PFC Zachary George Lovejoy
Born Aug. 20, 1989 in Indiana
Died Feb. 2, 2010 in Zabul Province, Afghanistan
Pfc. Zachary G. Lovejoy of Albuquerque, N.M. Zach spent the first three years of his life in Indiana then moved to New Mexico with his family. A fun, adventurous kid growing up, living in New Mexico provided him with ample opportunities to have fun outside. He camped, water-skied, went four wheeling and snow skied. A member of the ROTC in high school, Zach fulfilled his wish to serve his country when he enlisted in the Army in August of 2008. He attended One Station Unit Training and Basic Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia. He then reported to Fort Bragg. While there he met the love of his life, Kaitlin, whom he said was the best thing that ever happened to him. They both shared a passion for life. Assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, from Fort Bragg, he deployed to Afghanistan in August 2009 for what was to be a yearlong assignment. Zach was killed in action on February 2 in Zabul province, Afghanistan, when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. His awards and decorations include the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Basic Parachutist’s Badge. His parents, Terry and Mike; his sister Ashley, and his fiancé Kaitlin survived Zachary. He and Kaitlin were supposed to get married in 2011.
Burial: Santa Fe National Cemetery in New Mexico
The PFC Zachary George Lovejoy by Freedom Remembered, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
