Doug Lamborn

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I want to talk about negotiations. The President, unfortunately, has said he's not going to negotiate on the debt ceiling. And Harry Reid has said, he's not going to send negotiators to sit down with Republicans and talk about the continuing resolution and the government shutdown. But that begs the question: Who does the President negotiate with? Well, take a look here. Bashar al-Assad, the dictator of the regime in Syria, who has used poison gas on his people about 15 times; 100,000 people have died in that civil war. And after the latest explosion of poison gas, the civilized world was outraged that 1,500 people were killed. And John Kerry now has entered into negotiations, with the Russians acting as intermediaries. So the Russians are going to help negotiate with the Syrians. This has the blessing of the President. I wish them success on this venture. I hope the negotiations come to something, but they are willing to negotiate with these reprehensible dictators from around the world, and that includes Iran. Iran now has entered into discussions with the State Department and the President. The President has talked to the President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, and I wish success upon these negotiations. They are trying their best. But when you think about these characters around the world, and in some cases evil regimes that the President is negotiating with, who is he not negotiating with? The Republicans in the House. John Boehner is the Speaker of the House, and the Republicans in the conference represent over half the people in America. Over half of Americans are represented by Republicans here in Congress, over half the country; and yet the President won't even negotiate. Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, won't even send negotiators to talk to House negotiators. I think this is wrong. I think we should have some negotiations. I think we should have some discussions. If these people merit negotiation and discussion, certainly half of the country, the Republicans here in the House who represent half of the country, should enter into negotiations. So I call on the President to negotiate with the Speaker and House Republicans on the debt ceiling. I call on Harry Reid to send negotiators to meet with House Republicans to talk about the government slowdown or shutdown or whatever you want to call it. We need to negotiate, Mr. President. We need to negotiate, Mr. Reid.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to address the emerging pattern of poor decisionmaking coming from the Obama administration on national security. Under sequestration, this White House mandated that civilian defense workers be furloughed, even when agencies had the money to pay these employees, many of whom are veterans. And today, under this partial government shutdown, the White House has again chosen to furlough the vast majority of these same workers, against the express will and intent of Congress. Earlier this week, all of us here in Congress passed a bipartisan bill, which the President signed, to expressly protect the pay of Active Duty military, civilian defense employees, and designated defense contractors. The Pentagon can put these workers back on the job today, but the White House is choosing to furlough our critical civilian defense workers. The Obama administration is also eroding our national security by choosing to furlough 70 percent of the civilian employees at our intelligence agencies. This is unnecessary. The law is now on the books to put civilians back to work to protect our national defense. Let's do it.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of reopening our national parks and museums. This morning, I met with some of our great World War II veterans down at the World War II Memorial on our National Mall. One of these veterans, 97-year-old Eugene Morgan of West Memphis, Tennessee, came with his son, Jeff. When they arrived, they were met by ``Obamacades''--a series of rented barricades intended to keep our veterans from visiting the memorial--their own memorial. The closure of this memorial is hard to comprehend. It is an open-air memorial that is normally accessible to the public 24 hours a day, all year long, with little or no staff. It was built using private money. Veterans have been planning for months to visit this memorial. This may be the last time they come back east to see it. Other Americans are trying to visit national parks all around the country, including in my home State of Colorado, but it's unacceptable that we are closing parks, some of which don't even need staff. For many of our elderly veterans, this might be their last opportunity. Mr. President, these parks belong to us. Take down your barricades and let the people in. I urge my colleagues to support this bill to open our national parks to the American people.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to reassure our Nation's military members--both Active Duty and Reserve in Active Duty status and their families--your pay and benefits will continue uninterrupted during this partial government shutdown. Anticipating your needs, yesterday House Republicans introduced--and Members of both parties and both Chambers agreed--to pass this bill to ensure you will not face any economic hardship during this time of uncertainty in Washington. The President has signed this bill into law. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA trauma counseling services and hotlines will remain open for business. Also, all VA medical facilities and clinics, including vet centers, will remain fully open and operational. Additionally, yesterday, I introduced a separate bill that expands on our commitment to our military and national defense. My bill would provide uninterrupted pay and benefits to Guard and Reserve members, Department of Defense civilians, and designated defense contractors. My bill would also provide the President with the ability to carry out other vital national security priorities, which could include funding for military operations or other national security priorities such as intelligence and homeland security. Our greatest duty as a Nation is to our men and women in uniform. We are grateful for your sacrifice, and we will do all we can to ensure you are treated with the respect you have earned and that you deserve.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on the issue of fairness for all under ObamaCare. Democrats, working with the President, sought and obtained a special exemption for Members of Congress and their staffs from ObamaCare's onerous costs and mandates. This is outrageous and insulting to the American people. Last night, the House passed legislation to ensure that Members of Congress, their staffs, and other well-connected political insiders don't get any special carve-outs from ObamaCare. It's a fundamental issue of fairness. But the Senate, last night, voted to exempt themselves, their staffs, and other political cronies in the White House from living under the mandates imposed on the rest of the country. Time and time again, this President has given special breaks to unions, campaign donors, and Washington insiders. These are breaks he is not giving to the American people. This is one of the fundamental problems of ObamaCare. It creates another way for the government to pick winners and losers.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. I appreciate the recognition. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of a bill introduced by my Colorado colleague, Cory Gardner, to help Colorado rebuild from the floods that have ravaged our State in recent weeks. The flooding damaged at least 17,000 homes and other structures, several thousand of which were destroyed outright. Millions of dollars of public infrastructure have been washed away. Specifically, over 200 miles of Colorado roads, and at least 50 bridges, have been damaged or destroyed. The floods consumed an area of Colorado that is twice the size of Rhode Island. Currently, the law caps emergency funding for highways and bridges at $100 million per State. According to a preliminary estimate from the Colorado Department of Transportation, the cost to rebuild our State's roads and bridges is several times that amount. We are not asking Congress to appropriate any additional funds. We are simply asking that we be able to access money that Congress has already appropriated for reconstruction after a natural disaster. This legislation has a Congressional Budget Office score of zero, meaning it does not add a dime to our national debt. The flooding was worse in the northern part of the State, but there were heavy rains and flooding even in the southern part of the State, which I represent, and two people, unfortunately, were swept away and lost their lives. I do thank my colleagues for their consideration of this bill to help the great State of Colorado to rebuild.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my fellow Members of Congress to delay ObamaCare for 1 year. President Obama has already delayed the employer mandate, and now he has delayed the opening of the small business exchanges. He has already signed into law seven changes to the health care law. It's clear that ObamaCare is not ready to be rolled out. One of my constituents, Nicole, who manages her household budget for her family of five, called me recently to say that her health care premiums are skyrocketing as a result of ObamaCare. Her insurance company notified her that her family's monthly premiums will go from $431 to $1,003. Her insurer told her that under ObamaCare, she might qualify for subsidies to offset that increase. But Nicole, like many Americans, doesn't want a subsidy. She doesn't want to take a government handout. Her family is responsible, self-reliant; and they don't want to be bailed out by their neighbors. The Federal Government is broke and cannot afford another entitlement program, even if ObamaCare would work, which it won't. It's time to admit the obvious: ObamaCare is not ready for prime time. Let's delay it for at least 1 year and protect millions of Americans from its harmful effects.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman of the full committee, Representative Hastings, for his leadership on this and many other resources issues. I want to thank the sponsors of the bill, and particularly point out to the American people that Representative Paul Gosar has been working night and day on this issue for years. It is amazing to me, and a sign of his dedication to his district and the people of Arizona that brought this bill to where it's at right now. It's taken a lot of work and dedication, and I admire that as I witness it. A lot has been said about the good that will come to Arizona, the 3,700 well-paying jobs. But I want to talk about the good that's going to come to America. Copper is the second-most-needed defense material that the Department of Defense has. I'm on the Armed Services Committee, and I'm sensitive to making sure that our men and women in uniform have the best weapons and supplies that they can have. The DOD says that copper is the second-most-necessary mineral to meeting the needs of the military. The first happens to be aluminum. Also, this is the third-most-rich site of copper in the entire world, in my understanding. It would supply up to one-quarter of this Nation's copper needs. We are right now importing 30 percent of our needs, so it almost wipes out our trade deficit in copper. Copper is a critical metal. If you want to have a growing economy, you've got to have copper. I just want to say this is good for America, it's good to have this resource, and it's good for the jobs that it produces in Arizona. Finally, I'm just going to conclude by saying it amazes me when I hear people who profess to be for the working families--the working men and women of this country--stumble over a golden opportunity like this that would create thousands of great jobs and they just throw it away. I would urge that we not listen to them, we look at the good that comes from this bill and the resources and the jobs that this would produce and the good that it does to our national economy, including our defense industry.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Thank you, Congressman Kelly, for hosting this important hour to share with the American people the serious problems with the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty. Mr. Speaker, as cochairman of the House Sovereignty Caucus, I assure you this ambiguous treaty poses serious threats to American national security, foreign policy, and economic interests, as well as our constitutional rights. U.S. arms exports are among the safest in the world. The United States should reject the U.N.'s attempt to force us into a system that could jeopardize the safety of our citizens or those of our allies. This treaty includes small arms and light weapons within its scope, which covers firearms owned by law-abiding Americans. It sets up a broad registration scheme that threatens the individual's firearms rights. The Arms Trade Treaty also threatens the ability of the U.S. to protect our allies around the world since it contains questionable language that could be misused to prevent America from arming allies such as Israel or Taiwan. President Obama knows that even members of his own party won't support this treaty in many cases. He must think that gun control must be pursued no matter what. In my own State of Colorado, voters just recalled two State Senators who pushed gun control against the wishes of their voters. These were historic elections because no Colorado legislator had ever been recalled in the history of the State. I urge the Members of the Senate to reject this treaty and protect our Second Amendment rights and our national sovereignty.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the valiant efforts of Specialist Fourth Class Peter C. Lemon of the United States Army. Specialist Fourth Class Peter C. Lemon was awarded the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy in Vietnam. When the base came under heavy enemy attack, Sergeant Lemon engaged a numerically superior enemy with machine gun and rifle fire from his defensive position until both weapons malfunctioned. He then used hand grenades to fend off the intensified enemy attack launched in his direction. After eliminating all but one of the enemy soldiers in the immediate vicinity, he pursued and disposed of the remaining soldier in hand-to-hand combat. Lemon carried a more seriously wounded comrade to an aid station, and as he returned, was wounded a second time by enemy fire. Disregarding his personal injuries, he moved to his position through a hail of small arms and grenade fire. Sergeant Lemon immediately realized that the defensive sector was in danger of being overrun by the enemy, and he unhesitatingly assaulted the enemy soldiers by throwing hand grenades and engaging in hand-to-hand combat. He was wounded yet a third time, but his determined efforts successfully drove the enemy from the area. It is for his courage and unwavering devotion to duty that I am proud to honor and remember the actions of Specialist Fourth Class Peter C. Lemon.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chairman, if you like the current 7- to 10-year timeframe to do mining permits in this country, then you will love this amendment; but this bill is all about making it possible to do mining in this country and use our natural resources in a reasonable, commonsense way. Other countries, like Australia and Canada, have a 2-year time cycle from beginning to end to get your application and permit done so you can begin mining. In this country, it's 7 to 10 years. That's why we have declining activity of the well-paying jobs that mining produces, the resources that are available from mining so we don't have to rely on countries like China. This amendment would eviscerate, this amendment would gut, what this bill is trying to do. It's unnecessary because NEPA already applies. NEPA remains in force. This just allows needless and endless bureaucratic delays by allowing NEPA to do an environmental impact statement at almost every step in the whole process. It is important to have a certainty of when the process is over so you know whether or not you can invest in a long-term project like this. Seven to 10 years is beyond any of our economic cycles. It is not feasible from a business standpoint to wait that long in a commodity market like minerals and metals to make these investment decisions. You to have certainty, you have to have closure, you have to have a time certain that you're done. So the 30-month timeframe is critical. We respect and uphold NEPA. It remains in effect, but we get rid of the ability to do it at every step in the process. This amendment would be a backward step and back to the current status quo which makes it harder to have mining projects in this country with the jobs that they create, with the benefit to our economy that these minerals allow for. Mr. Chairman, I would urge a strong ``no'' on this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would like to remind my colleague from Virginia that this administration has streamlined NEPA for several uses during its time in office for renewable energy projects, for highways, for the so-called ``stimulus'' that we had in 2007. So this administration at times, anyway, sees the need to balance the creation of jobs with protecting the environment, but not allowing environmental regulations to be used to endlessly delay projects. Mr. Chairman, this amendment, I'm afraid, would endlessly delay the production of the projects that we need to produce critical and strategic minerals. For that reason I urge a ``no'' vote. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to how much time I have left.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to my colleague and friend from New Mexico, Representative Pearce.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the remainder of my time and say that if you think it's a good situation for the United States to be lumped in with Papua, New Guinea, dead last among mining countries in this world, as shown by a recent study, in that it takes 7 to 10 years to get mining projects off the ground, then you would like this amendment. But if you don't, if you think we can protect the environment at the same time as creating jobs and strike that balance, which this bill does, then you will vote ``no'' on this amendment and ``yes'' on H.R. 761. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN. I rise in opposition to this amendment.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the intention behind this amendment, and I thank the gentleman for offering it. I do want to reassure him, though, that the bill and current law already satisfy what he is after, so I would urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment. Let me read specifically from the language of the bill. This is on page 9. I'm going to read a paragraph, and, hopefully, this will alleviate your concerns: (g) Financial Assurance. The lead agency will determine the amount of financial assurance for reclamation of a mineral exploration or mining site, which must cover the estimated cost if the lead agency were to contract with a third party to reclaim the operations according to the reclamation plan, including construction and maintenance costs for any treatment facilities necessary to meet Federal, State or tribal environmental standards. So, in case the company goes bankrupt--in the worst case scenario--it has to post a bond, and I believe it's equal to 140 percent of what the reclamation cost would be. We already have comprehensive regulations in addition to the bill language from the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. These regulations have been revised during both the Clinton and Bush administrations so that, today, both BLM and Forest Service regulations require that exploration and mining activities have the resources necessary to ensure reclamation after it's over even if the company goes bankrupt. I appreciate the intention behind this amendment, but I believe it is completely unnecessary. So, for that reason, Mr. Chairman, I would urge a ``no'' vote on the amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN. May I inquire of the Chair how much time I have remaining.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chairman, let me just summarize by saying that we already have it in current law and that it's already addressed in this bill that there must be adequate financial assurances given, including the posting of bonds to ensure that the reclamation can take place by contract for third parties if the company goes bankrupt or, for whatever reason, can't follow through. All of our western public land States also have comprehensive regulatory and bonding programs covering hard rock mining. That's in addition to the Federal laws and regulations. In many of these States, the Federal and State agencies work together to jointly manage the reclamation and bonding projects. As of June of 2013, BLM, in conjunction with its State partners, currently holds more than $2.2 billion in financial assurances to reclaim potential mining sites around the U.S. So you can see this is an active and well-funded program that is in place. Under regulation, these holdings are reviewed and adjusted annually to make sure that costs won't spiral out of control if we have inflation or unforeseen contingencies. In some instances, mining companies are required to establish trust funds and to build them over the course of the mine life to ensure adequate funding for any long-term treatment facilities that might be necessary to meet Federal, State, or tribal environmental standards. So I believe, Mr. Chairman, that there are already in place appropriate and adequate protections and regulations and that the bill respects that also. I respect the gentleman for his intentions on this amendment, but I believe that it is unnecessary, and for that reason, I would urge a ``no'' vote. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, nothing in this bill impacts the important multiple use mission of our Nation's public lands. One of the great stories of America is that our Nation recognizes the importance of balancing our land use for many different needs, including mineral and oil and gas development, renewable energy projects, grazing, timber harvests, hunting, fishing, recreation, and other important activities that bring economic vitality to our public lands. This legislation doesn't change that. It simply addresses the long bureaucratic and burdensome permitting timelines required for mineral exploration and mine development by building on executive orders requiring coordination by regulatory agencies to process permits for infrastructure projects in a timely manner and without compromising environmental safeguards.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim time in opposition to this amendment.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Utah. It's great to serve on the committee as a subcommittee chairman with him. And we serve with Chairman Doc Hastings, who is doing a great job on these issues. The bill, H.R. 1526, the Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act, is a long-term solution to help put hardworking Americans back to work and ensure that these rural counties have a stable source of revenue to help pay for schools and teachers. It was introduced by my friend and colleague, Representative Scott Tipton, of Colorado, and I am a cosponsor. Over a century ago, the Federal Government made a promise to actively manage our forests and share 25 percent of the revenues generated from timber sales with counties containing national forest land. This is funding that rural counties depend on to help fund vital services, such as education and roads. But the Federal Government has failed to uphold this commitment and has cut back on active management of our national forests. This lack of active forest management not only deprives counties of revenue to help fund schools and roads but also inhibits job creation and makes our national forests increasingly susceptible to wildfires and invasive species. Currently, there are over 21 active large wildfires burning right now in eight States. Over 406,000 acres are burning, with only 2 of the 21 fires contained. This year, to date there have been over 35,000 fires with almost 4 million acres burned. Last year, the tragic Waldo Canyon fire occurred on Federal land in my Colorado district, claiming two lives and destroying almost 500 homes. H.R. 1526 will help improve forest health and prevent catastrophic wildfires by allowing greater State and local involvement in wildfire prevention on Federal lands. It will help improve local forest management by allowing counties to actively manage portions of national forest land. Restoring active management of our national forests would ensure a stable, predictable revenue stream for counties and schools. Active management would also promote healthier forests, reduce the risk of wildfires, and decrease our reliance on foreign countries for timber and paper goods. I want to thank the gentleman for his leadership on this issue.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. I want to thank my friend and colleague, Representative Randy Forbes of Virginia, for his leadership in this vital area of religious liberty and for putting this time together. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of our constitutionally granted right to religious liberty and in support of our military. I am grateful for our Nation's military, and I feel privileged to represent thousands of men and women in uniform who serve at the five military installations in my district. Our military is made up of brave, peace- loving men and women of all faiths serving to protect our freedom and our way of life. But there is a growing and troubling pattern of religious discrimination against our men and women in arms. Earlier this year, an Army Reserve training brief listed Catholics, Evangelical Christians, Sunni Muslims and some Jews as ``religious extremists,'' along with groups like al Qaeda, Hamas, and the KKK. Also, in July of this year, a Christian chaplain was ordered to remove a religious column he had written which simply detailed the history of the phrase: There are no atheists in foxholes. Furthermore, in drafting religious freedom policies and regulations, officials within the Pentagon have consulted with radical atheists who once characterized Christians as ``monsters who terrorize their fellow Americans who are die-hard enemies of the United States Constitution.'' This same radical atheist is calling on the Pentagon to prosecute military chaplains who share their faith with servicemembers, claiming that even speaking about your Christian faith amounts to ``unconstitutional religious proselytizing and oppression.'' Mr. Speaker, this is an affront to our civil liberties and demeaning to this Nation that has always believed in the First Amendment freedom of self-expression. Religious freedom is an integral part of America's greatness and has been a pillar of our Nation from the very beginning. We must remain firmly committed to defending religious freedom.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Colonel William W. Moore's posthumous awarding of the Prisoner of War Medal. He was held captive by Chinese forces for 33 months during the Korean War. Col. Moore began his military career by joining the Army Air Corps in 1942 and graduated flight school in 1944. He was assigned to Wheeler Field in Oahu, Hawaii for deployment, but World War II ended before he got to fly any missions. His next assignment was at Eglin Air Force Base near Ft. Walton, Florida where he served as a test pilot. While stationed there he was able to fly up to five fighters in one day. He was then assigned to 7th Fighter Squadron in the 49th Fighter Group in South Korea. While on temporary duty as a Forward Air Controller, he was taken captive when his vehicle was ambushed by Chinese forces. Col. Moore liked to make clear that he was ``captured out of his element'' on the ground rather than being shot out of the sky. While in captivity, he was determined to stay alive and return home to his wife and sons; remaining active and trying to eat everything he could, helped to save his life. The prisoners were marched at night when it was -40 deg. in the snow up North, and they secretly stole as much wood and coal as they could find to keep themselves warm when they rested during the day. When they arrived at the camp, Col. Moore was elected by the other prisoners to be the cook, a position he held the entire time of his captivity. While in the camp the Chinese tried to reeducate the captured Americans, holding classes to teach them the ``truth'' about America. The Americans resisted everything they could through subtle tactics such as retelling the landing of Pilgrims and other stories of history with humor and distorting facts to maintain a healthy morale for the prisoners. They also tried to attend all of the church services so as to annoy their communist captors. When the Armistice was signed in 1953, Col. Moore was finally released from captivity and reunited with his family. After the war he was assigned to the 94th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, where he flew the F-86D and F-102. In 1958, he was promoted to the rank of Major and assigned to the Air Defense Tactical Evaluation Team at Air Defense Command Headquarters in Colorado Springs, CO. While with the ADC he wrote the training and flying manual for the F-106. His next assignment took the new Lt. Col. to Australia to join the RAAF Operational Command as the Chief of Fighter Operations. In 1964, the Air Force sent him to the Pentagon where he was the F-5 plans officer in the Military Assistance Program where he was promoted to full Colonel. He selflessly volunteered to go to Vietnam, but only if he could fly; instead he was given command of the 27th Fighter Interceptor Squadron in Loring, Maine. As commander of a fighter squadron, with over 400 men and 18 aircraft, Col. Moore flourished. His last assignment took him to Murphy Dome, Alaska where he was the base commander for a radar unit. After 30 years of a full career in the Air Force, Col. Moore retired in 1972 to Colorado Springs, CO. He and his wife, Lila, had four boys they raised as they moved all around the country. Col. Moore and Lila were married for 60 years before she passed away. He then remarried his wife of 10 years, Bonnie. He was a devoted family man who enjoyed fishing, camping and hunting with his sons. While he was in captivity for 33 months, Col. Moore did not let that define his life or his career. He continued to look at the positives and strive for the best, yet gained a lot of perspective on life while a prisoner. He was a man who selflessly did not call attention to the fact he was accidently not awarded the POW medal when he returned from Korea, instead his loving wife, Bonnie, sought to honor him by correcting that error. I am truly humbled and offer my sincerest thanks to Col. Moore and his family for their selfless service to our nation.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Jim Downing who will be celebrating his 100th birthday on August 22, 2013. Throughout his century of life, he loyally served the United States Navy, was a devoted husband and father and faithful to his Creator. He enlisted in the Navy in 1932, and was assigned to the USS West Virginia where he held a variety of roles onboard. On April 8, 1935 Jim gave his life to the Lord and vowed to follow Him wherever he was led. Jim was involved with original founders of The Navigators who discipled him and gave him the tools to evangelize to his whole ship and lead regular Bible studies onboard. A survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor, he helped rescue men from his ship and fight fires onboard. He later rose to the rank of Lieutenant, commanding his own ship the USS Patapsco. While at sea in 1954 his ship was showered with the radio-active ash from the ``H'' bomb being tested at Bikini Atoll. He served as an advisor to the Brazilian Fleet in Rio de Janeiro and later became an assistant professor of Naval Science at the Merchant Marine Academy. Jim retired in 1956 with 24 years of service in the Navy and went to work for The Navigators for the next 22 years. During the years he served on The Navigator staff he held many capacities including, Divisional Director for Europe the Middle East and Africa with Headquarters in London, Vice President, Deputy to President Lorne Sarmy, and Chairman of the Board of Directors. Jim and his wife Morena were married for 68 years before her passing. He has authored two books, Meditation and Living Legacy, both of which have been very well received. He has spent over 78 years working for the Lord and being a disciple maker wherever he is located. While he retired from full-time ministry in 1983, he has not retired from teaching others about the Lord and is on the volunteer staff of The Navigators' Collegiate Ministry. To this day, Jim is investing in the lives of thousands of young people through personal discipleship and The Navigator's Collegiate and Military Ministry. I am greatly honored to help celebrate 100 years of life for a man who has been influential to so many communities around the world through his service and devotion to the Lord.