[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 29 (Thursday, February 12, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E264]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      SERGEANT JOHN J. SAVAGE, USA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KAY GRANGER

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 12, 2009

  Ms. GRANGER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the courage of a 
brave and dedicated hero of the state of Texas and of our nation.
  Sergeant John J. Savage was a soldier in the United States Army and a 
true American hero. John gave his life in the service of his country on 
December 4, 2008, when an explosives-laden SUV broadsided Sergeant 
Savage's armored vehicle in Mosul, Iraq.
  Assigned to 103rd Engineer Company, 94th Engineer Battalion, Sergeant 
Savage did his part during a time of war, an action that speaks volumes 
far greater than words about his character and patriotism.
  A native of Weatherford, Texas, John had aspirations for a life in 
the military from a young age. As stated by his mother, ``He loved the 
military. It was a lifelong dream of his.''
  John had been on active duty in the United States Army for six years. 
He spent three years stationed in Germany prior to his first deployment 
to Iraq in 2005 and was then deployed for a second tour in September of 
2007.
  Sergeant Savage's three-year-old daughter, Nicole, will continue to 
learn of her father through family and friends. John's father, who is 
the son of a retired Master Sergeant from the United States Army 
himself, commented on his own son by stating, ``His family was his 
number one priority.''
  Our thoughts and prayers are with Sergeant Savage's daughter, 
parents, siblings, and all of his family and friends. His community and 
nation honor his memory, and we are grateful for his faithful and 
distinguished service to America.
  Sergeant Savage will not be forgotten. His memory lives on through 
his family and the legacy of selfless service that he so bravely 
imprinted on our hearts.

                          ____________________