[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 125 (Friday, September 29, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1949]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           ON THE DEATH OF SECOND LIEUTENANT EMILY J.T. PEREZ

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 29, 2006

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, the tragic loss of Second Lieutenant Emily 
J.T. Perez, a young soldier from Prince George's County, MD, who gave 
the ultimate measure of sacrifice for our Nation in Iraq, saddens all 
of us.
  And today, I want to pay tribute to this outstanding young American, 
as well as express my deepest condolences to her family, including her 
parents, Vicki and Daniel, and all of her friends and loved ones.
  Second Lieutenant Perez of Fort Washington died on September 12 after 
a roadside bomb exploded under her Humvee. She is the first female 
graduate of West Point to die in Iraq.
  But she should not be remembered solely for how she passed from this 
life and into God's hands. She must be remembered for the outstanding 
and inspiring way in which she lived and those she touched during her 
23 years.
  Emily Perez was a trailblazer and a star in every sense of the word.
  She rose to the top of her class at Oxon Hill High School. She became 
the first minority female command sergeant in the history of the U.S. 
Military Academy. And she excelled at everything from track to the 
gospel choir.
  As the Washington Post reported, friends and family members nicknamed 
her ``Kobe,'' after Los Angeles Lakers basketball player Kobe Bryant, 
because ``everyone knew she could make the shots, in whatever she 
did.''
  Second Lieutenant Perez was best known for her tenacious leadership, 
first as a wing commander of Junior ROTC and then on the campus of West 
Point. She leaves behind a collection of young cadets inspired by her 
patriotism, as they prepare for military careers defending our Nation.
  While incredibly strong willed, Perez also is remembered for her 
sensitivity to others, organizing an HIV-AIDS ministry in high school 
after family members contracted the virus.
  Yet it was being a soldier that was Perez's true calling. She was 
born into a military family in Heidelberg, Germany, and knew from a 
very young age that she wanted to serve. After graduating from West 
Point, she was assigned to the Army's 204th Support Battalion, 2nd 
Brigade, 4th Infantry Division and deployed to Iraq in December.
  One of her mentors, Roger Pollard, told the Post: ``I clearly 
remember thinking that she would definitely be the first female 
president of this country.''
  Lost at the age of 23, we will never know what was in store for this 
extraordinary young woman. But one thing is certain: She heroically 
served her Nation in defense of our freedom, and we should all be proud 
of the full life she led in her short time here.

                          ____________________