[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Pages 19399-19400]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                  TRIBUTE TO SPECIALIST T. BRUCE CLUFF

  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, a memorial service was held on Monday in 
Ft. Bliss, Texas, to honor five American men and women who lost their 
lives last week in the service of this country. On July 23, an Army 
airplane was reported missing over Colombia with five U.S. military 
personnel and two Colombians on board. The wreckage was located later 
in the week and days later, the Department of Defense confirmed the 
deaths of those on board.
  Coffins draped with the Stars and Stripes left Bogota, and were flown 
to Ft. Bliss Texas, a wreching reminder of the continued sacrifice made 
by American men and women in the Armed Forces and of course their 
families.
  One of the soldiers killed in the crash was Private First Class T. 
Bruce Cluff, a former resident of the city of Washington in my home 
state of Utah. Private Cluff served as one of 300 soldiers in a 
Battalion whose uniforms bear a crest that states ``Silently We 
Defend.''
  Mr. President, because we cannot, and should not, allow the untimely 
loss of those in uniform to go unnoticed, I rise today to pay tribute 
to Private T. Bruce Cluff, a soldier killed in the line of duty; a 
soldier who received the Army Good Conduct Medal; a soldier who 
volunteered to risk his life for the protection of our nation and its 
defense against aggressors.
  T. Bruce Cluff was born in Mesa, Arizona, and as a member of the Boy 
Scouts of America, attained the rank of Eagle Scout at the age of 13. 
He graduated from Whitehorse High School in 1992, and served a two year 
mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the 
state of Montana. Private Cluff attended Dixie College in Utah and 
worked as a Computer Aided Draftsman before enlisting in the Army in 
1997. He completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and 
Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Fort Huachuca, Arizona.
  In mourning Cluff's death and announcing his posthumous promotion to 
the rank of specialist, a statement from the Army read, ``His commander 
and NCO supervisors regarded his skills--as superlative. His can-do 
attitude and enthusiasm embodied the motto of his platoon, which reads, 
`Excellence--Nothing Else is Acceptable.' ''
  As a reminder to those of use who didn't know any of the soldiers 
personally, I share writings from George Washington which I believe 
shed light on a soldier's quiet commitment, and perhaps a tendency to 
forget what is asked of our men and women in uniform. The winter of 
1777 was a bleak time in our nation's military history. George 
Washington, after his defeat at the Brandywine, established Winter 
Headquarters at Valley Forge. The soldiers were in rags, were sick and 
starving. Criticism of Washington from the Congress was loud, and 
spreading to the public.
  On December 23, General Washington wrote to the Continental Congress, 
explaining that ``no less than 2,898 men now in camp are unfit for 
duty, because they are barefoot and otherwise naked.
  He then addresses the criticism, ``But what makes this matter still 
more extraordinary in my eye is, that these very gentlemen--who were 
well apprised of the nakedness of our troops--should think a winter's 
campaign, and the covering of these States [New Jersey and 
Pennsylvania] from the invasion of an enemy, so easy and practicable a 
business. I can assure those gentlemen, that it is a much easier and 
less distressing thing to draw remonstrances in a comfortable room by a 
good fireside, than to occupy a cold, bleak hill, and sleep under frost 
and snow, without clothes or blankets.
  Those of us who are in a `comfortable room by a good fireside,' 
should be reminded that the missions of the military are not 
comfortable nor are they easy. Even in peacetime, America has troops 
stationed all over the world, engaged in all manner of missions, and 
regrettably, none without threat.
  There will be few who know about the Cluffs' loss. Specialist Cluff, 
to use his new rank, has not had his picture on the cover of any 
magazine. His life hasn't been the subject of wide media attention. 
However, his young wife who is expecting their third child, and his 
remaining two children, have lost a husband and young father. His 
siblings have lost a brother and his parents have lost a son. This 
country has lost a good soldier. It mourns with his family and honors 
his memory.
  May the Cluffs be comforted in their time of grief. As we remember 
them

[[Page 19400]]

and ask God to watch over them and bring them solace, may we also 
remember the family members of the other military personnel who, with 
Specialist Cluff, made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our 
country.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, let me say I was very moved by the 
remarks of the Senator from Utah. I am sure every Member of the Senate 
shares in expressing our sympathy for the men who were killed in that 
air crash. Certainly the Senator has done the Specialist and other 
Members very proud in his comments before the Senate.

                          ____________________