[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16004]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     REMEMBERING LEROY MAZELL SMITH

  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, today I wish to honor Leroy Mazell Smith, 
an aviation mechanic from Fordyce, AR, who was part of the illustrious 
Tuskegee Airmen and served his country with honor and distinction.
  Born in 1927, Smith loved to tell the story of his birth with wry 
humor and fondness. A midwife helped his mother deliver him while on a 
bridge where some had taken refuge from the great Mississippi River 
flood of that year. They remained there for 4 days before his birth was 
documented. The result was that his birth certificate indicated a 
different date of birth, 4 days after his actual birthday.
  From that unusual beginning, he went on to lead a remarkable life. He 
credited his Baptist grandfather with having a large influence on him 
growing up, including teaching him the value of hard work. He graduated 
from high school at age 16 and took preflight aeronautical classes. 
After graduation, Smith joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and became a 
mechanic.
  He completed basic training in Texas and was stationed at Chanute 
Field in Illinois. Later, during World War II, he was sent to Europe 
where he was assigned to the Tuskegee Airmen Red Tail squadron. He 
remembered being scared during his time in theater but always relayed 
his sense of pride in the work he did and the fact that the Tuskegee 
unit never lost a bomber.
  Smith also helped break social and racial barriers in the military. 
As part of the group of African Americans who served in the Armed 
Forces in the mid-20th century, he was among many servicemembers who 
confronted segregation within the barracks and beyond. Even so, he 
recalled his time in the Army Air Corps as ``one of his best 
memories.''
  Leroy Smith honorably served with the U.S. Army Air Corps and the 
U.S. Air Force for more than 25 years, including further combat tours 
in Korea and Vietnam. He retired in 1968 as a master sergeant.
  Leroy Mazell Smith passed away on December 1, 2016. He will be laid 
to rest on December 9, wearing an Air Force uniform complete with the 
medals he earned during his service, a recent request that the 
nonprofit veterans' support group Team Red, White and Blue helped 
fulfill.
  Smith is an American hero whose admirable service is recognized and 
appreciated by all Arkansans. I extend my sincere condolences to his 
family and friends, and I hope that they take comfort in the wonderful 
legacy that he leaves behind.

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