[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 1563]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              A TRIBUTE TO PRIVATE FIRST CLASS AMY SINKLER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE McINTYRE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 10, 2011

  Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago, General David Petraeus 
designated our troops in Afghanistan part of the ``New Greatest 
Generation.'' I agree wholeheartedly with the General's words, and rise 
today to pay tribute to one of those great American heroes, Private 
First Class Amy Sinkler, of Chadbourn, North Carolina. On the morning 
of January 20, 2011, Amy lost her life while defending our Nation in 
Afghanistan during an attack by insurgents. I ask that you join me in 
honoring her memory and service as we mourn this tragic loss.
  A native daughter of Chadbourn, Amy had always expressed her desire 
to serve her country. Amy graduated from West Columbus High School in 
2006. While in high school, she participated in the Junior Reserve 
Officers Training Corps to prepare for a career in the Army, which she 
joined in August of 2009. After training at Fort Leonard Wood in 
Missouri, Amy joined the 109th Transportation Company, the ``Rough 
Riders,'' stationed at Fort Richardson in Alaska. She began serving in 
Afghanistan in July 2010, and she was sadly taken from us just six 
months into her first tour of duty. Amy was only 23.
  Amy will be sorely missed by her family and friends. She was the 
daughter of Randolph and Jackie Bullock Thompson and a sister to four 
siblings, Brittney, Sharonda, Sabrina, and Randolph Jr. She was the 
loving wife of Douglas Sinkler, her high school sweetheart, with whom 
she made her home. Her grandparents were Roosevelt and Irene Thompson 
and Raleigh Early and Juanita Bullock. Amy touched countless lives by 
serving as an admirable example of selfless service. She was so admired 
by her family, friends, and community, in fact, that hundreds of people 
attended vigils in remembrance of her. Amy's funeral on January 30, 
2011, was one of the largest ever held in Columbus County, with over 
1,000 people coming to pay their respects to Amy and her family.
  Mr. Speaker, it has been said that a person demonstrates greater 
nobility in war than in peace. Amy Sinkler's inspirational life and 
service to our country prove this to be true, and we will always remain 
in awe of the life she lived. May God bless her family, and may we 
always remember the life of Private First Class Amy Sinkler.

                          ____________________