[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 103 (Wednesday, July 11, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1230]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     THE SACRIFICE A SOLDIER MAKES

                                 ______
                                 

                 HON. CHARLES J. ``CHUCK'' FLEISCHMANN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 11, 2012

       Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, following is the essay 
     written by Katie Smith in honor of her brother, SPC Andrew 
     Smith, and all soldiers.

                     The Sacrifice a Soldier Makes

                            (By Katie Smith)

       The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier represents the sacrifices a 
     soldier makes to defend our country. Knowing that I would be 
     honoring the three fallen soldiers and any other soldier who 
     made the sacrifice with laying the wreath meant the world to 
     me. The history of the Tomb humbles me to know that people 
     have given their lives protecting me and that they are still 
     being honored for it. Multiple members of my family served in 
     the U.S. military, including both of my grandfathers and my 
     brother. In my opinion, the Unknown Soldier symbolizes the 
     sacrifice, whether death or injury, a soldier risks taking.
       I have personal experience with how a soldier sacrifices. 
     My brother, SPC Andrew Smith, a soldier with the 82nd 
     Airborne, was deployed to Afghanistan and was wounded in 
     combat on March 8, 2012. While on patrol near Kandahar, an 
     IED detonated next to him. He lost both of his legs and 
     suffered some other severe wounds. Before he joined the Army, 
     we asked why he wanted to do this, and he said, ``I will do 
     anything and go anywhere to keep this fight from coming 
     here.'' He was aware of the risks that were involved in being 
     a soldier, but he was so devoted to protecting our freedom 
     that he was willing to sacrifice in a major way. Even though 
     he is away from the war, he is still fighting. He fights for 
     his life, mobility, and a somewhat normal life. While I was 
     at Walter Reed National Medical Center, I noticed a whole 
     community of people with titanium limbs, and knowing that 
     they made the sacrifice for me and my freedom, as my brother 
     did, is humbling. I will never again take for granted any of 
     my limbs, my mobility, or my freedom because now I know that 
     people lost those things while keeping me safe. I couldn't 
     imagine what it would be like if I had to say that my brother 
     made the same exact sacrifice the Unknown Soldiers did, and I 
     thank God every day that I don't have to. However, I would 
     love to honor them in any way I can, all the same.
       It is a great tragedy that has come over these soldiers, 
     but it is also a great honor for them. They were brave enough 
     to make that sacrifice, and they should be rewarded in every 
     way possible. These men and women are true heroes, and I 
     can't thank them enough for the service they've done for our 
     country.

                          ____________________