[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 5781]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE OF GRAY PARSONS OF WILKES COUNTY, NORTH 
                                CAROLINA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a fallen hometown hero 
from Wilkes County in North Carolina. Gray Parsons, a Millers Creek 
firefighter, fell in the line of duty earlier this month while 
responding to a fire near Wilkesboro, North Carolina.
  Parsons was a dedicated member of the North Carolina Forest Service's 
Fire Attack Support Team, where he had served for the past 10 years. 
His funeral was a tribute to his many years of service to the local 
community as local fire departments from across Wilkes County came out 
in force to honor Gray Parsons' life.
  Many of Parsons' friends and family have said that giving his life in 
the line of duty was just how he would have wanted to go. He was a 
committed firefighter, a skilled chain saw operator, and an amazing 
wizard when it came to repairing anything mechanical.
  He was generous with his always-ready smile and his hands were 
continually working to help others. His coworkers knew Gray Parsons as 
a man who was dedicated to his work. In fact, the day he responded to 
his final fire in Wilkes County was his day off, but he had spent the 
day helping his partner at the Forest Service finish a project. That 
was just the kind of person he was, generous, hard-working and 
committed.
  The Wilkes community hailed Parsons as a model local hero at his 
funeral. His life inspired everyone who knew him for his kindness and 
indefatigable pride in his work and those he served.
  He was a true American hero, an everyday man, who took pride in the 
uniform he wore and who loved to serve his community and protect those 
in danger.
  He will be profoundly missed and will leave a gaping hole in the 
Wilkes County community, Forest Service and local first responders. My 
thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of this great man 
who gave his life in the service of others.

                          ____________________