On the recordNovember 16, 2015
I come to the floor of the Senate today to talk about the sacrifice of one of Oklahoma's own, MSG Joshua Wheeler of Roland, OK, Sequoyah County, America. The current Presiding Officer today is Senator Inhofe, and the two of us together recognize and celebrate the life of someone who laid down his life for the Nation. Roland and Muldrow are proud towns in eastern Oklahoma. It is Cherokee country, where families take care of other families and small- town American patriotism still thrives. It is the land of tall trees and very strong churches. Josh was killed in action on October 22 while liberating captives held by ISIL in northern Iraq. Josh was part of a team assisting Kurdish commandos to rescue 70 hostages who were about to be executed by Islamic State militants. There was aerial reconnaissance that had shown a newly dug mass grave at the prison where these 70 prisoners were being held. When the Kurdish attack on the prison where the hostages were being held stalled, Master Sergeant Wheeler responded. He could not watch the Kurdish forces face the attack without help. He would not allow those men inside the facility to face execution when he could help them escape. Master Sergeant Wheeler breached the wall. He engaged the enemy. The full force of the attack came directly at him, and he saved the day and six dozen men. You need to know that Master Sergeant Wheeler was the best of the best, the most highly trained warrior in the entire Department of Defense.…





