[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 127 (Friday, October 8, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10817-S10818]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, today I rise to pay tribute to 29 young
Americans who have been killed in Iraq since September 3. All of them
were from California or were based in California.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Eric L. Knott, age 21
Petty Officer Knott was killed September 4 when the area in which he
was working was struck by enemy fire. He died of shrapnel wounds and
had been supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
He was assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4, Port
Hueneme, CA.
Lance Corporal Lamont N. Wilson, age 20
Lance Corporal Wilson died September 6 due to enemy action in Al
Anbar Province.
He was assigned to second Battalion, first Marine Regiment, first
Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA.
Corporal Mick R. Nygardbekowsky, age 21
Corporal Nygardbekowsky was killed in action September 6 from an
explosion while conducting combat operations in the Al Anbar Province.
He was assigned to second Battalion, first Marine Regiment, first
Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Concord, CA.
Lance Corporal Joseph C. McCarthy, age 21
Lance Corporal McCarthy was killed in action September 6
from an explosion while conducting combat operations in the
Al Anbar Province.
He was assigned to second Battalion, first Marine Regiment, first
Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA.
He was from Concho, CA.
Lance Corporal Quinn A. Keith, age 21
Lance Corporal Keith died September 6 due to enemy action in Al Anbar
Province.
He was assigned to second Battalion, first Marine Regiment, first
Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA.
Lance Corporal Derek L. Gardner, age 20
Lance Corporal Gardner was killed in action September 6 from an
explosion while conducting combat operations in the Al Anbar Province.
He was assigned to Headquarters Battalion, first Marine Division,
Camp Pendleton, CA.
He was from San Juan Capistrano, CA.
Private First Class David Burridge age 19
Private First Class Burridge died September 6 due to enemy action in
Al Anbar Province.
He was assigned to second Battalion, first Marine Regiment, first
Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA.
Lance Corporal Michael J. Allred, age 22
Lance Corporal Allred died September 6 due to enemy action in Al
Anbar Province.
He was assigned to second Battalion, first Marine Regiment, first
Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA.
First Lieutenant Alexander E. Wetherbee, age 27
First Lieutenant Wetherbee died September 12 from injuries received
from enemy action in Al Anbar Province.
He was assigned to 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, first Marine
Division, Camp Pendleton, CA.
Private First Class Jason T. Poindexter, age 20
Private First Class Poindexter died September 12 due to enemy action
in Al Anbar Province.
He was assigned to second Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, first
Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA.
Specialist Edgar P. Daclan, age 24
Specialist Daclan died September 10 in Balad, Iraq when his patrol
was responding to indirect fire and an improvised explosive device
exploded.
He was assigned to the first Battalion, 18th Infantry, first Infantry
Division from Schweinfurt, Germany.
He was from Cypress, CA.
Lance Corporal Dominic C. Brown, age 19
Lance Corporal Brown died September 13 due to a non-combat related
incident in Al Anbar Province.
He was assigned to Headquarters Battalion, first Marine Division,
Camp Pendleton, CA.
Staff Sergeant Guy S. Hagy, Jr., age 31
Staff Sergeant Hagy died September 13 in Baghdad when an improvised
explosive device detonated near his observation post.
He was assigned to the first Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, first
Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX.
He was from Lodi, CA.
Maj. Kevin M. Shea, Age 38
Maj. Shea died September 14 due to enemy action in Al Anbar Province.
He was assigned to first Marine Regiment, first Marine Division, Camp
Pendleton, CA.
Lance Corporal Matthew D. Puckett, age 19
Lance Corporal Puckett died September 13 due to enemy action in Al
Anbar Province.
He was assigned to 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, first Marine
Division, Camp Pendleton, CA.
Corporal Adrian V. Soltau, age 21
Corporal Soltau died September 13 due to enemy action in Al Anbar
Province.
He was assigned to 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, first Marine
Division, Camp Pendleton, CA.
Lance Corporal Drew M. Uhles, age 20
Lance Corporal Uhles died September 15 from injuries received due to
enemy action in Al Anbar Province.
He was assigned to first Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, first Marine
Division, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, CA.
Corporal Jaygee Melaut, age 24
Corporal Melaut died September 13 due to enemy action in Al Anbar
Province.
He was assigned to 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, first Marine
Division, Camp Pendleton, CA.
First Lieutenant Andrew K. Stern, age 24
First Lieutenant Stern died September 16 from injuries received due
to enemy action in Al Anbar Province.
He was assigned to first Tank Battalion, first Marine Division,
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, CA.
Corporal Steven A. Rintamaki, age 21
Corporal Rintamaki died September 16 due to enemy action in Al Anbar
Province.
He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, first Marine Regiment, first Marine
Division, Camp Pendleton, CA.
Corporal Christopher S. Ebert, age 21
Corporal Ebert died September 17 due to enemy action in Al Anbar
Province.
He was assigned to second Battalion, first Marine Regiment, first
Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA.
Lance Corporal Gregory C. Howman, age 28
Lance Corporal Howman died September 15 due to enemy action in Al
Anbar Province.
He was assigned to second Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, first
Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA.
Lance Corporal Steven C.T. Cates, age 22
Lance Corporal Cates died September 20 due to enemy action in Al
Anbar Province.
He was assigned to first Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, first Marine
Division, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, CA.
Sergeant Benjamin K. Smith, age 24
Sergeant Smith died September 22 due to enemy action in Al Anbar
Province.
He was assigned to first Tank Battalion, first Marine Division,
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, CA.
Lance Corporal Ramon Mateo, age 20
Lance Corporal Mateo died September 24 as result of enemy action in
Al Anbar Province.
He was assigned to Headquarters and Service Company, 7th Marine
Regiment, first Marine Division, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center,
Twentynine Palms, CA.
Sergeant Timothy Folmar, age 21
Sergeant Folmar died September 24 as result of enemy action in Al
Anbar Province.
He was assigned to second Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, first
Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA.
Lance Corporal Aaron Boyles, age 24
Lance Corporal Boyles was killed in action September 24 from small
arms
[[Page S10818]]
fire while conducting combat operations in the Al Anbar Province.
He was assigned to Headquarters and Service Company, 7th Marine
Regiment, first Marine Division, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center,
Twentynine Palms, CA.
He was from Alameda, CA.
Sergeant First Class Joselito O. Villanueva, age 36
Sergeant First Class Villanueva died September 27 in Balad, Iraq when
he was at an observation post and was shot by a sniper.
He was assigned to the 9th Engineer Battalion, first Infantry
Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.
He was from Los Angeles, CA.
Private First Class Kenneth L. Sickels, age 20
Private First Class Sickels died September 27 in Al Anbar Province.
He was assigned to first Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, first Marine
Division, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, CA.
He was from Apple Valley, CA.
Two hundred and eighty three soldiers who were either from California
or based in California have been killed while serving our country in
Iraq. I pray for these young Americans and their families.
LIEUTENANT David Kingsley Memorial Service
Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, in just a couple of weeks, on October 23, a
memorial will be erected by villagers and family member at Suhozem,
Bulgaria to honor one of our Nation's brave soldiers and one of
Oregon's native sons, Lt. Kingsley. Today, I wish to take a few minutes
to remember Lt. Kingsley and share his story of great courage and
sacrifice.
The story of Lt. David Kingsley is emblematic of the strength and
pioneering spirit of the earliest Oregonians. Lt. Kingsley was born and
raised in Portland, OR and graduated from Benson High School. Prior to
enlisting in the Air Force, he worked in the disaster unit of the
Portland Fire Bureau--always committed to the service of his community
and country. During the Second World War, he went to pilot training,
and then served as a bombardier in a B-17F. He was assigned to the
341st Bomb Squadron, 97th Bombardment Group, 15th Air Force.
On June 23, 1944, he was on Mission No. 295, flying out of Amendola
airfield in Foggia, Italy against the Dacia Oil Refinery in Ploesti,
Romania. While on the bombing run, the right wing of his aircraft was
hit by enemy fire. His aircraft took 15 strikes, crippling it as it
flew over Bulgaria. The attack injured several members of the aircrew,
including the tail-gunner. Lt. Kingsley had to remove the tail-gunner's
damaged parachute to provide first-aid.
An order to bailout was given; the Lieutenant gave his parachute to
the injured tail-gunner and reminded him to pull the ripcord. The last
airman exiting the crippled aircraft remembers seeing Lt. Kingsley
standing in the bomb bay of the plane, making sure all of his fellow
crew were out of the plane first. Because of Lt. Kingsley's previous
flying experience, he jumped into the pilot's seat and tried to regain
control of the aircraft, which descended and circled the field in an
attempt to land. Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft dive steeply
and crash in a field just north of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Lt. Kingsley
never got out alive. For his extreme bravery he was posthumously
awarded the Medal of Honor.
Today, one of the Oregon Air Guard's F-15 units is based in southern
Oregon at Kingsley Field, named in Lt. Kingsley's honor. This year
marked the 60th anniversary of that fateful day and of Kingsley's
heroism.
At a time when so many young men and women from Oregon and all across
the Nation are fighting overseas, we honor their service. And we must
also remember to honor the service of these veterans--some of whom,
like Lt. Kingsley, have made the ultimate sacrifice--so that we can
live in freedom and continue to pursue our dreams. We do not forget and
will not forget them, and we are forever grateful for their honorable
service to and sacrifices for our Nation.
Sergeant Joshua J. Skvor
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I rise today in honor of a fellow Iowan
and a dedicated serviceman, Sergeant Joshua J. Skvor, of Cedar Rapids,
IA. It is my sad duty to inform the Senate that Sgt. Skvor, a member of
the Iowa National Guard, lost his life when the truck he was driving
was involved in a collision with another vehicle north of Amana, IA. My
deepest sympathy goes out to his family and friends. Sgt. Skvor was
assigned to the Iowa Army National Guard's Headquarters and
Headquarters Company, 234th Signal Battalion, stationed in Cedar
Rapids. He is survived by his mother and father, Rachel and Joseph
Skvor. They can be very proud of their son.
Though not currently serving on Federal active duty, Sgt. Skvor had
recently returned from a 14-month deployment in Iraq in support of
Operation Iraqi Freedom. As we mourn his tragic loss, it is fitting
that we pay tribute to his service to his country. He will be missed by
his fellow soldiers as well as all those who knew him.
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