Political Quotes

“Madam President, Oregonians will soon gather to honor an American hero, Ethyle O'Neal. Ethyle will be posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal next month in McMinnville, OR. When the Senate voted to award the medal to Ethyle and her fellow Civil Air Patrol volunteers from WWII, it was with the heroism and devotion to service she embodied in mind. Since I won't be able to attend the ceremony, I want to spend a few minutes today to honor her outstanding legacy, her service, the communities she bettered, and the family she has left behind. Born and raised in my hometown, Portland, 14-year-old Ethyle E. Kremers was the first from her high school to volunteer for the Civil Air Patrol, or CAP. With the U.S. military tied up in WWII, the CAP was tasked with patrolling America's borders to detect threats, deter submarine attacks, and protect vital shipping lanes. Ethyle trained as a radio-communicator and support person, as well as taking on the responsibilities of cadet training at dozens of CAP camps across the country. Six years after joining the CAP, Ethyle used her training to single-handedly save the life of a young child and assist in the rescue of four more during the Vanport Flood disaster. For the rescues, she became the first CAP cadet to receive the program's highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award. Soon after, Ethyle joined the U.S.…”