Archive for September, 2006
Governor Timothy M. Kaine told a packed room of supporters on Tuesday that he needs more le gislators like David with him in Richmond so we can keep fighting for progress.
“David showed that even as a freshman legislator he isn’t afraid to stand up and represent the values and the interests of his community,” said Governor Kaine. “You already know how well he serves you, but I can also tell you that having a strong, effective legislator like David in Richmond is good for the entire Commonwealth.”
Governor Kaine shared with the guests his thoughts on the challenges and opportunities facing Virginia and thanked them for their their strong support of David and other Democrats.
Many thanks to Rob Dugger and Joan Huffer for hosting this very successful event in their beautiful waterfront home in Old Town, and to the other members of the Host Committee: Chryssa Zizos and Karen Bell, Albert and Claire Dwoskin, Martha McQuade and Marni Byrum, and Jerry Halpin. Thanks also to the many Sponsors, Patrons, and elected officials who contributed to making this event such a resounding success.
Many thanks to everyone who made Team Englin’s annual Knock and Rock a huge success yesterday! Volunteers knocked on more than 700 doors in Alexandria for two hours in the rain, talking with hundreds of voters about voting NO on Question 1, the so-called marriage ammendment that will be on November’s ballot.
After the “Knock”, volunteers returned to Campaign Central to “Rock” to live music by the band the Butterknives and to enjoy well-earned food and drinks.
“I can’t thank our Team Englin volunteers enough for proving, yet again, that a little inclement weather can’t stop our fight for progress,” said David. “Special thanks to Lindsey Swanson, Jill Allen, Brian Murray, and Eric Graves, who took on leadership roles in coordinating this year’s successful Knock and Rock.”
Team Englin hosts Knock and Rock at least once per year. Watch the campaign calendar for the next one and other opportunities to get involved!
Many thanks to the Vote Strong volunteers – including two new faces! – who came to Campaign Central Thursday night for Volunteer Night. Thanks to their hard work, new voters in the 45th District will have an easier time getting connected to state services and Campaign Central’s neighbors were invited to Saturday’s Knock and Rock event.
Meanwhile, David spent the evening with other local legislators meeting with residents and activists at the Mondloch House homeless shelter in Fairfax. After hearing about some of the challenges facing the working poor, the group discussed efforts to increase the minimum wage in Virginia.
Beginning in October, Team Englin Volunteer Night will happen every week through the election. Check the campaign calendar for details, and plan to join us!
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 — A special ceremony honoring veterans of the Cold War and marking the 50th anniversary of the deaths of three “Men of the Golden Heart” took place today at Arlington National Cemetery’s Old Amphitheater.
Maj. Dale Richardson, 1st Lt. William John Wolters Jr., and Airman 2nd Class Melvin Lindsay were among 11 members of the 58th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron who died Aug. 31, 1956 when their Air Force WB-50D weather reconnaissance airplane, dubbed the Golden Heart, crashed under mysterious circumstances.
The result of a partnership between Andrea Richardson Stowers of Alexandria, Va., whose father was honored, Virginia Del. David L. Englin (D-Alexandria), and Bethlehem Baptist Church of Alexandria, the ceremony culminated the ongoing efforts of the survivors of these airmen to honor the service and sacrifice of their loved ones.
Stowers spent 50 years searching for surviving family members of the other 10 crewmen who died that night. Working from childhood memories, her father’s flight records and mission assignments, recently de-classified Cold War documents, and interviews with other Cold War veterans, Stowers pieced together details of her father’s life and service.
A chance encounter in California led Stowers to William Douglas Wolters, the son of 1st Lt. Wolters, in late 2005. Wolters had been independently pursuing a similar life mission to honor his father. Through Bethlehem Baptist Church, Stowers found Thedessa Weaver, the mother of crew member Lindsay, who was an Alexandria native and one of the few black aircrew members during that era. Through research and interviews with many veterans they learned that the Golden Heart and its crew, like many others assigned to the 58th Air Weather Reconnaissance Squadron at Eielson AFB, Alaska, had been sent to “test the hot clouds,” gathering fallout from Soviet nuclear testing to return to the United States for analysis of the Soviet Union’s nuclear weapons capability.
Englin, a 32-year-old Air Force veteran who grew up on Cold War military bases overseas, first met Stowers while campaigning for his seat in the Virginia House of Delegates last year. Moved by Stowers’ efforts to honor her father and his crew mates, Englin offered to help commemorate these airmen. A U.S. Air Force Academy graduate who majored in history with a specialization in Russian studies, Englin was familiar with the history of Cold War flight operations.
“These men risked everything understanding that the world would never know of their heroism because these operations were so secret at the time,” said Englin. “It takes a special kind of person in the first place to go into harm’s way to protect others. People who do it knowing their stories will probably never be told hold a unique place even among those other heroes who serve. Now that the Cold War is behind us and these missions have been de-classified, we must honor them publicly and share their stories.”
Fallen Golden Heart airman Lindsay grew up in Englin’s legislative district, he and his family were members of Bethlehem Baptist Church, who is helping host Saturday’s ceremony. Working with Stowers, Englin sponsored House Joint Resolution 444 to celebrate Lindsay’s life and service and to honor the other fallen airmen of the Golden Heart. Englin’s resolution, which passed the Virginia General Assembly unanimously on March 3, acknowledged Lindsay’s sacrifice and that of the “many unsung heroes of the Cold War who have never been publicly recognized for the important role they played in protecting and serving our nation during a critical time in our nation’s history.”
Curtis Peebles, noted Cold War Historian adds, “It is important that the veterans of the Cold War receive the recognition due to them for the difficult missions that they undertook during that conflict.”
