[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 51 (Monday, April 25, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4215-S4217]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I had asked for an hour to speak for the 
Record on a number of issues. First, I will pay tribute to 53 young 
Americans who have been killed in Iraq since December 7, 2004. This 
brings to 402 the number of soldiers who were either from California or 
based in California that have been killed while serving our country. I 
want to make the point to my colleagues this represents 26 percent of 
all the military deaths in Iraq. Twenty-six percent of those deaths 
have come from California, either the person was born and raised in 
California or was stationed in California. We continue to mourn those 
losses. As I have promised since the day the war started, I will pay 
tribute to them by name so they are not forgotten.
  CPL In C. Kim died December 7 as a result of a nonhostile vehicle 
incident in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to Camp Pendleton.
  PFC Christopher S. Adlesperger died December 9 as a result of enemy 
action in Al Anbar Province. He was also assigned to Camp Pendleton.
  I want to mention the ages of these soldiers too. Corporal Kim was 23 
years old. PFC Christopher Adlesperger was 20 years old.
  SPC Edwin W. Roodhouse, 36 years old, died December 5 in Habbaniyah, 
Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his humvee. He 
was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 56th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry 
Division, Camp Greaves, Korea, and he was from San Jose, CA.

[[Page S4216]]

  SSgt Melvin L. Blazer, age 38, died December 12 as a result of enemy 
action in Al Anbar Province. He also was assigned to Camp Pendleton.
  LCpl Hilario F. Lopez, age 22, died December 12 as a result of enemy 
action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned also to Camp Pendleton.
  LCpl Gregory Rund, age 21, died December 11 as a result of enemy 
action in Al Anbar Province. He also was assigned to Camp Pendleton.
  CPL Ian W. Stewart, age 21, died December 12 as a result of enemy 
action in Al Anbar Province. He was also assigned to Camp Pendleton, 
and he was from Lake Hughes, CA.
  SGT Jeffrey Kirk, age 24, died December 12 as a result of enemy 
action in Al Anbar Province, also assigned to Camp Pendleton.
  LCpl Joshua Dickinson, age 25, died December 12 as a result of enemy 
action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to Camp Pendleton.
  CPL Michael Anderson, age 21, died December 14 as a result of enemy 
action in Al Anbar Province. He was also assigned to Camp Pendleton, CA 
and was from Modesto, CA.
  LCpl Neil Petsche, age 21, died December 21 due injuries received 
from a nonhostile vehicle incident in Al Anbar Province. He was 
assigned to Twentynine Palms, CA.
  SSG Robert S. Johnson, age 23, died December 21 in Mosul when his 
dining facility was attacked. He was assigned to Fort Lewis, WA, but he 
was from Castro Valley, CA.
  SPC Jonathan Castro, age 21, died December 21 in Mosul when his 
dining facility was attacked. He was assigned to Fort Lewis, WA, but he 
was from Corona, CA.
  LCpl Eric Hillenburg, age 21, died December 23 as a result of enemy 
action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to Camp Pendleton, CA.
  LCpl James Phillips, age 21, died December 23 as a result of enemy 
action in Al Anbar Province. He, too, was assigned to Camp Pendleton, 
CA.
  CPL Raleigh Smith, age 21, died December 23 as a result of enemy 
action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to Camp Pendleton, CA.
  Navy Seaman Pablito Pena Briones, Jr., age 22, died December 28 of a 
nonhostile gunshot wound in Fallujah. The incident is under 
investigation. He was assigned to the 1st Marine Division Detachment, 
Naval Medical Center, San Diego. He was from Anaheim, CA.

  PFC Oscar Sanchez, age 19, died December 28 in Mosul when a vehicle-
borne improvised explosive device struck his observation post. He was 
assigned to Fort Lewis, WA, and was from Modesto, CA.
  LCpl Jason Smith, age 21, died December 31 as a result of hostile 
action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to Camp Pendleton, CA.
  LCpl Julio Cisneros Alvarez died January 6 as a result of hostile 
action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to Twentynine Palms, CA.
  SGT Zachariah S. Davis died January 6 as a result of hostile action 
in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to Twentynine Palms, CA, and he 
was from San Bernardino, CA.
  CPL Paul Holter, III, age 21, died January 14 due to noncombat-
related incident at Camp Ramadi, Iraq. He was assigned to Camp 
Pendleton, CA.
  CAPT Joe F. Lusk, II, age 24, died January 21 in Camp Buehring, 
Kuwait, of noncombat-related injuries. He was assigned to Fort Bragg, 
NC, but he was from Reedley, CA.
  SSG Jose C. Rangel, age 43, died January 23 in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, 
of noncombat-related injuries. He was assigned to the Aviation 
Classification Repair Activity Depot in Fresno, CA. He was from 
Saratoga.
  Petty Officer Third Class John House, age 28, died in a helicopter 
crash near Ar Rutbah, Iraq. He was assigned to Pearl Harbor but he was 
from Ventura, CA.
  CPT Paul Alaniz, age 32, died January 26 when the CH-53E helicopter 
he was in crashed near Ar Rutbah, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Corps 
Air Station, Miramar, CA.
  CPT Lyle Gordon, age 30, died January 26 when the CH-53E helicopter 
he was in crashed near Ar Rutbah, Iraq. He was also assigned to Marine 
Corps Air Station, Miramar, CA.
  SSG Dexter S. Kimball, age 30, died January 26 when the CH-53E 
helicopter he was in crashed. He was also assigned to Marine Corps Air 
Station, Miramar, CA.
  LCpl Mourad Ragimov, age 20, also died in that same helicopter which 
crashed near Ar Rutbah, Iraq. He was from San Diego and assigned to a 
Marine base in Hawaii.
  1LT Dustin N. Shumney, age 30, died January 26 when the CH-53E 
helicopter he was in crashed.
  LCpl Joseph B. Spence, age 24, died January 26 when the CH-53E 
helicopter he was in crashed near Ar Rutbah, Iraq. He was assigned to 
1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, Marine Corps 
Base Hawaii. He was from Scotts Valley, CA.
  LCpl Tony L. Hernandez, age 22, died January 26 when the CH-53E 
helicopter he was in crashed near Ar Rutbah, Iraq. He was assigned to 
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd 
Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, CA.
  CPL Stephen P. Johnson, age 24, died January 26 when the CH-53E 
helicopter he was in crashed near Ar Rutbah, Iraq. He was assigned to 
1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, Marine Corps 
Base Hawaii. He was from Covina, CA.
  PFC Kevin M. Luna, age 26, died January 27 in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, from 
noncombat related injuries. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 63rd 
Armor Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, Vilseck, Germany. He was from 
Oxnard, CA.
  SSG Joseph W. Stevens, age 26, died January 24 in Mohammed Sacran, 
Iraq when his Bradley Fighting Vehicle overturned. He was assigned to 
the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry, 1st Infantry Division, Vilseck, 
Germany. He was from Sacramento, CA.
  LCDR Keith E. Taylor, age 47, died January 29 in a rocket attack on 
the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. He was assigned to Commander, U.S. Naval 
Forces, Central Command, Iraq Detachment. He was from Irvine, CA.
  LCDR Edward E. Jack, age 51, died January 29 of a noncombat related 
incident aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard. He was assigned to Commander, 
Destroyer Squadron Seven, home ported in San Diego, CA.
  LCpl Nazario Serrano, age 20, died January 30 as a result of hostile 
action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to the Combat Service 
Support Battalion 1, Combat Service Support Group 11, 1st Force Service 
Support Group, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  PFC Stephen A. Castellano, age 21, died January 28 in Mosul, Iraq 
from a noncombat related injury. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 14th 
Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division (Light) from Schofield 
Barracks, Hawaii. He was from Long Beach, CA.
  LCpl Richard C. Clifton, age 19, died February 3 as a result of 
hostile action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 
5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  CPT Sean Lee Brock, age 29, died February 2 after sustaining a fatal 
shrapnel wound to his abdomen from an explosion while conducting combat 
operations in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned 1st Marine Division, 
Okinawa, Japan. He was from Redondo Beach, CA.
  CPL Kevin M. Clarke, age 21, died February 19 as a result of hostile 
action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th 
Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Twentynine Palms, CA.
  SPC Wade Michael Twyman, age 27, died March 4 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq when 
an improvised explosive device detonated near his patrol. He was 
assigned to the 1st Infantry Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd 
Brigade Combat Team, Camp Hovey, Korea. He was from Vista, CA.
  PFC Samuel S. Lee, age 19, died March 28 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq from non-
combat related injuries. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 506th 
Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, Camp Greaves, Korea. He was 
from Anaheim, CA.
  CPL Garrywesley T. Rimes, age 30, died April 1 as a result of hostile 
action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th 
Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California. 
During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Rimes was attached to 2nd Marine 
Division. He was from Santa Maria, CA.
  CPL William D. Richardson, age 23, died April 3 in Baghdad when he 
came under enemy fire and fell into a canal.

[[Page S4217]]

He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 1st 
Armored Division, Fort Riley, KS. He was from Moreno Valley, CA.
  LCpl Juan C. Venegas, age 21, died April 7 as a result of a vehicle 
accident while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province. He 
was assigned 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 
Twentynine Palms, CA. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Venegas was 
attached to 2nd Marine Division. He was from Simi Valley, CA.
  SPC Glenn J. Watkins, age 42, died April 5 in Baghdad when a vehicle-
born improvised explosive device detonated near his military vehicle. 
He was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 161st 
Infantry, Kent, WA. He was from Carlsbad, CA.
  PFC Casey M. LaWare, age 19, died April 9 at Landstuhl Regional 
Medical Center in Germany from noncombat related injuries sustained 
April 6 in Al Mahmudiyah, Iraq. He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 
11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Irwin, CA. He was from Redding, CA.
  CPT James C. Edge, age 31, was killed April 14 by enemy small-arms 
fire while conducting combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq. He was 
assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 
Camp Pendleton, CA. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Edge was attached 
to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force.
  CPL Tyler J. Dickens, age 20, died April 12 at Brooke Army Medical 
Center in San Antonio, TX, of injuries sustained April 6 in Al 
Mahmudiyah, Iraq, when his guard tower caught fire. He was assigned to 
the Army's 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Irwin, CA.
  CPL Kelly M. Cannan, age 21, was killed April 20 as the result of the 
detonation of an improvised explosive device while conducting combat 
operations in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th 
Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. As part of 
Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to a 2nd Marine 
Division.
  LCpl Marty G. Mortenson, age 22, was killed April 20 as the result of 
the detonation of an improvised explosive device while conducting 
combat operations in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 
5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. As part 
of Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to a 2nd Marine 
Division.
  I pray for these young Americans and their families.
  Mr. President, it is with a very heavy heart that I continue to 
report to the Senate on these young people, and not so young people, 
who are being killed in Iraq, it seems, almost every day. In this 
eulogy where I simply read the names and tell you how this happened, we 
have talked about people from the age of 19 to 51 years old. In this 
war, we have people of all ages because it is the regular military and 
also Reserves and National Guard. We have a lot of people who are 
married with children. The loss is huge, regardless of age. Often, 
there are even more people who are effected when we have someone who is 
married with a family--not only the moms and dads but the spouses and 
the children and the broader community.
  So I pray for these young Americans, may they rest in peace; and I 
pray for their families, may they heal. It is the ultimate act of 
bravery to answer the call of the Commander in Chief. It is the 
ultimate act of bravery. I was in Iraq last month, and the security 
challenges we face there are enormous. I don't have the time tonight to 
go into detail. It was a bipartisan trip of Senators, and each Senator 
had two guards at all times with machine guns, plus additional security 
all around us. We could not go on the main road from Baghdad Airport 
because of the lack of safety. We flew in Blackhawk helicopters with 
the greatest pilots in the world, with two machine guns looking out at 
all times. Every time we were anywhere on the ground, you could smell 
the danger. We were so well protected. Even in the General Assembly 
building, where you would think it would be very safe, they said it was 
the site of kidnappings.
  Even in the Embassy compound, we heard that one of the military 
people killed there, LCDR Keith Taylor, died January 29 in a rocket 
attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. That is a highly protected and 
defended place. We sat there, and I noted the looks on the faces of the 
civilians sitting around--the fear, the anguish, the anxiety. I made a 
point of thanking them for their service. I know they want to build a 
democracy there. I noted how fearful and anxious they looked. I truly 
expected at least one of them to say: No, you are misreading it; that 
is not so. But they did not contradict it.
  It is a very dangerous place. I think we all learned that through 
loss of that beautiful young woman, Marla Ruzicka, who is a true hero 
of her generation, if not the country. She was working in Iraq with a 
nonprofit organization she set up that actually was funded by this 
Senate, I am proud to say, to find the innocent victims of war, what we 
call collateral damage of war. Marla put a face on these little 
children and these grieving mothers and fathers.
  She would go out into the homes of the Iraqi people--it is so 
dangerous to do that--with her blond hair flying. She would take the 
testimony, and then she would bring it back to the military who grew to 
trust Marla. Then, if it all checked out, these people would get some 
recompense to try and rebuild their lives.
  It was a very moving funeral I went to with my family in Lakeport, 
CA. People came from all over the country and all over the world to 
honor Marla. I know Senator Leahy, on our side, has taken the lead on 
this incredible program. I hope to work with him and Members of both 
sides of the aisle to make sure that program continues.
  Of course, we need to have a plan for success in Iraq, and my view is 
we do not have that right now. When we ask the people who brought us 
the war, namely the President, how long we are going to be there, he 
says: As long as it takes. I think we can do better. I think there are 
five or six things we can do. But, again, I do not have time to go into 
it tonight, and I have spoken about this at length before.
  Clearly, training the Iraqis is key, and General Petraeus told us 
when we met with him that he is very high on the Iraqi troops. He 
thinks they are terrific. He thinks they can step in. There are 120,000 
of them. This is good news. We ought to be able to begin to bring our 
troops home and replace them with the Iraqis.
  I also met with the new leaders of the country, and I believe if we 
do not set some dates, they will forever rely on us. I do not think 
that is the way it should be. I really do not. They need to get on 
their own two feet, and we ought to help them--train these soldiers, 
train these police forces and bring our troops back.
  It is not working out well for us over there. It is counterproductive 
right now. The CIA told us that when we visited. Indeed, the head of 
the CIA told us in hearings that it is fueling the insurgency. General 
Newbolt, who planned the original military victory in Iraq, told us the 
same. We need to have a goal of when we are going to leave because 
otherwise it is fueling discontent. The insurgency is so deep now. 
Different groups are coming every day taking ``credit'' for these 
horrible civilian deaths.
  The status quo is not good there. I hope we can move forward with a 
plan for success. A lot of our people have given their lives and their 
limbs, thousands of them coming home without limbs, over 11,000 at this 
point. We need to stand with them and with their families and make sure 
we are there for them because they are suffering mightily.
  They are brave, they are courageous, they will do whatever they are 
asked to do. They are extraordinary. We need to stand with them, 
regardless of whether we think this war was the best thing we ever did 
or the worst thing we ever did. That is secondary. We have to stand 
with them.

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