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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— Extensions of Remarks E1495 HON October 11, 2013 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1495 Sr.’s lifetime of achievement and service to his killed by an Improvised Explosive Device in identity’’ during the era of ‘‘Don’t Ask, Don’t community. Kandahar Province. He was tending to an- Tell’’ and deeply desired to be ‘‘afforded the f other wounded Army Ranger when he died. freedom to live in a manner consistent with Sgt. Hawkins graduated from Carlisle High her life-long gender awareness as a female.’’ RECOGNIZING PLEASANTON CITY School in 2007 and went on to spend three With the pain of shrapnel, broken bones, COUNCIL MEMBER ABRAHAM years studying culinary arts part-time at Har- and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as SAENZ, JR. risburg Area Community College before enlist- reminders of a life of extraordinary military ing in 2010. He is survived by his wife service, Kristin agreed to participate in a study HON. HENRY CUELLAR Brittanie, of Lansing, Kansas, and his parents, of ‘‘resilience’’ by Dr. Anne Speckhard, a OF TEXAS Roy and Sheila Hawkins, of Carlisle. Washington-area psychologist and adjunct IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Mr. Speaker, Sgt. Hawkins was clearly fol- professor at Georgetown University Medical lowing part of the Army Ranger creed which Center. An expert in the psychology of ter- Friday, October 11, 2013 says ‘‘I will never leave a fallen comrade’’ rorism, Dr. Speckhard wanted to study how Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to when he gave his life for our country. There- service members draw upon coping mecha- recognize Pleasanton City Council Member fore, for his dedicated service and sacrifice to nisms to integrate the stresses and exhilara- Abraham Saenz, Jr. for his 30 years of service protect our great Nation, I commend Army tions of combat with their workday lives back to the city of Pleasanton and to the state of Ranger Sergeant Patrick C. Hawkins. home. What she found was the disjointed Texas. f story of a woman coming into her own fol- Councilman Saenz, a Pleasanton native, is lowing a lifetime of military service and soci- a remarkable and highly respected member of RECOGNIZING MS. KRISTIN BECK etal pressures. After more than 100 hours of the community who has dedicated his career FOR HER COURAGE AND SERV- interviews that often resembled psycho- to promoting the quality of life for all residents ICE TO THE NATION therapy, Kristin and Dr. Speckhard co-au- of Pleasanton. First elected in 1983, Mr. thored the book Warrior Princess: A U.S. Navy Saenz has served the community as a Mem- HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS SEAL’s Journey to Coming Out Transgender. ber, and now Senior Member, of the Council OF FLORIDA Kristin has embarked upon perhaps the of Pleasanton. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES greatest mission of her life: self-actualization. During his tenure Mr. Saenz has been in- Friday, October 11, 2013 Since her return to civilian life, she has strumental in implementing many city projects. worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the Some of the most important include: paving Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I issues affecting both the transgender commu- roads throughout his district and other areas rise today in honor of Ms. Kristin Beck, a nity and veterans. Kristin works closely with of the city, preparing the city to have an ample decorated U.S. Navy SEAL who not only Healing Grounds, the non-profit organization water supply for the next 50 years, improving spent 20 years fighting for her country in uni- she founded to support returning Iraq and Af- infrastructure in the areas of drainage and form, but is now leading the charge for equal ghanistan veterans. Healing Grounds lends wastewater collection, facilitated the construc- rights for transgender Americans. During the therapeutic help to them by providing special- tion of a sports complex for youth, and the course of her distinguished military career, ized training in landscaping and gardening to construction of a new City Hall, Police Head- Kristin was known as Chris Beck, and served build a place of tranquility in their own back- quarters, Public Works Facility, Library, and through 13 deployments in Bosnia, Iraq, and yards. In addition, she has two teenage boys Civic Center. More recently Mr. Saenz rep- Afghanistan, including seven combat deploy- from a previous marriage, and works as a resented Pleasanton in Economic Issues with ments, before retiring and coming out as the Pentagon consultant. Atascosa County and has been at the fore- first openly transgender Navy SEAL. From Mr. Speaker, I commend Kristin Beck for front of planning initiatives to accommodate fighting terrorists overseas to knocking down her outstanding bravery and service to our na- the exponential growth of the city due to Eagle gender barriers at home, she is a true patriot tion. All her life, she has selflessly put duty Shale Oil and Gas Play. and source of inspiration. and country ahead of her own needs. Kristin’s Not only has Mr. Saenz held an esteemed At the age of five, the young Chris Beck story reminds us of the many daily struggles and honorable career in the Council, he has knew that he was different, being drawn to his faced by transgender Americans and veterans devoted his life to his family, community, and sisters’ feminine clothes and toys. The son of alike, including the continued discrimination country. After attending Pleasanton High socially conservative, dogmatically religious faced by transgender service members who School, Mr. Saenz joined the United States Air farmers, however, he was sent to a Christian must hide their identities in order to serve in Force in 1952. While in the Air Force, Mr. school operated by televangelist Jerry Falwell the military. As she continues working to ad- Saenz fought in the Korean War and was hon- and pushed into traditional masculine roles, vance lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender orably discharged in 1956. Upon his return to such as playing football and riding motor- (LGBT) equality and address the needs of vet- Pleasanton Mr. Saenz began working as a cycles. Fifteen years later, Chris found his erans, I remain an ally in Congress and wish barber, becoming the sole proprietor of the calling with the SEALs, the Navy’s elite special her the very best in her new life’s mission. operations force. He proved himself to be a City Barber Shop in 1971. In 1961 he married f Ermelinda Gomez Saenz with whom he now courageous and much respected hero, while has 5 children, 6 grandchildren, and 4 great- developing the deep bonds of brotherhood IN RECOGNITION OF THE 90TH grandchildren. with his fellow SEALs. In between missions, BIRTHDAY OF OSCAR JACKSON Mr. Speaker, I am honored and pleased to though, when Chris had a little time to himself, MOONEY, JR. have had this time to recognize Councilman he could not help but dress in women’s Abraham Saenz Jr. on his career and commu- clothes. Over the next two decades, he went HON. MIKE ROGERS nity involvement. He has contributed his time, on to serve on a tour with the counter-ter- OF ALABAMA knowledge, and efforts to his community. rorism unit known as SEAL Team Six, famous IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES f for its harrowing missions and rescues, and earned the Bronze Star with ‘‘V,’’ the Purple Friday, October 11, 2013 SERGEANT PATRICK C. HAWKINS Heart, and other numerous honors. Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I In 2011, Chris retired from the military and ask for the House’s attention today to honor HON. LOU BARLETTA embraced his true feminine identity as Kristin Oscar Mooney, Jr., a distinguished Alabama OF PENNSYLVANIA Beck. She started undergoing hormone ther- veteran, on his 90th birthday. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES apy and physically transforming herself into a Mr. Mooney was born on December 2, 1923 woman. With this metamorphosis came the at home in Weogufka, Alabama. In 1943, Mr. Friday, October 11, 2013 decision to officially come out to the world. It Mooney enlisted in the U.S. Army and served Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor began with replacing her LinkedIn profile pic- as a sergeant in the 16th Armored Division. Army Ranger Sergeant Patrick C. Hawkins ture with one of her dressed as a woman, and The 16th Armored Division was instrumental in from Carlisle, Pennsylvania who was killed in changing her name from ‘‘Chris Beck’’ to the liberation of Pilsen, Czechoslovakia. Mr. action on October 6, 2013 in Afghanistan. ‘‘Kristin Beck.’’ On February 9, 2013, Kristin Mooney has received the WWII Victory Medal, Sgt. Hawkins was on his fourth tour in Af- officially came out to the military in a press re- the American Service Medal, the European-Af- ghanistan and serving as a rifleman, gun team lease, in which she stated that she ‘‘respect- rican-Middle Eastern Service Medal with one leader and Ranger team leader when he was fully remained silent regarding her gender bronze star and the Good Conduct Service VerDate Mar 15 2010 03:57 Nov 15, 2014 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\RECORD13\RECFILES\OCT2013\E11OC3.REC E11OC3 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE.
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