[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Pages 8282-8284]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES

  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, Members of the Congress have been 
receiving reports on a daily basis on the conflict in Iraq. At these 
briefings, I report back to Members of the Congress and America that 
things have been going well, much better than many expected, in the war 
in Iraq.
  What we have been getting out of these briefings is just how highly 
trained are our men and women in the Armed Forces and how the 
technological developments of this country have helped make their job 
easier on the battlefield. We have learned to appreciate their courage 
and commitment to protecting America's freedom.
  Today marks the 14th day of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the fight 
for freedom continues in the Middle East. Our brave members of the U.S. 
military have shown the entire world how truly committed the United 
States is to ending the dangerous regime in Iraq. By sacrificing their 
lives so those in Iraq can finally be allowed peace, coalition forces 
continue to courageously march toward Baghdad.
  During the last 2 weeks, I, along with many of my colleagues, have 
continued to come down to the Senate floor daily to honor our troops 
and praise their valor. While we stand in the safety of the Capitol 
Building, our words will not be heard by those who are directly in 
harm's way, but the words are still needed.
  It is important for us to continue to honor these men and women, some 
of whom will not come home, who fight for freedom and the safety and 
security of the United States of America. I would like at this time to 
honor some of those brave men and women from my home State of Colorado 
who this very day are being moved into the Persian Gulf.
  The 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment as well as the 3rd Brigade Combat 
Team have been deployed from Fort Carson over the 3 weeks and continue 
to do so today. Many of these individuals have been waiting for the 
chance to stand shoulder to shoulder with their comrades already 
participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom. I salute them for their 
bravery.
  It is clear that after all of the deployments from Fort Carson are 
completed, it will mark the biggest mobilization from the base since 
World War II. I sincerely hoped that the course of events that have led 
to the mobilization of soldiers not only from Colorado but those 
stationed all over the world would not have happened. But it was 
apparent from the beginning that our Armed Forces would need to be 
involved in the manner that they are now. And they have performed 
admirably. I pray for a safe return for our troops and that this 
conflict can end as soon as possible.
  I would be remiss if I did not mention the names of our military 
personnel who will not be returning home. I offer my condolences to 
those families whose sons and daughters have already been lost. To the 
families of LCpl Thomas Slocum and Cpl Randal Kent, I give my deepest 
and most sincere sympathies for the loss of their sons. In their 
passing, they have continued the valued Marine Corps tradition of 
esprit de corps, and I will continue to pray for you as you mourn your 
loss.
  Our thoughts and prayers are with our Armed Forces both at home and 
overseas. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends. 
God bless America.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who yields time?
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, it is my understanding that the time is 
equally divided this morning; is that true?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct.
  Mr. REID. We have a lot of speakers here. How much time does the 
minority have?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The minority has 10 minutes.
  Mr. REID. And how long does the majority have?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Approximately 5 minutes.
  Mr. REID. We have a problem right here to begin with.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, if I can just assure that we are 
covered.
  Mr. REID. OK.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. We have Senator Dayton and Senator Cornyn, and if 
there is any time left I will take it.
  Mr. REID. I will yield whatever time needed to the Senator from 
Minnesota.
  Mr. DAYTON. Mr. President, I rise also to pay tribute today to the 
heroic men and women of our Armed Forces who are performing so well on 
behalf of our country in Iraq. Their courage, their patriotism, and 
their valor represent the finest traditions and the best values of the 
American military and of the country which they serve. They have fought 
brilliantly, they have fought bravely, and they have fought 
successfully. They have now advanced to within 10 miles of Baghdad. 
They have been victorious thus far. They will be victorious from now 
on. And they will be victorious in the end.
  To the brave women and men who gave their lives in the service of 
their Nation, to their families and friends, the people they love and 
the people who love them, we express our heartfelt gratitude and our 
deepest sorrow and condolences. We are in awe of your courage, your 
heroism. As the families and friends of those fallen heroes who are 
your friends and neighbors, your coworkers and church members, we know 
that you have suffered the most grievous losses and must be suffering 
inestimable pain. Our hearts go out to you. Our prayers are with you. 
We stand beside you ready to help in any way we can.
  We say also to the families and friends of American soldiers wounded 
or captured or missing or still fighting or still deployed in Iraq, 
please let us know how we can support you and assist you during these 
difficult times. Our prayers are with you also for the swift recovery 
and safe return of all of our troops back to their country, their 
fellow citizens who are so proud and so grateful of them.
  I also want to pay my respects to the military command responsible 
for the planning and execution of this engagement. Secretary Rumsfeld, 
Chairman Myers, the Chiefs, you have served our country and you 
continue to serve our country with great honor and distinction in 
carrying out your duties, your oaths of office to the best of your 
abilities. You are succeeding. You are winning this war. Some may not 
agree with everything you are doing. I don't agree myself on 
everything. But you have earned my utmost respect and admiration for 
your dedication and patriotic service to our country. You do not 
deserve the backstabbing, the second guessing, the carping, the Monday 
morning quarterbacking which has dogged your every decision. Former 
President Dwight Eisenhower once said:

       Any high school kid can do better with a presidential 
     decision with 20/20 hindsight than a president can at the 
     time when he

[[Page 8283]]

     only has partial information and is operating by his wits.

  It is all too easy for someone with a military background to sit in 
judgment in hindsight. I do not disagree with their constitutional 
right to do so. I dispute their judgment in doing so. I question their 
motives for doing so, as some appear to be vying to become the next 
network analyst or the next Geraldo.
  As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words, and the actions 
of these brave men and women fighting on our behalf, winning on our 
behalf, speak loudly. They drown out, they overwhelm any naysayers of 
their conduct and decisions they are carrying out, which, as I say, 
will be victorious for our Nation and we owe them our inestimable 
gratitude.
  Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.
  Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, it is an honor to join my friend and 
distinguished colleague from Minnesota, on behalf of the people of 
Minnesota, to express our support for the courage and skill of our 
troops fighting at this hour in Iraq. As the majority leader noted when 
we began this session this morning, my prayers also are with those who 
have died and their families. May God watch over them. Folks who are 
out there should know, and their families should know, there are a lot 
of prayers in the Senate and a lot of prayers in America now for our 
fighting men and women and those who have fallen.
  I had a chance to talk to the family of PVT David Mahlke, a 19-year-
old kid from Winona, MN. He graduated Winona High School in 2001. He 
was wounded, with the 3rd Infantry Division. He is recuperating, doing 
well. I was talking with his mom. She was waiting for a call from him. 
She said: If the call comes through, I am going to cut you off. And I 
said: Go right ahead, ma'am.
  I want the Mahlkes and all the other families in Minnesota to know we 
are praying for them, we are behind them. As my distinguished colleague 
from Minnesota noted, this is not a partisan thing anymore. We are 
there. We are with them and so thankful they are there.
  Over 100 years ago, Alexis de Toqueville said:

       The strength of America is not in its government or even 
     its economy, but the quality of its average citizens.

  Never has this been more true than for the struggle for the freedom 
of Iraq. Every single American soldier, sailor, airman or woman in this 
conflict is a volunteer. How astounding that is. They stepped forward 
to risk their lives on behalf of the ideals and safety of the American 
people, and they are willingly, enthusiastically, and boldly laying 
down their lives for us.
  In that we are grateful. They are not just willing to die for their 
principles and our principles, they are living for them. The skill and 
compassion and care being demonstrated by the troops in the field is 
America at its best. It is far from the scenario we all feared: that 
war would demonize America in the eyes of many.
  I, too, have been frustrated and angered by the second-guessing and 
sniping by some members of the news media. I am reminded of the story 
of President Lincoln, who received a series of letters from a God-
fearing woman who told him: Mr. President, God has told me we should 
move troops here and there, during the Civil War, and hire this general 
and fire this one.
  Lincoln responded very briefly saying: Ma'am, I find it amazing, 
indeed, that the Lord Almighty has given you all the answers but has 
given me the job.
  There is a time for legitimate debate in public and among our 
Nation's leaders. We had that. Resolutions approving the use of force 
were approved by decisive, bipartisan margins in the House and Senate. 
Legitimate protests in favor of diplomatic solutions continued. But in 
my mind, that all changed when the Commander in Chief sent young 
American men and women into battle.
  I want to say a word to the rest of our citizens. In a previous war, 
there was the expression, ``They also serve who only stand and wait.'' 
In my view, that does not apply now to those who simply sit and watch. 
It is good to be informed but we have to do our jobs as Americans. 
Let's at times shut off the TV; let's go out there, roll up our 
sleeves, and make this a greater nation for the troops to come home to.
  Ordinary citizens are winning this war and ordinary citizens in towns 
across Minnesota and America need to sacrifice and work hard, to use 
all their skills to get things done for America, right now, today.
  I am also hopeful these events will have an effect on our work here 
in the Senate. We don't have Democrat units and we don't have 
Republican units. We don't have conservative or liberal generals. The 
political labels would seem silly and irrelevant in comparison to the 
importance of the task.
  Maybe we could catch some of that spirit around here. The American 
people want solutions, not a partisan rugby match, and we should give 
them what they want.
  Finally, let me close on a different note. Those of us in our 
Nation's Capitol these days are experiencing a stark irony. On one 
hand, there is a somber mood about the war, as we receive the reports 
of danger and sacrifice. But at the same time, the city of Washington 
is bursting with the beauty and hopefulness of spring. The cherry 
blossoms are in full bloom. They are famous all over the world. But 
these cherry blossoms have a tale of hope for us all in these times, 
and I will tell it very quickly.
  The Washington cherry trees were a gift to the American people from 
the Emperor of Japan in the 1890s as an expression of friendship. In 
World War II, allied bombing of Tokyo resulted in the death of most of 
the cherry trees around the Emperor's palace. After the war ended, a 
group of Washingtonians took a set of cuttings from our trees here and 
brought them back to Japan to restore their trees. If you travel to 
Japan, you will see the trees which grew from Washington's tree which 
came here as a gift.
  We are not fighting in Iraq for oil or territorial ambition. We are 
fighting to protect our own people in a world that has brought threats 
to our doorstep. We are fighting as the only hope for the freedom of 
the people of Iraq against their tyrant. Justice is being done. But 
what the world is about to see will have an even greater impact.
  As we move to rebuild Iraq, the people of the world will see American 
generosity and ingenuity and values at their best. A dark cloud on the 
future is being removed and a new light is about to shine.
  Let's do our part, my fellow Americans, and make this a better 
country today before we go to bed tonight, as a tribute to our brave 
men and women who are fighting for us around the clock. Our prayers are 
with them. Our support is with them. May God bless them all.
  May God bless the United States of America.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Murkowski). The time on the majority side 
has expired.
  The Senator from Nevada.
  Mr. REID. I am happy to yield time to the distinguished Senator from 
Montana, who represents, among other things, the Marine Corps.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Montana.
  Mr. BURNS. I thank my good friend from Nevada. I am having a little 
trouble getting organized today. I will try to pick it up a little bit 
to the likings of the assistant minority leader.
  I am glad my good friend from Minnesota, who is newly elected to this 
body--and, I will tell you right now, he is a contributor, and I think 
he has a great future here--did bring us back to reality. The city of 
Washington does have quite a lot of beauty. As the cherry blossoms are 
out and the blossoms start to open here, I always think: Every spring, 
no matter what the conditions are in the world, or the problems and 
trials of serving in a legislative body, or an economy that continues 
to struggle and is on the minds of all of us as is this situation we 
find ourselves in, in Iraq--every spring, as we look around this city, 
I just think it

[[Page 8284]]

is God's picturesque way of reminding us of the Earth's renewal. It 
comes every spring just as a reminder that that is one institution that 
we haven't been able to change.
  I have a resident of Montana who is at Walter Reed Army Hospital, 
Army SGT Charles Horgan. I haven't been able to get out and visit him 
yet. He is from Helena, MT. He is recovering out there from wounds 
received in Iraq. I am sure the hearts of everybody who shares our 
concerns about one life, one human, go out to him and his folks today.
  Back in 1991 I had a chance to visit a Marine unit out in the desert. 
It was my old Marine outfit in which I served, F-212, 3rd Marine 
Division. But I served back in the stone age. These are the new 
warriors with new equipment, new technologies. I did that back in 1991.
  The mindset and the American institution of the military and their 
enormous ability to withstand hardships for a principle and a way of 
life is almost above human imagination. As we were flying out in that 
desert, the commanding officer, Walt Boomer, General Boomer, called me. 
He said: Senator, they may complain a little bit that they are not 
getting mail.
  I said: We will try and handle that. But if you figure we had 400,000 
to 500,000 people in the Middle East, if everybody wrote a letter to 
every soldier, sailor, marine, coastguardsman, or airman over there, 
that is a lot of mail to handle per day, to try to get it out to the 
right people in a timely fashion.
  But I found out that was not what their complaint was. They were out 
of tobacco. We finally helped that situation.
  There is a long tradition of writing letters and sending care 
packages to the troops stationed away from home, but the general public 
is urged not to send unsolicited mail, care packages, or donations to 
the service members now deployed in Iraq. The Department of Defense has 
set a strict policy of only family members sending mail and packages to 
their service members. So if you want to write to a person over there 
and he is not in your immediate family, we ask that not be done.
  So this leaves many people at a loss when they want to help support 
the troops, to say thank you, but have no direct point of contact. We 
see that they are finding ways, through American imagination, to take 
care of that. Even without those care packages, there are many other 
efforts that can be made to support our troops in the field and also 
their families at home.
  I have put together an information pamphlet, which is available in 
all my offices in the State of Montana, that includes national programs 
and local Montana programs set up to allow people to extend a helping 
hand to our soldiers but, more importantly, I think to provide support 
for their families at home. I call it Operation: Homefront. It is a 
program I have set up to easily and efficiently inform people about how 
they can help or contribute to this operation.
  There is nothing better for the morale of our troops. We understand 
the sacrifices they are making. We understand where they find 
themselves. And they also understand us who are trying to support them 
and their families any way that we can.
  It is also comforting for those in the field to know their loved ones 
back home are being taken care of when push comes to shove.
  I think Operation: Homefront will be an excellent tool for getting 
information out to people. Supporting our troops is something we think 
about every day. We appreciate their risks and the sacrifices they are 
making.
  There is also one other reminder to my colleagues. If you are 
concerned about what the war is going to cost, and you want to 
participate and help us out in just a little way, there is a way. Back 
in 1991, we offered a brand new bond on the market. We called it the 
Patriot Bond. And if you want to buy a bond for your child or your 
grandchild, or whomever, I think you can go to wherever they sell these 
bonds--I don't know where they sell them; I have a couple of them--and 
buy your grandchild a bond and help us out.
  Just because there is combat today, the mission will not be over 
until the Iraqi people are liberated and an interim government is set 
up so freedom can be established to allow the Iraqi people to grow and 
to taste the fruits of freedom and to improve their quality of life. 
Every life in the world is deserving of that.
  So if you are inclined to do so, go inquire about a Patriot Bond. I 
think it would sure help us out, and it also would, I think, maybe help 
you out also.
  Madam President, I yield the floor.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I seek recognition to honor two Virginia 
Marines: Staff Sgt. Donald C. May of Richmond and Sgt. Michael Vernon 
Lalush of Troutville, who were among the first of our servicemen killed 
in action in Operation Iraqi Freedom; and to express gratitude, on 
behalf of the Senate, for their service to our Nation. The American 
people, I am certain, join in expressing their prayers and compassion 
to the families they leave behind.
  The media in Virginia have given the following important coverage:
  Staff Sergeant Donald C. May, Jr. was so inspired by the military 
service given in past years by his father and mother that he followed 
in their footsteps and began to chart a course for himself with 
military training. He was fulfilling that dream when he was tragically 
killed on Tuesday when his tank went off a bridge into the Euphrates 
River.
  He leaves behind: his mother, Brenda May; his wife, Deborah; son, 
Jack; stepdaughter, Mariah; and another son yet to be born.
  He was a member of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadets from age 12 to 18 and 
was also a police explorer.
  Upon graduation from Meadowbrook High School in 1990, he joined the 
United States Marine Corps, and served 4 years in the military police. 
He finished boot camp just in time to serve in the last few months of 
the first Gulf War in 1991, involving security over Iraqi prisoners.
  After the first Gulf War, Staff Sergeant May left the Marines for 2 
years, serving as a reservist, after which time he returned to active 
duty as a tank commander, just like his dad, who is now deceased.
  During his second deployment to Iraq, Staff Sergeant May was in the 
1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, based at Marine Corps Air-
Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, CA.
  Sergeant Michael Lalush always seemed to have a knack for fixing 
things. He always worked with his hands on equipment, tinkering with 
lawnmowers and cars. As a teenager, he brought home to his own garage a 
pink 1965 Volkswagen Beetle, rebuilt it and in no time was driving it 
around the neighborhood.
  Sergeant Lalush was challenged in the military and had a great 
longing to serve his country. After graduating from Lord Botetourt High 
School, he left for boot camp.
  Tragically, Sgt. Lalush's short military career ended on Sunday when 
he was killed in a Huey helicopter crash while serving in a Marine 
Light Attack Helicopter Squadron in southern Iraq. He had been deployed 
from the Marine Corps Air Station at Camp Pendleton, CA.
  Reportedly, in his final e-mail message that the family received last 
Wednesday, Sergeant Lalush said he was finally discovering his dream in 
Iraq. He told his parents that he was finally using his skills to help 
people.
  Sgt. Michael Lalush leaves behind his parents, David and Rebecca 
Lalush.
   Mr. President, we have lost two exceptional sons of Virginia. Their 
courage and unwavering service to our great country will not be 
forgotten. As we think of their families in mourning, let us not forget 
that these fine young men gave the ultimate sacrifice so that every 
American could continue to live in freedom.

                          ____________________