[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 9744-9745]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            CHARGES DROPPED

  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, my intent tonight was to 
come to the floor and talk about my opposition to CAFTA, which I think 
is a bad policy for the future of America.
  But tonight I am glad to come to the floor after 4 weeks of coming 
and talking about Lieutenant Ilario Pantano, a Marine who was charged 
with murder for actions he took as a Marine officer in Iraq over a year 
ago. I have been on the floor for 4 weeks saying this man should never 
have been charged. He did his job as a Marine officer. But because of 
circumstances of a sergeant who did not like the gentleman, he filed 
charges 2\1/2\ months later.
  I am pleased to say this past Friday I was notified by the attorney 
for Lieutenant Pantano that the hearing officer, Major Wynn at Camp 
Lejeune, North Carolina, in my district, has decided that he will 
recommend these charges be dropped: two charges of premeditated murder 
that should never have happened. But Major Wynn will now send his 
recommendations to General Huck who is in Iraq, and it is my hope and 
prayer that General Huck will agree with the hearing officer and drop 
these charges.

[[Page 9745]]

  Mr. Speaker, what has been said about this is Lieutenant Pantano 
loves America. He had been a soldier during Desert Storm, came back, 
went back to his home State of New York, went to college and graduated 
in 3 years. He went into the stock market selling energy stocks making 
six figures. But shortly after September 11, he felt a passion because 
he had his brother and sister killed in the Twin Towers by terrorism, 
so he went back into the Marine Corps and was made an officer.
  Shortly after the shooting in Iraq, he was actually recommended for 
promotion by the officer in charge, that he was competent and a real 
leader and the type of person that they needed to promote in the Marine 
Corps. But 2\1/2\ months later, a sergeant who was demoted by 
Lieutenant Pantano weeks before is the one who made the charges 2\1/2\ 
months later. But the good news tonight is that the hearing officer has 
made a recommendation that the charges of murder be dropped against 
Lieutenant Pantano.
  Mr. Speaker, last Friday I had the pleasure to speak with Mary 
Pantano who stood by her son for months, and I had the pleasure to talk 
with her. I was convinced, even before I met her son, who is a 
wonderful man, I would love to have as a son or son-in-law, and she 
convinced me her son could not have done anything more than what he 
should have done as a Marine officer.
  So tonight, as I begin to close, I thank God Almighty that he has 
helped the Pantano family, both the mother; wife, Jill; and the two 
cute boys who are his sons; and also Lieutenant Pantano.
  Mr. Speaker, I close tonight by asking God, I think about our men and 
women in uniform in Iraq and Afghanistan, how difficult it must be for 
them to do their job. But yet they are there and they are willing to do 
their job, and they are proud to be American soldiers, sailors, airmen 
and Marines.
  Mr. Speaker, tonight I close by asking God to please bless our men 
and women in uniform, bless their families, bless the job that they are 
doing for this world to bring peace. I ask God for the families that 
have lost loved ones, that they be remembered with our blessings and 
prayers.
  With that I ask three times, God please, God please, God please 
continue to bless America.

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