[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 77 (Friday, June 4, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1043]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             FALLEN HEROES

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                               speech of

                           HON. BOB GOODLATTE

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 20, 2004

  Mr. GODDLATTE. Mr. Speaker, recently we celebrated Memorial Day, a 
sacred time of remembrance where we pay tribute to the brave men and 
women who have sacrificed their lives to protect the freedoms we hold 
so very dear. We, the beneficiaries of this seemingly endless stream of 
valor, often fall short in our efforts to commemorate those who bought 
with blood the freedom that is our birthright. But try we must . . . 
for theirs is a noble story . . . full of sacrifice for a cause greater 
than one's self.
  And so it is with great sorrow but immense pride that I recognize one 
of my own constituents who paid the ultimate price for freedom. 
Sergeant Michael Vernon Lalush, United States Marine Corps, was killed 
on March 30, 2003 while proudly serving his country in Iraq.
  Sergeant Lalush, who was only 23 years old at the time of his death, 
grew up in California but moved to Troutville, Virginia in 1994. He was 
a typical all-American boy. He loved baseball, golf, riding dirt bikes 
and his maroon pickup truck. In high school Sergeant Lalush was a 
member of the football, baseball and golf teams. In 1997, he graduated 
from Lord Botetourt High School, where he is remembered by teachers and 
friends as ``a real nice kid who was considerate of others and a hard 
worker.''
  After graduation, Sergeant Lalush enlisted in the Marines and was 
sent to boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina. Upon his completion 
of boot camp, Sergeant Lalush was sent to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina 
and then to Camp Pendleton near San Diego.
  Sergeant Lalush's passion for mechanics flourished in the Marines. 
His hobby, which began when he was just a teenager rebuilding a pink 
1965 Volkswagen Beetle, took him from helicopter mechanic to crew chief 
to inspector and instructor.
  Sergeant Lalush's unit, the Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 
deployed to the Persian Gulf in February 2003. The unit flew support 
missions, ferrying troops, wounded soldiers, ammunition, food, water 
and other supplies.
  Sergeant Lalush was a proud Marine, enlisting for another four years 
right before his death. Sergeant Lalush wanted to help people and in 
one of his last letters home, he recounts the story of his helicopter 
unit helping an injured soldier get to a base where he could receive 
the necessary medical treatment.
  To Dave and Becky Lalush, Sergeant Lalush's parents--not only did 
your son answer the call of his country and in doing so protect the 
freedoms that we so cherish, but he also paid a dear price to bring 
freedom to people he had never met.
  In 1962, speaking to a gathering of cadets at West Point General 
Douglas MacArthur delivered stirring remarks in which he described the 
``American man at arms.'' He said, ``His name and fame are the 
birthright of every American citizen. In his youth and strength, his 
love and loyalty, he gave all that mortality can give. He needs no 
eulogy from me, or from any other man.''
  In an age when the word ``hero'' is tossed around casually to 
describe everything from sports stars to singers in bands, Sergeant 
Michael V. Lalush is a hero in the truest sense of the word--a 
possessor of courage and strength who pursued feats of noble purpose.

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