Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of my constituent, United States Army Specialist Rel Allen Ravago IV of the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division, who was killed in action on November 23, 2003 in Mosul, Iraq when hostile forces attacked his Army vehicle.
After graduating from Hoover High School in Glendale, Specialist Ravago soon joined the United States Army and was deployed to Iraq in May 2003. He was due to return home next March at the end of his four-year tenure in the Army. From all accounts, he was a dedicated and enthusiastic soldier who served our country with courage and distinction.
A talented artist and honorable soldier, Specialist Ravago's family, friends and fellow servicemen have spoken with admiration and veneration of his commitment to duty, his dedication to his unit and his love of country and family.
Students at Hoover High recently erected a patriotic memorial of red, white and blue carnations mixed with American flags, containing a short, but poignant message attached: ``You'll be missed.''
Friends, family and loved ones remember Ravago as a popular student who played in Hoover High's drum corps and studied martial arts. His former teachers describe him as ``radiating joy and a love of life'' with a ``smile that you could see from miles away.''
I recently had the opportunity to meet with Specialist Ravago's parents and grandfather following his death. They told me how proud they were of their son and grandson, how proud he was to serve his country and how much they would always miss him. Our nation owes his family a debt we can never repay and Specialist Ravago will never be far from our thoughts. His sacrifice and those of other soldiers who have fallen on the field of battle have kept our nation free.
On behalf of the United States Congress, I wish to once again, bestow our most heartfelt appreciation for Army Specialist Rel Allen Ravago's service and sacrifice for the United States of America. To his family and loved ones: your son, your brother, your grandson, your nephew, your cousin and your friend, served our country with honor and nobility and he will be missed.