July 31, 2009.  Mr. Speaker:  I rise to pay tribute to a young man who gave his life last week while fighting the Backbone Fire in the Trinity Alps Wilderness.

Thomas Marovich, Jr. was just 20 years old.  He was in his second year with the U.S. Forest Service assigned to the Modoc National Forest.  He was training with the Chester Helitack Crew assigned to the Backbone Fire when a training accident claimed his life.

 He was born and raised in Hayward, but had come to Northeastern California to protect our forests, our communities and our citizens from the ravages of fire. 

 He had wanted to be a fire-fighter since he was a little boy and by all accounts had an exemplary life ahead of him.  He was only able to live 20 years of that life, sacrificing the rest of it for the safety of our community, and for that, we owe him – and his grieving family -- our eternal gratitude.