[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 2693-2694]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                   marine corporal andre l. williams

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a fellow 
Ohioan--an honorable young man who lost his life while protecting the 
freedom of others. Marine CPL Andre L. Williams died on July 28, 2005, 
when his convoy came under attack with small arms fire from enemy 
forces in Western Iraq. He was 23 years old.
  Mr. President, Corporal Williams was a brave Marine from the 
Columbus-based Reserves' Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Regiment 
unit. Born on August 9, 1981, in Galloway, OH, Andre--fondly referred 
to as ``Dray'' by his friends and family--lit up the lives of his 
family and friends with his shining smile. As his older sister Robyn 
Williams recalled, ``His smile was angelic. There's no other way to 
describe it.''
  Andre was friendly, level-headed, and sensitive to those around him. 
He was always willing to help resolve disputes between the people he 
cared about. According to his friend Harry Cuccio, ``It didn't matter 
what kind of mood you were in, if he was smiling you were smiling.'' 
Many people described Andre as having infectious optimism. His mother, 
Mary, recalled that her son ``loved to make other people laugh and make 
them feel good.'' She also said that ``if there was anything he could 
do to make someone's life better, that's what he would do.''
  Mr. President, Andre Williams was an ambitious and determined young 
man, with a talent for drawing and a love for OSU football and the 
Cincinnati Bengals. Graduating from Westland High School in 1999, he 
hoped to attend college after his service in Iraq, and one day open his 
own successful night club.
  Andre's brave spirit and unwavering patriotism compelled him to join 
the Marines after the September 11 terrorist attacks. He felt a strong 
duty to protect his country and his family--especially his young 
daughter, Lea Lea, and young son Dominique Juan.
  Andre was loved by his family and by many close friends, evidenced by 
the over 300 people who attended his funeral service. It was standing 
room only. As Andre's father, Robert, remarked, ``Seeing how many 
people he touched [was] unbelievable.'' At the emotional ceremony, 
Andre's mother said that Andre was [her] hero before he ever joined the 
Marines, and now, he's the world's hero.
  Andre's parents have two other sons in the military--Army SGT Robert 
Leslie and Air Force Technician SGT Robert Williams. Both were able to 
come to their brother's funeral. Two of Andre's other brothers, Kevin 
and Joshua, chose to wear Andre's dog tags instead of neckties.
  One of Andre's best friends with whom he served in Iraq was Sergeant 
Justin F. Hoffman, who was among 10 Ohio Marines killed just 3 days 
before Andre's funeral. Justin had hoped to fly home and pay his 
respects to his close friend, but 5 days after Andre's death, Justin 
also lost his life. Robert Hoffman, Justin's father, attended Andre's 
funeral in his son's absence--a promise he made to Justin, just in case 
he wasn't able to return home for the services.
  Another good friend, Ron Cunning-
ham, expressed his appreciation for Andre's friendship. This is what he 
had to say:

       I would like to give thanks for Dray being such a good 
     friend to me and to so many other people. He was a great 
     person, and I am glad that he was a part of my life. He was 
     very close to me, my family, and to my cousin who served with 
     him in Iraq. You're a true hero my friend. It hurts that 
     you're gone, but I know you're in a good place and don't 
     worry, I'll see you again.

  Teresa Norris, mother of one of Andre's best friends, Gary Norris, 
and his proclaimed ``second mother,'' offered thanks for Andre's heroic 
actions and reminisced about the special times they used to spend 
together. She has this to say:

       Dray, you are a true Hero, and will always be my Hero. How 
     I will miss that beautiful smile, and our long talks. You 
     will never be forgotten, honey. I am honored to have been a 
     part of your life, and will keep you a part of mine forever. 
     We love you and always will.

  Mr. President, I would like to conclude my remarks with a poem that 
was posted on an Internet website in tribute to Andre. It is written by 
Tinisha Tolber of Galloway, OH:

     Though fallen, you are not forgotten.
     Remembered . . .
     In every American flag across the Nation.
     In every tear that your battle brothers cry.
     And, although freedom is supposed to be free, you have paid 
           the ultimate price for the people like me.
     The government rewards you with a flag and a Purple Heart, 
           but we pray for your families that have been torn 
           apart.
     Rest in peace, Dray, knowing you are remembered always.

  Mr. President, Andre leaves behind a loving family to cherish his 
memory: parents Mary and Robert; siblings Josh, Kevin, Rob, Robert, 
Brian, Robyn, and Roshonda; ex-wife Kirsten and children, Lea Lea and 
Dominique Juan. My wife Fran and I continue to keep them in our 
thoughts and prayers.


                 Marine Lance Corporal Nicholas B. Erdy

  Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a valiant, young, 
Williamsburg, OH, Marine named LCpl Nicholas B. Erdy, who was killed in 
Iraq on May 11, 2005. He was 21 years old.
  A 2002 graduate of McNicholas High School, Nicholas--Nick to family 
and friends--was dearly loved by all who knew him. They say that Nick 
was special--that he was courageous, that he never complained, and that 
he had a knack for making his friends and family laugh. He also just 
loved being a Marine.
  Nick's father, Bill, says that his son used to help him with his 
landscaping business, with talk of possibly working there full-time 
when he was older. But, after high school graduation, it was clear 
exactly what Nick wanted to do. He wanted to become a Marine.
  A movie buff who loved his ``muscle'' car, Nick had always wanted to 
be in the military. He built forts as a child and read books on weapons 
and war strategies. His high school football coach, John Rodenberg, 
said that ``Nick was a great kid, really focused on everything he was 
doing. . . . He [always] had a plan. He knew he wanted to go into the 
armed forces. He was focused on serving his country.''
  Indeed, Nick was unfalteringly devoted to the Marines and to our 
country. Even his favorite holiday, not surprisingly, was the Fourth of 
July. Nick joined the Marines after graduation in 2002 and was in Iraq 
by March 2005.

[[Page 2694]]

  He was killed on May 11, 2005, when his armored vehicle hit a land 
mine.
  After Nick's death, family friend and former football coach, Patrick 
McCracken, reminisced about Nick, whom he first met when Nick was, as 
he put it, a ``spindly-legged, somewhat awkward'' seventh-grade 
football player with the Titans football team. During one game, the 
Titans were losing 46-to-0 at halftime when Coach McCracken decided to 
put Nick in the game and see if he could turn things around.
  He said Nick was calm, in control, and flawless. ``I'd stare straight 
into his eyes . . . expecting perfection out of a seventh-grade, 
eighth-grade kid--and I got it.''
  On an Internet tribute website for Nick, Coach McCracken wrote a 
heartfelt letter to him shortly after Nick was killed. This is what he 
wrote:

       Dear Nick:
       We have started football. I think of you every day. . . . 
     You make me so proud. I need to find some quarterback who 
     knows all my crazy signals like you did. I think we may have 
     a couple. These new Titans are great kids, just like you. You 
     are always in my heart. I promise to help take care of your 
     mom, dad, Erin, Ashley, and other family members when they 
     need it. I wish I was half the Marine you and the other guys 
     are.
       We owe so much to you guys. We will stay strong for you. 
     What is a Titan? He is a Marine--he is Nick Erdy. I love you, 
     Semper Fi.

  Mr. President, when Nick's body was brought home, the funeral 
procession--stretching two dozen vehicles long--passed under an arch 
formed by two ladder trucks from the Miami Township and Goshen fire 
departments. As the hearse rolled by, hundreds of people clapped and 
waved American flags. Elizabeth Hoskins, of Milford, was holding a 
homemade sign that read simply, ``Nick's Our Hero.''
  Andrew Clements watched the funeral procession, as well. Though he 
never met Nick, he was touched by him and had this to say:

       I never had the privilege of meeting Nick, but over the 
     past few days I feel like I have. He's simply a hero to 
     everyone. I stood outside McNicholas High School while Nick's 
     funeral was happening. The faces on the people said it all. 
     Nick Erdy will never be forgotten.

  Father Pat Crone of St. Xavier Catholic Church described well Nick's 
selfless nature and how his life made a difference to so many in so 
many ways. This is what he said:

       Nick is a blessing. We can celebrate this life, because it 
     so important--because Nick was doing things so important. 
     Freedom is important. A young man, who could have stayed back 
     here with all the blessings of this country, decided to go 
     and spread those blessings to those less gifted and lucky 
     than us.

  A resolution by the Ohio House of Representatives aptly tells us 
about Nick's life by stating:

       It is certain the world is a better place, his having been 
     in it.

  Without question, the world is a better place for Nicholas Erdy 
having been in it. Nick was the model of what we all hope our children 
will become. He was a young man with a sparking personality, a 
wonderful sense of humor, a compassion for others, and a dedication to 
his country.
  A friend named Martin wrote the following in tribute to Nick and 
Dustin Derga, a fellow Ohio marine and friend of both, who was killed 
in Iraq three days before Nick:

       Derga and Erdy were the first guys I got to know when I 
     joined the unit. They were all about having fun and enjoying 
     life. Even in Iraq they seemed to make the worst situations 
     turn into great ones. Their character is what made our 
     platoon what it was. We were full of jokes, laughter, and 
     memorable experiences. 1st platoon will never be the same 
     without them and the others we lost. They were great guys, 
     and they will be remembered in our hearts forever.

  Nick was very proud of what they were doing overseas. However, his 
zeal for the military was tempered by his desire to be home to start a 
family with his fiancee and high-school sweetheart Ashley Boots. On 
December 29, 2004, a week before his unit left Columbus for training in 
California, Nick proposed to Ashley. They made plans to wed this past 
November, sometime after Nick's expected return.
  Another plan following Nick's return was to go to Disney World with 
Ashley, fellow Marine Dustin Derga, and Dustin's girlfriend Kristin. In 
anticipation of the vacation, they had flipped through brochures and 
even watched a promotional Disney DVD. Back home in Ohio, their 
girlfriends couldn't wait for the trip. Ashley said that they just 
wanted to go someplace fun and relax. Tragically, these plans were 
never realized.
  Dustin's girlfriend Kristin wrote the following to Nick:

       Hey buddy . . . I miss you. . . . I wish that I could be 
     greeting you on Thursday so you, Ash, Dustin, and I could go 
     to Disney. . . . It would have been so great . . . but you 
     did your job. . . . You got your friends home safely and laid 
     to rest as a hero. . . . You are a hero Nicholas Erdy--and we 
     love and miss you every day. . . . You just better make sure 
     Dustin is being good up there!

  Yes, Mr. President, Nick Erdy and Dustin Derga are certainly both 
American heroes.
  My wife Fran and I continue to keep Nick's parents Jane and Bill, his 
sister Erin, his fiancee Ashley, and the rest of his family in our 
thoughts and in our prayers.

                          ____________________