[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 75 (Friday, May 27, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E985]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING GEORGE H. STROHSAHL

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. LOIS CAPPS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 26, 2011

  Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of an 
American hero and my friend, Rear Admiral George H. Strohsahl. RADM 
Strohsahl passed away on Sunday, May 22, 2011. Over the course of his 
life, his vision and dedication to Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) and 
the Ventura County community at large were greatly inspiring. It is 
truly an honor to pay tribute to him today.
  Admiral Strohsahl's Navy career spanned 39 years starting as a 
Midshipman at the Naval Academy in 1955 and finishing as the Commander 
for the Naval Air Warfare Center, the Research, Development, Test and 
Evaluation organization of Naval Aviation with 10 installations across 
the country and over 25,000 employees. During his career he flew jet 
attack aircraft from aircraft carriers in both the Pacific and Atlantic 
fleets which included two tours of combat flying in Vietnam and command 
of an A-6 squadron. He was the Air Boss on USS Nimitz and played 
himself in the popular Kirk Douglas movie ``Final Countdown.''
  He was the director of the Tactical Air Analysis office in the 
Pentagon which was part of the McNamara systems analysis team known as 
the ``Whiz Kids.'' He was Program Manager for the F/A-18 Hornet Family 
of aircraft which was and still is the largest aircraft acquisition 
program in the Navy. He commanded the Pacific Missile Test Center at 
Point Mugu from 1988 to 1990 and as senior Naval officer for the South 
Central California area was active in many civic organizations in 
Ventura County at that time.
  Over the years, I have worked with RADM Strohsahl on many issues that 
affect Naval Base Ventura County. I particularly appreciated his 
leadership during our fight against the Base Realignment and Closure 
Commission process. His testimony before the 2005 Commission was 
instrumental in minimizing the amount of technical work being removed 
and job loss from our base. He was a steadfast advocate for the Navy 
and worked endlessly to ensure others understood the importance of our 
military.
  RADM Strohsahl was married for 44 years to the late Marvalyn Fiske. 
They raised three children, one of whom resides now in Ventura with her 
husband and family. He is blessed today to be married to Mary Anne 
Vernallis of Newbury Park whose late husband, Sam, was a long-time 
associate of George's in the Navy and a well-respected civic leader in 
Ventura County. Together, George and Mary Anne share 5 children and 8 
grandchildren.
  I know I speak on behalf of the entire Ventura County community when 
I say RADM Strohsahl will be greatly missed. His commitment and hard 
work on behalf of NVBC and our community at large will be felt for 
generations to come. While his resume is tremendously impressive, he 
might best be known by his family, friends and co-workers as a 
generous, patriotic and altruistic man. It is a great honor to pay 
tribute to his life.

                          ____________________