[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17358]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  EXPRESSING APPRECIATION FOR KELLY HOLMES' SERVICE TO WEST TENNESSEE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN S. TANNER

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, July 9, 2009

  Mr. TANNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Kelly Holmes, a 
long-time public servant who retired June 30 after many years as 
Madison County Fire Chief alongside his wife Willadene. Under Chief 
Homes' leadership, the Madison County Fire Department grew from a 
volunteer force with Army surplus equipment to 16 stations with 162 
firefighters.
  Kelly Holmes is a native of Bemis, Tennessee, and was raised in 
Madison County, which I am honored to represent in this chamber. After 
serving in the United States Army during the Korean War, Kelly returned 
home in 1955 to work at Consolidated Aluminum Corporation, where he 
worked for more than 20 years.
  During that time, in 1958, Kelly helped organize the all-volunteer 
Madison County Fire Department to help protect our community. The 
following year, he was promoted to the rank of Captain, and in 1963 
assumed the role of Fire Chief. He served in that position as a 
volunteer for 13 years; in 1976, the needs of Madison County had grown 
so much that the position of Fire Chief became a full-time, paid 
position.
  In his more than 50 years with the Madison County Fire Department, 
Chief Holmes has served on the Board of Directors for the Tennessee 
Fire Chiefs Association and served from 1978 to 1980 as President of 
that association. He has received many awards, including the Good 
Conduct Medal, the Army's National Defense Service Medal, the Jackson 
Exchange Club's ``Man of the Year'' Award in 1975, and the First 
American Red Cross Humanitarian Service Award in 2005. In 1965, he 
appeared in ``Outstanding Young Men of America.'' Chief Holmes has also 
held various leadership roles at the Bemis United Methodist Church, to 
which he and his family belong.
  Fire protection service to our community is important to the entire 
Holmes family. Kelly says ``his number one assistant'' is his wife, 
Willadene, who has also served the Madison County Fire Department for 
50 years as a dispatcher and secretary. For 30 years, his son Ralph 
served the Jackson Fire Department, from which he retired as Batallion 
Chief, and spent his off days as Head of Maintenance and Captain for 
the Madison County Fire Department. Chief Holmes' grandson Joe has 
served 4 years with the Madison County Fire Department as a 
firefighter.
  Among Chief Holmes' greatest moments of service was his leadership in 
responding to a 1978 train derailment and propane explosion in Waverly, 
Tennessee, that had killed several, including the local police and fire 
chiefs, and destroyed several city blocks. Chief Holmes and the 
firefighters serving with him put their lives on the line in a very 
precarious situation, knowing that a second propane car at the center 
of the fire could have exploded at any time. Tennesseans were grateful 
for the courage and dedication displayed by Chief Holmes and other 
responders.
  Madam Speaker, I have long been proud to call Chief Kelly Holmes my 
friend. I thank you and our colleagues for joining me in expressing 
gratitude for his service protecting West Tennessee families and 
congratulating him on his retirement, which will allow him to spend 
time with his family and--in his words--``enjoy the country life.'' We 
wish him all the best.

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