[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 10372-10373]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING THE LIFE OF JAMES A

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 7, 2006

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember the life 
of James A of Fresno, California. Mr. A served in the U.S. Army in both 
Vietnam and Korea and was a prominent veteran's activist; he passed 
away May 15, 2006.
  James A was born James Burris on October 18, 1946 in Yreka, 
California. He attended school in Fresno and graduated from Edison High 
School in 1964. As a way of protesting early American slavery, James 
Burris legally

[[Page 10373]]

changed his name to James A. After investigating his genealogy, Mr. A 
had felt `Burris' was his slave name.
  While serving in the U.S. Army, Mr. A learned to speak German, 
Korean, and Vietnamese. While stationed in Germany, Mr. A met the love 
of his life, Edith Isamann. They were marred in 1966 and had two 
daughters Sabine and Sonja.
  The couple returned to Fresno to raise their daughters in the 
community James affectionately called home. It was during this time 
that Mr. A began noticing physical problems that later resulted in his 
paraplegia. He was diagnosed with a neurological condition and as a 
result of this he was forced to use a wheelchair. Ever the active sole, 
Mr. A participated in wheelchair basketball and wheelchair races as a 
way of not letting his illness beat him.
  Mr. A used his experience with misfortune to lend a helping hand to 
others. He waged a personal campaign for veterans in Fresno and in the 
state of California. James A helped to establish the Vietnam Veteran 
Monument in Woodward Park. He was also involved with the effort to 
establish the California Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Sacramento. Mr. 
A worked with the Bay Area Western Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of 
America and in 2005 he served as its Vice President.
  In 2002, Mr. A was diagnosed with lung cancer and was in remission 
until January of 2005. Determined to be a shining example for his 
family, despite all of the physical challenges he faced, James A 
continued to serve his community.
  James A is survived by his wife Edith; two daughters Sabine and her 
husband Asker and Sonja and her husband Andrew; grandchildren Ilkin, 
Timur, Emily and Rebecca; two sisters and two brothers.
  James A cared deeply about advocating for veterans. His warm and 
compassionate personality which inspired those around him will be 
missed deeply. I stand today to honor this noble veteran, who served 
our country not only as a soldier but also as a citizen.

                          ____________________