ENROLLED
2020 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2
BY REPRESENTATIVE TURNER
A RESOLUTION
To commend Adolf Wesselhoeft on his dedication and service to the United States and to
recognize his inspiring patriotism.
WHEREAS, Adolf Wesselhoeft was born on September 8, 1936, in Chicago, Illinois,
to German immigrant parents; and
WHEREAS, in 1942, after the United States declared war against Nazi Germany,
Mr. Wesselhoeft's parents were forced to register as "enemy aliens", and his father was sent
to a prisoner-of-war camp in Wisconsin; the Wesselhoeft family was later reunited and sent
to a family internment camp in Crystal City, Texas; and
WHEREAS, in February 1944, the Wesselhoeft family was sent to New Jersey,
where they were placed on the SS Gripsholm, a Swedish neutral ship, and exchanged for
American prisoners-of-war held by the Nazis; and
WHEREAS, in Germany, the Wesselhoefts relied on the goodwill of extended family
members who took them in; they lived in a suburb of Hamburg, one of the most heavily
bombed cities in Germany, and survived bombings from both the British Royal Air Force
and the United States Eighth Air Force; during this time, the Wesselhoeft family endured
fear, deprivation, and hunger; and
WHEREAS, after the war ended, the family moved to Konstanz in southern
Germany, which was part of the French zone of occupation; in Konstanz, Adolf Wesselhoeft
attended and graduated from the prestigious Alexander-von-Humboldt Gymnasium; and
WHEREAS, during his time at gymnasium, he maintained regular contact with the
United States Consulate in Stuttgart, which was a two-day bicycle ride from Konstanz, and
returned to the United States as soon as the Consulate informed him that he, being an
American citizen, could do so; and
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WHEREAS, upon arriving in New York City, he sought out the military recruiting
station in Times Square and enlisted in the United States Air Force as an airman basic; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Wesselhoeft served for twenty-two years in the Air Force and
retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel; during his service, he was commissioned as an
officer and trained as a navigator and an electronic warfare officer (EWO); and
WHEREAS, Mr. Wesselhoeft served in Vietnam as an EWO on EC121s and on B-
52s, serving in the mighty Eighth Air Force, the very unit that bombed the city of Hamburg
when he was a child; in total, Mr. Wesselhoeft flew 5,525 hours, 1,230 of which were during
combat; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Wesselhoeft also earned a degree in electrical engineering from the
University of Missouri, graduating Cum Laude; after retiring from the US Air Force, he
worked as an engineer for the Department of Energy's Strategic Petroleum Reserve; he
retired at seventy years of age, having worked his entire adult life for the United States
government; and
WHEREAS, despite the troubles of his childhood, Adolf Wesselhoeft has gone far
above and beyond the call of duty to give back to his country; he is a disabled United States
military veteran who embodies the American spirit, and his patriotism and service are most
deserving of recognition.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby commend Adolf Wesselhoeft on his lifelong dedication
and service to the United States of America and does hereby recognize his inspiring
patriotism in the face of struggle.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Adolf
Wesselhoeft.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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