[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 78 (Thursday, June 13, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1028]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




COMMEMORATING THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TIBBITS CADETS OF TROY, NEW 
                                  YORK

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN E. SWEENEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 12, 2002

  Mr. SWEENEY. Mr. Speaker, the Tibbits Cadets of Troy, New York, were 
founded on August 18, 1876. With strong ideals and a fervent belief in 
community service, the Tibbits Cadets have consistently acted with 
dignity and honor in their quest to preserve and share the rich history 
of Troy, New York.
  The Tibbits Cadets by name and deed have perpetuated and honored the 
memory of Major General William Badger Tibbits for the past one hundred 
and twenty-five years. And it may be through the courageous life story 
of Major General Tibbits that we most clearly discover the strength, 
dignity and pride with which the Tibbits Cadets act--as well as the 
noble ideals they encompass and uphold.
  William Badger Tibbits was born on March 31, 1837 in Hoosac, New 
York. As a young man, William strove for excellence in all of his 
endeavors. With a strong work ethic, fervent dedication and a robust 
thirst for knowledge, William Tibbits earned a reputation as a true and 
honest man, cultivated a brilliant capacity for motivation and 
participatory leadership, and received a bachelor's degree from the 
prestigious Union College in 1859. At the outbreak of the Civil War, 
driven by an ardent belief in the Union, strong ideological passion, 
and a devotion to state and nation, William Tibbits raised a company of 
the Second Regiment, New York Volunteers. In 1863, he recruited the 
Griswold Cavalry, and with overwhelming popularity and support became 
its Colonel. With faith and valor, Tibbits distinguished himself in 
various battles and was brevetted Brigadier General in 1864. Although 
wounded to the point of eventual incapacitation from military duties 
later in life, his brilliant leadership, grit, determination and 
bravery won him the rank of Major General at the age of twenty-seven.
  Established in part by Major General Tibbits, the Tibbits Cadets have 
stood for one hundred and twenty-five years as a constant reminder of 
so much more than local history or the life of one great man. Since 
their inception, the Tibbits Cadets have exemplified the greatest of 
American values--diligence, compassion, volunteerism, dedication of 
purpose, loyalty, passion, and courage. The Tibbits Cadets of Troy, New 
York have wholeheartedly advanced that spirit of united purpose and 
shared concern that so uniquely defines our glorious American 
experience; and it is in that spirit that I wish to commend the Tibbits 
Cadets at the conclusion of the year-long celebration of the one 
hundred and twenty-fifth anniversary of their founding.

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