Cord Byrd: “last month, COL Clarence Lee Turnipseed, Jr., passed away. He was the father of my good friend, and one of the Senate's…”

“last month, COL Clarence Lee Turnipseed, Jr., passed away. He was the father of my good friend, and one of the Senate's best and most indispensable workers, Mrs. Dot Svendson, who works in the Office of the Secretary of the Senate. With the death of Colonel Turnipseed, the State of Alabama has lost an outstanding citizen and our Nation has lost a true patriot. Born September 18, 1914, in Union Springs, AL, Clarence Turnipseed graduated from Auburn University in 1935. That same year he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army and began a remarkable and important military career. During World War II, he served as a battery commander and battalion staff officer of the 42nd Field Artillery Battalion of the Fourth Infantry. On June 6, 1944, Captain Turnipseed participated in the momentous D-Day landing on Utah Beach in Normandy. A few months later, he participated in the Battle of the Bulge. He was eventually promoted to the rank of colonel, served as commander of the 87th Maneuver Area Detachment in Birmingham, AL, and was an instructor at the Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, KS. A grateful Nation recognized Colonel Turnipseed's long and productive military career by presenting him with a number of awards and honors. Those included the Bronze Star, the Army Commendation Medal, the American Defense Service Medal, the American Campaign Medal, and the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.…”