[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 3068]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING LANCE CORPORAL DAVID PAYTON

  (Mr. GINGREY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker I rise today to honor Lance Corporal David 
Payton, a 21-year-old Marine who was injured while serving our country 
in Iraq.
  On January 30, the same day that millions of Iraqis voted in the 
country's first free and successful elections, Corporal Payton's 
compound in Fallujah was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, which left 
him with severe burns and scarred lungs from chemical inhalation. He 
was released from the hospital last week and is continuing his recovery 
at home in Powder Springs, Georgia, in my 11th Congressional District.
  I had the opportunity to visit with Corporal Payton on Friday, and I 
was impressed by his courage and commitment to this country. Corporal 
Payton is a former high school wrestling champion; and let me tell you, 
he is a fighter. He exemplifies what it means to be a soldier, willing 
to put your life on the line so others can be free.
  The Iraqi people are now on the path of freedom and democracy, and 
Corporal Payton and all of our war fighters deserve our deepest 
gratitude for the work they have done to secure America and to spread 
liberty throughout the world.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that Members join me in wishing Lance Corporal 
David Payton a speedy recovery.

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