[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 8] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 10978] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]HONORING THE LIFE OF SERGEANT JOSEPH FORD OF KNOX, INDIANA ______ HON. JOE DONNELLY of indiana in the house of representatives Thursday, May 22, 2008 Mr. DONNELLY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember Sergeant Joseph Ford, originally of Knox, Indiana. Sergeant Ford was a proud member of Bravo Troop First Battalion 152nd Cavalry 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the Indiana Army National Guard. He died on May 10 when his vehicle rolled over during a training exercise near Al Asad, Iraq. While his death leaves us all mourning a life cut short, I also wish to celebrate the life of this tremendous young man. For most of that life, Sergeant Ford was simply known as Joey. When Peggy Shidaker, his high school French teacher, learned of his death, she said ``He enjoyed life and we enjoyed having him,'' and she noted how he had been a student who made her laugh. Maybe he made her laugh because he genuinely enjoyed school and learning and made frequent trips back to Knox High School to visit his old teachers after he graduated. This love of learning showed up throughout his life; one of the first things Lieutenant Josh Chastain noticed about Joey after he joined the National Guard was his interest in world and military history. Lieutenant Chastain noted, ``He was a really intelligent kid. He knew a lot.'' This passion and interest in history, both ancient and modern, led Joey to varied interests: he loved to fence, and he aided a school production of The Three Musketeers by choreographing the fight sequences. It also led him to leave Knox following high school to attend the University of Southern Indiana and major in history. But Joey's passion in history reflected a passion for his country. This passion--this patriotism--kindled in him the desire to serve his country. And Joey did not only want to serve, he wanted to serve in the infantry, joining a National Guard unit based in New Albany rather than one more conveniently located in Evansville, where he was in USI's ROTC program. He was so dedicated that when he looked at military service following high school, he realized he had to do a lot of work to meet the fitness requirements; he did not hesitate to put in that effort, and he ended up losing seventy pounds to fulfill his dream of serving. He became a proud member of the Indiana Army National Guard. Peggy Shidaker remembered him once again returning to Knox High School following his enlistment, ``He was so proud that he came back to tell me he was going into the National Guard, and we were really proud of him and happy for him. He found his passion in serving his country.'' The passion to serve his country did not stop at the water's edge: Lieutenant Chastain noted that Ford wanted to be the gunner on an armored vehicle rather than the driver and said of Joey, ``He exemplified what a dedicated soldier is.'' This dedication is honored in his posthumous promotion from Specialist to Sergeant and the awarding of a Bronze Star. Great as his love of country was, he loved his family even more, in particular his parents, Dalarie and Sam, and his wife Karen. Married just last June, Joey had met the love of his life during his time at the University of Southern Indiana. His friend and fellow Guardsman, Keith Auspland, noted that his conversations with Joey during training and in Iraq generally ended not with concerns about the mission but rather with concern for his family. Ausland wrote in his tribute to Joey that ``Joe was a new husband and loved his wife dearly.'' Having deployed to Iraq in March, Joey had his goal of returning to Indiana in June to celebrate his anniversary with his wife. When his mother Dalarie was asked the one thing she would want her son remembered for she said, ``He was just so kind to everybody. At the memorial service, it was amazing just to see all the unique people who loved Joey. He never wrote off anyone and was friends with everybody: all shapes, sizes, and walks of life. He was a gentle soul.'' Today I honor and remember this gentle soul, this man who loved his wife and family, and followed his love of his country to service in a foreign land. Yet at the same time, I acknowledge our grief. He will be missed. May God bless Joey, his family, his fellow soldiers, and his country as we celebrate his life, and share in this collective sorrow. ____________________