[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 23023]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE LIFE, SERVICE AND SACRIFICE OF PRIVATE FIRST CLASS WILLIAM 
                   ``LEE'' MEREDITH OF VIRGINIA BEACH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Nye) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. NYE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life, service, and 
sacrifice of Private First Class William L. Meredith of Virginia Beach, 
Virginia, who was killed in action while serving our country in 
Afghanistan on September 21, 2009.
  Private Meredith, or Lee as his friends called him, grew up in 
Virginia Beach where he attended Ocean Lakes High School. Lee was a 
kind and thoughtful young man who was close to his friends.
  As the oldest of three brothers in a military family, he often spoke 
of joining the military himself. In April of 2008, Lee enlisted in the 
Army and was assigned to the 569th Engineer Company, 4th Engineer 
Battalion, stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado.
  The mission of the 4th Engineers is both critically important and 
highly dangerous. They specialize in locating and disposing of bombs in 
order to keep supply routes open. With IED attacks continuing in Iraq 
and on the rise in Afghanistan, their skills are in high demand.
  In February of this year, Lee's unit shipped out to Iraq, but in 
April they were redeployed to Afghanistan as part of the renewed effort 
to defeat the Taliban.
  Last Monday, just weeks after his 26th birthday and 10 days before he 
was scheduled to return home on leave, Private Lee Meredith was 
tragically killed in action in Kandahar when a roadside bomb detonated 
near his vehicle.
  Lee was proud to be in the Army and to wear our country's uniform. In 
the 7 months that he served overseas, Lee earned both the Afghanistan 
and Iraq Campaign Medals, the Combat Action Badge, the Bronze Star, and 
the Purple Heart.
  As a soldier, a brother, a son, and a friend, he made a lasting 
impact on those who knew him, and as an American hero, his service and 
sacrifice will always be remembered.

                          ____________________