[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 18]
[House]
[Page 26253]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



             TRUE AMERICAN HEROS OF THE 109TH AIRLIFT WING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. McNulty) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, today Dr. Jerri Nielsen is in her home 
State of Ohio to receive treatment for breast cancer. In itself, this 
fact is not miraculous. But to think that just days ago she was 
stranded performing improvisational chemotherapy on herself at the 
South Pole, one could consider her rescue to be ``heaven sent.''
  Doctor Nielsen's prayers were answered by the Air National Guard's 
109th Airlift Wing which is based in Glenville, New York, and I am 
proud to say, Mr. Speaker, in my district. The only guard unit trained 
to fly such a dangerous mission, the 109th skillfully landed the 
mammoth C-130 Hercules cargo plane, a plane equipped with skis for 
landing gear, on a runway of ice, temperatures of 53 degrees below 
zero, after completing an 11,410 mile trip. The pilot, Major George 
McAllister, Jr., became the first person ever to land at the South Pole 
at this time of year.
  Mr. Speaker, Major McAllister and the crew of the 109th literally 
traveled to the end of the Earth, risking their own lives to save 
another. I am sure that my colleagues, as well as Dr. Nielsen and her 
family, join me in recognizing and thanking these true American heroes.

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