[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10405]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         COMMENDING ARMY RESERVE SPECIALIST ROY RUSSELL BUCKLEY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 1, 2003

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride and respect that I 
wish to commend Army Reserve Specialist Roy Russell Buckley for his 
bravery in the field of battle and his willingness to fight for his 
country. Specialist Buckley lost his life on Wednesday, April 23, 2003 
in Baghdad, Iraq while transporting fuel trucks for the 685th 
Transportation Company, part of the United States Army's 3rd Infantry 
Division. His sacrifice will be remembered at funeral services on 
Saturday, May 3, 2003 by a community that has been struck hard by the 
devastating loss of one of its own.
  A native of Merrillville, IN, Specialist Buckley graduated from 
Merrillville High School in 1996. He was a gifted athlete, with an 
orange belt in karate and possessed the strength to lift over 950 
pounds. After graduating from high school, Specialist Buckley decided 
to join the Army Reserves with the hope that it would assist him 
financially with college, help him learn a trade, and allow him to find 
himself through the discipline and order that it provides.
  It came as no surprise to those who knew Specialist Buckley that he 
would serve his country. A true patriot, his love for his country was 
evident from the time that he was a child. He collected items with 
patriotic themes, and his bedroom remains adorned with symbols of his 
patriotism. A poster of the Declaration of Independence hangs above his 
bed, and an ``Army of One'' poster hangs by the door. He once hung an 
American flag next to a bright light in his bedroom because he wanted 
to see the flag glow, and now a flag serves as the curtain for his 
window. Specialist Buckley felt tremendous pride for his country, and 
he was willing to endanger his own life to protect the lives of his 
fellow citizens. His courage and heroism will always be remembered, and 
his sacrifice will forever live in the hearts and minds of those for 
whom he battled.
  Mr. Speaker, Specialist Buckley, along with 160 other local 
reservists with the 685th Transportation Company, left for Fort 
Campbell, KY on January 24, 2003 after being called into active duty. 
His unit was deployed to Kuwait in February, and was instrumental in 
the battle to liberate the Iraqi people. Specialist Buckley was riding 
in a large fuel truck when an accident occurred and he was thrown from 
the vehicle. He gave his life so that the freedoms and values that he 
treasured could be enjoyed by those around the world.
  Although he loved his unit and his country, Specialist Buckley 
treasured his family above all else. He is survived by his mother, 
Janie Espinoza, his stepfather, Phillip Espinoza, his four siblings, 
his fiance, Jenina Bellina, and his 6-year-old daughter, Alicia Faith 
Buckley. Jenina is stationed in Iraq with the same reservist unit for 
which her fiance gave his life. These individuals were the heroes to a 
man that we will forever call a hero, and we should honor them in this 
tumultuous moment as well.
  Mr. Speaker, at this time I ask that you and my other distinguished 
colleagues join me in honoring a fallen hero, U.S. Army Reserve 
Specialist Roy Russell Buckley. Specialist Buckley is the third 
resident of Northwest Indiana to sacrifice his life during Operation 
Iraqi Freedom, and his passing comes as a difficult setback to a 
community already shaken by the realities of war. Specialist Buckley 
will forever remain a hero in the eyes of his family, his community, 
and his country; thus, let us never forget the sacrifice he made to 
preserve the ideals of freedom and democracy.

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