[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 2936]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            IN MEMORY OF TECHNICAL SERGEANT JOHN A. CHAPMAN

  Mr. SANTORUM. Madam President, I rise today to recognize the heroic 
life of Technical Sergeant John A. Chapman, whose family is from 
Windber, PA. Sergeant Chapman, who was buried today, was killed on 
Monday, March 4th, during a fierce firefight after his helicopter was 
shot down by al-Qaida fighters in Afghanistan.
  Sgt. Chapman, who was only 36 years old, is survived by Valerie, his 
wife of 10 years, and by their 2 young daughters, Madison age 5, and 
Brianna age 3. While I know that this loss is devastating to the entire 
Chapman family, I can confidently say to Sgt. Chapman's two young 
daughters that their daddy died for a great cause and that this cause 
was to protect the world and this Nation against evil people. These 
people seek to destroy the very foundation of our country which allows 
all of us to be free and safe and prosperous.
  As a Nation, we have been very fortunate in recent years; we have not 
had to face many casualties while defending our freedom. The death of 
Sgt Chapman and the seven other servicemen killed last week really hit 
home. These losses are painful, but this war has a real purpose, and a 
real national security implication. In my mind, the sacrifice made by 
these men is as important as any made during the great wars that we 
have fought in the past. We never like to lose even a single life. Each 
casualty we read about in the newspapers means the world to someone who 
has lost a father, a brother, or a friend. I grieve with the Chapman 
family and all of the families that have made this ultimate sacrifice, 
but it is important to remember that they did not die in vain. Our 
thoughts and prayers are with the Chapmans as they go through this 
difficult time. Sgt. Chapman died to protect the core values which 
define our country, and we will always remember him as a hero.

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