Cassidy Honors the Life of Johnnie Jones on Senate Floor | U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana

04.26.22

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Invoice Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) delivered a speech on the Senate flooring recognizing the life and legacy of Mr. Johnnie Jones, a World Struggle II veteran and civil rights chief who handed away over the weekend on the age of 102. Final yr, Cassidy introduced a Purple Coronary heart to Mr. Jones for his service through the D-Day invasion and his accidents sustained through the battle.  

“Louisiana, and the whole nation, ought to each mourn the loss and have fun the lifetime of an American hero and devoted civil rights chief, Johnnie Jones, who lately died at age 102. However in his 102 years, fought for our nation, fought for the free world, and likewise fought to carry civil rights to a greater place,” mentioned Dr. Cassidy.

Click on right here to look at Cassidy’s full speech.

Cassidy’s speech as delivered could be discovered beneath:

Mr. President,

At the moment, Louisiana, and the whole nation, ought to each mourn the loss and have fun the lifetime of an American hero and devoted civil rights chief, Johnnie Jones, who lately died at age 102. However in his 102 years, fought for our nation, fought for the free world, and likewise fought to carry civil rights to a greater place.

Throughout World Struggle II, helped storm the seashores of Normandy as a part of D-Day, liberate France from Nazi occupation, alongside the way in which being part of the Battle of the Bulge.  

Mr. Jones was injured through the D-Day invasion when his ship hit a mine and suffered shrapnel wounds from German air assaults.

However he by no means stopped preventing. 

As soon as again at dwelling in Louisiana, Mr. Jones led civil rights efforts in Baton Rouge.

After incomes his regulation diploma from Southern College, he legally represented the organizers of the Baton Rouge Bus Boycott, which served as a template for the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

All through his profession, he took on a number of civil rights instances, advocated for equality below the regulation, and even served a time period within the Louisiana Home of Representatives. 

His dedication to service and his love of our nation was not simply admirable, however inspiring.

Final yr, I had the respect to current him with a Purple Coronary heart for his sacrifice and accidents through the D-Day invasion in 1944.

My grandson has been to the World Struggle II museum in New Orleans, an amazing museum, and he’s now very a lot into the heroism of our troopers who had been in each World Struggle II and World Struggle I. 

So I took my grandson to satisfy Mr. Jones as a result of I needed him to satisfy a real-life hero.

And right here you see him, at 102 so pleased with his medals, saluting.

So my grandson, simply the opposite day mentioned, “Paw Paw, remind me of that man we met?” 

So him assembly Mr. Jones [one] yr in the past, has impressed a seven-year-old to reside his life a greater method.

In order Mr. Jones salutes us, we could all be impressed, we could all the time bear in mind the heroism overseas and the heroism right here.

Thanks, Mr. President, I yield the ground.

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