[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 128 (Wednesday, September 22, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1701]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    REMEMBERING LTC CHARLES C. LYDA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TOM McCLINTOCK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 22, 2010

  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember LTC Charles 
Lyda of Truckee, California. Chuck was born to Charmian and Lu Lyda in 
July 23, 1952 in San Diego, California where he grew up with his older 
sister Laramee, and younger brother, Grady.
  An extraordinary athlete, by age 16 Chuck was competing on the world 
stage, racing for the U.S. National Team in Wildwater Kayaking in the 
1969 World Championship. Chuck would go on to be a two-time Olympian 
and two-time World Champion in Canoe/Kayak, as well as qualifying for 
28 U.S. national teams in Canoe, Kayak and Biathlon and serving as U.S. 
Olympic Team coach from 1996 through 2002. His athletic legacy also 
includes serving as the first Nordic Director for the Auburn Ski Club 
Training Center, founding the biathlon program at Northstar-at-Tahoe 
and the long-running 10th Mountain Division Race, as well as developing 
the ASC 1-2-3 program, which has introduced nearly 20,000 young men and 
women to cross-country skiing.
  While Chuck's athletic achievements alone would represent a full and 
accomplished life in their own right, he was also a dedicated and 
faithful patriot. Enlisting in 1983, Chuck joined the 132nd Engineer 
Battalion as a combat engineer and served 27 years in the United States 
Army National Guard. Chuck served multiple rotations as the 
Mobilization Officer for California, ensuring that the men and women 
going overseas from California were deployed on time and brought home 
in the same fashion. It is safe to say that his diligence in this role 
touched the lives of nearly every soldier who was part of the largest 
deployment of California troops since the Korean War. In 2005 Chuck was 
selected to deploy to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where 
he served as the Chief of Operations, Corps of Engineers in Tikrit. 
Even though he was in his mid-fifties while serving overseas, Chuck 
maintained the highest levels of physical fitness and discipline 
imaginable, consistently improving his two-mile run time every time he 
took the test.
  While preparing to deploy to Iraq for his second tour, Chuck lost his 
battle with cancer and passed away on June 12, 2010. Known by his 
friends for fierce loyalty and unending perseverance, he will most 
certainly be missed. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to rise today in 
recognition of LTC Charles Lyda and to extend my condolences to his 
family and my gratitude for his many years of service to our Nation.

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