[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 35 (Tuesday, March 18, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E500]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  TRIBUTE TO BRIAN HAUCK, VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS VOICE OF DEMOCRACY 
                              AWARD WINNER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM SAXTON

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 18, 1997

  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize the 
accomplishments of an exceptional American youth, Mr. Brian Hauck. Mr. 
Hauck is the 1996-97 Department of Europe winner of the Voice of 
Democracy broadcasting scriptwriting contest ``Democracy-Above and 
Beyond'' sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States 
and its Ladies Auxiliary.
  The value of monetary scholarships, bonds, and awards this program 
awarded was over $2.7 million this past year. Brian plans to use his 
scholarship money to attend Washington University in St. Louis this 
fall where he hopes to pursue a curriculum that will assist him in 
becoming an astronaut. Brian is currently the president of both the 
Student Council and the Future Business Leaders of America at the Patch 
American High School.
  The son of Colonel and Mrs. John D. Hauck, Jr., Brian resides in 
Germany where his father is currently assigned to Headquarters United 
States European Command. I am sure that his parents are extremely proud 
of the achievement of their fine son. I wish to have Brian's award 
winning essay entered in the Congressional Record for all Americans to 
read.

       Freedom to succeed. Democracy is a government of the brave. 
     As Americans, we are keepers of an institution that allows 
     its people both success and failure. The strength of America 
     is in the willingness of its citizens to take risks. From the 
     earliest explorers to the modern businessman, the pioneering 
     spirit has been the most important factor in the development 
     of democracy and the key to America's position as a world 
     leader.
       Discovered by a man who had invested his entire fortune on 
     a voyage to prove the world was round, America has always 
     been a land of hope where dreams are fulfilled. She was first 
     colonized by people seeking freedom from religious oppression 
     in Europe. These settlers abandoned everything in the hope of 
     finding a better life in a land halfway around the world. A 
     century later, their ancestors faced tyranny from the rule of 
     the British Monarchy. True to their blood, they declared 
     independence and fought for freedom. Their reward was the 
     opportunity to create the United States of America. It is no 
     wonder that the government created by these brave men granted 
     freedom from oppressive government and control over their own 
     lives.
       This same spirit of democracy and risk was still evident 
     sixty years later as thousands of wagon trains headed west. 
     Across the Great Plains and through the Rocky Mountains, 
     pioneers battled disease, cold, and hunger to find a new life 
     in the West. These people desired to migrate. They were not 
     forced out by any tyrant, and they were not looking for an 
     easy living. Even while knowing those hardships they would 
     encounter, they trekked onwards, craving the opportunity to 
     succeed or fail as fate willed.
       As America raced against the Soviet Union to put a man on 
     the moon, the true nature of our democracy of risk became 
     apparent. Unlike our Communist competitors, every astronaut 
     involved in the Apollo program had volunteered. They desired 
     the glory of setting foot upon the moon first, but such an 
     opportunity would never have been surfaced within the 
     structure of democracy. This spirit of exploration lives on 
     as we continue our research in space and our expeditions to 
     all corners of the globe. As a country, we must never forget 
     our pioneering history.
       220 years since the birth of this great nation, our society 
     continues to respect the right of the individual to take 
     risks. Ideas are only as valuable as the actions taken to 
     bring them to life. When an American starts a company, he 
     understands that it may fail, and that he may lose his entire 
     fortune, or he may become the next multimillionaire. Whatever 
     the outcome, he can take pride that he has the opportunity to 
     try. Millions of people live under governments opposed to 
     innovation. The willingness of the average American to take a 
     chance is what has made the United States a prosperous and 
     powerful country, and the freedom of the individual to 
     succeed or fail helps to make American democracy the best 
     form of government in the world.

                          ____________________