[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 17 (Wednesday, January 28, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S991]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                      Corporal Joseph M. Hernandez

  Mr. BAYH. Mr. President, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor the 
life of CPL Joseph M. Hernandez from Hammond, IN. Joseph was 24 years 
old when he lost his life on January 9, 2009, from injuries sustained 
from a roadside bomb attack in Jaldak, Afghanistan. He was a member of 
the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment of Hohenfels, Germany.
  Today, I join Joseph's family and friends in mourning his death. 
Joseph will forever be remembered as a loving husband, father, brother, 
son, and friend to many. Joseph is survived by his wife, Alison; his 
sons, Jacob and Noah; his brothers, Jesse and Jason; his parents, Elva 
and Jessie; and a host of other friends and relatives.
  Joseph joined the Army in 2005 and had been stationed in Afghanistan 
for 1 month. Prior to entering the service, Joseph graduated from Mount 
Carmel High School in Chicago, attended the College of the Holy Cross 
and had entered the mechanical engineering and biology programs at 
Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. Joseph was a man of great 
faith and an active member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church of 
Hammond, where he served as an altar boy and was a member of the choir. 
Joseph had many passions in life: he was a volunteer at the local 
animal humane society, and his interests ranged from boxing to model 
airplanes and vintage cars. Above all, Joseph's greatest passion was 
his family, who he hoped to take to a Chicago Cubs game at the end of 
his deployment.
  While we struggle to express our sorrow over this loss, we can take 
pride in the example Joseph set as both a soldier and a father. Today 
and always, he will be remembered by family, friends and fellow 
Hoosiers as a true American hero, and we cherish the legacy of his 
service and his life.
  It is my sad duty to enter the name of Joseph M. Hernandez in the 
Record of the U.S. Senate for his service to this country and for his 
profound commitment to freedom, democracy and peace. I pray that 
Joseph's family can find comfort in the words of the prophet Isaiah who 
said, ``He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe 
away tears from off all faces.''
  May God grant strength and peace to those who mourn, and may God be 
with all of you, as I know He is with Joseph.

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