[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10265]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING MS. CHRISTINE ZINSER AND HER EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF OUR 
                 COMMUNITY SALUTES OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 17, 2014

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Christine Zinser, a 
constituent of the 11th Congressional District of Virginia, and to 
commend her for being the driving force behind Our Community Salutes of 
Northern Virginia.
  In 2011, Ms. Zinser's son Philipp was preparing to graduate from 
Robinson Secondary School and had made the decision to enlist in the 
United States Marine Corps. She approached the school to request that 
her son, and other seniors who had decided to enlist, be recognized 
during the graduation ceremony or any other end of year award event. 
Unfortunately, the school denied her request even though other students 
would be recognized for various accomplishments.
  Ms. Zinser, along with another parent, Carolyn Kellam, decided to 
take matters into their own hands. If the school would not recognize 
their children, they would organize an event to do so. They contacted 
Braddock District Supervisor John Cook who readily agreed to allow the 
event to be held in his office. Ms. Zinser then contacted my office to 
see if she could count on my support and I enthusiastically agreed. 
Together we held a ceremony on June 9, 2011 in honor of the young men 
and women who had chosen to enlist in our Armed Forces upon graduation 
from Robinson Secondary School.
  Following that first ceremony, Ms. Zinser doubled her efforts to 
include enlistees from the entire Northern Virginia region. She 
continued to lobby the school system, and due directly to her 
unwavering efforts, many schools now recognize the students who have 
decided to enlist, including her son's former high school. She 
partnered with an organization called Our Community Salutes and formed 
the first parent-established chapter of that organization. Ms. Zinser 
also assisted with establishing chapters in Fredericksburg, Virginia, 
and Washington, D.C.
  Ms. Zinser has been featured on television and in newspapers raising 
awareness and support for our young men and women. In February, 2012, 
Ms. Zinser was quoted as saying: ``I really feel like these kids are a 
forgotten spoke in the wheel of recognizing our military families. We 
laud those returning from war, mourn those who have fallen, show 
unflinching support for the families of active duty military personnel, 
compassion for those who sustain injuries and immense respect for our 
veterans. But the young men and women who choose to serve, especially 
when our nation is at war, go unrecognized.''
  This year marks the 4th Annual Our Community Salutes ceremony during 
which we will honor 129 local high school students who have decided to 
serve our country in uniform. These students will join the 1% of our 
population who have enlisted, knowing that they may be putting 
themselves in harm's way to protect and defend our country. It is my 
honor to join Christine again, as I have each year, and be among the 
first to say to these young men and women: ``Thank you.''
  Ms. Zinser's son Philipp still serves in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is 
stationed at Camp Pendleton and is currently deployed to Afghanistan, 
where he will serve for the foreseeable future. His leadership and 
professionalism have been recognized, and he has attained the rank of 
Corporal. I thank him for his service, and pray that he stays safe 
while serving in a dangerous arena.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing 
Christine Zinser and in commending her for her tireless efforts to 
appropriately honor the young people in our community who choose to 
serve. I also would like to thank Christine's partner, Sandra Coffman, 
for her unyielding support and dedication. Their commitment to Our 
Community Salutes and to our young warriors will leave a lasting legacy 
and is worthy of our highest praise.

                          ____________________