[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 147 (Tuesday, November 29, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: November 29, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
IN RECOGNITION OF MISSISSIPPI HIGHWAY PATROL TROOPER GEORGE DANIEL NASH 
      JR. FOR HIS BRAVERY AND SERVICE TO OUR STATE AND OUR NATION

                                 ______


                            HON. MIKE PARKER

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 29, 1994

  Mr. PARKER. Mr. Speaker, today, I stand in the Halls of Congress to 
ask you to join me in honoring the late Trooper George Daniel Nash Jr. 
of the Mississippi Highway Patrol.
  Symbols are important. As in every society, we see and use symbols 
every day. The leaders of our Nation have always known the value of 
symbols for the public good. During the Civil War, President Lincoln 
demanded that construction continue on the new dome of the Capitol in 
Washington, DC. The reason was simple--he wanted to make sure that even 
in the midst of terrible turmoil, the citizens of the United States 
would realize that the Union would continue. It was a powerful symbol.
  All of us have seen the picture of President Lyndon B. Johnson being 
sworn in on the airplane in Dallas after the assassination of President 
Kennedy. However, most people do not know that it was legally 
unnecessary for the Vice President to be sworm in as President. But 
President Johnson understood that the symbolism of the swearing-in 
ceremony would reassure the American people. On October 13, I 
participated in another symbolic act by dedicating a portion of U.S. 
Highway 84 in Mississippi to Danny Nash. Becoming a symbol of 
selfsacrificing public service probably was not Danny's goal in life. 
At 23 years old, he probably had not thought much about how he wanted 
to be remembered. He just wanted to be a State trooper. It was his 
lifelong dream, and he had waited impatiently to turn 23 to be eligible 
to apply.
  When he graduated cadet school and was commissioned on December 15, 
1982, I believe Danny very likely was as happy and proud as he had ever 
been in his life. He had achieved a major goal. He knew the potential 
consequences, and he courageously took the oath to serve our State in 
its most dangerous job. Danny worked only 51 days before a bullet took 
his life, just weeks away from his 24th birthday. He met life head-on 
and took the responsibility of becoming a Mississippi State trooper, 
striving to give people like you and me our American dream.
  Danny's life itself was a symbol of courage. He hoped, he dreamed, he 
worked hard, and he triumphed. People like Danny know that there is no 
failure except in not trying. Danny's success had a price, which he 
bravely paid with his life. The biggest tragedy is that Danny Nash's 
life ended at such a young age. It is a loss for his family and 
friends, and for our State. We owe Danny and his family a debt we 
cannot adequately repay. Although it has been almost 12 years since he 
was taken from them, as a father, my heart goes out to his parents, 
George and Sonja Nash, and we thank them for sharing their son with the 
State of Mississippi. This memorial highway can never fill the empty 
place in their lives, but it serves as a symbol of one man's bravery as 
well as the sacrifices of all of Mississippi's troopers and their 
families.
  This is not a day of mourning for Danny Nash. It is a day of 
remembering and honoring a brave young man who served the great State 
of Mississippi. Danny will be remembered for his enthusiasm, his 
dedication to fulfilling his dream and his eagerness to help others. We 
are here to pay homage to a man who gave his yesterdays for our 
tomorrows. By dedicating this section of U.S. Highway 84 to his memory, 
we offer a symbol of all that is good and true and steadfast in our 
society. We will always be grateful.
  Mr. Speaker, at this time, I ask that my colleagues join me in 
saluting the late Mississippi State Trooper Danny Nash for his bravery 
and service to my home State, Mississippi, and to our great Nation.

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