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“A TRIBUTE TO THE SEPTEMBER 11 FAMILIES OF THE 5TH DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1779 on Sept. 11, 2003.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
A TRIBUTE TO THE SEPTEMBER 11 FAMILIES OF THE 5TH DISTRICT OF
MASSACHUSETTS
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HON. MARTIN T. MEEHAN
of massachusetts
in the house of representatives
Thursday, September 11, 2003
Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the 31 people from my district who died in the September 11 attacks. Captain John Ogonowski was the pilot of American Flight 11. John was a Vietnam veteran and a member of the American Legion and the Dracut Grange. He was a pilot, and he also was a fourth-generation farmer. I'd like to express my appreciation that the 2002 Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report was renamed the U.S. Department of Agriculture's
(USDA) Farmer-to-Farmer Program after Captain John Ogonowski. John left a wife, Peggy, and three daughters, whom I have come to know and admire over the last two years for their courage and determination in the face of devastating loss. Their strength and commitment to John's legacy will ensure that his memory never dies.
As Captain Ogonowski was one of the first victims, David Bernard of Chelmsford was the last. Dave was struck with falling debris as he walked into the World Trade Center. He was one of the first people rushed to New York hospitals and fought for his life for over 3 months, until December of 2001. He is survived by his wife Nancy; his sons, David and Mark; and his daughter, Jill. If you have a chance to see it, the IRS--where David worked--has a beautiful stone memorial on Constitution Avenue, just a few blocks from here.
Patrick Quigley often took American Flight 11 to California. Concerned once the news that American Flight 11 had hit the World Trade Center, his wife Patti, called his office. She was relieved when they said they were sure he was fine, that he had decided to take United Flight 175 instead. Patrick was on United Flight 175, and at the time, Patti Quigley was seven months pregnant. His daughter Leah will celebrate her 2nd birthday in a few months. Patti, who is a tremendous source of strength for her friends and family, has joined with other widows from September 11th to start a non-profit agency called Beyond the 11th. Next year, we will all know much more about her work, as she begins to work with victims of terrorism and the war in Afghanistan.
I want to tell you all about Larissa Gay, a young woman from Tewksbury, who lost her dad, Peter, a senior trouble shooter for Raytheon. Larissa maintains an A+ average at the Sacred Heart School in Lowell. Larissa ran the 7 mile Falmouth Road Race in honor of her father. What an incredible way to show strength and tackle adversity.
There's a story behind every victim of the September 11 attacks. In the last 2 years, I have had the privilege to get to know many of the families left behind. I'd like to now pay tribute and honor all of them, with a reading of each of their names.
Trudi Alagero, an Andover native; David Bernard of Chelmsford; Geoffrey Cloud of Sudbury; Andrew Curry Green of Chelmsford; Alexander Filipov of Concord; Peter Gay of Tewksbury; Peter Goodrich of Sudbury; Douglas Gowell of Methuen; The Hanson Family--Peter, Susan & Christine Hanson, age 3, of Groton; Peter Hashem of Tewksbury; James Hayden of Westford; Cora Holland of Sudbury; Brian Kinney of Lowell; Susan MacKay of Westford; Louis Mariani, formerly of Dracut; Christopher Morrison of Andover; Mildred ``Milly'' Naiman of Andover; Captain John Ogonowski of Dracut, Pilot of American Flight 11; Betty Ong of Andover, Flight Attendant of American Airlines Flight 11; Jane Orth of Haverhill; Abner Morales Pabon of Lawrence; Marie Pappalardo of Methuen; Patrick Quigley of Wellesley, a Methuen native; Philip Rosenzweig of Acton; Jessica Sachs of Billerica; Jane Simpkin of Wayland; Madeline ``Amy'' Sweeney of Acton, Flight Attendant of American Airlines Flight 11; Leonard Taylor, an Andover native; Kenneth Waldie of Methuen.
As Americans we can't help but remember. But unlike the families who have experienced this loss first hand, we grieve for a moment, not for a lifetime. These families have suffered the ultimate loss, and we owe them our most heartfelt sympathies and support.
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