[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 127 (Tuesday, September 16, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1789]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E1789]]


                 HONORING ARMY SPECIALIST RAFAEL NAVEA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. PETER DEUTSCH

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 16, 2003

  Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to 
honor the life and military service of Army Specialist Rafael Navea, a 
soldier who was killed August 27th in Al-Fallujah, Iraq, about 40 miles 
west of Baghdad during his dedicated service to our nation.
  Born in Michigan, Navea was raised in Caracas, Venezuela, where he 
attended Catholic School and later enrolled in a military school. It 
was a lifelong dream of his to be in the military and follow the 
footsteps of his Uncle Fernando, a military officer in Colombia. 
Navea's family later moved to Miami and later Pittsburgh, where Rafael 
joined the military in 1993.
  Upon serving for four years in the Army, Navea transferred to reserve 
status in an effort to pursue an education at a technical school, 
specializing in the study of computers. While attending school and 
working at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), he met 
his wife, Marina, a transplant nurse there at the hospital. Later, 
Marina and Rafael started a family, and the couple had three boys--now 
ages 11, 5, and 3.
  A loving father and a dedicated soldier to his country, Rafael viewed 
his role in liberating the Iraqi people with a great sense of urgency 
and duty. He often spoke of the poverty he witnessed in Iraq, similar 
to the conditions he encountered as a young boy in South America. From 
this experience, Navea wanted to help the people of Iraq achieve a 
better quality of life. Additionally, Navea spoke to his mother about 
the dangers of terrorism and how something needed to be done to prevent 
its spread across the globe and make the world a safer and better place 
for his children.
  Mr. Speaker, it is, indeed, truly a sad moment to stand here today 
and honor the life of this fallen soldier. However, I am comforted by 
the fact that Specialist Navea has left a lasting legacy as an 
exemplary father, a loving son, and a true American hero. Rafael Navea 
is survived by his mother Maria Lucia Kilpatrick of Weston, Florida, 
and his wife Marina and three children of Fort Still, Oklahoma.

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