[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 118 (Wednesday, September 18, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8749-S8750]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                        TRIBUTE TO BRADY HOWELL

 Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, the terrorism of September 11 
changed America forever, and it profoundly changed Americans, as well. 
The people we lost left behind legacies, the compilation of the 
meaningful things they accomplished throughout their lives, actions and 
words that still touch their friends and families after their deaths. 
Those legacies inspire all of us with the bravery and courage of the 
human spirit, and also remind us of the precious frailty of life.
  Brady Howell lost his life in the attack on the Pentagon. This 
letter, written by Brady's brother Carson Howell to commemorate the one 
year anniversary of that terrible event, articulates the legacy Brady 
left behind. I would like to enter this letter into the Congressional 
Record so all my colleagues can remember the great example these 
Americans are to us. In the words of Carson Howell, ``The men and women 
who perished that day are not heroes because of how they died; they are 
heroes because of how they lived.''
  Let me read the letter in its entirety:

       Today is a sad day for our family. Not just our family, but 
     also families just like the Vauk family, the Conaty family, 
     the Andrews family, and thousands of others. It's a sad day 
     for our American family as we all remember and pay tribute to 
     the thousands of friends, family, and fellow Americans that 
     lost their lives one year ago today. It's a day that many 
     will remember as the day we learned that heroes aren't found 
     only in comic books. No, there are heroes greater than 
     Superman and my brother is one of them.
       Brady Kay Howell loved this country. He was an Eagle Scout. 
     He loved children and taught the youth in Sunday School 
     classes while living in New York and later Virginia. He loved 
     his family and actually had plans to return to Idaho that 
     following weekend for a welcome home party for my parents and 
     for my wedding reception. He loved his wife, Liz, to whom 
     he'd been married for only five short years.
       Brady was working in naval intelligence as an intern. 
     Shortly before his death, he and I had a telephone 
     conversation. In it he told me that one of his goals in his 
     life was to have top-secret clearance. I'm proud to say that 
     he accomplished that goal.
       I could go on and on about how great my brother was. But, 
     if it were he speaking here today, he wouldn't use this 
     opportunity to speak of his accomplishments. I believe that 
     he would talk about service. He would talk about what a great 
     country this is that we live in and how proud he was to serve 
     and protect all of us.
       The work that Brady and many others did that died that day 
     was for all of us. Brady prepared briefings for the Chief of 
     Naval Intelligence and other high-ranking officials so

[[Page S8750]]

     that they could best be informed of how to protect us the 
     American public. Everyday he was protecting our country. 
     Everyday he was fighting for our freedoms that we enjoy. To 
     Brady, it didn't matter how much money you had, it didn't 
     matter what the color of your skin was, it didn't matter 
     which religion you believed. To Brady, what mattered were the 
     people.
       Ongoing community service initiatives to commemorate 
     Brady's commitment to public service are being conducted in 
     the Washington, DC area and there are plans for at least one 
     such initiative in Utah. Generous contributions from all over 
     the country have allowed us to create an endowed memory in 
     Brady's name to continue the influence of his story. These 
     contributions will also support an endowed lecture series in 
     Brady's name that has been established and now approved by 
     the BYU-Idaho Board of Trustees.
       I miss Brady very much. I remember with fondness building 
     bases and battling with our G.I. Joe action figures, waking 
     up early Saturday morning to watch the Bugs Bunny and Tweety 
     Show together, and climbing trees together. I always looked 
     up to Brady and for me, he was always a hero. As his story is 
     told, others are hearing about the hero whom I was privileged 
     enough to call ``brother''.
       September 11th wasn't the first day that this country has 
     known heroes, nor has it been the last. We should take this 
     time to pay tribute not only to the heroes of September 11th, 
     but all of the heroes that have fought for freedom. Thousands 
     of men and women are working today to protect us from evil. 
     The men and women who perished that day are not heroes 
     because of how they died; they are heroes because of how they 
     lived. Heroes are the men and women who have put themselves 
     in harms way for the cause of democracy and freedom since 
     long before September 11, 2001. Heroes are the men and women 
     who serve each day to protect people they will never know. 
     Heroes are the men and women who spend more waking hours 
     caring for and about others than they do for themselves. Let 
     us remember the heroes of September 11th 2001, along with the 
     heroes who stood before, who stand now, and who are preparing 
     to stand against evil. Because it is to all of you who have 
     served this country, have given your children for the service 
     of America, and are currently serving that we, the American 
     people, pay tribute this day; the fire fighters, the police 
     officers, the emergency medical crews, and the soldiers of 
     freedom.
       If the mark of a hero is one that cares about and fights 
     for others, I hope that the destruction of September 11th has 
     facilitated the construction of tomorrow's heroes. Wouldn't 
     the greatest honor that we could pay to those that perished 
     be if we could follow their example and give of ourselves as 
     they did? We may not be called upon to die for this country, 
     but we are all called upon to live for it. This country 
     doesn't need more martyrs, but this country could use more 
     doers.
       Tens of thousands have given their time and tens of 
     thousands have given their lives for America; this ``one 
     nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for 
     all.'' To be ``one nation'', we need to be one state, one 
     neighborhood, one home. Let us rededicate ourselves as we did 
     after September 11th, to being Americans. Never in my life 
     before September 11th, had I seen such a display and attitude 
     of patriotism. We were friendlier, we were more patient, and 
     we looked out for each other. I wish that those who died that 
     day could have seen the America that we became. We became 
     strong and united. We showed forth the America that we always 
     should have been; the America that those men and women 
     sacrificed their lives for. Let us honor all of the heroes of 
     America by not letting their sacrifices be in vain. Let us 
     continue their legacies. Let us live for what they died for 
     The United States of America.

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