[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 4148]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                       Corporal Loren M. Buffalo

  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I rise to honor the life of one of 
America's bravest killed in action in Afghanistan--CPL Loren M. 
Buffalo--a fallen hero who served our Nation in support of Operation 
Enduring Freedom.
  Corporal Buffalo, 20, of Mountain Pine, AR, was by all accounts, 
driven by a call to serve his country and strong sense of civic duty.
  The son of an Arkansas National Guardsman and the grandson of a World 
War II veteran, Corporal Buffalo joined the Army in 2009, just after 
graduating from Mountain Pine High School. His father, Cecil Buffalo, 
told The Sentinel-Record, that he knew his son wanted to serve his 
country all the way back in junior high. Mr. Buffalo said his son was a 
``strong-hearted all-American boy'' who ``loved his country and wanted 
to serve it.''
  In Mountain Pine, Corporal Buffalo is remembered as a young man who 
would make the best out of any situation. One of his mentors said that 
Corporal Buffalo ``was 100 percent about community.'' During his 
teenage years, Corporal Buffalo undertook a number of projects honoring 
and supporting our Nation's veterans.
  Beyond a life of service, Corporal Buffalo enjoyed making music. A 
multitalented musician, Mr. Buffalo said his son could play the guitar, 
drums, bass and ``just about anything you put in his hand.''
  Corporal Buffalo was assigned to B Troop, 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry 
Regiment, 101st Airborne Division based out of Fort Campbell, KY. 
According to initial reports, he died from injuries sustained when an 
improvised explosive device detonated near his dismounted patrol in 
Kandahar. He received multiple medals for service, including a Purple 
Heart and a Bronze Star.
  Corporal Buffalo made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. I ask 
my colleagues in the Senate to join me in honoring his life and legacy. 
I ask that we all keep his family, fellow soldiers and friends in our 
thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. He is a true American 
hero.

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