[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23314]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO MR. LESLIE M. GREEN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 30, 2009

  Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of 
America's unsung heroes, Mr. Leslie M. Green. Mr. Green is a retired 
Corporal of the 118th Army Air Forces Base Unit who has recently 
celebrated his 90th birthday. He is an ordinary man who has led an 
extraordinary life, one that deserves our recognition.
  Leslie Green was born in East Point, Georgia on August 14, 1919. He 
was educated in the only high school available to him at the time, the 
all-black Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta. After 
graduation, he worked on the family farm and in his father's business, 
which was unusual at the time. However, Leslie was drafted into the 
United States Army at Fort Benning, Georgia, in 1941, and was sent to 
New Orleans for basic training with the 9th Aviation Squadron.
  After basic training, he was sent to Maxwell Field in Tuskegee, 
Alabama, where he received on-the-job training in aircraft maintenance. 
He became an aircraft crew chief with the rank of Corporal. For his 
outstanding work, Corporal Green received the American Defense Ribbon, 
the American Theater Ribbon, Good Conduct Ribbon and the World War II 
Victory Medal. He was discharged in 1945.
  Madam Speaker, there have been many honors and recognitions bestowed 
upon the pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen. However, the crews that 
supplied and serviced these pilots and their aircraft have gone 
unnoticed by comparison. I want to take this opportunity to thank 
Corporal Leslie Green and all of his fellow crew members. Our country 
owes them a debt of gratitude for their role in the remarkable success 
of the Tuskegee Airmen.
  However, his military service is not the only extraordinary aspect of 
Leslie Green's life. Upon his discharge from the Army, Mr. Green joined 
his brother in Detroit, Michigan where they opened the first barber 
school in the city. Mr. Green served as an instructor and helped 
operate this successful business until 1985. In 1991, he returned to 
his roots in East Point, Georgia.
  Yet Mr. Green knew he wanted to accomplish even more in his life. 
During most of his adulthood, he had been overweight. His weight led to 
diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and arthritis. Mr. 
Green knew he had to get his weight under control to improve his 
quality of life. He changed his diet and started working out in the 
fitness center. Over time, he was able to lose seventy pounds, wean 
himself off insulin, and reduce his other medications. Today he 
exercises in the fitness center nearly every day serving as a positive 
example at ninety years old to those much younger. He is an ambassador 
for healthy living and a motivator for countless people in his 
community.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing 
Mr. Leslie Green's lifetime of achievement. This ordinary man has spent 
his life doing extraordinary things. He is a war hero, an entrepreneur, 
and a role model for healthy living. Mr. Green has never met a 
challenge he wasn't willing to take on wholeheartedly. Through hard 
work and dedication, he has succeeded time and again. He is a testament 
to American dedication and ingenuity. I applaud Mr. Leslie Green, and 
wish him a belated happy 90th birthday.

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