[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11351]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             FALLEN HEROES

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. JOHN E. SWEENEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 20, 2004

  Mr. SWEENEY. Mr. Speaker, as we reflect on this Memorial Day and 
remember our fallen heroes, I would like to offer special recognition 
for four incredibly brave men from my district who sacrificed their 
lives fighting the war on terror.
  On September 10, 2003, Staff Sgt. Joseph E. Robsky, Jr. of the 759th 
Ordnance Company was killed when an improvised explosive device he was 
called on to neutralize detonated. Staff Sgt. Robsky was 31 years old.
  On September 15, 2003, 31 year old Staff Sgt. Kevin Kimmerly of North 
Creek, New York was killed in a rocket-propelled grenade attack on the 
streets of Baghdad.
  On April 8 of this year, a rocket-propelled grenade killed Army Spc. 
Isaac Michael Nieves as insurgents in Bani Saad, Iraq, ambushed his 
patrol. Spc. Nieves, from Sidney, New York, was 20 years old.
  And on April 11, Easter Sunday of this year, 21 year old Pfc. Nathan 
P. Brown of South Glens Falls, New York was ambushed while on patrol 
with his unit in Samarra, Iraq. Nathan Brown served in the Army 
National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry, 1st Armored Division 
out of Glens Falls, New York.
  Each of these remarkable young men left behind family and friends 
they loved and cared for. They were cut down in the prime of life by 
those who hate the very freedoms these soldiers, these Americans, these 
heroes, were trying to protect.
  What makes their sacrifice even more special is the fact that not 
only were they fighting against the terrorists who have declared war on 
America, but that they were also fighting for millions of Iraqi 
citizens who yearn for the freedoms that so many of us take for 
granted.
  With each passing day in the war on terror I think about these heroes 
and the ultimate sacrifice they made so our mission can be victorious. 
It is because of men like Joe Robsky, Kevin Kimmerly, Isaac Michael 
Nieves, Nathan Brown, and the hundreds of other Americans who lost 
their lives that we must succeed in our mission. I refuse to tarnish 
their memories by fighting this war in vain.
  This Memorial Day, and all others afterward, will have extra 
significance for me. Casting a vote to send our troops into harm's way 
is the most difficult thing I have done since coming to Congress. While 
I remain convinced of the justness of our cause, I now have an even 
greater appreciation for our men and women fighting the war on terror 
thousands of miles away from their homes and families.
  Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to honor the memories of 
the 20th District's bravest soldiers. I will spend my Memorial Day 
praying for their families, for the successful completion of their 
mission and for the safe return of all our troops. God bless them all, 
and God bless America.

                          ____________________