[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 134 (Wednesday, July 29, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H3884-H3885]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         DO NOT LET DEATH OF ENRIQUE ROMAN-MARTINEZ GO UNSOLVED

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Torres) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to decry a 
tragedy that has pierced the heart of my community, a tragedy that 
continues to cut deeper with each passing day because we still don't 
know what happened. We still have no answers.
  All we know is that one of our very best, one of our brightest, is 
dead. Our hearts are broken, and we demand answers. Army specialist 
Enrique Roman-Martinez was a Chino native who makes the whole Inland 
Empire proud.

[[Page H3885]]

  


                              {time}  0915

  He joined the Army before he was even old enough to vote. He begged 
his mother to sign the release forms. That is how committed he was to 
our country and to others.
  He was stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina and went camping in 
the Outer Banks over Memorial Day weekend with seven other soldiers. We 
don't know what happened that night on May 22, but what we do know is 
it cost Enrique his life, and the seven people who would seemingly have 
a lot of explaining to do, remarkably, had nothing to say.
  When a police officer walked up to their campsite the next day and 
asked those seven soldiers to move their illegally parked vehicles, not 
a single one thought it was important enough to mention that someone 
who had been camping with them, their friend and their fellow soldier, 
was missing from the night before. It took a full 17 hours before they 
spoke out and reported Enrique gone. When they did so, they said they 
were worried that Enrique was suicidal.
  It is hard for me to imagine why anyone would hesitate to tell a 
police officer that their fellow camper, their friend, and their fellow 
soldier was missing if they thought he was suicidal.
  A week later, Specialist Roman-Martinez's remains were found washed 
ashore not far away. The question of whether or not he was suicidal was 
settled by the simple fact that they only found a severed head--his 
head. That is it.
  He was just 21 years old. He had just started out in life. He had 
dedicated his few short years as an adult to a cause much greater than 
himself. He was only 3 months away from completing his duty and coming 
home as a veteran. Someone like that deserves better than this. His 
family deserves better for the son and brother that they have loved and 
lost.
  I would like to take a moment to talk about Enrique's family, his 
mother, Maria, and sister, Griselda, because one of the most solemn and 
sacred duties our military has is their commitment to leave no one 
behind on the battlefield. It is their duty to inform the family when 
something goes wrong.
  Mr. Speaker, as the mother of an Air Force veteran, I can tell you 
the fear of receiving a notice like that was with me every single day 
my son served. It is an ongoing unease in the back of your mind that 
never goes away. It is something I can still feel today.
  Now, imagine if Enrique were your son. The only thing worse than a 
conversation like that is if that conversation never happens--never. 
That is what happened to Maria and Griselda. The Army was so slow to 
inform the family that they learned through media reports their son had 
been mutilated--through media reports.
  The medical examiner ruled Enrique's death a homicide on that Monday, 
and it took the Army until Friday to reach out to the family. The lack 
of notice was bad enough, but the lack of answers is still far worse. 
It is time to hear more from the seven individuals. Their silence isn't 
acceptable. It is time to hear from the community in North Carolina. If 
they know something, say something.
  As a mother, I plead with them, if it were their son, if they are the 
mother of one of those seven young soldiers, male or female, say 
something. They need to talk to their son or daughter and demand that 
they speak out.
  Lawyering up is not enough. Lawyering up is not enough. They deserve 
to bury their son and brother.

                          ____________________