[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14447]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           DAVID C. HYDE, JR.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Loudermilk) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LOUDERMILK. Mr. Speaker, throughout our lives here on Earth, God 
places in our path certain people who influence our lives, who help 
shape who we are, and who ultimately help us to understand our purpose.
  A couple of years ago, I met someone whose optimism, faith, and valor 
in the face of difficulty has had a great influence on me, on my 
family, and on our entire community.
  I met Mr. David Hyde in 2013, who at that time was a small business 
owner in Cartersville, Georgia. At that time, I was a relatively 
unknown candidate for Congress, who was promoting the idea that 
America's days are still ahead of us if we define where we are going 
and aggressively set a course to get there. David quickly became a 
supporter and a friend.
  Although many had lost hope in restoring America's greatness, David 
was a breath of fresh air. His patriotism was inspiring; his optimism 
was infectious; and his energy invigorated me with a willingness to 
fight on.
  David and I share a vision: to restore our struggling Nation to one 
that is free, safe, and full of opportunity. We both believe that we 
can turn the tide and give our grandchildren a nation better than the 
one we inherited, but, of course, it will take a lot of hard work.
  Within 2 weeks of our introduction, David was given the news that he 
had esophageal cancer and that it was rapidly spreading. Now, after 
nearly 2 years of, quite literally, putting up the fight of his life, 
the cancer is quickly taking David's life. The time my friend has left 
with his wife and children is no longer measured in months or weeks, 
but in days.
  In realizing that any day could be David's last, I recently asked: 
David, if you had the ability to speak to the American people, what 
would you say?
  Mr. Speaker, in response to that question, David sent me the 
following words of encouragement to give to the people of this great 
Nation. David wrote:

       I recently had the honor of going to lunch with a friend 
     just days before he shipped off to join the Navy.
       As we sat enjoying our meal, I saw in the eyes of my friend 
     a young man who was proud to be given the opportunity to 
     serve his country.
       The more we talked, the more he reminded me of another 
     young man who, 35 years earlier, had also left home and 
     family to join the Navy. The similarities between the two of 
     us were not lost on me, and it reminded me of all that 
     America held for a young man like me back then.
       While my vision of sailing the high seas and protecting the 
     land of the free may have been somewhat jaded by the old 
     black and white movies I grew up watching, the dream of doing 
     something that really mattered was alive and real to me. 
     While America may have gotten off course, the goal of why we 
     served has never changed.
       We have lost many of the freedoms we once held, but I 
     believe we are not so far from those days that, with hard 
     work, sacrifice, and turning our eyes back to God, they 
     cannot be restored.
       My life is a living example of God's restoration powers.
       It doesn't appear God will heal my sick body, but I know 
     that, in the land I am soon going to enter, I have already 
     been granted a new body--a perfect one--which I will have for 
     eternity. That, my friends, is restoration.
       Just as He will restore me, I believe He can restore our 
     Nation to the greatness it once saw, but it will only be 
     possible if we turn our affections back to Him. The road to 
     restoration is not easy, as I can personally attest. It is 
     hard, painful, and discomforting. But when your eyes are upon 
     God, not your problems, the path is much easier to endure.

                              {time}  1030

       He has set out a clear plan with guidelines that aren't 
     hard to follow. As our Founders understood, we may have some 
     battles to overcome and a wilderness to cross, but we must 
     not be paralyzed by fear of the unknown, for it is ``In God 
     We Trust.''
       When leading the Israelites from bondage, Moses had to lift 
     his rod over the Red Sea in complete trust before God parted 
     the waters for safe passage. He trusted God and forged on.
       Although he faced insurmountable odds, the fear of the 
     unknown didn't stop Joshua from forging on.
       During the darkest hours of the American Revolution at 
     Valley Forge, Washington didn't give up, but dug in and put 
     his faith in the providence of God.
       Leaders who are willing to do what is difficult or even 
     what seems to be impossible are the ones who carry the team 
     forward.
       We must honor God and know that his plans for us include 
     only one thing, His glory. If we are in it for Him, we win. 
     If we are in it for ourselves, we lose.
       Just as my young friend went out to serve in the U.S. Navy 
     without a clearly defined path or step-by-step guidelines, 
     but fully relying on his authorities to lead him, we must 
     know that, if we are to return to our country's traditional 
     values, we need to study our history, find men and women 
     willing to adhere to those founding principles, and tighten 
     ourselves for a brighter future led by our intelligently 
     chosen authorities.
       Who is your leader?
       My best advice, as a man looking backwards with 20/20 
     vision, is to decide now whom you will serve and proceed in a 
     manner worthy of your calling.
       David C. Hyde, Jr.

  Thank you, David, for these words of inspiration and hope. God bless 
you, my friend, as you forge ahead in faith and trust in God almighty.
  

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