[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 1777]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  SERGEANT FIRST CLASS JOHN D. MORTON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BEN CHANDLER

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 14, 2006

  Mr. CHANDLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an American hero. 
SFC John D. Morton made the ultimate sacrifice when he gave his life in 
Afghanistan while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. John was not 
only a courageous soldier, but a dearly loved father, brother, son and 
friend. It is with heartfelt sadness and my deepest sympathies that I 
stand before you and pay homage to a true defender of freedom.
  As a senior at Powell County High School, SFC John Morton felt the 
call of duty and enlisted in the United States Army. His service to our 
country sent him all over the world--Somalia, Haiti, Iraq and 
Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 74th Infantry Detachment (Long 
Range Surveillance), 173rd Airborne Brigade based in Vicenza, Italy.
  On December 15, 2005, John's patrol was on a mission in the 
mountainous area around Kandahar, Afghanistan when they were confronted 
by Taliban fighters. John suffered a fatal wound to the chest. On 
December 28, 2005, SFC John Morton was laid to rest at Arlington 
National Cemetery.
  John had a strong commitment to his country and to the uniform that 
he wore. He believed in his mission in Afghanistan and in the war in 
Iraq. Along with being an American soldier, John was a beloved father 
and husband. It is with grief, sadness and humility that I thank John's 
parents and two sisters. I also wish to thank John's wife, Sarah, and 
his three children Joshua, Scarlette and Olivia for making the ultimate 
sacrifice.
  John's death is a great loss to the state of Kentucky, to our 
country, but most of all, to the entire Morton family. I know in my 
heart that SFC John Morton will always be remembered as an American 
hero.

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