[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17663]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 RECOGNIZING HARLAN AND CHARLIE STOKES

  (Mr. KLINE of Minnesota asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KLINE of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the 
actions of two brave men from my district, Mr. Harlan Stokes and his 
son Charlie.
  Last August, Harlan, an Eagle Scout himself, and Charlie, who was 
well on his way to earning his Eagle Scout rank, set out to conquer 
Longs Peak in the Rocky Mountain National Park. Little did they know 
they would need all of their scout training before the day was done.
  As the two reached the top of the mountain, a powerful storm hit, 
bringing with it gale-force winds, rain and hail. Harlan and Charlie 
quickly headed down the mountain; but as they went down, they found 
other less prepared hikers. Bravely staying to help, they gathered 
those they had found and ran for shelter in a nearby cave. Over the 
next 2 hours, the father-son duo selflessly cared for 23 hikers while 
they themselves began to suffer from hypothermia.
  As a result of their courageous actions, all 23 hikers made it off 
the mountain safely. To honor their heroism, the two were awarded one 
of the Boy Scouts' most prestigious awards, the National Medal of 
Merit.
  Today we salute their bravery and honor their selflessness. Harlan 
and Charlie's story exemplifies the qualities of the Boy Scouts of 
America and represents the best that America has to offer.

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