Honoring Our Armed Forces Who Lost Their Lives in Iraq

HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES
    
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I come to the floor to pay tribute to 14 young Americans who have been killed in the Iraqi war. All of these young men are either from California or based out of California. I have already eulogized 20 individuals from California, either born there, raised there, or based there. So we are now talking about 34 of my constituents who have been killed.
    
We pray that the killing is coming to an end. I am sure it cannot come soon enough for all Americans. We pray the POWs will be returned safety. We pray for stability. We pray that we can bring our young men and women home, get them out of harm's way, and share the burden of the rebuilding of Iraq with many nations, so that the people of Iraq can realize their hopes and dreams.
    
SGT Michael V. Lalush, age 23, grew up in Sunnyvale, CA, before his family moved to Virginia in the mid-1990s. He was killed on March 30 in a helicopter crash in southern Iraq. He joined the Marines 2 weeks after graduating from high school in 1997. He was assigned to the Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron, Marine Aircraft Group 39, Marine Corps Air Station, Camp Pendleton, CA. He is survived by his parents, a sister in Los Angeles, and grandparents in Folsom, CA.
    
SGT Brian D. McGinnis, age 23, was assigned to the Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron, Marine Aircraft Group 39, Marine Corps Air Station, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from St. Georges, DE. He is a graduate of William Penn High School in New Castle, DE, where he was a star member of the wrestling squad. He was killed March 30 in a helicopter crash in southern Iraq. He is survived by his wife, who is living at Camp Pendleton in California, and he is also survived by his parents.
    
PFC Christian D. Gurtner, age 19, was assigned to the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center, Twenty-Nine Palms, CA. He was killed April 2 as a result of a noncombat weapons accident in southern Iraq. He is from Ohio City, OH. In March, 2002, while still a high school senior at Van Wert High School, he enlisted in the Marines. His grandfather fought in World War II, and a great-grandfather served in World War I. He also had relatives who fought in Vietnam. His friends have said that Christian loved bowling, the Atlanta Braves, and Ohio State football.
    
CPL Erik H. Silva, age 22, from Holtville, CA, was killed in action in Iraq Thursday. Erik was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, based at Camp Pendleton, CA. He graduated from Holtville High, where he played the trumpet, was a drum major, and a member of the varsity golf team. He wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement. He is survived by his mother, living in Chula Vista, CA; two brothers; and a sister, who is currently serving in the Navy.
    
CPT Benjamin W. Sammis, age 29, was assigned to the Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was killed in action on April 4 when his AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter crashed during combat operations in Iraq. His hometown was Rehoboth, MA. He was a sailor, an Eagle Scout, a military school graduate, and a career marine, who had yearned to fly helicopters and jets since he was 10 years old. He is survived by a wife, his parents, and two brothers.
    
PFC Chad E. Bales Metcalf, age 20, was assigned to the 1st Transportation Support Battalion, 1st Force Service Support Group, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was killed on April 3 in a vehicle accident during convoy operations in Iraq. A native of Texas, Chad was born in Lubbock and grew up in Coahoma, where he played high school football. He is survived by his parents, two half sisters, and two half brothers.
    
CPL Mark A. Evnin, age 21, joined the Marines in 2000. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Twentynine Palms, CA. He was killed in action on April 3 during a firefight in central Iraq. Corporal Evnin was from Burlington, VT. In the last letter he sent to his mom, he mentioned that he decided to go to college to study international relations.
    
CWO Eric A. Smith, age 41, lived in San Diego, CA, for a few years in the eighties. During his time in San Diego, he became acquainted with some Air Force pilots who sparked his interest in becoming a pilot. He joined the Army in 1987. Chief Warrant Officer Smith was killed when his Black Hawk helicopter crashed in central Iraq on Wednesday, April 2. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, Hunter Army Airfield, GA. He grew up in Rochester, NY. Eric played soccer at Brighton High School and graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
    
CAPT Travis A. Ford, age 30, lived in Oceanside, CA, with his wife and their 1-year-old daughter. He was assigned to the Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was killed in action on April 4 when his AH-1 Super Cobra helicopter crashed during combat operations in Iraq. He grew up in Nebraska.
    
PVT Devon D. Jones, age 19, was from San Diego, CA. He was killed in a vehicle accident on April 4 in Iraq. Private Jones was assigned to the 41st Field Artillery Regiment, Fort Stewart, GA. He graduated from San Diego's Lincoln High School in 2002. He planned to become an English teacher and serve as a teaching intern at Kennedy Elementary School located across the street from his high school.
    
SGT Duane R. Rios, age 25, was assigned to the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division based at Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Griffith, IN. He was killed on April 4 during a firefight in central Iraq. Sergeant Rios was a 1990 graduate of Griffith High School in Indiana. He is survived by his wife living at Camp Pendleton and his parents.
    
1stSGT Edward Smith, age 39, was from Vista, CA. He joined the Marines when he was 17. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division based at Camp Pendleton, CA. He also served as an Anaheim, CA, reserve police officer. He died April 5 as a result of wounds received in combat in central Iraq. Edward was born and raised on the south side of Chicago. He graduated in 1982 from Cosmopolitan Preparatory School. He is survived by his wife and three children.
    
CPL Jesus Martin Antonio Medellin, age 21, was assigned to the 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Fort Worth, TX. Corporal Medellin was killed on April 7 in central Iraq after his vehicle was hit by enemy fire. He was active in his church. He loved his grandma's tortillas, and he enjoyed spending time with his 11-year-old brother.
    
PFC Juan Guadalupe Garza, Jr., age 20, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was born in Michigan. Private First Class Garza was killed in action on April 8 in central Iraq.
    
Mr. President, 34 men who were either from California or based in California have died in the Iraqi war. The people of California, and I know the people of the whole country, mourn their loss and all the other losses we have had. May these beautiful young Americans rest in peace, may all the fighting end soon, and may we pray for the souls of those we have lost.

I cannot help but note that Cpl Mark Evnin, age 21, wrote to his mother and said he wanted to study international relations. I hope and pray, in his memory, that we can forge relations in this world such that war is not a necessary tool; that we can forge relations in this world such that the power of democracy and our ideals will be shared by the people of the world, and that the power of those ideals will lead the whole world to peace.