[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 56 (Wednesday, April 28, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E700]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING PETTY OFFICER 3RD CLASS NATHAN BRUCKENTHAL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. PETER DEUTSCH

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 28, 2004

  Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the life of Petty 
Officer 3rd Class Nathan Bruckenthal of Dania Beach, Florida. I praise 
Petty Officer Bruckenthal's commitment to his community and our nation. 
It brings me great sadness to report that Petty Officer Bruckenthal was 
killed recently in the bombing of a U.S. Navy vessel in Persian Gulf 
waters, and I wish to offer my deepest sympathy to his family, his 
friends, and his admirers--of which there are many.
  Born in Long Island, New York, Nathan Bruckenthal later moved to 
Dania Beach, Florida. As the son of a police chief and the step-son of 
an Army veteran, Petty Officer Bruckenthal leaves behind a family 
legacy of public service. He himself was contemplating joining a 
Florida police department upon his return from Iraq.
  Petty Officer Bruckenthal joined the Coast Guard after graduating 
from high school. His service in Florida included nine months as a 
member of the Tactical Law Enforcement Team, searching vessels for 
illegal activity, before being deployed to the Persian Gulf. Law 
Enforcement Detachments from the Tactical Law Enforcement Team South, 
based at the Miami Coast Guard Station in Opa-Locka, have been 
deploying overseas since the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Petty 
Officer Bruckenthal is the first guardsman to die in combat since the 
Vietnam War.
  Petty Officer Bruckenthal is survived by his mother, Laurie Bullock, 
his father, Northport Police Chief Ric Bruckenthal, his brothers 
Matthew and Michael, and his wife Patricia, who is pregnant with their 
first child. Throughout his six years in the Coast Guard and two tours 
in Iraq, Nathan Bruckenthal served our nation with dignity and 
distinction. Mr. Speaker, today we celebrate Nathan Bruckenthal's life, 
which serves as a wonderful example to all who follow in his footsteps.

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