[Senator Pryor submitted the following statement to the Congressional Record]
It is with a heavy heart that today I honor Lance Cpl. Richard R. Penny from Greenland, Arkansas, and pay tribute to his life and service to our country.
Lance Cpl. Penny was a machine gunner assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. In March of this year, he was deployed to Afghanistan’s Helmand province, an opium-producing region at the epicenter of the war on terror. He served with valor and distinction, earning numerous awards including the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
Lance Cpl. Penny was an “all-American” man, an all-conference defensive tackle for Greenland High School’s football team and voted “class favorite” by his peers. He loved to hunt and fish and drive back roads in his four-wheel-drive pick-up he called “Skeeter.” Those who knew him described him as “tough as nails,” and said the word “quit” was not part of his vocabulary.
Greenland police officer Michael Huber perhaps best described Lance Cpl. Penny’s life and the impact he had on others when he said to a local TV station: “Here in our town, there are people we look up to. Richard Penny was one of those. He’ll still be somebody we can look up to. Because he paid the ultimate sacrifice on the altar of freedom.”
Today I join all Arkansans in lifting up Lance Cpl. Penny’s family, friends, and all those who loved him during these challenging times. We will never forget his courage, his honor, and the life he gave for our country.
