[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 23609]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE LATE PRIVATE FIRST CLASS JOSE M. ROSARIO AND OTHER VIRGIN 
                           ISLANDS WAR HEROES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of 
January 4, 2005, the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. 
Christensen) is recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay homage to Private 
First Class Jose M. Rosario from Estate Campo Rico on my home island of 
St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands who was killed in Iraq last week.
  Private First Class Rosario joined the Army shortly after completing 
high school with the desire to serve his country and with the dream, 
whispered only to his older sister Ruth, of one day becoming an 
attorney. He told his family how much he loved his job, the adventure 
of it, and most of all the fact that he was making a contribution to 
our Nation. They have all attested that he was happy fulfilling his 
mission as a member of the Fifth Squadron, Seventh Cavalry Regiment, 
First Brigade Combat Team of the 42nd Infantry Division. Like so many 
of the now 2,000 men and women who have given their lives for their 
country in the Iraq war, Private First Class Rosario was young, just 20 
years old, and with a dream of a brighter future. He died, along with 
Army Specialist Russell Nahvi of Arlington, Texas, and Sergeant Arthur 
Mora, Jr. of Pico, California, when their up-armored humvee was hit 
with indirect fire while on patrol in Balad, Iraq. And while his 
lifetime was short, Jose served his country with courage and with 
distinction and he has made his family and the entire Virgin Islands 
community very proud as he helped to make the entire Nation a better 
place by his sacrifice. Our prayers are with his mother Gregoria and 
all of the family.
  Mr. Speaker, we in the U.S. Virgin Islands along with our sister 
territories send more men and women per capita to serve in our Armed 
Forces, and Virgin Islanders have served in every war and conflict from 
the Revolutionary War forward. Our Virgin Islands National Guard has 
been proud to serve and do so with distinction around the world. They 
currently have several units in Afghanistan and Iraq. Dr. Bob Thompson, 
a good friend of mine and chief of medicine at the Governor Juan Luis 
Hospital, just returned from a tour in Iraq. Sixteen members of the 
620th are scheduled to return home later this week. The 652nd 
Engineering Company is currently serving in Afghanistan and will be 
there for another 6 months.
  While home in August, I attended a deployment ceremony where the 
610th and the 640th companies of the Virgin Islands National Guard, 
many of them young women, were preparing to leave for Iraq. They are 
currently at Fort Bragg being processed and the 107 men and women of 
the 610th are to depart in early November. The 640th will follow them 
shortly thereafter.
  In addition, Dr. Hinman, the State Surgeon of the Virgin Islands 
National Guard, is at Fort Bliss processing for his 90-day rotation, 
and we have an MP security team at Fort Leonard Wood, all preparing to 
also go to Iraq. I pray that they will all return safely and whole. I 
also play that the President will begin now to bring all of our troops 
home.
  With our population of just over 110,000, the U.S. Virgin Islands has 
already lost five young men before Private First Class Rosario.
  Daniel Wyatt, whose family splits their time between Wisconsin and 
St. Croix, and who spent what he called the best 2 weeks of his life in 
St. Croix before heading overseas.
  Shane Goldman, whose memorial I attended and who had a tree and a 
small monument placed at Club St. Croix, a place frequented by his 
father and which he loved to visit.
  Private First Class Jason Lynch from a large St. Croix family and the 
nephew of a close friend of mine Betty Lynch, a child I knew as he was 
growing up.
  Staff Sergeant Kendall Thomas, slightly older than the others, from 
St. Thomas and I believe serving his second tour. We are proud of the 
men and women who have given their lives in service to their country.
  We are particularly proud of Private First Class Jose M. Rosario and 
all of the men and women from the U.S. Virgin Islands who have served 
or now serve. They do so proudly and with great dedication and loyalty. 
I would be remiss if I did not here note that neither they nor their 
fellow Virgin Islanders have the right to vote for the Commander in 
Chief, something which we are seeking to correct with House Joint 
Resolution 1, which I introduced on the opening day of this 109th 
Congress.
  It is my hope that their sacrifice and that of all the other Virgin 
Islanders and American citizens in the offshore territories will be 
honored with its passage and ratification. May their example and that 
of all of our fallen resonate in all of our hearts and our country in 
their memory turn to peace and away from war.

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