Political Quotes

“I come to the floor today with heavy heart and sadness as we honor another fallen soldier and the life and legacy of Staff Sergeant Joseph D'Augustine, a young man from Waldwick, New Jersey. Staff Sergeant D'Augustine was killed on March 27, 2012, while conducting combat operations in Afghanistan. It was just 1 day after graduating from Waldwick High School in 2001 that this young man enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He was assigned to the 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force. He served two tours of duty in Iraq, and was just 2 weeks away from completing his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. Staff Sergeant D'Augustine worked as an explosive ordnance disposal tech. What does that mean? That means that he went ahead of the other soldiers, marines, and airmen and was the one that cleared the way for them so they could go on and do their work. And so it was with this greatest act of sacrifice possible that Staff Sergeant D'Augustine gave his life while protecting his fellow men and women in uniform. He was just 29 years old. We're never going to know the number of lives that he was able to save in his work. But the tremendous outpouring of love and support that we have seen for his family in the days since his death perhaps provided a glimpse into the number of people that he touched in his short life.…”