[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 54 (Wednesday, April 24, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S4091]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             DAVID L. FORD

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I rise today to honor one of the 
remarkable individuals we lost on April 3, 1996, in the plane crash in 
Croatia which took the life of Commerce Secretary Ron Brown and many 
other fine Americans. David L. Ford, CEO of InterGuard Corp., a 
subsidiary of Guardian Industries, headquartered in Auburn Hills, MI, 
was on that flight to donate 23 metric tons of flat glass to Sarajevo, 
enough to produce 8,000 windows for the reconstruction of a hospital 
that was damaged in the war.
  When David was first given the opportunity to travel to Bosnia, he 
thought of how he could best help the city of Sarajevo. He decided that 
he would help the city recover from the constant shelling of the past 3 
years. David was very excited about being able to help the people of 
Sarajevo. Though he was unable to see his plan fulfilled, his wish was 
honored when the glass was later delivered by the U.S. Embassy. A 
plaque commemorating the efforts of David Ford to rebuild Bosnia will 
be displayed in front of the hospital in Sarajevo.
  David worked for Guardian for over 25 years. He was the driving force 
in opening the European market for the company, which now operates four 
plants across Europe. He was a diligent and dedicated worker. He was 
also a deep thinker who was a student of foreign cultures. He traveled 
extensively in European countries and studied their cultures.
  David was a dedicated family man. His wife, Debra Ann Ford, and their 
children, Kathryn and Douglas, will remember him as a person who 
brought much happiness into their lives. He was an involved parent who 
would often accompany his children to school. He recently took a class 
on a trip to Israel, imparting his knowledge of the world to the 
children.
  David was a man who was very committed to his faith. David was a 
born-again Christian and a member of Christian Community Church. He was 
very involved in his community and was the leader of the youth group 
Teen Section. David has said that, ``to be born again means a new 
beginning, it means change--a new direction.'' David had this faith in 
a new direction for Bosnia and the world.
  David's own words best show how he viewed his life. ``Yes, I had to 
change. That meant I had to sacrifice some things--the changes are not 
a list of things to do or not to do. The changes are in your heart. We 
cannot make these changes alone, by ourselves. God sends us a helper to 
be with us.'' The people of Sarajevo were indeed sent such a helper in 
David Ford.
  I know that my Senate colleagues join me in honoring the life of 
David L. Ford. 

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