[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 166 (Wednesday, December 15, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2139]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               IN HONOR OF SERGEANT VINCENT WAYNE ASHLOCK

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 15, 2010

  Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service 
of United States Army Staff Sergeant Vincent Wayne Ashlock, who died on 
December 4, 2010, while serving in Khost Province, Afghanistan. Wayne, 
as he was known to his family and friends, was a loving father, 
husband, brother, and son who devoted his life in equal measures to his 
family and our nation. Public service was his calling, and while his 
death leaves a void in the lives of his family, friends, and comrades, 
Staff Sergeant Ashlock's patriotism, loyalty, and love, will remain an 
example to all who had the privilege to know him.
  Wayne was born in San Jose, California on May 10, 1965. He grew up in 
the small farming and military town of Merced in the heart of 
California's San Joaquin Valley. He enjoyed a small town childhood 
surrounded by brothers and sisters playing little league baseball and 
exploring Bear Creek.
  Wayne began his military career by enlisting in the Army at age 
eighteen. He served for ten years on active duty before leaving the 
Army for civilian life. Following the 9/11 attack, his sense of duty 
and patriotism led Wayne to enlist in the California National Guard. As 
a Guardsman, Wayne deployed to Iraq, where he drew on his military 
experience to help train Ugandan troops. He later sought deployment to 
Afghanistan. To accomplish this, he transferred from the California 
National Guard, which had no immenant Afghanistan deployments 
scheduled, to the Mississippi National Guard which did. Once in there, 
Wayne served with the 287th Engineer Co., 176 Engineer Bde., 101st 
Airborne Div. (Air Assault). His unit was assigned to help clear 
homemade bombs and discover ambushes in front of other units. During 
his military service, Wayne earned many awards and commendations, among 
them the Army Commendation Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with a 
Bronze Service Star, and the Iraq Campaign Medal with a Bronze Service 
Star.
  Wayne is survived by his wife, Angela, and five children, Kali, 
Jesse, Steven, Erica and Christopher, two grandchildren, Addison and 
Brady, brothers Ryan, Lonnie, and sister Dawn, his mother Margot, and 
grandmother Bonnie.
  Madam Speaker, I know I speak for the whole House in expressing our 
heartfelt condolences to Staff Sergeant Ashlock's family. Their loss is 
our nation's loss. Their pain is our nation's pain. Public service was 
his calling, and while his death leaves a void in the lives of his 
family, friends, and comrades, Staff Sergeant Ashlock's patriotism, 
loyalty, and love, will remain an example to all who had the privilege 
to know him.

                          ____________________