[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 1786]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO JERRY COLEMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SUSAN A. DAVIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 16, 2014

  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, on January 18, San Diegans of 
all generations will flock to San Diego's Petco Park to celebrate the 
life of baseball legend Jerry Coleman.
  Lt. Colonel Gerald Francis Coleman was a San Diego icon. He was also 
a decorated war hero, an All-Star baseball player and an award-winning 
broadcaster.
  But more than that he was a husband, father, and grandfather.
  At a recent gathering of family and friends, his daughter Chelsea 
spoke of her dad and any parent would have been proud of the eulogy she 
gave.
  Before being the voice of the San Diego Padres, before he played for 
the New York Yankees, Jerry, a young man from San Jose, California, 
answered his country's call to duty.
  In 1942, at just 18, he joined the Marines to fight in World War II, 
flying missions in the Pacific as a combat aviator.
  After the war, he traded his flight suit for pinstripes.
  Jerry was called up to the Yankees in 1949 and was an anchor at 
second base smoothly fielding and turning double plays for the Yankees.
  In 1950, he was an All-Star. That same year he would be named MVP of 
the World Series. In his playing days, he would help the Yankees win 
six World Series.
  When war raged in Korea, his country called a second time. Jerry hung 
up his cleats and donned the flight suit once again.
  Over the span of his service in two wars, he flew 120 missions. Jerry 
was awarded two Distinguish Flying Crosses, 13 Air Medals and three 
Navy Citations. He was the only Major League Baseball player to see 
combat in two wars.
  After baseball, he moved to the broadcasting booth. Generations of 
San Diegans watched baseball with Jerry where he regaled everyone with 
his knowledge of and enthusiasm for the game.
  We can still hear his signature phrase on stellar plays: ``Man, you 
can hang a star on that one!''
  In 2005, the Hall of Fame honored Jerry with the Ford C. Frick Award 
for his broadcasting.
  With his passing, we are hearing about Jerry what many of us already 
knew that he was a genuinely nice man. ``Class act,'' ``Hall of Fame 
guy,'' and ``like a favorite Uncle'' are the apt descriptions being 
mentioned of Jerry.
  In his book An American Journey, he wrote: ``I've always said this, 
though it sounds corny. There are two important things in life: the 
people who you love and who love you, and your country.''
  We will miss Jerry. And all of us can agree: You can hang a star on 
this life.

                          ____________________