Remember Our Heroes
Air Force Staff Sgt. Casey Crate, 26, of Spanaway, Washington.
SSG Crate died in the crash of an Iraqi air force aircraft during a training mission in eastern Diyala province. He was assigned to the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Florida.
Christmas, 2004, Casey Crate scooped his mother off her chair, took her outside and plopped her in front of her gift: A brand new Honda Civic. "He said, 'There you go, Mom, you've got a new car. That's from your little Sonny,'" Linda Crate said. "That's what I used to call him, Sonny."
Crate, 26, of Spanaway, Wash., was killed May 30 in a crash of his surveillance plane about 80 miles northeast of Baghdad. He was based at Hurlburt Field.
Crate was raised by a single mother and was teased by cousins for being such an attentive son when he chopped wood for her to heat the home. He attended Pierce College for two years, but didn't take his studies seriously. "I gave him four options," his mother said. "Get the grades up to go to (Washington State Univesity), go to trade school, or flip hamburgers for a living for the rest of your life."
Crate chose his mother's fourth option: military service. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1998, and never regretted it. He was never able to say much about his special-operations work, but his mother heard from commanders after his death. "They told me they used to call him the 'mission hound.' He always took responsibility," she said.
Air Force Staff Sgt Casey Crate was killed in action on 05/30/05.
Monday, May 30, 2005
Air Force Major William Downs
Remember Our Heroes
Air Force Major William Downs, 40, of Winchester, Virginia.
Maj Downs died in the crash of an Iraqi air force aircraft during a training mission in eastern Diyala province. He was assigned to the 6th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Florida.
Maj Downs was commissioned into the Air Force in 1988, several months after earning a bachelor’s degree in international business at Grove City College, in Grove City, Pennsylvania.
Maj Downs was assigned to the 6th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, when he left active duty. A few months after US Airways placed Downs on furlough in 2002, he returned to active duty at Hurlburt Field. He was assigned to the Air Commandos of the 6th Special Operations Squadron.
Maj Downs was deployed to Iraq in February, where he flew more than 90 combat sorties in an Iraqi aircraft and was directly responsible for capturing or killing 60 insurgents and nine high-value targets.
At the time of his death, Lieutenant Colonel John Alvarez, commander of the 6th Special Operations Squadron, said Maj Downs, who was serving as an adviser to the Iraqi Air Force and was attached to a multi-national security transition team in Iraq, was at the “peak of his combat aviation advisory career, assisting the newly established Iraqi Air Force in classified and dangerous combat missions.”
On the day of the crash, Maj Downs was on a training mission, flying a six-seat Comp Air 7SL fixed-wing aircraft donated to the Iraqis by the United Arab Emirates in November 2004, said Army Lieutenant Colonel Frederick P. Wellman, the public affairs officer with the Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq at Phoenix Base, International Zone, Baghdad.
The crash occurred while in route to Julula, Iraq, which borders Iran
“He was the kind of guy you wished you had a church full of,” said the Rev. Mark Carey, senior pastor at Fellowship Bible Church on Middle Road, where Downs and his family attended services. “He was a man of faith, who didn’t separate it as a once a week activity but made it a part of all that he did.”
Air Force Major William Downs was killed in action on 05/30/05.
Air Force Major William Downs, 40, of Winchester, Virginia.
Maj Downs died in the crash of an Iraqi air force aircraft during a training mission in eastern Diyala province. He was assigned to the 6th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Florida.
Maj Downs was commissioned into the Air Force in 1988, several months after earning a bachelor’s degree in international business at Grove City College, in Grove City, Pennsylvania.
Maj Downs was assigned to the 6th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, when he left active duty. A few months after US Airways placed Downs on furlough in 2002, he returned to active duty at Hurlburt Field. He was assigned to the Air Commandos of the 6th Special Operations Squadron.
Maj Downs was deployed to Iraq in February, where he flew more than 90 combat sorties in an Iraqi aircraft and was directly responsible for capturing or killing 60 insurgents and nine high-value targets.
At the time of his death, Lieutenant Colonel John Alvarez, commander of the 6th Special Operations Squadron, said Maj Downs, who was serving as an adviser to the Iraqi Air Force and was attached to a multi-national security transition team in Iraq, was at the “peak of his combat aviation advisory career, assisting the newly established Iraqi Air Force in classified and dangerous combat missions.”
On the day of the crash, Maj Downs was on a training mission, flying a six-seat Comp Air 7SL fixed-wing aircraft donated to the Iraqis by the United Arab Emirates in November 2004, said Army Lieutenant Colonel Frederick P. Wellman, the public affairs officer with the Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq at Phoenix Base, International Zone, Baghdad.
The crash occurred while in route to Julula, Iraq, which borders Iran
“He was the kind of guy you wished you had a church full of,” said the Rev. Mark Carey, senior pastor at Fellowship Bible Church on Middle Road, where Downs and his family attended services. “He was a man of faith, who didn’t separate it as a once a week activity but made it a part of all that he did.”
Air Force Major William Downs was killed in action on 05/30/05.
Air Force Capt. Jeremy Fresques
Remember Our Heroes
Air Force Capt. Jeremy Fresques, 26, of Clarkdale, Arizona.
Capt Fresques died in the crash of an Iraqi air force aircraft during a training mission in eastern Diyala province. He was assigned to the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Florida.
Alongside three fellow soldiers, the 26-year-old commando - who had been promoted to Captain that morning - died in a plane crash during a training mission near Baghdad.
A graduate of the prestigious Air Force Academy in Colorado, Fresques was married for a little more than a year. He lived in Florida with his wife, Lindsey, who is also an officer in the Air Force, said Chuck Shaw, Jeremy's father-in-law.
"They had an excellent marriage, loved each other very much," Shaw said. "He's going to be very sorely missed, and we couldn't have been more proud."
Fresques had been chief of communications and an information officer at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale before transferring to special operations in 2002.
He was set to return home next month after being deployed earlier this year. He and his wife had yet to decide whether they would stay in the military. The couple had no children, Shaw said.
"They were taking it day by day," he said.
Fresques died when a single-engine Iraqi air force plane crashed during a training mission near Jalula, about 50 miles northeast of Baquba.
Air Force Capt Jeremy Fresques was killed in action on 05/30/05.
Air Force Capt. Jeremy Fresques, 26, of Clarkdale, Arizona.
Capt Fresques died in the crash of an Iraqi air force aircraft during a training mission in eastern Diyala province. He was assigned to the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Florida.
Alongside three fellow soldiers, the 26-year-old commando - who had been promoted to Captain that morning - died in a plane crash during a training mission near Baghdad.
A graduate of the prestigious Air Force Academy in Colorado, Fresques was married for a little more than a year. He lived in Florida with his wife, Lindsey, who is also an officer in the Air Force, said Chuck Shaw, Jeremy's father-in-law.
"They had an excellent marriage, loved each other very much," Shaw said. "He's going to be very sorely missed, and we couldn't have been more proud."
Fresques had been chief of communications and an information officer at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale before transferring to special operations in 2002.
He was set to return home next month after being deployed earlier this year. He and his wife had yet to decide whether they would stay in the military. The couple had no children, Shaw said.
"They were taking it day by day," he said.
Fresques died when a single-engine Iraqi air force plane crashed during a training mission near Jalula, about 50 miles northeast of Baquba.
Air Force Capt Jeremy Fresques was killed in action on 05/30/05.
Air Force Capt. Derek Argel
Remember Our Heroes
Air Force Capt. Derek Argel, 28, of Lompoc, California.
Capt Argel died in the crash of an Iraqi air force aircraft during a training mission in eastern Diyala province. He was assigned to the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Florida.
Capt. Derek Argel was so dedicated to water polo that he started showing up at high school practices as a fifth-grader.
As he grew older, his intense commitment to the military led him to enroll in the Air Force Academy and head to Iraq as a commando.
Argel, 28, died Monday in a plane crash during a training mission in the Diyala province northwest of Baghdad. Three other U.S. troops and an Iraqi pilot were also killed in the Memorial Day crash.
Argel was assigned to the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron based at Hurlburt Field, Fla. The squadron’s missions were often classified and officials refused to say when he was deployed.
Argel was named most valuable player in his high school water polo league, and played the sport at the Academy, where he graduated in 2000. “He worked exceptionally hard. He never took anything for granted,” Cabrillo High School athletic director Bob Lawrence said.
He said the 6-foot-6 Argel towered over him. “He always leaned over and hugged me. He doesn’t ever leave without saying he loves me.”
Argel, who graduated from the school in 1995, brought his wife and young son with him when he last returned to Lompoc to attend the high school’s annual alumni game in October. He gave his old teachers photos of him in uniform.
“His life was always secondary to the United States of America,” friend David Riley said.
Air Force Capt Derek Argel was killed in action 05/30/05.
Air Force Capt. Derek Argel, 28, of Lompoc, California.
Capt Argel died in the crash of an Iraqi air force aircraft during a training mission in eastern Diyala province. He was assigned to the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Florida.
Capt. Derek Argel was so dedicated to water polo that he started showing up at high school practices as a fifth-grader.
As he grew older, his intense commitment to the military led him to enroll in the Air Force Academy and head to Iraq as a commando.
Argel, 28, died Monday in a plane crash during a training mission in the Diyala province northwest of Baghdad. Three other U.S. troops and an Iraqi pilot were also killed in the Memorial Day crash.
Argel was assigned to the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron based at Hurlburt Field, Fla. The squadron’s missions were often classified and officials refused to say when he was deployed.
Argel was named most valuable player in his high school water polo league, and played the sport at the Academy, where he graduated in 2000. “He worked exceptionally hard. He never took anything for granted,” Cabrillo High School athletic director Bob Lawrence said.
He said the 6-foot-6 Argel towered over him. “He always leaned over and hugged me. He doesn’t ever leave without saying he loves me.”
Argel, who graduated from the school in 1995, brought his wife and young son with him when he last returned to Lompoc to attend the high school’s annual alumni game in October. He gave his old teachers photos of him in uniform.
“His life was always secondary to the United States of America,” friend David Riley said.
Air Force Capt Derek Argel was killed in action 05/30/05.
Air Force Capt. Jeremy Fresques
Remember Our Heroes
Air Force Capt. Jeremy Fresques, 26, of Clarkdale, Ariz.
Capt. Fresques was assigned to the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.; killed May 30, 2005 in the crash of an Iraqi air force aircraft during a training mission in eastern Diyala province, Iraq. Also killed were Maj. William Downs, Capt. Derek Argel and Staff Sgt. Casey Crate.
Arizona Central -- Memorial Day will never be the same for the tight-knit family of Air Force Capt. Jeremy Fresques.
Alongside three fellow soldiers, the 26-year-old commando with Arizona ties - who had been promoted to captain that morning - died Monday in a plane crash during a training mission near Baghdad.
A graduate of the prestigious Air Force Academy in Colorado, Fresques was married for a little more than a year. He lived in Florida with his wife, Lindsey, who is also an officer in the Air Force, said Chuck Shaw, Jeremy's father-in-law.
"They had an excellent marriage, loved each other very much," Shaw said. "He's going to be very sorely missed, and we couldn't have been more proud."
Lindsey Fresques graduated from the University of Colorado-Boulder before joining the Air Force and heading to Florida. The couple worked at bases near Destin, Fla., down the street from each other, Shaw said.
Fresques had been chief of communications and an information officer at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale before transferring to special operations in 2002.
He was set to return home next month after being deployed earlier this year. He and his wife had yet to decide whether they would stay in the military. The couple had no children, Shaw said.
"They were taking it day by day," he said.
Fresques' mother and father lived in Clarkdale, south of Flagstaff, before moving to Yuma. Neither was available for comment Wednesday.
Fresques died when a single-engine Iraqi air force plane crashed during a training mission near Jalula, about 50 miles northeast of Baquba.
The cause of the crash has not been determined, Air Force Master Sgt. Randy Phelps said.
Other Americans killed in the crash were Maj. William Downs, 40, of Winchester, Va.; Capt. Derek Argel, 28, of Lompoc, Calif.; and Staff Sgt. Casey Crate, 26, of Spanaway, Wash. Fresques, Argel and Crate were assigned to the Air Force 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, while Downs was part of the 6th Special Operations Squadron. All were based at Hurlburt Field, Fla.
An Iraqi pilot also died in the crash.
Air Force Capt. Jeremy Fresques was killed in action on 5/30/05.
Air Force Capt. Jeremy Fresques, 26, of Clarkdale, Ariz.
Capt. Fresques was assigned to the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.; killed May 30, 2005 in the crash of an Iraqi air force aircraft during a training mission in eastern Diyala province, Iraq. Also killed were Maj. William Downs, Capt. Derek Argel and Staff Sgt. Casey Crate.
Arizona Central -- Memorial Day will never be the same for the tight-knit family of Air Force Capt. Jeremy Fresques.
Alongside three fellow soldiers, the 26-year-old commando with Arizona ties - who had been promoted to captain that morning - died Monday in a plane crash during a training mission near Baghdad.
A graduate of the prestigious Air Force Academy in Colorado, Fresques was married for a little more than a year. He lived in Florida with his wife, Lindsey, who is also an officer in the Air Force, said Chuck Shaw, Jeremy's father-in-law.
"They had an excellent marriage, loved each other very much," Shaw said. "He's going to be very sorely missed, and we couldn't have been more proud."
Lindsey Fresques graduated from the University of Colorado-Boulder before joining the Air Force and heading to Florida. The couple worked at bases near Destin, Fla., down the street from each other, Shaw said.
Fresques had been chief of communications and an information officer at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale before transferring to special operations in 2002.
He was set to return home next month after being deployed earlier this year. He and his wife had yet to decide whether they would stay in the military. The couple had no children, Shaw said.
"They were taking it day by day," he said.
Fresques' mother and father lived in Clarkdale, south of Flagstaff, before moving to Yuma. Neither was available for comment Wednesday.
Fresques died when a single-engine Iraqi air force plane crashed during a training mission near Jalula, about 50 miles northeast of Baquba.
The cause of the crash has not been determined, Air Force Master Sgt. Randy Phelps said.
Other Americans killed in the crash were Maj. William Downs, 40, of Winchester, Va.; Capt. Derek Argel, 28, of Lompoc, Calif.; and Staff Sgt. Casey Crate, 26, of Spanaway, Wash. Fresques, Argel and Crate were assigned to the Air Force 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, while Downs was part of the 6th Special Operations Squadron. All were based at Hurlburt Field, Fla.
An Iraqi pilot also died in the crash.
Air Force Capt. Jeremy Fresques was killed in action on 5/30/05.
Friday, May 27, 2005
Army CW4 Matthew Scott Lourey
Remember Our Heroes
Army CW4 Matthew Scott Lourey, 40, of East Bethel, Minnesota.
CW4 Lourey died from injuries sustained on May 26, 2005 in Buhriz, Iraq, when his OH-58 (Kiowa Warrior) came under small arms attack and crashed. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
As a child, Matt Lourey played with toy helicopters and dressed up as the Red Baron for Halloween. His dream of flying was so strong that he left the Marines when he didn't get to fly with them and trained as a private pilot.
"For Matt, it was all or nothing, whether running a marathon, learning to fly, collecting military artifacts or simply loving life," said Maj. Randy Wendt, a National Guard chaplain.
Lourey, 41, of Washington, D.C., died when his helicopter came under attack and crashed in Buhriz. He was based at Fort Bragg.
Lourey was the homecoming king of his 1982 high school class. He served with the Marines before going to Vermilion Community College, earning his pilot's license and joining the Army.
His mother, Minnesota state Sen. Becky Lourey, and other family members opposed the Iraq war, but Lourey volunteered for a second tour of duty.
Lourey's wife, Army Capt. Lisa Lourey, said her husband loved British military tradition and read Rudyard Kipling because of Kipling's respect for the predicament of the junior soldier. "Matt was a cavalryman in the war as well as a loving husband," she said.
Army CW4 Matthew Scott Lourey was killed in action on 05/27/05.
Army CW4 Matthew Scott Lourey, 40, of East Bethel, Minnesota.
CW4 Lourey died from injuries sustained on May 26, 2005 in Buhriz, Iraq, when his OH-58 (Kiowa Warrior) came under small arms attack and crashed. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
As a child, Matt Lourey played with toy helicopters and dressed up as the Red Baron for Halloween. His dream of flying was so strong that he left the Marines when he didn't get to fly with them and trained as a private pilot.
"For Matt, it was all or nothing, whether running a marathon, learning to fly, collecting military artifacts or simply loving life," said Maj. Randy Wendt, a National Guard chaplain.
Lourey, 41, of Washington, D.C., died when his helicopter came under attack and crashed in Buhriz. He was based at Fort Bragg.
Lourey was the homecoming king of his 1982 high school class. He served with the Marines before going to Vermilion Community College, earning his pilot's license and joining the Army.
His mother, Minnesota state Sen. Becky Lourey, and other family members opposed the Iraq war, but Lourey volunteered for a second tour of duty.
Lourey's wife, Army Capt. Lisa Lourey, said her husband loved British military tradition and read Rudyard Kipling because of Kipling's respect for the predicament of the junior soldier. "Matt was a cavalryman in the war as well as a loving husband," she said.
Army CW4 Matthew Scott Lourey was killed in action on 05/27/05.
Army CW2 Joshua Michael Scott
Remember Our Heroes
Army CW2 Joshua Michael Scott, 28, of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.
CW2 Scott died from injuries sustained on May 26, 2005 in Buhriz, Iraq, when his OH-58 (Kiowa Warrior) came under small arms attack and crashed. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Chief Warrant Officer Joshua Michael Scott, a 1995 graduate of Sun Prairie High School, enlisted in the Army immediately after high school, in what family members say was the culmination of a lifelong dream to serve in the military.
Melissa Scott, a younger sister, recalled watching her brother build forts and play Army games as a child.
"This was what he wanted to do, even before he knew about it," she said.
Scott arrived in Iraq in November with the 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, based in Fort Bragg, N.C.
According to the Department of Defense, he was killed in the helicopter crash along with Chief Warrant Officer Matthew Scott Lourey, 40, of East Bethel, Minn.
Just before heading overseas, Scott and his wife, Sherri, celebrated the arrival of their third child, a boy named Kross. The couple met at Sun Prairie High School and were married in 1999.
Sherri Scott said her husband tried to shield her from the dangers of serving in Iraq. But after nearly 10 years in the military, he was excited about getting his first chance at active combat.
"He was very proud to serve his country," she said. "He felt like this was finally his opportunity."
In addition to their son, the couple has a 2-year-old daughter, Trynity, and a 16-year-old son, Kenneth.
Sherri Scott said his children were the top priority in Joshua Scott's life. He believed joining the U.S.-led mission in Iraq would make their world more safe, she said.
Army CW2 Joshua Michael Scott was killed in action on 05/27/05.
Army CW2 Joshua Michael Scott, 28, of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.
CW2 Scott died from injuries sustained on May 26, 2005 in Buhriz, Iraq, when his OH-58 (Kiowa Warrior) came under small arms attack and crashed. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Chief Warrant Officer Joshua Michael Scott, a 1995 graduate of Sun Prairie High School, enlisted in the Army immediately after high school, in what family members say was the culmination of a lifelong dream to serve in the military.
Melissa Scott, a younger sister, recalled watching her brother build forts and play Army games as a child.
"This was what he wanted to do, even before he knew about it," she said.
Scott arrived in Iraq in November with the 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, based in Fort Bragg, N.C.
According to the Department of Defense, he was killed in the helicopter crash along with Chief Warrant Officer Matthew Scott Lourey, 40, of East Bethel, Minn.
Just before heading overseas, Scott and his wife, Sherri, celebrated the arrival of their third child, a boy named Kross. The couple met at Sun Prairie High School and were married in 1999.
Sherri Scott said her husband tried to shield her from the dangers of serving in Iraq. But after nearly 10 years in the military, he was excited about getting his first chance at active combat.
"He was very proud to serve his country," she said. "He felt like this was finally his opportunity."
In addition to their son, the couple has a 2-year-old daughter, Trynity, and a 16-year-old son, Kenneth.
Sherri Scott said his children were the top priority in Joshua Scott's life. He believed joining the U.S.-led mission in Iraq would make their world more safe, she said.
Army CW2 Joshua Michael Scott was killed in action on 05/27/05.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Army Sgt. First Class Randy D. Collins
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. First Class Randy D. Collins, 36, of Long Beach, California.
SFC Collins died at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland of injuries sustained in Mosul, Iraq, May 4, 2005 during a mortar attack. He was assigned to the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Irwin, California.
The sixth of nine children, Collins wanted to join the Army from a young age, his mother said.
He attended Mark Twain Elementary and Bancroft Junior High schools in Long Beach, where he excelled in track and cross country. At Millikan High School, he joined the Army Junior ROTC program.
After he graduated in 1987, Collins joined the Army Reserves and then went on active duty when he couldn’t find a civilian job.
During nearly two decades of active duty, Collins was stationed in California, New York, Germany, Kosovo and Kuwait. He was deployed to Iraq in January, less than a year after marrying his wife, Roxanne.
Army Sgt First Class Randy D. Collins was killed in action on 05/24/05.
Army Sgt. First Class Randy D. Collins, 36, of Long Beach, California.
SFC Collins died at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland of injuries sustained in Mosul, Iraq, May 4, 2005 during a mortar attack. He was assigned to the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Irwin, California.
The sixth of nine children, Collins wanted to join the Army from a young age, his mother said.
He attended Mark Twain Elementary and Bancroft Junior High schools in Long Beach, where he excelled in track and cross country. At Millikan High School, he joined the Army Junior ROTC program.
After he graduated in 1987, Collins joined the Army Reserves and then went on active duty when he couldn’t find a civilian job.
During nearly two decades of active duty, Collins was stationed in California, New York, Germany, Kosovo and Kuwait. He was deployed to Iraq in January, less than a year after marrying his wife, Roxanne.
Army Sgt First Class Randy D. Collins was killed in action on 05/24/05.
Friday, May 20, 2005
Army Sgt. Kurt D. Schamberg
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Kurt D. Schamberg, 26, of Euclid, Ohio
Sgt. Schamberg died in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York.
His mother said her son had only three weeks left on his second tour and had planned to visit Wyoming, where he loved to four-wheel in the mountains.
Sgt. Kurt Schamberg, 26, had been injured once before in the leg.
“The hours. I was counting the hours,” his mother, Pam Lindsay, of Gillette, said. “We had that close call and we really felt the opportunity had knocked and he had escaped.”
Lindsay had thought it would only be a matter of weeks before her son would be in the Big Horn Mountains, covering acre after acre of forest on a four-wheeler. They had planned the trip months ago, long before Schamberg left in January for his second tour in Iraq.
When he returned, he wanted to visit his brother in Denver. Then he was going to come to Gillette and visit the mountains he fell in love with during several previous visits to Wyoming.
He has spent a summer in Gillette working as a lifeguard at the Campbell County pool and living with his aunt, Cindy Schamberg.
He even had talked about buying property and moving to northeast Wyoming when his obligation to the Army ended in April 2006, his mother said.
Schamberg, 26, was born and raised in Orwell, Ohio, and enlisted in the Army in April 2003. He was awarded the Purple Heart on April 12, 2005 for his leg injury.
He believed in the Army’s mission in Iraq, even though two weeks earlier two others in his squad were killed, said Lindsay, who learned of her son’s death on Friday.
“I would have supported him anyway,” she said.
Army Sgt. Kurt D. Schamberg was killed in action on 05/20/05.
Army Sgt. Kurt D. Schamberg, 26, of Euclid, Ohio
Sgt. Schamberg died in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York.
His mother said her son had only three weeks left on his second tour and had planned to visit Wyoming, where he loved to four-wheel in the mountains.
Sgt. Kurt Schamberg, 26, had been injured once before in the leg.
“The hours. I was counting the hours,” his mother, Pam Lindsay, of Gillette, said. “We had that close call and we really felt the opportunity had knocked and he had escaped.”
Lindsay had thought it would only be a matter of weeks before her son would be in the Big Horn Mountains, covering acre after acre of forest on a four-wheeler. They had planned the trip months ago, long before Schamberg left in January for his second tour in Iraq.
When he returned, he wanted to visit his brother in Denver. Then he was going to come to Gillette and visit the mountains he fell in love with during several previous visits to Wyoming.
He has spent a summer in Gillette working as a lifeguard at the Campbell County pool and living with his aunt, Cindy Schamberg.
He even had talked about buying property and moving to northeast Wyoming when his obligation to the Army ended in April 2006, his mother said.
Schamberg, 26, was born and raised in Orwell, Ohio, and enlisted in the Army in April 2003. He was awarded the Purple Heart on April 12, 2005 for his leg injury.
He believed in the Army’s mission in Iraq, even though two weeks earlier two others in his squad were killed, said Lindsay, who learned of her son’s death on Friday.
“I would have supported him anyway,” she said.
Army Sgt. Kurt D. Schamberg was killed in action on 05/20/05.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Army Pfc. Wesley R. Riggs
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Wesley R. Riggs, 19, of Baytown, Texas.
Pfc. Riggs died in Tikrit, Iraq, from injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his dismounted position. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia.
Wesley Riggs was a "quiet presence," a pensive man with blue eyes that would put Paul Newman to shame. "It made you wonder what he was up to," said family friend BJ McCoy.
Riggs, 19, of Baytown, Texas, was killed May 17 when a roadside bomb exploded in Tikrit. He was based at Fort Stewart.
Growing up on the Gulf Coast, Wesley Riggs was always fond of the water and frequently went rafting with friends. He loved working on cars, fishing, camping and riding dirt bikes. He was a connoisseur of "Southern fun," said BJ's husband, Gary.
Riggs and his cohorts would tear through the closest mud field in a big-wheeled truck. "They would go muddin' or riding any kind of motorized anything that could go fast," McCoy said. "They could make a party out of just about any day."
He finished high school in 2003 after just three years. His decision to join the military was "an organized plan," said his stepmother, Vicki Riggs. "He was a real Southerner," she said. "And he was raised by two Yankees."
Army Pfc. Wesley R. Riggs was killed in action on 05/17/05.
Army Pfc. Wesley R. Riggs, 19, of Baytown, Texas.
Pfc. Riggs died in Tikrit, Iraq, from injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his dismounted position. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia.
Wesley Riggs was a "quiet presence," a pensive man with blue eyes that would put Paul Newman to shame. "It made you wonder what he was up to," said family friend BJ McCoy.
Riggs, 19, of Baytown, Texas, was killed May 17 when a roadside bomb exploded in Tikrit. He was based at Fort Stewart.
Growing up on the Gulf Coast, Wesley Riggs was always fond of the water and frequently went rafting with friends. He loved working on cars, fishing, camping and riding dirt bikes. He was a connoisseur of "Southern fun," said BJ's husband, Gary.
Riggs and his cohorts would tear through the closest mud field in a big-wheeled truck. "They would go muddin' or riding any kind of motorized anything that could go fast," McCoy said. "They could make a party out of just about any day."
He finished high school in 2003 after just three years. His decision to join the military was "an organized plan," said his stepmother, Vicki Riggs. "He was a real Southerner," she said. "And he was raised by two Yankees."
Army Pfc. Wesley R. Riggs was killed in action on 05/17/05.
Friday, May 13, 2005
Army Pfc. Travis W. Anderson
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Travis W. Anderson, 28, of Hooper, Colorado.
Pfc. Anderson died in Bayji, Iraq, when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated near his convoy. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia.
Before he left for Iraq, Spc. Travis Wayne “Loopie” Anderson told his sister he was scared more for his family than for himself.
“We don’t know how much time we have together,” Anderson wrote to Toscha Alcorta. “I am scared not for me, but for all of you should something happen to me.
“For once I feel I am doing the right thing. It’s strange how life works out. I am tired of being a screw-up.”
Brig. Gen. Robert Reese, commander at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, dismissed the term at Anderson’s funeral Sunday. “He was anything but a screw-up,” Reese said. “He made the ultimate sacrifice to his country.”
About 400 people gathered to remember Anderson, 28, who was killed May 13 when a car loaded with explosives slipped past a line of vehicles waiting at a checkpoint in Beiji, Iraq. The driver detonated the device, killing Anderson and wounding several other soldiers.
Family and friends shared stories Sunday about Anderson, who they said struggled to finish high school but earned a diploma and survived a battle with hantavirus. His long history of hunting and expert marksmanship led to his becoming an Army sniper.
Staff Sgt. Jeremy Schultz said Anderson planned to be a career soldier and wanted to earn enough money to buy land in the San Luis Valley.
“He was a damn fine soldier,” said Schultz, who was in charge of Anderson’s platoon in Iraq before being given another platoon to command in December. “We all called him ‘Cowboy’ because he was from Colorado.”
Cory Anderson remembered when he broke his collarbone and couldn’t work in junior high school, and his brother sent him money from his paycheck so he would have clothes for school.
Second cousin Brant Clayton remembered how Anderson would put his dog, Daniel, in a backpack and drive around on his motorcycle.
Kandalyn Bradshaw grew up with Travis Anderson.
“Oh, that Travis. If he was an angel, the horns on his head kept the halo up,” Bradshaw said.
Army Pfc. Travis W. Anderson was killed in action on 05/13/05.
Army Pfc. Travis W. Anderson, 28, of Hooper, Colorado.
Pfc. Anderson died in Bayji, Iraq, when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated near his convoy. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia.
Before he left for Iraq, Spc. Travis Wayne “Loopie” Anderson told his sister he was scared more for his family than for himself.
“We don’t know how much time we have together,” Anderson wrote to Toscha Alcorta. “I am scared not for me, but for all of you should something happen to me.
“For once I feel I am doing the right thing. It’s strange how life works out. I am tired of being a screw-up.”
Brig. Gen. Robert Reese, commander at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, dismissed the term at Anderson’s funeral Sunday. “He was anything but a screw-up,” Reese said. “He made the ultimate sacrifice to his country.”
About 400 people gathered to remember Anderson, 28, who was killed May 13 when a car loaded with explosives slipped past a line of vehicles waiting at a checkpoint in Beiji, Iraq. The driver detonated the device, killing Anderson and wounding several other soldiers.
Family and friends shared stories Sunday about Anderson, who they said struggled to finish high school but earned a diploma and survived a battle with hantavirus. His long history of hunting and expert marksmanship led to his becoming an Army sniper.
Staff Sgt. Jeremy Schultz said Anderson planned to be a career soldier and wanted to earn enough money to buy land in the San Luis Valley.
“He was a damn fine soldier,” said Schultz, who was in charge of Anderson’s platoon in Iraq before being given another platoon to command in December. “We all called him ‘Cowboy’ because he was from Colorado.”
Cory Anderson remembered when he broke his collarbone and couldn’t work in junior high school, and his brother sent him money from his paycheck so he would have clothes for school.
Second cousin Brant Clayton remembered how Anderson would put his dog, Daniel, in a backpack and drive around on his motorcycle.
Kandalyn Bradshaw grew up with Travis Anderson.
“Oh, that Travis. If he was an angel, the horns on his head kept the halo up,” Bradshaw said.
Army Pfc. Travis W. Anderson was killed in action on 05/13/05.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Army Pfc. Kenneth E. Zeigler II
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Kenneth E. Zeigler II, 22, of Dillsburg, Pennsylvania.
Pfc. Zeigler died in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his military vehicle. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia.
A friend in Texas called Vicki Zeigler to share the radio news report: Their boys' infantry division in Iraq had been fired on. There were casualties. "But we took comfort that it wasn't one of our kids," Vicki Zeigler recalled. "We figured [the Army] would have already notified us."
Army officials arrived at her home in Hinesville, Ga., a few hours later. "Please," she recalled praying as she opened the front door. "Don't let it be Kenny. Don't let it be Kenny."
The chaplain realized her worst fears: Pfc. Kenneth E. Zeigler II, 22, of Dillsburg, Pa., was killed May 13 in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Vicki Zeigler traveled to Arlington National Cemetery to honor her son, a man remembered by family members as an accomplished artist and musician who was passionate about his country.
Soft rain fell as Zeigler's flag-draped coffin was taken from the hearse and placed at his gravesite. Family and friends followed behind the military coffin bearers, their colorful umbrellas in sharp contrast to the melancholy ceremony.
Two American flags, folded with precision, were presented to Zeigler's mother and his father, Kenneth Zeigler, along with a Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Good Conduct Medal.
"He was my rock," Vicki Zeigler said in a telephone interview a few days before the service, recalling how her son nursed her after a serious accident and through cancer treatments. She described him as shy and artistic, favoring painting and playing the guitar, which he loved.
It was the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, that changed her boy, she said. "He felt a tugging at his heartstrings," she said. "He wanted to do something." That something inspired him to join the Army.
Vicki Zeigler said she was stunned by his decision, but she pledged her support, and in March 2003, he enlisted. The Army tested him to see whether he had the skills to become a medic, but he had other plans, his mother said.
"He wanted to fight," she said. "He wanted to make a career out of it."
The last time Katie Zeigler, 24, talked to her brother was in January, just before he was deployed to Iraq. The conversation was brief, but they covered the bases, talking about his favorite band, Metallica, and what would come next for him while he was overseas.
She confessed she was worried for him, but her brother was unafraid. "He said if he died, he'd die doing something he loved," his sister recalled. "He said he'd be happy dying for his country."
Family members said Zeigler was on his way back from patrol, piloting a Humvee, when an explosive detonated.
"He was the love of my life, and as I understand it, I was his," Vicki Zeigler said.
Soldiers would later tell her that when they brought her son back to base after the attack, his heartbeat "was but a breath."
"They were doing CPR and one of the sergeants leaned over Ken and said: 'Don't worry about your mom. We'll take care of her,' " Vicki Zeigler said. "Then he just let go. Up until the very end, he was worried about Mom."
Army Pfc. Kenneth E. Zeigler II was killed in action on 05/12/05.
Army Pfc. Kenneth E. Zeigler II, 22, of Dillsburg, Pennsylvania.
Pfc. Zeigler died in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his military vehicle. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia.
A friend in Texas called Vicki Zeigler to share the radio news report: Their boys' infantry division in Iraq had been fired on. There were casualties. "But we took comfort that it wasn't one of our kids," Vicki Zeigler recalled. "We figured [the Army] would have already notified us."
Army officials arrived at her home in Hinesville, Ga., a few hours later. "Please," she recalled praying as she opened the front door. "Don't let it be Kenny. Don't let it be Kenny."
The chaplain realized her worst fears: Pfc. Kenneth E. Zeigler II, 22, of Dillsburg, Pa., was killed May 13 in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Vicki Zeigler traveled to Arlington National Cemetery to honor her son, a man remembered by family members as an accomplished artist and musician who was passionate about his country.
Soft rain fell as Zeigler's flag-draped coffin was taken from the hearse and placed at his gravesite. Family and friends followed behind the military coffin bearers, their colorful umbrellas in sharp contrast to the melancholy ceremony.
Two American flags, folded with precision, were presented to Zeigler's mother and his father, Kenneth Zeigler, along with a Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Good Conduct Medal.
"He was my rock," Vicki Zeigler said in a telephone interview a few days before the service, recalling how her son nursed her after a serious accident and through cancer treatments. She described him as shy and artistic, favoring painting and playing the guitar, which he loved.
It was the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, that changed her boy, she said. "He felt a tugging at his heartstrings," she said. "He wanted to do something." That something inspired him to join the Army.
Vicki Zeigler said she was stunned by his decision, but she pledged her support, and in March 2003, he enlisted. The Army tested him to see whether he had the skills to become a medic, but he had other plans, his mother said.
"He wanted to fight," she said. "He wanted to make a career out of it."
The last time Katie Zeigler, 24, talked to her brother was in January, just before he was deployed to Iraq. The conversation was brief, but they covered the bases, talking about his favorite band, Metallica, and what would come next for him while he was overseas.
She confessed she was worried for him, but her brother was unafraid. "He said if he died, he'd die doing something he loved," his sister recalled. "He said he'd be happy dying for his country."
Family members said Zeigler was on his way back from patrol, piloting a Humvee, when an explosive detonated.
"He was the love of my life, and as I understand it, I was his," Vicki Zeigler said.
Soldiers would later tell her that when they brought her son back to base after the attack, his heartbeat "was but a breath."
"They were doing CPR and one of the sergeants leaned over Ken and said: 'Don't worry about your mom. We'll take care of her,' " Vicki Zeigler said. "Then he just let go. Up until the very end, he was worried about Mom."
Army Pfc. Kenneth E. Zeigler II was killed in action on 05/12/05.
Monday, May 09, 2005
Army Sgt. Bernard L. Sembly II
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Bernard L. Sembly II, 25, of Bossier City, La.
Sgt. Sembly was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 156th Armor Regiment, 256th Brigade Combat Team, Louisiana Army National Guard, Shreveport, La.; killed May 19, 2005 when he was shot while conducting dismounted combat operations in Baghdad.
Age: 25
Hometown: Bossier City
Unit: Louisiana Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 156th Armor Regiment, 256th Brigade Combat Team, Shreveport
Date of casualty: May 19, 2005
Incident: Sembly and another member of his unit were shot during combat in Baghdad.
Army Sgt. Bernard L. Sembly II was killed in action on 5/19/05.
Army Sgt. Bernard L. Sembly II, 25, of Bossier City, La.
Sgt. Sembly was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 156th Armor Regiment, 256th Brigade Combat Team, Louisiana Army National Guard, Shreveport, La.; killed May 19, 2005 when he was shot while conducting dismounted combat operations in Baghdad.
Age: 25
Hometown: Bossier City
Unit: Louisiana Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 156th Armor Regiment, 256th Brigade Combat Team, Shreveport
Date of casualty: May 19, 2005
Incident: Sembly and another member of his unit were shot during combat in Baghdad.
Army Sgt. Bernard L. Sembly II was killed in action on 5/19/05.
Marine Lance Cpl. Marcus Mahdee
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Marcus Mahdee, 20, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
Lance Cpl. Mahdee died as a result of wounds received from an enemy explosion while conducting combat operations in the vicinity of Al Karmah, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
Lance Cpl. Marcus Mahdee was raised by his grandparents, Essie and Linton Harris. "He was a good kid," Essie Harris said.
She said she had wanted her grandson to go into the Air Force like two of her sons, thinking the Marines would be too difficult. But Marcus wanted to be a Marine.
On the football team at Fort Walton Beach High School, Mahdee was "quiet and unassuming," coach Mike Owens said of the former wide receiver and defensive back. "Everybody liked him."
Marine Lance Cpl. Marcus Mahdee was killed in action on 05/09/05.
Marine Lance Cpl. Marcus Mahdee, 20, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
Lance Cpl. Mahdee died as a result of wounds received from an enemy explosion while conducting combat operations in the vicinity of Al Karmah, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
Lance Cpl. Marcus Mahdee was raised by his grandparents, Essie and Linton Harris. "He was a good kid," Essie Harris said.
She said she had wanted her grandson to go into the Air Force like two of her sons, thinking the Marines would be too difficult. But Marcus wanted to be a Marine.
On the football team at Fort Walton Beach High School, Mahdee was "quiet and unassuming," coach Mike Owens said of the former wide receiver and defensive back. "Everybody liked him."
Marine Lance Cpl. Marcus Mahdee was killed in action on 05/09/05.
Sunday, May 08, 2005
Army Specialist Steven R. Givens
Remember Our Heroes
Army Specialist Steven R. Givens, 26, of Mobile, Alabama
Spc. Givens died in Balad, Iraq, from injuries sustained from enemy small arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Brigade, 3d
Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Georgia.
The 26-year-old soldier who was killed in Iraq by insurgents on Mother’s Day was remembered as a man who loved and helped children of the war-torn country.
Spc. Steven Ray Givens “made a difference in their lives,” Ron Pierce, the chaplain of the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and the local FBI, said in his eulogy on Saturday.
Givens’ funeral service with full military honors drew several hundred people to the Gospel Lighthouse Independent Holiness Church.
Pierce noted that Givens had volunteered to serve his second tour of duty in Iraq so he could serve his country and help the children on the streets. “He said, ‘I can do something,’ and he did do something,” Pierce said.
Givens, who spent much of his childhood in Mobile, often asked family and friends from his hometown to send him Mardi Gras beads and candy for the kids in Iraq.
As Givens’ mother, Joyce McDuffie of Mobile, wept uncontrollably, Pierce told the audience, “Memorial Day has come early to Mobile, Alabama.”
Many area residents showed their support during the funeral procession, standing with hands over heart in front of their homes or along the roadsides or bowing their heads. Mobile firefighters and law enforcement officials also lined the route, many of them saluting as the procession passed by, and firefighters hoisted a huge American flag along the route.
At the entrance to the cemetery, Givens’ flag-draped casket was loaded onto a horse-drawn caisson. Led by a bagpiper and a drummer, members of the family followed on foot as the procession moved slowly through the cemetery to the grave site.
At graveside, Army Brig. Gen. William Jacobs, the deputy commanding general at Fort Rucker, presented the Bronze Star and Purple Heart to the soldier’s mother and to his wife, Cayssia Givens, of Columbus, Ga., as both women wept.
Cayssia Givens and her husband had only been married for three days when he shipped out for his second tour of duty in Iraq.
A six-member rifle squad from Fort Rucker performed a 21-gun salute, and a bugler concluded the ceremony by playing “Taps”.
Army Specialist Steven R. Givens was killed in action on 05/08/05.
Army Specialist Steven R. Givens, 26, of Mobile, Alabama
Spc. Givens died in Balad, Iraq, from injuries sustained from enemy small arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Brigade, 3d
Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Georgia.
The 26-year-old soldier who was killed in Iraq by insurgents on Mother’s Day was remembered as a man who loved and helped children of the war-torn country.
Spc. Steven Ray Givens “made a difference in their lives,” Ron Pierce, the chaplain of the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and the local FBI, said in his eulogy on Saturday.
Givens’ funeral service with full military honors drew several hundred people to the Gospel Lighthouse Independent Holiness Church.
Pierce noted that Givens had volunteered to serve his second tour of duty in Iraq so he could serve his country and help the children on the streets. “He said, ‘I can do something,’ and he did do something,” Pierce said.
Givens, who spent much of his childhood in Mobile, often asked family and friends from his hometown to send him Mardi Gras beads and candy for the kids in Iraq.
As Givens’ mother, Joyce McDuffie of Mobile, wept uncontrollably, Pierce told the audience, “Memorial Day has come early to Mobile, Alabama.”
Many area residents showed their support during the funeral procession, standing with hands over heart in front of their homes or along the roadsides or bowing their heads. Mobile firefighters and law enforcement officials also lined the route, many of them saluting as the procession passed by, and firefighters hoisted a huge American flag along the route.
At the entrance to the cemetery, Givens’ flag-draped casket was loaded onto a horse-drawn caisson. Led by a bagpiper and a drummer, members of the family followed on foot as the procession moved slowly through the cemetery to the grave site.
At graveside, Army Brig. Gen. William Jacobs, the deputy commanding general at Fort Rucker, presented the Bronze Star and Purple Heart to the soldier’s mother and to his wife, Cayssia Givens, of Columbus, Ga., as both women wept.
Cayssia Givens and her husband had only been married for three days when he shipped out for his second tour of duty in Iraq.
A six-member rifle squad from Fort Rucker performed a 21-gun salute, and a bugler concluded the ceremony by playing “Taps”.
Army Specialist Steven R. Givens was killed in action on 05/08/05.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Marine Lance Cpl. Christopher J. Dyer
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Christopher J. Dyer, 19, of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Lance Cpl Dyer died when the amphibious assault vehicle in which he was a passenger was hit by an improvised explosive device. Dyer’s unit was conducting combat operations south of Haditha, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Columbus, Ohio. As part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).
Christopher Dyer had an auspicious beginning to his diving career. On one of his first competitive dives in the 9th grade, he flattened out and hit the water in a belly flop.
But he stuck with it and twice made it to the high school district championship. He even lost two front teeth on an inward dive attempt and had to wear two false teeth.
“He thrived on challenges,” his father, John Dyer.
Dyer, 19, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was killed in an explosion Aug. 3 south of Haditha. His Marine reserve unit was based in Columbus, Ohio.
Dyer graduated with honors from high school in 2004, where he also played the viola in the school orchestra. He had been accepted into Ohio State University and wanted to major in finance.
His father said he joined the Marines because of his sense of duty and the challenge to be “one of the best.”
John Dyer said he and his wife, Kathy, saw a mature and proud son when they visited him during his pre-deployment leave in Las Vegas.
“He said that he couldn’t be happier with the way his life had worked out to this point,” his father said.
WEST CHESTER, Ohio - The mother of a Marine killed in Iraq urged mourners Wednesday not to let their anger and sadness turn them against the U.S. fight in Iraq.
“Honor me in this way,” Kathy Dyer said during a memorial service for Lance Cpl. Christopher J. Dyer, 19, of the Cincinnati suburb of Evendale.
At the funeral at Tri-County Baptist Church, Kathy Dyer delivered what she believed would have been her son’s own message: “It has been with the greatest pride I have served ... fighting to preserve freedom.”
Marine Lance Cpl. Christopher J. Dyer was killed in action on 05/03/05.
Marine Lance Cpl. Christopher J. Dyer, 19, of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Lance Cpl Dyer died when the amphibious assault vehicle in which he was a passenger was hit by an improvised explosive device. Dyer’s unit was conducting combat operations south of Haditha, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Columbus, Ohio. As part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).
Christopher Dyer had an auspicious beginning to his diving career. On one of his first competitive dives in the 9th grade, he flattened out and hit the water in a belly flop.
But he stuck with it and twice made it to the high school district championship. He even lost two front teeth on an inward dive attempt and had to wear two false teeth.
“He thrived on challenges,” his father, John Dyer.
Dyer, 19, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was killed in an explosion Aug. 3 south of Haditha. His Marine reserve unit was based in Columbus, Ohio.
Dyer graduated with honors from high school in 2004, where he also played the viola in the school orchestra. He had been accepted into Ohio State University and wanted to major in finance.
His father said he joined the Marines because of his sense of duty and the challenge to be “one of the best.”
John Dyer said he and his wife, Kathy, saw a mature and proud son when they visited him during his pre-deployment leave in Las Vegas.
“He said that he couldn’t be happier with the way his life had worked out to this point,” his father said.
WEST CHESTER, Ohio - The mother of a Marine killed in Iraq urged mourners Wednesday not to let their anger and sadness turn them against the U.S. fight in Iraq.
“Honor me in this way,” Kathy Dyer said during a memorial service for Lance Cpl. Christopher J. Dyer, 19, of the Cincinnati suburb of Evendale.
At the funeral at Tri-County Baptist Church, Kathy Dyer delivered what she believed would have been her son’s own message: “It has been with the greatest pride I have served ... fighting to preserve freedom.”
Marine Lance Cpl. Christopher J. Dyer was killed in action on 05/03/05.
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