[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 5864-5865]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            TRIBUTE TO LANCE CORPORAL ANDREW PAUL CARPENTER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. DesJarlais) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Lance 
Corporal Andrew Paul Carpenter who tragically lost his life while 
bravely serving our country.
  Andrew enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on September 7, 
2007, where he was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 
2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, 
North Carolina. In August of 2010, Andrew was deployed to Afghanistan 
for the second time, where he bravely served on the front lines during 
combat operations.
  While patrolling the Helmand province in Afghanistan, Lance Corporal 
Carpenter sustained fatal combat-related injuries and died on February 
19, 2011.
  Andrew graduated in 2002 from Columbia Central High School in 
Columbia, Tennessee. He was active in the school's marching band where 
he played trombone and helped the band win a State championship during 
his senior year. Andrew went on to further his education at Middle 
Tennessee State University.
  He enjoyed numerous activities such as playing golf, soccer and 
paintball, and made friends easily through his dependable and loyal 
nature. He is remembered by those who knew him as someone who was 
constantly looking for ways to help those in need. It is no wonder that 
serving the United States Marine Corps was a natural choice for him.
  Before joining the Marines, Andrew worked at the YMCA Fun Company, 
where he pursued one of the things that he enjoyed most in life--
working with children. Andrew would often dress up in Batman costumes 
to entertain kids at the YMCA after-school program. He was known for 
his tender heart and his ability to positively impact the children he 
encountered.
  On January 1, 2010, Andrew married the love of his life, Crissie. She 
was truly his best friend and soul mate, and he would often say that 
their wedding day was by far the best day of his life. Shortly before 
Andrew was deployed to Afghanistan, he and Crissie learned that they 
would be blessed with a baby

[[Page 5865]]

boy. Landon Paul Carpenter was born March 18, 2011.
  Landon, no words can sufficiently express the gratitude or repay the 
debt that we owe your father for his selfless service in protecting our 
great Nation. He laid down his life so that we may all be blessed with 
our Nation's most fundamental tenets--life, liberty and the pursuit of 
happiness. Your father, simply put, is a true American hero. As you 
grow up in this great Nation, know that you are given that privilege 
because of men like your father who make great sacrifices to protect 
our freedoms.
  Crissie, during this difficult time, I hope that you can find some 
solace in the fact that your husband nobly gave his life so that you 
and your son can continue to live in the land of the free.
  And, finally, thank you to Andrew's family for raising such an 
extraordinary young man.
  Today we honor and remember Andrew Paul Carpenter. We will never 
forget the sacrifices he made in order to ensure that we continue to be 
blessed with the precious gift of freedom.
  God bless America.

                          ____________________