Congressional Record: December 11, 2001 (House)
Page H9149-H9152
HONORING JOHNNY MICHEAL SPANN, FIRST AMERICAN KILLED IN COMBAT IN WAR
AGAINST TERRORISM IN AFGHANISTAN, AND PLEDGING CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR
MEMBERS OF ARMED FORCES
Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 281) honoring the ultimate
sacrifice made by Johnny Micheal Spann, the first American killed in
combat during the war against terrorism in Afghanistan, and pledging
continued support for members of the Armed Forces.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 281
Whereas as part of the war against terrorism, United States
military personnel and agents from the Central Intelligence
Agency were involved in combat with Taliban forces during a
prison uprising in Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan, on Sunday,
November 25, 2001;
Whereas Johnny Micheal Spann, age 32, an officer in the
Central Intelligence Agency, was inside the prison fortress
interviewing Taliban prisoners when the uprising began;
Whereas Spann was killed in this rebellion and is the first
American known to be killed in combat in Afghanistan during
this war;
Whereas Spann is the 79th employee of the Central
Intelligence Agency killed in the line of duty;
Whereas the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency,
George J. Tenet, hailed Spann as an American hero and will
soon memorialize him on a wall of honor;
Whereas Spann, a former Captain in the Marine Corps, is
survived by his wife, Shannon, and 3 young children; and
Whereas the thoughts and prayers of the Congress and the
Nation remain with the families of Spann and all the soldiers
fighting to ensure the Nation's freedom and safety: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress--
(1) honors Johnny Micheal Spann, a paramilitary officer in
the Central Intelligence Agency, who was the first American
killed in combat during the war against terrorism in
Afghanistan, and recognizes him for his bravery and
sacrifice;
(2) extends its deepest sympathies to the family of this
brave hero; and
(3) pledges its continued support for the men and women who
risk their lives every day to ensure the safety of all United
States citizens.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Goss) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss).
General Leave
Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
on H. Con. Res. 281.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise obviously in very strong and sad support of this resolution;
sorry that we have to have it. It is authorized by my friend and
colleague, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt).
Johnny Micheal Spann, "Mike" as he was known, served in the Central
Intelligence Agency for approximately 2 years, just long enough to
complete his training as a paramilitary and an operations officer in
the clandestine service, which is arguably the most challenging and
dangerous job in the intelligence community.
Mike was up to the challenge. In fact, he humbly accepted the
opportunity to serve his country as an intelligence officer. Prior to
joining the CIA, Mike served in the United States Marine Corps; he
loved the Corps. I think all Marines love the Corps and often spoke of
the Corps as if it was a family. And it is a family. We all know that.
He left the Corps and he joined the CIA because, in his own words,
"Somebody's got to do the things that nobody else really wants to
do."
His dedication to this country and his commitment to defending its
values and liberties highlight the quality of the men and women who
have decided to serve our great country. Mike did exactly what he set
out to do. He served his country in a way many would not or could not.
A relatively newlywed, with a newborn son and two young daughters, Mike
selflessly responded to the call to serve at the forefront of our
Nation's war against terrorism.
Half a world away, in a dusty, inhospitable and alien environment,
Mike confronted our Nation's fiercest enemy eye to eye. He did this not
because it was his job, but because he was compelled to ensure that all
people, regardless of their nationality or religion, could live without
the fear of being victims of terrorism. That is what this is about.
Mike died fighting, trying to obtain information on terrorist plans
and intentions so we could save others. Face to face against those bent
on killing innocent men, women, and children, Mike stood strong, he
stood tireless and fearless. That is the description of an American
hero and Mike was one.
Up to the moment of his death, Mike never stopped being a Marine.
"Semper Fidelis." He was always faithful. He was faithful to the
countless, nameless millions of Americans, especially those incapable
of defending themselves. Mike exemplified a breed of officer not
normally acknowledged in the public sector. He readily accepted the
risks of service, including the possibility of death, in order to
secure the safety of his fellow Americans.
His death acts as a reminder of the high cost we must sometimes pay
in order to secure our pursuit of liberty and happiness. We hold the
greatest debt to Mike and to his family. The memory of his deeds must
be held forever dear in our hearts. We pray for Mike's family and ask
God to give them strength and see them through these difficult days.
We also pray for Mike's fellow colleagues in intelligence and in the
military, who are still standing, even now, as the Nation's vanguard in
the war against terrorism.
There are many Mike Spanns out there doing dangerous hard work for
our country. God bless them all and keep them safe. But there is only
one Mike Spann for his family and his loved ones.
{time} 1730
Mr. Speaker, we share the burden of their loss today, and we want
them to know we honor him before the world from this place.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to yield the balance of my time
to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt), who is the sponsor of the
legislation, to control the time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Duncan). Is there objection to the
request of the gentleman from Alabama?
There was no objection.
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the legislation to honor Johnny
Micheal Spann, who was laid to rest yesterday with other fallen men and
women of great courage in Arlington National Cemetery. That an officer
of the CIA
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was the first combat fatality of the struggle against terrorism in
Afghanistan is a stark reminder of how dangerous and difficult the
mission of collecting intelligence can be. The gentleman from Florida
(Mr. Goss) spoke eloquently to that point. He also described Mike's
role at the CIA, and the circumstances and the danger in which he was
placed; and which, unfortunately, caused his demise.
Like 78 CIA officers before him, Mr. Spann gave his life to protect
the freedom which we hold dear and which defines us as a Nation. As we
mourn his death, it is well to remember the gifts he gave our country
through a career of service, first in the Marine Corps, and sadly,
finally, in the CIA. He went to Afghanistan because he knew that is
where his country needed him most. Our ability to respond effectively
to the events of September 11 is due in large measure to the
willingness of people like Mike to put personal considerations aside
and accept the risks inherent in their important work.
Mr. Speaker, we are joined by Mike's family in the gallery today, and
want them to know, those of us who are speaking on this resolution
speak for the entire Congress when we offer them our deepest sympathy
and condolences. No words we can say will ever be adequate to relieve
the agony that they are in. However, I would like to place in the
Record some of the words of Mrs. Spann that she said in eulogy
yesterday which eloquently describe Mike's contribution to our country.
She said, "Mike was faithful in giving his life to God and to his
colleagues, his friends, his country and his family." Mrs. Spann said
her husband "was a hero not because of the way he died, but rather
because of the way he lived. He served his country not only by risking
his life, but by being good. It seemed like when Mike took an oath to
protect the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, foreign
and domestic, that he took that oath to our family as well. He just
thought that it was really his duty as a father to protect his children
from terrorism, just as equally as he thought it was his duty to
provide a roof over their heads."
As we pay tribute to Mike Spann's sacrifice, Mr. Speaker, our
sympathies and prayers certainly go to his family, his wife, Shannon,
who is also a CIA officer; his daughter, Alison, who is here with us
today; Emily, his daughter, who is 4, is not; and his infant son, Jake,
who is with us. Their loss is incalculable. His father and mother are
with us today, and our condolences go to them. As a mother of a son 32
years old, I cannot imagine the scale of their loss; but nonetheless,
offer my prayers in sympathy.
To his children especially go our hope that they learn more clearly
of their father's life in the years to come, that they will find it a
source of pride and comfort, and that he will always be in our prayers
and in our memory.
Mr. Speaker, as we sing the praises of Micheal Spann and mourn his
death and try to comfort his family, I would like to pay tribute to
those Americans who lost lives in the so-called friendly fire incident
that occurred in Afghanistan. They have been memorialized as well, the
three Green Berets. They were Master Sergeant Jefferson Davis of
Watauga, Tennessee; Staff Sergeant Brian Cody Prosser of Frazier Park,
California; and Sergeant First Class Daniel Petithory of Cheshire,
Massachusetts. We lost two others in helicopter accidents in Pakistan.
Every one of these losses is felt by all of us in our country.
Today we mourn and pay tribute to Johnny Micheal Spann, known as
Mike, who would want us to recognize the others whose lives were
sacrificed, to end terrorism in our country, to protect Jake and Alison
and Emily, and all of the children of our country.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. ADERHOLT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring voice to my
constituents, my State, and people around the Nation who mourn the loss
of Johnny Micheal Spann, better known as Mike Spann. Mike Spann lost
his life as has already been said, in service to this country during a
prison uprising in Afghanistan on November 25, 2001. He is an American
hero and I stand to honor him today.
There are few facts about the exact circumstances of his death that
we currently know, due to the nature of the war. Mike Spann was serving
as a paramilitary officer with the CIA and was at the prison in Mazar-e
Sharif interviewing Taliban prisoners. It is believed that these
prisoners smuggled guns and grenades into the prison and used these
munitions to stage an uprising against the Northern Alliance and the
American soldiers.
Mike and a fellow CIA officer drew their weapons and attempted to
fight their way out of the prison fortress. While his fellow CIA
officer was able to escape, Mike, unfortunately, became the first
American killed in action in Afghanistan.
Before his death, he and his fellow CIA officer were able to alert
outside forces who were sent in to squelch the uprising. The bloody
battle continued for 3 days. Five other Americans were injured during
the struggle. It was not until the prison could be secured that Mike's
body was found.
Even without the full details of the prison riot during which he was
killed, we can be certain that Mike Spann died doing what he loved,
serving and fighting for his country. Since September 11, we have
witnessed an outpouring of patriotism across this Nation. Mike was
someone who overflowed with patriotism even during a time when it was
not popular. His father recently quoted Mike as saying, "Someone has
to do the right thing that no one else wants to do."
From a young age, he wanted to pursue a career in the Marines and
with either the CIA or FBI. After graduating from Winfield High School
in Marion County, Alabama, he attended Auburn University where he
earned a degree in criminal justice. He immediately pursued his next
goal, serving in the Marine Corps from 1992-1999, and he earned the
rank of captain. From there, he was recruited to work for the CIA in
special operations.
Mike is survived by his wife Shannon and three children, Alison 9,
Emily 4, and 6-month old Jake. Our prayers go out to them and the rest
of the Spann family. Mike is also survived by his parents, Johnny and
Gail Spann, and two sisters, Tonya Ingram and Tammy Dunavant. We are
glad that they can join us in the Chamber today.
Mr. Speaker, I was proud to attend the burial of Mike Spann yesterday
in Arlington National Cemetery. The cemetery is appropriate for a
fallen hero. Full military honors were given, highlighted by the
caisson, a 21-gun salute and a Marine honor guard.
It should be noted that a memorial service was also held last
Thursday in Mike's hometown in the district I represent of Winfield,
Alabama. Mike's daughter, Alison, wrote a letter to him just a short
while back, and the words of this letter should echo in our ears and
our hearts as we consider this resolution today. In her words, "Dear
Daddy, I miss you dearly. Thank you, Daddy, for making the world a
better place."
May we use this resolution today as an opportunity to thank Mike
Spann and to honor Mike Spann and the rest of the men and women
fighting the war against terrorism, and for making this world a better
place.
Today as we commemorate the 3-month anniversary of September 11, the
attack on this Nation, our hearts go out to all.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr.
Bachus), who is a strong supporter of this resolution.
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss) said
it best when the gentleman said we are sorry that we are here. We are
sorry that Johnny Micheal Spann had to die for his country. But we are
very proud of him. We are proud of his family and the way that they
have responded to this tragedy.
We honor the memory and the sacrifice that he made for his family:
The first American killed in combat by our enemy in Afghanistan. Mr.
Speaker, yesterday Mike Spann was given a well-deserved hero's burial
at a place where many of our heroes are buried, Arlington National
Cemetery. The Nation was focused on his death and on the ceremony.
Mr. Speaker, in that, the fact that the Nation has followed this
event and
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has paid respect to this fallen warrior, I think is good. It has not
always been that way.
Mr. Speaker, I remember back in 1994 when two Army rangers were
posthumously given an award at the White House after they fell in
Somalia. I remember that weekend, there was a car chase in Southern
California. Members may remember that. It led to a famous murder trial.
Mr. Speaker, there was no coverage of that ceremony at the White House,
no coverage of the burial. There was an article on page D5 of the paper
in Washington, D.C., a short article.
Mr. Speaker, the Nation has changed in many ways since September 11;
and one change for the better, Mr. Speaker, is that the Mike Spanns,
and the hundreds of thousands of young men and women like him, are
finally given a priority, a priority they should have had.
Captain Spann reenlisted in the Marines. He served the CIA, and he
did that, although his country did not make it a priority, but thank
God he made it a priority to serve and defend his country. Shortly
before his death he sent an e-mail to his family which read, "What
everyone needs to understand is these fellows hate you. They hate you
because you are an American. Support your government and your military,
especially when the bodies start coming home." Little did he or his
family or we know that the first body brought home would be his.
Mr. Speaker, my oldest son graduated from Parris Island. He is a
Marine. I can understand the pride that this family has in Mike; but I
cannot imagine what they are going through now. Their worst fears have
been realized. To lose a son, it is the natural order turned upside
down. We expect to die before our children, but the Spanns have shown
great character, great courage and great patriotism, and we can tell
where Mike got a lot of his courage and bravery and patriotism. As the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss) and others have said, this is
shattering experience for a young wife, two little girls and a baby
boy. To the family I say, they can never take one thing away, and that
is, that he was the best. I conclude by saying what the gentlewoman
from California (Ms. Pelosi) quoted Mrs. Spann as saying, Mike was a
hero not because of the way he died, but rather because of the way he
lived.
{time} 1745
Mr. Speaker, he was a good son, a good husband, a good father to his
young children, a good U.S. Marine, a good CIA agent, and a God-
fearing, patriotic American.
Semper fi, Mike Spann.
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I am very moved by the words of the
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt) and the gentleman from Alabama
(Mr. Bachus) and extend condolences to them and the people of Alabama
for the great sacrifice that they have all made as well as the Spann
family.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the
distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop), who is a member of
the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Mr. BISHOP. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time, and I
rise, Mr. Speaker, in support of this concurrent resolution in honor of
Johnny Micheal Spann, a fellow native Alabaman, the first known U.S.
combat casualty in the war in Afghanistan. This is indeed a solemn time
for all Americans as we realize the tremendous sacrifices made in our
behalf by the men and women of the United States Armed Forces, our
intelligence agencies, and by their families. We are all in awe of
their bravery, their courage, their dedication to our national security
and their willingness to endure great hardship and great risks in our
collective behalf. We give great thanks for their service, for Mike's
service to our country.
Mike Spann loved his country. He served his country. He was a friend
to each and every American citizen. Because, as the Good Book says,
"Greater love hath no man but that he lay down his life for his
friends."
We honor his memory today and extend our deepest sympathy to his
family. We are eternally grateful to him and to the brave men and women
who risk their lives as part of our intelligence community to ensure
the safety of all Americans and all freedom-loving people throughout
the world.
God bless Mike Spann. God bless his family. May God continue to bless
America.
Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Wolf), who represents the district in which Mike Spann
and his family were living.
Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues today in support of H.
Con. Res. 281, honoring Johnny Micheal Spann, the first American killed
in combat during the war against terrorism in Afghanistan. I had the
opportunity to attend the funeral yesterday, which was very moving.
Mike Spann was laid to rest yesterday with full honors at Arlington
National Cemetery. He resided with his wife and family in Manassas
Park, Virginia, in the 10th Congressional District which I represent. I
wish these kinds of resolutions never needed to be introduced. I wish
our world was a peaceful place where there was never any time of war,
when we never had to call on the brave men and women of our Armed
Forces and security agencies to fight for our freedoms. But I am
thankful that when our freedoms must be defended, we have people like
Mike Spann who are willing to lay their lives on the line for us. Our
Nation will forever be grateful to Mike Spann for his bravery and
sacrifice and to all the men and women fighting to defend our Nation
and willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice for their country and for
freedom.
Mike Spann was a young man, 32 years old. I have four children in
their thirties and one in their late twenties. He was a former captain
in the Marine Corps. He was working as an officer in the Central
Intelligence Agency. He was inside a prison fortress in Mazar-e Sharif,
Afghanistan, interviewing Taliban prisoners when a prison uprising
began on Sunday, November 25. He was brutally beaten and shot to death,
the first American known to be killed in combat in Afghanistan during
the war.
Mike Spann is the 79th employee of the Central Intelligence Agency
killed in the line of duty and will be memorialized with a star on a
wall of honor at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Let us hope
that his will be the last star that is ever necessary to be placed on
that wall.
Words are so inadequate at this time in expressing our heartfelt
sympathies to the family of this brave hero, his mom and dad and his
sisters, his wife Shannon and his three young children. But they should
know that the thoughts and prayers of a grateful Congress and Nation
remain with them.
Our thoughts and prayers are also with the thousands of men and women
in service to their country who risk their lives every day fighting to
assure our freedom and safety.
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the
distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes), a member of the
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time
under these very difficult circumstances, but I rise in strong support
of H. Con. Res. 281.
Mr. Speaker, I did not know Mike Spann. I never had the privilege or
honor of meeting him. But I have had the opportunity and the privilege
and honor of meeting many in the Central Intelligence Agency, field
agents like Mike, all doing their work in a very difficult and
dangerous environment. I would venture to say tonight that if Mike were
able to join us, he would say something along the lines of, "Just
doing my job, sir." That has been my experience in meeting men and
women of the Central Intelligence Agency.
The fact that his neighbors and friends never knew that he was
working for the CIA is a testament to the fact that Mike, like
thousands of other CIA employees all around the world, are defending
this Nation, its citizens and its freedoms with no expectation of
thanks, with no expectation of recognition.
We are here this evening under very difficult and sad circumstances,
but we are here as grateful Americans honoring an American hero, the
79th that will be honored on that wall of honor. To Shannon and to his
mom and dad and all the family and especially the children, we are all
extremely proud of the true American hero that Mike was. And we are all
mindful that the things
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that we have, the freedoms that we enjoy, are there for us because of
people like Mike.
God has blessed us with Mike. We hope that God blesses his family,
and we hope that you know how grateful we as Members of Congress are
for having had Mike Spann as a member of the Central Intelligence
Agency. A grateful Nation joins all of you in grieving.
Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Connecticut (Mr. Simmons), another strong supporter of this resolution
who sought me out early on that he wanted to be a supporter of this
resolution and to speak on it.
Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution
to honor Johnny Micheal Spann, a Central Intelligence Agency officer
who was the first American killed in the war against terrorism in
Afghanistan. He was killed on November 25, 2001, during an uprising of
Taliban and al Qaeda prisoners in northern Afghanistan. Yesterday he
was buried with full military honors in the hallowed ground of
Arlington National Cemetery.
Micheal Spann's life began in a small Alabama town and ended
tragically on the other side of the world in an ancient fort near the
city of Mazar-e Sharif. His death is a loss for his family, for the
Central Intelligence Agency, and for our country. But his memory will
live on as an example to all Americans of the values of patriotism,
courage, and sacrifice.
Although I never knew Mike Spann, I knew many like him. He was a
paramilitary officer with the Central Intelligence Agency. I also
served as a paramilitary officer with the CIA from 1969 to 1974. He
served in a war zone. I too served in a war zone with the CIA for 2
years in South Vietnam. I believe that he and I shared the view that
operations officers for the CIA, and especially paramilitary officers,
should serve on the front lines of freedom. We know that the work there
is difficult and dangerous, even deadly. The stakes are high. But that
is where a paramilitary officer needs to be if he or she is going to
get the job done. Mike knew what the risks were. He was willing to take
those risks. A grateful Nation now thanks him for his dedication and
his sacrifice.
Mr. Speaker, I represent the second district of Connecticut. Over 200
years ago, a young man named Nathan Hale was born and raised in my
district in the town of Coventry. He graduated from Yale College,
taught school, and joined the Revolutionary Army as a captain. He
volunteered for a dangerous espionage mission at the request of George
Washington, was caught by the British, sentenced and hanged as a spy.
Before his death, he is reported to say, "I only regret that I have
but one life to lose for my country."
Nathan Hale is now the official State hero of Connecticut. He is also
the first intelligence hero in American history. Johnny Micheal Spann
is the most recent intelligence hero in American history. They both
lost their lives in defense of freedom, democracy and the values of our
great Nation. May God bless them and keep them, now and forever.
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the
distinguished gentleman from Maine (Mr. Baldacci).
Mr. BALDACCI. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman for
yielding me this time and to recognize the family and to thank the
family for allowing us an opportunity to honor Micheal and at the same
time to honor all of you because you folks have endured the sacrifice
and allowed for our country to have the foundation of freedom and
liberties that we all enjoy, and that it does cost lives and that it
does impact on families.
Thank you for allowing us to have this opportunity to do it. I would
like to thank the Members from Alabama who put the resolution forward.
I know all of my colleagues will be very supportive of this.
Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I urge the passage of this resolution to send a strong bipartisan
message of solidarity with the Spann family as well as the men and
women in the intelligence community and the armed services who are
putting themselves at personal risk to defend this Nation and our
people.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I want to join in thanking the Spann family for being with us
tonight. You honor us with your presence. Mike Spann was an example of
the best that our country has to offer. Again, I want to extend the
condolences of all of our colleagues and certainly my constituents to
his mother and father who are with us, his sisters, his wife, Shannon,
their baby, Jake, and Alison and Emily. Mike Spann will always be in
our memory and in our prayers. God bless him and God bless America.
Mr. CRAMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues in honoring
Johnny Michael Spann, the first American killed in combat during the
war against terrorism in Afghanistan.
Mike Spann was born and raised in a small town in North Alabama
called Winfield. Like most kids growing up in small town America, Mike
grew up with a great love for his country. And it was this great love
of country that led Mike first to the Marine Corps, where he rose to
the rank of captain, and later to the CIA, where he fulfilled a
lifelong dream. Duty, honor, integrity, and patriotism.
Mr. Speaker, to Mike Spann these were not simply words to be
carelessly thrown about, but rather they were words that had real
meaning and were words around which he ordered his life. Indeed it was
the weight of these words that carried Mike to Afghanistan. For, Mr.
Speaker, when duty called Mike Spann answered--without hesitation and
with a quiet and steady dignity that came from an unshakeable belief in
the righteousness of his mission.
In a sand blown fort, in a war torn land far from the comforts of his
home, Mike Spann stood on the front line defending our American values
and our way of life. Unlike most, Mike Spann understood that the
freedoms we all cherish do not come without a hefty price. Sadly, he
paid the ultimate price and gave his life in defense of these cherished
freedoms. But, as his wife Shannon has said, "Mike is a hero not
because of the way that he died, but rather because of the way that he
lived." So, while we mourn his loss, we all can take comfort and pride
in the knowledge that he gave his life defending the values that shaped
and animated his life.
Today, with this resolution we honor him for his bravery and
sacrifice. And to his family, a grateful nation offers its deepest
sympathies. This nation and the world are better places because of the
sacrifice made by Johnny Michael Spann.
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Duncan). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss) that the House suspend
the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 281.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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