[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 1879]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       IN MEMORY OF FRED STOLLEY

  (Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
life of a great man and a great soldier.
  In 2013, I had the honor of meeting Fred Stolley and presenting him 
with the Soldier's Medal, the highest honor a servicemember can receive 
for an act of valor in a noncombat situation.
  Private First Class Stolley proudly served his country during World 
War II; and in 1944, he saved a fellow soldier from drowning. Stolley's 
commanding officer wrote a commendation letter praising him for saving 
the soldier who was twice his size and deeply troubled by the 
devastating news of losing his brother in combat.
  After the war ended, Stolley returned home to Decatur, Illinois. He 
worked nights, weekends, and, between classes, building houses and 
hauling water to graduate from my alma mater, Millikin University, with 
a degree in business.
  Out of respect for the soldier he saved, Stolley never requested a 
medal to recognize his act of heroism, but 70 years later, my office 
was able to present him with the medal in front of his family and 
friends.
  This week, we lost a hero. Fred Stolley passed away at the age of 90.
  It is because of people like him and all of our men and women in 
uniform that we are able to enjoy the freedoms that we have today.
  My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends as they lay 
him to rest in Decatur this afternoon.

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