[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 22 (Wednesday, February 26, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E316]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            A LABOR OF LOVE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HENRY J. HYDE

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 26, 1997

  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, please permit me to share with my colleagues 
the text of a very touching letter U.S. Air Force Maj. William F. Smith 
wrote to a truly extraordinary man, Mr. Zachary Fisher.
  Mr. Fisher is well-known to the men and women of our Nation's Armed 
Forces. With his wife, he established the Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher 
Armed Services Foundation to provide scholarships for service men and 
women and their families. To date, more than 700 scholarships have been 
awarded. The Fishers also provide direct financial assistance to 
families of military personnel killed in the line of duty.
  In 1990, Zachary and Elizabeth undertook an important and unique 
project called Fisher House, to provide shelter near hospitals at major 
American military bases. The houses provide a home away from home for 
the families of military personnel recovering from illness at the 
adjacent hospitals. To date, 25 Fisher Houses have been constructed, 
with plans for several more.
  Mr. Fisher is also the founder of the Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum, 
the world's largest maritime museum, located on New York's Hudson 
River.
  The Fishers latest philanthropic effort is directed toward finding a 
cure for Alzheimer's disease, which affects more than 4 million 
Americans. The Fishers have established the Zachary and Elizabeth 
Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research, which is the largest and best 
equipped laboratory devoted wholly to Alzheimer's research. Working in 
union with David Rockefeller and Rockefeller University, the Fishers 
have an ambitious goal, to create a model center for patient care and 
research.
  Major Smith, who is stationed at Andrews Air Force Base, MD, penned 
this letter to Zachary following the dedication of a Fisher House on 
base. I commend it to my colleagues:

       Dear Mr. Fisher: I am writing to thank you for the special 
     gift you gave us here at Andrews Air Force Base on September 
     26, 1994. No, I'm not talking about the Fisher House although 
     I do appreciate you building it and am thankful for all the 
     good it will do for our community. I'm talking about the gift 
     of love, and more specifically the gift you gave us of how to 
     love. As I stood in the back and listened to the speeches 
     honoring you I became mesmerized with the say you doted over 
     your wife. Prior to your arrival I wondered what you would 
     look like and how you would act. I guess I wondered about 
     your character since a lot of men with wealth and power have 
     fairly predictable characters. So as I stood in the midst of 
     affluence and opulence I began to assess your character and I 
     was impressed and inspired. The way you smiled at her and 
     held her hand and took the time to explain things to her 
     touched me very deeply. It occurred to me that I may be 
     standing in a holy place, a place where true, unconditional 
     love is alive in a special man. At the end of the ceremony 
     the officer standing next to me said ``that was pretty 
     impressive wasn't it?'' I said ``I don't know what impressed 
     you, but I think we just witnessed the finest example of how 
     we should love our wives.'' He looked at me a moment 
     contemplating my comment and said, ``Yes, I think you're 
     right.''
       When I got home I told my wife about what I saw. When I 
     began to describe how you started your speech saying, ``Honey 
     I think I should give you a kiss to remind us of how much we 
     love each other,'' I began to cry. Then I kissed my wife and 
     told her I found someone who loves his wife as much as I love 
     mine. And that night as she lay asleep in bed I put my arms 
     around her and held her and told her I love her and I kept 
     holding her and she didn't know it. I think that is a sacred 
     act, to love someone when they may not know it.
       You are the luckiest man in the world, you have love in 
     your heart. And so, even though I don't have the wealth you 
     have, I am just as lucky as you, and I thank you for 
     reminding me how lucky I am. Thank you.
           Sincerely,
                                                 William D. Smith,
     Major, USAF.

                          ____________________