[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 147 (Wednesday, October 7, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1446-E1447]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IN MEMORY OF GREGORY THOMAS ALIA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 7, 2015

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, tragically Forest Acres, 
South Carolina, Police Officer Gregory Thomas Alia was killed 
Wednesday, September 30th at Richland Fashion Mall in the line of duty 
protecting the people of his community. There was an outpouring of love 
and appreciation for his services. The following obituary is from The 
State on October 2nd.

       Columbia--A Mass of Christian burial for Officer Gregory 
     Thomas Alia, 32, will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, October 3, 
     2015, at St.

[[Page E1447]]

     Joseph Catholic Church. Final Commendation and Farewell 
     Prayers will be in St. Peter's Cemetery. The family will 
     receive friends from 6 until 8.00 p.m. Friday, October 2, 
     2015, at Dunbar Funeral home, Devine Street Chapel.
       Officer Alia died in the line of duty Wednesday, September 
     30, 2015. Born in Columbia, he was the son of Dr. Richard 
     Thomas Alia and Mary Alexis Wade Alia. He was a graduate of 
     Richland Northeast High School and the University of South 
     Carolina with degrees in Criminal Justice and Media Arts. He 
     was a founding father of Phi Sigma Kappa Gamma Triton 
     Chapter. Officer Alia was with the Forest Acres Police 
     Department for seven years. He was an Eagle Scout and a 
     member of the St. Joseph Catholic Church.
       Surviving are his wife, Kassandra Kugler ``Kassy'' Alia; 
     son Salvatore David Alia; and his parents; sisters, Christine 
     A. Corbly (Brett) of Indian Land, Rebecca Mesnil (Pierre) of 
     Columbia; a niece, Madeleine; father-in-law and mother-in-
     law, David and Carol Ann Kugler; sisters-in-laws, Kristina 
     Persinger (Brian), Knatalia Kugler, Kara Kugler; and numerous 
     aunts, uncles and cousins.
       In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Greg Alia 
     Memorial Fund at www.gofundme.com/rw5b9wbc. Please sign the 
     online guestbook at www.dunbarfunerals.com.

 The State further published a thoughtful front page article by Avery 
G. Wilkes on October 4th reflecting the love and affection for the Alia 
family as headlined Officer was `strong and brave, selfless'.

       Hundreds gathered Saturday at St. Joseph Catholic Church 
     and Elmwood Cemetery to mourn the death and celebrate the 
     life of Forest Acres police officer Greg Alia.
       Alia, 32, a seven-year veteran of the Forest Acres Police 
     Department, was shot and killed Wednesday morning by a 
     suspect in Richland Mall. His funeral Mass and burial 
     services were crowded with police officers and law 
     enforcement officials, including Forest Acres Police Chief 
     Gene Sealy, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott and S.C. 
     Attorney General Alan Wilson.
       Some mourners who packed into the downtown Columbia church, 
     including police from departments across South Carolina, wore 
     blue ribbons in support of police.
       Alia on Saturday was recalled as a gentle patient protector 
     who sought to serve others before himself.
       Christine Corbly, one of Alia's sisters who spoke at the 
     funeral Mass, said Alia's overwhelming love and happiness 
     were evident in the way he treated his family, friends and 
     those he protected as a police officer.
       ``This is not the first time my brother rushed into danger, 
     and if things had been different it wouldn't have been the 
     last,'' Corbly said.
       ``This is not what made my brother a hero. What made my 
     brother a hero was that every day he got up, put on his 
     uniform, loved his family, loved his son, loved his wife, was 
     full of commitment and happiness and contentment that he 
     poured into everything he did.
       ``He gave it his all.''
       Corbly, who is older than Alia, said she used to read to 
     him stories about heroes, warriors and adventure when they 
     were kids. She said Alia wasn't usually drawn to the main 
     character, preferring the sidekicks instead for their 
     loyalty, selflessness and sacrifice.
       ``It seems that is the man he tried to become--strong and 
     brave, selfless,'' Corbly said.
       ``Never the star, never the center, but rather the one who 
     sacrificed himself so the hero could escape and save the 
     day.''
       Monsignor Richard Harris, who delivered the homily at the 
     funeral Mass, said Alia always looked for the good in others 
     and that even when there wasn't much good to find, he was 
     still patient and understanding.
       ``We will miss Gregory Alia--his voice, a touch, a smile, 
     and a presence that will be longed for in the weeks, months 
     and years to come,'' Harris said. ``And there is the wish to 
     say just one more, `I love you.' ''
       Corbly thanked those in attendance for the outpouring of 
     support the family has received over the past few days, most 
     of all the memories of her brother that friends shared with 
     them.
       A GoFundMe set up by Alia's Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity 
     brothers at the University of South Carolina had raised 
     nearly 3500 donations, amounting to nearly $175,000, as of 
     Saturday afternoon.
       That support also was visible on the way to Alia's burial 
     service, said Chris Scott, who grew up with Alia in Forest 
     Acres and went to USC and then California with him before he 
     came back to South Carolina to become a police officer.
       Officers and others lined the streets throughout Columbia, 
     the officers saluting the funeral procession as it drove from 
     St. Joseph's on Devine Street to the cemetery on Elmwood 
     Avenue.
       ``It blew me away,'' Scott said.
       ``There were officers at every corner. They saluted every 
     time.
       ``Outside of every shop on the way, there were people 
     standing there.''
       Scott said the driver of the hearse he rode said that in 
     the more than 1,800 funerals he had worked, he had never seen 
     anything like that.
       ``To see this tidal wave of support and people that Greg 
     knew and touched--he was the most magnetic, charming guy.'' 
     Scott said. ``I think his greatest super-power was he could 
     not just make friends, but he could bring people together and 
     form groups of friends and then bring them together.''
       ``I know hundreds of people here, all through Greg, and 
     every single one of them has an amazing incredible story.''


                    A Personal Appreciation of Greg

  The Wilson family has a personal appreciation of Greg as in 1999, I 
joined my third son Julian Wilson accompanying Greg on a trek to the 
Philmont Scout Ranch at Cimmaron, New Mexico, with Greg's Scout leaders 
being John Graham, Jim Flynn, Vincent VanBrunt, and Dave Cartledge, 
Scoutmaster of Troop 100 at St. Joseph Catholic Church of Columbia, 
South Carolina. Our oldest son Alan Wilson was grateful for Greg's 
volunteering to put up campaign signs in Alan's successful campaign for 
State Attorney General. And a dear family friend Adam Piper was 
fortunate to be a Phi Sigma Kappa Fraternity brother at the University 
of South Carolina.

                          ____________________