Senator Nickles Beautiful Words.

[Page: S7467] GPO's PDF --- Mr. NICKLES: Mr. President, over the past few months, we've seen the fall of Saddam Hussein's brutal regime coupled with the dawning of a new day for the Iraqi people.

With major military combat operations in Iraq over and the security of our homeland bolstered, America and her allies are turning our efforts toward helping the Iraqi people build a free society.

Like many Americans, I was thrilled and heartened by the dramatic images of U.S. troops helping Iraqi citizens tear down statues and paintings of Saddam Hussein. The Iraqi people needed our help, our tanks, our troops, and our commitment to topple Saddam Hussein.

For the first time in their lives, many Iraqis are tasting freedom, and like people everywhere, they think it's wonderful. I'm proud of our military and America's commitment to make the people of the Middle East more free and secure.

Our military men and women surely face more difficult days in Iraq, and the Iraqi people will be tested by the responsibilities that come with freedom. The thugs who propped up the previous regime and outside forces with goals of their own will seek to cause problems, stir up trouble and initiate violence. Freedom is messy--nowhere more so than in a country that has just shaken off a brutal dictatorship.

[Page: S7468] GPO's PDF But the journey towards a domestic Iraq has now been embarked upon. Like so many nations before it, Iraq now endures the growing pains common to a fledgling democracy. The uncertainty of today's Iraq, I am hopeful, will soon give way to the promise of a better future for the Iraqi people. And as we move closer to this goal, we must remember those who sacrificed for this noble cause.

Today, I rise to honor a man who made the ultimate sacrifice one can make for his country and the cause of freedom.

Staff Sergeant Aaron Dean White, 27, died May 19 when the CH-46 transport helicopter he was in crashed into a canal in central Iraq.

White was an Oklahoma native. He grew up in Seminole County where he attended school until his junior year in high school. He then graduated from Shawnee High School in 1994 and immediately began his military career.

If you ask his mother, she will tell you that he had a ``calling to serve people.'' That call to service was put to good use in our Armed Forces.

White was trained in helicopter maintenance, but he could not get enough of flying. His pastor, Reverend Wesley Martin, explained his passion for flight: ``After he got his pilot's license, all he did was fly. He couldn't get enough of it. He loved to fly and he loved life.''

As a result, he volunteered for the gunner position on the helicopter that crashed. ``What a flight that must have been,'' said Martin. ``No equipment necessary--as he flew immediately into the heavens.''

As we watch the dawn of a new day in Iraq, let us never forget that the freedom we enjoy every day in America is bought at a price.

Staff Sergeant White did not die in vain. He died so that many others could live in security and freedom. And for that sacrifice, we are forever indebted. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family today and with the troops who are putting their lives on the line in Iraq.

For the Families of Fallen Marines

There will never be anything anyone can do to mitigate the loss of a loved one. All we can do is to be there. One thing to keep in mind, as high brow and prideful as it might seem, is that as a Marine, they'll never be forgotten. Individual names will fade with time, people will all leave us in time, and their memories will go with them when they move on to better things. We often say of fallen Marines, that they have gone on "To guard Heaven's Gates" or they've been "transferred to Chesty's command". We know where Marines go when they leave us. We drink to their memory. We remember our Brothers and Sisters. In time we will be gone, and our memories with us. Take this comfort with you as you mourn your losses. The United States Marine Corps will never be forgotten. Your Brothers and Sisters will therefore never be forgotten. Your Sons and Daughters will never be forgotten. Your Fathers and Mothers will never be forgotten.They have passed into the legend and myth that is the United States Marine Corps. They will be remembered with the likes of Pharaoh's Army, The Hordes of the Khan's, Alexander's Armies, the Legions of Rome. Other armed forces across the length of time will be remembered as being less than our equals. Your loved ones have been a part of something special. Something that cannot be readily conveyed by mere words. It is scant comfort in this present time, but it is a source of quiet pride to those who understand. A Marine will live forever. God will not abandon those who have been willing to sacrifice so much for others. Your son, and the sons and daughters of so many others will certainly never be forgotten, here on earth or before the throne of God. They are only words, but they are all I presently have to offer. Be at peace, Mother. Be at peace Father. Be you all at peace, for your family member will most certainly be guarding Heaven's Gates upon your own arrival there in the fullness of time. Semper Fidelis, Marine family. Be Proud.

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