[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 27334]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  LANCE CORPORAL JEREMY BURRIS, MARINE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, Liberty, Texas, is one of the oldest towns in 
Texas. It was founded in 1831 and named Liberty before Texas was an 
independent nation in 1836. This town has sent many young men off to 
war.
  Today the town of Liberty laid to rest 1 of its favorite sons. The 
streets of this small town were lined with American flags. People came 
outside their homes and businesses to pay honor and tribute to a 
hometown hero. Some people stood erect with their hands over their 
hearts or saluting as the funeral procession went by. As the process 
passed Liberty High School and the middle school, students from both 
schools lined the streets with flags, tears and signs that said ``Thank 
You.''
  Hundreds of citizens in this community turned out to honor 22-year-
old Lance Corporal Jeremy Burris of the United States Marine Corps. Mr. 
Speaker, this is what people in southeast Texas do when 1 of their own 
is killed in combat.
  Jeremy was killed on October 8, 2007, while conducting combat 
operations in al-Anbar Province in Iraq. He was assigned to the 1st 
Battalion, 4th Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Marine Expeditionary 
Force from Camp Pendleton, California.
  I've talked to Jeremy's proud father, Brent Burris. He said his son 
was driving a military vehicle when it was accompanied by 2 other 
Marines when the vehicle hit an IED, that's an improvised explosive 
device, hidden in the road.
  Lance Corporal Burris survived the initial blast and helped the other 
two wounded Marines from the vehicle. Then Jeremy returned to the 
vehicle to retrieve sensitive equipment when a second bomb detonated 
and Lance Corporal Burris was killed.
  Mr. Speaker, it's not uncommon that our enemy sets a second delayed 
bomb explosion because they know Marines will always return for their 
wounded or dead or sensitive equipment from their damaged vehicles. 
This is how these cowards of the desert conduct war against our troops. 
They do so remotely. They won't come out in the open and fight because 
they fear the Marines and the Marine reputation.
  General Black Jack Pershing, United States Army, and Commander of the 
United States forces in World War I, said of the Marines, ``The 
deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine with a rifle.'' He was 
correct. Marines are a rare breed with dogged determination and put 
fear in the souls of our enemy.
  Burris was a proud Marine. He was an unapologetic person of faith, 
and he attended the nondenominational church, Cornerstone Church, where 
he led worship and praise sessions for youth groups.
  He loved Texas. His church pastor said today at the funeral, ``No one 
had better say anything negative about his home State of Texas.'' And 
on Jeremy's Myspace page he wrote, ``Born and raised in Texas and proud 
of it.''
  Lance Corporal Burris believed totally in his mission in Iraq. He 
said he was not afraid to die, and he joined the Marines a year and a 
half ago knowing he would go off to war. He told his youth minister 
``he would rather die young while he was able to give 100 percent than 
grow old and not be able to give that 100 percent.'' Amazing man, this 
young gun of the United States Marine Corps.
  In a letter to Jeremy's father, Sergeant Drabicki, Jeremy's section 
leader in the Marines in Iraq said this about him: ``Your son is a hero 
to all of us, especially me. He touched my heart and my soul in ways 
that I could never forget. Your son was the most loyal, hard-working, 
dedicated and selfless Marine that I had in my section, and his loss is 
felt by all of us. He never complained. He never faltered. He never 
quit, and it was my honor to lead your son in combat.''
  Mr. Speaker, I want to say this about the United States Marine Corps. 
They are the very best at what they do. They always have been. Army 
Major General Frank Lowe said in the Korean war, ``The safest place in 
Korea was right behind a platoon of Marines. Lord, how they can 
fight.''
  Marine Lance Corporal Burris was one of those types of fighting men. 
They go where others fear to tread. They fight where the timid are 
nowhere to be found.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a photograph of Lance Corporal Burris right 
before he was killed. And so the bugler has played taps for the final 
time for this lance corporal of the United States Marine Corps. And as 
his flag-draped coffin was laid to rest today in the small town of 
Liberty, Texas, red, white and blue balloons filled the air, a 21-gun 
salute was fired, and white doves flew into the heavens.
  Ronald Reagan said this about the United States Marines: ``Some 
people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a 
difference in the world, but the Marines, they don't have that 
problem.''
  Mr. Speaker, Jeremy Burris was one of those Marines. So semper fi, 
Lance Corporal Jeremy Burris. Semper fi.
  And that's just the way it is.

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