    [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 36 (Monday, February 24, 2025)]
    [House]
    [Pages H733-H734]
    From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

                      HONORING THE LIFE OF DON FOWKES, JR.

      The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
    Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce) for 5 minutes.
      Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy
    heart to honor the life of Don Fowkes. Don, of Duncansville,
    Pennsylvania, passed away on February 15.
      A graduate of Hollidaysburg High School, Don joined the Allegheny
    Township Police Department in 1968 and honorably served for 32 years,
    culminating as the chief of police.

    [[Page H734]]

      Don was later elected as township supervisor in 2003, giving 50 years
    of his life to serving Allegheny Township in Pennsylvania.
      My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Nancy; his daughters,
    Tracy and Tonya; and his grandchildren, McKenzie and Jordan.
      Don's service and his commitment to community will never be forgotten
    by the individuals of Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District.

                Recognizing Career and Technical Education Month

      Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, this month is Career and
    Technology Education Month, celebrating the students, teachers, and
    administrators throughout the country who participate in these
    important programs.

      Last week, I met with the students and staff at Colonial Career and
    Technology Center at New Oxford High School in Adams County,
    Pennsylvania, and the Bedford County Technical Center in Everett,
    Pennsylvania.
      It was a pleasure to tour these facilities at both campuses and meet
    with their dedicated staff and the talented students to learn more
    about the skills that these students are building each and every day
    while in those classrooms.
      Programs like these give students an opportunity to explore future
    careers while gaining real-world, hands-on experience in that field.
    This gives students an opportunity to use their hands and brains as
    they carve out careers, careers that are so necessary right now
    throughout America.
      I thank all the career and technology centers throughout
    Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District for preparing students for
    success in a competitive job market, strengthening regional workforces,
    and helping to bolster the economic health of our communities.

                            Honoring Michael Strank

      Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor
    Sergeant Michael Strank of Franklin borough, Pennsylvania, who is one
    of the patriots who planted the American flag atop Mount Suribachi on
    Iwo Jima in late February 1945.
      An immigrant from Eastern Europe, Sergeant Strank signed up for the
    Marine Corps in 1939, and in 1942, he was promoted to sergeant,
    preparing to go to war in the Pacific after the bombing of Pearl
    Harbor.
      In February 1945, Sergeant Strank was on the island of Iwo Jima,
    where some of the most intense fighting throughout the war had
    occurred.
      On February 23, 1945, Sergeant Michael Strank, along with other
    Marines, climbed to the top of the volcanic rock and planted Old Glory
    for all to see.
      Though the battle waged for 2 more weeks, Sergeant Strank and his
    fellow marines created a lasting image that would go on to embody
    American strength and courage.
      Unfortunately, Sergeant Strank never made it home from Iwo Jima, as
    he was killed in combat just 1 week later. However, the image that he
    and his fellow soldiers and marines created lives on today, serving as
    a reminder to all generations of what American perseverance and
    strength can accomplish.
      To Sergeant Strank, I say Semper Fi, and to all who served as part of
    the Greatest Generation, I thank them.
      May the brave men and women who pick up the torch today to protect
    our freedoms around the globe take inspiration from those who came
    before them, like Sergeant Strank.

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