[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 85 (Monday, June 24, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S5952]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IN MEMORY OF MASTER SGT. PETER TYCZ

 Mrs. CLINTON. Madam President, it is with deep sadness that I 
stand before you today to honor the life and service of Master Sgt. 
Peter Tycz, who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. I want to 
express my deepest sympathies to his wife and their five children for 
their heart-wrenching loss. Master Sgt. Tycz was killed June 12 when 
his plane caught fire and crashed after taking off from an airstrip in 
Afghanistan. Our entire nation is saddened by this immeasurable loss 
and I rise in recognition of his profound contribution to America.
  A native of Tonawanda, New York, Master Sgt. Tycz was a Green Beret 
and the father of five girls, ages 1 to 9: Elizabeth, Samantha, Faith, 
Tiffany and Felicia. He joined the Army out of high school and was 
committed to the fight for freedom wherever it took him. He welcomed 
the opportunity to defend America in Afghanistan. Master Sgt. Tycz 
wrote in an email to his mother, Terry Harnden, this past fall, which 
read: ``[I] will have to make great sacrifices to make sure our 
lifestyle is not threatened and I'm prepared to do that.'' His 
daughters will grow up knowing that their father was a true American 
hero who represents the very best of our great Nation.
  Master Sgt. Tycz's sacrifice for his country reminds us of the 
enormous debt of gratitude we owe all of our men and women in uniform--
those who risk their lives and, in particular, those who have been lost 
in the defense of our country. Their courage and steadfast 
determination keeps America safe and our freedom strong.
  We are grateful to Master Sgt. Tycz and the many American service men 
and women like him who are determined to defend and protect our great 
country. In that same email to his mother, Master Sgt. Tycz wrote, ``Do 
not ever be sad for me because you will defeat my reason for being.'' I 
hope that we will always remember his words and that they will bring us 
all, most especially his family, comfort and strength.

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