[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 22292]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  CAPTAIN DAVID FRASER, TEXAS WARRIOR

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, ``Duty, honor, country: Those three hallowed 
words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what 
you will be. They are your rallying point to build courage when courage 
seems to fail, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for 
faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.
  ``In my dreams I hear again the crash of guns, the rattle of 
musketry, the strange, mournful mutter of the battlefield. But in the 
evening of my memory always I come back to West Point. Always there are 
echoes and reechoes: Duty, honor, country.''
  Mr. Speaker, General Douglas MacArthur spoke these words to West 
Point graduates of what the American soldier should be.
  Captain David Fraser, West Pointer, personified these words. For the 
last year, Captain David Fraser patrolled the vast desert battlefields 
of war-torn Iraq in search of the enemies of freedom.
  This December, his tour of duty was over and he would be coming back 
to Fort Hood, Texas, to spend Christmas with those he cared about.
  But on November 26, 2006, 25-year-old Captain Fraser and three other 
soldiers were killed in Baghdad by a cowardly enemy using an improvised 
explosive device called an IED.
  Captain Fraser excelled at life. He was a native of Spring, Texas. He 
attended Westfield High School where he was an honor student and a star 
cross-country athlete. Twice he led the team to qualify for the Texas 
State cross-country meet. His senior year, Captain Fraser led the boy's 
team to the first cross-country district title in over 19 years. He was 
voted the most athletic of his senior class at Westfield.
  He was a devout Christian who remained active in his faith, whether 
he be in Texas or West Point, or stationed in lands far, far away. He 
was always willing to lend a hand at Sunday school or participate in 
Christian community events. His faith was his cornerstone. Those who 
knew Captain Fraser knew a man who was respected and admired by all. He 
was a born leader, always doing the right thing.
  Captain Fraser applied to the West Point Military Academy, he said, 
out of sense of duty and as his way of giving back to a country that 
provided him with unlimited opportunities. Such powerful words, Mr. 
Speaker, of patriotism from one of America's finest.
  Captain Fraser had a family history of military service. His mother, 
Helen; his father, Richard; his brother, Patrick, all served in the 
United States Armed Forces. He wanted to continue that proud tradition 
at West Point.
  At West Point he ran like the West Texas wind as a member of the 
cross-country and track teams. Captain Fraser was also a superior 
student in the classroom. He graduated from that tough academy with 
honors as the top student in civil engineering. His academic 
performance promised Captain Fraser a faculty position at West Point 
during his career.
  An accomplished soldier, Captain Fraser completed the rigorous Army 
Ranger, Airborne, and Air Assault schools. He was relentless in his 
determination to succeed.
  In December 2005, Captain Fraser was deployed to Iraq, assigned to 
the 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry 
Division, and commanded several units. Recently he commanded a combat 
engineering platoon responsible for locating and disarming mines and 
other explosive devices implanted along Baghdad roads by insurgents. It 
was his mission to protect our soldiers and innocent Iraqis from the 
unseen enemy, the violent militants, the violent anarchists, those who 
stand against freedom and liberty.
  As a decorated serviceman, Captain Fraser was the recipient of the 
Overseas Service Ribbon, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Global War on 
Terrorism Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal. For 
his service while in Iraq during a time of war, he was also awarded the 
Army Service Ribbon.
  For his valor during combat on November 26, Captain Fraser was 
awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
  Captain Fraser, this photograph I have of him while at West Point, he 
gave his life for his country, and he will be missed throughout the 
Spring, Texas, community by those whose lives he positively impacted.
  Today Captain Fraser has finally come home to Texas. In fact, he is 
being buried now, as I speak on the House floor. Taps is being played 
for this Texas individual, for this committed countryman.
  The Fraser family and the Spring, Texas, community will always 
remember that their son died a hero, serving this great country of ours 
and defending the basic rights of life and liberty and freedom.
  Captain David Fraser lived and died as General MacArthur said, ``for 
duty, for honor, for country.''
  So God bless the Fraser family and God bless David Fraser and God 
bless all those who wear the uniform of the American warrior.
  And that's just the way it is.

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