Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Andrew Kenneth Baker, an esteemed antisubmarine warfare chief, a distinguished combat search and rescue swimmer, and a faithful servicemember who gave his life honoring his commitment to his country. The bill before us, S. 2159, would appropriately name VA's community- based outreach clinic in Middleburg, Florida, the Andrew K. Baker VA Clinic. Chief Petty Officer Baker represented self-sacrifice and courage in the name of public service. Born in West Virginia in 1960, Chief Petty Officer Baker moved to Pensacola, Florida, in 1980 to begin what would be a remarkable 17-year stint in the U.S. Navy. In Pensacola, CPO Baker graduated from the Search and Rescue Swimmer School before entering Fleet Replacement Aircrewman training at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, where he earned his ``Wings of Gold.'' Upon graduation, CPO Baker served on the USS Nimitz, reporting to HS- 9, a helicopter antisubmarine warfare squadron for the Navy. From there, he served on HS-3 as the Training and Operations Chief for another antisubmarine warfare squadron safeguarding American interests over and under the seas. Tragically, on March 13, 1997, while serving aboard the USS John F. Kennedy, Chief Petty Officer Baker and three others perished when their H-60 ``Sea Hawk'' helicopter crashed at sea during a Navy SEAL training mission.…”