By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

CONGRESSWOMAN Madeleine Z. Bordallo has issued statements of condolence to the airman who was lost in Tarague Beach and the CNMI Marine who died in the line of duty in Iraq.
Airman First Class Michael McDonald, 21, was swept over the reef at Tarague Beach 11:15 a.m. on Saturday. McDonald was with four others when the incident happened.
Bordallo said she was deeply saddened at the tragic and untimely death of McDonald.
“The men and women who serve in the armed forces here on island are a part of our community and we share their loss today. I join our island community in extending our sympathy to the Air Force family at Andersen, and in praying for Airman 1st Class McDonald’s family, friends, and his fellow service members. May God Bless Airman 1st Class Michael McDonald and his family,” Bordallo said.
McDonald was deployed to Andersen Air Force Base from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota with the 36th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.
McDonald, along with nearly 200 other airmen, and six B-52s, was deployed to Guam to support the war on terror. According to online U.S. Air Force reports, McDonald and four others arrived on Guam in October 2006 and some were expected to return to Minot Air Force Base before the end of the week.
“Andersen Air Force officials have classified Airman McDonald under the category of duty status whereabouts unknown, a status reserved for airmen missing in a non-hostile situation,” the Air Force release stated.
Also yesterday, Bordallo offered her condolences upon hearing of the passing of U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Adam Quitugua Emul, of Tanapag, Saipan.
“We grieve with our fellow citizens and our neighbors in the Northern Marianas over the loss of Adam Quitugua Emul. My thoughts and prayers are with the Quitugua family during this difficult time. I join his parents Angelina Quitugua and Wen Emul, his brothers, Frank and Christopher, and all of Adam’s extended family and friends in honoring his life,” Bordallo said.
According to preliminary reports, Emul died from wounds sustained due to enemy action while operating in Iraq’s Al Anbar Province.
Emul is the fourth soldier from the CNMI and among the over 3,000 American service members who have died in Iraq.
“He truly embodied the Marines motto ‘Semper Fidelis’ or ‘Always Faithful’. He was a good Marine, son, and friend, and his service will undoubtedly serve as a source of pride for those in the Northern Marianas,” Bordallo said.