[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 191 (Wednesday, December 16, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13314-S13315]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES

  Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute to three 
young Americans who have been killed in Iraq since July 28. This brings 
to 882 the number of servicemembers either from California or based in 
California that have been killed while serving our country in Iraq. 
This represents 20 percent of all U.S. deaths in Iraq.
  SPC Lukas C. Hopper, 20, of Merced, CA, died October 30, southeast of 
Karadah, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. 
Private First Class Hopper was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 505th 
Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne 
Division, Fort Bragg, NC.
  SPC Christopher M. Cooper, 28, of Oceanside, CA, died October 30 in 
Babil province, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a noncombat related 
incident. Specialist Cooper was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 28th 
Infantry, 172nd Infantry Brigade, Schweinfurt, Germany.
  PVT Jhanner A. Tello, 29, of Los Angeles, CA, died December 10 in 
Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a noncombat related incident. 
Private Tello was assigned to the 3rd Aviation Support Battalion, 227th 
Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort 
Hood, TX.
  I would also like to pay tribute to the 27 soldiers from California 
or based in California who have died while serving our country in 
Operation Enduring Freedom since July 28.
  SPC Matthew K.S. Swanson, 20, of Lake Forest, CA, died August 8 at 
the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD, of injuries 
sustained during a vehicle roll-over July 19 in Logar province, 
Afghanistan. Specialist Swanson was assigned to the 3rd Brigade Special 
Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, 
Light Infantry, Fort Drum, NY.
  LCpl Javier Olvera, 20, of Palmdale, CA, died August 8 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Lance 
Corporal Olvera was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd 
Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, NC.
  PFC Brian M. Wolverton, 21, of Oak Park, CA, died August 20 in Kunar 
province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his 
unit with indirect fire. Private First Class Wolverton was assigned to 
the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 
10th Mountain Division, Light Infantry, Fort Drum, NY.
  LCpl Donald J. Hogan, 20, of San Clemente, CA, died August 26 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Lance 
Corporal Hogan was assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st 
Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  CPT John L. Hallett III, 30, of Concord, CA, died August 25 in 
southern Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his 
vehicle with an improvised explosive device. Captain Hallett was 
assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker 
Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, WA.
  SPC Tyler R. Walshe, 21, of Shasta, CA, died August 31 in southern 
Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit 
with an improvised explosive device. Specialist Walshe was assigned to 
the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd 
Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, WA.
  SPC Jonathan D. Welch, 19, of Yorba Linda, CA, died August 31 in 
Shuyene Sufia, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces 
attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Specialist Welch 
was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker 
Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, WA.
  PO3 James R. Layton, 22, of Riverbank, CA, died September 8 in Kunar 
province, Afghanistan, while supporting combat operations. Petty 
Officer 3rd Class Layton was assigned to an embedded training team with 
Combined Security Transition Command in Afghanistan.
  Capt Joshua S. Meadows, 30, of Bastrop, TX, died September 5 while 
supporting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan. Captain 
Meadows was assigned to 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine 
Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  TSgt James R. Hornbarger, 33, of Castle Rock, WA, died September 12 
as a result of a non-hostile incident in the Mediterranean. Technical 
Sergeant Hornbarger was assigned to the 9th Aircraft Maintenance 
Squadron, Beale Air Force Base, CA.
  SGT Joshua M. Hardt, 24, of Applegate, CA, died October 3 in Kamdesh, 
Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his 
contingency outpost with small arms, rocket-propelled grenade and 
indirect fires. Sergeant Hardt was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st 
Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort 
Carson, CO.
  SSgt Aaron J. Taylor, 27, of Bovey, MN, died October 9 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Staff 
Sergeant Taylor was assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 372, 
Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine 
Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  LCpl Alfonso Ochoa, Jr., 20, of Armona, CA, died October 10 while 
supporting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan. Lance 
Corporal Ochoa was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd 
Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force,

[[Page S13315]]

Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay.
  SPC Jesus O. Flores, Jr., 28, of La Mirada, CA, died October 15 in 
Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces 
attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. Specialist 
Flores was assigned to the 569th Mobility Augmentation Company, 4th 
Engineer Battalion, Fort Carson, CO.
  SPC Michael A. Dahl, Jr., 23, of Moreno Valley, CA, died October 17 
in Argahndab, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces 
attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. Specialist 
Dahl was assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker 
Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, WA.
  LCpl David R. Baker, 22, of Painesville, OH, died October 20 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Lance 
Corporal Baker was assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st 
Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  SPC Kyle A. Coumas, 22, of Lockeford, CA, died October 21 in Kandahar 
province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked 
his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. Specialist Coumas was 
assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade 
Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, WA.
  Capt Kyle R. Van De Giesen, 29, of North Attleboro, MA, died October 
26 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. 
Captain Van De Giesen was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter 
Squadron 169, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I 
Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  Capt David S. Mitchell, 30, of Loveland, OH, died October 26 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Captain 
Mitchell was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367, 
Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine 
Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  Capt Eric A. Jones, 29, of Westchester, NY, died October 26 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Captain 
Jones was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, 
Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine 
Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  Cpl Gregory M.W. Fleury, 23, of Anchorage, AK, died October 26 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Corporal 
Fleury was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, 
Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine 
Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  SGT Eduviges G. Wolf, 24, of Hawthorne, CA, died October 25 in Kunar 
province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked her 
vehicle with a rocket-propelled grenade. Sergeant Wolf was assigned to 
the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th 
Infantry Division, Fort Carson, CO.
  LCpl Cody R. Stanley, 21, of Rosanky, TX, died October 28 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Lance 
Corporal Stanley was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 
1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air 
Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, CA.
  SFC David E. Metzger, 32, of San Diego, CA, died October 26 of wounds 
suffered when the MH-47 helicopter he was aboard crashed in Darreh-ye 
Bum, Afghanistan. Sergeant First Class Metzger was assigned to the 3rd 
Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Airborne, Fort Bragg, NC.
  Sgt Charles I. Cartwright, 26, of Union Bridge, MD, died November 7 
while supporting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan. 
Sergeant Cartwright was assigned to 1st Marine Special Operations 
Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp 
Pendleton, CA.
  LCpl Justin J. Swanson, 21, of Anaheim, CA, died November 10 while 
supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Lance 
Corporal Swanson was assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 
1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  PFC Marcus A. Tynes, 19, of Moreno Valley, CA, died November 21 in 
Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces 
attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. Private First 
Class Tynes was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry 
Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, 
NC.

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