[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 14853-14854]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         OPERATION ADOPTED HEROES: THE STRENGTH OF A COMMUNITY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 25, 2002

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Operation 
Adopted Heroes. This project was started by members of the small 
community of DuBois, Pennsylvania with the objective of providing 
relief to the grieving New York firefighters of Engine Company 84 and 
Ladder Company 34 following the September 11th attack on the World 
Trade Center. The fire station, located in the Washington Heights 
section of my congressional district, lost seven current and former 
members in responding to the attack.
  Firefighter Gregg Atlas, Captain Frank Callahan, Firefighter Dana 
Hannon, Lieutenant Tony Jovic, Firefighter Gerry Nevins, Lieutenant 
Glenn Perry, and Battalion Chief John Williamson died in the line of 
duty on September 11th.
  Delores ``Dee'' Matthews, a caring and compassionate neighbor who has 
served as moderator of the New York Presbyterian Church and lives in 
the neighborhood of the fire station, wanted to do something to allay 
the grief of the firefighters. She reached out to her closest friends 
in her hometown of DuBois, Pennsylvania, Judy Hand and Pat Stewart with 
the idea of adopting these firefighters. Dozens of

[[Page 14854]]

community members formed what is now known as Operation Adopted Heroes 
to organize appreciatory events and raise money for the victims' 
families. With the help of the neighboring townships of Rockton, Union 
and Sandy Township represented by my colleague John Peterson, Operation 
Adopted Heroes collected over $10,000 for the widows and children of 
the fallen firefighters as well as donated 14 wooden chairs and knitted 
quilts for each bed in the firehouse.
  On November 17, 2001, representatives of all four townships drove to 
New York City to present their gifts to the fire station and the 
families of the fallen firefighters. This generosity continued through 
the holiday season with presents for the fallen firefighters' children 
and on June 14, 2002, twenty firemen with their families traveled to 
DuBois to participate in the local Community Days weekend extravaganza.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in saluting the 
members of Operation Adopted Heroes for their civic altruism to the 
161st Street Fire Station and its fallen heroes of September 11. I 
introduce into the Record news articles on the relationships developed 
though Operation Adopted Heroes.

                          ____________________