[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11631]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




TRIBUTE TO HEROES OF THE OREGON MOUNTAIN RIVER CHAPTER OF THE RED CROSS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GREG WALDEN

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 26, 2005

  Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
courageous men and women being honored on June 1, 2005 by the Oregon 
Mountain River Chapter of the Red Cross's inaugural Real Heroes 
ceremony in Bend, Oregon, which I will be honored to be part of. These 
men and women set themselves apart through selfless acts of heroism and 
kindness toward others. I would like to share the stories that depict 
their unwavering commitment to their fellow citizens and their calm and 
collected action in the face of great challenge.
  Mr. Speaker, Matthew Zedwick is one of the many courageous men and 
women who have served our country in Iraq as a member of the Oregon 
National Guard. On June 13, 2004, his quick action under pressure saved 
the life of his comrade, Sgt. Sean Davis. Sgt. Zedwick was driving a 
Humvee when two roadside bombs exploded near his convoy. Despite being 
wounded by shrapnel, Sgt. Zedwick dragged Truck Commander Sgt. Davis 
safely from a burning vehicle and then returned to the vehicle under 
heavy enemy fire in an attempt to retrieve the body of Spc. Eric 
McKinley, who had been killed in the blast. While he was unable to 
retrieve Spc. McKinley, he was able to retrieve a radio and call for 
help. His quick thinking and courage under fire saved his own life and 
the life of Sgt. Davis. For his actions, Sgt Zedwick became the first 
Oregon National Guardsman since World War II to be awarded the Silver 
Star medal and a Purple Heart for his valor.
  Jordan Bilyeu is another hero who endured the devastation of the 
Tsunami that struck the Indian Ocean in December of 2004. While 
vacationing in the Phi Phi Islands, off the shore of Thailand, Jordan 
was swept up in the water that unexpectedly came crashing toward the 
beachgoers. Jordan clung to a palm tree while riding out the worst of 
the Tsunami and eventually was swept into the third story of a nearby 
hotel. During this ordeal, Jordan was able to assist in the rescue of a 
woman who lost her legs who had also been pulled into that hotel room, 
and worked to assist others who had been injured in this tragic natural 
disaster.
  Mr. Speaker, in Deschutes County we owe thanks to several heroes for 
their quick action at work. On September 13, 2003, Al Ewing's, Corky 
Metteer's, Tim Wiley's, and Adam Carpenter's emergency efforts saved 
the life of Stu Martinez when he lapsed out of consciousness. Stu's 
colleagues quickly ran to his rescue and performed CPR techniques until 
medical help could arrive. These employees at Wilderness Garbage in La 
Pine were prepared to react after taking critical life saving and CPR 
classes administered by the Oregon Mountain River Chapter of the Red 
Cross one month before.
  Deschutes County District Attorney Mike Dugan is another hero who 
helped avert another tragic accident on the job and saved the life of a 
young boy in the Deschutes County Courtroom. When a young child started 
choking on a large piece of candy, District Attorney Dugan rushed to 
assist the child and used an abdominal thrust technique to dislodge the 
candy from his throat. The entire episode took only a few seconds, but 
it is an act that this young child will remember for the rest of his 
life.
  Kathleen Krahmer is a hero whose day-to-day efforts impact the lives 
of many in her community. On May 23, 2005, Kathleen donated her 57th 
pint of blood, for an astonishing total of more than seven gallons of 
blood donated to the Red Cross. Not only is Kathleen a blood donor, but 
every winter she knits hats and donates them to local schools or to the 
Bethlehem Inn, a homeless shelter in Bend. This, Mr. Speaker, is just 
the beginning of her service to others. She is actively involved in the 
Sparrow Club, an organization that helps critically ill children, and 
has helped collect money for the Tsunami Relief program. As a teacher 
she is an inspiration and exemplary example to her students and her 
fellow citizens and has shown that countless acts of kindness truly do 
make a significant difference.
  Mr. Speaker, the next individual I'd like to honor demonstrates that 
you can be a hero at I any age. Spencer Brennan has already made a 
significant impact on those around him at the age of 14 and I'm sure 
that his tradition of helping others will continue for many years. As a 
young child Spencer fell very ill, but he battled back to overcome his 
illness and never gave up during his most difficult challenges. Now, he 
works for the benefit of other children as a 'volunteer for the Sparrow 
Club. For the last two years, Spencer has worked to raise money for the 
Sparrow Club and to support other children who face medical crisis. For 
his service, he was awarded the prestigious ``Dameon Award'' for his 
compassion, courage, character and conscience.
  The next hero I would like to highlight, Kim Meeder, is an individual 
who has worked very hard to make a difference in the life of troubled 
teens, abused kids and adults across Oregon and our nation. The work 
being done by Kim and her husband Troy at the Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch 
is tremendous. Kim has helped pair abused and neglected horses with 
troubled individuals seeking solitude and comfort. The ranch gives 
these individuals a place to rekindle their spirits and recover from 
the problems of their past.
  Mr. Speaker, let me conclude by talking about a collaborative effort 
in central Oregon that provides medical coverage for those without 
coverage. Since opening just over a year ago, the Volunteers in 
Medicine Clinic has completed approximately 5,000 free examinations in 
Deschutes County. Three of these volunteers have gone above and beyond 
the call of duty. Dr. Tom McGranahan, a retired anesthesiologist, has 
worked over 600 hours assisting doctors and training others in the use 
of new electronic medical records while serving as the clinic's 
resident computer expert. Cindy Cocanower, an area pharmacist, has 
utilized her expertise so the organization can provide medications at 
little or no cost to VIM patients. She has donated over 200 hours of 
her time and expertise and spent countless hours working on similar 
endeavors outside the clinic. Sharon Lichti, a retired college 
professor, has been the lead volunteer charged with training dozens of 
new volunteers since the opening of the clinic. The contributions of 
these individuals have provided medical coverage for many uninsured 
individuals throughout central Oregonian, and we owe them a debt of 
gratitude.
  Mr. Speaker, the individuals being honored on June 1 demonstrate that 
each of us can be a hero in our community and we are grateful for all 
that they've done and continue to do.

                          ____________________