[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 124 (Thursday, September 28, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1876-E1877]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE SERVICE AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF G. LUZ A. JAMES, ESQUIRE, TO 
                THE COMMUNITY OF THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. DONNA M. CHRISTENSEN

                         of the virgin islands

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 27, 2006

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to G. Luz A. 
James, Esquire, affectionately known as ``Luz James'', a Native Son of 
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands and an individual who distinguished 
himself by living a life of service to the people and community of the 
U.S. Virgin Islands and to our Nation.
  Luz James served the Virgin Islands community as an educator in the 
field of Mathematics and Science and was so effective that many of his 
students found ease in understanding the difficult subjects and some 
later became teachers because of exposure to his style. Among his 
numerous honors and recognitions was the conferring of the rank of 
Honorary Policeman by one of our last appointed governors, Walter A. 
Gordon. He worked in the Virgin Islands Public Works Department; was a 
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor; the Assistant Executive Director 
of the Virgin Islands Urban Renewal Program, which started developing 
and renovating depressed areas of the islands at the beginning of the 
economic boom in the 1960's and the Special Assistant to Governor Ralph 
M. Paiewonsky in the Office of Public Relations. He was also elected as 
the first President of the Junior Chamber of Commerce for St. Croix.
  Luz was also elected as a Senator in the 12th Legislature of the 
Virgin Islands, continuing a political tradition that began with his 
father, who served on the Municipal Council. His brother, Randall, 
served four terms as a Senator; his oldest son, Luz II served two terms 
in the Legislature before being elected Lt. Governor for the first term 
of our present Governor's Administration. One of his nieces ran for a 
seat in the Legislature and a nephew is presently seeking re-election 
for a second term.
  Luz was also the first Scoutmaster and Founder of Boy Scout Troop 
151, under the sponsorship of the Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church, the 
church in which he was baptized and had a long and involved 
relationship with throughout his life. He served the church in many 
positions and was the church's Sacristan at the time of his death. His 
education began at the school associated with the church, St. Mary's, 
under the tutelage of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The 
Sisters helped kindle his love of the church, and his deep 
spirituality. Luz was known for his generosity and kindness and he 
would visit some of the Sisters that had taught him during his 
childhood. His family has been a member of the Holy Cross Church for 
more than a century.
  Luz James also had a distinguished military career that began as a 
commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army upon his graduation from 
Howard University in 1950 and served a tour of duty years later as an 
Artillery Officer at Fort Bliss, Texas. He was credited with the 
formation of the U.S. Army Reserve Units in the U.S. Virgin Islands and 
Governor Melvin H. Evans appointed him as the first Adjutant General of 
the Virgin Islands, which gained him the distinction of being the first 
African-American to serve as an Adjutant General in the in Army 
National Guard of the United States. At the time of his untimely 
passing, he and the National Guard were in the process of preparing a 
pinning ceremony for his promotion to the rank of Brigadier General, 
during a ceremony that was being planned for next month.
  Luz James entered Law School in his mid forties, graduated, became a 
member of the Virgin Islands Bar Association and had one of the busiest 
practices on the island of St. Croix. He was also a member of the 
National and the American Bar Associations. This accomplishment, 
returning to get his Juris Doctorate degree, was one that inspired 
three other members of his family to enter the legal field and vividly 
impressed his youngest son, a medical doctor that an education and 
desire for self improvement can continue throughout a person's 
lifetime. In addition to helping many members of his considerable 
extended family, Luz assisted many Virgin Islanders to pursue and 
continue their formal educations.
  Luz James became a disc jockey during the 1950's, which began his 
love affair with the broadcasting industry. He and one of his brothers, 
Randall, a medical doctor, had popular shows on one of the local 
stations. He later formed Family Broadcasting, Inc., when he acquired 
WSTX AM and FM, the fulfillment of a dream, which allowed him to revive 
the show, ``Crucian Confusion'', a program he originally aired during 
his first days on the air.
  One of his greatest attributes was his willingness to help any person 
in need, sometimes to his detriment and he would part with his last 
dollar, without any hesitation, if it would benefit someone else. He 
served on practically every civic group formed on St. Croix and has 
been recognized and cited for outstanding contributions to the 
community from such groups as the Hospital Auxiliary, Parent Teacher 
Association, the A.M.E. Church, the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., the 
Crucian Forty Plus Baseball Club, the V.I. Midwives Association and the 
V.I. PAC, a New York based group comprised of Virgin Islanders.
  Born on the island of St. Croix, Luz James was the youngest of four 
brothers that all

[[Page E1877]]

made significant contributions to the Virgin Islands and to the Nation. 
He was the last surviving of the brothers and his death on September 
17, 2006, ended an illustrious chapter in Virgin Islands history of 
outstanding community involvement and achievement by one particular 
generation of a family.
  On behalf of the 109th Congress of the United States of America, I 
salute G. Luz A. James, Esquire, for his dedicated service to his home 
and community of the Virgin Islands and to his country. I thank his 
wife Asta and children Barbara, Gerard Luz II, Emmeth and Kelsey, their 
children and grandchildren, for being the supporting base that 
permitted him to be shared with a community that is beginning to 
comprehend his many contributions and the extent of the community's 
loss.

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