[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 11, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H618]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING RANDALL E. WATSON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Alford) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor our February Veteran 
of the Month, Randall E. Watson. Randall is a retired Army Chief 
Warrant Officer 4, or CW4, and human resources officer with more than 
24 years of service. Randall got his bachelor's degree from the 
University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg and his master's from the 
American Military University in West Virginia.
  In April of 1990, Randall deployed to Panama with the 135th Mobile 
Army Surgical Hospital as a patient administration specialist to 
provide medical and dental service to the indigenous persons of Kuna on 
the San Blas Islands.
  Randall Watson retired from the Army National Guard in 2014 and from 
the State of Missouri as the director of its veterans service programs 
in 2020.
  In 2016, Randall received the Meritorious Service Medal from the 
Governor of Missouri for outstanding meritorious military service to 
Missouri and the United States of America.
  We thank Randall for his truly admirable dedication to Missouri, 
America, and to veterans. Randall has left the Missouri National Guard 
and the Missouri veterans service programs poised for continued 
greatness.
  We congratulate Randall on being Missouri's Fourth Congressional 
District's Veteran of the Month.


                          Honoring Thai House

  Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor our February Small Business 
of the Month, Thai House, in Lebanon, Missouri.
  In 2009, Chutiwan Kingnak Tracy met her husband, Michael Tracy, and 
left her home in Thailand to begin her journey to live out the American 
Dream. The Tracys worked hard to open a small business, working in 
different restaurants until opening up their own.
  Saving her pennies, Chuti saved just enough to buy a food truck and 
trailer in Oklahoma. She filed for an LLC in July of 2024, and then 
they opened the Thai House for the first time at Lebanon Farmers 
Market.
  Through ups and downs and after a decade of hard work, they were 
finally able to become American small business owners. Thai House 
continues to grow, despite the recent economic turmoil caused by the 
previous administration. They look forward to being open this spring 
after being closed during the winter.
  Missouri's Fourth Congressional District is excited for their Thai 
food. I can't wait to taste it myself. We congratulate Thai House. We 
love to see their hard work come to fruition, and we look forward to 
their future success.


               Happy Birthday to Carolyn Sue Adams Alford

  Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to say happy birthday to my 
mother, Carolyn Sue Adams Alford. It is her 86th birthday today.
  My mother was a schoolbus driver, an executive assistant at Exxon 
USA, a mother of four boys, and a Sweet Adeline with always a song in 
her heart and great advice for her four boys. I love my mother very 
much. Happy birthday to my mother.

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