[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17823]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNITION OF CPL. CHRISTOPHER BELCHIK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOHN SHIMKUS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 8, 2004

  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of Cpl. 
Christopher Belchik, who was recently killed in the Iraq Province of 
Anbar.
  Cpl. Belchik was a 30 year old native of the Godfrey-Alton area in 
southern Illinois. He was killed on August 22nd in what is believed to 
be an ambush that resulted in a mortar detonation killing him and two 
other soldiers.
  Cpl. Belchik was a 1992 graduate of Alton High School, in Alton 
Illinois. Not enough can be said about the great sacrifice this man 
made for his country, he made the ultimate sacrifice. He is survived by 
his wife, Mary Belchik; his mother, Lynn Lenker of Godfrey; his father, 
Stephen Belchik of Staunton; his brother Brian Belchik of Alton and his 
sister, Julie Prats of Chicopee, Massachusetts. My thoughts and prayers 
go out to his families and loved ones.
  Cpl. Belchik gave his life in an effort to improve the lives of 
others. This sacrifice should never be forgotten. Cpl. Belchik, along 
with so many other brave men and women, put their lives on the line day 
in and day out. My sincere thanks goes out to them all. God bless them, 
and may God continue to bless America.

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