[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 68 (Monday, June 1, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S5523]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO BETTY HOOD

 Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, it is a great honor for me to 
recognize today a young Kansan who has been nationally recognized for 
her quick thinking and valor. Betty Hood, of Wichita, Kansas, has been 
awarded the Young American Medal for Bravery for 1996 from the U.S. 
Department of Justice, for her heroic efforts to save her younger 
brothers and sister from their burning apartment.
  Then ten-year-old Betty awoke in the early morning of May 17, 1996, 
to discover that her bed had caught on fire from a lamp that had been 
left too close to the sheets and blankets. Realizing the danger she and 
her siblings, who were in the room with her, were in, Betty carried her 
brother, James and sister, Hallie, to safety. She returned to help her 
remaining brother Clifford, but was unable to assist him as the fire 
had spread to the area where he was sleeping.
  Betty Hood's award for bravery is well deserved. She did not escape 
unharmed, as both Betty and her mother were treated for burns, nor will 
she ever forget her six-year-old brother, Clifford, who perished in the 
fire.
  Today, I join the Department of Justice in recognizing and paying 
tribute to this extraordinary young American. Betty Hood is a true 
hero, and I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting this young woman 
for her bravery and quick thinking that saved her brother and 
sister.

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