[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 85 (Friday, June 18, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1175]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     A TRIBUTE TO CAPT. JIM FOURNIER FOR 50 YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. CHRISTOPHER COX

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 18, 2004

  Mr. COX. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding 
official of the U.S. Congress, Capt. James M. Fournier of Fountain 
Valley, California, who has dedicated almost 50 years of his life in 
public service to his country.
  Twelve years ago, I stood on this same floor to thank Capt. James M. 
Fournier, upon his retirement as my California Chief of Staff, for his 
many decades of service to our country. It was the good fortune of the 
people of southern California that, a few years later, Jim returned to 
work for the citizens of the 48th Congressional District. Just as 
Michael Jordan had difficulty staying away from the game that he loved, 
Jim Fournier has trouble walking away from his personal dedication to 
public service. In fact, if you ask the people of Orange County, they 
might say that Jim is the Michael Jordan of public and constituent 
service: He is a true professional, and has devoted his life to serving 
his country and his fellow man.
  Today, Capt. Jim Fournier is retiring as my California Chief of Staff 
so that he might spend more time with his family and his beloved wife, 
Lucille. As he departs, I offer heartfelt thanks for his almost 50 
years of service to his country. Jim Fournier has excelled in many 
fields: As a military officer, a sea captain, an engineer, and a public 
servant. He is, I am proud to say, a good and loyal friend who has 
worked with me throughout my congressional career.
  As my District Representative and the Chief of Staff in my California 
office, Jim Fournier has become a beloved figure to the people who work 
for him and, more importantly, to the thousands of southern 
Californians whom he has personally helped.
  Although it would have been equally well-deserved, Jim did not earn 
the title of ``Captain'' by navigating the political waters of 
Washington, DC, or California. Rather, it was his long and outstanding 
service in the U.S. Coast Guard that earned him this designation. He 
began serving our Nation in 1954, when he was commissioned an ensign 
following graduation from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. The next 30 
years found Jim on Coast Guard cutters sailing to all four corners of 
the Earth, as well as on the vast network of waterways throughout the 
United States. Among his varied assignments, Jim captained icebreakers 
in the Antarctic and in the Arctic Circle; he commanded the Coast 
Guard's 8th District Field Office in New Orleans; and he managed the 
Coast Guard's Congressional Liaison Office in Washington, DC.

  Jim Fournier's rapid advancement and stellar performance sailing 
under the flag of the United States earned him several national honors, 
including one of our Nation's top military service awards, the Legion 
of Merit. Although he would not be one to mention it, a listing of the 
other honors awarded to Captain Fournier is nothing short of amazing: 
two Meritorious Service Medals; two Coast Guard Commendation Medals; 
two Letters of Commendation; the National Defense Medal, twice; three 
Antarctic Service Medals; four Arctic Service Medals; and 11 other 
awards. In between his seagoing assignments, Jim found time to study 
engineering at the prestigious Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and to 
do postgraduate work at John Carroll University.
  Jim has often mentioned that the best import ever to sail to the 
United States from Canada is Lucille, his wife of 40 years. I have had 
the pleasure of knowing Lucille since 1988, and I agree with Jim 
completely. Jim and Lucille have three grown children, and now Captain 
Jim is Grandpa Jim to his beautiful grandkids, Renee and Ryan.
  Following his retirement from the Coast Guard and from private 
business in the field of engineering, Jim came on board with me after 
my first election in 1988. He set up my Orange County office from 
scratch, finding office space, hiring the staff, and organizing the 
workload. He has served Orange County as the first line of assistance 
for thousands of constituents who have had problems with Federal 
agencies--from the IRS to the INS, from Orange County to our most 
distant and far-flung embassies around the world.
  I well remember one especially poignant success that Jim achieved. 
Two years ago, my office was contacted by two California youths who 
were on the verge of being forcibly resettled to Zimbabwe--a country 
torn by violence and lawlessness--as the result of an international 
custody dispute. Despite the fact that the youths were U.S. citizens, 
the U.S. State Department was on the verge of honoring an unjust ruling 
by a Zimbabwean court that would have required the youths to return to 
this violent land. That's when they turned to my office for help. Jim 
Fournier worked on their problem with passion--spending countless hours 
over a matter of months to guarantee the safety of these two young 
Americans. The creative energy that led to this success was typical of 
Jim Fournier.
  Mr. Speaker, as my top California aide and advisor, Jim Fournier has 
established an enviable record of caring service to the people of 
Orange County. His stewardship in that role will long be remembered, 
and should serve as a model for all of us in congressional service for 
years to come. As he sets his course for new challenges, I ask my 
colleagues to join me in saluting Jim Fournier, and thanking him for a 
job well done--for Orange County, for California, and for America.

                          ____________________