[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 72 (Thursday, April 27, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H2904-H2905]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING CAPTAIN JOSHUA TODD BYERS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Nevada (Mr. Amodei) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to honor Captain Joshua 
Byers, a fallen soldier, son, husband, brother, and friend.
  In Sparks, Nevada, Captain Byers lives on as a legacy. His kind 
heart, patriotic soul, and strong ideals of servant leadership have 
left a strong and lasting impact on everyone who knew him.
  Captain Byers attended Edward C. Reed High School in Sparks, the home 
of the Raiders. Although not originally from Sparks, Captain Byers 
moved with his mother, father, and two younger brothers to chase a 
dream and God's calling in Nevada.
  While at Reed High School, he joined the Naval Junior ROTC program 
and various other clubs, all while maintaining excellent grades.
  When he reached his senior year, he was student body president, the 
battalion commander of the Junior ROTC

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unit, and in line to be valedictorian on graduation.
  One of his biggest dreams was to attend one of the Nation's service 
academies. After he completed his 4 years at Reed High School, he 
accepted an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West 
Point, Hudson High.
  Upon graduating from West Point, he earned an Army Ranger tab and was 
deployed to Iraq in 2003, where he was killed in action due to an IED 
explosion.
  His legacy lives on at Reed High School, especially in the NJROTC 
program. Through an award given there by one of the past instructors as 
well, there is now being more done in order to memorialize a hero who 
left such a profound impact on those who knew him and were around him.
  The NJROTC hallway at Reed High is going to be completely dedicated 
to Captain Byers, being named the Captain Joshua T. Byers Leadership 
Memorial Hallway.
  In this hall you can find Captain Byers' uniform, awards, military 
decorations, and various pictures and stories to help capture the 
essence of this hero in our hearts and minds.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask today that we keep the Byers family and Joshua in 
our prayers and thoughts.

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