[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 37 (Tuesday, April 5, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E552-E553]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO SERGEANT FIRST CLASS PAUL SMITH

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM DAVIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 5, 2005

  Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Sergeant First 
Class Paul Smith, of Tampa, Florida.
  Yesterday, President Bush posthumously awarded Sergeant Smith with 
our nation's highest military honor--the first Medal of Honor awarded 
to a soldier since 1993. Sergeant Smith always gave his fellow 
soldiers, his country and his family his very best. But on April 4, 
2003, Sergeant Smith showed extraordinary valor when making the 
ultimate sacrifice for the soldiers whose lives he saved and the values 
and ideals that have made this country great.
  Sergeant Smith had always wanted to serve our country as a 
professional soldier, and when he graduated from Tampa Bay Technical 
High School at 18, he immediately enlisted in the Army. He went on to 
serve in the Persian Gulf War, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo before 
serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
  Sergeant Smith was known for holding his soldiers to high standards, 
but on April 4, 2003, he held himself to the highest standard of all. 
Sergeant Smith's unit, B Company of the 11th Engineer Battalion was 
constructing a prisoner holding area at Baghdad Airport when their 
compound came under attack by nearly 100 Iraqi soldiers. Sergeant Smith 
immediately organized the unit's defense and risked his own life to 
hold back the enemy and help move injured soldiers to safety.
  Despite Sergeant Smith and the unit's efforts, the enemy continued to 
fire on the compound. When faced with the call of having to pull his 
troops back, Sergeant Smith chose instead to take an exposed position 
behind a

[[Page E553]]

mounted .50-caliber machine gun and fire through three boxes of 
ammunition before being mortally wounded by enemy fire.
  The official medal citation said Sergeant 1st Class Smith's 
``courageous actions helped defeat the enemy attack, and resulted in as 
many as 50 enemy soldiers killed, while allowing the safe withdrawal of 
numerous wounded soldiers. Sergeant First Class Smith's extraordinary 
heroism and uncommon valor are in keeping with the highest traditions 
of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the 
Third Infantry Division `Rock of the Marne,' and the United States 
Army.''
  Paul Smith was a loving and devoted father, husband, brother and son. 
While the Medal of Honor will never fill the enormous hole in hearts of 
Sergeant Smith's family, this honor signifies our nation's deepest 
appreciation for Sergeant Smith's heroism and sacrifice. His courage 
and patriotism will never be forgotten.

                          ____________________