[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 29, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E51-E52]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO ROBERT K. KRICK

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GARY G. MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 29, 2002

  Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute and 
honor the accomplishments of Robert K. Krick of Fredericksburg, VA.
  Bob was raised in central California. He attended college there, and 
later earned a graduate degree at San Jose State University. Fascinated 
with military history--in particular the American Civil War in 
Virginia--he joined the National Park Service in 1966, hoping it would 
become a gateway to the sites he admired. After working at the Fort 
McHenry National Monument and Fort Necessity National

[[Page E52]]

Battlefield, he moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia in 1972. Bob has been 
the Chief Historian at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military 
Park ever since.
  After nearly 30 years of work, his reputation is largely based on two 
things: his prolific career as a writer and his work as a battlefield 
preservationist. Bob's first published article appeared in 1973. Since 
then he has produced almost a dozen books, most of them devoted to the 
history of individuals and sites associated with the Civil War battles 
in the East. His published articles, book reviews, and related material 
number in the hundreds.
  He also has considerable experience and success as a Civil War 
battlefield preservationist. In the 1980's he was a co-founder and 
vice-president of the Association for the Preservation of Civil War 
Sites--a group that has evolved from an earnest local organization that 
met in its members' living rooms into a powerful national presence that 
saves thousands of battlefield acres annually. Bob has been especially 
active in protecting historic acreage around Fredericksburg, where the 
size of the national park increased significantly during his tenure, 
helping maintain the integrity of these hallowed battlefields and 
preserving our history for future generations.
  I recently had the distinct privilege of viewing the battlefield site 
in Fredericksburg with Bob. His insight and passion for his work left 
me captivated. His riveting stories of the small events that turned the 
tide and determined the final outcome of this battle left me feeling as 
if these events were actually unfolding before my eyes. It is this zest 
that Bob has brought to the Park Service for the last thirty years that 
will have an impact for generations to come. His legacy will be to have 
passed this knowledge and appreciation to scores of other Americans, 
who, in turn, will pass it along to their loved ones. Nearly one half 
of the country's Civil War battlefield parks presently have historians 
who learned their trade at Fredericksburg while Bob was the chief 
historian. In retirement his influence will carry on. The Park Service, 
and indeed our nation, will miss his service.
  I would like to wish my friend the very best upon his retirement from 
the National Park Service.

                          ____________________