[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 19 (Friday, February 18, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S1715]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page S1715]]
                        TRIBUTE TO BRIAN HOPPER

 Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, today, I rise with a heavy heart 
to honor the life of a courageous young man from the State of Arkansas, 
and to pay tribute to the sacrifice he made on behalf of our way of 
life. Brian Hopper lived his life with an energy, sense of adventure, 
and courage that we can all admire. These were the qualities he 
displayed throughout his childhood, playing and hunting in the woods 
around his home in northeast Arkansas. They were also the qualities 
that ultimately drew him to military service, bravely defending freedom 
in a land he had never known.
  Lance Corporal Hopper grew up just outside of the small Arkansas town 
of Wynne. Like other boys his age, he enjoyed growing up in the 
countryside; spending his time in the woods and trails near his home. 
Much of this time was spent with his hunting buddy, his father Rob, who 
taught him how to shoot when he was six. Together, they could often be 
found fishing or looking for deer, squirrels, and rabbits.
  At Wynne High School, Lance Corporal Hopper was a member of the drama 
club and the school's broadcast journalism class, where he helped with 
the daily news program. He graduated in the Spring of 2002, and it was 
clear to friends and family that his next step would be enlistment in 
the U.S. Marine Corps. Although he was turned down by Marine Corps 
recruiters in Arkansas because of recent reconstructive knee surgery, 
this resilient young man would not be detoured. Instead, he made the 
trip to neighboring Mississippi and met with a new set of recruiters. 
He never mentioned his knee surgery and was allowed to enlist in 
September of 2002. He would go on to attend the School of Infantry in 
January of 2003, where he trained to become a rifleman.
  Lance Corporal Hopper made a brief trip home during Christmas of 
2003, following the completion of boot camp. It was quickly apparent to 
his family that he not only matured physically, but he also spoke and 
acted differently. The young man they had watched grow up over the 
years was now truly a marine, and his father couldn't have been more 
proud.
  As a part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Lance Corporal Hooper was 
deployed to the war-torn nation last summer and quickly earned the 
reputation of a tough, loyal soldier who repeatedly rose above the call 
of duty. During military operations in Fallujah, he earned his first 
Purple Heart after taking on incoming fire. The flak jacket he was 
wearing saved him from serious injury, and possibly death. Soon after, 
he earned yet another Purple Heart from much more severe wounds. After 
raiding an Iraqi home and shooting an armed insurgent, he was struck by 
an explosion from a fallen grenade that left shrapnel in his knee, leg, 
arm, and face. Although his wounds were severe enough to have him 
airlifted to Germany, he chose to stay in Iraq with his unit. His 
personal safety was an afterthought to the loyalty he had for his 
comrades and the mission before them. Although he still carried pieces 
of shrapnel in him, he would carry on the fight. It was a testament to 
the courage and the heart of this brave marine.
  On January 26, he boarded a CH-53E helicopter on a routine mission to 
help guard the Syrian border for the Iraqi elections. Tragically, the 
helicopter crashed amid severe weather conditions in western Iraq. All 
31 soldiers aboard were killed, and it was destined to become the 
deadliest day of the war thus far for American forces.
  Lance Corporal Hopper's brother, Patrick, who was also serving in 
Iraq as a marine lance corporal, would accompany his brother's body on 
that final flight home from Dover Air Force Base to Memphis. Emergency 
vehicles would shut down every intersection between Memphis and Wynne 
and allow the two brothers to return home to their family.
  On the day of Lance Corporal Hopper's funeral, the State flag was 
flown at half-mast over the State Capitol in Little Rock. Along the 12-
mile procession from the memorial service to Harris Chapel Cemetery, 
friends, neighbors and mourners lined the streets to show their respect 
and to honor this fallen Arkansas hero. Many held American flags high, 
many saluted, and others held their right hands over their heart.
  At his final resting place, Lance Corporal Hopper was buried with 
full military honors. It was just a short walk from the home and the 
woods where he had spent his childhood, and it served as a reminder of 
how very far he had come in his life. The courageous and honorable way 
in which he lived his 21 years is a testament to the kind of person he 
was. When we think of Brian Hopper, we will think of this legacy, and 
will be reminded of how we are forever grateful to this brave young man 
for the sacrifice he made on behalf of freedom, and on behalf of us 
all. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and to all 
those who knew and loved him.

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