Michael Burgess: “I received an announcement this morning from the Department of the Army. It is a casualty announcement that…”

“I received an announcement this morning from the Department of the Army. It is a casualty announcement that unfortunately we all receive from time to time, and it says: ``The United States Army announces the loss of Private Aaron M. Hudson, 20, of Highland Village, Texas, who died on April 16, 2005 in Taji, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. According to initial reports, Private Hudson died from injuries sustained on April 15, 2005, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his patrol. Private Hudson was assigned to the 401st Military Police Company, the 720th Military Police Battalion out of Fort Hood, Texas. Private Hudson's family resides in Highland Village, Texas. The Army extends heartfelt sympathy and condolences to his family who have suffered this loss.'' Well, Mr. Speaker, I thought I should do something to perhaps fill in a little bit more about the life of Private Hudson; and although I did not know Private Hudson, we did reside in the same city for a while. Private Hudson was a 2002 graduate of Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas. He joined the Army a year ago and left for Iraq in January, and he was serving at the 401st Military Police Company. Mr. Speaker, the majority of the information that I am going to tell the House tonight came from a newspaper article in the Dallas Morning News from Monday, April 18, 2005; and I will insert that into the Record at the conclusion of my remarks.…”