[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 59 (Friday, April 11, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E750]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   SAN BENITO MARINE PFC. JUAN GARZA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. SOLOMON P. ORTIZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 10, 2003

  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a fallen 
soldier who grew up in San Benito, Texas: Marine PFC Juan Garza, who we 
learned yesterday was killed in action by sniper fire as his unit was 
taking and holding the Baghdad airport.
  The price we are paying as a Nation is high in terms of loss of life 
in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Already, sons of South Texas have 
been killed and wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, with another still 
unaccounted for in the Iraqi theatre. PFC Garza was the most recent 
loss for our community.
  Garza, who served with the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines Regiment, was 
killed Monday evening by enemy sniper fire while patrolling the Baghdad 
airport just outside the Iraqi Capital. His mother said he was shot in 
the chest and died instantly. PFC Garza was based at Camp Pendleton, 
Calif., where he was an expert marksman and broke shooting range 
records there in boot camp.
  PFC Garza was always a sportsman, competing in football and track. 
His friends and family remember him for his humor and his target 
practice. He always aspired to be in the military, and probably got the 
bug for service from watching the military movies he loved. He was also 
inspired to join the service by his grandfather, who served in the 
United States Army.
  He grew up in San Benito, but moved to Michigan to live with his aunt 
and uncle. After graduating from Summerfield High School in Temperance, 
Mich., Garza enlisted in the Marines and was stationed at Camp 
Pendleton.
  He loved his country and he loved the Marines. Like most people who 
join the service, he wanted to help people, to make the world a better 
place. The world is lonelier today without Juan in it, but the work he 
did will indeed make it a better place.
  On the day after Christmas, 2002, he married his sweetheart, and was 
deployed to the Middle East the next day. This was a tragedy on so many 
levels. PFC Garza is survived by his young wife, Casey; his parents, 
Mary Ann and Juan Guadalupe Garza; his baby half-sister, Stephanie Rae 
Castillo; and his aunt, Jodi Bucher of Temperance, with whom he lived 
in Michigan.
  I ask my colleagues to remember Juan Garza's family today, to pray 
for them as they absorb this enormous personal loss. I also ask that we 
all continue to pray for the safety of the men and women we have sent 
to do this dirty, difficult task of ridding Iraq of dangerous weapons 
of mass destruction.

                          ____________________