Bob Filner: “to me, the real heroes in our country today are those people who go to work every day, play by the rules, provide for…”

“to me, the real heroes in our country today are those people who go to work every day, play by the rules, provide for their loving families and contribute back to their communities. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one such American hero, Mr. Gail Edwards, on the occasion of his retirement, after nearly 35 years as a pilot with Trans World Airlines. Gail is what I think we would call an ideal American, a man whose life and career have made us all proud. He was born on July 16, 1935 and grew up in Indiana with his mother, Dorris Wannetta Edwards, and his father Harold Perry Edwards, and his brother Victor Royce Edwards. He was the first of his family to graduate from college, and he received his degree from Indiana University in 1957. He joined the United States Air Force immediately after college, fulfilling his lifelong dream of flying. As a child, he had spent many hours building model airplanes and hanging them around his room. He volunteered to fly volunteer airlift missions to Vietnam during the Vietnam War and then served in Air National Guard for many years after the war, retiring as a Full Bird Colonel, Vice Wing Commander, Tactical Airlift Wing, and received 2 Air Force commendation medals. Years later, when the Nation was in the Gulf War conflict, he volunteered again.”