[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21902]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO STAFF SERGEANT JONATHAN ROJAS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 13, 2006

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect and deep sadness 
that I wish to commend United States Army Staff Sergeant Jonathan Rojas 
for his bravery in the field of battle and his willingness to fight for 
his country. Staff Sergeant Rojas was killed in action when his vehicle 
came under attack by small arms fire near Baghdad, Iraq on October 3, 
2006. His sacrifice will be remembered by a community that has been 
struck hard by the devastating loss of one of its own.
  Born in Mexico City, Mexico, Jonathan Rojas moved to Hammond, Indiana 
in 1990 to be with his family. Following his graduation from Hammond 
High School in 1997, he attended college for a year and eventually went 
on to work for several years at a local glass company, prior to joining 
the Army in 1999.
  Jonathan's friends and family recall him as always being playful, the 
type to never refrain from cracking a joke. They also remember him as a 
good kid who was never in trouble and loved to spend time with his 
family. Jonathan was an avid sports enthusiast who participated in 
soccer and baseball while in school, and as with so many of his 
generation, he was a true video game aficionado.
  Staff Sergeant Rojas leaves behind a loving family that misses him 
very much. He is survived by his devoted wife, Tasha (Sullivan) Rojas. 
The couple would have celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary on 
October 25, 2006, and planned to start a family upon Jonathan's return 
to civilian life. Jonathan also leaves to cherish his memory his 
adoring parents, Jose and Catalina Rojas, his brother, William (Norma) 
Rojas, his sister, Isaura Rojas, and his nephew, William Rojas, Jr., as 
well as his treasured companions, Diamond, Tyson, and Joker. Staff 
Sergeant Jonathan Rojas also will be greatly missed by a saddened but 
proud community and a grateful nation.
  Mr. Speaker, at this time, I ask that you and my other distinguished 
colleagues join me in honoring a fallen hero, United States Army Staff 
Sergeant Jonathan Rojas. Staff Sergeant Rojas is the sixteenth service 
member from northwest Indiana to sacrifice his life during Operation 
Iraqi Freedom, and his passing comes as a setback to a community 
already shaken by the realities of war. Staff Sergeant Rojas will 
forever remain a hero in the eyes of his family, his community, and his 
country. Thus, let us never forget the sacrifice he made to preserve 
the ideals of freedom and democracy.

                          ____________________