[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 52 (Tuesday, April 24, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E590-E591]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING GENERAL JAMES C HALL

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. THOMAS G. TANCREDO

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 24, 2001

  Mr. TANCREDO. Mr. Speaker, I come before the House today to honor the 
remarkable achievements of Brigadier General James C Hall. He was born 
on April 14, 1926, in a time when the day after his birthday, Tax Day, 
was just another day of the month. This weekend, General Hall was the 
guest of honor at the home of Governor Bill Owens celebrating his 75th 
birthday and 30th anniversary with his gracious wife, Georgann.
  Many of us have read adventure novels, or vicariously experienced 
adventure in the movies or on television, but General Hall is a real 
life hero. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1943 during World War 
II and served as a B-17 Gunner at only 17 years of age. He lost one 
brother at the ``Battle of the Bulge'' and another brother lost a leg. 
He served on Tinian Island in the Marianas where the Enola Gay was 
launched to bomb Hiroshima ultimately leading to the end of the war. 
Yet, his service to his country did not end there.
  For a time he attempted to exercise his adventurous acumen on a gold 
mine in Mexico and after, loosing a plane and risking his life 
protecting the claim, walked away in search of other ventures. He 
worked in Hollywood as a consultant for the military movie classic 
``Twelve O'clock High.'' Around that same time, General Hall was 
awarded a direct commission in the USAF in 1948 and distinguished 
himself as an expert in jumping out of perfectly good airplanes. He was 
the key developer of the parachuting program at the USAF Academy and 
has participated in over 1,200 jumps.
  There is an Internet web site in his honor where Kevin Coyne, the 
publisher of the Ejection site writes: ``In late 1965, Jim Hall a 
professional parachute safety instructor and Major

[[Page E591]]

in the Air Force Reserve volunteered to act as the human guinea pig for 
the 0-0 seat package.'' He is still the only human being ever to 
participate in such a test. His comment after being launched by a 
rocket 400 feet into the air into a small lake, ``I've been kicked in 
the ass harder than that.'' Jim Hall is the epitome of the ``right 
stuff.''
  Jim was a close friend of Steve Ritchie, the Air Force's first aerial 
Ace of Viet Nam and is an active proponent of continued use of Buckley 
field, General Hall was added, in 1985, to the Colorado Aviation Hall 
of Fame. He has been active in Colorado politics helping to create the 
Colorado Leadership Program. He worked to elect Jack Swigert to the 6th 
Congressional district in 1982 and ultimately worked with the Colorado 
State Legislature to place the very popular statue of Swigert, right 
here in our nation's Capitol.
  General Jim Hall is the Arapahoe County District II Captain to the 
county Grand Old Party, he is the namesake of the Aurora Republican 
Forum's ``General Jim Hall Award.'' He is the Military Advisor to Gov. 
Owens and the Governor's Community Relations Advisor for the Asian 
Community and I am honored to include him on my District Military 
Academy Selection Board and District Military Veterans' Committee.
  It is my honor, and pleasure to recognize this outstanding 
constituent and distinguished American Service Man, here in the 
Nation's Capitol.

                          ____________________