[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 96 (Thursday, June 24, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H4858-H4859]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN HONOR OF SERGEANT FIRST CLASS ROBERT FIKE AND STAFF SERGEANT BRYAN 
                                 HOOVER

  Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise 
today to honor the lives of two fallen heroes from western 
Pennsylvania. Sergeant First Class Robert Fike of Conneautville, and 
Staff Sergeant Bryan Hoover of Lyndora, Pennsylvania, made the ultimate 
sacrifice while defending our Nation in Afghanistan.
  On June 11, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive near the Bullard 
Bazaar in Zabul province in southern Afghanistan. Sergeant First Class 
Fike, 38 years old, and his friend, Staff Sergeant Hoover, 29 years 
old, were on foot patrol. Both of these brave men were killed in the 
explosion. They were members of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard's 
Company C, 1st Battalion, 110th Infantry, based in Connellsville, 
Pennsylvania.
  Sergeants Fike and Hoover shared a passion for service to our 
country. They were patriots, soldiers, and good men. Robert Fike and 
Bryan Hoover were friends who fought, and ultimately sacrificed, side 
by side.
  Robert Fike was the third generation of his family to be a member of 
the Armed Forces. He joined the Pennsylvania National Guard in 1993, 
after earning a degree in organic chemistry from Edinboro University in 
1992. During his long military career, he served two tours overseas, in 
Saudi Arabia from 2002 to 2003 and in Iraq from 2007 to 2008.
  Protecting his community and his country was a way of life for 
Robert. Every month he drove the 2 hours from his home in Crawford 
County to Johnstown for specialized drills with the 20th Military 
Police Company. Robert also worked as a prison guard at the State 
Correctional Institute in Albion, Pennsylvania.
  He was a loving son and father. Robert is survived by his parents, 
James and Christine, and his 12-year-old daughter Mackenzie. He was a 
father figure to Chelsea Bliscik and a beloved friend to many.
  For his brave service and sacrifice, Sergeant First Class Robert Fike 
was awarded the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army 
Achievement Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the Global War on 
Terrorism Expeditionary and Service Medals, and the Iraq Campaign 
Medal.

[[Page H4859]]

  Staff Sergeant Bryan Hoover dreamt of joining the Army even as a 
child. He enlisted in the Army National Guard in 2005 and previously 
served in the Marines. Bryan served a total of four tours overseas: two 
in Afghanistan, one in Iraq, and one in Kuwait. He truly lived to serve 
our Nation.
  To his fellow soldiers, he was one of them, but to the students of 
Elizabeth Forward High School in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, he was known 
as Coach Hoover. Bryan was the assistant cross country and track coach 
at his alma mater, where he had graduated in 2000. Bryan loved sports, 
and was a talented athlete himself who particularly enjoyed hockey. He 
earned a degree in sports management from California University of 
Pennsylvania.
  For his bravery in the field, Sergeant First Class Bryan Hoover was 
awarded the Purple Heart.
  Bryan is survived by his father Melvin Hoover; his brothers, Richard 
and Ben; his sister, Samantha; his grandfather, Ray Bradford; his 
stepmother, Elaina Evans; and his fiancee, Ashley Tack. His mother, 
Debra Jean, preceded Bryan in death.
  It is my sad duty to enter the names of Sergeant First Class Robert 
Fike and Staff Sergeant Bryan Hoover in the Record of the United States 
House of Representatives for their service, sacrifice, and commitment 
to our country and to our freedom.
  While we struggle to express our sorrow over this loss, we can 
certainly take pride in the examples Robert and Bryan set as soldiers 
and friends. Today and always, they will be remembered as true American 
heroes, and we cherish their legacies.
  May God grant strength and peace to all those who mourn, and may God 
be with all of you, as I know he is with Robert and Bryan.

                          ____________________