Jody Hice: “With solemn remembrance and a heavy heart, I rise today to honor the life of my uncle, Colonel Joseph S. Hice. We knew…”

“With solemn remembrance and a heavy heart, I rise today to honor the life of my uncle, Colonel Joseph S. Hice. We knew him as Uncle Spurge. He was a great husband, a father, a friend to everyone who knew him, and an amazing American patriot. Colonel Hice was born in 1928 in Cherry Log, Georgia. He attended the University of Georgia, where he graduated with a degree in aeronautical engineering. His passion for flight led him to an amazing career in the United States Air Force, where he served with honor for 21 years. He was among the first jet pilots in our Nation's history who commanded the P-80, F- 84, F-86, F-100, F-104, KC-135, and B-52. During his distinguished career, he earned the World War II Victory Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with oak leaf cluster, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Bronze Star service medal. Colonel Hice served his Nation with great honor during both the Korean and Vietnam wars and led the first squadron of jet aircraft to circumnavigate the globe nonstop. During the October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, Colonel Hice served at Strategic Air Command headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, where he helped coordinate various branches involved in Operation Looking Glass, and he was responsible for briefing President John Kennedy in real time.…”