[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 112 (Friday, July 25, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1656-E1657]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        IN HONOR OF JACK WITTEN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 25, 2003

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Jack Witten, a 
man with a distinguished record of military and private sector service. 
Mr. Witten's career has spanned decades and encompassed a number of 
notable accomplishments in the field of aeronautical engineering. Mr. 
Witten has also had an accomplished personal life that I am sure his 
seven Eagle Scout grandchildren can attest to.
  It was Charles Lindbergh's 1927 flight over the Atlantic Ocean that 
initially sparked Mr. Witten's interest in aviation. After that 
historic flight, Mr. Witten began spending much of his time observing 
local airport hangars and taking in Army air shows and national air 
races in his boyhood home of Illinois. He spent many a Saturday 
afternoon hitchhiking to the hangars and air shows with his cousin Tom.
  In 1938, Mr. Witten quit his steeple-jacking job and joined the Navy 
Reserve. He was put on active duty at the Wright Reynolds Airport in 
Glenville, Illinois almost immediately. There, he and his fellow 
reservists maintained a fleet of 26 aircraft and trained a reserve 
squadron of 400 men. During the course of his service in the Navy 
Reserve, Mr. Witten instructed, developed, and reorganized training 
programs in aircraft maintenance and engineering for both pilots and 
ex-GI's.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Witten has also spent much of his career serving our 
area through his work for the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics at the Pax 
River Naval Air Station. Mr. Witten first came to Pax River in 1943, 
just six days after the air station was commissioned. He was able to 
realize his dream of both working and living on the Atlantic Coast when 
he and his family later moved to St. Mary's County. During his time at 
Pax River, Mr. Witten helped to establish aeronautical maintenance 
engineering as both a term and function.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Witten has had a number of other notable 
accomplishments throughout his distinguished career. He created the 
Aircraft Maintenance Officer category of military service, established 
the annual meeting of the Depot Aeronautical Engineering 
Superintendents, revised contract requirements for military hardware 
design changes, and conducted materials review of new aircraft designs. 
Mr. Witten also instituted the use of improved aircraft testing 
techniques and devices, such as the spectrographic analysis of engine 
oil to detect failing engines, now in worldwide use by

[[Page E1657]]

all militaries, and the use of high visibility paint to prevent 
collisions. Additionally, Mr. Witten made major revisions to the 
standard design specifications for naval aircraft to increase safety 
and reliability and to reduce maintenance man-hours.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Witten's lifetime of achievement and service 
deserves recognition. I know the members of the House will join me in 
thanking Mr. Witten for over 60 years of service to the military and to 
our local area. I rise now to congratulate him on this tremendous 
record of achievement.

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