Floor Statements

Madam Chairwoman, union salting is used by labor union bosses to deliberately insert one of their members into a nonunion company, very often to simply destroy the business.

A ``salt'' typically employs tactics such as sabotaging equipment in work sites, deliberately slowing down work, and intentionally creating unsafe working conditions and filing frivolous unfair labor practice complaints or discrimination charges against the employer.

The brutal practice of salting is extremely harmful to an employer who is acting in good faith and wants to provide a service, make a living and create jobs and provide wages for a family in a community. This is why we must put an end to the destructive practice of salting, which is why I urge my colleagues to support Representative King's amendment.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor former Colorado State Senator John Evans.

A fifth generation Coloradoan, Mr. Evans's contributions to the State of Colorado are innumerable.

After graduating from Lakewood High School, Mr. Evans earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Denver. He later completed his Masters of Education and Ph. D. at Georgia State University, in Atlanta. In 1986, Mr. Evans graduated from Valparaiso University School of Law.

For over twenty-three years Mr. Evans devoted his talents to serving in both the public and higher education arenas. Drawing on this experience, he served as an at-large member of the State Board of Education for four years. During his tenure Mr. Evans was a leader in making Colorado a national leader in school reform.

Mr. Evans continued his work as a champion of Colorado school children in the state Senate. In addition to his work on education issues, he also served as Assistant Majority Leader, Chair of the Legal Services Committee, and Vice-Chair of the Finance Committee.

Madam Speaker, Mr. Evans's service to the people--especially the students--of Colorado will not soon be forgotten. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mr. John Evans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Arnold Germann on the occasion of his retirement from the Farm Service Agency after 35 years of service. Since December of 1971, when he began as a County Office Manager trainee, he has dedicated his professional life to the Farm Service Agency. He became very effective in his first position as the Office Manager in El Paso County. After serving in El Paso County for a short time, he decided to give up his position and go to Weld County to manage the county office with the largest workload in the State.

Arnold has seen the office through numerous changes. When he started, farm programs in Weld County were limited to dryland farms. Through the years, the situation has changed dramatically and now nearly every farm in Weld County is enrolled in some sort of farm program.

Over the years, Mr. Germann has served on many State and National Committees to help develop ways to administer Farm Programs more efficiently. His impressive efforts earned him numerous leadership positions including President of the Colorado Association of County Office Employees from 1979 through 1982 and the Legislative Committee chair from 1987 to 1991. His outstanding work has been acknowledged with numerous awards including the 1976 Pro Employee award and the 1983 Service to Colorado Association of County Office Employees distinguished service award.

Mr. Germann has served the Farm Service Agency and the agricultural producers of Weld County with great dedication over these many years. I extend my heartfelt thanks to him for a lifetime of service.

I thank the gentleman for yielding time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this nonbinding resolution. This is not even an honest debate that we are holding here; we didn't have an open rule. This is the wrong resolution; it sends the wrong message to our troops, to our enemies and to our allies.

Today, like many Members of Congress do on a regular basis, I visited Walter Reed. While I was there today, I visited with a young man from my district. He had severe injuries. As I sat and talked to him, his empty eye socket teared. He had damage to his face. He had horrific damage to his arm that he used to protect his face. He was in a Humvee when an IED exploded, and he actually turned the Humvee towards the IED to protect the other men in the Humvee. His sacrifice is incredible.

I talked to another young man from Pennsylvania who had been on three tours in Iraq, and on his third tour, while training, he lost his hand.

I also spoke to a young man from Texas, only 20 years old; and this young man had severe injuries, specifically to his arm.

So we all know that the cost of war is very high. Many of us Members of Congress have also attended funerals and wept with mothers and fathers, families. People in my age group look at these young soldiers and they are the age of our kids. It touches our hearts, and we know the sacrifices that are made are incredible. These people need to feel the gratitude from the entire Nation, gratitude and respect. And I believe that this resolution, again, sends the wrong message.

What is not being considered adequately in this country is the cost of failure in Iraq. When we think about our enemies being emboldened, when we think about the vast resources that our enemies will have access to acquire biological and nuclear weapons, the horrific effects are just almost immeasurable.

As I think about this cost of failure in Iraq, and indeed, on the global war on terror, I think about how we Americans make an assumption. We assume, most of us, when we go to bed at night that when we wake up, tomorrow is going to be like today, that things are going to go on like they have gone on and we will have the liberties and the freedoms that we enjoy. But I would say this wonderful thing that we have in the United States of America, these freedoms and liberties, are very fragile. They are very fragile when we face radical jihadists that would murder us,

thinking that it will take them straight to paradise.

We have to fight this war on terror. We have to win in Iraq. I talked to a retired general yesterday, and I believe he said it all. He said, ``You're down there debating, aren't you? You're talking about the united-we-quit resolution.'' I believe that we have a choice: United we stand or united we quit, and our choice will echo down the halls of history.

I thank the gentleman from Arkansas.

Madam Speaker, I come today with many other colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support House Concurrent Resolution 5, expressing our support for Hire a Veteran Week. Many people go into the military and gain incredible life experiences and discipline. They have so many skills to offer when they come home, and many of them come home wanting to resume a normal life. An important part of a normal life is having a job.

I really believe that the public sector and the private sector can express our gratitude for the sacrifices that these veterans have made on our behalf. Many of these men and women have made economic sacrifices while they have been serving this country, and they need to come home and have encouragement from all of us. So a great way to say thank you is to promote the Hire a Veteran Week.

I am encouraging the President to issue a proclamation in support of this. This is very personal to me. My father-in-law is a veteran, my uncle was a World War II veteran that was captured during the Battle of the Bulge, and my son and daughter-in-law are currently serving in the military.

And I think so many families are affected by this that we benefit, and the veterans and their families will benefit, if we encourage this.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the patriotism and military service of Mr. Keith Nelson of Fleming, Colorado.

Mr. Nelson was born in Sterling, Colorado, and served in the Army in the Pacific theater during World War II from 1944 to 1946. During his military service, he witnessed an incredibly significant moment in history, the end of the Battle of Okinawa. I believe his story is most worthy of being preserved in the Congressional Record.

It was close to the end of the fighting in Okinawa, when L Company, 32nd Regiment, 7th Infantry Division had been assigned the task of taking a grove of trees near the southern tip of the island, one of the last pockets of Japanese resistance. Mr. Nelson's platoon was led by a former marine who wanted the glory of reaching the ocean first. As they entered the trees, an American flame throwing tank came up behind them; it had probably been assigned the job of burning the brush and flushing out any concealed Japanese soldiers.

Being the scout of the platoon, Mr. Nelson was assigned the job of stopping the tank. He went warily back, and walked up very close to the tank, and shouted at the soldiers inside. They hadn't seen Nelson, and when they heard him, they threw the flamethrower in his face. He jumped back and began yelling so they would know he wasn't the enemy and, fortunately they calmed down.

When Nelson got back to his company, his platoon leader rushed them through the grove as fast as they could go. If enemy soldiers had been in there, they would all have been dead.

They kept moving until they could see the edge of the cliff bordering the water; their leader had achieved his objective. As platoon scout, Mr. Nelson was the first to look upon that glorious scene, the end of the Battle of Okinawa. And though he didn't know it at the time, that made him the first to see the end of fighting in World War II.

After the war, Keith returned to Colorado and married Wanda Moncrief in 1948. They had four sons, Dennis, Brett, Elon, and Gary. Mr. Nelson currently resides in Fleming, Colorado.

Madam Speaker, I am grateful for Mr. Nelson's selfless service to our Nation. His story should be preserved for posterity. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing a man worthy of our honor, Mr. Keith Nelson.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the patriotism and military service of Mr. Charlie Campion of Loveland, Colorado.

He joined the United States Navy on September 7, 1954, and was sent to Great Lakes, Illinois, for boot camp.

In 1958, Mr. Campion's ship, the USS Summit County, pulled into Chennai, Korea where Mr. Campion served as a gunner's mate during his first enlistment. Shortly after arriving, Mr. Campion and 2 other soldiers were ordered to drive a jeep from the base to pick up supplies at a different military supply location off base.

While on this mission Mr. Campion's jeep hit an explosive device throwing out the Lieutenant and the Seaman, flipping the jeep and himself upside down in the canal nearby. The jeep ended up landing on Mr. Campion and he sustained several injuries, including a broken back.

At the age of 21, Mr. Campion re-enlisted and started his studies at the Hospital Corps School in Great Lakes, Illinois. Mr. Campion went on to serve a total of 16 years in the United States Navy as Hospital Corpsman and FMF Corpsman with the Marine Corps.

For ``conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action'' while serving with Company C, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division near the village of La Chau, Republic of Vietnam on 5 June 1965, Mr. Campion was awarded the Silver Star. While giving medical aid to several sick villagers, Mr. Campion was attacked by other villagers at the same time that his platoon was attacked by the Viet Cong Fighting his way free, he ran to the platoon position and immediately began medical treatment of two wounded Marines.

In order to protect the wounded men, Mr. Campion seized an automatic rifle from one of the men and turned it against the enemy, killing one Viet Cong and driving the others to flight. After the wounded men were evacuated he fearlessly exposed himself to heavy enemy fire so he could render aid to a critically wounded Marine and assist in his evacuation.

Additionally, he was awarded four good conduct medals and 12 further medals for his service to our country in the Korean War and in Vietnam.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for Mr. Campion's selfless service to our Nation. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing a man worthy of our honor, a true American hero, Mr. Charlie Campion.

Mr. Speaker, I rise with a very heavy heart and I wish to ask the Members in this Chamber to join me before we end the 109th session of Congress tonight in honoring a fallen sailor from Longmont, Colorado.

This week, Hospitalman Christopher A. Anderson was killed in action while serving our Nation in Iraq. He was a patriot that believed strongly in the freedoms we enjoy here in America and he joined the Navy to help defend the rights of citizens in Iraq.

I have contacted his family, and they are heartbroken about their loss, undoubtedly. They are to be admired for their courage and continued dedication to America's military forces who are fighting terrorists in the Middle East. As a mother of an enlisted sailor, my heart goes out to Christopher's family.

I would like to take a solemn moment to reflect on the life of Christopher and share the thoughts of his parents Rick and Debra Anderson. They released the following statement:

Christopher was a son of which any parent would be proud.

He was a natural leader in the truest sense: warm, giving,

thoughtful and caring. He went well out of his way to assist

family, friends and neighbors with everything from the sweat

of his brow to sound advice that many commented held wisdom

beyond his years. He was consistently elevated to leadership

positions by his actions.

This same thought process was at work when he chose to join

the U.S. Navy. Chris comes from generations of Navy men and

women. I myself am retired Navy. The Navy is, in general, an

exciting career, however Christopher was not content to

settle for anything less than being at the tip of the spear.

He chose the career path of Hospital Corpsman (the Navy

equivalent to a Medic in the other services). He requested

the additional training of a Combat Medic, and to be assigned

to the front lines with the United States Marine Corps. The

Marine Corps does not have their own medical personnel, and

Navy Sailors fill that role on a voluntary basis.

He was an ``encourager'', and ``uplifter'' with a truly

unique ability to empower others to rise to success they

themselves did not think possible. He attracted many, many

close friends into his circle. These are fine young men

and women, who I was proud to be introduced to and invite

into my home.

In August of 2005, Christopher joined the Navy. While in

Longmont awaiting his formal Navy school start date, he

aggressively pursued high visibility leadership positions

within his group of peers attached to the Longmont Navy

Recruiting Office. Chris was already a good athlete, but

chose to compete with the Navy SEAL candidates for even

greater athletic excellence. He additionally excelled in his

Navy-oriented academics, and was ultimately promoted from E-l

to E-3 before ever leaving for the Recruit Training Center

(Boot Camp).

Once at Boot Camp he again excelled in academics, athletics

and leadership, completing the program as the ``Honor

Graduate'' the number one person in his class, as voted on by

both his peers and the senior staff. He then attended his

actual Hospital Corpsman medical training, ``A'' School,

followed by Advanced Combat Medical Training, ``C'' School.

Working with experienced combat veterans, he reaffirmed his

desire to provide a critical service to those in harms way.

He knew full well that he too would be at the forefront of

the action.

Christopher deployed to Iraq in September of this year. The

moment his aircraft's door opened to the 120 degree heat, he

knew this would be the start of his greatest challenge. He

loved the people of this country, however he began to see

immediate action, and was soon credited by senior medical

staff for saving the life of a Marine sergeant seriously

wounded on patrol by an improvised explosive device (IED).

Christopher earned the affectionate title of ``Doc.'' This

title is only given to Navy Hospital Corpsmen who have

impressed their U.S. Marine Corps counterparts with medical

excellence under field combat conditions. His colonel also

credited him with the compliment, ``The most squared away

`Marine' we have in this Unit.''

Christopher gave his life in the defense of his nation, his

local community, his Marine brethren and his family.

Christopher wanted all his life to make a difference in this

world and in his short 24 years accomplished more than most

will ever accomplish in a lifetime.

Mr. Speaker, we are so fortunate to live in this great country where freedom is something that we rarely have to think about and often take for granted. It is simply a way of life for us, and we are truly blessed to live in a country that honors citizens for their spirit, their ideas, their individuality, and their courage. We can maintain the blessings of our freedoms only because we have citizens like Hospitalman Christopher A. Anderson who are willing to fight to defend them for us. My most sincere condolences go out to Rick and Debra and the entire Anderson family for loss of their beloved son.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the patriotism and military service of Specialist Kasey M. Feauto of Norfolk, NE.

Kasey was born in Sioux City, Iowa on September 9, 1982. He is the son of Michael Feauto and Joy Kleinberg and the brother of Amy.

Kasey graduated from Westwood Community High School in Sloan, Iowa in 2002 where he was an honor roll student and played on the football team. After graduation he joined the Army National Guard in 2003.

Mr. Feauto was deployed to Iraq on October 7, 2005, with the Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 147th Field Artillery. On December 4, 2005, Kasey was driving the lead truck of a three vehicle convoy when a roadside bomb exploded and hit the second truck in the convoy causing the truck to cross oncoming traffic and crash into a concrete wall. After realizing what had happened, Kasey turned his truck around to go help. The third truck was called to lend medical assistance but was hit by another roadside bomb.

SFC Richard Schild, the gunner in the second truck, was killed instantly. SGT Allen Kokesh, the driver of the second truck, was seriously injured. Kasey pulled Kokesh out of the truck and performed life-saving medical attention, putting a tourniquet on his wounded arm and leg. This medical care saved Kokesh's life long enough for him to return home and see his family. SGT Kokesh passed away in February 2006 from other wounds sustained that day. SSG Daniel Cuka, the truck commander in the third truck, was also killed from the explosion. SPC Corey Briest, the gunner in the third truck, was wounded.

Private First Class Kasey M. Feauto, of Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 147th Field Artillery was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for exceptionally meritorious heroism in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the life-saving aide he performed on SGT Allen Kokesh. His exemplary selfless service and outstanding dedication to duty during combat operations in Iraq contributed to the overwhelming success of the Command's mission. His actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.

Through this entire trauma Kasey has maintained his heart and sense of humor and his ability to be there for his family and friends in their time of need. He maintains that the real heroes are those who have given their lives for this country. Specifically the men of Charlie Battery who gave their lives: SGT Allen Kokesh Jr., SSG Daniel Cuka, SFC Richard Schild, and SSG Greg Wagner.

Home from Iraq, Kasey is living in Norfolk, NE with his fiancee Maria Vandersnick.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for Mr. Feauto's selfless service to our Nation. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing a man worthy of our honor, Specialist Kasey M. Feauto.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the contributions and life-time achievements of Mr. W.D. Farr.

Mr. Farr was recently inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners, which honors those who have embodied and perpetuated the heritage of the American West through their exemplary lives, careers, and achievements.

Mr. Farr, a man of many talents, excelled in ranching, government, and banking.

After inheriting the family agricultural business, Mr. Farr remained a cattle rancher for many years. During this time Mr. Farr worked to improve livestock and farming methods. His innovative ideas became a catalyst for improved irrigation on the eastern plains and influenced ranching methods throughout the United States.

Mr. Farr was also a statesman. While working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mr. Farr advised three U.S. Presidents and traveled the world as an advocate for the U.S. agricultural industry. His dedication to the agricultural community earned him induction into the Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame in 1995.

Another one of Mr. Farr's successful endeavors was in the banking industry. He directed banks in Greeley and Denver. He also co-founded and chaired the Affiliated Bankshares of Colorado.

Mr. Farr's life epitomizes the courageous and innovative spirit of Colorado and the greater American West.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to represent Mr. Farr in Congress. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating W.D. Farr for his many accomplishments and his service to the community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory and courageous patriotism of Mr. Charles ``Buster'' Bowen. As a navigator on a B-25 Bomber, Mr. Bowen proudly served his country in the Army Air Corps during the Second World War. The sacrifices he made to ensure the liberty and freedom of future generations will never be forgotten.

In the late autumn of 1941, Buster Bowen was a senior studying accounting at the University of Texas. He was undoubtedly eager for graduation and full of enthusiasm for the future. However, like many young men and women of his generation, Mr. Bowen's world was unalterably changed following the attack on Pearl Harbor.

After graduating from the University of Texas in June 1942, Mr. Bowen volunteered for military service. His military career began in the spring of 1943 at Kelley Field near San Antonio, Texas. After completing his training, Mr. Bowen was assigned to the 345th Bombardment Group and sent to the Pacific. In a letter to his concerned mother, Mr. Bowen assured her he was assigned an office job--he didn't mention that his office was a small table under the turret of a B-25 Bomber.

The crews of the 345th frequently flew low-level bombing runs over enemy targets. On one such mission over Formosa on June 15, 1945, a 40 millimeter explosive shell struck the escape hatch of Mr. Bowen's B-25 Bomber. The shrapnel from the shell pierced the fuselage and badly injured Engineer Harold Warnick and Mr. Bowen. Mr. Warnick sustained injuries to his foot and Mr. Bowen to his back. Even after being injured, Mr. Bowen plotted a course to an auxiliary air base in northern Luzon so that Mr. Warnick could receive the medical attention he needed.

For the injuries sustained by Mr. Bowen in June of 1945, he was awarded the Purple Heart. His squadron commander even displayed Mr. Bowen's bloodied shirt in the squad room to emphasize the importance of flight crews wearing the uncomfortable flak jackets.

Following his injuries, Mr. Bowen was taken off flying status, but began flying once again before the end of the war. After hostilities in the Pacific ended, Mr. Bowen was stationed on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido as part of the American occupation force.

Mr. Speaker, like so many other young members of this Greatest Generation, Mr. Bowen set aside his ambitions and risked his life to ensure the continued freedom of our great nation. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the patriotic service of Mr. Charles ``Buster'' Bowen.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the patriotism and military service of Mr. Ralph Bozella of Longmont, Colorado.

Soon after graduating with his teaching certificate during the tumultuous years of the Vietnam war, Mr. Bozella's life forever changed one Monday in the late summer of 1970. The ink was barely dry on the teaching contract he signed the Friday before when Mr. Bozella received notice that he had been drafted for service in Vietnam.

Before long, Mr. Bozella found himself at Bien Hoa Air Base near Saigon, Vietnam. From there he was sent to Chu Lai and assigned to a light infantry brigade within the Americal Infantry Division. Mr. Bozella was assigned to search and patrol the area to protect nearby villages during the rice harvest.

On these patrols into the Vietnamese jungles Mr. Bozella courageously volunteered to be the patrol's point man. In this capacity he walked first to find booby traps before they found the rest of the patrol.

Eventually, Mr. Bozella transferred to the U.S. Army Education Center where he taught and tested soldiers in a GED program. With his background in education, Mr. Bozella was grateful that he was able to positively impact soldiers in such an incredibly difficult situation.

Following Mr. Bozella's return from the horrors of the war in Vietnam, he encountered an unsupportive society and was ostracized by his peers. Despite these difficulties, Mr. Bozella earned a masters degree in adult and community education from Colorado State University and went on to serve his community in various roles as an educator and administrator.

Mr. Bozella has been intimately involved in several veterans' organizations, serving as chairman of the Colorado Board of Veterans Affairs and as a State officer with the American Legion.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for Mr. Bozella's selfless service to our Nation. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing a man worthy of our honor, Mr. Ralph Bozella. I am deeply saddened by the way he was treated when he came home from Vietnam. After the passing of the years I hope that the respect and honor that his is afforded today will help heal those wounds.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the past and current members of the community that have made the Sugar Plant in Fort Morgan, CO, a success. They are now observing the plant's Centennial Celebration. For 100 years the sugar plant has significantly impacted the economy of northeastern Colorado.

Sugar beets became a major crop in the Fort Morgan area in 1905. People in the community realized the potential impact of the sugar industry and began a drive to get a sugar factory constructed. A contract for construction was made with the provision that area farmers would agree to raise 1,500 acres of beets the first year, increasing to 3,500 acres the following years.

On August 31, 1905, the last day to contract the required beet acres, the committee was short 1,500 acres. Fort Morgan Mayor Farnsworth issued a proclamation for all business places to close from 2-2:30 p.m. so the entire community could focus their efforts to ensure a successful campaign. The first beets were sliced on December 26, 1906. The campaign lasted 55 days and 17,000 tons of beets were sliced. Lack of adequate water was a handicap in the early days, but in 1912 a well system and pumping plant was provided at the South Platte River to end the trouble.

The establishment of the sugar plant had several economic advantages for the area. The value of the land was increased, irrigated acreage jumped from $40/acre to $200-250/acre. Cattle feeding started in the area that used beet tops and beet pulp, giving year round employment to hired hands who had previously been out of work during the winter months. The first beet crop brought $1,000,000 in cash into the county and the population of the county grew during that year by nearly 2,500.

The Tate & Lyle company acquired 6 operating plants from the Great Western Sugar Company in 1985 and 1986, including the Fort Morgan Plant. In the late 1990s Tate & Lyle decided to sell their sugar holdings in the United States. The growers in the four state area decided that if they were going to keep the sugar beet industry they would have to become owners themselves. The Western Sugar Cooperative was formed when over 1,000 individuals stepped forward and invested their trust and dollars into the purchase of the Western Sugar Company. After a number of false starts and many frustrating months, the purchase was closed on April 30, 2002.

The 2006 campaign saw 745,169 tons of beets sliced in 139 days, producing a net 1,660,132 hundredweight of refined sugar. The payroll for fiscal year 2005 in Fort Morgan was $5,325,349 for 90 year-round workers and approximately 98 seasonal workers.

Throughout the years there have been 21 other sugar factories under various companies in Colorado. Today, there is one remaining--the Fort Morgan plant. Many changes have taken place during the past 100 years, however, the sugar factory remains an integral part of the agricultural and business communities. I am proud to honor the Great Western Sugar Cooperative and the Fort Morgan Sugar Plant for 100 years of successful sugar production and the positive impact it has had on families and communities in northeast Colorado.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the memory of Officer Michel Conley of the Estes Park Police Department.

On July 31, 1976, Officer Conley and his wife Phyllis were driving up the Big Thompson Canyon. Throughout that afternoon and evening, 14 inches of rain would fall in just over 4 hours time during a tremendous thunderstorm. The rain had brought a large boulder down the canyon, obstructing the road where it came to rest.

Conley stopped and headed to a nearby lodge to alert State patrol of the obstruction. By this time the rain was heavy and the canyon was in danger. Conley, though off duty, acted with the bravery and sense of public service with which he served as a police officer and began to alert residents and visitors in the canyon, telling them to get to high ground.

He notified somewhere between 75 and 175 people, saving them from the 20-foot wall of water that came rushing down the canyon, sweeping away roads, cars, and buildings in its path. Conley's wife was able to get to higher ground, but he was not. As the wall of water came sweeping toward him he climbed a telephone pole in a desperate attempt to get above the water, but the pole was swept away and Officer Conley lost his life. Along with Officer Conley, 143 people lost their lives in the devastating flood.

At the time, the Estes Park Police Department had no formal way of honoring officers who lost their lives in acts of such honor. However, on the 30th anniversary of the flood, and his heroic efforts to save the lives of those in danger, he will be honored with a medal of valor. Today I stand to honor his selfless act of heroism. ``Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends''--John 15:13. Officer Conley did so for mere strangers and I pay tribute to his valiant act as we remember the legacy of one of the worst natural disasters in the history of Colorado.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Colorado's Big Thompson Flood.

On July 31, 1976, residents and visitors in the Big Thompson Canyon suffered the unspeakable horror of one of the worst natural disasters in Colorado history.

I will never forget when the news started to break and the tragedy started to unfold.

In just a few hours, more than a foot of rain fell in the area surrounding the Big Thompson River, causing a wall of water over 20 feet tall to sweep through the canyon. In its wake, the flood claimed the lives of 144 people and left many others homeless. In all, over 400 homes and dozens of businesses were destroyed.

As we pause to commemorate the tragic events of 30 years ago, we remember the many lives that were taken from us by the waters of the Big Thompson and offer our thoughts and prayers for those they left behind.

It is often said that the worst of circumstances bring forth the best in people. In the hours and weeks following the disaster, the community surrounding Big Thompson Canyon displayed unparalleled graciousness and compassion. From the heroic rescuers who plucked survivors from the craggy canyon walls, to the countless others who gave their time, talents and resources, we saw the best of the American spirit in the wake of disaster.

Mr. Speaker, today Big Thompson Canyon and, more significantly, the lives of those touched by the flood still bear the scars from that terrible July night. As we mark the 30th anniversary of one of the worst natural disasters in Colorado history, I urge my colleagues to join me in remembering those who lost their lives and the countless others whose lives have been forever changed by the Big Thompson Flood.