[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14238]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   TRIBUTE TO U.S. NAVY SEAL PETTY OFFICER 1ST CLASS BRIAN OUELLETTE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARTIN T. MEEHAN

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 24, 2004

  Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a fallen 
hero, Petty Officer 1st Class Brian J. Ouellette of Maynard, 
Massachusetts. He gave his life in service to our country, and we will 
forever be grateful.
  Brian was a U.S. Navy SEAL deployed as part of Operation Enduring 
Freedom and serving with the elite Navy Special Warfare Group Two based 
out of Little Creek, Virginia. He died tragically on May 29th along 
with three of his comrades when their Humvee hit a landmine in the 
Zabul province of Afghanistan.
  Petty Officer 1st Class Ouellette grew up in Waltham, Massachusetts 
and graduated from Waltham High School in 1985. His parents, Jack and 
Peg, now reside in the town of Maynard in my congressional district.
  A fourteen-year veteran of the Navy, Brian joined the service in 1990 
and became a member of the elite SEAL team in 1991. Friends remember 
him as a great teammate and tough opponent on the football field and a 
fierce competitor in Kempo-style karate.
  Brian's parents are proud, not just for the supreme sacrifice he made 
on behalf of his country, but for the honor he brought to them as a 
Navy SEAL and loving son. Despite his tough exterior, Brian's family 
describes him as compassionate and nurturing brother of seven siblings 
and uncle to nine nieces and nephews. Brian's family deeply impacted 
his life, and he left an indelible imprint on them.
  Petty Officer 1st Class Ouellette was a brave sailor who gave his 
life to restore freedom and democracy in the war-torn country of 
Afghanistan and support the global war on terrorism. It is lives like 
his, taken too soon, that remind us of the true price of freedom.
  I have requested an American flag be flown over the United States 
Capitol in memory of Brian to honor his brave service to our country. 
This flag will be delivered to his family.
  Brian died fighting for the country he loved, alongside the fellow 
sailors he respected and with the family he adored forever in his 
heart. Our Nation is humbled and grateful for his sacrifice.
  Mr. Speaker, we should all take a moment to recognize Petty Officer 
1st Class Brian Ouellette of the United States Navy SEALS for his 
ultimate service to our Nation.

                          ____________________