[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 113 (Wednesday, July 13, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H4822-H4823]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         FALLEN HEROES MEMORIAL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Farenthold) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the Fallen 
Heroes Memorial in Nueces County, Texas.
  After first being proposed in 2011, the Nueces County Fallen Heroes 
Memorial will be open in early August. This memorial honors local 
emergency responders who have sacrificed their lives

[[Page H4823]]

for our community going back to 1860. Instead of fading into history, 
these men and women will be remembered each time someone visits the 
memorial.
  The project has been a community-driven effort since its inception. I 
would like to commend Nueces County Commissioner Mike Pusley, who has 
been the leader on this effort from the very beginning. It was Mike who 
noticed a defunct and over-budget water fountain in front of the County 
Courthouse and decided to take action. The Nueces County Fallen Heroes 
Memorial is possible because of Pusley's leadership, leadership 
everyone in the public sector should aspire to.
  Pusley is an example for others in public service, men and women who 
go above and beyond their duties to imagine and create solutions to 
problems in the community.
  While it was Pusley's vision that got the ball rolling on this, it 
was the financial support of the Durrill family and others in the 
community that helped make this a reality. Along with the Coastal Bend 
Community Foundation, the Durrills have provided a majority of the 
funding for the project. This family is a prime example of what 
community-driven efforts can accomplish.
  I wish to express how deeply grateful we are to those first 
responders who have given their lives in service of their country and 
our community. Here are just a few of the first responders this 
memorial honors: Lieutenant Stuart J. Alexander. In 2009, Lieutenant 
Alexander was intentionally struck and killed by a suspect fleeing 
police.
  Officer Matthew B. Thebeau. In 2008, Officer Thebeau was killed in an 
automobile accident while responding to an assault-in-progress call.
  And Sergeant Juan Rincon Prieto, who, in 1963, was struck and killed 
by a truck while directing traffic.
  The Nueces County Fallen Heroes Memorial remembers these and 28 other 
first responders who have fallen in service to Nueces County over the 
years, all leaving behind friends and loved ones, police officers, 
members of the Sheriff's Department, constables, firefighters, and 
other first responders. These are the men and women who put their lives 
on the line every day for our community. They keep the law. They keep 
the peace. And they keep us safe.
  The memorial will be opened at a celebration attended by members of 
the community, including State Representatives Todd Hunter and Able 
Herrero, Nueces County Judge Loyd Neal, and Mayor Nelda Martinez. I 
look forward to attending as well.
  I urge everyone to visit this memorial and remember those who have 
died in the line of duty.


Congratulating Jim Lago for His Induction into the Texas Radio Hall of 
                                  Fame

  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment today to 
congratulate my friend and mentor, Texas radio icon, Jim Lago, for his 
induction into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. Lago and I have been 
together on the radio now for more than 15 years.
  Lago is a 30-year radio veteran, and he got his start when the crew 
he was working on in the oil field pressured him to take a part-time DJ 
job in Longview, Texas. Over just 4 years, through determination and 
talent, he moved his way up to doing mornings in Beaumont and 
afternoons at KILT in Houston.
  He also spent some time in Oklahoma City, where he covered the 
Oklahoma City bombings after feeling the buildings rock from the nearby 
explosion. He was also live on the air in Corpus Christi when the 9/11 
attacks occurred.
  In 1991, he was working at KEYS in Corpus Christi, where he got his 
start in talk radio. In 2005, he and I moved to 1360 KKTX to host his 
popular morning talk show, ``Lago in the Morning,'' where I am on 
almost every morning.
  Lago's success comes from his never-giving-up attitude. Jim isn't 
afraid to discuss tough topics. He isn't afraid to speak his mind and 
take full ownership of his beliefs. In his words, Jim is on the air to 
let people know that there are people with similar beliefs out there, 
and they shouldn't be afraid to speak up. It is clear Lago is doing 
just that and doing what he was born to do.
  I would like to congratulate my good friend, Jim; his wife, Pamela; 
and his family, on this well-deserved, in my opinion, long overdue 
induction into the Radio Hall of Fame in Texas.

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