[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 9341-9343]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I come to the floor to pay tribute to 14 
young Americans who have been killed in the Iraqi war. All of these 
young men are either from California or based out of California. I have 
already eulogized 20 individuals from California, either born there, 
raised there, or based there. So we are now talking about 34 of my 
constituents who have been killed.
  We pray that the killing is coming to an end. I am sure it cannot 
come soon enough for all Americans. We pray the POWs will be returned 
safety. We pray for stability. We pray that we can bring our young men 
and women home, get them out of harm's way, and share the burden of the 
rebuilding of Iraq with many nations, so that the people of Iraq can 
realize their hopes and dreams.
  SGT Michael V. Lalush, age 23, grew up in Sunnyvale, CA, before his 
family moved to Virginia in the mid-1990s. He was killed on March 30 in 
a helicopter crash in southern Iraq. He joined the Marines 2 weeks 
after graduating from high school in 1997. He was assigned to the 
Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 
Marine Corps Air Station, Camp Pendleton, CA. He is survived by his 
parents, a sister in Los Angeles, and grandparents in Folsom, CA.
  SGT Brian D. McGinnis, age 23, was assigned to the Marine Light 
Attack Helicopter Squadron, Marine Aircraft Group 39, Marine Corps Air 
Station, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from St. Georges, DE. He is a 
graduate of William Penn High School in New Castle, DE, where he was a 
star member of the wrestling squad. He was killed March 30 in a 
helicopter crash in southern Iraq. He is survived by his wife, who is 
living at Camp Pendleton in California, and he is also survived by his 
parents.
  PFC Christian D. Gurtner, age 19, was assigned to the 3rd Light 
Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Marine Corps 
Air-Ground Combat Center, Twenty-Nine Palms, CA. He was killed April 2 
as a result of a noncombat weapons accident in southern Iraq. He is 
from Ohio City, OH. In March, 2002, while still a high school senior at 
Van Wert High School, he enlisted in the Marines. His grandfather 
fought in World War II, and a great-grandfather served in World War I. 
He also had relatives who fought in Vietnam. His friends have said that 
Christian loved bowling, the Atlanta Braves, and Ohio State football.
  CPL Erik H. Silva, age 22, from Holtville, CA, was killed in action 
in Iraq Thursday. Erik was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 
1st Marine Division, based at Camp Pendleton, CA. He graduated from 
Holtville High, where he played the trumpet, was a drum major, and a 
member of the varsity golf team. He wanted to pursue a career in law 
enforcement. He is survived by his mother, living in Chula Vista, CA; 
two brothers; and a sister, who is currently serving in the Navy.
  CPT Benjamin W. Sammis, age 29, was assigned to the Marine Light 
Attack Helicopter Squadron, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine 
Aircraft Wing, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was killed in action on April 4 
when his AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter crashed during combat operations 
in Iraq. His hometown was Rehoboth, MA. He was a sailor, an Eagle 
Scout, a military school graduate, and a career marine, who had yearned 
to fly helicopters and jets since he was 10 years old. He is survived 
by a wife, his parents, and two brothers.
  PFC Chad E. Bales Metcalf, age 20, was assigned to the 1st 
Transportation Support Battalion, 1st Force Service Support Group, Camp 
Pendleton, CA. He was killed on April 3 in a vehicle accident during 
convoy operations in Iraq. A native of Texas, Chad was born in Lubbock 
and grew up in Coahoma, where he played high school football. He is 
survived by his parents, two half sisters, and two half brothers.
  CPL Mark A. Evnin, age 21, joined the Marines in 2000. He was 
assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine 
Division, Twentynine Palms, CA. He was killed in action on April 3 
during a firefight in central Iraq. Corporal Evnin was from Burlington, 
VT. In the last letter he sent to his mom, he mentioned that he decided 
to go to college to study international relations.
  CWO Eric A. Smith, age 41, lived in San Diego, CA, for a few years in 
the eighties. During his time in San Diego, he became acquainted with 
some Air Force pilots who sparked his interest in becoming a pilot. He 
joined the Army in 1987. Chief Warrant Officer Smith was killed when 
his Black Hawk helicopter crashed in central Iraq on Wednesday, April 
2. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, Hunter 
Army Airfield, GA. He grew up in Rochester, NY. Eric played soccer at 
Brighton High School and graduated from the Rochester Institute of 
Technology.
  CAPT Travis A. Ford, age 30, lived in Oceanside, CA, with his wife 
and their 1-year-old daughter. He was assigned to the Marine Light 
Attack Helicopter Squadron, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine 
Aircraft Wing, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was killed in action on April 4 
when his AH-1 Super Cobra helicopter crashed during combat operations 
in Iraq. He grew up in Nebraska.
  PVT Devon D. Jones, age 19, was from San Diego, CA. He was killed in 
a vehicle accident on April 4 in Iraq. Private Jones was assigned to 
the 41st Field Artillery Regiment, Fort Stewart, GA. He graduated from 
San Diego's Lincoln High School in 2002. He planned to become an 
English teacher and serve as a teaching intern at Kennedy Elementary 
School located across the street from his high school.
  SGT Duane R. Rios, age 25, was assigned to the 1st Combat Engineer 
Battalion, 1st Marine Division based at Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from 
Griffith, IN. He was killed on April 4 during a firefight in central 
Iraq. Sergeant Rios was a 1990 graduate of Griffith High School in 
Indiana. He is survived by his wife living at Camp Pendleton and his 
parents.
  1stSGT Edward Smith, age 39, was from Vista, CA. He joined the 
Marines when he was 17. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th 
Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division based at Camp Pendleton, CA. He 
also served as an Anaheim, CA, reserve police officer. He died April 5 
as a result of wounds received in combat in central Iraq. Edward was 
born and raised on the south side of Chicago. He graduated in 1982 from 
Cosmopolitan Preparatory School. He is survived by his wife and three 
children.
  CPL Jesus Martin Antonio Medellin, age 21, was assigned to the 3rd 
Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. 
He was from Fort Worth, TX. Corporal Medellin was killed on April 7 in 
central Iraq after his vehicle was hit by enemy fire. He was active in 
his church. He loved his grandma's tortillas, and he enjoyed spending 
time with his 11-year-old brother.
  PFC Juan Guadalupe Garza, Jr., age 20, was assigned to the 1st 
Battalion,

[[Page 9342]]

4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was 
born in Michigan. Private First Class Garza was killed in action on 
April 8 in central Iraq.
  Mr. President, 34 men who were either from California or based in 
California have died in the Iraqi war. The people of California, and I 
know the people of the whole country, mourn their loss and all the 
other losses we have had. May these beautiful young Americans rest in 
peace, may all the fighting end soon, and may we pray for the souls of 
those we have lost.
  I cannot help but note that Cpl Mark Evnin, age 21, wrote to his 
mother and said he wanted to study international relations. I hope and 
pray, in his memory, that we can forge relations in this world such 
that war is not a necessary tool; that we can forge relations in this 
world such that the power of democracy and our ideals will be shared by 
the people of the world, and that the power of those ideals will lead 
the whole world to peace.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, today my heart is heavy. Though our 
Nation's forces continue to make dramatic gains to rid the world of a 
tyrant who cares not for basic human dignities, three sons of Utah have 
made the ultimate sacrifice so that a nation may be reborn in freedom. 
There names are SSG James W. Cawley, United States Marine Corps 
Reserve, SSG Nino D. Livaudais, of the Army's Ranger Regiment, and 
Randall S. Rehm, of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division.
  To their families, I know that no words that I say here today will 
alleviate the sense of loss that you feel. You see, I too, lost a 
brother during the Second World War. But their families should know 
this, that our communities are with you and will stand behind you, that 
our State of Utah is praying for you and keeping you in our thoughts, 
and that our Nation will remember and honor your loss.
  The death of these three men shows once again that it is our Nation's 
finest who answer the call of the colors.
  Sergeant Cawley of Layton had dedicated his whole life to the 
protection of others. He was a Marine Reservist, who in civilian life 
was a Salt Lake City police officer. He was a member of that 
department's SWAT team and gang unit. Before joining the department he 
served for 12 years on active duty with the Marines, traveling the 
world. During one of his deployments to Okinawa he met his wife Miyuki, 
and they have two children, Cecil and Keiko. I join the entire Senate 
in telling those children that their father was someone to be proud of.
  Sergeant Livaudais grew up around Ogden. He might have only been 23 
years old, but he was already a combat veteran twice serving in 
Afghanistan. He truly died a hero's death, racing to protect a pregnant 
woman who was being used as a human shield. He fell victim to an 
explosion caused by a homicide bomber. His selfless act only reaffirms 
his unit's motto: ``Rangers Lead The Way.'' He leaves behind a wife, 
two children, and a third child on the way. To his children who, in the 
coming years, might look back on these events in order to get a better 
understanding of who their father was and what he stood for, they 
should know this: Your father represents the very best that our Nation 
has to offer.
  Sergeant Rehm was not a native of Utah, but we were honored to have 
him and his family in Utah for 3 years when the Sergeant ran the Army's 
Salt Lake City recruiting office. He helped so many young people make 
the important decision to enter Government service. He died in the 
fighting near Baghdad International Airport, but his memory and spirit 
will live on in all of the young soldiers that he introduced to the 
Army. They will now carry on his traditions of honor and service.
  After all wars monuments are built and ceremonies are held. However, 
for me the greatest memorial that can be erected to theses fine men is 
to remember their names--James Cawley, Nino Livaudais, and Randall 
Rehm--and to learn from their example, that even now, in these 
challenging times, all people deserve to be free. It is our 
responsibility to these heros that we realize a better world for which 
they fought.
  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, the military campaign to disarm Iraq 
and free the Iraqi people has been a display of America's technology, 
power, and compassion. Our fine men and women in uniform have 
demonstrated that they are not only fully capable of defeating anything 
that comes their way, but also that they are dedicated professionals 
even when confronted with the worst sort of cowardice and terrorism. 
Amidst fake surrenders and using innocent women and children as 
defensive shields, our troops have stayed on target and have kept 
civilian casualties to a remarkable minimum.
  We now have word that our troops have found what may be chemical 
weapons on warheads. If proven, this will indeed be the answer to those 
who claimed that Saddam was not an imminent threat. It is unfortunate 
that some of our so-called allies, namely France, could not see this 
danger. But it is a reminder to every American--of just how important 
it is for the U.S. to act in preserving our security--and not to defer 
our defense to countries that refuse to face today's new threats.
  When completed, military action is only half the battle. In order to 
secure a long-term peace in the region, and consequently, security for 
our Nation; we need to ensure a strong and vibrant democracy thrives in 
a new post-Saddam Iraq.
  There have been numerous questions raised about the likelihood of 
such a transition. But based on my long experience in working with the 
Iraqi opposition, I strongly believe a better day is around the corner 
for Iraq. It will not be easy, but it is very likely. Allow me to 
explain a few reasons why this is not mere optimism.
  Iraq is not Afghanistan--the problems we have seen in reconstructing 
Afghanistan will largely not be present when it comes to Iraq for many 
reasons. First, Iraq is a resource-rich nation and can afford to pay 
for its own reconstruction. Second, Iraq is not filled with religious 
radicals that plagued Afghanistan. And third, Iraq does not have armed 
warlords to settle with. In fact, Iraq has a history of having an 
educated and sophisticated population with a unique focus in the fields 
of technology and medicine. This will be a huge asset which will make a 
transformation to democracy more plausible.
  There will need to be an extensive ``de-Bath'ification'' of the 
nation--just as in Germany it was necessary to ``de-Nazify'' much of 
that country's leaders following WWII. Even after this process, there 
will remain numerous ethnic, tribal and religious factions within the 
country that will likely have strong differences of opinion. But that 
is true of nearly every society and hardly a reason to believe there 
could be no democratic government. In fact, it makes it more likely 
that those differences will finally be recognized and worked out 
through a more productive manner than the use of brute force.
  Iraq has a historical model for a federated democratic system--Much 
like Britain, Iraq used to have two parliamentary bodies. Opposition 
groups are working to reconstruct that model now to replace the 
existing regime. This is important because it shows that democracy as a 
concept, is not something that is being imposed on the Iraqi people, 
but rather, something that is being brought back to them from their own 
people. The U.S. should continue to work with all the Iraqi opposition 
groups in order to assist in this noble goal.
  Iraqi opposition leaders have already held elections to replace 
Saddam--Just last month, members of numerous Iraqi opposition groups 
met inside northern Iraq and elected six leaders to help in the 
transition to a democratic government once Saddam Hussein is gone. 
These opposition members come from very diverse religious and ethnic 
backgrounds. But they agree on the basic principles--that Iraq should 
be a federated democracy which respects the freedoms of religion, 
speech, and respects human rights.
  These Iraqi exiles have returned to fight for their homeland side by 
side with American forces. They have been flown into southern Iraq and 
are working with the local people there, as we speak, to help unify and 
embrace a peaceful transition to democracy.

[[Page 9343]]

  I had an opportunity to meet with many of these now elected Iraqi 
leaders in a meeting with them in London this past December. I saw 
then, and I see now, the unity that they are creating. It is not always 
picture perfect. Democracy never is. But too often, there has been a 
tendency to write off the important work and success of these leaders. 
We should not underestimate them. We should instead, use our energies 
to help make their dreams for a peaceful and prosperous Iraq, into a 
reality.
  Iraq's ultimate success will have to come from the Iraqi people--and 
it will! This is also why I believe we will see a strong, democratic 
Iraq in the near future. The people of this country have suffered under 
the rule of a tyrant. They have watched as their neighbors in Iran 
increasingly rise up to protest against the tyranny of the Islamic 
regime. They see the destitution that years of terrorism has brought to 
the Palestinian people. Democracy is the only way forward--and the 
people of Iraq know it. We don't have to convince them of it, but we do 
have to help them implement this dream. That will be the role for 
reconstruction in the months to come.
  If there is a danger that we face in looking at reconstruction policy 
in Iraq, it comes from holding on to the old belief system that the 
Middle East just can not handle democracy. Sadly, there are many in 
various government agencies who strongly cling to this view. We must 
make sure that those who hand out the funds to rebuild Iraq are on 
target with the President's vision. We will only get one chance to do 
this right. We must not revert back to the lobbying of dying regimes in 
the region. We must stay true to the bold vision that democracy in Iraq 
is coming.
  I thank the Chair. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Graham of South Carolina). The clerk will 
call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________