TRIBUTE TO SENIOR AIRMAN LARRY THOMAS

On 2026-06-08, Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) delivered a floor speech titled "TRIBUTE TO SENIOR AIRMAN LARRY THOMAS" in the Senate.

TRIBUTE TO SENIOR AIRMAN LARRY THOMAS

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 96 (Monday, June 8, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 96 (Monday, June 8, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S2662-S2663] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS ______ TRIBUTE TO SENIOR AIRMAN LARRY THOMAS Mr. TUBERVILLE. Mr. President, in addition to accepting the call to serve our Nation's military, many of our veterans have also accepted an even higher calling: being a parent. But what is more is many of them were also influenced to serve by their own parents. That is true for Senior Airman Larry Thomas of Eufaula, AL. As the son of a WWI veteran and the brother of a WWII veteran, when the call to join arms came for Larry, he knew he had to do his part and join the Air Force. Larry took time off from earning his education at Auburn University to valiantly serve the United States when we needed it the most. He spent 4 years in the early 60s at Eglin Air Force Base in northwest Florida serving our country at the onset of the Vietnam war. During those four years, he supported flight operations and even earned a Presidential Unit Citation for his squadron's help in the first-ever human orbit around the earth in 1962. But finishing his degree was always in the back of his mind, especially after he met and married his late wife Jean, who was a lifelong educator herself. Larry and Jean married in Walton County, FL, and welcomed home their first two of three sons Channing and Sean while there. After Larry left the Air Force, he kept his promise both to himself and his wife and finished his degree; he graduated from Troy in 1969 exactly 10 years after his high school graduation. The Thomas family finally relocated back to Larry's roots in Eufaula and welcomed their third son Derek in the 70s. And Larry has never left. He went on to work in various roles in textile mills, sales, and more over the next three decades, all the while instilling many of the values he learned from the Air Force in his sons. Whether it be discipline, decision making, keeping your word, working hard, or maintaining order, Larry's time in the uniform was not confined to himself but a shared bond between all the Thomas boys. To Larry, being a good father, husband, and grandfather is the most important role he has ever had--and his time in the military helped shape him into a father. After retiring in 2011, he has stayed involved in the Eufaula community by serving on the board of directors of the Eufaula Housing Authority and as a part of the vestry at St. James Episcopal Church. He is truly a pillar of his community, but more importantly, of his family. In June, we celebrate Father's Day. We appreciate the fathers--like Larry--who have helped instill patriotism in the next generation. It is my [[Page S2663]] honor to recognize Larry Thomas as the June Veteran of the Month. ____________________