[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 22, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E677]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN RECOGNITION OF THE DEDICATION OF SPC HOLLY McGEOGH MEMORIAL HIGHWAY

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                          HON. DEBBIE DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 22, 2021

  Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 
dedication of the SPC Holly McGeogh Memorial Highway in Taylor, 
Michigan. By dedicating this highway in the name of SPC McGeogh, an 
American hero who paid the ultimate sacrifice, we are ensuring that 
generations of Michiganders and Americans will remember her name and 
story of selfless courage. This ceremony held today is an important 
reminder to us all of her dedication and love of this country. It is 
important that we never forget the first female soldier from Michigan 
to lose her life in the war in Iraq.
  As a daughter of Dearborn and Taylor, SPC McGeogh wanted nothing more 
than to serve her country and fight for our freedom. A lifelong 
Michigander and a dedicated member of our military from the very 
beginning, she served for four years as a Cadet in the Junior ROTC 
program at Truman High School in Taylor, Michigan.
  From Truman High in 2002, McGeogh fulfilled her dream of joining the 
U.S. Army and hoped to continue her education and begin a career in 
Army intelligence or psychology. Upon joining the Army, SPC McGeogh was 
assigned to Company A, 4th Forward Support Battalion, 4th Infantry 
Division, and stationed at Fort Hood in Texas. She was sent to Iraq at 
age 19 where she served as a light truck mechanic. On January 4, 2004, 
while deployed in combat for Operation Iraqi Freedom, SPC Holly McGeogh 
and two of her fellow soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb outside 
of Kirkuk.
  During her time overseas, she was known to eagerly volunteer for 
every mission and patrol and taught games like duck-duck-goose to Iraqi 
children. In one of her final phone calls to her parents, she reminded 
them that ``if she should die, we should remember that she died for a 
reason.'' Her family said it best, ``Holly is another reminder that our 
freedom truly is not free.''
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the legacy 
of SPC Holly McGeogh and her unwavering bravery and desire to serve our 
country. The dedication of the SPC Holly McGeogh Memorial Highway will 
ensure that all who pass through will recognize her service and honor 
the ultimate sacrifice that SPC McGeogh has made.

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