[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 21628]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        PAYING TRIBUTE TO MARINE GUNNERY SERGEANT AARON KENEFICK

  (Mr. LEE of New York asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. LEE of New York. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to 
Marine Gunnery Sergeant Aaron Kenefick, a Williamsville, New York, 
native who made the ultimate sacrifice earlier this month in Kunar 
province, Afghanistan.
  Sergeant Kenefick followed in his grandfather's footsteps when he 
signed up for the Marines. Nothing made his grandfather prouder. He was 
twice named Marine of the Year, and was the Distinguished Honor 
Graduate at Fort Benning, assigned to Central Command. Just 2 days 
before he lost his life, Sergeant Kenefick earned a Purple Heart after 
being hit by shrapnel in a rocket attack.
  I want to recognize the courage of Sergeant Kenefick's family: his 
father, Donnie; his mother, Susan; and his sisters, Jade and Jacquelyn, 
to whom he was extremely close. They will surely fill the coming days 
with stories about Aaron, including the Thanksgiving a few years ago 
when he was pushing to have dinner as quickly as possible because he 
wanted to get to the VA hospital.
  He said, That's where the true heroes are.
  Now Aaron stands firmly among our Nation's truest heroes. The example 
he has set and the sacrifices he has made will always be with us.

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