February 25, 2014 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E237 HONORING TECHNICAL SERGEANT retary of the Independent Smallholders’ Party, COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA JOSHUA COOMER who, after being deported to the USSR and spending almost a decade in prison and labor HON. ED PERLMUTTER HON. JASON T. SMITH camps died at the early age of 51. The arrest OF COLORADO OF MISSOURI of this fellow Hungarian politician marked a IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES new era in Hungary where the elimination of IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Tuesday, February 25, 2014 political opponents soon led to one-party dicta- Tuesday, February 25, 2014 torship, and his fate symbolizes the tragic des- Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I rise tiny of hundreds of thousands in Hungary today to recognize and applaud Colorado today to honor Technical Sergeant Joshua whose rights were denied and whose lives Community Media for achieving 25 years of Coomer of Summersville, Missouri for his out- were crushed by the evils of Communism. outstanding membership in the West Chamber standing achievements and exemplary years serving Jefferson County. As a son of an immigrant from Hungary who of service to our Nation. Technical Sergeant Membership in a Chamber of Commerce Coomer first enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in fled the same brutal regime that eliminated comes with commitment, dedication and con- ´ May of 1999. During his career he served in Bela Kovacs, I know there are few among us tribution to community. Chamber members are two deployments, his first to Kuwait in 2000 who can give a firsthand account of the hor- leaders in the community mentoring other and then to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi rors of the soul-crushing Communist system. It businesses, creating positive environments for Arabia in 2002. is therefore all the more important that we offi- business to thrive. The West Chamber serving On August 1st, 2014, Technical Sergeant cially remember the immeasurable damage Jefferson County is a strong and vibrant orga- will retire from the U.S. Air Force after honor- caused by totalitarian regimes worldwide, and nization today due to members like Colorado ably serving for 15 years. Throughout his ca- recognize that too many people of influence Community Media. reer he has been recognized on numerous oc- still subscribe to these same deadly ideas. I extend my deepest congratulations to Col- casions for his distinguished leadership and Nostalgia toward Communism and the white- orado Community Media for 25 years of lead- commitment to uphold standards. He was washing of history is deplorable, and crimes ership and inspiration you provide in our com- named Military Training Leader of the Year in committed during those times should never munity. I look forward to many more years of 2005, 2009, 2011, and 2012 in different fade from our memory. your service. groups for his outstanding performance in pre- No leader in Europe today is a more out- f paring future military personnel. spoken advocate of remembering the crimes HONORING MARK ALLAN SEGAL His superior officers speak very highly of of the Communist system than Prime Minister him and I thank Mr. Joshua Coomer for his Viktor Orban, who himself was instrumental in service to our Nation. It is my pleasure to rec- the underground movement that helped bring HON. ROBERT A. BRADY ognize his achievements before the House of down Communism in Hungary. Hungary’s OF PENNSYLVANIA Representatives. leadership in facing and condemning its Com- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES f munist past is exemplary. Hungary was first Tuesday, February 25, 2014 CONGRATULATING RICKY REGAS among the nations of Central and Eastern Eu- Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rope to institute a memorial day for the Victims rise today to honor Mark Allan Segal, one of HON. PETE OLSON of Communism, and soon many nations fol- the founding fathers of the gay rights move- lowed. ment and possibly the person most respon- OF TEXAS sible for bringing national attention to that IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The Hungarian Parliament has set out to re- move the last vestiges of communism and group’s quest for acceptance and respect- Tuesday, February 25, 2014 open a bold new chapter defined by its own ability. Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to history and its own national sovereignty— By the age of eighteen Mark was an activist congratulate Ricky Regas, a junior at Cinco which was dictated by outsiders for far too and founded Gay Youth, the nation’s first or- Ranch High School, on bringing home a gold long. ganization to deal with the issues of gay teens medal from the University Interscholastic and endangered LGBT youth. Then, realizing Hungary’s new Constitution declared that the gay community needed to be brought out League State Wrestling Championship. Ricky the crimes committed against the Hungarian is one of the 28 talented wrestlers from Katy, into the open, Mark created the Gay Raiders nation under communist dictatorship has no and took his fight national by breaking into tel- TX, to qualify for the state tournament. statute of limitations, and it rejects the author- Ricky captured this year’s gold medal in the evision newscasts and nationally broadcast ity of the country’s communist constitution of 182 lb. bracket after a hard-fought final match. live programs, always espousing gay rights. 1949—which made a mockery of the rights Ricky finished the year with a record of 34–0, These break-ins were known as ‘‘zaps’’ and and freedoms it claimed to enumerate for its an undefeated season. I hope to continue to succeeded in making people aware of a part people. see great things from Ricky in his senior sea- of our society that did not have equal rights son. Since last December, former victims of the under the law. The last known ‘‘zap’’ was one Texas is home to many outstanding ath- state-party intelligence service now have the that took place on the CBS Evening News letes, and becoming a state champion is not right to go public with the names of their sur- with Walter Cronkite, and strange as it seems, an easy feat. On behalf of all residents of the veillance agents and search the formerly Mark Segal and Walter Cronkite became and Twenty-Second Congressional District of closed archives. In a society plagued by the remained friends until Mr. Cronkite’s passing Texas, I am honored to recognize Ricky’s ac- secrets of the Communists’ crimes, truth is the in July of 2009. complishment. Our community is proud of only antiseptic, and it is the only source of rec- Mark founded the Pride of Philadelphia Ricky Regas. onciliation. Election in 1989 to build a coalition of gay ac- tivists and allies. He raised over $30,000 dur- f Inaugurated by the Orba´n government more ing the primary, waging a television ad cam- than decade ago, the House of Terror in Bu- HONORING THE VICTIMS OF COM- paign to defeat then City Councilman Francis dapest, the former headquarters of the Com- MUNISM IN HUNGARY AND Rafferty in order to elect allies to Philadelphia munist State Police and a place synonymous AROUND THE WORLD City Council, including then candidate for with the brutalities of the dictatorship, today is Mayor, Ed Rendell. Mark was also instru- one of the most visited museums in the world mental in obtaining funding from the late Con- HON. ANDY HARRIS showcasing the everyday horrors of a dictato- gressman Thomas Foglietta in order to pur- OF MARYLAND rial regime. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES chase a permanent home for the William Way Overcoming the damages caused by 45 LGBT Community Center, located in the heart Tuesday, February 25, 2014 years of totalitarian Communism is not easy, of Philadelphia’s ‘‘Gayborhood’’. Mr. HARRIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in but Hungarians are on the right path. In an era Mark is the founder of the Philadelphia Gay honor of the Memorial Day for the Victims of of political correctness which too often refuses News and has become a respected journalist Communism in Hungary. On this day in 1947 to shame the shameful and to elevate selfless with his newspaper winning numerous awards. the Soviet authorities occupying Hungary ille- heroes, Hungary’s leadership should be ap- He is a tireless champion for his community gally arrested Bela Kovacs, the general sec- plauded. making it his duty to make people understand VerDate Mar 15 2010 05:08 Feb 26, 2014 Jkt 039060 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A25FE8.017 E25FEPT1 jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with REMARKS E238 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks February 25, 2014 and respond to the issues at hand, never quit- up to provide for his wife and family. He Stressing the spirit of giving back to the com- ting the fight. And now, his latest project of moved up within the dealership and soon de- munity, residents of the center offer services bringing affordable housing to an aging gay cided to take a huge risk by moving out to while learning skills to promote an inde- population has reached fruition. The John C. Ventura, California in 1983 to get more experi- pendent, successful life. Some of these serv- Anderson Apartments, named for a Philadel- ence in the automotive industry. Terry landed ices further contribute to our community, in- phia City Councilman who died of AIDS in a job with Robert Gregory at Paradise Chev- cluding snow removal and lawn care for local 1983, is now open. It is the first senior citizen rolet, where his success eventually led him to seniors.