Joseph T. Burns: “this week, I learned of another young person from Montana who had been killed in Iraq. PFC Andrew Bedard was only 19 and…”

“this week, I learned of another young person from Montana who had been killed in Iraq. PFC Andrew Bedard was only 19 and died Monday when the Humvee he was driving hit a roadside bomb. Andrew Bedard was from Missoula and a 2004 graduate of Hellgate High School. He joined the Marine Corps shortly after graduation and had only finished basic training earlier this year in San Diego. He had been in Iraq for close to only one month, when his life ended because of another improvised explosive device, or ``IED'' while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in the Al Anbar province. The military had recently launched a new offensive against insurgents in western Iraq. Those who knew him best describe Andrew as a personable, positive guy who was friends with most people he ran into and cared a great deal about his family and friends. I actually met Andrew a few years ago when he and I were involved in a fender bender in Missoula. He was courteous and respectful, and I can say that he was a fine young man. Like me, Andrew was in the U.S. Marine Corps. If they can find solace in anything, his loved ones must know that his country is proud of his honorable service in upholding the freedoms and ideals which make this country great. My heart and prayers go out to the Bedard family, as well as the loved ones of all others lost in this War on Terror.…”