Remembering wes Anderson

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(Mr. Baumgartner of Washington was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Mr. BAUMGARTNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to note the passing of a great American, a great patriot, and a friend, Mr. Wes Anderson of Spokane, Washington. Wes was known across the communities of Spokane County for his exemplary service to fellow veterans who knew him best as ``Doc.'' Wes was a lifelong Spokanite whose life was defined by service, first in Vietnam where he served as a hospital corpsman and later across our communities where he had time for every veteran. The moments in Vietnam crystallized a lifetime of determination to serve veterans when, on his return to the United States, he had to fight his way through a crowd of war protesters on his flight home. His service to veterans took the form of over five decades of service through leadership roles in the Veterans of Foreign Wars, where he was honored for his work as a chaplain, and through various initiatives, small and large, that included his support for the residents of Spokane's veterans homes, 20 consecutive years of cleaning the Spokane Vietnam Veterans Memorial on each Memorial Day, and his volunteer work for veterans organizations such as Heroes Homestead. With Wes' passing, there is a void in our community that will be felt for many years to come. Mr. Speaker, Wes was a patriot, a great American, and a friend. I speak for the entire Spokane community when I say that he will be sincerely missed.

recognizing the ewu eagles football team

Mr. BAUMGARTNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Eastern Washington University Eagles football team as they prepare for what promises to be a fantastic 2026 season. Everyone in eastern Washington knows that EWU plays some of the most exciting brands of football in the Western United States, and I know personally that their tailgating in Cheney is second to none. They are led by Coach Best, a former All-Big Sky center and Eastern Washington alum who has had an exemplary career as coach of the Eags. The Eastern Washington Eagles have a stacked schedule this fall with away games at Northern Arizona, South Dakota, University of Washington, UC Davis, University of Idaho, and Utah Tech, while welcoming schools like Northern Iowa, Cal Poly, Northern Colorado, Montana, Montana State, and Portland State to Cheney. I look forward to a great season of Eastern football, and I know the Eastern Eagles will be very competitive. I am sure the coach, his staff, every student-athlete, and the student body of Eastern all look forward to this exciting season. Go Eags.

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recognizing tim merck

Mr. BAUMGARTNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Spokane native Tim Merck, an outstanding businessman, philanthropist, and family man. He and his wife, Beth, have raised an outstanding family. Tim built a multimillion dollar business in Spokane from the ground up, Old World Christmas, which was known across the country and across the world as providing the best Christmas ornaments anyone can find. Today, I also want to recognize a bit of trivia about Tim. When he sent his son and daughter to Notre Dame, he realized that there was not a leprechaun sculpture on Notre Dame's campus, and Tim set out to rectify that. Tim and Beth Merck, along with their children, Jon and Katherine, have long demonstrated a commitment to preserving stories and dreams in their operation. Jon and Katherine fulfilled a dream for their grandmother by attending and graduating from Notre Dame. When they noticed that the leprechaun was not there, they reached out to the president, and today, there is this leprechaun statue at gate 10 of the Purcell Pavilion, the very gate through which the Leprechaun Legion enters the arena to cheer on their basketball and volleyball teams. This is a tremendous story. Tim is also a very proud graduate of the University of Idaho, and upon presenting the leprechaun, he said: I guess it takes a Vandal to make sure that the students of Notre Dame have a leprechaun to celebrate. Mr. Speaker, Tim is a great American and a great friend. I love him and Beth. Go Vandals. Go Irish.

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