[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1283 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                         June 24, 2008.
Whereas the Boy Scouts attending the Little Sioux Scout Ranch for the annual 
        Pohuk Pride Junior Leadership training course suffered through a 
        horrific tornado;
Whereas, on June 11, 2008, the tornado hit the Little Sioux Boy Scout Ranch near 
        Little Sioux, Iowa, at 6:35 p.m., killing 4 youths and injuring 43 other 
        people at the camp;
Whereas Little Sioux Boy Scout Ranch, which spans 1,800 acres, is located in the 
        Loess Hills in western Iowa, close to the border with Nebraska, about 40 
        miles north of Omaha;
Whereas the tornado caused a giant rock chimney to collapse in the bunkhouse 
        where the Boy Scouts were seeking shelter;
Whereas the devastation of the tornado resulted in the deaths of Sam Thomsen, 
        Josh Fennen, Ben Petrzilka, and Aaron Eilerts;
Whereas Sam Thomsen of Omaha, Nebraska, was 13 years old and the son of Sharon 
        and Larry Thomsen;
Whereas Sharon Thomsen referred to Sam as the family's ``miracle'' baby, as he 
        was born more than 3 months premature, but luckily had no lasting health 
        problems;
Whereas Sam Thomsen, who loved camping, Jesus, football, and the Nebraska 
        Cornhuskers, as a member of Troop 26 and wanted to eventually become an 
        Eagle Scout;
Whereas Sam was about to turn 14 years old on June 16, 2008, and he had asked 
        his parents for tickets to the College World Series as his birthday 
        present;
Whereas Josh Fennen of Omaha, Nebraska, was 13 years old, had just finished the 
        8th grade, and was the son of Charles and Dorothy Fennen;
Whereas Josh Fennen, a member of Troop 331, was confident and inquisitive, with 
        natural leadership abilities;
Whereas according to Josh Fennen's middle school principal, Josh was a ``good 
        student, a hard worker, and he was always trying to be creative'';
Whereas Ben Petrzilka of Omaha, Nebraska, was 13 years old and the son of Bryan 
        and Arnell Petrzilka;
Whereas Ben Petrzilka had just finished 7th grade at Mary Our Queen Catholic 
        School and often spent time fishing and hunting with his father;
Whereas Ben Petrzilka had been a member of Troop 448 for 3 years and had reached 
        First Class rank, 3 steps below Eagle, and was assistant leader of the 
        Ninja Patrol of Troop 448;
Whereas Aaron Eilerts of Eagle Groove, Iowa, was 14 years old and a member of 
        Boy Scout Troop 108;
Whereas Aaron Eilerts was always doing things for others, whether it was 
        creating brightly colored pillowcases for patients at local hospitals, 
        making fleece blankets for dogs at the Humane Society, or making table 
        centerpieces for the senior citizen dining center in Eagle Grove;
Whereas Aaron Eilerts, an aspiring chef with an obsession with Elvis, was very 
        involved in his community, as he often performed ``The Star Spangled 
        Banner'' at local sporting events, participated in football, ran cross 
        country, and was involved in both band and choir;
Whereas Sam Thomsen, Josh Fennen, Ben Petrzilka and Aaron Eilerts all lived by 
        the Scout Oath, ``On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God 
        and my country and obey the Scout law, to help other people at all 
        times, to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally 
        straight'';
Whereas all the Boy Scouts exhibited extraordinary leadership by executing 
        techniques they had recently been taught in a mock emergency drill just 
        a day before the tornado hit;
Whereas the Boy Scouts removed stones that had fallen onto fellow Scouts, tied 
        tourniquets around the limbs of the wounded, helped pull the injured out 
        of the rubble, carried the injured on stretchers, and kept their 
        composure in the face of disaster;
Whereas the 43 injured people were taken to 5 hospitals: Creighton University 
        Medical Center in Omaha; Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City, Iowa; 
        Burgess Health Center in Onawa, Iowa; Community Memorial Hospital in 
        Missouri Valley, Iowa; and Memorial Community Hospital in Blair, 
        Nebraska;
Whereas the majority of those injured and sent to area hospitals received 
        treatment and were released;
Whereas first responders and officers of the Little Sioux Volunteer Fire 
        Department, Monona Country Emergency Management, Decatur Volunteer Fire 
        Department, Fort Calhoun Volunteer Fire Department, Monona County 
        Sheriff's Department, Harrison County Sheriff's Department, Iowa State 
        Patrol, Iowa National Guard, Red Cross, and Mercy Air Care arrived at 
        the Little Sioux Boy Scout Ranch within 10 minutes and walked through 
        the rain on a muddy road to reach the campers, as fallen trees in the 
        heavily timbered park blocked their vehicles;
Whereas, on June 12, 2008, Iowa Governor Chet Culver and Nebraska Governor Dave 
        Heineman met with families of the victims, expressed their condolences, 
        and thanked those who helped during the disaster;
Whereas Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff toured the 
        camp on June 12, 2008, and said it appeared that the Boy Scouts ``didn't 
        have a chance'' and that the tornado came through the camp ``like a 
        bowling ball''; and
Whereas the Boy Scout community will grieve the loss and celebrate the lives of 
        those who died in this horrific natural disaster for months and years to 
        come: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses its heartfelt sympathy for the victims and their 
        families of the tornado in Little Sioux, Iowa, on June 11, 2008; and
            (2) conveys its gratitude to the city and county officials, police, 
        fire department, sheriff, volunteer, and emergency medical teams who 
        responded swiftly to the scene to treat the wounded.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.