[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 140 (Thursday, October 1, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2416]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF JESSE DONALD PHELPS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. WALT MINNICK

                                of idaho

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 30, 2009

  Mr. MINNICK. Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize and honor the 
legacy of Jesse Donald Phelps, Chief Warrant Officer 2nd Class, U.S. 
Army, an Idaho native who gave his life during the war in Vietnam. 
Nearly forty-four years after his helicopter crashed in the jungle near 
An Khe, his remains have been returned to his family.
  Officer Phelps was born in Boise on October 1, 1937 and spent his 
childhood in Nampa. He stayed in Idaho as an adult and married Dee 
Phelps in 1955, the year that he graduated from high school. In time, 
he and Dee had four children, and he enlisted in the National Guard 
before becoming an army pilot.
  On December 28, 1965, Officer Phelps was part of a four-person U.S. 
Army Huey helicopter crew charged with delivering munitions and 
supplies to a group of soldiers through the An Khe Pass, in Binh Dinh 
Province, South Vietnam. The routine mission was only meant to take 30 
minutes, and 8-10 minutes after takeoff, the crew radioed their target 
company to say that the weather ``doesn't look bad.'' It was the last 
communication from the plane, which disappeared into the trees shortly 
thereafter. Search efforts were fruitless, and Officer Phelps and his 
crew were later pronounced ``Died While Missing/Body Not Recovered.'' 
Ten years after her wedding, Dee Phelps received a telegram informing 
her that her husband was gone.
  Thanks to more recent search efforts and DNA testing, Officer 
Phelps's wife, children, and grandchildren can be certain that the head 
of his family has returned home once more. I and the people of Idaho 
value his sacrifice and honor Officer Phelps's commitment to serving 
his country. We owe the strength of our nation to the steady courage of 
veterans like Officer Phelps.

                          ____________________