[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 18462]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                      Specialist David S. Robinson

  Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, today I honor SPC David S. Robinson, 25, 
of Fort Smith, AR, who died November 20, 2010, in Zabul Province, 
Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. According to 
initial reports, Specialist Robinson died of injuries sustained when 
his military vehicle overturned.
  My heart goes out to the family of Specialist Robinson, who made the 
ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our Nation. Along with all Arkansans, I 
am grateful for his service and for the service and sacrifice of all of 
our military servicemembers and their families.
  More than 11,000 Arkansans on Active Duty and more than 10,000 
Arkansas reservists have served in Iraq or Afghanistan since September 
11, 2001. These men and women have shown tremendous courage and 
perseverance through the most difficult of times. As neighbors, as 
Arkansans, and as Americans, it is incumbent upon us to do everything 
we can to honor their service and to provide for them and their 
families, not only when they are in harm's way but also when they 
return home. It is the least we can do for those whom we owe so much.
  Specialist Robinson was assigned to A Troop, 2nd Squadron, 2nd 
Stryker Cavalry Regiment, V Corps, Vilseck, Germany. His mother resides 
in Fort Smith, AR, and his father in Canton, PA. His wife and children 
reside in Clarksville, TN.


                   Staff Sergeant Kevin Matthew Pape

  Mr. BAYH. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life of SSG Kevin 
Matthew Pape of the U.S. Army and Fort Wayne, IN.
  Staff Sergeant Pape was assigned to C Company, 1st Battalion, in the 
75th Ranger Regiment at Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia. He was 30 
years old when he lost his life on November 16, 2010, while bravely 
serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Kunar Province, 
Afghanistan. He was on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan, after 
three tours in Iraq.
  A native of Fort Wayne, Staff Sergeant Pape graduated from Concordia 
High School in 1998. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2005 and graduated 
from the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program in 2006, where he 
served as a machine gunner, team leader and squad leader.
  COL Michael Kurilla, Commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment, recalled 
that Staff Sergeant Pape, ``had two priorities in his life--his family 
and the Rangers he led. By the manner in which he lived his life, Staff 
Sergeant Pape defined sacrifice, dedicated, and selfless service.''
  Staff Sergeant Pape's numerous awards and decorations include the 
Ranger Tab, the Expert Infantry Badge, the Combat Infantry Badge and 
the Parachutist Badge. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star 
Medal, the Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal.
  Today, I join Staff Sergeant Pape's family and friends in mourning 
his death. He is survived by his wife Amelia Rose Pape and his daughter 
Anneka Sue, both of Savannah, GA, and his father Marc Dennis Pape of 
Fort Wayne, IN.
  We take pride in the example of this dedicated soldier and American 
hero, even as we struggle to express our grief over this loss. We 
cherish the legacy of his service and his life.
  As I search for words to honor this fallen soldier, I recall 
President Lincoln's words to the families of the fallen at Gettysburg: 
``We cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this 
ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have 
consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world 
will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never 
forget what they did here.''
  It is my sad duty to enter the name of SSG Kevin Matthew Pape in the 
Record of the U.S. Senate for his service to our country and for his 
profound commitment to freedom, democracy and peace.

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