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Washington, Jun 23 -

U.S. Congressman Phil Gingrey today delivered the following statement on the floor of the House of Representatives in honor of First Sergeant John Blair who was killed in action in Afghanistan last weekend:

Below, please find the video, audio and text of Congressman Gingrey’s remarks. To watch the video, click on the link below, or paste the link into your web browser.

http://content.cq.com/floorvideo/play.do?id=e34e17e41a6c0fdec2eae8ea7c0cddd83651b0e797fcece0849de12cf4db84e93ce0005eb29e7d511843ce9204bf1b0416497d8abeebda8717cf2b09473578e55a243e86c79d4323

Remarks in honor of First Sergeant John Blair
June 23, 2009
U.S. Congressman Phil Gingrey, M.D. (R-GA)

Madame Speaker, I rise to honor an American hero and patriot who gave his life in defense of our nation while serving with the Georgia National Guard in Afghanistan.  First Sergeant John Blair from Calhoun, Georgia and my 11th Congressional District was killed in action on June 20, 2009, when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle during an hour and a half long firefight with enemy forces after the convoy which he was leading was ambushed. 

Eye-witness accounts from soldiers serving alongside Sergeant Blair credit his actions with saving the lives of many of his fellow soldiers during the ambush, and as a credit to his leadership, his men kept their cool and did their jobs, even after their commanding officer fell.  Blair has been described as a true leader – both for the American troops who served with him, as well as for the 1st Brigade of the Afghan National Army’s 203rd Corps who he was in charge of mentoring.  I want to quote a couple of lines that were written about Sergeant Blair in the military publication, Stars and Stripes: “Blair was their leader.  He was tough, unrelenting.  He cursed and reprimanded and gained not just their respect, but their fondness during the months of training for their deployment in Afghanistan.  He could be harsh, but was fair and imparted to his men a sense of their potential.”

Other soldiers have echoed these comments, describing how Blair pushed them beyond their comfort levels to be their best and was even like a father figure for many of them.

Sergeant Blair carried these characteristics to his service as a Gordon County Sheriff’s Deputy and Drug Task Force Officer for many years. In addition to his great service to our nation and his community, John Blair was also a dedicated family man who was looking forward to spending quality time with his grandson when he returned home.  What an amazing example of courage, selflessness, and love of country that Sergeant Blair provided, not only for his young grandson, but for all of us. 

Madame Speaker, my prayers go out to his family, and my deepest gratitude goes out to First Sergeant Blair for his selfless sacrifice for our nation.  I ask all Members to join me in honoring the distinguished memory of First Sergeant John Blair, and I yield back the balance of my time.