Political Quotes

“I am here on the floor to talk about an American hero. General Douglas MacArthur once said, ``Duty, Honor, Country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be.'' Those words--duty, honor, country--are exemplified through the life and legacy of Lieutenant Colonel Richard Cole. Lt. Col. Cole, who went by Dick, was born and raised in my grandfather's hometown, Dayton, OH. He graduated from Steele High School and completed 2 years of college at Ohio University before enlisting in the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Army Air Corps in November 1940. He commissioned as a second lieutenant in July 1941 and received his pilot wings at Randolph Field in Texas. From there, he joined the ranks of the 34th Bombardment Squadron of the 17th Bombardment Group. Soon after, Lt. Col. Cole became one of the 80 volunteers who signed up for the Doolittle Mission, which was to become the first offensive strike on mainland Japan during World War II. In a turn of fate, a Japanese vessel spotted the USS Hornet, forcing the mission to commence a day early. Therefore, what was originally planned as a 400-mile trip to mainland Japan turned into a 645-mile journey to the target, putting the pilots in grave danger because the planes did not have enough fuel to reach their destination. Lt. Col. Cole served valiantly as Lt. Col.…”