[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 8237-8238]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING DR. CHRISTOPHER COPPOLA AS HE IS HONORED WITH THE SAINT 
                          FRANCIS XAVIER AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 28, 2007

  Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise 
today to honor Dr. Christopher Coppola as he is honored by his alma 
mater, Xavier High School, with their distinguished Saint Francis 
Xavier Award. This prestigious award recognizes those who have 
demonstrated outstanding character and leadership--qualities which are 
at the core of an Xavier education.
  Chris has achieved many great accomplishments throughout his life. He 
is a loving husband and father, dedicated pediatric surgeon, and proud 
member of the United States Air Force. It was just last year that 
Chris, a member of the 859th Surgical Operations Squadron, was deployed 
to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During his 4 month tour,

[[Page 8238]]

Chris fought to save the lives of hundreds--American and Iraqi alike. 
It was from his experiences there that he recently published the book, 
``Made a Difference for That One: A Surgeon's Letters Home From Iraq.''
  As a doctor and surgeon, Chris has witnessed a myriad of incidents 
and battled to save the lives of countless patients. Even with all of 
his experience, Chris was unsure of what he might find waiting for him 
in Iraq. He began writing to his wife, Meredith, and family as a way to 
purge the horrific scenes he saw day in and day out. Chris wrote about 
every aspect of the war--from what he was eating to descriptions of the 
patients he was treating. One of the most telling letters described his 
experience with two young girls whose home had been fire bombed. Both 
burned badly, Chris and the surgical team fought to save them--
unfortunately they lost one. In a twist of fate, Chris also saved the 
life of a man whom he later discovered was responsible for the bombing 
of the girls' home.
  Meredith saved all of Chris's letters, often sharing them with their 
three sons and other family members. Chris is one of my cousins and I 
received a package from his parents containing some of his letters. I 
was touched, not only by his description of his experience, but by the 
dedication and commitment he showed to his own mission. I was proud to 
discover that, upon his return home, Chris and Meredith decided to 
publish this poignant collection of letters and use the book as a means 
to further support members of our military and their families.
  All of the proceeds from the sales of ``Made a Difference'' will be 
donated to the Fisher House Foundation, an organization which supports 
America's military and their families in times of need. Because members 
of the military and their families are stationed worldwide and must 
often travel great distances for specialized medical care, Fisher House 
Foundation donates ``comfort homes,'' built on the grounds of major 
military and VA medical centers. These homes enable family members to 
be close to a loved one at the most stressful times--during the 
hospitalization for an unexpected illness, disease, or injury.
  As a husband, father, doctor, surgeon, and Air Force Major, Chris has 
touched countless lives--exemplifying the very spirit of Xavier's 
educational mission and I cannot think of a more fitting recognition 
than the Saint Francis Xavier Award. It is with great pride that I rise 
today to join all of those gathered to join his wife, Meredith, his 
parents, Dr. Paul and Eileen Coppola, family, friends, and Xavier High 
School in congratulating Dr. Christopher Coppola on this very special 
occasion.

                          ____________________