[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 191 (Thursday, December 13, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S15454-S15456]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                   Sergeant First Class James Doster

  Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, I rise today to remember a great 
Arkansan, SFC James D. Doster, of White Hall, AR, who was killed on 
September 29, 2007, in Baghdad, Iraq. A soldier in the B Company, 2nd 
Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division based in Fort 
Riley, KS, Sergeant First Class Doster died from injuries sustained 
when an improvised explosive device, IED, detonated near his vehicle. 
He was 38 years old at the time of his death.
  Sergeant First Class Doster graduated from White Hall High School and 
attended Hendrix College in Conway for 1 year before joining the Army. 
He served for nearly 17 years, including a tour during Operation Desert 
Storm in Iraq. When that conflict ended, he continued to serve, mostly 
as a recruiter.
  A devoted husband and father, Sergeant First Class Doster is survived 
by his wife Amanda and two young girls, Kathryn and Grace. He is also 
survived by his mother, Billie K. Doster of White Hall, and brother, 
Robert Doster of Albuquerque, NM. His father, the late Charles C. 
Doster, Jr., passed away last year.
  Mr. President, it is truly a sad day that our Nation has lost another 
great patriot. Sergeant First Class Doster served our Nation proudly 
for so many years, and his loss will be felt throughout the Jefferson 
County community. My thoughts and prayers are with his family during 
their time of grief.


                       Specialist Todd A. Motley

  Mr. President, it is with great sadness that I rise today to pay 
tribute to a citizen with family roots in Arkansas who served his 
country with honor, Specialist Todd A. Motley of Clare, MI. In support 
of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Specialist Motley was one of four soldiers 
who lost their lives during combat operations outside Baghdad on 
September 14, 2007. Specialist Motley, along with SSG Terry Wagoner of 
Piedmont, SC, SPC Jonathan Rivandeneira of Jackson Heights, NY, and PVT 
Christopher McCloud of Malakoff, TX, suffered mortal wounds upon the 
detonation of an improvised explosive device near their vehicle. Each 
of the men was assigned to B Troop, 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 
1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX.
  Motley joined the Army in March 2005 after graduating Clare Pioneer 
High School in 2003. ``Todd was one of your `once-in-a-lifetime' 
kids,'' says Pioneer principal Lori Enos. Enos described Motley as 
creative, loyal and ``outgoing but not obnoxious.''

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  As a testament to Motley's character, hundreds of residents and 
schoolchildren in and around the community of Harrison, MI, lined the 
streets and waved small American flags as the funeral procession drove 
past.
  ``He came in to talk about serving in the military, and about his 
experiences. He was promoting finishing school, hanging in there, and 
not giving up. If you have a goal, keep pushing to reach that goal,'' 
says Principal Enos about Motley's speech he gave at the Alternative 
High School in the Clare Public School District only 1 year earlier. 
``He emphasized that.''
  SPC Todd Motley is survived in Arkansas by his wife Karen, of Clare, 
his two daughters Hannah and Kaylee, also of Clare, his brothers Ian 
and Nickolas, his maternal grandmother Marcia Dolin, and his mother 
Renee, all of Hoxie, AR.


                      Specialist Tyler R. Seideman

  Mr. President, the town of Lincoln, AR, in the northwest part of my 
State, lost its first casualty to the war in Iraq on August 22, 2007, 
when SPC Tyler R. Seideman was killed in a helicopter crash. He was 
only 20 years old.
  Specialist Seideman joined the Army after his best friend, Logan 
Biswell, enlisted a few years ago. Although they were assigned to 
different units, both were sent to Iraq, and Specialist Seideman served 
with the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division 
based in Schofield Barracks, HI.
  Specialist Seideman was one of 14 other Americans killed aboard a 
Blackhawk helicopter that suffered mechanical problems and crashed in 
northern Iraq. There were no survivors.
  Tyler was always a popular young man in his town of Lincoln. He was 
considered a good athlete and played both football and baseball for his 
hometown team, the Lincoln High School Wolves. His former coach 
remembered him as a leader known for his fighting spirit. In an 
interview with the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, former Lincoln High coach 
Mike Guthrie said that he ``was a hard worker and a good kid. He stuck 
with it during lean times when we weren't very good, but he was a good 
athlete who played both ways and gave it everything he had.''
  At his funeral, friends remembered him as the kind of guy who ``would 
give you the shirt off his back if you needed it.'' Others mentioned 
that he would always joke around or would be quick with a smile. 
Another high school friend called him ``a gentleman and a great role 
model.''
  Specialist Seideman was given a full military funeral and was buried 
at the National Cemetery in Fayetteville. He is survived by his parents 
William and Lee Ann Seideman of Lincoln and his sisters Kiera and 
Kristen. Our thoughts and prayers will continue to be with the 
Seidemans and the community of Lincoln during this difficult time.


                       Private Nathan Z. Thacker

  Mr. President, Arkansas lost another young man last week when 18-
year-old Army PVT Nathan Thacker from Greenbrier was killed on October 
13 by a roadside bomb in Kirkuk, Iraq. Three other soldiers were 
injured, one seriously.
  He had been in Iraq less than 2 weeks and was assigned to the 2nd 
Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division out of Fort 
Drum, NY.
  Private Thacker's parents, Stephen and Darlene, remembered him as a 
son who felt obligated to serve his country. ``He believed in doing his 
duty,'' his father said in an interview with the Arkansas Democrat 
Gazette. Although he was nervous about going to Iraq, his father noted 
that Nathan told him `` `It's my job now, and I need to do it.' He was 
very duty conscious, a good boy.''
  Private Thacker attended Guy-Perkins High School in Guy, AR. Although 
he left school early, he received his general education development 
diploma last year. His former principal, David Westenhover, recalled 
that he was one of the first students he met when he became principal. 
``He was just one you could count on to be in class and do his work. He 
was not disruptive. Citizenship was definitely a plus for him.''
  One of his teachers, Stacy Ralls, taught Nate, as they called him, in 
science classes. She told a local TV station that Private Thacker 
``liked to have fun, he always had a smile for you.'' She said that he 
was great at building friendships with a wide variety of other 
students. ``It's not every kid you encounter, seems to have these 
qualities, he had those qualities.'' She felt that he died a hero and 
will miss him greatly.
  His father has said that he will receive a full military-honor 
funeral in Greenbrier. Private Thacker was the third youngest of seven 
children.


                       Specialist David L. Watson

  Mr. President, Arkansas lost another great patriot when SPC David L. 
Watson of Newport, AR, died on September 22, 2007, in Baqubah, Iraq, 
from a noncombat accident in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. 
Specialist Watson was a combat medic assigned to Headquarters and 
Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd 
Infantry Division, based out of Fort Lewis, WA. His brigade deployed to 
Iraq in April 2007.
  ``He was an excellent student. He never complained, and he was easy 
to get along with,'' recalls Ruth Jones, a retired Tuckerman High 
School teacher of Specialist Watson's past.
  Cathy Platt, a friend of Watson's, said, ``Some go to Iraq because 
they have to, David went because he wanted to. [Watson's death] is a 
shock to the whole community.''
  These quotes give us great insight about a man held in the highest 
standards by all those who knew him. ``He went to Iraq not to take 
lives, but to save them,'' said his wife Lisa. Pictures of Watson and 
his family reflect his shining light of care, love, and devotion not 
only to his family but to everyone he met. His wife Lisa recalls, 
``David never met a stranger.''
  SPC David Watson is survived in Arkansas by his mother Linda Watson, 
of Newport; his wife Lisa Watson and two children, Dayton, 4, and 
Caelan, 8, also of Newport; two brothers, Bryant and Derek, of 
Tuckerman and Newport; two sisters, Christal Hill and Nikki Moore, of 
Conway and Little Rock; grandmother Ernestine Watson, of Tuckerman; 
grandparents O.C. and Velma Bobo, of Tuckerman; and father- and mother-
in-law Johnny and Brenda Powell, both of Newport.


                      Specialist Donovan D. Witham

  Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life of SPC Donovan D. 
Witham of Malvern, AR. Specialist Witham was killed by an improvised 
explosive device that detonated near his vehicle outside Baghdad, Iraq. 
The blast killed a second soldier, SSG Sandy R. Britt of Apopka, FL. 
Both men were assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 82nd 
Airborne Division based in Fort Bragg, NC.
  Specialist Witham graduated from Glen Rose High School in Malvern 
where he excelled in football and track. He was also active in other 
activities such as student council, choir, and the Drama Club.
  When Specialist Witham joined the Army in November 2005, he became a 
military police officer and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne in that 
role. However, he soon took on the additional role of a paratrooper. 
His troop commander, MAJ Mark Lastoria, described Specialist Witham as 
a soldier who ``represented everything good about our paratroopers. He 
was a volunteer amongst volunteers by not only becoming a military 
police officer, but also a paratrooper. He always strived to be the 
best at everything he did. He will be deeply missed and always 
remembered by those of us who had the honor to serve with him.''
  He was a decorated solider who received the Bronze Star Medal, the 
Purple Heart, the National Defense Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the 
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the 
Combat Action Badge, and the Parachutist's Medal.
  At this time of mourning, our thoughts and prayers are with his 
family and friends. He is survived by his mother and stepfather, Martha 
and Richard Lanius of Malvern, and three sisters, Amber Sharp and 
husband Steve of Magnolia; Jamie Witham of Benton; and Virginia Bennett 
of Magnolia. He is also survived by Julie DeBoer of Michigan, to whom 
his mother said he planned to propose marriage in December. The loss of 
this young man will be felt by us all.


                       Sergeant Michael Yarbrough

  Mr. President, I rise to honor a selfless soldier who gave his life 
in Iraq last month, Sgt Michael J. Yarbrough

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of Malvern. On September 6, Sergeant Yarbrough was killed by a roadside 
bomb in Iraq's Anbar Province. Also killed in the blast were SSgt John 
Stock, Cpl Bryan Scripsick, and Cpl Christopher Poole. The death of 
these four young men brought the total number of Marine deaths in 
Afghanistan and Iraq over 1,000. All four men were assigned to the 3rd 
Assault Amphibious Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine 
Expeditionary Force based at Camp Pendleton, CA.
  Sergeant Yarbrough was also the second graduate of Glen Rose High 
School in Malvern killed in action within a month's time. Spc Donovan 
Witham, also of Malvern, died on August 21 from a roadside bomb near 
Baghdad. In an interview with the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Glen Rose 
Middle School principal Tim Holicer somberly noted, ``We are still 
grieving the loss of one, and here we have another one of our young men 
to be killed in Iraq. That's as hard on everybody around here as 
anything.''
  According to Sergeant Yarbrough's mother, Rhonda Fain-Yarbrough, her 
son wasn't scheduled to be in Iraq. He volunteered to return for a 
third tour after he heard that another soldier's wife was expecting a 
baby. ``Michael didn't want to see him go, so he took his place.'' He 
told her that ``as long as my men are there, I'm going to be there with 
them.''
  As the Yarbrough family and Malvern community grieve, we grieve with 
them. He will be remembered by those who loved him as a young man who 
was destined to be a soldier. ``Ever since he was a little boy, he 
would march around with a stick on his shoulder, saying `I'm going to 
be in the Army, Mom, I'm going to be in the Army,''' Mrs. Fain-
Yarbrough told the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. True to his word, he 
enlisted after September 11, 2001.
  For his efforts, Sergeant Yarbrough was awarded a Purple Heart, 
Combat Action Ribbon, The National Defense Service Medal, and the Iraqi 
Campaign Medal, among others. He is survived by his wife Mary Ann 
Yarbrough; his mother Rhonda Fain-Yarbrough of Benton; and father Jerry 
Yarbrough of Gurdon. In addition, his grandmother Dolline Fain, and two 
sisters, Christy Smith of Arkadelphia and Misty Hutcheson of Traskwood, 
as well as their families will most certainly miss him. A grateful 
nation's thoughts and prayers go out to you at this difficult time.

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