[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 83 (Thursday, June 14, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       A TRIBUTE FOR FATHER'S DAY

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                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 14, 2001

  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, in light of the fact that this Sunday is 
Father's Day, I would like to share with you a letter sent to me by the 
stepson of a dear friend of mine. I believe it captures the essence of 
this important holiday for Dads, like myself, all around the country.

       Dear Mr. Honda: While my name may not be familiar to many 
     in Washington, D.C., I'm sure that the name of my stepfather 
     will--Norm Mineta.
       This past year has been an amazing journey for my family--
     and for my family, that's really saying something. My 
     stepfather's life reads like a story one would learn about in 
     a history book or a novel. At the age of twelve, he was taken 
     from his house and detained in an internment camp along with 
     120,000 others in this nation who happened to be of Japanese 
     ancestry.
       After the Second World War ended, he and his family 
     returned to San Jose and he attended and graduated from the 
     University of California Berkley. Later, during the Korean 
     War, he joined the Army where he served as an intelligence 
     officer. After his military service he worked in the family 
     business at the Mineta insurance company until once more he 
     answered the call to public service. Norm served in the San 
     Jose City Council, as the Mayor of San Jose, and 21 years as 
     the Representative for the 15th Congressional District of 
     California.
       After he left the Congress, he worked for Lockheed Martin 
     as senior vice president for almost five years until 
     President Clinton tapped him for the position of Commerce 
     Secretary. After the 2000 election, President Bush chose him 
     to serve America once more as the Transportation Secretary.
       Norm's list of firsts is beyond impressive--it's amazing. 
     He was the first American of Japanese descent to serve as a 
     Mayor of a major city in the continental United States. As 
     the Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation & 
     Infrastructure, he was the first Asian Pacific American to 
     serve as Chairman of a full Committee in the U.S. House of 
     Representatives (Chairman of the transportation committee). 
     He was also the first Asian Pacific American to serve on any 
     President's Cabinet, and the first Cabinet member to serve in 
     successive administrations for two different political 
     parties. And this only scratches the surface. You could fill 
     volumes with all of my stepfather's achievements. In fact, 
     someday, I'm certain they will. But there is a deeper reason 
     why I am writing this letter.
       As I witnessed all of the events taking place in my 
     family's life over the past year, and I read all of the 
     articles and stories about my step dad's life, and I heard 
     all of the speeches, I noticed that something was missing--
     the most important something. Who Norman Y. Mineta really is, 
     not just what he has done in public life.
       Norm is one of the kindest, most decent man I have ever 
     been privileged to know.
       As a Member of Congress, Norm would go to events at the 
     White House, as other important people did. He would stand in 
     the receiving line to meet the President and when his time 
     would come he would shake the President's hand saying, 
     ``Hello Mr. President. I'm Norm Mineta from California.'' To 
     which every President would respond, ``Norm, I know who you 
     are.'' Later he would say to my mom, with wonder in his eyes. 
     ``The President said he knows who I am!''
       Norm Mineta is a man who puts family above all else. His 
     biography in ``Who's Who in America'' does not describe how 
     he canceled all of his plans the day my family's dog, 
     Tribble, died. His resume does not reflect the pride he felt 
     when my stepbrother, Dave Mineta, was elected to the school 
     board of Pacifica, California. Nor do the official records of 
     the Congress contain the fact that he cried when Dave asked 
     his father to swear him into his new position on the school 
     board. Norm was so excited when my brother Mark and his wife 
     called home to tell the news that they were pregnant with 
     their first child. As a father, he took as much pride in the 
     fact that in my stepbrother, Stu Mineta, was hired at a 
     regional airline as a pilot as he did in his own appointment 
     to the Cabinet.
       After coming home from a long day at the office, Norm would 
     always takes times, and considerable joy, in playing with his 
     two dogs. Norm has been known to fall asleep whenever the 
     family comes together to watch a movie. Watching a movie on 
     video with Norm often involves constantly prodding him to 
     make sure he is still awake. Often times he will fall asleep, 
     but deny this to us when we call him on it. Norm has been a 
     wonderful husband to my mother in more ways than I could ever 
     begin to describe. He refers to my mother as ``honey'' and 
     ``dear'' in public, but in private, he calls her ``pal,'' and 
     that is what they truly are--the best of friends.
       My life with Norm has been a wonderful blessing. Life 
     doesn't always happen the way you plan and sometimes people 
     get divorced. Such was the case with my mother and father. 
     And to this day, I love my father very much. I have been 
     blessed twice, for God brought into my life Norman Mineta. A 
     man whom history will remember much longer than it will 
     remember most of us. I am also very fortunate because Norm is 
     a man that I will remember is ways that the history books 
     will never be able to capture. Our nation will remember Norm 
     as many great things, veteran, Mayor, Congressional leader, 
     two-time Cabinet Secretary, but the greatest of these titles 
     and accolades to me, will always be ``Dad.''
           Sincerely,
                                                      Bob Branter.

     

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