[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17241]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING AIRMAN FIRST CLASS LAWRENCE DAVID FRIAR

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, December 8, 2014

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
courageous and remarkable veteran, Retired Airman First Class Lawrence 
David Friar.
  Lawrence Friar is a strong believer in the value of family land and 
property ownership. It is through this belief that prompted him to 
return to his native home in Lexington, Mississippi in 1972 from 
Compton, California where he was reared. He was born in Lexington, 
Mississippi April 20, 1940, but moved out West with his family not long 
after that.
  He returned to his home state to look after his family's land, 
because so many boundaries and lines were being moved and timber being 
cut from his property that he had to come home to watch over things for 
his other siblings. Born to the late Mack Friar and Lettie Wright 
Friar, Holmes County, Mississippi natives, there were four boys and six 
girls. He has been a faithful citizen of the Second Congressional 
District ever since his return in 1972.
  Protecting land is nothing new for Friar for he is a proud American 
Veteran who protected and served his country in the United States Air 
Force from 1958 until 1962.
  He joined the military immediately after high school in Compton. 
``When I joined the service, the Vietnamese Conflict has started, and 
it was still going on when I left the service.'' he said. Friar had 
temporary duty in the War Zone, in which they would leave Hawaii and go 
to the war and work the jets that needed repairing, and then they would 
return to Hawaii, where he was stationed.
  During his tour of duty in the U.S. Air Force, Friar earned and 
retired with the rank of (E4) Airman First Class.
  The Retired Airman First Class Lawrence Friar says ``Most 
importantly, it taught me patience and how to get along with people.'' 
he said about his most memorable experience about serving in the U.S. 
Air Force.
  Today, one will find this retired U.S. Air Force veteran home in 
Lexington, Mississippi as a local leisurely farmer doing some gardening 
and planting; what people in the south call ``truck patches.'' He hopes 
to return to California one day to check on some siblings there, but 
for now he will remain with a watchful eye on his family's land.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Retired 
Airman First Class Lawrence David Friar for his time and dedication to 
serving our country and others.

                          ____________________