[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 866-867]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       TEXAN VICTOR LOVELADY KILLED IN ALGERIAN TERRORIST ATTACK

                                  _____
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 12, 2017

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, January 17 marks the fourth 
anniversary of the death of Victor Lovelady from Atascocita, Texas. Mr. 
Lovelady was killed by al Qaeda terrorists in Algeria while he was 
working at a BP gas facility. I rise to tell his story again, as I have 
done on this floor before, because it is a story that reminds us about 
what it means to be a true American hero.

[[Page 867]]

  You can learn a lot about a man when trial comes. The trial that came 
upon Victor Lovelady on January 16, 2013 told us a lot about who Victor 
was. Victor had been on the job in Algeria only about a week when 
terrorists stormed the gas plant where he was working. Victor was in a 
break room when one of his coworkers burst through the door, bleeding 
from a gunshot wound in the stomach. Seeing the man in need, Victor 
jumped into action, dressing his wound and caring for him. Knowing the 
terrorists were working their way through the plant, Victor helped hide 
the wounded man in a food container. The gunshots grew closer. Victor 
selflessly first helped other coworkers in the break room climb up into 
a false ceiling. Only after they had climbed into the ceiling did 
Victor try and do the same but fell. Before he knew it, terrorists 
stormed into the break room and took him hostage.
  They tied up his hands and feet. The next day the terrorists placed a 
ring of explosives around his neck before loading him into a vehicle to 
take him to another part of the gas plant. Victor never made it--the 
terrorists blew him up along the way.
  We may like to think so, but none of us really know if we would put 
others before ourselves if we were faced with a life or death situation 
like Victor was. But we know what Victor did. We know what he chose. In 
all, Victor's quick thinking and acts of selflessness helped save the 
lives of four of his coworkers.
  Selflessness wasn't something that all of a sudden came upon Victor 
in this moment either. It marked him as a man, a brother, a husband, 
and a father. Selflessness was a part of who he was. No, this ultimate 
trial simply exposed what was already there. Victor was a man who lived 
his life serving others. So it was only fitting that in his final 
hours, we were blessed to see one last and heroic act of selflessness 
in Victor's life.
  Victor is survived by his wife, Maureen, and his two children, Erin 
and Grant. To his family I want to say that my thoughts and prayers are 
with you on this painful day. We have not forgotten your heroic husband 
and father.
  And that's just the way it is.

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