Speaker John Boehner And the Gold Medal Goes To...

SPOILER ALERT: The American Fighter Aces

Speaker John Boehner And the Gold Medal Goes To... Photos: The American Fighter Aces May 21, 2015  |  Caleb Smith  |  VIEW ONLINE Yesterday, Speaker Boehner and Congressional leaders presented the American Fighter Aces with the highest honor that Congress can bestow: the Congressional Gold Medal.  The Fighter Aces are an exclusive club; in American history, fewer than 1,500 pilots have been awarded with the recognition of shooting down five or more enemy aircraft.   One such pilot was Lieutenant junior grade Carl Rieman, who, as Speaker Boehner noted, " was a fiery, competitive guy -- loved to fly, and loved his country."  This Medal is for Carl and all the other American Fighter Aces who fought bravely on behalf of a grateful nation. To hear more about Carl's story, click here. Speaker Boehner presents the Congressional Gold Medal to General Charles "Chick" Cleveland on behalf of a grateful nation for the bravery of the American Fighter Aces. Also pictured: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) In his remarks at a Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony for the American Fighter Aces, Speaker Boehner tells the story of Lieutenant junior grade Carl Rieman, whose family was in attendance (shown left), and whose grandson works for Speaker Boehner. The Congressional Gold Medal for the American Fighter Aces, now held by the Smithsonian Institution Click here or the video below to watch the 5-minute presentation of the medal.  To watch the full, hour-long ceremony, click here. Related stories:  America's Bravest Come to Washington Aces in the Sky Victory in Europe Facebook  |  Flipboard  |  Google+  |  Instagram  |  Medium  |  Twitter  |  Vine  |  YouTube [category US Congress, John Boehner] Office of Speaker Boehner • H-232, The Capitol • Washington, DC • 202-225-0600 .