[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16089]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                         Navy SEAL Shane Patton

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, Boulder City, NV, lies 25 miles east of Las 
Vegas, near Lake Mead. The city was constructed in 1931 to serve as a 
home for the workers who built Hoover Dam. It has seen limited growth 
over the last 70 years and has never lost its smalltown feel.
  Every summer, Boulder City holds a Fourth of July celebration. Like 
most communities, it has fireworks, parades, and barbeques. But what 
separates Boulder City is its people. Folks who left long ago return to 
Boulder City on the Fourth of July to reunite with family and friends, 
and to remember the freedoms that make this country great.
  This year, one of Boulder City's sons did not come back. Shane 
Patton, a lifelong resident and 2000 graduate of Boulder City High, was 
killed in action last month defending our freedoms in Afghanistan. He 
was a Navy SEAL and a hero to us all.
  I did not know Shane, but I am very familiar with his grandfather Jim 
and his great-uncle Charlie. We were high school rivals some 50 years 
ago. They played sports for Boulder City. I played for Basic High. Jim 
and Charlie were athletes, and we competed against each other in 
baseball and football.
  At that time, anyone who went to Boulder City was an arch enemy of 
anyone who went to Basic. But eventually we mixed and had friends in 
common. Jim even took a roadtrip from Nevada to the Panama Canal and 
another to Mexico with my friend Don Wilson in the 1970s.
  Shane's grandfather has a sense of adventure and a commitment to 
country. It rubbed off on Shane's dad J.J., who was a SEAL, and 
eventually on Shane, who followed in his father's footsteps by joining 
the Navy and becoming one of our country's elite SEALs.
  Being a Navy SEAL is one of the most physically and mentally 
difficult jobs in the world. The SEALs' training is legendary for its 
toughness. Their missions are dangerous and secret. They work in small 
teams, on the frontlines of war. Only the best of the best can serve as 
Seals, and Shane Patton did it with honor and distinction.
  In Afghanistan, Shane died during a combat mission. He was buried 
last Saturday at the Southern Nevada Veterans Cemetery in Boulder City. 
He now rests among other Nevada heroes--brave men and women who 
dedicated part of their lives to protecting and preserving the freedoms 
we hold dear. I attended Shane's funeral and extended the appreciation 
of a grateful Nation.
  A year from now Boulder City will again celebrate the Fourth of July. 
As is tradition, people from all over will journey back to the city 
they used to call home. Shane Patton will not be there. But he will 
live on in the hearts and minds of everyone in Boulder City and in 
everyone who pauses to remember the freedoms we enjoy.
  Shane's life's work was keeping us safe. His service was his gift to 
us all. And his sacrifice will never be forgotten.


                 Lance Corporal Thomas William Fritsch

  Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to LCpl 
Thomas William Fritsch, U.S. Marines, of Cromwell, CT. Lance Corporal 
Fritsch lived as a true patriot and defender of our great Nation's 
principles of freedom and justice.
  While serving during the Vietnam War, a group of marines from Battery 
D, including Lance Corporal Fritsch, was assigned to search for 
Sergeant Miller and medic Thomas Perry. The search had become necessary 
when it was apparent that the medic was missing during the evacuation 
of the base at Ngok Tavak which had come under enemy attack early on 
the morning of the 10th of May, 1968. It was during the course of this 
search when the small group was attacked by enemy fire.
  Although it has been 37 years since his loss, his repatriation serves 
as a testament to our Nation's commitment to our Prisoners of War, 
those Missing in Action, and their families. I commend the Department 
of Defense Prisoner of War and Missing Personnel Office for their 
remarkable and tireless efforts during their numerous investigations 
which have once again been successful in identifying one of our 
Nation's heroes. I can only imagine the range of emotions caused by the 
loss and years of uncertainty experienced by Lance Corporal Fritsch's 
family, as well as other families of our servicemen missing in action.
  In addition to his family, there are many in Connecticut who still 
remember him fondly. As a 1966 graduate of the EC Goodwin Technical-
Vocational School in New Britain, CT, he is remembered as a good 
friend, a good neighbor, and an active member of the community who 
enjoyed volunteering for the Portland Fire Department and participating 
in the Boy Scouts. Perhaps, Lance Corporal Fritsch will most be 
remembered as an aspiring chef as his former guidance counselor, Jane 
Rich, vividly recalls.
  Lance Corporal Fritsch will soon be laid to rest at Rose Hill 
Cemetery in Rocky Hill. Lance Corporal Fritsch lives on through his 
parents, William and Mary, and his siblings, Patricia, Gloria, Bill and 
Steve whom I thank for his patriotic service.
  Our Nation extends its heartfelt condolences to his family. We extend 
our appreciation for sharing this outstanding marine with us, and hope 
that they may find peace and closure. They may be justifiably proud of 
his contributions.

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