[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 205 (Wednesday, December 13, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1220]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE MEMORY OF MR. JOE FRICKS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KAT CAMMACK

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 13, 2023

  Mrs. CAMMACK. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Florida's Third Congressional 
District, I honor the life and legacy of Mr. Joseph Eugene Fricks, a 
resident of Marion County, Florida.
  Joseph Eugene Fricks was born in St. Petersburg, Florida on July 7, 
1939. Joe's father was a true aviation pioneer having served in both 
World Wars and working in commercial aviation. Following in his 
father's footsteps, Joe took his first flight in Marathon, Florida, 
piloting a DC-3 at the age of 16.
  Joe's military service began as a tank driver in the Army National 
Guard of Florida where he was honorably discharged from the 211th 
Infantry on April 11, 1957. Unable to recover from the aviation bug, 
Joe pursued his Commercial Pilot's License and began flying 727 
passenger jets for National Airlines--``Florida's own airline''--on 
September 17, 1969. His aviation career continued with Pan-Am Airways 
where he graduated to international routes piloting 747s around the 
world.
  During his career, Joe had the true patriotic honor of serving on the 
flight-deck and transporting the Presidential Press Corps during the 
presidencies of Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush Sr., and Clinton. Joe also 
volunteered to transport equipment and supplies to the Middle East 
during the Iraq campaigns. He proudly transported countless American 
troops home from the Middle East during this period.
  In the summer of 1975, he moved his wife and four children to Marion 
County, Florida and eventually retired in Ocala as a flight instructor 
for Fed-Ex on January 3, 2005.
  Joseph never stopped giving back to his community and country. 
Whether it was fundraising by piloting airplane rides at local 
airshows, contributing his aviation skills to safely transport the 
Presidential Press Corps, or volunteering to clean the bathrooms every 
Sunday after Mass at Ocala's Blessed Trinity Church, he continued 
giving until the end.
  Considered an expert and authority among his peers, a smiling face 
with his neighbors, a ``Daddy'' to his children, and loving ``Pa'' to 
his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Joe will be missed dearly.

                          ____________________