On the recordDecember 14, 2010
I rise today to recognize and pay tribute to SFC James E. Thode, who gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country. On December 2, 2010, he died of wounds suffered after an improvised explosive device detonated on a roadside in Sabari District, Khowst Province, Afghanistan. He was 45 years old. Sergeant First Class Thode served with the Utah National Guard, 118th Engineer (Sapper) Company, 1457th Engineer Battalion, 204th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, in Salt Lake City. His unit's mission was vitally important, as it provided route-clearance support to coalition forces. Identifying and clearing IEDs was part of their dangerous job. Sergeant First Class Thode called Farmington, NM, his home and grew up in Tucson, AZ. However, boundaries are blurred in the Four Corners area and soldiers are drawn from the neighboring states. I am proud, and, indeed, Utah is proud to call Sergeant Thode one of our own. He was one of our finest.
