[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 48 (Thursday, March 22, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E430-E431]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF MARINE CORPS CAPTAIN MICHAEL QUIN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 22, 2012

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the life and service of 
Marine Corps Captain Michael Quin, who tragically lost his life, along 
with others, during the final training mission before his unit's 
scheduled deployment to Afghanistan. Captain Quin is a native of 
Purcellville, Virginia where his parents, Brad and Betsy still reside.
  Captain Quin graduated from Loudoun Valley High School and received 
an appointment to the United States Naval Academy, where he graduated 
in 2006. Michael went on to successfully complete flight school and 
receive his wings in 2008, graduating at the top of his flight school 
class. Michael rose quickly as a pilot from 2nd Lieutenant to Captain 
and was in command of a helicopter.
  On February 22, Captain Quin was conducting a training mission at the 
Yuma Training Range Complex in Arizona when his helicopter collided 
with another, killing six out of the seven pilots in his squadron. 
Captain Quin was remembered by the commanding officer and gunnery 
sergeant of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing as ``one of those rare young 
captains'' who inspired admiration from all those with whom he served.
  Captain Quin's service has been reported on by the Leesburg Today, 
which I submit for the record, as well as the Loudoun Times Mirror, 
Purcellville Gazette, and the Blue Ridge Leader. Captain Quin was 
honored by residents of Purcellville when his body made the return trip 
from Arizona to Reagan National Airport and finally back home to his 
family. Marines old and young, police, firefighters, and Boy and Girl 
Scouts turned out to show their respects for Captain Quin and to show 
support for his parents, siblings and fiancee.
  Captain Quin was an example of leadership and patriotism of which we 
all can be proud. He chose to serve his country during extremely 
difficult times and was prepared to wear the uniform of the United 
States Marine Corps into battle to protect his family and his country. 
That he lost his life in service to his country is a testament to his 
bravery.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that the thoughts and prayers of the full House of 
Representatives go out to the Quin family as they honor the exceptional 
life of their son, Marine Corps Captain Michael Quin.

               Capt. Quin Remembered: ``He Was the Best''

       The tragic impacts of the nation's war effort again are 
     being felt in Loudoun, with the death of U.S. Marine Corps 
     Capt. Michael Quin. The Purcellville resident and 2002 
     Loudoun Valley High School graduate was

[[Page E431]]

     killed last week when two helicopters collided while training 
     in Arizona in advance of a deployment to Afghanistan.
       Mourned by his parents, sisters and fiancee, the death of 
     the 28-year-old naval aviator also has hit the Purcellville 
     community, one that just two years ago paid tribute to 
     another fallen serviceman, Army Specialist Stephan Lee Mace, 
     who was killed in Afghanistan in a fierce firefight with the 
     Taliban. Flags in town will fly at half staff until Quin's 
     burial service at Arlington Cemetery. As of Tuesday, plans 
     for services in Purcellville and at Arlington had not yet 
     been finalized.
       Michael lost his life, along with six others, in a remote 
     area of the 1.2 million-acre Yuma Training Range Complex in 
     Arizona during the two-week ``Scorpion Fire'' training 
     mission that was to have been his last before being deployed 
     to Afghanistan in April.
       After graduating Loudoun Valley High School, he graduated 
     from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2006 and joined the Marine 
     Corps.
       The tragedy of Quin's death was compounded in that he was 
     in the last stages of his training before his deployment to 
     Afghanistan. It was the last qualification that he needed to 
     emerge with ``top gun'' status for helicopters.
       Quin had recently become engaged, and had planned to spend 
     a week away with his fiancee before coming home for four or 
     five days with his family before leaving in early April for 
     Afghanistan.
       His parents Brad and Betsy Quin had seen the report of the 
     fatal crash and when they didn't get a reassuring phone call 
     from their son that all was well, they began to worry.
       When the Marine officers were sent to deliver the news, 
     both parents were at work, his father in Reston, and his 
     mother in Leesburg.
       Brad Quin was at lunch, so the officers waited. When he was 
     told there were officers waiting to see him: ``I knew,'' he 
     said.
       The town has rallied around the Quins and their daughters, 
     Phoebe and Sarah. Brad Quin is a former president of the 
     Locust Grove Homeowners Association and Betsy Quin serves on 
     the board of the HOA's Architectural Review Board. He has 
     been in the college and university world all his life and in 
     admissions and worked for the College Board. Betsy Quin was 
     in the reference department at Rust Library in Leesburg.
       Mayor Bob Lazaro and his wife Carolyn are friends and 
     neighbors of the Quins, whom Lazaro called ``pillars of the 
     community.'' He credited Brad Quin with being ``the horse 
     power'' behind the Purcellville Volunteer Fire Department's 
     recruitment effort that has led to a doubling of the size of 
     the company.
       This week, the support of the 100-strong company, the town 
     and area residents are helping the Quins deal with the loss 
     of their first-born child.
       Capt. Quin's squadron will have a memorial service for him 
     Friday, which his parents will attend before returning to 
     Purcellville. Brad Quin said he hopes the Corps will release 
     his son's body soon. He will return home with a Marine Corps 
     escort, flying into Reagan National Airport where the 
     Washington detachment of the Marine Corps will hold an 
     arrival ceremony before the long trip back to Purcellville to 
     Hall Funeral Home.
       Looking back on his son's life, ``He was the kind of kid 
     who didn't really require much correction from us,'' his 
     father said, noting Michael Quin seemed to have the ability 
     to naturally make good choices in life. Before 9/11 
     patriotism welled up in the country, Michael was like other 
     kids of his generation--dedicated to his family, sisters, 
     studies and his soccer team.
       Brad Quin has been in the college world all his career, but 
     was somewhat surprised by his son's choice of the Naval 
     Academy, not the most obvious fun and typical fraternity 
     college opportunity. ``But he wanted to express what he 
     wanted to be as a person,'' he said.
       Michael Quin seemed to have this sense of looking at 
     ``something else down the road,'' to his decision to join the 
     Marine Corps, his father said. When Brad Quin asked him why 
     he had applied to join the Corps, his son seemed to 
     appreciate the support system the force represented, the way 
     its members gave each other total support no matter their 
     function or level within the Corps.
       At the Naval Academy, it was tough going at first. The 
     curriculum is heavy on science, and students graduate with 
     bachelors of science degrees, even if you're studying history 
     and Spanish, as Michael Quin did. But he sucked it up, did 
     what he was supposed to be as a plebe--invisible.
       ``I could see he was growing, and he had this sense of 
     something else coming down the road,'' his father said, 
     noting that perception has been borne out by statements 
     posted on the website set up to collect memories and 
     tributes, www.michael
     quin.com.
       As a 2nd lieutenant, Michael Quin chose to be a naval 
     aviator. He learned to fly planes first at the naval base at 
     Pensacola, FL, before moving on to helicopters.
       Intermittently, during training, he hooked up with a 
     squadron in Atlanta, GA, and there was a mutual adoption. 
     When after two years the young 2nd Lieutenant was ``winged'' 
     Dec. 2, 2008, they all supported him. His parents' pride in 
     those naval aviator's wings of gold ``is more than you can 
     imagine,'' Brad Quin said.
       From there, Capt. Quin immediately went to the West Coast 
     where the Marine Corps were forming new squadrons. He rose 
     through the ranks to 1st Lieutenant in command of his first 
     ship, then to captain. He was No. 1 in the Marine Corps' 
     flight school, where he chose to fly Hueys.
       His closeness to and support of others was noticeable 
     during a tough time in which additional training and 
     certifications were needed to join a helicopter ``fraternity 
     of very capable guys,'' his father said.
       His commanding officer was a ``tough, square-jawed Marine, 
     with a call sign of `Beast,' '' Brad Quin said. When the CO 
     called him last Friday, after introducing himself, he 
     revealed he had lost six of seven pilots from his squadron.
       There were 100 Marines working on the aircraft. When the 
     lieutenant colonel said he had asked the crews to tell him 
     about Capt. Quin, the officer himself became choked with 
     emotion. There was enormous support and liking for Michael 
     Quin, whom the crews thought one of ``those rare young 
     captains,'' who didn't denigrate them but lived out the 
     tradition that everyone supports those who do the dirty work.
       For Brad and Betsy Quin, it is comforting to know that a 
     wizened gunnery sergeant told his CO that in all his life in 
     the force, ``he was the best.''
       For now, it is the support of the Purcellville community 
     that is a huge comfort. Brad Quin is a volunteer certified 
     firefighter, vice president and chairman of membership for 
     the company.
       ``How supportive everyone has been, the fire department and 
     the town, just like a big family.''
       The loss has hit home in Purcellville and in the fire 
     company. To lose your life when you're ``training to do what 
     you do is horrific,'' Purcellville Volunteer Fire Company 
     Chief Bob Dryden said. To be one of the top students in 
     flight school, as Michael Quin was, and ``this is the way you 
     go out after spending all that time--it's not fair.''
       Dryden has been in constant touch with the Quins. ``Once we 
     know the final date [for burial in Arlington], the company 
     will begin its planning in earnest,'' something along the 
     lines of the plans and ceremony for Mace two years ago.
       ``We'll welcome him home in the proper way,'' Dryden said.
       Mace was killed Oct. 3, 2009, along with seven other U.S. 
     soldiers, defending the Camp Keating outpost in the Nuristan 
     province of Afghanistan against more than 300 Taliban and 
     other insurgents. Mace was a 2005 Loudoun Valley graduate.

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