[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 11313-11314]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            TRIBUTE TO LANCE CORPORAL ANDREW ZABIEREK, USMC

  (Mr. MEEHAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of a true hero, Marine 
Lance Corporal Andrew Zabierek, who gave his life in service to our 
country.
  Lance Corporal Zabierek died tragically on May 21, 2004, while 
serving on duty with the 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Battalion, 
Third Platoon near Baghdad.
  At the funeral service for Lance Corporal Zabierek on May 29 at Saint 
John's Church in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Mark Zabierek delivered an 
eloquent tribute to his brother that touched me and others who were 
present. He described the lifelong dedication that Andrew gave to his 
beloved family and friends and the supreme sacrifice he made in service 
to his country.
  Mark Zabierek's touching eulogy to Andrew should be of interest to 
all of us here. I will read an excerpt and ask that the statement be 
included in the Record in its entirety:
  ``In an age where many people's idea of patriotism and civic 
responsibility are diminished by a sense of materialism, I was touched 
that my brother put his life on hold to join a service that most 
certainly would have brought him to the thick of the fighting overseas. 
He abandoned any other professional and personal designs to embrace a 
culture of service to his country and to our flag which now, 
tragically, drapes his coffin.''
  Mr. Speaker, I think we all should take a moment to recognize Lance 
Corporal Zabierek. Andrew died fighting for the country he loved, 
alongside his comrades he respected. Our Nation is humbled and grateful 
for his sacrifice.
  Mr. Speaker, the full eulogy given by Andrew Zabierek's brother Mark 
is as follows:

             Eulogy for Lance Corporal Andrew Zabierek, USMC

                          (By Mark J. Zabierek)

        I've always looked up to my bother, Andrew. From when we 
     were young he was my role model, my hero, my friend. I wanted 
     to be just like him, do everything he did. He had a rare 
     sense of honesty and empathy that I could only try to 
     emulate. Even in later years, if we fought, as brother's do, 
     there was nothing said between us that could erode my love 
     for him. I truly admired who he was as a person and the depth 
     of his consideration for others.
        In the wake of September 11th, as he pondered joining the 
     military, my family sometimes didn't understand why a college 
     graduate so gifted as my brother would want to enlist for a 
     nominal wage and risk losing what would have been such a full 
     life. Simply, my brother was special. He wanted to be a part 
     of something bigger than himself. He wanted to serve and 
     honor and protect the things that he held dear in life. His 
     sense of justice didn't enable him to accept that others 
     would go to war for him to fight and die in his stead.
        I was indescribably proud of Andrew when he decided to 
     serve in the Marine Corps. He had a brilliant intellect and 
     talents too abundant to mention that he left to serve a 
     higher calling. In an age where many people's idea of 
     patriotism and civic responsibility are diminished by a sense 
     of materialism, I was touched that my brother put his life on 
     hold to join a service that would most certainly bring him to 
     the thick of the fighting overseas. He abandoned any other 
     professional and personal designs to embrace a culture of 
     service, service to his country and to the flag which now, 
     tragically, drapes his coffin.
        For Andrew and me, all our lives our flag was a symbol of 
     hope, freedom, and purity. Now this flag also will remind our 
     family profoundly of the loss of Andrew and the sorrow that 
     comes from realizing the cost of the ideals he and I grew up 
     cherishing. Sadly, our family will forever feel the burden of 
     the sacrifice that enables our flag to fly.
        Andrew's desire to serve, as I've said, came from a 
     sincere longing to better the lives of the people around him, 
     but even he couldn't have imagined just how many lives he has 
     touched. The support, kindness, and sympathy of family, 
     friends, this congregation and this community would have 
     shocked my brother who was humbly unaware of the extent of 
     the loving spirit of the people among him now. My family and 
     I can never truly express our thanks, nor repay your 
     altruism.

[[Page 11314]]

        Andrew is deeply mourned in his death, but was incredibly 
     loved in his life. We come from a large family, all who 
     cherish the memory of Andrew. He embodied the best qualities 
     of my parents and grandparents who loved him perfectly and 
     completely. He had my mother's tenderness and faith and my 
     father's honesty and humor. He had an impeccable sense of 
     right and wrong and a heart filled with immeasurable 
     compassion.
        He never met cruelty with hatred, never met sorrow without 
     sympathy, and we know he met death with courage and dignity.
        That was our Andrew, my brother. He was kind, noble, and 
     he was loved. We know that love will lift him up to a better 
     place at God's right hand, and his spirit and grace will be 
     part of us for all our lives, never to be forgotten.

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