[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 59 (Friday, May 10, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E763-E764]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  NATIONAL MILITARY APPRECIATION MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MELISSA A. HART

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 9, 2002

  Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, a recent USO/NFL tour to U.S. Army bases 
throughout Germany served as a fresh reminder of the invaluable service 
the men and women of the U.S. armed forces are providing to our nation. 
NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, Pittsburgh Steelers running back 
Jerome Bettis and Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George met with 
U.S. troops to convey America's gratitude for all of the their service.
  May is National Military Appreciation Month. This is a time when we 
recognize and honor our nation's 1.4 million highly-trained, active 
duty soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. These brave Americans 
voluntarily put their lives on the line so you and I can live in peace 
and freedom.
  We owe these heroes our active appreciation and support as they fight 
to preserve democracy.
  We share the sentiments Commissioner Tagliabue conveyed to our armed 
forces: ``So long as [our troops] are on the from lines, [we should] 
make sure [they] remain on the front page.''
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to insert in the Record several news 
accounts of this important and noteworthy event.

                    [From USA Today, Apr. 26, 2002]

                    Bettis Salutes USA's Real Heroes

                           (By Jon Saraceno)

       While wondering how Cleveland Browns fans will ease the 
     pain now that cult hero Ben Gay is gone. . . .
       Jerome Bettis is better known as the Bus, but this week he 
     was into tanks and heavy artillery.
       The Pittsburgh Steelers' rumbling running back accompanied 
     NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue on Thursday to Germany, where 
     they visited with U.S. forces on two military bases. Bettis 
     flew in a black-hawk helicopter and spent time inside an M1-
     A1 Abrams tank. Tennessee's Eddie George will join them 
     Friday as part of the league's Armed Forces Weekend, which 
     includes an NFL Europe game.
       ``I want our servicemen to understand we care,'' Bettis 
     said from overseas. ``We appreciate what they're doing to 
     guarantee our freedoms.''
       The trio will visit Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, 
     where U.S. troops hurt in Afghanistan recuperate.
       ``It puts my job into perspective,'' Bettis said. ``I guess 
     I'm considered a hero of sorts, but I'm only a football 
     player. The guys on the front lines are the real heroes. This 
     is not some commercial you see where guys are jumping out of 
     helicopters doing pretty stuff. This is real.'' . . .

                                  ____
                                  

           [From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Apr. 26, 2002]

                    At Last, the Bus Meets the Tank

                           (By Ed Bouchette)

       The Bus climbed inside a tank yesterday, and, along the 
     way, Jerome Bettis confirmed that the patriots are mostly the 
     good guys.
       ``It's incredible to see the troops and their daily 
     living,''Bettis said yesterday from Frankfurt, Germany, where 
     he was part of a four-day USO/NFL tour of U.S. military 
     bases.
       Earlier, he rode in an Abrams M1A12, and, if only someone 
     had made the connection earlier, Bettis might be known as The 
     Tank today.
       ``I've been interested in that tank because my middle name 
     is Abram,'' Bettis said. ``Knowing about that tank and 
     actually seeing it, getting into it and finding out that a 
     tank can go 55 miles per hour with all the armor and 
     everything . . .''

[[Page E764]]

       But what about its 40 time?
       ``That's a great question,'' Bettis said. ``I should have 
     asked.''
       No one's asking Bettis about his own time in the 40 lately. 
     He resumed running only last week for the first time since he 
     gained 8 yards on 9 carries in the Steelers' 24-17 AFC 
     championship loss to the New England Patriots at Heinz Field. 
     Bettis missed the previous six games with a groin injury.
       It has left some people questioning whether he can keep 
     going as he enters his 10th NFL season after celebrating his 
     30th birthday. He was leading the NFL with 1,072 yards in the 
     11th game--and climbed to 12th on the all-time list with 
     10,876 yards--when he was hurt.
       Let there be doubters, Bettis said from Germany.
       ``It'll be 10 years this year; I don't think I have to 
     prove anything,'' Bettis said. ``I just need to be 100 
     percent healthy, go out there and duplicate what I did last 
     year. Everybody knows what I'm capable of. I'm not really 
     worried about that at all.''
       ``I'm used to that. Going into every season, the questions 
     have always been about me, and I've always proved everybody 
     wrong, I'm not really concerned about it. If people are 
     concerned about me and my ability to go out there and play, 
     they just need to check my track record. This is something 
     I've been doing a long time.''
       Bettis has never failed to reach 1,000 yards in his six 
     seasons with the Steelers and missed it only once in his 
     three with the Rams. Until last season, he had missed only 
     three games in his career. He is the NFL's second-leading 
     rusher behind Emmitt Smith of Dallas, and he could reasonably 
     become the NFL's ninth-leading rusher by the end of the 
     season. He needs just 361 yards to surpass O.J. Simpson.
       Bettis overcame a more serious groin injury at the end of 
     the 1996 season and came back to have his career high in 1997 
     with 1,665 yards. But then, he was 25.
       ``Yeah, it's an injury that I've had to scrap and battle 
     back from'' Bettis said, ``Fortunately for me, I've had the 
     time to get healthy. And so, that's what I'm doing. There's 
     no reason to rush back and jump back on the field for 
     nothing. We don't play a game until September, so I don't 
     plan to be doing that much crazy stuff until training camp.''
       Bettis was heading for another 350-carry season when he was 
     hurt. He had 375 carries in 1997 and 355 in 2000, his two 
     highest. Those days might be over. The Steelers would like to 
     boost the number of times Amos Zereoue runs with the ball. 
     Bettis welcomes it.
       ``That would be a great opportunity to increase this 
     offense,'' Bettis said. ``It's all about the team at this 
     point. Hopefully, he will get opportunities. When I was in 
     there [last year], he was getting more and more 
     opportunities. I don't think anything's going to change.''
       ``I encourage that, plus it helps me out. I don't have to 
     take it 30, 35 times. The old man can't do that all the time 
     anymore. That was the plan last year, and it was working. 
     Unfortunately, I just didn't hold up my part of the deal.''
       Today, Bettis will join Titans halfback Eddie George and 
     NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue on a visit to the Landstuhl 
     Regional Medical Center, where many U.S. soldiers with more 
     than groin injuries from the fighting in Afghanistan are 
     recuperating.
       Bettis anticipated the visit as much as he does running on 
     Monday Night Football.
       ``I'm just looking forward to saying thank you. My goal was 
     just to shake as many hands as I could, say as many thank 
     yous as I could and kind of express the thoughts and minds of 
     all the Americans back home that, hey, we're with you guys, 
     we're not abandoning you guys, we're living it with you''
       ``So many times, you never get the appreciation. I wanted 
     to say thank you, we appreciate you for what you're doing for 
     us.''

                                  ____
                                  

              [From the Stars and Stripes, Apr. 26, 2002]

          NFL Goes Long on Promise To Donate Gear to Military

                          (By Kevin Dougherty)

       Wiesbaden, Germany.--People often make promises, and a good 
     number of them honor the pledges. But enough, more than 
     enough, don't.
       So when NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue said during a visit 
     last month to a U.S. Army base in Germany that he wanted ``to 
     do something for these people,'' folks smiled, nodded and 
     didn't dwell on it for too long.
       Roughly two weeks later, Gail Camillo, USO-Europe's 
     regional director, got a call from the commissioner's office. 
     The message: Huddle together and figure out how many pigskins 
     and how much flag football equipment you think you need.
       ``This shows where their heart is, and that they appreciate 
     us,'' Army Sgt. Major Edward Faust said Thursday, as 
     Tagliabue worked his way to a podium for a ceremonial handoff 
     of gridiron equipment.
       Military communities throughout Germany scored big Thursday 
     when the NFL donated 1,405 footballs to unit, youth services 
     and DODDS football teams and programs. In addition to the 
     footballs, the league donated 8,825 pairs of flags for flag 
     football and 5,224 cones to mark boundaries or for use in 
     drills.
       The equipment is going to be distributed to Army and Air 
     Force installations across Europe. The USO will pass the 
     goods to unit level football teams, youth services leagues--
     flag as well as tackle--and to Department of Defense 
     Dependents Schools.
       In all, 664 teams will benefit from the gift.
       ``Any donation like this really helps us out as far as the 
     bottom line,'' said Air Force Col. Al Swain, the director of 
     staff for U.S. Air Forces in Europe.
       Tagliabue made the presentation at the Wiesbaden Army 
     Airfield, the site of his March visit. He was joined by 
     Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis. Tennessee 
     Titans running back Eddie George is scheduled to catch up 
     with the group Friday, which will conduct visits with troops 
     in Kaiserslautern, Hanau, Landstuhl and Baumbolder. Their 
     tour includes a morning stop at the Landstuhl Regional 
     Medical Center and a meeting with troops injured in Operation 
     Enduring Freedom.
       ``So long as you are on the front lines,'' Tagliabue said, 
     ``we in the NFL will make sure you remain on the front 
     page.''

     

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