[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 43 (Monday, March 11, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H2628]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF THE HONORABLE RALPH HALL

  (Mr. RATCLIFFE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. RATCLIFFE. Mr. Speaker, at age 19, Ralph Hall jumped at the 
chance to join the Navy, to fly Hellcat fighters during World War II in 
defense of this Nation. Seventy years later, at the age of 89, he 
jumped again out of an airplane to honor America's veterans on Memorial 
Day.
  At age 11, Ralph Hall was working at the Rockwall, Texas, drugstore 
when he served two Coca-Colas, two packs of Old Gold cigarettes, and a 
stack of newspapers to two customers known simply to the rest of the 
world as Bonnie and Clyde. Eighty years later, at the age of 91, Ralph 
was still working and serving the folks in Rockwall, in north Texas, as 
the oldest Member ever to cast a vote in the history of the House of 
Representatives.
  From beginning to end, Ralph Hall lived one of the most extraordinary 
and remarkable lives of anyone ever to serve in Congress.
  In his 34 years in this Chamber, Ralph spent some of his time sitting 
over here as a Blue Dog Democrat. For some of his time he spent it 
sitting over there as a conservative Republican. Ralph liked to joke 
that was because ``the Republicans never much wanted me, and the 
Democrats never much liked me.'' Neither of those was true, but it was 
that self-deprecating humor that made Ralph Hall beloved to everyone 
who knew him.

  In the Science, Space, and Technology Committee room, Ralph Hall's 
picture hangs alongside other past chairmen. But Ralph was the only 
chairman to have Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Gene Cernan, and every 
then-living Apollo-era astronaut come to his home to celebrate one of 
his birthdays. When asked why, Neil Armstrong, the first man on the 
Moon, who famously took a giant leap for mankind, said it was because 
Ralph Hall was a giant to our space program. Ralph Hall, he said, was a 
giant among men.
  Mr. Speaker, to those on the floor who knew Ralph Hall, thank you for 
allowing me to remember him for the Representative that he truly was. 
And for those of you who did not have the privilege of serving with 
Ralph Hall, thank you for letting me remember the man who was the kind 
of Representative that we should all hope to be.
  When Ralph Hall passed away last Thursday at the age of 95, he left 
this Earth, went right past the Moon--and our loss became Heaven's 
gain.
  Godspeed, Ralph Hall.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask all Members to rise and observe a 
moment of silence to honor the extraordinary life of Congressman Ralph 
Hall.

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