[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 20 (Wednesday, February 3, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E103-E104]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               IN RECOGNITION OF LIEUTENANT JOHN D. HESS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM R. KEATING

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 3, 2016

  Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Lieutenant 
John D. Hess of the United States Coast Guard and his extraordinary 
actions on February 15, 2015.
   Lieutenant Hess, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, enlisted in 
the U.S. Coast Guard after completing Coast Guard basic training in 
1997. He went on to prove himself extremely capable on assignments 
aboard the USCGC Victorious and at Coast Guard Stations Ashtabula and 
Chatham. Upon receiving his commission in 2004, Lieutenant Hess 
attended Officer Candidate School (OCS) in New London, Connecticut, and 
went on to receive his wings of gold in 2006.
   As an aviator, Lieutenant Hess's first assignment was as an MH-60 
Jayhawk pilot at Air Station Clearwater, Florida. There, he served as 
an Instructor Pilot and subsequently a Flight Examiner. He transferred 
to Air Station Cape Cod in Massachusetts where he served in the same 
role as well as Aircraft Commander aboard CGNR 6033.
   It was during this time, on February 15, 2015, that Lieutenant 
Hess--along with the other three crewmembers aboard CGNR 6033--
responded to a distress signal picked up by the Coast Guard Rescue 
Coordination Center in Boston from the fishing vessel Sedona, which was 
floundering two hundred nautical miles off the coast of Cape Cod.
   Lieutenant Hess and his copilot, Lieutenant Matthew Vanderslice, 
showed exemplary aeronautical skill as they navigated through extreme 
conditions, facing no overhead cover through ice, lightning, and 
unrelenting snow squalls, all of which resulted in very little 
visibility. After finding the Sedona, he directed the survivors to 
abandon ship and swim toward the awaiting rescue swimmer, Petty Officer 
Staph. Upon failure of the primary hoist system, he expertly maneuvered 
the aircraft to coordinate with Petty Officer Suba, the onboard flight 
mechanic, to successfully lift Petty Officer Staph and the survivors 
out of the frigid, stormy seas. He then safely brought everyone back to 
the airfield, landing the aircraft despite whiteout conditions and 
extremely low

[[Page E104]]

visibility. Lieutenant Hess' extraordinary skill and quick thinking 
under desperate conditions were instrumental in saving lives.
   Today, Lieutenant Hess continues to serve in the Coast Guard at Air 
Station Kodiak, Alaska as a MH-60 Jayhawk Aircraft Commander. His wife, 
Kimberly, is also a Coast Guard pilot, and they have four children.
   Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in honor of Lieutenant John Hess, 
who perfectly exemplifies the highest standards of the United States 
Coast Guard. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing this 
distinguished member of our Armed Services and wishing him the best of 
luck in his future endeavors.

                          ____________________