[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 7390]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    IN SUPPORT OF LT. ILARIO PANTANO

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I have spoken at length on 
the floor about Second Lt. Ilario Pantano, a Marine who served this 
Nation bravely in both gulf wars.
  During his service in Iraq last year, Lt. Pantano was faced with a 
very difficult decision that caused him to make a split-second decision 
to defend his life. He felt threatened by the actions of two insurgents 
under his watch, and in an act of self-defense he had to resort to 
force. Two and a half months later, a sergeant under his command who 
never even saw the shooting accused him of murder. Lt. Pantano now 
faces two counts of murder.
  Mr. Speaker, what is happening to this young man is an injustice. Lt. 
Pantano has served this Nation in great honor. My personal experiences 
with him and his family convince me that he is a dedicated family man 
and a man who loves his corps and his country; but I am not the only 
one who believes he is innocent.
  I have read excerpts of pieces from the Washington Times and 
respected journalist Mona Charen defending Lt. Pantano. I have received 
letters and e-mails from Vietnam veterans who sympathize with him and 
ask that I do something to help him. They know what it is like to be in 
a battle with an unconventional enemy. One second can make the 
difference between life and death.
  I have read excerpts from his fitness report in which his superiors 
praise his leadership and talent. In that report, his superior officer 
evaluated ``accomplished infantry leader. His actions during the 
fighting in Fallujah and Al Zaidon highlighted a solid understanding of 
tactics and ability to anticipate the enemy. Leads from the front 
always and balances his aggressive style with true concern for the 
welfare of his Marines. Exceptional communication skills for a Second 
Lt. Organized, aggressive, focused and driven. Ready for increased 
responsibility. Retain, promote, and assign to challenging 
assignments.''
  Mr. Speaker, that came 2 months after the sergeant reported him for 
murder.
  Mr. Speaker, Lt. Pantano by all accounts is an exceptional Marine. On 
Monday, April 25, there will be an Article 32 hearing to determine 
whether or not Lt. Pantano will face a court-marshal for a murder 
trial. If convicted by a court-marshal, Lt. Pantano can be subject to 
the death penalty for an action he took in self-defense on the 
battlefield.
  I hope and pray, Mr. Speaker, that on Monday Lt. Pantano will be 
cleared of all charges because I am confident that he did his duty as 
any Marine officer should when faced with the enemy.
  Mr. Speaker, I have introduced House Resolution 167 to support Lt. 
Pantano as he faces trial. I hope that my colleagues in the House will 
take some time to read my resolution and look into this situation for 
themselves. Lt. Pantano's mother, a wonderful lady whom I have spoken 
to by telephone on several occasions, also has a Web site that I 
encourage people to visit. The address is www.defendthedefenders.org.
  Mr. Speaker, I close by asking the Good Lord to please bless our men 
and women in uniform and their families and to please be with Lt. 
Pantano on Monday, April 25 and may he be exonerated of these charges 
for doing his duty to protect America. God bless him and God bless 
America.

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