[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 4409]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                          Louisiana Casualties

  Mr. VITTER. I come to the floor today with a heavy heart to remember 
and commemorate the 11 soldiers, including 4 members of the Louisiana 
National Guard, who we lost this month as a result of a helicopter 
training accident on the Santa Rosa Sound. These were brave men, having 
regularly risked their own lives while flying in combat and in 
responding to the numerous hurricanes Louisiana has been devastated by 
during the many years of service they gave. I agree with Major General 
Curtis, the Adjutant General of the Louisiana National Guard, in 
describing them as the best of us. They were selfless men willing to 
sacrifice their own safety and lives if it meant ensuring our security 
or saving the life of another. Nothing can ever fill the void left by 
their absence, an absence that makes it our duty to keep their memories 
alive, so that others may know of their bravery and sacrifice. 
Recognizing the valor that each of these men served with, today I 
submit for the record specifics regarding Louisiana's soldiers.
  Chief Warrant Officer George Griffin joined the Louisiana National 
Guard in 1994 before deploying to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi 
Freedom in 2004 and again in 2008. He is remembered as one of the most 
talented and respected warrant officers in the Louisiana National 
Guard, who routinely sought to teach his fellow aviators to be the best 
they could be. He also served during State deployments in response to 
Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Isaac; in support of Operation River 
Guardian in 2011, which sought to extend the levee protecting Klotz 
Springs; and in the response to the Deepwater Horizon spill. He is 
survived by his wife Becky, his four children, Marianne, Cody, Dylan, 
and Logan, and his father George.
  Chief Warrant Officer George Strother joined the Louisiana National 
Guard in 1988, serving until 2007 before rejoining the Guard in 2009. 
In addition to his service in response to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and 
Isaac, he deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 
2004, to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2011, 
and Kosovo in 2014 as a member of the NATO peacekeeping force. He was a 
devoted husband, father, and servicemember. An experienced combat 
aviator and instructor, he is remembered as a caring man with an 
outsized personality that touched the lives of everyone he met. He is 
survived by his wife Melissa; his children Chelsie and George II, and 
his mother Sara.
  Staff Sergeant Lance Bergeron enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 
1994, serving on Active Duty until 1998 and as a reservist until 2001, 
when he joined the Louisiana National Guard. He was a seasoned combat 
veteran, having deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 
in 2004 and again in 2008. He also deployed in response to Hurricanes 
Katrina, Rita, and Isaac, and as a part of Operation River Guardian in 
2011. He is remembered as an experienced crew chief that the members of 
his unit looked up to and aspired to be. According to men in his unit, 
he served with an unparalleled excitement and dedication to his duty as 
a National Guard member, husband, and father. He is survived by his 
wife Monique, his two children Callie and Landon, and his parents Mark 
and Stella.
  Staff Sergeant Thomas Florich enlisted in the Louisiana National 
Guard in 2007, and served as a Black Hawk repairman. He served in 
numerous State deployments, including Operation Deepwater Horizon and 
in response to Hurricane Isaac. He is remembered as a cheerful man 
dedicated to the National Guard and always willing to step up if it 
meant the unit would be able to better complete its mission. Staff 
Sergeant Florich is not only survived by his parents Stephen and 
Kimberley, but also his wife Meghan, who is pregnant with their first 
child.

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