[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11239]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING FIRST LIEUTENANT JOEL GENTZ

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Schauer) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SCHAUER. Mr. Speaker, 2 weeks ago, the Seventh Congressional 
District of Michigan and our country lost a hero. On June 9, First 
Lieutenant Joel Gentz of Grass Lake, east of Jackson, was killed while 
completing a helicopter rescue mission in southern Afghanistan. He was 
25 years old. The people that I serve will never forget the sacrifices 
he made because of the love of his country. I would like to share his 
story with you.
  Joel ran cross-country at Chelsea High School, where he graduated in 
2002. He attended Purdue University and graduated with honors in 
aerospace engineering in 2007. In June 2008, Joel married Kathryn 
Sullivan, his college sweetheart. They had just celebrated their second 
wedding anniversary when he lost his life. I spoke with Kathryn on 
Saturday. She has truly lost her best friend.
  Joel originally wanted to be an astronaut, but through his ROTC 
program, he met combat rescue officers, learned about their mission, 
and decided what he wanted to do most was to help people. As part of 
the Air Force's 58th Rescue Squadron, First Lieutenant Gentz spent 2 
years becoming a combat rescue officer. He completed Superman School, a 
training program with a 60 to 90 percent dropout rate. The intense 
program takes 2 years, and only the strongest finish. Joel was one of 
about 14 that graduated of the 90 that started in his class.
  When he died, First Lieutenant Joel Gentz was flying eight helicopter 
rescue missions a day into hostile territory in Afghanistan to rescue 
both Americans and Afghanis. He told his dad there was no greater joy 
than saving an Afghani child and seeing the look on the faces of the 
parents. He saved a lot of children. His mother said, He was more of a 
peacekeeper than a fighter, and his service to others demonstrates 
this.
  Just a month ago, Joel emailed Ellen Harpin, the founder of The Ships 
Project, asking her to send toys to Afghani children that could be 
dropped off during his unit's missions. The Ships Project sends 
packages to servicemen and -women in Iraq and Afghanistan. The toys had 
been gathered, and she was just waiting to hear back from Joel for an 
address to ship them when he died. She promises to make sure they are 
all shipped and Joel's wishes are honored.
  The Pararescue Code states, ``It is my duty as a Pararescueman to 
save life and to aid the injured. I will be prepared at all times to 
perform my assigned duties quickly and efficiently, placing these 
duties before personal desires and comforts. These things I do, that 
others may live.'' Joel lived and breathed this code. He knew when he 
chose his career that he would have to make sacrifices. He understood 
that someday, he might lose his life serving others.

                              {time}  1915

  First Lieutenant Gentz accepted this responsibility willingly because 
he wanted to help. He leaves behind not only his grieving family but 
his fellow officers and the people he saved who are still alive because 
he bravely put their lives ahead of his own.
  ``These things I do, that others may live.''
  First Lieutenant Joel Gentz is truly an American hero.
  Today I offer my sincere condolences to Joel's parents, Steven and 
Judith Gentz; siblings Jared and Rachel; and to his loving widow, 
Kathryn. May God's grace be upon them. May they find peace in knowing 
that Joel's service and his sacrifice mean everything to our country's 
freedom. He will never be forgotten. Our Nation's debt to him will 
never fully be repaid.

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