[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 19029]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE SACRIFICE OF JUAN CALDERON, JR., TOMAS GARCES AND MARK 
                             ANTHONY ZAPATA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to come before the House of 
Representatives to pay tribute to fallen heroes. My south Texas 
district is again mourning the loss of three more such heroes, Sergeant 
Juan Calderon, Jr., Specialist Tomas Garces, and Specialist Mark 
Anthony Zapata.
  My district has now lost six brave men. The Rio Grande Valley of 
south Texas as a whole has lost one soldier in Afghanistan and 10 in 
Iraq. This represents more than 1 percent of the total lives lost in 
the war in Iraq.
  Sergeant Juan Calderon, Jr., was a 26-year-old rifleman in the 1st 
Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, based in Camp Pendleton, 
California. Although he was born and raised in Weslaco, Texas, many of 
his family live in the Minnesota district of my good friend, the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Gutknecht), who is joining me tonight.
  Juan had been a Marine for more than 3 years and had received 
numerous awards and medals. An avid football player, he and his wife, 
Ana Maria, were anxiously awaiting the birth of their first child this 
month.
  Juan was killed on August 2 conducting security and stability 
operations in Anbar Province in Iraq. He will never see his son, who 
will bear his name, Juan Andres Calderon.
  Red, white and blue streamers still decorate the Garces family home, 
where only a few weeks ago Army Specialist Tomas Garces had come from 
Iraq for a brief visit. Tomas was a recent graduate of Weslaco High 
School, where he was a star wrestler.
  He joined the 1836th Transportation Company of the Texas National 
Guard not just to serve his country, but also to help his family 
financially. He dreamed of one day becoming a wrestling coach to train 
others in the sport he loved. But, instead, on a road south of Baghdad, 
his convoy was ambushed by enemy forces, and Tomas became the first 
member of the Texas National Guard to die in combat since World War II.
  This past Saturday, I joined the community of Weslaco at his funeral. 
Tomas has been recommended for a posthumous Bronze Star for his bravery 
during the ambush.
  Army Specialist Mark Zapata came from a family with a strong military 
tradition. His father Daniel is a retired Army sergeant, and Mark lived 
on military bases as a child. The 27-year-old was a graduate of 
Edinburg North High School and loved music. He was the third soldier 
from this small community to lose his life in Iraq. He was a musician 
who liked to DJ and play the trumpet and keyboard. He was also proud to 
be a volunteer firefighter and loved nothing more than visiting local 
schools to teach children about fire safety. He even trained his dog 
Rollie to be a search and rescue dog.
  Mark joined the Army 6 years ago and was a tank gunner stationed at 
Fort Hood, Texas. He was killed on August 15 in Najaf, Iraq.
  When you hear the stories that friends and families tell about Juan, 
Tomas and Mark, you understand just how special all three of these 
young men were. They were role models to their peers, devoted sons, 
loving husbands, loyal friends and active in their communities.

                              {time}  2000

  All could have chosen to use their talents in other career paths, yet 
they chose the path of military service.
  South Texas has sent generations of its sons and daughters into 
military service and, in this most recent conflict, has lost a 
disproportionate number of its young people and its future leaders.
  Yes, Juan, Tomas and Mark volunteered to defend this country and 
protect our freedom, all the while knowing it might cost them their 
lives. They are true heroes, and we owe them more than we can ever 
repay.
  For their friends and families left behind, we offer our prayers and 
the comfort of knowing that the sacrifices of these young lives will 
not be forgotten. To those still on the front lines, we pledge our 
unity, our support and our prayers for their safety and speedy return 
back home.

                          ____________________