Henry Parham Va Clinic
Floor Speech
Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 4955. This bill will designate the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, as the Henry Parham VA Clinic. I thank my colleague, Representative Lee, for introducing this bill.
A member of a segregated Army unit, Private First Class Parham was likely the last surviving African-American D-day combat veteran. His heroic actions during perhaps the most famous military operation in American history are worthy of our continued gratitude. It is my pleasure to support this bill to do just that.
Mr. Parham was born in Emporia, Virginia, in November 1921 and was the son of a sharecropper. With limited educational opportunities in Emporia for African Americans, Mr. Parham moved to Richmond as a teenager to begin work as a porter for Trailways buses.
Following American entry into World War II, Mr. Parham was drafted into the Army at age 21. His unit, the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, had the mission of protecting ground forces by raising the hydrogen- filled balloons to disrupt and down enemy aircraft.
The 320th, an all-Black unit, initially trained in Tennessee before being sent to England in 1943 to prepare for the D-day invasion.
Landing on Omaha Beach hours after the first wave of American troops, Private First Class Parham and his unit encountered heavy German fire and casualties spread across the battlefield. Private First Class Parham survived the assault at Omaha Beach, and his service continued in the months to come.
Private First Class Parham and the 320th remained at Omaha Beach for 2 months following the June 6 invasion. This unit played a critical role in protecting supply lines and troop movements for follow-on operations in the region. The actions of Private First Class Parham and the 320th were crucial to the ultimate defeat of Nazi forces and Allied victory in Europe.
Private First Class Parham and the 320th returned to the United States in November of 1944. They were stationed in Hawaii. The unit began preparing for deployment to the Pacific as part of the planned invasion of Japan. They were still in Hawaii when atomic bombs were dropped on Japan in August 1945, ending the war.
After World War II ended, Mr. Parham and his wife, Ethel, settled in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh. He worked as a heavy equipment operator for years in the region.
Following his retirement, both Mr. and Mrs. Parham became active volunteers at local VA hospitals and with The American Legion.
Mr. Parham, like so many members of the Greatest Generation, answered his Nation's call to serve to protect democracy at home and abroad.
During a time of racial division, Mr. Parham remained committed to a country that often treated him as a second-class citizen. His actions with the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion on D-day and the months that followed are deserving of our continued gratitude and respect.
What is more, his work with fellow veterans as a volunteer in his post-military life demonstrated a lifelong commitment to our Nation's heroes. There is perhaps no better way to honor Mr. Parham than to ensure that this community facility bears his name and helps to educate the public about his service.
Mr. Speaker, I support this important piece of legislation.
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Mr. TAKANO. Lee), the author of H.R. 4955 and my very good friend who serves on the Oversight and Accountability Committee and the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.
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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 4955, a bill to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, as the Henry Parham VA Clinic, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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