[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 20]
[Senate]
[Page 28152]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                  Staff Sergeant Jarred Seth Fontenot

  Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the memory of SSG 
Jarred Seth Fontenot of the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd 
Infantry Division, out of Fort Carson, CO. Sergeant Fontenot was killed 
last Thursday in an engagement with insurgents in Baghdad. He died of 
injuries from an explosion and small arms fire that rained down on his 
patrol. Sergeant Fontenot was 35 years old, a loving husband, and a 
father of four.
  Jarred Fontenot grew up in a family steeped in military tradition. 
His grandfather, who helped raise Jarred after his parents died at an 
early age, served in the Army. His two great uncles attended West 
Point, later joining the Navy and Marines. One of his great uncles died 
in Korea, a place Jarred would later serve.
  Jarred's family speaks of him as a man who loved his job and who 
embraced the virtues of military service. ``He loved being a soldier,'' 
his grandmother recalls, ``and he died doing what he loved.''
  Sergeant Fontenot was on his second tour in Iraq, on a mission to 
help bring security and stability to a region torn by violence and 
tragedy. Every day, he and his unit put themselves in harm's way to 
give Iraqi citizens a chance at a society governed by the rule of law, 
free from the threats of sectarian strife, terrorism or autocratic 
rule. He served bravely and was highly decorated, earning the Overseas 
Service Ribbon, the Parachute Badge, and the Army Commendation Medal, 
an honor bestowed upon those who have distinguished themselves by their 
service and acts of heroism.
  Between deployments, Jarred devoted himself to law enforcement in his 
hometown of Port Barre, LA. On his days off, he would volunteer his 
expertise and his time to help his fellow peace officers. Needless to 
say, he earned the respect and appreciation of those with whom he 
served.
  Mr. President, how can we properly honor the deeds of a man such as 
Jarred Fontenot, so devoted to his country, his family, and to those 
with whom he served? No words can match the magnitude of his virtue.
  Pericles, the great Athenian general, suggested that we honor the 
sacrifices of soldiers like Jarred Fontenot by reflecting not only on 
his life and loss, but also on the rewards that he and other soldiers 
have delivered to the nation for which they fought.
  At a funeral oration to honor soldiers who had died in one of the 
first battles of the Peloponnesian War, Pericles told the crowd that:

       Any one can discourse to you for ever about the advantages 
     of a brave defense, which you know already. But instead of 
     listening to him I would have you day by day fix your eyes 
     upon the greatness of Athens, until you become filled with 
     the love of her; and when you are impressed by the spectacle 
     of her glory, reflect that this empire has been acquired by 
     men who knew their duty and had the courage to do it, who in 
     the hour of conflict had the fear of dishonor always present 
     to them, and who, if ever they failed in an enterprise, would 
     not allow their virtues to be lost to their country, but 
     freely gave their lives to her as the fairest offering which 
     they could present at her feast.

  In this Chamber, the greatest deliberative body in the world, I ask 
that we honor Sergeant Fontenot by fixing our eyes on those freedoms 
which, for more than two centuries, have endured and prospered in this 
Chamber and across America. Our freedom of speech, our freedom of 
assembly, our freedom of self-determination, our freedom from tyranny 
and violence--these are the rewards that the American soldier has 
delivered, generation after generation, to a grateful and humble 
nation. So long as the United States remains a beacon for freedom, 
democracy, and justice, their sacrifices will never be forgotten.
  To the family of SSG Jarred Fontenot--to his wife, Dana, his four 
children, to his grandparents Charles and Dorthy, and to his sister--I 
know of no words that can describe or assuage the pain you feel. I pray 
that in time you can find comfort in the knowledge that Jarred was 
doing something he truly loved, of which he was extraordinarily proud, 
and for which his country is eternally grateful.
  ``For where the rewards of virtue are greatest,'' Pericles reminded 
the departing Athenian crowd, ``there the noblest citizens are enlisted 
in the service of the state.'' Jarred Fontenot was among the noblest of 
our citizens. May his legacy endure in the strength of our democracy.

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