Recognizing of the 98th Birthday of Thomas Cleveland

Floor Speech

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Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 98th birthday of Thomas Cleveland.

Thomas was born on October 6, 1923. He spent most of his life in Coosa County, Alabama, but was drafted in April of 1943 at the age of 18. He went to basic training at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. While there he was trained in demolition and experienced his first injury. The soldiers were training with TNT and a detonation cap exploded in his hand.

After Camp Shelby, he was off to Camp Kilby, New Jersey, where he boarded a troop ship and headed to Birmingham, England. The trip across the ocean was 14 days and he was seasick for seven of those days recalling the ship rocking back and forth sending him to the deck to hang his head.

Once across the English Channel, he landed on the beaches in Normandy, France, during the second wave of the invasion. It was there he was shot in the shoulder resulting in his first Purple Heart. When he went into the U.S. Army, his mother had given him a small Bible with a metal cover to carry with him. Even today, the Bible has blood stains from the shoulder wound. The bullet is still in his shoulder.

During the Battle of the Bulge, he received another injury and the second Purple Heart.

When asked what he remembers most about War World II, he tells of constantly advancing on the enemy and being separated from his unit when they encountered Germans. Once reunited with his unit, only four soldiers were left in his squad. This is when he received a battle- field promotion from the rank of private first class to sergeant.

Three years after being drafted, the war was over for Thomas and he went back to the United States at Fort Lewis, Washington, to be discharged. After a train ride from Washington to Birmingham, Alabama, he took a taxi back to Hanover, Alabama, where he continues to live today.

Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing Thomas and wishing him a very happy 98th birthday. I thank him for his service to our country.

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