[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 88 (Tuesday, June 28, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1377-E1378]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO ARMY SPECIALIST NICK IDALSKI

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 28, 2005

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness and respect that 
I wish to commend United States Army Specialist Nick Idalski for the 
service and sacrifice he paid to this country. Specialist Idalski was 
tragically killed in the field of battle, while bravely conducting 
combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq, on June 21, 2005, just over a week 
shy of his 24th birthday. Specialist Idalski served our country with 
great honor, valor, and courage.
  Specialist Idalski was assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 9th 
Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, and 2nd Infantry Division 
in Fort Carson, Colorado. His sacrifice will be remembered at funeral 
services on Wednesday, June 29, 2005, by a community that has been 
devastated by the loss of one of its own.
  A native of Crown Point, Indiana, Specialist Idalski graduated from 
Crown Point High School in 2001. After graduation he went on to work 
for a local construction company and then to train as an emergency 
medical technician, where he finished at the top of his class. Instead 
of taking a more conventional route, Specialist Idalski bravely decided 
to enlist in the army to make a difference and to make his family 
proud.
  Many of his friends and his family recall him as a free spirited 
teenager, so it came as a surprise when Specialist Idalski decided to 
join the Army. However, as his time in the army progressed and he 
finished basic training in 2003 at Fort Benning, Georgia, he made his 
friends and family proud. After spending time in Korea, he was sent to 
Iraq in August of 2004, where he courageously served his country. 
Specialist Idalski had chosen to make a career out of his service in 
the Army.
  He loved his country and the members of his unit; however, Specialist 
Idalski treasured his family above all else. He is survived by his 
Mother, Kim Greenberg; Step-Father, Rick Greenberg, a retired Marine; 
Step-Brother, Army Sergeant Kevin Greenberg; and girlfriend, Lisa 
Wheeler. His community mourns with his family, and he is missed 
tremendously. The city of Crown Point, Indiana will honor Specialist 
Idalski with a moment of silence at the beginning of their Fourth of 
July parade.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues 
join me in honoring a fallen hero, United States Army Specialist Nick 
Idalski. Specialist Idalski sacrificed his life during Operation Iraqi 
Freedom, and his passing comes as setback to a community already shaken 
by the realities of war. Specialist Idalski will forever remain a hero 
in the eyes of his family, his community, and his country; thus, let us 
never forget the brave sacrifice he made in order to preserve the 
ideals of freedom and democracy.

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