Friends and family would remember Airman Jesse Samek for living a life of fun and happiness. While growing up in Missouri and Arkansas, he spent much of his time, as most children do, hanging out with his friends and playing sports. He also had a great love of the outdoors and enjoyed camping, hiking, hunting, fishing and snow- and waterskiing with friends and family. He would go on to graduate from Rogers High School in 2001 and attended the University of Arkansas. It was clear to those who knew Airman Samek that he would succeed regardless of whatever path in life he chose to follow. He decided that path would ultimately be service to his country and he joined the United States Air Force in February of 2003. He was assigned to the 66th Rescue Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, just outside of Las Vegas, and was deployed to Afghanistan in September.

While serving in Operation Enduring Freedom, Airman Samek never lost his perspective on life and was proud to do his part to bring security and freedom to a nation that had seen nothing but war and instability. His family later said that he worked for months to become a member of an elite group that qualified him for rescue duty as a flight engineer on a HH-60 Para Rescue helicopter. Tragically, he died on October 21^st from injuries he received when his helicopter crashed during a medical evacuation mission in northwestern Afghanistan. The aircraft was carrying a wounded Afghan election worker who was being transported for medical treatment and Airman Samek was treating him when the aircraft went down. David Dezarov would make the final trip home with his friend's body. "The hardest thing I've ever had to do was spend the last four days with him and not saying a word." On that flight from Atlanta to Tulsa, the pilot of the plane circled above Rogers for 10 minutes in tribute to that community's fallen hero. During the burial ceremony at Bella Vista Memorial Cemetery, Airman Samek's fellow Airmen would pay their last respects by flying over his casket in the same type of helicopter he once flew so proudly. My thoughts and prayers are with his parents, Gavin and Julie; his brother, Benjamin; his grandparents, David and Jenny Burkemper; and the rest of his family and friends.

Although he is no longer with us, may we find solace in the many lives he touched and the sacrifice he made on behalf of a grateful nation. In the words of his mother, Jesse Samek was a hero; not for what he did, but for who he was.