[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14263]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF PRIVATE FIRST CLASS MATTHEW DWIGHT OGDEN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. SOLOMON P. ORTIZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, June 8, 2009

  Mr. ORTIZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Private 
First Class Matthew Dwight Ogden, of Corpus Christi, Texas, who died on 
June 1, 2009, in Nerkh, Afghanistan, while assigned to Operation 
Enduring Freedom.
  Matthew was born in Corpus Christi and attended King High School, 
where he graduated in 1994. He went on to enlist in the U.S. Army and 
was a private in the U.S. Army's 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York.
  I would like to take this time to acknowledge the life of a young man 
who died for this country as he fought for our, ``life, liberty and the 
pursuit of happiness,'' our inalienable rights as outlined in the U.S. 
Declaration of Independence. Without Matthew's courage and 
determination to join the U.S. Army, and other young men and women like 
him, we would not be able to enjoy this life and liberty. It is fitting 
and important that we pay tribute to Matthew for his bravery and 
courage as he fought to protect our country and way of life.
  Matthew will be missed dearly by his family, friends and service men 
and women, however, his spirit will forever remain intact. He will 
remain with us at all times--we will forever remember him.
  I would also like to take this time to share my most sincere 
condolences with his father, Michael Dwight Ogden, and his mother, 
Charlotte Anne Taylor. He is survived by brothers Nathen Ogden, Stephen 
Turner, and Nicholas Aikman. My condolences go out as well to the 
families of his ``fallen brothers.''
  Today, I ask that my colleagues join me in celebrating the life and 
service of Private First Class Matthew Dwight Ogden, who gave his life 
for our country. He will forever be remembered as a hero of our nation 
and--the 27th Congressional District of Texas.

                          ____________________