[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 102 (Monday, July 27, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9003-S9006]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           TRIBUTE TO OFFICERS JOHN GIBSON AND J.J. CHESTNUT

  Mr. KEMPTHORNE. Mr. President, for the past 5 years I have had the 
honor of sponsoring the resolution designating National Peace Officers 
Memorial Day. This year we added the names of 159 officers to the 
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Since the inception of this 
memorial, 14,662 peace officers have been added to the wall.
  Next year, two more names will now be added to the wall. These 
memorials and others around the Nation serve as proof that the 
individuals who serve this Nation, as our guardians of peace, do so at 
great personal risk. There are few communities in America that have not 
been touched by the senseless death of a peace officer by violent 
means.
  This community of Capitol Hill has been touched by tragedy. On 
Friday, two of our own, Officers John Gibson and J.J. Chestnut, were 
felled by an assailant while they performed their duties.
  America should know that for all the influence of this city and this 
place, this is, in some ways, like a small town. We know the people in 
this community as well as we know the people in our own communities 
back home. The employees who work here day to day become very familiar 
faces to those of us who are sent here temporarily by our States.
  The Capitol Hill Police have a very special duty and a very special 
trust. They guard this place, this summit of freedom, this people's 
house, and keep it safe for the citizens of the world. The Capitol Hill 
Police perform this duty with an unwavering commitment to our safety. 
And they are willing, as Officers Gibson and Chestnut proved, to lay 
down their lives for all of our safety.
  John Gibson, who I knew personally--a tremendous professional in 
every sense of the word. When I saw his photograph in the paper, the 
difference was every time that I would see John or have a word with him 
his face always had a smile.
  J.J. Chestnut, who worked in one of the entrances to this great 
building, like so many of our officers, was perceived to be more than 
just a police officer to the wonderful citizens who come to this 
magnificent building. I think they sense that instead of just a police 
officer, they are being greeted by ambassadors in the people's house.
  I believe that our Capitol Police Department exemplify the finest in 
America. I have never heard any statement that any of our police 
officers have been badge-heavy. I have simply heard great reviews of 
the professionals who carry the badge of the Capitol Police Department.
  I know many of the Capitol Police officers personally. I have 
listened to stories about their families. I have seen photographs of 
their kids--just parent talking to parent who share a funny story or 
observation or simply a good word at the end of the day. But in the 
end, put most simply, they are here to take care of us.
  As we near the end of this century, we are often impelled to observe 
this country is cynical. It is, I suppose, in the American character to 
question our condition and bemoan the things that are not now as we 
remember them to be. But in truth, the sacrifice of these men and their 
families are akin to the selfless ideal that has made this country 
great. The bravery and the commitment to community that these men 
possessed will be carried on by their families.
  I have had the honor to meet with the families of slain officers from 
my home State. The strength and the perseverance that is exemplified by 
each of them is an inspiration to me.
  My thoughts and prayers go out to these families and others who have 
been devastated by this type of senseless violence. There is no answer 
to the meaningless violence that occurs, but we must celebrate and 
memorialize the lives of the officers who serve and protect us.
  To the Capitol Hill Police, I would like to simply say, I am sorry 
for your loss and for our loss because we are family here, to say how 
proud all of us are of you and to thank you for your service that you 
give to us each and every day, and to say to the families of Officer 
Gibson, Officer Chestnut: Your husband, your father, demonstrated 
service beyond self in the most dramatic way--by sacrificing their 
lives for our safety, for our freedom.

  Our prayers are with John, with Officer Chestnut, with their 
families, and with the other officers who continue that tradition of 
being truly some of the finest anywhere in the Nation or the world. You 
are our friends, you are our guardians, so that we can do our duty here 
in the Nation's Capitol. God bless these two officers and God bless 
what they mean to all of us.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut.
  Mr. LIEBERMAN. I thank the Chair.
  Mr. President, it has struck me often in my 10 years here in the 
Senate that one can look at the life we lead here in different ways. In 
one sense, in a sense that is most visible, we do the work of the 
country: We hold hearings, we meet with constituents, we legislate. 
This is the Congress of the United States.
  But in another sense, it has struck me increasingly over the years I 
have been honored to be here that there is another level of experience 
in this Capitol, which is that we are, in our own way, a small town of 
our own. We are a community. Yes, we have the Members of Congress and 
we have all who serve in our offices so well. We have the officers of 
both Chambers and those who work to keep these Chambers going. But 
there is a broader community here that we are all part of. It is the 
people who keep the buildings in such good repair.
  We have doctors, we have nurses, we have clergy people, we have 
representatives of the media who live in this community with us who 
cover us. We even

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have our own newspapers. And we have police officers. We are a small 
town in the way that life is lived in so many small towns across 
America. But we are very different from most any of those small towns 
in that hundreds of thousands of fellow Americans--indeed, people from 
all over the world--come and walk through this great citadel of 
democracy, this great symbol of freedom, peacefully and respectfully, 
coming through our community.
  On Friday, as we all know, one madman disrupted the tranquility of 
our community and took two of our own, Special Agent John Gibson, 
Officer Jacob Chestnut. There is a sense of palpable sadness and grief 
in this Capitol today, a sense of mourning at the loss of these two 
officers, because they were members of our community. We saw them every 
day. We exchanged greetings with them. We deeply regret and in some 
ways, I am sure, feel anger at what happened on Friday to take these 
two fine men, these two heroes, from us.
  As we mourn their loss, I do think it is important for us to remember 
the extraordinary and unique war that law enforcement officers play in 
this small town, our little community, the Capitol of the United 
States, which is similar to the part they play in every other community 
across America. Think of what happened in those few tragic, jolting 
moments on Friday afternoon when danger occurred and the sound of 
bullets resonated through the halls of the Capitol. Most everyone in 
the Capitol ran for cover, locked their office doors, jumped under 
tables and desks, got out of the way of danger. But the law enforcement 
officers, the Capitol Police throughout this Capitol, including these 
two fallen heroes, rushed to the danger. That is their job, to protect 
the rest of us. It is an extraordinary difference in a quiet, normal 
moment on a midsummer Friday afternoon. Suddenly, one madman pierces 
all of that, and every officer, every Capitol Police officer in our 
small town, rushes to the danger, rushes to their duty station. These 
two responded with instinctive but extraordinary, heroic impulses to 
stop this man, and ultimately did, and save so many lives through their 
heroism.
  Mr. President, I mentioned this just to pay tribute in some small way 
to Special Agent Gibson and Officer Chestnut, but to remind us how much 
we owe these people in this small town of ours, and in every city and 
town across America, and why we ought not to just treat them with a 
warm hello but feel, as we do today, in some measure every day the 
gratitude we have to them and express that in the best way we can, 
which is not only as friends and fellow citizens of our communities, 
but when we have a chance, as employers, to treat them appropriately 
and according to the extraordinary responsibilities that they bear in a 
moment of crisis.
  Mr. President, by coincidence this morning, I was reading from 
Jeremiah's Book of Lamentations and I read the commentary on 
Lamentations in which were cited the comments of an ancient rabbi who 
was interpreting the Psalms, David's Book of Psalms. In dealing with 
the sadness, the sense of gloom that is so at the heart of the Book of 
Lamentations, this sage of old, in commenting on Psalms, expressed a 
thought that is familiar to all religions, which is, ``If I had not 
fallen, I could never have arisen. If I had not sat in darkness, I 
could never have seen the light of God.''
  So in this time of deep and heavy darkness for our community here on 
Capitol Hill, we pray with faith together and the faith that unites us 
in our community, unites us as faith has always united people in 
American communities, that Special Agent Gibson and Officer Chestnut 
are seeing the light of God, that they are being welcomed in the warm 
embrace of eternal life, greeted as the heroes that they are. We pray, 
also, that God will grant strength and comfort to their families, to 
their friends, to their fellow officers in the Capitol Police corps, 
and in some measure to all of us in this small town, Capitol Hill, who, 
today, mourn their loss.
  I thank the Chair and I yield the floor.
  Mr. ROBB addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The distinguished Senator from Virginia is 
recognized.
  Mr. ROBB. Mr. President, first, I ask unanimous consent the period 
for morning business be extended by an additional 15 minutes--I know 
there is at least one other colleague on the floor and there may be 
others--so that we might spend a moment in additional tribute to the 
two officers.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. ROBB. Mr. President, I just want to add my voice to those who 
have already spoken and those who will.
  Friday was a difficult day for all of us here as part of the family. 
That has been more eloquently described than I can describe it both 
today and elsewhere. Like many of the Members, I happened to be in my 
office less than 100 yards away from where the shooting took place. I 
was unaware of the shooting. I heard the sirens and I heard the 
helicopter when it approached to take the victims to the trauma center. 
At that point, I tuned in and observed what was happening.
  There was a sense on the part of all of us that something very tragic 
had occurred to members of the family. It wasn't until the names were 
released that we knew which members of the family had been affected. I 
realized when the names were ultimately released and saw the pictures 
that Officer J.J. Chestnut was the person who had been on that post any 
number of times. Many of us who come and go from the Nation's Capitol 
late in the evening find that is one of the few doors that is open. So 
we get to know the people who are there, and they are always greeting 
us with a smile.
  In truth, I didn't know that I knew or had a relationship with 
Special Agent Gibson until I found out from my wife and mother-in-law 
that during a recent visit he had accompanied them throughout a tour of 
the Capitol, and they had been very grateful for the professional 
courtesies and kindness that he had extended to them. I found out that 
he was a resident of Lake Ridge, VA. It just so happens that the other 
person who was wounded, Angela Dickerson, was a tourist and taking a 
family on a tour, also happens to be from Chantilly, VA. I noted that 
J.J. Chestnut was a Vietnam veteran and is going to be accorded full 
military honors when he is buried Friday in Arlington.
  These were very, very special people. The initial feeling among many 
when we heard that there had been gunfire inside the Capitol was that 
somehow the security system had broken down. I was relieved and 
pleased, as I think all of our Members were, to know that in this case 
the system had actually worked, and it had worked superbly. The men who 
ultimately gave their lives had done so in precisely the way they were 
trained to protect the Capitol and all who serve in it. I think that is 
a testament to the professionalism of the Capitol Police and to all of 
the members of this extended family.
  I didn't go out and talk to the media on Friday, but two down-State 
reporters came to my office, unsolicited, and I talked to them for a 
couple of minutes. One asked me, ``What should we do?'' I said, ``I 
hope we don't do much of anything. We will take a look at the 
procedures, but we want to keep the people's house as open as we 
possibly can.'' I think this is a symbol of democracy, and these two 
men died in defending that symbol. But we want to be careful not to 
take the wrong actions.
  What we can do, and what we ought to do, is remember to thank those 
who serve us--whose service we sometimes take for granted. On the way 
out of the Capitol later that evening, I stopped and thanked the 
Capitol Police officers who were still on duty. They were still doing 
their duties professionally, although they were grieving. I happened to 
go to an engagement that I had that evening and I was late coming back. 
It didn't conclude until almost midnight. I said, ``I want to go back 
to the Capitol. The midnight shift will have come on now and they are 
going to take it pretty hard as well.'' I had a chance to quietly visit 
with some of the other members of the Capitol Police.
  Many of us are trying to find a way to say to those men and women who 
serve so ably, and sometimes without the recognition that they deserve, 
that we are grieving with them, that we appreciate what they did, what 
they continue to do. I suggest to people who might not be a part of the 
extended family here in the Capitol that all of us feel that if you 
want to find a way to

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express your appreciation, stop your local policeman on the street and 
say ``thank you'' because they, too, are providing a kind of service 
that, in many cases, we end up taking for granted; yet, it is 
critically important. When the chips are down, these folks respond. And 
as my distinguished colleague from Connecticut noted a minute ago, when 
many seek cover, that is the time they put themselves directly in 
harm's way to ensure that access to our Nation's Capitol and the 
freedom to move about for all of us who benefit from their services 
goes uninterrupted.
  With that, I will close. I just wanted to say to all of those who 
continue to serve: Thank you. We don't always remember to say that. To 
the families of J.J. Chestnut and John Gibson, in particular, we share 
your loss. You are in our thoughts and prayers, and to all who serve us 
in ways too numerous to count, we do appreciate what you have done for 
us and what you continue to do for us. We will continue to remember the 
extraordinary service and the ultimate sacrifice that was made by these 
two fine officers in defense of our Nation's Capitol.
  With that, Mr. President, I yield the floor.


        Our Hearts Go Out to the Families of the Slain Officers

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I just want to say that all of us in 
the Capitol have one overriding thought in our minds right now, and 
that is that our hearts go out to the families of the two officers who 
were slain in the line of duty last Friday.
  All of us were in a different place. But I will never forget where I 
was when learning this tragic news. I had left the Capitol that morning 
and had returned home to Texas. I was just stunned. And when I learned 
that these officers had passed away after their injuries, I was 
heartsick, as all of us were.
  There is no question that the Capitol Police are friends to all of 
us. When I came into the Capitol this morning and saw the black tape 
across their badges, it all hit. And I want to say there is not anyone 
here who has worked with these fine men and women who doesn't 
appreciate every day the job they do protecting all of us and every 
visitor to the Capitol.


                God Bless J.J. Chestnut and John Gibson

  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I want to take just a moment to join 
those of my colleagues who have already spoken with respect to our 
profound shock at the death of Jacob ``J.J.'' Chestnut and John Gibson, 
two Capitol Police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty on 
this past Friday, and to express my very heartfelt sympathies to their 
families.
  J.J. Chestnut and John Gibson have been engaged over their working 
careers in the dedicated mission of protecting the lives of their 
fellow citizens, literally thousands of people who move in and out of 
the Capitol Building each day, those who work here, those who visit 
here, both our own citizens and from abroad.
  As we all know, on Friday, the people's house, the U.S. Capitol, was 
violated by a gunman. Officer Chestnut and Special Agent Gibson put 
themselves on the line, as do all law enforcement officials, each and 
every day, both at work and, since they are committed to law 
enforcement, even when they are off work, literally all the time, in 
order to protect the physical well-being--indeed, to protect the 
freedoms that so many of us have taken for granted.
  In its editorial today, Roll Call, which, of course, as we all know, 
is the newspaper devoted to reporting the activities on Capitol Hill, 
said this:

       Sometimes, given the comparative low level of violence 
     around the Capitol complex and given that Capitol Police 
     officers are usually seen cheerfully directing traffic and 
     gently herding tourists, it's forgotten that ours--

  Meaning the Capitol Police Force--

     is a real police force. We who live and work around the 
     Capitol know--but others don't--that our police also fight 
     crime in the neighborhood as well as watch the Capitol. But 
     now all of America understands that the Capitol Police do not 
     just stand guard, but also stand ready to be heroes. That 
     knowledge was derived last week at heartrending cost.

  We call them heroes today, and they truly are, but Officer Chestnut 
and Special Agent Gibson were also husbands, fathers, grandfathers--
already heroes to their wives, to their children and grandchildren, to 
their other family members, and to their neighbors who respected them 
not only for their uniforms but for the laws they vowed to uphold and 
the lives they protected on a daily basis. It is these loving people 
they leave behind, having given of themselves to protect the lives of 
others and in defending one of the great symbols of this democratic 
Nation, perhaps the preeminent symbol of our democratic Nation--the 
United States Capitol.
  Mr. President, may God bless J.J. Chestnut and John Gibson. They are 
true heroes, and I join with my colleagues in expressing my condolences 
to their family members.


                          Deep Sense of Sorrow

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I join other colleagues of ours who today, 
and I hope tomorrow as well, will find time to express their deep sense 
of sorrow over the loss of two of our Capitol Hill police officers last 
Friday, as well as to express their sincere condolences to the families 
and friends of these two very fine officers, J.J. Chestnut and John 
Gibson.
  The events of last Friday, July 24, certainly will leave an indelible 
mark on this community--this Capitol community, if you will--and our 
Nation. The tragic legacy of this incident will not only be the courage 
displayed opposing this senseless act of savagery but will also be the 
premature loss of these two fine, brave men.
  J.J. Chestnut and John Gibson were not just courageous officers, they 
were fine human beings. They were friends of many here and in the House 
of Representatives. All of us in this Chamber cannot help but take this 
loss personally, because Officers Chestnut and Gibson worked every day 
to ensure the safety of each and every one of us in this Capitol 
Building. I think that every American should look into their hearts and 
thank these two men for their sacrifices, because they also worked to 
protect all of those who visit this great Capitol Building, this symbol 
of democracy, as well as the freedoms which the Capitol represents.
  All Americans should give thanks and say a prayer for these two fine 
men and all of the men and women in uniform throughout our Nation who 
take that oath to ensure our safety every day. Our police officers are 
husbands, they are parents and friends, they are neighbors--in many 
ways, ordinary citizens just like the rest of us. But in one very 
important way, these individuals are quite extraordinary. Every day 
when they put on their uniforms, their work clothes, and they say 
goodbye to their families and go to work, they literally put their 
lives on the line so that we may enjoy the safety and the freedoms that 
too often, I think, we take for granted. We describe their actions as 
heroism, but they simply view them as their duty.
  President John Kennedy once said:

       The courage of life is often a less dramatic spectacle than 
     the courage of a final moment; but it is no less a 
     magnificent mixture of triumph and tragedy. A man does what 
     he must--in spite of the personal consequences, in spite of 
     obstacles and dangers and pressures--and that is the basis of 
     all morality.

  While we will forever remember Officer Chestnut and Detective Gibson 
for their actions on July 24, they deserve our respect and admiration 
not only for the way they performed their duties on that day but for 
the way they and those who share a similar uniform carry themselves 
every day throughout their lives--always working in the service of 
others, with great courage and character.
  It is important that we remember not only those who gave their lives 
but also express our gratitude to those who are left to carry on their 
mission.
  Officers Chestnut and Gibson's colleagues must put these events 
behind them and carry on with their everyday lives and continue 
performing the services that are so important. We are all very grateful 
for the sacrifices they make every day and the commitment to their 
communities that these men and women display.
  It has been ordered that their bodies will lie in state in the 
Capitol rotunda tomorrow, the same Capitol where they gave their lives 
in service to their country. This honor is usually reserved for our 
Nation's most prominent leaders, Presidents, Supreme Court Justices, 
and Generals. But I know all of us in this Chamber feel that this is an 
appropriate tribute to the two men whose commitment to their country

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and their community is surpassed by none.
  J.J. Chestnut and John Gibson leave behind loving wives and children. 
I offer my heartfelt condolences to both families and their friends, 
and, on behalf of this body, I know I speak for all of our colleagues 
in saying they will long be remembered for their friendship and their 
courage.


                  Tribute to the Capitol Police Force

  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I wish to make a personal comment about 
the tragedy that occurred in this building on Friday and add my voice 
to those that have been raised in tribute to the professionalism, the 
courage, and the compassion of the members of the Capitol Police Force.
  I remember, when I first came to Washington as an intern in 1950 as a 
student from the university, the Capitol Police Force was 
affectionately referred to as the ``campus cops.'' It was a patronage 
job, and people who served on the Capitol Police Force in those days 
were appointed by their Senators. Usually, they were law students who 
were going to school at George Washington University that taught the 
entire curriculum at night. So the Capitol Police could earn their way 
through law school by sitting at their various stations in the Capitol 
during the daytime and taking their classes at night. One of the more 
prominent attorneys in Salt Lake City got his law degree that way and 
said he did all of his studying at his desk as a Capitol policeman and 
commented, ``If I had ever been called upon to draw my weapon, I 
wouldn't have known what to do. I would have been scared to death if 
anybody had ever confronted me in my position as a policeman.''
  That was the situation 40, 45 years ago. The professionalism of those 
who did draw their weapons and handled them expertly in the crisis that 
occurred last Friday demonstrates how far we have come and how great a 
debt those of us who labor here, hopefully doing the people's business, 
have to those who have produced that kind of professionalism and 
produced that kind of change from what we once had. It is a sad 
commentary that we need this kind of professional force and we don't 
have the kind of society that could get by with ``campus cops'' of the 
kind that were here that many years ago, but it is comforting to know, 
in the face of that need, we have people of the caliber that we do have 
serve us. I add my voice to those that have been raised in tribute to 
those who serve us in that capacity.


                tribute to officers chestnut and gibson

  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to the memory of 
the two Capitol Hill Police officers who gave their lives in the line 
of duty Friday afternoon.
  Jacob J. Chestnut and John Gibson were dedicated officers whose 
deaths are mourned by all of us on Capitol Hill, and by many across 
America.
  A sense of genuine grief grips us as we come to terms with the 
tragedy that unfolded in our midst on Friday. At the same time, we 
stand in awe of the heroism they and other officers displayed in ending 
a gunman's rampage and saving the lives of innocent citizens.
  Jacob Chestnut and John Gibson were committed to the United States, 
having sworn to protect lawmakers, citizens, and the peace as Capitol 
Police Officers. While I did not have the honor of knowing them 
personally, I am truly grateful for their dedication and service--as 
well as the dedication and service of all who serve as police officers.
  As a father of six and grandfather of eleven, I know how important 
family is. The loss of a son, father, husband, and friend is 
devastating. My thoughts and prayers and those of my wife Nancy are 
with those who knew and loved these two quiet heroes.
  Officer Gibson has left behind his wife, Evelyn, and three children. 
While the loss of Officer Gibson as a father and husband is 
immeasurable, I know his memory will be a source of strength for his 
family.
  Officer Chestnut is survived by his wife, Wen-Ling, and five 
children: Joseph Chestnut, William Chestnut, Janet Netherly, Janece 
Graham, and Karen Chestnut. Grief has surely stricken this family and 
the death of their cornerstone can never be as deeply felt by others, 
but Officer Chestnut died a hero, protecting his country as he had 
sworn to do both during his years in the Air Force and as a Capitol 
Police Officer.
  Mrs. Chestnut, Mrs. Gibson--please accept our condolences are 
prayers. We are all indebted to both your husbands for their dedication 
and their selfless, heroic acts.
  I yield the floor.

                          ____________________