[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 19]
[Senate]
[Pages 26712-26713]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES

  Mr. DeWINE. Madam President, a week ago today, I came to the Senate 
floor to honor and to remember a young Ohio soldier who lost his life 
while bravely serving our Nation in Iraq. That young man, PFC Branden 
Oberleitner, had served proudly in the Army's 101st Airborne Division, 
based out of Fort Campbell, KY.
  Today, I come again to the floor of the Senate to honor and to 
remember another young Ohio soldier who served proudly in the 101st 
Airborne Division, another young soldier who lost his life bravely 
defending our Nation and fighting to give a better life, freedom, and 
liberty to the people of Iraq.
  Madam President, SGT Brett Thomas Christian was born on December 5, 
1975. Growing up, Brett's life was not always easy. Like a lot of 
families, he and his mother Tess and brothers Sloan and Derek moved 
around a lot. As a young child, Brett was in and out of a number of 
schools, leaving old friends and making new ones each time. The family 
eventually settled in the Cleveland, OH, area, where, for a time, Brett 
attended Richmond Heights High School.
  Brett adapted well to new environments and knew how to quickly make 
new friends. People liked Brett; they were drawn to him. He had a great 
sense of humor and an easy-going demeanor. The first thing people 
remember about Brett is his whit, his smile, his charm. His brother 
Derek said, ``You couldn't be sad around him. He was just a funny 
guy.''
  But Brett also had a serious side. He was a smart person, a smart 
kid. He read a lot. In fact, he started reading at a very early age and 
ended up 2 years ahead in school. As his brother Sloan said, ``He was 
always so smart. He blew away all the tests he took.''
  Brett was also a hard worker. His uncle remembers how he took a 
physically demanding job at a tropical fish farm. Each day, Brett would 
travel on his bike 5 miles there and 5 miles back. Rain or shine, Brett 
road those 10 miles to and from work, laboring tirelessly to get the 
job done and, yes, done well. He dreamed of opening a restaurant one 
day with his Richmond Heights High School buddy, Jonathan Wilke.
  Brett completed his GED and decided to enlist in the U.S. Army. 
Brett's mom Tess said he was born to serve; that he always wanted to be 
a soldier. She said, ``My son believed in honor, loyalty, good 
character, all those things.''
  Brett was assigned to Company C, 2nd Battalion of the 502nd Infantry 
of the 101st Airborne Division. He trained to be a sniper and served a 
year in Korea before being called to Iraq.
  Brett's job in Iraq was to drive a 2\1/2\-ton diesel carrier. It was 
grueling and dangerous work. SGT Shane Harris described Brett as one of 
his most dependable drivers. He was able to log 20-hour days moving 
soldiers, loads of ammunition, thousands of gallons of fuel, and 
pallets of bottled water, MREs, and other supplies.
  Brett was one of the first American soldiers to cross the line into 
Iraq. SGT John Ryan recalled how he sent Brett in to push a line 
forward to secure a bridge. He said that he chose Brett because he was 
certainly up for it:

       He believed in what we were there for. He knew what needed 
     to be done. He knew how to lead from the front. He was 
     sniper-qualified. He was mission-responsible. He was good 
     under stress. He had a good head on his shoulders. He could 
     always analyze and develop a course of action quickly.

  On that same mission, it was later learned that some of our trucks 
got lost in Iraq after crossing the line. Not surprisingly, it was 
Brett who found them and, yes, got them out.
  On July 23, 2003, SGT Brett Christian was killed and seven others 
were wounded near Mosul, Iraq, when his convoy was ambushed by rocket-
propelled grenades and small arms fire. He was 27 years old.
  Madam President, Brett Christian was buried on the hollowed ground of 
Arlington National Cemetery on August 7, 2003. At that service, MAJ 
Douglas Fenton called Brett an American hero. He received a Purple 
Heart and Bronze Star.
  There is no question that Brett Thomas Christian was a good man, a 
good son, brother, grandson, friend, and soldier. He was kind. He was 
compassionate. As his mother said:

       They say the eyes are the windows of the soul. His eyes 
     swelled with emotion. They were bright and welcoming.

  At a memorial service for Brett in Ohio, Pastor Rick Duncan movingly

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described the kind of man Brett Christian became. This is what he said:

       He was resourceful. He was gracious, never malicious. He 
     never showed any sort of prejudice about anyone. He was 
     responsible, uplifting, and thoughtful. He was a man of 
     action. He was a charmer.

  Ultimately, Brett Christian was a true warrior. Brett Christian made 
a lot of choices in his life. He chose to look at the positive, not the 
negative. He chose to see the good things in life and in people, not 
the bad. He chose to face fear and adversity head on and fight against 
the evil in our world. According to Brett's grandmother Eileen, the 
last time he was home he explained to his younger brother, who had 
indicated an interest in joining the military, exactly why he joined 
the Army. He wanted his brother to understand that he believed in what 
he was doing, that he believed in helping people and serving our 
country.
  Let me conclude with something Sloan said about his beloved brother:

       Brett had the most potential of anyone in the family--
     anyone I know. He's a beautiful soul who could have changed 
     so much of the world. He had the love and ability to change a 
     lot of the world.

  Madam President, Brett Christian did change the world. Brett 
Christian did make a difference.
  Brett's family--his mother Tess; his brothers Derek and Sloan; his 
grandparents Thomas and Eileen--remain in my thoughts and my prayers.
  Madam President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah is recognized.

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