[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15500]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               SOLDIER HEROISM: STAFF SERGEANT ADAM SYKES

  (Mr. STEARNS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to an American hero. 
Staff Sergeant Adam Sykes decided not to attend Georgetown University 
so that he could serve our Nation in Iraq.
  In a tense battle in April 2003, Sykes's unit was pinned down by an 
Iraqi ambush. He quickly rallied two of his squads in a counterattack. 
He positioned both squads and charged an enemy stronghold all by 
himself, bounding over 70 meters of fire as it swept across the ground. 
He reached his objective and cleared it with a grenade and a machine 
gun. Then, while still exposed to the enemy, he climbed to the third 
floor of a building so that he could get a good vantage point to call 
in mortar fire. Additionally, he moved to a squad that had taken 
casualties and managed himself to help in their evacuation.
  After the awards ceremony, Sykes said, ``So many people are pouring 
out their hearts over there trying to make things right.''
  May God bless the men and women of our Armed Forces and may God bless 
America.

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