[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 297-298]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                     Specialist Stephen G. Zapasnik

  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize a very special 
person and remember his life and sacrifice as a young man. I can 
identify with this; I was a specialist in the U.S. Army.
  Stephen Zapasnik of Broken Arrow, OK--that is right outside of 
Tulsa--lost his life. He was only 19 years of age. He died on December 
24--that was on Christmas Eve--in Baghdad, Iraq, along with two other 
soldiers in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
  Stephen followed in the footsteps of his father by joining the Army 
and went on to complete basic training in Fort Sill, OK. He was 
stationed at Fort Carson, CO, and assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 16th 
Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. He deployed to Iraq in 
2008.
  Stephen, or Bud, as his mom called him, or Zap, as his friends called 
him--he had lots of names--is survived by his parents, Gary and Chris, 
and his sister, Ashley, and a very close friend, also named Chris, who 
lived with the Zapasniks since he was 15 years old, whom Stephen 
considered to be his brother.
  Stephen's mother described his determination to enter the Army by 
losing over 90 pounds to get in. He was grossly overweight, but he made 
that sacrifice. She said she barely recognized him after basic training 
because he lost even more weight at that time.
  His friends and fellow soldiers affectionately nicknamed him ``Zap,'' 
describing him as a jokester who would happily make fun of himself if 
anyone needed to be cheered up. Zap would create short skits and record 
them on his

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camera in order to share them with anyone who would watch. After the 
accident, many of his fellow soldiers from his battalion got together 
and watched the movies he had made, staying up throughout the night, 
telling stories about him and laughing--exactly what Zap would have 
wanted them to do. Stephen loved video games, particularly his flight 
simulator game. He wanted to become a pilot someday.
  His colleagues described Stephen as a fantastic shot, always a 
qualifying expert in every weapon. Chris Hamil said his brother 
volunteered to man the machine gun on top of his humvee. As we all 
know, and certainly the occupant of the Chair knows, that is one of the 
most exposed positions a person can take. He was willing to do that.
  In his tribute comments, Staff Sergeant Barry summed Stephen up by 
saying:

       Zap would give the shirt off his back or the last dollar in 
     his pocket to anyone that needed it.

  A comment from a friend:

       My family will be forever grateful for young men like 
     Stephen who risk themselves to provide protection and 
     security to this great country of ours . . .

  A spouse stationed at Fort Carson wrote:

       Zap was one of my husband's soldiers and friends. Zap left 
     an impression on our lives that we will never forget. He 
     would come to my house and have the best manners and be so 
     respectful . . . Zap always cared about others before 
     himself, even offering to babysit my three children so that 
     my husband and I could have a date right before he deployed. 
     He left an impression on our lives that will never be 
     forgotten and most of all my son loved him dearly . . . He 
     was a hero in so many ways and he was a respected soldier 
     always giving 100 percent.

  His mom Chris wrote:

       I am so proud of my son and what he accomplished as a 
     member of the military family. I would not take back the man 
     he had become or the hero he will always be for anything, 
     even if I could have him beside me again. He was an 
     outstanding young man and he will live forever in my heart 
     and soul.

  Stephen was committed to what he felt he was called to do and fully 
understood the sacrifice he would be making by serving his country in 
Iraq. All those guys and gals over there know the risk they are under. 
They are willing to do that.
  Before Stephen left for Iraq, he said:

       Mom, if I ever don't come back, you know I will always be 
     with you, and I will be with Jesus, and I will be fine.

  Stephen had a strong faith in God, a strong commitment to his family 
and his friends, and a calling to protect our Nation by his service in 
the Army.
  His mom said:

       I know that he is perfectly safe and spending Christmas up 
     there with Jesus.

  Keep this in mind: This happened late on Christmas Eve.
  She also expressed Stephen's pride to serve in the Army and to serve 
our country by fighting terrorism. She told me just a few minutes ago 
what a man he had become, and she thanked the U.S. Army for doing for 
him what was done for him.
  The pride is now in Stephen, this young Oklahoman who 
enthusiastically joined the military at age 17 and was willing to lose 
90 pounds in order to serve his country. He sacrificed his life in 
order to provide us with the precious freedoms we enjoy each day. His 
life embodies what it means to be a hero.
  We remember you today, Stephen, your sense of humor, your commitment 
to your family and to the Lord.
  Having just talked with his mother, she reaffirmed how strong Stephen 
was in his love for Jesus. I think we can say today--and we understand 
this--as fleeting as life is, this wink of time we are here--and I 
talked with Chris about this--that this today is not saying goodbye to 
Stephen, it is saying we will see you later. Thanks for your job well 
done.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire.

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