[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16272]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING SERGEANT JACOB BUTLER

  (Mr. RYUN of Kansas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RYUN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of a true 
patriot. It will soon be July 4, a date etched in America's heart. A 
day that serves as a time of reflection and celebration in the memory 
of sacrifices made; sacrifices made throughout history that granted us 
the freedoms that we enjoy today.
  As our Nation celebrates our independence, it seems appropriate to 
pay tribute to an Army sergeant that meant a great deal to Kansas and 
our country. Sergeant Jacob Butler, from Wellsville, Kansas, joined the 
Army as a private at the young age of 19. He later rose to the rank of 
sergeant and accepted the demanding task of a scout. Unfortunately, 
Jacob Butler was killed April 1 when a rocket propelled grenade hit his 
vehicle in Iraq. It was an honor to attend Jacob's memorial service and 
funeral with his parents, Jim and Cindy, his friends, his family, and 
his fellow soldiers. The ceremony reminded me once again that great 
sacrifices for the causes of freedom did not end on July 4, 1776. 
Sacrifices continue today.
  Jacob is no longer only a blessing to his friends and family, he is 
now a blessing to an entire Nation. On behalf of the people of Kansas 
and this grateful Nation, I ask that we remember Sergeant Jacob Butler 
as a son, a friend, a soldier, and a patriot.

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