[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 1]
[House]
[Pages 663-664]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  PAYING TRIBUTE TO PRIVATE FIRST CLASS JASON LEMKE AND PRIVATE FIRST 
                           CLASS KEITH LLOYD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Madam Speaker, as of Monday, January 21, 
2008, 3,929 members of the United States military have died since the 
beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated 
Press account. Today, I want to take this opportunity to talk about 
just two of these soldiers, residents of the Fourth Congressional 
District of Wisconsin.
  After these gentlemen have given so much for their country and their 
communities, our community, I just must pause, we must pause. We can't 
just allow business to go on as usual until we pay tribute here on the 
floor of the House to these young men and to offer my sincerest 
condolences to their families.
  On January 5, Army Private First Class Jason Lemke, age 30, was 
killed in Iraq as a result of wounds suffered when his vehicle struck a 
roadside bomb. PFC Lemke was not just a soldier, Madam Speaker, but 
also a father

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of 3 young daughters, Amber, Liz and Casey.
  When he was interred just a few weeks ago on January 16, a family 
lost a loving father, a beloved son, his mom and dad, Colleen and Greg, 
and brother to Jerrie and Jill Lemke.
  A 1996 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran High School in Milwaukee, Jason 
wanted to enlist in the Army right after graduation from high school, 
but his parents talked him out of it. Instead, he worked and raised his 
baby girls. In December of 2004, PFC Lemke answered the call of his 
heart and enlisted in the Army in Milwaukee and reported to Fort 
Benning, Georgia, in January of 2005 for initial entry training.
  In May of 2005, he reported to Fort Lewis in Washington where he was 
assigned to A Company, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd 
Infantry Division, and his brigade was then deployed to Iraq in April 
of 2007.
  One talent that sticks out in my mind was his exceptional linguistic 
skill. He possessed this extraordinary skill, and he spoke both Spanish 
and Arabic, and I'm sure that that was an incredible asset to his 
fellow soldiers in Iraq. His language training came about because the 
military saw something special in this young man and selected him for 
intensive training in Arabic. His proficiency in it speaks well of 
Private First Class Lemke's own capacity and ability to pick up a 
difficult language in such a short time. I wish I had had the 
opportunity to meet this outstanding young man. I can so relate to him, 
and I'm sure the rest of us can, in that he had his fair challenges in 
life.
  Here are some of the words that have been used to describe this young 
man, just briefly, from his mom, Colleen.
  ``He's my son, my little boy, and my friend. He always made me proud 
and never disappointed me. His wit he shared with everyone. He always 
looked out for the underdog and did what he had to do. When he was with 
his kids and his sister's kids, the room was full of love. I'll miss 
his head in my lap when talking and watching TV. He was not afraid to 
show his love. But he's home in my heart and soul today.''
  From his father, Greg: ``His grandpa was in the Marines. His uncle 
was a Marine. His father was in the Army, and my older brother was in 
the Army,'' Greg said. ``So there's a family service thing here. He 
wanted to make a mark.''
  In a last but fitting honor, Private First Class Lemke was 
posthumously promoted to the rank of corporal. So today, Madam Speaker, 
as Corporal Lemke's family, friends, and his fellow soldiers come 
together at Fort Lewis to remember him in a memorial ceremony, I rise 
to honor this valiant soldier, loving son, and father, and to express 
my gratitude, condolences and that of the House to those who knew him 
and loved him best.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman's time has expired.

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