[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 103 (Tuesday, July 28, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H6500-H6501]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ON THE DEATHS OF OFFICER JACOB CHESTNUT AND DETECTIVE JOHN GIBSON
(Mr. GUTKNECHT asked and was given permission to address the House
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. GUTKNECHT. Mr. Speaker, we gather today to honor two men in a way
that has been reserved for Presidents and military heroes. Mr. Speaker,
it is fitting that we would honor these two slain Capitol Police
officers as only 26 other Americans have been recognized.
[[Page H6501]]
Jacob Chestnut and John Gibson were heroes. They chose to place
themselves in harm's way every day they came to work. In that awful
moment last Friday, they did not flinch from making the ultimate
sacrifice to protect coworkers, friends, and even complete strangers.
They were more than just officers, though. They were husbands,
fathers, and a grandfather. We grieve with their families, mourning
their loss and ours. Jacob Chestnut and John Gibson were part of that
thin blue line that runs through every community in America.
As we remember their heroism this week, let us not forget that their
colleagues here at the Capitol and in law enforcement agencies
throughout the Nation still stand ready to protect and search. Let us
appreciate the contributions they make and the risks that they take
each day when they put on that uniform.
As Ronald Reagan said, those who say we don't have heroes anymore,
well, they just don't know where to look. We lost two of those heroes
on Friday.
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