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[Pages S3625-S3626]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES
______
LANCE CORPORAL BRENT ZOUCHA
Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, I rise to continue my tribute to
Nebraska's heroes and the current generation of men and women who have
given their lives while defending our freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Each of these Nebraskans has a powerful story to tell. I will reflect
today upon the life of LCpl Brent Zoucha of the Marine Corps.
Brent was born in Central City, NE, but he grew up in nearby Clarks,
which is a small town of about 350 residents. While growing up, Rita,
Brent's mother, described him as having a great smile and always
goofing around. Brent was the youngest of four. He had two older
brothers, Dominic and Dyrek, and an older sister, Sherri.
As the youngest of the bunch, Brent had to learn to adapt in the
household. This would require him to wake up early to ensure he would
have hot water when he got ready for the day. He was also known for
acquiring his brother Dyrek's clothes as they were similar in size and
only a few years apart.
Brent loved sports cars--a passion that pushed him to work at the
local gas and oil shop at the age of 14. Because he was an easygoing
youngster, Brent got along with all of his siblings extremely well. He
loved sports and followed many professional teams, especially the New
York Yankees and the Green Bay Packers. He had a very large baseball
card collection and a special interest in the legendary Babe Ruth.
While living in Clarks, Brent developed his athletic ability and
participated in basketball and track and field. His 6-foot-5-inch frame
made him a perfect fit for both basketball and the high jump, and he
was excellent at both. Rita, Brent's mother, fondly remembers the day
that Brent came home while holding the rim and parts of the backboard
to the basketball hoop at the school. He told her he had dunked the
basketball so hard that he had broken the entire hoop. While Rita was
worried about paying for a replacement, all Brent could do was laugh
and smirk at his great athletic achievement.
Like many small town Nebraskan boys, Brent also spent much of his
time hunting and fishing. He also had a strong bond with his animals
and even trained one of his chickens to fly onto his shoulder on
command. During high school, when Brent wasn't working at Pollard
Propane & Oil, he could be found hanging out with his friends on the
weekend or with Meghan Hammond, his long-time girlfriend.
[[Page S3626]]
While in high school, his older brother Dyrek enlisted in the U.S.
Marine Corps, and Brent was inspired by his service to serve our
country. Shortly after graduating from High Plains Community High
School in May of 2005, Brent enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. The
extreme discipline that his brother and other marines routinely
displayed greatly interested him. He graduated from the Marine Corps
Depot at San Diego in September of 2005.
He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine
Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force in Twentynine Palms, CA, which
was the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center. Coincidentally, he was
assigned to the exact unit his older brother Cpl Dyrek Zoucha was in.
Shortly after arriving at Twentynine Palms, he and his brother found
out they would both soon be deployed to Al Anbar Province in Iraq.
This particular area of Iraq saw the majority of its fighting and
counterinsurgency from 2004 until 2007. So Brent arrived in the heat of
battle. Initially, fighting between insurgents and the marines in this
area involved heavy urban warfare. However, the strategy evolved to
focus on ambushing soldiers and Iraqi security forces.
While he was on deployment, Rita would send Brent care packages and
talk on the phone with him when she could. She remembers talking on the
phone with him in early June and sending him a care package of fig
cookies and the game of Monopoly for a reminder of his hometown
comfort, but this was the last conversation they would have and the
last care package Rita would send to Brent. While conducting a combat
mission on June 9, 2006, Brent and four other marines came across an
IED. Tragically, Brent and the four other marines lost their lives due
to the wounds they sustained.
The entire Central Nebraska community was in complete shock upon
learning of Brent's death. Services were held on June 21, 2006, at St.
Peter's Catholic Church in Clarks, and the funeral took place at the
Calvary Cemetery. American flags and Patriot Guard Riders lined the
streets from the church to the cemetery. Rita later received condolence
letters from all over the United States, including from President
George W. Bush, then-Senator Hagel, Governor Schwarzenegger, and
numerous fellow soldiers and marines. Rita continues to honor those who
have served by working at the local VFW.
If you visit Clarks today, you will see Brent Zoucha Memorial Lane,
which has been dedicated in his honor. Rita will always cherish Brent
as the ideal son who loved his life and everyone around him. I am
honored to tell his story.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Scott of Florida). Without objection, it
is so ordered.
____________________
