[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 15100-15101]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       TRIBUTE TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SURVIVAL FLIGHT TEAM

  Ms. STABENOW. Madam President, I wish today to pay tribute to the six 
members of the University of Michigan Survival Flight team who perished 
this past Monday when their plane tragically crashed into Lake Michigan 
during an organ transplant mission. On behalf of the people of 
Michigan, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the victims' 
families. These brave men put their lives on the line to save the lives 
of those in need of urgent medical care. They touched countless 
families through their work and the goodness of their hearts and stand 
as examples to all of us as modern-day Good Samaritans.
  Richard Chenault II, 44, from Ann Arbor, was hoping to get back to 
Michigan on time Monday to attend the Father Gabriel Richard High 
School sports banquet. He was being honored for coach of the year in 
both girls track and girls cross-country. He never made it but is 
remembered by the students and faculty at the school as a mentor, 
teacher, and friend.
  Rick Lapensee, of Ypsilanti, fought fires for 18 years while serving 
as an emergency medical technician. He immediately jumped at the chance 
to work as a University of Michigan life flight medical technician 3 
years ago. On Monday morning, Richard had just finished a 24-hour 
firefighter shift before embarking on the transplant flight.
  Dr. David Ashburn, 35, of Dexter, was a cardiac surgery resident at 
the University of Michigan. He was looking to begin his pediatric 
cardiac surgery fellowship in July. Dr. Ashburn was a

[[Page 15101]]

dedicated family man who enjoyed turkey hunting in the wilderness of 
Michigan.
  Dr. Martinus Spoor, 37, of Ann Arbor, was a regular when it came to 
the air transplant business, making roughly 10 flights a year. Dr. 
Spoor was known by his friends and family as a ``gentle and kind human 
being'' and taught heart valve repair techniques to medical students.
  Dennis Hoyes, 65, of Blackman Township, was a man who loved to fly. A 
retired small business owner, Dennis would often spend his days at the 
Jackson County Airport and worked as an adjunct flight instructor for 
Jackson Community College's aviation program. Dennis would always give 
a free lesson to anyone who asked.
  Bill Serra, 59, of Macomb Township, had over 12,000 hours of flight 
time from small planes to 747s. During the Persian Gulf war, Bill 
worked as a civilian pilot delivering material and ammunition to U.S. 
forces. The Air Force honored Bill in 1993 for his dedicated service.
  Our State of Michigan lost real heroes Monday--heroes who gave back 
to their communities without fanfare or personal gain, heroes who did 
their dangerous work out of passion, dedication, and a desire to make 
the world a better place.
  Unfortunately, we often take these heroes for granted, forgetting 
that their dedication to service comes at life-threatening risk.
  The stories of these six men serve as a proud reminder that all of us 
can give back, that all of us can contribute, and that there are heroes 
all around us in our communities, our families, and our States. 
Michigan can never express how proud we are of these individuals' 
service, and the Michigan family joins the Chenaults, the LaPensees, 
the Ashburns, the Spoors, the Hoyes, and the Serras in mourning the 
passing of these brave men.

                          ____________________