[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 127 (Friday, July 29, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E807]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF MSG MICHAEL CLARK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 29, 2022

  Mr. COURTNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to mourn the premature, 
tragic loss of an American patriot, devoted husband and parent, Master 
Sergeant Michael Clark of Bolton, Connecticut, age 41. MSG Clark 
tragically lost his life on July 20, 2022, from a lightning strike 
while on army reserve training exercises with his unit at Fort Gordon, 
Georgia.
  Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, Michael was brought up in a 
family with a deep sense of duty to our nation. Like his father David 
Clark, Michael 22 years ago volunteered to wear the uniform of his 
country in the U.S. Army. During that time, he deployed on four 
occasions to Iraq and Afghanistan. As a striking example of the Clark 
family's devotion to military service, he and his father were 
simultaneously deployed overseas on two occasions. MSG Clark was an 
operating room specialist with the U.S. Army Reserves, assisting with 
lifesaving, emergency surgeries in dangerous environments. Madam 
Speaker, sometimes the essential role of our military's Reserve Force 
is not that well understood or appreciated. MSG Clark's life and public 
service is a powerful reminder of how critical all of our reserve 
forces are in providing key support for active-duty soldiers, sailors, 
marines and coast guard as part of the mission to defend our nation and 
our way of life.
  At home, David applied his skills to another center of excellence, 
the Bone and Joint Institute at Hartford Hospital, facilitating high 
quality orthopedic and healing care to the Connecticut community at 
large. His work in that cutting-edge hospital system, enhanced the 
skills he applied to the work he performed in the Army Reserve. His 
double faceted work in the civilian and military sector highlights that 
he was the quintessential ``citizen soldier'' which forms the backbone 
of our guard and reserve system.
  A family man at heart, Michael's passing is heartbreaking for his 
wife, Rachel, and two children, Logan and Hailey. He was very involved 
in his children's sports and active in the town of Bolton, which has 
been mourning his loss since the news of his passing was made public. 
The Bolton Fire Department immediately displayed a prominent memorial 
to MSG Clark at its fire station which as another volunteer force is 
fitting. Though he never left for deployment without leaving a love 
letter at Rachel's bedside, he still kept involved with his family, and 
made sure to prioritize his children's upbringing. The void left behind 
him has already exerted a strong influence upon the relatively young 
Clark family and children especially, and we can only find solace in 
coming to cherish--with time--the lessons and positive force that he 
spread during his short time on this earth. Carrying those memories 
onward is paramount as we simultaneously appreciate the unmatched level 
of dedication he purposed towards nurturing his family.
  Madam Speaker, MSG Clark's legacy of commitment toward those around 
him remains infinite. He was a doer and as part of the ``caring 
profession'', a highly talented healer. We bear the standard of his 
memory not just to honor his service to his family and our Nation, but 
also to put him forth as an example of how every one of us to carry our 
own lives, trying help and heal others. To that end, Madam Speaker, I 
ask that my colleagues join me in this moment to honor the name and 
character of MSG Michael Clark, so that we may preserve for austerity 
his life's story.

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