[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 111 (Friday, June 27, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S3596]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO GIFFORD H. ORMES, JR.

 Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, on behalf of the people of 
Mississippi, I commend Gifford H. Ormes, Jr., for his military service 
and lifelong dedication to his community.
  Mr. Ormes served with distinction in the U.S. Air Force for 24 years. 
He was deployed primarily in the Far East, completing multiple tours in 
Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam, and he completed a unique assignment in 
the Khyber Pass near the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Mr. Ormes 
was later retrained as a cost analyst. He worked briefly in that 
capacity before being called back into a special assignment, this time 
to the Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska. To this day, Mr. Ormes bears 
the marks of his sacrificial service. During his career, he was exposed 
to Agent Orange. The Department of Veterans Affairs recognized him as 
100-percent disabled from his exposure to the toxin.
  After retiring from the Air Force, Mr. Ormes remained active. He 
earned a degree from William Carey University and transitioned to a 
civilian role at the Navy Seabee Base in Gulfport, MS, where he worked 
for 16 years before retiring once again.
  Mr. Ormes military service is complemented by his dedication to his 
family and community. At Keesler Air Force Base, in Biloxi, MS, Mr. 
Ormes met the woman who would become his wife. To this day, they have 
shared 57 years of marriage. Mr. Ormes is an active member of the 
Bridge United Methodist Church in D'Iberville, MS, where he leads 
courses to introduce people to the Christian faith and to strengthen 
marriage. He is also involved with the Backpack Buddies program, 
supporting food-insecure children by organizing and delivering 
nutritious food through church outreach efforts.
  I join my fellow Mississippians in thanking Gifford Ormes, Jr., for 
his exceptional service to his country and community.

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