Floor SpeechCeremonial2026-06-24

HONORING THE LIFE OF DAVID L. MOORE

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Context

On 2026-06-24, Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN-5) delivered a floor speech titled "HONORING THE LIFE OF DAVID L. MOORE" in the House.

Full Text

HONORING THE LIFE OF DAVID L. MOORE

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E611] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE LIFE OF DAVID L. MOORE ______ HON. ILHAN OMAR of minnesota in the house of representatives Wednesday, June 24, 2026 Ms. OMAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of David L. Moore (1936-2025), for his boundless dedication to servicing the Hmong- American community through scouting education. As a lifelong educator and recognized community leader, David exemplified the greatest qualities of Minnesotan character, offering compassion and welcomeness to a first-generation Hmong-American community. As a native resident of Minneapolis, David exhibited strong academic and leadership qualities, carving a pathway from his alma mater of Southwest High School to the prestigious Yale University, earning a B.A. in History and an M.A. in Teaching, planting a strong foundation for what would become an extensive educational career, teaching at various schools, domestically and internationally, eventually returning to his hometown to teach at Edison High School, where he would become witness to an emerging Hmong-American community torn from their homes by a horrific regional conflict across Southeast Asia. Having already been the Director of Camp Ajawah and Troop 33 Scoutmaster for two decades, David decided to use his wealth of experience to foster a new scouting chapter, Troop 100, the first Hmong Scout troop in the Nation. David also recognized the importance of preserving the history of his growing Hmong troopers and their families, prompting him to collect stories of the troopers' gruesome survival experiences escaping Pathet Lao occupied Hmong villages, serving as military operatives against Pathet Lao forces, living between refugee camps in Laos and Thailand, and so much more. These stories would later be compiled into a singular book--Dark Sky, Dark Lands: Stories of The Hmong Boy Scouts of Troop 100. He would continue documenting their progress in the book Trustworthy Loyal Brave, and the stories of local Hmong elders in a third book, A Free People: Tracing Our Hmong Roots. David even went as far as traveling to Thai refugee camps near Mekong River, a route used by Hmong villagers from Laos to escape oppositional forces, where many of his scouts lived during the Laotian Civil War. David Moore's impact is listless and continues to resonate through the lives of thousands of Minnesotans even after his passing, his former scouters growing into respective leaders of their own communities in a plethora of different fields, surely influenced by the values instilled in their scouting days with David. Please join me in recognizing the life of David L. Moore. ____________________

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HONORING THE LIFE OF DAVID L. MOORE Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E611] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE LIFE OF DAVID L. MOORE ______ HON. ILHAN OMAR of minnesota in the house of representatives Wednesday, June 24, 2026 Ms. OMAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of David L. Moore (1936-2025), for his boundless dedication to servicing the Hmong- American community through scouting education. As a lifelong educator and recognized community leader, David exemplified the greatest qualities of Minnesotan character, offering compassion and welcomeness to a first-generation Hmong-American community. As a native resident of Minneapolis, David exhibited strong academic and leadership qualities, carving a pathway from his alma mater of Southwest High School to the prestigious Yale University, earning a B.A. in History and an M.A. in Teaching, planting a strong foundation for what would become an extensive educational career, teaching at various schools, domestically and internationally, eventually returning to his hometown to teach at Edison High School, where he would become witness to an emerging Hmong-American community torn from their homes by a horrific regional conflict across Southeast Asia. Having already been the Director of Camp Ajawah and Troop 33 Scoutmaster for two decades, David decided to use his wealth of experience to foster a new scouting chapter, Troop 100, the first Hmong Scout troop in the Nation. David also recognized the importance of preserving the history of his growing Hmong troopers and their families, prompting him to collect stories of the troopers' gruesome survival experiences escaping Pathet Lao occupied Hmong villages, serving as military operatives against Pathet Lao forces, living between refugee camps in Laos and Thailand, and so much more. These stories would later be compiled into a singular book--Dark Sky, Dark Lands: Stories of The Hmong Boy Scouts of Troop 100. He would continue documenting their progress in the book Trustworthy Loyal Brave, and the stories of local Hmong elders in a third book, A Free People: Tracing Our Hmong Roots. David even went as far as traveling to Thai refugee camps near Mekong River, a route used by Hmong villagers from Laos to escape oppositional forces, where many of his scouts lived during the Laotian Civil War. David Moore's impact is listless and continues to resonate through the lives of thousands of Minnesotans even after his passing, his former scouters growing into respective leaders of their own communities in a plethora of different fields, surely influenced by the values instilled in their scouting days with David. Please join me in recognizing the life of David L. Moore. ____________________