Political Quotes

“this week I have the honor of recognizing Charles Dowd of Deer Lodge County, MT for his honorable service in uniform at a pivotal time in our Nation's history and as a leader in his community. In January of 1941, at the age of 17, Charles volunteered for service at sea in the U.S. Navy. He completed boot camp in Newport, RI, and later communications school in San Diego. In September, as a basically trained radio operator, he was transferred to his first permanent duty station: Pearl Harbor, HI. Three months later, he would take his place in history. On Sunday morning, December 7, just after completing a night shift, he and his fellow shipmates came under attack by more than 300 enemy aircraft. The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service conducted a successful military strike on the heart of the U.S. Pacific Fleet--destroying or severely damaging 21 ships and claiming the lives of 2,400 Americans. In only a t-shirt and trousers, he sprinted from the barracks to the armory, where he climbed to the roof with a .30-06 Springfield rifle and began firing at the pilots of low-flying torpedo bombers. He suffered burns on his arms and neck from the nearby USS California, which was engulfed in flames. Following the attacks on Pearl Harbor, Charles volunteered for duty in Solomon Islands during the bloody Guadalcanal campaign, where he earned the nickname ``Devil Dog Dowd,'' harkening to the marines of Belleau Wood in World War One. Once U.S.…”