[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 178 (Friday, December 9, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1676]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            IN RECOGNITION OF THE SERVICE OF MICHEL MARGOSIS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 8, 2016

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my good friend 
Michel Margosis on the occasion of his retirement from the Fairfax 
County Human Rights Commission after 13 years of dedicated service. I 
have had the honor of personally knowing Michel for many years and 
believe that he is a man of great wit, integrity, dignity, and courage.
  Throughout my tenure on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and 
particularly as Chairman, I worked closely with the Human Rights 
Commission to fight against discrimination wherever it reared its ugly 
head in our community. Whether it was discrimination in the workplace, 
the housing market, the school yard or anywhere else, we as a community 
have established a zero-tolerance policy for such abhorrent behavior. 
That is in no small part due to the efforts of Michel and his fellow 
commissioners.
  Michel's commitment to fighting discrimination and promoting justice 
and human rights is one which is deeply ingrained in every fiber of his 
being. As the son of Russian Jews living in Belgium at the time of its 
invasion by the Nazis during World War II, Michel along with his family 
were forced to flee to Southern France where they were detained as 
refugees, but managed to escape. This long and difficult odyssey led 
them to France then through the Pyrenees Mountains into Spain. He 
remembers the long, perilous journey, during which the family had to 
avoid capture and survive the constant bombing and strafing happening 
all around them as war engulfed the European continent. Sadly, the 
family became separated during the journey and Michel later traveled to 
the United States--one of more than 1,400 unaccompanied minors that 
arrived from Europe--where he lived with a foster family. Not until 
some years later were all family members reunited in America. They were 
among the few lucky survivors of the Holocaust.
  While most individuals would take time to reflect on such a harrowing 
ordeal, Michel wanted to give back to the country that had provided him 
and his family safe haven. After earning a college degree in chemistry, 
he decided to utilize his multi-lingual fluency and joined the U.S. 
Army in 1952. He was deployed to Europe as an interpreter, though he 
would also serve as a medical corpsman. He was honorably discharged 
from the Army in 1954 as a Private First Class. Upon his return to the 
United States, he earned a master's degree in chemistry in evening 
school and pursued further studies in Florida. He retired in 1990 from 
federal government service after serving as a senior chemist with the 
Food and Drug Administration. Eight years later, Michel moved to the 
Greenspring community in Springfield where he still lives and has 
served as the head of the Democratic Club as well as facilitator of the 
French Conversation Group.
  As someone who has borne witness to some of the darkest moments of 
humanity, Michel knows that we must never forget the honors of the 
Holocaust or sit idly by while others are persecuted. Since 1993, he 
has volunteered his time at the U.S. Holocaust Museum, working in the 
Speakers Bureau and sharing his experiences. In 2003, he was appointed 
to the Human Rights Commission of Fairfax County where he has continued 
his efforts to advance the causes of equality for all. During his 
tenure on the HRC, he led the campaign for the creation of a Holocaust 
Day of Remembrance in Fairfax County and has advocated for similar 
remembrances at the state and national level.
  It is this aspect of Michel's character that I perhaps admire most: 
his desire to use history as a tool not only from which to learn the 
lessons taught by our past failings but also to teach future 
generations of those failings to ensure that they are not repeated. Our 
human history is filled with unpleasant and dark chapters and the 
temptation is all too often to bury those chapters for the pain they 
cause. That impulse is of course understandable, especially in the case 
of monstrosities such as the Holocaust. Michel has made it his mission 
in life to ensure that this particular monstrosity is never forgotten 
and, most importantly, never repeated. Only by acknowledging that 
injustices have occurred can we begin the process of healing the wounds 
they created and guarding against similar tragedies in the future.
  Mr. Speaker, our community and our Nation have been made better by 
the life and presence of Michel Margosis. While he may be officially 
stepping down from the Human Rights Commission, I have no doubt that he 
will continue to be engaged in our community and in the cause of human 
rights that is so dear to him. I ask my colleagues to join me in 
commending Michel for his many years of service and for enriching the 
lives of all around him. I wish him many years of health, happiness and 
continued success.

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