The publication is reproduced in full below:
IN RECOGNITION OF THE DEDICATION OF SPC HOLLY McGEOGH MEMORIAL HIGHWAY
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HON. DEBBIE DINGELL
of michigan
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, June 22, 2021
Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the dedication of the SPC Holly McGeogh Memorial Highway in Taylor, Michigan. By dedicating this highway in the name of SPC McGeogh, an American hero who paid the ultimate sacrifice, we are ensuring that generations of Michiganders and Americans will remember her name and story of selfless courage. This ceremony held today is an important reminder to us all of her dedication and love of this country. It is important that we never forget the first female soldier from Michigan to lose her life in the war in Iraq.
As a daughter of Dearborn and Taylor, SPC McGeogh wanted nothing more than to serve her country and fight for our freedom. A lifelong Michigander and a dedicated member of our military from the very beginning, she served for four years as a Cadet in the Junior ROTC program at Truman High School in Taylor, Michigan.
From Truman High in 2002, McGeogh fulfilled her dream of joining the U.S. Army and hoped to continue her education and begin a career in Army intelligence or psychology. Upon joining the Army, SPC McGeogh was assigned to Company A, 4th Forward Support Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, and stationed at Fort Hood in Texas. She was sent to Iraq at age 19 where she served as a light truck mechanic. On January 4, 2004, while deployed in combat for Operation Iraqi Freedom, SPC Holly McGeogh and two of her fellow soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb outside of Kirkuk.
During her time overseas, she was known to eagerly volunteer for every mission and patrol and taught games like duck-duck-goose to Iraqi children. In one of her final phone calls to her parents, she reminded them that ``if she should die, we should remember that she died for a reason.'' Her family said it best, ``Holly is another reminder that our freedom truly is not free.''
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the legacy of SPC Holly McGeogh and her unwavering bravery and desire to serve our country. The dedication of the SPC Holly McGeogh Memorial Highway will ensure that all who pass through will recognize her service and honor the ultimate sacrifice that SPC McGeogh has made.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 108
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