Lyle C. Pearson Community-Based Outpatient Clinic

Floor Speech

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Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I want to thank my colleague and friend from Colorado for his kind words and his work on the Veterans' Affairs Committee. I am proud to serve with him.

I rise today in support of H.R. 3682, which designates the Department of Veterans Affairs Community-Based Outpatient Clinic in Mankato, Minnesota, as the Lyle C. Pearson Community-Based Outpatient Clinic.

Lyle Pearson was the true definition of an American hero. Through his lifelong dedication of service, both in and out of uniform, Lyle left a profound and everlasting impact on southern Minnesota and this country as a whole.

Lyle served in the skies over Europe as a B-17 pilot with the 15th Air Force during World War II. He completed 15 combat missions over occupied territory. In December 1944, Lyle's aircraft was shot down over Italy. Surviving the horrors of the shoot-down, Lyle was a prisoner of war from December of 1944 to May of 1945. For his actions in combat as a POW, Lyle was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with Clusters, and the Purple Heart.

Like so many of his colleagues, the distinguished service that he served in uniform might have only been outpaced by what he did after he came back home. After the war, Lyle rejoined his wife on their family farm, but his desire to serve was strong.

Beginning in 1957, Lyle administered programs for the Nicollet County juvenile court and Nicollet County court services, first as the chief probation officer, then as the director of court services. He helped turn around countless lives of many troubled youth in his time with the Nicollet County juvenile courts, earning Minnesota Corrections Officer of the Year in 1969.

One of Lyle's biggest impacts was helping his fellow veterans. He served his entire life helping other veterans and, as you heard from my colleague, he served as national commander of the Disabled American Veterans. He also spent 49 years as the adjutant of his local chapter.

He dedicated over half a century of service to the St. Peter State Hospital, was a 4-H club leader, and was active with his church throughout his entire life.

Through all of this, Lyle was a husband, a father of seven children, and a stalwart in his community.

Lyle's dedication to duty, his community, and this country reflected upon himself and was in keeping with the finest ideals of service, selflessness, and giving, making him the ideal namesake for the Mankato Community-Based Outreach Clinic that will serve so many of our fellow veterans.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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