Remember Our Heroes
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffery A. Lucas, 33, of Corbett, Oregon.
Petty Officer Lucas died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to SEAL Team Ten, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Rhonda and Jeff Lucas were to meet in Germany. They would spend 10 days together while family watched their 4-year-old son, Seth, back home. Then Rhonda would wait until October when Jeff’s fifth deployment would be over. He needed a little more than three years to reach his Navy retirement.
Jeff Lucas, 33, joked that he’d become a professional golfer with his GI Bill. Maybe Rhonda, also 33, would go back to school and become a dental hygienist. They always had plans.
Rhonda and Jeff Lucas met at a friend’s party near Portland, Ore., when they were 19. She grew up in the Northwest, her family living in Oregon, Washington and Alaska, where her father worked on a commercial fishing rig.
Jeff was from rural Oregon, a town named Corbett, with nurseries, berry farms and logging trails, and only 600 children in its public school system.
Soon, he introduced her to his younger brother, Jamie. “Hey, this is my girlfriend, Rhonda.” A year later, he brought her around to his family again. “Hey, this is my wife, Rhonda.”
They both had plans. She wanted to be a dental hygienist. He wanted to be a Navy SEAL.
Pat Lucas always knew her oldest son would follow other men in the family and go into the service. At birth, his mother said, “he came out screaming.”
In fourth grade, Jeff wrote an essay about military special forces, explaining that the best were Navy SEALs.
He starred at Corbett High School in football, basketball, baseball and track. He’s a local legend, as much for being a 150-pound all-state tailback as for being a SEAL.
Jamie Lucas remembers the high school basketball game when his 5-foot-8 point-guard brother led his team against another that had no player shorter than 6-foot-1. Lucas torched them for 32 points, his brother recalled. “The bigger the challenge, the better he responded,” Jamie said.
He graduated from high school in June 1989 and enlisted eight weeks later.
Rhonda knew Jeff wanted to be a SEAL but “I wasn’t quite excited about that,” she said. They put his career first.
He entered Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL school, where just one in five men complete the brutal training. The school starts the transformation of top young sailors into highly skilled amphibious warriors. Jeff graduated from Class 191. From the SEAL base in Coronado, Calif., he deployed regularly around the globe — Sri Lanka, Philippines and Kosovo.
Deployment often came with little notice. She heard brief sketches of perilous operations and training. He shrugged off the danger. When a helicopter Jeff was in crashed into a ship during training, his brother remembers Jeff’s reaction: “Aw, it was just a hard landing.”
Jeff’s work mounted with the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Deployment pace was intense six months on, six months off, Rhonda said. Even when Jeff was stateside, he usually was training somewhere around the country.
Jeff tried out for a particular SEAL team based at Dam Neck in Virginia Beach, Rhonda said. He collapsed during summer drills. His body temperature rose to 105 degrees. He fell into a coma for three days. It was the most serious incident in his SEAL career. Until June 28.
He was golfing on a clear day in early April when the Navy ordered him overseas. He and the other SEALs had two days to get ready and go. The deployment would last until October. Part would be spent in Afghanistan, part in Germany. It was Jeff’s first deployment to the Middle East.
“He was ready to go,” Rhonda said. “He could not wait to get over there and fight the fight.”
Jeff called his wife several times in the days leading up to the last mission. Enough, she finally told him. She had work to do.
On a Tuesday night, Rhonda got a call from a close friend, another SEAL wife. The friend heard that a helicopter went down in Afghanistan. The news ricocheted around the insular SEAL community.
The next day, the phones crackled with facts and rumors. Her husband did not call. Rhonda cried all day.
That afternoon, casualty officers began to visit homes. Rhonda waited. By 5 p.m., they reached her door.
“It was like watching somebody else’s movie. Officers in dress blues — I still don’t believe “
She paused. “Sometimes I think he’s going to come out,” she said.
Seth asked questions: Why didn’t he jump? Did other daddies die? How long will he be dead?
Family members said they were told the battle was heavy and bloody.
Sixteen special operations forces, including the eight SEALs, had volunteered to fly in broad daylight to rescue four SEALs who were on a reconnaissance mission. The four men were pinned down by Taliban and al-Qaida fighters.
The helicopter flew high into the rugged terrain. Enemy fire, possibly a rocket-propelled grenade, brought the aircraft down, killing everyone on board. The dead included six SEALs based in Hampton Roads. One SEAL on the ground survived.
Pat Lucas believes her son dropped more than his share of enemy fighters before he died. “This was the end,” she said. “God called him home.”
Rhonda thought about her husband, and looked into space. She swore at him. Hard. Then she smiled. Shook her head.
“You think you’ve got it all planned,” Rhonda said. “You don’t.”
Jeff Lucas left these instructions in case he died: Cremate my body. Bury me at Arlington. No (expletive) bagpipes at my funeral.
The rest, he wrote, my wife knows.
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffery A. Lucas was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Navy Chief Petty Officer Jacques J. Fontan
Remember Our Heroes
Navy Chief Petty Officer Jacques J. Fontan, 36, of New Orleans, Louisiana.
CPO Fontan died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to SEAL Team Ten, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Navy Chief Petty Officer Jacques Fontan who had ties to the First Coast will be returned here to be buried after being killed during a rescue mission in Afghanistan. The 36-year-old Navy Seal was one of eight Seals and 16 servicemen who died when their helicopter was shot down on June 28th.
Fontan's father-in-law, Mike Fletcher, who lives in Green Cove Springs is in Virginia where Navy Seals will hold a memorial ceremony on Friday.
Fontan says his son-in-law was a dedicated sailor and husband. Fletcher says of Fontan that he, "died to protect and serve his country."
"He's my baby brother, we were very close," said his sister, Suzanne Fontan Gonczy. "The family is obviously devastated."
Fontan joined the Navy 17 years ago, said his father, Earl Fontan.
He served as a fire control specialist aboard Navy fighting ships, managing electronics that controlled weapons systems, and was a veteran of the first Persian Gulf War. He was serving at the Naval Amphibious Base in Little Creek, Va.
Jacques Fontan had planned to retire with his wife in Florida, his father said. "Family was important to him. On leaves, he spent them with our family _ most of which was in New Orleans, some of which now is in Atlanta," Earl Fontan said. "He was great with his niece and nephews. He delighted in playing roughhouse with them."
Fontan is survived by his wife, Char.
Navy Chief Petty Officer Jacques J. Fontan was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Navy Chief Petty Officer Jacques J. Fontan, 36, of New Orleans, Louisiana.
CPO Fontan died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to SEAL Team Ten, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Navy Chief Petty Officer Jacques Fontan who had ties to the First Coast will be returned here to be buried after being killed during a rescue mission in Afghanistan. The 36-year-old Navy Seal was one of eight Seals and 16 servicemen who died when their helicopter was shot down on June 28th.
Fontan's father-in-law, Mike Fletcher, who lives in Green Cove Springs is in Virginia where Navy Seals will hold a memorial ceremony on Friday.
Fontan says his son-in-law was a dedicated sailor and husband. Fletcher says of Fontan that he, "died to protect and serve his country."
"He's my baby brother, we were very close," said his sister, Suzanne Fontan Gonczy. "The family is obviously devastated."
Fontan joined the Navy 17 years ago, said his father, Earl Fontan.
He served as a fire control specialist aboard Navy fighting ships, managing electronics that controlled weapons systems, and was a veteran of the first Persian Gulf War. He was serving at the Naval Amphibious Base in Little Creek, Va.
Jacques Fontan had planned to retire with his wife in Florida, his father said. "Family was important to him. On leaves, he spent them with our family _ most of which was in New Orleans, some of which now is in Atlanta," Earl Fontan said. "He was great with his niece and nephews. He delighted in playing roughhouse with them."
Fontan is survived by his wife, Char.
Navy Chief Petty Officer Jacques J. Fontan was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Army Staff Sgt. Shamus O. Goare
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Shamus O. Goare, 29, of Danville, Ohio.
SSG Goare died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Air Field, Georgia.
Staff Sgt. Shamus Goare tricked his mother into letting him join the military at the age of 17, shortly before his high school graduation.
Twelve years later, he was a member of an elite Army team known as the Night Stalkers, trained to fly special forces commandos behind enemy lines under cover of night.
His father, Charles Goare, said he and his wife were proud of their son, a member of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment based at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga. He remembered how their son had fooled his mother, Judy, into signing his enlistment form.
"He told her it was a form for something else; I don't remember what," Charles Goare said. "That was 11 years ago."
"He thought maybe he's get to see the world before he went to college," he said. "Then he just stayed in."
Army Staff Sgt Shamus O. Goare was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Army Staff Sgt. Shamus O. Goare, 29, of Danville, Ohio.
SSG Goare died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Air Field, Georgia.
Staff Sgt. Shamus Goare tricked his mother into letting him join the military at the age of 17, shortly before his high school graduation.
Twelve years later, he was a member of an elite Army team known as the Night Stalkers, trained to fly special forces commandos behind enemy lines under cover of night.
His father, Charles Goare, said he and his wife were proud of their son, a member of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment based at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga. He remembered how their son had fooled his mother, Judy, into signing his enlistment form.
"He told her it was a form for something else; I don't remember what," Charles Goare said. "That was 11 years ago."
"He thought maybe he's get to see the world before he went to college," he said. "Then he just stayed in."
Army Staff Sgt Shamus O. Goare was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael L. Russell
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael L. Russell, 31, of Stafford, Virginia.
Sgt Russell died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Air Field, Georgia.
It was appropriate that National Guard medic Sgt. Russell Collier was unarmed and tending to a fallen comrade when he was killed in Iraq, his sister said.
“He died doing what he loved and if he had to die, he would have wanted it this way,” said Carolyn Pfaus, 39, of Conway, talking about an older brother she described as protective.
When Sgt. Christopher Potts, a member of Collier’s brigade from Tiverton, R.I., was hit by small-arms fire, Collier handed his rifle to another soldier and ran to Potts’ side, with only his medic’s bag in tow, Pfaus said. He was killed before he got to Potts.
Pfaus said she revered Collier’s lifelong dedication to the military, savored his cooking and admired his skills as a father of two grown children in North Carolina, Mary Virginia and Wayne, and 9-year-old Hunter, who lives with Collier’s wife, Rocky, in Harrison, Ark.
Collier and Pfaus grew up in a military family and followed their late father as he served on Army bases around the world. Collier was born in Crossett and joined the Army as soon as he graduated from high school in Wuerzburg, Germany, in 1975.
He later transferred to the Navy, and after a short time out of the military, joined the Arkansas National Guard in 1999. He had 18 years of service and was planning on retiring next year, after his tour in Iraq was to end in March.
But Collier wasn’t really cut out for retirement anyway, Pfaus said.
“He didn’t like the civilian life much,” Pfaus said. “The military was all he’d ever known.”
That made it hard for Pfaus to blame the military for Collier’s death, even though she was angry and questioned why the United States was pursuing the war in Iraq.
“I’m a little angry, of course. Part of me says, ‘Why do we have to have it?’ and I want to lash out, but I have to support the war,” she said. Later she added: “I don’t have to necessarily agree with it, but our country is based on fighting for weaker people and I’d never say anything against it.”
Collier enjoyed cooking, art and music, but otherwise had few interests beyond the military, Pfaus said. He worked at a factory in Harrison and had just received his emergency medical technician license before he was called up to Iraq with the 39th Infantry Brigade in April
Army Sgt 1st Class Michael L. Russell was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael L. Russell, 31, of Stafford, Virginia.
Sgt Russell died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Air Field, Georgia.
It was appropriate that National Guard medic Sgt. Russell Collier was unarmed and tending to a fallen comrade when he was killed in Iraq, his sister said.
“He died doing what he loved and if he had to die, he would have wanted it this way,” said Carolyn Pfaus, 39, of Conway, talking about an older brother she described as protective.
When Sgt. Christopher Potts, a member of Collier’s brigade from Tiverton, R.I., was hit by small-arms fire, Collier handed his rifle to another soldier and ran to Potts’ side, with only his medic’s bag in tow, Pfaus said. He was killed before he got to Potts.
Pfaus said she revered Collier’s lifelong dedication to the military, savored his cooking and admired his skills as a father of two grown children in North Carolina, Mary Virginia and Wayne, and 9-year-old Hunter, who lives with Collier’s wife, Rocky, in Harrison, Ark.
Collier and Pfaus grew up in a military family and followed their late father as he served on Army bases around the world. Collier was born in Crossett and joined the Army as soon as he graduated from high school in Wuerzburg, Germany, in 1975.
He later transferred to the Navy, and after a short time out of the military, joined the Arkansas National Guard in 1999. He had 18 years of service and was planning on retiring next year, after his tour in Iraq was to end in March.
But Collier wasn’t really cut out for retirement anyway, Pfaus said.
“He didn’t like the civilian life much,” Pfaus said. “The military was all he’d ever known.”
That made it hard for Pfaus to blame the military for Collier’s death, even though she was angry and questioned why the United States was pursuing the war in Iraq.
“I’m a little angry, of course. Part of me says, ‘Why do we have to have it?’ and I want to lash out, but I have to support the war,” she said. Later she added: “I don’t have to necessarily agree with it, but our country is based on fighting for weaker people and I’d never say anything against it.”
Collier enjoyed cooking, art and music, but otherwise had few interests beyond the military, Pfaus said. He worked at a factory in Harrison and had just received his emergency medical technician license before he was called up to Iraq with the 39th Infantry Brigade in April
Army Sgt 1st Class Michael L. Russell was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Army Master Sgt. James W. Ponder III
Remember Our Heroes
Army Master Sgt. James W. Ponder III, 36, of Franklin, Tennessee.
Sgt Ponder died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was was assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Sgt. 1st Class James "Tre" Ponder III was an unlikely hero _ "not real tall, somewhat thin, but tough as nails," said his father-in-law, the mayor of Ponder's hometown in central Tennessee.
"He was a young man who could love his young children and then go out into the desert and fight with a great deal of energy. He's a real warrior, and the warrior in him has made this situation somewhat comforting for the family," father-in-law Tom Miller said.
Ponder, 36, grew up in Franklin, 15 miles south of Nashville, and enlisted in the Army after a few semesters at Auburn University.
He was a father of two young girls and a flight commander stationed with the Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at Fort Campbell, Ky. He had been overseas for about three weeks when the helicopter was shot down, Miller said.
"My granddaughter just this week asked her mother the question as they were saying their prayers and asking for safety for Tre. She said, 'Mommy, how do we know when Jesus is calling Daddy home to be an angel?" Miller said. "Faith and knowing that Tre is doing what God wanted him to do is sustaining the family."
Army Master Sgt James W. Ponder III was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Army Master Sgt. James W. Ponder III, 36, of Franklin, Tennessee.
Sgt Ponder died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was was assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Sgt. 1st Class James "Tre" Ponder III was an unlikely hero _ "not real tall, somewhat thin, but tough as nails," said his father-in-law, the mayor of Ponder's hometown in central Tennessee.
"He was a young man who could love his young children and then go out into the desert and fight with a great deal of energy. He's a real warrior, and the warrior in him has made this situation somewhat comforting for the family," father-in-law Tom Miller said.
Ponder, 36, grew up in Franklin, 15 miles south of Nashville, and enlisted in the Army after a few semesters at Auburn University.
He was a father of two young girls and a flight commander stationed with the Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at Fort Campbell, Ky. He had been overseas for about three weeks when the helicopter was shot down, Miller said.
"My granddaughter just this week asked her mother the question as they were saying their prayers and asking for safety for Tre. She said, 'Mommy, how do we know when Jesus is calling Daddy home to be an angel?" Miller said. "Faith and knowing that Tre is doing what God wanted him to do is sustaining the family."
Army Master Sgt James W. Ponder III was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Marcus V. Muralles
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Marcus V. Muralles, 33, of Shelbyville, Indiana.
Sgt Muralles died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Air Field, Georgia.
Sgt Marcus V. Muralles was supposed to be on his way back to the United States to celebrate his daughter's 10th birthday on July 4. But the former Shelbyville resident's plans changed at the last minute, family members said.
Muralles, 33, was among the 16 U.S. troops killed May 26, 05, when their helicopter was shot down during a rescue mission in eastern Afghanistan.
The Army medic got the assignment, which involved the search for a missing elite military team, after another medic suffered a leg injury.
Muralles joined the Army in August 1994 and served in the special operations forces. An aerial flight medic, he served with the 3rd Battalion, 160th Airborne based at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Muralles, who was born in New Orleans and raised in Shelbyville, has a wife, Diana, and two children, Anna Elise, 9, and Marcus, 4. The family lives near an Army base in Savannah, Georgia.
"They were his pride," said Muralles' mother, Rosemarie Dill, Shelbyville. "He told his wife how he wanted to buy a five-bedroom house and give his son his own room and computer because he was so smart beyond his years."
Muralles loved medicine and planned to obtain medical training in the Army.
Bob Dill said he tried to persuade Muralles to enter medical school as a civilian, but Muralles was too attached to the Army.
"We said it's real dangerous in the Army and that he could do as much good in civilian life as he could there," Dill said. "But he wouldn't hear of it. He wanted to be an Army physician."
The same argument failed after Muralles underwent six months of training with paramedics in San Antonio, Texas. "I said, 'Why don't you do that?' But he wouldn't buy it then, either," Dill said. "He was just real proud of where he was, and he loved fighting for his country."
Muralles served two stints in Iraq and three in Afghanistan and had received several military honors.
He was posthumously awarded medals, including the Bronze Star.
Army Sgt 1st Class Marcus V. Muralles was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Marcus V. Muralles, 33, of Shelbyville, Indiana.
Sgt Muralles died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Air Field, Georgia.
Sgt Marcus V. Muralles was supposed to be on his way back to the United States to celebrate his daughter's 10th birthday on July 4. But the former Shelbyville resident's plans changed at the last minute, family members said.
Muralles, 33, was among the 16 U.S. troops killed May 26, 05, when their helicopter was shot down during a rescue mission in eastern Afghanistan.
The Army medic got the assignment, which involved the search for a missing elite military team, after another medic suffered a leg injury.
Muralles joined the Army in August 1994 and served in the special operations forces. An aerial flight medic, he served with the 3rd Battalion, 160th Airborne based at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Muralles, who was born in New Orleans and raised in Shelbyville, has a wife, Diana, and two children, Anna Elise, 9, and Marcus, 4. The family lives near an Army base in Savannah, Georgia.
"They were his pride," said Muralles' mother, Rosemarie Dill, Shelbyville. "He told his wife how he wanted to buy a five-bedroom house and give his son his own room and computer because he was so smart beyond his years."
Muralles loved medicine and planned to obtain medical training in the Army.
Bob Dill said he tried to persuade Muralles to enter medical school as a civilian, but Muralles was too attached to the Army.
"We said it's real dangerous in the Army and that he could do as much good in civilian life as he could there," Dill said. "But he wouldn't hear of it. He wanted to be an Army physician."
The same argument failed after Muralles underwent six months of training with paramedics in San Antonio, Texas. "I said, 'Why don't you do that?' But he wouldn't buy it then, either," Dill said. "He was just real proud of where he was, and he loved fighting for his country."
Muralles served two stints in Iraq and three in Afghanistan and had received several military honors.
He was posthumously awarded medals, including the Bronze Star.
Army Sgt 1st Class Marcus V. Muralles was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Corey J. Goodnature
Remember Our Heroes
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Corey J. Goodnature, 35, of Clarks Grove, Minnesota.
CW3 Goodnature died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Air Field, Georgia.
He was born Feb. 13, 1970 in Minnesota. Chief Warrant Officer Three Goodnature graduated from the University of Minnesota with an Associate's Degree in Aerospace Engineering in 1991, and joined the Army in October of 1991. He served as a parachute rigger at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He attended the Warrant Officer Basic Course at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Upon graduation from Flight School in 1995, Chief Warrant Officer Three Goodnature’s first assignment was flying UH-1s in Korea. In 1996 he was assigned to Camp Wheeler, Hawaii. He assessed for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) in 1998 and was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) at Hunter Army Air Field, Georgia as an MH-47D Chinook pilot.
Chief Warrant Officer Three Goodnature's military schools include: the U.S. Army Rigger’s Course, Warrant Officer Advanced Course, U.S. Army Instrument Examiners Course, the Electronic Warfare Officers Course, the CH-47D Aircraft Qualification Course, the Special Operations Training Course, Airborne School, the Air Assault Course, and Survival Evasion Resistance Escape Course and the CH-47D Instructor Pilot Course.
His awards and decorations include: the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal, the Overseas Service Ribbon and the Senior Army Aviator Badge, the Airborne Badge, the Air Assault Badge and the Rigger Badge. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal, the Air Medal with “V” device, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Combat Action Badge.
He is survived by his wife Lori of Savannah, Georgia; and two sons, Shea and Brennan, of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Corey J. Goodnature was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Corey J. Goodnature, 35, of Clarks Grove, Minnesota.
CW3 Goodnature died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Air Field, Georgia.
He was born Feb. 13, 1970 in Minnesota. Chief Warrant Officer Three Goodnature graduated from the University of Minnesota with an Associate's Degree in Aerospace Engineering in 1991, and joined the Army in October of 1991. He served as a parachute rigger at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He attended the Warrant Officer Basic Course at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Upon graduation from Flight School in 1995, Chief Warrant Officer Three Goodnature’s first assignment was flying UH-1s in Korea. In 1996 he was assigned to Camp Wheeler, Hawaii. He assessed for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) in 1998 and was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) at Hunter Army Air Field, Georgia as an MH-47D Chinook pilot.
Chief Warrant Officer Three Goodnature's military schools include: the U.S. Army Rigger’s Course, Warrant Officer Advanced Course, U.S. Army Instrument Examiners Course, the Electronic Warfare Officers Course, the CH-47D Aircraft Qualification Course, the Special Operations Training Course, Airborne School, the Air Assault Course, and Survival Evasion Resistance Escape Course and the CH-47D Instructor Pilot Course.
His awards and decorations include: the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal, the Overseas Service Ribbon and the Senior Army Aviator Badge, the Airborne Badge, the Air Assault Badge and the Rigger Badge. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal, the Air Medal with “V” device, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Combat Action Badge.
He is survived by his wife Lori of Savannah, Georgia; and two sons, Shea and Brennan, of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Corey J. Goodnature was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Chris J. Scherkenbach
Remember Our Heroes
Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Chris J. Scherkenbach, 40, of Jacksonville, Florida.
CW4 Scherkenbach died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Air Field, Georgia.
He was born on Nov. 3, 1964 in Illinois. Chief Warrant Officer Four Scherkenbach originally enlisted in the Army as a communication specialist in April of 1987. His first duty station was Germany. He was accepted into the Warrant Officer entry program in 1990, and graduated from the Warrant Officer Program at Fort Rucker, Alabama in 1990. Also during 1991, he attended the Warrant Officer Basic Course and Initial Entry Rotary Wing training.
After completing his CH-47D aircraft qualifications at Fort Rucker, Chief Warrant Officer Four Scherkenbach was assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. He was then assigned to Camp Humphreys, Korea as a CH-47D Chinook pilot. After completing his tour in Korea, he returned to the 159th Aviation Regiment. He was assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia.
Chief Warrant Officer Four Scherkenbach's military schools include the Survival Evasion Resistance Escape Level-C course, the Aviation Safety Officer Course, the Electronic Warfare Officer Course, the Special Operations Training Course, and the Warrant Officer Advanced Course.
His awards and decorations include the Air Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, and the Senior Army Aviator Badge. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal, the Air Medal with “V” device, Meritorious Service Medal, Master Army Aviator Badge, and Combat Action Badge.
Chief Warrant Officer Four Scherkenbach is survived by his wife Michelle and daughter Sarah Grace Xiaomei, of Jacksonville, Florida.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Chris J. Scherkenbach was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Chris J. Scherkenbach, 40, of Jacksonville, Florida.
CW4 Scherkenbach died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Air Field, Georgia.
He was born on Nov. 3, 1964 in Illinois. Chief Warrant Officer Four Scherkenbach originally enlisted in the Army as a communication specialist in April of 1987. His first duty station was Germany. He was accepted into the Warrant Officer entry program in 1990, and graduated from the Warrant Officer Program at Fort Rucker, Alabama in 1990. Also during 1991, he attended the Warrant Officer Basic Course and Initial Entry Rotary Wing training.
After completing his CH-47D aircraft qualifications at Fort Rucker, Chief Warrant Officer Four Scherkenbach was assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. He was then assigned to Camp Humphreys, Korea as a CH-47D Chinook pilot. After completing his tour in Korea, he returned to the 159th Aviation Regiment. He was assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia.
Chief Warrant Officer Four Scherkenbach's military schools include the Survival Evasion Resistance Escape Level-C course, the Aviation Safety Officer Course, the Electronic Warfare Officer Course, the Special Operations Training Course, and the Warrant Officer Advanced Course.
His awards and decorations include the Air Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, and the Senior Army Aviator Badge. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal, the Air Medal with “V” device, Meritorious Service Medal, Master Army Aviator Badge, and Combat Action Badge.
Chief Warrant Officer Four Scherkenbach is survived by his wife Michelle and daughter Sarah Grace Xiaomei, of Jacksonville, Florida.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Chris J. Scherkenbach was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Army Major Stephen C. Reich
Remember Our Heroes
Army Major Stephen C. Reich, 34, of Washington Depot, Connecticut.
Maj Reich died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Air Field, Georgia.
He was born May 22, 1971 in Ohio, and was raised in Washington, Connecticut. He graduated from the United States Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in Arabic and Spanish, and received his commission in 1993. In 1994, he attended the Aviation Officer Basic Course and Initial Entry Rotary Wing training.
In 1995, Steve was assigned to the University of Kentucky ROTC program, and played professional baseball in the Baltimore Orioles organization.
After receiving a UH-60 Blackhawk transition in 1996, he was ordered to Germany where he served as Platoon Leader in Company A, 5th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment. During his subsequent tour with the 12th Aviation Brigade he served in Operation ALLIED FORCE deploying to Hungary, Bosnia, Albania, and Kosovo. Returning from Germany in 2000, Major Reich attended the Infantry Captain's Career Course at Ft. Benning, Georgia, followed by the Combined Arms Services Staff School at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Upon arrival to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, he attended the Special Operations Training Course and then deployed with 2nd Battalion to Operation ENDURING FREEDOM as Battle Captain in support of Task Force Dagger. In December 2001, he served as Operations Officer for 2nd Battalion's detachment of MH-47E aircraft in Afghanistan. He commanded Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion from February 2002 through May 2003. Major Reich recently completed a one year assignment to Taegu, Republic of Korea as the Operations Officer for E Company, 160th SOAR (A). Steve took command of B Company, 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operation Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia on 5 August 2004.
Major Reich's military schools include: Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape Level-C Course, the Special Operations Training Course, the Airborne School, and Air Assault Course.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and the Senior Army Aviator Badge, and the Airborne and Air Assault Badges. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal, the Air Medal with “V” device, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Combat Action Badge.
Major Reich is survived by his wife, Jill, of Panama City, Florida.
Army Major Stephen C. Reich was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Army Major Stephen C. Reich, 34, of Washington Depot, Connecticut.
Maj Reich died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Air Field, Georgia.
He was born May 22, 1971 in Ohio, and was raised in Washington, Connecticut. He graduated from the United States Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in Arabic and Spanish, and received his commission in 1993. In 1994, he attended the Aviation Officer Basic Course and Initial Entry Rotary Wing training.
In 1995, Steve was assigned to the University of Kentucky ROTC program, and played professional baseball in the Baltimore Orioles organization.
After receiving a UH-60 Blackhawk transition in 1996, he was ordered to Germany where he served as Platoon Leader in Company A, 5th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment. During his subsequent tour with the 12th Aviation Brigade he served in Operation ALLIED FORCE deploying to Hungary, Bosnia, Albania, and Kosovo. Returning from Germany in 2000, Major Reich attended the Infantry Captain's Career Course at Ft. Benning, Georgia, followed by the Combined Arms Services Staff School at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Upon arrival to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, he attended the Special Operations Training Course and then deployed with 2nd Battalion to Operation ENDURING FREEDOM as Battle Captain in support of Task Force Dagger. In December 2001, he served as Operations Officer for 2nd Battalion's detachment of MH-47E aircraft in Afghanistan. He commanded Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion from February 2002 through May 2003. Major Reich recently completed a one year assignment to Taegu, Republic of Korea as the Operations Officer for E Company, 160th SOAR (A). Steve took command of B Company, 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operation Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia on 5 August 2004.
Major Reich's military schools include: Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape Level-C Course, the Special Operations Training Course, the Airborne School, and Air Assault Course.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and the Senior Army Aviator Badge, and the Airborne and Air Assault Badges. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal, the Air Medal with “V” device, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Combat Action Badge.
Major Reich is survived by his wife, Jill, of Panama City, Florida.
Army Major Stephen C. Reich was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Army Sgt. Kip A. Jacoby
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Kip A. Jacoby, 21, of Pompano Beach, Florida.
Sgt Jacoby died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Air Field, Georgia.
Jacoby enlisted in the Army after his high school graduation in 2002. Jacoby was a helicopter repairman before becoming a flight engineer in 2004. He was a member of the Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the Night Stalkers. In joining the military, Jacoby followed in his family's footsteps. His late grandfather, Ernest H. Jacoby, served as a major in World War II, serving five years from North Africa to Sicily, according to The Grand Rapids Press in Michigan.
Two great-uncles served in the Army Air Corps, braving anti-aircraft fire in B-17s and B-24s over Germany -- George Schempp as a bombardier and John Schempp as a pilot, the paper reported. A relative on his grandmother's side -- Matthew Degarmo --fought in the American Revolution, Jacoby's uncle, Ernest Jacoby, told the paper.
''I think he thought he had a duty,'' said Ernest Jacoby of Hastings, Mich. ``I think he believed in the mission we were fighting over there.''
"Kip believed his choice of service for our country was meaningful and right," his surviving family wrote in a statement posted one the Army's Web site. "He loved what he was doing, he knew the risks, and he was proud to be a Soldier fighting so others wouldn't have to. He made us all very proud. Even in the face of danger, he showed courage and bravery as well as a keen sense of humor. He honors us all."
Army Sgt Kip A. Jacoby was killed in action 06/28/05.
Army Sgt. Kip A. Jacoby, 21, of Pompano Beach, Florida.
Sgt Jacoby died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Air Field, Georgia.
Jacoby enlisted in the Army after his high school graduation in 2002. Jacoby was a helicopter repairman before becoming a flight engineer in 2004. He was a member of the Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the Night Stalkers. In joining the military, Jacoby followed in his family's footsteps. His late grandfather, Ernest H. Jacoby, served as a major in World War II, serving five years from North Africa to Sicily, according to The Grand Rapids Press in Michigan.
Two great-uncles served in the Army Air Corps, braving anti-aircraft fire in B-17s and B-24s over Germany -- George Schempp as a bombardier and John Schempp as a pilot, the paper reported. A relative on his grandmother's side -- Matthew Degarmo --fought in the American Revolution, Jacoby's uncle, Ernest Jacoby, told the paper.
''I think he thought he had a duty,'' said Ernest Jacoby of Hastings, Mich. ``I think he believed in the mission we were fighting over there.''
"Kip believed his choice of service for our country was meaningful and right," his surviving family wrote in a statement posted one the Army's Web site. "He loved what he was doing, he knew the risks, and he was proud to be a Soldier fighting so others wouldn't have to. He made us all very proud. Even in the face of danger, he showed courage and bravery as well as a keen sense of humor. He honors us all."
Army Sgt Kip A. Jacoby was killed in action 06/28/05.
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny P. Dietz
Remember Our Heroes
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny P. Dietz, 25, of Littleton, Colorado.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Dietz died while conducting counter-terrorism operations in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. Coalition forces located the sailor while conducting a combat search and rescue operation July 4, 2005 in Kunar Province. Dietz’s whereabouts had been unknown since June 28, 2005. He was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team Two, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Less than three years after joining the military as a teenager, Danny Dietz reported for duty at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base as a Navy SEAL. It was November 2001; Dietz was 21 and single then. The U.S. had been fighting in Afghanistan barely a month.
On Wednesday, the Department of Defense announced that Dietz, a petty officer 2nd class assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team Two at Little Creek, died in Afghanistan’s Kunar province. He is survived by his wife, Maria, of Virginia Beach; his parents; and two siblings.
“Although I was not ready to let God take him away from me, I know my husband gave all he could to make his way back to me,” Maria Paz Leveque Dietz said in a written statement. “He probably wouldn’t have wanted to die any other way, but only trying to protect his fellow teammates and his country.”
Deployed to Afghanistan in April, Dietz, 25, was part of a four-man special operations reconnaissance team that encountered resistance last week while searching for Taliban-led rebels and al-Qaida fighters in a rugged mountain area. A Chinook helicopter carrying reinforcements responded to the team’s call for back-up on June 28.
The helicopter never got there. Officials say it was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade, killing all 16 U.S. military members on board.
Five Virginia Beach-based SEALs – Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffery A. Lucas, Lt. Michael M. McGreevy, Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffrey S. Taylor, Lt. Cmdr. Erik Kristensen, and Chief Petty Officer Jacques J. Fontan, all assigned to SEAL Team 10 at Little Creek – perished in the crash.
A combat search and rescue team found the bodies of Dietz and Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a SEAL based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Monday, according to the Defense Department. A third team member has been rescued; the fourth is still unaccounted for.
Through a family representative, Maria Dietz, who lives in the Strawbridge section of Virginia Beach, declined to speak to reporters.
According to a March 5, 2003, article in the Jet Observer, the base newspaper at Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach, Maria Dietz served as an aviation maintenance administrator with Fighter Squadron 11 at Oceana. The article said she and Danny were to marry later that month.
“I want the world to know that Danny P. Dietz was not just my husband, but he was my other half, my friend, my role model, and my hero,” her statement read. “The same day he left for Afghanistan, as tears rolled down my cheeks, he told me with sparkles in his eyes, 'All the training I have underwent for years is going to pay off with this trip, and I am going to do something special for this country and for my team.’”
Dietz grew up in Colorado, graduating from Heritage High School in Littleton in 1999. A spokeswoman for the city’s school system, Diane Leiker, released a statement Wednesday that high school teachers remembered Danny Dietz talking about his plans to join the Navy and become a SEAL.
He played football his senior year, she said, and spent a lot of time lifting weights and swimming to prepare himself for the Navy. After becoming a SEAL, he returned to Heritage for a visit and walked the halls in his uniform.
A neighbor said Maria Dietz no longer serves in the Navy, but her own words make it clear she relished her role as a military spouse.
“I want the world to know that it has lost an incredible man, an outstanding Navy SEAL, and a hero. People around the world don’t hear much about the U.S. Naval Special Forces men and what they do for this country, but as a proud SEAL Team wife, I can tell that the world as a whole owes those men more than it can imagine,” she said in her statement. “I just don’t have words to describe them.”
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny P. Dietz was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny P. Dietz, 25, of Littleton, Colorado.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Dietz died while conducting counter-terrorism operations in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. Coalition forces located the sailor while conducting a combat search and rescue operation July 4, 2005 in Kunar Province. Dietz’s whereabouts had been unknown since June 28, 2005. He was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team Two, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Less than three years after joining the military as a teenager, Danny Dietz reported for duty at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base as a Navy SEAL. It was November 2001; Dietz was 21 and single then. The U.S. had been fighting in Afghanistan barely a month.
On Wednesday, the Department of Defense announced that Dietz, a petty officer 2nd class assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team Two at Little Creek, died in Afghanistan’s Kunar province. He is survived by his wife, Maria, of Virginia Beach; his parents; and two siblings.
“Although I was not ready to let God take him away from me, I know my husband gave all he could to make his way back to me,” Maria Paz Leveque Dietz said in a written statement. “He probably wouldn’t have wanted to die any other way, but only trying to protect his fellow teammates and his country.”
Deployed to Afghanistan in April, Dietz, 25, was part of a four-man special operations reconnaissance team that encountered resistance last week while searching for Taliban-led rebels and al-Qaida fighters in a rugged mountain area. A Chinook helicopter carrying reinforcements responded to the team’s call for back-up on June 28.
The helicopter never got there. Officials say it was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade, killing all 16 U.S. military members on board.
Five Virginia Beach-based SEALs – Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffery A. Lucas, Lt. Michael M. McGreevy, Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffrey S. Taylor, Lt. Cmdr. Erik Kristensen, and Chief Petty Officer Jacques J. Fontan, all assigned to SEAL Team 10 at Little Creek – perished in the crash.
A combat search and rescue team found the bodies of Dietz and Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a SEAL based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Monday, according to the Defense Department. A third team member has been rescued; the fourth is still unaccounted for.
Through a family representative, Maria Dietz, who lives in the Strawbridge section of Virginia Beach, declined to speak to reporters.
According to a March 5, 2003, article in the Jet Observer, the base newspaper at Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach, Maria Dietz served as an aviation maintenance administrator with Fighter Squadron 11 at Oceana. The article said she and Danny were to marry later that month.
“I want the world to know that Danny P. Dietz was not just my husband, but he was my other half, my friend, my role model, and my hero,” her statement read. “The same day he left for Afghanistan, as tears rolled down my cheeks, he told me with sparkles in his eyes, 'All the training I have underwent for years is going to pay off with this trip, and I am going to do something special for this country and for my team.’”
Dietz grew up in Colorado, graduating from Heritage High School in Littleton in 1999. A spokeswoman for the city’s school system, Diane Leiker, released a statement Wednesday that high school teachers remembered Danny Dietz talking about his plans to join the Navy and become a SEAL.
He played football his senior year, she said, and spent a lot of time lifting weights and swimming to prepare himself for the Navy. After becoming a SEAL, he returned to Heritage for a visit and walked the halls in his uniform.
A neighbor said Maria Dietz no longer serves in the Navy, but her own words make it clear she relished her role as a military spouse.
“I want the world to know that it has lost an incredible man, an outstanding Navy SEAL, and a hero. People around the world don’t hear much about the U.S. Naval Special Forces men and what they do for this country, but as a proud SEAL Team wife, I can tell that the world as a whole owes those men more than it can imagine,” she said in her statement. “I just don’t have words to describe them.”
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny P. Dietz was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Shane Eric Patton
Remember Our Heroes
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Shane Eric Patton, 22, of Boulder City, Nevada.
Petty Officer Patton died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Eric S. Patton, of Boulder City, Nev., was following in his father's steps when he joined the military and became a Navy SEAL.
The 2000 graduate of Boulder City High School had been serving in Afghanistan when military officials notified his father of the helicopter crash this week, said Keith Gronquist, a court administrator who works with James Patton, a city marshal and retired Navy SEAL.
Gronquist and Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., who also said he had been told Shane Patton was aboard the helicopter, did not know his rank or where he had been based.
"Boulder City and the state of Nevada lost a true hero," Gronquist said. "His sacrifice and love of country will not be forgotten."
A small-town boy from Nevada, Eric Shane Patton, 22, looked up to his father, James, who had served as a Navy SEAL, a member of an elite special operations unit.
Three years ago, Petty Officer 2nd Class Patton enthusiastically took on the rigorous training to become a SEAL, said friends. He was the only one of his three brothers to follow his father. Stationed at Pearl Harbor, Patton shipped out for Afghanistan in April.
Yesterday, Brandon Tretton remembered Patton, his best friend since ninth or 10th grade: "He wanted to be a SEAL, and he wanted to be the best. His father was a SEAL, and he figured if he joined the armed forces, he would go all the way and be the best."
Patton, of Boulder City, Nev., was one of three Hawaii-based Navy SEALs among 16 troops who were killed during combat operations last Tuesday when their MH-47 helicopter crashed under enemy fire in the area of Asadabad, Afghanistan, in Kunar province. The military said the crash was the deadliest single blow to American forces in Afghanistan since the Taliban were ousted in 2001.
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Shane Eric Patton was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Shane Eric Patton, 22, of Boulder City, Nevada.
Petty Officer Patton died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Eric S. Patton, of Boulder City, Nev., was following in his father's steps when he joined the military and became a Navy SEAL.
The 2000 graduate of Boulder City High School had been serving in Afghanistan when military officials notified his father of the helicopter crash this week, said Keith Gronquist, a court administrator who works with James Patton, a city marshal and retired Navy SEAL.
Gronquist and Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., who also said he had been told Shane Patton was aboard the helicopter, did not know his rank or where he had been based.
"Boulder City and the state of Nevada lost a true hero," Gronquist said. "His sacrifice and love of country will not be forgotten."
A small-town boy from Nevada, Eric Shane Patton, 22, looked up to his father, James, who had served as a Navy SEAL, a member of an elite special operations unit.
Three years ago, Petty Officer 2nd Class Patton enthusiastically took on the rigorous training to become a SEAL, said friends. He was the only one of his three brothers to follow his father. Stationed at Pearl Harbor, Patton shipped out for Afghanistan in April.
Yesterday, Brandon Tretton remembered Patton, his best friend since ninth or 10th grade: "He wanted to be a SEAL, and he wanted to be the best. His father was a SEAL, and he figured if he joined the armed forces, he would go all the way and be the best."
Patton, of Boulder City, Nev., was one of three Hawaii-based Navy SEALs among 16 troops who were killed during combat operations last Tuesday when their MH-47 helicopter crashed under enemy fire in the area of Asadabad, Afghanistan, in Kunar province. The military said the crash was the deadliest single blow to American forces in Afghanistan since the Taliban were ousted in 2001.
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Shane Eric Patton was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Daniel R. Healy
Remember Our Heroes
Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Daniel R. Healy, 36, of Exeter, New Hampshire.
Chief Petty Officer Healy died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
"He's leaving a wonderful legacy to his family and to his children," said Healy's mother, Natalie Healy of Exeter, N.H.
Healy and his wife, Norminda, had no children, his mother said, but her son had four children from two previous marriages: A son, Jake, 14, and daughter Chelsea, 13, from his first marriage, both live in San Diego, she said. Two daughters, Jasmine, 7, and Sasha, 5, from his second marriage, live in Honolulu.
His ex-wife, Robyn Healy, lives in Honolulu with the couple's two daughters, Sasha, 5, and Jasmine, 7. Robyn Healy said yesterday both her daughters are doing OK under the circumstances. Sasha is too young to know what happened, but her older sister took the news hard.
"I told Jasmine this morning," said Robyn Healy, who was married to Dan Healy for almost five years. "She understands. She's very sad."
Healy was a devoted father who stayed in touch with his children no matter where he was, she said.
"Jasmine always knew where he was. She would turn on the 6 o'clock news at night to see if she could see her daddy on TV."
Jake has his father's competitive spirit and love of sports. His younger sister has their father's goofy side and propensity to lose things.
They are proud, as any children would be, but mostly because he was serving his country when he died. "I brag about him every day," Healy's son, Jake, said yesterday from his mom's Bonita home. "I always make sure I include his rank when I talk about him."
Despite the distance, they had their traditions. Healy loved making tamales at Christmas with his children and playing chess with Jake. He always called or wrote, no matter where he was.
"He made every effort to be a part of their lives," Vianne Centeno said. "He gave them so much."
When he could, Healy would take his children for pineapple-topped pizza and a game of pool at their favorite pizzeria. He also played basketball and racquetball with them. He most recently visited this past spring, just before he left for Afghanistan.
His last call to them was June 17, Centeno said.
Healy asked Chelsea to send him homemade chocolate chip cookies for his birthday. Then, while talking to Centeno, he got upset upon learning that Chelsea lost her cell phone – again. Centeno reminded him that he had more important things to worry about.
"It was funny that we could have that conversation while he was at war," Centeno said. "He was so casual."
Jake and Chelsea said their father didn't have many rules, but taught them important lessons. "He always wanted us to be good at whatever we did," Chelsea said. "If not, he wanted us to try."
The father and son were becoming more like friends in the last few years, Jake said. They would talk several times a week, and Healy would confide in his son about his work.
Jake said that despite the dangers his father faced in Afghanistan, he figured he would return. He and his sister planned to fly to Hawaii to greet him in November.
"I didn't doubt it at all," Jake said. "I wasn't worried."
Healy had two sisters, Jennifer, 36, of San Diego, and Shannon, 22, of Exeter. He had a half- brother, Sean, 29, of Rutland, Vt., and a half-sister, Carrie, 24, of San Marcos, Texas, from the marriage of Henry "Tom" Healy and his wife, Laurie Healy, who live in Manchester, N.H.
Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Daniel R. Healy was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Daniel R. Healy, 36, of Exeter, New Hampshire.
Chief Petty Officer Healy died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
"He's leaving a wonderful legacy to his family and to his children," said Healy's mother, Natalie Healy of Exeter, N.H.
Healy and his wife, Norminda, had no children, his mother said, but her son had four children from two previous marriages: A son, Jake, 14, and daughter Chelsea, 13, from his first marriage, both live in San Diego, she said. Two daughters, Jasmine, 7, and Sasha, 5, from his second marriage, live in Honolulu.
His ex-wife, Robyn Healy, lives in Honolulu with the couple's two daughters, Sasha, 5, and Jasmine, 7. Robyn Healy said yesterday both her daughters are doing OK under the circumstances. Sasha is too young to know what happened, but her older sister took the news hard.
"I told Jasmine this morning," said Robyn Healy, who was married to Dan Healy for almost five years. "She understands. She's very sad."
Healy was a devoted father who stayed in touch with his children no matter where he was, she said.
"Jasmine always knew where he was. She would turn on the 6 o'clock news at night to see if she could see her daddy on TV."
Jake has his father's competitive spirit and love of sports. His younger sister has their father's goofy side and propensity to lose things.
They are proud, as any children would be, but mostly because he was serving his country when he died. "I brag about him every day," Healy's son, Jake, said yesterday from his mom's Bonita home. "I always make sure I include his rank when I talk about him."
Despite the distance, they had their traditions. Healy loved making tamales at Christmas with his children and playing chess with Jake. He always called or wrote, no matter where he was.
"He made every effort to be a part of their lives," Vianne Centeno said. "He gave them so much."
When he could, Healy would take his children for pineapple-topped pizza and a game of pool at their favorite pizzeria. He also played basketball and racquetball with them. He most recently visited this past spring, just before he left for Afghanistan.
His last call to them was June 17, Centeno said.
Healy asked Chelsea to send him homemade chocolate chip cookies for his birthday. Then, while talking to Centeno, he got upset upon learning that Chelsea lost her cell phone – again. Centeno reminded him that he had more important things to worry about.
"It was funny that we could have that conversation while he was at war," Centeno said. "He was so casual."
Jake and Chelsea said their father didn't have many rules, but taught them important lessons. "He always wanted us to be good at whatever we did," Chelsea said. "If not, he wanted us to try."
The father and son were becoming more like friends in the last few years, Jake said. They would talk several times a week, and Healy would confide in his son about his work.
Jake said that despite the dangers his father faced in Afghanistan, he figured he would return. He and his sister planned to fly to Hawaii to greet him in November.
"I didn't doubt it at all," Jake said. "I wasn't worried."
Healy had two sisters, Jennifer, 36, of San Diego, and Shannon, 22, of Exeter. He had a half- brother, Sean, 29, of Rutland, Vt., and a half-sister, Carrie, 24, of San Marcos, Texas, from the marriage of Henry "Tom" Healy and his wife, Laurie Healy, who live in Manchester, N.H.
Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Daniel R. Healy was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Navy Lt. Michael P. Murphy
Remember Our Heroes
Navy Lt. Michael P. Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, New York.
Lt. Murphy died while conducting counter-terrorism operations in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. Coalition forces located the sailor while conducting a combat search and rescue operation July 4, 2005 in Kunar Province. Murphy’s whereabouts had been unknown since June 28, 2005. He was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
"Mike was an unbelievable, noble, polite gentleman and gave 110 percent of what he did," said friend Kristin Emmerich, also of Patchogue. "He was that type of guy. He went above and beyond. He was a protector."
Murphy was a member of a four-man SEAL team that was reported missing June 28 in Kunar province.
The military sent another of team of SEALs and Army Special Forces soldiers to rescue the four SEALS. But the transport Chinook helicopter they were in was shot down by a rifle-propelled grenade, killing the 16 troops aboard.
He was set to leave the Middle East in a few short months, then wed his fiancée in November and one day soon settle down far away from the war-torn mountains of Afghanistan.
Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy of Patchogue had laid out the blueprint for his dream life. And his parents, anxious to share his dream, had savored the October day when they would greet and hug their eldest son at the airport.
But their reunion turned out to be unbearably painful and much earlier than expected.
The Murphys described yesterday how they traveled to Dover (Del.) Air Force Base on Wednesday to witness the plane carrying the American flag-draped coffin, that held their son's body, touch ground.
"He's our hero, and I think he is everybody else's hero," said Maureen Murphy, whose 29-year-old son was killed last month during a counterterrorism mission in Kunar Province.
Michael's dad added, "He knew it was dangerous, but he told us if something should happen, to know he died doing what he loved."
Together with their other son, John, a college freshman, the Murphys spoke publicly yesterday about their pride and grief.
"Michael, the Protector," is how Maureen and Daniel Murphy want their son, a former lifeguard, to be remembered.
"He squeezed more life in 29 years than I will ever see," said Daniel Murphy, a war veteran injured in combat during Vietnam. "He's such a caring, respectful, kind and considerate person."
The last contact Michael Murphy had with his parents was a Father's Day E-mail message to his dad.
Maureen Murphy described how her son fell in love with a Penn State University classmate, Heather Duggan. Both were athletes and grew to be close friends during seven years together, she said.
For four months, Murphy carried an engagement ring in his pocket, until he proposed near the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center in 2003.
Murphy's other love was the Navy, but he didn't want to make it his life. He hoped to work in the counterterrorism unit of the FBI, his father said.
Each time her son was deployed, an American flag made of tiny Christmas lights would light up the front window in the Murphy house. On Wednesday, the lights were out, as the Murphys made the mournful trip to Dover, but yesterday they were lighted again.
Maureen said she will keep her flag lit "till they [the troops] all come home, and pray they all walk off that plane."
Navy Lt Michael P. Murphy was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Navy Lt. Michael P. Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, New York.
Lt. Murphy died while conducting counter-terrorism operations in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. Coalition forces located the sailor while conducting a combat search and rescue operation July 4, 2005 in Kunar Province. Murphy’s whereabouts had been unknown since June 28, 2005. He was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
"Mike was an unbelievable, noble, polite gentleman and gave 110 percent of what he did," said friend Kristin Emmerich, also of Patchogue. "He was that type of guy. He went above and beyond. He was a protector."
Murphy was a member of a four-man SEAL team that was reported missing June 28 in Kunar province.
The military sent another of team of SEALs and Army Special Forces soldiers to rescue the four SEALS. But the transport Chinook helicopter they were in was shot down by a rifle-propelled grenade, killing the 16 troops aboard.
He was set to leave the Middle East in a few short months, then wed his fiancée in November and one day soon settle down far away from the war-torn mountains of Afghanistan.
Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy of Patchogue had laid out the blueprint for his dream life. And his parents, anxious to share his dream, had savored the October day when they would greet and hug their eldest son at the airport.
But their reunion turned out to be unbearably painful and much earlier than expected.
The Murphys described yesterday how they traveled to Dover (Del.) Air Force Base on Wednesday to witness the plane carrying the American flag-draped coffin, that held their son's body, touch ground.
"He's our hero, and I think he is everybody else's hero," said Maureen Murphy, whose 29-year-old son was killed last month during a counterterrorism mission in Kunar Province.
Michael's dad added, "He knew it was dangerous, but he told us if something should happen, to know he died doing what he loved."
Together with their other son, John, a college freshman, the Murphys spoke publicly yesterday about their pride and grief.
"Michael, the Protector," is how Maureen and Daniel Murphy want their son, a former lifeguard, to be remembered.
"He squeezed more life in 29 years than I will ever see," said Daniel Murphy, a war veteran injured in combat during Vietnam. "He's such a caring, respectful, kind and considerate person."
The last contact Michael Murphy had with his parents was a Father's Day E-mail message to his dad.
Maureen Murphy described how her son fell in love with a Penn State University classmate, Heather Duggan. Both were athletes and grew to be close friends during seven years together, she said.
For four months, Murphy carried an engagement ring in his pocket, until he proposed near the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center in 2003.
Murphy's other love was the Navy, but he didn't want to make it his life. He hoped to work in the counterterrorism unit of the FBI, his father said.
Each time her son was deployed, an American flag made of tiny Christmas lights would light up the front window in the Murphy house. On Wednesday, the lights were out, as the Murphys made the mournful trip to Dover, but yesterday they were lighted again.
Maureen said she will keep her flag lit "till they [the troops] all come home, and pray they all walk off that plane."
Navy Lt Michael P. Murphy was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class James Suh
Remember Our Heroes
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class James Suh, 28, of Deerfield Beach, Florida.
Petty Officer Suh died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
When Jae Chang heard that a military helicopter had crashed in Afghanistan, he didn’t think about his cousin being onboard. “I had no idea. None of us did,” Chang, an assistant professor with Kansas University’s School of Architecture, said Tuesday.
Chang said he learned Thursday that his cousin, Petty Officer 2nd Class James Suh, 28, of Deerfield Beach, Fla., was one of eight Navy SEALs killed in the crash along with eight Army soldiers. They were part of a rescue team being flown into the mountains of eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistani border to assist another team of SEALs who were under attack. Military officials have said the helicopter may have been shot down.
Chang said he and his cousin spent their early elementary school years in Chicago but that later their families went separate ways. Chang moved to California and Suh moved to Florida. They kept in touch or saw each other every couple of years, Chang said.
The last time Chang saw his cousin was in March in California, just before Suh went to Afghanistan. Suh’s spirits were high, Chang said.
“He was always happy,” Chang said. “You never saw him down.”
Suh kept in touch with family members by e-mail and phone calls, but he never went into detail about what he was doing, Chang said.
“A lot of that is kept hush-hush, so even in the family we don’t hear much about it,” Chang said. “They didn’t really divulge much information.”
Suh was a star athlete on his high school swimming and tennis teams. Chang said he wasn’t surprised that Suh joined the Navy and became a SEAL, an elite unit that is part of the military’s special forces.
“It was something he really wanted to do for quite some time,” Chang said.
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class James Suh was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class James Suh, 28, of Deerfield Beach, Florida.
Petty Officer Suh died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
When Jae Chang heard that a military helicopter had crashed in Afghanistan, he didn’t think about his cousin being onboard. “I had no idea. None of us did,” Chang, an assistant professor with Kansas University’s School of Architecture, said Tuesday.
Chang said he learned Thursday that his cousin, Petty Officer 2nd Class James Suh, 28, of Deerfield Beach, Fla., was one of eight Navy SEALs killed in the crash along with eight Army soldiers. They were part of a rescue team being flown into the mountains of eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistani border to assist another team of SEALs who were under attack. Military officials have said the helicopter may have been shot down.
Chang said he and his cousin spent their early elementary school years in Chicago but that later their families went separate ways. Chang moved to California and Suh moved to Florida. They kept in touch or saw each other every couple of years, Chang said.
The last time Chang saw his cousin was in March in California, just before Suh went to Afghanistan. Suh’s spirits were high, Chang said.
“He was always happy,” Chang said. “You never saw him down.”
Suh kept in touch with family members by e-mail and phone calls, but he never went into detail about what he was doing, Chang said.
“A lot of that is kept hush-hush, so even in the family we don’t hear much about it,” Chang said. “They didn’t really divulge much information.”
Suh was a star athlete on his high school swimming and tennis teams. Chang said he wasn’t surprised that Suh joined the Navy and became a SEAL, an elite unit that is part of the military’s special forces.
“It was something he really wanted to do for quite some time,” Chang said.
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class James Suh was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Navy Lt. Michael M. McGreevy, Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Navy Lt. Michael M. McGreevy, Jr., 30, of Portville, New York.
Lt McGreevy died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to SEAL Team Ten, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
McGreevy was a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy who hailed from the small town of Portville, N.Y., population 4,000, where he was remembered as an outstanding student, athlete and "top-notch kid."
Kevin Curran, principal of the town's high school where McGreevy graduated third in his class 12 years ago, said, "He made a huge impact on us, that we remember him this well."
"He was a great athlete, great student, nice personality, and was so polite," added Linda Scott, a Portville guidance counselor.
McGreevy, 30, who was married and the father of a 1-year-old child, was stationed in Virginia Beach, Va.
Navy Lt Micael M. McGreevy, Jr. was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Navy Lt. Michael M. McGreevy, Jr., 30, of Portville, New York.
Lt McGreevy died while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that he was aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province. He was assigned to SEAL Team Ten, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
McGreevy was a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy who hailed from the small town of Portville, N.Y., population 4,000, where he was remembered as an outstanding student, athlete and "top-notch kid."
Kevin Curran, principal of the town's high school where McGreevy graduated third in his class 12 years ago, said, "He made a huge impact on us, that we remember him this well."
"He was a great athlete, great student, nice personality, and was so polite," added Linda Scott, a Portville guidance counselor.
McGreevy, 30, who was married and the father of a 1-year-old child, was stationed in Virginia Beach, Va.
Navy Lt Micael M. McGreevy, Jr. was killed in action on 06/28/05.
Monday, June 27, 2005
Army Chief Warrant Officer Steven E. Shephard
Remember Our Heroes
Army Chief Warrant Officer Steven E. Shephard, 30, of Purcell, Oklahoma.
Shephard died near Taji, Iraq, when his AH-64D Apache helicopter crashed. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Died on June 27, 2005.
Shephard’s name to adorn Purcell's ariport
The Purcell Register (405) 527-2126
Purcell, OK -- Despite two dissenting votes Monday night, the Purcell airport will be renamed in honor of a Purcell graduate and avid aviator who died in June while serving his country.
“Steven E. Shephard had a passion for flying and he was a large part of Purcell’s soul,” longtime friend and schoolmate, Jay Tate, told the Purcell City Council.
The memorial idea was brought before the Purcell Airport Authority Friday. The five-member board voted unanimously for the name change.
Due to pilot safety, though, the airport board felt that leaving the name Purcell at the beginning was of utmost importance.
Airport board members Don Woolly, James Engdahl, Pat Mayes, chairman Ron Page and Johnny Taylor felt the airport would be well served with Shephard’s name.
It was recommended to the council that the airport be named Purcell Municipal Airport Steven E. Shephard Field.
For the airport to be renamed, the city council was required to pass the resolution.
Tate told the council that they had a tremendous opportunity to do something for the community. He said he believed it would be a comfort for Shephard’s family and leave behind a legacy for his unborn daughter.
Mayor Betty Gerhard and councilmen Tully McCoy and Randy Hadley voted for the change, while councilmen Paul Hardcastle and Kenn Brown voted against the issue. Hardcastle was for the name change, but felt space needed to be left on the signage to memorialize others that may be war casualties. The signage issue was briefly discussed, but Monday night’s vote dealt only with the resolution on the name change.
Interim city manager Eric Johnson will be conferring with the Shephard family as to what type of signs will be constructed. This issue will be brought before the council at a later time along with where the signs will be placed. Following the passage of the resolution, the city manager or mayor will write a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requesting the change.
During mayor and council comments, a tearful Gerhard thanked the Shephard family for the grace and dignity they and Steven had brought to this community.
Army Warrant Officer Shephard, 30, and the co-pilot, were killed June 27 near Taji, Iraq. They were flying an AH-64 Longbow Apache attack helicopter at the time of the crash.
Shephard was committed to flying since he was a youngster, according to his family. He had his pilot’s license before graduating from high school.
Before joining the service in 2002, Shephard taught aviation at Kansas State University. He had also taught at the United States Air Force Academy. His aviation degree was from Oklahoma State University.
“My son loved this airport. He would fly over to see the lake and golf course and just loved it. It was his home,” Shephard’s mother, Barbara, told the airport authority.
Army Chief Warrant Officer Steven E. Shephard was killed in action on 06/27/05.
Army Chief Warrant Officer Steven E. Shephard, 30, of Purcell, Oklahoma.
Shephard died near Taji, Iraq, when his AH-64D Apache helicopter crashed. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Died on June 27, 2005.
Shephard’s name to adorn Purcell's ariport
The Purcell Register (405) 527-2126
Purcell, OK -- Despite two dissenting votes Monday night, the Purcell airport will be renamed in honor of a Purcell graduate and avid aviator who died in June while serving his country.
“Steven E. Shephard had a passion for flying and he was a large part of Purcell’s soul,” longtime friend and schoolmate, Jay Tate, told the Purcell City Council.
The memorial idea was brought before the Purcell Airport Authority Friday. The five-member board voted unanimously for the name change.
Due to pilot safety, though, the airport board felt that leaving the name Purcell at the beginning was of utmost importance.
Airport board members Don Woolly, James Engdahl, Pat Mayes, chairman Ron Page and Johnny Taylor felt the airport would be well served with Shephard’s name.
It was recommended to the council that the airport be named Purcell Municipal Airport Steven E. Shephard Field.
For the airport to be renamed, the city council was required to pass the resolution.
Tate told the council that they had a tremendous opportunity to do something for the community. He said he believed it would be a comfort for Shephard’s family and leave behind a legacy for his unborn daughter.
Mayor Betty Gerhard and councilmen Tully McCoy and Randy Hadley voted for the change, while councilmen Paul Hardcastle and Kenn Brown voted against the issue. Hardcastle was for the name change, but felt space needed to be left on the signage to memorialize others that may be war casualties. The signage issue was briefly discussed, but Monday night’s vote dealt only with the resolution on the name change.
Interim city manager Eric Johnson will be conferring with the Shephard family as to what type of signs will be constructed. This issue will be brought before the council at a later time along with where the signs will be placed. Following the passage of the resolution, the city manager or mayor will write a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requesting the change.
During mayor and council comments, a tearful Gerhard thanked the Shephard family for the grace and dignity they and Steven had brought to this community.
Army Warrant Officer Shephard, 30, and the co-pilot, were killed June 27 near Taji, Iraq. They were flying an AH-64 Longbow Apache attack helicopter at the time of the crash.
Shephard was committed to flying since he was a youngster, according to his family. He had his pilot’s license before graduating from high school.
Before joining the service in 2002, Shephard taught aviation at Kansas State University. He had also taught at the United States Air Force Academy. His aviation degree was from Oklahoma State University.
“My son loved this airport. He would fly over to see the lake and golf course and just loved it. It was his home,” Shephard’s mother, Barbara, told the airport authority.
Army Chief Warrant Officer Steven E. Shephard was killed in action on 06/27/05.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Army Sgt. 1st Class Christopher W. Phelps
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Christopher W. Phelps, 39, of Louisville, Kentucky.
SFC Phelps died in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colorado.
The Gulf War veteran, who spent 19 years in the military, was a member of the Army’s 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, based at Fort Carson, Colo.
Back in his hometown, Phelps was remembered as an all-around athlete at Male High School. He played quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back on the football team, was a point guard in basketball and ran track.
Phelps, a 1984 Male graduate, helped lead the Bulldogs to the state playoffs, ending a long post-season drought for the school, Coach Oyler said. Phelps earned second-team All-State honors his senior year and played in the Kentucky-Tennessee all-star game.
“He’d work his tail off all the time and he’d always have a smile,” Oyler said. “No matter what you asked him to do, he would jump in and do it. He was just a wonderful kid.”
Kevin Wigginton got to know Phelps when they were seventh graders, and the two became close friends and teammates at Male and later in college. “We had a lot of good memories,” Wigginton said. “He was a great leader on the football field.”
Phelps later played football at Kentucky State University and then at a junior college in Mississippi, then joined the military.
Kenny Phelps said his brother enjoyed the Army, and it was through the military that he met his wife, Bobbie. Christopher Phelps left for Iraq in early April and was scheduled to get out of the military in March 2006.
Army Sgt 1st Class Christopher W. Phelps was killed in action 06/23/05.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Christopher W. Phelps, 39, of Louisville, Kentucky.
SFC Phelps died in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colorado.
The Gulf War veteran, who spent 19 years in the military, was a member of the Army’s 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, based at Fort Carson, Colo.
Back in his hometown, Phelps was remembered as an all-around athlete at Male High School. He played quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back on the football team, was a point guard in basketball and ran track.
Phelps, a 1984 Male graduate, helped lead the Bulldogs to the state playoffs, ending a long post-season drought for the school, Coach Oyler said. Phelps earned second-team All-State honors his senior year and played in the Kentucky-Tennessee all-star game.
“He’d work his tail off all the time and he’d always have a smile,” Oyler said. “No matter what you asked him to do, he would jump in and do it. He was just a wonderful kid.”
Kevin Wigginton got to know Phelps when they were seventh graders, and the two became close friends and teammates at Male and later in college. “We had a lot of good memories,” Wigginton said. “He was a great leader on the football field.”
Phelps later played football at Kentucky State University and then at a junior college in Mississippi, then joined the military.
Kenny Phelps said his brother enjoyed the Army, and it was through the military that he met his wife, Bobbie. Christopher Phelps left for Iraq in early April and was scheduled to get out of the military in March 2006.
Army Sgt 1st Class Christopher W. Phelps was killed in action 06/23/05.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Army Sgt. Arnold Duplantier II
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Arnold Duplantier II, 26, of Sacramento, California.
Sgt Duplantier died in Baghdad, Iraq, where he was providing cordon security, and was attacked by enemy forces using small arms fire. He was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment, Auburn, California.
Arnold Duplantier II had just celebrated his 26th birthday and returned to Iraq when he was killed while guarding the hotel where members of the international media stay, the California National Guard said Friday.
Sgt Duplantier had been a full-time Guardsman, providing security at the Guard’s Sacramento headquarters before he volunteered. A casualty report released Friday said he was recently promoted to sergeant.
He served six months of a yearlong deployment before returning to Sacramento recently for a two-week leave. He returned to Iraq 10 days before his death for his second six-month stint after a shopping trip to buy presents to hand to Iraqi children, his widow said. He also is survived by a 5-year-old daughter.
“He already had this sense of what he’s got to do in life,” his father said while holding a watch with “United we stand” highlighted against an American flag, a gift from his son.
Army Sgt Arnold Duplantier II was killed in action on 06/22/05.
Army Sgt. Arnold Duplantier II, 26, of Sacramento, California.
Sgt Duplantier died in Baghdad, Iraq, where he was providing cordon security, and was attacked by enemy forces using small arms fire. He was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment, Auburn, California.
Arnold Duplantier II had just celebrated his 26th birthday and returned to Iraq when he was killed while guarding the hotel where members of the international media stay, the California National Guard said Friday.
Sgt Duplantier had been a full-time Guardsman, providing security at the Guard’s Sacramento headquarters before he volunteered. A casualty report released Friday said he was recently promoted to sergeant.
He served six months of a yearlong deployment before returning to Sacramento recently for a two-week leave. He returned to Iraq 10 days before his death for his second six-month stint after a shopping trip to buy presents to hand to Iraqi children, his widow said. He also is survived by a 5-year-old daughter.
“He already had this sense of what he’s got to do in life,” his father said while holding a watch with “United we stand” highlighted against an American flag, a gift from his son.
Army Sgt Arnold Duplantier II was killed in action on 06/22/05.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Army Specialist Nicholas R. Idalski
Remember Our Heroes
Army Specialist Nicholas R. Idalski, 23, of Crown Point, Indiana.
Spc Idalski died in Ramadi, Iraq, when his unit was conducting combat operations and was attacked by enemy forces using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.
Spc Idalski, who graduated from Crown Point High School in 2001, enlisted less than two years ago after working in construction and becoming certified as an emergency medical technician.
A member of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, Idalski had been stationed in Ramadi since August and was due to return home in July, said his stepfather, Rick Greenberg. His unit had previously been stationed in South Korea.
Idalski’s mother, Kim Greenberg, remembers vividly watching her son at his infantry training graduation in September 2003 in Fort Benning, Ga.
“He looked phenomenal,” Greenberg said. “He looked sharp. He stood tall and proud. He was all Army.”
Idalski planned to make a career out of the Army, his family said.
Steve Idalski said his brother enlisted because he wanted to make a difference and make his family proud.
“He was a leader,” he said. “He wanted to be out there and prove a point that he could do anything that was thrown at him.”
Idalski was home for the last time in January when he was granted two weeks emergency leave because a family member was ill.
Army Specialist Nicholas R. Idalski was killed in action on 06/21/05.
Larger Image
Army Specialist Nicholas R. Idalski, 23, of Crown Point, Indiana.
Spc Idalski died in Ramadi, Iraq, when his unit was conducting combat operations and was attacked by enemy forces using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.
Spc Idalski, who graduated from Crown Point High School in 2001, enlisted less than two years ago after working in construction and becoming certified as an emergency medical technician.
A member of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, Idalski had been stationed in Ramadi since August and was due to return home in July, said his stepfather, Rick Greenberg. His unit had previously been stationed in South Korea.
Idalski’s mother, Kim Greenberg, remembers vividly watching her son at his infantry training graduation in September 2003 in Fort Benning, Ga.
“He looked phenomenal,” Greenberg said. “He looked sharp. He stood tall and proud. He was all Army.”
Idalski planned to make a career out of the Army, his family said.
Steve Idalski said his brother enlisted because he wanted to make a difference and make his family proud.
“He was a leader,” he said. “He wanted to be out there and prove a point that he could do anything that was thrown at him.”
Idalski was home for the last time in January when he was granted two weeks emergency leave because a family member was ill.
Army Specialist Nicholas R. Idalski was killed in action on 06/21/05.
Army Specialist Christopher L. Hoskins
Remember Our Heroes
Army Specialist Christopher L. Hoskins, 21, of Danielson, Connecticut.
Spc Hoskins died in Ramadi, Iraq, when his unit was conducting combat operations and was attacked by enemy forces using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.
Claudia Hoskins said that her son volunteered to go to Iraq when his unit was called because he had such strong camaraderie with the men in his unit. "He didn't have to go, but he went," she said. "He enjoyed being a soldier and he died doing what he loved to do."
Those who knew him said that Hoskins was not one to shy away from challenges. His high school wrestling coach said that Hoskins joined the team as a junior with no prior wrestling experience. But the quiet young man worked his way into the starting lineup of a team that eventually won a conference championship, coach Rich Bowen said.
"He wasn't real fiery. He just came to practice each day, probably didn't say two or three words, if that," Bowen said last week. "I think to him it was just a challenge. He was a very quiet kid, laid back."
Hoskins served as a driver for a Bradley fighting vehicle and driver and gunner on a Humvee. He was in Iraq for nearly a year, but was expected to leave the country for Kuwait within the next six weeks, his mother said.
The last time that Hoskins visited his family, in January, he told his mother what he would want if he died. It was a conversation, his mother said, that doesn't usually take place for someone so young. Her son would have turned 22 in August.
"I have no regrets about those conversations," Claudia Hoskins said. "It helped me know as a mother what he wanted."
Among Hoskins' desires was to set up two memorial funds to benefit youngsters in Killingly, one to help pay for assistive technology in the school system because his younger brother, 15-year-old Sean, is a student with special needs. The other fund to be established will benefit the high school art department because Hoskins had a love of the graphic arts. Among Hoskins' possessions that his family is waiting to receive from the Army is a sketchbook that he took to Iraq.
Claudia Hoskins said that she last spoke with her son two weeks ago; Kristin Mayo said that she chatted with her brother via e-mail only last week.
"He was happy and he wanted to be there," she said of his tour in Iraq. "He thought he was doing the right thing."
Added Claudia, of her son's impressions of the people in Iraq, "He said, `They are just like us with the same kinds of needs ... food, water, clothing and a safe place to be, and that's why I'm here.' I thought, 'Here's my young man who is a young man among men,'" she said. "And he was very proud."
Army Specialist Christopher L. Hoskins was killed in action on 06/21/05.
Army Specialist Christopher L. Hoskins, 21, of Danielson, Connecticut.
Spc Hoskins died in Ramadi, Iraq, when his unit was conducting combat operations and was attacked by enemy forces using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.
Claudia Hoskins said that her son volunteered to go to Iraq when his unit was called because he had such strong camaraderie with the men in his unit. "He didn't have to go, but he went," she said. "He enjoyed being a soldier and he died doing what he loved to do."
Those who knew him said that Hoskins was not one to shy away from challenges. His high school wrestling coach said that Hoskins joined the team as a junior with no prior wrestling experience. But the quiet young man worked his way into the starting lineup of a team that eventually won a conference championship, coach Rich Bowen said.
"He wasn't real fiery. He just came to practice each day, probably didn't say two or three words, if that," Bowen said last week. "I think to him it was just a challenge. He was a very quiet kid, laid back."
Hoskins served as a driver for a Bradley fighting vehicle and driver and gunner on a Humvee. He was in Iraq for nearly a year, but was expected to leave the country for Kuwait within the next six weeks, his mother said.
The last time that Hoskins visited his family, in January, he told his mother what he would want if he died. It was a conversation, his mother said, that doesn't usually take place for someone so young. Her son would have turned 22 in August.
"I have no regrets about those conversations," Claudia Hoskins said. "It helped me know as a mother what he wanted."
Among Hoskins' desires was to set up two memorial funds to benefit youngsters in Killingly, one to help pay for assistive technology in the school system because his younger brother, 15-year-old Sean, is a student with special needs. The other fund to be established will benefit the high school art department because Hoskins had a love of the graphic arts. Among Hoskins' possessions that his family is waiting to receive from the Army is a sketchbook that he took to Iraq.
Claudia Hoskins said that she last spoke with her son two weeks ago; Kristin Mayo said that she chatted with her brother via e-mail only last week.
"He was happy and he wanted to be there," she said of his tour in Iraq. "He thought he was doing the right thing."
Added Claudia, of her son's impressions of the people in Iraq, "He said, `They are just like us with the same kinds of needs ... food, water, clothing and a safe place to be, and that's why I'm here.' I thought, 'Here's my young man who is a young man among men,'" she said. "And he was very proud."
Army Specialist Christopher L. Hoskins was killed in action on 06/21/05.
Monday, June 20, 2005
Army Pfc. Christopher R. Kilpatrick
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Christopher R. Kilpatrick, 18, of Columbus, Texas.
Pfc Kilpatrick died in Tal Afar, Iraq, during convoy operations when enemy forces attacked his HMMWV with an improvised explosive device and small arms fire. He was assigned to the 603rd Transportation Company, 142nd Corps Support Battalion, Warrior Brigade, Fort Polk, Louisiana.
Christopher Reed Kilpatrick, 18, gave his life for his country and went to be with his Lord on Monday, June 20, 2005. He was born in Houston, Texas on June 28, 1986 to Tracy Soape Kilpatrick and Scott Reed Kilpatrick.
He attended elementary, junior high and high school in Columbus, Texas, graduating on May 28, 2004. He decided during his senior year to join the United States Army, with the intent to attend college after serving his country, and so he signed up for the Army in the spring of 2004. He began basic training Aug. 18, 2004, at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., completing the program on Oct, 28, 2004. He attended Advanced Individual Training at Fort Leonard Wood and then arrived at Fort Polk, La., on Dec. 4 and was assigned to the 603rd Transportation Company, 142nd Corps Support Battalion as an 88M10 Vehicle Operator. On Feb. 20, 2005, he deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
While serving on active duty, Christopher received the following awards: National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart and the Army Commendation Medal.
Christopher was a member of First Baptist Church, Columbus, Texas and also attended the Frelsburg Baptist Church. Among other things, Christopher played on the Columbus Cardinal basketball team throughout high school and he also played tennis. He was also a member of the CHS FFA chapter and a member of the FCA. Christopher was a Cub Scout, a Boy Scout and earned his Eagle Scout. He qualified for the academic all-district team and was voted most outspoken in 2004 by his classmates.
Christopher was many things to many people. He was a son, brother, nephew, cousin, grandson, friend, step-brother, stepson and finally, a soldier. He was loving, caring, brave, adventurous, fun, funny, athletic and warm-hearted. People enjoyed being around him. Even though his life was cut short, he experienced much, and lived life to the fullest. He had a wonderfully positive attitude and did his best to share it with everyone with whom he came in contact.
Army Pfc Christopher R. Kilpatrick was killed in action on 06/20/05.
Army Pfc. Christopher R. Kilpatrick, 18, of Columbus, Texas.
Pfc Kilpatrick died in Tal Afar, Iraq, during convoy operations when enemy forces attacked his HMMWV with an improvised explosive device and small arms fire. He was assigned to the 603rd Transportation Company, 142nd Corps Support Battalion, Warrior Brigade, Fort Polk, Louisiana.
Christopher Reed Kilpatrick, 18, gave his life for his country and went to be with his Lord on Monday, June 20, 2005. He was born in Houston, Texas on June 28, 1986 to Tracy Soape Kilpatrick and Scott Reed Kilpatrick.
He attended elementary, junior high and high school in Columbus, Texas, graduating on May 28, 2004. He decided during his senior year to join the United States Army, with the intent to attend college after serving his country, and so he signed up for the Army in the spring of 2004. He began basic training Aug. 18, 2004, at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., completing the program on Oct, 28, 2004. He attended Advanced Individual Training at Fort Leonard Wood and then arrived at Fort Polk, La., on Dec. 4 and was assigned to the 603rd Transportation Company, 142nd Corps Support Battalion as an 88M10 Vehicle Operator. On Feb. 20, 2005, he deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
While serving on active duty, Christopher received the following awards: National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart and the Army Commendation Medal.
Christopher was a member of First Baptist Church, Columbus, Texas and also attended the Frelsburg Baptist Church. Among other things, Christopher played on the Columbus Cardinal basketball team throughout high school and he also played tennis. He was also a member of the CHS FFA chapter and a member of the FCA. Christopher was a Cub Scout, a Boy Scout and earned his Eagle Scout. He qualified for the academic all-district team and was voted most outspoken in 2004 by his classmates.
Christopher was many things to many people. He was a son, brother, nephew, cousin, grandson, friend, step-brother, stepson and finally, a soldier. He was loving, caring, brave, adventurous, fun, funny, athletic and warm-hearted. People enjoyed being around him. Even though his life was cut short, he experienced much, and lived life to the fullest. He had a wonderfully positive attitude and did his best to share it with everyone with whom he came in contact.
Army Pfc Christopher R. Kilpatrick was killed in action on 06/20/05.
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Army Cpl. William A. Long
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. William A. Long, 26, of Lilburn, Ga.
Cpl. Long was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.; died June 18, 2005 in Baqubah, Iraq, of injuries sustained on June 17 when he was on mounted patrol and his Humvee was attacked by enemy forces using rocket-propelled grenades in Buritz, Iraq. Also killed was 1st Lt. Noah Harris.
WBIR.com -- Corporal William Long died in Iraq Friday when a roadside bomb exploded near his Humvee.
Long belonged to the 3rd Infantry Division and made his home in Georgia, although he spent time in Knoxville growing up. Corporal Long's mother still lives here and requested privacy during this difficult time.
Long will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Friday. At one time, he was a member of the Honor Guard at Arlington, presiding over more than 700 burials there.
But in a gesture that tells you a lot about the man, Long freely gave up that position to help the Iraqi people.
"On one hand as a father you don't want your son to get hurt," said Cpl. Long's Step Father Lee Cordner. "On the other hand you're proud he's taking initiative. If it wasn't for people like him we wouldn't be who we are."
Cordner found out about his step son's death Saturday, and says he went blank when hearing the words from military personnel who visited his Georgia home.
"I'm very proud of my son, and he's a hero," said Cordner. "Not many people have chance to be hero. It's just too bad you have to be a hero at 26 and not 70."
Cordner's home is now a memorial, with his step son's military honors all across the house. It is a tribute to a man who knew about the sacrifices of combat but willingly went into the military to help his country.
"I'm just so proud of him, and wish I could have spent more time with him," said Cordner.
Army Cpl. William A. Long was killed in action on 6/18/05.
Army Cpl. William A. Long, 26, of Lilburn, Ga.
Cpl. Long was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.; died June 18, 2005 in Baqubah, Iraq, of injuries sustained on June 17 when he was on mounted patrol and his Humvee was attacked by enemy forces using rocket-propelled grenades in Buritz, Iraq. Also killed was 1st Lt. Noah Harris.
WBIR.com -- Corporal William Long died in Iraq Friday when a roadside bomb exploded near his Humvee.
Long belonged to the 3rd Infantry Division and made his home in Georgia, although he spent time in Knoxville growing up. Corporal Long's mother still lives here and requested privacy during this difficult time.
Long will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Friday. At one time, he was a member of the Honor Guard at Arlington, presiding over more than 700 burials there.
But in a gesture that tells you a lot about the man, Long freely gave up that position to help the Iraqi people.
"On one hand as a father you don't want your son to get hurt," said Cpl. Long's Step Father Lee Cordner. "On the other hand you're proud he's taking initiative. If it wasn't for people like him we wouldn't be who we are."
Cordner found out about his step son's death Saturday, and says he went blank when hearing the words from military personnel who visited his Georgia home.
"I'm very proud of my son, and he's a hero," said Cordner. "Not many people have chance to be hero. It's just too bad you have to be a hero at 26 and not 70."
Cordner's home is now a memorial, with his step son's military honors all across the house. It is a tribute to a man who knew about the sacrifices of combat but willingly went into the military to help his country.
"I'm just so proud of him, and wish I could have spent more time with him," said Cordner.
Army Cpl. William A. Long was killed in action on 6/18/05.
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Army Staff Sgt. Christopher N. Piper
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt Christopher N. Piper, 43, of Marblehead, Massachusetts.
SSG Piper died at the Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, from injuries sustained on June 3, 2005 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his military vehicle in Orgun-E, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
A native of Marblehead, Mass. Piper enlisted in the Marine Corps September 30, 1980 where he served for three years.
He entered the Army April 17, 1995.
After numerous assignments, including service in the Massachusetts Army National Guard, he arrived to 7th SFG at Fort Bragg, NC. in September 2004.
Piper deployed in support of operation Enduring Freedom in November 2004.
His awards and decorations include:
Army Commendation Medal, the Navy Achievement Medal, the Navy Unit Commendation, the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” Device, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, the Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, the Special Forces Tab, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Parachutist Badge. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
Army Staff Sgt Christopher N. Piper was killed in action on 06/16/05.
Army Staff Sgt Christopher N. Piper, 43, of Marblehead, Massachusetts.
SSG Piper died at the Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, from injuries sustained on June 3, 2005 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his military vehicle in Orgun-E, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
A native of Marblehead, Mass. Piper enlisted in the Marine Corps September 30, 1980 where he served for three years.
He entered the Army April 17, 1995.
After numerous assignments, including service in the Massachusetts Army National Guard, he arrived to 7th SFG at Fort Bragg, NC. in September 2004.
Piper deployed in support of operation Enduring Freedom in November 2004.
His awards and decorations include:
Army Commendation Medal, the Navy Achievement Medal, the Navy Unit Commendation, the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” Device, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, the Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, the Special Forces Tab, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Parachutist Badge. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
Army Staff Sgt Christopher N. Piper was killed in action on 06/16/05.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Marine Lance Cpl. Dion M. Whitley
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Dion M. Whitley, 21, of Los Angeles, California.
Lance Cpl Whitley died when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations near Ar Ramadi, Iraq. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, their unit was operating with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, which was attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).
Lance Cpl Whitley was a machine-gunner and he had been in Iraq for three months.
Lance Cpl Whitley was an Eagle Scout, a 2002 Muir High School graduate and president of the GeoSpace Academy at Muir. In high school, he played football and belonged to the Z-Club, a student community service group.
His teachers and football coach remembered him as a shy young man who grew into an outgoing leader. Clarence Stubblefield was Whitley's Boy Scout troop leader. "He ended up being Senior Patrol Leader, in charge of the whole troop," Stubblefield said. The other boys voted him into higher and higher positions, Stubblefield said.
"He was just a likable guy. If someone had a problem, he'd listen to the problem. He'd spend time trying to solve the problem," he said.
Shelley McDonald, Whitley's English teacher, agreed.
"He looked like a football player, but he had a gentle spirit," she said. "He had friends from a lot of different arenas."
He loved being with younger kids, his mother, Deborah Whitley said. He helped with the nursery school at Victory Bible Church, and worked with younger Boy Scouts at Camp Cherry Valley on Catalina Island every summer.
Whitley's family and friends also said he was a cut-up.
"When he was in first grade or second grade, his teacher said Dion just stood up in class, did an Elvis Presley impression, and sat back down," Deborah Whitley said with a smile.
Josh Smith, a close friend, said Whitley could make anybody laugh. "You could never tell when he was serious or playing."
Whitley was interested in the military from an early age, his teachers recalled. When he had reports to do in English class, he did them on the Marines. He argued with other students about the importance of contributing to his country, McDonald said. After he made it through boot camp in March, he came in to talk to her class. He had lost weight, was trim and ready for combat, she said.
"He said (boot camp) was testing his stamina and the strength of his commitment," she said. "He was proud because he had made it through."
Marine Lance Cpl Dion M. Whitley was killed in action on 06/15/05.
Marine Lance Cpl. Dion M. Whitley, 21, of Los Angeles, California.
Lance Cpl Whitley died when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations near Ar Ramadi, Iraq. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, their unit was operating with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, which was attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).
Lance Cpl Whitley was a machine-gunner and he had been in Iraq for three months.
Lance Cpl Whitley was an Eagle Scout, a 2002 Muir High School graduate and president of the GeoSpace Academy at Muir. In high school, he played football and belonged to the Z-Club, a student community service group.
His teachers and football coach remembered him as a shy young man who grew into an outgoing leader. Clarence Stubblefield was Whitley's Boy Scout troop leader. "He ended up being Senior Patrol Leader, in charge of the whole troop," Stubblefield said. The other boys voted him into higher and higher positions, Stubblefield said.
"He was just a likable guy. If someone had a problem, he'd listen to the problem. He'd spend time trying to solve the problem," he said.
Shelley McDonald, Whitley's English teacher, agreed.
"He looked like a football player, but he had a gentle spirit," she said. "He had friends from a lot of different arenas."
He loved being with younger kids, his mother, Deborah Whitley said. He helped with the nursery school at Victory Bible Church, and worked with younger Boy Scouts at Camp Cherry Valley on Catalina Island every summer.
Whitley's family and friends also said he was a cut-up.
"When he was in first grade or second grade, his teacher said Dion just stood up in class, did an Elvis Presley impression, and sat back down," Deborah Whitley said with a smile.
Josh Smith, a close friend, said Whitley could make anybody laugh. "You could never tell when he was serious or playing."
Whitley was interested in the military from an early age, his teachers recalled. When he had reports to do in English class, he did them on the Marines. He argued with other students about the importance of contributing to his country, McDonald said. After he made it through boot camp in March, he came in to talk to her class. He had lost weight, was trim and ready for combat, she said.
"He said (boot camp) was testing his stamina and the strength of his commitment," she said. "He was proud because he had made it through."
Marine Lance Cpl Dion M. Whitley was killed in action on 06/15/05.
Marine Lance Cpl. Jonathan R. Flores
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Jonathan R. Flores, 18, of San Antonio, Texas.
Lance Cpl Flores died when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations near Ar Ramadi, Iraq. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, their unit was operating with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, which was attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).
"My son did not die for oil," said Delia Flores, Jonathan's mother, reacting to public criticism about the war. "He died for the people in Iraq — the men, women and children who live there. He died for us — for our freedom."
The Jay High School graduate always knew he wanted to be a Marine, his family said.
"My son believed in freedom, and he fought for it," Ruben Flores said. "He was a hero."
When he was 17, Flores was insistent about joining the Marines — what he called the best branch of the military. But, since he was not yet 18, he could not join without his parents' permission. So adamant about joining, he said he would do so with or without his parents' blessing as soon as he turned 18. So, believing the Marines would provide an opportunity for a brighter future, they signed.
"God took my son, or I should say the devil took him, and God lifted him up," he said. "I don't want San Antonio to ever forget my son." Ruben Flores said.
Marine Lance Cpl Jonathan R. Flores was killed in action 06/15/05.
Marine Lance Cpl. Jonathan R. Flores, 18, of San Antonio, Texas.
Lance Cpl Flores died when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations near Ar Ramadi, Iraq. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, their unit was operating with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, which was attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).
"My son did not die for oil," said Delia Flores, Jonathan's mother, reacting to public criticism about the war. "He died for the people in Iraq — the men, women and children who live there. He died for us — for our freedom."
The Jay High School graduate always knew he wanted to be a Marine, his family said.
"My son believed in freedom, and he fought for it," Ruben Flores said. "He was a hero."
When he was 17, Flores was insistent about joining the Marines — what he called the best branch of the military. But, since he was not yet 18, he could not join without his parents' permission. So adamant about joining, he said he would do so with or without his parents' blessing as soon as he turned 18. So, believing the Marines would provide an opportunity for a brighter future, they signed.
"God took my son, or I should say the devil took him, and God lifted him up," he said. "I don't want San Antonio to ever forget my son." Ruben Flores said.
Marine Lance Cpl Jonathan R. Flores was killed in action 06/15/05.
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Army Sgt. Michael J. Kelley
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Michael J. Kelley, 26, of Scituate, Massachusetts.
Sgt Kelley died in Shkin, Afghanistan, when his helicopter landing zone came under enemy fire. He was assigned to the Army National Guard's 101st Field Artillery Battalion, Rehoboth, Massachusetts.
Michael Kelley, a 1997 graduate of Scituate High School in Massachusetts, joined the National Guard straight out of high school, hoping to take advantage of the military's educational assistance programs. He wanted to parlay the skills he learned in the Army into a career in the civil aviation industry. Michael volunteered to go to Afghanistan after his old National Guard Unit out of Quincy, MA was stationed in Iraq last year. Michael felt it was the right thing to do after he was reassigned to a unit in Rehoboth, MA and that unit was looking for volunteers to relieve military personnel in Afghanistan due to lack of military replacements.
Michael was somewhat introverted and quiet, but had a keen wit, a sharp mind, a big heart, and a great sense of humor. He was an artist and loved to read. He loved to play video games and loved to watch movies. Michael had the fantastic ability to recite movie lines. One of his favorite movies was Tommy Boy and he would always recite the line by Chris Farley, to his brother, Shawn and Brother-in-law, Doug, "Brothers don't shake hands, brothers gotta hug!"
In addition to his parents, Joseph and Karen Kelley, Michael leaves behind a brother, Shawn, two sisters, Karianne and Colleen, Brother-in-law Douglas, and niece Olivia.
Army Sgt Michael J. Kelly was killed in action on 06/08/05.
Army Sgt. Michael J. Kelley, 26, of Scituate, Massachusetts.
Sgt Kelley died in Shkin, Afghanistan, when his helicopter landing zone came under enemy fire. He was assigned to the Army National Guard's 101st Field Artillery Battalion, Rehoboth, Massachusetts.
Michael Kelley, a 1997 graduate of Scituate High School in Massachusetts, joined the National Guard straight out of high school, hoping to take advantage of the military's educational assistance programs. He wanted to parlay the skills he learned in the Army into a career in the civil aviation industry. Michael volunteered to go to Afghanistan after his old National Guard Unit out of Quincy, MA was stationed in Iraq last year. Michael felt it was the right thing to do after he was reassigned to a unit in Rehoboth, MA and that unit was looking for volunteers to relieve military personnel in Afghanistan due to lack of military replacements.
Michael was somewhat introverted and quiet, but had a keen wit, a sharp mind, a big heart, and a great sense of humor. He was an artist and loved to read. He loved to play video games and loved to watch movies. Michael had the fantastic ability to recite movie lines. One of his favorite movies was Tommy Boy and he would always recite the line by Chris Farley, to his brother, Shawn and Brother-in-law, Doug, "Brothers don't shake hands, brothers gotta hug!"
In addition to his parents, Joseph and Karen Kelley, Michael leaves behind a brother, Shawn, two sisters, Karianne and Colleen, Brother-in-law Douglas, and niece Olivia.
Army Sgt Michael J. Kelly was killed in action on 06/08/05.
Army Pfc. Douglas E. Kashmer
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Douglas E. Kashmer, 27, of Sharon, Pennsylvania.
Pfc Kashmer died in Nippur, Iraq, when the wrecker in which he was a passenger was involved in a non-combat related rollover. He was assigned to the 70th Transportation Company, Mannheim, Germany.
Pfc. Douglas Kashmer, 27, who was assigned to the Army’s 70th Transportation Company, was killed almost instantly when the vehicle rolled over in Nippur, Iraq, on June 8, said his mother, Carol Kashmer, of Cookeville, Tenn.
“He didn’t suffer. He’s going to be deeply missed by everyone, and I’m the proudest mother you’d ever meet,” she said.
The Defense Department said Kashmer’s vehicle wasn’t involved in combat when it rolled over.
Carol Kashmer said her son, who worked as a diesel mechanic, had wanted to be in the Army since he was a child.
Born in South Carolina, Kashmer graduated in 1996 from Reynolds High School in Greenville, about 70 miles northwest in Pittsburgh, where he played football.
He joined the Army in 1997 and briefly lived in Sharon before he was stationed in Mannheim, Germany, with his wife, Toni Kashmer, and their daughter, Kashmaria, 3.
Before he left, he got a tattoo of his daughter’s face on his calf. “That was the only way he could think of to take her with him,” his mother said.
Army Pfc Douglas E. Kashmer was killed in action on 06/08/05.
Army Pfc. Douglas E. Kashmer, 27, of Sharon, Pennsylvania.
Pfc Kashmer died in Nippur, Iraq, when the wrecker in which he was a passenger was involved in a non-combat related rollover. He was assigned to the 70th Transportation Company, Mannheim, Germany.
Pfc. Douglas Kashmer, 27, who was assigned to the Army’s 70th Transportation Company, was killed almost instantly when the vehicle rolled over in Nippur, Iraq, on June 8, said his mother, Carol Kashmer, of Cookeville, Tenn.
“He didn’t suffer. He’s going to be deeply missed by everyone, and I’m the proudest mother you’d ever meet,” she said.
The Defense Department said Kashmer’s vehicle wasn’t involved in combat when it rolled over.
Carol Kashmer said her son, who worked as a diesel mechanic, had wanted to be in the Army since he was a child.
Born in South Carolina, Kashmer graduated in 1996 from Reynolds High School in Greenville, about 70 miles northwest in Pittsburgh, where he played football.
He joined the Army in 1997 and briefly lived in Sharon before he was stationed in Mannheim, Germany, with his wife, Toni Kashmer, and their daughter, Kashmaria, 3.
Before he left, he got a tattoo of his daughter’s face on his calf. “That was the only way he could think of to take her with him,” his mother said.
Army Pfc Douglas E. Kashmer was killed in action on 06/08/05.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Army Specialist Eric T. Burri
Remember Our Heroes
Army Specialist Eric T. Burri, 21, of Wyoming, Michigan.
Spc Burri died in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV. He was assigned to the 623rd Quartermaster Company, 1st Corps Support Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Spc Burri was from suburban Grand Rapids. A family friend says he had a longing for opportunities to travel.
Virginia Burri told Grand Rapids radio station WOOD-AM that her grandson joined the Army after graduating from Kelloggsville High School. Flags at the school flew at half-staff as word of his death spread in the area.
Woody Watson, a close family friend, said the Army was Burri’s ticket to travel. His drive was sparked by a year Burri spent in Uruguay as an exchange student while in high school, Watson said.
Watson said Burri wanted to learn languages and meet different people.
“We’re sad. We’re hurt,” Watson told The Detroit News. “He was brave to go and fight for freedom — not only for his country, but for others around the world.”
Engaged to marry a 21-year-old Saginaw woman, he was home a couple of weeks ago to attend an uncle’s funeral, his grandmother said. Burri also is survived by his parents, Joanne and John, and an older brother, Andrew.
While overseas, Burri leaned on his trust in God, Watson said.
In an e-mail to his family, he wrote: “I know that all of you will keep me in your prayers and thoughts and also God will be watching my back.”
Army Specialist Eric T. Burri was killed in action on 06/07/05.
Army Specialist Eric T. Burri, 21, of Wyoming, Michigan.
Spc Burri died in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV. He was assigned to the 623rd Quartermaster Company, 1st Corps Support Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Spc Burri was from suburban Grand Rapids. A family friend says he had a longing for opportunities to travel.
Virginia Burri told Grand Rapids radio station WOOD-AM that her grandson joined the Army after graduating from Kelloggsville High School. Flags at the school flew at half-staff as word of his death spread in the area.
Woody Watson, a close family friend, said the Army was Burri’s ticket to travel. His drive was sparked by a year Burri spent in Uruguay as an exchange student while in high school, Watson said.
Watson said Burri wanted to learn languages and meet different people.
“We’re sad. We’re hurt,” Watson told The Detroit News. “He was brave to go and fight for freedom — not only for his country, but for others around the world.”
Engaged to marry a 21-year-old Saginaw woman, he was home a couple of weeks ago to attend an uncle’s funeral, his grandmother said. Burri also is survived by his parents, Joanne and John, and an older brother, Andrew.
While overseas, Burri leaned on his trust in God, Watson said.
In an e-mail to his family, he wrote: “I know that all of you will keep me in your prayers and thoughts and also God will be watching my back.”
Army Specialist Eric T. Burri was killed in action on 06/07/05.
Army Specialist Jorge Estrada
Remember Our Heroes
Army Specialist Jorge Estrada was lucky enough to make it through the combat in Iraq long enough to get home on emergency leave to see his wife give birth to their new baby, who joined his wife’s other child by a previous relationship. Three days after seeing his daughter born, Estrada was murdered by his wifes former boyfriend over visitation rights.
The following was written by Major K who was serving in Iraq with Spc Estrada:
Jorge was a great Soldier and communications specialist. He was the total package; tough, disciplined, cheerful, a good marksman, and one of the few guys in the commo section that could work wonders with both encrypted radios and computers. I was telling our Operations Officer, Major D. tonight at dinner that he was the type of soldier that if every one in the unit was like him, a leader would never have any problems. Major D. responded that if one tenth of your soldiers were like him, that would still be the case. He made everyone around him better, just by example, and without fanfare or flamboyance. He was the consummate quiet professional. He never complained, usually because he was too busy cracking jokes while getting the job done…
…He was also the quality of man that his killer could never be. Recently married, Jorge was home on leave for the birth of his daughter. His wife had another daughter from a previous relationship with the killer, that Jorge was raising as his own. He was that type of guy. He did right by his woman, right by his kids, even when they weren’t his, and right by his country. He went above and beyond the call in every regard. I know that had he perceived a threat from this scumbag that sucker-shot him, I would not be writing this post now, because that scumbag would be in the hospital or jail, and Specialist Estrada would still be enjoying his leave with his wife and daughters.
He was expected back here in the sandbox in about two weeks. I will miss him as will all of us here. I pray that he rests well in Heaven, that his family finds peace, and that his murderer receives swift and severe justice.
Army Specialist Jorge Estrada was killed on 06/07/05.
Army Specialist Jorge Estrada was lucky enough to make it through the combat in Iraq long enough to get home on emergency leave to see his wife give birth to their new baby, who joined his wife’s other child by a previous relationship. Three days after seeing his daughter born, Estrada was murdered by his wifes former boyfriend over visitation rights.
The following was written by Major K who was serving in Iraq with Spc Estrada:
Jorge was a great Soldier and communications specialist. He was the total package; tough, disciplined, cheerful, a good marksman, and one of the few guys in the commo section that could work wonders with both encrypted radios and computers. I was telling our Operations Officer, Major D. tonight at dinner that he was the type of soldier that if every one in the unit was like him, a leader would never have any problems. Major D. responded that if one tenth of your soldiers were like him, that would still be the case. He made everyone around him better, just by example, and without fanfare or flamboyance. He was the consummate quiet professional. He never complained, usually because he was too busy cracking jokes while getting the job done…
…He was also the quality of man that his killer could never be. Recently married, Jorge was home on leave for the birth of his daughter. His wife had another daughter from a previous relationship with the killer, that Jorge was raising as his own. He was that type of guy. He did right by his woman, right by his kids, even when they weren’t his, and right by his country. He went above and beyond the call in every regard. I know that had he perceived a threat from this scumbag that sucker-shot him, I would not be writing this post now, because that scumbag would be in the hospital or jail, and Specialist Estrada would still be enjoying his leave with his wife and daughters.
He was expected back here in the sandbox in about two weeks. I will miss him as will all of us here. I pray that he rests well in Heaven, that his family finds peace, and that his murderer receives swift and severe justice.
Army Specialist Jorge Estrada was killed on 06/07/05.
Monday, June 06, 2005
Marine Lance Cpl. Robert T. Mininger
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Robert T. Mininger, 21, of Sellersville, Pa.
Lance Cpl.. Mininger was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 8, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died June 6, 2005 of wounds sustained in an explosion while conducting combat operations in Fallujah, Iraq. Also killed was Lance Cpl. Jonathan L. Smith.
Philadelphia Inquirer -- A Bucks County man has died in Iraq from wounds suffered in an explosion during combat, the Defense Department said yesterday.
Lance Cpl. Robert Mininger, 21, of Sellersville, died Monday - one day short of his first anniversary in the Marines.
A former Pennridge High School football player and Montgomery County Community College student, Mininger was stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C. He was sent to Iraq in January, family members said.
The Defense Department said the explosion occurred while Mininger was conducting combat operations in Fallujah.
Mininger's job was to search for roadside bombs, and he had told family members that his Humvee had been hit with shrapnel several times, said his father, Thomas Mininger.
"Any assignment over there with a Marine unit is dangerous," said Lt. Barry Edwards, spokesman from the Second Marine Division. "Marines are in the full front of the action."
After graduating from high school in 2002, Mininger enrolled in Montgomery County Community College, said Thomas Mininger, who said his son completed his second full year at the school. He also worked at the local Wal-Mart store. He was planning to get a four-year degree, Thomas Mininger said.
Mininger said his son changed his major from computer engineering to criminal justice because he wanted to join the CIA or the FBI.
"He said he needed military service time to enhance his resume," Mininger said. "His final goal was to go into government agency work."
"Bob was never satisfied with the idea of going to school and going to work somewhere behind a desk. He needed something in his life that demanded physical activity. That's why he loved the Marines."
Mininger said he was skeptical about his son's decision to join the military. The two waited for more than six months before making the final decision.
"I would keep coming up with arguments against it, or concerns that I needed addressed," Mininger said. "One by one, he came to me with his solution to the questions. There was nothing else I could ask of him. Finally, I said, 'Yes, son, if this is what you want to do, I'm behind you 100 percent.' "
He was assigned to the Third Battalion, Eighth Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team-8, Second Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force.
Mininger said he last saw his son Jan. 2 when he was preparing for deployment.
In addition to his father, Robert Mininger is survived by his mother, Paula Zwillinger, and a younger brother, Greg.
Mininger said that funeral arrangements had not yet been made for his son, but that the family planned to bury him in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va.
"That's the best honor we can pay to him," Mininger said. "He was a good man."
Marine Lance Cpl. Robert T. Mininger was killed in action on 6/6/05.
Marine Lance Cpl. Robert T. Mininger, 21, of Sellersville, Pa.
Lance Cpl.. Mininger was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 8, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died June 6, 2005 of wounds sustained in an explosion while conducting combat operations in Fallujah, Iraq. Also killed was Lance Cpl. Jonathan L. Smith.
Philadelphia Inquirer -- A Bucks County man has died in Iraq from wounds suffered in an explosion during combat, the Defense Department said yesterday.
Lance Cpl. Robert Mininger, 21, of Sellersville, died Monday - one day short of his first anniversary in the Marines.
A former Pennridge High School football player and Montgomery County Community College student, Mininger was stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C. He was sent to Iraq in January, family members said.
The Defense Department said the explosion occurred while Mininger was conducting combat operations in Fallujah.
Mininger's job was to search for roadside bombs, and he had told family members that his Humvee had been hit with shrapnel several times, said his father, Thomas Mininger.
"Any assignment over there with a Marine unit is dangerous," said Lt. Barry Edwards, spokesman from the Second Marine Division. "Marines are in the full front of the action."
After graduating from high school in 2002, Mininger enrolled in Montgomery County Community College, said Thomas Mininger, who said his son completed his second full year at the school. He also worked at the local Wal-Mart store. He was planning to get a four-year degree, Thomas Mininger said.
Mininger said his son changed his major from computer engineering to criminal justice because he wanted to join the CIA or the FBI.
"He said he needed military service time to enhance his resume," Mininger said. "His final goal was to go into government agency work."
"Bob was never satisfied with the idea of going to school and going to work somewhere behind a desk. He needed something in his life that demanded physical activity. That's why he loved the Marines."
Mininger said he was skeptical about his son's decision to join the military. The two waited for more than six months before making the final decision.
"I would keep coming up with arguments against it, or concerns that I needed addressed," Mininger said. "One by one, he came to me with his solution to the questions. There was nothing else I could ask of him. Finally, I said, 'Yes, son, if this is what you want to do, I'm behind you 100 percent.' "
He was assigned to the Third Battalion, Eighth Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team-8, Second Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force.
Mininger said he last saw his son Jan. 2 when he was preparing for deployment.
In addition to his father, Robert Mininger is survived by his mother, Paula Zwillinger, and a younger brother, Greg.
Mininger said that funeral arrangements had not yet been made for his son, but that the family planned to bury him in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va.
"That's the best honor we can pay to him," Mininger said. "He was a good man."
Marine Lance Cpl. Robert T. Mininger was killed in action on 6/6/05.
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Army Staff Sgt. Justin L. Vasquez
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Justin L. Vasquez, 26, of Manzanola, Colorado.
SSG Vasquez died in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his military vehicle. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colorado.
Justin Lee Vasquez was born January 26, 1979 in Rocky Ford, Colorado, to Vicki and Tino Vasquez. Justin grew up in Manzanola, Colorado and graduated from high school there in 1997.
After graduation he entered the U.S. Army on August 13, 1997 and was stationed at Ft. Knox, Kentucky with A Troop, 5/15 CAV where he completed Basic Training in December of 1997, he was awarded the Primary Military Occupational Specialty of 19D, Calvalry Scout. He was then stationed at Ft. Polk, Kentucky to serve as a Squad Leader with Troop C, 2nd ACR.
On January 16, 2002, he arrvied at his current unit of assignment, Lightning Troop, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment, stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado. Assigned as a Platoon Sergeant, SSG Vasquez deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from March 2003 to March 2004.
After returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom, he was once again deployed with Lightning Troop to Iraq in March 2005 as a Bradley Commander. SSG Vasquez was killed June 5, 2005 by an IED while assisting fellow soldiers that had been previously been attacked by an IED.
SSG Justin Lee Vasquez was recognized as an outstanding NCO by his superiors and peers alike and was beloved by his soldiers.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, the Army Commendation Medal (2nd OLC), the Army achievement Medal (4th OLC), the Army Good Conduct Medal (2nd award), the Global War on Terrorism Expedition Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Air Assault Badge and the Drivers Badge (T).
SSG Justin Lee Vasquez will be remembered for the morale he brought to his unit, for his love of his wife, son and family, and his dedication to his work. He is survived by his loving wife, Riley Nicole Vasquez, his son, Justin David Jasquez. His mother and stepfather, Vicki and Kevin Bosley, his father, Tino Vasquez, his sister and nephew, Jennifer Vasquez and Kaine and his sister Janneke Vasquez.
This was written by fellow Soldiers' Angel, Living Legends team member and mother of Justin Lee Vasquez - Vicki Bosley.
Rocky Mountain News.com
Squadron changed by war
By Bill Johnson
COLORADO SPRINGS - You could see in their faces that they were not the same men. Sure, there was an easily detectable weariness, mostly from the 20-hour-or-so flight they had just completed from Baghdad to Colorado Springs and Fort Carson. Yet there was more to it than that.
Thunder Squadron of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment marched Monday morning in tight formation into the Special Events Center at the Army base here. I had witnessed them march similarly nearly a year ago at their desert base in Kuwait, before loading into their waiting vehicles for the long drive to Baghdad.
A bittersweet homecoming
Riley Vasquez leaned hard into Vicki Bosley as the soldiers entered the center. When a recorded version of the Star-Spangled Banner began playing, she sobbed along with her mother-in-law.
Riley's husband, Staff Sgt. Justin Vasquez, was among the Thunder Squadron dead, having been killed by a roadside bomb last June.
"I've been waiting for this for a long time now," Riley Vasquez, 25, said later, dabbing her eyes. "I think I feel better now."
Why did she come to the ceremony?
"Justin came home today, but just in a different form," she said. "I see a lot of Justin in them, their actions. It's closure for me."
She teared up again.
"I did make one final look into the soldiers' faces, just to make sure he really wasn't there," she said, sobbing again.
Jenn Vasquez, the 28-year-old sister of the dead soldier, said she and her mother came because Thunder Squadron was there for them in their sorrow, and they wanted to be there for them.
"Being here," Jenn Vasquez said, "kind of sealed the deal for me, that Justin is not coming back. Something had to make it a reality, that it is final, and I guess this is it."
"I want to know that it's real," Vicki Bosley said, tears streaming down her face. "I guess my boy really is not coming home."
Justin Vasquez was buried in Manzanola Cemetery on June 14.
As members of Thunder Squadron raced from formation Monday to embrace at long last their wives, husbands and assorted loved ones, the three women stood hugging each other in tears.
Staff Sgt. Gary Baty gripped me with a bear hug when I walked up. There were tears in his eyes. He and Justin Vasquez were the last soldiers we ate with and spoke to in Iraq before returning home last April.
'Whole year changed me'
He invited me by his home, an invitation I readily accepted, knowing that his wife had left him in June, two weeks after Vasquez, his longtime best friend and roommate in Iraq, was killed.
No soldier, a year gone, should go home to an empty house.
His friend's death still grips him.
"I know the whole year changed me," he said matter-of-factly.
"It sounds like a cliché, but no war is worth a guy's dying. Everybody loses when a guy dies. The history book will tell you there are winners and losers, but that is not true. A guy dies, nobody wins."
He remembered clearly those weeks in Kuwait and Iraq when we first met, when the entire squadron was bright-eyed, eager and ready to go to war. It stayed that way until June when Justin Vasquez and two other men from 1st Platoon became the first to die.
"We realized probably a month after that that things were never going back to normal," Gary Baty said. "When guys started dying and getting wounded, it shook the Roman Wall.
"Justin was our best scout, the strongest leader in the toughest job. I existed in his shadow. When he left, it made all of us think it could damn well happen to us on any day."
He did not retreat into the pain, he said. Oh, he would be forgiven for doing so: Vasquez was walking toward his Bradley Fighting Vehicle when the bomb exploded. Gary Baty was tasked with gathering his roommate's body.
"My only comfort is that I know he never knew what happened to him."
Instead of retreating, he and the rest of 1st Platoon became more determined to do their jobs, Gary Baty said.
"People waited for all of us to fall apart, but everybody just dug in, determined not to let it affect our mission. Justin would have wanted it that way."
He figures he will always hear the roadside bombs, the improvised explosive devices (IEDs). He can still hear the roar, even those that went off far from him.
"It's like an old song, how it reminds you of so many different things, things that happened to you there."
He lost exact count of how many targeted him and his Bradley. He and other sergeants not long ago tried to tally them up. They came up with at least 10 to 15 IEDs for every vehicle in the squadron. It is a considerable number of explosions.
Army Staff Sgt. Justin L. Vasquez was killed in action on 06/05/05.
Larger Image
Army Staff Sgt. Justin L. Vasquez, 26, of Manzanola, Colorado.
SSG Vasquez died in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his military vehicle. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colorado.
Justin Lee Vasquez was born January 26, 1979 in Rocky Ford, Colorado, to Vicki and Tino Vasquez. Justin grew up in Manzanola, Colorado and graduated from high school there in 1997.
After graduation he entered the U.S. Army on August 13, 1997 and was stationed at Ft. Knox, Kentucky with A Troop, 5/15 CAV where he completed Basic Training in December of 1997, he was awarded the Primary Military Occupational Specialty of 19D, Calvalry Scout. He was then stationed at Ft. Polk, Kentucky to serve as a Squad Leader with Troop C, 2nd ACR.
On January 16, 2002, he arrvied at his current unit of assignment, Lightning Troop, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment, stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado. Assigned as a Platoon Sergeant, SSG Vasquez deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from March 2003 to March 2004.
After returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom, he was once again deployed with Lightning Troop to Iraq in March 2005 as a Bradley Commander. SSG Vasquez was killed June 5, 2005 by an IED while assisting fellow soldiers that had been previously been attacked by an IED.
SSG Justin Lee Vasquez was recognized as an outstanding NCO by his superiors and peers alike and was beloved by his soldiers.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, the Army Commendation Medal (2nd OLC), the Army achievement Medal (4th OLC), the Army Good Conduct Medal (2nd award), the Global War on Terrorism Expedition Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Air Assault Badge and the Drivers Badge (T).
SSG Justin Lee Vasquez will be remembered for the morale he brought to his unit, for his love of his wife, son and family, and his dedication to his work. He is survived by his loving wife, Riley Nicole Vasquez, his son, Justin David Jasquez. His mother and stepfather, Vicki and Kevin Bosley, his father, Tino Vasquez, his sister and nephew, Jennifer Vasquez and Kaine and his sister Janneke Vasquez.
This was written by fellow Soldiers' Angel, Living Legends team member and mother of Justin Lee Vasquez - Vicki Bosley.
Rocky Mountain News.com
Squadron changed by war
By Bill Johnson
COLORADO SPRINGS - You could see in their faces that they were not the same men. Sure, there was an easily detectable weariness, mostly from the 20-hour-or-so flight they had just completed from Baghdad to Colorado Springs and Fort Carson. Yet there was more to it than that.
Thunder Squadron of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment marched Monday morning in tight formation into the Special Events Center at the Army base here. I had witnessed them march similarly nearly a year ago at their desert base in Kuwait, before loading into their waiting vehicles for the long drive to Baghdad.
A bittersweet homecoming
Riley Vasquez leaned hard into Vicki Bosley as the soldiers entered the center. When a recorded version of the Star-Spangled Banner began playing, she sobbed along with her mother-in-law.
Riley's husband, Staff Sgt. Justin Vasquez, was among the Thunder Squadron dead, having been killed by a roadside bomb last June.
"I've been waiting for this for a long time now," Riley Vasquez, 25, said later, dabbing her eyes. "I think I feel better now."
Why did she come to the ceremony?
"Justin came home today, but just in a different form," she said. "I see a lot of Justin in them, their actions. It's closure for me."
She teared up again.
"I did make one final look into the soldiers' faces, just to make sure he really wasn't there," she said, sobbing again.
Jenn Vasquez, the 28-year-old sister of the dead soldier, said she and her mother came because Thunder Squadron was there for them in their sorrow, and they wanted to be there for them.
"Being here," Jenn Vasquez said, "kind of sealed the deal for me, that Justin is not coming back. Something had to make it a reality, that it is final, and I guess this is it."
"I want to know that it's real," Vicki Bosley said, tears streaming down her face. "I guess my boy really is not coming home."
Justin Vasquez was buried in Manzanola Cemetery on June 14.
As members of Thunder Squadron raced from formation Monday to embrace at long last their wives, husbands and assorted loved ones, the three women stood hugging each other in tears.
Staff Sgt. Gary Baty gripped me with a bear hug when I walked up. There were tears in his eyes. He and Justin Vasquez were the last soldiers we ate with and spoke to in Iraq before returning home last April.
'Whole year changed me'
He invited me by his home, an invitation I readily accepted, knowing that his wife had left him in June, two weeks after Vasquez, his longtime best friend and roommate in Iraq, was killed.
No soldier, a year gone, should go home to an empty house.
His friend's death still grips him.
"I know the whole year changed me," he said matter-of-factly.
"It sounds like a cliché, but no war is worth a guy's dying. Everybody loses when a guy dies. The history book will tell you there are winners and losers, but that is not true. A guy dies, nobody wins."
He remembered clearly those weeks in Kuwait and Iraq when we first met, when the entire squadron was bright-eyed, eager and ready to go to war. It stayed that way until June when Justin Vasquez and two other men from 1st Platoon became the first to die.
"We realized probably a month after that that things were never going back to normal," Gary Baty said. "When guys started dying and getting wounded, it shook the Roman Wall.
"Justin was our best scout, the strongest leader in the toughest job. I existed in his shadow. When he left, it made all of us think it could damn well happen to us on any day."
He did not retreat into the pain, he said. Oh, he would be forgiven for doing so: Vasquez was walking toward his Bradley Fighting Vehicle when the bomb exploded. Gary Baty was tasked with gathering his roommate's body.
"My only comfort is that I know he never knew what happened to him."
Instead of retreating, he and the rest of 1st Platoon became more determined to do their jobs, Gary Baty said.
"People waited for all of us to fall apart, but everybody just dug in, determined not to let it affect our mission. Justin would have wanted it that way."
He figures he will always hear the roadside bombs, the improvised explosive devices (IEDs). He can still hear the roar, even those that went off far from him.
"It's like an old song, how it reminds you of so many different things, things that happened to you there."
He lost exact count of how many targeted him and his Bradley. He and other sergeants not long ago tried to tally them up. They came up with at least 10 to 15 IEDs for every vehicle in the squadron. It is a considerable number of explosions.
Army Staff Sgt. Justin L. Vasquez was killed in action on 06/05/05.
Friday, June 03, 2005
Army Capt. Charles D. Robinson
Remember Our Heroes
Army Capt. Charles D. Robinson, 29, of Haddon Heights, N.J.
Capt. Robinson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.; killed June 3, 2005 when his convoy vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device at Forward Operating Base Orgun-E, Afghanistan. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Leroy E. Alexander.
Army Capt. Charles D. Robinson's Life Spanned the Globe
Source: http://www.groups.sfahq.com/7th/robinson_charles_kia.htm
A resident of Haddon Heights, N.J., Robinson was commissioned in the Army immediately following graduation from Cedarville College in Ohio May 1998, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in foreign trade. His first military assignment was with the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. Robinson graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course and was assigned to 7th SFG in December 2003. Robinson deployed to Afghanistan in January 2005 in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
Army Capt. Charles D. Robinson's life spanned the globe. The son of missionaries based in Haddon Heights, Robinson spent much of his life in Paraguay, where he developed a love of languages and a bond with other Americans stationed overseas. At Baptist Regional School in Haddon Heights, Robinson played soccer and kept in touch with friends after his family resumed their travels. And after the Special Forces sent him to Afghanistan in January as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, Robinson asked his family to mail him care packages of candy. He planned to give them to children in villages he was helping rebuild.
Robinson, 29, was one of two Special Forces soldiers killed Friday when a bomb exploded near the ground mobility vehicle he was traveling in during operations near Orgun-e, in the southeastern region of Afghanistan. He had been assigned to the First Battalion, Seventh Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, N.C.
"He put his heart and soul into everything he did," said his maternal grandmother, Doris Anderson of Woodstown. "He was outgoing in a quiet sort of way."
During Robinson's childhood, his parents, Charles and Janet, were missionaries based at Haddon Heights Baptist Church. Robinson and his brother and sister were home-schooled by their mother in Paraguay, his grandmother said. During one family furlough, Robinson spent his freshman and sophomore years at Baptist High School, which is affiliated with the church, head administrator Lynn Conahan said.
"He was easygoing, friendly, outgoing, and he could take a joke," said Conahan, whose son, P.J., was a friend of Robinson's. After Robinson's family returned to Paraguay, he continued to write letters to P.J., Conahan said.
Robinson later graduated from Asuncion Christian Academy in Paraguay, said his brother, Jeffrey. In Paraguay, Robinson and his family developed a kinship with American military officials and other Americans living abroad, his grandmother said.
He later majored in international studies and global economics at Cedarville University in Ohio, graduating in 1998, according to university spokesman Roger Overturf. That was where he met his wife, Laura, a native of Iowa, said Overturf, who remembered the couple. Several of Robinson's and his wife's relatives attended the tight-knit, 3,000-student university, Overturf said. "We're all pretty devastated here."
Robinson became involved in ROTC in college, which led him into the Army after graduation. He was first assigned to the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg. But "he wanted more than that," Anderson said. Robinson completed a rigorous training program over more than two years and joined the elite Special Forces in December 2003.
He lived with his wife in Fayetteville, N.C., and they were hoping to start a family soon, Anderson said. The family was hoping Robinson would return in August. Laura Robinson said yesterday she did not want to comment. Robinson's parents, who live in Pemberton Township, could not be reached yesterday.
Maj. Robert Gowan, a spokesman for the Army's Special Forces Command, said Robinson had been riding in a ground mobility vehicle. "It is a modified humvee," Gowan said, and was "heavily armored." Also killed in the explosion was another member of Robinson's group, Staff Sgt. Leroy E. Alexander, 27, a Special Forces engineer sergeant from Dale City, Va.
Captain Robinson is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Robinson is survived by his wife, Laura; and parents, Charles and Janet Robinson of Brown Mills, N.J.
His awards and decorations include: the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Parachutist Badge, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Special Forces Tab and Ranger Tab. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
Army Capt. Charles D. Robinson was killed in action on 6/3/05.
Army Capt. Charles D. Robinson, 29, of Haddon Heights, N.J.
Capt. Robinson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.; killed June 3, 2005 when his convoy vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device at Forward Operating Base Orgun-E, Afghanistan. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Leroy E. Alexander.
Army Capt. Charles D. Robinson's Life Spanned the Globe
Source: http://www.groups.sfahq.com/7th/robinson_charles_kia.htm
A resident of Haddon Heights, N.J., Robinson was commissioned in the Army immediately following graduation from Cedarville College in Ohio May 1998, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in foreign trade. His first military assignment was with the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. Robinson graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course and was assigned to 7th SFG in December 2003. Robinson deployed to Afghanistan in January 2005 in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
Army Capt. Charles D. Robinson's life spanned the globe. The son of missionaries based in Haddon Heights, Robinson spent much of his life in Paraguay, where he developed a love of languages and a bond with other Americans stationed overseas. At Baptist Regional School in Haddon Heights, Robinson played soccer and kept in touch with friends after his family resumed their travels. And after the Special Forces sent him to Afghanistan in January as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, Robinson asked his family to mail him care packages of candy. He planned to give them to children in villages he was helping rebuild.
Robinson, 29, was one of two Special Forces soldiers killed Friday when a bomb exploded near the ground mobility vehicle he was traveling in during operations near Orgun-e, in the southeastern region of Afghanistan. He had been assigned to the First Battalion, Seventh Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, N.C.
"He put his heart and soul into everything he did," said his maternal grandmother, Doris Anderson of Woodstown. "He was outgoing in a quiet sort of way."
During Robinson's childhood, his parents, Charles and Janet, were missionaries based at Haddon Heights Baptist Church. Robinson and his brother and sister were home-schooled by their mother in Paraguay, his grandmother said. During one family furlough, Robinson spent his freshman and sophomore years at Baptist High School, which is affiliated with the church, head administrator Lynn Conahan said.
"He was easygoing, friendly, outgoing, and he could take a joke," said Conahan, whose son, P.J., was a friend of Robinson's. After Robinson's family returned to Paraguay, he continued to write letters to P.J., Conahan said.
Robinson later graduated from Asuncion Christian Academy in Paraguay, said his brother, Jeffrey. In Paraguay, Robinson and his family developed a kinship with American military officials and other Americans living abroad, his grandmother said.
He later majored in international studies and global economics at Cedarville University in Ohio, graduating in 1998, according to university spokesman Roger Overturf. That was where he met his wife, Laura, a native of Iowa, said Overturf, who remembered the couple. Several of Robinson's and his wife's relatives attended the tight-knit, 3,000-student university, Overturf said. "We're all pretty devastated here."
Robinson became involved in ROTC in college, which led him into the Army after graduation. He was first assigned to the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg. But "he wanted more than that," Anderson said. Robinson completed a rigorous training program over more than two years and joined the elite Special Forces in December 2003.
He lived with his wife in Fayetteville, N.C., and they were hoping to start a family soon, Anderson said. The family was hoping Robinson would return in August. Laura Robinson said yesterday she did not want to comment. Robinson's parents, who live in Pemberton Township, could not be reached yesterday.
Maj. Robert Gowan, a spokesman for the Army's Special Forces Command, said Robinson had been riding in a ground mobility vehicle. "It is a modified humvee," Gowan said, and was "heavily armored." Also killed in the explosion was another member of Robinson's group, Staff Sgt. Leroy E. Alexander, 27, a Special Forces engineer sergeant from Dale City, Va.
Captain Robinson is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Robinson is survived by his wife, Laura; and parents, Charles and Janet Robinson of Brown Mills, N.J.
His awards and decorations include: the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Parachutist Badge, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Special Forces Tab and Ranger Tab. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
Army Capt. Charles D. Robinson was killed in action on 6/3/05.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)