[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 105 (Thursday, July 30, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1467]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                               IN TRIBUTE

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. JOSEPH P. KENNEDY II

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 28, 1998

  Mr. KENNEDY of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay 
tribute to the two men who gave their last full measure of devotion in 
defense of the people's House, the U.S. Congress.
  Capitol Police Officers John Gibson and J.J. Chestnut leave behind 
friends and family who will mourn their sacrifice for years to come. 
Today, a grateful Nation mourns with them.
  Thousands of Americans are paying tribute as we speak, filing past 
their caskets in the Capitol Rotunda just a few hundred feet from where 
they died.
  In the last few days, we've learned a great deal about Officers 
Gibson and Chestnut--their love of family and country, the many 
kindnesses they showed over the years to everyone on Capitol Hill, from 
committee chairmen to wandering tourists.
  The focus on the lives of these two courageous men has been a 
poignant reminder of what America is really all about.
  In death, Officers Gibson and Chestnut have been hailed as heroes, 
but they were quiet heroes each and every day of their lives. They 
symbolize what all of us strive to achieve.
  J.J. Chestnut served his country in Vietnam, raised five children, 
loved gardening, and helped raise money in his neighborhood for college 
scholarships. He and his wife were often seen bicycling around their 
home in Fort Washington, MD.
  John Gibson, from the great State of Massachusetts, suffered from the 
regional maladay known as Red Sox Fever and shared his tragic 
affliction with all who would listen.
  John was married to the niece of my good friend and colleague Joe 
Moakley. A deeply religious man, John was devoted to his wife and their 
three teenage children and worked hard to give them a stable and loving 
home. In the Lake Ridge neighborhood of Woodbridge, VA, John was known 
for an easy smile, a generous laugh, and the best-kept lawn on the 
street.
  In some ways, these were ordinary men leading ordinary lives. But 
when duty called, they acted in extraordinary fashion. They acted just 
the way all who knew them always expected they would.
  Every one of us in this chamber owes them a special debt of 
gratitude, They served the Congress faithfully. They served the country 
faithfully. They swore an oath to protect and serve, and they died as 
they lived--holding true to those vows.
  There is nothing we can say or do to diminish the loss felt by those 
who loved these men and knew them best. But at one time or another, we 
have all lost friends, we have all lost brothers, we have all lost 
fathers, and so we share their loss as well.
  And today, we pause to remember not just what we have lost, but what 
Officers Gibson and Chestnut gave to each and every one of us: a lesson 
of bravery and courage under fire and a reminder of the greatest love 
of all--that of laying your life down for others.
  That's what these quiet heroes did. I'm grateful for the opportunity 
for us to come together as a Nation, here in the temple of democracy 
they gave their lives to defend, to offer them a final salute.
  My heart goes out to their families and all those who feel their loss 
most of all.
  Finally, I hope this tragic incident makes us look inside as a Nation 
to recognize the real meaning of Heroism--the selfless work that goes 
on each and every day by those who take an oath to protect us.
  I would ask that we look around us today and take a moment to 
appreciate the men and women of our law enforcement community who serve 
with courage and devotion.
  They are police officers and firefighters, soldiers and sailors, 
secret service and FBI agents. And, as we know too well, they are also 
mothers and fathers, husbands, sons, and daughters. Some serve in 
uniform, some do not, but each and every one carries the same badge of 
honor, and we should never, never, take them for granted.
  Because of the sacrifice of Officers Gibson and Chestnut, I know I 
never will.

                          ____________________