Congressional Record—House
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January 6, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H69 107–306, as amended by Public Law 111– School in August of 2008 and had been to Texas, and switched parties from the 259, the Chair, on behalf of the Major- a highly respected law enforcement of- Democrat Party to the Republican ity Leader, after consultation with the ficer in the Atlanta area ever since. Party. In 1990 he was elected county Chairman of the Select Committee on Trooper First Class LeCroy is the judge in which he served from 1990 Intelligence, announces the appoint- 27th Georgia State Trooper to be killed until 2007. He passed away on December ment of the following individuals to in the line of duty, and he leaves be- 30, 2010. His memorial service is tomor- serve as members of the National Com- hind his wife and two young sons. row afternoon at the University of mission for Review of Research and De- A hero like Trooper First Class Texas at Arlington’s Texas Center from velopment Programs of the United LeCroy will not be forgotten, and I join 1 till 3. States Intelligence Community: his family and friends in mourning this Judge Vandergriff was a personal Gilman Louie of California. momentous loss to them. I ask my col- friend of mine. When I first was given Troy Wade of Nevada. leagues to join me in remembering this part of Arlington in the redistricting f loyal and heroic Georgian. process in 1992, he agreed to be my co- f chairman for my campaign. He was WELCOME HOME 101ST AIRBORNE just an absolute gentleman and helped DIVISION’S TASK FORCE RAK- FIRST ANNUAL DAN MARINO in every way possible. One of the most KASAN FOUNDATION WALKABOUT AU- unique things about Judge Vandergriff (Mrs. BLACKBURN asked and was TISM EVENT is that in his entire political career, given permission to address the House (Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN asked and was which spanned from 1951 until 2007, he for 1 minute and to revise and extend given permission to address the House never held a political fund-raising her remarks.) for 1 minute and to revise and extend event for himself. He did actually ac- Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I her remarks.) cept political contributions obviously humbly rise today to welcome home Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, but he never solicited and he never the heroic soldiers of the 101st Air- on Saturday, January 29th, the Dan held an organized political event that borne Division’s Task Force Rakkasan Marino Foundation will host its first he himself organized on his behalf. I after a year’s deployment in Afghani- annual WalkAbout Autism event at thought that was astounding in the stan. Sun Life Stadium in Miami from 10:00 modern political era to be as successful Mr. Speaker, this morning we read to 2:00. One hundred percent of the pro- politically as he was without having to aloud the document we are all sworn to ceeds will benefit our south Florida go out and do the numerous fund-rais- protect and defend. None defend that community-based programs that help ers that most of us have to do. document and our freedom better than children with autism and their fami- We are going to miss Judge Vander- those deployed in harm’s way. Many of lies. griff. He’s got a list of accomplish- the members of the Rakkasan have The Centers for Disease Control ments a mile long. He was mayor of Ar- been deployed five times since Sep- states that one out of every 110 chil- lington from 1951 until 1967. During his tember 11. They are part of the most dren in the U.S. has autism. Autism tenure as mayor, he was able to get the deployed unit in the history of the U.S. impairs social interactions and com- General Motors assembly plant located Army. They have my profound grati- munication skills. While some autistic in Arlington; he helped get the Texas tude for that service. children will grow up to function in so- Rangers, which were then the Wash- These brave soldiers served in and ciety, others, many others, will need ington Senators, to move to Arlington, around Khost, Afghanistan. Together some level of professional care all of and was able to attend the World Se- with their Afghan allies, they took their lives. ries this past October in which he saw 2,000 insurgents out of the fight and Since its creation in 1992, the Dan the Texas Rangers first of all win the cleared the way for expanded Afghan Marino Foundation has raised over $30 American League and then fight val- governance. The Rakkasans arrived in million to support research, services, iantly against the San Francisco Gi- a region that was controlled by the and treatment serving children and ants who ultimately won the World Se- Taliban. They leave an area where chil- young adults. ries. dren are free to go to school, play I urge all south Floridians to partici- He wanted to be a broadcaster. He cricket, fly kites, all activities that pate and help make this first annual went to USC in Los Angeles, applied the Taliban forbade. WalkAbout Autism event a success. for a broadcasting job in 1947, and was Tomorrow, Tennessee will welcome Our combined efforts will help assure not successful in getting that broad- these heroes home. We will open our that all money raised here stays here casting job. It went to somebody arms and embrace them and thank and benefits programs in our south named Chet Huntley, who later became them for their service and their sac- Florida community. an anchorman on NBC News. Judge rifice. We will also remember those Let’s all WalkAbout Autism. Vandergriff returned to Texas to as- who are not returning. I hope that my sume a role in his family’s Chevrolet f colleagues in this body will take a mo- dealership with his father, which he ment today to reflect on how our serv- b 1350 maintained that dealership except for ice should honor the service of those SPECIAL ORDERS times when he was a U.S. Congressman who serve us so well. in some capacity. f The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under We’re going to miss Judge Vander- the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- griff. We give our condolences to his GEORGIA STATE TROOPER FIRST uary 5, 2011, and under a previous order family. Again, he was a Member of CLASS CHADWICK LECROY of the House, the following Members Congress from 1982 until 1984 and he (Mr. GINGREY of Georgia asked and will be recognized for 5 minutes each. will be missed. was given permission to address the f On December 30, 2010, Texas lost a lion. House for 1 minute and to revise and Tom Vandergriff, former mayor of Arlington, REMEMBERING TOM extend his remarks.) Texas, former County Judge of Tarrant Coun- VANDERGRIFF Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Mr. Speak- ty, and former Member of the United States er, I rise today in memory of Georgia The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a Congress, left this life at the age of 84. All of State Patrol Trooper First Class previous order of the House, the gen- us in North Texas will mark time from the mo- Chadwick LeCroy, of Marietta, Geor- tleman from Texas (Mr. BARTON) is rec- ment we heard of the loss. The loss is monu- gia, my hometown, who was killed in ognized for 5 minutes. mental. the line of duty by an unrepentant Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Few people have had such a positive im- thug on Monday, December 27. Judge Tom Vandergriff was a Member pact on the development and quality of life of At the young age of 38, Mr. LeCroy of the House of Representatives from North Texas, and no one has had a greater was a highly respected husband, father, January 1982 until December 1984. He impact on Arlington. His friends and admirers and public servant. He graduated from was defeated for reelection in Novem- are legion, his accomplishments legendary. He the 85th Georgia State Patrol Trooper ber of 1984 by Dick Armey, moved back was the personification of an ideal, the ideal of VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:46 Aug 19, 2011 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 0636 Sfmt 9920 E:\RECORD11\RECFILES\H06JA1.REC H06JA1 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE H70 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 6, 2011 a selflessly devoted public servant who always fessional baseball to North Texas. The effort All of this almost didn’t happen, at least not in put the people ahead of personal gain or am- took years and saw hopes dashed time and Texas. bition. again before he finally convinced owner Bob Vandergriff was born on January 29, 1926, Arlington history is generally divided into two Short to move his Washington Senators to Ar- to W. T. and Charles Vandergriff in Carrolton, epochs: BV and AV, Before Vandergriff and lington in 1972. The effort did not endear him Texas. The family relocated to Arlington when After Vandergriff. He first sought and won to the people of the Nation’s capital. On one Tom was 12. After graduating from Arlington elective office in 1951 when he became the of his many visits to meet with Short, he was High School Vandergriff attended USC where ‘‘boy mayor’’ of Arlington at the age of 25. At unceremoniously kicked out of a taxicab when he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1947. He the time Arlington was a small town on the he made the mistake of telling the cabbie why married his high school sweetheart, Anna railroad midway between Dallas and Fort he was in town.