[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 86 (Thursday, May 24, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S6582]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES

  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, today is going to be a day of great 
importance to America. We are going to be voting on the supplemental 
bill to fund the surge and the number of soldiers on duty in Iraq and 
Afghanistan. But last night we learned the body of one of the missing 
soldiers in Iraq was found. Despite our prayers, he was dead. We were 
informed that the body of Joseph Anzack, Jr., was pulled from the 
Euphrates River south of Baghdad.
  On May 12, he and two of his colleagues went missing after they were 
ambushed by insurgents. How did the capture of three Americans take 
place? Are we short of troops to back them up or is it so dangerous we 
just can't overcome the odds we face?
  All of America is hoping and praying, as we keep these other two 
soldiers in our hearts and our minds, that they will be found alive by 
the troops searching for them.
  One of the soldiers searching for their two colleagues said something 
to the Associated Press. I quote him here.

       It just angers me that it's just another friend that I've 
     got to lose and deal with, because I've already lost 13 
     friends since I've been here and I don't know if I can take 
     it anymore.

  Much of America feels the same way. Outside of my office in 
Washington we have a tribute called ``The Faces of the Fallen.'' 
Visitors from across the country have stopped by this memorial--
pictures of those who perished. I encourage my colleagues to come and 
see these photographs displayed on placards on the third floor of the 
Hart Building.
  Since the beginning of May, and we are now at the 24th of May, the 
Pentagon has announced the deaths of 75 of our troops in Iraq and 
Afghanistan coming from thirty-one different states. I want them to be 
remembered.
  Today, I am going to read their names into the Record. As we listen 
to the names, the real cost of this war is being felt in many homes 
across this country.
  These are the names: LCpl Benjamin D. Desilets, of Elmwood, IL; CPL 
Julian M. Woodall, of Tallahassee, FL; CPL Ryan D. Collins, of Vernon, 
TX; SGT Jason A. Schumann, of Hawley, MN; SSG Christopher Moore, of 
Alpaugh, CA; SGT Jean P. Medlin, of Pelham, AL; SPC David W. Behrle, of 
Tipton, IA; SPC Joseph A. Gilmore, of Webster, FL; PFC Travis F. 
Haslip, of Ooltewah, TN; PFC Alexander R. Varela, of Fernley, NV; SFC 
Jesse B. Albrecht, of Hager City, WI; SPC Coty J. Phelps, of Kingman, 
AZ; PFC Victor M. Fontanilla, of Stockton, CA; SGT Ryan J. Baum, of 
Aurora, CO; SGT Justin D. Wisniewski, of Standish, MI; SGT Anselmo 
Martinez III, of Robstown, TX; SPC Casey W. Nash, of Baltimore, MD; SPC 
Joshua G. Romero, of Crowley, TX; SFC Scott J. Brown, of Windsor, CO; 
SPC Marquis J. McCants, of San Antonio, TX; PFC Jonathan V. Hamm, of 
Baltimore, MD; SGT Steven M. Packer, of Clovis, CA; PFC Aaron D. 
Gautier, of Hampton, VA; SSG Joshua R. Whitaker, of Long Beach, CA; SGT 
Allen J. Dunckley, of Yardley, PA; SGT Christopher N. Gonzalez, of 
Winslow, AZ; SGT Thomas G. Wright, of Holly, MI; LCpl Jeffrey D. 
Walker, of Macon, GA; PFC Zachary R. Gullett, of Hillsboro, OH; MAJ 
Larry J. Bauguess Jr., of Moravian Falls, NC; PFC Nicholas S. Hartge, 
of Rome City, IN; SFC James D. Connell Jr., of Lake City, TN; PFC 
Daniel W. Courneya, of Nashville, MI; CPL Christopher E. Murphy, of 
Lynchburg, VA; SSG John T. Self, of Pontotoc, MS; SPC Rhys W. Klasno, 
of Riverside, CA; MAJ Douglas A. Zembiec, of Albuquerque, NM; PVT 
Anthony J. Sausto, of Lake Havasu City, AZ; 1LT Andrew J. Bacevich, of 
Walpole, MA; PFC William A. Farrar Jr., of Redlands, CA; SPC Michael K. 
Frank, of Great Falls, MT; PFC Roy L. Jones III, of Houston, TX; SGT 
Jason W. Vaughn, of Iuka, MS; SGT Blake C. Stephens, of Pocatello, ID; 
SPC Kyle A. Little, of West Boylston, MA; SGM Bradly D. Conner, of 
Coeur d'Alene, ID; LCpl Walter K. O'Haire, of Lynn, MA; SGT Timothy P. 
Padgett, of Defuniak Springs, FL; SPC Dan H. Nguyen, of Sugar Land, TX; 
SSG Vincenzo Romeo, of Lodi, NJ--my home State; SGT Jason R. Harkins, 
of Clarkesville, GA; SGT Joel W. Lewis, of Sandia Park, NM; CPL Matthew 
L. Alexander, of Gretna, NE; CPL Anthony M. Bradshaw, of San Antonio, 
TX; CPL Michael A. Pursel, of Clinton, UT; SSG Virgil C. Martinez, of 
West Valley, UT; SGT Sameer A. M. Rateb, of Absecon, NJ--my home State; 
COL James W. Harrison Jr., of Missouri; MSG Wilberto Sabalu Jr., of 
Chicago, IL; SSG Christopher N. Hamlin, of London, KY; PFC Larry I. 
Guyton, of Brenham, TX; SSG Christopher S. Kiernan, of Virginia Beach, 
VA; MSG Kenneth N. Mack, of Fort Worth, TX; CPL Charles O. Palmer II, 
of Manteca, CA; PFC Jerome J. Potter, of Tacoma, WA; SSG Coby G. 
Schwab, of Puyallup, WA; SPC Kelly B. Grothe, of Spokane, WA; SPC 
Andrew R. Weiss, of Lafayette, IN; SPC Matthew T. Bolar, of Montgomery, 
AL; LCpl Johnathan E. Kirk, of Belhaven, NC; PFC Joseph G. Harris, of 
Sugar Land, TX; 1LT Colby J. Umbrell, of Doylestown, PA; 1LT Ryan P. 
Jones, of Massachusetts; SPC Astor A. Sunsin-Pineda, of Long Beach, CA; 
PFC Katie M. Soenksen, of Davenport, IA.

  Mr. President, as you heard, this list includes two brave men from 
New Jersey--I visited their families--SSG Vincent Vincenzo Romeo and 
SGT Sameer Rateb. Staff Sergeant Romeo was from Lodi, NJ, and Sergeant 
Rateb was from Absecon, NJ.
  It also includes SGT Allen J. Dunckley. His funeral is taking place 
today at 10:30, 5 minutes from now. His family is from Glassboro, NJ. 
PVT Anthony J. Sausto lived in Hamilton Township, NJ.
  We cannot forget these brave men and women. The Nation cannot afford 
to forget their sacrifice. We have to remember that these brave souls 
left behind parents and children, siblings, friends. Their sorrow will 
last forever. We want them to know the country thinks about them, and 
we make a pledge to preserve their memory with the dignity that those 
who served and paid this price deserve.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Wisconsin.

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