On the recordJune 28, 2012
just last month we commemorated Memorial Day. Memorial Day is a day of remembrance, a day of mourning, and a day of gratitude. It is a day when Americans from all walks of life gather to thank and honor the people we have lost, to honor the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country, and to acknowledge a debt that can never truly be paid. I rise today to honor Army SSG Israel Nuanes. Staff Sergeant Nuanes died on Saturday, May 12, while serving in Kandahar Province in Afghanistan. He was fatally injured by the detonation of an improvised explosive device. He was 38 years old. In the decade that our Nation has been at war in Afghanistan, thousands of men and women have volunteered to serve our country. In order to protect others, they put their own lives at risk. They leave their homes and their loved ones to defend the freedoms we hold dear. Nearly 2,000 of them, thus far, will not come home. Staff Sergeant Nuanes was from Las Cruces, NM. He lived most of his adult life as a soldier. He was assigned to the 741st Ordnance Company, 84th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Battalion, 71st Ordnance Group. He served two tours of duty in Iraq. After returning from Iraq in 2010, he enlisted for 6 more years. His unit deployed to Afghanistan earlier this year. Time and again he answered the call of his country. President Kennedy said: Stories of past courage . . . can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration.…
