[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 11998-11999]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING LTCOL GREG STURDEVANT, USMC

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ERIC CANTOR

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 14, 2003

  Mr. CANTOR. I rise today to honor Lt. Colonel Greg Sturdevant, USMC 
and his career as a Marine Corp helicopter aviator. He has served 
valiantly during his career and was awarded the Bronze Star for heroism 
in the Battle of Tora Bora in Afghanistan last fall.
  His bravery was tested once again in the deserts of Iraq where he was 
liberating the people of Iraq in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Acting on a 
tip from a local Iraqi citizen, the U.S. military hastily put together 
a rescue attempt of a captured U.S. soldier, PFC Jessica

[[Page 11999]]

Lynch, who was known to be held in an Iraqi hospital. During the 
planning of this midnight mission, for which the Marines were tasked to 
fly the rescue helicopter, the most experienced pilots were selected to 
lead each of the helicopters. Sturdevant's many years of service gave 
him the experience and technical proficiency to command one of these 
helicopters.
  On April 2, 2003, LTC Sturdevant and his fellow Marines flew the U.S. 
Army's Rangers and the U.S. Navy's Seals to the Saddam Hospital in Al 
Nasiriyah where the soldier was thought to be held. After the Rangers 
and Seals secured the area, they emerged from the hospital with 19 
year-old PFC Lynch, who had been taken prisoner with other members of 
her unit, the 507th Maintenance Company on March 23, 2003. LtCol 
Sturdevant's flight of Marines, Army Rangers, Navy Seals, and one 
former Prisoner of War returned to a coalition-held airfield where PFC 
Lynch was finally free of her captors.
  I join the Janis Family, Bill, Rose Ann, Robert, and Michael, in 
honoring and recognizing LtCol Sturdevant and say thank you for all of 
his efforts in the defense of America's freedom.

                          ____________________