[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 158 (Thursday, November 15, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2081]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   TRIBUTE TO AN AMERICAN HERO, BRYAN JACK, PASSENGER ON AA FLIGHT 77

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                           HON. RALPH M. HALL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 15, 2001

  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the life of Dr. 
Bryan C. Jack, a passenger on American Airlines Flight 77, which 
terrorists hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon on September 11, a 
day that we will long mourn and never forget. Bryan grew up in Tyler, 
TX, in my Congressional district, and his parents live there still. We 
join them in mourning the loss of this wonderful and gifted young man.
  Bryan was an exemplary scholar and native Texan who had faithfully 
served his country at the Pentagon since 1978. He represented the best 
of America--an incredibly talented individual who selflessly devoted 
his gifts to public service. At the Pentagon he was known for his 
brilliance with numbers, in addition to being a caring friend and 
coworker.
  Bryan's official position was as a budget analyst, heading the 
Defense Department's programming and fiscal economics division. He was 
responsible for overseeing the capital budget, an immense and 
complicated task. He took the Defense Secretary's policy decisions, 
worked them into the budget and made sure that the numbers added up. He 
also had oversight over the Defense Department's school in Monterrey, 
California. He made several business trips a year to Monterrey and was 
on his way there on September 11, when the terrorists hijacked his 
plane. He had planned to stop over on his return trip to visit his 
parents, Helen and James Jack, in Tyler.
  Growing up in Tyler, Bryan attended Moore Middle School and Robert E. 
Lee High School. Both of Bryan's parents were teachers--his father was 
a retired colonel from the U.S. Air Force--and Bryan was always an 
exceptional student. He graduated among the top in his high school 
class and had been a state debating champion. He received his 
undergraduate degree from the California Institute of Technology and an 
MBA from Stanford. Later, he went on to earn his Ph.D. in Economics 
from the University of Maryland.
  Just weeks before his tragic death, Bryan had married Barbara Rachko, 
an artist from New York. In addition to his parents and wife, he is 
survived by a brother, Terry, who lives in Denver.
  Both in Washington and Tyler, Bryan leaves behind memories of a kind, 
caring and intelligent individual. He was an exemplary ambassador from 
the Fourth District of Texas and will be truly missed by his family, 
friends and coworkers at the Pentagon--but his memory will live forever 
as one of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country on 
September 11. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor for me to pay my last 
respects in the Congressional Record to this outstanding American and a 
true American hero--Bryan Jack--and to all those who lost their lives 
during this tragic day in America's history.

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