[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 5 (Thursday, January 10, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E31]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING THE LIFE OF WILLIAM G. FLANGAS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DINA TITUS

                               of nevada

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 10, 2019

  Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, I am honored to include in the Record the 
following excerpt in remembrance of my longtime friend, Bill Flangas. 
As you can tell from the following obituary which was printed in the 
Las Vegas Review Journal on December 30, 2018, Bill was a legend in 
Nevada. His courageous work at NTS, his generous philanthropy, and his 
contributions to the local Greek community and church leave a powerful 
legacy that long will be remembered.
       William G. ``Bill'' Flangas, 91, reposed in the Lord 
     December 23, 2018, surrounded by his Family. Bill was born 
     June 4, 1927, in Ely, to Gust William and Poloxene Flangas, 
     both of whom were Greek immigrants from the area of 
     Thermopoly. Poloxene passed away when Bill was just six 
     months old, and Gust was killed about year later in a tragic 
     accident between his car and a train in the heart of Ely. 
     Bill was raised by his Aunt and Uncle, Alexander J. and 
     Fotene Flangas in Ely, along with their three sons, John, Gus 
     and Ernest Flangas. Bill was a lifetime resident of Nevada, 
     having moved to Las Vegas in 1958 from Ely. Bill proudly 
     served in the U.S. Navy in World War II, and was part of the 
     initial occupation force in Tokyo. Bill graduated in 1951 
     from the University of Nevada at Reno with a degree in 
     Metallurgical Engineering, and went to work for the Kennecott 
     Copper Corporation in South America and later in White Pine 
     County. In 1958, Bill completed his Engineer of Mines Degree 
     (E.M.), and was recruited and hired by the Reynolds Electric 
     & Engineering Company (``Reeco''), the prime contractor at 
     the Nevada Test Site in Mercury. After joining Reeco, Bill 
     led the initial efforts to move the atmospheric nuclear 
     weapons testing program at the Nevada Test Site underground. 
     He led the first reentry teams into the tunnels after 
     detonating an atomic device. One such reentry nearly cost him 
     his life. Bill also led the first ever underground recovery 
     of a ground zero after an atomic blast. Many of Bill's 
     efforts in moving the testing of atomic weapons underground 
     are memorialized in a book entitled: ``Caging the Dragon.'' 
     Bill stayed at the Nevada Test Site for 37 years, serving as 
     Tunnel Superintendent and Department Manager, Division 
     Manager, and Vice President. After leaving the Test Site in 
     1995, Bill became an Underground Mining, Construction & 
     Management Consultant primarily working in Nevada. Bill also 
     served as an underground expert on the Treaty Monitoring 
     Teams for the Threshold Test Ban Treaty (TTBT) and Peaceful 
     Nuclear Explosions Treaty (PNET), and traveled to Russia in 
     that capacity on the U.S. Treaty Teams. He was also involved 
     with the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) efforts. Bill 
     was also very active in the Community. He was instrumental in 
     youth athletics and in developing baseball and basketball 
     leagues that allowed thousands of kids to play ball. In 
     conjunction with these efforts, Bill led the way in having 11 
     desperately needed baseball fields lit up by putting the 
     process in motion, putting together the volunteer labor 
     force, and getting all the equipment donated that was 
     necessary to dig power lines and set the power poles. Bill 
     also led the way in the construction of a multimillion dollar 
     gym facility, which was completed in 1976. Through his 
     efforts, the gym was constructed using only volunteer labor. 
     In addition, through his efforts all the equipment for 
     construction was donated as well as a vast amount of the 
     construction supplies. The gym was sold to the Boys and Girls 
     Club in 1984 for one dollar, and is known today as the Lied 
     Boys and Girls Club, located on Lindell and Edna in Las 
     Vegas. Bill served as a member, and as Vice Chairman and 
     Chairman of the State Public Works Board from 1964 to 1985. 
     He served on the Mackay School of Mines Advisory Council, 
     whose efforts saved the school's accreditation and kept 
     Nevada's only mining school as one of the best in the 
     Country. He served on the UNLV Athletic Commission, and on 
     the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Las 
     Vegas. He was a Trustee for the University Medical Center 
     Foundation which raised over six million dollars for the 
     Medical Center. Foundation Projects included Southern 
     Nevada's sponsorship of the Children's Miracle Network. He 
     was also instrumental in establishing a monument in Ely to 
     honor those from White Pine County who perished while serving 
     their Country in the Armed Forces going back to 1898. He was 
     appointed by Governor Kenny Guinn to serve as a member of the 
     State Ethics Commission and served as its Vice Chairman. He 
     was the Nevada Engineer of the Year in 1976. He received the 
     Las Vegas Exchange Club Book of Golden Deeds Award in 1979. 
     He received the TV-3 Spirit Award in 1983. He was honored as 
     the 1984 Distinguished Nevadan by the University of Nevada 
     Board of Regents. He received the Award of Excellence in 
     Support of Nuclear Weapons Testing Program in 1992. He 
     received an Honorary Associate of Arts Degree in Human 
     Letters from the Community College of Southern Nevada in 
     1999, and was honored as the Mackay School of Earth Sciences 
     and Engineering Alumnus of the Year in 2007. Bill was a 
     member of St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church for 
     almost 60 years, serving over the years on the Church Parish 
     Council, Building Committee and Audit Committee, and working 
     on many other projects. Bill was an intensely devoted and 
     loving family man. He was preceded in death by son, Albert 
     (Trudi) Flangas. Bill is survived by his wonderful wife, of 
     over 62 years, Marilyn Flangas; his sons, Gus ``Billy'' 
     (Tamara) Flangas and Gary (Amanda) Flangas; his 10 
     grandchildren; his brothers, John (Carmen) Flangas and Ernest 
     Flangas; and many other relatives and godchildren. Visitation 
     will be Fri., Jan. 4, at 4 p.m. with a Trisagion following at 
     5 p.m. Services will be at 11 a.m. Sat., Jan. 5, all at St. 
     John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, 5300 El Camino Rd., 
     Las Vegas, NV 89118. At Bill's request, burial will be at 
     noon Mon. Jan. 7, in Ely. In lieu of flowers, donations may 
     be made in his honor to the St. John Building Fund. May his 
     memory be eternal.

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