[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 18]
[House]
[Page 24516]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  ARMY STAFF SERGEANT MORGAN D. KENNON

  (Mr. COHEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, 4 years ago, Army Staff Sergeant Morgan D. 
Kennon became the first victim of the Iraqi war from the city of 
Memphis.
  Staff Sergeant Kennon joined the Army immediately after high school, 
hoping to earn enough money for college and eventually become a lawyer. 
He was guarding a bank in Mosul when he was killed.
  His father said, ``He was a beautiful kid. He was a serious-minded 
youngster who was devoted to fulfilling his mother's wishes. If his 
mother needed anything, instead of being out in a park playing 
basketball, it was his joy to go out and do whatever he had to do to 
help her.''
  On 9/11, I received an e-mail from his sister, Miss Nicole Crawford. 
I will read it:
  ``I am the sister of Staff Sergeant Morgan Kennon. I just wanted to 
know exactly what you and other Members of Congress and Members of the 
Senate are doing to bring our troops home. It has been almost 4 years 
since my brother was killed, and we still don't know why he was killed.
  ``Mr. Cohen, it is not just hard for the soldiers serving in Iraq, it 
is hard for their families also who worry about them. It is especially 
hard for the families that have lost loved ones in Iraq.
  ``Please don't take this the wrong way, but if the Democrats don't do 
something soon and force Mr. Bush's hand, there will not be a Democrat 
in the White House next year. The people of this country voted for the 
Democratic Party because they want change.''
  Ms. Crawford, I am for change. I am not going to vote for any 
additional funds but to redeploy our troops. I feel your pain.

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