[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 201 (Tuesday, December 2, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1137]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING SERGEANT MICHAEL VERARDO

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. RICHARD HUDSON

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 2, 2025

  Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Sergeant Michael 
Verardo.
  As the Representative from North Carolina's 9th District, I have the 
honor of representing Fort Bragg.
  I am devastated, but grateful. It is the honor of my life to 
represent the incredible men and women of our Airborne and Special 
Operation's community, including my friend Michael.
  To his wife Sarah and their precious three girls, Renee and I are so 
deeply sorry for this loss, and we were honored to stand together last 
week at Arlington National Cemetery.
  We lost a true American hero with the passing of our friend Sergeant 
Michael Verardo.
  An infantryman in the 82nd Airborne Division, Mike was severely 
wounded by an IED in Afghanistan that nearly took his life in 2010. He 
fought for his life and he fought to stay with his family, resulting in 
more than 120 surgeries and years of painful recovery.
  Most of us would look at that day in 2010 as the worst day of our 
lives. Michael called it his ``Alive Day.'' He chose to see every day 
after that as a gift. Another chance to love Sarah, to be a dad to his 
three little girls, to cheer on his New England Patriots (nobody is 
perfect), to enjoy his dogs, and to live in the country he believed was 
worth fighting for.
  Michael did more than survive. Together with Sarah, he turned his own 
suffering into service. Their work with the Independence Fund and their 
advocacy in Washington and around the country changed lives.
  Presidents listened. Cabinet Secretaries listened. Members of 
Congress listened.
  Michael and Sarah helped shift how our Nation thinks about the most 
severely wounded veterans and the families who are right there with 
them.
  His story advanced care at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the 
Department of War, evident by the presence of Secretary Collins and 
Secretary Hegseth at his interment ceremony at Arlington National 
Cemetery on November 19th.
  Back home in North Carolina, Michael was a leader in his church and 
community. He showed up for Veterans. He competed in adaptive sports. 
And through it all, he was first and foremost a loving father and 
husband.
  Sarah has said something I believe every American needs to hear: when 
it comes to our military and our veterans, everything should be purple. 
There should be nothing political in how we honor them, how we care for 
them, or how we remember them. Michael had that rare ability to make 
people on both sides of the aisle want to do better for our troops and 
their families.
  Sarah called it the honor of her lifetime to be Michael's wife and 
caregiver. All of us have watched her live that out with strength and 
grace. Sarah, is a true inspiration.
  In a moment like this, when answers are hard to find, I am reminded 
of Proverbs 3:5: ``Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not 
on your own understanding.'' She has walked that verse, day after day.
  Michael's daughters should know their dad is a hero. Not only because 
of that tragic day in Afghanistan, but because of how he lived every 
day afterward. They will always be able to say, ``My dad was Sergeant 
Michael Verardo,'' and our country will know exactly what that means.
  For the rest of us, the way forward is clear. We must honor Michael's 
legacy by caring for the heroes he fought beside and their families. We 
must keep working to deliver real care and real support for those who 
come home bearing the scars of war. And we must especially take care of 
those who come home with hidden scars. We must remember that we stand 
together as Americans, united in gratitude for men like my friend 
Michael.
  May God bless the Verardo family.
  May God bless the memory of Sergeant Michael Verardo.
  May God bless the United States of America.

                          ____________________