[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 135 (Saturday, November 20, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2108]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE LATE GLENN DAVID MARTINEZ

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 19, 2004

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the late Glenn David 
Martinez, a member of the ``Greatest Generation'' who passed away 
earlier this year. Glenn was a proud Chamorro with a great faith in God 
and a dedication to his island home and his country. Glenn was a 
fighter pilot during World War II serving in the Pacific theater with 
the U.S. Army Air Corps, now known as the U.S. Air Force. It is with 
great sadness that I inform this body of his death.
  In honor of his memory, I am submitting for the Record a special 
tribute to Glenn written by his close friend, Mr. Joe M. Bamba, 
formerly of Agana Heights, Guam, which was delivered at Glenn's 
memorial service on Guam.

       I am indeed privileged and honored to be asked by the 
     family to say a last ``adios to Glenn''. As I tried to 
     assimilate my thoughts to pay our last and final respects to 
     such a fine and wonderful friend, husband, father, 
     grandfather and brother, I wondered sometimes whether I would 
     be able to adequately, truly, and justly convey my thoughts 
     into words which Glenn richly deserves.
       Although I knew of Glenn's reputation and heroism when we 
     were in Guam, I was more intimately aware of Glenn, the 
     person, when he relocated and lived in South Florida. There, 
     we developed an exceptional kinship and fellowship. We shared 
     few secrets here and there and we belonged to a group of 
     fellow Guamanians in the area. In fact, he was the most 
     eligible bachelor at that time. He was a sensitive, real down 
     to earth, and easy to get along guy once you got to know him. 
     He was, however, very selective with whom he wanted to 
     associate. He often spoke of the need for our Chamorros to 
     work together and continue to maintain our customs and 
     culture.
       In spite of his exploits and feats in the service of his 
     country during World War II, you never heard him brag of such 
     heroic accomplishments. In other words, in our vernacular, TI 
     BANIDOSO. He was one of the few Guamanian Officers of the 
     ``Greatest Generation'' in the service of his island home and 
     country. Because of his health situation and ultimately his 
     death, he would never see the beautiful and hallowed national 
     World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., dedicated to the 
     World War II veterans.
       As a veteran, Glenn could have opted to be buried at the 
     venerated and internationally renowned Arlington National 
     Cemetery, but instead he decided to make Guam his final 
     resting place and to be near his family who predeceased him. 
     As the saying goes, you can remove a Guamanian from Guam, but 
     you cannot remove Guam from a Guamanian.
       When Glenn left South Florida to visit Guam, he returned 
     and brought with him his new wife, Chilang. At that time, we 
     were celebrating the Guam Liberation Day Festivities. He 
     introduced Chilang as ``The Wind Behind His Wing'' and she 
     deservedly so earned that title.
       I talked to Glenn by telephone often during the critical 
     months before he passed on and he politely discouraged us to 
     visit with him. Finally, he agreed to allow my wife and me to 
     see him about a week before he died. We talked about the news 
     of the day and he told me that three months ago, he was 
     playing and enjoying his golf. Not once did he mention the 
     pain he was experiencing so as to make us feel uncomfortable. 
     I observed that he was ready to accept what was terminally 
     happening to his body. For his peace of mind, great credit 
     is due to Chilang; his daughter, Linda Chuckman and her 
     husband, Alex: the local health professionals, who 
     supported him; and his pastor, Father Jeff McCormick, who 
     consoled and prayed with him. At the memorial service in 
     South Florida, Father Jeff celebrated the service and Alex 
     gave a heart warming and remarkable eulogy for Glenn.
       Glenn, as a member of the military, you were familiar with 
     the military parlance, ``Permanent Change of Station'', 
     commonly called ``PCS''. You took those orders from your 
     Supreme Commander, that is, the change from living on this 
     earth to one of eternity with your beloved family, who 
     previously passed on and who are with God. Such orders from 
     your Supreme Commander, who is God Himself, have never been 
     countermanded or changed. Glenn, as you leave us mortals 
     behind to join your creator, we cite one of the passages of 
     Matthew, ``Ask and you will receive; Seek and you will find: 
     Knock and it will be opened to you. For the one who asks, 
     receives. The one who seeks, finds. The one who knocks, 
     enters.'' This, my friend, we pray as you enter the Kingdom 
     of God. Adios for now.

                          ____________________