Ted Poe: “in America's first war, fighting for freedom it was said by Patrick Henry, the great orator, ``The battle, sir, is not…”

“in America's first war, fighting for freedom it was said by Patrick Henry, the great orator, ``The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active and to the brave.'' We are fortunate that those words still ring true today and that American soldiers overseas carry those values into battle. One such warrior was Staff Sergeant Eric Duckworth. Army Staff Sergeant Eric Duckworth was killed in the line of duty in Iraq just a few days ago, on October 10, when he was leading a convoy and his vehicle was hit by an IED, an improvised explosive device, on the side of the road. Madam Speaker, Sergeant Duckworth was 26 years of age and on his second tour in Iraq. He graduated from Clear Lake High School in Houston, Texas, in 1999, and while in high school, he wanted to participate in the military, so he joined the Reserve Officers Training Corps, the ROTC. Of course, as soon as he graduated from high school, he joined the United States Army.”