[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21830]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING CECIL TACKETT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 10, 2003

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise before this body of Congress and 
this nation today to pay tribute to a true American hero and dedicated 
father from my district, Cecil Tackett of Pagosa Springs, Colorado. An 
active member of the Colorado community, Cecil was recently selected as 
this year's Marshal of the ``Our American Heroes'' Fourth of July 
parade. I would like to join the Pagosa Springs Rotary Club and the 
local community in honoring Cecil's service and recognizing this 
distinct honor.
   Cecil was an obvious choice as Marshal of the parade, as he 
gallantly served to protect the freedoms we enjoy today. Cecil joined 
the Army Air Corps before the attack on Pearl Harbor and earned his 
pilot's wings as a Second Lieutenant. In 1944, Cecil was stationed on 
Saipan Island and was responsible for conducting bombing missions 
throughout Japanese territory. These missions would often last 14 to 18 
hours, demanding the most from both pilot and crew. It was on one of 
these missions when Cecil's plane, the Pride of the Yankees, lost two 
engines, nearly crashing over Japan. Cecil took control and landed his 
aircraft and its crew safely in Saipan over eight tense hours later.
   After the war, Cecil completed his degree at Kansas State University 
and went on to help build dams in Nebraska, Texas, Oklahoma, and 
Kansas. He moved to Pagosa Springs in 1963 and quickly became an active 
community member. Cecil served on the Pagosa Springs Board of Trustees, 
the Board of Directors at Citizens Bank, and currently serves the San 
Juan Water Conservancy District, helping restore the Lower Blanco 
River.
   Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to bring attention to Cecil's heroic and 
dutiful service. Recognition for the sacrifice he made for this country 
is long overdue, and I am proud to bring Cecil Tackett's achievements 
to the attention of this body of Congress today. Thank you again, 
Cecil, for your many years of hard work on behalf of Pagosa Springs and 
the State of Colorado. May you have many more to come!

                          ____________________