Sens. Baucus and Tester pay tribute to Montana’s service members, past and present

In honor of Veteran’s Day, Montana’s Sen. Max Baucus and Sen. Jon Tester spoke Tuesday on the floor of the U.S. Senate to pay tribute to Montana’s service members, past and present.

Floor Statement of Senator Max Baucus Honoring Montana’s Fallen

Mr. President, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to Montana’s fallen heroes. The dedicated men and women from our great state who have made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11.

Montanans proudly volunteer for military service at rates higher than any state in the country.

Unfortunately, this distinction comes at a great price. To date, 40 Montanans have died and nearly 250 have been wounded in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Montana has now suffered more casualties per capita than any other state in the Union. This is staggering. It illuminates just how much our state’s citizens have sacrificed in the service of our country.

The famous WWII radio reporter Elmer Davis once said, “This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” It is painfully apparent that Montana is home to some of the bravest men and women of all.

Who are these fallen heroes? They ranged in age from 18 to 44. They hailed from places far afield, like Troy and Glendive. Billings and Missoula. Lame Deer and Colstrip. They grew up in cities and towns. On ranches and farms. And on the reservation. Some heroes were active duty warriors, others part-time citizen-soldiers. They held ranks from lance corporal to lieutenant colonel. It amazes me that with such a variety of backgrounds, our heroes all shared the common bond of a desire to serve their country in this, a time of crisis and need.

The gospel of John chapter 15 reads: “Greater love hath no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

No tribute could possibly express the extent of my gratitude for what these soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines have done for their country. During Vietnam, the late Senator Mike Mansfield carried a casualty card in his breast pocket.

In that same spirit, I too want to honor their sacrifice by reading Montana’s fallen heroes into the record.

The following Montanans were killed while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom:

• Army Sergeant Travis M. Arndt , 23, Bozeman
• Army Staff Sergeant Travis W. Atkins, 31, Bozeman
• My nephew, Marine Corporal Phillip E. Baucus, 28, Wolf Creek
• Army Staff Sergeant Shane R. Becker, 35, Helena
• Marine Private 1st Class Andrew D. Bedard, 19, Missoula
• Marine Lance Corporal Nicholas William B. Bloem, 20, Belgrade
• Army Private 1st Class Kyle G. Bohrnsen, 22, Philipsburg
• Army Lieutenant Colonel Garnet R. Derby, 44, Missoula
• Army Sergeant Scott D. Dykman, 27, Helena
• Army Specialist Michael Frank, 36, Great Falls
• Marine Lance Corporal Kane Michael Funke, 20, Kalispell
• Army Staff Sergeant Yance T. Gray, 26, Ismay
• Army Staff Sergeant Aaron N. Holleyman, 26, Glasgow
• Army Private Timothy J. Hutton, 21, Dillon
• Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Charles V. Komppa, 35, Belgrade
• Army Corporal Troy C. Linden, 22, Billings
• Army Captain Michael J. Mackinnon, 30, Helena
• Army Sergeant James A. McHale, 31, Fairfield
• Army Master Sergeant Robbie D. McNary, 42, Lewistown
• Marine Lance Corporal Jeremy Scott Sandvick Monroe, 20, Chinook
• Army Private 1st Class Shawn M. Murphy, 24, Butte
• Marine Lance Corporal Nick J. Palmer, 19, Great Falls
• Army Captain Andrew R. Pearson, 32, Billings
• Marine Corporal Dean P. Pratt, 22, Stevensville
• Army Specialist James Daniel Riekena, 22, Missoula
• Army 1st Lieutenant Edward M. Saltz, 27, Bigfork
• Army Private Daren A. Smith, 19, Helena
• Marine Corporal Raleigh C. Smith, 21, Troy
• Marine Corporal Stewart S. Trejo, 25, Whitefish
• Army Private 1st Class Owen D. Witt, 20, Sand Springs
• Army Specialist Donald M. Young, 19, Helena
• Army Private Matthew T. Zeimer, 18, Glendive

The following Montanans were killed while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom:

• Navy Aviation Electronics Technician Andrew S. Charpentier, 21, Great Falls
• Army 1st Lieutenant Joshua M. Hyland, 31, Missoula
• Marine Sergeant Trevor Johnson, 23, Colstrip
• Army Sergeant Terry Lynch, 22, Shepherd
• Army Private 1st Class Kristofer T. Stonesifer, 28, Missoula

The following Montanans died shortly after returning home from Operation Iraqi Freedom:

• Army Corporal Christopher M. Dana, 23, Helena
• Army Sergeant George Kellum, 23, Lame Deer

This list pains me dearly to read out loud. And I cannot begin to imagine how many broken hearts each name represents back home.

Our fallen heroes fought and died for our great nation and all that it represents. We owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be fully repaid. We must honor their legacies by remembering their sacrifice as we carry on with our lives.

To all of Montana’s families staring at an empty bedroom or an empty chair at the dining room table: You will always be in my thoughts and prayers. I pledge to do all that I can to honor your fallen loved ones.

To Montana’s fallen warriors: We will never forget.

Sen. Tester spoke Tuesday in honor of the victims of last week’s shooting at Fort Hood:

“I rise today in honor of those killed last week at Fort Hood. They died serving their country. And that means they died as heroes.

As we honor the service and sacrifice of the brave men and women of America’s military on Veterans Day, I ask all Americans to say a prayer for these 13 folks who gave the ultimate sacrifice and the 30 who were wounded. Remember them, and their families, their friends, and the places they call home, as we pay our respects.

Today, flags are flying at half-staff across Montana in honor of the 13 victims killed and the 30 wounded.

One of the men who died was a veteran of Montana’s Army National Guard.

Michael Grant Cahill worked throughout Montana for many years as a Guardsman and as a physician’s assistant. To Michael’s wife Joleen—and to all of his loved ones—Montana joins the rest of the nation in saying, ‘Our thoughts and prayers are with you.’

What happened at Fort Hood doesn’t make sense. And it never will.

But working together, we need to focus on keeping something like this from happening again.

What we can we do right now?

We can keep working together to live up to the promises that we make to all of our troops while serving our country, in the field or after they come home. And we can improve access to the health care—and mental health care—that they deserve.

I join in mourning the lives lost at Fort Hood. I ask all Americans to keep these 13 heroes in their thoughts and prayers. And I urge my colleagues to keep working together to better serve all men and women who have worn our country’s uniform. And their families. And their communities."