[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 152 (Tuesday, November 2, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H11304-H11316]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONFERRING STATUS AS AN HONORARY VETERAN OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED 
                        FORCES ON ZACHARY FISHER

  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
joint resolution (H.J. Res. 46) conferring status as an honorary 
veteran of the United States Armed Forces on Zachary Fisher.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H.J. Res. 46

       Whereas the United States has only once before conferred on 
     an individual status as an honorary veteran of the United 
     States Armed Forces, when in Public Law 105-67 Congress 
     conferred that status on Leslie Townes (Bob) Hope;
       Whereas status as an honorary veteran of the United States 
     Armed Forces is and should remain an extraordinary honor not 
     lightly conferred nor frequently granted;
       Whereas the lifetime of accomplishments and generosity of 
     Zachary Fisher on behalf of United States military 
     servicemembers, veterans, and their families through a wide 
     range of philanthropic activities fully justifies the 
     conferring of such status;
       Whereas Zachary Fisher is himself not a veteran, having 
     attempted to enlist in the Armed Forces to serve his country 
     during World War II, but being informed that he was 
     ineligible due to a preexisting medical condition;
       Whereas Zachary Fisher and his wife Elizabeth have as 
     private citizens enhanced the lives of thousands of 
     servicemembers, veterans, and their families through a wide 
     range of philanthropic activities;
       Whereas Zachary Fisher has been honored by each of the 
     branches of the Armed Forces, by the Departments of Defense 
     and Veterans Affairs, and by the major veterans service 
     organizations for projects such as the preservation of the 
     USS INTREPID as a sea-air-space museum in New York harbor, 
     the establishment of the Fisher House program for relatives 
     of critically ill members of the Armed Forces and their 
     families, and the furnishing of scholarships and other 
     financial support to families who have lost a loved one in 
     service to their country; and
       Whereas Zachary Fisher has been awarded the Presidential 
     Medal of Freedom in recognition of his extraordinary 
     patriotism and philanthropy: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That 
     Congress--
       (1) extends its gratitude, on behalf of the American 
     people, to Zachary Fisher for his lifetime of accomplishments 
     and philanthropy on behalf of United States military 
     servicemembers; and
       (2) confers upon Zachary Fisher the status of an honorary 
     veteran of the United States Armed Forces.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arizona (Mr. Stump) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stump).


                             General Leave

  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous matter on this legislation.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Arizona?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, House Joint Resolution 46 is a joint resolution 
conferring status as an honorary veteran of the United States Armed 
Forces on Zachary Fisher.
  Mr. Fisher was a well-known ardent supporter of the U.S. military 
personnel and their families. Unfortunately, Mr. Fisher passed away 
last June. He was the founder of the Fisher Houses at military 
facilities, as well as on the grounds of the VA medical centers. 
Servicemembers and veterans or their families can stay at Fisher Houses 
while receiving medical treatment.
  The Fisher Houses are tangible evidence of Zachary Fisher's 
commitment to servicemen and their veterans, but more important, for 
the intangible comfort these respites provided during the difficult 
times for their families.
  In addition to the Fisher Houses, Zachary Fisher has established 
foundations that provided college scholarships to military dependents, 
and also gave generously to families and military members struck by 
tragic losses.
  Zachary Fisher's efforts on behalf of our men and women in uniform, 
as well as veterans and their families, have earned the honor we bestow 
today. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, before expressing my strong support for this resolution, 
I want to take a few moments to make some brief remarks commending and 
thanking Jill Cochran.
  Jill, as many Members know, is an outstanding individual who has 
served as a member of the Democratic staff of the Committee on 
Veterans' Affairs. She is a Democratic staff director on the 
Subcommittee on Benefits, who will be retiring early next month after a 
career of 25 years. During this time she has been devoted to working 
with and on behalf of our Nation's veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, Jill has played a significant role in fashioning much of 
the major veterans' legislation enacted by Congress during the past 25 
years. The list of her major contributions is so long I am unable to 
recite it in the time available. I will, however, recognize her many 
accomplishments in a statement in the near future.
  She will obviously be missed, but for everything there is a season. 
It would be easy to think about ourselves at this time and fret about 
her absence. Instead, we wish her only the best as she embarks on a new 
path in her life.
  At this time I merely want to say, thank you, Jill, for all you have 
done and accomplished for our Nation's servicemen and women.
  Mr. Speaker, I also rise in strong support of this resolution, which 
would confer status as an honorary veteran of the United States Armed 
Forces on Zachary Fisher. I regret that this action on this resolution 
was not completed before his death earlier this year, but I believe 
that approval of this

[[Page H11305]]

joint resolution will be meaningful to his widow, Elizabeth, and to the 
entire Fisher family. Certainly it would be a gesture of tremendous 
importance to the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces and to 
our veterans.
  To put it simply, Zachary Fisher loved his country. He loved those 
who served their country through their military service. The 
contributions made by Mr. And Mrs. Fisher which have enhanced the lives 
of many military personnel and their families, and have honored their 
service and sacrifice, are extraordinary.
  Mr. Fisher was a remarkable man who lived an extraordinary life. In 
his statement regarding Mr. Fisher's death, the President said, ``Mr. 
Fisher helped all Americans repay the tremendous debt we owe to our men 
and women who every day risk their lives to defend our country and to 
advance the cause of freedom around the world. I am proud to present 
him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom last Fall.''
  I am proud to stand in support of House Joint Resolution 46, and I 
urge my colleagues to support this measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.J. Res. 46, which would 
confer status as an honorary veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces on 
Zachary Fisher.
  I regret that action on this resolution was not completed prior to 
Mr. Fisher's death earlier this year, but I believe that approval of 
this joint resolution will be meaningful to Mr. Fisher's widow, 
Elizabeth, and to the entire Fisher family. Certainly, it will be a 
gesture of tremendous importance to the men and women who serve in 
America's Armed Forces and to America's veterans.
  To put it simply, Zachary Fisher loved his country--and he loved 
those who serve America through their military service. The 
contributions made by Mr. and Mrs. Fisher which have enhanced the lives 
of military personnel and their families--and have honored their 
service and sacrifice--are extraordinary.
  Saddened by the devastating effects on Marines and their families of 
the 1983 terrorist bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut, the 
Fishers established the Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher Armed Services 
Foundation.
  Through the foundation, the Fishers provided financial assistance to 
each of the families affected by this terrible tragedy. Subsequently, 
they established a scholarship program funded by the foundation and, 
since 1987, more than 700 students have gone to school as a result of 
the foundation's assistance.
  In 1990, the Fishers established the Fisher House Program, providing 
more than $15 million to establish comfortable temporary housing for 
the military families of patients receiving care at military and VA 
hospitals. More than 25 Fisher Houses have opened their doors and are 
now available to military families around the country.
  The Fishers have also provided the funding for charitable efforts 
such as the establishment of a child care center at the Camp Pendleton 
Marine Base and development of the CAMP Program, which provides 
services for the disabled children of military personnel at Lackland 
Air Force Base.
  The list of additional acts of generosity by Zachary and Elizabeth 
Fisher is almost endless. Mr. Fisher led the effort to save the 
aircraft carrier Intrepid from the scrap heap and contributed more than 
$25 million to convert the carrier into the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space 
Museum, located in New York City.
  He served as honorary chairman of the board of directors of the 
Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation and established the annual Chairman 
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Award for Excellence in Military Medicine.
  Zachary Fisher was also a strong supporter of the Jewish Institute of 
National Security Affairs, the George C. Marshall Foundation, the 
United Jewish Appeal, and countless other organizations.
  Mr. Speaker, Zachary Fisher was a remarkable man who lived an 
extraordinary live. In his statement regarding Mr. Fisher's death, 
President Clinton said, ``* * * Mr. Fisher helped all Americans repay 
the tremendous debt we owe to the men and women who every day risk 
their lives to defend our nation and advance the cause of freedom 
around the world. I was proud to present him with the Presidential 
Medal of Freedom last fall.''
  I am proud to stand in support of H.J. Res. 46--and I urge my 
colleagues to support this measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Hyde), chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me.
  Mr. Speaker, among the pantheon of great American patriots belongs 
the name of the late Zachary Fisher. His countless, and I mean 
countless, acts of kindness towards our military and their families 
over a long and full life are legendary. He went out and bought a 
carrier, the Intrepid, for several millions of dollars, and brought it 
to New York and turned it into a museum that still operates every day 
to show people the great exploits of our military.

                              {time}  1500

  Beyond what he has done for the military, his fight against the dread 
disease of Alzheimer's led him to found the Fisher Center for Alzheimer 
Research in New York, and when this dread disease is conquered it will 
be Zach Fisher and the medical team he has assembled, along with David 
Rockefeller and the president of the center, Mr. Michael Stern, who 
will deserve an important share of the credit.
  Zach Fisher lived a long life and he never stopped helping people, 
caring for people. He had a giant heart, a giant soul that animated one 
of God's very special people. I grieve his loss but I am so happy that 
he ever lived and I knew him and he was my friend.
  As a veteran, I am very proud to have Zachary Fisher declared through 
this act, legislative act, an honorary veteran. If anyone should be an 
honorary veteran, Zach Fisher should be. I want to thank the gentleman 
from Arizona (Mr. Stump), the chairman of the Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs, for his thoughtfulness in bringing this forward, and the 
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney), whose love and affection and 
concern for Zach Fisher manifests itself in drafting this marvelous 
resolution. I congratulate them both.
  Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from New 
York (Mrs. Maloney).
  (Mrs. MALONEY of New York asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend her remarks, and include extraneous material.)
  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Evans) for yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Joint Resolution 46 
that would confer honorary veteran status on a true American patriot, 
an individual who supported not only our Armed Forces and the 
Department of Defense but also the many Americans and their families at 
home, Zachary Fisher.
  Zach was an extraordinary man. He received every single honor our 
country could bestow on him, save one. He wanted to be a member of the 
military. He wanted to be a veteran.
  The bill before us today, which I authored along with the ranking 
member of the Defense Committee on Appropriations, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), the chairman of the Committee on 
Appropriations, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), and the 
chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Hyde), named Zachary Fisher an honorary veteran.
  This great honor has been given only once before in the history of 
our great Nation. This act before us, which I thank the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Sessions), the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stump), and the 
ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) for helping me 
bring before Congress today, makes Zachary Fisher an honorary veteran. 
It would have made him tremendously happy because it puts an official 
seal on what he already was, a member of the military family.

  Zachary Fisher had many accomplishments, activities and interests, 
but his great love was the military. I remember him explaining to me 
why it was so important to him. He tried to enlist during World War II 
but was turned down for physical disabilities which he received as a 
young man working on construction sites. Since he could not serve, he 
was especially grateful for those who served for him, for us, for our 
Nation. He spent the rest of his life serving the military in any way 
he could.
  Zach Fisher knew that it was not the accumulation of great wealth 
which he valued but the judicious use of that wealth for humanity. He 
often said to me, and I quote, it is not what I make in life but what I 
give that lives after me, and that lasts for eternity. By that

[[Page H11306]]

 standard, he was tremendously successful.
  Zach and Elizabeth Fisher created many foundations and found numerous 
ways to help the military. He saved the USS Intrepid from becoming 
scrap metal and turned this great ship into a sea-air-space museum in 
New York City Harbor. His dedication turned the USS Intrepid into a 
nationally-recognized museum with more than 500,000 visitors annually. 
Through the Fisher Armed Services Foundation he created the first 
Fisher House in 1990 to allow families to stay near their loved ones 
who undergo surgery and treatments at military hospitals and veteran 
medical centers. We all know the financial and emotional strain on a 
family when a loved one is in the hospital. Fisher Houses give these 
families a comfortable and affordable option near their loved ones. 
There are now more than 25 Fisher Houses across the United States from 
here in Washington, D.C. to San Diego, California. Mr. Fisher further 
expanded his foundation to provide scholarships to those who have 
served in the military. He provided scholarships to the sons and 
daughters of families who have lost a loved one in service so that they 
could go to college. More than 700 students have been able to go to 
college, a goal that might otherwise not have been there for them.
  Zach's most recent contribution was to create a partnership with the 
Rockefeller Foundation for a state of the art research center on 
Alzheimer's disease at Rockefeller University. In the halls of the 
Intrepid, there are numerous honors and awards on the walls. From each 
branch of the armed services, the Department of Defense and Veterans 
Affairs, the major veterans organizations, to the Presidential Medal of 
Freedom, Zach Fisher has been recognized for his contributions to the 
military. Now today we have the opportunity to give him the one award 
he desired the most, the honor of being a veteran of the armed services 
of the United States.
  I would like to add to the Record the listing of all the veterans 
organizations that endorse this legislation.
  I cannot conclude better than using the words of Zach Fisher's best 
friend Michael Stern. At Zach's funeral, he said, and I quote, ``I 
sought fitting words to say good-bye to my friend. I could not improve 
on the words of Ronald Reagan. Well done, soldier.''
  The following Organizations support H.J. Res. 46:

       Air Force Association (AFA), Air Force Sergeants 
     Association (AFSA), The American Legion Rhinelander East Side 
     Post 6, Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA), Assn. of 
     Military Surgeons of the United States (AMSUS), Association 
     of the United States Army (AUSA), Disabled American Veterans, 
     Commissioned Officers Assn. of the U.S. Public Health 
     Service, Inc., CWO and WO Association of the U.S. Coast 
     Guard, Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the 
     United States.
       Fleet Reserve Association (FRA), Gold Star Wives of 
     America, Inc., Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A., Marine 
     Corps League, Marine Corps Reserve Officers Association 
     (MCROA), National Guard Association of the United States 
     (NGAUS), National Military Family Association (NMFA), 
     National Order of Battlefield Commissions (NOBC), Naval 
     Enlisted Reserve Association (NERA), Naval Reserve 
     Association.
       Navy League of the United States, Reserve Officers 
     Association (ROA), The Military Chaplains Association of the 
     U.S.A., The Retired Enlisted Association (TREA), The Retired 
     Officers Association (TROA), The Society of Medical 
     Consultants to the Armed Forces, United Armed Forces 
     Association, U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers Assn., 
     U.S. Army Warrant Offices Association, United War Veterans' 
     Council of New York County, Veterans of Foreign Wars.

  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Young), the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations.
  (Mr. YOUNG of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House 
Joint Resolution 46, which bestows honorary veteran status upon Mr. 
Zachary Fisher.
  Zach Fisher was a true American hero who spent most of his adult life 
working behind the scenes in support of the men and women he loved who 
served in our Nation's military. It is most fitting today that we grant 
honorary veteran status to a man who longed to serve our Nation. 
Unfortunately, a construction injury left Zach unable to serve on 
active duty. He was turned down by the services because of a serious 
knee injury when he tried to join the Marine Corps during World War II. 
Unable to serve on the battlefield, he sought other ways to help those 
he so envied who served here and abroad, in war and in peacetime.
  The American public has probably never heard or read of Zach Fisher's 
good will and generosity, but he wanted it that way.
  When 241 Marines died in the tragic 1983 Beirut bombing, Zach Fisher 
sent each of the victim's children a $10,000 check for their college 
education. The total for the 113 children was $1,130,000.
  When 47 U.S. sailors died in a 1989 accident aboard the USS Iowa, 
Zach Fisher sent each family who lost a loved one a check for $25,000 
to help with their expenses at a very difficult time in their life.
  In all, with no public fanfare, the Fisher Armed Services Foundation 
has sent out checks to more than 600 families of service members who 
paid the ultimate price. It was Zach Fisher's way of saying thank you 
from a grateful nation and from a grateful Fisher family.
  His legacy of generosity and patriotism does not end there. Years 
ago, he learned of the plight of a wife of a seriously ill member of 
our military who could not afford a hotel room near the Bethesda Naval 
Medical Center. She had to ride two buses each way just to visit him at 
the hospital.
  Zach came up with the idea to build a house on the hospital's grounds 
where family members could stay and be near their loved ones in their 
greatest time of need.
  Today, there are 26 Fisher Houses on the grounds of U.S. military and 
veterans hospitals and two more under construction, including the first 
one abroad in Germany, where U.S. troops are stationed. These are 
beautiful homes that allow family members to be together at a most 
trying time in their lives. It is yet another way Zach Fisher and his 
family serve those who serve our Nation.
  To honor the legacy of courage and bravery with which Americans serve 
our country, one of Zach Fisher's greatest and proudest achievements 
was resurrecting the USS Intrepid into a living, floating museum. It 
took 17 years and more than $25 million to open the Intrepid Sea-Air-
Space Museum, the world's largest marine museum, which is now docked in 
Manhattan's Hudson River. It is one of New York City's most popular 
tourist spots, and hosts more than 600,000 visitors annually.
  Every May, it has become a New York tradition to kick off Fleet Week 
activities with a parade of ships from all over the world, usually 
watched over by Zach Fisher aboard the deck of the Intrepid. 
Oftentimes, he was joined by former presidents and our Nation's highest 
ranking military leaders. They all recognize how much Zach Fisher and 
his wife Elizabeth have given to our Nation's service members. They 
know his gifts came from the heart. He never sought public recognition 
for his good deeds, just as those who fought on the ground, in the air 
and at sea never sought public recognition for their acts of bravery.
  For all his quiet yet good work, President Clinton awarded Zach 
Fisher the 1998 Medal of Freedom, one of our Nation's highest civilian 
honors.
  Mr. Speaker, Zach Fisher's largess went far beyond those who serve in 
uniform. He loved children and several years ago he learned of a 
program at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas to care for a small 
population of special children of service members. The Department of 
Defense brings these children with severe physical problems and 
learning disorders together at Lackland to meet their special 
educational needs.
  When Zach Fisher learned that this program was housed in two old 
World War II quonset huts, he decided to do something about it. Today, 
we have the Admiral Jeremy Boorda Center for Children with Special 
Needs; a brand new, state-of-the-art facility that provides the best 
care possible for these children.
  One of the two Fisher Houses now under construction will serve as a 
Children's Inn for the families of children being cared for at the 
Boorda Center.
  In addition to his concern for our Nation's youngest citizens, Zach 
also was concerned about the terrible toll that Alzheimer's has taken 
on older Americans. He responded as only he could by

[[Page H11307]]

establishing the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research at the 
Rockefeller University in New York. This world renowned facility is 
sponsoring leading-edge research into the causes of and cures for 
Alzheimer's disease.
  As my colleagues can see, Zach Fisher never responded in a small way 
to a problem. He confronted problems large and small with the same 
spirit and energy and he always got results. In the end, those results 
have meant a better quality of life for the families of service 
members, for children and for older Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, the military coalition which represents all of our 
Nation's major veterans organizations has endorsed this legislation 
because they know how much Zach Fisher loved veterans and gave to our 
service members.
  I want to commend my colleague from New York Carolyn Maloney, for 
introducing this resolution, and my good friend from Illinois Henry 
Hyde for joining with me as an original cosponsor as we honor this 
unique special American. We all share a certain sense of sadness that 
Zach Fisher died last June before we could complete action on this 
legislation. His life-long dream was to join those he most loved as a 
veteran of our U.S. services. Today, for just the second time in our 
nation's history, we grant that special status as an honorary veteran.
  The Military Coalition, which represents all of our nation's major 
veterans service organizations, has endorsed this legislation because 
they know how much Zach Fisher loved veterans and gave to our service 
members.
  Mr. Speaker, when I first heard about Zack Fisher, I told many of my 
colleagues that this person was just too good to be true. There 
couldn't be anyone doing as much for his nation so quietly and with so 
little fan fare. It wasn't until I first met Zach Fisher that I found 
out he was even more kind and caring than the reports I had received. 
Nothing brought a bigger smile to his face than a hug or handshake from 
an enlisted service member or from a child visiting the INTREPID.
  Today I know Zach Fisher is looking down upon this House with that 
same glowing smile as a grateful nation says thank you to a true 
American hero who devoted his life and his generosity to our service 
members. He now stands shoulder to shoulder with all those past, 
present, and future who wear the uniform and who will forever be 
honored as veterans of our great country.
  Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Filner).
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Evans) for yielding me this time, and I thank the chairman for getting 
this resolution to the floor so quickly, and the ranking member for his 
support, and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) for this 
marvelous resolution.
  I think we have heard how important and how worthy Zach Fisher was, 
and without understating those achievements I would like to take a few 
minutes of the time that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs has on the 
floor today to recognize another person who I think is an honorary 
member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and that is the staff 
director of the Subcommittee on Benefits of the Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs on the Democratic side, Jill T. Cochran. She is retiring from 
this institution after 25 years of service. Many of us have been taught 
about the benefits that the veterans are due, from Jill Cochran.

                              {time}  1515

  I would say her investment in our veterans is legendary. She served 
for our esteemed colleague, former Member, Congressman Sonny 
Montgomery, and made a major contribution to the development of the 
Montgomery G.I. bill.
  She helped to formulate the Transition Assistance Program for 
separating service members to ease their transition from military to 
civilian employment. She worked closely on updating the Reemployment 
Rights for Veterans Program. She has had a great interest in Vocational 
Rehabilitation Program for Disabled Veterans, just to mention a few of 
the areas which she has contributed.
  She has received awards for her service to veterans for virtually 
every organization that serves veterans in our Nation. She has worked 
for such Chairs and ranking members as Bill Hefner, Marvin Leath, Wayne 
Dowdy, Tim Penny, Sonny Montgomery, the gentlewoman from California 
(Ms. Waters), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), and when he was 
a Congressman, Senator Tom Daschle.
  A mere recitation of Jill's accomplishments do not do her justice. 
She is a brilliant staff member who is warm and caring, funny and 
totally charging. She cares deeply about her work, her colleagues, and 
the Members of Congress for whom she works. But most of all, she cares 
for our veterans. She, I think, is worthy of the praise of many of us 
who want to express our gratefulness for her service on the Committee 
on Veterans' Affairs.
  So I join my colleagues, both on our committee and the Congress as a 
whole, to thank Jill Cochran for her professionalism, her dedication, 
her contribution to the veterans of our Nation. We will miss her.
  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Foley).
  Mr. FOLEY. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentleman from Arizona 
(Chairman Stump), the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) for 
their leadership on this very, very important resolution today.
  I come here today to also honor our good friend, Zachary Fisher. 
Everything has been said that probably can be said about his wonderful 
dedication to our veterans. Without question, there was no greater hero 
in the eyes of veterans, of current active-duty personnel, of all the 
military apparatus than Zachary Fisher.
  He not only led the fight, he put his money where his mouth was. He 
dedicated so much financial resources to American sailors and 
infantrymen that it is just beyond belief.
  But another side of Zachary Fisher I wanted to articulate was the 
love he had for his friends and his family. His wife Elizabeth, many 
have spoken about today, was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Many 
people in his financial position would be able to afford around-the-
clock nurses, which he did, and would have been able to keep his wife 
in a quiet, private place. But Zachary insisted at every function that 
Elizabeth accompany him to get whatever joy of life remained for that 
wonderful woman.
  Whether we were at La Cirque in New York or the Manalapan Club in 
Palm Beach, he always insisted that Elizabeth be there at his side, at 
his table. He would always at any event, whenever they were showering 
love and affection on Zachary, would stop and say, had it not been for 
Elizabeth, I could not have done all I have done. He honored and loved 
his wife and dedicated so much resources to the fight for a cure for 
Alzheimer's, again a true credit to him.
  Billy White is his chief of staff. I know he was like a son to 
Zachary, and he made Zachary's last years on this Earth exceedingly 
comfortable. He took care of every arrangement, every detail, and made 
certain that Zachary wanted for nothing. I know he left this world 
appreciative of the fact that Billy White served him so capably as 
chief of staff for his permanent office as well as the chief 
cheerleader for the Intrepid.
  We mentioned the Intrepid, which has seen many great, great 
extravaganzas on behalf of charities throughout New York, led to the 
revitalization of the waterfront and the Westside Highway, a phenomenal 
achievement by one man, one individual to honor the great ship 
Intrepid.
  Mike Stern was mentioned, again a wonderful ally, close advisor, 
trusted friend who worked tirelessly to make certain Zachary's wishes 
on every project that he undertook were completed to great success and 
to great satisfaction.
  So as we pay tribute to this veteran, more than anything else than we 
just speak the name Zachary Fisher, let us hope it instills in the 
young people of America that freedom is not free, that men and women 
have fought for the right for us to debate on this House floor, for us 
to be considered the greatest Nation on Earth because we have the 
strength and military superiority, came because of people like Zack 
Fisher who all, while they could not serve personally, dedicated 
themselves financially to make certain those that did were rewarded, 
not only in spirit, but in deed.
  I know others join me today in saluting this veteran, Zachary Fisher, 
as we honor and confer on him this status. He

[[Page H11308]]

has deserved every mention today in the Congressional Record, and we 
salute him in heaven and thank him for his work here on Earth.
  Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Edwards).
  Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, today, this House honors Mr. Zachary Fisher 
for his generous and tireless efforts on behalf of America's servicemen 
and women and veterans. I never knew Mr. Fisher personally, but his 
spirit of gratitude for our veterans and their sacrifices symbolizes 
America's debt of gratitude owed to all other veterans.
  In the spirit of Mr. Fisher, I also want to say thank you to another 
citizen who has dedicated her adult lifetime to service for our 
veterans, someone who is about to retire, my friend, the veterans' 
friend, Mrs. Jill T. Cochran.
  For 25 years, Mrs. Cochran has worked as a key staff member on the 
House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. For the past 15 years, Mrs. 
Cochran has been the Democratic staff director of the VA Subcommittee 
on Benefits, formerly the Subcommittee on Education, Training, 
Employment and Housing. It is amazing that, in this capacity, she has 
worked with nine subcommittee chairmen and ranking members.
  Millions of veterans, whether they know it by name or not, have 
benefited from Mrs. Cochran's appreciation for and love of veterans.
  Her quiet but effective fingerprints can be found on such major 
programs as the Montgomery G.I. bill, the Emergency Veterans Job 
Training Act, vocational rehabilitation for service, disabled veterans, 
and oversight of veterans preference in Federal jobs, only to mention a 
few.

  Mrs. Cochran has received more awards from veterans' organizations 
than any of us has time to list. But I have to believe that, as 
appreciative as I know Jill must be of these awards, I have got a 
feeling that her greatest satisfaction in her 25 years of work for 
veterans would be that her father, a distinguished veterans of World 
War II and former chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
would be proud of her.
  Mr. Teague, Tiger Teague, affectionately known as Mr. Veteran in this 
House for so many years, is now in his final resting place next to 
General Omar Bradley, the people's general, in Arlington National 
Cemetery.
  But I have to think that his spirit is soaring today with the belief, 
the understanding that his daughter has carried on the Teague family 
tradition of service to America's veterans.
  To Jill Cochran, my friend, I say, thank you. To Mrs. Freddie Teague, 
Jill's mother, I say, Job well done. To my political mentor, Tiger 
Teague, I say that his spirit and legacy lives on through his family 
and his daughter.
  My colleagues, it is amazing to think that, in a few days, for the 
first time since 1946, there will not be a Teague in the U.S. Capitol, 
fighting for veterans in association with the House Committee on 
Veterans' Affairs. But I know that the Teagues' love of veterans and 
their impact upon them will last far into the 21st century.
  To Zachary Fisher, to Jill Teague Cochran, let me say, on behalf of 
all of my colleagues, thank you for not letting our veterans ever be 
forgotten.
  Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Nadler).
  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House 
Joint Resolution 46, to confer honorary veteran status upon Zachary 
Fisher.
  Zachary Fisher made his career in the construction business and 
contributed some of the most important buildings to the New York City 
skyline. But his passion was for the men and women who served this 
Nation in the military. He championed this cause up until his death 
earlier this year.
  Zack Fisher was unable to serve in the military himself because of a 
leg injury sustained in a construction accident, but he became perhaps 
this Nation's most devoted advocate for the armed forces. Throughout 
his life, he dedicated himself to causes that supported and honored the 
veterans and service members of the United States military. He served 
as honorary chairman of the board of directors of the Marine Corps 
Scholarship Foundation and the Coast Guard Foundation.
  He established the annual Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Award 
for Excellence in Military Medicine. He founded the Fisher House to 
build homes for families of hospitalized military personnel. He gave 
generously to numerous philanthropic organizations that aid service men 
and women.
  But perhaps his most important legacy was the creation of the 
Intrepid Museum Foundation. In 1978, he spearheaded an effort to save 
the battle-scarred aircraft carrier Intrepid from the scrap heap and 
turned it instead into the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in 1982. 
Located on the Hudson River in my district, the Intrepid is a floating 
museum that hosts over 500,000 visitors each year of all ages and from 
all parts of the world. It educates thousands of school children each 
year and offers after-school and summer programs as well as vocational 
training and counseling.
  His tireless advocacy of causes related to the U.S. armed forces have 
earned him the Horatio Alger Award, the Presidential Citizens Medal, 
and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our Nation's highest civilian 
honor.
  Mr. Speaker, Zachary Fisher gave his life giving to men and women who 
serve this Nation in the armed forces, even though he himself was not 
able it. I know of no better way to honor his memory than to confer 
upon him the status of honorary veteran. I myself consider myself 
privileged to have known him.
  Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions).
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. 
Stump), the chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs for yielding 
me the time.
  Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record the following letters honoring 
Zack Fisher, written by political and military leaders, as follows:

                                                     June 7, 1999.
     Mrs. Elizabeth Fisher,
     Intrepid Museum Foundation, New York, NY.
       Dear Elizabeth: It was with an extremely heavy heart that I 
     heard of Zachary's passing. Please know that Zandi and I are 
     praying for you and your entire family as you struggle to 
     cope with this tragedy. I have no illusion that my personal 
     pain is in any way comparable to your own. I do, however, 
     want you to know that Zandi and I, and your entire Marine 
     Corps family, are grieving with you and want to help in any 
     way we can. We are here for you. If you need anything--
     anything at all--do not hesitate to ask.
       Zachary was one of the greatest patriots this country has 
     ever known. He did so much for our service men and women; it 
     is difficult to put into words what his life meant to us. He 
     was the quintessential ``good man'' and a fine American. We 
     shall--all of us--miss him very much.
       I am so very sorry for your loss. May God bless you and 
     hold you in the palms of His hands.
           Sincerely,

                                                  C.C. Krulak,

                                       General, U.S. Marine Corps,
     Commandant of the Marine Corps.
                                  ____



                                    Chief of Naval Operations,

                                                    June 29, 1999.
     Mrs. Elizabeth Fisher,
     Intrepid Museum Foundation, New York, NY.
       Dear Elizabeth: Garland and I were saddened to hear of the 
     recent passing of your beloved Zachary. He was a great friend 
     and a truly generous patriot. Our lives are enriched by his 
     friendship and example.
       Garland joins me in sending our deepest personal sympathy, 
     and want you to know that you and your family are in our 
     thoughts and prayers. If there is anything we can do for you, 
     please let us know. God Bless.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Jay L. Johnson,
     Admiral, U.S. Navy.
                                  ____

                                               Air Combat Command,


                                      Office of the Commander,

                             Langley A.F. Base, VA, June 23, 1999.
     Mrs. Elizabeth Fisher,
     The Intrepid Museum Foundation,
     New York, NY.
       Dear Elizabeth: On behalf of the men and women of Air 
     Combat Command and the many lives touched by a lifetime of 
     selfless dedication, I offer our heartfelt sympathy on the 
     passing of your beloved husband, Zach. We mourn with you and 
     offer our most sincere condolence in this time of sorrow.
       Zach served as a pillar of strength and a beacon of hope. A 
     grateful nation is indebted for the many patriotic and 
     charitable contributions. These noble causes were each 
     founded in a genuine concern for the welfare of his fellow 
     Americans. Though he can no longer be with us, he will 
     forever live in our minds and hearts.
       While words cannot begin to ease the pain, we wish you to 
     know that all of us are deeply

[[Page H11309]]

     concerned with what you and the entire Fisher family are 
     going through. We hope that our prayers can provide some 
     small comfort in the days ahead.
           Sincerely,
                                                Ralph E. Eberhart,
     General, USAF Commander.
                                  ____

                                             The Commandant of the


                                    United States Coast Guard,

                                    Washington, DC, June 22, 1999.
     Mrs. Elizabeth Fisher,
     The Intrepid Museum Foundation,
     New York, NY.
       Dear Elizabeth: Kay and I speak for the entire Coast Guard 
     family when we offer our condolences to you and the entire 
     Fisher family. Zach was truly an angel on earth, and we will 
     miss him daily.
       My personal goal in life will always be to leave evidence 
     of good will behind me. There was no better example for me to 
     follow than Zach. Please take comfort in the reality that 
     literally thousands of lives have been left the better 
     because he cared and acted.
       Our fondest memory may be the honor you both gave us to be 
     included at your 52nd wedding anniversary celebration. 
     Watching you dance and love each other so completely offered 
     us great insight about what marriage and devotion should be 
     all about.
       You will be kept in our prayers.
           Love,
     Jim and Kay Loy.
                                  ____

                                                     June 7, 1999.
     Mr. William Bryan White,
     Chief of Staff, Office of Zachary Fisher, New York, NY.
       Dear Bill: All of us, of course, are deeply saddened by the 
     loss of Zachary, but share your conviction that he has gone 
     on to a rich reward.
       Mouza and I ask that you send our thoughts and prayer on to 
     the family and to all of you who loved him.
       We shall never see his likes again.
           Sincerely,
                                               E. R. Zumwalt, Jr.,
     Admiral, USN (Ret.).
                                  ____

                                                   Chairman of the


                                        Joint Chiefs of Staff,

                                     Washington, DC, June 4, 1999.
     Mrs. Zachary Fisher,
     New York, NY.
       Dear Elizabeth: Please accept Carolyn's and my sincere 
     condolences on the death of Zachary. We are both greatly 
     saddened and profoundly pained. On behalf of the men and 
     women of the Armed Forces and Joint Chiefs of Staff, please 
     accept heartfelt sympathy at his passing.
       Zach was not only a personal friend, he was a tremendous 
     ally of America's military men and women, and their families. 
     An inspiring leader and a crusader for all that is right 
     about America, he was a pillar of strength for the countless 
     soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coastguardsmen he 
     helped over the years. Like the sailors of his beloved 
     Intrepid, as long as men and women go down to the sea in 
     ships, he will be remembered as the champion of our military 
     families and a great American, and he will be sorely missed.
       For all his greatness, for all his magnanimity, and for all 
     his generosity, I know that he considered his crowning 
     achievement and grandest blessing to be his long and loving 
     marriage to you.
       May the loving memories of his life be a source of comfort 
     to you and your family. With profound regret for your loss, 
     Carolyn's and my prayers are with you and your family.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Henry H. Shelton,
     Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
                                  ____

       To the Intrepid Family: The death of Zachary Fisher, an 
     American patriot, is a great loss to this country and the 
     Department of Defense. Mr. Fisher's generosity to service 
     members has been enduring and overwhelming and, for a private 
     citizen, perhaps unequaled. His actions went beyond simple 
     philanthropy; they spoke to the true needs of men and women 
     in uniform. Along with his wife, Elizabeth, Mr. Fisher was 
     widely known for standing with military families in their 
     darkest hours. In the midst of tragedies like the bombing of 
     the Marine barracks in Beirut and the USS Iowa gun turret 
     explosion, the Fishers provided financial assistance to over 
     340 of these grieving families. They also aided service 
     members and their families who could not afford college 
     tuition by awarding over 700 scholarships.
       One of the Fishers' most enduring legacies is the 26 Fisher 
     Houses they build around the country at a major military and 
     Veterans Administration hospitals over the past nine years. 
     These temporary living facilities have been ``homes away from 
     home'' for tens of thousands of families who could not 
     otherwise afford local lodging while tending loved ones 
     seriously injured or undergoing major medical procedures. Mr. 
     Fisher also has pledged money for military child-care centers 
     and programs for disabled children of military personnel.
       Zachary Fisher shone a light on military history and helped 
     inspire new generations of service members with the Intrepid 
     Museum, the aircraft carrier that was on the verge of being 
     scrapped. This vessel became the foundation of New York's 
     Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, which hosts over 500,000 
     visitors annually.
       Mr. Fisher's deeds stand as symbols of both our nation's 
     support and his love for the military men and women who serve 
     America. For these and other deeds of service, President 
     Clinton in 1998 conferred upon Mr. Fisher the Medal of 
     Freedom, our highest civilian award. We have lost not only a 
     supporter, but a very dear friend. His contributions will 
     live on, and his legacy will be generations of gratitude from 
     America's military community.
                                                 William S. Cohen,
     Office of the Secretary, DOD
                                  ____



                                        Secretary of the Army,

                                     Washington, DC, June 8, 1999.
     Mr. M. Anthony Fisher,
     Senior Partner, Fisher Brothers, New York, NY.
       Dear Tony: Eva and I offer our deepest condolence on the 
     death of your uncle.
       The men and women of the U.S. Army and their families, who 
     have benefited so much from the tremendous generosity of Mr. 
     and Mrs. Fisher, will forever hold his memory dear. I hope 
     that you will find great comfort in the knowledge that his 
     legacy lives on at our installations around the world.
       Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
           Sincerely,
     Louis Caldera.
                                  ____



                                   Secretary of the Air Force,

                                     Washington, DC, June 4, 1999.
     Mrs. Zachary Fisher,
     Intrepid Museum Foundation,
     New York, NY.
       Dear Mrs. Fisher: On behalf of all the men and women of the 
     United States Air Force, I want to express our deepest 
     sympathy to you and your family at the passing of your 
     beloved husband. America's men and women in uniform have been 
     the beneficiaries of Zachary's unwavering patriotism and 
     total devotion to his country. While he will be greatly 
     missed, he will never be forgotten. He will always remain in 
     the hearts of those he helped in their time of need. While 
     many people do impressive deeds, Zachary's legacy of caring 
     eclipses all.
       Although there is little that can be said to lessen your 
     grief, Monnie and I extend our heartfelt condolences. You are 
     in the thoughts and prayers of a very grateful Air Force 
     family.
           Sincerely,
                                                F. Whitten Peters,
     Acting Secretary of the Air Force.
                                  ____

                                              Vice Chairman of the


                                        Joint Chiefs of Staff,

                                     Washington, DC, June 7, 1999.
     Mrs. Elizabeth Fisher,
     Intrepid Museum Foundation,
     New York, NY.
       Dear Elizabeth: Dede and I learned of Zach's passing with 
     great sadness and want to express our heartfelt condolences. 
     He was truly one of the Defense Department's most 
     distinguished and respected friends, and will be sorely 
     missed. During this most difficult time, may the knowledge 
     that countless uniformed personnel and their families have 
     and will continue to be blessed by his life of dedicated 
     service provide comfort to you and your family.
       Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. If 
     there is anything at all that Dede and I can do to help, 
     please don't hesitate to call on us.
           Most sincerely,
                                                Joseph W. Ralston,
     General, USAF.
                                  ____

                                               United States Army,


                                           The Chief of Staff,

                                                     July 8, 1999.
     Mrs. Zachary Fisher,
     Intrepid Museum Foundation,
     New York, NY.
       Dear Mrs. Fisher: Patty and I wish to express our heartfelt 
     condolences to you. The death of Zachary Fisher is a great 
     loss to America's Army. The contributions he made to the 
     welfare of soldiers and their families is a great part of his 
     legacy. It is a legacy that will live on through the many 
     foundations he established that will continue to serve not 
     only the military but all of America.
       The thoughts and prayers of soldiers all over the world are 
     with the entire Fisher family.
           Respectfully,
                                                 Eric K. Shinseki,
     General, United States Army.
                                  ____

                                                    June 11, 1999.
     Ms. Sunny Kenosky,
     Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum,
     New York, NY.
       Dear Sunny: Pat and I were mortified that we simply were 
     unable to attend Zach's service on June 7. Unfortunately we 
     were hosts of a similar service here in Washington for a 
     deceased long time employee and could not change the 
     circumstances.
       Be aware that you and the family are in our prayers at this 
     difficult time. You, of course, can be very proud of Zack who 
     was above all a patriot and philanthropist of unmatched 
     generosity.
       Pat and I were proud to have known Zack. If feasible, 
     please convey our condolences to Elizabeth.
           Sincerely,
     Alexander Haig.
                                  ____

                                                     June 9, 1999.
     William Bryan White, Esq.:
       Dear Mr. White; I was greatly saddened to receive your fax 
     telling me of Mr. Fisher's death. I would be most grateful if 
     you would pass on to his family my deepest sympathy at their 
     loss.

[[Page H11310]]

       I shall always remember my own visit to the Intrepid 
     Museum. Mr. Fisher was an inspiration to all those who knew 
     him and his infectious enthusiasm brought history to life. 
     His remarkable achievement in preserving such a vital part of 
     the past as a reminder to future generations of the sacrifice 
     made by the United States armed forces will be a permanent 
     memorial to him.
       With all kind thought and sympathies,
           Your sincerely,
                                                 Margaret Thatcher
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 46, legislation 
to confer honorary veterans status on Zachary Fisher. Designating 
Zachary Fisher an honorary veteran offers Congress an opportunity to 
express our gratitude to an individual who has done so much for our 
country and for those who fight to protect our freedom.
  We also give thanks and recognition to his wife, Elizabeth, and his 
family for their lifetime support of the United States armed forces.
  Zachary Fisher selflessly gave his time, energy, and strength to the 
country that he loved very much. As the United States became involved 
in World War II, Zack Fisher quit his job in the construction industry 
with the hopes of joining the armed forces, but was denied enlistment 
due to a leg injury.
  Being unable to join the armed forces was devastating to Zack Fisher. 
However, it did not take him long to find another way to participate in 
the war effort. He used his construction know-how to build coastal 
defenses along our United States coast along with the Army Corps of 
Engineers.
  After the war, Zack Fisher achieved great success in the construction 
industry, helping to shape the skyline of New York City. Despite being 
unable to serve in the military, Zack Fisher decided to share his 
success with those who served on the battlefield to protect our freedom 
and was especially generous in helping the families of those who died 
for our country.
  Mr. Fisher spearheaded an effort to preserve the USS Intrepid as a 
floating museum honoring American veterans. The Intrepid, which is now 
permanently docked in Manhattan, commemorates the bravery and sacrifice 
of our own forces and is visited by hundreds of thousands of Americans 
each year.
  Mr. Fisher, along with his wife, also established the Elizabeth and 
Zachary Fisher Armed Services Foundation to provide financial 
assistance to families of those who gave their lives in service to our 
country. The foundation also provides scholarships to the children of 
those heroes.
  In 1990, the Fishers were told the story of a wife of veterans who 
could not afford to stay at a hotel near the VA hospital where her 
husband was receiving treatment. Inspired by this, the Fishers built 
homes near veterans hospitals designed to keep family members 
comfortable and to be close to their loved ones. Despite this 
generosity, Mr. Fisher never stepped into the limelight. He chose to 
let his work and his gifts speak for themselves.
  Mr. Fisher never stopped working for our Nation's veterans until his 
death last summer at the age of 88.

                              {time}  1530

  Mr. Speaker, Zachary Fisher's generosity and patriotism is an 
inspiration to all of us. Congress should recognize his legacy of 
respect for those who protect our freedom by passing this legislation 
and conferring honorary veteran status to Zachary Fisher.
  Mr. Speaker, Zachary Fisher was a personal friend of this country; he 
was a fine American, patriot, and a long-time friend to my family and 
my father, who knew him when he served in the Bush and Reagan 
administrations. I also greatly appreciate knowing Zachary Fisher.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank also, in particular, the 
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) for sponsoring this 
legislation, as well as the chairman of the committee, the gentleman 
from Arizona (Mr. Stump); and I would like to thank the Committee on 
Veterans' Affairs for working with me on this to bring it to the House 
floor.
  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New 
York (Mrs. Maloney).
  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding me this time, and on behalf of the family, Mrs. Elizabeth 
Fisher, Anthony Fisher, Richard Fisher, Arnold Fisher, Michael Stern, 
Billy White, and many others, I would like to place in the Record, 
along with my colleagues in this bipartisan effort, letters from 
President Clinton, former President Bush, the former First Lady, Nancy 
Reagan, prominent religious leaders, political leaders, and many, many 
friends and supporters.


                                              The White House,

                                     Washington, DC, June 9, 1999.
     Elizabeth Fisher,
     One Intrepid Square, West 46th & 12th Avenue, New York, NY.
       Dear Elizabeth: We were so saddened to learn of Zachary's 
     death and wanted to extend our deepest sympathy to you and 
     your family during this difficult time.
       As demonstrated by Zachary's remarkable career and 
     extraordinary awards such as the Presidential Citizens Medal 
     and the National Medal of Freedom, he was a noble and 
     wonderful individual who well deserved his reputation as a 
     patriot and humanitarian. His contributions to our country 
     are an example for us all. From his support to American armed 
     forces and their families, to his distinguished commitment 
     against the struggle of Alzheimer's disease, he'll long be 
     remembered and deeply missed by those who were privileged to 
     know him and to be inspired by his generosity and service.
       With lasting gratitude and respect to Zachary's 
     accomplishments, we send our heartfelt condolences to you, 
     Larry, Ginny, and all of your family. We'll be keeping you 
     all in our prayers.
           Sincerely,
     Hillary Rodham Clinton.
     Bill Clinton.
                                  ____



                                                  George Bush,

                                                     June 6, 1999.
       Dear Elizabeth, Your husband Zach, our friend Zach, was 
     just about the kindest most generous man I ever met. Besides 
     all that he was what I would call a genuine patriot.
       None of us who believe in and back our armed forces will 
     ever forget all he did in support of the military and their 
     families.
       Barbara and I will never forget his many kindnesses to us. 
     We feel we have lost a dear friend.
       In these days of sadness and grief we send you our most 
     sincere and respectful condolences.
     George Bush.
                                  ____



                                       Office of Nancy Reagan,

                                                     June 7, 1999.
     Mrs. Zachary Fisher,
     1 Intrepid Square, West 46th Street & 12th Avenue, New York, 
         N.Y.
       Dear Elizabeth, Ronnie and I were so sorry to learn about 
     Zachary's death last Friday. After fifty six years of love, 
     marriage and partnership that knew no bounds, there are 
     certainly no words to ease the pain at this difficult time. 
     However, we want you to know that you are in our thoughts and 
     prayers.
       Zachary Fisher was truly a remarkable man, who loved life 
     and served as an inspiration to many. He rose from humble 
     beginnings, worked hard for many years and then, when he 
     could have taken an easy retirement, he began a whole new 
     career of ``giving.'' Zach gave and gave and just when 
     everyone else thought there was no more to give, he always 
     came through again.
       There are so many examples, and although Zach was never 
     looking for the credit or even a pat on the back, we all know 
     the truth. It is because of him that young people have 
     attended college with badly needed scholarships, the 
     historically important Intrepid has been preserved, our 
     nation's military bases are filled with Fisher Houses to aid 
     military families in times of medical emergencies and 
     thousands of Alzheimer's victims have been given hope for the 
     future. Zachary Fisher made a difference--and because of this 
     we should never forget him.
       Elizabeth, on a personal note, we will always cherish our 
     evening on the Intrepid in September, 1993. Ronnie said that 
     evening that Zachary Fisher was an American hero and there's 
     no question that is true. He loved our country and her people 
     as much as anyone could. If we could be with you today as you 
     honor Zach's life, I know that Ronnie would be proud, as the 
     former Commander in Chief, to salute Zach one last time and 
     tell him, ``Job well done, soldier.''
       Please know that we are praying for you at this time.
           Sincerely,
     Nancy Reagan.
                                  ____


            Mr. Bill White, Chief of Staff to Zachary Fisher

       Good morning Mrs. Fisher, Mr. Larry Fisher, Mrs. Ginny Ross 
     and the entire Fisher family. Distinguished guests, ladies 
     and gentlemen, we at Intrepid wish to welcome all of you. We 
     thank you for taking the time to be part of this event. 
     Today, we gather to pay tribute to our beloved Chairman, 
     Founder, and above all, our friend--Zachary Fisher.
       You will shortly hear from members of Mr. Fisher's family 
     and from those whose lives he has touched. His family felt it 
     appropriate to hold this service here at the Intrepid Sea Air 
     Space Museum. Fearless, brave, and courageous are words that 
     describe this ship. They are also words that describe the man 
     we honor. Zachary Fisher--you are Intrepid.
       Mr. Fisher often quoted the philosopher Kahlil Gibran, who 
     said, ``He who gives of

[[Page H11311]]

     material things gives nothing . . . But he who gives of 
     himself gives all.'' Zachary Fisher gave his all to 
     everything he was involved with and to everyone he cared 
     about.
       I was reminded by Ken Tomlinson at one of those famous 
     lunches at the Twenty-One Club eight years ago that Zachary 
     said, ``See how easily this breaks?'' snapping a single 
     wooden match. ``Now try to break these,'' he said handing me 
     a grouping of seven matches. Held together, they could not be 
     broken. ``It's the same with family,'' Zachary said. ``If the 
     family sticks together, no one can break you . . . It is a 
     lesson my father taught us many years ago.''
       So it is fitting that last night at the chapel after 
     talking with Sunnie, Anne and Tony, there are three important 
     things with Zachary right now. There is a picture of him and 
     Elizabeth, because no one was more important than Elizabeth. 
     A picture of all of the Fisher brothers, because no one was 
     more important than them. And a piece of the wooden flight 
     deck of Intrepid from 1943 from which one of the people here 
     carved out a mini Intrepid carrier. It's about five inches 
     long. Two of the former crew members who served on this very 
     ship during World War II and are here today signed the bottom 
     of it. Zachary is holding that right now.
       I hope that today when you leave this special place 
     dedicated to the nation that Zachary loved so much, you carry 
     with you the memory of this very special individual--someone 
     who has truly touched all of our lives and reinforced for us 
     the thought that God really does create extraordinary people. 
     Zachary, it has truly been an honor to represent you the past 
     eight years. You are my inspiration, my friend and my hero. I 
     will never forget you, and I will always be grateful to you 
     for allowing me to be part of your life.
       At this time, I would like to introduce our Master of 
     Ceremonies, a longtime friend of Zachary Fisher, and a man 
     who truly needs no introduction, Mr. Walter Cronkite. As Tex 
     McCrary says, ``Mr. Cronkite, the bridge is yours.''
                                  ____


 Mr. Walter Cronkite, Master of Ceremonies/Special Correspondent, CBS 
                                  News

       Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Intrepid today. We are 
     glad that you could all join us for today's ceremony. It is 
     most appropriate that we gather on board Intrepid today, 
     because this ship meant so much to Zachary. When he undertook 
     the mission to save this ship from the scrapyard, he launched 
     himself on a course that would eventually make Elizabeth and 
     him our country's most generous supporters of the men and 
     women of the Armed Forces. He cared deeply for the young 
     people who are willing to put their lives on the line every 
     day to defend our nation and the principles we all hold so 
     dear. It is heartwarming to see that we have been joined 
     today by America's senior military leadership, along with 
     hundreds of Zachary's other friends. Thank you for being with 
     us.
                                  ____


 The Honorable Henry J. Hyde, Chairman of The House Judiciary Committee

       Distinguished friends, guests, the Fisher family and, 
     especially, Elizabeth, I just have two simple ideas I would 
     like to assert. If everyone for whom Zachary Fisher performed 
     a loving service were to bring one blossom and put it on his 
     casket, he would sleep under a wilderness of flowers.
       In 1666, London was devastated by a terrible fire, almost 
     wiped out, and out of the ashes a genius named Christopher 
     Wren, another builder, arose and almost singlehandedly 
     rebuilt London. His crowning achievement was the Cathedral of 
     St. Paul. If you go in the back, beneath the floor, he is 
     buried. And you kick the dust away--the Latin words ``Se 
     requeris monumentum circumspace''--``If you would seek his 
     monument, look around.'' That applies perfectly to Zachary. 
     If you would seek his monument, look at the Intrepid, look at 
     the Fisher Houses, look at the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's 
     Research. Look at every serviceman and servicewoman all over 
     the globe and you see his monument.
       This is a time for sorrow, for lamentation, for grief, but 
     it also is a time for thanksgiving. We should thank God that 
     such a man lived and we knew him.
                                  ____


                   Rabbi Judith Lewis, Temple Israel

       Zachary Fisher wore the name of a Biblical prophet of 
     ancient Israel, Zachariah. Zachariah, the Biblical prophet, 
     lived during the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. The 
     Jews had been granted permission to return to their promised 
     land to rebuild their sacred shrine in their capital city. 
     Zachariah, the Prophet, spoke the language of builders. He 
     described the technical aspects of constructing that major 
     edifice.
       At the same time, he had a universal Messianic vision of 
     religion. ``These are the things that you must do,'' said 
     Zachariah. ``Speak truthfully with your neighbor. Execute the 
     judgment of truth and of peace within your gates. Let no one 
     devise evil in your heart against your neighbor nor approve 
     of false oaths.''
       Then he prophesied the one God of Israel would have 
     dominion over all the world. Zachariah was the author of a 
     famous passage with which we close every worship service to 
     this day. He said, ``On that day the Lord will be One and His 
     name will be One.''
       If we live the ideals of our religion, then all people will 
     eventually recognize that we all share one creator. Zachary 
     Fisher lived through the rebuilding of the modern State of 
     Israel. His family has been among the most generous 
     supporters of the homeland of the Jewish people. Yet Zachary 
     was a man of the Diaspora. He was an American, a proud 
     patriot. He believed in the ideals of this country, the 
     ideals of equality, opportunity, freedom and justice.
       He loved the military not because of its might and power 
     but because of the values this country cherishes, because of 
     the ideals of American democracy, ideals that are worth 
     sacrificing our lives to protect. Zachary Fisher stood in awe 
     of those who were willing to place their own lives on the 
     line to defend others, to fight for what he believed was 
     right. His admiration and reverence for heads of state, for 
     politicians and officials, for military leaders and rulers of 
     nations, for people with the power to change the world was 
     palpable, genuine and sincere.
       For Zachary Fisher was a man of faith, a true idealist who 
     gloried in the fact that he could demonstrate his commitments 
     in grand public gestures. But the motivation behind those 
     gestures was a quiet, sincere, idealistic belief in the power 
     of humanity to cure the evils of this world. In his memory 
     may we commit our lives to that task.
       God, you have been our refuge in every generation, before 
     the mountains came into being, before you brought forth the 
     earth and the world. From eternity to eternity, you are God. 
     You return us to dust, decreeing, `Return O mortal ones,' for 
     in your sight a thousand years are as yesterday, when it has 
     passed as a watch in the night. You engulf us in sleep. We 
     are like grass that renews itself. At daybreak it flourishes 
     anew; at dusk it withers and dries up.
       The span of our life may be three score years and ten or, 
     given strength, four score years or more, but the best of 
     those years have trouble and sorrow. They pass by speedily 
     and we are in darkness. Teach us, therefore, so to number our 
     days that we may attain a heart of wisdom. Turn to us, O God; 
     show mercy to your servants. Satisfy us at daybreak with your 
     steadfast love that we may sing for joy all our days. Let 
     your deeds be seen by your servants, your glory by their 
     children. May your favor, oh God, be upon us. Establish also 
     the work of our hands that it may long endure.
                                  ____


     Mr. Michael Stern, Chief Operating Officer, Fisher Center for 
                Alzheimer's Disease Research Foundation

       Zachary often told me that the measure of a man's success 
     was not the wealth he accumulated during his lifetime, but 
     the good that he did that lived on after him. By that measure 
     he was extraordinarily successful. Zachary did not limit 
     himself to grand deeds, though there were many.
       During the war in the Pacific, the Intrepid was hit by a 
     Kamikaze plane. Burning fuel oil doused a crew in a gun tub. 
     A handful of sailors on deck threw themselves into the 
     inferno to help save their burning comrades. The heroic 
     sailors were awarded the Navy Cross--all but one; he was 
     black. He received an inferior award. For fifty years he 
     sought to rectify the error. His story finally reached Zach 
     Fisher. At that year's Fleet Week dinner, Ronald Reagan 
     pinned the Navy Cross on his chest.
       President Reagan concluded his speech that night by 
     extolling Zachary Fisher and saying, ``As former Commander in 
     Chief of our Armed Forces, I say, `Well done, soldier!' '' 
     There was a thunderous applause and hardly a dry eye.
       I have been asked many times why Zach has concentrated on 
     the military. The answer is simple. Zach tried to enlist but 
     was turned down for physical disabilities. Since he couldn't 
     serve himself, he spent a lifetime serving those who served 
     for him--and for us.
       There is now a bill before Congress to name Zachary Fisher 
     an honorary veteran. This has only been bestowed once before 
     in the history of our nation. The bill was presented by 
     Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney with the backing of the 
     powerful Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Bill 
     Young. Both are seated amongst our mourners. This act of 
     Congress would have made him justly proud, because it puts an 
     official seal on what he already was--a member of the 
     military family.
       Zach has been my friend for almost half a century. We have 
     worked together in the foundation for many years and I am 
     proud to have stood tall in his shadow. I sought fitting 
     words to say goodbye to my friend; I could not improve on the 
     words of Ronald Reagan--``Well done, soldier!''
                                  ____


              Mr. Arnold Fisher, Nephew of Zachary Fisher

       I am privileged to say a few words about my Uncle Zach. 
     Although much will be said about Zach, my father, larry, and 
     their brother, Martin, and how they started as hard working 
     bricklayers and contractors, and others will focus on the 
     growth of Fisher Brothers into one of the premier real estate 
     partnerships in the country, I feel that a more personal 
     testimonial to Zach is to share with you some of my thoughts.
       Our business is known for its rough and tough nature. 
     Building on Manhattan Island is demanding, frustrating and 
     difficult in the best of times. The men who build modern New 
     York had to be equally tough or they would have failed. The 
     Fisher brothers were, and are, no different. That make Zach 
     Fisher's emergence as a man recognized by presidents, prime 
     ministers, generals, admirals and the common, everyday 
     soldier, sailor,

[[Page H11312]]

     airmen, marine and coast guardsman as a man of uncommon 
     compassion all the more unique.
       While most men blessed with the good fortune of a Zach 
     Fisher would have settled into a life of leisure and luxury 
     during their later years, Uncle Zach found an entire new 
     focus for his life--His military family and friends. While 
     his contemporaries were golfing and cruising, Zach spent many 
     of his weekends aboard his beloved Intrepid, hosting parties 
     for the visiting men and women in uniform, chairing memorial 
     services for those who has given their last full measure in 
     our nation's service and in general, ensuring that our 
     nation's armed forces would never be forgotten.
       Whether it was the welcome home of the Vietnam veterans or 
     the celebration of Fleet Week that he initiated, Zach loved 
     the company of young men and women of the United States 
     military. Zach had his close friends among generals and 
     admirals but it was to the everday soldier, sailor, airmen, 
     marine and coast guardsman that he devoted his full energy.
       He built 26 Fisher Houses adjacent to military hospitals 
     across the country for a pure and simple reason--Zach wanted 
     the service families to have a clean, comfortable home in 
     which to wait for the recovery of their loved ones. Whether 
     in war or peace, if events claimed the life of one of more of 
     his military family, Zach immediately established 
     scholarships to ensure that the children of the military 
     would not be forgotten.
       In all ways and at all times, Zach was here for his 
     military family. Even the accolade of ``America's foremost 
     military philanthropist'' fails to capture the love and 
     passion that motivated him. Others could do good work but 
     Zach was taking care of his family. Zach's love and 
     compassion were nowhere more evident than his complete 
     devotion to this wife, Elizabeth. Wherever Zach went, always 
     at his side was Elizabeth. And as Elizabeth's battle with her 
     illness became more demanding, Zach intensified his 
     partnership in the battle. He founded one of the foremost 
     research efforts in the fight to find a cure for Alzheimer's. 
     Until his last day, his love for Elizabeth and his complete 
     devotion to her never waned; it grew. Zach's commitment to 
     his wife is an example to all of us.
       So what of my Uncle Zach? Chiseled out of the granite of 
     the New York construction business, Zach was the beacon of 
     kindness and gentleness that is so rare in America today. He 
     touched millions through his generosity and compassion. He 
     brought grace to our lives. He will be missed. I will miss 
     him.
       Zach, thank you for showing us the way, for we will follow.
                                  ____


              Mr. Richard Fisher, Nephew of Zachary Fisher

       To all of us gathered here, Zachary Fisher was a monument 
     of a man. But rather than speak of the monument, I would like 
     to take a moment to speak of the man himself. To quote 
     someone wiser than I, ``This was a spacious man who carried a 
     kind of innocence that had no tincture of naivete in it.'' 
     There was nothing narrow or confined, or confining, about 
     Zachary.
       Horatio Alger could not have written a more dramatic, 
     unbelievable story of a bricklayer who became an immensely 
     successful businessman, who then effectively retired to start 
     an entirely new career in the gracious and generous service 
     of his country, for which he won the Medal of Freedom, our 
     nation's highest civilian award. But in the spaciousness of 
     his character we should also remember that he was for his 
     brother, Larry, his best and dearest friend. For us, his 
     nieces and nephews, he was our dearest, kindest, gentlest, 
     beloved uncle.
       What we need to understand about this man's character and 
     vision was that while it played out on the immense stage of 
     our country--whether through the Intrepid, The Fisher Houses 
     and the Alzheimer's Foundation, to name just a few--it 
     continued without abatement to play out within our family 
     with equal energy and grace.
       The public praise of this extraordinary human being you 
     already know and will hear again. Know how well deserved it 
     is. But that other dimension of this man--our brother, our 
     husband, our uncle--is equally monumental, because when he 
     moved onto that much bigger stage, he will still retained his 
     delightful innocence, his vision and his pride in and for our 
     family.
       Zachary taught and gave us character. He brought us the 
     spaciousness of his dignity, together with the pure innocence 
     of his ideals and principles. For that we cannot thank him 
     enough, nor honor him sufficiently. He shall be missed, most 
     of all for the pure sweetness of his character.
                                  ____


            Mr. M. Anthony Fisher, Nephew of Zachary Fisher

       Today is, in many ways, a celebration of the extraordinary 
     accomplishments of a great man, Zach Fisher. He was an 
     exemplary philanthropist, patriot, businessman, and a true 
     gentleman. He has been acknowledged as such many times over 
     with the numerous honors and medals that have been awarded 
     over the years. The most impressive, of course, is the Medal 
     of Freedom, which the President gave him this past September.
       There are a few awards that don't exist that I wish did. 
     The first one would be the Golden Mensch Award. I am sure all 
     of the members of my family who are sitting here today would 
     agree that one of my Uncle Zach's greatest qualities was that 
     he was always willing to lend a sympathetic ear. This was 
     especially comforting to know on a day when you had been in 
     to see my other beloved uncle, Larry, and you had suffered a 
     well-deserved tongue lashing. It's true. Zach was always 
     there to pick up the pieces and to put things in perspective.
       Together, Larry and Zach were a formidable team. They took 
     the concept of good cop/bad cop to new heights and, in doing 
     so, taught us much, including the invaluable lesson of 
     teamwork amongst family. This notion of family was so 
     strongly ingrained in Zach that it was the foundation upon 
     which his life's ideology was built. I will always remember 
     the day, very early on in my career at Fisher Brothers, that 
     Zach called me into his office. Similar to the experience 
     that Bill White had, he said to me, ``Try and break this 
     match''. I took it, and I did. Then he handed me a bundle and 
     said, ``Now try and break this bundle''. When I couldn't, he 
     said ``Now, that's family for you. If we stick together, we 
     will stay strong.''
       I believe that, throughout the years, I have learned much 
     from Uncle Zach's example--even more than his words. It was 
     never necessary to ask him for help, because he was always 
     two steps ahead of you. For that lesson, I say, ``Thank you, 
     Zach.''
       So, today, as we review the life of a man who I truly 
     loved, I would like to bestow upon him one last honor: it 
     would be a medal for a life well lived.
                                  ____


    His Eminence John Cardinal O'Connor, The Archbishop of New York

       It must be providential that just about an hour ago I was 
     privileged to receive in my residence Rabbi Ruden, Jim Ruden, 
     together with Members of the Board of the American Jewish 
     Committee. They had come to give me a check for $100,000 to 
     be transmitted to the Catholic Relief Services to assist in 
     the building of a Catholic school in Macedona for refugees 
     from Kosovo.
       I told them very explicitly when they gave me the check 
     that I was coming here and that this was the kind of thing 
     that Zach Fisher has been inspiring for years and years and 
     years with absolutely no distinction of race, creed, color or 
     any other differentiating characteristic.
       When I think of him, I think of the words of Tennyson, 
     ``Shall I ask the brave soldier who dies by my side in the 
     cause of mankind if our creeds agree?''
       I think, too, of a little story that old time newspaperman, 
     George Sekowski, once wrote about a young sailor named Joe 
     Callahan. Joe Callahan's brother, Jim, had been killed during 
     one of the wars in the Pacific. When his ship was near that 
     particular island, he asked the lieutenant if he could go 
     ashore to visit the grave of his brother, who was buried 
     there.
       The lieutenant not only permitted it but went with him. He 
     arrived in the cemetery, found the grave of his brother, Jim, 
     Jim Callahan, Irish Catholic. Beside Jim Callahan's grave on 
     one side was the grave of Luther Brown, Lutheran, and on the 
     other side was the grave of Isaac Goldberg, Jew.
       Young Joe Callahan said a prayer over each grave. Then he 
     looked up at the lieutenant. He said, ``Gee, Lieutenant, my 
     brother always did keep swell company.''
       Anyone who was ever privileged to spend even a few moments 
     in the presence of Zach Fisher knew that he was truly in 
     swell company. Tony Fisher, you and your lovely wife, Anne--
     who were gracious enough to come to my Mass at St. Patrick's 
     Cathedral yesterday, when I tried, to the best of my ability 
     in accordance with my Catholic faith, to honor this truly 
     noble Jew, Zachary Fisher, and to invite several thousand 
     people to pray for him and for all of the family--I doubt 
     that you would be offended if I offered you, for all of the 
     Fisher family, perhaps, the one little gift that they don't 
     have and would never expect to receive, a Cardinalatial 
     yarmulke. May I leave this with you? Thank you.
                                  ____


  The Honorable Rudolph W. Giuliani, The Mayor of the City of New York

       Thank you. Distinguished guests. Governor Pataki, all of 
     the distinguished members of the military, elected officials, 
     in particular, Larry Fisher and members of the Fisher family 
     and the family of the Intrepid, today we finally get to show 
     our gratitude to Zach. We finally get to turn in some small 
     way the stream of generosity that has flowed only one way 
     toward us to him, and to thank him and to let all of you in 
     the Fisher family know how important he is to everyone in the 
     City of New York and throughout the United States.
       What is it that fueled Zach's extraordinary generosity, his 
     extraordinary sense of obligation? I believe it was that 
     Zachary Fisher understood in a very deep and profound sense 
     that freedom is retained only through dedication, commitment 
     and sacrifice, that the wonderful blessings that we have as 
     Americans that make us the luckiest people on the face of the 
     earth do not happen by accident. They happen because there 
     are men and women who are willing to lay down their lives to 
     create it, to protect it and to expand it. At the very core 
     of his being, he understood our obligation to them and then 
     expressed it in a way that most of us are incapable of doing 
     because of the great love and generosity of spirit that he 
     had.
       One week ago today was Memorial Day here in New York City. 
     We celebrated it as we do now every year because of Zachary 
     and

[[Page H11313]]

     Elizabeth Fisher, on the Intrepid. Rather than being turned 
     into a scrap heap, this ship stands as a proud tribute to the 
     American military and as a very, very strong reminder of the 
     price that we're going to be called on to pay, both now and 
     in the future.
       A personal note of debt of gratitude to Zachary and 
     Elizabeth Fisher: Donna's father and my father-in-law, Lt. 
     Commander Bob Kofnovec, served on this ship in the latter 
     part of World War II. To see him return to this ship with his 
     grandson and his granddaughter and explain to them about what 
     it was like to return from a mission, what it was like to 
     land with the slightly warped deck, to see him take them 
     around and show them where he served in the noble cause of 
     defending freedom and to pass on to them that feeling and 
     that sense is a debt that I owe personally to Zachary and 
     Elizabeth Fisher.
       But I am not alone in owing that debt; thousands and 
     thousands and thousands of other Americans owe that debt to 
     him also. So for my wife, and for me, I say thank you, very, 
     very much.
       It's no surprise that Zach Fisher built this museum. He 
     began building when he was very, very young. At 16 years old 
     he began in the construction business. He and his brothers 
     and family built much of what you see in the most magnificent 
     skyline in the world. It is sometimes described as the eighth 
     wonder of the world, except a wonder that is created by human 
     hands. Zach's hands were one of the most significant in 
     creating it.
       Many, many people would have been more than justified in 
     being satisfied with that contribution. Instead, after he 
     made that contribution, enough to be placed in a very special 
     place of honor among his fellow New Yorkers, Zach decided to 
     give back even more to the men and women of our military to 
     help to preserve and then to create this museum, to make 
     certain that the men and women of our military understand 
     that at times of greatest loss there are citizens that care 
     about them.
       Beyond what he's done for the military, I should also tell 
     you that he includes in that family the men and women of our 
     police department and the men and women of our fire 
     department. When they have a loss, he is there to 
     financially support them and to morally support them.
       I believe it is not coincidental in some plan that exists. 
     When Zach died the other day, within a few hours we lost 
     Capt. Vincent Fowler, who died in the line of duty in Queens 
     fighting a fire to try to protect the lives of others. I bet 
     somehow that Zach and Fire Captain Vincent Fowler--Capt. 
     Fowler is to be buried tomorrow--are standing in heaven and 
     they're looking down and they're saying thank you to each 
     other, Zach saying thank you to Capt. Fowler for putting his 
     life at risk to save others, and Capt. Fowler saying thank 
     you for taking care of his wife and his three children who 
     are left behind.
       Zach Fisher wasn't an accident either. He is a product of 
     this beautiful, strong and loving family. His generosity of 
     spirit was not his alone, it is all of yours. As the Mayor of 
     New York City, I thank you for what you've given us, the City 
     of New York. As an American, I thank you for what you have 
     given the men and women who pay the extra price. As a father, 
     I particularly say thank you for what you've done for my 
     children and my family. Thank you very much.
                                  ____


   The Honorable Peter F. Vallone, The Speaker of the New York City 
                                Council

       I first had the great privilege of meeting Zachary Fisher 
     more than a decade ago when he came to City hall looking for 
     what I thought was a financial commitment. Can you imagine, 
     Zachary Fisher looking for financial commitment?
       I soon found out that what Zachary was looking for was for 
     the great City of New York to become part of the great work 
     of the Intrepid. Previous speakers referred to him as Mr. 
     Intrepid. That has come to mean to me some very important 
     attributes. He was a kind man. He was a truthful man. He was 
     a just man and he was a peaceful man. He lived what the 
     Prophet Isaiah said three thousands years ago, that some day 
     kindness and truth shall meet, justice and peace shall kiss, 
     peace shall spring out of the earth and justice shall look 
     down from heaven.
       This Intrepid is not a monument to war; this Intrepid is a 
     monument to peace and to Zachary Fisher. Just as surely, some 
     day, justice shall look down from heaven, you know and I know 
     that Zachary Fisher is looking down upon all of us and 
     saying, ``Keep the faith; keep the peace.''
                                  ____


 The Honorable Alan G. Hevesi, the Comptroller of the City of New York

       Thank you very much, Walter Cronkite, ladies and gentlemen. 
     This is a celebration of a life and it is a period of 
     incredible mourning for the passing of one of America's 
     greatest citizens. I thank you all for being here; it is so 
     important that you are here.
       Arnold Fisher developed the theme: We are here in profound 
     sadness, for me as well as many of you, a touch of anger that 
     Zach is taken from us. Because as much as he gave, there was 
     so much more to give.
       But here was the quintessential New Yorker, he and his 
     family building a business in the toughest competitive 
     environment possible. They were rough, they were tough, they 
     were uncompromising. They built a great business empire. They 
     refused to suffer fools, Zach particularly, and they competed 
     successfully.
       And at the same time, Zach Fisher was one the most caring, 
     decent, compassionate, kindly persons imaginable and one of 
     the sweetest people you'll ever want to meet. He never said 
     no. All the charitable work, all the philanthropy, all the 
     caring for the servicemen who stand between America and her 
     people and values on the one side and evil on the other side, 
     Zach was there for them.
       For the families of servicemen and women who died, Zach was 
     there for them. The scholarships, the Intrepid, the 
     Alzheimer's program, the Fisher houses, and so many other 
     instances that we don't know about because they haven't been 
     celebrated.
       My wife, Carol, who loved Zachary dearly and who would be 
     here now but she is recovering from surgery, was an 
     administrator at Creedmor Psychiatric Hospital and at dinner 
     one night was talking with Zachary about taking care of some 
     of the most desperate people in the world, people who have no 
     control over their own mental faculties. Zachary asked Carol 
     what do they need more than anything else, in addition to 
     their medical care, and she said, ``Some respite from the 
     campus of a psychiatric hospital, some ability to get to a 
     ball game or to the theater, to get to a park.'' Three weeks 
     later, six brand new vans to transport patients all over this 
     magnificent city were provided by Zachary Fisher.
       Zachary Fisher's life, however, is not just summed up by 
     his philanthropy and his toughness and his caring but also an 
     unspoken value that needs to be expressed: the profound value 
     of love. As macho and as tough as this man was, and his 
     family, what drove him was a sense of love, particularly for 
     his family, especially for his beautiful wife, Elizabeth--
     expressed no more dramatically than in the last ten years 
     during her illness--but for the entire family.
       In a sense, I am representing another portion of that 
     family, the friends of Zach Fisher, whom he brought into his 
     circle as members of the family with the kind of caring and 
     love and affection that is unprecedented. It is reflected in 
     his decades long friendship for Michael Stern. It is 
     reflected in his incredible caring and loving for Billy 
     White--and one day, Billy, I will tell you about the number 
     of times he spoke behind your back about who you were and who 
     you were going to be--and about all the rest of us who he 
     brought into the circle.
       So we have lost a very extraordinary man, tough, rough, 
     relentless, kind, compassionate, loyal, decent, loving, the 
     sweetest man of all, a great friend, a great mentor, the 
     greatest patriot in America, our dear friend, Zach Fisher. 
     God has blessed Zach Fisher; God will bless Zach Fisher as he 
     has blessd us by allowing us to know and to be with Zachary 
     Fisher. thank you all for being here.
       A few years ago, a news crew followed Zach as he traveled 
     the country on his mission of good will. They produced a 
     snapshot in the life of a man who they named, and was aptly 
     named, a patriot in the shadows. At this time, I ask you to 
     join me sharing a memory of America's greatest patriot and 
     our dear friend, Zach Fisher. Thank you.
                                  ____


          The Honorable Charles Schumer, United States Senator

       Well, thank you very much, Walter. And like so many who 
     have preceded me here, it is truly an honor to stand here and 
     remember Zachary Fisher.
       When the Founding Fathers had finished writing the 
     Constitution, one of them was approached by a citizen who 
     said, ``What have you done?'' And that Founding Father 
     responded and said, ``We have given you a democracy if you 
     can keep it.''
       What was meant was that, in this brave new experiment that 
     had never been tried before, were the people of America up to 
     it? Would they be able to keep this democracy? The Founding 
     Fathers wondered about that and they wondered about whether 
     private citizens throughout the country could live up to the 
     ideal that they had created.
       Well, Zach Fisher was the apotheosis of the idea that the 
     Founding Fathers wanted for the American citizen. Of course, 
     as a family man, his dedication to his wife was something 
     that they would have very much treasured. As a businessman, 
     somebody who did good for himself and his family but also did 
     good for a whole city by creating that great skyline and the 
     office space that now employs and houses thousands, was also 
     something that they envisioned.
       But most of all, it was his volunteerism, his ability to 
     step forward and go that extra mile that made him the citizen 
     they very much wanted to be an American. It would have been 
     easy for Zach, having been so successful in business, having 
     had a loving and large family around him, to just sit back 
     and relax, but he couldn't and wouldn't. His efforts on 
     behalf of so many different charities were right there.
       But most of all, it was his volunteerism on behalf of the 
     military--what a combination--that distinguished him beyond 
     any other American citizen that we have known. This museum 
     that we stand on, again, signifies just that. It is both a 
     monument to what happened in the past and to the lives that 
     were risked over and over again.
       But Zack had a special genius and he wanted it to be a 
     vision for the future, so that this museum--which, the New 
     York Times wrote, ``Zachery Fisher willed into existence''--
     looks to the children. Every week there are tens of thousands 
     of elementary

[[Page H11314]]

     and high school students who come here who may not have 
     learned otherwise what had happened. There is vocational 
     training. There are summer programs. He is teaching the young 
     people; he is teaching them at this moment, even though he is 
     no longer with us and looking down upon us, of how important 
     it is to have a close link between the citizenry and the 
     military. Teaching the children as we now watch, as we have 
     our soldiers in harm's way overseas, how important it was and 
     is and will be that sacrifices be made.
       So, in short, if the George Washingtons and the Thomas 
     Jeffersons and the James Madisons were looking down here on 
     this room and, looking down on Zach Fisher's life, they would 
     smile. He was just the American they wanted all of us to be.
                                  ____


   The Honorable George Pataki, The Governor of the State of New York

       When I was asked if I could be here this morning, my 
     response was immediate: How could I not be here this morning? 
     As all of us know, Zachary Fisher was always there. He was 
     there for me and my family. He was there for New York and 
     he's always been there for America.
       On this solemn day, we pay tribute to one of the greatest 
     Americans of our time, an American whose deeds outran his 
     words, an American whose love of country knew no bounds. 
     Zachary Fisher was a dear friend to all of us and on this 
     day, our hearts--and, indeed, the hearts of men and women 
     across America--are filled with sadness. But none of us can 
     possibly feel the sense of loss that Elizabeth, Ginny and 
     Harry feel today. To you and to Arnold and Richard, Anthony, 
     Ken and the entire Fisher family, God bless you. Our thoughts 
     and our prayers are with you. To Elizabeth, I know that 
     little can be said to ease your pain but I hope your heart is 
     warmed by the fond recollection of Tex McCrary, who described 
     your years with Zachary with these words: ``The Fisher story 
     is a love story--love of country, love of the armed forces 
     and love of each other.''
       Zachary's actions say more about him than our words ever 
     can, but it is appropriate that we join here today on this 
     symbol of America's strength, for it was this symbol of 
     strength and pride, pride in America's armed services, that 
     Zachary devoted his life to renewing. The Intrepid is one of 
     his many legacies, one of his many gifts to the people of 
     this nation for generations to come.
       I think Zachary would be proud to see us gathered here 
     today on this great monument, for our presence here embodies 
     the fulfillment of his vision which was to create a deep 
     spirit of reverence and appreciation for our military 
     institutions and, more importantly, for the men and women who 
     make them great.
       The philanthropic contributions that he, Larry and 
     Elizabeth and the whole family bestowed upon this nation 
     amount to tens of millions of dollars, but the depth of their 
     compassion and generosity is best measured not by dollars but 
     by your boundless love of America.
       My wife, Libby, felt that love when she was with Zach for 
     the opening of Fisher House in Albany, where military 
     families will get the services and care they deserve. I felt 
     that love of America right here on the Intrepid so many 
     times, most memorably when Zachary and I presented Yitzhak 
     Rabin with the Intrepid Freedom Award. Ten days later, 
     Yitzhak Rabin was taken from us. Last year Zachary received 
     the Medal of Freedom. It is a fitting tribute to one of our 
     great patriots.
       Zachary Fisher had a dream for America and for us. He 
     fulfilled that dream. He will be sorely missed but his dream 
     will live on in our memories and in his legacies and in the 
     heart of a grateful nation that mourns his passing. God bless 
     you.
                                  ____


Master Sergeant and Mrs. Glynn Davis, USAF, Fisher House Residents and 
                               Volunteers

       Tena and I are honored today as just one of the more than 
     35,000 military families helped by Fisher House. I have been 
     a Fisher House volunteer at Andrews Air Force Base for the 
     past three years, and never dreamed that I would have to call 
     on the services of the program I so deeply love. My story 
     begins while on leave in Georgia in April.
       My wife began having back pains and had to be rushed to the 
     military hospital at Fort Gordon. Because of our unique 
     situation, we were referred to the Medical College of Georgia 
     in downtown Augusta. The doctor examining my wife turned to 
     me and said, ``Your wife is eight centimeters dilated and you 
     are going to have a baby.'' My heart started pounding; my 
     hands began to shake. I could not hold back the tears. How 
     could this be? My wife was barely six months into her 
     pregnancy. The stress I was going through was almost too much 
     to bear.
       On the 21st of April, my wife gave birth to a 2-pound, 6-
     ounce, baby boy, who we named Noah. After spending the next 
     two nights in a chair beside my wife, the hospital social 
     worker asked about our plans after my wife's discharge. So 
     far away from home, in a civilian hospital . . . Where would 
     we stay? What would we do? Until this point, my thoughts were 
     only on my son's health.
       The social worker suggested the Fisher House at Fort 
     Gordon. After calling and explaining my situation to Mr. 
     Cruz, the Fisher House manager, he said, ``You are welcome 
     here at the Fisher House. Our doors are always open for 
     you.''
       After spending each day visiting our son, here was a place 
     where I knew my wife and I could rest. There was a phone at 
     our bedside so we could call the hospital to check on our 
     son's condition before we went to bed and first thing every 
     morning. There was an answering machine and a computer with 
     e-mail to receive messages of support from family, friends, 
     and co-workers. There was a washer and dryer with soap that 
     was donated, a kitchen to prepare our meals, and often food 
     donated by caring people. This was just what the doctor 
     ordered and relieved a major portion of the stress my wife 
     and I were experiencing, ``a true home away from home.'' All 
     of our needs were graciously met, and that allowed us to 
     focus on Noah.
       My story ends on a happy note. Our son was later medivacked 
     to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda. He now 
     weighs over three and a half pounds, is doing well, and 
     should be home very soon. Every day we thank God for my son, 
     and for sending this world people like Zachary and Elizabeth 
     Fisher.
       We will truly miss Mr. Fisher. I know his spirit and 
     generosity will continue to touch and bless the lives of 
     military families for generations to come, and he will 
     continue to live in our hearts. May God bless us all. Thank 
     you.
                                  ____


 The Honorable Richard Danzig, The Secretary of the Department of the 
                                  Navy

       I speak to you this morning on behalf of the President of 
     the United States and Mrs. Clinton, the Secretary of Defense 
     and Mrs. Cohen, and also, beyond that, on behalf of sailors 
     and marines everywhere and, indeed, all members of all the 
     services of the United States military who Zach loved so 
     much.
       They loved and admired him so much. You see this if you 
     look closely. Beyond the bright, brave, red coats of the Drum 
     and Bugle Corps, you will see some red eyes. There is real 
     feeling in the military for Zach Fisher.
       When I left Andrews Air Force Base this morning, I told the 
     captain who was seeing me off where I was going. He said that 
     he had been in a squadron in which two members had died in 
     the line of duty. The next day, he said--the next day--the 
     Fisher Foundation was there.
       It was not so much, he said, the money; it was the caring--
     not so much the money, the caring. I think Bill White hit 
     exactly the right note at the opening of this ceremony when 
     he quoted Kahlil Gibran and said what really made Zach so 
     special was not just his deeds, but the way in which he 
     cared. He invested; he invested himself.
       I think there is an image of giving that speaks of it in a 
     spiritual and almost saintly way, that can make of it 
     something ascetic, something self-denying and self-
     sacrificing. We tithe ourselves to give to others.
       I really don't think that was Zach. Zach gave in a 
     different kind of way. He gave in a way that I think of as 
     loving. It wasn't at all self-abnegating, self-sacrificing. 
     You look at that videotape--Zach wasn't an anonymous donor. 
     He was right in the middle of everything, and we loved him 
     for that.
       That kind of giving translated into Zach putting his 
     imprint on all of our lives and everything he did. He knew so 
     many of us. He knew the managers of all those 28 Fisher 
     Houses on a first name basis. He knew so many of the people 
     in this room. He knew so many soldiers and sailors, airmen 
     and marines. That kind of contact made the deeds not only so 
     good but brought with them a kind of loving that I think was 
     infectious, that caused everyone who was touched by it to 
     start to do more themselves.
       An account that I much liked was of a recipient of one of 
     the bonds that Zach gave, one of those 113 children in the 
     wake of the Beirut bombing. It came time to go to college at 
     a university in North Carolina and he presented this $10,000 
     bond to pay for his education. The person in charge of 
     finances and scholarships was confused by it and asked where 
     did it come from and how it fit into the financial aid 
     picture and was referred back to the Fisher Foundation.
       He spoke with Zach and then decided that, all things 
     considered, that this student, in light of the example that 
     Zach had set, should get financial aid and keep the bond. He 
     told the student this. The student came back the next day and 
     said, ``Can I really do anything I want with this?'' The 
     finance director said, ``Yes, you can,'' and feared that it 
     was about to be spent on a car or some such.
       The student said, ``I want to give the money to my sister 
     so she can get an education also.'' That is Zach and what he 
     did and the influence he had on all of us. I think it ran 
     further. I think it set for all of us an example of how to 
     give, an example that--precisely because it isn't self-
     deprecating and self-effacing but instead was so warm and 
     human--created for all of us an example that we could aspire 
     to.
       For Zach, giving wasn't some act that diminished you; 
     giving was an act that increased you. It wasn't self-
     abnegating, it was self-fulfilling. I think for Zach it was 
     like his relationships with his family. As he loved his 
     brothers and his nephews, as he loved Elizabeth, that became 
     a fulfillment for him. And he found in these other 
     activities other forms of fulfillment, and we all saw it 
     and wanted to become a part of it. In our relationship 
     with Zach, we did become a part of it.
       There is another realm of life which I think adopts this 
     kind of approach and, in

[[Page H11315]]

     my mind, it is the military. We can talk about the military 
     as a realm of sacrifice, as an arena in which people do 
     heroic things at real cost to themselves. That is a correct 
     picture, but there is another part to the picture and that is 
     how rewarding it is, how richly fulfilling, how the sense of 
     the worth of what you're doing, the sense of the mission, the 
     sense of the intimacy and camaraderie of other people, builds 
     a connection that, in the end, produces a life that is really 
     worth living.
       Many observations have been made about why Zach connected 
     so meaningful with the military. I think Michael earlier 
     correctly identified Zach's feelings of patriotism and his 
     sense of how he, too, would have liked to have served in the 
     military but for the bricklaying injury that he'd had as a 
     young man. I think we understand that Elizabeth's performance 
     in the USO and her coming back brought home to Zach a sense 
     of how much the military did and how much civilians could do 
     by working with the military.
       But I think, above all, the relationship between Zach and 
     the military was a natural because they are kindred souls, 
     because there is a sense in both Zach and in our uniformed 
     services of what it is to give, to give of yourself, that 
     there are times and circumstances where sacrifices are made 
     that ordinary people would regard as a cost.
       But beyond that--beyond that is a sense of how richly we 
     can connect with one another, what it means to relate to one 
     another as though we were family. Zach and the military were 
     a love affair waiting to happen and it was only appropriate 
     and natural that the military took Zach to its heart as he 
     took them to his and that this love affair blossomed. At 
     times when the military was less than fully appreciated by 
     America--and at times, as well, when it was fully 
     appreciated--Zach was there as a member of the family, as 
     somebody who understood that kind of transcendent love, that 
     deeper meaning of doing a higher thing, of having a sense of 
     the most intimate kind of camaraderie.
       So I feel now a great sense of loss in Zach's departure. I 
     also feel a sense that he showed us the way. He showed us 
     what it is not merely to give of your resources, but give of 
     yourself and, in the end, how deeply, deeply rewarding that 
     can be. He has drawn all of us into that and for that, Zach, 
     I thank you and God bless you.
                                  ____


 General Henry Shelton, USA, The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

       Today, we gather to celebrate the life of an incomparable 
     man . . . a loving husband . . . a wonderful friend . . . and 
     a great American.
       Today, we celebrate the life of an admired man . . . a man 
     who counted among his countless friends the men and women who 
     wear the uniforms of our nation and their families.
       Today, we celebrate the life of a gallant man . . . a man 
     who considered his greatest blessing and crowning glory to be 
     the love of the woman who was his wife, his partner, and his 
     best friend for over half a century--Elizabeth.
       Today, we honor a true giant among men.
       Will Rogers once said, ``We can't all be heroes. Some of us 
     have to stand by on the curb and clap as they go by.''
       Today, we all have to stand on the curb and wave farewell . 
     . . as a genuine American hero goes by.
       Zach liked to say that he was born with naval aviation--in 
     1910. At that time, America was still a young power on the 
     world stage. By the time he died, the automobile had replaced 
     the horse and buggy, the aircraft carrier had replaced the 
     battleship, supersonic jets had replaced biplanes, men had 
     walked on the moon, and America stood tall as the world's 
     predominant global power.
       Some realities throughout his long life, however, never 
     changed: the need for a strong defense, the need for 
     compassion, and the need for hope.
       Zach saw all of this and more, and so he threw his time, 
     energy, and resources behind projects designed to improve: 
     the lives of people who serve their nations and communities; 
     the lives of people who give of themselves for the betterment 
     of others; and the lives of people, suffering from incurable 
     afflictions of the body and spirit.
       Zach was, of course, a builder of rare accomplishment. His 
     legacy, however, lies not in the buildings he built, but 
     rather in the spirit of America he upheld.
       I remember when I first heard about Zach Fisher. What 
     struck me most was his love of boats and the sea. Now, a lot 
     of us like boats . . . some folks like bass boats, some 
     larger fishing boats, some yachts.
       Not Zach! He went out and bought an aircraft carrier! And 
     what a carrier he bought! the USS Intrepid . . . the 
     ``Fighting I'' of Leyte Gulf, a ship synonymous with 
     greatness, not unlike its benefactor--the man we honor today.
       And this, the Intrepid Freedom Foundation, is the product 
     of his vision. Zach Fisher saw beyond the rusting hulk of a 
     ship that would soon become razor blades. Zach saw a living 
     monument to freedom, to sacrifice, and to courage.
       The ghosts of Intrepid--the fighting spirit of the men who 
     served on this glorious ship--move about us today, reminding 
     us that courage and commitment transcend generations.
       The ghosts of Intrepid, today stand ready to claim their 
     greatest captain.
       When I last saw Zach, in February, he was struggling 
     physically. But, typical of Zach, he brushed aside my 
     questions about his health and he grilled me about my health! 
     He was concerned about how I was holding up in Washington.
       But above all else, he was most concerned about the troops 
     and what I was doing to take care of them. And when Zach 
     pointed the laser beam of his attention at you, you stood a 
     little taller, and you made sure your facts were correct.
       So, I told him the troops were doing well! This was no 
     exaggeration, thanks in no small measure to the incredible 
     generosity of the Fisher House Foundation, the Fisher Armed 
     Services Foundation, and many other manifestations of Zach 
     Fisher's love and concern.
       The Fisher name is a watchword for caring, a symbol of 
     patriotism, a true lamplight for thousands of young men and 
     women who guard freedom's frontiers around the world.
       Zachary Fisher spent a good portion of his life making 
     certain that those who serve the nation in the dark and 
     dangerous places around the globe were appreciated, loved, 
     taken care of, and treated in a manner befitting their 
     service and dedication to America.
       Those who wear the uniforms of America's Armed Forces will 
     forever be indebted to him.
       We cannot forget this patriotic American--full of love for 
     his country and full of concern for those who defend her.
       We cannot forget this devoted husband--full of love for 
     Elizabeth, the light of his long life.
       We cannot forget this wonderful man, so full of greatness 
     and humility, sought not glory for himself, but rather glory 
     for America's fighting men and women.
       And, as long as men and women go down to the sea in ships 
     like the Intrepid, we shall not forget Zachary Fisher.
       Samuel Johnson said, ``It matters not how a man dies, but 
     how he lives.''
       Zach Fisher lived life to the fullest.
       And we are a better country, a richer people, and a 
     stronger military for his life.
       Like all of you, I am proud to have called Zachary Fisher 
     my friend, and I will miss him greatly.
                                  ____


   General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.), Chairman, America's Promise, 
              Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

       Elizabeth, members of the family, friends, there is sadness 
     here and there is sorrow here today but there is also 
     happiness and great joy as we celebrate Zach's life and as we 
     reflect on the changing of the seasons.
       A reading from Ecclesiastes:
       ``There is an appointed time for everything and a time for 
     every affair under the heavens, a time to be born and a time 
     to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot the plant, a 
     time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a 
     time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to 
     mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a 
     time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to be far 
     from embraces, a time to seek and a time to lose, a time to 
     keep and a time to cast away, a time to mend and a time to 
     sow, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love 
     and a time to hate, and a time of war and, finally, a time of 
     peace.''
       The word of God, a tribute to our dear friend, Zachary; who 
     meant so very, very much to us. Now may flights of angels 
     take him to his rest.

  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to just 
thank all of those that took the time to pay tribute to this great 
American, one of the best friends probably that the military has ever 
had.
  I also want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) for his 
cooperation in bringing this bill to the floor.
  Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.J. Res. 46 which 
honors Zachary Fisher as an honorary veteran. His lifetime support of 
our military and veterans clearly justifies naming him as an honorary 
veteran.
  When the United States entered World War II in 1941, Mr. Fisher was 
told he could not serve in the Armed Forces due to a serious knee 
injury sustained in a construction accident. Determined to do his part, 
Mr. Fisher used his expertise in construction to help the U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers build coastal fortifications. His dedication to the 
Armed Services continued after the war. Over many decades, he lent his 
full support to the U.S. military and their families. Mr. Fisher 
established the Zachary and Elizabeth M. Fisher Armed Services 
Foundation to serve as a support agency for both military personnel and 
their families affected by service-related accidents. To date, hundreds 
of families from all branches of the armed services have benefited from 
this foundation's support. In addition, the Fisher Armed Services 
Foundation provides educational scholarship funds to Armed Services 
personnel and their families. Since 1987, more than 700 students have 
received scholarships of between $500 and $2,500, allowing them to 
pursue education opportunities which otherwise would not have been 
possible.
  Moreover, in 1990, Mr. Fisher established the Fisher House Program. 
Under this program he dedicated more than $15 million for

[[Page H11316]]

the construction of temporary homes for the families of military 
personnel receiving care at major military treatment facilities and VA 
Medical Centers. The houses provide support for families as they serve 
as a ``home away from home.'' One of these houses is located in my 
district at Fort Bliss. The presence of a Fisher House in El Paso, and 
throughout military bases around the country, help ease the minds of 
America's finest and their families during times of illness.
  Mr. Fisher, as exemplified by these philanthropic efforts on behalf 
of our Nation's veteran's and military, established himself as one of 
our most dedicated patriots. Through these charitable acts, and 
numerous others in various civic and community efforts, he set a 
tremendous example for all Americans to follow. For these reasons, I 
urge my colleagues to honor Zachary Fisher by unanimously supporting 
H.J. Res. 46.
  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stump) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution, H.J. Res. 46.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the joint resolution was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________