[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 24850]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  COMMEMORATING THE LIFE OF MARINE CORPORAL JONATHAN ``J.R.'' SPEARS, 
                    KILLED IN IRAQ OCTOBER 23, 2005

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 2, 2005

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, Marine Corporal Jonathan ``J.R.'' 
Spears, was lost to us in Iraq on October 23.
  He was a proud Marine and an exceptionally fine man who joined the 
greatest military service in the world.
  I had the solemn honor of attending Corporal Spears funeral today and 
meeting his incredible family and friends. I now know how blessed they 
are to have known such a fine man. His parents, Timothy and Marie and 
his sisters Jennifer and Jessica display courage, dignity and strength 
that is moving and inspirational. I wish I could have known him as they 
did as he seemed like a truly amazing person.
  J.R. used to work in a sandwich shop and he selflessly gave a portion 
of each pay check he received to buy food for the homeless. While 
playing football in high school he got up to 265 pounds. In order to 
fulfill one of his life dreams, joining the Marines, he had to lose 
nearly eighty pounds, which he did.
  He was a young man who, by the time of his death at 21, had already 
planned out his life. He wanted to go to college after leaving the 
Marines Corps and then go on to be an FBI or Secret Service Agent. I 
know very few young people who have their life plan set by the time 
they reach 30, let alone 21. J.R. was a driven man who knew what he 
wanted and made it happen.
  A stanza in the Marine Hymn written over a century ago says: ``If the 
Army and the Navy ever gaze on Heaven's scenes, they will find the 
streets are guarded by United States Marines.'' I know that J.R. is up 
in heaven guarding the streets for all of us. I am certain he has been 
welcomed with God's saving grace.
  His sacrifice is a solemn reminder to us of the risks that all of our 
men and women in uniform make every day to keep us safe.
  I know that our Marine Corps will hold him in their hearts forever, 
as will we all.
  May God bless Corporal Spears, his family and all of our men and 
women in uniform.

                          ____________________