Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Staff Sergeant Robert Dale Van Fossen of the Army National Guard and celebrate his return home after more than half a century. In November 1952, Staff Sergeant Van Fossen boarded an aircraft and took off from McChord Air Base in Tacoma, Washington, to Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska. In midflight, the plane disappeared in bad weather near Middleton Island in the Gulf of Alaska. Although some wreckage was found, no remains were recovered, and the Department of Defense notified the victims' families that they would have no remains to bury. Van Fossen's parents held a memorial service for their son in Greenbrier at the Macedonia Baptist Church. Though all hope seemed lost, the Van Fossen family kept trying to solve the mystery. For many years, they made efforts to learn about the crash. His sister Wilma Jean shared stories about it with her son Kevin Caid, and Kevin Caid began to seek as much information as he could regarding his late uncle. In June 2012, on a training mission, a Black Hawk Army National Guard unit discovered the wreckage only 12 miles away from the original crash site of the C-124. After closer inspection of the spot, it was determined it was indeed the missing plane from 1952. Finally, in March 2016, Staff Sergeant Robert Dale Van Fossen's remains were confirmed found in Alaska. Along with the news of his remains being found, the family was informed that he would be returning home. Mr.…”