HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
>> IT IS MY OFFICIAL AND SAD
HONOR TO WELCOME OFFICER BRIAN
SICKNICK AND MANY WHO LOVED,
RESPECTED AND WERE PROTECTED BY
HIM TO THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL
ROTUNDA FOR A RECOGNITION OF HIS
LIFE.
TO BRIAN’S PARENTS, GLADYS AND
CHARLES, HIS PARTNER SANDRA, HIS
BROTHER KEN AND CRAIG AND THE
ENTIRE SICKNICK FAMILY AND THE
CAPITOL POLICE FORCE, THANK YOU
FOR GIVING CONGRESS THIS
PRIVILEGE OF HONORING BRIAN WITH
THIS CEREMONY.
WE HAVE HEARD FROM YOU, FROM
BRIAN’S BROTHERS KEN AND CRAIG,
THAT HE WAS THE KINDEST OF ALL,
THE FITTEST OF ALL, JUST A VERY
SPECIAL PERSON AND, AGAIN, WE
HEARD FROM HIS ENTIRE FAMILY AS
DISTINGUISHED LEADER SAID, WHAT
A SPECIAL PERSON HE WAS.
HOW KIND HE WAS.
AND WE KNOW FROM HIS SERVICE ON
THE CAPITOL POLICE FORCE HOW
PATRIOTIC HE WAS.
WE GATHER TODAY UNITED IN GRIEF,
GRATITUDE AND SOLEMN
APPRECIATION FOR THE SERVICE AND
SACRIFICE OF OFFICER BRIAN
SICKNICK.
RESPECT HIS SERVICE CERTAINLY AS
A MEMBER OF THE CAPITOL POLICE
FORCE, BUT ALSO AS A PATRIOT TO
HIS COUNTRY IN OTHER ARENAS.
IN 1997 HE JOINED THE NEW JERSEY
AIR NATIONAL GUARD UNDER WHICH
HE WAS DEPLOYED TWICE TO DEFEND
OUR NATIONAL SECURITY.
AND IN 2008 HE CONTINUED THAT
COMMITMENT WHEN HE JOINED THE
UNITED STATES CAPITOL POLICE.
WE SAW LAST NIGHT HOW BRIAN’S
PATRIOTIC SERVICE COMMANDED THE
RESPECT WITH A VISIT BY THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
AND THE FIRST LADY, WHO CAME TO
PAY RESPECTS TO BRIAN.
NOW TODAY THE PRESENCE OF
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS IS THE
TESTAMENT TO THE GREAT RESPECT
THAT SO MANY HAVE FOR BRIAN AND
FOR THE CAPITOL POLICE FORCE.
AS WE ARE JOINED BY THE CAPITOL
POLICE FORCE, MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS, THE SECRETARY OF
DEFENSE, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, OUR MAYOR
OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND
MEMBERS OF THE METROPOLITAN
POLICE AND WE THANK THEM FOR
THEIR SERVICE.
AGAIN, MEMBERS OF THE CAPITOL
POLICE AND OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT
LEADERS.
OUR PROMISE TO BRIAN’S FAMILY IS
THAT WE WILL NEVER FORGET HIS
SACRIFICE.
WE MUST BE VIGILANT AS WHAT
PRESIDENT LINCOLN REFERRED TO AS
THE HARSH ARTILLERY OF TIME.
WE WILL NEVER FORGET.
WITH YOUR PERMISSION, MAY WE BE
WORTHY TO CARRY BRIAN IN OUR
HEARTS.
WE WILL NEVER FORGET.
EACH DAY WHEN MEMBERS ENTER THE
CAPITOL THIS TEMPLE OF DEMOCRACY
WE WILL REMEMBER HIS SACRIFICE
AND OTHERS THAT DAY WHO FOUGHT
SO HARD TO PROTECT THE CAPITOL
AND THE CONGRESS.
AND THROUGHOUT OUR NATION’S
HISTORY, INCLUDING OFFICER JACOB
CHESTNUT AND DETECTIVE JOHN
GIBSON AND WE ARE BLESSED TO BE
JOINED TODAY BY OFFICER
CHESTNUT’S WIFE GWEN LYNN.
THE COURAGE OF THESE HEROES
BRINGS HONOR, BRINGS LUSTER TO
OUR CONSTITUTION AND OUR
DEMOCRACY.
IT IS FITTING THIS DAY THAT WE
HAVE BEEN GRACED BY A
PERFORMANCE OF "AMERICA THE
BEAUTIFUL" BY THE AIR FORCE BAND
SINGING SERGEANTS, APPROPRIATE
BECAUSE, AGAIN, BRIAN WAS A
MEMBER OF THE AIR FORCE NATIONAL
GUARD.
AND THEY SANG "OH BEAUTIFUL FOR
HEROES PROVED IN LIBERATING
STRIP, WHO MORE THAN SELF THEIR
COUNTRY LOVE AND MERCY MORE THAN
LOVE."
THROUGH THE HEROISM OF OFFICER
SICKNICK AND ALL WHO DEFEND OUR
GREAT COUNTRY GOD HAS TRULY SHED
HIS GRACE ON US, ON AMERICA,
FROM SEA TO -- BROTHERHOOD FROM
SEA TO SHINING SEA.
MAY IT BE A COMFORT TO OFFICER
SICKNICK’S FAMILY THAT SO MANY
MOURN WITH THEM AND PRAY FOR
THEM DURING THIS SAD TIME.
MAY IT BE A BLESSING FOR US TO
HAVE -- MANY OF US WHO HAVE
KNOWN BRIAN SICKNICK, THOSE OF
US WHO NOW ADMIRE HIM, THAT WE