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Floor Speech

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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Captain Eleanor LeBeau Cooke.

To friends and family, she was known as Ellie, the fifth of eight children of David and Victoria LeBeau. She graduated from Althoff Catholic High School in 2012 before attending Murray State University in Kentucky.

In 2018, she answered the call of service and joined the Marine Corps and became an Osprey pilot. It was in the Marines where she met her beloved husband, Chase.

Ellie received the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon. In March of this year, she was promoted to captain.

Three weeks ago, Ellie lost her life in a V-22 Osprey crash on a training mission off the coast of Australia. Two of her fellow marines also passed away.

Her family and her home community in St. Clair County mourn her loss, as do countless other southern Illinoisans. She was special. As her obituary noted, ``There was just something about Ellie.''

Our prayers go out to Chase and to the entire LeBeau and Cooke families at this very difficult time.

Semper Fidelis, Captain Eleanor LeBeau Cooke. Your impact on our Nation will be remembered.

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