Recognizing Congressional Patriot Award Recipient Walter Hunter

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. FALLON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Walter Eugene Hunter of Celina, Texas, and present him with the Congressional Patriot Award. Walter has dedicated himself to faithfully serving our community and country.

As a young man, Walter was a decorated Boy Scout and Cub Scout leader and worked as a messenger boy for Western Union. During the Second World War, he heeded the call to defend our nation after witnessing the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, and he proudly enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Walter served in combat as a Field Communications Specialist during the grueling battles of Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and Green Island, in which he was awarded a Unit Citation for his meritorious actions. He later worked in aviation electronics in North Carolina before being honorably discharged in 1945. During the conflict in Korea, Walter was also briefly called back to duty from the Reserves.

After his service, Walter has continued to be an upstanding American citizen, patriot, and family man. He met his late wife Irene, a US Army cadet nurse, and they were happily married for a remarkable 77 years. Together, they had three daughters and many more grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Walter earned his doctorate degree from the University of Colorado and guided the doctoral research of 65 graduate students at the University of Missouri. For his excellent teaching abilities and his students' achievements, Walter received cash awards from the American Chemical Society, which he used to purchase science books for the school library. He also raised thousands of dollars to install an FM radio station for students interested in learning radio communications. At the young age of 103, Walter frequently travels across the country to spend time with his family and remains passionate about learning. In his free time, Walter studies science and Chaos theory. I am grateful for Walter's extensive contributions to our community and country, and I wish him good health for many years to come.

It is an honor to bestow Walter with the Patriot Award for his exceptional service to the people of North Texas.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source