By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

CONGRESSWOMAN Madeleine Z. Bordallo invited Gunnery Sergeant Glen F. Tedtaotao of the U.S. Marine Corps, Camp Pendleton in California to be her guest during President Bush’s annual State of the Union Address before a joint session of Congress yesterday.
Tedtaotao, originally from the village of Umatac, arrived at the Quantico Marine Corps Station over the weekend for training and he was eager to accept the invitation to witness this important address.
According to Bordallo’s office, every member of Congress is given one guest seat in the House gallery for the State of the Union address, and it has been Bordallo’s tradition to offer this seat to a member of the armed forces from Guam.
Tedtaotao has served two tours of duty in Iraq. During his first tour in 2003 at the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Tedtaotao was deployed with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, where he fought alongside other U.S. troops through southern Iraq to Kuwait.
In 2004, as part of the same battalion, Tedtaotao patrolled the al Anbar province in Northern Iraq near the Iraqi/Syrian border.
“GSGT Tedtaotao represented the men and women from Guam serving in our nation’s armed forces. His service in two tours in Operation Iraqi Freedom remind us all of the sacrifices made every day by those who serve and their families who support them,” Bordallo said.
In his address, President Bush outlined his strategy for the war in Iraq and his plans for a surge of 21,000 additional troops. He also asked Congress to find common ground with his administration on issues ranging from healthcare reform to eliminating the budget deficit in the years to come.
“I am honored that Congresswoman Bordallo has invited me to attend this address and to represent the servicemen and women from Guam,” Tedtaotao said.
“This is a great experience. The State of the Union Address is something I have seen on television many times but I never thought that I would have this opportunity to be a witness to history,” he added.
Tedtaotao is the son of Enrique and Nhung Tedtaotao and his family is originally from Umatac. He and his wife Ofelia have two daughters: Kira Tatiana, 6; and 14-month-old Sabrina Anika. Tedtaotao has been in the Marines for a year.
Bordallo joined members of the House of Representatives and the Senate along with Cabinet members, Supreme Court Justices, and the Diplomatic Corps for the President’s State of the Union address to the nation.
This historic session was called to order by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the first woman speaker of the House of Representatives.