[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5162]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO DAN CREGER

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a hard 
working, respected young man, Mr. Dan Creger. Dan is from Casper, WY, 
and has proven that in spite of his disabilities, one man can have a 
great impact.
  Dan was born with arthrogryposis, a condition that causes multiple 
joint problems and limits the range of motion of a joint. As a result 
of this disease, Dan has spent most of his life in a wheelchair. 
Despite his disability, Dan refuses to be held back, relying not on 
public assistance but rather on his determined spirit and the support 
of friends and family to achieve his daily successes.
  Dan worked for the Bureau of Land Management for 20 years. Recently 
the BLM honored his service by presenting him with the Honor Award for 
Superior Service. Casper Field Office Manger, Jim Murkin said, ``Dan is 
a Go to Guy! He is someone who you can depend on to get a job done. He 
always wants to stay busy. He hates doing nothing. He is a great asset 
to the BLM.''
  Four years ago Dan began working at the National Historical 
Interpretive Trails Center in Casper. The director of the center, Jude 
Carino, says that Dan ``always has a smile. He always has good things 
to say about people, and he doesn't complain.'' At the center Dan 
greets visitors, answers questions and leads tours for schools and 
other organized groups. In 2006 he assisted 8,000 visitors, and guided 
nearly 2,000 schoolchildren through the facility.
  A volunteer for the National Historical Interpretive Trails Center 
said, ``I have learned a lot from Dan in how to guide guests through 
the center. He is a wealth of knowledge and has a great sense of 
humor.''
  Dan's life was thrown another curve when last summer he was diagnosed 
with esophageal cancer. But through it all he continues to have a 
positive attitude. Dan said that when he was first told about the 
cancer he felt both sadness and anger, but soon he decided that this 
was just another challenge for him to deal with. He said, ``I've tried 
to go on with my life and take it day by day.''
  A friend of Mr. Creger summed it up best when he said, ``In my eyes, 
Dan is a man of courage that stands 6 feet tall. He lives his life as 
any productive member of society and pushes aside any thought of pity 
for himself. He doesn't let his physical limits or the threat of cancer 
keep him from achieving his goals in life. In this way, Dan is better 
than many men who face lesser challenges in life. I am proud to know 
Dan and be his friend.''
  It is obvious that Dan is a good, hard-working man who refuses to let 
life's challenges stand in his way. Dan Creger is an inspiration to all 
of us, and I am honored to share his story.

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