[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 42 (Thursday, March 13, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S1599]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES

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                         CAPTAIN DAVID I. LYON

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I wish to speak about a U.S. airman 
lost in battle who has left behind a saddened but grateful country. 
Capt. David I. Lyon of Sandpoint, ID, was killed in action on December 
27, 2013, in Kabul, Afghanistan, when his convoy was intentionally and 
deliberately attacked by the enemy with explosive devices. Captain 
Lyon's mission was an advisory one for the Afghan National Army 
Commandos. He was 28 years old.
  For his service in uniform, Captain Lyon received several medals, 
awards, and decorations, including the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, 
the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Combat Action Medal, the 
Meritorious Unit Award, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, the Air 
Force Organizational Excellence Award, the Air Force Good Conduct 
Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism 
Service Medal, the Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon, and the Air 
Force Training Ribbon.
  As a cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy, David was a star track and 
field athlete. As a team captain who is still ranked third all-time in 
academy history for indoor and outdoor shot put, his teammates gave 
David the nickname ``Leonidas''--after the ancient Greek warrior-king 
of Sparta--for his courage against fearful odds.
  ``Oh captain, my captain, Leonidas, we salute you. You will never be 
forgot,'' says Scott Irving, who was David's assistant coach. David 
``knew the risk he was taking and embraced it without hesitation or 
fear,'' Scott adds. ``That's another Leonidas trait, I would say.''
  David's wife, Capt. Dana Lyon, is an officer in the U.S. Air Force 
and an Air Force Academy graduate, where she herself was a two-time 
NCAA champion in the javelin throw. Her family hails from Lexington, 
KY, and I had the honor of speaking with them and hearing firsthand 
about David's service and tragic sacrifice.
  ``Dave was known as a tender warrior and a protector,'' says Rick 
Pounds, Dana's father and David's father-in-law. ``He was lighthearted 
and a gentle giant. Kind and compassionate to everyone he met, Dave's 
smile would light up a room. If my daughter would have given me the 
task of `go find me a husband anywhere,' he is who I would have 
picked.''
  ``Dave loved the principles upon which our country was founded, and 
died in defense of them,'' Rick continued. ``More importantly, he was a 
faithful follower of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, in whom our 
liberty and freedom is derived.''
  David attended the Air Force Academy, where he graduated in 2008. 
While there, he was a 3-year letter winner for the track and field 
team. He became a Mountain West Conference champion and was named to 
the National Strength and Conditioning Association All-American Team 
and received the Laura Piper Ironman Award. This award is named for a 
1991 Air Force Academy graduate and former track and field star who was 
killed in action in Operation Desert Shield in Iraq. David's shot put 
throw of 57 feet, 11 inches earned him a place in the academy's record 
books.
  ``That gives you a sense of his intensity and his drive and his 
determination,'' said Scott Irving. ``When he was team captain, he 
would get upset with other[s] . . . if they didn't give everything they 
could give--it bothered him if they didn't try to take their God-given 
talents to the highest level. That was David, day in and day out.''
  After graduation from the academy, David excelled in his Air Force 
career. Lt. Col. James Lovewell, his former squadron commander, recalls 
how much David impressed him. ``The consistency of his character showed 
across many facets of his life,'' Lieutenant Colonel Lovewell says. 
``He was very humble and tireless in serving others. He had a superb 
work ethic. He was a servant leader--he served people just as much as 
he led them.''
  Assigned to the 21st Logistics Readiness Squadron at Peterson Air 
Force Base, Colorado, David was picked over more senior officers to 
become the group commander's right-hand man. He worked above and beyond 
what was asked of him.
  ``I joked I was going to start calling him `Boomerang,' because he 
would come into work and I told him there's nothing more he could do, 
and invariably he would just come back,'' said Lieutenant Colonel 
Lovewell. ``He was sticking around to make sure I was taken care of.''
  David and Dana were both serving their country in Afghanistan at the 
same time. David worked in logistics, Dana in acquisitions. ``He would 
always talk about how proud he was of her over there, taking care of 
the mission, as he was,'' Lieutenant Colonel Lovewell recalls.
  Just before David's tragic death, the couple were able to have 
Christmas dinner together one final time.
  ``Every day was always the best day of my life with him, so every day 
just got better,'' Dana said. ``The last 2 days were the best 2 days 
we've spent together.''
  Because they were based in Colorado Springs, David and Dana 
maintained their ties to the Air Force Academy. They coached and 
mentored young athletes, sponsored cadets, and volunteered with the Air 
Force Wounded Warrior Program. They had members of the academy track 
and field team over for meals. David also enjoyed camping, hiking, 
lifting weights, and listening to country music with the windows down 
with his wife.
  Dana's brother Eric Pounds is also an Air Force captain and admired 
his brother-in-law both as a dedicated airman and a beloved member of 
the family. ``They both loved the Air Force,'' Eric says of his sister 
and brother-in-law. ``They both wanted to fight, and they both wanted 
to protect their country. [David] did that at home, and he did that in 
the Air Force. He was a protector and a provider, and I'm just really 
proud of him.''
  We are thinking of David Lyon's beloved ones today, including his 
wife Dana; his parents Bob and Jeannie Lyon; his brother Sean Lyon; his 
parents-in-law Rick and Nancy Pounds; his grandparents Ray and Imogene 
Davis; his step-grandmother Beth Davis; his brothers-in-law Eric Pounds 
and Darren Pounds; and many other beloved family members and friends.
  It was my honor to speak with the family members of Captain Lyon, 
just as it is an honor for me to share his story with my colleagues in 
the Senate today. I know we as a nation send our condolences to this 
brave military family for the loss of such an incredible husband, son, 
friend, and dedicated airman. I want them to know the Senate has paused 
today in memoriam to Capt. David I. Lyon to pay tribute to his life of 
service and sacrifice half a world away. He will be remembered, and he 
will be missed by those who knew him and loved him.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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