[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 180 (Wednesday, December 18, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S8974]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES
Captain Reid Nishizuka
Mr. SCHATZ. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the memory of one
Hawaii's fallen sons, Air Force Capt. Reid Nishizuka of Kailua.
I was deeply saddened to learn of Captain Nishizuka's death after an
MC-12 aircraft carrying him and three of his fellow airmen crashed
outside Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan on April 27, 2013.
Captain Nishizuka heard the call to military service early in his
life. While attending Kailua High School, he served as the commander of
his Junior ROTC class before he joined the ROTC at the University of
Notre Dame.
Through his training as a reserve officer, Captain Nishizuka
cultivated the skills and experience that prepared him to commission as
a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.
With a passion for flying and a spirit of service to a cause greater
than himself, Captain Nishizuka embodied the commitment and character
that make our military great.
His family and friends will remember his gentle and unconditional
love and support.
I hope his family finds solace in knowing that Captain Nishizuka's
service exceeded all measures of honor, courage, and devotion to his
country.
America will not forget his sacrifice, nor will we ever repay the
great debt we owe his family for allowing their son to give his life in
service to his Nation.
I stand today before the Senate on behalf of a grateful nation to
recognize and remember Capt. Reid K. Nishizuka. I ask for a moment of
silence in honor of Captain Nishizuka's memory as a son, a brother, a
friend, and an airman.
____________________