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[Page H10026]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IN MEMORY OF SECOND LIEUTENANT TRAVIS B. WILKIE
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
California (Mr. Peters) for 5 minutes.
Mr. PETERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the late Second
Lieutenant Travis B. Wilkie, a veteran and San Diego native who lost
his life while training at Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma. Lieutenant
Wilkie was a model citizen who exuded the values of service and
sacrifice to his country.
A San Diego native, Lieutenant Wilkie worked diligently as both a
student and as a member of his community, and his accomplishments
earned him a spot at the prestigious Air Force Academy in Colorado
Springs.
On November 21 of this year, Lieutenant Wilkie was training with a
fellow pilot, Lieutenant Colonel John Kinkade, when Travis' plane
crashed during a landing formation. Both Lieutenant Wilkie and Colonel
Kinkade tragically lost their lives that day.
Lieutenant Wilkie's loss is felt in our community in San Diego, by
his colleagues at the Air Force Academy, by his fellow servicemembers
at Vance Air Force Base, and by his family. In a text to me yesterday,
his mom, Carlene, said: `` `Devastated' is not a strong enough word.
Travis was a brilliant, hardworking 23-year-old who just married the
love of his life on October 14. I don't believe any young pilot should
die in a training mission. Unbearable.''
Please join me in remembering and honoring Second Lieutenant Wilkie
and Lieutenant Colonel Kinkade, their families, and the communities
they touched during their lives and their service.
In Honor of Albert J. Hickman
Mr. PETERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the San Diego
hero, the late Ensign Albert J. Hickman, a decorated veteran who gave
his life to save many others.
Ensign Hickman was 21 years old when the F3H Demon, the jet he was
piloting, malfunctioned. He was on a routine training mission over San
Diego, California, when he lost control of the aircraft and began
plummeting toward the ground.
At the time of the engine malfunction, Hickman's jet was directly
over a neighborhood and an elementary school playground crowded with
children on their noontime recess. Instead of simply ejecting from the
jet, he stayed with the aircraft and steered it into a remote canyon in
order to avoid the playground.
Ensign Hickman sacrificed his life to save the lives of 750 children.
He was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, the
highest noncombat medal awarded for heroism. Hickman Elementary School
in Mira Mesa was also named in his honor, as was Hickman Field in
Kearny Mesa.
At a ceremony at the school, 11-year-old Hawthorne student body
president Kay Schade gave a speech that was quoted in the San Diego
Union Tribune: ``Ensign Hickman not only saved our lives but left us an
ideal by which to live. Let us strive to be as brave and courageous
ourselves as he was.''
December 4 marked the 60th anniversary of his death. In September,
his heroism was remembered at Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial.
Please join me in honoring Ensign Albert Hickman for his dedication
and sacrifice as we seek to continue his legacy of heroism.
In Honor of Senior Chief Petty Officer Kenton Stacy
Mr. PETERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Senior Chief Petty
Officer Kenton Stacy, a decorated veteran who sustained injuries in the
line of duty while on tour in Syria.
Senior Chief Stacy was on his final tour in Syria after having
already completed one tour in Iraq and two in Afghanistan. He
specialized in explosive ordnance disposal, meaning that every
assignment he undertook was a matter of life and death for himself and
members of his team.
In 2017, Senior Chief Stacy and his unit were clearing a hospital in
an area that had been recently occupied by ISIS. During their mission,
an explosive device detonated, leaving Senior Chief Stacy badly
wounded. While Senior Chief Stacy survived, the explosion ultimately
left him paralyzed and unable to speak.
Senior Chief Stacy was honored this past Veterans Day with a plaque
at the Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial in San Diego, the only memorial
in the United States that honors veterans, both living and deceased,
from the Revolutionary War until now. This will help ensure that his
sacrifice is never forgotten.
Please join me in honoring Senior Chief Petty Officer Kent Stacy and
his family and thanking them for all their courage and service to our
country.
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