[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 19104]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    IN HONOR OF SGT. GERMAINE DEBRO

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JEFF FORTENBERRY

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 21, 2006

  Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, ``It's hard to be sad when I'm so 
proud. You are my hero.'' These were the words Alvin Debro, Jr., used 
to bid his brother, Sgt. Germaine Debro, a final goodbye.
  Sgt. Debro was killed near Balad, Iraq, on September 4 when his 
Humvee hit a roadside bomb.
  A member of the Nebraska National Guard, he had served in both Bosnia 
and Kuwait. Because of these recent deployments, he was not required to 
go to Iraq. But as a single man with no children, he volunteered so 
other soldiers would not have to leave their families.
  At the funeral service at Morning Star Baptist Church in North Omaha, 
Pastor Leroy Adams said to us ``I look across this sanctuary and see 
America . . . One Nation, under God, in a Church, and Germaine brought 
us together. . . . It's not how long you live--it's how well you live.
  His friends recalled Germaine's love for life, selflessness, and 
compassion for others. Germaine's mother, Priscilla, said her son 
``died a proud soldier.'' Our Nation will be forever grateful to Sgt. 
Germaine Debro.

                          ____________________