Mr. President, 11 years have now passed since the attacks of September 11, that horrific day that forever changed the world. Although we have killed Osama bin Laden, the fight against the al-Qaida militants is not over. Al-Qaida remains a…
Mr. President, 11 years have now passed since the attacks of September 11, that horrific day that forever changed the world. Although we have killed Osama bin Laden, the fight against the al-Qaida militants is not over. Al-Qaida remains a threat to America, and the brave men and women of our Armed Forces are still fighting every day to protect our way of life.
Mr. President, I want us to honor and think about these men and women. There are over 77,000 U.S. servicemembers deployed in Afghanistan right now who remain in harm's way. These men and women willingly joined the military during a time of war. They want nothing more than to serve our country. They fight for our way of life so we don't have to and so that our children and grandchildren will not have to.
I am going to highlight three servicemen from North Carolina who have made the ultimate sacrifice. I have personally spoken with their families, and I want to share their great love of country with you because it is so important that all Americans understand our military and their families who sacrifice so much for all of us.
From my home State of North Carolina alone there are more than 6,000 of our finest sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, moms and dads deployed in Afghanistan. They are the men and women of the II Marine Expeditionary Force, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, and 2nd Marine Logistics Group from Camp Lejeune and Cherry Point. They are the men and women of the 82nd Airborne Division from Fort Bragg. They are the men and women from the National Guard and Reserve Units from North Carolina. And they are the thousands of other soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines deployed to foreign lands to stand watch over the world and keep us safe.
Sometimes I feel as if the war is hardly an issue in the news, in daily life, anywhere, except for those who are personally affected by it. Our focus is too often drawn to the news of the elections, of the economy, of politics, of celebrities, of scandals, of the rich and famous, and of the simply bizarre. We do not hear enough about the brave souls who have lost their lives while trying to make the world safer for the rest of us, who willingly joined the military during a time of war, who want to serve our country.
We all need to pay respect, to honor, and to remember the very men and women whose commitment, dedication, and courage are what make our country safe and to respect and remember the families they left behind.
As we scale down our presence in Afghanistan and bring our service men
and women home, we must remember every day this war is still going on, and it is occurring at a tremendous cost--a cost that is disproportionately paid by the brave men and women who are fighting for the rights and privileges we enjoy.
These men and women traded their youth, and they have spent years away from family and friends. They voluntarily put their lives on the line for their friends, for their loved ones, their country, and for people they have never met--for me and for you. These men and women are the almost 50,000 wounded in action since the start of this war. They are the 336 U.S. servicemembers who have died just this past year. They are the 54 coalition forces who died in the month of August alone. They are strangers to most of us, but they are the most important person in the world to someone. They are selfless defenders of our freedom, many of whom have made the ultimate sacrifice, and many of whom are from my home State of North Carolina.
They are people such as CPL Darrion Terrell Hicks, U.S. Army, from Raleigh, NC, who died July 19, 2012, just 2 months ago. Darrion was a 2009 graduate of Broughton High School, where he was a standout student who was loved and respected by all.
Darrion always wanted to be a soldier. It was a goal he set early on and something that everyone remembers about him. It was a goal he pursued with diligence and honor. He was a model Junior ROTC student who was voted Mr. Junior ROTC by his peers. Darrion is remembered as the kind of young man a teacher wishes all of their students were like. He was a boy you wanted your children to be friends with. He became the kind of man we should all be so thankful to have in this world.
When I was speaking with his mom Tracy, she shared with me that he was the kind of boy who never gave her a problem, ever.
Corporal Hicks achieved his goal of becoming a soldier when he enlisted in the Army after graduating from high school. He loved the Army, and it seemed he had found his place in life. He loved his family, and he kept in close contact with his mother. Whenever he spoke with his mom, she would always tell him: ``Always pray. Be safe. I love you.'' To which he would respond: ``I am going to be fine. I love you, too.''
This year, Darrion was serving with the 54th Engineer Battalion, 18th Engineer Brigade as a sapper. Sappers are responsible for clearing the way for others, making the way safe for those who follow. This is what Corporal Hicks was doing when he was killed by an enemy IED. He was only 21 years old.
As one of his teachers at Broughton said:
When we talk about Darrion, we are not talking about a
teacher making an impact on a student. We're talking about a
student who made an impact on the teacher.
Corporal Hicks made an impact on everyone he touched, and I think we all have something to learn from him and the life he chose to lead.
There are people such as PO2 Sean E. Brazas, U.S. Navy, from Greensboro, NC, where I have lived for the last 30 years. Sean died on May 30, 2012. Sean was your all-American boy next door. He grew up playing soccer in the same traveling soccer league in which my son played, and Sean was on the swim team.
Sean graduated from Western Guilford High School, and he could have done anything, but he wanted to do something important with his life. Sean Brazas joined the Navy after graduation and became a dog handler. He was stationed at Naval Base Kitsap in Washington State, where he met the love of his life, Allie, who was also in the Navy. When Sean met Allie, being the southern gentleman he was, he held the door open for her at the post office when they first met. Putting others first was just how he lived his life.
Sean Brazas loved being a dog handler and loved being in the Navy. His wife is now a 23-year-old widow with a young daughter Addison, whom Sean nicknamed Short-stack. They were the center of his world. His life as a sailor, devoted husband, and loving dad was rich and full and tragically short.
Petty Officer Brazas had only been in Afghanistan a short time when he died on May 30 while helping a fellow servicemember get into a helicopter when their unit was ambushed. That seems to define Sean--a man who selflessly did what he could to help others.
Sean Brazas served his country proudly because he appreciated the rights and privileges that Americans are fortunate to enjoy. He wanted to make sure his daughter never had to worry about anyone telling her what books she could read or where she could go to school or what she could become. He wanted his mom, dad, wife, and daughter to be safe.
He died a hero and now rests at Arlington with his grandfather and friends who have left the world far too soon. He died a man his dad Ed looked up to. Ed told me he hopes to be half the man his son was.
There are people such as LCpl Christopher Phoenix Jacob Levy, U.S. Marine Corps, from Ramseur, NC, who died September 10, 2011.
On 9/11, Jacob had just turned 11 years old. He had gotten a bloody nose at school, and his mom Amanda was called to bring him a change of clothes. She shared with me she was driving to his school when she heard on the radio of the first plane hitting the World Trade Center. When Amanda explained what had happened to Jacob that night, she said Jacob then said he would be in the military. He was only 11 years old at the time.
Jacob joined the Junior ROTC at Eastern Randolph High School where he was a standout runner and wrestler. He was also a proud active member of the Lumbee Tribe. That is why he has the name Phoenix, from his Indian heritage. It stands for immortality and renewal.
In 2009, Jacob fulfilled the goal he set in 2001. He enlisted in the Marine Corps and graduated from boot camp. He planned on being a marine for 20 years, retiring, and then returning to his hometown to give back to the JROTC in his community. It is clear from an early age Jacob was driven to be a part of something more than himself, to do his part for the greater good. That was just how he lived his life.
Lance Corporal Levy deployed to Afghanistan with the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines and returned home from his first tour on Mother's Day of 2011. However, Jacob told his mom his job was not yet done; that he needed to return to his brothers in arms in Afghanistan. He then volunteered to deploy again in the fall of 2011, this time with the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines out of Camp Lejeune. It was during this deployment he was mortally wounded by a single enemy shot. He was only 21 years old.
A couple of weeks before he died, Jacob spoke with his mother for the last time. He told her not to worry about him. He asked for underwear and beef jerky. He asked her to tell everyone he loved them. Jacob left his mom, dad, stepdad and two brothers.
Jacob's Indian name Phoenix, for immortality and renewal, has proven a worthy namesake for him. Although his life was tragically short, he lives on in the lives he touched. He inspired a scholarship at his high school that will go to help others, and he was an organ donor. He helped save seven other people he had never met. He gave the loved ones of those seven strangers more time with their parent, spouse, child, or sibling.
His death resulted in an outpouring of love and support for the Levy family from the Marines of both the 3rd, 8th, and 1-6. As Jacob's mother told me: ``I may have lost one son, but I gained 30 others.'' To this day, those young men who served with Lance Corporal Levy continue to remember and look after her.
These are the people who are paying both your share and my share of the cost of freedom. These servicemembers gave their lives for us and for our country. We must not forget them: Darrion Hicks, Sean Brazas, and Jacob Levy. We must not forget their families.
We must not forget the men and women still deployed in harm's way. They come from our small towns, our big cities, and our rural areas. They are our neighbors, they are our fellow Americans, they are our heroes, and they are my fellow North Carolinians. To these men and women, to their families, we owe an eternal debt of gratitude. May God bless them, and may God bless America.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.