[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 15, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H9-H10]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING THOR HESLA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WU. Madam Speaker, America has lost a great public servant. Thor 
Hesla died in Kabul, Afghanistan last night, a victim of the Taliban.
  That Thor should pass at the hands of religious extremists is perhaps 
one of the great ironies of life because he was such a strong proponent 
of the humane, human virtues in life. He worked in tough places, tough 
jobs in America, in Kosovo, in Afghanistan, always promoting peace, 
democracy, and the general public welfare. He worked so many hard, 
dangerous jobs, and he was such a colorful person that he was larger 
than life. And I guess there are some of us who came to believe that 
the bullets would always go around him, and in his own particularly 
human way, Thor had become a touch immortal.
  I owe him a deep debt of friendship and gratitude. He was my 1998 
campaign manager, and we won a hard-fought campaign under his 
leadership. But that was the least of it. It was what he did 
afterwards. His friendship, his support, and his wise advice, which I 
was sometimes wise enough to accept, that was what for me set him apart 
and built our deep relationship. And I believe that there are hundreds 
of people across this country and perhaps thousands of people around 
the world who similarly feel this bond of friendship and this debt of 
gratitude to Thor. America and the world are better for his life and 
his work.
  Earlier, I used the word ``victim'' in connection with Thor; and I 
misspoke, because Thor was no one's victim. He chose his life, he chose 
his work, and he chose Kabul.
  Because of events earlier during the recess, I had an opportunity to 
speak with my son about life and its end. And while there are many ways 
to live well, to live a good life, there are few, if any, good ways to 
pass on. But if there are any, it is to pass on in the company of 
friends and family or to pass on for a cause. Now, Thor wasn't with his 
family in Atlanta or here in Washington, his sister, his brother-in-
law, his nieces, or his parents; but he was with a family and a circle 
of friends, the family of those who care, the friends of those who care 
for others and who care to risk for others. He died in the cause of 
bringing some small measure of peace, prosperity, and democracy to 
those who are in dire need of those things.
  So tonight we mourn, we remember, we celebrate the life of Thor 
Hesla. America has lost a fine public servant, but he is now a public 
servant for all

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those in all the ages who care to remember those who care and sacrifice 
for others.

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