[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 94 (Wednesday, June 20, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H3813]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING THE LIFE OF FIRST LIEUTENANT MATHEW FAZZARI

  (Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Madam Speaker, it's with a heavy heart today 
that I rise to honor the life of First Lieutenant Mathew Fazzari. He is 
a 25-year-old American hero.
  He's a native of Walla Walla, Washington, and he graduated from 
Gonzaga University, was commissioned in the United States Army, was a 
member of the prestigious 82nd Airborne, and he gave his life in 
serving and defending our country.
  He lost his life on June 6, 2012, when his helicopter was shot down 
by enemy attack in Afghanistan. He lost his life in the name of 
American freedom, and he lost his life to protect all of ours.
  He leaves behind a community who admires him, a country who pays 
homage to him, and a family who's been forever changed by him. He was a 
son, a brother, a husband and a father. He says goodbye to a family 
that got the call they hoped they would never get.
  Madam Speaker, we mourn his loss. We celebrate his life. A life of 
patriotism, courage, and valor. A life and a legacy that will endure 
forever.
  May God bless Lieutenant Mathew Fazzari, his parents, Greg and Susan; 
his siblings, Luke, Shawn, and Danielle; his wife, Tovah, and their two 
young sons, Dominic and Samuel. May God bless his family and all the 
brave men and women who have answered America's call to freedom.

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