[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 53 (Thursday, April 15, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H2622]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  2030
                 HONORING THE LIFE OF RICHARD J. MORGAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Garrett) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, on September 11, 2001, 
almost 3,000 individuals were victims of the most devastating act of 
terror in our Nation's history. First responders and civilians, mothers 
and fathers, husband and wives, friends and neighbors, the terrorists 
acted with impunity toward their victims, and our Nation still mourns 
this tragic loss.
  This evening I'd like to specifically remember one of those victims, 
and that is Richard J. Morgan. Morgan, or Dick as he was known to his 
friends, was many things to many people. He was an adoring husband to 
his wife, Patricia, a beloved father to his four children, a proud 
grandfather to his seven grandchildren, and a respected colleague to 
all that he worked with, and also a cherished friend to those who were 
fortunate enough to ever have known him.
  Dick graduated with a degree in civil engineering from Manhattan 
College and an MBA from New York University, and he would go on to 
serve his Nation in the National Guard.
  Then in 1967, he and Patricia settled down in the little town of Glen 
Rock, New Jersey, where they became active participants in their 
community and a local church as well.
  For 41 years, Dick worked with Con Edison, being promoted all the way 
from being a splicer to serving as vice president of emergency 
management. It was in that capacity that Dick raced to the World Trade 
Center on that fateful Tuesday morning. And like so many other brave 
first responders, Dick responded to the call of duty. He ran into the 
smoke and the fire but, sadly, he was lost when the North Tower 
collapsed at 10:28 a.m. At the time of his death, Dick was coordinating 
the emergency response, along with the Fire Department of New York with 
their chief of department. Today, quite fittingly, Dick is the only 
civilian memorialized with the Fire Department of New York Randall's 
Island Training Facility for having given his life in the line of duty 
on September 11, 2001.
  Recently, I became aware that Dick had not been nominated for the 9/
11 Heroes Medal of Valor and, as a result, had been incorrectly 
classified as simply a visitor on the National September 11 Memorial, 
instead of a first responder classification that he deserved. So over 
the past few months my staff has worked with the Department of Justice 
to ensure that this heroic first responder was properly memorialized. 
And last month I was happy to hear that the family has been assured 
that their request has now been granted. And I am thankful to the 
Department of Justice, to my colleagues from New York, and the many 
others who assisted in swiftly rectifying this oversight.
  Proper recognition for our fallen heroes is but a small token of 
gratitude when compared with the enormous sacrifice. Whether at the 
World Trade Center, on the battlefield, or in the communities, our 
soldiers and first responders, they all take a great risk to keep us 
safe, and they sometimes pay the tremendous sacrifice.
  And what can we here do in return? Well, we can remember their 
service. We can live worthy of their sacrifice and take every single 
opportunity to thank them and the ones that they leave behind.
  On behalf of a grateful Nation, I express my sincere gratitude to 
Dick Morgan and pledge to his family that his example will not be 
forgotten. Dick will always be remembered as a man who epitomized 
valor, cherished opportunity to serve, and actively made his community 
a better place. He earned the respect of so many through his hard work, 
through his commitment and a genuine interest in the lives and the 
fates of others.
  So I am proud to represent Dick's family here in Congress, and our 
entire Nation can be proud of the sacrifice of this American hero.

                          ____________________