[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 127 (Monday, September 27, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H8829]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  TRIBUTE TO CHARLES HILLARD BLACKBURN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Green of Wisconsin). Under a previous 
order of the House, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-
McDonald) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I come tonight with a sad heart. 
A very close and dear friend of mine, Chuck Hillard Blackburn passed 
away last week at the age of 83. I was saddened, Mr. Speaker, because I 
was here doing the people's business in the people's House, that I was 
unable to go to pay my respects to such a fine American.
  There was something about Chuck that was very unusual. Chuck was a 
Republican. He loved being in the Republican Party. But after he met me 
and he joined forces with me, he changed his affiliation from the 
Republican Party to the Democratic Party and started working with me in 
my endeavors as I started early on running for the Carson City Council, 
on to the State legislature, and then here to Congress.
  In all three of those runs, Mr. Speaker, he was there for me. He 
managed my office. He made sure that the phone banks were covered. One 
could not have found an any more endearing person than Chuck Blackburn.
  Chuck often spoke about growing up in his State of Ohio, City of 
Springfield and, as a boy, how he enjoyed being with his father fishing 
and doing some of the great things that boys and fathers have a great 
relationship with. Then he moved to California. Again, enjoying his 
grandchildren, he did some of those same things that he had done with 
his father with his grandchildren.
  But I do not want to ignore the fact that Chuck served this country 
in three wars. A great veteran he was, always giving patriotism to this 
country, having served it very well.
  During his 27 years in the military, he often talked about the many 
strides and struggles and the many times that he had to go on the 
battlefield. But he did not regret, not a single bit of it, because he 
loved this country. Chuck Blackburn was an American who absolutely felt 
that being an American was the greatest thing in the world.
  Then after coming out of the military, having served for 27 years, he 
became a manager with the Kelly Services and was the manager there for 
10 years, after which he began to just do voluntary things there in the 
city of Carson.
  That is when he joined forces with me. From that point on, he was my 
friend, my devoted constituent, my really true trustworthy friend whom 
I could always depend on as I ran the campaigns.
  He was in the La Bon Temps social club, and it was a club where men 
would dress each year in their fine after-6 attire and have ballroom 
dancing and parties. He was known as a guy who was very soft on his 
feet or very smooth on his feet. He did the ballroom dancing like no 
one could. I can see him now with his tall slinky body, handsomely 
dressed in this tux, waltzing across the floor with his wife Eugenia, a 
great man, handsome man, a very great American.
  He attended the church of the Holy Communion with his wife, Eugenia, 
for many years. They were married some 24 years. In their years of 
marriage, they sought to have all of their grandchildren baptized here 
at the Church of the Holy Communion. Upon his death, that church was 
the place in which a memorial service was done for him.
  We will miss Chuck, a great guy, a true friend, a great American, a 
great patriot. But the one thing that I can say for him, that he loved 
this country. He loved the people, his neighbors, and he loved this 
congresswoman. I certainly cannot say enough for the fine gentleman he 
was. I will sorely miss him as we gear up for this election come the 
year 2000. But I know wherever Chuck is now, and I certainly will 
presume he is in heaven or assume he is, that he is saying, ``Now, you 
just go girl, because you have got to win this reelection. I am going 
to be there in spirit to make sure that those phone banks are covered, 
that those who come to volunteer will sign in, and that you will have 
victory come November of the year 2000.'' Good-bye Chuck.

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