Christopher Cox

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a close, personal friend, Steve DiGerlando, on his last day as Chief of Staff in my California office. It is with deep gratitude--and more than a little sadness--that today my staff and I wish Steve farewell. I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his twelve outstanding years of dedicated service to my office and to the residents of the 48th district of California.

For more than a decade, Steve has been a tireless advocate on behalf of Orange County residents. Since first joining my staff in 1991, Steve has personally handled more than 5,000 cases and he has helped literally thousands of people resolve their problems with Federal agencies. After a brief leave from my office a few years back, Steve returned in 2003 to take the post of Deputy District Director. Soon thereafter he was promoted to California Chief of Staff, where he demonstrated superb leadership and management skills. Steve has been a loyal and capable director, and his expertise, endless patience and imperturbable spirit have guided the office through the most hectic of times. All of us who have been fortunate to work with Steve over the years are deeply grateful for his generosity, his thoughtfulness and his friendship.

Steve was born and raised in Orange County, and his entire family still resides in Southern California. He is a staunch supporter of his alma mater, California State University, Fullerton, where he earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees. Upon completing his Masters in History at Cal State Fullerton, he went on to become a professor of world history and American history at Cypress Community College and Mt. San Antonio College. Thankfully for us, Steve's vast knowledge of history includes that of Orange County. He has been most helpful in educating members of my Washington staff who have not been personally familiar with the district, and he could often be found behind the wheel of a car giving his famed Orange County tour to visiting staff.

Though he is an Orange County native, Steve is somehow, mysteriously, an ardent Dodgers fan. As a big Angels fan myself, this has created a friendly baseball rivalry in the office, even though Steve always trumps me in baseball trivia regardless of the team we're discussing. I know he'll be missing those Dodger dogs once he leaves California.

Steve is a scholar and historian in the truest sense. Beyond academia, his wealth of knowledge ranges from the most important to the most trivial of facts. After working with him for more than twelve years, I am now ready to audition for Jeopardy. One particular anecdote I'll always remember relates to the statue of a rather obscure hero in California history that stands in the United States Capitol. Whenever I lead tours down this particular hall, I always bet my visitors that they cannot name the two statues that represent California. Invariably, most are able to name the most famous statue, Father Junipero Serra, the founder of the California missions. To this day, not a single one has correctly identified the second statue--except, of course, for Steve. Not only did he know the name, but he was an expert on the legacy of Thomas Starr King, the little known leader whose eloquent speeches and brave action saved California for the Union during the Civil War. In fact, Steve's knowledge of Thomas Starr King has even made its way to the pages of Orange County's local newspaper.

My staff and I are not the only ones who will miss Steve after he departs the office. A void will be felt throughout the county and the state when he and his family move to their new home in Houston, Texas. While we will miss having him in Orange County, we're excited for the great opportunities that await Steve, his wife Rita, and their daughter Samantha in the Lone Star State.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing Steve DiGerlando on the occasion of his last day as my California Chief of Staff. He will be greatly missed, and I wish him every success in his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a close friend and exceptional employee, Cynthia Barile, in anticipation of her last day as Caseworker in my California office. It is with deep gratitude--and more than a little sadness--that my staff and I must wish Cynthia farewell. I would like to take this opportunity to thank her for her 6 outstanding years of dedicated service to my office and to the residents of the 48th district of California.

Since joining my staff 6 years ago, Cynthia has been a tireless advocate on behalf of Orange County residents. She was first hired in August 1999 as the Office Manager for my California office, and assumed her new administrative duties with great ease. With Cynthia in this critical post, the district office was in the most capable of hands. She quickly demonstrated excellent communication and interpersonal skills and, thanks to her fluency in both English and Spanish, she became a vital link between the staff and our diverse constituency. In 2002, Cynthia was promoted to Congressional Caseworker, a position in which she has excelled for the past 3 years. In this time, Cynthia has personally handled over 2,500 cases and has helped literally thousands of people resolve their problems with Federal agencies. Though she has dealt with nearly every Federal agency during her tenure in my office, she has specialized in cases involving the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service; the Department of Veterans Affairs; the Department of Defense and military branches; the Department of Justice; and the State Department and U.S. Embassies around the world.

Cynthia's career in public service predates her work on behalf of the 48th Congressional District. Prior to joining my office, she was the Scheduler and Office Manager for former California Assemblyman Bill Campbell. Bill is a close, personal friend of mine, so I know how greatly he valued Cynthia's years of service to him and the constituents of the 71st Assembly District. Although she is now departing my office, she is not leaving the House of Representatives. Cynthia is moving just 25 miles up the road--and saving herself countless hours of commute time in Orange County traffic--to be a Caseworker in the district office of U.S. Rep. Ed Royce in Fullerton. I have no doubt that she will continue to excel in this new position, and commend my friend and colleague, Ed, for his foresight in bringing her onboard.

Over the past 5 years, I have had the privilege of getting to know Cynthia and her family. Her love for and dedication to her two daughters, Brianna and Alexis, are inspiring. While on my staff, Cynthia celebrated her marriage to her husband Mark Barile, and the birth of their son Christian. Along with all those who have had the opportunity to know and work with Cynthia, I have been incredibly impressed by her ability to balance the demands of being a mother, wife and successful career woman.

Cynthia's professionalism, patience, and courtesy in working with her colleagues, constituents, and agency representatives have made her an invaluable asset to my staff. She is a dedicated, diligent and loyal public servant, and she will be missed greatly by all of us who have had the honor of working with her.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing Cynthia Barile as she prepares to celebrate her last day as Caseworker in my California Office. She will be greatly missed, and I wish her every success in her future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a distinguished constituent of mine, Colonel Bennie Mann of Laguna Woods, California. Bennie Mann's recent passing follows an inspiring, 31-year career as one of the finest helicopter pilots in the United States Armed Forces.

Bennie was born in Yuma, Arizona, on May 31, 1928, to Mr. and Mrs. Bennie H. Mann, Sr. After Colonel Mann graduated from Yuma Union High School in 1946, he attended Arizona State University at Tempe. He joined the Navy in 1950, traveling to Korea aboard the U.S.S. Essex. He was selected for the Aviation Cadet Program the following year, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1953.

Following a second tour of duty in Korea and an assignment to instructor duty with the training command at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, Bennie was transferred to the Marine Corps Air Station in Cherry Point, North Carolina. In 1960, he was ordered to the Second Marine Division, Camp Lejuene, North Carolina, for duty with the Force Communications Company.

Bennie, then a captain, received a military science degree from the University of Omaha. After attending the Junior Officers' Course at Quantico, Virginia, in 1962, Mann became a helicopter pilot based in Santa Ana, California. In December 1964, then-Major Mann departed for Vietnam, serving as operations officer and executive officer of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 163 before moving to Washington, DC, to serve in the policy analysis and career planning branches of the Marine Corps headquarters.

Mann returned to Vietnam in December 1969, serving as commanding officer of HMM-161 and as executive officer of MAG-16. After a year in Vietnam, he returned to Santa Ana, where he remained until 1972. In due course, Mann's leadership was rewarded with a promotion to the rank of colonel. He then received an MBA degree from Pepperdine University and joined the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, serving as assistant chief of staff before assuming command of MAG-16 in 1977. In June 1978, Colonel Mann became chief of staff of the Third Marine Amphibious Force, Okinawa, Japan.

Colonel Mann retired from the United States Marine Corps on December 23, 1981. He was the first Marine helicopter pilot in our Nation's history to be awarded the Navy Cross. Colonel Mann was the deserving recipient of a host of other awards, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, and 37 Air Medals. Colonel Mann recently passed away, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on July 7. He is survived by his wife Carroll of Laguna Woods, California, his sons George and Russ, his daughter Connie Lee Coln, his nine grandchildren, and his six great-grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the California delegation and the people of Orange County, I am honored to salute Colonel Mann for his service to this great country and to extend my condolences to his friends and family.