Press Releases
For Immediate Release
Contact: Ben Carnes or Kate Middleton 202-225-4576
Congressman Trent Franks on Death of Staff Sergeant Martin Apolinar
June 1st, 2011 - Responding to the news that Army Staff Sergeant Martin R. Apolinar, a Glendale native and member of the Airborne Special Forces, was killed Sunday in Afghanistan by an improvised explosive device, Congressman Trent Franks (AZ-02) released the following statement:
"Though I did not personally know Staff Sergeant Apolinar, he is nonetheless directly responsible for the very freedom that I, my two-year-old twins, and millions of other Americans enjoy, as he woke up on a daily basis prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that those of us back home could continue to walk in the sunlight of freedom.
"No words I can express to Sergeant Apolinar's loved ones are adequate to quell the unbearable grief caused by this tragedy, but I hope some solace will be found in the fact that Sergeant Apolinar's selfless heroism is representative of the very best humanity has to offer. Truly, we can never repay the incredible debt owed him."
Congressman Franks is serving his fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives and is a member of the Judiciary Committee, where he serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and a member of the Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law. He is also a member of the Armed Services Committee, where he serves on the Strategic Forces Subcommittee and the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities.
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