Army Chief Warrant Officer Brian Van Dusen

ARMY CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER BRIAN VAN DUSEN

Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I rise to remember a native of Columbus, OH, a brave man who sacrificed his life to save another, that of a little Iraqi girl who had been severely injured in an explosion near the Tigris River. That man is Army CWO Brian Van Dusen. On May 9, 2003, Brian, age 39, and fellow soldiers, CWO Hans Gukeisen from Lead, SD, and CPL Richard Carl from King Hill, ID, were killed when their air medical helicopter crashed after that little girl had been safely carried away in a separate aircraft.

These three men were selfless. They were courageous. They understood how precious human freedom is and how precious human life is. At a memorial service for them at Fort Carson, CO, Chaplain James Ellison said: Our last act can demonstrate our life's purpose.

Indeed, Brian Van Dusen's purpose was to preserve and protect freedom for his children and his family, for us and our families, and, yes, for that little girl in Iraq and her family. He gave his last full measure of devotion so that a little girl whom he did not know, a little girl living in a land far away from his own children, could grow up and live her life in freedom with a future filled with hope and opportunity.

Brian Van Dusen had been flying military helicopters for 19 years. He was stationed with the 571st Air Ambulance Medical Company in Fort Carson. In fact, he voluntarily deferred a post in Germany so that he would be deployed with his own company to Iraq. He chose to go to Iraq because he believed in saving lives, and he believed in what we were doing. He wanted to go.

He did, in fact, save lives. He also wanted to bring hope to the Iraqi people, especially the children. He also wanted to serve our country.

When he left for Iraq, Brian filled his duffle bag full of lollipops that he would give to the children in Iraq. Not only did he give all of those lollipops away but he wrote letters home asking his wife to send even more.

Brian Van Dusen cared. His friends and family say he had a gentle manner; that he was a family man, a loving husband to his wife Bridgette and devoted father to his younger children Angel and Joseph and to his older children Joshua and Kelly. Bridgette described him as a selfless man and a wonderful father.

From Iraq, he took the time to write home regularly to send his love and make sure Angel and Joseph were learning to ride their mini-motorcycles. "Make sure mommy takes you riding," he wrote. He loved his children and his family with all of his heart.

Brian Van Dusen also loved NASCAR and was an avid hunter. He cherished the deer hunting trips he took with his older brother David. As David so eloquently said after Brian's death:

You just can't take anything for granted. I'm going to miss him. He was a good brother and a great father. God bless him-wherever he is.

Brian Van Dusen was a man of great devotion. He was devoted to his wife. He was devoted to his children. He was devoted to our Nation. He gave of himself in every way. He served selflessly with compassion, courage, and strength. Clare Booth Luce once said that courage is the ladder on which all other virtues mount. Without question, CWO Brian Van Dusen's courage created a ladder with rungs of great virtue. He is an American hero who will live on in our hearts and minds forever.

I yield the floor.