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CELEBRATING THE 100TH BIRTHDAY OF JOHN T. ``MIKE'' WOLF
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HON. DEREK KILMER
of washington
in the house of representatives
Monday, February 1, 2021
Mr. KILMER. Madam Speaker, I would like to take a moment to commemorate the 100th birthday of one of my constituents, John T.
``Mike'' Wolf. In 2015, Mr. Wolf was awarded Congress' highest civilian award, the Congressional Gold Medal. He and three dozen American Fighter Aces were honored for their war contributions in World War II and subsequent wars.
The ceremony that took place in May 2015 was convened by Seattle's Museum of Flight and recognized the accomplishments of the 1,447 American Aces who achieved the elite designation. Six years ago, only 77 Aces were alive, and approximately 36 of them gathered in Washington, D.C. to receive the recognition in person.
As Mr. Wolf celebrates his 100th birthday on February 4th, I wanted to take a moment to bring distinction once again to his service and dedication to our country. The stories of the Fighter Aces cover some of the most formative periods in aviation history. Some gained their victories in open-cockpit biplanes, others in the powerful propeller-
driven fighters of World War II, and still others in the jets that fought over Korea and Southeast Asia. Aces come from each major combat branch of the U.S. military and nearly every state in the union.
Wolf trained in a Boeing N-25-3 Shearman, then fought in a Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat and the Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat. He was a member of Fighter Squadron Two during World War II, whose roster included Lt. Cmdr. Butch O'Hare, namesake of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport; and Cmdr. Roy ``Butch'' Voris, who is the founder of the Blue Angels.
Recounting his experience Mr. Wolf recalled, ``I was more scared of not being able to do the right thing. We had received six months of training. My fear was, can I analyze [the situation] and do the right thing?'' He didn't get a lot of time to analyze the situation. An engagement might last the few seconds it took to get some shots off, or it could be longer. All told, Wolf downed seven Japanese fighter planes--three in one day, and five between June 11 and 19, 1944. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross and four Air Medals.
After the war, Wolf embarked on a career in life insurance to support his young family. The discipline of a Navy pilot came in handy because he didn't exactly enjoy selling life insurance. He would tell you, ``I got good at it and stuck with it.''
Today, we honor and celebrate John ``Mike'' Wolf--whose love for the Navy has never wavered and whose service to his country and community is greatly appreciated and will be long remembered.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 18
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