[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 90 (Tuesday, May 24, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2643-S2644]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Memorial Day

  Mr. TUBERVILLE. Mr. President, the first stanza of our national 
anthem ends with ``O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave o'er 
the land of the free and the home of the brave?''
  We sing this part as a triumphant declaration, but if you read the 
lyrics of the ``Star-Spangled Banner,'' the sentence actually ends with 
a question mark. Francis Scott Key intended this line to be sung as a 
question rather than a statement. That is fitting because, while our 
freedom may be concrete, hate and evil threaten the security of our 
freedom from one generation to the next.
  Over the years, our national anthem took on a feeling of confidence 
and assurance rather than uncertainty, and that is thanks to the 
millions of men and women who bravely answered the call to serve. Many 
soldiers lost their lives to give us the security we all enjoy and the 
assurance we are proud of. That is what we keep in our hearts and on 
our minds as we honor the fallen on this Memorial Day.
  Throughout the course of our Nation's history, our freedom has been 
protected by those who stood toe to toe with hate and evil, endured 
sleepless nights on the battlefield, rough days at sea, harsh 
conditions in the desert, and years living in a far corner of the globe 
so that we, as Americans, can sleep peacefully in the comfort and 
security of our home.
  Sadly, some of our Nation's heroes never ever returned. My State of 
Alabama lost 2,500 soldiers during World War I, 5,114 soldiers during 
World War II, and hundreds and hundreds of others in wars since.
  Alabama pays tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice 
with memorials across our State. More than 400,000 people visit the USS 
Alabama Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile annually, where they learn 
more about our military and those who served. The city of Trussville, 
AL, recently broke ground on the Alabama Fallen Warrior Monument to 
honor Alabama servicemembers killed since 9/11.
  But these sites are more than just landmarks; they tell stories of 
countless lives that were forever changed--the stories of daughters, 
sons, husbands, wives, mothers, and fathers who answered the call to 
defend our country at home and abroad, not knowing what their future 
would hold; stories of mothers who hugged their children and husbands 
who kissed their wives without knowing if it was for the last time. 
Every year on Memorial Day, we pause to honor these heroes and reflect 
on the price they have paid for our freedom.
  Today, I would like to recognize some of Alabama's fallen soldiers 
who have paid freedom's high cost and the Gold Star families who still 
grieve from their absence.
  Many of our fallen servicemembers had not yet reached the prime of 
their lives. Some were still in high school when they answered the call 
to service. That is true for PFC James Joshua, Jr., of Gadsden, AL, who 
left high school to become a U.S. marine at the young age of 18. This 
bright young man adored his family, and his dreams for his life were 
like that of many 18-year-olds.
  Private Joshua had great aspirations of travel, and he wanted a 
successful career, but he also felt a higher calling to serve his 
country in Vietnam. The second oldest of eight children, Private Joshua 
was a natural protector who wanted to make sure his family and his 
country were safe, so he deployed as a marine, but he never returned 
home. On May 22, 1968, his life was cut short. He was killed when his 
company was

[[Page S2644]]

attacked with mortars in Vietnam's Quang Tri Province.
  Private Joshua's younger sister Judy recalls getting ready for her 
high school graduation when the notification officers arrived with news 
of her brother's passing. A day that started as a celebration of 
graduation turned into a day of tragedy as she, her mother, and her 
sisters received the news. Still Judy remembers the screams in shock 
and despair.
  The Joshua family never got over the passing of their beloved brother 
and son James. Judy's mom especially struggled to cope with the loss. 
She passed away from a heart attack at age 49, which Judy attributes to 
the grief she experienced following the tragic loss.
  Private Joshua was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple 
Heart for his courage and his bravery. His hometown of Gadsden honors 
his service at Central-Carver Museum's Wall of Honor. He is also 
honored on Panel 65E, Line 11, of the Wall of Faces at the Vietnam 
Veterans Memorial here in Washington, DC. Private Joshua gave his 
country the best years of his life, a sacrifice we can never fully 
repay.

  Sadly, his life is not the only instance of years cut short because 
of service to our country. Private First Class Thomas Stagg, known as 
Tommy, from Birmingham, AL, was declared missing in action in 1950 
during the Korean war. He was 21 years old at the time. He and 10 other 
paratroopers from the U.S. Army 187th Regimental Combat Team were on a 
patrol in the Hwanghae Province when they were overwhelmed by Chinese 
forces. All 11 members were declared dead and missing in action.
  Private Stagg received several awards for his services, including a 
Purple Heart and a National Defense Service Medal.
  Private Stagg's nephew, Colonel Larry Leonard, was very young when 
his family received the news about his uncle, but he witnessed the toll 
it took on his mother who had already lost another brother during World 
War II. Colonel Leonard shared that his mother's dying wish was for her 
little brother to be found and returned to Birmingham to be buried 
alongside her and their parents. Five years ago, Colonel Leonard saw 
his mother's wish fulfilled. Thanks to the help of the Defense POW/MIA 
Accounting Agency or the DPAA under the Department of Defense, Private 
Stagg's remains were identified and returned home for a proper memorial 
service in 2017, more than 67 years after he was declared missing.
  Colonel Leonard says that while Memorial Day is a somber day, it is 
important to recognize those who ``thought so much of their country 
they were willing to give their lives for it.''
  I know it is estimated more than 81,600 missing American soldiers are 
still missing since World War I--81,600 still missing.
  Some families are still searching for answers, like Teresa Schmitt of 
Huntsville, AL, who was only 8 years old when her father, U.S. Air 
Force Technical Sergeant Elbert Phillips' airplane crashed in the 
Mekong River during the Vietnam war. Sergeant Phillips' body was never 
recovered, but he was presumed dead and labeled missing in action.
  Teresa was one of six children between the ages of 4 and 11 who were 
left behind. She spoke of the many days and nights she spent waiting to 
see if her father would ever be found and the heartbreak of growing up 
knowing that he would never be present to teach her how to ride a bike, 
meet her high school boyfriends, celebrate her graduation, or walk down 
the aisle at her wedding.
  Teresa's mother committed to raising her children alone, never 
remarrying in the hopes that her husband would return. Sergeant 
Phillips received numerous awards for his courage, including the 
National Defense Service Medal with one Battle Star and the Air Force 
Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster. He is honored at the 
Huntsville Veterans Memorial in Alabama and on Panel 46W, Line 52, of 
the Wall of Faces at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial here in Washington, 
DC.
  The Phillips family reminds us of the ordinary moments we take for 
granted and the immense sacrifice of Gold Star families.
  Our military defends us abroad, but also protects us here right at 
home when acts of terror occur on American soil. That is the story of 
U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st class Marsha Ratchford, a native of 
Prichard, AL, who was killed when hijackers crashed American Airlines 
flight 77 into her office on the western side of the Pentagon on 
September 11, 2001.
  She is described by her family as someone with a huge, huge heart who 
was passionate about helping those in need. The 34-year-old mother left 
behind a husband and three young children ages 11, 8, and 18 months. 
She was awarded a Purple Heart for her courage in the wake of one of 
the most horrific days in America's history.
  Officer Ratchford's son Rodney told the story of learning about his 
mother's passing when he arrived home to see his father crying as he 
held the telephone and recalled him seeing the Pentagon in flames on 
television. Rodney described the next day without his mother like 
``waking up in a new world.'' His teenage years were met with the 
struggles of relocating to be near loved ones without having his 
mother's loving hand as a guide.
  Rodney's story is another heartbreaking example of Gold Star children 
who faced a childhood they didn't ask for but were given as a result of 
the unthinkable sacrifices their loved ones made for freedom. Their 
courage is no doubt a testament to the brave parents who raised them.
  It is impossible to speak of Gold Star families without mentioning 
the parents who are robbed of the joy of seeing their children grow up 
and have families of their own. Danny Jordan from Elba, AL, is one such 
Gold Star parent. Danny's son, U.S. Army Sergeant Jason Jordan of the 
101st Airborne Division, was killed in the Iraqi village of Tallifar on 
the night of July 20, 2003, when his humvee was attacked by rocket-
propelled grenades. Even though it was not required for the 24-year-
old, he chose to go on patrol that night because he would not ask his 
company to do something he wasn't willing to do himself.

  Because of his service and sacrifice, Sergeant Jordan earned the 
Combat Infantryman Badge, a Purple Heart, and a Gold Star. Sergeant 
Jordan is honored in Elba at the ``Lest They Be Forgotten'' memorial at 
Veterans Memorial Park in Alba.
  Danny describes his son as a natural-born leader who led by example. 
He said Jason was studying chemical engineering prior to his military 
service but joined the military because he felt there was a need. Danny 
said Jason was a hard worker who loved his hometown, his State, and his 
country. To cope with his grief, Danny drives the truck that once 
belonged to his son. For fathers like Danny, holding onto ordinary 
possessions of their loved ones helps them feel close even after they 
have passed on.
  These are the stories of Americans who gave their lives for freedom's 
cause--mothers, brothers, sisters, and sons who became heroes to all of 
us. There are many, many others who have made the ultimate sacrifice 
for all of us and for our country. These heroes lived lives of impact, 
driven by a desire to serve their country at any cost. We tell their 
story to keep their memory alive and ensure their sacrifices are never, 
never forgotten. And as long as there are brave men and women like 
those I've mentioned today, we can continue to sing the national 
anthem--not with a question mark, but with a declaration that we are 
the ``land of the free and the home of the brave.''
  As Memorial Day approaches, I hope we will take the time to honor 
America's fallen, along with the brave families who they left behind 
and always remember that our freedoms were won by men and women who 
made the ultimate sacrifice.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri.