[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 1]
[House]
[Pages 801-802]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    TRIBUTE TO CORPORAL JASON L. DUNHAM, UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Kuhl) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. KUHL of New York. Mr. Speaker, it is with honor and pleasure that 
I rise to recognize Corporal Jason L. Dunham, United States Marine 
Corps. Corporal Dunham will posthumously receive our Nation's highest 
award for valor tomorrow, on January 11, 2007, from our 43rd President, 
George W. Bush.
  Corporal Dunham grew up in my congressional district in Scio, New 
York. He was known for his prowess in basketball, baseball and soccer 
at Scio Central School. He was also well known throughout the entire 
community, not just for the good-natured pranks that he pulled but for 
being a young man of enthusiastic yet humble spirit, someone who 
genuinely cared for others and could always be counted on if someone 
was in need.
  He enlisted in the Marine Corps in July of 2000, because the Marines 
were known to have the toughest training but also the strongest 
brotherhood. He also felt a personal challenge to complete basic 
training and to do it well.
  Following his first duty assignment with the Marine Corps security 
forces in Kings Bay, Georgia, Corporal Dunham was assigned to the 
Fourth Platoon, K Company, Third Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 7, 
First Marine Division.
  Having quickly proven himself as a capable and concientious leader, 
Corporal Dunham was assigned as a squad leader and therefore was 
entrusted with the training, welfare and the lives of nine American 
sons. He soon earned the reputation for his unwavering commitment to 
his fellow Marines. He had a caring, a respectful and a humane style of 
leadership and believed above all in leadership by example.
  On April 14, 2004, while conducting a reconnaissance mission in the 
town of Karabilah in Al Anbar Province, Corporal Dunham and his men 
heard rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire erupting two 
kilometers to the west. Their battalion commander's patrol had been 
ambushed while en route to visit L Company at Camp Husaybah right on 
the Syrian border.
  Realizing that his unit was in a position to assist, Corporal Dunham 
ordered the vehicles of his combined anti-armor team to link up with 
his dismounted squad and advance towards the engagement to provide 
reinforcement.
  Upon reaching the sight of the ambush, they were quickly barraged 
with enemy fire. Corporal Dunham ordered the vehicles to dismount and 
led one of his fire teams into the village to neutralize the ambush.
  After having moved several blocks south into the village, they 
discovered seven Iraqi vehicles in a column attempting to depart to the 
east. Corporal Dunham ordered his Marines to block their movement and 
check the vehicles for insurgents.
  As he approached the second vehicle in the column, an insurgent 
leaped out and attacked Corporal Dunham. In the ensuing hand-to-hand 
struggle, Corporal Dunham wrestled the Iraqi insurgent to the ground 
and immediately noticed that the insurgent was holding a live grenade.
  Corporal Dunham alerted his fellow Marines and, aware of the imminent 
danger but without hesitation, he removed his helmet and covered the 
grenade, absorbing the brunt of the explosion and shielding the fellow 
Marines from a blast in a selfless act of bravery that most certainly 
saved the lives of a minimum of two of his Marines.
  By his undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit and unwavering 
devotion to duty in the face of certain

[[Page 802]]

death, Corporal Dunham gallantly gave his life for his country, thereby 
reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest 
traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.
  Corporal Jason L. Dunham epitomizes the selfless devotion to duty 
that our young men and women have displayed time and time again in Iraq 
and Afghanistan, Africa and numerous other places around the world. Our 
Nation is blessed to have a military full of Corporal Dunhams who are 
serving with great distinction.
  My heart certainly goes out to his family, to the townspeople of his 
hometown, Scio, New York, and the Marines, for they have lost one of 
America's finest.

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