The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING THE LIFE OF DR. JOHN SHIRLEY
______
HON. JERRY McNERNEY
of california
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, August 16, 2022
Mr. McNERNEY. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of Dr. John Shirley, who dedicated his life to serving his country and his community. John passed away on December 22, 2021, leaving a legacy of service to and love of country and community.
Dr. John Shirley was born in Santa Ana, California on December 8, 1924. At 19 years old, after being drafted and rising quickly to the rank of Staff Sergeant, John was part of the Anzio breakout with the 3rd Infantry Division. After taking part in the invasion of Southern France, he was wounded by fragments of a shell from a German tank and taken prisoner. As he and other prisoners were being marched to the rear, a young German soldier bringing up the rear of the column got too close, and John turned around and slugged him, rendering him unconscious and allowing John to escape to Allied lines. John was awarded a battlefield commission to Second Lieutenant when he rejoined his unit after three months in the hospital recovering from his wounds.
Aside from his commission, John was awarded a Purple Heart, Silver Star, and two Bronze Stars with Oak Leaf Cluster and V for Valor devise. He earned the European Theater of Operation Medal with six campaign stars and a bronze arrowhead for the invasion of Southern France, as well as the French Fouragere de Guerre.
After the war, John attended the University of California at Davis Veterinary College, graduating in its first class. He set up the first veterinary clinic in Livermore, California and was knowns as ``Doc Shirley'' to the ranchers in the area. John was considered one of the best veterinarians in the region, with the toughest cases referred to him by his peers.
John became active in the Livermore community, winning a seat on the Livermore City Council, where he served from 1958 until 1966. He served as Livermore's Mayor from 1963 until 1966.
He was a member of the Rotary Club and Veterans of Foreign Wars
(VFW). He led and was instrumental in many projects to improve the quality of life for Livermore residents and served on the VFW Honor Guard, firing gun salutes into his late seventies. John served as president of the Livermore Valley Opera, and as a member of the Livermore Symphony Association.
As a member of the 3rd Infantry Division Veterans organization, he raised money for high school Junior ROTC programs in San Francisco and Oakland. He was also instrumental in creating the Veterans First program at Las Positas Community College to provide services to veterans returning to school.
John loved sports, and was an avid skier, hiker, tennis player, and golfer. He was also a skilled instrument-rated pilot, which led him to further public service on the Livermore Airport Commission. John said,
``You can be a bad golfer, skier, or tennis player, but you have to be a good pilot.''
On July 13, 2019, Livermore City Council honored John by naming the new council chamber after him: The John Shirley City Council Chamber. John's list of contributions and accomplishments are too long to list. He was the very embodiment of service to his community and to our great Nation. I invite my colleagues to join me in honoring the memory of this great American.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 136(1), Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 136(2)
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