[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Pages 20176-20177]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES

  Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Private 
First Class Wilfredo Perez, Jr., United States Army, of Norwalk, CT. 
Private Perez's loyalty, patriotism, and selflessness has served to 
further the legacy of our great Nation's principles of freedom and 
justice. His service to our Nation is an example of the powerful spirit 
that permeates American history. His country, his family, his Army, his 
brothers-in-arms, and his friends from home will keenly miss Private 
Perez.
  A mortarman in the 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 4th Infantry 
Division, PVT Perez and members of his unit were guarding a hospital 
where wounded comrades were being treated. In a contemptible and 
cowardly act, a grenade was lobbed from the upper floors of the 
hospital, killing PVT Perez and two other gallant soldiers.
  PVT Perez, or ``Junior,'' as his family called him, was an outgoing 
and charming person, well liked and remembered fondly by both staff and 
classmates of Norwalk High School as someone who had found focus and 
was pursuing his dreams. He cared about his family, and had a 
propensity for the simple things in life, like playing golf with his 
dad, working on his car or skiing. He worked with his dad as a 
remodeling contractor prior to going into the Army and his family had 
high hopes for him as he started to plan for his future.
  I am both proud and grateful that our military is made up of young 
men and women whose values are exemplified by PVT Perez's service to 
the United States Army and his country. PVT Perez was a messenger of 
high justice and idealism in the best tradition of American principles 
and patriotism.
  I join a grateful Nation in extending my heartfelt condolences to his 
family. Thank you for sharing this outstanding soldier with us. His 
country, his Army, his brothers-in-arms and his friends at home will 
keenly miss PVT Perez. You may be justifiably proud of his 
contributions to a noble cause and a people in need.

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