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“HONORING CHARLIE WINTERS” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1229 on May 21, 2009.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING CHARLIE WINTERS
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HON. RON KLEIN
of florida
in the house of representatives
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Charlie Winters. Mr. Winters was an ordinary Florida businessman who played an extraordinary role in history.
In 1948, he provided an aircraft to the Jewish armed forces in pre-
war Israel for its defense during the Israeli Independence War. Had Mr. Winters and other Americans not provided this assistance at such a critical time, Israel may not have survived as an independent state and become one of our Nation's staunchest allies. However, Mr. Winters was not honored at the time for his heroism. Instead, he was arrested and convicted under the ``Neutrality Act'' for his role in Israel's founding. In fact, he was one of a handful of Americans convicted and he was the only one to serve a prison sentence.
Mr. Winters was released from prison on November 17, 1949 and lived a humble and quiet life thereafter in Miami. In 1984, Mr. Winters passed away, and never told his family about his story. But, his obituary in the Miami Herald was entitled ``Charles Winters, 71, Aided Birth of Israel,'' and noted that he was honored by the late Golda Meir, and had earned ``a place of distinction among the Americans who banded together clandestinely at the end of World War II to help Jews establish a state in Palestine.''
Last year, several of my colleagues and I sent a letter to the United States Justice Department, asking for a posthumous pardon for Mr. Winters. We are grateful that President Bush issued a pardon in December, thereby clearing Mr. Winters name and providing comfort to his family.
Today, the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County's Jewish Community Relations Council will be hosting Jimi Winters, the son of Charlie Winters, to honor the memory of his father. While I regret that I cannot be with them today, I join them in their celebration of Mr. Winters' memory. Mr. Winters' actions helped secure the independence of the state of Israel, thereby establishing a beacon of democracy in the Middle East.
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