[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 203 (Monday, December 18, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2379-E2380]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             STEPHEN AND OTTIE ADAMS: SERVICE TO THE NATION

                                 ______


                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, December 18, 1995

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
congratulate Senior Chief Aviation Machinist Mate Stephen Lee Adams 
upon his retirement from the U.S. Naval Reserve and to honor his 
mother, Mrs. Ottie Adams, for her dedication and great service to this 
country. Both Mrs. Adams and her son Stephen are longtime residents of 
Fremont, CA, in California's 13th Congressional District.
  Mrs. Adams is a widow and the mother of 10 children. Her eldest son, 
Larry, enlisted in the Marines and served in Vietnam in 1962. Her son 
Stephen, enlisted in the Navy, served 3 tours in Vietnam and, more 
recently, served in the Gulf war. Her son Phillip, enlisted in the 
Marines and served in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969. Her son Ricky enlisted 
in the Navy and received a medical discharge. Her son Kim enlisted in 
the Army and is a first sergeant (E8) with the 1st Armored Division in 
Germany, who is preparing to go to Bosnia within the next 3 weeks.
  Mrs. Adams has devoted her life to this country and its veterans. In 
early 1966, her nephew Mike Bledsoe was wounded in combat in Vietnam 
and was sent to Oak Knoll Naval Hospital to recuperate. When she and 
her husband, Charles, a World War II Marine Corps veteran, visited 
Mike, they saw how depressing it was in the hospital wards--the 
patients had a few board games, playing cards and not much else. The 
Adamses were determined to fix things. They began by calling on the 
local business community and asking them to donate items. They also 
began to devote all of their weekends to the wounded veterans. They 
visited the wards each weekend to pass out the items such as candy and 
games that local businesses had donated, and stayed to talk with the 
patients. Mr. Adams also had a 

[[Page E2380]]
connection to the entertainment industry through a friend at work. 
Through this, he was able to bring a variety of entertainers to the 
hospital. He brought in country and western groups, folk singers, rock 
groups, and variety acts to boost morale on the wards.
  The Adams family became close to many of the veterans and opened 
their home to those who could leave the hospital for short periods of 
time in order to provide them with a family atmosphere. Although they 
still had eight children at home, they made room for any veteran who 
needed time away.
  They continued their dedication to the wounded veterans from 1966 to 
1970. Unfortunately in 1970, Charles was diagnosed with cancer and had 
to keep his hospital visits to a minimum. Mrs. Adams continued to care 
for veterans and to this day receives an occasional Christmas card from 
one of the patients she cared for.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask you and my colleagues to join me in 
saluting Mrs. Ottie Adams for her constant devotion to this country on 
the occasion of her son's retirement from the U.S. Naval Reserve. She 
deserves our admiration and our thanks.

                          ____________________