[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 182 (Wednesday, November 8, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1537]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONOR THE LIFE OF GREG WOOD

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. STEPHANIE N. MURPHY

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 8, 2017

  Mrs. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life of one 
of my constituents, Greg Wood, who passed away on October 14, 2017, at 
the age of 70.
  In tribute to Greg, who served in the United States Marine Corps and 
was wounded in action during the Vietnam War, my office arranged for an 
American flag to be flown over the U.S. Capitol. I am so glad that our 
country raised the flag in Greg's honor, because Greg did so much to 
support and defend this country. Greg fought to protect the fundamental 
freedoms that our flag represents.
  This Saturday is Veterans Day, when our nation pauses to express 
gratitude to all those who honorably served, both living and departed. 
The day before, I will attend a ceremony at the Park Maitland School in 
Orlando, where we will formally present the flag to Greg's widow, 
Donna. Donna was kind enough to talk to my office about her late 
husband, about what mattered most to him, and about how he lived his 
life.
  Greg was many things--a Texan at heart despite spending most of his 
life in the Sunshine State; a well-educated man who earned a master's 
degree in finance; an adventure-seeker who once rode his motorcycle 
from the United States all the way down to Panama; a respected 
commercial real estate broker; a sports lover; a fisherman and a 
hunter; and a pillar of our central Florida community.
  But, as Donna made crystal clear, Greg was--above all--a U.S. Marine 
and a family man. These two roles defined him. They were the core of 
who he was. They gave his life purpose and meaning.
  In a speech that he delivered many years ago to members of the Marine 
Corps, President Ronald Reagan said: ``Some people spend an entire 
lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But the 
Marines don't have that problem.''
  Greg volunteered to serve in the Marine Corps in March 1966, when he 
was only 18 years old. After basic training, Greg was sent to Vietnam, 
where he served as a forward observer--directing artillery fire onto 
enemy targets. Working as a forward observer, especially in Vietnam, 
was an exceptionally dangerous job.
  The Marines are famous for their bravery, discipline and toughness. 
Greg was a Marine's Marine--respected and even revered by his brothers 
in arms for his courage and commitment. Despite his youth, Greg was a 
natural leader of men. They followed him, and they trusted him. Some 
even thought he might be invincible, and did not want to go out on 
patrols unless Greg was going with them.
  Friendships forged in war are uniquely deep and intense. Greg lost 
many good friends in Vietnam--and, as Donna tells us, he carried these 
losses with him for the remainder of his life. On some days, the 
memories haunted Greg, and he struggled with feelings of sadness and 
guilt. Like any warrior who has seen his fellow warriors fall, Greg 
naturally asked himself: ``Why them and not me?''
  Physically, as well as psychologically, Greg did not leave Vietnam 
unscathed. One fateful day, while out on a mission, he was shot and 
critically wounded--earning a Purple Heart. When Greg awoke hours later 
in a military hospital, a priest was administering his last rites. 
Although he survived, doctors told him he was unlikely to live past age 
35. In a sense, then, Greg's entire life was one big case of beating 
the odds.
  After being honorably discharged from the Marines, Greg was 
determined to become successful professionally and personally--in part 
to honor his fallen comrades who never had the chance to build a career 
or a family of their own. As Donna told us, nearly everything that Greg 
did later in life was shaped by his formative experience in Vietnam, 
whether for better or for worse.
  One of Greg's daughters, Kristina, told me that her father loved war 
movies, but they always made him cry. It is clear that Greg had complex 
feelings about war itself, but that he cherished the American soldiers, 
sailors, airmen and--of course--Marines who fought these wars. It 
didn't matter whether they served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, 
Afghanistan, or Iraq. He felt a sacred bond with all of them.
  In addition to his military family, of course, Greg treasured his own 
family--which includes Donna, four children, and eight grandchildren. 
By all accounts, he was a loving husband and father, who coached Little 
League, served as a Boy Scout leader, and did all the big things and 
little things that great dads do.
  So, I hope Greg has been reunited with the friends he lost in 
Vietnam. I hope he is happy and at peace. And I hope he knows how much 
his life mattered to his family and to the country he so nobly served.

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