[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2298]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING ERIC ULYSSES RAMIREZ, AN AMERICAN HERO

  (Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy 
heart that I rise today to express the condolences of a grateful 
Nation. I rise so that this Nation will never forget the service and 
sacrifice of those fallen while working to keep us free.
  I rise today specifically to honor the life of Eric Ulysses Ramirez. 
Specialist Ramirez was killed when his unit was attacked by Iraqi 
insurgents.
  Eric was a sheriff's deputy and a National Guardsman who answered the 
call to duty when his unit was activated last February. He only had 42 
days remaining before his planned return to family and friends when his 
unit was attacked by RPG, cutting short the life of a young father.
  This past weekend I attended services for Specialist Ramirez and can 
share with my colleagues that his family is very supportive of our 
actions in Iraq and that we need to honor the fact that he has a very 
loving wife, children, and parents, and his parents actually live in my 
district.
  We know very well that our freedom could not have been won nor our 
liberty maintained without those willing to make this ultimate 
sacrifice, but I know that these are very weak words to the grieving 
family left behind. I pray that the Lord and that everyone who knew 
Eric will maintain their memory of Eric and that this will help to 
assuage their pain.
  Eric was a loving father, son, and husband, and this country owes its 
freedom to Eric and those who came before him. So do the citizens of 
Iraq.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring this American hero.

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