[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 77 (Thursday, May 22, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1047-E1048]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING STAFF SGT. WILBERT DAVIS, SGT. FIRST CLASS PAUL R. SMITH, 
      LANCE CORPORAL ANDREW JULIAN AVILES AND CPL. JOHN T. RIVERO

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM DAVIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 22, 2003

  Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of four brave 
soldiers from the Tampa Bay area who lost their lives while serving our 
country in Iraq. These four men went to war to protect us and our 
liberty and ultimately gave their lives to preserve our inalienable 
rights.
  On April 3, Staff Sgt. Wilbert Davis, 40, of the 3rd Battalion, 69th 
Armor, 3rd Infantry Division, died when his vehicle ran off the road as 
he was driving journalist Michael Kelly to Baghdad. A native of Tampa, 
Davis grew up in College Hill, pitched for the Belmont Heights Little 
League team, all the way to the World Series, and graduated from Tampa 
Bay Tech High School. A devoted husband and father of four, friends and 
family recall how dedicated Davis was to service. Joining the Army in 
1985, he served in the Persian Gulf War and in Bosnia, Kosovo, Korea 
and Germany.
  Just one day later, Tampa lost Sgt. First Class Paul R. Smith, 33, of 
the 11th Engineer Battalion. Also a graduate of Tampa Bay Tech, Smith 
knew early on that he wanted to serve as a professional soldier and 
raise a family. This husband and father of two enlisted right out of 
high school and served in the Gulf War, Bosnia and Kosovo. A man who is 
remembered for his dedication to the soldiers he led, Smith has been 
nominated for the prestigious Medal of Honor for saving dozens of lives 
before losing his own. During a surprise Iraqi assault, Smith died 
while manning a .50-caliber machine to fend off the attackers.
  On April 7, Lance Cpl. Andrew Julian Aviles, 18, of the 4th Assault 
Amphibian Battalion, 4th Marine Division, was killed when an enemy 
artillery round struck his amphibious assault vehicle. A young man with 
an infectious sense of humor and a promising future in store, Aviles 
was the student government president of Robinson High School, played on 
the football and wrestling teams and graduated third in his class. A 
member of JROTC, Aviles passed up a full academic scholarship to 
Florida State University to enlist because he felt an obligation to 
serve his country.
  On April 17, another bright future was lost when Cpl. John T. Rivero, 
23, of the Florida National Guard's C Company, 2nd Battalion, 124th 
Infantry Regiment was killed when his Humvee overturned on a mission 
with Special Forces. A computer science and engineering student at USF, 
Rivero grew up in Gainesville and joined the Guard in 1998. He was 
promoted to Corporal during his service in the Middle East. Friends and 
family remember his big smile and even bigger heart and talk about his 
dedication to doing his best at everything he tried.

[[Page E1048]]

  On behalf of the Tampa Bay community, I would like to extend my 
deepest sympathies to the families and friends of these four courageous 
soldiers. These men shared a dedication to the ideals that have made 
this country great. Their bravery and patriotism makes us all proud, 
and we will never forget their sacrifice.

                          ____________________