[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 18268-18270]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                     Corporal Matthew L. Alexander

  Mr. NELSON of Nebraska. Mr. President, I rise today to honor CPL 
Matthew L. Alexander, of Gretna, NE.
  Corporal Alexander, age 21, was a recent graduate of Gretna High 
School. He married his high school sweetheart, Kara, on Valentine's Day 
this year. He is remembered by all who knew him as someone who believed 
deeply in what he fought for and someone who made it his life's work to 
care for his loved ones. Kara recalls her husband as ``the most 
gracious man I knew. He was a loving husband, devoted son, caring

[[Page 18269]]

brother and the best friend you could ever ask for.''
  Enlisting in the Army in the spring of 2004, Corporal Alexander was 
well decorated with awards, including the Army Achievement Medal, 
National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, 
Army Service Ribbon, and Expert Infantry Badge. He was stationed to A 
Company, 5th Batallion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd 
Infantry Division, based out of Fort Lewis, WA. He passed away on May 
6, 2007, in Baqubah, Iraq, due to injuries sustained from an improvised 
explosive device detonated near his military vehicle. This was the 
corporal's first deployment.
  Corporal Alexander is survived by his wife Kara, his parents Melvin 
and Monica, and his brother Marshall, all of Gretna. I offer my sincere 
condolences to CPL Matthew Alexander's family and friends. Our Nation 
will remember Corporal Alexander as a true hero for his selflessness 
and his passion as he made the ultimate sacrifice for the good of our 
Nation.


          Chief Warrant Officer Three Christopher M. Allgaier

  Mr. President, I rise today to honor CWO3 Christopher M. Allgaier, of 
Omaha, NE.
  Chief Warrant Officer Allgaier loved to fly. His father, Bob Allgaier 
of Omaha, said his son's love of flying arose in early childhood, as he 
was ``always picking up little model airplanes and aviation books when 
he was a kid.'' After graduating from Omaha Creighton Preparatory High 
School in 1991 with a 4.0 grade-point average, he studied aeronautical 
administration. In 1995 after graduating from college, he joined the 
Army to fly helicopters.
  On May 30, 2007, while serving in support of Operation Enduring 
Freedom as a helicopter pilot with the 3rd Battalion, 82nd General 
Support Aviation, 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, NC, 
Chief Warrant Officer Allgaier passed away when his CH-47 Chinook 
transport helicopter received rocket-propelled grenade and small arms 
fire and crashed. Four other soldiers were killed in this attack. 
Allgaier's deployment to Afghanistan in January was his second tour of 
duty in the country and came about a year after he returned from a 
mission flying helicopters in Iraq. He had also previously served in 
South Korea. He was 33 years old.
  In addition to his father, Chief Warrant Officer Allgaier is survived 
by his wife Jennie and three daughters, Natalie, Gina, and Joanna, of 
Spring Lake, NC, and his sister Sharon, of Omaha.
  I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the family and 
friends of CWO3 Christopher Allgaier. His noble service to the United 
States of America and his leadership are to be respected and 
appreciated by all. And while the loss of this remarkable Airman is 
felt by all Nebraskans, his courage to follow his dreams will remain as 
an inspiration for his survivors.


                   Specialist William Lee Bailey, III

  Mr. President, I rise today to honor Army National Guard SPC William 
Lee Bailey, III, of Bellevue, NE.
  A valued member of his community, Specialist Bailey served as a 
soldier, a medical dispatcher, and a volunteer firefighter. As a 
firefighter, he worked as a medical helicopter dispatcher in the 
metropolitan area. As a soldier, he served with the Nebraska National 
Guard's 755th Chemical Company based in O'Neill, NE.
  As part of this chemical company within the Army National Guard, 
Specialist Bailey was involved in entering areas which may have been 
chemically infected and performing detection and evacuation in those 
areas. He was part of a group providing security convoys for Iraq; and 
his unit had been trained to perform security missions, according to MG 
Roger Lempke, commander of the Nebraska National Guard.
  Specialist Bailey is remembered as a kind and caring member of his 
community and as someone who was eager for duty. He was a rugged 
outdoorsman who loved hunting, motorcycles, and firefighting, but loved 
his wife ``Dee'' the most. His friend and colleague from the fire 
department, Paul Prewitt, remarked, ``He loved his family and worked 
hard for them. He had a lot of integrity and was a real stand-up guy. 
He would go out of his way for his friends. He will be missed.''
  Specialist Bailey passed away in Taji, Iraq, on May 25, 2007, due to 
injuries he sustained from an improvised explosive device. He had been 
serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom since November 2006 and was due for 
leave in June 2007. He was laid to rest with cherished firefighter 
funeral traditions, complementing his full military honors. There were 
more than 700 people in attendance at his funeral, including over 100 
soldiers. His funeral procession included 35 fire trucks, ambulances, 
and utility trucks representing at least 11 area departments.
  Specialist Bailey's wife Deanna accepted on his behalf his Purple 
Heart, his Bronze Star, and his Army National Guard meritorious service 
medal, in addition to other awards. His ``bunker'' gear--the fireproof 
clothing firefighters use as protection--was strapped to the rear of a 
firetruck in the procession. His coat, pants, and boots faced forward--
his helmet, backward.
  Specialist Bailey is survived by his wife Deanna; their five 
children, Cody, Maquala, Katlynn, Billy, and Logan; and his parents 
Terry and Margaret Denike, all of Bellevue. I offer my most sincere 
condolences to the family and friends of SPC William Bailey. He will be 
remembered as a compassionate member of his community, who had a real 
passion for serving his country. His bravery will inspire future 
generations of Americans to live a life of service.


                        Specialist David Behrle

  Mr. President, I rise today to honor Army SPC David Behrle of Tipton, 
IA.
  Specialist Behrle attended Tipton High School where he was elected 
senior class president and commencement speaker for the class of 2005. 
He was an active participant in athletics and had made a point to visit 
his school while he was on recent leave.
  Teachers and coaches of Specialist Behrle describe him as a soft-
spoken person who came prepared, asked questions, and worked hard in 
both athletics and academics. His friends acknowledge his determination 
in succeeding in the Army, that it was something he felt he needed to 
do.
  While serving his country in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Specialist 
Behrle passed away on May 19, 2007, due to injuries he sustained when 
an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Baghdad, 
Iraq. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd 
Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, based at Fort Hood, TX.
  Specialist Behrle is survived by his parents, Dixie Pelzer of Tipton, 
IA, and John Behrle, of Columbus, NE. He is the posthumous recipient of 
the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Good Conduct Medal, and the 
Combat Infantryman's Badge. Tipton High School retired his school 
football jersey, which carried the number 65.
  I join all Americans today in grieving the loss of a great soldier. 
SPC David Behrle's bravery and selflessness will undoubtedly inspire 
future generations of Americans. The family and friends of Specialist 
Behrle are in our thoughts and prayers.


                        Specialist Val John Borm

  Mr. President, I rise today to honor Army SPC Val John Borm of 
Sidney, NE.
  Specialist Borm graduated from Sidney High School in 2005. In his 
free time, his father Larry Borm says he liked to play computer games 
and was an avid paintball competitor. After graduating from high 
school, Specialist Borm enlisted in the Army. He was serving as an 
infantryman in B Company, 2nd Battalion with the 35th Infantry 
Division, based at Fort Shafter, HI.
  On Thursday, June 14, 2007, Specialist Borm passed away when a 
roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle during operations in Kirkuk 
province. Two other soldiers were killed, and one was injured in the 
same attack. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the 
Purple Heart, and other military honors. Specialist Borm was 21 years 
old.
  In addition to his father, Specialist Borm is survived by his mother 
Lolita

[[Page 18270]]

and his sister Kimberly, both of Sidney. I offer my sincere condolences 
to SPC Val John Borm's family. He made the ultimate and most courageous 
sacrifice in the name of freedom and hope to defend liberty. Specialist 
Borm was a man of incredible bravery; he will be forever remembered as 
a hero who sacrificed everything for his fellow countrymen and -women.


                        Sergeant Adam G. Herold

  Mr. President, I rise today to honor Army SGT Adam G. Herold of 
Omaha, NE.
  Sergeant Herold attended St. Cecilia Elementary and Omaha Roncalli 
High School. He earned his high school equivalency certificate in 2004 
and joined the Job Corps in Utah to learn a trade. In 2005, he enlisted 
in the Army and first served in Iraq in October 2006.
  On Sunday, June 10, 2007, while serving in support of Operation Iraqi 
Freedom with the 2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery 
Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, 
based in Fort Richardson, AK, Sergeant Herold passed away from injuries 
received from the detonation of an improvised explosive device near 
Karbala. Two other soldiers were also killed in the attack. Then-
Specialist Herold was posthumously promoted to sergeant and was awarded 
the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Good Conduct Award. He was 23 years 
old.
  Sergeant Herold is survived by his parents, Lance and Debra Herold, 
and his brothers, Andy and Kyle Herold, all of Omaha. I offer my 
sincere condolences to the family and friends of SGT Adam Herold. He 
made the ultimate and most courageous sacrifice for our nation. I join 
all Americans in grieving the loss of this remarkable young man and 
know that Sergeant Herold's passion for serving, his leadership, and 
his selflessness will remain a source of inspiration for us all.


                      Specialist Josiah Hollopeter

  Mr. President, I rise today to honor SPC Josiah Hollopeter of 
Valentine, NE.
  Specialist Hollopeter was born in Ainsworth and grew up in the 
Valentine area. He graduated from Valentine High School in 1998. Before 
joining the service, he worked construction jobs in Omaha, NE, and San 
Diego, CA. He also spent many summers working for a canoe outfitter 
along Nebraska's Niobrara River. Driven by a desire to join other 
troops fighting in Iraq after the September 11, 2001, terrorist 
attacks; to further his education; and to follow the example of his 
younger brother's service, 1LT Tyler Hollopeter, as an Army helicopter 
pilot in Iraq, Specialist Hollopeter enlisted in the Army in January 
2006. But simply joining the Army was not all Specialist Hollopeter 
wanted to achieve; he also strived to become an Army sniper. According 
to his father, Ken Hollopeter, of Valentine, his skill as a hunter 
landed him on a sniper team. ``There's a 60 or 70 percent dropout rate 
in that program. It's a lot of emotional strength, the ability to 
concentrate and focus on one goal; he'd accomplished most of that in 
life,'' said his father.
  Specialist Hollopeter completed basic training at Fort Knox, KY. He 
was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade 
Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, based in Fort Hood, TX. On Thursday, 
June 14, 2007, while serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, 
Specialist Hollopeter passed away in Balad after suffering wounds when 
his four-man sniper team came under small-arms fire in al-Muqdadiyah. 
He was 27 years old and had been serving in Iraq since October.
  In addition to his father and brother, Specialist Hollopeter is 
survived by his wife, Heather Hollopeter, of Killeen, Texas; and his 
mother, Kelly Hollopeter, sister, Anna Hollopeter, and nephew, Kalen, 
all of Valentine.
  I offer my sincere condolences to SPC Josiah Hollopeter's family and 
friends. He gave his life to save and honor the liberties of America, 
and his selfless passion and relentless determination to achieve this 
end will not be forgotten. Specialist Hollopeter will be forever 
remembered as a hero who sacrificed everything for his fellow 
countrymen and women.


                 Staff Sergeant Kenneth E. Locker. Jr.

  Mr. President, I rise today to honor Army SSG Kenneth E. Locker, Jr., 
of Burwell, NE.
  Staff Sergeant Locker enlisted for military service while he was 
still in high school. His father remembers that serving ``was probably 
the greatest joy in his life.'' He added that Locker viewed his 
military service as part of his responsibility as a father to not only 
his own children but to all children, remarking that ``I'm fighting for 
the children, Dad--mine, yours, theirs, everybody's--that they may have 
a safer world to grow up in.''
  In January of this year, Locker made a trip back home after an injury 
he sustained the prior year when his humvee was struck by a land mine. 
His father remembered that during that visit, both he and his son felt 
it would be the last time they were together.
  While serving with the 82nd Airborne Division, Staff Sergeant Locker 
passed away after a suicide bomb exploded on his base, northeast of 
Baghdad, on April 23, 2007. He was 28 years old.
  Together with his father, Staff Sergeant Locker leaves behind three 
young sons, ages 7, 4, and 2; two sisters, a half-brother, and a half-
sister. My sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of this 
brave servicemember. I join our Nation in grieving the loss of a true 
Nebraska hero and in celebrating his memory, his passion for service, 
his commitment to our Nation's future, and his love of our country.

                          ____________________