[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 74 (Monday, June 12, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5711-S5712]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                   Staff Sergeant Richard A. Blakley

  Mr. BAYH. Mr. President, I rise today with a heavy heart and deep 
sense of gratitude to honor the life of a brave man from Avon. Richard 
Blakley, 34-years-old, was killed on June 6 from small arms fire while 
on patrol near Al Khalidiyah, Iraq. With so much of his life before 
him, Richard risked everything to fight for the values Americans hold 
close to our hearts, in a land halfway around the world.

[[Page S5712]]

  Richard was killed while serving his country in Operation Iraqi 
Freedom. He was a member of Company E, 38th Main Support Battalion, 
Indianapolis. This brave soldier leaves behind his wife Patricia and 
two children, Whitney, 11, and Richard Jr., 9. He also leaves behind 
his mother, Janice Schauwecker, and father, James Blakley.
  A medic in the Indiana National Guard, Richard's devotion to duty had 
been commemorated just months before his death, when he was presented 
with a Purple Heart following a wound from an enemy sniper in January. 
Because of his injury, Richard was offered a trip home and was urged to 
take time off to recuperate. Instead, he chose to return to active duty 
the same day.
  Richard joined the Indiana Guard out of high school in 1989 and 
volunteered to serve in the Persian Gulf war and at U.S. ports in 2003 
and 2004. In civilian life, Richard was a journeyman millwright, 
putting together machinery and heavy equipment. An avid Colts fan, 
Richard always wore a team shirt on game days, even if he was on 
patrol. He was wearing one on the day he was shot in January, and the 
Colts had planned to sign the bloodstained shirt and return it to him. 
Richard was also known for being a devoted father who was driven by a 
desire to help others! A friend and fellow Indiana National Guard 
member recalled to the Indianapolis Star Richard's dedication to those 
around him, saying ``It was just who he was. He wanted to be where the 
action was. He wanted to help people . . . '' His wife called her 
husband ``the strongest person I've ever known in my life.''
  Today, I join Richard's family and friends in mourning his death. 
While we struggle to bear our sorrow over this loss, we can also take 
pride in the example he set, bravely fighting to make the world a safer 
place. It is his courage and strength of character that people will 
remember when they think of Richard, a memory that will burn brightly 
during these continuing days of conflict and grief.
  Richard was known for his dedication to his family and his love of 
country. Today and always, Richard will be remembered by family 
members, friends, and fellow Hoosiers as a true American hero and we 
honor the sacrifice he made while dutifully serving his country.
  As I search for words to do justice in honoring Richard's sacrifice, 
I am reminded of President Lincoln's remarks as he addressed the 
families of the fallen soldiers in Gettysburg: ``We cannot dedicate, we 
cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living 
and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor 
power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember 
what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.'' This 
statement is just as true today as it was nearly 150 years ago, as I am 
certain that the impact of Richard's actions will live on far longer 
that any record of these words.
  It is my sad duty to enter the name of Richard Blakley in the 
official Record of the Senate for his service to this country and for 
his profound commitment to freedom, democracy, and peace. When I think 
about this just cause in which we are engaged and the unfortunate pain 
that comes with the loss of our heroes, I hope that families like 
Richard's can find comfort in the words of the prophet Isaiah, who 
said, ``He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe 
away tears from off all faces.''
  May God grant strength and peace to those who mourn, and may God be 
with all of you, as I know He is with Richard.

                          ____________________