July 22, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 129 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session
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HONORING COLONEL CHARLES POWELL; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 129
(House of Representatives - July 22, 2020)
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[Pages H3620-H3621] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] HONORING COLONEL CHARLES POWELL The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Conaway) for 5 minutes. Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of my friend, Colonel Charles Powell, who passed away peacefully on July 2, 2020, in his home in San Angelo, Texas, at the age of 89. Charles was a true American hero who devoted his life to serving others, and his passing is a loss that will understandably reverberate throughout the community. His genuine love for God and others, dedication to his family, and service to his country and community set the gold standard of excellence that we should all strive for. Although he is leaving this Earth, his legacy will live on through countless lives he has impacted during his lifetime. Charlie was born in Nashville, Arkansas, on May 7, 1931, where he grew up and met his future wife, JoAnne. The two graduated together from Nashville High School in 1949. Charles went on to attend the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and graduated, in 1954, with a bachelor's degree in general engineering. He was then commissioned into the United States Air Force and launched his 30-year career in military service. After graduating from pilot training, Charles took to the skies, supporting transatlantic and transpacific deployments of tactical forces; refueling missions supporting reconnaissance activities in the Cuban Missile Crisis; and, finally, volunteering to serve in Vietnam as a rescue crew commander and airborne mission commander. He also participated in the planning and execution of the Son Tay POW camp raid. Over the course of his career as a pilot, Colonel Powell logged over 67,000 flying hours, flew 168 combat missions, is credited with 14 combat saves, and was awarded a multitude of military honors. In addition to flying missions, Colonel Powell served in a variety of leadership capacities in the Air Force, from flight instructor of the Air Command and Staff College, chief of staff of Air University, and, finally, the wing commander of the technical training wing at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas. At the center of Charlie's world was JoAnne, and their love story is one for the ages. From meeting in grade school to graduating high school together and raising their daughter, Terri, as Charles' missions took him around the globe, their commitment to each other never wavered. San Angelo was forever changed when these two spitfires flew into town in 1980. Charles was appointed as the wing commander at Goodfellow Air Force Base, which was slated for closure at the time. Charles and JoAnne immediately leapt into action, developing the relationship between Goodfellow and the community of San Angelo and completely transforming the mission of the base. After Charles' 4 years as wing commander, Goodfellow was removed from the closure list. Today, the connection between the base and San Angelo stands as the premier example of effective military-civilian partnership. Thankfully, after Charlie retired from the service, the Powells never left San Angelo. Instead, they immediately set to work planting deep roots in the community and making San Angelo a better place to live. These two have been some of the most dedicated public servants our community has ever seen. [[Page H3621]] Through their innumerable service initiatives, they have been Goodfellow's most dedicated champions who served as the bridge between San Angelo and Goodfellow. Through it all, Charles and JoAnne stood together, side by side and hand in hand. They transformed countless lives, not the least of which was my own. I had the pleasure of meeting the Powells when I ran for Congress in 2004, and in 2005, I hired JoAnne on as the first member of my staff. At that point, I could never have imagined the depth of the impact that Charlie and JoAnne would have on me, my family, and every member of my team over the years to come. JoAnne is the most longstanding member of my staff, and she and Charlie have seen me through the ups and downs, all while tirelessly serving the constituents of the Concho Valley. Within my office, JoAnne took on the responsibility of shepherding young men and women through the congressional nomination process for applying to the United States military academies, while Charles chaired the board responsible for vetting and recommending them to me for nomination. {time} 0945 Their teamwork resulted in many young men and women from my district receiving appointments to these prestigious institutions of higher learning, further extending the tradition of service to our country to future generations. I cannot put into words the immense honor that it has been to have Charles and JoAnne as a part my family. My wife, Suzanne, and I feel tremendously lucky to have the opportunity to learn from them and to count them among our closest friends. Colonel Powell will be greatly missed, and I take comfort knowing his legacy will continue through the people he loved and the community he was so proud to call home. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho). Public Apology to the Honorable Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I stand before you this morning to address the strife I injected into the already-contentious Congress. I have worked with many Members in this Chamber over the past four terms, Members on both sides of the aisle,--and each of you know that I am a man of my word. So let me take a moment to address this body. Mr. Speaker, I rise to apologize for the abrupt manner of the conversation I had with my colleague from New York. It is true that we disagree on policies and visions for America, but that does not mean we should be disrespectful. Having been married for 45 years, with two daughters, I am very cognizant of my language. The offensive name-calling words attributed to me by the press were never spoken to my colleagues, and if they were construed that way, I apologize for their misunderstanding. As my colleagues know, I am passionate about those affected by poverty. My wife, Carolyn, and I started out together at the age of 19 with nothing. We did odd jobs, and we were on food stamps. I know the face of poverty, and for a time, it was mine. That is why I know people in this country can still, with all its faults, rise up and succeed and not be encouraged to break the law. I will commit to each of you that I will conduct myself from a place of passion and understanding that policy and political disagreement be vigorously debated with the knowledge that we approach the problems facing our Nation with the betterment of the country in mind and the people we serve. Mr. Speaker, I cannot apologize for my passion or for loving my God, my family, and my country. ____________________
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