S6052 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 10, 2012 

302nd Construction Battalion—known 

as the Sea-Bees. Bill and his unit went 

from island to island across the Pacific 

building floating bridges from cargo 

ships to landing areas so that supplies 

could reach American troops onshore. 

When one mission was complete, Bill 

and the Sea-Bees packed up their 

bridges and moved to the next island in 

support of America’s victories in the 

Pacific. Bill supported U.S. troops in 

Guam, Saipan, New Guinea and the 

Philippines, just to name a few. Without Bill’s efforts, our troops would 

have been left without needed arms and 

supplies as they battled Japan’s Imperial Army. 

Bill earned the medals we will 

present today for his service during 

World War II, but I would be remiss not 

to mention his service in support of 

veterans long after the war concluded. 

After World War II, Bill headed back 

to Wisconsin, started a family, and 

worked for 45 years as an engineer and 

a welder. 

After his wife’s passing, his love for 

the outdoors brought him to Billings 

where he remarried and made the lives 

of his fellow veterans a little easier. 

Mind you, Bill was getting up in 

years himself by this point, but that 

didn’t stop him from volunteering as a 

driver for Disabled American Veterans. 

In fact, Bill’s last award before retiring 

once again was for driving more than 

10,000 miles, taking veterans back and 

forth to their medical appointments all 

over Montana. 

But today we honor Bill’s heroic 

service during World War II. 

After his service, Bill Schulze did not 

receive all the medals he earned from 

the Navy. Earlier this month, it was 

my honor to finally present William’s 

widow Betty with the American Campaign Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, and the Sharp Shooter Rifle Ribbon. 

It was also my honor to present the 

Navy Discharge Button, the Honorable 

Service Lapel Pin, and an additional 

Bronze Star to the Asiatic Pacific 

Campaign Medal. 

These decorations are small tokens, 

but they are powerful symbols of true 

heroism, sacrifice, and dedication to 

service. 

They are presented on behalf of a 

grateful nation.

f 

∑ 

TRIBUTE TO LEWIS W. 

HOLZHEIMER 

∑ Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, today I 

wish to honor Lewis W. Holzheimer, a 

veteran of World War II. Lewis, on behalf of all Montanans and all Americans, I thank you for your service to 

this Nation. 

It is my honor to share the story of 

Lewis Holzheimer’s service in World 

War II because no story of heroism 

should ever fall through the cracks. 

Lewis was born in Neihart, MT. 

He was working as a lineman’s apprentice in Cascade County when Pearl 

Harbor was attacked. He tried to enlist 

in Seattle but was turned away, because he did not have his birth certificate. He successfully enlisted in Montana and was sent to Fort Benning, GA, 

where he was trained to operate heavy 

weapons and was assigned to operate a 

Browning automatic rifle. 

He was assigned to Company G, of 

the 60th Regiment of the 9th Infantry 

Division. He arrived in Normandy in 

early July 1944 on D-day plus 30. On 

August 8, 1944, Lewis was participating 

in the Battle of the Hedge Rows when 

he was wounded in the foot. After recovering, he headed back to his unit, 

only to find that they had been wiped 

out by what was believed to be a V–2 

rocket attack. It turned out to be 

friendly fire. 

Lewis said the blast made a hole in 

the ground that looked like a deep 

mine crater. 

Lewis was reassigned to Company B 

in the same regiment. On December 12, 

his unit was responsible for an attack 

on the town of Hoven in Belgium for 

which they were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. 

Lewis demonstrated outstanding 

bravery during that attack and was 

promoted to staff sergeant. 

His unit went on to see heavy action 

in the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest 

from late 1944 until early 1945. On the 

1st of February 1945, Lewis’s company 

was cut off from the rest of his regiment and was pinned down by sniper 

fire. The members of the company took 

turns running back toward the nearest 

American forces. When Lewis ran, he 

was shot under his left arm. When he 

informed his scout that he was wounded and would have to seek medical attention, a shell exploded near them. 

Despite being severely wounded, Lewis 

insisted that his scout be taken to the 

hospital first. He was informed that 

the scout was dead, was carried to a 

jeep, and was then taken to the nearest 

field hospital. 

Lewis nearly lost his leg and underwent several years of surgery and rehabilitation. He still carries the shrapnel 

in him today. 

After his service, Lewis Holzheimer 

never received the medals he earned 

from the Army. 

Last month, in the presence of his 

family, it was my honor to finally 

present to Lewis his Bronze Star 

Medal, Purple Heart with one Bronze 

Oak Leaf Cluster, Combat Infantryman 

Badge, and his Presidential Unit Citation. 

These decorations are small tokens, 

but they are powerful symbols of true 

heroism, sacrifice, and dedication to 

service. 

These medals are presented on behalf 

of a grateful Nation.

f 

∑ 

TRIBUTE TO HERBERT S. 

KINDSFATER 

∑ Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, today I 

wish to honor Herbert S. Kindsfater, a 

veteran of World War II. Herb, on behalf of all Montanans and all Americans, I thank you for your service to 

this Nation. 

It is my honor to share the story of 

Herb Kindsfater’s service to our Nation. Herb was born in Rocky Fort, CO. 

At the age of 17, he tried to join the 

Navy, but was turned away. He was 

told he could join the Army or work in 

the Butte silver mines, and he chose 

the Army. 

Herb was a machine gunner in Company H, 172nd Regiment, 43rd Infantry 

Division—the ‘‘Green Mountain Boys’’ 

of Vermont. Herb’s unit served in the 

Pacific Theater. He engaged in combat 

in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea, where he suffered injuries from 

shrapnel. 

In the Philippines, Herb and his fellow soldiers fought mile-by-mile to 

reach Manila. They then took the island of Luzon. At Ipo Dam, Herb was 

badly wounded in both arms, and he 

spent months recuperating in a hospital. 

After his military service, Herb 

moved to Billings where he married his 

wife Betty and worked for the railroad. 

During the first several years of their 

marriage, he still suffered from malaria that he had contracted in the 

war. 

After serving his country with honor, 

Herb never received all of the medals 

he earned from the Army. 

Earlier this month, in the presence of 

his wife Betty and his son Bruce, it was 

my honor to finally present to Herb his 

Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, and a 

Good Conduct Medal. 

It was also my honor to present a 

Presidential Unit Citation, an AsiaticPacific Campaign Medal with three 

Bronze Service Stars, and a World War 

II Victory Medal. 

Earlier this month, I also presented 

to Herb a Combat Infantry Badge First 

Award, a Philippine Liberation Ribbon 

with one Bronze Service Star, and a 

Honorable Service Lapel Button. 

These decorations are small tokens, 

but they are powerful symbols of true 

heroism, sacrifice, and dedication to 

service. 

These medals are presented on behalf 

of a grateful nation.

f 

∑ 

TRIBUTE TO NICHOLAS J. WELLS 

∑ Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, today I 

wish to honor Nicholas J. Wells, a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Nicholas, on behalf of all Montanans and all 

Americans, thank you for your service 

to this Nation. 

It is my honor to share the story of 

Nicholas Wells’ service in Operation 

Iraqi Freedom. 

After graduating high school in 

Darby, MT, Nicholas completed basic 

training at Fort Knox and trained at 

Camp Irwin, CA. He became an Army 

scout assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, 2–9 

Cavalry Regiment. 

Nicholas arrived in Iraq in October 

2005. He served in the north and central 

zones near Baghdad, Mosul, Adwar and 


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