[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11353]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             FALLEN HEROES

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. SILVESTRE REYES

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 20, 2004

  Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, today we honor those men and women who have 
fought and died for the cause of freedom. The cost of freedom is not 
small, and throughout history our nation has risen to accept this 
mortal cost so that our fellow citizens of the world could be free.
  This generation of Americans, like the generations before, has been 
called on to serve our great nation with honor, upholding our ideals 
for people at home and around the world. We are in debt to our brave 
men and women in uniform who have heeded the call to service in 
conflicts around the world throughout history, most recently in Iraq 
and Afghanistan.
  Today on the floor of the people's House, we pause to offer a special 
tribute to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our 
nation. Our brave men and women in uniform selflessly sacrifice their 
own tomorrows so that we may live in freedom. Their families, and 
especially their children, make sacrifices for us too. As these 
children grow into young men and women, we need to remind them that 
their sacrifices and the sacrifices of their parents were not made in 
vain. We must remind them that as the Bible says, ``in the path of 
righteousness there is life, [and] in walking its path there is no 
death''. Most important, we need to remind them that they are the 
inspiration for their parents' sacrifices; that their parents sacrifice 
so that they and their children and grandchildren may know the 
blessings of liberty.
  The citizens of the 16th District of Texas have volunteered to 
preserve freedom at home and abroad throughout our nation's conflicts. 
We, in El Paso, intimately know and understand the sacrifices that are 
made by troops and their families in times of war. We are used to 
seeing our soldiers leave and return, as El Paso's own Patriot 
battalions based at Fort Bliss are some of the most frequently deployed 
units in the country. The soldiers, who call Fort Bliss home, even if 
only for a brief time, are our neighbors, our friends, and our family.
  Last year, the people of El Paso gathered together in prayer for the 
safe and swift return of members of the 507th Maintenance Company who 
were ambushed by Iraqi forces outside of Al Nasirriyah. The memories of 
those who were lost were not forgotten in the midst of the joy of 
welcoming many of them home. They will forever be sons and daughters of 
El Paso.
  As a veteran of the Vietnam War, I know what it feels like to put on 
the uniform of the United States and leave my family and friends for an 
uncertain future in an uncertain place to defend the ideals of our 
nation. I was one of the lucky ones who returned home. We owe much to 
those who are not so lucky--to them and their families, we owe our 
deepest gratitude for their sacrifices.
  Today, I give a solemn but proud salute to the men and women from El 
Paso and Fort Bliss who have lost their lives in support of Operation 
Iraqi Freedom. These fallen heroes will rest with their comrades from 
around our nation who paid the ultimate price for freedom. They will 
forever be honored with our sincere gratitude and respect.

                          ____________________