PRINTER'S NO. 3209
No. 541 Session of 2004
INTRODUCED BY NAILOR, ARMSTRONG, BAKER, BALDWIN, BARD, BARRAR,
BEBKO-JONES, BELFANTI, BENNINGHOFF, BISHOP, BOYD, BROWNE,
BUNT, CAPPELLI, CAUSER, CIVERA, CLYMER, CORRIGAN, COY,
CRAHALLA, CREIGHTON, CRUZ, DALLY, DeLUCA, DENLINGER, DeWEESE,
DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, EGOLF, J. EVANS, FABRIZIO, FAIRCHILD,
FEESE, FICHTER, FLEAGLE, FLICK, FORCIER, FRANKEL, GABIG,
GEIST, GEORGE, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, GOOD, GOODMAN,
GRUCELA, HARHAI, HARPER, HARRIS, HASAY, HENNESSEY, HERSHEY,
HESS, HUTCHINSON, JOSEPHS, KELLER, KOTIK, LAUGHLIN, LEDERER,
LEH, LESCOVITZ, LEWIS, MAHER, MAITLAND, MAJOR, MANDERINO,
MANN, MARKOSEK, MARSICO, McCALL, McGEEHAN, McILHATTAN, MELIO,
R. MILLER, MUNDY, MUSTIO, O'NEILL, PALLONE, PAYNE, PICKETT,
PISTELLA, PRESTON, RAYMOND, READSHAW, REICHLEY, ROBERTS,
ROHRER, ROSS, RUBLEY, SAINATO, SATHER, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO,
SCHRODER, SEMMEL, SHANER, B. SMITH, S. H. SMITH, SOLOBAY,
STABACK, STEIL, STERN, R. STEVENSON, SURRA, TANGRETTI,
E. Z. TAYLOR, THOMAS, TIGUE, VANCE, WATSON, WEBER, WOJNAROSKI
AND YOUNGBLOOD, JANUARY 27, 2004
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
JANUARY 27, 2004
A RESOLUTION
1 Paying tribute to and honoring the memory of Staff Sgt. Kimberly
2 Fahnestock Voelz, an explosive ordnance disposal team leader
3 with the United States Army, 703d Ordnance Company, who
4 tragically lost her life while on active duty in Iraq.
5 WHEREAS, Staff Sgt. Kimberly Fahnestock Voelz was a native of
6 Monroe Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, and a 1994
7 graduate of Trinity High School in Lower Allen Township; and
8 WHEREAS, Staff Sgt. Voelz enlisted in the United States Army
9 in 1996 and chose the dangerous specialty of explosive ordnance
10 disposal; and
1 WHEREAS, Staff Sgt. Voelz completed the rigorous Explosive
2 Ordnance Disposal School in Indian Head, Maryland, where she met
3 Staff Sgt. Max Voelz, whom she married in 1999; and
4 WHEREAS, In September 2003 Staff Sgt. Voelz and her husband
5 were deployed to Iraq with the 703d Ordnance Company, United
6 States Army, as a part of Operation Enduring Freedom; and
7 WHEREAS, In Iraq Staff Sgt. Voelz saved countless lives by
8 defusing 40 explosives while leading an explosive ordnance
9 disposal team; and
10 WHEREAS, Staff Sgt. Voelz gave her life while honorably
11 serving her country on December 14, 2003, when an explosive she
12 was preparing to defuse detonated; and
13 WHEREAS, Staff Sgt. Voelz had given seven years of service to
14 the United States Army and shortly before her death had
15 reenlisted for ten more years; and
16 WHEREAS, During her service with the United States Army,
17 Staff Sgt. Voelz was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, the
18 Army Achievement Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, two Army Good
19 Conduct Medals and the National Defense Service Medal; and
20 WHEREAS, Staff Sgt. Voelz, beloved wife, daughter of Carol A.
21 Mardis Fahnestock and Floyd A. Fahnestock, Jr., and sister of
22 Mark Fahnestock, Kelly Fahnestock and Chad Fahnestock, was
23 posthumously awarded the Bronze Star with Valor, the Purple
24 Heart and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal;
25 therefore be it
26 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives express gratitude
27 for the courage, leadership and selflessness of Staff Sgt.
28 Kimberly Fahnestock Voelz and extend condolences on her heroic
29 death; and be it further
30 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
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1 Staff Sgt. Voelz's husband, Max Voelz, and her parents, Carol A.
2 Mardis Fahnestock and Floyd A. Fahnestock, Jr., with deepest
3 respect for Staff Sgt. Voelz's ultimate sacrifice in her fight
4 for freedom on behalf of the citizens of this Commonwealth and
5 our country.
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