HONORING SERGEANT KORT M. PLANTENBERG, CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 2 JAMES A. ROGERS, JR., AND CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 2 CHARLES P. NORD; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 204
(Senate - December 17, 2019)
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From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING SERGEANT KORT M. PLANTENBERG, CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 2 JAMES A.
ROGERS, JR., AND CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 2 CHARLES P. NORD
Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, today I rise with a heavy
heart to honor and pay tribute to three exemplary National Guard
Members from my home State of Minnesota. On Thursday, December 5, SGT
Kort M. Plantenberg, CW2 James A. Rogers, Jr., and CW2 Charles P. Nord
lost their lives when their Black Hawk UH-60 helicopter went down
southwest of St. Cloud, MN, during a routine maintenance flight.
They had just returned home from the Middle East in May after a 9-
month deployment conducting medical evacuations. Once back in
Minnesota, they had continued serving our Nation by ensuring that our
Forces would be prepared to respond the moment they were needed. After
this tragic loss, Governor Walz, a Minnesota National Guardsman for
nearly 25 years, remarked that ``we will forever be in the debt of
these warriors.'' I couldn't agree more.
Today, I would like to honor these brave men for giving what
President Lincoln called, ``the last full measure of devotion.'' We are
forever grateful for heroes like Sergeant Plantenberg, Chief Warrant
Officer 2 Rogers, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Nord.
Some who knew these extraordinary men described Sergeant Plantenberg
as ``one of the most professional individuals . . . [who] had unlimited
potential.'' Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rogers was said to be a ``calming
presence'' who could always make those around him laugh. Chief Warrant
Officer 2 Nord was described as ``lighthearted--and kind-hearted.''
Like many who serve this country, these men all had so many gifts, and
our Nation is better today because of their service and sacrifice.
During this time of unimaginable grief, I would also like to offer my
prayers and condolences to the families of these fallen heroes. I hope
they take comfort in the fact that their lives weren't lost in vain but
in support of their common goal: to serve the Nation they loved.
They will be missed, but never forgotten, as their service has
inspired us all. So now, it is up to us to preserve their memory and
support all of our brave men and women who make such an immense
sacrifice to keep our Nation strong. Our thoughts and prayers are with
their families and loved ones and with the entire Minnesota National
Guard community, at home and overseas. There is no limit to the respect
they have earned, no cap to the honor they are due, and no time when we
will not be in their debt.
Thank you.
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