July 13, 2005 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1473 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS HONORING THE LIFE OF TESS former resident of the Chautauqua County City Flight for Life’s reputation is second only to MANALO-VENTRESCA of Jamestown, upon receiving the Army its dedicated crew. Located across the state in Achievement Medal. Denver, Frisco, Colorado Springs and Pueblo, TOM LANTOS Brumbaugh, a graduate of Jamestown High the crew consists of 31 flight registered School was awarded this honor for meritorious OF CALIFORNIA nurses, 27 flight paramedics, 14 helicopter pi- achievement while serving as a Heavy Armor lots, 6 fixed-wing pilots, 6 helicopter mechan- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Specialist during JRTC Rotation 05–05. His ics, 10 emergency medical technicians (EMT), Wednesday, July 13, 2005 leadership and ability to accomplish missions and 10 communications specialists. Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in made PFC Brumbaugh a vital part of his infan- Mr. Speaker, the people of Flight for Life in sadness to honor the extraordinary life and try division. Colorado are not only talented professionals, service of Tess Manalo-Ventresca. Ms. PFC Brumbaugh began his time in the Army but they are indeed public servants who de- Manalo-Ventresca died on Tuesday, July 12th, in October of 2003. Due to several out- serve our admiration. I join the large number 2005 of complications from heart surgery. I standing characteristics, he became known as of Coloradans and others across the country wish to offer my sincere condolences to her a team leader and gained multiple comments who have been positively affected by these husband Joel Ventresca, her family and from officers, thus allowing him to move up people in saying a well-deserved ‘‘thank you’’ friends. the chain of command. In February of 2004 for all that they do to serve and protect our Tess Manalo-Ventresca’s passing is a loss Jon went to Airborne School, where he re- citizens. for the people of the 12th Congressional dis- ceived his Wings upon graduation. f trict. Tess was an extraordinary human being, Currently, Jon is assigned to the 4th Infantry one we all can look up to in hopes of serving Division, known as the 4th ID, B Company 2– TRIBUTE TO REV. J.J. ROBERSON our community as selflessly as she did. For 8 INS. Part of Jon’s duties involve being as- the past 30 years Tess played a vital role in signed to a Bradley Fighting Vehicle where he HON. AL GREEN the Bay Area community, volunteering in the is second in command of his section. Jon is OF TEXAS stationed at Fort Hood where he resides with Haight Ashbury, the Tenderloin and the Sun- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES his wife and their two sons. set districts of San Francisco. She donated Wednesday, July 13, 2005 her time to numerous causes, from helping f Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on local youths to assisting underserved commu- HONORING THE FLIGHT FOR LIFE Sunday, July 10, 2005, in the great city of nities, to promoting small, local businesses TEAM OF COLORADO and neighborhood safety. Most recently she Houston, TX, my friend and distinguished reli- was a volunteer with Experience Corps at the gious leader Dr. J.J. Roberson will commemo- Sunset Beacon Center. For the past five years HON. BOB BEAUPREZ rate more than four decades in the ministry OF COLORADO she participated in this program, which places with the observance of Mt. Hebron Missionary IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES older adult volunteers in public schools to pro- Baptist Church’s Annual Father, Son’s and vide tutoring for children in need. Wednesday, July 13, 2005 Grandson’s Day. Ms. Manalo-Ventresca never looked for ac- Mr. BEAUPREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today Born in New Gulf, TX, in 1918, Dr. colades, no matter how richly deserved; nev- to honor the tremendously dedicated and tal- Roberson graduated from Wharton County ertheless they were showered upon her. Ear- ented group of professionals who make up the Training School and attended Tyler Barber lier this year, she was named California St. Anthony Hospitals Flight for Life team of College where he was certified as a Master Woman of the Year by the California State As- Colorado. Barber. He also attended Southern Business sembly and was chosen to be an Asian Pacific Specifically, I want to thank and honor the College, Southwestern Seminary, Texas American 2005 Local Hero by KQED. In April flight crew that allowed me to join them on Southern University and Mount Hope Bible she was selected for a MetLife Foundation Saturday, June 18th: Flight Nurse Hollie College where he earned his Doctor of Divinity Older Volunteers Enrich America Award. Seeley, Medic Vance Silvia, and Pilot Jeff degree. Dr. Roberson has been married to his Just last April my wife Annette and I met Warner. Having the opportunity to spend a darling wife Elouise Jackson Roberson for 63 with Tess. I could not then, and can not now, mere four hours with these remarkable individ- years and is privileged to count among those express adequately the appreciation I have for uals was certainly enough to realize that, on who will be honoring him on this special occa- the incredible work she did throughout her life- any given day, there are angels in the skies sion his sons in the ministry and his extended time. The Sunset, the Bay Area and the coun- over Colorado. family. try need more people like Tess. To the very Responding to everything from car acci- Founded on January 8, 1958, Mt. Hebron, end Tess was working on projects to help chil- dents to farm accidents, Flight for Life has not under Dr. Roberson’s leadership, has been dren live up to their potential and to improve only saved countless lives of the people of the mecca of community activism. His church the neighborhoods in which we live. Colorado and the surrounding states, they’ve is known throughout the city of Houston as a Tess helped give children a brighter future, enabled those citizens who live far from a spiritual soldier who leads by example. Over a gift that will live on with us forever. The joy metro area to enjoy the small town quality of the years, he has presided over the establish- she brought to life will never be forgotten. Colorado and the West while not totally losing ment of a number of sanctuaries, an apart- f access to world class medical care. ment complex and a state-of-the-art Pipe Established in October 1972, Flight for Life Organ installed in 1998 with the expansion of TO HONOR THE RECEIPT OF THE was the first hospital-based civilian emergency the pulpit and the purchase of 75 acres of ARMY ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL OF air ambulance program in the Nation. During land in Brazoria County. To date, the member- PRIVATE FIRST CLASS JON its 30-year history, Flight for Life has logged ship has grown to more than 1,900 members BRUMBAUGH more than 75,000 missions and has become and 1,058 families. the model for the nearly 200 air ambulance A decorated World War II Veteran of the HON. BRIAN HIGGINS programs worldwide, and is still considered a U.S. Army, Dr. Roberson is presently Com- OF NEW YORK leader in its field. mander of VFW Eugene Warren Post No. 471. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Serving every community in the great state He is also the President of the Baptist Min- of Colorado and the surrounding seven states, isters Association of Houston and Vicinity, 1st Wednesday, July 13, 2005 Flight for Life is the biggest and busiest critical Vice Moderator of the Independent Missionary Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to care air transport program in Colorado, trans- Baptist General Association of Texas, Sec- honor the exemplary service and achievement porting patients to any appropriate medical fa- retary-Treasurer of the Missionary Baptist of Private First Class Jon Brumbaugh, a cility. General Convention of Texas BTU Board, and ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. VerDate Aug 04 2004 05:55 Jul 14, 2005 Jkt 039060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\K13JY8.001 E13PT1 E1474 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks July 13, 2005 1st Vice President of the South Texas Re- real zest for life and was passionate about Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the gional Convention. many things—the church, politics, democracy, Library of Congress at my request detailing Mr. Speaker, in 2001, Dr. Roberson was in- equality and sports. He was an ardent Los An- options the Bush Administration could take to ducted into the Religious Hall of Fame in Dal- geles Dodgers fan and also closely followed address this issue, and the CQ Weekly side- las, TX. That same year, he received the L.A. the football team at UCLA, his alma mater. bar article detailing the explosive growth of Simpson Pastor of the Year Award. Over the Mr. Speaker, it is with sadness that we say tribal casinos. If the administration believes it years, he has received an NAACP Member- farewell to a remarkable human being who does not have authority to issue a moratorium ship Citation, War Against Drugs Commenda- personified the best in public service and to halt new tribal gambling operations, it tion and honors from the Sam Houston Area served the public transportation community should send Congress legislation so that we Council and the Boy Scouts of America.