At his 19th town hall of the year in Hood River on June 9, Rep. Walden had the privilege to recognize Kyle McCullough, a former Army Special Forces soldier and Dufur resident, who walked nearly 200 miles to raise awareness and funds for the Gorge Heroes Club, a Hood River non-profit. Below is the full text of a tribute to Kyle entered into the Congressional Record:  

Rep. Walden presents former Army Special Forces soldier and 
Dufur resident Kyle McCullough with a statement in the Congressional
Record. 

HON. GREG WALDEN
OF OREGON
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Friday, June 08, 2012  

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to pay special tribute to Kyle McCullough. Kyle, a 28-year old Wasco County resident, is a former Army Special Forces soldier who served this country with honor and distinction. In Ramadi in 2006, he fought in one of the toughest engagements our forces encountered during Operation Iraqi Freedom. And now Kyle is currently in the process of reenlisting in the Army.

While at home, his mind is not far from his comrades in harm’s way overseas. In recent conversation with his little brother, USMC 1^st Lt. Kristoffer “Turf” McCullough, currently serving in Afghanistan, he was asked: “Do people even remember that we’re over here?”

Kyle, as ever his nature, jumped into action. In May, Kyle walked a distance of 198 miles over eight days from his home in Dufur to the Oregon coast in Seaside to raise awareness for the troops. That’s an average of 24.5 miles every day, or two miles longer than the driving distance between Hood River and The Dalles.

During the trek, Kyle not only raised a few blisters on the bottom of his feet, but he also raised money for the Hood River-based Gorge Heroes Club, which provides care packages to deployed troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. With the money Kyle raised, the Gorge Heroes Club will be able to provide 1,250 soldiers overseas with morale-boosting care packages from home.

Media throughout the northwest covered Kyle’s walk—and it was not lost on deployed servicemen and women overseas, either. Oregon National Guard Major Jack Gillentine, stationed in Kabul, said in a recent letter to the Gorge Heroes Club, “Thank you very much for the packages you sent us.  Some of the non-perishable food goes on our trucks for missions when we cannot get to a chow hall.  I especially wanted to say thank you to Kyle McCullough. I read the article and I appreciate his huge effort. Thank you for all you do.”

The Gorge Heroes Club supported more than 5,000 troops last year alone. As a direct result of Kyle’s dedication and willingness to persevere through pain and exhaustion, troops deployed around the globe will continue to receive these much needed morale boosting care packages.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my fellow colleagues join me in recognizing Kyle McCullough. He has earned the thanks of a grateful nation not only for his courage on the battlefield, but for his homefront support of his fellow servicemen and women who every day put their lives on the line for our way of life.