Recognizing the 100th Birthday of Mrs. Ethelyn Szad Bell of Bonham, Texas

Floor Speech

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Mr. FALLON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 100th birthday of Mrs. Ethelyn Szad Bell of Bonham, Texas. Mrs. Bell served in the United States Army Nurse Corps in the Second World War and will turn 100 years old on October 4, 2023.

Mrs. Bell was born in Wallingford, Connecticut on October 4, 1923, to Charles and Gertrude Szad. As the Second World War raged on, Mrs. Bell heard President Franklin D. Roosevelt's appeal to the Nation for additional hospital staff, so she enlisted in the United States Army on March 26, 1945. She completed basic training for Army nurses at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, and set sail to the Philippines with the Army Nurse Corps on the hospital ship USAHS Charles A. Stafford. During this time, Mrs. Bell provided care for wounded soldiers in a tent city within the Philippine jungles. She later transferred to Nagoya, Japan, and tended to American GIs in a converted hospital. For her service and efforts, Second Lieutenant Bell was awarded a citation from President Harry S. Truman, and she was honorably discharged on June 19, 1946.

After the Army, Mrs. Bell worked at the Veterans Administration Hospital in McKinney, Texas. In 1947, she met her husband, fellow Army veteran Charles Bell, on a blind date. They married a year later on October 16, 1948, and moved to Prosper, Texas. Together, they raised 2 children, Tom and Cindy. Mrs. Bell later worked as a school nurse at the North Ward and West Ward Elementary Schools in McKinney until her retirement in 1978. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and visiting casinos. I am honored to commemorate Mrs. Bell today on reaching her centennial.

I have requested the United States flag to be flown over our Nation's Capital to recognize Mrs. Bell's remarkable journey and service to our Nation. May God bless Mrs. Bell as we celebrate 100 years of life and joy.

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