[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 23, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E52]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF JOHN MARKOWICZ

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 23, 2013

  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor a 
fierce and passionate advocate for southeastern Connecticut, John 
Markowicz.
  John was well known in southeastern Connecticut for the many hats he 
wore over the course of his life. Graduating the U.S. Naval Academy in 
1965, John achieved the rank of captain in the Navy where he served in 
the submarine force in a variety of posts, including the USS Pargo (SSN 
650) and USS Guitarro (SSN 665). Following active duty service, John 
continued in the Naval Reserve to achieve 34 years in the service of 
our Nation. In his life in the private sector, John helped found 
Sonalysts in 1976, a defense contractor in Waterford, Connecticut that 
is one of the region's largest employers today. Following his time at 
Sonalysts, John served in a number of positions to promote economic 
development in eastern Connecticut, most notably as Executive Director 
of the Connecticut Enterprise Region (seCTer).
  As impressive as these achievements are, he is best and rightly 
remembered by the southeastern Connecticut region as the leader of the 
fight to save Naval Submarine Base New London from closure during the 
2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process.
  When the submarine base was placed on the BRAC list in 2005, John 
activated a non-partisan and diverse group of experts tasked with the 
seemingly insurmountable challenge of overturning the Pentagon's 
recommendation. John and his team burrowed into the data, found 
critical flaws, and constructed the airtight argument against closing 
this unique and irreplaceable naval asset.
  Although I was not in Congress at the time, I vividly remember 
attending the Boston regional meeting of the BRAC commission in the 
summer of 2005. With John and his case at the lead, Connecticut's 
delegation picked apart the misguided decision to close the base--
stressing the economic harm, the strategic impact and, most 
importantly, the various flaws underpinning the case to close the base.
  It worked. In September 2005 the base was removed from the list and 
spared closure. While there were many involved in the successful effort 
to save the base, it was John's leadership, attention to detail, and 
unsparing devotion to the mission that was rightly credited with making 
it possible.
  As importantly, John understood that the work of promoting and 
defending the base did not end with the decision to remove the base 
from the BRAC list. In the years following, John stressed the need for 
the creation of a state Office of Military Affairs and a historic new 
partnership between Connecticut and the Navy to invest in the 
infrastructure of the base--both of which are in place now and under 
way. He also worked closely with my staff and me in monitoring the 
latest rumors about new BRACs and following Congressional debates about 
submarine production like a box score.
  In my years of knowing him, I always found John to be a quiet but 
effective professional. He never pursued the spotlight, never wanted 
the glory--he sought only to accomplish the mission. In his passing, 
eastern Connecticut has lost a fierce advocate for the ``Submarine 
Capitol of the World'' and all of us will long remember all he gave to 
our region and our state. His memory will live on in the thousands of 
people at work every day at a more modem submarine base that he helped 
to save--and the countless businesses and employees across the region 
that rely on it.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring the life 
and service of John Markowicz and sharing our condolences with the 
family he leaves behind.

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