[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 41 (Thursday, April 2, 1998)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E562] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] TRIBUTE TO THE LATE CDR. GEORGE W. HOOVER ______ HON. RANDY ``DUKE'' CUNNINGHAM of california in the house of representatives Wednesday, April 1, 1998 Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in tribute to Commander George W. Hoover, who passed away last month and now lays at rest in Arlington National Cemetery. Commander Hoover was a friend to me, a friend of America, and one of the greatest intellects the country will ever produce. It is one thing to briefly summarize his life: born April 24, 1915, in New Kensington, Pennsylvania; joined the Navy in 1934 and served a distinguished career as an aviator and an engineer; married, father of two children; consultant to numerous government agencies and leading engineering and aviation firms; and responsible for several innovations critical to the progress of aviation engineering and instrumentation. I want to focus on a couple of things that were particularly meaningful to me. First, in 1945, Commander Hoover was designated Navy Helicopter Pilot Number 10. Today as we take for granted the availability of helicopters for military and civilian use, Commander Hoover ranks among the pioneers of aviation as one of America's very first helicopter pilots. Second, Commander Hoover was responsible for bringing the Martin Baker Ejection Seat from Great Britain into the United States. On my 300th air mission in Vietnam, May 10, 1972, my RIO Bill Driscoll and I rode the descendants of the Martin Baker seat to safety upon the explosion of my F-4 Phantom. Thanks to Commander Hoover, the availability of this seat, and the improvements he and others made to it, ensured that a pilot could eject safely from a disabled airplane, even from an altitude of zero, on the carrier deck. No remarks I make can possibly pay appropriate tribute to Commander Hoover's remarkable career. It should be noted that in 1999, Commander Hoover will be nominated for induction into the National Museum of Naval Aviation ``Hall of Honor'' at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida--the cradle of all Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard aviators, and the place where a worthy memory of his many accomplishments can be kept. His memory will also be kept by his widow, Lona, and his two children. The life of a Navy wife is hard. Her husband is sent on deployments for months at a time. For the decades that Commander Hoover served his country in the Navy, I want it to be recognized that his wife Lona served America and the cause of freedom with vigor and distinction just the same. Let the permanent Record of the Congress of the United States now pay tribute to Commander George W. Hoover, and to his widow Lona and his family. God bless them for their service to America and to one another. ____________________