Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives on June 19, 2012 about the lives lost in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
"Last week, the number of lives lost in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan officially exceeded 2,000 American deaths."
"Over 2,000 men and women have sacrificed their own lives in this campaign alone so that we may continue to enjoy our way of life here at home."
"As we pay our respects to these fallen soldiers, it is important that we look beyond the number in order to recognize the intricacies of the lives lost since we first went to war in Afghanistan."
"Every person lost is a lost father, or son; mother, or daughter; brother, or sister; best friend, or neighbor. With every loss, there is an entire network of people who are impacted by this tremendous loss of life."
"Mr. Speaker, the scope and severity of these casualties can often times be diluted as they are compiled into statistics and reports. We must never forget that these are our family and friends who we are sending into war."
