Floor SpeechCeremonial2026-09-10

SPECIAL RECOGNITION OF CALVIN RETTIG BEING NAMED HANCOCK COUNTY VETERAN OF THE YEAR

Veterans

Context

On 2026-09-10, Representative Robert E. Latta (R-OH-5) delivered a floor speech titled "SPECIAL RECOGNITION OF CALVIN RETTIG BEING NAMED HANCOCK COUNTY VETERAN OF THE YEAR" in the House.

Full Text

SPECIAL RECOGNITION OF CALVIN RETTIG BEING NAMED HANCOCK COUNTY VETERAN OF THE YEAR

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 143 (Thursday, September 10, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 143 (Thursday, September 10, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E889] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SPECIAL RECOGNITION OF CALVIN RETTIG BEING NAMED HANCOCK COUNTY VETERAN OF THE YEAR ______ HON. ROBERT E. LATTA of ohio in the house of representatives Thursday, September 10, 2026 Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate SSgt. Calvin ``Cal'' Rettig, who has been named Hancock County Veteran of the Year. This honor recognizes Cal's decades of service to his family, community, and the Nation. Cal was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1944, where he trained for a frontline unit. He was tasked with detecting the enemy and relaying intelligence back to the artillery. His unit was initially sent to the Philippines to begin night patrols. Following the bombing of Japan, his group occupied Tokyo, where Cal served on security and police patrol as a staff sergeant until his release in 1946. Cal married his wife, Bernice, on the day he returned home. The two of them had met in 1941 and dated until he left for the war. They were married for sixty-five years. They raised three children, and their family has since grown to include twenty grandchildren and twenty-five great-grandchildren. After his discharge, Cal built two full careers. From 1948 to 1966, he managed the Farm Bureau lumber yard. After the lumber yard, he spent the next twenty-two years at Whirlpool as a mold setter. He also farmed 340 acres throughout both careers. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating SSgt. Rettig on being named the Hancock County Veteran of the Year. On behalf of the people of the Fifth Congressional District of Ohio, I recognize the devotion and compassion that Cal has for his community, and I thank him for his service to our Nation. ____________________

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SPECIAL RECOGNITION OF CALVIN RETTIG BEING NAMED HANCOCK COUNTY VETERAN OF THE YEAR Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 143 (Thursday, September 10, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 143 (Thursday, September 10, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E889] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SPECIAL RECOGNITION OF CALVIN RETTIG BEING NAMED HANCOCK COUNTY VETERAN OF THE YEAR ______ HON. ROBERT E. LATTA of ohio in the house of representatives Thursday, September 10, 2026 Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate SSgt. Calvin ``Cal'' Rettig, who has been named Hancock County Veteran of the Year. This honor recognizes Cal's decades of service to his family, community, and the Nation. Cal was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1944, where he trained for a frontline unit. He was tasked with detecting the enemy and relaying intelligence back to the artillery. His unit was initially sent to the Philippines to begin night patrols. Following the bombing of Japan, his group occupied Tokyo, where Cal served on security and police patrol as a staff sergeant until his release in 1946. Cal married his wife, Bernice, on the day he returned home. The two of them had met in 1941 and dated until he left for the war. They were married for sixty-five years. They raised three children, and their family has since grown to include twenty grandchildren and twenty-five great-grandchildren. After his discharge, Cal built two full careers. From 1948 to 1966, he managed the Farm Bureau lumber yard. After the lumber yard, he spent the next twenty-two years at Whirlpool as a mold setter. He also farmed 340 acres throughout both careers. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating SSgt. Rettig on being named the Hancock County Veteran of the Year. On behalf of the people of the Fifth Congressional District of Ohio, I recognize the devotion and compassion that Cal has for his community, and I thank him for his service to our Nation. ____________________