[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 20]
[Senate]
[Pages 27265-27267]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


               army private first class harrison j. meyer

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I rise this evening on the floor of the 
U.S. Senate to pay tribute to a brave, young Ohioan, who lost his life 
while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Army Private First Class 
Harrison J. Meyer, a combat medic from Worthington, OH, was killed on 
November 26, 2004, while attempting to rescue a wounded comrade during 
a firefight. Born on Veterans Day--November 11, 1984--he was barely 20 
years old at the time of his death.
  When I think about the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, I 
am reminded of something President Ronald Reagan said about the 
strength of the American people. He said this:

       Putting people first has always been America's secret 
     weapon. It's the way we've kept the spirit of our revolutions 
     alive--a spirit that drives us to dream and dare, and take 
     risks for the greater good.

  Harrison Meyer was always taking risks for the greater good--always 
putting others first and selflessly giving of himself for his fellow 
man. According to Medical Platoon Sergeant Randolph L. Nutt:

       [Private First Class Meyer] fully knew what the dangers 
     were and willingly accepted them as a risk to save others' 
     lives. He made the ultimate sacrifice so that others may 
     live. Six other soldiers are still alive directly due to his 
     actions.

  Indeed, Mr. President, Harrison Meyer--Harry to his friends and 
family--embodied the true American spirit that President Reagan 
described.

       Harry grew up in Worthington and attended Thomas 
     Worthington High School. He graduated in 2003. While in high 
     school, Harry belonged to the track team for 3 years. He 
     competed as a pole-vaulter. Andy Cox, a U.S. history teacher 
     and track coach at Thomas Worthington, remembers Harry as a 
     ``teddy bear who made everybody laugh. He was a real team 
     player--always wanting to help people.'' Coach Cox went on to 
     say that ``Harry was the kid who was trying to make all the 
     other kids relax, feel good about competing.''

  Harry often brought homemade treats to the track meets for the entire 
team. Coach Cox emphasized the popularity of his cheesecake. As he 
affectionately recalls, ``[Harry] was a great cook!''
  Harry did not join the track team during his senior year because he 
wanted to focus his attention on his upcoming military career. Still, 
however, he attended all of the school's track meets, and, according to 
Coach Cox ``he'd always bring something homemade for the team.''
  Harry was also a member of the school's choir, and for four summers, 
Harry worked at the Worthington municipal pool doing various jobs, 
including serving as a lifeguard.
  According to his mother, Harry was deeply affected by the September 
11th terrorist attacks. He enlisted in the Army's pre-graduation 
program, and shortly after his high school graduation, he was inducted. 
He was stationed in Korea and assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters 
Company, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, 
Camp Howze, before leaving in August 2004, for Iraq. His mom said that 
Harry's selflessness was one of the reasons he decided to become a 
medic after joining the Army.
  In fact, according to Chris Begin, a good friend of Harry's, Harry 
wanted to go on to medical school after returning from Iraq.
  While in Iraq, Harry and his comrades faced danger daily. Harry's mom 
recalls that before he was killed, Harry had treated a dozen seriously 
wounded soldiers. She said that ``he knew (insurgents) were targeting 
medics. He indicated it was a very dangerous place.

[[Page 27266]]

But, he always told me--`Don't worry, Mom.'''
  The dangers became too grave on November 26, 2004 near Ar Ramadi. 
Harry was killed the day after Thanksgiving, while trying to pull a 
wounded comrade to safety during an insurgent attack on his unit.
  At the services held in Harry's honor after his death, friends and 
family recalled Harry's heroism and generosity, saying that the cause 
of his death reflected how he had lived. According to his mom, ``Harry 
had always wanted to help people. He didn't think about his own 
welfare. He'd give you anything he had.''
  I recently came across a touching reminder of Harry's lasting impact 
on others. It is a posting on an Internet tribute for service members 
who have been killed in either Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation 
Enduring Freedom. A friend of Harry's--Pamela Moorehead from 
Worthington--posted the following e-ail message:

       Harry, I was thinking about you today. I'm not sure what 
     made me think of you. I think I was just reminded by 
     something someone said. It's September 26, 2005, so in one 
     month you will have been gone for a year. Everyone still 
     misses you. The memories from pole vaulting with you and 
     hanging out with you and Brandon make me both happy and sad. 
     To your family--Harry is one of my heroes, and we all still 
     think about him. We miss him and continue to keep him and all 
     of you in our thoughts and prayers.

  Harrison Meyer was a kind soul, with a warmth that touched many 
people. My wife Fran and I keep Harry's family--his parents Deborah and 
William; and his three sisters--Lynn, Bronwyn, and Kelley, in our 
prayers.
  I would like to conclude my remarks with an excerpt from a poem 
titled ``American Hero, written by Harry's cousin Jordan Michael Meyer. 
The poem is in remembrance of Harry:

     He is out there on the front lines.
     He knows the risk.
     He knows the sacrifice.
     He is going to put it all on the line and role the dice.
     The man is fighting for a better life.

     The American soldier found his home after this brutal fight.
     Now looking down upon us he sets flight.
     Always keeping us in sight.
     He won't stop protecting us, day and night.

     He is an American soldier, brought up on love, alone, feeling 
           so far from home.
     He hides his fear, doing anything to protect those who are 
           dear, knowing death is near.
     He is a young man taking upon the sacrifice of a nation he 
           holds dear.

  Harrison Meyer held his Nation dear, and we hold dear his memory. We 
will never forget him.


                   MARINE CORPORAL NATHAN R. ANDERSON

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, while deployed in Iraq, Marine Corporal 
Nathan ``Nate'' Anderson made sure to write his family back home in 
Howard, OH, as often as he could. After witnessing the death of a good 
friend, Nate wrote that ``the service of freedom demands sacrifice.'' 
He tried to calm his family's fears as he continued, ``No worries. I 
will be fine wherever I end up. I have the Lord on my side and guardian 
angels on both shoulders. I am good to go.''
  I rise today on the floor of the United States Senate to pay tribute 
to this brave Marine. With the Lord on his side, Nate left this Earth 
on November 12, 2004, as he was killed while fighting insurgents in Al 
Anbar province in Iraq. He was 22 years-old.
  Nate gave his life the day after Veterans Day, just over a year ago 
now. It is fitting in a sense, given his deep devotion to protection 
our Nation. When I think about Nate and the dedication of all our men 
and women in uniform, I am reminded of something President Ronald 
Reagan once said about freedom. He said that ``the task that has fallen 
to us as Americans is . . . to keep alive the hope and dream of 
freedom.''
  Nate Anderson accepted this task wholeheartedly. He believed in 
freedom. And he believed that he had a mission to protect it and 
promote it around the world.
  Nathan Anderson was born in Zanesville, OH on May 22, 1982. Growing 
up in Apple Valley, Nate enjoyed hunting, fishing, snowboarding, and 
bull riding. Older sister, Meg, remembers her brother as a ``happy and 
good spirited'' kid who liked swimming, making mud pies, and riding 
roller coasters at Cedar Point amusement park. She said that Nate was 
``the life of the party.'' He had a real zest for life. He loved 
country music, rodeos, and the military. Even at the young age of 10, 
Nate dreamed of someday becoming a Marine.
  Nate attended East Knox High School, where he was both a dedicated 
student and gifted athlete. Karen Smith, a guidance counselor and 
teacher, described him as ``a very likable, well-rounded young man'' 
who had a lot of friends. Nate's football coach, Chet Looney, said that 
Nate's ``contribution to the team was outstanding. He was one of those 
guys you need because he was a great team player. He was kind of fiery 
at times and then other times he was a jokester.'' Kathy Frere, an 
English teacher at East Knox High, fondly remembers Nate. ``He was just 
a special student,'' she said. ``He was so enduring. To know him is to 
love him--it's an old saying, but it's true.''
  Following his high school graduation in June 2001, Nate's dream of 
joining the Marines became a reality. He was assigned to the 1st 
Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine 
Expeditionary Force, based in Camp Lejeune, NC. In 3 short years, 
Nate's service took him to over ten countries, including his final 
deployment in 2004 to Iraq in 2004.
  Nate's family recalled the pride that Nate displayed as a result of 
serving his country and his desire to be the best Marine and the best 
son, brother, and friend he could be.
  April Buckingham, Nate's close friend and former high school 
classmate, described his outgoing and compassionate personality as 
always uplifting others. She recalls gathering around the campfires 
that Nate often built, with the help of friends, in his parent's 
backyard. She said that ``Nate was an honest guy--the heart and soul of 
all our friends. He was the one who tried to keep us all together after 
graduation. He was an amazing person. We all loved him, and will miss 
him very much.''
  Nate's sisters remember him with great love, affection, and respect. 
His sister Traci describes her brother as ``soaring on wings like 
eagles. I salute you, my brother. I salute the way you lived. I salute 
your sacrifice. I will always be in your debt.''
  Nate's sister Meg said that he was her best friend. She last spoke to 
him on the phone 2 weeks before his death, when he told her that they 
would be on a special mission. Meg said that Nate told here ``it'd be 
two weeks and not to worry. He said he loves me. He said he'll be home 
soon.''
  At Nate's funeral service, held at North Bend Church of the Brethren, 
400 mourners gathered to say goodbye. As the Reverend Patrick Bailey 
said, ``They had come to honor a great son, an awesome brother, a great 
friend, a fellow [marine] and hero.''
  Nate was all of those things and more. He loved his family. He loved 
his country. He fought for freedom. And, we will never forget him. His 
parents, Mary and Neil Shaw and Richard Anderson; sisters Meg, Traci, 
and Kelly; and his brother Adam all remain in our thoughts and in our 
prayers.
  I would like to conclude my remarks by reciting an e-mail message 
that was posted on an Internet tribute to Nate. Someone who just signed 
her e-mail as ``Amy of Ohio'' wrote the following:

       Thank you Nate for your sacrifice--for protecting me and my 
     children and for being our hero. We hope and pray that your 
     reward will be great in Heaven. To Nate's family--we pray for 
     you and will never forget your son's courage or the price he 
     paid for our great country. May you find peace in God's love 
     and know your son will always be with you, and you will one 
     day be reunited. I hope and pray that all Americans are 
     grateful of our men and women, sons, daughters, moms, dads, 
     brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, and grandchildren who are 
     fighting for our freedom while we enjoy our lives in the 
     comfort of our own homes. Nate, you will never be forgotten 
     and will be our hero forever and always. God bless you and 
     your family and God bless America.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Vitter). The Senator from Colorado is 
recognized.
  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak in 
morning business.

[[Page 27267]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I rise to discuss the situation in Iraq.
  Critics of the Bush administration have recently gone out of their 
way to try to convince the American people that the President misled 
our nation about Iraq. Some are arguing most vociferously that 
President Bush purposely withheld intelligence information from 
Congress. Others accuse the President of deliberately fashioning U.S. 
intelligence to fit his own agenda. A few even suggest that the 
President had some kind of personal vendetta against Saddam Hussein and 
was willing to do whatever it took to remove him from power.
  I can accept criticism leveled at our intelligence agencies for 
providing inaccurate intelligence. I can accept criticism lodged 
against the Department of Defense for not sufficiently preparing for an 
Iraqi insurgency.
  I can even accept criticism that the Bush administration did not 
appropriately prepare the American people for the cost of the war in 
Iraq.
  What I cannot accept, what I feel is so irresponsible, and what is so 
damaging to our nation are accusations that suggest that President Bush 
deliberately lied to the American people about either the intelligence 
or about his reasons for going to war.
  I was a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee when the 
President requested Congressional authorization for the use of force 
against Iraq in 2002. I participated in numerous open and classified, 
bipartisan hearings and briefings on our intelligence regarding Iraq's 
weapons of mass destruction. The conclusions that I reached, that 
President Bush reached, and that many Democrats reached, were the same.
  We all agreed that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. We 
all agreed that he had used such weapons in the past against Iran and 
Iraq's Kurdish populations. And, we all agreed that he would not 
hesitate to use them against the United States in the future.
  The U.S. Congress and President Bush were not alone in this 
assessment. The intelligence agencies of Britain, Germany, Russia, 
China, and even France all believed Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass 
destruction. The entire international community watched as Saddam used 
these weapons to murder thousands of his own people. Even the Chief 
United Nations weapons inspector, Han Blix, thought the chemical 
weapons he discovered prior to the war in Iraq were the ``tip of a 
submerged iceberg''.
  The fact is that the debate in Congress over whether to authorize the 
use of force was never about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. 
Everyone thought Saddam Hussein had them. In fact, even those who voted 
against the use of force in Congress never questioned the veracity of 
our intelligence information.
  That is not because the Bush administration manipulated the 
intelligence that was presented to Congress, as some have alleged. 
Indeed, a number of independent commissions since the war began have 
investigated this issue and found the Bush administration did not 
distort intelligence information. The best known investigation was the 
bipartisan Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which stated 
unequivocally in its report that, ``the Committee did not find any 
evidence that Administration officials attempted to coerce, influence 
or pressure analysts to change their judgments related to Iraqi weapons 
of mass destruction capabilities.''
  Therefore, if we agree that the President did not lie about our 
intelligence on Iraq's WMD programs, then the critics can only argue 
that the President Bush's rationale for going to war at the time of the 
Congressional debate was somehow flawed and unjustifiable. Here I would 
again disagree.
  During the debate, I joined with a large majority of the Members of 
Congress on both sides of the aisle who voted to authorize force. We 
did so because of two important facts--the same two facts offered by 
the President.
  First, Saddam Hussein was in breach of more than a dozen United 
Nations Security Council resolutions. He continued to refuse to 
cooperate with U.N. weapons inspectors even after a decade of 
sanctions. He rejected proposal after proposal to conduct fair and 
transparent inspections.
  When he finally allowed inspections, Saddam did everything he could 
to undermine, cajole, and otherwise manipulate the inspections process. 
He gave every appearance of hiding large stockpiles of weapons of mass 
destruction.
  Second, a large bipartisan majority of Members of Congress, including 
nearly 30 Senate Democrats and 81 House Democrats, voted to authorize 
the use of force against Iraq because, after September 11, it was clear 
that America could no longer afford to allow imminent threats to our 
nation go unhindered and unopposed. In most minds, Iraq represented a 
highly dangerous nexus between terrorism and weapons of mass 
destruction. In the context of Saddam's decade-long defiance, it was a 
nexus that Members of both sides of the aisle in both the Senate and 
the House was no longer willing to ignore.
  When critics try to cover up their vote in support of the use of 
force against Iraq, they damage the credibility of our government 
overseas and send a disheartening message to our soldiers, sailors, 
airmen, and marines who are bravely defending freedom in Iraq and 
Afghanistan.
  When they falsely accuse the President of misleading the American 
people, they encourage the enemy who believes America will throw in the 
towel and give up when the fighting gets tough.
  It is time for the President's critics in Congress to remember why 
they voted to authorize force against Iraq in 2002. It is time for them 
to acknowledge the progress our soldiers are making now in Iraq and 
Afghanistan. It is time for them to recognize the success we have had 
against global networks of terror.
  And most of all, it is time for these critics to lay aside their own 
political ambitions and do what is right for America. It is time for 
them join our Commander-in-Chief in the fight against those who wish to 
destroy our Nation.
  An agenda of disunity and surrender will never lead to victory. We 
need to unite behind our Commander-in-Chief if we are to defeat this 
enemy. It is my hope that the President's critics will see this 
imperative and finally do what is best for our Nation.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri is recognized.
  Mr. TALENT. I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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