Around AR-3

Lt. Henry Donald Mitchell is Coming Home

Bob Mitchell of Fort Smith reviews military records in the background (Credit: Southwest Times Record)

On July 8, 1944, shortly before noon near Waldegg, Austria, 23-year-old Lt. Henry Donald Mitchell crashed after his aircraft, a Lockheed P-38 Lightning, was shot down during a mission with the 48th Fighter Squadron. After an enemy aircraft opened fire on the unit, Lt. Mitchell had radioed in “Green Two, O.K.,” but was never heard from or seen again.

Lt. Mitchell was declared missing in action. Though years would pass without news, his family never gave up searching for him. In 1997, Lt. Mitchell’s younger brother, Bob, a Fort Smith resident, began a search to find his WWII hero brother and bring his remains back to Arkansas. He reached out to then-U.S. Rep. Asa Hutchinson’s congressional office for help in obtaining military records, which is when official casework began.

Following that time, my office became involved, and—working alongside U.S. Senator John Boozman—our staff pursued all avenues to learn the fate of Lt. Mitchell. Through our work with the Embassy in Vienna, we connected Bob with Markus Reisner, who leads a group in Austria that searches for downed World War II aircraft.

Reisner began investigating. Using the information from the U.S. military and interviews with locals who recalled the crash, he and his group found Henry Mitchell’s P-38. However, the landowner would not allow an excavation of the property. Our congressional offices immediately linked up with the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) and diplomats between the United States and Austria to allow for recovery operations to move forward.

A restored Lockheed P-38 of Salzburg’s The Flying Bulls flew over the site where Lt. Mitchell’s remains were found (Credit: U.S. Marine Corps)

Thanks to these efforts, the DPAA was able to begin search and excavation operations on the crash site in 2020. The remains of Lt. Mitchell were found, identified, and repatriated to the U.S. It took many years, but Lieutenant Henry Donald Mitchell is finally coming home to Arkansas. It was a true honor to deliver this good news to Bob Mitchell this week. At the age of 91, he will finally be able to lay his big brother to rest.

For us, Lt. Mitchell was an American hero who helped defend freedom against tyranny. For Bob, he was not only that, but also a brother. He felt a duty to bring his loved one home and never gave up. It was our privilege to be part of that mission. My office’s greatest responsibility is to our constituents, and we used every diplomatic and agency tool to navigate a complicated situation. I thank the relentless work of Chris Bader in my Fort Smith Office and every stakeholder involved. This was about serving those who served us.

I would also like to note that as a special honor for the fallen pilot, a restored Lockheed P-38 of Salzburg’s The Flying Bulls flew over the site where Lt. Mitchell’s remains were found.

Please join me in saluting Lt. Mitchell’s service and praying for Bob and the entire Mitchell family. God bless our Greatest Generation and all of our fallen brothers and sisters in uniform who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.

Brian Ferguson – West Point Class of 1983

Brian Ferguson and Congressman Steve Womack

The Long Gray Line stretches back centuries and has been nobly supported by proud Arkansans. I appreciated sitting down with Brian Ferguson—a Third District resident and Class of 1983 West Point Graduate—to talk about the United States Military Academy, current cadets, training, and our troops. We also shared in-depth conversations about current curriculum and the importance of ensuring our forces are the strongest and fostering teams of defenders that are ready to confront all threats. As Chairman of the West Point Board of Visitors, I am always grateful to support the core values and standard of excellence that the academy is founded on. We are fortunate to have many young men and women from our community who are driven by a call to serve and are currently attending USMA, as well as other prestigious military academies. My focus as Chairman remains preparing these elite cadets to protect freedom and execute their mission of Duty, Honor, Country. Thank you, Brian, for your dedication to the future of West Point and Arkansas. It is safe to say you know who we will both be rooting for in this year’s Army-Navy game. Go Army!

NWA Church of Latter-Day Saints

Congressman Womack with members of the NWA Church of Latter-Day Saints

Faith and the freedom to worship are pillars of America and Arkansas. Our district is blessed to be filled with congregations of all kinds, which support our residents. Thanks to members of the NWA Church of Latter-Day Saints for providing an update on their new facility being built in Bentonville and the outstanding work they do in our community!

Rogers Rotary

Congressman Womack at the Rogers Rotary Club

It was a great week to join the Rogers Rotary Club to remember and pay tribute to Dick Daniel, be surrounded by old and new friends, and recognize some of the great pillars of our community. I was glad to be on hand as the Daniel Distinguished Citizen Award, which recognizes and honors individuals who, through the highest level of sustained community involvement, influence, and dedication of time and energies, have significantly made our community a better place to live, was presented to three amazing community leaders. Congratulations to Bob Crafton and Gene and the late Joye Kelley. Your decades of civic involvement and dedication to our community have enriched Rogers. Wonderful time, as always, with our local Rotarians.

If you didn’t know, the Rotary “4-Way Test” is something I keep with me always—especially while I am in D.C. for legislative business:

• Is it the truth?
• Is it fair to all concerned?
• Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
• Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Arkansas Anti-Defamation League

Congressman Womack is a cosponsor for H.R. 3515

I connected with the Arkansas Anti-Defamation League to discuss anti-Semitic and other hate incidents and domestic extremism. We spoke about legislation to counter hate crimes, promote safety and best practices for faith-based organizations and houses of worship, and appropriations for FEMA security grants. I am a cosponsor of the Preventing Anti-Semitic Hate Crimes Act, which would require the DOJ to facilitate an expedited review of anti-Semitic hate crimes and threats. Anti-Semitism and bigotry have no place in the United States. We must always take action to stop the shocking rise of hate crimes targeting the Jewish community and ensure perpetrators of these vile attacks are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Fighting Against Tax Increase Proposals

Congressman Womack urges President Biden to abandon his plan to cap like-kind exchanges

This week, I joined Congressman Randy Feenstra (IA-4) and other members in sending a letter to President Biden urging him to abandon his plan to cap like-kind exchanges. Like-kind exchanges are important for farmers looking to retire and pass their property on to the next generation, for rural communities that benefit from incentives for economic investment, and for small business owners who are looking to improve and expand their companies. Limiting them would result in a higher tax burden for landowners, including farmers, small business owners, and small investors, who rely on this policy to drive economic growth in rural communities. The proposal is included in the administration’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget, as well as the American Families Plan.

Our farmers and small business owners deserve better, and I urge the Biden Administration to abandon this harmful plan.

In part, the letter read, “We urge you and your administration not to damage the livelihood of farmers everywhere by repealing or changing like-kind exchanges. For the agricultural community, a cap on like-kind exchanges would limit farmers’ ability to improve their operations through combining acreage, purchasing more productive land, and mitigating environmental impacts. Further, capping like-kind exchanges could make it more difficult to restructure businesses so that young or beginning farmers can join operations...It is critical that farmers and small businesses have the freedom to improve their operations in whatever way they see fit. This proposed change to the tax code would limit the economic mobility and viability of businesses across the nation. Now is not the time to stunt growth, but to encourage it.”

Read the full letter by clicking here.

Wishing you a great weekend, and I hope to see you around the Third District next week! Remember to keep an eye on my website or check out my Twitter and Instagram pages to stay up-to-date with the latest news from the Third District and Washington. Also, if you are having issues with a federal agency or have a casework question, don’t forget to check out my office’s upcoming mobile office hours here! Find Arkansas vaccine locations here.