[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 93 (Tuesday, June 19, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H3735-H3736]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING THE LIFE OF SERGEANT TOM BAGOSY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Jones) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, today, a number of us are rising to 
commemorate an individual out of the now more than 2,000 who have lost 
their lives during Operation Enduring Freedom. I would like to submit, 
for the Record, 11 names of brave servicemembers who were recently 
killed in Afghanistan.

[[Page H3736]]

  Today, I would like to recognize a man in particular who is not 
counted in the 2,000. Sergeant Tom Bagosy, a combat veteran of Iraq and 
Afghanistan, took his own life on May 10, 2010, at Camp Lejeune marine 
base in North Carolina. Tom's wounds were mental, but he is no less a 
casualty of the war in Afghanistan.
  That Tom is not counted in this 2,000 number speaks to the fact that 
our country does not fully understand the effect that a generation of 
war has had on those who've fought it. We do not understand the future 
cost of caring for over 300,000 returning veterans with mental wounds.
  Tom's death, like those of the 154 Active Duty servicemembers who 
took their lives at a rate of one per day this year, was preventable.
  Tom left behind a wife, Katie, and two children. Today, Katie is 
working towards becoming a mental health counselor so she can support 
the thousands of veterans coming home today with mental wounds. We 
should be inspired by her efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to share with the House a letter that Katie wrote 
to her husband, Tom, who had died in May. And she wrote this letter 
August 23 of 2011. These are her words:

       I wonder what life would be like if you didn't die that 
     day. I wonder what we would be doing right now in this very 
     moment instead. I hate playing the ``what if'' game, but I'm 
     playing it anyway right now.
       I could really use a hug and kiss from you. I love the way 
     you kiss me. I wish your arms were around me right now. Guess 
     wishing is all I can do.
       Love always, Katie.

  Mr. Speaker, it's time now that our Congress stands up and says let's 
bring our troops home now; let's start the process. If we brought them 
home now, it would still take months, maybe even years. But 2014 is the 
date that the President says we'll start bringing them home.
  Then, there's also going to be a security agreement with Afghanistan; 
10 years, spending about $4 billion a month.
  We need to be spending that money to take care of our wounded, both 
physically and mentally, veterans. We need to start spending that money 
here in America to build our streets and roads and bridges.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time that the Congress does its job based on the 
Constitution. We have the authority based on the Constitution.
  I don't know how many--this poster of Sergeant Bagosy and his wife, 
Katie, how many, how many are coming back from Afghanistan, and those 
who came back from Iraq, that are mentally wounded. It's time that this 
Congress starts thinking about the wounded and thinks about the 
families who lost loved ones in Afghanistan and Iraq. Let's not cheat 
them out of their benefits because we want to spend money in 
Afghanistan that we can't even account for by the Inspector General.
  Mr. Speaker, I will, at this time, ask God to please bless our men 
and women in uniform, to please bless the families of our men and women 
in uniform.
  I ask God, in His loving arms, to hold the families who've given a 
child dying for freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq.
  I ask God to bless the House and Senate, that we will do what is 
right in the eyes of God for God's people today.
  I ask God to bless the President of the United States that he will do 
what is right in the eyes of God for God's people today and tomorrow.
  And three times I will ask God, please, God, please, God, please, 
God, continue to bless America.

                   Recent U.S. Service Member Deaths

       Spc. Kedith L. Jacobs
       Pfc. Leroy Deronde III
       Staff Sgt. Alexander G. Povilaitis
       Staff Sgt. Roberto Loeza
       Petty Officer 2nd Class Sean E. Brazas
       Cpl. Nicholas H. Olivas
       Lance Cpl. Steven G. Sutton
       Capt. John R. Brainard
       Chief Warrant Officer Five John C. Pratt
       Spc. Tofiga J. Tautolo
       Spc. Vilmar Galarza Hernandez

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