[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 163 (Saturday, December 17, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2567]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 COMMENDATION FOR ROGER EASTON, NATIONAL MEDAL OF TECHNOLOGY RECIPIENT

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                          HON. CHARLES F. BASS

                            of new hampshire

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 16, 2005

  Mr. BASS. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to congratulate New 
Hampshire resident Roger Easton for receiving the National Medal of 
Technology, America's highest honor for technological achievement.
  More importantly, I would like to commend Mr. Easton for four decades 
of distinguished service to the field of navigation technology and to 
our Nation. His numerous inventions, from the Minitrack satellite 
tracking system to the ``Navigation System Using Satellites and Passive 
Ranging Techniques,'' provided the foundation for the development of 
the Global Positioning System (GPS) in widespread use today. This 
crucial technology initially advanced the capacity and effectiveness of 
U.S. satellites, in addition to providing a measure of increased 
security in the Cold War era by enabling our military to track unknown 
objects orbiting the Earth. Mr. Easton's ground-breaking inventions 
have subsequently inspired the use of GPS technology in the civilian 
sector, including the system's adaptation for usage in commercial 
airplanes and personal automobiles.
  His contributions as a public servant are equally noteworthy, having 
served two terms as a colleague of mine in the New Hampshire State 
Legislature and three terms on the Board of the New Hampshire Electric 
Cooperative. The National Medal of Technology could not have been 
bestowed on a more deserving individual, and it is an honor to offer 
this outstanding contributor to America's economic, environmental, and 
social well-being my heartfelt congratulations.

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