[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 80 (Thursday, May 11, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H2297-H2298]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THE LIFE OF COMMANDER MIKE SMITH

  (Mr. HUIZENGA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HUIZENGA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart, but to 
honor the life of a friend, retired United States Coast Guard 
Commander, Mike Smith.
  Mike is fondly remembered by many as the director of the annual Coast 
Guard Festival in Grand Haven, Michigan, also known as Coast Guard City 
USA, a cherished event where our west Michigan community comes together 
to celebrate the Coast Guard's service

[[Page H2298]]

and sacrifice on the lakeshore and across the country.
  Mike lived a life of service, both in the Coast Guard and outside of 
it. In fact, in 2016, he received the Department of Defense's annual 
Spirit of Hope Award, an honor that is presented to individuals who 
embody Bob Hope's core values of serving and supporting our military 
members. He was so proud of that he actually put it on his own 
challenge coin.
  Mike exemplified the bold character of the Coast Guard and its motto, 
``Semper Paratus,'' always prepared, and his influential impact will be 
forever felt.
  Mike is survived by his wife, Cathy, and their six children: Maxwell, 
Mollie, Moira, Maggie, Matteson, and McHale.
  I, and so many others, remember Mike for his service, but we cherish 
his friendship and his contribution to the Grand Haven community, to 
the U.S. Coast Guard, and to our Nation.
  Rest well, my friend. Rest well.

                          ____________________