[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 70 (Tuesday, May 24, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S5841]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                      marine corporal todd godwin

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I rise this afternoon to pay tribute to an 
exceptional young man who gave his life in the defense of freedom. 
Marine Cpl Todd Godwin, from Zanesville, OH, died on July 20, 2004, 
when the Humvee he was riding in was struck by shrapnel from a roadside 
explosive in the Al Anbar province in Iraq. He was 21 years old.
  CPL Godwin was a sniper with the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd 
Marine Division and was on his second tour-of-duty in Iraq. Always 
ready with a smile or a joke, Todd was an easy going, respectful person 
with a big heart. He was also a Marine through and through--something 
he took very seriously--something he had been training for his whole 
life.
  Born on March 4, 1983, to Bill and Kathy Godwin, Todd was an alert, 
energetic child who grew up with an interest in the military. His 
father remembers him playing with G.I. Joes, wearing fatigues, and 
simulating wars. According to his brother, Aaron, the two boys would 
hang dolls outside and shoot at them with a BB gun, honing their 
targeting skills.
  Apart from these activities, Todd sought to perfect his body. He 
could often be found working out at ``the Fieldhouse'' fitness center 
or practicing his Tae Kwon Do, for which he received two black-belts. 
Whether intentional or not, Todd seemed to be grooming himself for the 
military, acquiring a host of skills that would serve him well in the 
Marines.
  After graduating from Zanesville Christian School in June 2001, he 
joined the Marines. His high school principal said that Todd ``had a 
goal of being a Marine, and he wasn't going to let anything get in the 
way of that.''
  Todd excelled as a Marine and completed the intensely competitive and 
selective sniper training to win a spot in the sniper platoon. It was a 
spot he wanted because, according to his mother, ``He wanted to be with 
people who were really serious about what they did.'' Indeed, Todd 
Godwin was a serious Marine who took pride in his duty to defend our 
country and to spread freedom to other parts of the world.
  Todd was an exemplary Marine and also just a good, decent person--the 
type of person others remember as having ``a way about them''--the type 
of person who was quick to smile, who was compassionate, and who was 
good at making people feel at ease. It seems as though everyone who 
knew Todd liked him.
  One of his friends, Austin Thompson, remembers Todd's ability to 
laugh in almost any situation: ``He always had a great sense of humor, 
and he was also very loyal to his friends. He always looked out for 
them and loved to be with them.''
  Todd encouraged one of his friends, Josh Carpenter, to ``hang tough'' 
in Marine boot camp. He wrote a letter to Josh that said, ``I'm sure 
you can't wait to graduate and get some of the comforts of life back. 
Just remember you have to pay your dues, just like every Marine. I'm 
sure you'll do fine--I have confidence you'll succeed.'' Josh had 
joined the Marines because he looked up to Todd. Todd's letter helped 
Josh get through the challenges of boot camp, so that he, too, could be 
one of the few and the proud.
  A letter like that is a little thing, a small deed, but Todd Godwin 
was always doing those ``little things'' for others. That is just who 
he was. When Todd saw that his fiancee's younger brother, Caleb, was 
wearing a U.S. Navy tie clasp, he brought him a Marine clasp to wear, 
instead. It was a small gift that meant a great deal to Caleb, who 
describes Todd as ``my best buddy I ever had.''
  One of Todd's friends from high school, Kimberly Burley, remembers 
another of his deeds that took place on the night of the Zanesville 
Christian School junior-senior banquet:

       It was raining that night, and he came out to greet all the 
     girls at their car with an umbrella.

  Such a gallant act was really typical of Todd. It was just another 
``little thing'' he had done for others.
  But, when we look at all the ``little things'' together--the letters, 
the tie clasps, the way he acted always, the jokes that made people 
smile--we see such a much bigger picture, a picture of an exceptionally 
caring, thoughtful, generous young man. We see that he did the ``little 
things'' for people because he had a very big heart.
  Todd also had big plans. He was engaged to Andrea Mendenhall, whom he 
loved dearly. They were planning on getting married when Todd finished 
his tour of duty in Iraq. Todd and Andrea were going to go to college 
with money Todd was saving through the GI bill. They also talked of 
someday moving to Corpus Christi, TX. These plans, of course, were not 
realized because Todd, once again, was looking out for others, as he 
did all his life. His dreams were put on hold so that others could be 
free and safe and able to fulfill their own dreams.
  Mr. President, and Members of the Senate, a uniform does not make a 
marine. The person wearing that uniform makes a marine. And, each color 
of that uniform signifies the characteristics of the marine inside it. 
Todd Godwin wore his uniform with pride. He exemplified the blue 
standing for bravery, the white standing for honor, and the red 
standing for sacrifice. Unique to the Marine uniform, of course, is the 
bright, red stripe that runs the length of each trouser leg--the 
``bloodstripe.'' It represents all the blood shed by marines in battle. 
It is a red stripe of sacrifice--and for Todd Godwin, it represents the 
ultimate sacrifice.
  Todd was truly a man of faith, who lived the Marine credo ``Semper 
Fidelis,'' which means, of course, ``always faithful.'' Todd was 
forever faithful to his friends and family, through his love and care; 
to his community, through his respect and good deeds; and to his 
country, through his courage and his sacrifice. For all that Todd gave 
us, we honor him today.
  My wife, Fran, and I continue to keep Todd's parents, Bill and Kathy; 
his brother, Aaron; his sisters, Sarah and Anna; his grandparents, 
Clement and Esther Jones; and, the love of his life, Andrea Mendenhall, 
in our thoughts and in our prayers.
  Mr. President, I thank the Chair and yield the floor.

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