[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 19 (Friday, February 18, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E296]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO 1LT ANDREW C. SHIELDS

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                            HON. BOB INGLIS

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 17, 2005

  Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I am moved to commend to 
this House a thoughtful eulogy commemorating the life of one of 
America's finest: 1LT Andrew C. Shields.
  The eulogy was written and delivered by Brandon Steelman at First 
Lieutenant Shield's funeral at New Prospect Baptist Church, Campobello, 
South Carolina, on December 18, 2004.

        Eulogy For a Fallen Soldier: First Lt. Andrew C. Shields

       This past week has been filled with things that quite 
     simply can't be understood. While there are many larger and 
     more profound mysteries, one of the smaller mysteries I've 
     faced this week is why Andrew would have me give these 
     remarks today. Certainly, he had many friends who knew him 
     just as well, if not better, than I did. And certainly he 
     loved his family above all others. Each of those family 
     members would be better suited to make these remarks today; 
     after all, I didn't spend my childhood dressing like him as 
     Philip did! But I think I'm here because Andrew would be too 
     uncomfortable watching a beloved family member stand and 
     undoubtedly cry in remembrance of him. But he was always OK 
     when I stood up to embarrass myself. In fact, he encouraged 
     it. So I can't think of a better way to embarrass myself on 
     Andrew's behalf than to start with me, crying like a baby, 
     when I first heard the horrible news we've all been trying to 
     accept this past week.
       One of my first thoughts was to turn to the Episcopalian 
     Book of Common Prayer. In it I quickly found a prayer I'd 
     like to share. Entitled For those in the Armed Forces of our 
     Country, it reads: . . .

     Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping 
           all the men and women of our Armed Forces, at home and 
           abroad.
     Defend them, day by day, with your heavenly grace;
     Strengthen them, in their trials and temptations;
     Give them courage, to face the perils which beset them;
     And grant them a sense of your abiding presence, wherever 
           they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

       I read that prayer three times: the first time, I was too 
     overcome with emotion to finish; the second, I was overcome 
     with guilt for not having said that prayer every day Andrew 
     had been away. But when I read it a third time, I realized 
     Andrew didn't need my prayerful requests on his behalf. This 
     prayer asks for a few important things, but Andrew had each 
     of those, and it didn't take a friend reciting an old prayer 
     to make them real for him.
       The prayer asked for strength in his trials, but, Andrew 
     was already strong. He had a physical strength, sure: he 
     ultimately got bored wrestling me so he turned it into a game 
     of seeing how many time he could spin me in the air before 
     pinning me to the ground. But it wasn't just physical 
     strength that impressed so many people about Andrew. He had a 
     strength of character. Without that, how does one put on hold 
     a rewarding career, a promising salary, and the potential of 
     finding his dream girl, all to leave the comfort of his newly 
     constructed house for a far away land and a mission? Yes, 
     Andrew had strength.
       The prayer asks for the benefits of heavenly grace. But 
     Andrew's faith was already based on grace. In a generation 
     where it's not cool to embrace religion, and not cool to hold 
     yourself to unwavering moral principles, Andrew was a rare 
     example of someone who not only incorporated religion into 
     their weekly schedule, but who let it guide every aspect 
     of his life. Andrew's soul was defended by grace long 
     before I read that prayer.
       The prayer concludes by asking God to grant a sense of His 
     abiding presence. But those of us here are already comforted 
     by Andrew's faith, courage, and strength. We find comfort 
     knowing that as we say the words, ``wherever he may be,'' 
     Andrew maintains a sense of God's abiding presence, for he is 
     graciously embraced by the spirit of our Heavenly Father.
       This prayer helps me, even though initially too difficult 
     to read, because it reassures me to know Andrew's faith 
     guided his life and protects him beyond his death.
       With a loss as great as Andrew, no single prayer will bring 
     us the comfort we seek. In search of that reassurance, I 
     visited a war memorial near my house. Inscribed there, in 
     black marble, is a quote by George Washington. In words too 
     long to recite today, he calls us to honor our nation's 
     veterans, for it's our appreciation now that will determine 
     the willingness of future generations to serve in wars to 
     come. That quote reminded me of how inspired Andrew had been 
     by his father's military service, and how proud he was to 
     serve as an aviator for the country that brought aviation to 
     the world. He considered the military an extended family and 
     would have been honored to know that, as George Washington 
     alluded, in honoring Andrew today, we prepare future 
     generations to join his extended family and defend our nation 
     as he so bravely did.
       Shortly, uniformed pallbearers will place Andrew's body on 
     a horse-drawn carriage and, with full honors, give him a 
     farewell worthy of his immeasurable sacrifice. But it's 
     important to remember that Andrew never embraced recognition.
       Before he left for Iraq, he visited a class of second 
     graders, who embraced him and adopted him as their pen-pal. 
     He was flattered when some of them asked for his autograph, 
     but told us later that he hadn't done anything heroic. As we 
     all know, Andrew is a hero. Those second graders recognized 
     that, as many of us did. But he didn't embrace our 
     recognition. In the wake of Sept 11, when he was learning to 
     fly his Apache, I spoke to him of his heroism, but he humbly 
     dismissed me, quickly joking that I must have been drinking. 
     Similarly, he would have blushed to see this much support 
     today, and while graciously accepting the honor bestowed upon 
     him by a grateful nation, he would want us to remember him 
     for those great moments he shared with us in life.
       My sister, for example, said she will remember him as a 
     giant snowball tumbling down the ski slopes as were tried to 
     snowboard for the first time. I think memories like that 
     would make him happy. In his humility and simple faith, we 
     would bring him the most joy if today we honor him for the 
     hero he is, and tomorrow we remember him for the great person 
     he was.

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