[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 18043]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                    staff sergeant bruce j. pollema

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to SSG Bruce 
J. Pollema, a fellow Iowan originally from Hull, IA. The Iowa National 
Guard regretfully announced the death of Staff Sergeant Pollema when he 
was killed on August 27, 2004 along with fellow soldier, Spc. Dustin S. 
Colby, when their military motor vehicle rolled over into a ditch near 
Camp Dodge. Staff Sergeant Pollema was a heavy vehicle operator with 
the 2168th Transportation Company, based in Sheldon, IA. Staff Sergeant 
Pollema is survived by his wife, Teri Winter, father and mother, Wilmar 
and Betty Pollema, his older brother, Waylon, and his twin brother, 
Brandon. This brave soldier was thirty years old.
  The family of Bruce Pollema issued the following statement in 
response to the news of their son's death: ``Our hearts, minds, spirits 
and prayers are with the rest of the Troops and we wish them God speed. 
We will be there for them when they come back.''
  It is fitting that we should honor Staff Sergeant Pollema today for 
his service to our country. My deepest sympathy goes out to his family 
and friends. I know his memory will live on in the hearts of everyone 
he knew.

                          ____________________