TRIBUTE TO HARRIETT SHOCKEY

On 2026-08-20, Representative Ken Calvert (R-CA-41) delivered a floor speech titled "TRIBUTE TO HARRIETT SHOCKEY" in the House.

TRIBUTE TO HARRIETT SHOCKEY

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 134 (Thursday, August 20, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 134 (Thursday, August 20, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E800] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] TRIBUTE TO HARRIETT SHOCKEY ______ HON. KEN CALVERT of california in the house of representatives Thursday, August 20, 2026 Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Harriett Shockey. Harriett Shockey was born in Sioux City, Iowa, in 1936. When she was 17 years old, her parents gave her the wonderful gift of a baby sister, called Candy, whom she loved deeply. When Candy was still just a very small child, Harriett went off to college at the University of Iowa. She was the first woman in her family to attend college and the only girl in the engineering program in which she was enrolled. Sadly, her college career was sidelined by a terrible case of scarlet fever, forcing Harriett to return home. While convalescing, she met her future husband, Gary Shockey, a dashing young Air Force officer stationed in Des Moines. Harriett and Gary eloped and embarked upon their life together of service to the United States. They moved many times for the Air Force, living in Pennsylvania, Texas, South Carolina, Wiesbaden in Germany, Ohio, and finally in California, where Gary was stationed on separate tours at both the former Norton Air Force Base and March Air Force Base. While Gary worked for the Air Force, including several tours in Vietnam, Harriett held down the fort at home and raised their three children, Greg, Cindy, and Jeff. Both Harriett and Gary were true Patriots who felt deeply honored to serve their country, and they raised their children to have the same spirit. Harriett was a woman of fierce determination and strong intellect. When Jeff, the last of the three children, went off to college, Harriett decided it was high time to get her own college degree, and she enrolled at the University of Redlands to complete what she had started many years before. After graduation, she remained involved in several of the University campus activities. She chaired the Town and Gown and was a dedicated U of R supporter. In addition to managing the household, Harriett was a contracting officer with the Department of Defense at March Air Force Base, where she put her no-nonsense thrift to good use for the taxpayer. She was also one of the first women to oversee funerals for our Nation's Veterans at the Riverside National Cemetery. Harriett loved to cook. She loved to shop. She loved to dote on her grandchildren. Her family misses her deeply. Many other Americans also mourn her loss, for Harriett contributed to every community where she lived and her cheerful spirit touched many lives. ____________________