 
     our freedom and especially those who have paid the ultimate 
     price. Captain Harris is certainly worthy of this 
     celebration. As an educator by profession, his willingness to 
     serve others was apparent at a young age. He answered the 
     call to service while enrolled at Northern State Teachers 
     College in March 1941. Twenty-seven years later, Captain 
     Harris retired as one of the most decorated heroes of the 
     United States Navy. During his World War II service, he was 
     the second highest scoring Navy ace in the Pacific Theater 
     with 24 victories.
       Captain Harris serves as a shining example of South 
     Dakota's proud legacy of military service that extends from 
     our state's earliest days to our current conflicts around the 
     globe. South Dakotans of every background have always 
     answered the call to defend America from those who seek to 
     destroy the freedom that we cherish. I doubt there are many 
     South Dakotans who do not have a family member or friend who 
     has worn our nation's uniform. Upon reflection, we quickly 
     realize that without the liberty that these men and women 
     have defended through the years, our nation would not be what 
     it is today, nor would citizens enjoy the freedoms that we 
     sometimes take for granted.
       My father, Harold Thune, served in the same squadron as 
     Cecil Harris in World War II, and was Cecil's assistant 
     flight officer. I recently had the opportunity to interview 
     my father about his World War II experience for the Veterans 
     History Project, an oral history archive held at the Library 
     of Congress, and my father spoke very highly of Cecil. In 
     fact, the advice Cecil gave my father helped him avoid being 
     shot down. Cecil Harris was responsible for training my 
     father's squadron, and my father describes Cecil as 
     unqualifiedly the best pilot he had ever seen, and that he 
     had never seen a pilot fly a plane like he did.
       The tragic reality is that our nation loses hundreds of 
     veterans every day. Memorial Day gives us an opportunity to 
     reflect on the sacrifices of our veterans from every 
     conflict, and it is fitting that we do so. Our veterans 
     deserve to be remembered and celebrated, and these programs 
     help do just that.
       Again, I wish you all the very best as you gather to 
     celebrate in Cresbard. My thoughts are with you all.

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