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“TRIBUTE TO GEN. BILLY J. BOLES” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E289 on Feb. 13, 1997.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO GEN. BILLY J. BOLES
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HON. RICHARD BURR
of north carolina
in the house of representatives
Thursday, February 13, 1997
Mr. BURR of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Gen. Billy J. Boles for his long and distinguished service to his country in the U.S. Air Force. I always consider it a great privilege to have the opportunity to recognize the achievements of a member of the U.S. armed services. These Americans dedicate their lives to the protection and preservation of our freedom, and all too often, we neglect to adequately express our gratitude to them for the sacrifices they and their families gladly make for the sake of our Nation. I take particular joy in this occasion because General Boles is a native son of King, NC in my district.
On April 1 of this year, General Boles ends a 35-year career replete with honors and distinctions that took him through posts in Mississippi, Texas, Washington, DC, and Vietnam. During the majority of his tenure, the Air Force assigned to him one of the most challenging and important duties in the armed services--recruiting and accessing Air Force personnel and training them to become the best pilots in the world. In a very real sense, the Air Force entrusted General Boles with its future.
After receiving his Bachelor of Science degree at N.C. State University in 1961, General Boles completed his military training at the Squadron Officer School at Maxwell AFB in Alabama, the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, VA, and the National War College at Fort Lesley J. McNair here in Washington DC. He then went to his first post at Keesler AFB in Mississippi. In September 1962, he began his career as a military educator when he became an instructor and assistant course supervisor in the Personnel Officer Course at Greenville AFB in Mississippi. General Boles' service also includes two assignments in Vietnam. First, from July 1965 through October 1965 he served with the 6250th Combat Support Group and from October 1966 through June 1967 he served at the 7th Air Force Headquarters both at Tan Son Nhut Air Base in South Vietnam. General Boles' career then took him through several important positions including Director of Personnel Programs at the U.S. Air Force Headquarters here in Washington, DC from June 1987 through June 1988 and Vice Commander of the Air Education and Training Command Headquarters at Randolph AFB in Texas from April 1995 through June 1995.
On July 1, 1995, the Air Force promoted Billy Boles to general and made him Commander of the Air Education and Training Command Headquarters where he has served ever since. His command consists of 13 bases, 43,000 active duty members, and 14,000 civilians and includes two numbered Air Forces, Air University, Air Force Recruiting Service, and Wilford Hall Medical Center. In addition to the tremendous responsibilities General Boles fulfilled over his career, he also found time for his family which includes his wife, Kay, and their son, David, who also serves in the Air Force as a lieutenant.
Over his 35 years in the Air Force, General Boles earned many major awards and decorations including the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with four oak leaf clusters, the National Defense Service Medal with service star, and the Vietnam Service Medal with four service stars.
All of his life, General Boles dedicated himself to excellence in every task he undertook. Born to a tobacco farming family in the Mount Olive Church community of King, NC in Stokes County on July 27, 1938, young Billy Boles grew up in an environment that stressed hard work and dedication. By age 14, he grew his first tobacco crop on his own. While working hard on the farm, he also found time to participate in scouting through his membership in Boy Scout Troop 102. Religion also played an important role in his career, and he became a member of Mount Olive Baptist Church by baptism on October 10, 1948.
During his school years, Billy Boles never rejected an opportunity to work or to learn. He attended North Carolina Boys State at UNC Chapel Hill in 1955, and in addition to going to school and farming, he worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a tobacco acreage measurer. At King High School, Bill Boles' activities included Glee Club, Junior Marshall, Vice President junior and senior year, and salutatorian. Originally planning to work for R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. after graduation, encouragement from teachers and friends prompted him to apply to and attend N.C. State University where he enrolled in the ROTC program that launched him on his distinguished military career.
While I feel a small amount of sorrow that the young men and women in our Armed Forces will lose a great leader like General Boles, I also feel confident that his great accomplishments as an educator and trainer have helped ensure the future of the Air Force for years to come. Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my personal gratitude to Gen. Billy Boles for the great sacrifices and service he gave to his country over his long and distinguished career. Finally, on behalf of my colleagues here in the U.S. House of Representatives as well as a grateful nation, General Boles, we say thank you.
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