[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16217]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           PAYING TRIBUTE TO BRIGADIER GENERAL JAMES C. HALL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JON C. PORTER

                               of nevada

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 18, 2007

  Mr. PORTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of 
Brigadier General James C. Hall, Colorado National Guard (Retired).
  James C. Hall was born into a coal mining family with 10 children in 
Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania on April 14, 1926. He is the youngest son and 
followed in the footsteps of 5 of his older brothers when he joined the 
Army during World War II at age 17. He served as an airborne radio 
operator and later a flight engineer throughout his service in the 
Pacific theater. After returning from World War II, Mr. Hall re-
enlisted in the Army Air Corps and was awarded a direct commission into 
the new United States Air Force. Mr. Hall received his Bachelor's 
degree from the University of New Mexico and is a graduate of the Army 
Parachute School at Fort Benning, GA, the Advanced School at Fort 
Bragg, NC, and U.S. Forest Service Smoke Jumper's School.
  Throughout 36 years of military service and the rest of his civilian 
life, he became a pioneer in parachuting. Mr. Hall is a Master 
Parachutist with more than 1800 jumps. He started the parachuting 
program at the United States Air Force Academy which is the safest 
program of all similar service schools. In 1959 Mr. Hall and a partner 
organized the first professional parachuting firm in the world which 
led to many innovative advances in its field. His hit television show 
``Ripcord'' has been noted as starting the modern conception of 
parachuting as a sport. He pioneered the ``Buddy System'' for free 
falling and the ``4-line-cut'' for emergencies in parachuting. Mr. Hall 
has been honored and cited numerous times. He has received such 
accolades as the AFA Medal of Merit, the Citation of Honor for his MIA/
POW program, the Exceptional Service Plaque, the AFA Presidential 
citation, the Colorado Man of the Year, Leo Stevens Parachute medal, 
and the Colorado Meritorious Service Medal. As a founding member of 
Colorado's Wright Brothers Memorial foundation, he was inducted into 
the Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame in 1985.
  Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor Brigadier General James C. Hall. I 
thank him for his honorable service to our country.

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