[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 19732]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      U.S. ARMY SPC. LAURO DeLEON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HENRY CUELLAR

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 7, 2005

  Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor U.S. Army Spc. Lauro 
DeLeon, who died one year ago while serving as part of Operation Iraqi 
Freedom.
  Lauro joined the Army Reserves before graduating from Floresville 
(Texas) High School in 2003, seeing the military as a way of financing 
a college education. He then enrolled at Palo Alto College that fall to 
pursue a degree in business, but soon learned he had been called up for 
active duty.
  Lauro went to Baghdad as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in February 
2004. The Mojadi army was attacking the city, and Lauro's unit was 
stuck in camp for three days before making its way out of Baghdad.
  During that summer of 2004, Lauro surprised his family with a return 
home as part of a two-week leave from the Army which he won in a 
lottery. Lauro, a good Christian man from a good Christian family, 
prayed that he would be granted the opportunity to go home to his 
family, and his number was the last one called.
  Lauro then returned to Iraq to serve with the 644th Transportation 
Company. On September 8, 2004, the truck Lauro was driving went over an 
explosive device, killing Lauro and putting the soldier with him in 
critical condition.
  While in Iraq, both Lauro and his mother, Grace Lopez, read a chapter 
a day from the Bible. She passed along a message that helped Lauro make 
it through the tough times: ``Fear is not of God; whenever you start 
feeling fear, tell God to remove it.'' It is this faith that carried 
Lauro through the war, and it is this faith that continues to carry his 
family after his passing.
  Along with all of our fallen servicemen and women, Lauro DeLeon has 
honored our nation by making the greatest sacrifice of all. It is the 
least we can do to offer these words of remembrance today. As always, 
our prayers remain with Lauro, his family, and all those representing 
our country in our Armed Forces.

                          ____________________