[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10584]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING CORPORAL ERIC R. LUEKEN

  Mr. SODREL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to claim the time of Ms. Foxx.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from 
Indiana is recognized for 5 minutes.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SODREL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a young man, a Marine 
from my district who served with the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine 
Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force in Iraq.
  Corporal Eric R. Lueken of Dubois, Indiana joined the Marines in 
2003. He served in Afghanistan from November 2004 to June 2005. On 
March 11, 2006, he left for service in Iraq. Eric grew up on the family 
poultry farm, played basketball at Northeast Dubois High School, and 
joined the Marines because he wanted to do something he could be proud 
of.
  Corporal Leuken's mother, Melinda Lueken, said he wanted to achieve 
something for himself and he did. He was just a country boy. He liked 
hunting and fishing. But he wanted to do something with his life and he 
did not want to always stick around here in the little town of Dubois.
  Lueken's fiancee, Ericka Merkel, said, ``Once he joined the Marine 
Corps, all of his needs, they were second. Everybody else's needs were 
first. He never put himself first.'' Even in Iraq he said, ``I am 
praying for you.'' He was never praying for himself.
  This Memorial Day, Mr. Speaker, adds special meaning for me. Corporal 
Lueken was killed on April 22, 2006 when his convoy was the target of 
an improvised explosive device in Iraq's Anbar Province.
  Corporal Lueken was a field radio operator. He was only 23 years old. 
Mr. Speaker, I attended the memorial services for Corporal Lueken and 
witnessed an incredible outpouring of affection and gratitude from the 
people of Dubois County, Indiana, from the people who knew Eric best.
  The Marine Honor Guard, Marine Corps Association, VFW, American 
Legion and other Armed Services members, current and past, traveled 
great distances to show their respect and support for his friends, his 
fiancee and his family.
  Like so many young men and women who choose to serve our country, it 
is clear to me, Corporal Eric Lueken embodied the very best of what 
makes this country great. Corporal Lueken's sacrifice, his commitment 
to his faith, his family, and his country was unwavering.
  Semper Fidelis, always faithful, at home, in Afghanistan, and Iraq. 
Southern Indiana has lost a remarkable young man. My thoughts and 
prayers are with the Lueken family and with all of many men and women 
of the United States Armed Forces who defend liberty around the world.

                          ____________________