[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 186 (Thursday, December 6, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S14815-S14816]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                   Staff Sergeant Joe L. Dunigan, Jr.

  Mr. McCONNELL. The Commonwealth of Kentucky is mourning today because 
of the loss of one of our finest soldiers, and I am speaking of SSG Joe 
L. Dunigan, Jr., of Benton. He was 37 years old.
  Staff Sergeant Dunigan's assignment was guarding a convoy of U.S. 
marines near Fallujah in Iraq when on March 11, 2004, an explosive 
device, set by terrorists, detonated near his humvee, tragically taking 
his life.
  For the valor and bravery he displayed over two decades of service, 
the U.S. Army honored Staff Sergeant Dunigan with numerous medals and 
awards, including the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and the 
Meritorious Service Medal.
  Staff Sergeant Dunigan, who will always be remembered by his family 
as Joey, wore his country's uniform for 20 years because he was proud 
to serve. Joey ``lived his life the way he served his country--he was 
gung-ho about everything,'' says his stepfather, Sammie Bryant. And 
Joey was gung-ho from a very early age.
  His family remembers that growing up Joey loved playing army. His 
favorite toy was GI Joe. In fact, family members often called him GI 
Joey. As a young boy, he participated in Cub Scouting and was an avid 
player of baseball and football.
  Joey was also musically inclined, playing the trombone in the 
Marshall County High School Marching Marshals band. He enjoyed watching 
NASCAR races and was a big fan of

[[Page S14816]]

driver Jeff Gordon. In fact, his family remembers fondly the time Joey 
was able to attend a NASCAR race at the Talladega Superspeedway in 
Talladega, AL, and he saw Jeff Gordon bring home the checkered flag.
  Joey graduated from Marshall County High School in May of 1984, and 
that August he enlisted in the U.S. Army, a month before his 18th 
birthday. He told his mother, Dena Bryant, that she should either give 
her permission for him to enlist at age 17 or he would enlist as soon 
as he turned 18, but either way, he was enlisting. ``He was very 
serious about enlisting because he wanted to serve his country,'' says 
a letter written by Joey's family and sent to me by his mother, Dena. 
So Dena gave her permission, and Joey became a soldier.
  After completing basic training in Fort Benning, GA, Joey deployed to 
Germany for his first tour of duty. Over the course of his Army career, 
he would also serve two tours of duty in South Korea and inspire many 
younger soldiers through his work as an Army recruiter stationed in 
Nashville.
  In September 2003, Joey was deployed to Iraq as a member of the 1st 
Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, 
based at Fort Riley, KS.
  Wherever he served, Joey excelled at earning the respect and 
admiration of his fellow soldiers. ``He would have made an excellent 
drill instructor,'' says his stepfather, Sammie. ``When he walked into 
a room, you could hear him above all the others.''
  Family was important to Joey Dunigan. With Joey's guidance, his 
younger brother, Michael Bryant, followed Joey's example and joined the 
U.S. Air Force. And at the center of Joey's life were his wife, Misty, 
and his two sons, Dustin and Jessie.
  As an older, more experienced soldier, Joey looked after the younger 
men serving alongside him. He knew the difficulties of serving far away 
from family and loved ones. In an email he wrote to his mother, Dena, 
Joey wrote, ``Please continue to remember me and the guys.''
  He shared with his fellow soldiers his sturdy sense of humor, even in 
the face of hard combat duty. Despite their sadness, family and friends 
break into smiles when remembering Joey Dunigan. ``He didn't want to 
have sad moments,'' Dena recalls. ``He didn't like to be serious. He 
was a gung-ho, vivacious young man. He was happy, bubbly, infectious.''
  The day after Staff Sergeant Dunigan's family received the tragic 
news of his death, an American flag flew at half-staff outside of Dena 
and Sammie Bryant's home. Joey was buried at the cemetery of his home 
church in Benton, KY,'' on March 21, 2004.
  He will be forever remembered by his wife, Misty; his sons, Dustin 
and Jessie; his mother and stepfather, Dena and Sammie Bryant; his 
father, Joe; his sister, Robin Colley; his brother, Michael Bryant; his 
grandfather, Paul Henson; and many other beloved family members and 
friends.
  I want to leave my colleagues with the words of Joey's family, 
written in that letter sent to me by his mother that I mentioned 
earlier. ``Joey is a hero,'' they write. ``He loved God, his family, 
Marshall County and his country. He was born to and dedicated to 
protect his country and fellow man.''
  I'm glad Mrs. Bryant sent me this letter. It expresses the depths of 
her son's courage and convictions far better than I can. In return, I 
want his family to know that the U.S. Senate salutes SSG Joe L. Dunigan 
Jr.'s service. And his country will always honor his selfless 
sacrifice.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon is recognized.

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