April 18, 2005 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3815 Pentecostal Church to a new level. His the People’’ students ‘‘significantly it’s about time for bombs away. We professionalism and guidance in han- outperformed comparison students on continued and dropped our bombs in dling Louisiana’s churches and their every topic of the tests taken.’’ I am the target area. We notified the squad- congregations will be missed, as well as delighted that the Valley View Blazers ron leader and immediately pulled his great wisdom and leadership. can take advantage of such a great op- away from the formation. I called out I personally commend, honor and portunity. on the intercom that ‘‘we had better thank Reverend Tenney on the occa- These 11 students from Jonesboro get out of here before this plane blows sion of his retirement from service to certainly deserve recognition for their up’’. Things looked pretty bad. I called the people of Louisiana after 26 years hard work and talent. Through their back later to the crew but got no an- as United Pentecostal Church knowledge of the U.S. Constitution and swer because all of them except the co- Superintendent for the State of Lou- our political system, they have earned pilot, engineer and myself had already isiana.∑ the right to compete at the highest bailed out. f level. I am proud that such fine young The fire continued in number 3 en- ladies and gentlemen will be rep- gine so the engineer bailed out and Vic- CONGRATULATIONS TO ‘‘WE THE resenting my state on the national tor followed him. I climbed down to PEOPLE’’ FINALISTS FROM THE stage, and I am honored to acknowl- bail out but decided to take one last STATE OF ARKANSAS edge their accomplishment. look at number 3. The fire appeared to ∑ Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, I con- I wish these students the best of luck have gone out. The plane was in a gratulate students from Valley View at the ‘‘We the People’’ national finals, slight dive as I climbed back into the High School in Jonesboro, AR for win- and I applaud their outstanding seat. Upon returning the plane to level ning their statewide competition and achievement.∑ flight I noticed that the fire re ap- earning the chance to come to our Na- f peared. I then put the plane in a fairly tion’s capital to compete in the na- steep dive. I remember saying to my- tional finals of ‘‘We the People: The WORLD WAR II REMEMBRANCE self ‘‘come on baby we’ve gotten this Citizen and the Constitution’’. Led by ∑ Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I rise far, don’t blow up on me now’’. The fire their teacher Dana Shoemaker, stu- today to share with you a remarkable blew out shortly thereafter. My luck dents Jarrett Clark, Virginia Gray, story from World War II and the re- was still holding. Tyler Isbell, Zachery Lesley, Ryan membrance shown by our friends in I was down to about 4000 feet by now McCormack, Ashley Perryman, Whit- . and found myself flying through some ney Philamlee, Olga Redko, Elizabeth Lindlar, Germany a small town out- more flak, and small arms fire. I didn’t Renshaw, Laura Stahl, and Molly side of , is honoring the mem- realize at the time that I was flying di- Throgmorton will join more than 1,200 ory of an American war hero who lost rectly over the ground fighting be- students from across the country to his life during WWII. First Lieutenant tween our troops and the Germans take part in the weekend-long competi- Victor Rutkowski was a 24 year old, B– somewhere north of Aachen. I really tion. 17 co-pilot assigned to the 390th Bom- did not know who was shooting at me ‘‘We the People’’ is a nationwide pro- bardment Group stationed in England. then but luckily I was out of it in a gram developed specifically to educate Lindlar will be dedicating a monument minute or so. I finally contacted a P–47 young people about the U.S. Constitu- to Victor’s memory and holding a me- fighter pilot in the area who led me tion and Bill of Rights. The program is morial service to honor him this week- into St. Trond, Belgium, Site A92, funded by the U.S. Department of Edu- end. where the landing was not the best I cation, and it provides a unique and Doug Johnson was the pilot of the B– had ever made. A flat right tire that valuable opportunity for high school 17 during Victor’s last mission. The fol- had been shot out by flak didn’t help. students to learn about the founda- lowing is his account of that final mis- After exiting the plane and walking tions of the Federal Government while sion. around to inspect the damage, I no- spending time in Washington, D.C., the Oct 15, 1944: My 35th and final mis- ticed that the tail gunner was still at center of American civic engagement. sion started about like most of the oth- his post. A flak burst had killed him. It is a wonderful thing that these stu- ers we had flown during the previous The plane had about 200 holes in it and dents have taken such an interest in few months. Two of our earlier mis- the fuel was still leaking from the government and the political system. sions had extended all the way from number 3 engine. I still can’t figure out The vibrancy of our democracy depends England, over Germany landing in Rus- why that plane didn’t blow up. on the active participation of its citi- sia for a short stay. Leaving Russia and I later learned that my co pilot was zens. And with every new generation, bombing in Poland and Rumania before killed on the ground by German civil- we are faced with the challenge of edu- proceeding on to Italy for a couple days ians and that my bombardier had been cating our future leaders in the value before our final leg back into wounded but evaded and my engineer also escaped capture and returned to of civic engagement. I am happy that Framlingham, England. But this time base. The rest of my crew spent the the parents and teachers of these stu- we were going on a relatively short balance of the war as POWs. mission to Cologne, Germany. We were dents from Jonesboro are meeting that A truly remarkable story that speaks important challenge and that the stu- to fly the lead position, high element vividly to the sacrifice soldiers such as dents are taking an active role in their of ‘‘B’’ squadron. Take off went accord- Victor made fighting for their coun- own education by participating in such ing to schedule and we were airborne at tries. an enriching program. about 0534. Climb out and assembly was I would like to commend the citizens While in Washington, the students simply routine. We reached the IP and of Lindlar for honoring the memory of will participate in a 3-day academic turned toward the target area. No Victor Rutkowski and all those who competition that simulates a congres- enemy fighters were sighted and it died during in WorId War II. I would sional hearing, in which they testify looked like the flak was going to be like to add the thanks of the before a panel of judges. Students dem- light and inaccurate. Hey, this was Rutkowski family and the United onstrate their knowledge and under- going to be a piece of cake. States Senate to Lindlar for this spe- standing of constitutional principles Just before bombs away the flak be- cial tribute.∑ and have opportunities to evaluate and came moderate and their gunners were f debate positions on relevant historical beginning to home in on us. Suddenly and contemporary issues. It is impor- we received a burst right under the ENROLLED BILL PRESENTED tant to note that the Educational Test- right wing. We lost number 4 engine The Secretary of the Senate reported ing Service—ETS, the world’s largest and Victor Rutkowski, my co-pilot, that on Friday, April 15, 2005, she had private educational testing and re- feathered it immediately then in- presented to the President of the search organization, characterizes the formed me that number three engine United States the following enrolled ‘‘We the People’’ program as a ‘‘great was on fire. Now things were beginning bill: instructional success.’’ Independent to get pretty tense. We attempted to S. 256. An act to amend title II of the studies by ETS have revealed that ‘‘We extinguish the fire with no success and United States Code, and for other purposes.

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