Ted Poe: “to be a police officer or a member of the United States military is a gift, a sacrifice; and it is an honor. The uniform…”

“to be a police officer or a member of the United States military is a gift, a sacrifice; and it is an honor. The uniform they wear is a commitment to protecting society, guarding the weak, giving back to the community, and fighting the forces of evil. Every day, they risk their lives, and tonight I want to talk about one of these of the rare breed. Ryan Adam Miller from Pearland, Texas, and 19 years of age, was a third generation marine. His grandfather was a marine in the great World War II. His father Frank was a marine in Vietnam. Ryan was so committed to a future defending others, he graduated from high school early just so he could enlist into the United States Marine Corps and follow in the footsteps of Dad and Granddad, those who came before him. While Ryan loved the Corps, his dream didn't end with service to his country. He has another wish, another sacrifice he wanted to make. He wanted to finish his military career in the Marine Corps and join another force, the very same police force both his mother and father gave decades of their lives to. Both Ryan's parents served for years in the Houston Police Department. I know both of them because of my experience as a prosecutor and as a judge. At the last Houston Police Department cadet graduation this summer, I spoke to Ryan's mother Jeannie, who told me her son was coming back to Houston after he finished his tour of duty in Iraq to be a Houston police officer. This dream was almost a reality.…”