[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 49 (Thursday, April 5, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E582]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      IN SUPPORT OF LONG BEACH NAVY CREW MEMBER DETAINED IN CHINA

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                           HON. STEPHEN HORN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 4, 2001

  Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, I know my fellow Members of Congress join me 
in calling for the safe return home of the 24 American servicemen and 
women currently being detained in China after their surveillance plane 
made an emergency landing in Chinese territory when they collided with 
a Chinese fighter jet. Our hearts and our prayers go out to these young 
men and women and their families.
  One of those crew members is a young man from the district I 
represent. His name is Josef Edmunds and he is from Long Beach. Perhaps 
China does not realize how profoundly concerned all Americans are about 
the well-being of their service men and women. On behalf of Josef 
Edmunds and his family, I submit this article that appeared in today's 
edition of the Long Beach Press-Telegram expressing the personal 
concern and uncertainty that this family--like all the others--is 
experiencing as a result of this incident.
  Mr. Speaker, my fellow Members of Congress and I urge the Chinese 
government to immediately release our service men and women so that 
they may return home safely.

                L.B. Family of Crew Member Full of Hope

                       (By Wendy Thomas Russell)

       Long Beach.--Josef Edmunds, one of 24 Navy crew members 
     being held in China since their surveillance plane made an 
     emergency landing Sunday, was described by his Long Beach 
     mother as ``a very courageous young man'' captivated by ``the 
     idea of putting on a uniform and standing up for his 
     country.''
       ``I think,'' Amanda De Jesus said Tuesday, ``he's always 
     had a little streak of heroism.'' De Jesus and her husband, 
     Alfredo, said they were waiting anxiously but patiently for 
     contact from Edmunds, a 30-year-old cryptographer and Chinese 
     interpreter.
       ``It's just a waiting game,'' said Alfredo De Jesus, a 
     teacher at La Estrella Argentine Tango and Dance School in 
     Long Beach. ``We have high hopes that it's going to be over 
     soon without any duress to him at least that's what we 
     hope.''
       Edmunds and his crewmates have been kept at a military base 
     on China's Hainan Island since Sunday, when their 
     surveillance plane was forced to land after colliding midair 
     with a Chinese jet fighter. The crew is safe, but U.S. 
     officials have expressed concern that the Chinese may have 
     gained insight into classified surveillance systems by 
     tampering with the plane's equipment.``
       ``I really don't worry that much'' about the safety of crew 
     members, Alfredo De Jesus said, ``because I know that they're 
     not going to be abused, and it's just a political game. It's 
     just politics.''
       Amanda De Jesus said she moved to Long Beach about five 
     years ago, after both her sons had grown, but Edmunds still 
     visits her here when he's on leave.
       She said she was caught off guard when she got the phone 
     call from the Navy on Sunday; she didn't have a clue that 
     Edmunds would be on a plane over China in the first place. 
     The Navy immediately told her that Edmunds was safe, however, 
     so there was no time for panic.
       Edmunds, who is stationed in Japan, joined the Navy about 
     eight years ago, shortly after the birth of his first 
     daughter, Sierra. He had been living with his wife in Davis, 
     near Sacramento, and holding down three jobs at the time, his 
     mother said.
       The first job was at a car dealership, the second at a 
     pizza place, and ``I don't even remember what the third job 
     was,'' she said.
       One day, Edmunds dropped everything and walked into a 
     recruiter's office.
       His colorblind eyes ruled out any chance of being a Navy 
     pilot, so he chose an area well-known in his family: foreign-
     language interpretation.
       His mother once taught French and Spanish, and his aunt is 
     a Russian interpreter for the Air Force who also speaks 
     fluent French and German.
       Edmunds' hereditary language skills paid off. He learned 
     Chinese and Cambodian and was transferred to several bases 
     before landing in Japan.
       Edmunds is now divorced with four children three of whom, 
     ages 8, 7 and 5, still live in Northern California. The 
     fourth, a son, is only about 6 months old and lives with 
     Edmunds' girlfriend in Texas, Amanda De Jesus said.
       ``He's a great guy,'' Edmunds' stepfather said. ``He's 
     really a good-spirited person. He's the kind of guy that you 
     make friends with just in the moment. He really is.''
       Despite the stressful situation in China, Amanda De Jesus 
     said she knows her son is acting courageously.
       ``He's always been gutsy,'' she said.
       Once, while stationed in Texas, Edmunds was among a group 
     of military men who volunteered hours and hours of their time 
     to help people rebuild their tornado-torn houses after their 
     military shifts had ended. He was given an award for his 
     work, his mother said.
       Edmunds told his friends that his mother would be ``upset 
     to know that he was working for no money.''
       ``But no,'' she said softly. ``I was proud of him.''

       

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