[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 20 (Monday, February 28, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1791-S1792]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                   corporal matthew reed smith, usmc

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, today I rise to speak on the recent passing 
of Corporal Matthew Reed Smith of the United States Marine Corps. 
Corporal Smith was a native of West Valley City, UT, who died in a 
helicopter crash near the town of Rutbah, Iraq. Corporal Smith was one 
of 29 Marines and one Navy sailor who lost their lives in that fateful 
accident. Today, I know the Senate will join me in honoring their 
memory as heroes who died in performance of their duty. The sacrifice 
of these brave servicemen will be remembered forever.
  Corporal Smith, during his younger years, often dreamed of being in 
the Armed Forces. I have been told that as a child he would play make-
believe with his brothers on the hill in front of their home and that 
he always insisted on being the ``Marine.'' Nicknamed the ``Three 
Musketeers'' by their mother, Corporal Smith and his two brothers grew 
up doing the things they loved most, camping, hunting, wrestling, and 
riding their motorbikes in the mountains.
  Corporal Smith joined the Marines because ``they were the first ones 
in there.'' As a Marine, he fought bravely to expel the insurgents from 
the city of

[[Page S1792]]

Fallujah. There were times during the fighting when he could hear the 
bullets whistling past his head. His best friend lost an arm and a leg 
in the Battle for Fallujah.
  Being unable to obtain leave in order to attend the wedding of his 
brother last March, members of his family made a life-size cutout of 
Corporal Smith and moved it around the dance floor as the night 
progressed. On learning of Corporal Smith's death, his family placed 
the cutout in the living room of their home. That silhouette of 
Corporal Smith, dressed sharply in his Marine uniform, today remains in 
our hearts as a symbol that he served his country with honor and 
courage.
  Recently, I had the opportunity to visit a website created to honor 
him. I was struck by the number of comments and sentiments that clearly 
showed that Corporal Smith was a true friend and loved by all who knew 
him. In one particularly moving tribute, a fellow mourner wrote that he 
could not imagine Corporal Smith departing this life ``in any other way 
than selflessly serving others.''
  Mr. President, it is a privilege to learn about the extraordinary 
life of such a man.

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