[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 20347]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 SERGEANT RIAYAN A. TEJEDA POST OFFICE

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 28, 2004

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 4046, 
calling for the United States Postal Service located at 555 West 180th 
Street in New York, New York, to be hereby named the ``Sergeant Riayan 
A. Tejeda Post Office.''
  Staff Sergeant Riayan A. Tejeda of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine 
Regiment was killed during combat operations in northeast Baghdad on 
April 11, 2003; he was 26 years of age. A New York City resident, he 
lived in my district of Washington Heights on 180th Street until 
graduation from Fashion Industries High School in the Garment District, 
thereafter joining the Marine Corps at the age of 18. I introduced this 
legislation because Sgt. Tejeda was a hero in every sense of the word, 
a man born in the Dominican Republic who made the ultimate sacrifice 
for the United States.
  After spending formative teen years meeting the challenge of growing 
up in the tough streets of Washington Heights, Sergeant Tejeda joined 
the military with his hopes and dreams of the future on the horizon. He 
joined the military to better himself and to serve our country, later 
reenlisting after his initial term of duty had elapsed.
  Sergeant Tejeda was the first Dominican killed in Iraq, a fact that 
history will rightfully record but in itself will not and cannot 
appreciate the pain of his loss to his two young daughters and mourning 
family.
  At the time of his death, while the fatality count was still in its 
early stages, minorities constituted as high as 35 percent of the 
fatalities in the line of duty. Latinos, who comprise 8 percent of the 
total fighting force in Iraq, have incurred 16 percent of all intensive 
fighting deaths and 12 percent of the total fatalities during Operation 
Iraqi Freedom. These numbers are clear evidence of the disproportionate 
sacrifice being made in Iraq by Latinos and point out the level of 
their loyalty to their chosen country.
  Riayan Tejeda was an outstanding young man with limitless potential, 
known for his studious nature and gentlemanly demeanor. He was a brave, 
selfless man of great conviction who fought and died for a nation of 
immigrants that today does not always appreciate the contributions and 
sacrifices made by new generations of outsiders pursuing better lives. 
Sergeant Tejeda, who had served in the Marine Corps for 8 years, was 
awarded U.S. citizenship only after his death and received the Silver 
Star for his valor in the line of fire. He proudly served our Nation in 
Thailand, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, East Timor and Iraq. 
Sergeant Tejeda was the finest marksman in his regiment.
  The naming of the U.S. Post Office in Washington Heights for Sergeant 
Tejeda will be received by the community with great pride and 
satisfaction. It is the least our country can do to honor the memory of 
Sergeant Tejeda's short and heroic life.
  I extend my appreciation and sympathies to his parents Julio Cesar 
Tejeda and Carmen Rafaela Lora, his daughters Loriana and Miranda and 
his brothers Angel and Andre. I thank my colleagues for their support 
on this legislation.

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