[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 86 (Tuesday, May 23, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1099]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                 IN MEMORY OF RICHARD SITER, U.S. NAVY

                                 ______


                       HON. GERALD B. H. SOLOMON

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 23, 1995
  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, as Memorial Day approaches again this year, 
many people and families around this Nation prepare weekend trips, 
picnics and barbecues. They can do so because of the selfless service 
and sacrifice of the millions of men and women who have served in the 
armed forces throughout our history. These people defend and provide 
the very freedoms we enjoy everyday, not to mention those luxurious 
moments we look forward to spending with loved ones on days like 
Memorial Day.
  However, for a great deal of Americans, Memorial Day takes on a much 
more personal meaning, a reminder of the loss of a loved one. It is a 
time when millions of Americans reflect on the memory of a loved one 
who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our nation and our 
freedoms. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this time to pay tribute to 
the service of one such American hero from the town of Philmont, NY in 
my congressional district, Lt. Richard Siter, U.S. Navy.
  In the summer of 1992, Lieutenant Siter was stationed aboard the air 
craft carrier, USS John F. Kennedy off the coast of Puerto Rico. 
Richard was a radar specialist in the Navy's air division and was 
assigned to an E-C2 Hawkeye aircraft. On July 31, 1992, Lieutenant 
Siter and the four other members of the five man crew, were flying over 
the waters of the Atlantic, well north of Puerto Rico, comprising the 
defense of our eastern shore. Upon their return flight to the USS John 
F. Kennedy, the five members of this Hawkeye crew would suffer a 
terrible accident. Their craft went down 75 miles north of Puerto Rico 
with no survivors. Tragically, the body of Lieutenant Siter and his 
fellow crewmen were never found.
  Mr. Speaker, these are the people we should hold near and dear to our 
hearts as this Memorial Day draws near. As we celebrate the golden 
anniversary of the end of World War II and remember the thousands who 
gave their lives in that monumental war, let us not forget those, like 
Richard Siter, who put their lives on the line daily to provide the 
blanket of freedom beneath which our Nation and our way of life has 
thrived.
  At this time, Mr. Speaker, I would ask that you, and all Members, 
join me in paying tribute to the service of Lt. Richard Siter and send 
our condolences to his family. While they suffered through the initial 
uncertainty of his whereabouts, they can be bolstered by the certainty 
that Richard is indeed counted amongst great Americans. May he be both 
in our hearts and our minds this Memorial Day and always.


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