[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 56 (Tuesday, April 20, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S2473]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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           REMEMBERING BRIGADIER GENERAL THOMAS R. MIKOLAJCIK

 Mr. DeMINT. Mr. President, I am here today to celebrate the 
life and military service of a great American and an adopted South 
Carolinian, BG Thomas R. Mikolajcik. ``General Mik,'' as he was known 
to his many friends, passed from this life to the next on April 17, 
2010, after a courageous 6\1/2\-year battle with ALS.
  General Mikolajcik was a 1969 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy 
and a decorated veteran of the conflicts in Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, 
and the first gulf war. During his distinguished military career, he 
logged more than 4,000 hours as a command pilot, commanded the 437th 
Airlift Wing at Charleston Air Force Base in Charleston, SC, and served 
as director of transportation for the Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff 
for logistics.
  General Mik was a tireless advocate for causes he believed in, and he 
won many allies locally and nationally for his work on behalf of the 
Charleston military community. The Mikolajcik Engineering Laboratory 
Center at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center in Charleston and 
the Mikolajcik Child Development Center at Charleston Air Force Base 
are named in his honor.
  A warrior until the end, General Mik's fighting spirit was never more 
evident than after he was diagnosed with ALS in 2003. Following his 
diagnosis, he would often say, ``You can put your head down and feel 
sorry for yourself, or you can help others.'' He chose the latter. 
General Mik founded the first ALS support group in South Carolina and 
the ALS Clinic at the Medical University of South Carolina. He also 
fought for full ALS coverage for his fellow veterans, who are 
disproportionately more likely to suffer from this terrible disease 
than the general population. And like so many other battles General Mik 
fought, he won this one, too, in a 2008 Defense Department ruling.
  General Mikolajcik was a noble spirit and inspirational leader, who, 
even through his long illness, never stopped caring for and impacting 
the lives of those fortunate enough to know him. I am honored to have 
called him a friend and to extend my deepest sympathies on behalf of a 
grateful nation to his devoted wife Carmen, along with their three 
children and seven grandchildren. Today, South Carolina mourns the 
passing of a true American hero.

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