[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 133 (Tuesday, September 6, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1189]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HONORING JOHN DAHL

                                  _____
                                 

                      HON. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 6, 2016

  Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise today 
to honor the former Mayor of Eagle Nest, New Mexico and my dear friend, 
John Dahl. John represented the best of our great State of New Mexico: 
he was a loving father, grandfather and great-grandfather, a loyal 
friend to many, a brilliant, hard-working and talented United States 
Army officer, businessman, and public servant.
  John was born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma on July 30, 1933, to John and 
Ellen Dahl. While at Okmulgee High School, he won the Amateur Athletic 
Union Junior Olympic Track Title and earned a five-year athletic 
scholarship to the University of Oklahoma. As an undergraduate, he 
helped the track team become one of the elite teams in the country. In 
his freshman year John enrolled in the Reserve Officers Training Corps 
program, and in 1957 he graduated as the most distinguished military 
graduate out of a ROTC class of 200.
  After college, John served for 22 years in the military and received 
over a dozen medals. In 1972, while a lieutenant colonel, the pentagon 
handpicked John to oversee a notorious Vietnamese prisoner of war camp 
located on the island of Phu Quoc. The camp held 33,000 POW's and was 
infamous for human rights abuses. John was tasked to end these inhumane 
practices and ensure the proper treatment of the POW's. His improvement 
of the camp's conditions and practices was instrumental in the passage 
of the Paris Peace Treaty and saved countless human lives. For his 
accomplishment he was awarded the prestigious Legion of Merits 
decoration.
  John married his wife Kay in 1978, and after retiring from the army 
he moved to Eagle Nest, New Mexico. There, he built multiple local 
businesses and garnered a reputation as one of the best sole 
proprietors in the region. In 1990, the Governor of Oklahoma asked John 
to serve as the state's Director of Civil Emergency Management. Just as 
in Vietnam, John demonstrated a deep respect for human life by 
improving and distributing new disaster plans to all 77 Oklahoma 
counties. By ensuring the implementation of the disaster plan and 
visiting each county personally, John and his team managed to avoid 
tornado fatalities that year.
  After returning to Eagle Nest, John lost his eyesight after years of 
exposure to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam. However, his 
determination never faltered and he was elected twice as the town's 
mayor. I met John during his tenure as mayor, and I had the privilege 
to work with him when I was Secretary of Aging and Long Term Services. 
John was a determined advocate for improving health care access and 
quality of care in his community and across our state.
  On May 14, 2016 John Dahl passed away at the age of 83. Surviving him 
is his wife Kay, two sons, daughter, six grandchildren, and five great-
grandchildren.
  John was a true friend and inspiring colleague who contributed to the 
betterment of our community, country, and world. His memory and legacy 
is a blessing to us all.

                          ____________________