[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 107 (Thursday, June 26, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6174-S6176]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                         SERGEANT TATJANA REED

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise to speak for a brave woman, 
mother and soldier who has fallen. On July 22, 2004, SGT Tatjana Reed 
was tragically killed when an improvised explosive device detonated 
near her vehicle during combat operations in Samarra, Iraq.

[[Page S6175]]

  Born half a world away, Sergeant Reed came to call Fort Campbell, KY 
her home. She was 34 years old.
  For her bravery in service, she received numerous medals, awards and 
decorations, including the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart.
  Born and raised in Germany, Sergeant Reed chose to make America her 
own, and she chose to enlist in the U.S. Army to protect it.
  To hear Tatjana's younger sister, Rebecca Milliner, describe their 
time together as children, growing up in Germany sounds little 
different from growing up in America.
  ``She had to drag her little sister along to hang out with her 
friends,'' Rebecca recalls. But ``she never complained about having to 
take me with her.''
  Tatjana graduated from high school in Germany, then later came to 
America as a young woman in 1991 and graduated from basic training in 
February of that year. The Army proved to be Tatjana's path to 
embracing both a new country and a new mission in life.
  ``She loved the Army,'' says Tatjana's mother, Brigitte Dykty, who 
also came to America from Germany around the same time as her daughter.
  Brigitte remembers that before Tatjana left for Iraq, her daughter 
``told me not to worry for her,'' she says. Tatjana reassured her 
mother by saying, ``It's my job.''
  Tatjana became an emergency medic and was stationed at Fort Knox, KY. 
The Bluegrass State became her new home. In 1993, she transferred to 
Fort Campbell, and also spent time in Kosovo. In August of 1998, she 
became an American citizen.
  But perhaps the greatest gift in Tatjana's life was her daughter, 
Genevieve, who tucked a framed photo of herself into Tatjana's bags as 
a gift to her mom when she went to Iraq.
  By the time she was deployed to Iraq, Tatjana was assigned to the 
66th Transportation Company, based out of Kaiserslautern, in her native 
Germany, and served as a heavy-wheeled vehicle operator. At a memorial 
service for Tatjana, her fellow soldiers described the joy of working 
with her.
  ``When I first came to the 66th, Sergeant Reed was the first person I 
met,'' says Private First Class Melissa Cramblett. ``She took me under 
her wing. She was a good person, a good [non-commissioned officer,] and 
she cared a lot for us.''
  Other soldiers described a caring woman who was a mother figure to 
the younger troops under her care. She translated German for the 
soldiers communicating with the locals, and brewed a strong cup of 
coffee that became the soldiers' favorite.
  ``She was an exceptional woman,'' says SSG Agustin Sarmiento. ``There 
were no other words to describe her. She was a real tender, loving, 
caring person. She cared for soldiers.''
  The compassion Tatjana showed for the people around her was not new. 
A story her sister, Rebecca, shared with me illustrates that.
  When I was eight or nine I was rushed to the hospital to have my 
appendix removed,'' Rebecca says. ``I was scared because I never had to 
stay in a hospital before. I remember waking up from the surgery and 
opening my eyes and looking at my sister. She said, `How are you 
doing?' She started joking with me, so I would forget about my pain.
  ``She was at the hospital with me every day. That is when she became 
my hero.''
  Tatjana always called her daughter Genevieve ``her little soldier,'' 
and so at Tatjana's funeral, Genevieve did not cry. To remain her 
mother's little soldier, she said she would cry when she was alone.
  Tatjana's passing leaves a hole in the lives of those who knew her 
that cannot be filled. We are thinking of her mother Brigitte Dykty; 
her daughter Genevieve Reed; her sister Rebecca Milliner; her brother 
Torsten Wissmann; her stepfather Joseph Dykty; and many other beloved 
family members and friends.
  Rebecca still remembers the shock of hearing the tragic news. ``My 
sister was gone just like that,'' she says.
  ``The one good thing that came out of it [is] she now is a hero to 
millions of people and not just to me.''
  Rebecca and her family can rest assured that this Senate does indeed 
recognize SGT Tatjana Reed as a hero. And now, her adopted country will 
forever adopt her, as a brave patriot who made the greatest sacrifice 
for her Nation.
  Mr. President, in Kentucky today a family mourns the loss of a hero 
and patriot. SGT William G. Bowling was tragically killed on April 1, 
2007, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle as 
he was on patrol outside Baghdad. Sergeant Bowling hailed from 
Beattyville, KY, and he was 24 years old.
  He received several awards, medals and decorations for his valor, 
including the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service 
Medal, and the Purple Heart.
  ``This is the job he wanted to do,'' says his wife, Jennifer, about 
her husband's service. ``He wanted to serve his country. . . . He 
really believed in what he was doing in Iraq.''
  In fact, this was Will's second tour of duty in Iraq. He was serving 
as a military police officer assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters 
Company, 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 
10th Mountain Division, based out of Fort Drum, NY. Will enlisted in 
the Army in 2003 and then reenlisted in 2005.
  The year of his first enlistment, 2003, was an important one for 
another reason. That year, Will had a job at Affiliated Computer 
Services, where he got to meet a young woman named Jennifer.
  Their first date was on Groundhog Day; they went to see a movie. As 
he and Jennifer grew closer, he described for her his desire to join 
the Army.
  ``He was at a point in his life where he just felt like he needed to 
enlist,'' Jennifer recalls. ``He thought about joining right after 9/
11, and he thought about it some more after that. It was just something 
he thought he needed to do.
  ``I knew something could happen,'' she adds. ``But I supported him.''
  Will and Jennifer fell in love, and they were married on July 23, 
2003, in Richmond, KY. On the very next day, Will reported for Army 
training.
  Will served as an infantryman when he first enlisted, training at 
Fort Benning, GA, then reporting to Fort Drum. He was deployed on his 
first tour in Iraq in 2004 and reenlisted while on tour in 2005. Upon 
returning home, he trained at Fort Leonard Wood, MO, in 2005 and 2006 
to become an MP.
  Deployed on his second Iraqi tour in August 2006, Will patrolled the 
streets of Baghdad, and was part of a crew that found and detonated 
explosives before they could harm other soldiers or civilians.
  Looking ahead, Will and Jennifer saw a happy life together. He 
thought of joining the Kentucky State Police and building a house for 
his family in Beattyville.
  That family included Will and Jennifer's two beautiful daughters, 
Hannah Katheryn and Allyson Peyton. Sadly, Will never got to lay eyes 
on his younger daughter Allyson, who was born the day after his 
funeral.
  ``I sent him lots of pictures of the girls,'' Jennifer remembers. He 
``was very devoted to me and our daughters. [He] couldn't wait to 
return . . . and was extremely excited about the birth of the new 
baby.''
  Hannah and Allyson will not get to learn firsthand how their father 
loved the Indianapolis Colts and that his favorite player was Peyton 
Manning. In fact, that is where Allyson gets her middle name.
  They'll miss hearing their father talk about his love of NASCAR and 
his favorite drivers, Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Will 
would even say half-jokingly that he wanted to be a driver someday.
  ``For our second anniversary, he got to go to the Kentucky Speedway 
to participate in the Richard Petty Driving Experience,'' says 
Jennifer. ``He was so excited and had such a great time that day. I can 
still see the smile on his face. ``
  Will liked to have water gun fights with his nephews, build things 
out of Legos and play a few video games. He enjoyed the bands U2 and 
the Foo Fighters and the comedian Dane Cook. And together, he and 
Jennifer would walk their dogs--Oreo, a Siberian Husky, and Java, a 
German Shepherd.
  ``He was just an outstanding, respectable man,'' says Jennifer. He 
``could be quiet at times, [but] loved to smile and laugh.''
  Will was the kind of man who collected many friends. Hundreds of 
people filled the Booneville Funeral Home

[[Page S6176]]

to say their goodbyes, and to recognize his bravery in fighting for 
such an important cause. I was honored to be able to write a eulogy for 
Will, which was read at the service.
  Our prayers go out to Will's beloved friends and family members 
today. We are thinking of his wife Jennifer Evans Bowling; his 
daughters Hannah Katheryn and Allyson Peyton Bowling; his father, Adam 
Miller; his mother Kathleen Bowling; his parents-in-law James and Cathy 
Evans; his brother-and sister-in-law Jim and Roxanne Evans; his nephews 
Michael and Wesley Evans; his grandparents Chester Terry and Francis 
Bowling; his grandmother-in-law Katheryn Holloway, and many others. 
Will's grandfather-in-law, Frank Holloway, has also passed away.
  Will also served alongside many brave soldiers in the Army, forging 
friendships that lasted a lifetime and beyond. We are thinking of SGT 
Billy Messer, SP Travis Tysinger, SGT Brian Marshall, SSG Billy 
Thompson, SGT Stephen Tucker, and SGT Arthur Briggs.
  The town of Beattyville has honored Will by engraving his name on a 
memorial wall that is erected downtown. That's an appropriate way to 
remember Will as a soldier and a hero.
  His wife Jennifer plans her own way of remembering Will as a husband, 
a father, and a man.
  ``I've bought a farm and I'm going to build a house exactly as we had 
planned,'' she says. ``I will display his die-cast cars . . . and will 
put his Army memorials on display.''
  This Senate will remember SGT William G. Bowling for his life of 
service, and his enormous sacrifice. We honor his heroism in defending 
his family and his country. And we will not forget the example he has 
set for all of us--not least, his two young daughters.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader is recognized.

                          ____________________