Max Baucus: “this month we mark the 10th anniversary of the United States-led invasion of Iraq. With more veterans per capita than…”

“this month we mark the 10th anniversary of the United States-led invasion of Iraq. With more veterans per capita than nearly any other State, Montanans proudly answer when duty calls. The Book of John, chapter 15, verse 13 says: ``Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.'' On this anniversary, we remember the Montanans and all Americans who laid down their lives in the name of freedom. On my family ranch near Wolf Creek, MT, there is a willow tree that sways in the wind and stretches in the Sun. On July 29, 2006, my nephew, Marine Cpl Phillip Baucus, was killed during combat operations in Iraq's Al Anbar Province. He was just 28 years old. He was laid to rest on the same mountain where my father lies, the same ranch where he had married his lovely Katharine less than 1 year earlier. Phillip was a bright and dedicated young man. He was like a son to me. My brother John and I planted that willow tree on the ranch in memory of Phillip. We also planted a pine tree nearby. I am not the only Montanan who has grieved. Forty Montanans have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. We grieve for them all. We miss them all. We must honor their courage by living up to the ideals they died to defend. We must also honor their sacrifice by supporting the troops who come home forever changed. Thousands come home with traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other injuries.…”