[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 103 (Tuesday, July 28, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H6503]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      IN TRIBUTE TO JACOB JOSEPH CHESTNUT AND JOHN MICHAEL GIBSON

  (Mrs. MINK of Hawaii asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. MINK of Hawaii. Mr. Speaker, I join a mournful Nation to express 
my deepest sympathy to the families and loved ones of Officer Jacob 
Joseph Chestnut and Detective John Michael Gibson. These two brave and 
courageous officers gave their lives to the protection of Members of 
Congress, our staff and visitors who come to see the Capitol from all 
over the country.
  On behalf of the people of the Second Congressional District of the 
State of Hawaii, I stand to pay tribute to the gallantry and bravery of 
these two men who lost their lives in the line of duty.
  Many people from Hawaii visit the Capitol each year and have felt the 
assurance of safety provided by the dignified and diligent service of 
our Capitol Police. To learn that two of them died in the line of fire 
is shocking news everywhere in America.
  I returned home to Hawaii the next day after the event to find that 
all of the people I saw received word of this terrible loss with a 
sense of personal loss. Everyone felt that their safety had been 
compromised with such an assault upon our House. The feeling of warmth 
and compassion for the families of the slain officers was deep and very 
moving.
  As we reflect on these events, I realize how guilty we all are in 
taking for granted officers like Chestnut and Gibson who stand in the 
line of fire every day that they serve us here and in our home 
communities. I pray for their eternal peace and for the life and safety 
of every one of their colleagues who serve us here in the Nation's 
Capitol.

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