Political Quotes

“The Coast Guard is a sea going service. Our personnel are trained and equipped to operate in the maritime environment, which poses very different challenges from those faced by shore-side responders. For the Coast Guard to take on the additional responsibility of responding to shore-side medical evacuation would require a fundamental change in the way we do business, a substantial increase in funding, and a complete reevaluation of our asset siting. Mr. President, on a more somber moment of reflection, the men and women of the Coast Guard are brave souls. I served in the U.S. Coast Guard. I am very proud of that body and proud of the time that I served our country. Men like Kevin M. McKracken from Springfield, OR, 25 years old; William Gregory Kemp, 27, of Docena, AL; David Rockmore, 52, of Cambridge, PA; Ralph King, 24, of Arden, NC; Michael C. Dollahite, 38, of El Paso, TX; and Robert L. Carson, Jr., 38, of Bostic, NC, all of whom perished, they all died, Mr. President, in a Coast Guard helicopter crash during an attempted medevac rescue on Ugak Island in Alaska. They crashed, Mr. President. That is the harsh reality of the danger of those who are prepared to give so much for the benefit of others. You are not just talking about sending a helicopter willy-nilly 300 miles, you are talking about a tough set of facts here, Mr. President.”