[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22038]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



   HONORING THE HONORABLE IGNACIO ``BUCK'' CRUZ, THE MAYOR OF MERIZO

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 10, 2000

  Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this occasion to 
commend a municipal leader, a former marine, and a fellow educator. The 
Honorable Ignacio ``Buck'' Cruz, the mayor of Merizo, is a native son 
who has unselfishly contributed years of valuable service to his home 
village of Merizo and the island of Guam. Mayor Cruz has chosen to 
retire at the end of his term later this year.
  The son of Ramon Padilla Cruz and Justa Santiago Cruz, Mayor Cruz was 
the youngest of six children. Born in the village of Merizo in 1927, 
Mayor Cruz had the experience of attending Japanese school during the 
island's occupation in World War II. He later attended the University 
of Guam where he majored in Psychology and Sociology. Prior to 
graduating with honors, Mayor Cruz was a model student who was listed 
in the Who's Who Among Students and Universities and Colleges in 
America.
  Mayor Cruz worked as a teacher prior to enlisting in the United 
States Marine Corps in 1951. While in the Marine Corps, he enrolled in 
a number of professional military courses including the Staff Non-
Commissioned Officer School and the Officers Basic Extension Course. 
Having been a Marine Corps Drill Instructor, Mayor Cruz also holds the 
distinction of attaining the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant, the 
highest enlisted rank in the United States Marine Corps.
  As mayor of the village of Merizo, he also served as Chairman of the 
Merizo Municipal Planning Council Foundation and as a Notary Public in 
and for the Territory of Guam. Mayor Cruz is a Knight of Columbus in 
the 4th Degree and, in the past, has served as a parochial school 
teacher. He has occupied leadership positions in a number of civic 
organizations. He served as president of the Guam Club of Hawaii, the 
Guam Society of Norfolk, and the Hafa Adai Club of Okinawa. In 
addition, he chaired the Board of Directors for the Guam Senior 
Citizens Division and the Guam Environmental Protection Agency as well 
as the Merizo Elementary School PTA, the Merizo Water Festival and the 
Boy Scouts Troop Committee of Merizo. Mayor Cruz has also represented 
the island of Guam in national and international conferences. In 1985, 
he was the Guam representative to the United Nations Conference in 
Bangkok for the 3rd Asian and Pacific Ministerial Conference on Social 
Welfare and Social Development. In 1986, he represented Guam in the 
American Society on Aging's 36th Anniversary Meeting in San Francisco 
and the Pacific Gerontological Society's Conference on Aging in Hawaii.
  After years of distinguished and dedicated service, Mayor Cruz has 
chosen to step down and retire. His achievements and service to the 
community have resulted in great benefit to the island of Guam, more 
particularly, the people of Merizo. He is a role model, a leader and a 
great representative of his island home. I join his wife, Maria, their 
children, and their grandchildren in celebrating his accomplishments 
throughout his long and successful career. On behalf of the people of 
Guam, I commend his achievements and congratulate him on his well-
earned retirement. Si Yu'os Ma'ase, Mayor Cruz.

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