[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 33 (Friday, February 23, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E173]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





               HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF JIM GOLDEN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELISSA SLOTKIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 23, 2024

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to a man who served his 
community, his state, and his Nation with pride, and whose loss leaves 
a void in the hearts and lives of so many.
  James Scott Golden was a Petty Officer 3rd Class in the Navy, but if 
you asked he'd simply smile and tell you he was a ``tin can sailor.'' 
Jim was refering to his time aboard the Charles P. Cecil DD835, a 
Gearing Class destroyer where he served toward the end of the Vietnam 
War. All jokes aside, Jim's service had a profound influence on his 
life, including the moment he sailed into Sardinia and he met a young 
Navy medic named Ina who was stationed there. The two would eventually 
marry, settle in Holly, Michigan, and build a life of service together.
  In Michigan, Jim went to work for General Motors Skilled Trades, 
where he would stay until his retirement in 2006. Known around town for 
his affable demeanor and his generosity, Jim was involved with many 
local charities and organizations, including Forgotten Harvest, where 
he and Ina donated food from their own gardens, and the YesterYear 
Tractor Club, where he repaired and restored old tractors for parades 
and local festivities.
  Because they took so much pride in their own service, Jim and Ina 
were very involved in the Holly Area Veterans Resource Center, 
including an annual project to collect and pack boxes of treats and 
toiletries for military personnel.
  One day, Jim struck up a conversation with a local high school 
student preparing to enlist in the Air Force as a means to pay for 
college, and she seemed embarrassed about her financial situation and 
her plan. Jim decided then and there to find a way to uplift and shine 
a light on community members like her. Together with Ina, he launched 
the Hometown Heroes project to recognize those going into service with 
a yellow ribbon on the oak tree in front of Holly Elementary School. 
This prominent and highly visible location would serve as a constant 
reminder to all that a community should have both pride in and 
gratitude for its men and women who are on active duty in the military.
  I had the chance to visit this tree with Jim and Ina on a very snowy 
Veterans Day in 2019--a poignant sight and a tangible symbol of the 
sacrifices families all across our Nation are making in the moment in 
defense of our collective freedom. It speaks both to the power of the 
project and the Goldens themselves that even after they relocated to 
northern Michigan, and after Jim's passing, their friends at the Holly 
Area Veterans Resource Center continue to maintain the Hometown Heroes 
project, tying a ribbon for each departing serviceman or woman, and 
removing it when that person returns home.
  Jim passed away on January 10, 2024, but his kind spirit, his 
endearing humor, and his legacy of service live on. I send my deepest 
condolences to Ina, their children, grandchildren, and to all who knew 
and loved him. Jim Golden, the tin can sailor and ultimate hometown 
hero now rests in perpetual peace at the Great Lakes National Cemetery. 
With profound gratitude for his dedication to our armed forces and his 
lifelong mission to uplift the service of others.

                          ____________________