[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17050]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING PRIVATE FIRST CLASS PETER CROSS

  (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Private First Class Peter Kyle Cross 
wanted to be a missionary, but he decided he needed to mature a little 
bit first, so he joined the United States Army in August, 2008. He was 
born in Texas, but he and his family later moved to New York.
  Private First Class Cross was deployed to Afghanistan in February 
with the 10th Mountain Division of New York. Private First Class Cross 
and his unit were out on patrol, and he went to get supplies for his 
fellow soldiers. Returning to platoon, driving on a narrow mountain 
pass, he saw a group of Afghan children herding sheep on the road. 
Peter swerved his Humvee to avoid hitting the kids and went off the 
side of the mountain. Peter Cross was 20 years of age.
  This young American soldier's first instinct was to sacrifice his 
life for a group of children he did not know in a land far from home. 
Peter's father said of his son's sacrifice: ``His last act in life 
showed what kind of man he was, selflessly thinking of others.''
  Last week, the governor of New York ordered all flags flown at half 
staff in honor of this Texan and New Yorker, Peter Cross. Amazing breed 
these young bucks of the United States Army.
  And that's just the way it is.

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