[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 17089-17090]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNIZING BERNARD EPSTEIN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. TIMOTHY H. BISHIOP

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 10, 2011

  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and 
honor a constituent, Bernard Epstein, for a lifetime dedicated to 
serving his community and his county.
  Bernie's service began when he attended Columbia University on a Navy 
Reserve Officers Training Corps scholarship; adding military training 
to his demanding workload as a Chemistry major. Each summer during his 
time at Columbia, Bernie participated in a summer cruise with the Navy 
as a midshipman, learning valuable military and leadership skills in 
preparation for active duty service.
  Upon his graduation with a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Chemistry, 
Bernie was commissioned as a lieutenant in the United States Navy. He 
saw action in the Korean War with the Navy's 7th Fleet, whose units 
served in every major operation of that conflict.
  After being honorably discharged from the Navy, Bernie continued his 
education at Columbia, eventually earning a Master's Degree

[[Page 17090]]

in Engineering. Equipped with advanced skills and military experience, 
Bernie returned to service in the Defense Department as a civilian, 
developing ballistic missile programs with a special focus on inertial 
navigation. The early defense research and development programs Bernie 
participated in were the genesis of America's Space Program, and laid 
the foundation for manned space flight and countless scientific 
breakthroughs.
  In 1996, after a long career with the Department of Defense, Bernie 
and his wife Naomi retired to East Hampton, where they have become 
deeply involved with the Jewish Center of the Hamptons. For over a 
decade, Bernie has volunteered as the Baal Koreh, or Master of Reading, 
the officiant who reads the Torah from scroll in the synagogue on the 
Sabbath.
  Mr. Speaker, I honor Bernie Epstein for his invaluable and continuing 
contributions to our community. It is my great hope that he will serve 
as an inspiration for other through his good works and devotion to his 
country.

                          ____________________