[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6126-6128]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES

  Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, today I rise to pay tribute to 19 young 
Americans who have been killed in Iraq since November 6, 2007. This 
brings to 831 the number of servicemembers who were either from 
California or based in California who have been killed while serving 
our country in Iraq. This represents 21 percent of all U.S. deaths in 
Iraq.
  SPC Peter W. Schmidt, 30, died on November 13, in Mukhisa, Iraq, of 
wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated during 
dismounted combat operations. Specialist Schmidt was assigned to the 
2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 
2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, WA. He was from Eureka, CA.
  SSgt Alejandro Ayala, 26, died November 18, of injuries sustained as 
a result of a vehicle accident in Kuwait. Staff Sergeant Ayala was 
assigned to the 90th Logistics Readiness Squadron, F.E. Warren Air 
Force Base, WY. He was from Riverside, CA.
  SGT Kyle Dayton, 22, died December 3 in Ashwah, Iraq, of injuries 
suffered from a noncombat-related incident. Sergeant Dayton was 
assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st 
Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, NC. He was 
from El Dorado Hills, CA.
  CPO Mark T. Carter, 27, died December 11 as a result of enemy action 
while conducting combat operations in Iraq. Chief Petty Officer Carter 
was permanently assigned as an East Coast-based Navy SEAL. He was from 
Fallbrook, CA.
  PFC George J. Howell 24, died December 21 in Riyadh, Iraq, of wounds 
suffered when his vehicle was attacked by an improvised explosive 
device. Private First Class Howell was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 
87th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Infantry 
Division, Light Infantry, Fort Drum, NY. He was from Salinas, CA.

[[Page 6127]]

  SGT Benjamin B. Portell, 27, died December 26 in Mosul, Iraq, of 
wounds suffered from small arms fire during dismounted combat 
operations. Sergeant Portell was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd 
Armored Cavalry Regiment, III Corps, Fort Hood, TX. He was from 
Bakersfield, CA.
  PFC Ivan E. Merlo, 19, died in Samarra, Iraq, on January 9, of wounds 
sustained during combat operations. Private First Class Merlo was 
assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade 
Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Air Assault, Fort Campbell, KY. 
He was from San Marcos, CA.
  SGT David J. Hart, 22, died in Balad, Iraq, on January 9, of wounds 
sustained during combat operations in Samarra, Iraq. Sergeant Hart was 
assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade 
Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Air Assault, Fort Campbell, KY. 
He was from Lake View Terrace, CA.
  SGT James E. Craig, 26, died from wounds suffered when his unit 
encountered an improvised explosive device during convoy operations on 
January 28, in Mosul, Iraq. Sergeant Craig was assigned to the 1st 
Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry 
Division, Fort Carson, CO. He was from Hollywood, CA.
  PFC Brandon A. Meyer, 20, died from wounds suffered when his unit 
encountered an improvised explosive device during convoy operations on 
January 28 in Mosul, Iraq. Private First Class Meyer was assigned to 
the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th 
Infantry Division, Fort Carson, CO. He was from Orange, CA.
  SGT Timothy P. Martin, 27, died February 8 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds 
suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. 
Sergeant Martin was assigned to 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 
2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield 
Barracks, HI. He was from Pixley, CA.
  SPC Michael T. Manibog, 31, died February 8 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds 
suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. 
Specialist Manibog was assigned to 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry 
Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, 
Schofield Barracks, HI. He was from Alameda, CA.
  LCpl Drew W. Weaver, 20, died February 21 while conducting combat 
operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Lance Corporal Weaver was 
assigned to 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine 
Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, CA.
  CPL Jose A. Paniagua-Morales, 22, died March 7, in Balad, Iraq, of 
injuries sustained in Samarra, Iraq, when an improvised explosive 
device detonated near his vehicle. Corporal Paniagua-Morales was 
assigned to C Company, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd 
Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, WA. He was from Bell Gardens, CA.
  PVT George Delgado, 21, died March 24 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds 
suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive on March 
23. Private Delgado was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor 
Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, 
GA. He was from Palmdale, CA.
  MAJ William G. Hall, 38, died March 30 from wounds he suffered while 
conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, on March 29. 
Major Hall was assigned to 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, 
Marine Air Control Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine 
Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.
  SGT Richard A. Vaughn, 22, died April 7, in Baghdad, Iraq, from 
wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked using a rocket propelled 
grenade, improvised explosive device and small arms fire. Sergeant 
Vaughn was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st 
Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, TX. He was from 
San Diego, CA.
  SGT Timothy M. Smith, 25, died April 7, in Baghdad, Iraq of wounds 
suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. 
Sergeant Smith was assigned to the 4th Brigade Special Troops 
Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Light 
Infantry, located at Fort Polk, LA. He was from South Lake Tahoe, CA.
  TSgt Anthony L. Capra, 31, died April 9, near Golden Hills, Iraq, of 
wounds suffered when he encountered an improvised explosive device. 
Technical Sergeant Capra was assigned to Detachment 63, 688 Armament 
Systems Squadron, Indian Head City, MD. He was from Hanford, CA.
  I would also like to pay tribute to the eight servicemembers from 
California who have died while serving our country in Operation 
Enduring Freedom since November 6.
  SPC Lester G. Roque, 23, died November 10 of wounds sustained when 
his patrol was attacked by direct fire from enemy forces in Aranus, 
Afghanistan, on November 9. Specialist Roque was assigned to 2nd 
Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade 
Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy. He was from Torrance, CA.
  SPC Sean K. A. Langevin, 23, died November 9 of wounds sustained when 
his patrol was attacked by direct fire from enemy forces in Aranus, 
Afghanistan. Specialist Langevin was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 503rd 
Airborne Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 
Vicenza, Italy. He was from Walnut Creek, CA.
  First Lieutenant Matthew C. Ferrara, 24, died November 9 of wounds 
sustained when his patrol was attacked by direct fire from enemy forces 
in Aranus, Afghanistan. First Lieutenant Ferrara was assigned to 2nd 
Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade 
Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy. He was from Torrance, CA.
  SGT Phillip A. Bocks, 28, died November 9 while conducting combat 
operations in Aranus, Afghanistan. Sergeant Bocks was assigned to 
Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, Bridgeport, CA.
  SrA Nicholas D. Eischen, 24, died December 24, in Bagram Air Base, 
Afghanistan, in a noncombat-related incident. Senior Airman Eischen was 
assigned to the 60th Medical Operations Squadron, Travis Air Force 
Base, CA. He was from Sanger, CA.
  SGT James K. Healy, 25, died at Jalalabad Airfield, Afghanistan, of 
wounds sustained when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device 
on January 7, in Laghar Juy. Sergeant Healy was assigned to the 703rd 
Explosive Ordnance Detachment, Fort Knox, KY. He was from Hesperia, CA.
  SGT Robert T. Rapp, 22, died March 3, in the Sabari District of 
Afghanistan, of wounds suffered during combat operations. Sergeant Rapp 
was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 
4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, NC. He was 
from Sonora, CA.
  SGT Gabriel Guzman, 25, died March 8 at Orgun E, Afghanistan, of 
wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive 
device in Gholam Haydar Kala, Afghanistan. Sergeant Guzman was assigned 
to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade 
Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, NC. He was from 
Hornbrook, CA.
  May all these brave soldiers, brave marines, brave Navy SEALs and 
sailors, brave airmen--brave all--may they rest in peace. I wish to say 
that if you come to my office in the Hart Building, before you enter, I 
have listed on big charts the names of all the individuals who are 
either from California or assigned in California, and if they passed, 
they are on that listing. We started with one enormous chart, then two, 
three, and four. I am sad to say it is growing.
  The reason I wished to mention their names on the floor is because 
sometimes we tend to just look at numbers--and we should--but behind 
those numbers are our children. I am a grandmother. I ache every time I 
sign a letter. Every single one of these brave Americans died doing 
something they wanted to do for their country. Their Commander in Chief 
sent them into battle, so of course not one of them has died in vain. 
But I want to do all I can--and I say this from my

[[Page 6128]]

heart--to ensure that when we get into a conflict, we know there is a 
way out and that we can bring these conflicts to an end as soon as 
possible because so many sacrifices are being made, and no more so than 
the loss of America's finest.


                       Sergeant Heather Springer

  Mr. NELSON of Nebraska. Madam President, I rise today to honor 
Nebraska Army National Guard Sergeant Heather Springer, in recognition 
of receiving the Army Veterans' Association Medic of the Year award and 
the Bronze Star Medal for Valor.
  Sergeant Springer is a native of Lincoln, NE, and currently attends 
the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing. She 
joined the Nebraska Army National Guard on April, 8, 2004, and served 
with the 313th Ground Ambulance and 110th Medical Battalion. On March 
1, 2006, Sergeant Springer transferred to Charlie Company 2-135 General 
Support Aviation Battalion, 36th Combat Brigade, to become a flight 
medic. Soon after, she was deployed to Iraq in Diyala Province in 
support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
  On July 15, 2007, Sergeant Springer was transported to a landing zone 
where several U.S. soldiers had been struck by a roadside bomb. While 
conducting treatment for a critically injured soldier, her team 
suddenly came under enemy fire. She immediately secured the wounded 
soldier she was attending to and then moved 10 meters to a second 
wounded soldier, willingly exposing herself to open fire. During this 
hostile situation, Sergeant Springer remained composed and demonstrated 
assertive judgment by concluding that the wounds sustained by the first 
soldier were more critical. She determinedly led part of her team 
through 60 meters of open road, completely susceptible to enemy fire, 
to secure the soldier inside a Black Hawk helicopter. Once inside the 
helicopter, Sergeant Springer noticed that the second wounded soldier 
she had attended to was being moved towards the helicopter, and 
instantly moved to help safely transport the soldier aboard the 
aircraft.
  Sergeant Springer displayed remarkable courage and selflessness while 
placing her own life at risk. These two wounded warriors are alive 
today as a direct result of her steadfastness and superb medical 
skills. The DUSTOFF--Dedicated Unhesitating Service to Our Fighting 
Forces--Association recently awarded her the DUSTOFF Medic of the Year 
award. The DUSTOFF Association is a nonprofit organization for the Army 
Medical Department's enlisted and officer personnel, aviation crew 
members, and others who have actively supported Army aeromedical 
evacuation programs in war or in peacetime.
  Sergeant Heather Springer's admirable performance in Iraq led her to 
become the second woman in Nebraska National Guard history to receive 
the Bronze Star Medal for Valor. I wish Sergeant Springer all the best 
as she pursues her education in nursing school, and join all Nebraskans 
in honoring the heroism of this exceptional soldier.

                          ____________________