[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 12499-12500]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                        U.S. Army LT Shaw Vaughn

  Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I wish to take a moment of the Senate's 
time to remember a Coloradan who was lost to us last week in defense of 
this Nation.
  Shaw Vaughan was a loving and supportive son and older brother, an 
avid hunter and fly fisherman. One of his most prized possessions was 
his 1969 Jeepster Commando, an off-roading vehicle he had personally 
rebuilt, affectionately named Hercules. Hercules sits quiet today, its 
red finish gleaming undimmed in the mountain sun.
  U.S. Army LT John Shaw Vaughan, of Edwards, in Eagle County in my 
State of Colorado, was killed on June 7 in Mosul, Iraq. Lieutenant 
Vaughan was a young man with his entire life before him: He was a mere 
23 years old, and had been in Iraq only a month.
  As a middle school student, Shaw Vaughan caught the eye of our 
military leaders for his regional science fair project: comparing the 
accuracy of store-bought ammunition with that assembled by him. He 
graduated Battle Mountain High School in 2001 and attended the 
prestigious Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL. 
Upon graduation, Lieutenant Vaughan was 1 of only 70 cadets, out of 
5,000, to receive a much-sought-after assignment in military 
intelligence in the infantry. It was a high honor, reflecting his 
intellect, work ethic, and commitment to our Nation.
  Lieutenant Vaughan was stationed in Alaska, a part of our country he 
had visited with his family years earlier. I guess you could say that 
Alaska had ``hooked'' the fisherman in Lieutenant Vaughan, and he was 
looking forward to his service there after he completed his time in 
Iraq.
  Lieutenant Vaughan was eager to get to Iraq, to serve with his unit. 
In his e-mails and phone calls back home, Lieutenant Vaughan spoke of 
how strongly he felt about America's mission in Iraq. He told stories 
of Iraqi families leading him into their homes, telling him horror 
stories of their families' sufferings under the brutal regime of Saddam 
Hussein.
  As one newspaper in my home State observed, it seems that every story 
about Shaw Vaughan was different, and yet, the same: ``one of a great 
guy and a courageous man lost too soon.''

[[Page 12500]]

  In Act III of William Shakespeare's classic Henry V, King Henry says 
with pride, ``As I am a soldier, A name that in my thoughts becomes me 
best ''
  I will think of this today as I bow my head in prayer for the loss of 
Lieutenant Vaughan, a life of such great promise that was snuffed out 
too soon. LT Shaw Vaughn took pride in his life as a soldier, and it is 
truly a name that, in all of our thoughts, becomes him best.

                          ____________________