[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 2383-2384]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    CORPORAL DUSTIN LEE MEMORIAL ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, I have introduced H.R. 4639. It is known as 
the Corporal Dustin Lee Memorial Act, to amend title 10, United States 
Code, to authorize the adoption of a military working dog by the family 
of a deceased or seriously wounded member of the Armed Forces who was 
the handler of the dog.
  Mr. Speaker, 3 years ago I got involved with a family from 
Mississippi. It was somewhat by accident really. It was brought to my 
attention that Rachel and Jerome Lee, the husband, had lost a son named 
Dustin Lee, and that Dustin was killed for this country in Iraq. He was 
a dog handler, and the dog was wounded as well.
  The Marine Corps took the dog, named Lex, to the funeral in 
Mississippi of Dustin Lee, the Marine who was killed. And at that time 
the daddy, Jerome Lee, and the mama, Rachel Lee, wanted to have the dog 
stay with them. Well, it wasn't possible because the rules and 
regulations said that the

[[Page 2384]]

dog, which was owned by the Air Force, leased to the Marine Corps, had 
to be retired.
  So when the family, the mother and dad, asked for the dog that their 
son loved so much, the Marine Corps said we need 2 more years of 
service by the dog Lex. And when I heard about it, I called the family 
in Mississippi. And my heart went out to the family. I asked the family 
what could we do to help. And I don't want to take credit for this, Mr. 
Speaker, I want to give credit to General Mike Regner, who right now is 
serving in Afghanistan for this country. He is responsible for this 
happening. I just made a phone call.
  Lex was retired 2 years ago this December at a ceremony down in 
Georgia, and the family now has the dog. In fact, Mrs. Lee is going to 
bring Lex and come to Walter Reed on the 12th of April. She wants to 
take the dog to visit the troops at Walter Reed, which I think is very 
magnanimous of the mom and dad. They want to let the soldiers and the 
Marines there know what happened with their son Dustin and say thank 
you, but also take Lex so that Lex can say thank you to the soldiers 
and Marines at Walter Reed.

                              {time}  1845

  Mr. Speaker, I am going to yield back my time in just a second. I am 
going to ask my colleagues in the House to please join us on H.R. 4639. 
This, again, is to honor the families who have given a child who 
happened to be a dog handler the opportunity to own that dog almost 
immediately after the dog is cleared. And if it should be a wounded 
soldier, marine, or airman or seaman, they would have the same 
opportunity.
  So this is a photograph, Mr. Speaker, of Lex looking at the headstone 
of the grave of Dustin Lee, and Dustin is there on his knees with his 
hands around the head of the dog which was Lex. This is very special, 
and that's why I wanted to bring it to the floor. I ask my friends, 
again, to join me in this legislation, H.R. 4639.
  Mr. Speaker, as I always do on the floor of the House, I want to ask 
God to please bless our men and women in uniform. I want to ask God to 
please bless the families of our men and women in uniform. I want to 
ask God in his loving arms to hold the families who have given child, 
dying for freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to ask God to please bless the House and the 
Senate, that we will do what is right in the eyes of God for his people 
throughout this country. And I want to ask God to give wisdom, strength 
and courage to the President, Mr. Obama, that he will do what is right 
in the eyes of God for God's people in this country. And three times I 
ask God, Please, God, please, God, please, God, continue to bless 
America.

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