[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15524]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING THE LIFE OF TOM McNAMARA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Bost) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, this last week on Sunday, southern Illinois, 
the State of Illinois, and I believe this Nation mourned with the 
family and friends of a friend of mine by the name of Tom McNamara.
  About 2 weeks ago, we lost this local hero who spent decades on the 
front line of law enforcement combating the drug trade.
  Tom began his career in Carbondale as just a local police officer 
with the department while he was in college. Over the years, he became 
an author, instructor, investigator, an expert witness, and an 
undercover agent. Even after retirement, he continued to serve the 
public as an adviser to local police departments that are still 
fighting the drug trade.
  I came to know Tom, the good friend that he is, on November 23, 1988.
  Mr. Speaker, you might ask, how in the world would you remember the 
day that you first met someone?
  Well, I can remember that day because it was the day after my 
youngest daughter was born. Tom then was the head of what was known as 
the MEG unit--Metropolitan Enforcement Group--a drug task force that 
had been assigned, and he had been an undercover agent for quite some 
time.
  And my sister actually was the secretary for that unit. So she had 
brought Tom over to see the new baby. While my wife was out of the room 
and I was in the room by myself, Tom came in. When he came in, he was 
introduced to me, and I told him how glad I was to finally meet him. 
Tom is a very big man, and at the time, he was an undercover agent, so 
his hair was grown out, his beard was grown out, and he was actually 
undercover in a motorcycle gang. He was all dressed in black, which he 
commonly did--actually, always did.
  When my wife returned to the room, he is leaning over the top of the 
bassinet there where our daughter lay, looking at the baby. My wife 
came in and had this startled look on her face because she didn't see 
me and my sister in the room, and instantly she kind of had that mother 
reaction to try to protect a child. All of a sudden my sister jumped up 
and said: It is okay. This is Tom McNamara. Tom McNamara is a police 
officer.
  Her first words to Tom, who, as I said, became a very good friend 
with me and very good friends with her: Well, I want to let you know 
that I would not run to you in an alley if I am in trouble at night. 
You would not be the one I would run to.
  He said: Then that is good. I am doing my job.
  Tom McNamara taught other police officers the dangers and concerns. 
He served proudly as a police officer and as an undercover agent, but 
he also studied in great detail the harmfulness of certain drugs.
  When I was a State legislator, he came to me in 1997 and said: Mike, 
I need to talk to you and then-Senator Luechtefeld. I need to explain 
to you about a drug that is so awful, that if a mother and a father 
would use it, it would make them not have any concerns for the safety 
of their children, because they are so focused on trying to get more of 
this drug. And they can actually make it in their kitchen. They can 
make it in their cars.
  That was methamphetamines. That was when we first started drafting 
laws in the State of Illinois, under Tom's guidance, to try to deal 
with the meth problem that still exists.
  Tom was also one of the first leaders that realized that there were 
these drugs like bath salts and all of these that are being used.
  I don't even know how many people Tom McNamara has saved over the 
years. We will never know, I am sure, let me tell you, because of his 
ability and his willingness to work and always to stand in the back, 
not to be recognized, sometimes for his own safety. But, Mr. Speaker, 
he did it for the betterment of this Nation, and that is why I stand to 
recognize him today.
  I thank his wife, Judy; his daughter, Rachel; his son-in-law, and 
their children for giving up this man to serve us, and serve us so 
well, for all the lives that he saved.

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