Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. Va Medical Center
Floor Speech
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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6863) to designate the medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Memphis, Tennessee, as the ``Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center''.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 6863
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr., was born December 16, 1922, in Grenada, Mississippi, then moved to Memphis, Tennessee, at age five.
(2) Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr., graduated from Booker T. Washington High School and is an alumnus of Xavier University in New Orleans.
(3) Upon his graduation, Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr., enlisted in one of the first training programs for Black pilots, beginning his journey as a Tuskegee Airman.
(4) Within his first few years active in the war, Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr., named his plane ``Spirit of Beale Street'', in honor of his hometown, Memphis, Tennessee. He flew this plane with the ``Red Tails''.
(5) He was credited with shooting down German planes while protecting United States Army Air Corps bombers and shooting down two Messerschmitt 109s in Italy while escorting a damaged B-24 Liberator bomber.
(6) During his military service, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
(7) Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr., received numerous honors and awards throughout his long and distinguished career.
(8) Among them, he was presented with an Air Medal with 7 clusters and an American Theater Ribbon Victory Medal during his military service.
(9) Following the war, Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr., returned to Memphis, receiving a hero's welcome and a key to the city.
(10) On July 13, 1947, he married LaVerne Nailling at St. Therese-Little Flowers Catholic Church in Memphis.
(11) In 1960, he accepted a job with the Federal Aviation Administration (hereinafter, the ``FAA'') as an air traffic control specialist in Anchorage, Alaska.
(12) In 1965, Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr., moved back to Memphis, becoming the first Black air traffic controller in Memphis.
(13) Weathers later held positions with the FAA in Atlanta, Georgia, and the District of Columbia, where he eventually retired in 1985, after serving as a reservist in the military for 23 years.
(14) During retirement, Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr., remained active with the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. and continued to support African Americans in the military.
(15) In 1995, Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr., moved to Tucson, Arizona, shortly after marrying Jacqueline Moore Weathers.
(16) In 2007, Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr., and the Tuskegee Airmen were honored with a Congressional Gold Medal.
(17) On October 15, 2011, Luke Joseph Weather, Jr., died in Tucson, Arizona, at the age of 90, leaving behind his wife, two sons and daughters, 12 grandchildren, and 10 great- grandchildren as well as a legacy of countless lives he touched.
(18) On January 20, 2012, Lieutenant Colonel Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr., was interred at Arlington National Cemetery. SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF THE LT. COL. LUKE WEATHERS, JR. VA MEDICAL CENTER.
The medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs located in Memphis, Tennessee, shall, after the date of the enactment of this Act, be known and designated as the ``Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center''. Any reference in any law, regulation, map, document, paper, or other record of the United States to such medical center shall be considered to be a reference to the Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center.
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Mr. TAKANO. 6863.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of Lieutenant Colonel Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr., a combat fighter pilot with the legendary Tuskegee Airmen, the first ever African-American air traffic controller in Memphis, and a trailblazing advocate for African Americans' military service.
The bill before us, H.R. 6863, would appropriately name the VA's medical center in Memphis, Tennessee, the Lieutenant Colonel Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center.
Lieutenant Colonel Weathers embodied service to country in a way that we all can admire. Born in 1922 in Mississippi, Lieutenant Colonel Weathers moved to Memphis, Tennessee, at age 5, the place he would call home for decades after.
After graduating from Xavier University in 1942, Lt. Col. Weathers returned to Memphis where he read a newspaper article about the newly created aviation cadet program in Tuskegee, Alabama, one of the first such programs in the country meant for aspiring African-American pilots.
Despite the racial discrimination he endured, Lieutenant Colonel Weathers secured a one-on-one meeting with Memphis political boss E.H. Crump, who personally recommended Weathers' nomination to the Tuskegee program to President Roosevelt. From there, Lieutenant Colonel Weathers began his distinguished military service, fighting as a combat pilot among the legendary Red Tails during World War II.
His noble accomplishments during the war included shooting down two German planes while protecting U.S. Army Air Corps bombers and shooting down two additional enemy aircraft in Italy while escorting a damaged B-24 Liberator bomber.
Even after the war, Lieutenant Colonel Weathers' service to his country continued. In 1960, he became an air traffic control specialist with the Federal Aviation Administration, and soon after he became the first Black air traffic controller in Memphis.
Lieutenant Colonel Weathers retired in 1985, all the while serving as a reservist in the military for 23 years. In retirement, he advocated tirelessly on behalf of African Americans in the military, paving the way for generations of citizens to serve this country honorably, just as he did.
Lieutenant Colonel Weathers' lifetime of service earned him multiple honors and awards, including the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007, alongside 300 surviving Tuskegee Airmen.
Lieutenant Colonel Weathers passed away in October 2011. Today, he and the Tuskegee Airmen continue to be a symbol of justice, determination, and solidarity, ideals which embody the very best of this country.
The naming of the Memphis VA Medical Center in Lieutenant Colonel Weather's honor is a fitting tribute to his lifetime of service.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record letters of support for H.R. 6863 from The American Legion, the VFW, and Disabled American Veterans, as well as the Tennessee delegations of the House and Senate. The American Legion, Department of Tennessee, Nashville, TN, February 22, 2022. Hon. Steve Cohen, Washington, DC.
Dear Congressman Cohen: Please accept this letter as a demonstration of the total support of the American Legion Department of Tennessee, in recognition of renaming the Memphis Veterans Administration Medical Center in Memphis, Tennessee as ``Lieutenant Colonel ``Luke'' Weathers Veterans Medical Center.''
Lieutenant Colonel Weathers was a Grenada Mississippi native and was the first-ever black Air Traffic Controller in Memphis. Lieutenant Colonel Weathers was a member of the famed Tuskegee Airman from 1942 to 1945.
The Tuskegee Airmen flew 15,000 missions over North Africa and Europe during the Second World War. Luke downed two German fighter planes that attacked Army Air Force Bombers that he had been charged with escorting.
Lt Colonel Weathers, like other Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, conducted missions throughout Northern Africa and Europe for allied Forces and when Lt Colonel Weathers returned to Memphis from the war in 1945, he was presented with a parade down Beale Street and with the job opportunities for a star black pilot were scarce and Luke Weathers was fortunate to obtain a job as the first black air traffic controller at the FAA in Memphis.
The American Legion Department of Tennessee would like to honor his amazing legacy of service to God, Country, his fellow veterans, and his community of Memphis, TN with our full support and we wholeheartedly support and encourage the committee to sponsor and support legislation naming the new Aurora Veterans Clinic after this distinguished WWII Veteran.
On behalf of the 20,000 members of The American Legion in Tennessee I am proud to fully, endorse this effort. Sincerely, Larry V. Kersey, Commander, The American Legion, Department of Tennessee. ____ Veterans of Foreign Wars, District 10, Shelby County, TN, February 18, 2022. To Congressman Steve Cohen, Via VFW Tennessee Department Commander Bryan Walker Subject Renaming Memphis VA Medical Center
It is with great pleasure that I write to tell you that our members support the renaming of the Memphis Veterans Administration Medical Center after the late Tuskegee Airman, FAA Air Traffic Control Specialist, and Memphis Civil Rights Pioneer, Lieutenant Colonel Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr. Very Respectfully, Kapell Eugene, District 10 Commander. ____ Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Tennessee, March 17, 2022. To Congressman Steve Cohen, Re Renaming Memphis VA Medical Center
It is with great pleasure that the membership of the Department of Tennessee, Veterans of Foreign Wars supports the renaming of the Memphis Veterans Administration Medical Center after the late Lieutenant Colonel Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr., a Tuskegee Airman, FAA Air Traffic Control Specialists and Memphis Civil Rights Pioneer. Brian Walker,
Department Commander. John Scott,
Department Adjutant/Quartermaster. Kapell Eugene,
District 10 Commander. ____ Disabled American Veterans, Department of Tennessee, Lawrenceburg, TN, December 21, 2021. Re Support Legislation in Naming the Memphis VAMC After Lt. Col. Luke Weathers Jr. Congressman Mike Bost, Ranking Member, House Committee on Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC.
Dear Congressman Bost: Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Department of Tennessee, with its membership of over 17,600 Veterans; wishes to support a legislative initiative by Congressman Steve Cohen in naming the Memphis VA Medical Center after Lt. Col. Luke Weathers Jr. Lt. Col. Weathers flew as one of the original Tuskegee Airman with the ``Red Tails'' during World War II and later returned to Memphis, Tennessee to work in aviation and serve as a mentor to many in the military and aviation communities. Weathers, who died in October in Tucson, Arizona, at the age of 90, was credited with shooting down two Messerschmitt 109's in Italy while escorting a damaged B-24 Liberator bomber in 1944. He returned to a parade in his honor in his home town of Memphis in 1945 and was given the keys to the city.
DAV Department of Tennessee's membership would appreciate your support in honoring Lt. Col. Weathers by naming the Memphis, Tennessee VA Medical Center after him. Thank you for your consideration in this matter. Sincerely, Michael L. Harman, II,
Commander, Department of Tennessee, Disabled American Veterans. ____ Congress of the United States, Washington, DC, March 15, 2022. Chairman Mark Takano, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Washington, DC. Hon. Mike Bost, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Takano and Ranking Member Bost: Please accept this letter as a demonstration of our support for H.R. 6863, a bill that would designate the Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Memphis, Tennessee as the ``Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center.''
Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr. was born in Grenada, Mississippi and moved to Memphis, Tennessee when he was five. He graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis and Xavier University in New Orleans. He then enlisted in a training program for Black pilots, beginning his journey as a Tuskegee Airman in the U.S. Army Air Corps. Weathers flew with the ``Red Tails'' in North Africa, Italy, France, and Germany. He served with distinction, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and receiving numerous honors and awards throughout his career.
At the end of the Second World War, Lt. Col. Weathers returned to Memphis where he received a hero's welcome and a key to the city. He participated in a war bond effort, raising $1.5 million, the most raised by any African American Group. In honor of this achievement, a B-24 Liberator was named ``Spirit of Beale Street.''
Weathers began a career as an Air Traffic Control Specialist and in 1965 became the first Black air traffic controller in Memphis. Throughout his life, he remained active with the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. and was a mentor to countless youth who had an interest in the military or aviation.
It is fitting to have the Memphis VAMC to be named after a veteran with such a distinguished career and who represents the city so well. We are proud to support this effort. Sincerely, Tim Burchett, Jim Cooper, Scott DesJarlais, Mark E. Green, MD, Diana Harshbarger, David Kustoff, Chuck Fleischmann, John Rose,
Members of Congress. ____ U.S. Senate, Washington, DC, June 24, 2022. Chairman Mark Takano, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Washington, DC. Hon. Mike Bost, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Takano and Ranking Member Bost: We write to express our support for H.R. 6863, a bill that would name the Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Memphis, Tennessee the ``Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center.''
Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr. was born in Grenada, Mississippi and moved to Memphis, Tennessee at age five. Upon his graduation from Booker T. Washington High School and Xavier University, he enlisted in a training program for African- American pilots. Upon completion, he began his career as a Tuskegee Airman in the U.S. Army Air Corps. Weathers flew with the ``Red Tails'' in North Africa, Italy, France, and Germany. He was decorated with honors and awards throughout his career. For his exemplary service, Weathers rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Lt. Col. Weathers received a hero's welcome and a key to the city upon his return to Memphis following World War II. He then raised $1.5 million in a war bond effort--the most of any African-American Group. A B-24 Liberator was named the ``Spirit of Beale Street'' to honor this great achievement.
In 1965, Lt. Col. Weathers became the first African- American air traffic controller in Memphis. He would spend the rest of his career as an Air Traffic Control Specialist. He remained active with the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. throughout his life and mentored countless youth with interests in the military or aviation.
It is fitting to have the Memphis VAMC named after a veteran with such a distinguished career, who embodied the spirit of the Volunteer State. We wholeheartedly support this effort. Sincerely, Marsha Blackburn,
U.S. Senator. Bill Hagerty,
U.S. Senator.
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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly support this bill, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
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Mr. TAKANO. He serves on the Committee on the Judiciary as chairman of the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Subcommittee. He also serves on the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be associated with the passage of this bill to honor Lieutenant Colonel Weathers. I have the distinction of representing the University of California, Riverside, where resides the Tuskegee Airmen Archives.
I am reminded by the Speaker's presence on the dais and the presence of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ellzey) that you are both veterans and that serving our veterans and remembering our veterans is not about two colors. It is not about red or blue, but it is about red, white, and blue, and that all colors of America have fought for the three colors, and they bled one color.
It is important for us to remember the poignancy of our segregated fighting units of World War II, the last war in which we had segregated fighting units, and mark the progress that this country has made and that we must continue to make, so it is fitting that I call on all my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 6863.
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