[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 23]
[Senate]
[Pages 32004-32005]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                       Sergeant Kenneth R. Booker

  Mr. BAYH. Mr. President, I rise today with a heavy heart and deep 
sense of gratitude to honor the life of a brave soldier from Vevay, IN. 
SGT Kenneth Raymond Booker, 25 years old, died November 14th in 
Mukhisa, Iraq. Sergeant Booker died of injuries he sustained when an 
improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. With an 
optimistic future before him, Kenneth risked everything to fight for 
the values Americans hold close to our hearts, in a land halfway around 
the world.
  Kenneth graduated in 2000 from Switzerland County High School in 
southeastern Indiana. Shortly thereafter, he joined the Army, happy at 
the prospect of serving his country. As a member of the 82nd Airborne 
division from Fort Bragg, NC, Kenneth served in Afghanistan and Iraq. 
His exemplary service earned him an assignment in military intelligence 
at Fort Lewis, WA. Kenneth, however, preferred working in the field to 
an office and requested to transfer back to infantry.
  Joining a Stryker Brigade Combat Unit at Fort Lewis, Kenneth returned 
to Iraq for his third deployment. Kenneth was a member of the 2nd 
Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd 
Infantry Division. He will be remembered by his friends and family for 
his clever sense of humor, his love of hunting and target shooting, his 
outgoing nature, and above all, his outstanding dedication to his 
country. Kenneth is survived by his father, SSG Charles Booker; his 
mother, Becky Graham; and his brother, Kaleb Daniel Booker.
  Today, I join Kenneth's family and friends in mourning his death. 
While we struggle to bear our sorrow over this loss, we can also take 
pride in the example he set, bravely fighting to make the world a safer 
place. It is his courage and strength of character that people will 
remember when they think of Kenneth. Today and always, Kenneth will be 
remembered by family members, friends, and fellow Hoosiers as a true 
American hero, and we honor the sacrifice he made while dutifully 
serving his country.
  As I search for words to do justice in honoring Kenneth's sacrifice, 
I am reminded of President Lincoln's remarks

[[Page 32005]]

as he addressed the families of the fallen soldiers in Gettysburg: ``We 
cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. 
The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated 
it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little 
note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what 
they did here.'' This statement is just as true today as it was nearly 
150 years ago, as I am certain that the impact of Kenneth's actions 
will live on far longer than any record of these words.
  It is my sad duty to enter the name of SGT Kenneth Raymond Booker in 
the official Record of the U.S. Senate for his service to this country 
and for his profound commitment to freedom, democracy, and peace. When 
I think about this just cause in which we are engaged and the 
unfortunate pain that comes with the loss of our heroes, I hope that 
families like Kenneth's can find comfort in the words of the prophet 
Isaiah who said, ``He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord 
God will wipe away tears from off all faces.''
  May God grant strength and peace to those who mourn, and may God be 
with all of you, as I know He is with Kenneth.

                          ____________________