[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 37 (Monday, February 27, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S496-S497]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                      Remembering Joseph Lemens II

  Ms. DUCKWORTH. Madam President, I come to the floor today to honor my 
friend CWO5 Joseph Lemens II, who we lost suddenly in November.
  Joe worked as hard as he laughed. He was full of energy and empty of 
ego. In many ways, he was the epitome of what a ``Soldier,'' with a 
capital ``S,'' should be.
  He was dedicated to service--service to his most beloved and to those 
with whom he was barely acquainted, service to his dearest neighbors in 
Illinois and to total strangers throughout his four deployments to the 
Middle East.
  Joe first enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves when he was just 17 
years old

[[Page S497]]

and then served continually for the next 42 years until his retirement 
last March. His work ethic was tireless, and sacrifices he made for his 
Nation were immeasurable. He was selfless and giving. He would be the 
first one to offer to lend a hand, and then would refuse to accept 
payment for his good deed.
  He seemed quiet until you got to know him. Then his laugh made you 
laugh so hard that, eventually, you forgot why you were both laughing 
at all.
  As a fellow pilot, I especially appreciated the way he gravitated 
toward machines, the way he loved having the power of an engine, 
whether it be a snowmobile or a Black Hawk helicopter, at his 
fingertips. As his commanding officer for my years as a Mad Dog, I 
couldn't have asked for a better maintenance test pilot, although I 
always questioned the sanity of anyone who would fly broken helicopters 
on purpose.
  I considered myself lucky that Joe was a member of our battalion when 
we were in Iraq. Maintenance officers, you see, and especially those 
like Joe, are a rare commodity, and Joe was one of the best.
  When we got back to U.S. soil, after I was wounded and could no 
longer get from point A to point B like I used to, I was even luckier 
to have Joe show up at my house one day with his toolbox in tow, ready 
to remodel my home to make it completely wheelchair accessible.
  He combined the grit of a midwesterner with the grace of faith. He 
combined the resilience of a soldier with the brilliance of an 
engineer. I know he will be dearly missed. He already is. My thoughts 
are with his wife Kathryn and his children and his newborn grandson Joe 
Lemens IV, whom he was able to see. I thank them for sharing Joe with 
us for all those years and for their own service to our great Nation.
  We will all miss Joe, but we will forever catch an echo of his 
larger-than-life laugh whenever we hear his favorite sound: the smooth 
rumble of a well-cared-for engine.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alabama.