[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1684 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1684

Honoring the memories of Ronald H. Brown, 32 other remarkable Americans 
and 2 distinguished Croatians who prematurely lost their lives on April 
           3, 1996, while on a trade mission to the Balkans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 29, 2010

   Mr. Turner (for himself and Mr. Delahunt) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Honoring the memories of Ronald H. Brown, 32 other remarkable Americans 
and 2 distinguished Croatians who prematurely lost their lives on April 
           3, 1996, while on a trade mission to the Balkans.

Whereas, after visiting troops at the American headquarters in Tuzla, Bosnia and 
        Herzegovina, the delegation aircraft crashed into a mountainside while 
        attempting an instrument approach to Cilipi airport, outside of 
        Dubrovnik, Croatia;
Whereas, the aircraft carried U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. Brown, a 
        public servant, who defended the United States as a soldier, bettered 
        our society as a civil rights pioneer, and built economic bridges for 
        people of all races and creeds as the U.S. Secretary of Commerce;
Whereas, Ronald H. Brown served as the first African-American United States 
        Secretary of Commerce from January 22, 1993, until his honorable service 
        to our country came to an unexpected end on April 3, 1996, in that 
        tragic airplane accident;
Whereas, 32 remarkable American government and business leaders as well as a 
        Croatian photographer and interpreter also lost their lives in the 
        accident;
Whereas, the contributions of all of the deceased ultimately promoted Bosnia and 
        Herzegovina's transition towards peace, stability and economic 
        viability;
Whereas, Secretary Brown's mission advanced the goals of the Dayton Peace 
        Accords, negotiated at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, 
        concluded on November 21, 1995, when the leaders of Bosnia and 
        Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia all agreed to a breakthrough peace 
        settlement to halt conflicts that began in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 
        April 1992;
Whereas, on December 14, 1995, the General Framework Agreement for Peace in 
        Bosnia and Herzegovina, known as the Dayton Accords, ended a conflict 
        that threatened to destabilize Europe and resulted in the death of 
        approximately 250,000 people, and the displacement of more than two 
        million men, women and children;
Whereas, President Bill Clinton charged Secretary Brown, those who joined him in 
        this mission of peace, and those who followed him on future missions, to 
        contribute to the successful implementation of the civilian aspects of 
        the Dayton Accords; by starting the economic reconstruction and inviting 
        U.S. companies to help maintain the peace through creating economic 
        opportunity;
Whereas, Secretary Brown and those who followed him in future missions promoted 
        prosperity in the Balkans, established U.S. commercial presence there 
        increasing the efforts for peace through openness and trade 
        opportunities;
Whereas, every participant brought hope and inspiration to the war torn region 
        through the U.S. investment in reconstructing buildings, rebuilding 
        water and energy infrastructure, and revitalizing banking and tourism 
        industries;
Whereas, Secretary Ron Brown, along with the outstanding business leaders, brave 
        members of the military, brilliant correspondent and dedicated public 
        servants on the mission, sought to highlight the strength of the U.S. 
        economy as a positive force for peace;
Whereas, on April 7, 1996, President Bill Clinton honored the patriotism of the 
        dead by calling them ``the best of America'' and recalling that ``they 
        believed that America, through their efforts, could help restore a 
        broken land, help to heal a people of their hatreds, help to bring a 
        better tomorrow through honest work and shared enterprise'';
Whereas, the United States negotiating team, led by Richard Holbrooke, guided 
        peace negotiations endorsed by members of the European Union and Russian 
        Federation, and ultimately enabled the transition within the Balkan 
        states from the former Yugoslavia's communist regime to an open market 
        economy; and
Whereas the mission and sacrifice by Secretary Brown laid the foundation for 
        Bosnia and Herzegovina's eventual successful transition to free markets, 
        as well as Slovenia's accession to the European Union (EU) and adoption 
        of its currency, Croatia's progress towards EU membership expected in 
        2012, Montenegro's May 2010 Stabilization and Association Agreement with 
        the EU, Serbia's December 22, 2009, application for EU membership and 
        Macedonia's accession negotiations which commenced on October 14, 2009, 
        for EU membership: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) honors the memories of Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. 
        Brown, and 32 other remarkable Americans and two distinguished 
        Croatian citizens who lost their lives on April 3, 1996, 
        serving their countries on a trade mission to the Balkans;
            (2) commends the service of the following Americans: Staff 
        Sergeant Gerald Aldrich (Flight Mechanic), Duane Christian 
        (Security Officer for Secretary Brown), Barry Conrad (Chairman 
        and CEO of Barrington Group, Miami, Florida), Paul Cushman III 
        (Chairman and CEO of Riggs International Banking Corp., 
        Washington, DC), Adam Darling (Confidential Assistant for 
        Secretary Brown), Captain Ashley James Davis (Pilot), Gail 
        Dobert (Deputy Director, Department of Commerce Office of 
        Business Liaison), Robert Donovan (President and CEO, ABB Inc., 
        Norwalk, Connecticut), Claudio Elia (Chairman and CEO, Air & 
        Water Technologies Corp., Somerville, New Jersey), Staff 
        Sergeant Robert Farrington, Jr. (Steward), David Ford 
        (President and CEO, InterGuard Corp. of Guardian International, 
        Auburn Hills, Michigan), Carol Hamilton (Press Secretary for 
        Secretary Brown), Kathryn Hoffman (Senior Advisor for Strategic 
        Scheduling and Special Initiatives for Secretary Brown), Lee 
        Jackson (Treasury Department), Steven Kaminski (Commercial 
        Counselor, Department of Commerce U.S. and Foreign Commercial 
        Services), Katheryn Kellogg (Confidential Assistant, Department 
        of Commerce Office of Business Liaison), Technical Sergeant 
        Shelley Kelly (Steward), James Lewek (Analyst, Central 
        Intelligence Agency), Frank Maier (President, Enserch 
        International Ltd., Dallas, Texas), Charles Meissner (Assistant 
        Secretary of Commerce for International Trade), William Morton 
        (Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Economic 
        Development, Department of Commerce), Walter Murphy (Senior 
        Vice President, AT&T Submarine Systems Inc., Morristown, New 
        Jersey) Lawrence Payne (Special Assistant, Department of 
        Commerce U.S. and Foreign Commercial Services), Nathaniel Nash 
        (Frankfurt Bureau Chief, New York Times), Leonard Pieroni 
        (Chairman and CEO, Parsons Corp., Pasadena, California), 
        Captain Timothy Schafer (Pilot), John Scoville (Chairman, Harza 
        Engineering Co., Chicago, Illinois), I. Donald Terner 
        (President, Bridge Housing Corp., San Francisco, California), 
        P. Stuart Tholan (President, Bechtel-Europe/Africa/Middle East/
        Southwest Asia, San Francisco, California), Sergeant Cheryl Ann 
        Turnage (Steward), Naomi Warbasse (International Trade 
        Specialist, Department of Commerce), and Robert Whittaker 
        (Chairman and CEO, Foster Wheeler Energy International, 
        Clinton, New Jersey);
            (3) recognizes the contributions of Croatian citizens Niksa 
        Antonini (photographer) and Dragica Lendic-Bedek (interpreter), 
        who also sacrificed their lives in the effort to promote peace 
        and prosperity in their homeland, and for the benefit of their 
        countrymen; and
            (4) extends its deep gratitude to the contributions of all 
        of these brave and dedicated men and women, both Americans and 
        Croats, who helped to put the Balkans on the path towards 
        peace, stability and economic viability by making this 
        visionary mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina; and who thereby 
        worked to share with other countries the chance to live the 
        Dream of peace and prosperity, which is the American Dream.
                                 <all>