Evan Bayh: “I rise today to honor the life of PFC Michael Shane Pridham, Jr. of the U.S. Army. Private Pridham was assigned to the…”

“I rise today to honor the life of PFC Michael Shane Pridham, Jr. of the U.S. Army. Private Pridham was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment. He was only 19 years old when he lost his life serving bravely in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Qalat, Afghanistan. He was 6 weeks from completing his tour of duty. Private Pridham--``Mikey'' as he was to known to his family and friends--was from Louisville, KY. He attended Southern High School before later earning his GED diploma through the U.S. Army. Today, I join Private Pridham's family and friends in mourning his death. He is survived by his wife Deidre, whom he married 2 days before deploying overseas and who is expecting the couple's first child, Aliyah, in October; his father and stepmother, Michael Shane and Andrea Pridham Sr. of New Albany, IN; his mother, Keri Allen of Louisville, KY; and his brothers, Jeffrey Pridham, Joey Pridham, Kaleb Nix and Kaden Eskridge. We take pride in the example of this American hero, even as we struggle to express our sorrow over this loss. We cherish the legacy of his service and his life. As I search for words to honor this fallen soldier, I recall President Lincoln's words to the families of the fallen at Gettysburg: ``We cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.”