Recognizing Edward Longenecker on His 100th Birthday

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Edward Longenecker and wish him a happy 100th birthday.

Mr. Longenecker is a World War II veteran who has a steadfast love and devotion to God, his family, and his country.

He is from my hometown of Victoria, Texas. Today, we honor him for his service to the United States Army Air Corps as a radio operator and nose gunner on the B-24 bomber in the 451st Bomb Group, 726th Squadron.

During World War II, on July 14, 1944, he and his fellow airmen traveled to Petfurdo, Hungary, for their 29th combat mission. What they expected to be a routine mission was anything but when they began to receive anti-aircraft fire that took out two of the aircraft's engines. From the nose gunner position, he received word that they were dropping elevation very quickly. The pilot made the call urging everyone to jump. Mr. Longenecker headed to the flight deck to retrieve his parachute.

On the flight deck, he saw his ball gunner about to jump and gave him a good luck salute. Then Mr. Longenecker jumped.

Everyone who jumped before him was captured, but he landed on top of a hill and began taking on heavy fire from Yugoslav soldiers that were sympathetic to the Germans.

He made his way to a nearby forest line, crawled under a briar bush, and stayed under that bush until nightfall. That first night, he slept near a lake. The second night, he stayed in a pile of hay where he could hear a group of people playing the guitar and singing. To him, this was one of the most beautiful sounds he had heard simply because there wasn't a sign of war anywhere.

On the third day, he ran out of the wood cover and met a young boy. This boy took him to a nearby village where he ate, bathed, and rested. Eventually, Mr. Longenecker was taken to a house where an American lieutenant was waiting. Upon his safe arrival, he was informed that he had miraculously walked through an active minefield unscathed.

It is incredible to think how his life could have been cut short, but it has lasted these 100 years.

After serving in the military, Ed Longenecker became an electrical engineer and lived a long, full life, married to his wife, Marie, for 59 years until she passed in 2006. He has two daughters, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. I know many of them, and they are a precious, honorable family, truly a legacy.

Edward Longenecker is a true American hero, and we are indebted to him for his great service to our Nation. It is an honor to celebrate his life today. I hope he has a wonderful 100th birthday.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source