Barbara Mikulski: “today we reach a milestone in Iraq. Two thousand U.S. service members were killed, including four Marylanders. A few…”

“today we reach a milestone in Iraq. Two thousand U.S. service members were killed, including four Marylanders. A few weeks from now we will be celebrating Thanksgiving. For 2,000 families, there will be forever and a day an empty chair. The 2,000 members of our armed services who died, we cannot think about them in numbers and statistics. We in Maryland have lost 42 soldiers, and most recently we have lost 5 in just this last week alone. Each individual left behind a legacy, a unique story. Today, as I come to the Senate floor, I wanted to remember the five young men who died in the last 10 days, tell you their names, and tell you a little bit about them. Army SGT Brian R. Conner, Army SPC Samuel M. Boswell, Army SPC Bernard L. Ceo, Marine LCpl Norman W. Anderson, III, Army SPC Kendell K. Frederick. Our condolences go out to their families, as well as our gratitude and our appreciation for those who have died. To honor those who have died, we must remember the way they lived. Let me just tell you about them. SGT Brian Connor was only 36, a member of the Maryland National Guard's 243rd Engineer Company. He was one of three Army National Guardsmen killed on October 14 northwest of Baghdad. Their humvee carrying munitions was set on fire and detonated. The ammunition exploded and all three died. Sergeant Conner, Specialist Boswell, and Specialist Ceo. Sergeant Conner was a lieutenant in the Baltimore Fire Department. He joined in 1993. But he was a real star.…”