[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 21]
[House]
[Page 28254]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  IN MEMORY OF SERGEANT EDUVIGES WOLF

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker and Members, I have come to the floor to 
speak about two extraordinary individuals today. I rise first to honor 
the memory of Sergeant Eduviges Preciado Wolf of Hawthorne, California. 
Sergeant Eduviges was an Army sergeant assigned to the 704th Brigade 
Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, out 
of Fort Carson, Colorado. Sergeant Wolf was a hero who gave her life in 
service to her country.
  Sergeant Wolf, also know as ``Duvi,'' dreamed of serving in the U.S. 
military as a child who emigrated to the United States from Mexico with 
her family. As soon as Duvi was able, she joined the United States 
military so that she could fulfill her lifelong dream to serve and 
protect her country. She met her husband Josh at Fort Bragg. Together, 
they had two daughters: 3-year-old Isabel and 1-year-old Valerie. Both 
Duvi and Josh were deployed to Afghanistan, where they served in 
separate units. Tragically, Duvi recently died in an insurgent attack 
while in Afghanistan. She was only 24 years old.
  Earlier this month, on Veterans Day, I had the honor and privilege of 
participating in events with veterans and their families in my 
congressional district in Hawthorne and Inglewood, California. I was 
deeply moved by the families of our servicemembers. Not only do 
servicemembers make major sacrifices, but so do their families. They 
live with the harsh realities of war and its implications on them. 
Spouses must sacrifice long-term career planning, and children are 
oftentimes forced to transfer to different schools throughout the 
country. Tragically, as is the reality of combat theatre, some of our 
troops do not make it home.
  Today, I salute and thank Sergeant Wolf, along with all of our 
Nation's past and present heroes who sacrifice a great deal in service 
to this country. I expressed my condolences to Duvi's sister Cecilia in 
Hawthorne on Veterans Day, and I know that her friends and family are 
still mourning. It is my hope that they will find comfort and peace in 
the loving memories and the distinguished legacy of service that Duvi 
leaves behind.


                      In Memory of Tommy Jacquette

  Ms. WATERS. I rise in memory of Tommy Jacquette, my dear friend of 
over 40 years, who passed away this week. I know that the community of 
Watts and the greater Los Angeles area are grieving with me, because we 
have all lost a truly unique, larger-than-life friend and activist who 
had his finger on the pulse of the community.
  Born in South Central Los Angeles in 1943, Tommy Jacquette as a young 
man became part of the Black Power Movement of the 1960s and sharpened 
his leadership skills during his studies at Cal-Poly Pomona. He was 
acutely aware of the problems and issues facing the African American 
community, and he wanted to make a difference.
  Tommy especially loved Watts, and he dedicated his life's work to 
enriching the community. He was the founder of the Watts Summer 
Festival at Ted Watkins Memorial Park, formerly Will Rogers Park, which 
became an annual tradition in the community following the 1965 
insurrection, which were riots that shook the Watts community and 
surrounding areas.
  Tommy created the festival to honor and celebrate our roots, our 
talents, and our culture; and it subsequently helped to spark African 
American festivals across the country. Today, it's known as the 
``grandfather'' of all African American cultural events.
  Even in years when he struggled to get funding for the festival, when 
traditional donors such as the business community and others wouldn't 
contribute, he always came through and was able to put on a festival, 
using the resources he had and his amazing life skills, largely 
stemming from being a self-made man. Just this year I joked with him 
that if he had two dimes to rub together, there would be a Watts Summer 
Festival.
  I have no doubt, however, that in making the festival possible each 
and every year for almost half a century, Tommy knocked a few heads 
together. This tall, handsome, and fatigue-wearing man made his 
presence known, often using his penchant for colorful language to drive 
home the point. His confrontations with City Hall, L.A. County, and 
other elected officials and community leaders are legendary. He spoke 
his mind and he was bold and uncompromising in his support of the 
African American community. So when he was mad, you knew it. However, 
when he was pleased and happy, you knew it too, because he had a smile 
that would light up a room and a hearty laugh that would resonate 
throughout an entire building.
  The Watts Summer Festival is uniquely Tommy, bringing people together 
and focusing both on local and national talent, always with an Afro-
centric theme.
  Tommy was an inspiration to me and to so many other people. He was 
daring, fearless and bold, helping us to gain the courage to openly 
discuss and deal with race, discrimination and inequality in a way that 
few had been able to before.
  I will truly miss his presence and the long conversations we would 
often have, which would usually start when he'd say ``Hey Mac, what do 
you think about that?'' He was an incredibly deep thinker. He was 
especially an inspiration to young people in the community, often 
speaking at high schools, colleges and universities to encourage them 
to succeed, to give back, and to hold their heads up high.
  There will never be another Tommy Jacquette, and I know that the 
legacy he has left behind is enshrined not only in the Watts Summer 
Festival, but in the larger community. I look forward to working with 
his family and the Board of Directors to make sure that the festival 
continues, though there will be a big hole that can never be filled.
  I thank him for all that he was and all that he was not, for all the 
lives he reached, and for his friendship. I will miss him dearly, but 
am comforted because I know Tommy Jacquette's life was one of impact, 
purpose, and fulfillment.

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