[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 34 (Thursday, March 16, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E400]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN RECOGNITION OF THE 1ST BATTALION, 69TH INFANTRY OF THE NEW YORK 
                             NATIONAL GUARD

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 16, 2006

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the soldiers of the 
1st Battalion, 69th Infantry of the New York National Guard who are 
being honored on St. Patrick's Day in New York City. I know that my 
distinguished colleagues will join me in extending our appreciation and 
gratitude to all of the brave members of the armed forces serving in 
the National Guard and the Reserve, who are so courageously and 
selflessly dedicated to their fellow Americans.
  The National Guard in an integral part of a great tradition in 
American military history that began during the American Revolution. At 
that time, our Founding Fathers placed the country's security in the 
hands of citizen-soldiers who trained and organized into militias in 
their home colonies. To this day, members of the National Guard must be 
ready to serve their state and their country, often at a moment's 
notice.
  The members of the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry continue to uphold a 
distinguished tradition in both battle and disaster response. As part 
of the famous Irish Brigade during the Civil War, the members of the 
69th Infantry were renowned for their tenacity on the battlefield, 
leading Confederate General Robert E. Lee to bestow upon them the 
nickname of ``The Fighting 69th.'' In acknowledgement of its proud 
heritage, the Fighting 69th participates each year in New York's St. 
Patrick's Day Parade.
  The Fighting 69th are infantry soldiers--the ``guns on the ground''--
whose mission is to engage and destroy enemy forces in close combat. In 
addition to the Civil War, its members have also fought in the Spanish 
American War, World War I and World War II, where its soldiers served 
valiantly in the battles of Makin, Saipan and Okinawa, and its members 
just completed a tour of duty in Iraq, returning to the U.S. six months 
ago after serving with distinction. Sixteen soldiers in the Manhattan-
based 69th National Guard Regiment have died in the Iraq War, including 
a member who was one of the New York firefighters who raised the 
American flag above Ground Zero, Christian Engledrum.
  In April, six members of the 69th Regiment were awarded Purple Hearts 
after being wounded by roadside bombs in Iraq. The unit patrolled the 
infamous road to the Baghdad airport and was stationed primarily in the 
Sunni Triangle, where most of the insurgent attacks have taken place. 
In a speech at Fort Drum, New York, Vice President Richard Cheney paid 
tribute to the Fighting 69th, thanking its members for their 
``toughness in confronting insurgents around Baghdad.'' Nine members of 
the Fighting 69th are continuing to serve on active duty in Iraq today.
  The members of the Fighting 69th also have mobilized during times of 
emergency in their home state of New York. The Battalion Commander, Lt. 
Col Geoffrey Slack, informs me that the Fighting 69th was the first 
National Guard unit to arrive on the scene following the devastating 
terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. In the hours after the 
attacks, the Battalion assisted medical teams treating the wounded and 
provided significant assistance to rescue and recovery operations, 
continuing in this mission for nearly a year.
  Mr. Speaker, in recognition of its tremendous contributions to civic 
and public life, I request that my colleagues join me in paying tribute 
to the Fighting 69th Regiment of the New York State National Guard, who 
are great New Yorkers and great Americans. All Americans should be 
grateful for the dedication demonstrated every day by the men and women 
of the Fighting 69th as well as all of the brave individuals serving in 
National Guard and Reserve units throughout our nation. Their members' 
dedication to our country serves as an inspiration to us all.

                          ____________________