Political Quotes

“I rise today, along with my colleague from Rhode Island, to pay tribute to SGT Dennis Weichel, a Rhode Islander who served in the Rhode Island National Guard. On March 22, Sergeant Weichel was in a convoy with his unit in Laghman Province, Afghanistan. Some children were in the road and Sergeant Weichel and other troops got out to move the children to safety. Most of the children moved out of the way, but one little girl went back to the road. As an MRAP approached, Sergeant Weichel pulled her out of the vehicle's path, but in doing so he was hit by the vehicle. He was medically evacuated to Jalalabad Medical Treatment Facility, where a surgical team worked to stabilize him. But, tragically, he died from his injuries. Because of his heroic actions, the little girl he saved was unharmed in the accident. He will be laid to rest this Monday in Rhode Island, a hero--someone who exemplifies the qualities of the American soldier: selfless sacrifice for others. Sergeant Weichel joined the National Guard in 2001. He was posthumously promoted to sergeant. He previously deployed to Iraq as a member of Detachment 2, Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, of the 172nd Infantry, Mountain. In November 2011, he mobilized for deployment to Afghanistan with the 1st Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment.…”