[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Pages 19169-19170]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                         spc adam james harting

  Mr. BAYH. Mr. President, I rise today with a heavy heart and deep 
sense of gratitude to honor the life of a brave soldier from Portage. 
Adam Harting, 21 years old, died on July 25 in Samarra when an 
improvised explosive device detonated near his Bradley Fighting 
Vehicle. With so much of his life left before him, Adam risked 
everything to fight for the values Americans hold close to our hearts, 
in a land halfway around the world.
  Only 19 years old when he arrived in Kuwait to begin his service in 
Operation Iraqi Freedom, Adam was featured in Time Magazine in 2003 as 
one of the youngest soldiers stationed overseas. A graduate of Portage 
High School, Adam had always dreamed of joining the military and was 
active in the ROTC program throughout his high school years. Adam and 
his twin brother, Alex, both promised their father when they were young 
that they would enter the military, and both lived up to that promise, 
with Adam serving in the Army and Alex in the Air Force. Their father, 
Jim Harting, recounted his pride in Adam's service and character to a 
local newspaper, saying, ``He was a hero. He was my hero.'' I stand 
here today to express the same feelings of pride and gratitude for this 
young Hoosier's sacrifices and those made by his family on behalf of 
our country.
  Adam was killed while serving his country in Operation Iraqi Freedom. 
He was a member of the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade 
Combat Team, 42nd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, GA. This brave young 
soldier leaves behind his father and step-mother, Jim and Brenda 
Harting; his mother, Katherine Brown; and his seven siblings, Alex, 21, 
Mark, 20, Josh, 15, Jimmy, 14, Tiffany, 22, Tabitha, 20, and Hanna, 8.
  Today, I join Adam's family and friends in mourning his death. While 
we struggle to bear our sorrow over this loss, we can also take pride 
in the example he set, bravely fighting to make the world a safer 
place. It is his courage and strength of character that people will 
remember when they think of Adam, a memory that will burn brightly 
during these continuing days of conflict and grief.
  Adam was known for his dedication to his family and his love of 
country. Today and always, Adam will be remembered by family members, 
friends and fellow Hoosiers as a true American hero, and we honor the 
sacrifice he made while dutifully serving his country. '
  As I search for words to do justice in honoring Adam's sacrifice, I 
am reminded of President Lincoln's remarks as he addressed the families 
of the fallen soldiers in Gettysburg: ``We cannot dedicate, we cannot 
consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and 
dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power 
to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we 
say here, but it can never forget what they did here.'' This statement 
is just as true today as it was nearly 150 years ago, as I am certain 
that the impact of Adam's actions will live on far longer than any 
record of these words.
  It is my sad duty to enter the name of SPC Adam James Harting in the 
official record of the United States Senate for his service to this 
country and for his profound commitment to freedom, democracy and 
peace. When I think about this just cause in which we are engaged, and 
the unfortunate pain that comes with the loss of our heroes, I hope 
that families like Adam's can find comfort in the words of the prophet 
Isaiah who said, ``He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord 
God will wipe away tears from off all faces.
  May God grant strength and peace to those who mourn, and may God be 
with all of you, as I know He is with Adam.

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