Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay homage to Private First Class Jose M. Rosario from Estate Campo Rico on my home island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands who was killed in Iraq last week.…
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay homage to Private First Class Jose M. Rosario from Estate Campo Rico on my home island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands who was killed in Iraq last week.
Private First Class Rosario joined the Army shortly after completing high school with the desire to serve his country and with the dream, whispered only to his older sister Ruth, of one day becoming an attorney. He told his family how much he loved his job, the adventure of it, and most of all the fact that he was making a contribution to our Nation. They have all attested that he was happy fulfilling his mission as a member of the Fifth Squadron, Seventh Cavalry Regiment, First Brigade Combat Team of the 42nd Infantry Division. Like so many of the now 2,000 men and women who have given their lives for their country in the Iraq war, Private First Class Rosario was young, just 20 years old, and with a dream of a brighter future. He died, along with Army Specialist Russell Nahvi of Arlington, Texas, and Sergeant Arthur Mora, Jr. of Pico, California, when their up-armored humvee was hit with indirect fire while on patrol in Balad, Iraq. And while his lifetime was short, Jose served his country with courage and with distinction and he has made his family and the entire Virgin Islands community very proud as he helped to make the entire Nation a better place by his sacrifice. Our prayers are with his mother Gregoria and all of the family.
Mr. Speaker, we in the U.S. Virgin Islands along with our sister territories send more men and women per capita to serve in our Armed Forces, and Virgin Islanders have served in every war and conflict from the Revolutionary War forward. Our Virgin Islands National Guard has been proud to serve and do so with distinction around the world. They currently have several units in Afghanistan and Iraq. Dr. Bob Thompson, a good friend of mine and chief of medicine at the Governor Juan Luis Hospital, just returned from a tour in Iraq. Sixteen members of the 620th are scheduled to return home later this week. The 652nd Engineering Company is currently serving in Afghanistan and will be there for another 6 months.
While home in August, I attended a deployment ceremony where the 610th and the 640th companies of the Virgin Islands National Guard, many of them young women, were preparing to leave for Iraq. They are currently at Fort Bragg being processed and the 107 men and women of the 610th are to depart in early November. The 640th will follow them shortly thereafter.
In addition, Dr. Hinman, the State Surgeon of the Virgin Islands National Guard, is at Fort Bliss processing for his 90-day rotation, and we have an MP security team at Fort Leonard Wood, all preparing to also go to Iraq. I pray that they will all return safely and whole. I also play that the President will begin now to bring all of our troops home.
With our population of just over 110,000, the U.S. Virgin Islands has already lost five young men before Private First Class Rosario.
Daniel Wyatt, whose family splits their time between Wisconsin and St. Croix, and who spent what he called the best 2 weeks of his life in St. Croix before heading overseas.
Shane Goldman, whose memorial I attended and who had a tree and a small monument placed at Club St. Croix, a place frequented by his father and which he loved to visit.
Private First Class Jason Lynch from a large St. Croix family and the nephew of a close friend of mine Betty Lynch, a child I knew as he was growing up.
Staff Sergeant Kendall Thomas, slightly older than the others, from St. Thomas and I believe serving his second tour. We are proud of the men and women who have given their lives in service to their country.
We are particularly proud of Private First Class Jose M. Rosario and all of the men and women from the U.S. Virgin Islands who have served or now serve. They do so proudly and with great dedication and loyalty. I would be remiss if I did not here note that neither they nor their fellow Virgin Islanders have the right to vote for the Commander in Chief, something which we are seeking to correct with House Joint Resolution 1, which I introduced on the opening day of this 109th Congress.
It is my hope that their sacrifice and that of all the other Virgin Islanders and American citizens in the offshore territories will be honored with its passage and ratification. May their example and that of all of our fallen resonate in all of our hearts and our country in their memory turn to peace and away from war.
