[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 13941]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           NAVY YARD SHOOTING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise to 
remember three of my constituents who tragically lost their lives in 
Monday's shooting along with nine other innocent victims at the 
Washington Navy Yard. The entire Washington metropolitan area is still 
in shock at the horrific news.
  In Maryland's Fifth District, home to many who serve or who have 
previously served in military and civilian roles at the Navy Yard, 
communities are grieving the loss of Sylvia Frasier, Frank Kohler, and 
Kenneth Proctor. In addition, Michael Arnold, Kathy Gaarde, John Roger 
Johnson, Vishnu Pandit, Martin Bodrog, Arthur Daniels, Mary Frances 
Knight, Gerald Reid, and Richard Michael Ridgell also lost their lives 
in this senseless attack.
  I, along with all my colleagues, offer my condolences on behalf of 
all who live in the Fifth District and in our country. And I wish to 
take a moment to reflect from this floor on their lives of hard work 
and dedicated service.
  Sylvia Frasier had been an information assurance manager at the Naval 
Sea Systems Command since 2000. Because she loved interacting with 
people so much, Sylvia took a night job at the Walmart in Waldorf, 
Maryland, where she was beloved by her coworkers and members of our 
community. Sylvia is survived by her parents, James and Eloise, and six 
brothers and sisters.
  Frank Kohler. Frank was a defense contractor at the Navy Yard. He and 
his wife, Michelle, who works at Pax River Naval Air Station, also in 
my district, lived in Tall Timbers, Maryland, and loved to go boating 
and fishing on the Chesapeake and in Florida. He was a past president 
of the Lexington Park Rotary Club and served as King Oyster at the St. 
Mary's County Oyster Festival, welcoming visitors to the annual 
celebration. I live in that county. It's a wonderful celebration. Frank 
will be missed. Frank also leaves behind two college-aged daughters, 
Alex and Meghan.
  Kenneth Proctor worked as a civilian utilities foreman at the Navy 
Yard and was in building 197 on Monday morning to get breakfast on his 
way to work. He had been a Federal employee for 22 years; and his 
eldest son, Kenneth, Jr., just recently enlisted in the United States 
Army. He is also survived by his former wife, Evelyn, with whom he was 
still very close, and their younger son, Kendull, who is in high 
school.
  I want to thank the first responders. I want to thank them for 
quickly and courageously answering the call on Monday morning and 
putting their own lives on the line to stop the shooting and prevent 
further loss of life. They demonstrate the best of America, along with 
all the dedicated men and women who serve in the Navy Yard and in the 
Navy, in uniform and civilian. They continue to enrich our Nation 
through their outstanding service.
  Mr. Speaker, it is particularly poignant for me because my father-in-
law and my mother both worked at the Navy Yard during the course of 
their careers. I've been on the Navy Yard numerous times. It should 
be--and we thought was--well protected. Twelve people found that it was 
not protected enough.
  My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their 
lives and with all who are recovering from their injuries.

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