Political Quotes

“I would like to take a few minutes to recognize a true American hero from my home State of Illinois. George W. Scott of Williamsville, IL, was an airman in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II and is a survivor of a group of airmen who were imprisoned at the Buchenwald Concentration Camp by the Nazi government. Many people have heard of Buchenwald, one of the first and one of the largest concentration camps in Germany. But few people have heard the story of the Lost Airmen of Buchenwald, of which George was one. In 1944, George was flying a Douglas A-20 Havoc aircraft barely 500 feet off the ground over France when he was shot down by German anti- aircraft guns. He was able to escape the aircraft before it crashed, and he escaped capture for a short time. George hid in bushes and in barns. He even milked a few cows for nourishment. He was fortunate to be taken in by a French family who provided food and shelter. But soon after, he was discovered by the Nazi patrols scouring France for resistance fighters or Allied soldiers and airmen. George was transported to Buchenwald Concentration Camp in Germany, where he joined 168 Allied airmen from six countries. These airmen were not afforded the Prisoner of War protections outlined in The Hague and Geneva Conventions. Instead, they were classified as ``Terrorflieger,'' or terror flyers, considered criminals and spies, and were not given a trial. At Buchenwald, the conditions were unimaginable.…”