[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 52 (Tuesday, April 1, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4594-S4598]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES
Mr. BURNS. Madam President, I rise to share another story that comes
from the battlefield of Iraq. There are a thousand of these stories,
but I think it is the way we start our day as a reminder of exactly
what is going on at ground level--in other words, where the rubber hits
the road.
In the last 12 or 13 days, we have seen how deeply committed our men
and women in uniform are. They fight for a great cause of disarming
Saddam Hussein's regime from its weapons of mass destruction, but also
at the same time they understand that they are our brother's keeper.
What brought this home to me was a picture of this one marine
carrying his injured comrade from the battlefield. It is as awe
inspiring as any imagine that might come from the field of conflict.
One man hurt his leg. His buddy slings him over his back and carries
him safely, like a firefighter rescuing somebody from a burning
building. Only in this case, it looks as though the enemy was not being
cooperative or too helpful.
Men serving in battle form iron bonds. They have to because it is for
the person next to them and for their country. Those bonds often forge
the determination and the will to win. We can see the grim
determination etched in the face of the marine who is doing the
carrying. He seems to be thinking: It is all right, buddy. We will be
out of here. You are in good hands.
Then perhaps when they reached the point where they were saved, the
guy being carried likely responded: You do it for me, Semper Fi.
Some would say these two marines are heroes. But I would not put them
in the hero class. They are America. They are the story of America. The
marine who was hurt is from Oregon. The marine who saved him is from
South Carolina. It does not matter what State one is from; their bond
is in the unit in which they serve and in the miniature stars-and-
stripe patch sewn on every shoulder of every sleeve.
For the marine from Oregon, his bond was his family heritage. His
father was a career marine who rose to the top rank of sergeant major.
His father was in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1983 when terrorists bombed the
Marine barracks, losing 241 of his buddies. The father served in combat
in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm. The day after the son shipped
out for Kuwait, that marine's father died. The son returned home to the
funeral, returned to the scene, and caught up with his unit.
The depth of commitment of our brave Americans is shown on the
battlefields not only here but also in our history. It is a cause to
them and one that inspires us. May we who are in the policy business
learn our lesson to be that inspiring. We, too, should be where most of
them are, where the rubber hits the road. This is where it is carried
out.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine.
Ms. SNOWE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for up
to 10 minutes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator has that right.
Ms. SNOWE. Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute to the more
than 43 United States soldiers who have sacrificed their lives in the
mission to liberate the Iraqi people and to disarm Saddam Hussein: The
16 who are missing, the 7 who have been captured, the 109 who have been
injured, and all of those men and women on the ground, in the skies,
and on the seas, who are so bravely supporting the cause of Operation
Iraqi Freedom.
By now, we have all seen the images on our television screens, yet
little can we truly comprehend the real nature of the dangers they
face, and the courage they must summon. Let us then dedicate these days
to the acknowledgment of their heroism, for how profoundly grateful and
blessed we are that these men and women are committed to serving our
Nation and the ideals for which it stands during this pivotal and
tumultuous chapter in America's proud history.
In particular, I rise this morning to honor two Maine sons--Marine
MAJ Jay Thomas Aubin and Marine CPL Brian Matthew Kennedy--who were
among the twelve U.S. and British Marines killed Thursday, March 20
when their CH-46E Sea Helicopter crashed in Kuwait, just seven miles
from the Iraq border. While I never had the opportunity to meet these
two exceptional Marines in person, over the last week I feel I have
come to know them, at least in some small but very meaningful way.
MAJ Aubin and CPL Kennedy embodied the Marine Corps values of honor,
courage and dedication--no matter the odds, no matter the fight. They
had the mental, moral and physical strength to follow the U.S. Marine
decree to do the right thing, in the right way, for the right reasons.
Both men willingly and knowingly laid their lives on the line to
support and defend the U.S. Constitution and protect our national
security. Both men believed in their mission.
Marines are often described as a family. They are initiated en masse
by boot camps and extreme conditions many of us cannot even begin to
imagine. They train together day in and day out and understand each
other's struggles, fears, and feelings of pride. And they fight
together, bound by a common code and a calling, gallantly facing any
enemy whose goal is the destruction of our way of life.
Indeed, they live by one simple truth, that risking American lives is
sometimes necessary to defending America's freedom. This realization
and their willingness to act upon it is what makes the sacrifice of MAJ
Aubin and CPL Kennedy all the more poignant.
So we must celebrate their lives and memories as the extraordinary
people
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they truly were. I attended a service this past weekend in Winslow, ME,
for MAJ Aubin. The day was made all the more special as CPL Kennedy's
mother, Melissa Derbyshire, was also in attendance, and my heart goes
out to both families brought together by sorrow in what for them is
surely the most difficult of times. It is through remembrance that
these two great Mainers will live on, so today and forevermore we will
remember.
The eldest of three sons, MAJ Jay Thomas Aubin was a native of
Skowhegan. As a young child, his undying first love was flight. His
grandfather was an airplane mechanic and his father spent his spare
time buying, selling and flying airplanes. His mother, Nancy
Chamberlain, said Jay started flying when he was two years old. She
recalls that his father, Thomas Aubin, had some two-seater planes and
would take him flying from Norridgewock Airport. His brothers Joel and
Jeffrey always considered him to be the ``overachiever of the family'',
pointing out his ``student of the month'' and ``student of the year''
awards from Skowhegan Area High School and his participation in after-
school activities, like band and wrestling. He even set up his own
``boot camp'' in his senior year so he would be in top physical shape.
Jay joined the Marines straight out of high school and was fortunate
enough to meet the woman who would later become his wife, Rhonda who
was also a Marine at the time. They were married and have two children,
Alicia, 10 and Nathan, 7. Jay was in the Marines for 4 years, came home
to Maine and enrolled in Southern Maine Technical College in 1989 and
earned an associate's degree in applied science and, later, a
bachelor's degree in business management from the University of
Southern Maine.
His love and dedication to the Marines was so strong that upon
graduation Jay re-enlisted as an officer. A true testimony to his skill
and leadership, he was invited to join the elite corps that pilots the
Presidential helicopter, Marine One. But before he was able to assume
this new duty, he was asked to become a ``Top Gun'' instructor in night
flight for helicopter pilots. He, Rhonda and their children moved to
Yuma, AZ, in June, 2002 to complete his latest mission and he remained
there until he was called to go to Kuwait.
After his tragic death, his mother received a letter Major Aubin had
mailed two days before his helicopter went down. It said, ``I want to
thank you for everything over the years. You always tried your best to
put us first at your expense.'' With that letter, it was as though his
mother, Nancy, could hear her son's voice one last time--and what she
heard was a message of undying gratitude and love.
In recent days, his friends and family have described him as
``genuine and friendly and always smiling'' and ``passionate about his
job and his country.'' His alma mater held a memorial service to honor
him and has established a scholarship in his name. This is a man who
was well loved and who touched the lives of everyone around him,
especially his family. His aunt, Rella Collins, describes him as ``the
best of the best. He did us all proud.'' According to his mother in his
last conversation before he departed, Jay was at peace with his
mission, remarking ``If anything happens to me, just remember I'm happy
and I'm doing what I love to do.''
The same has been said about Corporal Brian Matthew Kennedy, whose
mother, Melissa Derbyshire, and stepfather, John Derbyshire, live in
Port Clyde, Me. John's description of Brian gets to the heart of his
character--``This man loved living and life itself. His greatest
pleasures were cooking, eating lobster and mussels, his friends,
lacrosse, rock climbing and doing his best at any task he was given to
do--just as he did his job as a Marine crew chief aboard the CH-46
helicopter.'' Corporal Kennedy graduated from Glenbrook South High
School in Glenview, IL with honors in 1995 and then attended Purdue
University before transferring to Texas Tech. He enlisted in the
Marines in 1999, according to his own words, ``because he thought he
could do the best job.''
He had been a Marine for 3 years when he was lost to us in last
weeks' helicopter crash. His family members speak of his sacrifice. His
mother, Melissa, recalls him having to wait in line for 3 hours to just
call home. Brian told his mother he would do his best to come home, but
she says she ``was lucky enough to know him for 25 years'' and she
remembers him ``always laughing and having a good time.'' Brian's
father, Mark Kennedy, speaks of his son's time in the Marines, saying
Brian was ``very pleased to be in Kuwait and was thrilled to have the
assignment he had. He gave his life in an effort to contribute to the
freedom of the Iraqi people.''
We will all agree that these brave young men did not die in vain--
indeed, in the words of Melissa Derbyshire, ``they died for all of
us.'' The loss of life is the ultimate tragedy of war, but from it, we
can hope, will come peace. It is the Jay Aubin's and Brian Kennedy's of
our unique history that have enabled America to become the greatest
democracy civilization has ever known. They are a constant reminder of
the sacrifice of one generation for the next. It has been said we are
the land of the free precisely because we are the home of the brave.
At the first national Memorial Day service, in 1868, General James A.
Garfield, the future President, addressed the difficulty in speaking of
fallen Americans. During a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery,
Garfield said:
``With words,'' Garfield said, ``we make promises, plight faith,
praise virtue. Promises may not be kept; plighted faith may be broken;
and vaunted virtue may be only the cunning mask of vice.
``We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave,
one word they spoke; but we do know they summed up and perfected, by
one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of
country they accepted death and thus resolved all doubts, and made
immortal their patriotism and virtue.''
James A. Garfield could not have said it better. The enormity of the
contribution made by our military men and women overwhelms the words we
have within our grasp to honor that contribution. The entire nation
will be forever indebted to Major Jay Thomas Aubin and Corporal Brian
Matthew Kennedy. The Aubin, Chamberlain, Kennedy and Derbyshire
families are in my thoughts and prayers, and I hope all of the Senate
will join me in honoring these two outstanding, exceptional,
extraordinary Marines today.
I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, Senator Lincoln has been coming here
every morning on behalf of the Democratic side of the aisle, and I know
Senator Hutchison and others have come on behalf of the Republican
side. Senator Lincoln asked me to come down here to pay tribute to our
young men and women. It is an honor for me to do this.
Very sadly, this morning I come down to pay tribute to five young
Americans who were killed in the Iraqi war, all of them from California
or based in California. I have done this before. We have lost an
additional 10 to whom I have payed tribute already, and that is a very
large proportion of those who have been lost.
As we pray for all of those in harm's way, I think it is important to
put a human face on war, and therefore I come down to discuss the great
loss we feel in our State.
First is Navy Hospital Corpsman Third Class Michael Vann Johnson,
Jr., age 25, killed on Tuesday, March 25, in Iraq, while attending to
injured marines. He was assigned to the Naval Medical Center, 3rd
Marine Division Detachment, in San Diego, CA. Michael was born and
raised in Arkansas and graduated from Parkview High School in Little
Rock. He attended the University of Central Arkansas in Conway before
joining the Navy in 1997. He is survived by his wife in San Diego, his
parents, and his seven siblings. I send them my deepest condolences.
MAJ Kevin Nave, age 36, was killed March 26, in a vehicle accident in
Iraq,
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assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine
Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. His wife and his two children live in
Oceanside, CA. He is from Union Lake, MI. He was on the football team
and wrestling squad at Waterford Kettering High School in White Lake
Township, MI.
LCpl William W. White, age 24, was killed in a vehicle accident on
March 29, in Iraq. He was assigned to the 3rd Amphibious Assault
Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from
Brooklyn, NY.
GySgt Joseph Menusa, age 33, from San Jose, CA, died on Thursday,
March 27, from a gunshot wound. He was assigned to the 1st Combat
Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was
born in the Philippines and moved to San Jose when he was just 10 years
old. He served in the 1991 gulf war and was a marine recruiter in the
San Francisco Bay area. His wife and his young son live at Camp
Pendleton.
LCpl Jesus A. Suarez Del Solar, age 20, died Thursday, March 27, in
combat action in Iraq. He is from Escondido, CA. He was assigned to the
1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp
Pendleton, CA. He moved from Mexico to the United States in the late
1990s with his family. He attended San Pasqual High School in Escondido
and graduated from Escondido's Valley High School in 2001. He is
survived by his wife and his 1-year-old son, as well as many family
members in Los Angeles County, San Diego, and Mexico.
As I said, I have already read the names of 10 others into the
Congressional Record:
CPL Randal Kent Rosacker, age 21; LT Thomas Mullen Adams, age 27;
CAPT Ryan Beaupre, age 30; 2LT Therrel Shane Childers, age 30; LCpl
Jose Gutierrez, age 22; CPL Brian Matthew Kennedy, age 25; SSG Kendall
Watersbey, age 29; SGT Michael Bitz, age 31; CPL Jose Garibay, age 21;
CPL Jorge Gonzalez, age 20.
So, Madam President, out of the 43 who were killed, 15 were from or
based in the State of California. And my State mourns them. May these
beautiful young Americans rest in peace. And may the war end soon.
I pray for the wisdom of those who send these young men and women on
their mission.
The people of my State feel very strongly on both sides about this
war. I say to them today that they have every right to express
themselves for and against this war; that those are indeed the freedoms
that are the basis of our Nation. I also say to both sides that however
one feels about the policy of this war--people know how I felt--I voted
for the Levin resolution because I did not want us to go it alone, or
virtually alone, because I was fearful of what could happen; and I felt
it was important to lead the world as a superpower. Whether you are for
or against this war, this isn't about who loves the troops more.
These troops are our children. I am a mother. I am a grandmother.
These troops are our children. Some of them are parents themselves. So
let us not deal with who loves our young people more. The debate is
about policy, and there will be much time to debate that policy as
there was before this war. And anyone who has a feeling about that
policy has a right--I would say a duty--to express that view regardless
of what that view is because that is what makes our country strong,
that is what makes us different from other places.
So that is my message to the people of my State: to respect each
other's differences. This isn't a debate about who loves the troops
more; it is about policy.
California is contributing mightily to the military effort in Iraq. I
have read you the names of many who have died so far. Tens of thousands
of military men and women have been deployed from my State.
One of them, Patrick Sailors, is a chief warrant officer in the
Marine Reserves, and he is the brother of one of my most treasured
staff members, Kelly Gill, who works out of my Fresno office. He is a
member of the Marine Wing Communications Squadron 48, attached to the
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force that is now in
Iraq.
Chief Warrant Officer Sailors has spent 17 years in the Marine Corps
and is a second-generation marine. His wife Liz and their two children
are awaiting his return to their home in Galt, CA. His parents, Delbert
and Carol Sailors, live in California as well.
I pray that Patrick Sailors and all of our men and women are safely
returned to their families as soon as possible.
Madam President, one of the things I have noticed--I am sure you have
noticed--is that many of those who are losing their lives are parents.
Before the vote on the resolution giving the President the authority to
go to war without U.N. backing, I had a conversation with one of the
most treasured Members of this body who had fought in World War II. He
pointed out to me that so many of our people who are over in Iraq are
members of the Reserves and the Guard. They have families. They have
children. They have spouses.
I am very concerned about those families and about the children of
those dual-military families. I am very concerned about deploying a
mother and a father into a combat zone at the same time.
Two weeks ago I introduced S. 687 which would prohibit the concurrent
deployment of both parents with minor children to a combat zone. I hope
my colleagues will join me in this legislation.
In discussing education legislation back home, it has come to my
attention that in school districts where there is a heavy population of
military families, they are finding that the young children there are
crying out for help during this time. Impact aid is something that we
give to these areas to help them meet the needs of those families.
Clearly, they need this help at this time.
There are two ways to help: One is to push forward with impact aid--I
hope we will do that--and, secondly, to help me with this legislation
which would say that two parents of a minor child cannot go to a combat
zone at the same time.
Last week there was an editorial in the Washington Post entitled
``Mothers at War.'' The editorial calls on the Department of Defense to
consider staggering the deployment of two parents so the impact on
children is minimized. That is exactly what my legislation does. I hope
I will get help with it.
It is a horror to lose one parent in a war and one that one never,
ever gets over. To lose two parents in such a circumstance would be
beyond devastation. The Department of Defense should work to ensure
that the children of dual military families never have to suffer seeing
both parents sent off to a combat zone at the same time. This is an
issue whose time has come.
I ask, what is the order at this time?
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cornyn). Morning business is to conclude
at 10.
Mrs. BOXER. Is it the understanding, further making a parliamentary
inquiry, that the Democrats have until 10 or is that not determined?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct.
Mrs. BOXER. I will continue until 10.
Mr. REID. Madam President, if the Senator from California will yield,
the Senator from Texas is here to speak. I am sure the Republican
leadership would not care if we extended morning business so she could
complete her statement. I have spoken to the distinguished Senator from
Colorado who will speak about a Colorado judge who will be up next.
I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from Texas be allowed to
continue as in morning business after the hour of 10 until she
completes her statement.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Mr. ALLARD. No objection.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mrs. BOXER. I wanted to make sure I was functioning under the rules.
It is very important that we have a chance to pay tribute to the young
men and women who are out there. The debate over what the expectations
were in this war will go on for many weeks and months and years. I am
not here to debate that. What I am here to say is that when all of us
said that war is a last resort--and that was stated by everyone--I
think we see daily why we said that. We see daily why we have to try
everything short of war that we can.
In my own history in the Senate, I have voted to go to war twice. I
voted
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not to go twice. Each of us in our own mind makes this decision. Of
course, our voters will decide whether we were correct or not. But
regardless of the policy fights, what we have to continually remember,
every single minute, is that we have our sons and daughters over there
right now.
Unlike other wars, many of them are parents. So the tragedy of losing
them cuts deeper and deeper than were they not, because the tragedy
cuts to the parents and the grandparents and to the spouses and to the
children. And for a child to really never know their father or mother
cuts very deep.
I pray that this war ends soon. I pray that we don't see more of
these deaths and casualties and POWs. I pray that the POWs are treated
right--they must be treated right according to the Geneva Conventions--
that we find out more about them and that the Red Cross can get in
there and see that they are OK. I pray that we won't see casualties to
innocent children and women. I pray for a lot.
Today I pay tribute to my Californians who will never come back and
see our beautiful State. I hope I won't have to come here in the days
and weeks to come with more names.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.
Mrs. HUTCHISON. Madam President, I begin by saying I appreciate
Senator Enzi. Senator Enzi came to the floor to speak about a subject
very important to him. I asked him if he would mind letting us spend
this entire hour in a tribute to the troops. He readily agreed. I
appreciate his courtesy because we are reserving the first hour of
every day when our troops are in the field to giving tribute to them,
talking about some of the events that have happened in the field,
talking about some of the acts of heroism, the individual acts, showing
pictures of what life is like over there. I have done that on several
occasions. I will again.
Today I want to talk about our prisoners. As the distinguished Chair
understands--the Presiding Officer at this time is the other Senator
from Texas--Texas is the base for the largest number of our active-duty
military. One in 10 active-duty personnel calls Texas home. It is the
home base for 114,000 active-duty service members. California comes in
second with 107,000. North Carolina comes in third with 86,000. So we
do feel a personal effect of this war. We also feel a sense of pride
that it is our young men and women, along with all of those from the
other States, who are out there on the front lines, protecting the
freedom we enjoy so much every day.
I would like to talk about some of those who have made the ultimate
sacrifice and some of those about whom we are not sure at this time.
Cpl Brian Matthew Kennedy, U.S. Marine Corps, 25 years old, from
Houston, TX, grew up in Glenville, IL. He called his mom on March 18 to
tell her he was about to go into action. ``It was very short and very
special,'' she says of the call. Three days later, he died, when his
Sea Knight helicopter crashed in Kuwait. He said to his dad: We are
ready. We are ready. We are trained. We are ready to go. He was very
proud. His parents are very proud of him.
SSgt Phillip Jordan, U.S. Marine Corps, 42 years of age, Brazoria,
TX: Everyone called him Gump because he was so relentlessly upbeat. His
son Tyler, 6, wants to be a marine like his father who was killed in a
fire fight after a group of Iraqi soldiers feigned surrender.
Some are missing. Specialist James Kiehl, U.S. Army, 22, Comfort, TX,
a computer technician with the 507th Maintenance Company: Kiehl was
among the missing in the convoy ambush near An Nasiriya. His father
Randy has been monitoring war news on two televisions, three phone
lines, and a computer, keeping up a strong front and a strong face for
the media, just in case they showed James any footage from back home.
PVT Ruben Estrella-Soto, U.S. Army, 18, El Paso: His father opposed
his enlisting but he wanted to study engineering, and he was
enthusiastic about going into the military and getting his education.
He disappeared in the ambush on March 23 along with his friend Edgar
Hernandez, who later turned up on Iraqi TV. But Estrella-Soto's fate
was unknown. ``Not knowing anything is hard,'' Ruben Estrella, Sr.,
told reporters.
CWO Johnny Villareal Mata, U.S. Army, 35, Pecos, TX: Mata grew up in
a desert town just 200 miles from Fort Bliss, where his 507th
Maintenance Company is based.
SP Edgar Adan Hernandez, U.S. Army, 21 years old, Alton, TX: ``He's
got a noble character,'' his mother, Maria de la Luz Hernandez, says in
Spanish. She then inadvertently slipped into the past tense: ``He was a
good brother, a good son, respectful to the whole world.'' Hernandez,
though, she believes is really alive. And he, too, was shown on Iraqi
TV.
Captured: Army SP Shoshana Johnson, 30 years old, El Paso, TX: Her
name means ``rose'' in Hebrew, the inspiration of an aunt who once
worked as a nurse in Brooklyn. But her family is Panamanian American,
and although she grew up in an Army family, she never expected to find
herself on the front line. She is funloving, her younger sister Nikki
says. She also says, ``She is outgoing, independent and trustworthy--
definitely not the kind of person who stays in front of the TV day in
and day out.'' Shoshana's dream was to be a chef, but culinary school
costs a lot of money, and Army cook was close enough. It seemed safe
enough, too.
But early on the morning of March 23, her father, Claude, was
flipping through the channels looking for a cartoon show for Shoshana's
two-year-old daughter, Janelle. He happened to catch a newscast on the
Spanish language network, Telemundo. ``They said five Americans had
been captured in Iraq. I caught one African-American female, 30 years
old, from the 507th. Her name was Shana. I said it's got to be her.''
It was. Now her large extended family, including more than a dozen
cousins, is watching and waiting. They are inspired by the relatives of
Elizabeth Smart who helped stay in the forefront of the press until
their 15-year-old kidnapped daughter was returned. ``We just want her
to be treated humanely,'' Nikki told Newsweek, ``and to return home
swiftly and safely.''
I talked to the mother of one of those killed in Afghanistan last
week and she said, ``What I want is to make sure that my son did not
die in vain.'' I assured her that her son did not die in vain; that the
war on terrorism is going to protect the freedom for children and
grandchildren throughout America, and our staying vigilant and staying
on course will ensure that none of those who are already dead or are
missing will be forgotten. They have paid a heavy price for freedom and
we will always revere and respect them for what they have done for our
country.
That concludes the tributes for today. The Senate is setting aside 1
hour every day for people to come to the floor and talk about some of
the wonderful acts that are being done by our young men and women on
the field as we speak today--protecting the way of life we have come to
enjoy.
Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I speak today with a profound sense of
loss. A brave, young soldier from my home State of Oregon, Brandon S.
Tobler, was killed in Iraq. Oregon's first war fatality, Army Reserve
SP Brandon Tobler, who was only 19, lost his life in a Humvee accident
during a sand storm. I have the last correspondence Brandon's parents
received from their son, an e-mail sent just 2 weeks prior to his death
on March 22, 2003.
Brandon was the only son of Leon and Gail Tobler of Portland. He grew
up there and joined the military to help pay for college. He was in a
convoy headed to Baghdad providing engineering support to the combat
troops. Private Tobler's death reminds us that a soldier doesn't have
to be on the combat line to face tremendous danger and possible death.
His letter reminds of the bravery of each and every person who puts on
a uniform for the United States. Private Tobler will be laid to rest in
the Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, OR, on April 3, 2003.
I ask unanimous consent that Brandon's letter be printed in the
Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Hey Mom and Dad, How are things with you, I hope you are
both doing ok. I am doing fine, things here are going ok we
are just keeping busy. I am a little stressed but other than
that I am alright, I have been loaded down with a lot of
tasks that I have
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not even been trained for, but I think I am doing an ok job.
Anyway I am sorry that I have not written you guys lately and
I know I have been writing Val a bit more than you guys and
that is something I really intend to change, I just want you
guys to know that I miss you guys a lot and love you guys
even more and I thank you both for the person you made me
become and all of the things you have struggled to get me
over the years. I really appreciate the support that you guys
have given me and accepting my enlistment in the Army. I feel
that if I can make a difference out here then I have done my
part. If I can save one life, if I can do something that
makes a family sleep easier at night without fear then I have
done my purpose, cause I know now that's what my calling is
in life, not to make money or be powerful and wealthy but to
simply make a difference. And I thank you my loving parents
for all that you have done to get me this far, but now I have
to take the next step and make a difference for someone else
out there. Well go ahead and pass this around to everyone in
the family, Val too . . . And to the family my love and best
wishes and prayers go out to you, little Veronica or shall I
say big Veronica, I miss playing with her and being her big
cousin but at least my being here will help keep her safe and
grow up happy and full of life as she is already. So to my
family, if you see a soldier one of my comrades in arms,
please thank them for the service they give, pray for them
because we as soldiers give up sooo much to come out here and
in sometimes make the ultimate sacrifice in the name of
freedom and soldiers could always use encouragement and a
thanks. . . Well my love to you guys and I'll see you soon. .
.
Love to all,
Brandon.
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