[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 24 (Thursday, March 7, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H770]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING OZARKS SOLDIERS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, in the last few days, beginning on Saturday, 
two individuals from my congressional district gave their lives in 
Afghanistan: one, a 34-year-old warrant officer in Special Forces; 
another, a 31-year-old sergeant, both of whom had clearly dedicated 
their lives and, in so many ways, dedicated their own families to 
protecting our freedoms and protecting our country.
  As I was thinking about what I wanted to say today about them on the 
House floor, I read an editorial from a Springfield, Missouri, 
newspaper yesterday; and I think I would like to just enter that 
editorial in the Record and share it today as we think about the fact 
that we honor these men and women and the others who are putting their 
lives in harm's way for us.
  Let me share that material with the Speaker and the Members here and 
then enter it fully in the Record. The editorial starts out: ``From the 
beginning of the war in Afghanistan, President Bush has warned 
Americans to be prepared for casualties. Now we have them, and the pain 
of this war has been felt in the Ozarks. It has taken two of our 
neighbors: Chief Warrant Officer Stanley Harriman. Sergeant Philip J. 
Svitak.

                              {time}  1300

  ``Harriman, a Strafford High School graduate, was the first American 
to die in the ground offensive on al Qaeda and Taliban strongholds in 
eastern Afghanistan. Svitak, of Joplin, was among the seven soldiers 
killed in incidents involving two American helicopters.
  ``They are not faceless casualties. They were flesh-and-blood men who 
touched others in their hometowns. Harriman was described as soft-
hearted, sensitive to the suffering of others, yet a fierce competitor 
on the football or baseball field. Svitak was an only child who wanted 
to be like his parents, who both served in the Navy in the 1960s. Each 
leaves a wife and two young children.
  ``Harriman and Svitak were devoted to the Army and their country. 
`Stanley died for you and you and you,' his wife, Sheila Harriman, told 
reporters at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, `and for your freedom. All 
Stanley ever wanted to do was be an American soldier.'
  ``Both soldiers knew the dangers of their jobs. Both knew that by 
making the military their career, they could be asked to put their 
lives on the line for their country at any time.
  ``Roseann Svitak said her son `told me before he went, Mom, the 
terrorists have to be stopped.' He said, `If they send me over there 
and anything happens to me, I am proud to die for my country.'
  ``Both men were sent. Both died, leaving friends, family, children to 
grieve and remember. They join John Willett and Craig Amundson, Ozarks 
natives who died in the September 11 attacks on New York and 
Washington. They are, for us in southwest Missouri, the faces of this 
war.
  ``Six months after those attacks, the Nation has largely returned to 
life as normal. Networks seek to reduce news programming to make room 
for more entertainment. Crash reality shows move back up in the 
ratings. Politicians again plot for their advantage.
  ``Yet the war continues, not a mop-up action but a full-scale 
assault. Our neighbors are on the front line. Our neighbors are dying. 
That ultimate sacrifice ought to mean something. The politicians will 
tell us it is in defense of liberty, and they are right. But it is up 
to us to decide what we will do with this liberty. Will we use it to 
keep the government honest, to be aware of what is happening in the 
rest of the world, to assure all Americans equal opportunity? Or will 
we use it to pay more attention to contestants on Survivor than 
soldiers in Afghanistan?
  ``Ozarkers are dying for freedom. How will we honor their 
sacrifice?''

            [From the Springfield News Leader, Mar. 6, 2002]

                   How Will We Honor Ozarks Soldiers?

       Harriman and Svitak died fighting for our freedom.
       From the beginning of the war in Afghanistan, President 
     Bush has warned Americans to be prepared for casualties. Now 
     we have them, and the pain of this war has been felt in the 
     Ozarks. It has taken two more of our neighbors:
       Chief Warrant Officer Stanley Harriman.
       Sgt. Philip J. Svitak.
       Harriman, a Strafford High School graduate, was the first 
     American to die in the ground offensive on al-Qaida and 
     Taliban strongholds in eastern Afghanistan. Svitak, of 
     Joplin, was among the seven soldiers killed in incidents 
     involving two American helicopters.
       They are not faceless casualties. They were flesh-and-blood 
     men who touched others in their hometowns. Harriman was 
     described as soft-hearted, sensitive to the suffering of 
     others, yet a fierce competitor on the football or baseball 
     field. Svitak was an only child who wanted to be like his 
     parents, who both served in the Navy in the 1960s.
       Each leaves a wife and two young children.
       Harriman and Svitak were devoted to the Army and their 
     country. ``Stanley died for you and you and you,'' his wife, 
     Sheila Harriman, told reporters at Fort Bragg, NC, ``and for 
     your freedom. All Stanley ever wanted to do was be an 
     American soldier.''
       Both soldiers knew the dangers of their jobs. Both knew 
     that by making the military their career, they could be asked 
     to put their lives on the line for their country at any time.
       Roseann Svitak said her son ``told me before he went, `Mom, 
     the terrorists have to be stopped.' He said, `if they send me 
     over there and anything happens to me . . . I'm proud to die 
     for my country.' ''
       Both men were sent. Both died, leaving friends, family, 
     children to grieve and remember.
       They join John Willett and Craig Amundson, Ozarks natives 
     who died in the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington. 
     They are, for us in southwest Missouri, the faces of this 
     war.
       Six months after those attacks, the nation has largely 
     returned to life as normal. Networks seek to reduce news 
     programming to make room for more entertainment. Crass 
     reality shows move back up in the ratings. Politicians again 
     plot for their advantage.
       Yet the war continues, not a mop-up action but a full-scale 
     assault. Our neighbors are on the front line. Our neighbors 
     are dying.
       That ultimate sacrifice ought to mean something. The 
     politicians will tell us it is in defense of liberty, and 
     they are right. But it is up to us to decide what we will do 
     with this liberty. Will we use it to keep government honest, 
     to be aware of what is happening in the rest of the world, to 
     assure all Americans equal opportunity? Or will we use it to 
     pay more attention to contestants on ``Survivor'' than 
     soldiers in Afghanistan.
       Ozarkers are dying for freedom. How will we honor their 
     sacrifice?

     

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