November 15, 2007 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS, Vol. 153, Pt. 23 31829 from the inside looking out you can’t explain world than the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide of A PROCLAMATION HONORING it.’’ What has helped develop this sentiment is 1932–1933. It is inconceivable that a govern- COACH IAN COOKE FOR LEADING the time honored traditions that Aggies every- ment could have so little value for human life THE GIRL’S SOCCER TEAM TO where hold dear. Such traditions include Mid- to kill up to 10 million people, including 3 mil- PLACE SECOND IN THE MAN- night Yell Practice, 12th Man, Yell Leaders, lion children, in order to break national resist- CHESTER UMBRO INTER- Reveille, Muster, Silver Taps, and Gig’Em. ance to Communism. For 500 days, 25,000 NATIONAL CUP And one of the most notable traditions is people died daily from hunger, when nature’s Aggie Bonfire. HON. ZACHARY T. SPACE Bonfire is built every year and lit before the harvest provided them with everything needed OF OHIO big football game against the University of to lead a normal life and when food was in Texas Longhorns, or ‘‘t.u.’’ as the Aggies call their plain view. The brutality of such a policy IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES them. Bonfire is meant to symbolize the burn- and the callous way it was enforced are be- Thursday, November 15, 2007 yond comprehension. The Ukrainian Famine- ing desire to beat the University of Texas in Mr. SPACE. Madam Speaker: the annual football game. The first Bonfire Genocide was caused by the imposition of ex- Whereas, Coach Ian Cooke showed hard built in 1909 was a heap of trash and debris. traordinarily high grain quotas in the agricul- work and dedication to the sport of soccer; By 1969 the stack of logs set a record for the tural areas of Ukraine, and inhumane efforts and height of a bonfire at 109 feet, 10 inches. by the Soviet government in taking every food- Whereas, Coach Cooke was a leader and There have only been 2 years when bonfire stuff available to fulfill the quotas. Taking a mentor for the team; and did not burn as scheduled. The first was 1963, handful of grain or a potato was considered Whereas, Coach Ian Cooke has been a role the year President Kennedy was assas- ‘‘stealing from the state’’ and capital punish- model for sportsmanship on and off of the sinated. As a sign of respect, the students dis- ment could be—and was—applied as a con- field; now, therefore, be it mantled the stack. Head Yell Leader, Mike Marlow explained, ‘‘It is the most we have and sequence. Resolved, that along with his friends, family, the least we can give.’’ The other year was The eyewitness accounts are horrifying in and the residents of the 18th Congressional 1999, when at 2:42 am on November 18th the their candor. One survivor wrote the following District, I congratulate Coach Ian Cooke for leading the girl’s soccer team to place second 40 ft high stack consisting of 5,000 logs col- in her diary: ‘‘Upon entering [the village] we lapsed killing 12 people and injuring 27 others. in the Manchester Umbro International Cup. caught up with a boy of about 7; my fellow We recognize the tremendous hard work and It was in dealing with this tragedy that the traveler shouted [for him to step out of the true strength of Texas A & M emerged. Res- leadership he has demonstrated during the way] but the boy did not seem to hear and 2007 soccer season. cue workers were on the scene within minutes continued to walk, swaying; our carriage of the collapse. The entire Texas A & M foot- caught up with him; I shouted; the boy ball team and many members of the Corps of f stepped out of the way as though unwillingly; Cadets rushed to the site to assist in manually I wanted to look him in the face. That face left HONORING THE BAPTIST RIDGE removing the logs. An official memorial service VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT was held in Reed Arena less than 17 hours a chilling impression on me, one that I will after the collapse. Over 16,000 mourners never forget. I think that this was the expres- gathered to pay tribute to those who had died sion of people who know that they will soon HON. BART GORDON and those who spent all day trying to rescue die, but who do not want to die. But this was OF TENNESSEE the injured. At the end of the ceremony, the a child. [. . .] I cried silently, so that my com- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES crowd spontaneously stood, linked arms, and panion would not hear. The thought that I Thursday, November 15, 2007 started singing Amazing Grace. could not do anything, that millions of children Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Eric Opiela, Vice President of the Student are dying from hunger [. . .] dismayed Speaker, today I rise to honor the members of Government of The University of Texas at me.... Near the village soviet office we ran Austin, attended the memorial service, and de- the Baptist Ridge Volunteer Fire Department into an old man with the same expression on for their selfless dedication and bravery in pro- scribed the scene saying, ‘‘Aggieland is a very his face.’’ special place, with special people. It is infi- tecting our families, day and night. nitely better equipped than us at dealing with When the news of the Famine-Genocide The Baptist Ridge Volunteer Fire Depart- a tragedy such as this for one simple reason. reached the free world, the Soviet government ment was established in 2000 in order to It is a family. It is a family that cares for its denied its existence and refused humanitarian serve the city of Hilham. Today, the depart- own, a family that reaches out, a family that is aid that could have saved the lives of millions. ment has 21 volunteers on its roster. unified in the face of adversity; a family that For the next 60 years, the government aggres- Without volunteer fire halls, like Baptist moved this Longhorn to tears.’’ sively continued to deny the existence of the Ridge, many places in the Sixth District would lack effective fire protection. In the state of It is this same sense of unity and family that Famine-Genocide and even banned the use of Tennessee, over 70 percent of fire service is has compelled current Aggies to continue their the word ‘‘famine’’. tradition of Bonfire. Though the event is now provided by volunteers. Among these volun- held off campus and not sponsored by the On the event of the 75th anniversary of the teers, almost 75 percent work other daily jobs. University the passion lives on. And so, on Ukrainian Famine-Genocide, I am confident Ensuring our families’ safety is not without this 8th anniversary of the Texas A & M Bon- that I speak on behalf of my constituents and risk. Sadly, an average of two firefighters die fire collapse, we pay tribute to the Spirit of our entire nation when I join the Ukrainian na- each year in Tennessee in the line of duty. In Aggieland. May it continue to mystify us, daz- tion in mourning the millions of innocent vic- 2005, the Tennessee Fire Services and Code zle us, and thrive forever. tims. Their memory will always be with us. I Academy dedicated a memorial on their main And that’s just the way it is. believe it is our moral responsibility to recog- campus in Baptist Ridge to honor those Ten- f nize the Ukrainian American community’s work nessee firefighters who have died in the line of and continue to inform the whole world of the duty. UKRAINIAN FAMINE-GENOCIDE OF crime against the Ukrainian people and hu- For their willingness to serve, the following 1932–1933 members of the Baptist Ridge Volunteer Fire manity committed by the Stalinist totalitarian Department deserve recognition: Chief David regime. We cannot let any similar tragedy be HON. JIM GERLACH Boles, Asst. Chief Joe Boles, Capt. Jackie repeated ever again. Together, we need to Hamlet, Lt. Ted Tucker, Anthony Boles, Ravy OF PENNSYLVANIA continue to fight totalitarianism and the op- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Watson, Dewayne Scott, Johnny Allen, Kevin pression until every corner of this planet is Taylor, Mark Minske, Kenny Estep, Bobby Thursday, November 15, 2007 free and democracy reigns supreme. We Gene Lee, Kyle Spear, Farrah Spear, Reba Mr. GERLACH. Madam Speaker, there are honor the memory of the innocent victims and Allen, Brenda Boles, Robert Abney, Kimberly few more disturbing examples of human cru- the brave fighters for Ukraine’s independence Tucker, Linda Elam, Mary Boles and Wanton elty toward its own kind in the history of the today and we will remember them always. Young.

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