June 26, 2006 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 152, Pt. 9 12549 I have known Jerome Holmes for several care, we need improved regulations and ments during his 2-year tour of duty years, both professionally and personally, as policies to serve such families. This have been impressive. They include I am also a member of the Oklahoma Bar As- legislation is part of the DeWine- completion of major storm damage re- sociation. I know him to be a person of In- Rockefeller bill, called the We Care duction projects at Rehoboth Beach, tegrity and Character and I have always ap- Dewey Beach and Fenwick Island, con- preciated Mr. Holmes’ fairness in our deal- Kids Act. Thanks to the leadership of ings. What’s more, I have witnessed Mr. Chairman GRASSLEY, the major provi- siderable progress on a new $70 million Holmes’ efforts in our local community to sions of We Care Kids Act were in- air freight terminal complex at Dover improve the lives of those around us; all peo- cluded in the reconciliation package to Air Force Base, partnership in a prom- ple regardless of where they live, what they invest in court training and data to ising program to restore oyster popu- look like or how much money they have. He help judges have insight and the infor- lations in the Delaware Bay, com- has an altruistic spirit that makes him a mation needed to care for the vulner- mencement of a long-awaited project standout in this world. able children in foster care. But action to reduce flood damages in the town of I serve Oklahoma County as one of three could not be taken to improve inter- Elsmere, development of a trail con- elected County Commissioners, am a proud cept plan to provide recreational op- Democrat and consider Jerome Holmes to be state case planning within the rec- a principled leader who demonstrates mutual onciliation bill. In 2004, similar legisla- portunities along the Chesapeake and respect for all people. In particular, he is re- tion passed the House of Representa- Delaware Canal, and even removal of spectful of views that differ from his own and tives, and now it will finally become an old abandoned shipwreck from the he enjoys tremendous bipartisan support and law.∑ historic Christina River—not to men- respect. tion a host of other successful projects If I can provide any further information or f in New Jersey, New York and Pennsyl- perspective, please do not hesitate to contact ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS vania, or the fact that all this was car- me at your convenience. ried out while many of his Philadelphia Respectfully yours, district employees were deployed to Af- JIM ROTH, IN RECOGNITION OF LIEUTENANT County Commissioner. ghanistan and Iraq or helping out down COLONEL ROBERT J. RUCH south after the Nation’s worst-ever f ∑ Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, today I hurricane season. SAFE AND TIMELY PLACEMENT wish to honor LTC Robert J. Ruch, Dis- Commissioned as a second lieutenant OF CHILDREN ACT trict Commander, Philadelphia Dis- in the Corps of Engineers in 1986, Lieu- ∑ Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, I trict, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on tenant Colonel Ruch began his military am delighted that the Safe and Timely the occasion of his Change of Command career with the 7th Engineer Battalion, Placement of Children Act was passed Ceremony which will take place on Fri- 5th Infantry Division, Mechanized, at during the wrap-up session on Friday, day, July 10, 2006. At that time, Lieu- Fort Polk, LA, as a platoon leader and June 23, 2006. I have worked with Sen- tenant Colonel Ruch will pass com- company executive officer. Follow-on assignments included liaison officer ators DEWINE and DOMENICI on this mand of the Philadelphia District to issue for several years to help foster LTC Gwen E. Baker after providing the and company commander with the 2nd children to be placed with adoptive State of Delaware and the region with Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Divi- parents or family across State lines. 2 years of honorable and meritorious sion at Camp Castle, Republic of Korea, Currently it can take twice or three service in carrying out his duties. and the Live Fire Engineer Trainer for times as long for a child to be placed in As the 53rd Philadelphia District En- the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, CA. He then worked as an oper- a home, if that home happens to be in gineer, LTC Robert J. Ruch has com- ations officer in the Pittsburgh Dis- another State. This is sad, and it needs manded a 500-person engineering orga- trict, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to be fixed. nization since 2004 that provides na- before moving on to Fort Riley, KS, as The House bill, identical to our Sen- tional, economic, and environmental S3 of the 1st Engineer Battalion, and ate legislation, will help fix this proc- security in the heart of the Northeast then of the 937th Engineer Group, Com- ess and help these children. It provides Corridor. His responsibilities have in- bat. And just before coming to Phila- a mix of incentives and timeframes for cluded dredging waterways for naviga- delphia, Lieutenant Colonel Ruch States to achieve the safe and timely tion, protecting communities from served with Supreme Headquarters Al- placement of children between States. flooding and coastal storms, respond- lied Powers Europe, Belgium, as the This legislation was part of the WE ing to natural and declared disasters, senior staff officer for NATO Infra- CARE Kids Act, and it should help to regulating construction in the Nation’s structure in Crisis Response Operations deliver on the promises made in the waters and wetlands, remediation of dealing with operations in Afghanistan Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 environmental hazards, restoring eco- and in the Balkans. which stated that geographic barriers systems, building facilities for the Lieutenant Colonel Ruch holds a should not delay or deny adoptions. Army and Air Force, and providing en- bachelor of science in geo-environ- When a child leaves foster care and gineering, contracting and project mental science from Shippensburg Uni- goes out of State, half of the time the management services for other govern- versity and a master’s in engineering child is being adopted and gaining a ment agencies upon request. management from St. Martin’s College. permanent home. In about 20 percent of Established in 1866, the U.S. Army He is a graduate of the Engineer Officer the cases, a child is being placed with Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia Dis- Basic and Advanced Courses and of the a relative. These are good, permanent trict encompasses the 13,000-square- U.S. Army Command and General Staff options for children, and it should not mile Delaware River Basin and the At- College. His military decorations in- take twice as long to achieve such a lantic coast from New Jersey’s clude the Defense Meritorious Service placement. Manasquan Inlet to the Delaware- Medal, the Army Meritorious Service In my view, this complements and Maryland line. Within its boundaries Medal, four oak leaf clusters, the Army builds upon actions by many States to are more than 8 million people in east- Commendation Medal, three oak leaf update the 1960 Interstate Compact for ern Pennsylvania, western and south- clusters, the Army Achievement Medal the Placement of Children. The purpose ern New Jersey, most of Delaware, New and the Army Superior Unit Award. of this legislation is to add specific York’s Catskills region and part of After turning over the command of timeframes and to provide Federal in- northeastern Maryland. It also in- the Philadelphia District to LTC Gwen centives to achieve the goal set in 1997 cludes two State capitals—Trenton, Baker on July 7, 2006, Lieutenant Colo- of reducing and eliminating geographic NJ, and Dover, DE—and the Delaware nel Ruch will move on to Fort Hood, barriers. River ports complex from Philadelphia TX, as division engineer of the Army’s As technology has vastly improved and Camden, NJ, to Wilmington, DE. 1st Cavalry Division. and more families seek to open their Just in the First State alone, Lieu- I rise today to congratulate Lieuten- hearts and homes to children in foster tenant Colonel Ruch’s accomplish- ant Colonel Ruch for a distinguished

VerDate Sep 11 2014 09:15 Mar 27, 2017 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 0686 Sfmt 0634 E:\FDSYS\BOUNDRECORD\BR26JN06.DAT BR26JN06 ejoyner on DSK30MW082PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE 12550 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 152, Pt. 9 June 26, 2006 career and to offer my special thanks TRIBUTE TO BG JAMES D. HITTLE tively minimized the repercussions from Rib- for his enthusiasm, competence and ef- ∑ bon Creek. One senior Member from the Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, during House of Representatives was heard to say: fectiveness in serving the State of most of our lives, we encounter an indi- Delaware and the Greater Philadelphia ‘‘Don Hittle is the best damned Legislative vidual who lived a remarkably fine per- Assistant the Marine Corps has ever had.’’ Region. sonal and professional life. Such is the One could go on for hours, perhaps days, We will miss him in the Delaware case of BG James D. Hittle, USMCR, about Don’s myriad contributions to his Valley and on the Delmarva Peninsula. whose anniversary of his death, June country and his Corps. As an example, I We wish him and his family all the best 15, recently passed. General Hittle’s could tell you how he more than any other in the years to come, including, as we death received very little press cov- saved the Army Navy Club from extinction. say in the Navy, ‘‘Fair winds and a fol- Senator John Warner, who is here with us erage at the time, and I would like to lowing sea.’’∑ today, could tell you that when he was Sec- share with my colleagues what this retary of the Navy he never had a more f man achieved in his life time in the imaginative and dedicated Assistant Sec- TRIBUTE TO PALDEN GYATSO words of a former Commandant of the retary. Joe Bartlett, the former House Read- ∑ Mr. DAYTON. Mr. President today, Marine Corps, GEN P.X. Kelley, USMC ing Clerk and a retired Marine Corps general, in honor of the International Day in (Ret.) could tell you how Don Hittle was respon- sible for the creation of the dynamic Con- Support of Victims of Torture, one of I ask that the eulogy given by Gen- eral Kelley be printed in the CONGRES- gressional Marine Club. Incidentally, Jim my Minnesota constituents, Michael Lawrence, who is also with us today, once SIONAL RECORD. Pittman, has asked that I recognize Ti- said of this organization: ‘‘Congress created betan monk Palden Gyatso. The material follows. the Marine Corps—Congress has sustained Palden Gyatso was born in a Tibetan A TRIBUTE TO BGEN JAMES D. HITTLE, USMC the Marine Corps—Congress had mandated village in 1922 and became a Buddhist (RET) the mission of the Marine Corps—through monk by age 10. In 1959, during the Chi- (By Gen Paul X. Kelley, USMC (Ret)) this organization we are now bonded to each nese invasion and occupation of Tibet, BGen James Donald Hittle—devout Chris- other forever.’’ Mr. Gyatso was jailed for protesting tian—great American—Marine officer—gen- In the end, however, all of his many other tleman and gentle man—loving husband— contributions to his country and to his be- along with thousands of religious Ti- loved Corps pale by comparison to what he betans. Mr. Gyatso spent more than 30 caring father—always a friend indeed! Commissioned a Marine second lieutenant accomplished as a member of the renowned years of his life in prisons and labor in 1937, Don Hittle was a ‘‘plank owner’’ ‘‘Chowder Society,’’ that elite group of bril- camps, where he was a victim to reli- when MajGen Holland Smith activated the liant Marine officers who, in the aftermath gious and class oppression. He was tor- 1st Marine Division for World War II—was G– of World War II when the very life of our tured by various methods, which in- 4 for the 3d Marine Division under MajGen Corps was threatened, ensured that our ex- cluded being beaten with a club ridden Graves Erskine on Guam and at Iwo Jima— istence, our roles, and our missions were with nails, shocked by an electric and after the war commanded 2d Battalion, written into law. Don’s critical role in the probe, which scarred his tongue and 7th Marines in the occupation of North survival of his Corps was best described by Gen Merrill Twining when he inscribed his caused his teeth to fall out, whipped China. After serving his Corps for 23 years, Don book ‘‘No Bended Knee.’’ ‘‘To: Don Hittle, while being forced to pull an iron plow, Hittle’s future life could easily qualify him Who saved our Corps.’’ There can be no doubt and starved. as a quintessential ‘‘Renaissance Man.’’ that the Corps we have today, with three ac- Despite these inhumane conditions He was Director of National Security and tive divisions and wings written into law, and cruel tortures, Palden Gyatso was Foreign Affairs for the Veterans of Foreign owes an enormous debt of gratitude to BGen able to survive with remarkable cour- Wars, syndicated columnist for Copley News James D. Hittle, USMC (Ret). age and resilience. During his torture Service, commentator for Mutual Broad- Isn’t it ironic to remember that 55 years sessions, he would practice a technique casting System, Special Counsel for both the ago certain groups, whose objectives were in- he learned while studying at a Bud- Senate and House Armed Services Commit- imical to the survival of our Corps, were at- dhist monastery, the practice of tees, a founder and Director of the DC Na- tempting to relegate us into insignificance. tional Bank, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Today, with a lion’s share of the credit for tonglen, which is a method for con- for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Senior making it possible going to Don Hittle, we necting with suffering and awakening Vice President for Pan American Airways, have just heard that Jim Jones, our 32d Com- compassion. He would receive the consultant to the President of the Overseas mandant, is soon to be the Supreme Allied anger and hatred of his torturer and Private Investment Corporation, advisor to Commander in Europe. Our congratulations would exchange it with love and com- several Secretaries of the Navy and Com- go to Jim—his Corps is very proud—Don passion. mandants of the Marine Corps—and the list Hittle is very proud! During his imprisonment, Palden goes on and on and on. Several years after my retirement, Don Gyatso drew inspiration from elder Col Don Hittle came into my life during asked me to join him for lunch at his Army prisoners, who told him that if he were the summer of 1956 when MajGen Jim Navy Club. His purpose was to ask if I would ever to escape, he should take action to Riseley dragged me kicking and screaming give his eulogy. I was honored beyond belief, from a cushy tour in what was then the Ter- but did not look forward to the day when it stop the torture. He has done exactly ritory of Hawaii to the labyrinthian cor- would become a reality. that: He has traveled to Europe and ridors of Headquarters Marine Corps. As Before closing, let me share with you a North America over 25 times and has many of those here today will recall, this story that Joe Bartlett told me last week. written a book to tell his story. He has was the long, hot summer of Ribbon Creek, Jinny and Joe are members of a Bible class also testified before the U.N. Commis- and Don Hittle was Legislative Assistant to at their church. As a gesture of their love sion on Human Rights in Geneva and Randolph McCall Pate, our 21st Com- and caring for those who are terminally ill, before the U.S. Congress. mandant. I was a young eager, starry-eyed the class prepares an audio tape for their lis- Palden Gyatso’s testimony helped se- captain, very naive in the arcane world at tening. On one side they include the pa- cure passage of the International Reli- the Seat of Government—but I was soon to tient’s favorite hymns, and, on the other, a learn. My first lesson was negative one—that medley of their favorite tunes. During Don’s gious Freedom Act of 1998, which was a junior officer should never ask the Legisla- last days with us—a time when he was under sponsored by Representative FRANK tive Assistant to the Commandant for a de- heavy sedation—Joe swears that Don’s body WOLF and Senator JOSEPH LIEBERMAN scription of his duties and responsibilities. stiffened to attention every time ‘‘The Ma- and Don Nickles, and was signed into With that said, I did notice that every time rine’s Hymn’’ was played. law by President Clinton. Palden Col Hittle came charging into Gen Riseley’s In closing, let me remind you that Don Gyatso was also awarded the 1998 John office he closed the door behind him. While I lived by two simple words—words which have Humphrey Freedom Award of the readily admit to not being a ‘‘rocket sci- given inspiration to our Corps for over 200 International Centre for Human Rights entist,’’ I did surmise that there were some years—Semper Fidelis—always faithful. ‘‘big time’’ discussions underway. But, as the Don Hittle was always: and Democratic Development. saying goes: ‘‘Nothing succeeds quite like Semper Fidelis to his God. The courage and dedication to free- success.’’ I was soon to learn that by work- Semper Fidelis to his country. dom which Palden Gyatso has dem- ing closely with the Congress, where Mem- Semper Fidelis to his family. onstrated serve as a powerful inspira- bers and their staffs knew him, respected Semper Fidelis to his Corps. tion to everyone.∑ him, and trusted him, Don Hittle had effec- And, Semper Fidelis to his fellow man.

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