[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 11032]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                  Private First Class Richard DeWater

  Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, I rise today in remembrance of one of 
Oregon's finest young men, PFC Richard Dewater. A former resident of 
Grants Pass, OR, PFC Richard Dewater tragically lost his life on April 
15 while on patrol in Afghanistan. PFC Richard Dewater will be flown 
back to Oregon and laid to rest in Roseberg National Cemetery.
  Private First Class Dewater was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th 
Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division based 
out of Fort Hood, TX. Private First Class Dewater was deployed to 
Afghanistan in July in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 
Afghanistan. Just days before his death, Private First Class Dewater's 
brigade ambushed a Taliban unit near Korengal Valley.
  Joining the U.S. Army was something Private First Class Dewater was 
extremely passionate about. Ever since Private First Class Dewater was 
a young child he wanted to become a soldier. Private First Class 
Dewater loved the work he was doing and was very proud of his service 
in the military. He also enjoyed fishing and camping and considered 
Grants Pass, OR, to be his home. Private First Class Dewater was a 
devoted husband to his wife Valerie, whom he married in Topeka, KS, 
back in June 2008.
  I offer my heartfelt prayers and condolences to Private First Class 
Dewater's wife Valerie, his family and friends. I am forever grateful 
for Private First Class Dewater's service and his dedication to our 
country. Private First Class Dewater was a courageous and selfless man 
and deserves to be remembered for his valiant service. I ask that my 
fellow Oregonians and all Americans join me in honoring PFC Richard 
Dewater and the sacrifice he and his family have made for our country.


                       Sergeant LeRoy O. Webster

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, it is with great sorrow that I rise 
today to honor a fallen soldier. SGT LeRoy Webster, a 28-year-old 
soldier from Hartley, Iowa, was fatally shot while on patrol on April 
25, 2009 in Kirkuk, Iraq. LeRoy was serving with the B Battery, 3rd 
Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, out of 
Fort Hood, TX. My prayers and condolences go out to his wife Jessica, 
daughters Natasha, Kaydence, and Jadyn, and his parents Donald and 
Crystal Webster.
  LeRoy was deployed to Iraq in January. He had previously served in 
Afghanistan in 2004 and 2005 and in Baghdad, Iraq from October 2006 to 
January 2008.
  An Iowa native, LeRoy was born in Spencer, IA, and graduated from 
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School in 1999. His family has deep roots 
in Hartley, the community where LeRoy grew up and met his wife, who was 
his high school sweetheart.
  LeRoy Webster was a decorated soldier, having earned numerous 
military awards, and he is remembered by friends as dedicated, good-
natured, and an excellent father. His family said he was ``proud to 
serve in the United States Army.'' LeRoy's sacrifice deserves the 
gratitude of the entire nation and is a reminder of the high cost of 
freedom. I express my deepest respect and admiration for this American 
hero.
  (At the request of Mr. REID, the following statement was ordered to 
be printed in the Record.)

                          ____________________