- Record: Extensions of Remarks
- Section type: Recognition
- Chamber: House
- Date: May 19, 2026
- Congress: 119th Congress
- Why this source matters: Extensions of Remarks are statements submitted for the official record, even if they were not spoken live on the floor.
HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY
of illinois
in the house of representatives
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of Erwin J. Korczynski of Chicago, Illinois. Erwin was a United States Marine Corps veteran, commercial airline captain, and Civil Reserve Air Fleet pilot who passed away on January 5, 2011, after a battle with prostate cancer.
where he attended Lane Technical High School and later Northern Illinois University. During the Vietnam War, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps alongside his identical twin brother, Edwin. After their discharge, both brothers were hired by Eastern Air Lines, beginning careers that would eventually draw them into support roles during two American wars.
Civil Reserve Air Fleet, a partnership between the Department of Defense and the commercial aviation industry that augmented Military Airlift Command
capacity during wartime. During Desert Shield and Desert Storm, CRAF pilots moved 400,000 troops and 335,000 tons of cargo over 165 days, what has been called the greatest airlift in history. Erwin flew 35 sorties in support of those operations, the same number, by extraordinary coincidence, as his twin brother Edwin.
Illinois, I want to share our gratitude for Erwin's service to this country, in uniform as a Marine and in the cockpit as a civilian pilot who kept flying into harm's way long after his discharge.