Tribute to Sgt. Bradley Korthaus

TRIBUTE TO SGT. BRADLEY KORTHAUS

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I rise today for the very sad purpose of honoring a fallen American.

I learned this morning that Sgt Bradley Korthaus of Davenport, Iowa, has died while in service to his country as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I would like to take this opportunity to salute his patriotism and his sacrifice.

Sgt Korthaus disappeared Monday during an operation in which he and three other Marines were swimming across a canal in southeastern Iraq, and his body has now been recovered.

This is the first Iowan who has died in the current conflict in Iraq and the news has hit home with me and my staff.
We all know that sacrifice is part of war, and the President has tried to prepare us for the inevitable losses; but it is impossible to fully prepare for the loss of a young life.

My prayers go out to Steve and Marilyn Korthaus who grieve for their son and to all of the family, friends, and neighbors who are touched by his passing.

There is nothing I can say that can take away the pain they must feel, but they should know that they are not alone in their grief.

Iowans have a strong sense of community and I know that Bradley's loss will be felt deeply by many who never even knew him.

Bradley Korthaus deserves the highest gratitude of this body and the entire Nation. His sacrifice reminds us that freedom is so precious because of its incredibly high cost.

Bradley's father served in Vietnam and Bradley followed that tradition of service to his country.

This is an example of the patriotic contribution made by thousands of American service members and their families.

The love of country and dedication to service shared by so many of its citizens is the great strength of our Nation and we can all be very proud of patriots like Bradley Korthaus.