[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 189 (Friday, November 30, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1585]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                GOLD STAR MOTHERS OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

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                          HON. TOM McCLINTOCK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 30, 2018

  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the 
Gold Star Mothers of Northern California:
  Carolyn Acosta, Mother of Spc. Rudy Acosta; Loretta J. Bridges, 
Mother of Staff Sgt. Steven Bridges; Betty Hall, Mother of Sgt. 1st 
Class Bryan E. Hall; Satnam Kaur, Mother of Cpl. Gurpreet Singh; Dianne 
Layfield, Mother of LCpl. Travis Layfield; Suzy Maddox, Mother of Sgt. 
Matthew William Maddox; Jan Martinez, Mother of Private 1st Class Jesse 
Jack Martinez; Debbie Mason, Mother of Spc. Roy Brooks Mason; Karen 
Meredith, Mother of 1st Lt. Ken Ballard; Rinda Pope, Mother of Private 
1st Class Alexander R. Varela; Patricia Schumacher, Mother of LCpl. 
Victor Dew.
  These are the Mothers of brave men and women who made the ultimate 
sacrifice in the name of their country. The Gold Star Mothers of 
Northern California highlight perhaps the most binding characteristic 
of these heroes: they are family. They come from the towns occupying 
the vast valleys and foothills of Northern California. They come from 
high schools and churches that produce some of America's greatest 
minds. But most importantly, they come from the homes of loving 
families.
  When we as a nation lose a soldier and a patriot, these Mothers lose 
a child. We must remember that for the families of these fallen heroes, 
as with countless other families in our country, every day is Memorial 
Day. Time, sadly, does not heal all wounds. The grief of our Gold Star 
Mothers is just as great today as the day the casualty officer came to 
their door. Their loss is a heavy burden that they carry with them 
every day. Nonetheless, they persevere to keep alive the spirit of 
their brave children.
  I have heard many stories of the young men from Northern California 
who have fallen in combat--among them; Garret Pant, Jeremiah McCleery, 
Joshua Hardt, Victor Dew, and Sky Mote. By all accounts, these young 
men wanted to serve their country from the time they were in grade 
school. They sacrificed their lives and their promising futures to 
protect their fellow countrymen, and for that, we owe them a tremendous 
debt. Although we can never repay that debt, we can always remind these 
Mothers of our respect and appreciation for the sacrifices their 
children made and the work they are doing to carry on the legacy of 
each and every fallen soldier. It is organizations like the Gold Star 
Mothers of Northern California that keep their memories alive so that 
we as a nation pay tribute to them every day.
  These Mothers carry out the promise to our fallen heroes set forth by 
Reagan: ``That just as they did not forget their missing comrades, 
neither, ever, will we.''

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