Episode 18: Catching Up w/Retired Army Sgt. Mjr. Clifford Lovejoy (Part 1)

In this episode of the Saint Leo 360 podcast, we feature Part 1 of our chat with Clifford Lovejoy, a retired sergeant major in the U.S. Army. Lovejoy, a Saint Leo University alumnus who recently completed the MS in Emergency and Disaster Management online degree program, discussed:

• His childhood growing up in Des Moines, IA
• How a special forces soldier who spoke at his school inspired him to later enlist in the U.S. Army
• How he became a force readiness leader and worked in the Pentagon as a sergeant major
• Some of the unique meetings and interactions he had with top military and government officials
• His experiences working at various embassies around the world and why people in other countries dream of coming to the U.S.
• Being in the Pentagon on the morning of September 11, 2001 when one of the hijacked planes struck the building and the resulting effects in the days and weeks afterward
• How a woman whom he considers to be “an angel” saved his life on 9/11
• How a prostate cancer diagnosis forced him to retire from the Army after nearly four decades of service
• The volunteer work he has done to help military members and veterans deal with injuries and illnesses
• His work with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors and how he serves as a mentor to families who have lost their active duty or veteran family members in combat or to suicide

Read more about Sgt. Mjr. Lovejoy in this blog article: https://www.saintleo.edu/blog/this-army-sergeant-major-survived-9/11-and-cancer