[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 158 (Tuesday, September 14, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S6475]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Honoring Corporal Daegan William-Tyeler Page
Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, last Friday, I joined Nebraskans to
honor the dignified return of Cpl Daegan William-Tyeler Page of the
U.S. Marine Corps, one of 13 servicemembers killed in the terrorist
attack at the Kabul airport. It was heartbreaking, but to see the
thousands of people who lined the streets of Omaha between Eppley
Airfield and Braman Mortuary was truly amazing. The outpouring of honor
by the community during the procession was a solemn display of
Nebraskans' love for one another and for this country. Nebraskans
showed their gratitude for Corporal Page's service and offered support
to his grieving family.
Corporal Page was only 23 years old when his life was needlessly cut
short in Kabul. He was born in Iowa, but his family moved to Nebraska
when he was 5.
He was a proud U.S. marine. He enlisted shortly after graduating from
Millard South High School in Omaha. He was stationed in Pendleton, CA,
but multiple deployments took him all around the world, to Japan, South
Korea, Australia, Jordan, and Afghanistan.
After he finished his service, he planned to attend trade school in
Nebraska, hoping to eventually become a lineman.
Corporal Page was also a beloved son, brother, grandson, and friend.
He was especially adored by his younger siblings. To them, his family
said, he was not just a hero in the Marines; he was their real-life
hero, too.
And he had a soft spot in his heart for animals, most of all his
three dogs.
He loved hockey. He played on a State champion club team in high
school, Omaha Westside. And he was a diehard fan of the Chicago
Blackhawks.
He was a member of Boy Scout Troop 331, where he gained an
appreciation for the outdoors and of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in
Millard.
Hunting and being outside with his dad were among his favorite ways
to spend his time, but he was also an avid skateboarder, amateur
photographer, and an excellent sketch artist.
His family has asked Americans to remember him for his ``fun-loving
spirit, tough outer shell, and [his] giant heart.''
Corporal Page's dignified return to Omaha came just 1 day before the
20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, which brought us to Afghanistan
in the first place. He was just 3 years old on September 11, 2001, and
his death came at the very end of a war that had lasted nearly his
entire lifetime.
We are also going to hear this afternoon about the other
servicemembers who lost their lives in Kabul on August 26. Like
Corporal Page, most of these men and women had their whole lives ahead
of them. Like Corporal Page, most of them were probably too young to
have any memory of the event that took us to the country where they
gave their lives. His sacrifice and that of these 12 other
servicemembers must not be in vain. It is now up to us, both here in
Congress and in our daily lives across this country, to live up to the
lofty example that is set by their selflessness.
I ask that we remember him and his family in our prayers and that he
rest in peace.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah.