[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 11640-11641]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   IN HONOR OF LT. PATRICK K. DOWDELL

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ANTHONY D. WEINER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 15, 2006

  Mr. WEINER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Patrick K. 
Dowdell, upon his graduation from West Point as a second lieutenant.
  Patrick K. Dowdell is a resident of Breezy Point, Queens, who has 
been a volunteer with the Point Breeze Volunteer Fire Department, 
Habitat for Humanity and Meals on Wheels. Along with his father Kevin 
Dowdell, a lieutenant at Rescue Company 4 of the New York City Fire 
Department, Patrick contacted my office in 2000 to request a nomination 
to West Point's Class of 2005. Despite my nomination, and a valiant 
effort by Lt. Kevin Dowdell to hand deliver the required documents for 
his son's application to West Point admissions officials, Patrick was 
waitlisted and instead attended lona College.
  Patrick K. Dowdell proved to be both resilient and determined, and 
sought admission to

[[Page 11641]]

West Point the following year while he excelled at lona and was elected 
as Freshman Class Representative in the student government. Supported 
by teachers, neighbors and friends offering praise and letters of 
support, Patrick again asked for my nomination, with his father leading 
the charge.
  When the dust of September 11, 2001 settled, Patrick Dowdell and his 
family learned that Lt. Kevin Dowdell was last seen entering the 
burning towers to help his fellow citizens and had been lost. Patrick 
Dowdell, as determined as ever to serve his country and make his dad 
proud, volunteered in the clean up efforts and continued to pursue his 
dream of attending West Point.
  Patrick K. Dowdell was designated as my principle nominee in 2001 and 
was a member of the 2006 West Point graduating class. In President 
Bush's commencement speech last month to the first class to enter the 
academy after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, 
Patrick had the honor of being the only cadet singled out for praise by 
the President. In the words of the President, ``We live in freedom 
because young Americans like Patrick and all the cadets here today have 
stepped forward to serve.''
  Patrick is now looking forward to serving his country and continuing 
to honor his father's memory. He also serves as a source of 
encouragement to his younger brother James Dowdell, who has followed in 
their father's footsteps by joining the New York City Fire Department, 
serving in Ladder 174 and providing support to his proud mother, Rose 
Ellen Dowdell.
  Therefore, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I 
congratulate Patrick K. Dowdell upon the completion of his studies at 
West Point and upon his commission as a second lieutenant.

                          ____________________