[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 8, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E232]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





  PAYING TRIBUTE TO RETIRED BIG BEAR LAKE MAYOR NEAL HERTZMANN ON THE 
                        OCCASION OF HIS PASSING

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JAY OBERNOLTE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 8, 2022

  Mr. OBERNOLTE. Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise 
today to honor the passing of Neal Hertzmann, a constituent of my 
district and former Mayor of my hometown of Big Bear Lake, California. 
Neal was an exceptional and dedicated public servant. He served Big 
Bear Lake as its mayor from 1994 to 1998 and served Southern California 
for over twenty years including as a member of the Big Bear Lake 
Department of Water and Power Board, a Councilman for the City of Big 
Bear Lake, and as Big Bear Lake's representative on the League of 
California Cities, just to name a few of his roles. In each position, 
Neal never lost sight of the unique qualities that make each of us 
proud to call our community home.
  In addition to his extensive public service, Neal was an innovative 
mechanical engineer by trade, and diligently worked on several of the 
Falcon missiles for Hughes Aircraft, which were among the very first 
operational guided air-to-air missiles adopted by the United States Air 
Force. His creative originality and expertise also proved vital in the 
development and success of the Surveyor program, which consisted of 
seven unmanned lunar missions launched between May 1966 and January 
1968, five of which successfully soft-landed on the lunar surface. The 
legendary success of the Apollo 11 mission would not have been possible 
if not for the crucial developments pioneered by great men like Neal.
  Throughout his life, Neal sought opportunities to directly engage 
with neighbors, to meet new people, and to lend a helping hand wherever 
he could. I am honored to have had the chance to know him and call him 
my friend, and I can say from firsthand experience how impactful his 
continuous dedication has been for our community. My prayers are with 
his family and the City of Big Bear Lake as we mourn the loss of this 
dedicated public servant.

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