Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor retired United States Air Force Colonel Robert Darden ``Pete'' Peterson who passed away on March 2. Colonel Peterson was a member of America's Greatest Generation. He not only served our counsel selflessly during World War II, but also during the Korean war and the Vietnam war. Colonel Robert Darden Peterson was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, in 1923. After graduating from high school, Pete would go on to attend the University of Mississippi with a football scholarship. After his first football season at Ole Miss, he enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps to aid the war effort in Europe. Colonel Peterson trained as a B-17 pilot and became an aircraft commander at age 20. During World War II, he was a member of the 8th Air Force and completed 28 combat missions. After World War II, Pete briefly returned to civilian life only to be recalled to Active Duty in 1947. He would serve as assistant chief of directorate of combat operations during the Korean war and the Vietnam war. He was responsible for all surveillance and control of the Strategic Air Command winged resources within Southeast Asia. During 1967 and 1968, Colonel Peterson served as air operations planner for all tactical and support air activities in the southern portion of North Vietnam and the Southeast Asia interdiction area. He remained a combat pilot, flying 19 combat missions in support operations in Vietnam.…”