[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 146 (Wednesday, November 13, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S10884]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO BILL CAPPEL

 Mr. BUNNING. Madam President, I rise today to honor Bill 
Cappel of Covington, KY for his years of dedicated and selfless service 
to this nation and to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Yesterday, Mr. 
Cappel celebrated his 90th birthday.
  In honor of this event, city officials in Covington presented Mr. 
Cappel with a key to the city, read a proclamation in his honor and 
even provided him with a special police escort as they officially named 
the Bill Cappel Youth Sports Complex after him.
  Bill Cappel is one of those rare individuals in life who has the 
innate ability to put a positive spin on every situation. The only 
thing harder than getting him out in a softball game is getting him to 
take that permanent smile off his face. As a soldier in World War II, 
not only did Bill Cappel earn the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star 
for his courageous military service, he also organized baseball and 
softball games for the soldiers while on tours of duty in Africa and 
Europe as a way for the men to escape the darkness that surrounds war. 
It is this type of service that has led many to think of Bill Cappel as 
a saint.
  In 1933, Mr. Cappel organized a women's softball league in Covington 
as way to get more women involved in the sporting world. Nearly 30 
years later, he founded the Covington Major Girls League at Meinken 
Field. Three of the teams from the Covington Major Girls League won 
national championships. Bill learned that when you treat people like 
champions, they play and act like champions.
  Throughout his life, Bill Cappel has given much to his country and 
the people of Northern Kentucky. He has always found a way to give back 
to the local community. In his mind, his actions do not merit any sort 
of special attention. He is simply trying to do for others what they 
have done for him. Whether it has been as a soldier, umpire, coach, 
player or friend, Bill Cappel has managed to make the world around him 
a better place for people to live. It truly is amazing how the actions 
of one man could positively affect so many.
  I believe we all can take something away from the life Bill Cappel 
has lived. In politics, we each took an oath to serve the people and 
uphold the Constitution of the United States of America. While Mr. 
Cappel never swore an oath, he has demonstrated to thousands of people 
how far the human spirit can travel.

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