[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 60 (Monday, April 5, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E339-E340]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING THE LIFE OF MAJOR GENERAL DAN HELIX

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MARK DeSAULNIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 5, 2021

  Mr. DeSAULNIER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of 
Major General Dan Helix.
  Dan grew up in West Berkeley, California and in 1948 he began his 41-
year career with the United States Army and Army Reserve. He enlisted 
as a private, but was soon commissioned as an Infantry second 
lieutenant in 1951. Dan continued to rise through the ranks, serving as 
a platoon leader and company commander of a rifle company with the 45th 
Infantry Division during the Korean War. Following the end of the war, 
Dan worked for Army Intelligence in Japan where he met his future wife, 
Mary Lou. The couple dated for a few short months before getting 
married in 1953.
  Dan and Mary Lou moved to Concord, California in 1955. Dan attended 
the University of California, Berkeley where he earned a bachelor's 
degree in History. He later went on to obtain a master's degree in 
political science from San Francisco State University. It was while 
teaching high school government that Dan decided to enter local 
politics. He was first elected to the Concord City Council in 1968, 
serving for eight years before eventually going on to serve as a 
director of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) District. During Dan's 
time with the BART District, he worked to provide discounts for senior 
riders and supported the promotion of a woman to the then all-male 
board of directors. He returned to the Concord City Council in 2010 as 
an appointee and was elected to one final term in 2012. During both of 
his tenures on the City Council, Dan served terms as mayor.
  In 1989, Dan retired from the U.S. Army as a Major General. As a 
Korean War Veteran, Dan earned the Army Distinguished Service Medal, 
Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star with ``V'' Device, and Purple 
Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster among other commendations

[[Page E340]]

during a distinguished career spent both in active duty and with the 
Army Reserve. He is also a member of the U.S. Army's Infantry Hall of 
Fame.
  As a leader in Concord, Dan was a former president of both the 
Concord Rotary Club and the former Mt. Diablo Hospital Foundation, 
Concord campus, as well as a member of a U.S. Congressional commission 
that evaluated potential changes to the Department of the Army. He also 
advocated for the preservation of the Lime Ridge Open Space, helped 
establish the Family Justice Center, and was instrumental in the 
building of the Senior Center.
  Sadly, Dan passed away in March at the age of 91. He was a cherished 
resident of Concord who dedicated his life to helping others. Please 
join me in honoring Major General Dan Helix for his many contributions 
to our country and our community.

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