Evan Bayh: “I rise today to honor the life of SPC Chad Derek Clements of the U.S. Army and Huntington, IN. Specialist Clements was…”

“I rise today to honor the life of SPC Chad Derek Clements of the U.S. Army and Huntington, IN. Specialist Clements was assigned to F Company, 4th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Infantry Division. He was only 26 years old when he lost his life on August 30th while serving bravely in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in the Arghandab River Valley in Afghanistan. He was only 3 weeks into his first deployment. A Huntington, IN, native, Chad graduated from Huntington North High School in 2002. He enlisted in the Army in February 2009 and arrived in Afghanistan the second week of August. He followed in the proud military tradition of his father, Daniel, a Navy veteran who passed away in 2001. Those closest to him described Chad as having a big heart. He deeply valued his family and his friends. Chad was an avid fan of the local Fort Wayne Komets and the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey teams, and he enjoyed collecting memorabilia of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt. Today, I join Chad's family and friends in mourning his death.”