Always on Watch

Floor Speech

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Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, my community lost three brave Palm Beach County Sheriff's Deputies in a very tragic crash: Deputy Ignacio ``Dan'' Diaz, Deputy Ralph ``Butch'' Waller, and Corporal Luis Paez.

I did know these men. I can't pretend that I knew them well, but we shared a handshake at various Veterans Days parades throughout the years, nods as we were in the same motorcade routes, and camaraderie as we fired up our Harleys and hit the road on motorcycle runs during times like the holidays, just like now.

These men, they were always present. They were always on watch because it was their calling to protect every person in our community from danger, whether they knew them well or not. They knew the hazards of their chosen profession. All day, every day, they patrolled inches away from death.

Yet, these men, they never hesitated. They never stepped aside and asked somebody else to face the danger. Each day, they woke up, they put on their badge, their body armor, they holstered their pistols, they left their families, and they went to work.

Courage for them was as natural as breathing. Plain and simple, they were warriors, strong, selfless, committed to protecting others. We thank God for these men. We thank God for their families who shared these patriots with us each and every day, and we thank God for their dedication to duty, which was a beacon of selflessness.

I ask that my colleagues rise and join me in a moment of silence to honor these brave men for their sacrifice. I would ask that the gallery rise as well since they are here listening and let us honor these deputies in a moment of silence. I ask that my colleagues rise to honor these deputies in a moment of silence.

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