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“TRIBUTE TO BETTY HOOD” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Senate section on pages S5523 on June 1, 1998.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO BETTY HOOD
Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, it is a great honor for me to recognize today a young Kansan who has been nationally recognized for her quick thinking and valor. Betty Hood, of Wichita, Kansas, has been awarded the Young American Medal for Bravery for 1996 from the U.S. Department of Justice, for her heroic efforts to save her younger brothers and sister from their burning apartment.
Then ten-year-old Betty awoke in the early morning of May 17, 1996, to discover that her bed had caught on fire from a lamp that had been left too close to the sheets and blankets. Realizing the danger she and her siblings, who were in the room with her, were in, Betty carried her brother, James and sister, Hallie, to safety. She returned to help her remaining brother Clifford, but was unable to assist him as the fire had spread to the area where he was sleeping.
Betty Hood's award for bravery is well deserved. She did not escape unharmed, as both Betty and her mother were treated for burns, nor will she ever forget her six-year-old brother, Clifford, who perished in the fire.
Today, I join the Department of Justice in recognizing and paying tribute to this extraordinary young American. Betty Hood is a true hero, and I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting this young woman for her bravery and quick thinking that saved her brother and sister.
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