[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 20]
[Senate]
[Pages 28510-28511]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERETT ``EP'' HOWE

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, tomorrow, members of the Rapid City, 
South Dakota National Guard and Ellsworth Air Force Base communities 
will gather to honor Everett ``Ep'' Howe for his lifetime of dedicated 
service. Today I salute the life and work of one of South Dakota's 
finest patriots.
  For nearly 70 years, Ep has dedicated himself to serving his 
community and his country. He began his career in the public service, 
joining the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1921, and serving as Park 
Ranger and U.S. Border Patrol Officer before joining the military in 
1944. He proudly served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1944 to 1948, 
including a tour with the 9th Marine Aircraft Wing during World War II.
  Discharged as a Marine Sergeant, he returned to Rapid City, his wife, 
Grace, and a career in construction. To say that, in many ways, 
Ellsworth Air Force Base is ``The House That Ep Built,'' is no measure 
of hyperbole. Not

[[Page 28511]]

only has he donated land and raised money for the base, he actually 
contributed to the construction of some of its buildings. During his 
time with both Hacket Construction and Corner, Howe, & Lee 
Construction, he worked on a number of projects at what is now 
Ellsworth, including the construction of the original Rapid City Air 
Force Base, which opened in 1942.
  Throughout his life, Ep has been a tremendous supporter and friend of 
the military. A longtime committee member of the South Dakota Employer 
Support of the Guard and Reserve and of the Rapid City Chamber of 
Commerce Military Affairs Committee, he has been particularly dedicated 
to strengthening relationships between civilian and military 
communities. He has received several awards for his work in the 
military community, including the Department of Defense ``Lifetime 
Achievement Award'' and the South Dakota National Guard Major General 
Williamson Militia Award.
  In addition to supporting the military, he has been a tireless and 
dedicated servant of his community. He has served on the South Dakota 
Highway Commission, the Rapid City Area Disaster Foundation, the YMCA 
Board of Directors and Board of Trustees, and the American Legion. He 
has also been a dedicated member of First Presbyterian Church in Rapid 
City, the Rapid City Chamber of Commerce, and the local Elks Lodge. Not 
surprisingly, Ep has received a number of awards for his work in the 
community as well, including being named ``Mr. Rapid City'' for his 
lifelong service as a community leader.
  This week, a bust of Ep will be unveiled in Building 450 at Camp 
Rapid. It is only fitting that this bust will occupy the building where 
leaders of the South Dakota National Guard regularly meet. Ep's bust 
will look down on the proceedings and provide these leaders what he has 
provided so many South Dakotans over the years; a friendly countenance, 
moral support, and a model for community leadership. I commend Ep for 
his lifetime of accomplishment, and offer my deepest gratitude for the 
work he has done and continues to do.

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