[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11078]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING FALLEN SOLDIER LANCE CORPORAL LAWRENCE R. PHILIPPON AND THE 
                         STRENGTH OF HIS FAMILY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak of the 
inspiration and strength of Ray and Leesa Philippon and their family in 
confronting the ultimate sacrifice, the loss of their son Lance 
Corporal Lawrence R. Philippon, who on Mother's Day, May 8, tragically 
lost his life while serving his country in Iraq. In 2002 Lance Corporal 
Philippon answered his country's call to service and joined the United 
States Marine Corps. Again stepping forward for his country, Lance 
Corporal Philippon came up and gave up his position with the 
Washington, D.C. Color Guard to become an infantryman with the 3rd 
Battalion Second Marines deployed to Al Qaim, Iraq.
  In the eulogy, Ray Philippon spoke of his son's courage, his ability 
to overcome life's obstacles, his Forrest Gump-like philosophical 
manner in dealing with life. He was proud of his family, his fidelity 
to the Marine Corps, his commanders, his President. He was 22 years 
old.
  Ray Philippon; his daughter, Emilee; and Olivia Lawrence, Larry's 
fiancee, spoke eloquently and emotionally. How this father, a veteran 
himself, found the strength and composure to deliver a compelling, 
humorous, and heartfelt tribute to his son is among the remarkable 
traits of the human character. He transcended his pain and heartache 
and credited his strength as coming from his son. He capped his 
comments with a final salute to his son that left no dry eye in the 
church.
  Reverend Miller quoted Scripture and the New Testament, repeating the 
refrain: ``No greater love can a man have than to lay down his life for 
his friends.''
  Governor Rell rose and spoke tearfully and with empathy as both a 
mother and the State's chief executive. Her heartfelt response, her 
grace veiled only by her tears of motherly sympathy, were equally 
moving.
  As we all pause this Memorial Day to honor the fallen, our hearts are 
filled with gratitude for those brave soldiers, like Lance Corporal 
Philippon, who have laid down their lives for their country but also 
for their families who gave their sons and daughters to military 
service. In honor of those soldiers and families, I hereby submit for 
the Record his mother's farewell, a letter Leesa Philippon composed on 
Mother's Day, the day she learned of her son's death. This letter's 
sincerity, love, and implicit truth comes shining through as radiant 
and bright as her love for her son. I hereby submit this letter for the 
Record, which reads:
  ``My Dear Sweet Boy Larry, I know how busy you were on Mother's Day. 
Your commanding officer's message apologized that mothers may not get a 
call on their special day. I knew that if you could find a way, you 
would call. Your voice always calmed my fears. The day passed, and, 
again, I prayed for your safe return home. I detailed my prayers, 
trying to think of every danger you might encounter. No IEDs, no enemy 
mortars, no friendly fire, no disease. And, God, please bring Larry 
home safe, unharmed and of sound mind and body. But then they came, two 
Marines marching to my door, carrying a cross that was so very painful 
to bear.
  ``Larry, you played such a huge part in our lives. You were a Guidon 
bearer and team leader all along. You marched through our lives and led 
us to wonderful places. You imprinted your love on our hearts. It was a 
joy to watch you grow and play. We laughed endlessly at your antics on 
and off fields of grass and ice. You led us on an incredible patriotic 
journey with your badge of courage. We anxiously waited those 13 long 
weeks of boot camp to pass and we would be able to hold you in our arms 
again. You conquered Infantry school and you called home every day, 
keeping us informed from foxholes, rifle ranges, and even bars. I will 
never forget answering the phone and hearing my 21-year-old son say 
`Hi, Mommy.' Your daily calls home meant so much to me.
  ``Marching on, you paraded us through our Nation's capital. You 
impressed us with your precision and pride. You walked in the sunshine 
all the way. We watched you soar even higher the day that you waltzed 
Olivia into our life. She fit so well into our plans, and I knew she 
would take good care of you. I was happy to share you with her. Then 
your dream to deploy came true and our hearts with dread. Oh, Larry, 
how thankful I was to go and see you before you left. That time I spent 
with you is so precious to me. You introduced me to your Marines. You 
were always mindful to ask them to curtail their leatherneck language 
in front of your mom, saying to them, `Hey, this is my mom. Watch your 
mouth.'
  ``Then it came time to say good-bye. I prayed, and God graced me with 
calmness so that I could look you in the eyes. Without a quiver in my 
voice, I opened my heart and told you how deeply I loved you, how happy 
I was to be your mother and that I would see you when you came home. 
Olivia and I stood side by side. We held each other up as we watched 
the buses filled with courageous and brave Marines drive away. You'll 
be happy to know that Olivia picked up that Guidon and has called me 
every day. Oh, dear Larry, no one will ever fill your magic shoes. So 
many people loved you. It is so evident in these past days. Our home 
has been filled with love from family, friends, community, and even 
those we never met. You will continue to guide us into the future of 
your family. We must regroup and, as we learned entering the Marine 
Corps, `adapt and overcome; we thank God for your presence in all our 
lives. He is working so faithfully to turn the evil that took you away 
from us into everlasting love. Your flag will continue to wave in our 
hearts. We proudly stand and watch you lead your fallen comrades to the 
Gates of Heaven.
  ``Look for me when I get there, and we will walk hand in hand 
together again.
  ``Semper Fi, love always, Mom.''

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