[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 103 (Thursday, July 25, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1383]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     PAYING TRIBUTE TO PETE SEIBERT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 25, 2002

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, today I stand before this body of Congress 
and this nation to honor a western visionary and World War II veteran 
who recently passed away. Pete Seibert contributed selflessly to our 
nation in its time of need and I thank him for his unrelenting passion 
and valor. Pete was a remarkable man and his actions during and after 
World War II are the essence of everything that makes this country 
great.
  Pete Seibert is a veteran of the 10th Mountain Division of the Army, 
which studied and trained in Colorado. His platoon fought German forces 
in Italy's Po Valley, using their exceptional mountaineering skills to 
enable them to overcome the Germans. Regardless of his bravery, 
Sergeant Seiber was wounded on Mount Terminale in Italy and utterly 
destroyed his kneecap and femur. Yet, his injuries led to an honorable 
discharge at the young age of twenty-two, which enabled him to pursue 
his dreams.
  After World War II, Pete returned to Colorado, the state that 
provoked his passion for the mountains during his training in the 10th 
Mountain Division to turn his visions into a reality. He arrived in 
Aspen in 1946 and despite hampering injuries from war began working as 
Ski Patroller. His determination to reclaim his expert skiing skills 
prevailed, and in 1947 he won the downhill, slalom, and combined 
competitions in the Rocky Mountain Championships. Moreover, he became a 
member of the 1950 U.S. Alpine Ski team, a great honor. However, he is 
now more famously known in Colorado as the co-founder of Vail Ski 
Resort in 1959, he became a familiar image that represents Vail to 
many. Despite local skepticism from existing ski resorts, Pete traveled 
around the country to raise revenue to build the mountain, and refused 
to give up. In 1970 his perseverance paid off when Ski Magazine ranked 
Vail first rate and claimed it to be an amazing resort for all ages. 
Needless to say, Vail's business boomed, and its legacy is now world-
renowned. In fact, in 2000 Ski Magazine listed him as the 3rd most 
influential skier of all time and in 2001, Vail named its most recent 
addition after Mr. Seibert; respectfully calling it ``Pete's Bowl''.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me today in celebrating the life of 
Pete Seibert who recently lost his battle with cancer. He overcame 
enemies of freedom, crippling war injuries, and literally ascended to 
the mountaintop in pursuit of his dreams. Pete had a remarkable spirit 
that empowered all who knew him. I would like to express my deepest 
condolences to his friends and family.

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