Congratulating the first graduating class of the United States Air Force Academy on their 50th graduation anniversary and recognizing their contributions to the Nation.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 139, and I thank the gentlewoman from California for her kind and supportive remarks. Like me, she is a member of the Armed Services Committee, and I enjoy serving with her on that committee.

Madam Speaker, I introduced this resolution on June 3 of this year. That date was significant because the resolution celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first graduating class of the United States Air Force Academy.

Of the 306 men who entered the newly created Air Force Academy on July 11, 1955, 207 completed the grueling coursework and the transition to military life; 205 graduates were commissioned as second lieutenants in the Air Force; one was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps; and one graduate was medically disqualified.

The class included one football Academic All-American, Brock Strom. The academy's top graduate, Lieutenant General (now retired) Bradley C. Hosmer, went on to study at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar--the first of 35 Rhodes Scholars who graduated from the academy.

The class of '59 spent its first 3 years in refurbished World War II barracks at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver. The upperclassmen were stand-ins--active duty Air Force officers, some who had graduated from other military academies. The cadet uniforms and the campus in Colorado Springs were still works in progress. By graduation day, June 3 of 1959, the academy had earned full academic accreditation.

Ninety percent of the graduates entered pilot training and were already certified pilots in fighter and bomber aircraft during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. The remainder became navigators or pursued other Air Force specialties. During the Cold War, they saw action in the Southeast Asia theater and in the Vietnam war, and they served in major commands of the day, including strategic air command, tactical air command and military airlift command.

Since that historic day in 1959, members of the class went on to serve with distinction, as has been noted already, as astronaut, general, Thunderbird pilot, CEO, doctor, farmer, entrepreneur, commander of major commands, and vice chief of staff of the Air Force.

Sixty-five percent of that graduating class served until retirement. Many of them went on to second careers in fields including defense, finance, management, education, and religion. Fifteen graduates' impressive careers culminated in being selected as general officers with three members achieving the rank of four-star general. When Secretary of the Air Force James Douglas, Jr., awarded the diplomas in 1959, he applauded the advances in science and technology that the new graduates would embrace and explore.

The Colorado Springs campus was chosen as the ideal site of the Air

Force Academy because of its unlimited training opportunities and majestic beauty.

The famous aviator Charles Lindbergh, a member of the site selection committee, even rented a small plane and confirmed the area was fit for flight training.

Additionally, business leaders of Colorado Springs met with local ranchers who owned the land along the Rampart Range north of town. Most agreed to sell if the site were chosen. In tribute to Colorado's strong military commitment, State leaders offered $1 million to be put towards the purchase of the present day 18,500-acre campus, an investment that continues to yield immeasurable returns to our Nation.

The Class of '59 created traditions and set high standards for the 41,000 cadets to date who have followed. I am honored to represent the United States Air Force Academy in my district, and I personally congratulate all the living members of the Class of '59 for their 50 years of service to our great Nation, both in their military and civilian successes.

I urge my colleagues to join me in support of House Concurrent Resolution 139.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague and friend from Colorado for his kind and supportive remarks.

At this time. I would like to yield such time as he may consume to my friend, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Wamp).

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution

(H. Con. Res. 139) congratulating the first graduating class of the United States Air Force Academy on their 50th graduation anniversary and recognizing their contributions to the Nation, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the concurrent resolution under consideration.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 139, congratulating the first graduating class of the United States Air Force Academy on their 50th graduation anniversary and recognizing their many contributions to our Nation.

I thank my colleague, Mr. Lamborn of Colorado, for introducing this measure.

According to Forbes Magazine, the United States Air Force Academy is among the most selective public colleges in the United States. It is among only five colleges with a special mission of educating, training and inspiring young men and women in the military to serve as officers of character and preparing and motivating them to lead in its service to our great Nation. As such, the Air Force Academy has developed a strong reputation that distinguishes itself for consistently producing America's future leaders both in military service and in our society.

The youngest of the five United States service academies, the United States Air Force Academy has produced excellent officers. Since opening its doors in 1955, the academy has produced over 41,000 cadets, which includes 495 general officers, 35 Rhodes Scholars, 10 Marshall Scholars, 13 Harry S. Truman Scholars, 116 Kennedy School of Government Scholars, 92 Guggenheim Fellows, and 32 Gearhart scholarships to study in France.

Additionally, academy graduates have served in every major military conflict since the Vietnam War with the highest level of integrity and honor and, at times, paying the ultimate price in service to America, as 172 graduates have been killed in combat and another 36 were repatriated prisoners of war. Two graduates are combat aces, and one is a Medal of Honor recipient.

Their contributions to every industry and component of American life has been significant: 34 astronauts, the second highest number of astronauts of any higher learning institution, are Air Force Academy graduates. There are Olympic gold medal winners, NFL Super Bowl championship winners, and CEOs and presidents of Fortune 500 corporations. Truly, the United States Air Force Academy produces professional officers who have the knowledge, the character and the motivation which make them leaders in our military and in other aspects of society.

House Concurrent Resolution 139 is our way, as the United States Congress, of recognizing the exemplary service and contributions made by the United States Air Force Academy to the Air Force and to our Nation. This resolution also commends the first graduating class of the United States Air Force on their 50th anniversary and on their significant contributions to shaping the Air Force Academy and the Air Force to the excellence it is known for today.

I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring the United States Air Force Academy.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Salazar).

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests at this time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I thank all of the authors and supporters of this resolution, but I come as any Member of the House of Representatives could come, because we all have the distinct privilege of nominating and then appointing great Americans to all of our service academies. So, literally, today all 435 of us could come and tell stories of great young people who commit to serve their country in a very meaningful way that we have had the privilege of nominating and appointing to the United States Air Force Academy or the other service academies.

But I come today in support of this resolution honoring the United States Air Force Academy because a year-and-a-half ago, in February of 2008, I had the distinct privilege and one of my highest privileges in my 15 years of service of being the keynote speaker at National Character Day at the United States Air Force Academy.

When you fly in to Colorado Springs and you are able to go and be greeted there in the way that you are and have dinner with them, and then go into Arnold Auditorium and you are able to present to 2,800 cadets in their dress blues at the United States Air Force Academy, it will raise the hair on the back of your neck because it is such an exhilarating and inspirational experience.

But something happened during the hour that I spent with them that I want to share with the House today. It was supernatural, in a way, but it speaks to the culture, the commitment of those cadets at the United States Air Force Academy, and in doing so honors this 50th anniversary of the first graduating class at the United States Air Force Academy.

They did not know that I committed John Stuart Mill's quote to memory, nor did I know that they all have to commit John Stuart Mill's quote to memory. So in the course of my address, I began to say, War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. A person who has nothing for which they are willing to fight, nothing they care more about than their personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of ever being free unless those very freedoms are made and kept by better persons than themselves.

I was saying that so that they would understand that the people, the better persons than themselves that John Stuart Mill was talking about, is those 2,800 cadets and all those that came before them. What I didn't know is they all have to memorize it. So I was no more than about six words into it and it became a chorus of 2,801 persons together quoting John Stuart Mill's eternal quote about the value of our men and women in uniform who will stand between the threat and our civilian population and preserve our way of life, and we must remember that our very freedoms are kept by those better persons.

So, today we honor, rightly, this particular institution which has made extraordinary contributions to our way of life, our freedom, everything that we hold dear, all of our constitutional liberties. These men and women dedicate themselves to excellence and to service above and beyond all measure, and we honor every single one of them today and all of our service academies.

I commend so much this resolution to the House, and I know that we will all stand together to honor the United States Air Force Academy.

I want to thank the gentlewoman for recognizing me.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 139, a bill congratulating the first graduating class of the United States Air Force Academy on their 50th graduation anniversary. I want to commend my colleague the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn) for introducing this resolution.

The Air Force Academy is located just a few miles from my district, the Third Congressional District, in my home State of Colorado. Since its creation after being signed into law on April 1, 1954, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Air Force Academy has not only stood as an integral training ground for our Nation's officer corps, but is recognized nationally as a pillar of education.

Since the swearing in of the 306 young men who made up the first class, many of our Nation's best and brightest have started their careers in the Air Force Academy. Each year around this time I receive applications from students across my district looking for recommendations to attend the Academy. I am proud to lend my support to hard-working students from the Third Congressional District of Colorado who are looking to advance their education while also serving their Nation. Today's cadets enthusiastically hope to follow in the steps of their predecessors who we are honoring today.

Madam Speaker, I encourage Members on both sides of the aisle to support this measure, and congratulate those who took the first step as part of the initial graduating class 50 years ago.

Once again, I commend the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn).

Madam Speaker, due to illness, I was unable to be present in the Capitol for votes on Thursday, November 5, 2009. However, had I been present I would have voted ``yea'' on:

1. Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule for H.R. 2868--Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009;

2. H. Res. 885--Rule providing for consideration of H.R. 2868-- Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009;

3. H. Res. 868--Honoring and recognizing the service and achievements of current and former female members of the Armed Forces;

4. Senate Amendments to H.R. 3548--Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009;

5. H. Con. Res. 139--Congratulating the first graduating class of the United States Air Force Academy on their 50th graduation anniversary and recognizing their contributions to the Nation;

6. H.R. 1849--World War I Memorial and Centennial Act of 2009;

7. H.R. 3276--American Medical Isotopes Production Act of 2009;

8. H. Res. 878--Expressing support for the goals and ideals of National Family Literacy Day;

And I would have voted ``aye'' on H. Res. 880--Recognizing the efforts of career and technical colleges to educate and train workers for positions in high-demand industries.