[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9536]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    NATIONAL GUARDSMAN FLORICH BURIAL AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

  (Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, every once in a while, this 
place works. Recently, we had a National Guardsman, Sergeant Florich, 
who perished along with a number of U.S. marines in the Gulf of Mexico 
as their Black Hawk went down.
  The Secretary of the Army is granted the authority to grant 
exemptions to allow these heroes to be buried in Arlington National 
Cemetery. Unfortunately, the initial decision by the Army was to reject 
Sergeant Florich's burial request and that of his family. He was a 
fourth-generation Armed Forces military man serving our country.
  Just today, Secretary McHugh reversed that decision. Along with the 
support of 120 Members of this body, on both the Republican and 
Democrat side, they all came together and asked the Secretary to review 
the decision.
  I want to thank the Members of this House, Republican and Democrat, 
Members that I want to ask that you all continue to keep the Florich 
family in your prayers as his wife is about to deliver their new child.
  Thanks again to the Members, Mr. Speaker.

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