Honoring Corporal Daegan William-Tyeler Page

Floor Speech

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Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, last Friday, I joined Nebraskans to honor the dignified return of Cpl Daegan William-Tyeler Page of the U.S. Marine Corps, one of 13 servicemembers killed in the terrorist attack at the Kabul airport. It was heartbreaking, but to see the thousands of people who lined the streets of Omaha between Eppley Airfield and Braman Mortuary was truly amazing. The outpouring of honor by the community during the procession was a solemn display of Nebraskans' love for one another and for this country. Nebraskans showed their gratitude for Corporal Page's service and offered support to his grieving family.

Corporal Page was only 23 years old when his life was needlessly cut short in Kabul. He was born in Iowa, but his family moved to Nebraska when he was 5.

He was a proud U.S. marine. He enlisted shortly after graduating from Millard South High School in Omaha. He was stationed in Pendleton, CA, but multiple deployments took him all around the world, to Japan, South Korea, Australia, Jordan, and Afghanistan.

After he finished his service, he planned to attend trade school in Nebraska, hoping to eventually become a lineman.

Corporal Page was also a beloved son, brother, grandson, and friend. He was especially adored by his younger siblings. To them, his family said, he was not just a hero in the Marines; he was their real-life hero, too.

And he had a soft spot in his heart for animals, most of all his three dogs.

He loved hockey. He played on a State champion club team in high school, Omaha Westside. And he was a diehard fan of the Chicago Blackhawks.

He was a member of Boy Scout Troop 331, where he gained an appreciation for the outdoors and of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Millard.

Hunting and being outside with his dad were among his favorite ways to spend his time, but he was also an avid skateboarder, amateur photographer, and an excellent sketch artist.

His family has asked Americans to remember him for his ``fun-loving spirit, tough outer shell, and [his] giant heart.''

Corporal Page's dignified return to Omaha came just 1 day before the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, which brought us to Afghanistan in the first place. He was just 3 years old on September 11, 2001, and his death came at the very end of a war that had lasted nearly his entire lifetime.

We are also going to hear this afternoon about the other servicemembers who lost their lives in Kabul on August 26. Like Corporal Page, most of these men and women had their whole lives ahead of them. Like Corporal Page, most of them were probably too young to have any memory of the event that took us to the country where they gave their lives. His sacrifice and that of these 12 other servicemembers must not be in vain. It is now up to us, both here in Congress and in our daily lives across this country, to live up to the lofty example that is set by their selflessness.

I ask that we remember him and his family in our prayers and that he rest in peace.

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