[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Page 2447]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES


                  Private First Class Zachary Lovejoy

  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. President, in the almost 9 years our 
Nation has been at war in Afghanistan, thousands of men and women have 
volunteered for service in defense of our country and the freedoms we 
hold so dear. These brave men and women sacrifice time with their 
families, with their wives and husbands and children and friends. They 
put their own safety on the line to protect the safety of others--to 
protect the safety of all who call the United States home. Tragically, 
some of these men and women make the ultimate--sacrifice giving their 
lives for a country and a people they love.
  PFC Zachary Lovejoy was one of those brave soldiers. He was 20 years 
old when he died February 2, while serving in Zabul Province. His 
vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb. Private First Class Lovejoy 
spent the last day of his life doing what he loved. While his life may 
have ended too soon, his legacy will live on though the people who 
loved him, and through all of us who owe him our own lives and safety 
and freedom.
  That is why today, I honor Zachary Lovejoy by telling the people of 
America about a young man who--from early in life--loved his country 
and dreamed of being a soldier.
  Private First Class Lovejoy was born in Indiana but moved to my home 
State of New Mexico when he was three. He grew up in Albuquerque, the 
beloved son of Terry and Mike Lovejoy, and brother to Ashley. He was an 
active teen who loved football and wrestling and camping and skiing. He 
was an enthusiastic member of his school's ROTC program. Private First 
Class Lovejoy was a happy-go-lucky kind of guy, whose fun-loving 
attitude and zest for life was contagious, according to his family.
  Even before he graduated from La Cueva High School, Private First 
Class Lovejoy knew what he wanted to do with his life. He enlisted in 
the Army during his senior year in high school and began basic training 
in August 2008. Private First Class Lovejoy was assigned to the 1st 
Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 
82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC. He received his first 
deployment to Afghanistan in August 2009.
  Private First Class Lovejoy's dedication to our country and its 
ideals made his family, his community, and everyone who knew him proud. 
Upon hearing of his death, the people of New Mexico--especially those 
who knew Lovejoy from high school--were shocked and saddened. They 
turned out in droves to leave messages for his family in a special 
memory book. And it is those messages that offer an intimate view of 
the legacy Private First Class Lovejoy leaves behind.
  ``You had such a big and amazing heart,'' one person wrote.
  ``You put an incredible amount of living in your all too short 
life,'' said another.
  ``It is an honor to have been a part of a true hero's life,'' wrote a 
third.
  But there was one message that I believe sums up Private First Class 
Lovejoy's life best: ``Your last name described you so perfectly. You 
loved all your friends deeply, and spread joy around every place you 
went.''
  To Private First Class Lovejoy's parents and sister and grandparents 
and fiancee Kaitlin, I offer my deepest sympathies for your loss, and 
my deepest thanks for your loved one's service to our country. You are 
forever in our hearts, and we are forever in your debt.

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