[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 89 (Thursday, June 24, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1235]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     PAYING TRIBUTE TO TERRI HAGEN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 23, 2004

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
pay tribute to the life and legacy of Terri Hagen of Prineville, 
Oregon. Terri bravely battled the Storm King Mountain Fire outside the 
town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado in 1994, but succumbed to the blaze 
along with thirteen fellow firefighters while working to protect the 
City. I personally served as a firefighter and understand the risks 
they face each and everyday. Witnessing the awful inferno that fateful 
July day, I know Terri and her comrades battled the fire with the 
utmost courage and valor. With the tenth anniversary of the Storm King 
Fire approaching, I believe it appropriate to recognize the sacrifice 
Terri and the Storm King Firefighters made on behalf of a grateful 
community, state and nation.
   Terri was an undergraduate student at Oregon State University 
working towards a Bachelor of Science degree in Entomology and a 
Bachelor of Arts in History. Their Department of Entomology now has a 
Terri Hagen Memorial Library and Scholarship. She was a member of the 
Onondaga tribe of the Iroquois Nation, and had answered her nation's 
call to duty, serving in the Army as a medic, and had completed 
airborne training with the National Guard. An avid outdoorswoman, Terri 
enjoyed horse training, mountain biking, hiking, hunting, basketball, 
teaching, swimming, and was a rodeo team roper. Her love of the 
outdoors and adventurous spirit took her to joining the Prineville 
Hotshots, an elite group of firefighters who specialize in wildland 
fire suppression. She was a dedicated member of her crew, and received 
a great deal of satisfaction from helping others. Above all, she was 
devoted to her family and friends.
   Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to rise before this body of Congress and 
this nation to pay tribute to the life and memory of Firefighter Terri 
Hagen. Terri personified the Hotshots credo of Safety, Teamwork and 
Professionalism; putting herself in harms way for unfamiliar people and 
places. She made the ultimate sacrifice doing what she loved, and I, 
along with the Glenwood Springs community and the State of Colorado are 
eternally grateful to this brave young woman.

                          ____________________