Date: 2004-04-28
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I want today to express in the strongest possible way my support for our Nations ongoing missions to sow the seeds of liberty. security and prosperity in Iraq. and as you know and as you said. you have been through my district and you know that I represent an area in Virginia where thousands upon thousands of service members live and train. and those service members I represent ahd their families and all of our men and women in the military and their families. I want to say right now how much I thank them for everything that they are doing and that they are sacrificing for our country. It is one of the most honorable things that anybody could do. and most Americans have absolutely no idea how much dedication and commitment it truly takes to do what they do. and for that I and so many of our Members of Congress are truly grateful. as I know all the members on our Committee on Armed Services are. Mr. Speaker. I feel very strongly that Congress and the administration cannot afford to lose sight of how important it is that our mission succeeds in Iraq. Failure is not an option. and the gravity of the implications for the broader war on terror and the security of so many things is so enormous. and I would like to talk a little bit now about our. Marines operating in Fallujah and the nobility and the goodness of their brave devotion to duty under fire from a largely faceless enemy. Their courage. their competence and commitment are the hallmark of everything that is and ever will be great about America. Our duty under Article I. section 8 of the Constitution. not to mention our own constitutional oath. absolutely compels us to make difficult choices in staying the course. regardless of the prevailing political winds at home and overseas. Anything else would dishonor the service of our Marines. our soldiers. sailors and airmen and all others who are supporting our effort. as well as the legacy and the memory of brave generations of all who have gone before them. Mr. Speaker. I will insert the full text of an April 25. 2004. article from the Los Angeles Times. which I am going to make reference to. with my statement in the record. and I would like to call my colleagues attention to that article entitled: "Keeping Spirits Up While They Hunker Down. Humor and a Lid on Emotions Help Echo Companys Marines Stay Focused in Fallouja." Mr. Speaker. I am grateful to say that I know a friend and Naval Academy classmate of the commander of Echo Company. 2nd Battalion. 1st Marine Regiment. the unit profiled in this story. The. enthusiasm of the Echo .Company commander that is referenced in this story is. as I can tell "Were .out here for each other. said you firsthand. an absolutely con- Private First Class Bernard Boykin. 21. tagious thing. of Eugene. Oregon. I wouldnt want to It is vivid in friends of the company be anywhere else. commander halfway around the world. "And what will the men of Echo and I trust and pray that it is also in Company remember when it is over? the young Marines under his charge in - "Ill always remember the good Echo Company. We should consider times. the jokes. the stories. said ourselves blessed that we have this Lance Corporal Chris Hankins. 19. of quality of leadership so abundantly. Kansas City. Missouri. But the bad present in our young officers who are things. the dead bodies. seeing my on the tip of the spear in Fallujah and friends bleeding and being carried places like it. away. I hope to forget that." Captain Doug Zembiec. the leader of Mr. Speaker. it is beyond me howany Echo Company. embodies everything American could read this articles capthat we envision in the young Amer- sule of a leaders laserlike vision of his ican officers with whom we entrust the mission. the resolve of those under his lives of our young men and women. charge. and the mutual esteem and I would like to read an excerpt from faith that they are driven by and not the article that I referenced before. It be deeply moved and humbled. It reads: should remind us to the depths of our "Just as the chaplain Saturday start- being how fortunate we are to be Amered to lead a group of Marines in song. icans. a Marine sniper on the roof let loose It is the service of Echo Company several thunderous rifle blasts at and their contemporaries that we canarmed insurgents moving into position not dishonor by failing to stabilize for a possible attack. If the Marines in Iraq. Regardless of ones view on what the room below took any notice. they led us there. our vision of the need to didnt show it. Instead. they launched stay the course there absolutely must into Lord. we lift Your name on high.. be a common one. As you have said. "For the young men of Echo Coin- Mr. Speaker. we have got to remain pany of the 2nd Battalion. 1st Regi- steady. and that is the one thing that ment of the 1st Marine Division. the is the message that we have got to send sound of sniper fire. or.mortar rounds. to the American people. we have got to rockets or bursts from automatic send to our troops who are over there weapons is hardly noticeable anymore. fighting for us. "Other companies and other battal- Before closing. Mr. Speaker. I would ions have done their share of fighting like to recognize Colonel Michael in Fallujah. but none have done more Shupp. our former Marine House liaithan Echo Company of the 2nd Bat- son director who will shortly be assumtalion. 1st Regiment. 1st Marine Divi- ing command of the 1st Marine Regision." and I am still quoting from the ment in Iraq. article. Colonel Shupp took me on my first "All military groups take on the per- CODEL to Afghanistan. and I have sonality of their commander. For Echo watched him as he has been readying Company. thats Captain Douglas to change and to go over to Iraq to Zembiec. 31. of Albuquerque. a balding. command the 1st Marine Regiment in gregarious man who. in glasses. looks Iraq. like a high school science teacher but E 1845 was a former wrestler at the Naval Academy. And I have seen the excitement and "Zembiec believes in leading from the grin on his face that you cannot the front. He led the charge into hos- keep him from showing when he is tile fire that started the Marine as- ready to leave to go over and do his sault April 6 on the neighborhood and -duty. That is what our Marines are has been known to disregard his own like. That is what every one of our men safety to get a clear radio transmission and women in uniform are like. That is during combat. why we have to stay steady on this "His admiration for his troops is course. hard to contain. Colonel Shupp. who is a proud grad"Theyre fired up. theyre moti- uate of VMI. has been a treasured vated. he said while filling out forms friend to all of us. and I know I speak requesting medals for bravery for sev- for all 434 of my colleagues. We -will eral of his men. These are young men sorely miss him. but I know that our who grew up wanting to be defenders. country needs people like Captain What other kind of job has this kind of Zembiec. that I referenced. and Mihonor and danger? - chael Shupp if we are to succeed in fill"Gunnery Sergeant Daniel Jonas. 35. ing our oath to preserve. protect. and of San Diego. who served ill Operation defend the Constitution. Desert Storm and Kosovo. said With that. Mr. Speaker. I would like Zembiecs enthusiasm and his policy of to thank the gentleman from Caligiving authority to enlisted Marines fornia and all the members of the have helped sustain morale. House Committee on Armed Services "This is a very close company. he who have fought so diligently to fight said. and protect and give our men and "There are. inevitably. strong bonds women in the military what they need formed from facing danger and from so that we can stay the course and stay their mutual dependence. steady. * Mr. Speaker. I submit for the RECORD the Los Angeles Times article I referred to earlier. [From the Los Angeles Times. Apr. 25. 2004]