[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 19405]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING THE MEMORY OF CORPORAL GEORGE ALLEN ALFORD, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEVIN BRADY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 29, 2005

  Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of 
Corporal George Allen Alford, Jr., USMC, who was killed in action on 
July 31, 1968.
  Corporal Alford joined the Marine Corps at age 18 in 1966 and served 
on the U.S.S. Galveston as a Captain's Orderly. He left the Galveston 
in May of 1968 after volunteering for active duty in Vietnam. By the 
time he was 20 years old, Corporal Alford was a Squad Leader of the 3rd 
Platoon of Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment of the 1st 
Marine Division. He participated in numerous operations in Vietnam 
including Operation Houston III, Houston IV and Mameluke Thrust II. It 
was during Operation Mameluke Thrust II that Corporal Alford was killed 
in action on July 31, 1968.
  In the words of his Commanding Officer,
  ``George was a singularly fine Marine noncommissioned officer. His 
enthusiasm, courage and complete devotion to duty won for him the 
respect of all who knew him.''
  Corporal Alford's sister, Brenda (now Brenda Alford Kaiser), wrote 
the following poem at the time of her brother's death:

     Late on a hot evening,
     In a rice field in Viet Nam,
     My brother gave his young life,
     For the cause of liberty.

     Marines like my brother are no cowards,
     From their foes they do not hide,
     For their courage always has been
     America's cause to live or die.

     They trudged the marshes of Viet Nam,
     In the mud thick and black,
     And never once did they complain,
     When Charlie was on their backs.

     America can be proud of those,
     Who are United States Marines,
     For they still die for us today,
     Just to keep our Nation free.

  Mr. Speaker, it is heroes like Corporal George Allen Alford, Jr., and 
the family members and colleagues keeping memories of him alive, who 
make America strong. It is an honor to represent his community in the 
U.S. House of Representatives and I urge you to join me in honoring his 
service and the ultimate sacrifice he made for the country he loved.

                          ____________________