Pete Domenici: “each year, our Nation observes a holiday to honor the brave men and women who have given their lives in service to this…”

“each year, our Nation observes a holiday to honor the brave men and women who have given their lives in service to this country. New Mexicans have a strong tradition of serving in the Armed Forces, and sadly a great many have given their lives in defense of our Nation. Americans from every state and all generations have served bravely and on Memorial Day we remember their sacrifice. It is with particular poignancy that this Memorial Day, we reflect on the sacrifice so many New Mexicans have made while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. I hope New Mexicans will think of these individuals and their families and on this Memorial Day I would like to share one of their stories, that of Marine Corps LCpl Christopher S. Adlesperger of Albuquerque. In late 2004, Lance Corporal Adlesperger, and his unit were deployed in Fallujah and involved in some of the fiercest fighting of the war. On one particular mission, Adlesperger and his squad were ordered to storm an insurgent-occupied building. While moving forward Adlesperger's squad began to receive heavy insurgent fire and several members of his squad were wounded and the rest were pinned down. Adlesperger took action and secured a path for the injured marines to be evacuated. Despite the fact that he was also wounded, Adlesperger continued the assault on the building. Adlesperger is credited with eliminating several insurgents and playing a pivotal role in the successful assault.”