[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14237]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO MAYOR JERALD AUGUST GLAUBITZ

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Conaway.) Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, the men and women of America's greatest 
generation, the generation that saved freedom and defeated tyranny, 
pass quietly from this life each day. Too quietly, I believe. For this 
generation of Americans must never forget that we are the beneficiaries 
of their selfless acts and their sacrifice. They made America what it 
is today: free, strong, and vibrant.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize and salute the many 
contributions of one member of that great generation, Jerald August 
Glaubitz, who passed away on April 26 at the age of 84.

                              {time}  1700

  Jerry Glaubitz was a constituent of mine. He was a friend of mine. In 
some respects, he was a mentor of mine. I have known him for almost 40 
years. More importantly, he was a trusted public servant, a patriot, 
and a good personal friend.
  A native of Murdock, Nebraska, Jerry was just 18 years old when he 
joined the United States Navy in 1938. He was stationed on the U.S.S. 
San Francisco and was present at Pearl Harbor on that day of infamy in 
December 1941 when 2,300 sailors and civilians lost their lives.
  Jerry Glaubitz survived the treacherous Japanese attack at Pearl 
Harbor and remained determined to honor the memory of those service men 
and women who were not as fortunate. Jerry served as the president of 
the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, and he played a key role during 
the observation of the 50th anniversary of that attack.
  After the war in which Jerry served, he returned home, more than 
determined than ever to live a life defined by the love of his wife and 
family, a life marked by his commitment to community and to his Nation. 
For 43 years, from 1961 to 2004, Jerry Glaubitz served as the mayor of 
Morningside, Maryland, a town of approximately 1,000 citizens, a small 
town, a vibrant town, a town where every neighbor knew one another and 
every neighbor was concerned about one another.
  At his retirement, he was the longest-serving mayor in our State, and 
one of the longest serving mayors in the Nation. Morningside Councilman 
Jim Ealey said recently, ``Jerry took over the town when it was a one-
horse town and nourished it and contributed everything he had to that 
town.''
  Jerry also was a mainstay on the Morningside Volunteer Fire 
Department, joining the department in 1947 and serving as president, 
chief, and chaplain over the next 5 decades. He was a past president of 
the Maryland State Fire Association and the Prince George's County 
Volunteer Firemen's Association.
  I had the great privilege as chairman of the caucus and as a member 
of the State Senate of Maryland of working closely with Jerry, both in 
his capacity as the mayor of Morningside, the president of the state 
fire association, and the county fire association. I can think of few 
people, Mr. Speaker, who cared more about their family, their 
community, and their country than did Jerry Glaubitz.
  I want to extend my heartfelt sympathy to his beloved wife of 62 
years, Jean; his daughter, Carol; his son, Larry, and all of his family 
and friends. And I hope, Mr. Speaker, that they find comfort in the 
fact that his was a life well-lived, a life that enriched countless 
others. A God that is merciful has taken Jerry to be home. He took him 
from a country that is grateful for his service and a community that is 
better for his life.

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