[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6697-6698]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORECES


Army Staff Sergeant Rex Schad, Air Force Staff Sergeant Daniel Fannin, 
  Army Private First Class Charles P. McClure, Army First Lieutenant 
                            Brandon Landrum

  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to three 
American heroes who recently lost their lives while defending the 
United States overseas in support of the war on terror.
  Army SSG Rex Schad, of Edmond, OK, died on March 11, 2013. The 26-

[[Page 6698]]

year-old squad leader was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor 
Regiment, 1st Armor Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, out of 
Fort Stewart, GA. Rex was killed in Jalrez District, Afghanistan, after 
a member of the Afghan security forces opened fire on Rex and his 
fellow soldiers. Also killed was Army CPT Andrew Pedersen-Keel. Family 
and friends of Rex said that he took the idea of serving seriously and 
understood that it could require him to make the ultimate sacrifice for 
his country. He also had many family members serve in various branches 
of the military including his mother, brother, an uncle, and his 
grandfather. Rex is survived by his mother, Ms. Colleen Whipple, of 
Edmond, OK.
  Air Force SSgt Daniel Fannin, of Morehead, KY, died on April 28, 
2013, in the crash of an MC-12 aircraft near Kandahar Airfield, 
Afghanistan. Also killed in the incident were Capt. Brandon L. Cyr, 
Capt. Reid K. Nishizuka, and SSgt Richard A. Dickson. Daniel, who had 
just turned 30 three weeks prior, was assigned to the Air Force's 552nd 
Operations Support Squadron at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City. 
In addition to being a 12-year veteran of the Air Force, Daniel also 
lived for several years in Oklahoma with his wife Sonya of Oklahoma 
City. As his family recently said, Daniel died just as he lived--
serving God and others. He died honorably serving his country so that 
we may continue to enjoy the freedoms that many of us take for granted.
  Army PFC Charles P. McClure, of Stratford, OK, died on May 2, 2013, 
serving our Nation at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. Private First Class 
McClure was assigned to 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, 
1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division out of Fort Carson, CO. 
Charles was killed in a vehicular accident. He was 21 years old and was 
on his first tour overseas. Also killed in the accident was his battle 
buddy, 25-year-old SPC Trinidad Santiago, Jr.
  Army 1LT Brandon Landrum of Lawton, OK, was a 26-year-old husband, 
father of two children, Army officer, and graduate of Cameron 
University. He was among five soldiers who died on May 4, 2013, after 
they were attacked by an enemy IED in Maiwand, Afghanistan. Brandon and 
his soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry, 1st 
Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, at Fort Bliss, TX. Brandon 
enlisted in the Army in 2005 and deployed to Iraq 3 years later. Upon 
receiving his commission in May 2011, he graduated the Infantry Basic 
Officer Leaders Course and Airborne School. First Lieutenant Landrum is 
survived by his wife, one son, and one daughter.
  Our soldiers and airmen demonstrated courage and honor by 
volunteering for service in the Army and Air Force. While the deaths of 
these brave men are tragic, their lives encourage all of us to 
demonstrate courage and honor commensurate with their sacrifice. The 
fact that these men died alongside their fellow warriors is a reminder 
for us to stick by our men and women in uniform who continue to fight 
the enemies of our country. God bless them, and God bless their 
families.

                          ____________________