[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 208 (Thursday, December 2, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1305-E1306]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING SPECIALIST LUCAS SCHMITZ'S SERVICE TO THE UNITED STATES OF 
                                AMERICA

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MICHELLE FISCHBACH

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 2, 2021

  Mrs. FISCHBACH. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Retired 
Specialist Lucas Schmitz who sustained severe injuries while heroically 
serving the United States as part of the Minnesota Army National Guard.
  Specialist Schmitz has spent his life serving others. In 2005, 
Schmitz was deployed to Iraq with the Minnesota Army National Guard as 
an Infantryman with the Second Combined Arms Battalion of the 34th 
Infantry Division. On July 25, 2006, the vehicle that Specialist 
Schmitz's was riding in hit an IED, forcing them to vacate it. While 
running to the next vehicle, Specialist Schmitz was injured by stepping 
on a second IED and tragically lost his right leg.
  Upon his medical discharge from the Minnesota Army National Guard, 
Schmitz moved back to his hometown of Perham, Minnesota where he now 
lives with his wife, Tina, and three children. He has continued with 
his commitment to helping others by teaching special education at 
Perham Public Schools. Surrounded by the support of his family and 
community, Schmitz will receive a new home from the organization Homes 
For Our Troops that is specifically designed to accommodate the needs 
resulting from his injuries.
  I am eternally grateful for Specialist Schmitz's dedication to our 
Nation, and the sacrifices the men and women in the military make every 
day as they risk their lives to keep us safe. On behalf of Minnesota 
and the

[[Page E1306]]

United States House of Representatives, I thank him for his service.

                          ____________________