E1034 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks August 6, 2019 J. Tominac on 12 September in Vesoul. 1916, Hale did so to create an organization base supply stores on Little Rock Air Force Among the Distinguished Service Cross recipi- centered around the concept of helping the Base and at Fort Leonard Wood, and the part- ents was a young SSG in the 15th Infantry blind help themselves. Now at the helm of nership between Alphapointe and America’s Regiment, Audie Murphy, whose action came what would later be renamed Alphapointe, military bears testament to the profound value near Ramatuelle on 15 August and who would Hale immediately took action to address the of blind workers and the quality of the prod- go on to become the most-decorated soldier rampant unemployment and lack of oppor- ucts they can produce. and best-known soldier of WWII. Other Medal tunity available for those throughout the city Today, Alphapointe offers a wide range of of Honor recipients were 2LT Stephen R. experiencing vision loss. At the time, a mere services and opportunities to the blind and vis- Gregg from the 36th Infantry Division on 27 sixteen industrial programs existed in the ually impaired community of the Greater Kan- August near Monte´limar and 2LT Almond E. United States that trained and employed blind sas City area. Since its creation in 1952, the Fisher of the 45th Infantry Division on 12–13 individuals, but Hale knew that those without Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired has September near Grammont. sight need not rely only on charity. Hale’s served thousands of blind youth. Through the Unit awards included Presidential Unit Cita- brother, for example, went on to attend the center, children learn life skills needed to over- tions to the following 3rd Infantry Division Palmer School of Chiropractic while come the obstacles that come with vision loss, units: 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment for Alphapointe’s Vice President, Hayes Brooks, including how to socialize with sighted children its performance in Monte´limar on 27 August was the first blind student to graduate from the and navigate unfamiliar locations. Further- embroidered Monte´limar and the 1st Battalion, Kansas City School of Law. more, the Student Transitional Employment 30th Infantry Regiment for Besanc¸on 6–7 Sep- Taking inspiration from these two trail- Program has worked to address the high un- tember embroidered Besanc¸on; and to the blazers, Hale opened a workshop in 1918 employment rate that continues to hinder the 36th Infantry Division the 1st Battalion, 141st where eight blind workers assembled brooms, blind community. Additionally, Alphapointe’s Infantry 15–16 August embroidered Southern mats, and cane chairs. Attached to the College Preparatory Program has ensured that France and the 3rd Battalion, 143rd Infantry brooms were labels that proudly asserted many blind students were able to successfully Regiment 26–29 August for fighting embroi- ‘‘The Blind Man’s Broom is the Best Broom,’’ adapt to their college campuses. dered Monte´limar; and Cannon Company, and the project that began in Hale’s own living Alphapointe’s services, however, extend far 442nd Infantry Regiment for the full campaign room soon began to turn a profit. Notably, this beyond one’s college years. At Alphapointe’s embroidered Southern France. venture established Alphapointe’s reputation Center for Blindness and Low Vision, a one- Madam Speaker, I ask that the entire House not only as an employer of the blind, but as of-a-kind facility in the state of Missouri, the of Representatives join me in congratulating a manufacturer of high-quality products, there- organization offers Comprehensive Rehabilita- and thanking the surviving veterans of Oper- by marking the beginning of a long tradition in tion Services that address the challenges ation Dragoon and the Southern France Cam- the organization’s history. A year later, fol- faced by blind individuals throughout daily life. paign on the occasion of the upcoming 75th lowing the conclusion of the First World War, Reflecting the Hale Home’s mission to keep anniversary of this highly successful operation young men from across the country who had elderly blind individuals within their own which liberated Southern France and played a lost their vision on battlefields overseas head- homes, the Senior Adult Services offered at critical role in the Allied victory in Europe in ed to Kansas City in search of jobs and the Alphapointe ensure that blind seniors can live WWII. opportunity to lead dignified lives. comfortably and independently for as long as f In addition to confronting the widespread possible. unemployment that plagued the blind commu- Madam Speaker, please join me in cele- IN RECOGNITION OF ALPHAPOINTE nity, Hale was also determined to address the brating the work that Alphapointe has done for housing problems that blind individuals faced. the blind and visually impaired community HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER In the early 1900s, life was quite dangerous since 1911. For over a century, Alphapointe OF MISSOURI for people without sight, and blind individuals has offered hope to individuals who often felt IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES were all too often institutionalized simply be- hopeless, and their services have brought cause they had nowhere else to live. In re- Tuesday, August 6, 2019 great meaning, fulfillment, and dignity to the sponse to this somber reality, Alphapointe lives of countless people facing vision loss. Mr. CLEAVER. Madam Speaker, I rise opened the Catherine Hale Home for Blind Let us recognize this occasion by rejecting today to recognize Kansas City’s Alphapointe Women in 1917, a place of refuge where any prejudices towards visually impaired for their 108 years of service to the blind and women who lost their vision were able to Americans which may still linger within our visually impaired community. For the last cen- peacefully spend the twilight of their lives. A country and by reflecting on the inherent value tury, Alphapointe has worked to empower far cry from the facilities that less fortunate of all people in the same spirit as founder those without sight to live independent and ful- blind senior citizens were forced into, the Hale Catherine Hale. filling lives. The organization stands out as our Home was known for its warm atmosphere in f country’s third largest single employer of indi- which the forty residents cared for themselves, viduals experiencing vision loss, providing maintained their favorite hobbies, socialized PERSONAL EXPLANATION meaningful jobs to over four-hundred people amongst each other, and organized holiday across their nine locations. fundraisers. In operation until the late 1980s, HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY Alphapointe traces its roots to Labor Day of the Catherine Hale Home for Blind Women OF INDIANA 1911, when thirty advocates for the blind gath- symbolized Alphapointe’s commitment to serv- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ered in Kansas City’s Budd Park to ‘‘promote ing senior citizens experiencing vision loss. the social intercourse and general welfare of Moreover, Alphapointe and their workers Tuesday, August 6, 2019 those without sight,’’ leading to the establish- have repeatedly answered our nation’s call Mr. VISCLOSKY. Madam Speaker, on July ment of the Workers for the Blind of Greater during times of international conflict. In fact, 25, 2019, I missed roll call vote 510. Kansas City. Present at this gathering were Alphapointe’s factory has supplied the United Had I been present for roll call 510, on Mo- Eugene E. Condon and his sister, Catherine States military in every war since World War tion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 693, Hale. Determined to overcome his own vision I. During the Second World War, for example, the U.S. Senator Joseph D. Tydings Memorial loss, Condon had enrolled at the Nebraska In- Alphapointe was churning out an impressive Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2019, I would stitute for the Blind in 1900, a residential 4,480 feet of tent rope every day, a feat which have voted ‘‘Yes.’’ school that taught blind individuals the skills earned the organization the prestigious Army- f needed to lead independent lives. Inspired by Navy Production Award for Excellence in War the transformative impact that the institution Production. Notably, Alphapointe was one of IN RECOGNITION OF DIXON’S had on her brother, Hale set out to prove that only three factories with a blind workforce to FAMOUS CHILI people without sight were fully capable of sup- receive this honor. Later, as the United States porting themselves when presented with op- entered the Cold War, Alphapointe began HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER portunity. manufacturing sanitation kits for bomb shel- OF MISSOURI Indeed, it was this campaign that led Hale ters, and in 2012, the organization created a IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES to accompany her brother to the rally in Budd new Tactical Mechanical Tourniquet that will Park, and when she helped the Workers for soon be included in the first aid kits worn by Tuesday, August 6, 2019 the Blind of Greater Kansas City incorporate our men and women serving our country over- Mr. CLEAVER. Madam Speaker, I rise as the Kansas City Association for the Blind in seas. Additionally, Alphapointe now operates today to commemorate Dixon’s Famous Chili

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:15 Aug 07, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A06AU8.002 E06AUPT1 August 6, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1035 and their one hundredth year serving the are taking the time to honor those who have In August of the same year, Sergeant First greater Kansas City metropolitan area. Since earned the Purple Heart for sacrifices in serv- Class Hayes was shot a second time, now in their opening, Dixon’s has served as a be- ice to this Country. Today, we recognize Ro- his left leg. His battalion had landed directly in loved pillar of the Kansas City and Independ- land Hayes, who received not one or two, but an enemy-controlled territory. Hayes ‘pulled ence communities, and it brings me pride to three Purple Hearts while serving in the Viet- point,’ or stood at the front of the formation, have such an institution serving the Fifth Con- nam War. despite his high rank and the dangerous na- gressional District of Missouri. As a young man, Roland Hayes admired the ture of the position, because he was well- As one of the oldest family owned busi- work of the military. He first learned about versed in recognizing traps and other signs of nesses in the city, Dixon’s Famous Chili origi- radio waves as a student at Lackawanna High enemy presence. It was then that a bullet from nally began as a street vendor in downtown School and was fascinated by the idea of war- an enemy machine gun hit him, slicing away Kansas City, Missouri. Due to the success of time communication. He was also inspired by a large piece of his left leg. Even with his own the street cart, the Dixon family opened their the bravery and skill of the Army’s 101st Air- injury, Hayes helped to save another wounded first parlor at 15th and Olive in 1919. In the borne Division, a specialized infantry division soldier before returning to combat the same early days, the founder, Vergne Dixon, used trained in air assault operations and the first day. his entrepreneurial power to provide jobs for troops that dropped into action during World One month later, though his platoon be- the community. He hired only men who were War Two’s Invasion of Normandy. In 1966, lieved that they had successfully taken over a down on their luck to work at his parlor, giving Hayes, just 18 years old, answered the inter- key North Vietnamese Army position, enemy many a much-needed opportunity to better nal tug to serve, voluntarily enlisted in the troops unexpectedly returned. Hayes stood up themselves and support their families. Dixon United States Army, and was assigned to the to fire when a grenade landed directly next to aspired to give back to his city and embodied 101st Airborne Division known as the him. He recalls experiencing this moment in a spirit of public service that should inspire us ‘‘Screaming Eagles.’’ The 101st Airborne Divi- slow motion: the grenade sluggishly rolling all. sion fought in 45 different operations over al- down a slope away from him before it merci- In the 1940s, Dixon’s Chili Parlor acquired a most 7 years and was the last Army division lessly imploded. A piece of it hit him in the new and special meaning for the community to leave Vietnam. During this time, the 101st face, knocking him over. Fueled by pain and as it became a frequent stop for President made the important transition from utilizing rage, Hayes continued to fight only minutes Harry Truman and became what he called one planes and parachutes to landing helicopters. after his injury. The scar remains a visible re- of his favorite restaurants in America. Presi- Hayes quickly experienced the same risky minder of that moment. dent Truman said he loved to eat there as the operations that inspired his military career, Like other African American veterans who food reminded him of the days when he had plunging him and his unit into the depths of served, Sergeant First Class Hayes coura- been serving in World War I. When President enemy territory. He was consistently part of geously fought two battles: the war overseas Truman visited Dixon’s for his favorite dish of the first landing unit, an incredibly dangerous and the fight at home for equal rights. Hayes chili on tamales, usually accompanied by sev- position reserved for a group of highly-skilled comes from a long line of military trailblazers. eral Secret Service agents, the notoriety of the soldiers. These men constantly faced the pos- His father, aunt, and uncle all served during event landed Dixon’s Chili Parlor in LIFE mag- sibility of death or injury given the uncertain WWII, defending our democracy while facing azine. Thus, Dixon’s came to be known as nature of their job. His division was the Army’s unequal treatment both in segregated military Dixon’s Famous Chili. most highly decorated airborne unit and Cap- Dixon’s Famous Chili continues today, as units and at home. Their participation in the tain Paul Bucha from his battalion was award- military during World War II helped plant the the legacy has been kept alive by Vergne Dix- ed with the prestigious Medal of Honor for his on’s nephew Leonard Totta, his daughter Terri seeds for the American Civil Rights Move- service in the Vietnam War. ment. Another uncle, Sergeant Donald Rolls, Totta Smith, and will continue with his grand- Hayes’ tour in Vietnam had an action- lost his life in the Korean War. Through the son Stephan Steffes. As the restaurant’s busi- packed start. He arrived right before the Tet Korean War, segregated African-American ness expanded, it grew to house numerous lo- Offensive, a major attack by the North Viet- units served in every war waged by the United cations across the Kansas City metro area namese Army and Viet Cong on five cities in States, performing in both combat and support and beyond. However, the main restaurant in South Vietnam. The coordinated attack took capacities. The Vietnam War, which took Independence, which President Truman fre- place at the end of January, 1968 during the quented, remains a cherished landmark in the Tet, a Vietnamese New Year celebration that place at the height of the domestic Civil Rights area. Long time guests share stories of gravi- was traditionally a time of decreased fighting. Movement, marked the first integrated U.S. tating back to Dixon’s for a warm, familial at- The Offensive was a huge surprise to the U.S. military. However, SFC Hayes was not free mosphere. Today, visitors to Missouri are military and South Vietnamese troops. During from racial discrimination during his military drawn to the authentic ambience at Dixon’s, the Viet Cong attack on the U.S. Embassy in career. It was the first time that soldiers of all as well as the special ‘‘Kansas City style chili’’ Saigon, the 101st Airborne made up the as- races had worked together so closely, and he served the same way it was one hundred sault force of paratroopers that landed on the recalls the rough integration process of his years ago, as a distinct way to experience our roof of the embassy and successfully removed battalion as well as the blatant discrimination local history. the Viet Cong from the premises. While this he experienced when he left his southern Madam Speaker, please join me and all of battle was a technical victory for the United training base. In 1967, he was deployed to Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District in hon- States, the Viet Cong succeeded in inflicting work as a cook on the military base in Viet- oring this legacy as Vergne Dixon’s family psychological damage on the American people nam. But his stint as a cook only lasted three celebrates one hundred years of remarkable and military alike. The public had believed that short weeks. After a racially-charged argument and noteworthy service in the Kansas City the Vietnam War would be an easy victory, with a highly-ranked officer, Hayes was or- metropolitan area. I welcome my colleagues to but the attack on the embassy foreshadowed dered to the front line of combat. He believes join me and the constituents of Missouri’s Fifth a military endeavor that was longer and more that he was given this difficult and dangerous Congressional District in congratulations and complicated than anyone could have pre- assignment as a punishment for perceived in- recognition of such an inspiration. Together, dicted. subordination. Notwithstanding the unforeseen we look to better serve those around us in the On March 14th, 1968, Sgt. Hayes was in- change in assignment, Hayes entered his same spirit as Mr. Dixon originally did and in jured in action for the first time. While working company in Vietnam as a cook and left as a the same way his family continues to serve us as an assistant machine gunner, a bullet rico- Sergeant. Despite early racial tensions, ani- today. cheted off the barrel of a machine gun and mosity quickly drifted away as battles with the f went completely through his right leg. During enemy brought the men together. Hayes’ unit HONORING UNITED STATES ARMY his hospital stay after the injury, he insisted on soon realized that, with death and defeat on SERGEANT FIRST CLASS RO- receiving various combat reports from his unit the line, color and race meant nothing. Most LAND HAYES to stay up-to-date on the progress of the war. importantly, in order to leave together, the He recalls feeling an incredible guilt for being men needed to fight together. In Hayes’ HON. BRIAN HIGGINS away from his unit when they needed him words, ‘‘the battlefield knows no colors.’’ This most. Hayes told the doctor that if he did not mentality created a brotherly bond amongst OF NEW YORK clear him to return to combat, he would go Vietnam War soldiers which had yet to be IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AWOL in order to go back to his men. After seen in the U.S. The men’s selfless service Tuesday, August 6, 2019 just four weeks of recovery, he returned to the and sacrifice allowed them to abandon the so- Mr. HIGGINS of New York. Madam Speak- rough terrain of the Vietnamese jungle with a cial norms of the time and to recognize one er, in advance of Purple Heart Day 2019, we partially healed leg, ready to continue fighting. another as individuals.

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