[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Pages 23482-23485]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


              ARMY PRIVATE FIRST CLASS KENNETH C. SOUSLIN

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a young 
soldier who was taken from us far too soon. Army pfc Kenneth C. Souslin 
from Lexington, OH, lost his life on December 15, 2003, while serving 
our Nation in Iraq. He was 21 years old at the time of his death.
  Kenneth--Kacey to his family and friends--was born on October 10, 
1982, to loving parents, Kenneth and Cecelia. Growing up as the 
youngest of five boys, he quickly learned the importance of developing 
his own identity--and it was one of fearlessness, dedication, duty, and 
compassion. From a young age, he was devoted to his family and to his 
faith. Sean Davis, who knew Kacey since the 5th grade, remembers how he 
would sprint across the cafeteria to give his mom a hug whenever she 
came to their school.
  At Lexington High School, Kacey was well-liked by all. His father 
said that Kacey ``did not know an enemy. He was outgoing . . . not 
scared of anything.'' As a member of the drama club, he acted in 
several plays, including ``Second Chance'' and ``Country Gothic.'' 
Drama teacher, Ray Gerrell remembers how well Kacey performed, despite 
a speech impediment. He said that Kacey ``did wonderfully. . . . He 
gave 100 percent.''
  Though he loved being on the stage, Kacey also had a shy side. 
English teacher, Sally Giefer, considers Kacey's Junior Prom as one of 
her favorite memories of him. She recalls this about that dance:


[[Page 23483]]

       [Kacey] was so shy. He hid in the bathroom for 45 minutes. 
     I had his friends get him out and told him that we needed to 
     dance. He replied that he didn't know how and I said that 
     there are no rules to dancing and we went and had fun. The 
     next year, Kacey had grown so much. He asked my husband for 
     permission to dance with me.

  Following high school graduation, Kacey enlisted in the U.S. Army to 
see the world, experience new cultures, and meet new people--all while 
earning money for college. His family had already taught him the value 
of service through their own selfless examples. Kacey's father served 
in the U.S. Air Force in Thailand, and his brother, Bryant, served for 
4 years in the Navy and then enlisted in the Air Force Reserves.
  Kacey reported to boot camp at Fort Gordon, GA. There, he never 
complained and was known as a hard worker. Lexington High School 
Principal, Jim Goode, recalls that when Kacey returned with his 
recruiter to the high school wearing his Army uniform, he was full of 
confidence. Kacey gave him such a firm handshake that afterward, he had 
to pull his fingers apart.
  Kacey was assigned to the 440th Signal Battalion, 22nd Signal 
Brigade, V Corps, stationed in Darmstadt, Germany. He arrived in Iraq 
in September 2003 and was stationed north of Baghdad.
  Army Private First Class Souslin loved to serve and defend our 
Nation.
  He was a good soldier.
  He was a proud soldier.
  He was a dedicated soldier.
  Soon after Kacey's death, Sergeant Jan Wendling of the Mansfield, OH, 
Police Department, wrote a letter to the Editor of the Mansfield News 
Journal newspaper expressing condolences to his family and friends and 
to remind us all about the gratitude we owe to all the men and women 
serving in our military. The following is an excerpt from that letter:

       My heart sank when I read about PFC Kenneth Souslin losing 
     his life in Iraq. . . . The suffering that families must 
     endure for the rest of their lives is very seldom felt by the 
     average citizen, and they are often forgotten. Let us never 
     forget the sacrifices that our men and women in the armed 
     forces and their families make for us every day. When you see 
     a serviceman or woman, thank them for the unselfish job they 
     do for us. Let them know that the work they do is very 
     important to all our lives. Most of all pray that they will 
     all return to their loved ones safely.

  Indeed, Sergeant Wendling is right. We have an obligation to support 
and honor all of our service members--those who are with us and those 
who have given the ultimate sacrifice. Kacey Souslin served so that our 
world could be a better place. He served so that we could be protected 
so that our children and grandchildren can feel safe.
  Kacey put everything he had into his service. One Internet tribute 
honoring him, comrade David Sanders wrote the following:

       It's been [a while] and still Souslin comes into my 
     thoughts daily. I was in the 440th with him in Germany. In 
     Iraq, he used to come by my work area every morning on his 
     way to work. There are no words to describe the love he had 
     for his fellow soldiers. He truly was a wonderful friend, 
     confidant, and soldier.

  Army Specialist Sean Page echoed these same sentiments when he wrote 
this:

       I am a soldier. I knew Kenneth because I am in the same 
     company that he was in. I slept in the very tent that he 
     slept in. I am writing this message to both offer my 
     condolences and to honor his memory. Kenneth, whom we knew as 
     ``hot sauce,'' was a good man and a good soldier. His loss 
     will be felt within [the] 440th for a long time to come.

  Kacey Souslin was a good natured, daring, committed, outgoing, and 
reliable young man, who served our Nation with honor. As the Lexington, 
OH, community mourned for Kacey at the memorial service held in his 
honor, Reverend John Sgro offered the following consoling words:

       [Kacey's] life has touched a part of all of our lives. In 
     the midst of bullets and bombs, in the midst of hate and 
     evil, we can have a peace.

  Though Kacey Souslin left this Earth far too soon, he had a very 
positive impact on countless lives in his all-too-brief 21 years with 
us. He continues to live on in the hearts and minds of his family and 
all those who were lucky enough to know him.
  My wife Fran and I keep Kacey and his parents and his brothers 
Joshua, Adam, Bryant, and Robert in our thoughts and in our prayers.


                  Marine Lance Corporal Andrew Nowacki

  Mr. PRESIDENT, I rise today to pay tribute to an exemplary soldier 
and an outstanding young man. Marine LCpl Andrew Nowacki, from South 
Euclid, OH, was killed in Iraq when a roadside bomb struck his Humvee 
on the afternoon of February 26, 2005, just south of Baghdad. He was 24 
years old.
  Andrew--Andy to his family and friends--served the public and 
protected the peace in two nations separated by time, distance and 
circumstance. As a police officer with the Grand River Police 
Department in Ohio, and as a Marine serving in Iraq, Andy dedicated his 
life to helping his fellow man. It was his calling. And, he was 
remarkably good at it.
  Andy was in harm's way on that Saturday afternoon in February 
precisely because he had earned the trust and respect of his fellow 
Marines. Andy's commanding officer, Sergeant Paul A. Shook, explained 
in a letter to Andy's parents:

       I picked Andy to be my gunner. . . . Andy's job was very 
     difficult compared to that of other gunners because he was 
     more exposed than most of them. I needed someone I could 
     trust, who wouldn't hesitate at any moment to offer the 
     protection we needed. Andy was that Marine. I felt very safe 
     having him watching over me, and I never questioned his 
     judgment. . . . I thank God that Andy was in my life and . . 
     . for the rare privilege to have put my safety in his hands.

  It has been said that challenges don't build character, but, rather, 
that they reveal it. This certainly was the case for Andy. Andy's 
character was forged in Ohio with the love and support of his family. 
The challenges he faced abroad in Iraq simply revealed the core of this 
courageous, loving and, above all, joyful young man.
  Andy was the youngest of three boys. His parents, Sheila and Denis 
Nowacki raised him to honor God and country through his actions. Even 
as a small child, Andy demonstrated selfless concern for the welfare of 
others. As his mother, Sheila remembers, ``Even as a kid, he never 
cared what he got for Christmas. He was happier picking the perfect 
gift for other people.''
  His father Denis recalls that Andy followed a simple rule: Try and do 
something kind for someone else everyday. Always smiling, always happy, 
full of his totally original sense of humor, Andy inspired family and 
friends. He lived life joyfully and that joy was contagious.
  Andy graduated from Brush High School in Lyndhurst, OH, in 1998, and 
enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve the next fall. Andy's first 
experience in the Marines prepared him for the next chapter in his 
life--his time as a police officer. Andy wanted to work in law 
enforcement so that he could help others. And, as Andy's older brother, 
Nathan, remembers, ``He told me he had become a police officer to 
reward the good and punish the bad.'' In 2000, Andy joined the Grand 
River Police Department. He worked 3 years as 1 of 31 Grand River 
officers and, during that time, he became part of a brotherhood that 
would never forget him.
  Andy's work as a police officer required empathy and compassion--
something that Andy had in spades. Robert Antonelli, the Grand River 
Chief of Police and the man who hired Andy, reflected on what made Andy 
so good at his job. This is what he said:

       Every time he had to work the road, Andy would treat every 
     call as unique. He was able to adjust to help a little girl, 
     or [help] a child off a school bus, or handle a domestic 
     violence [situation]. The outcome would always be positive. 
     He could be passionate when he had to be. If he had to put 
     the law down, he put the law down. But, he always put that 
     smile on his face. I am honored that he was part of the 
     family we have. Only a policeman understands about other 
     policemen. We're brothers in blue. He was family to us.

  Andy's dad remembers the way that Andy thought of his job: ``He 
thought it wasn't his job to hurt people. It was his job to educate. He 
was a man's man and a cop's cop. He delivered the courage of his 
convictions.'' An avid outdoorsman and animal lover, Andy loved to work 
on bike patrol. Outside, close

[[Page 23484]]

to the people he was serving, Andy had the opportunity to touch the 
lives of so many in his small village of 345 people. He loved the 
weekly dinners at Chief Antonelli's house. He loved working with his 
brothers in blue.
  In the village hall in Grand River, which houses the police station, 
a display celebrates Andy's service. His silver police badge, No. 15, 
still gleams alongside his starched uniform hat and still-crisp bike 
patrol t-shirt and dozens of photographs.
  By 2003, as the conflict in Iraq escalated, Andy--again compelled by 
his compassion for others--answered the Marines' call to serve. Andy 
was in Iraq for 9 months in 2003, and returned in September 2004, when 
his obligation to the Reserve was almost over. During his first 6 
months in Iraq, he had already suffered injuries to his right arm after 
a truck he was riding in suddenly blew up. But, in spite of his 
experiences and injuries, the images that he brought back from the war 
zone were those of life, not death.
  His mother remembers that ``Andy was one of the most joyful people. 
He was an animal lover. Many of the pictures that he brought back from 
Iraq were of children and animals.'' One picture, in particular, 
captures the very essence of Andy and what he brought to that troubled 
part of the world. In the picture, Andy is smiling that charming, 
boyish smile with his arms around two young Iraqi children. You can see 
the admiration that these children felt toward him.
  Again, Andy was making a difference on that most basic, human level. 
Andy's father said he will forever cherish that photograph. He said, 
``That's what [Andy] was all about.''
  In spite of all the violence that Andy saw firsthand, he remained 
committed to being in Iraq as long as he was needed. His mother 
explained:

       He'd been in Iraq more than he'd been home the last two 
     years. But, he really was OK with being over there because he 
     saw the oppression and the cruelty that had happened to the 
     people there. His heart went out to the Iraqi people and the 
     deplorable conditions that they lived in. He thought a lot of 
     the Iraqi people, and he was willing to go back because he 
     thought we were doing so much good.

  And that's exactly what he did--he went back for a second tour of 
duty in Iraq. Though he was scheduled to come back and live with his 
parents on April 1 of this year, he didn't rule out the possibility of 
going to Iraq for even a third tour. Throughout his time there, Andy 
kept in close touch with his family and his friends in the police 
force. Andy's last phone call home on February 24 was to tell his 
parents that he was scheduled to return home in about 4 weeks--just in 
time to celebrate his 25th birthday.
  The sudden and tragic events of February 26 devastated family and 
friends, alike. Choking back tears, Police Chief Robert Anotelli 
remembers his last contact with Andy. He said:

       I have a message from him on my answering machine. . . . He 
     was talking about buying a camelback for the captain. He said 
     he was okay, to tell the guys ``I love you, and I'll see you 
     when I get back.'' I will never ever erase that message.

  When asked about the impact of the news on the Grand River Police, 
Chief Antonelli said: ``You ever see 29 grown men cry? You don't get 
many guys like Andy. He was the real deal. Andy believed in what he was 
doing in Iraq. He's a true hero.'' As Andy's brother, Nathan said, 
``The world's a lesser place right now. He made everyone around him 
better.''
  Andy's death has prompted an overwhelming outpouring of love and 
support. Perhaps, best of all, it has prompted people to remember and 
appreciate the beautiful person that Andy was. Family and friends 
remember Andy's unique sense of humor. His fellow police officers 
remember how he would bring disco balls in police cruisers just to make 
his partners laugh or how he'd bring smiley faces to jail to entertain 
the inmates. John Bechtel, one of Andy's good friends who works as a 
patrolman in East Cleveland had this to say:

       There was never a dull moment with Andy. He never had a bad 
     day. He never complained. He was always happy. I don't think 
     I ever saw him mad. . . . He had bought a computer in Iraq, 
     and he was always downloading songs, calling me, saying 
     ``You've got to hear this song when I get back.'' And he was 
     sending me text messages somehow. I still don't know how he 
     did it.

  Todd Carroscia, an East Cleveland and Timberlake police officer and 
close pal, said Andy gave 110 percent as an officer and a friend. He 
said that ``Andy was a unique person. He had a smile that was amazing. 
That smile will be stuck in my mind forever.''
  Andy's friend, Andrew Moore, remembers all the particular mannerisms 
that made Andy so unique, so magnetic, and so charming. In a 
heartbreaking and beautiful letter to Andy's family, he wrote the 
following:

       His laugh was so funny. It always sounded like he was a mad 
     scientist or [something]. . . . Andy had a walk that no one 
     else had. It was more of a strut than a walk. . . . The 
     voice, the laugh, the strut, these were the things that made 
     you find out who he was on the inside and become a friend of 
     his. And once you were allowed into his world, you'd see and 
     hear things that you only see in movies or on TV.
       He had these characteristics that movie executives pay 
     writers millions of dollars to create. But he had them, and 
     they were real . . . [He was] one of the most wonderful souls 
     ever to grace this earth--a human being [whom] thousands of 
     people loved strictly because of who he was. . . .

  Family and friends also remember Andy's love of children and animals. 
According to his mom:

       When he first got to Iraq, the first thing he did was find 
     a lizard. He must have carried that thing around in the 
     Humvee for seven months! He also had four dogs that followed 
     him around there. He was like Dr. Doolittle! He once traded a 
     case of Gatorade for chickens and a rooster. He got the 
     chickens and a rooster, because he was trying to get fresh 
     eggs. He never got fresh eggs. He got little chickens!

  On March 7, 2005, a mass held at St. Gabriel Catholic Church in 
Concord, OH, drew about 1,000 mourners including hundreds of police 
officers and Marines in dress-blue uniforms from northeast Ohio and 
Pennsylvania. An honor guard of 60 members from the 4th Marine Division 
Truck Company in Erie, PA, where Andy was stationed before being 
deployed to Iraq, soberly lined the walkway into the church. The Marine 
line was bolstered by police officers dozens deep. Andy's peacekeeping 
brethren, both civilian and military, saluted his arrival and departure 
with tearful eyes.
  Two of Andy's fellow Marines helped carry his casket. They were 
joined by a Grand River police officer and three officers from East 
Cleveland, home to several of Andy's closest friends.
  The Reverend Jerome Dukes, the Catholic priest who gave Andy's 
eulogy, had known the family for years, officiating at the wedding of 
Andy's parents, Sheila and Denis, and baptizing Andy as a baby. 
Reverend Dukes said that ``Andy was glowing testimony of what it means 
to be merciful and a peacemaker. He shared his life and liberty with 
all of us.
  Andy was buried with full military honors in the All Souls Cemetery 
in Chardon, Ohio.
  In honor of Andy, a memorial scholarship fund has been established at 
Lakeland Community College in Kirtland, Ohio. The scholarship fund 
benefits students entering the police academy, criminal justice 
program, EMT and firefighter programs offered at Lakeland. It is 
expected to last in perpetuity.
  Along with Congressman Steve LaTourette, I am an honorary Co-Chair of 
the Andy Nowacki Memorial Scholarship Committee. The fund expresses 
Andy's desire to help those who shared his love of humanity and pubic 
service. Andy wanted to give so that others might have the opportunity 
to give back, too.
  My wife Fran and I continue to keep Andy's family and friends--
especially his brothers Nathan and Peter and his parents Sheila and 
Denis--in our thoughts and in our prayers. The best comfort that we can 
give them is to remember all the good and joy that Andy brought into 
the world in a life that was all too brief. We can also remember one of 
Andy's favorite sayings: ``Smile. There's nothing to be unhappy 
about.''
  Mr. President, I thank the Chair. I yield the floor.

[[Page 23485]]




                      TRIBUTE TO STEVEN A. VALDEZ

  Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life of a 
young Arkansan who, in the name of freedom, paid the ultimate sacrifice 
on behalf of the nation he loved. Steven A. Valdez was a brave soldier 
who died a hero in a foreign land, but he was also a caring young man 
who deeply loved his family and friends and they were never far from 
his mind.
  Those who knew Lance Corporal Valdez from his childhood in McRea, a 
small north-central Arkansas town, remember him as competitive, 
energetic and fun-loving. He graduated from Beebe High School in 2004 
and, soon after, followed the footsteps of his older brother Glenn 
Skaggs, and his grandfather Billy Skaggs, into the U.S. Marine Corps.
  In November of 2004, Lance Corporal Valdez reported to the Marine 
Corps Base at Kaneohe Bay, HI. Serving with the 2nd Battalion, 3rd 
Marine Regiment, he was deployed to Afghanistan in June as a machine 
gun operator with Weapons Platoon Company E. Within the year, his 
family received a letter from the Marines, which cited Valdez's 
promotion to Lance Corporal and praised him for going above and beyond 
what was asked or expected of him. While serving in Afghanistan, Lance 
Corporal Valdez was stationed at Camp Blessing. The camp is located in 
eastern Afghanistan, in the foothills of the Hindu Kush mountains near 
the Pakistani border, and serves as a forward operating base for 
intelligence and military operations aimed to train Afghan security 
forces and track down al-Qaida terrorists. He served with a platoon of 
Marines guarding the camp.
  While serving in Afghanistan, Lance Corporal Valdez and his 
grandfather, Billy had an agreement; Billy would send care packages 
with his grandson's favorite snacks and items from home, but he would 
also include phone cards with the expectation that the young marine 
would call his grandfather once a week. For Lance Corporal Valdez, it 
was a much-needed respite from the stresses of war that allowed him to 
feel a little closer to home; for Billy, it was reassuring to hear his 
grandson's voice and to know that he was safe and healthy.
  On September 26, insurgents attacked Camp Blessing with mortar, 
rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire. Lance Corporal Valdez 
was struck by shrapnel from a mortar while running to his machine gun 
post. The brave 20-year-old died shortly after.
  In remembering their loved one Corporal Valdez's proud grandfather 
speaks of him as a ``true hero.'' When his brother, SGT Glenn Skaggs, 
returns to Iraq, he will be concerned about his own well-being, but 
only in the sense that he doesn't want to put his family through 
another grieving process. Despite these concerns, in a manner typical 
of this courageous and selfless family, he proudly states ``My brother 
was over there for something he believed in, and I want to help finish 
it.''
  Although Steven Valdez may no longer be with us, his legacy and his 
spirit will forever live on in our hearts. On behalf of a grateful 
nation, my thoughts and prayers go out his family, friends, and all who 
knew and loved him.
  I thank you, Mr. President, and I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be dispensed with.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

                          ____________________