[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 94 (Wednesday, July 13, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8240-S8241]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


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                  ARMY SERGEANT CHARLES ``CHUCK'' WEBB

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, this evening I honor the life of Army SGT 
Charles ``Chuck'' Webb, from Hamilton, OH. Chuck was a member of 
Company A, 82nd Engineering Battalion, 1st Infantry, Division, based 
out of Bamberg, Germany. On November 3, 2004, Sergeant Webb was killed 
near Salman Pak, Iraq, when a roadside bomb detonated. He was 9 days 
shy of his 23rd birthday.
  Days before his death, Chuck had told his squad that he didn't want 
them in harm's way if he could help it and that he would be taking the 
lead whenever possible. That was the kind of person Chuck was--always 
looking out for others, always giving them strength, always keeping 
them safe.
  Chuck was born in San Antonio, TX, on November 12, 1981. He moved 
with his family to Hamilton when he was in sixth grade. Chuck was an 
easy going, likable kid. He had a passion for history, especially World 
War II history. He and his father, Conley, could talk at length on the 
subject, and Chuck was known for his ability to recall facts and 
figures from specific battles.
  Conley, a veteran of Vietnam and Desert Storm, was also the source of 
Chuck's interest in the military. Chuck's sister, Teresa, remembers 
when Chuck was 5 years old, and the family dressed him up in his 
father's BDU's and gave him a plastic machine gun. They took pictures 
of Chuck dressed up in his father's uniform in front of a large 
American flag. Teresa says he looked like a ``miniature G.I. Joe.''
  Chuck was proud of his military heritage, and his family and friends 
were proud of the person Chuck became. His junior high school 
principal, Tom Alf, remembers Chuck as ``a fine young man--quiet and 
polite. I remember his smile .  .  . he always had a smile.''
  Chuck also always had an eye out for others. His sister, Teresa, 
remembers a phone call she got from her brother in the dead of winter a 
few years ago. ``Teresa,'' Chuck said, ``I need a huge favor.'' 
Apparently, Chuck had been approached by a homeless man asking for 
money. The man had no coat and instead of money, Chuck gave him the 
coat off his back. He then struck up a conversation with the man and 
found out that he was trying to get to the other side of the city to 
meet his wife and kids. That's when Chuck called his sister to come and 
pick up his new friend and give him a ride.

  ``That's just the kind of guy Chucky was,'' Teresa recalled, ``He'd 
give you the coat off his back if you needed it.''
  In 2000, Chuck graduated from Hamilton High School. He still had a 
passion for history and had determined he wanted to become a teacher. 
Chuck decided to take advantage of the G.I. Bill, while also following 
in his father's footsteps. Just weeks after graduation, the boy who had 
once posed as a ``miniature G.I. Joe,'' became the real thing when he 
enlisted in the Army.
  During basic training, Chuck broke his foot. He was also, at this 
time, set to marry his high school sweetheart, Stephanie. Chuck wanted 
everything to be perfect on that day and had his tuxedo specially 
altered so that the cast on his foot would be unobtrusive.

[[Page S8241]]

Friends remember Chuck being incredibly happy on his wedding day, 
shedding tears as he said his vows. Chuck was a very sensitive person, 
who wore his emotions on his sleeve.
  The same qualities that made Chuck an exceptional human being made 
him an exceptional soldier. He was beloved by his fellow service men 
and women. In a deployment to Kosovo, Chuck earned the nickname 
``Cabbage Patch,'' because of, what his sister Teresa describes as, 
``his chunky face, deep blue eyes, and blonde hair.'' His buddies made 
a gift of a modified cabbage patch kid to Chucky by giving the doll a 
``high and tight'' hair cut, adding some tattoos, and dressing it in 
tiny BDU's. Chuck's mother still has that doll. It sits in a room 
dedicated to her son in Alexandria, AL.
  In Iraq, Chuck led a squad of 10 men. They specialized in mine 
clearing, bridge building, and in assisting the Iraqi patrols. Their 
mission was one of rebuilding and security. In carrying out this 
mission, Chuck was known for protecting his men, putting their safety 
before his own. He often led patrols, ``on point,'' meaning he was out 
front in combat formations, leaving himself the most exposed to danger. 
This leadership style led to a Purple Heart, when Chuck was wounded by 
shrapnel from a previous roadside explosive, and earned him the 
admiration of his fellow soldiers.
  SSG Scott Swanson speaks for many of those who knew Chuck when he 
said this:

       [He] was a great NCO--one who soldiers looked up to for 
     knowledge, strength, and most of all, courage. I'm honored to 
     be able to call [Chuck] my brother in arms.

  In an email posted on an Internet tribute to Chuck, fellow serviceman 
Sergeant Shane Uras, wrote the following:

       Chuck--it's been two months now, and I'm still having 
     trouble getting it through my head that you're gone. I love 
     you bro, and there's not a day that goes by that your memory 
     doesn't make me a stronger person. You were my best friend 
     and godfather to my son Luca. . . . We are having a huge 
     party when we get back in your memory and were going to send 
     the video of it and other videos to your parents so they 
     understand how big a part you played in our lives while you 
     were away from them. I love you man, and I'm proud to have 
     known you. Your country is grateful for your sacrifice--I 
     know my family and I are. God bless you Chuck!

  It is hard to lose someone like Chuck Webb. He was the anchor of his 
unit. His comrades looked to him for strength and depended on him to 
keep them safe. Such a role was not new for Chuck. His life was one of 
service to others. He was a caring, sensitive, devoted person who, 
quite literally, would--and did--give the ``coat off his back.''
  The following lines, from Emily Dickinson, seem, in a way, to have 
guided Chuck's life. She wrote:

     ``If I can stop one heart from breaking,
     I shall not live in vain.
     If I can ease one life the aching,
     Or cool one pain,
     Or help one fainting robin unto his nest again,
     I shall not live in vain.''

  Chuck Webb was a good person, who cared so much--so deeply--about 
others. We owe it to him to celebrate his life--a life devoted to 
easing the aches and cooling the pains of so many others. It is in 
these good deeds that his memory lives on.
  My wife, Fran, and I continue to keep Chuck's family and in our 
thoughts and in our prayers.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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