[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 18972]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                  Private First Class Brian L. Gorham

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, with sadness I rise today to speak 
about a fallen warrior from my home State of Kentucky. On December 31, 
2007, PFC Brian L. Gorham succumbed to injuries sustained earlier that 
month when an explosive device struck his vehicle while on patrol in 
Afghanistan.
  Private First Class Gorham hailed from Woodburn, KY. He was 21 years 
old and was able to spend the last days of his life not halfway around 
the world but back in America--in a hospital in Fort Sam Houston, TX, 
to be precise--surrounded by his loving family.
  For his bravery in uniform, Private First Class Gorham received 
several medals, awards, and decorations, including the Army Good 
Conduct Medal, the Purple Heart, and the Bronze Star Medal.
  At Brian's funeral service in Franklin, KY, hundreds of people came 
to offer their sympathies to his family and friends. Brian's father, 
Toney Gorham, said:

       It's hard to believe that so many people, a lot of them I 
     don't know, walked up to me, shook my hand or patted me on 
     the back, and told me, ``We're proud that your son fought for 
     us and sacrificed for us.''

  Maybe it is not so surprising if you know the dedication Brian put 
into everything he did from a very early age. Jack Wright, Brian's 
Sunday school teacher, remembers when Brian was a young middle school 
student who would participate in the two-hand touch football games that 
were played after Bible study services on Wednesday nights.
  ``Brian was never the biggest or fastest,'' Jack says, ``But no one 
put more effort into the game and no one enjoyed playing any better 
than Brian.''
  That enthusiasm carried over when Brian joined the football team at 
Drakes Creek Middle School. Brian also liked basketball and baseball 
and could often find a pickup game with the neighborhood kids many 
nights after school.
  In high school, Brian joined the Junior ROTC Program, and just like 
in those football games, he put his all into becoming the best. He 
succeeded by being in the first group to complete his ROTC Program's 
Leadership Academy.
  That achievement was symbolized, on Brian's dress uniform, by a 
silver band around his right shoulder. Jack Wright remembers Brian 
would proudly wear his ROTC uniform to services at Woodburn Baptist 
Church for many years.
  Brian still found time for fun, of course. He loved to fish, explore 
the caves near his house, and float down the creek in his friend's 
boat. One time Brian and some of his friends were racing go-carts and 
decided to hold a contest to see who could drive through a huge mud 
puddle and come out the muddiest.
  This is one contest Brian's parents are probably glad he did not win. 
Another boy was so muddy that when his mom came to pick him up, she 
made him ride home in the trunk rather than on the seat.
  Brian was close to his sister Brandie and his brother Henry. When 
they were kids, Brandie made Brian play dolls with her, although the 
easy-going Brian did not seem to mind. Henry was his big brother's 
little shadow. The two would watch wrestling together and act out the 
wrestling moves.
  Henry remembers during one of his football games at school, both his 
parents were unable to attend. Henry was not doing so well until he 
heard his big brother Brian cheering him on from the sidelines. That 
gave him the extra confidence he needed.
  Brian's mother Shirley also remembers a time when she and Toney went 
away for the weekend, and Brian called her to say he was cooking dinner 
for some friends and not to worry, they were sharing the cost. He said 
he would have food ready for them, too, when they got back.
  So Shirley and Toney came home to find Brian had barbecued, and they 
sat down to a wonderful meal. It was not until the next day when 
Shirley realized Brian had emptied out the freezer, and there was 
nothing left in the house to cook.
  Brian graduated from Greenwood High School in 2003, and after serving 
as commander of his school's Junior ROTC Program, he enlisted in the 
Army. He was assigned to Company D, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry 
Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, stationed in Vicenza, 
Italy.
  Brian's family remembers how Brian loved what he was doing and took 
pride in his work. His mother Shirley was proud of her son's 
humanitarian work in uniform. In Afghanistan he distributed seeds to 
the Afghan farmers and helped provide security for the engineers to 
build roads and rebuild the country.
  Madam President, we must keep Brian's family and friends in our 
thoughts as I recount his story for the Senate today. We are thinking 
of his mother and father, Shirley and Toney Gorham; his sister Brandie 
Dixon, and her husband Lawrence; his brother Henry; his maternal 
grandparents, Roger and Esther Bunch; his paternal grandmother, Neil 
Tabor; his aunt, Regina Peterson; and many other beloved family members 
and friends.
  Madam President, Brian had a 1976 Chevy pickup that was passed down 
through the family. He called it Old Blue. He would often have a hard 
time starting it and had to wake up his sister to start it for him on 
some days.
  When Brian was in the hospital in Texas, he told his father that he 
wanted the two of them to work on restoring Old Blue together. Brian 
did not get to finish that task. But Toney has the pickup in his garage 
now, and he promises to fulfill his son's wish.
  Our country must also fulfill a promise to PFC Brian L. Gorham and 
forever honor his service. It is the least we can do after his 
tremendous sacrifice.
  Madam President, I yield the floor.

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