[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 18, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E695-E696]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN RECOGNITION OF THE 1ST BATTALION, 69TH INFANTRY OF THE NEW YORK 
                             NATIONAL GUARD

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 18, 2009

  Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the soldiers of the 
1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment of the New York National Guard 
who are being honored on St.

[[Page E696]]

Patrick's Day in New York City. I know that my distinguished colleagues 
will join me in extending our appreciation and gratitude to all of the 
brave members of the armed forces serving in the National Guard and the 
Reserve, who are so courageously and selflessly dedicated to their 
fellow Americans.
  The National Guard is an integral part of a great American military 
tradition that began during the American Revolution. At that time, our 
Founding Fathers placed the country's security in the hands of citizen-
soldiers who trained and organized into militias in their home 
colonies. To this day, members of the National Guard must be ready to 
serve their state and their country, often at a moment's notice.
  Headquartered in the historic Armory on Lexington Avenue--one of a 
dwindling number of armories remaining in our nation's greatest city--
the members of the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry continue to uphold a 
distinguished tradition in both battle and disaster response. As part 
of the famous Irish Brigade during the Civil War, the members of the 
69th Infantry were renowned for their tenacity on the battlefield, 
leading Confederate General Robert E. Lee to bestow upon them the 
nickname of ``The Fighting 69th.'' In acknowledgment of its proud 
heritage, the Fighting 69th participates each year in New York's world-
renowned St. Patrick's Day Parade.
  The Fighting 69th are infantry soldiers--the ``boots on the 
ground''--whose mission is to engage and destroy enemy forces in close 
combat. In addition to the Civil War, its members have also fought in 
the Spanish-American War, World War I and World War II, when its 
soldiers served valiantly in the battles of Makin, Saipan and Okinawa. 
Its members completed a tour of duty in Iraq, returning to the U.S. 
after serving with distinction. The battalion mobilized more than 300 
soldiers to support Task Force Phoenix VII during its deployment to 
Afghanistan in 2008 and 2009, when four of its members paid the 
ultimate sacrifice for their country and were killed in action.
  During the current conflict in Iraq, 19 members of the Fighting 69th 
were killed in action, including a member who was one of the New York 
firefighters who first raised the American flag above Ground Zero, 
Christian Engledrum. Six members of the 69th Regiment were awarded 
Purple Hearts in April, 2006 after being wounded by roadside bombs in 
Iraq. The unit patrolled the infamous road to the Baghdad airport and 
was stationed primarily in the Sunni Triangle, where many insurgent 
attacks have taken place.
  The members of the Regiment also have mobilized during times of 
emergency in their home state of New York. The Fighting 69th was the 
first National Guard unit to arrive on the scene following the 
devastating terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In the hours after 
the attacks, the Battalion assisted medical teams treating the wounded 
and provided significant assistance to rescue and recovery operations, 
continuing in this mission for nearly a year. For several months 
following the attacks, the members of the Fighting 69th guarded the 
bridges and tunnels that ring New York City.
  Madam Speaker, in recognition of its tremendous contributions to 
civic and public life, I request that my colleagues join me in paying 
tribute to the Fighting 69th Regiment of the New York State National 
Guard, whose members are great New Yorkers and great Americans. All 
patriots should be grateful for the dedication demonstrated every day 
by the men and women of the Fighting 69th as well as all of the brave 
individuals serving in National Guard and Reserve units throughout our 
great country. The Fighting 69th Regiment's service to our country 
inspires us all.

                          ____________________