[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Pages 8281-8282]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SUPPORTING OUR TROOPS

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I have a short statement to make on our 
troops.
  Very briefly, we have taken a period of time each morning to comment 
on the wonderful work and tremendous commitment and dedication our 
troops are displaying overseas for us, and we have had the opportunity 
to comment on the families at home, offering prayers and support for 
their children, and in many cases for their spouses and their parents 
as well. They know the men and women are fighting for liberty, 
democracy, and peace.
  This morning, my thoughts and prayers are with the family of the 
soldier who died during Operation Iraqi Freedom, SP Brandon J. Rowe, 
Company C, 1-502nd Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, Air Assault, Fort 
Campbell, KY.
  Two sentences caught my eye from the Army news release:

       Specialist Rowe epitomizes the best of our country--a brave 
     soldier--who exhibited courage, selfless service, and honor 
     in abundance. His ultimate sacrifice has contributed 
     immeasurably to the freedom and security of both Iraq and the 
     world.

  While liberating Najaf, the 101st Airborne has been met over the last 
48 hours by grateful people waving and clapping hands and saying, 
``Good job.''
  Quoted yesterday in the Washington Post, LTC Chris Hughes, a 
battalion commander in the 1st Brigade:

       We waited about an hour and a half, and the hair on the 
     back of my neck began to stand up. The crowd got bigger and 
     bigger, so we pulled back out. But it was like the liberation 
     of Paris.

  Our newspaper in Nashville, the Tennessean, reported yesterday that a 
soldier in the 101st will soon learn he is a

[[Page 8282]]

new father--again showing the many dimensions of this war and its 
impact on families and the feelings families are expressing and sharing 
among themselves. SGT Chris Schornak's wife Robyn gave birth to Tristan 
James Schornak at 2:01 p.m. on Tuesday. He was born at NorthCrest 
Medical Center in Springfield. The mom and young Tristan are doing well 
and will soon be living with relatives in Franklin, KY.
  Again, these are faces of our families and our troops, and to all of 
them our thoughts and prayers continue to go out.

                          ____________________