Watch Sen. Johnson's remarks on the Senate floor here.

WASHINGTON — Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, took to the Senate floor Thursday to pay tribute to Senior Airman Quinn Johnson-Harris. Earlier this month, the 21-year-old from Milwaukee lost his life while serving in Afghanistan. He, along with five other airmen and five civilian passengers, died when a C-130 crashed upon takeoff from Jalalabad Air Field. Johnson attended Johnson-Harris’ funeral service in Milwaukee last week.

“It is my solemn duty and particular honor to tell you about Airman Johnson-Harris,” Johnson said on Thursday. “For 239 years, our service men and women have guarded our freedom, more than 42 million of them. Since the Revolutionary War, more than 1 million of those heroes have given their lives, including more than 27,000 sons and daughters of Wisconsin. Now, Airman Johnson-Harris has been added to that terrible toll.”

“I saw the grief of Airman Johnson-Harris’ family this past weekend,” he continued. “I saw the respect they had for him and the honor granted him by a family that knows the meaning of earned honor. Quinn swore to support and defend the constitution of the United States, to put his life on the line for the liberties we all enjoy. We must never take that kind of dedication for granted.”

Watch Sen. Johnson’s remarks here, or below.

Full text of the speech:

Mr. President, I come to the floor today to pay tribute to one of the finest among us, a young man from Wisconsin whose service to his country was cut short by tragedy in Afghanistan.

Senior Airman, Quinn Lamar Johnson-Harris, a 21-year-old from Milwaukee, was among the six airmen and five civilian passengers who lost their lives when a C-130 crashed on takeoff from Jalalabad Air Field in Afghanistan earlier this month. Every one of those people was a grave loss to our country. Every one deserves to be remembered and revered before the Senate.

It is my solemn duty and particular honor to tell you about Airman Johnson-Harris.

Quinn graduated from Homestead High School in Mequon, Wisconsin, in 2012. The next year, he joined the Air Force.  It was a foregone conclusion that he would serve his long before that, however.

His grandfather served in Vietnam. His oldest brother, Jeremy, is a proud Marine. And his other older brother Lamar, graduated from West Point just last spring and is now proudly serving in the Army. His mother told the story about how her three sons – Quinn was only two years old at the time – saluted at the grave of their grandfather and vowed to serve their country.

Mr. President, for men such as these, our nation is eternally grateful.

Quinn went to help rebuild houses in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina while he was still in school. Later, when he served in the Air Force, he was “the heart of the squadron,” a comrade said to a reporter. “He was the best of us,” that sergeant said.

For 239 years, our service men and women have guarded our freedom, more than 42 million of them. Since the Revolutionary War, more than 1 million of those heroes have given their lives, including more than 27,000 sons and daughters of Wisconsin.

Now, Airman Johnson-Harris has been added to that terrible toll. His brothers, his sister, Fa-tia , his parents, Yvette and LaMar, and all his family and friends grieve the loss. Our hearts go out to them, and we pray that they will find peace and comfort.

I saw the grief of Airman Johnson-Harris’ family this past weekend during his funeral service at Christian Faith Fellowship Church in Milwaukee. I saw the respect they had for him and the honor granted him by a family that knows the meaning of earned honor. Quinn swore to support and defend the constitution of the United States, to put his life on the line for the liberties we all enjoy.  We must never take that kind of dedication for granted. We owe him the honor of taking our own corresponding oath of duty as seriously as he took his.

May God bless Airman Johnson-Harris’ loved ones. May He guard all those in our armed forces who defend our nation’s liberty.  And may God bless this country with peace.

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