[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 74 (Thursday, May 23, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E757-E758]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN HONOR AND MEMORY OF MARINE PFC OSCAR A. MARTINEZ AND NAVY MASTER-AT-
                   ARMS 2ND CLASS MICHAEL J. BRODSKY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 23, 2013

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize two 
American heroes, Marine PFC Oscar A. Martinez and Navy Master-at-Arms 
2nd Class (MA2) Michael J. Brodsky, who made the ultimate sacrifice in 
service to their country. They are the first residents of the City of 
North Lauderdale, Florida to be killed while serving in the Armed 
Forces since it was founded 50 years ago, and I am truly honored to 
have had the privilege to represent them in Congress. My heartfelt 
condolences go out to the families and friends of these two young men 
for their loss.
  PFC Oscar Martinez was born in Dallas in 1984. Originally from El 
Salvador, his family settled in South Florida in 1987. Oscar's mother 
died when he was a child, leaving him and his three younger siblings to 
be raised by his uncle, Rene Martinez, and the children's grandmother, 
Maria Marta Mendez. According to his sister, Morena Martinez, Oscar 
dreamt of being a Marine ever since he was little, and was determined 
to be the best at what he did.
  Oscar joined the Marine Corps in 2003, shortly before graduating from 
North Lauderdale High School, and was assigned to the I Marine 
Expeditionary Force based out of Camp Pendleton, California. Sadly, he 
was killed on October 12, 2004 when a mortar fired by insurgents 
exploded at a U.S. base where he was eating with his unit in the Iraqi 
province of Anbar. He was just 19 years old.
  MA2 Michael Brodsky, of Tamarac, Florida, enlisted in the Navy in 
2001, following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. He was 
stationed in the security department at Sasebo Naval Base in Japan from 
2002 to 2005 before earning the award of Distinguished Graduate from 
the Military Working Dog Course at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. 
Mike also served at Naval Support Activity (NAS) Bahrain. In December 
2010, he was assigned to Navy Region Southwest Security Detachment in 
San Diego, California.
  On July 7, 2012, Mike was on patrol in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan 
in support of Operation Enduring Freedom when his unit started taking 
fire. He rushed to protect his dog Jackson by putting him back in the 
truck as he was trained to do, and then returned to the fight. It was 
then that Mike stepped on the pressure plate of an improvised explosive 
device (IED), and the blast took both his legs. In critical condition 
and unresponsive, he was flown to Germany where doctors tried to save 
him. On the morning of July 17, 2012, Mike was awarded the Purple 
Heart. Tragically, the 33-year-old died from his injuries on July 21, 
2012 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. He is survived by 
his daughter Natalia, parents Debra and Steven Brodsky, younger brother 
Corey Brodsky, and grandfather Stanley Brodsky.
  Mr. Speaker, on May 31, 2013, the City of North Lauderdale will be 
dedicating a fallen soldier statue in memory of PFC Oscar Martinez and 
MA2 Michael Brodsky, who gave

[[Page E758]]

their lives in order to protect freedom and democracy around the world. 
As we recently observed the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War and over 
11 years of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, we must remember all those 
who have fallen in service to our great country. Our nation owes them, 
as well as the millions of brave servicemen and women who have served 
and continue to serve, an eternal debt of gratitude. Their service will 
not be forgotten.

                          ____________________