[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 36 (Monday, February 24, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H733-H734]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING THE LIFE OF DON FOWKES, JR.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy 
heart to honor the life of Don Fowkes. Don, of Duncansville, 
Pennsylvania, passed away on February 15.
  A graduate of Hollidaysburg High School, Don joined the Allegheny 
Township Police Department in 1968 and honorably served for 32 years, 
culminating as the chief of police.

[[Page H734]]

  Don was later elected as township supervisor in 2003, giving 50 years 
of his life to serving Allegheny Township in Pennsylvania.
  My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Nancy; his daughters, 
Tracy and Tonya; and his grandchildren, McKenzie and Jordan.
  Don's service and his commitment to community will never be forgotten 
by the individuals of Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District.


            Recognizing Career and Technical Education Month

  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, this month is Career and 
Technology Education Month, celebrating the students, teachers, and 
administrators throughout the country who participate in these 
important programs.

  Last week, I met with the students and staff at Colonial Career and 
Technology Center at New Oxford High School in Adams County, 
Pennsylvania, and the Bedford County Technical Center in Everett, 
Pennsylvania.
  It was a pleasure to tour these facilities at both campuses and meet 
with their dedicated staff and the talented students to learn more 
about the skills that these students are building each and every day 
while in those classrooms.
  Programs like these give students an opportunity to explore future 
careers while gaining real-world, hands-on experience in that field. 
This gives students an opportunity to use their hands and brains as 
they carve out careers, careers that are so necessary right now 
throughout America.
  I thank all the career and technology centers throughout 
Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District for preparing students for 
success in a competitive job market, strengthening regional workforces, 
and helping to bolster the economic health of our communities.


                        Honoring Michael Strank

  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor 
Sergeant Michael Strank of Franklin borough, Pennsylvania, who is one 
of the patriots who planted the American flag atop Mount Suribachi on 
Iwo Jima in late February 1945.
  An immigrant from Eastern Europe, Sergeant Strank signed up for the 
Marine Corps in 1939, and in 1942, he was promoted to sergeant, 
preparing to go to war in the Pacific after the bombing of Pearl 
Harbor.
  In February 1945, Sergeant Strank was on the island of Iwo Jima, 
where some of the most intense fighting throughout the war had 
occurred.
  On February 23, 1945, Sergeant Michael Strank, along with other 
Marines, climbed to the top of the volcanic rock and planted Old Glory 
for all to see.
  Though the battle waged for 2 more weeks, Sergeant Strank and his 
fellow marines created a lasting image that would go on to embody 
American strength and courage.
  Unfortunately, Sergeant Strank never made it home from Iwo Jima, as 
he was killed in combat just 1 week later. However, the image that he 
and his fellow soldiers and marines created lives on today, serving as 
a reminder to all generations of what American perseverance and 
strength can accomplish.
  To Sergeant Strank, I say Semper Fi, and to all who served as part of 
the Greatest Generation, I thank them.
  May the brave men and women who pick up the torch today to protect 
our freedoms around the globe take inspiration from those who came 
before them, like Sergeant Strank.

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