Remember Our Heroes
Sergeant First Class Shawn C. Dostie, 32, of Granite City, Illinois
Sgt Dostie died in Baghdad, Iraq, on December 30, 2005, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during patrol operations. Dostie was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
By Leef Smith
Courtesy of the Washington Post
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Shawn Dostie wasn't a new recruit. He didn't join up to fight the war in Iraq or, like many soldiers, view the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, as a call to arms.
Dostie, of Granite City, Illinois, enlisted in the Army in 1991 after graduating from high school. More than a decade later, the 32-year-old sergeant first class, attached to the 101st Airborne Division and assigned to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, viewed the Army as a career.
Army Brigadier General Andrew Twomey presents a U.S. flag to Stephanie Dostie, wife of slain Sgt. 1st Class Shawn Dostie
Family members said that Dostie knew his deployment to Iraq in September was a mission that would place him in harm's way but that he was committed to protecting his platoon of 12 men and women.
A roadside bomb killed Dostie on December 30, 2005, as he patrolled a main supply route near Baghdad. His wife, Stephanie Dostie, 31, said her husband saved three other soldiers riding with him in a Humvee.
He did "everything he could to protect his people," she told the Sun Journal of Lewiston, Maine. "He took the blast."
Shawn Dostie's family gathered at Arlington National Cemetery yesterday morning to honor the man they said was a loving father of two who joined the Army to follow in the footsteps of his father, a retired Sergeant First Class.
"He wanted to follow me in," Dostie's father, Robert Fugere of Rumford, Maine, told the Belleville News-Democrat. "He wanted me to be proud of him."
Dostie was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.
According to news reports, Dostie had completed Pathfinder training -- three weeks of instruction for soldiers who operate in small teams to secure and establish landing or drop zones in advance of air operations -- shortly before deploying to Iraq on September 27, 2005.
"Shawn was a dedicated soldier who loved his country, family, friends and the soldiers he served with," Stephanie Dostie said in a prepared statement. "I watched Shawn evolve into a superior soldier, husband, father and friend."
Standing yesterday under an awning set up to protect them from a light morning rain, Shawn Dostie's family -- including his two children, Cameron, 8, and Bayleigh, 5 -- watched as soldiers folded the flag that had draped his coffin.
Weeks after Dostie's death, friends are still reaching out to comfort his family.
"He was a good man and a hard worker," said Keith Rodgers of Fort Hood, Texas, who penned condolences in an online guest book for mourners. "His work will live on through the soldiers that he trained. . . . Your loved one is a hero."
"Shawn was an incredible person with a huge heart overflowing with love for his family, friends and this country," echoed a posting from Ray and Tracey Benton of Fort Polk, Louisiana. "His pride, devotion and dedication as a soldier will never be forgotten. He was and will always be a hero to us."
Sergeant First Class Shawn C. Dostie was killed in action on 12/30/05.
Friday, December 30, 2005
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Army Pfc. Jason D. Hasenauer
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Jason D. Hasenauer, 21, of Hilton, New York.
Pfc. Hasenauer died near Kandahar, Afghanistan, when his HMMWV accidentally rolled over during patrol operations. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Died on December 28, 2005.
When two uniformed Army men and a chaplain walked up to his driveway Wednesday morning, Daniel T. Hasenauer knew his son had died. But he also realized that his son died doing the job he wanted to do for years.
Pfc. Jason Hasenauer, 21, of Hilton was killed Tuesday in Afghanistan when his Humvee rolled over because of a roadside bomb. Four other men were in the Humvee and were injured, but Hasenauer was the only fatality. The incident is under investigation.
"We would always talk about life and issues he was having in Afghanistan. We would share everything with each other, so I didn't just lose a son ... he was also my best friend," said his father.
Hasenauer, who was assigned to the 82nd Airborne in Fort Bragg, N.C., was a 2003 graduate of Hilton High School and a member of the Hilton Fire Department.
He was set to come home on Valentine's Day and talk about setting a date to marry his fiance, Colette Kopp of New Jersey, and baptize his 3-week-old daughter Kayla Hasenauer, who was born Dec. 2.
Hasenauer had seen his daughter only through photographs and pictures online.
"He was looking forward to watching his daughter grow up and putting her to bed for the first time," said his mother, Rita Hasenauer.
The Hasenauers are a military family with three generations in the Army, Navy and Air Force. Following in their older brother's path, Danny Hasenauer, 19, will enter the Army Reserves, and Jeremy Hasenauer, 15, plans on joining the Coast Guard.
The family spent Thursday afternoon at home receiving friends, family and a chaplain and starting to make funeral arrangements. Three flags on their lawn were lowered to half-staff.
"He taught me not to let fear take over and to conquer obstacles," said Jeremy Hasenauer. "He was my hero and my role model."
Danny Hasenauer said he'll miss his brother's selfless nature.
"He always just wanted to make people happy and help out. He joined the Army because he wanted to help people beyond where he lived," he said. "He wanted to help the troops bring freedom."
His father said he will miss hunting with his son and camping at the family's property in the Southern Tier, which were two of Hasenauer's favorite hobbies. Even though he enjoyed such sports as wrestling and floor hockey in high school, joining the Junior Firefighter Explorers at 14 became Hasenauer's youthful passion.
"(Hasenauer) was dedicated to the point where he'd been calling the fire department on a weekly basis even while in Afghanistan, and even as late as Monday just to find out what was going on in the department and to say 'hi,'" said Hilton Fire Chief Mark Kalen, adding that Hasenauer became a full-fledged volunteer firefighter at age 18.
The fire department lowered its flag and posted a sign outdoors with the words "In Memory of Jason Hasenauer."
"He showed people respect, and in this day and age, you don't see a lot of kids that age who do," said Jim Mackenzie, a volunteer firefighter.
Fire Capt. Joe Lissow, another volunteer firefighter, said there were times Hasenauer was driving down the road, would see a firefighter's wife unloading groceries and would stop and help her put them in the house.
"He was just an awesome man, and it is just so devastating," Lissow said.
"Every time he was home, he always checked in with the fire department."
Grief counselors will be available when students return to class on Tuesday at Hilton High School and Merton Williams Middle School, said district spokeswoman Barbara Carder.
She said district officials want to provide support for Hasenauer's brothers - Jeremy, a sophomore; Eric, 12, a seventh-grader; and Daniel, a 2004 Hilton High graduate who is a part-time janitor in the district. The district also wants to offer support to the brothers' friends and teachers.
Army Pfc. Jason D. Hasenauer was killed in action on 12/28/05.
Army Pfc. Jason D. Hasenauer, 21, of Hilton, New York.
Pfc. Hasenauer died near Kandahar, Afghanistan, when his HMMWV accidentally rolled over during patrol operations. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Died on December 28, 2005.
When two uniformed Army men and a chaplain walked up to his driveway Wednesday morning, Daniel T. Hasenauer knew his son had died. But he also realized that his son died doing the job he wanted to do for years.
Pfc. Jason Hasenauer, 21, of Hilton was killed Tuesday in Afghanistan when his Humvee rolled over because of a roadside bomb. Four other men were in the Humvee and were injured, but Hasenauer was the only fatality. The incident is under investigation.
"We would always talk about life and issues he was having in Afghanistan. We would share everything with each other, so I didn't just lose a son ... he was also my best friend," said his father.
Hasenauer, who was assigned to the 82nd Airborne in Fort Bragg, N.C., was a 2003 graduate of Hilton High School and a member of the Hilton Fire Department.
He was set to come home on Valentine's Day and talk about setting a date to marry his fiance, Colette Kopp of New Jersey, and baptize his 3-week-old daughter Kayla Hasenauer, who was born Dec. 2.
Hasenauer had seen his daughter only through photographs and pictures online.
"He was looking forward to watching his daughter grow up and putting her to bed for the first time," said his mother, Rita Hasenauer.
The Hasenauers are a military family with three generations in the Army, Navy and Air Force. Following in their older brother's path, Danny Hasenauer, 19, will enter the Army Reserves, and Jeremy Hasenauer, 15, plans on joining the Coast Guard.
The family spent Thursday afternoon at home receiving friends, family and a chaplain and starting to make funeral arrangements. Three flags on their lawn were lowered to half-staff.
"He taught me not to let fear take over and to conquer obstacles," said Jeremy Hasenauer. "He was my hero and my role model."
Danny Hasenauer said he'll miss his brother's selfless nature.
"He always just wanted to make people happy and help out. He joined the Army because he wanted to help people beyond where he lived," he said. "He wanted to help the troops bring freedom."
His father said he will miss hunting with his son and camping at the family's property in the Southern Tier, which were two of Hasenauer's favorite hobbies. Even though he enjoyed such sports as wrestling and floor hockey in high school, joining the Junior Firefighter Explorers at 14 became Hasenauer's youthful passion.
"(Hasenauer) was dedicated to the point where he'd been calling the fire department on a weekly basis even while in Afghanistan, and even as late as Monday just to find out what was going on in the department and to say 'hi,'" said Hilton Fire Chief Mark Kalen, adding that Hasenauer became a full-fledged volunteer firefighter at age 18.
The fire department lowered its flag and posted a sign outdoors with the words "In Memory of Jason Hasenauer."
"He showed people respect, and in this day and age, you don't see a lot of kids that age who do," said Jim Mackenzie, a volunteer firefighter.
Fire Capt. Joe Lissow, another volunteer firefighter, said there were times Hasenauer was driving down the road, would see a firefighter's wife unloading groceries and would stop and help her put them in the house.
"He was just an awesome man, and it is just so devastating," Lissow said.
"Every time he was home, he always checked in with the fire department."
Grief counselors will be available when students return to class on Tuesday at Hilton High School and Merton Williams Middle School, said district spokeswoman Barbara Carder.
She said district officials want to provide support for Hasenauer's brothers - Jeremy, a sophomore; Eric, 12, a seventh-grader; and Daniel, a 2004 Hilton High graduate who is a part-time janitor in the district. The district also wants to offer support to the brothers' friends and teachers.
Army Pfc. Jason D. Hasenauer was killed in action on 12/28/05.
Army Specialist Aaron M. Forbes
Remember Our Heroes
Army Specialist Aaron M. Forbes, 24, of Oak Island, N.C.
Spc Forbes was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; killed Dec. 28 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Baghdad.
www.newsobserver.com -- The father of a 24-year-old soldier killed in an explosion in Iraq said his son joined the military because he had trouble finding other work, but grew into "a heck of a man" who came to love the Army and his service in the Middle East.
Army Spc. Aaron M. Forbes was killed when an improvised explosive device exploded near his Humvee during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion of the 67th Armored Regiment, which is part of the 4th Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Hood, Texas.
Forbes left for his second tour of duty in Iraq just a day or two before Christmas, said his father, Allan Jokisch of Oak Island.
"You know what Aaron told me when he was on his first tour? He said the civilians over there loved the American soldiers," he said.
"He said, 'Dad, you don't see that side on the news. All you see is the bombings. ... You don't see them coming up and hugging us, shaking our hands. That's why I want to go back, because they love us.' "
Forbes joined the Army in 2002 and married his wife, Brittany, that July 4, shortly after he finished boot camp. A couple of weeks before he left for his second Iraq tour, they finalized his adoption of her 5-year-old son, Alex, from a previous marriage.
"He loved that little boy so much," Jokisch said.
The couple lived at Fort Hood. Forbes' wife learned of her husband's death while spending the holidays with her grandmother in Hilton Head, S.C.
Jokisch said the men had a sometimes distant relationship when Forbes was growing up, which led the son to take his mother's maiden name.
Things began to change when Forbes moved in with his father in 2001, after Forbes' mother died of cancer and his 21-year-old sister died of still unexplained causes within six months of each other, Jokisch said. Another son, 22-year-old Kenny, lives in Sarasota, Fla.
Struggling to find work, Forbes enlisted in the Army, which proved to be a transforming experience for father and son.
"If you knew him before he went in the military, you would have seen a totally different guy -- he matured so much," Jokisch said. "We grew so close after he got in the military. ... In the last four years, whenever we'd get ready to hang up [the phone], we'd always say, 'I love you, man.' "
Those calls came regularly while Forbes was at home, Jokisch said.
"That's the thing I'm going to miss," Jokisch said. "He was my best friend, I swear. My son was a heck of a boy -- a heck of a man."
Army Specialist Aaron M. Forbes was killed in action on 12/28/05.
Army Specialist Aaron M. Forbes, 24, of Oak Island, N.C.
Spc Forbes was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; killed Dec. 28 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Baghdad.
www.newsobserver.com -- The father of a 24-year-old soldier killed in an explosion in Iraq said his son joined the military because he had trouble finding other work, but grew into "a heck of a man" who came to love the Army and his service in the Middle East.
Army Spc. Aaron M. Forbes was killed when an improvised explosive device exploded near his Humvee during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion of the 67th Armored Regiment, which is part of the 4th Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Hood, Texas.
Forbes left for his second tour of duty in Iraq just a day or two before Christmas, said his father, Allan Jokisch of Oak Island.
"You know what Aaron told me when he was on his first tour? He said the civilians over there loved the American soldiers," he said.
"He said, 'Dad, you don't see that side on the news. All you see is the bombings. ... You don't see them coming up and hugging us, shaking our hands. That's why I want to go back, because they love us.' "
Forbes joined the Army in 2002 and married his wife, Brittany, that July 4, shortly after he finished boot camp. A couple of weeks before he left for his second Iraq tour, they finalized his adoption of her 5-year-old son, Alex, from a previous marriage.
"He loved that little boy so much," Jokisch said.
The couple lived at Fort Hood. Forbes' wife learned of her husband's death while spending the holidays with her grandmother in Hilton Head, S.C.
Jokisch said the men had a sometimes distant relationship when Forbes was growing up, which led the son to take his mother's maiden name.
Things began to change when Forbes moved in with his father in 2001, after Forbes' mother died of cancer and his 21-year-old sister died of still unexplained causes within six months of each other, Jokisch said. Another son, 22-year-old Kenny, lives in Sarasota, Fla.
Struggling to find work, Forbes enlisted in the Army, which proved to be a transforming experience for father and son.
"If you knew him before he went in the military, you would have seen a totally different guy -- he matured so much," Jokisch said. "We grew so close after he got in the military. ... In the last four years, whenever we'd get ready to hang up [the phone], we'd always say, 'I love you, man.' "
Those calls came regularly while Forbes was at home, Jokisch said.
"That's the thing I'm going to miss," Jokisch said. "He was my best friend, I swear. My son was a heck of a boy -- a heck of a man."
Army Specialist Aaron M. Forbes was killed in action on 12/28/05.
Army 1st Sgt. Tobias "Toby" C. Meister
Remember Our Heroes
Army 1st Sgt. Tobias C. Meister, 30, of Jenks, Okla.
Sgt Meister was assigned to the 321st Civil Affairs Brigade, Army Reserve, San Antonio; killed Dec. 28 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat patrol operations south of Asadabad, Afghanistan.
A northwest Iowa native who was described as a warm person, a patriotic soldier and "an All-American boy" has been killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.
First Sgt. Tobias Meister, 30, who enlisted in the Iowa Army National Guard before graduating from Remsen Union High School, died Wednesday when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat patrol operations south of Asadabad, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Meister, of Jenks, Okla., was assigned to the U.S. Army Reserve's 321st Civil Affairs Brigade and had been working to help rebuild the war-torn country. He left Iowa about 10 years ago to attend the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he graduated with a business degree before joining an oil and natural gas firm in Tulsa, Okla.
He leaves behind his wife, Alicia, and a 1-year-old son, William.
Tom Letsche, mayor of Remsen, a town of 1,762 people in Plymouth County, said Friday that people were stunned and saddened at the news of Meister's death.
"He was always polite and kind to everybody and just a straight arrow. He was the All-American boy," Letsche said.
Meister's father, Dave, was a longtime Remsen businessman, and his mother, Judy, had been a home-economics teacher at the high school. The pair had moved to Oklahoma earlier this year to help their daughter-in-law and new grandson while their son was deployed overseas. Other survivors include a brother, T.J. Meister, 26, of Naples, Fla., paternal grandmother Dorothy Meister of Kingsley, and maternal grandmother June Corbin of Moville.
"He was a pretty incredible person. He was absolutely the most patriotic person you have ever met," said Debbie Rich of Tulsa, Meister's aunt.
Meister was honored nationally in 2002 when he was named "U.S. Army Reserve Drill Sergeant of the Year." The Oklahoma Legislature subsequently passed a resolution in recognition of the award.
The Army said Meister was also a former middleweight Golden Gloves boxing champion in Dallas, and he had an undefeated career in kickboxing. He was a fifth-degree black belt in tae kwon do. In winning the drill-sergeant competition, he finished first in the two-mile run and did 100 push-ups and 114 sit-ups.
Rich recalled an incident in which an office was vandalized at her family's oil and gas business, which employed Meister. The vandals stuck a water hose through a mail slot, flooding the office, and they unsuccessfully tried to burn an American flag, which particularly infuriated Meister, she said.
"He was so mad. He called all the news stations and the newspapers, and because of his diligence, they ended up catching the vandals," Rich said.
Steve Matgen, who operates a Remsen insurance agency, said Meister reminded him of Pat Tillman, a former Arizona Cardinals football player who quit a lucrative athletic career to join the Army and was killed in Afghanistan. He recalled Meister as a kid who would always greet him in a friendly manner and ask how his day was going.
"Toby loved what he was doing. He was a very selfless person," Matgen said. "What a tragedy for something like this to happen."
Meister was born in Kingsley, and his parents later moved to Remsen, where his father first operated a furniture business and more recently owned a carpet and floor-covering firm. He was inspired by his late grandfather, Bill Corbin of Moville, who fought in the battle of Okinawa in World War II, said Larry Manker of Sioux City, Meister's great-uncle.
Manker recalled that whenever he took Meister and his brother hunting, "You would tell him something once, and that is all you ever had to do. When you got back, you got thanked 100 times. He was the most polite and courteous kid you ever saw. He would do anything for you."
Meister was called to active duty in the Army Reserve last spring, and he was sent to Afghanistan in June. While deployed, he corresponded with members of an online support group, expressing thanks for their care packages while describing his amazement at the natural beauty of the mountains and streams in Afghanistan.
"Great place, less the bad guys," Meister wrote in an online letter.
Army 1st Sgt. Tobias C. Meister was killed in action on 12/28/05.
Army 1st Sgt. Tobias C. Meister, 30, of Jenks, Okla.
Sgt Meister was assigned to the 321st Civil Affairs Brigade, Army Reserve, San Antonio; killed Dec. 28 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat patrol operations south of Asadabad, Afghanistan.
A northwest Iowa native who was described as a warm person, a patriotic soldier and "an All-American boy" has been killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.
First Sgt. Tobias Meister, 30, who enlisted in the Iowa Army National Guard before graduating from Remsen Union High School, died Wednesday when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat patrol operations south of Asadabad, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Meister, of Jenks, Okla., was assigned to the U.S. Army Reserve's 321st Civil Affairs Brigade and had been working to help rebuild the war-torn country. He left Iowa about 10 years ago to attend the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he graduated with a business degree before joining an oil and natural gas firm in Tulsa, Okla.
He leaves behind his wife, Alicia, and a 1-year-old son, William.
Tom Letsche, mayor of Remsen, a town of 1,762 people in Plymouth County, said Friday that people were stunned and saddened at the news of Meister's death.
"He was always polite and kind to everybody and just a straight arrow. He was the All-American boy," Letsche said.
Meister's father, Dave, was a longtime Remsen businessman, and his mother, Judy, had been a home-economics teacher at the high school. The pair had moved to Oklahoma earlier this year to help their daughter-in-law and new grandson while their son was deployed overseas. Other survivors include a brother, T.J. Meister, 26, of Naples, Fla., paternal grandmother Dorothy Meister of Kingsley, and maternal grandmother June Corbin of Moville.
"He was a pretty incredible person. He was absolutely the most patriotic person you have ever met," said Debbie Rich of Tulsa, Meister's aunt.
Meister was honored nationally in 2002 when he was named "U.S. Army Reserve Drill Sergeant of the Year." The Oklahoma Legislature subsequently passed a resolution in recognition of the award.
The Army said Meister was also a former middleweight Golden Gloves boxing champion in Dallas, and he had an undefeated career in kickboxing. He was a fifth-degree black belt in tae kwon do. In winning the drill-sergeant competition, he finished first in the two-mile run and did 100 push-ups and 114 sit-ups.
Rich recalled an incident in which an office was vandalized at her family's oil and gas business, which employed Meister. The vandals stuck a water hose through a mail slot, flooding the office, and they unsuccessfully tried to burn an American flag, which particularly infuriated Meister, she said.
"He was so mad. He called all the news stations and the newspapers, and because of his diligence, they ended up catching the vandals," Rich said.
Steve Matgen, who operates a Remsen insurance agency, said Meister reminded him of Pat Tillman, a former Arizona Cardinals football player who quit a lucrative athletic career to join the Army and was killed in Afghanistan. He recalled Meister as a kid who would always greet him in a friendly manner and ask how his day was going.
"Toby loved what he was doing. He was a very selfless person," Matgen said. "What a tragedy for something like this to happen."
Meister was born in Kingsley, and his parents later moved to Remsen, where his father first operated a furniture business and more recently owned a carpet and floor-covering firm. He was inspired by his late grandfather, Bill Corbin of Moville, who fought in the battle of Okinawa in World War II, said Larry Manker of Sioux City, Meister's great-uncle.
Manker recalled that whenever he took Meister and his brother hunting, "You would tell him something once, and that is all you ever had to do. When you got back, you got thanked 100 times. He was the most polite and courteous kid you ever saw. He would do anything for you."
Meister was called to active duty in the Army Reserve last spring, and he was sent to Afghanistan in June. While deployed, he corresponded with members of an online support group, expressing thanks for their care packages while describing his amazement at the natural beauty of the mountains and streams in Afghanistan.
"Great place, less the bad guys," Meister wrote in an online letter.
Army 1st Sgt. Tobias C. Meister was killed in action on 12/28/05.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Army Specialist Sergio Gudino
Remember Our Heroes
Army Specialist Sergio Gudino, 22, of Pomona, California.
Spc Gudino was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; killed Dec. 25 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M1A1 tank during combat operations in Baghdad.
www.dailybulletin.com -- OMONA - Sergio Gudino wanted nothing more than to provide for his wife and 3-year-old son.
To do that, the Pomona resident joined the U.S. Army, surprising his three siblings.
"Sergio is like a big ol' teddy bear," said Victor Gudino, Sergio's eldest brother. "I knew he was a strong person but I couldn't see my brother doing that -- shooting at people."
Now Sergio's family is struggling with the news that their sibling's life was cut short.
The 21-year-old Army specialist died Christmas Day when a roadside bomb went off near the tank he was driving during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, the Defense Department announced Tuesday.
"He's not going to be here to see his son grow up," said Sergio's younger brother Andrew, 18. "I'm going to miss him."
Sergio, a quiet man who always had a smile on his face, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Ga.
Sergio was a graduate of Claremont High School. Although his brothers attended Pomona High, Sergio chose to attend Claremont High for the academic program, Victor, 27, said.
Not only was Sergio a straight-A student, he was also a strong athlete who was part of the football, track and field and wrestling teams, Andrew said.
The Gudino brothers said they all thought Sergio would go on to college, and they were surprised when he decided to marry shortly after graduating.
Sergio married his wife, Candy, in December of 2001 and worked and attended Chaffey College, his brothers said. But when Sergio learned he was going to be a father he refocused and concentrated on working.
To provide for his wife and newborn son, Cyrus, he held down three jobs, working for United Parcel Service in one of the company's warehouses, at a sandwich shop and selling time shares, Andrew said.
Then about three years ago Sergio announced he was joining the Army.
Eddie Gudino, 25, said he realized his brother was thinking of joining the service when he saw an Army recruiter at Sergio's wedding.
"When I seen the recruiter you pretty much got the hint," Eddie said.
Sergio went off to Iraq but returned to Pomona this fall to recover from a serious wound that left a gash in his right shoulder. Eddie said Sergio told their father the wound was accidental and resulted when a large caliber round left in a weapon discharged.
Sergio spent about two months in Pomona before returning overseas around late October, Eddie said.
The older brothers said they tried to talk to Sergio and get him to reconsider returning to Iraq. He had the option of not returning but he wanted to rejoin his colleagues.
He was also talking about re-enlisting when his commitment ended, Victor said.
"He liked what he was doing. He never seemed scared about anything," he said.
When he was in town Sergio spoke about how he missed not having a particular brand of Mexican hot sauce, his brothers said.
The Tabasco sauce the military provided just didn't satisfy Sergio, so he bought a couple of cases of Tapatio hot sauce and took it with him, Victor said.
While he was away Sergio would call on special occasions such as Mother's Day and he'd e-mail periodically, the brothers said.
Often Sergio's wife would forward messages or share news about him with the family, the brothers said.
Victor said the news of his brother's death hasn't really sunk in.
"I still can't believe it," he said. "It just comes to my head all the time. I'm not going to be able to see him."
Word that Sergio had died came Sunday afternoon, Eddie said. Military officials came to the family's home and he knew something was wrong.
The officials wanted to speak with the Gudino brothers' parents, Eddie said. So he called his father who lives in Rancho Cucamonga and asked him to come speak with the Army officials.
His father held his emotions in, Eddie said, and only broke down when he spoke with Sergio's wife on the phone.
"I'd never seen him cry before," Eddie said.
Army Specialist Sergio Gudino was killed in action on 12/25/05.
Army Specialist Sergio Gudino, 22, of Pomona, California.
Spc Gudino was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; killed Dec. 25 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M1A1 tank during combat operations in Baghdad.
www.dailybulletin.com -- OMONA - Sergio Gudino wanted nothing more than to provide for his wife and 3-year-old son.
To do that, the Pomona resident joined the U.S. Army, surprising his three siblings.
"Sergio is like a big ol' teddy bear," said Victor Gudino, Sergio's eldest brother. "I knew he was a strong person but I couldn't see my brother doing that -- shooting at people."
Now Sergio's family is struggling with the news that their sibling's life was cut short.
The 21-year-old Army specialist died Christmas Day when a roadside bomb went off near the tank he was driving during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, the Defense Department announced Tuesday.
"He's not going to be here to see his son grow up," said Sergio's younger brother Andrew, 18. "I'm going to miss him."
Sergio, a quiet man who always had a smile on his face, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Ga.
Sergio was a graduate of Claremont High School. Although his brothers attended Pomona High, Sergio chose to attend Claremont High for the academic program, Victor, 27, said.
Not only was Sergio a straight-A student, he was also a strong athlete who was part of the football, track and field and wrestling teams, Andrew said.
The Gudino brothers said they all thought Sergio would go on to college, and they were surprised when he decided to marry shortly after graduating.
Sergio married his wife, Candy, in December of 2001 and worked and attended Chaffey College, his brothers said. But when Sergio learned he was going to be a father he refocused and concentrated on working.
To provide for his wife and newborn son, Cyrus, he held down three jobs, working for United Parcel Service in one of the company's warehouses, at a sandwich shop and selling time shares, Andrew said.
Then about three years ago Sergio announced he was joining the Army.
Eddie Gudino, 25, said he realized his brother was thinking of joining the service when he saw an Army recruiter at Sergio's wedding.
"When I seen the recruiter you pretty much got the hint," Eddie said.
Sergio went off to Iraq but returned to Pomona this fall to recover from a serious wound that left a gash in his right shoulder. Eddie said Sergio told their father the wound was accidental and resulted when a large caliber round left in a weapon discharged.
Sergio spent about two months in Pomona before returning overseas around late October, Eddie said.
The older brothers said they tried to talk to Sergio and get him to reconsider returning to Iraq. He had the option of not returning but he wanted to rejoin his colleagues.
He was also talking about re-enlisting when his commitment ended, Victor said.
"He liked what he was doing. He never seemed scared about anything," he said.
When he was in town Sergio spoke about how he missed not having a particular brand of Mexican hot sauce, his brothers said.
The Tabasco sauce the military provided just didn't satisfy Sergio, so he bought a couple of cases of Tapatio hot sauce and took it with him, Victor said.
While he was away Sergio would call on special occasions such as Mother's Day and he'd e-mail periodically, the brothers said.
Often Sergio's wife would forward messages or share news about him with the family, the brothers said.
Victor said the news of his brother's death hasn't really sunk in.
"I still can't believe it," he said. "It just comes to my head all the time. I'm not going to be able to see him."
Word that Sergio had died came Sunday afternoon, Eddie said. Military officials came to the family's home and he knew something was wrong.
The officials wanted to speak with the Gudino brothers' parents, Eddie said. So he called his father who lives in Rancho Cucamonga and asked him to come speak with the Army officials.
His father held his emotions in, Eddie said, and only broke down when he spoke with Sergio's wife on the phone.
"I'd never seen him cry before," Eddie said.
Army Specialist Sergio Gudino was killed in action on 12/25/05.
Army Specialist Anthony O. Cardinal
Remember Our Heroes
Army Specialist Anthony O. Cardinal, 20, of Muskegon, Mich.
Spc Cardinal was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; killed Dec. 25 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Baghdad.
Associated Press
As his time in Iraq ticked down, Army Spc. Tony Cardinal was worried, his wife, Amber, said.
The Michigan-reared soldier was due to leave Iraq on Jan. 5, but was anxious as the date neared.
"He mentioned to me that he's more afraid of dying now than ever, because he was so close to coming home," she said.
While his death had not been officially announced by the Pentagon, Amber Cardinal said two soldiers came to her door in Fort Stewart, Ga., on Christmas and told her he had died earlier in the day. She had no further details.
Spc. Cardinal, 20, graduated in 2003 from Oakridge High School in Muskegon; his wife graduated from Oakridge the following year.
Amber Cardinal said she last heard from him on Christmas Eve, when he wrote that he had two missions that day.
Spc. Cardinal had spent nearly a year in Iraq and was to spend the rest of his enlistment in Georgia.
"Amber and the kids meant the world to him," Cardinal's mother, Maria, said. "He always put them first. He was a wonderful husband and a good father."
Amber Cardinal had recently moved to Fort Stewart with their two children, 19-month-old Mikel and 2-month-old Maylee. Her family remains in Michigan.
"I'm coming home as soon as possible. It's too hard being here now," she said.
Spc. Cardinal joined the Army shortly before the arrival of the couple's first baby because jobs were scarce in the Muskegon area, his wife said. He was in Iraq when the couple's daughter was born in October. He only saw her via the Web.
Amber Cardinal said her husband came to love the military and wanted to make a career out of it.
"He was really dedicated to his job," she said. "He said they were getting things done over there."
Army Specialist Anthony O. Cardinal was killed in action on 12/25/05.
Army Specialist Anthony O. Cardinal, 20, of Muskegon, Mich.
Spc Cardinal was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; killed Dec. 25 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Baghdad.
Associated Press
As his time in Iraq ticked down, Army Spc. Tony Cardinal was worried, his wife, Amber, said.
The Michigan-reared soldier was due to leave Iraq on Jan. 5, but was anxious as the date neared.
"He mentioned to me that he's more afraid of dying now than ever, because he was so close to coming home," she said.
While his death had not been officially announced by the Pentagon, Amber Cardinal said two soldiers came to her door in Fort Stewart, Ga., on Christmas and told her he had died earlier in the day. She had no further details.
Spc. Cardinal, 20, graduated in 2003 from Oakridge High School in Muskegon; his wife graduated from Oakridge the following year.
Amber Cardinal said she last heard from him on Christmas Eve, when he wrote that he had two missions that day.
Spc. Cardinal had spent nearly a year in Iraq and was to spend the rest of his enlistment in Georgia.
"Amber and the kids meant the world to him," Cardinal's mother, Maria, said. "He always put them first. He was a wonderful husband and a good father."
Amber Cardinal had recently moved to Fort Stewart with their two children, 19-month-old Mikel and 2-month-old Maylee. Her family remains in Michigan.
"I'm coming home as soon as possible. It's too hard being here now," she said.
Spc. Cardinal joined the Army shortly before the arrival of the couple's first baby because jobs were scarce in the Muskegon area, his wife said. He was in Iraq when the couple's daughter was born in October. He only saw her via the Web.
Amber Cardinal said her husband came to love the military and wanted to make a career out of it.
"He was really dedicated to his job," she said. "He said they were getting things done over there."
Army Specialist Anthony O. Cardinal was killed in action on 12/25/05.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Army Sgt. Myla L. Maravillosa
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Myla L. Maravillosa, 24, of Wahiawa, Hawaii
Sgt Maravillosa was assigned to the 203rd Military Intelligence Battalion, Army Reserve, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.; died Dec. 24 in Kirkuk, Iraq, of injuries sustained earlier that day when her Humvee was attacked by enemy forces using rocket-propelled grenades in Hawijah, Iraq.
KHNL-8 - Family and friends today mourned the death of Army Sgt. Myla Maravillosa.
Sergeant Myla Maravillosa was killed in Iraq when humvee was hit by an enemy grenade on Christmas Eve.
Her mother, Estelita Maravillosa from Wahiawa, said she supported her daughter's decision to join the Army reserve.
But said it was the worst thing that could happen during the holidays, a visit from two army officers. "Christmas eve... what happened... it's very terrible.
The 23 year old was assigned to the Army Reserve's 203rd Intelligence Battalion. Her specialty was interrogations. Myla joined the reserve to help pay for college and to serve her country.
Estelita says it's a country paying a high price in this war.
"My daughter is the victim. I hope President Bush will remember that one, will realize how many American soldiers are being killed.
"What I wanted is my daughter will be buried with dignity and honor. That's all I wanted, that all my request will be granted, because that is my last farewell to her. That's all."
Myla had only been in Iraq since late November.
Estaellita brought her to Hawaii for a funeral service, then will take her to the Phillipines to be buried.
Estelita also plans to start a foundation there in her daughter's name to help feed needy children.
Army Sgt. Myla L. Maravillosa was killed in action on 12/24/05.
Army Sgt. Myla L. Maravillosa, 24, of Wahiawa, Hawaii
Sgt Maravillosa was assigned to the 203rd Military Intelligence Battalion, Army Reserve, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.; died Dec. 24 in Kirkuk, Iraq, of injuries sustained earlier that day when her Humvee was attacked by enemy forces using rocket-propelled grenades in Hawijah, Iraq.
KHNL-8 - Family and friends today mourned the death of Army Sgt. Myla Maravillosa.
Sergeant Myla Maravillosa was killed in Iraq when humvee was hit by an enemy grenade on Christmas Eve.
Her mother, Estelita Maravillosa from Wahiawa, said she supported her daughter's decision to join the Army reserve.
But said it was the worst thing that could happen during the holidays, a visit from two army officers. "Christmas eve... what happened... it's very terrible.
The 23 year old was assigned to the Army Reserve's 203rd Intelligence Battalion. Her specialty was interrogations. Myla joined the reserve to help pay for college and to serve her country.
Estelita says it's a country paying a high price in this war.
"My daughter is the victim. I hope President Bush will remember that one, will realize how many American soldiers are being killed.
"What I wanted is my daughter will be buried with dignity and honor. That's all I wanted, that all my request will be granted, because that is my last farewell to her. That's all."
Myla had only been in Iraq since late November.
Estaellita brought her to Hawaii for a funeral service, then will take her to the Phillipines to be buried.
Estelita also plans to start a foundation there in her daughter's name to help feed needy children.
Army Sgt. Myla L. Maravillosa was killed in action on 12/24/05.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Army Specialist Joshua Lee Omvig
Remember Our Heroes
Army Specialist Joshua Lee Omvig, 22, Grundy Center, Iowa.
SPC Joshua Omvig of the 339th MP Company, was born in Wyoming on November 18, 1983 to proud parents, Randy and Ellen Omvig, and left a hole in his families hearts when he passed on December 22, 2005 at the age of 22 at his home in Iowa.
The following is an excerpt from the website honoring Joshua which is maintained by his aunt, Julie Westly. Please visit this memorial website for more information on Joshua, and to learn more about PTSD. http://joshua-omvig.memory-of.com/About.aspx
Spc. Omvig was a Proud American, an American Hero and a member of the United States Army Reserve 339th MP Company based in Davenport, Iowa. He recently returned from an 11 month tour of duty in Iraq, fighting for his country and it's people in "Operation Iraqi Freedom." Josh was a PROUD member of the Grundy Center American Lutheran Church, the Grundy Center Volunteer Fire Department, and the Grundy Center Police Reserves.
Josh insisted on graduating early from high school after joining the reserves at just 17 years of age. He was so excited about his future, he wanted to get into basic training as fast as he could....He had wanted, his whole life to be a police officer, and to serve and protect his country, and the citizens of his country, America. The Army Reserves was his ticket to achieving that dream.
......then came 911, The War Against Terror, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Iraq.
While serving is duty in Iraq for an 11 month "tour" the conditions where unimaginable, and worse yet were the UNSPEAKABLE "jobs" and "duties" they had to do.
Josh was a proud American, loved his country, and was proud to defend her and the freedoms of it's people. He knew why he had to do the things he and others did, he was just never able to recover from having seen and done them.
He came home a year ago with PTSD (POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER) and was never the same.
Army Specialist Joshua Lee Omvig died as a result of untreated Post Traumatic Stress Disorder on 12/22/05.
Update 11/06/07:
President Bush Signs Joshua Omvig Suicide Bill into Law
By Becky Ogann
DES MOINES (AP) - President Bush has signed the Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Bill, providing improved screening and treatment for at-risk veterans.
The law is named after Joshua Omvig, a 22-year-old soldier from Davenport, who committed suicide in December 2005 after he returned from Iraq.
The bill requires mental health training for Veterans Administration staff, screen suicide risk factors for veterans who receive VA care, refer at-risk veterans for counseling and designate a suicide prevention counselor at each VA medical facility.
Veterans Health Administration mental health officials estimate as many as 5,000 veterans a year commit suicide.
Army Specialist Joshua Lee Omvig, 22, Grundy Center, Iowa.
SPC Joshua Omvig of the 339th MP Company, was born in Wyoming on November 18, 1983 to proud parents, Randy and Ellen Omvig, and left a hole in his families hearts when he passed on December 22, 2005 at the age of 22 at his home in Iowa.
The following is an excerpt from the website honoring Joshua which is maintained by his aunt, Julie Westly. Please visit this memorial website for more information on Joshua, and to learn more about PTSD. http://joshua-omvig.memory-of.com/About.aspx
Spc. Omvig was a Proud American, an American Hero and a member of the United States Army Reserve 339th MP Company based in Davenport, Iowa. He recently returned from an 11 month tour of duty in Iraq, fighting for his country and it's people in "Operation Iraqi Freedom." Josh was a PROUD member of the Grundy Center American Lutheran Church, the Grundy Center Volunteer Fire Department, and the Grundy Center Police Reserves.
Josh insisted on graduating early from high school after joining the reserves at just 17 years of age. He was so excited about his future, he wanted to get into basic training as fast as he could....He had wanted, his whole life to be a police officer, and to serve and protect his country, and the citizens of his country, America. The Army Reserves was his ticket to achieving that dream.
......then came 911, The War Against Terror, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Iraq.
While serving is duty in Iraq for an 11 month "tour" the conditions where unimaginable, and worse yet were the UNSPEAKABLE "jobs" and "duties" they had to do.
Josh was a proud American, loved his country, and was proud to defend her and the freedoms of it's people. He knew why he had to do the things he and others did, he was just never able to recover from having seen and done them.
He came home a year ago with PTSD (POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER) and was never the same.
Army Specialist Joshua Lee Omvig died as a result of untreated Post Traumatic Stress Disorder on 12/22/05.
Update 11/06/07:
President Bush Signs Joshua Omvig Suicide Bill into Law
By Becky Ogann
DES MOINES (AP) - President Bush has signed the Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Bill, providing improved screening and treatment for at-risk veterans.
The law is named after Joshua Omvig, a 22-year-old soldier from Davenport, who committed suicide in December 2005 after he returned from Iraq.
The bill requires mental health training for Veterans Administration staff, screen suicide risk factors for veterans who receive VA care, refer at-risk veterans for counseling and designate a suicide prevention counselor at each VA medical facility.
Veterans Health Administration mental health officials estimate as many as 5,000 veterans a year commit suicide.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Marine Lance Cpl. Samuel Tapia
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Samuel Tapia, 20, of San Benito, Texas
Lance Cpl. Tapia was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Dec. 18 by small-arms fire while conducting combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq.
www.brownsvilleherald.com -- December 21, 2005 A 20-year-old San Benito native serving with the U.S. Marine Corps in Iraq died Sunday.
Lance Cpl. Samuel Tapia, who graduated from San Benito High School in 2004, was with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines Weapons Company in Iraq, his wife Jackelyn Tapia said.
“He died in action,” she said. “He was the only one (who died that day). He died like a true hero, like a true Marine.”
She said Tapia had been in the Marine Corps for a year and three months and had been in Iraq for four months. She said he was an infantryman and was doing patrols.
“He would always tell me he wasn’t scared of dying,” Jackelyn Tapia said, adding that he had called her almost every day for the last month.
“He was proud of what he was doing.”
She said she and Tapia met while working at Whataburger. They had been married for a year and a half and had one daughter, Samantha who turned 1-year-old the day of her father's death.
She said her husband always had a smile on his face.
“He was very happy, always making people laugh,” she said. “He was a big-time joker.”
In high school, he was in choir. After the military, he wanted to be a state trooper or a police officer, Jackelyn Tapia said.
But, Samuel had always had a dream of serving in the Marines, his aunt, Maria Tapia, said.
“Since he was 5 years old, he wanted to be a Marine,” she said in Spanish.
She said Samuel was a “good boy,” “educated” and “calm.”
Maria Tapia said she was there when Samuel was born on Sept. 4, 1985, in a San Benito house.
“I feel bad because I received him when he born,” she said, adding she was handed Samuel immediately after he was delivered.
“He was real outgoing,” his cousin, Marco Tapia, said.
Another cousin, Carmelo, agreed about that.
In addition to his wife, daughter, numerous cousins, uncles and aunts, Tapia is survived by his parents, Juvenal and Rosario Tapia of San Benito, one brother and one sister.
Marine Lance Cpl. Samuel Tapia was killed in action on 12/18/05.
Marine Lance Cpl. Samuel Tapia, 20, of San Benito, Texas
Lance Cpl. Tapia was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Dec. 18 by small-arms fire while conducting combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq.
www.brownsvilleherald.com -- December 21, 2005 A 20-year-old San Benito native serving with the U.S. Marine Corps in Iraq died Sunday.
Lance Cpl. Samuel Tapia, who graduated from San Benito High School in 2004, was with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines Weapons Company in Iraq, his wife Jackelyn Tapia said.
“He died in action,” she said. “He was the only one (who died that day). He died like a true hero, like a true Marine.”
She said Tapia had been in the Marine Corps for a year and three months and had been in Iraq for four months. She said he was an infantryman and was doing patrols.
“He would always tell me he wasn’t scared of dying,” Jackelyn Tapia said, adding that he had called her almost every day for the last month.
“He was proud of what he was doing.”
She said she and Tapia met while working at Whataburger. They had been married for a year and a half and had one daughter, Samantha who turned 1-year-old the day of her father's death.
She said her husband always had a smile on his face.
“He was very happy, always making people laugh,” she said. “He was a big-time joker.”
In high school, he was in choir. After the military, he wanted to be a state trooper or a police officer, Jackelyn Tapia said.
But, Samuel had always had a dream of serving in the Marines, his aunt, Maria Tapia, said.
“Since he was 5 years old, he wanted to be a Marine,” she said in Spanish.
She said Samuel was a “good boy,” “educated” and “calm.”
Maria Tapia said she was there when Samuel was born on Sept. 4, 1985, in a San Benito house.
“I feel bad because I received him when he born,” she said, adding she was handed Samuel immediately after he was delivered.
“He was real outgoing,” his cousin, Marco Tapia, said.
Another cousin, Carmelo, agreed about that.
In addition to his wife, daughter, numerous cousins, uncles and aunts, Tapia is survived by his parents, Juvenal and Rosario Tapia of San Benito, one brother and one sister.
Marine Lance Cpl. Samuel Tapia was killed in action on 12/18/05.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Army Specialist Peter J. Navarro
Remember Our Heroes
Army Specialist Peter J. Navarro, 20, of Wildwood, Mo.
Spc Navarro was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, Fort Riley, Kan.; killed Dec. 13 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee while conducting combat operations in Taji, Iraq.
KSDK-Loved ones gathered to say goodbye to Army Specialist Peter Navarro, a 20 year old man from Ballwin who was killed in Iraq.
Specialist Navarro was killed by a roadside bomb just one month before the scheduled end of his deployment in Iraq. He had been home earlier this year, and told his parents he had to go back to Iraq because the people in his unit needed him.
For his parents, it was the second time in 6 months they buried a son.
Peter's younger brother, Daniel, was killed in a car accident earlier this year.
Peter Navarro was one of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded. His father, Jose Navarro, said, "In our last conversation he told us, 'Don't send any mail because on December 20th, we won't be getting anymore mail for our unit.' They were getting ready to head back."
On December 23rd, people lined the streets to say goodbye to Specialist Navarro as the funeral procession passed by. Those in the procession likely saw people they never met standing along the road to say goodbye. Some were waving flags in support, and some were veterans saying goodbye to a soldier they never met. Those in the procession also likely saw a group protesting the military. Click here to read about the protestors.
After learning of their son's death, Jose Navarro said, "He died because he was trying to make a difference, and being a soldier was what was making a difference in this time of life." Jose Navarro was also in the military. He spent 23 years as a Navy Medic.
Peter joined the Army right after graduation from Lafayette High School in 2003, forgoing his acceptance at Truman State.
The Navarros have another son, Kevin, who is 14 years old.
Army Specialist Peter J. Navarro was killed in action on 12/13/05.
Army Specialist Peter J. Navarro, 20, of Wildwood, Mo.
Spc Navarro was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, Fort Riley, Kan.; killed Dec. 13 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee while conducting combat operations in Taji, Iraq.
KSDK-Loved ones gathered to say goodbye to Army Specialist Peter Navarro, a 20 year old man from Ballwin who was killed in Iraq.
Specialist Navarro was killed by a roadside bomb just one month before the scheduled end of his deployment in Iraq. He had been home earlier this year, and told his parents he had to go back to Iraq because the people in his unit needed him.
For his parents, it was the second time in 6 months they buried a son.
Peter's younger brother, Daniel, was killed in a car accident earlier this year.
Peter Navarro was one of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded. His father, Jose Navarro, said, "In our last conversation he told us, 'Don't send any mail because on December 20th, we won't be getting anymore mail for our unit.' They were getting ready to head back."
On December 23rd, people lined the streets to say goodbye to Specialist Navarro as the funeral procession passed by. Those in the procession likely saw people they never met standing along the road to say goodbye. Some were waving flags in support, and some were veterans saying goodbye to a soldier they never met. Those in the procession also likely saw a group protesting the military. Click here to read about the protestors.
After learning of their son's death, Jose Navarro said, "He died because he was trying to make a difference, and being a soldier was what was making a difference in this time of life." Jose Navarro was also in the military. He spent 23 years as a Navy Medic.
Peter joined the Army right after graduation from Lafayette High School in 2003, forgoing his acceptance at Truman State.
The Navarros have another son, Kevin, who is 14 years old.
Army Specialist Peter J. Navarro was killed in action on 12/13/05.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Army Sgt. Julia V. Atkins
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Julia V. Atkins, 22, of Bossier City, La.
Sgt Atkins was assigned to the 64th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas; killed Dec. 10 when an improvised explosive device detonated near her Humvee during patrol operations in Baghdad.
By John Andrew Prime
The Shreveport Times
A family who remembers Julia Atkins as a fun-loving young woman proud of her new car and planning for the future will attend a memorial in her honor Sunday while they wait for her body to return home for a funeral and burial.
Atkins, 22, died Saturday when an improvised explosive device detonated under her military vehicle in Baghdad, where she was serving with the 64th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, based at Fort Hood, Texas.
"I'm proud of her," her distraught stepbrother, Larry Thomas, said Tuesday at the family home in Bossier City. "She was doing something she wanted to do."
Thomas, who served with the Louisiana Army National Guard's Shreveport-based 1/156th Armor Battalion's Bravo Compnay until early 2004, just before it deployed to service in Iraq, will attend the memorial for Atkins on Sunday at Fort Polk. With him will be their two sisters and his stepfather, Billy Atkins, a staff sergeant with the 1st Battalion's headquarters company. Atkins returned with other unit members in September after an 11-month deployment to Iraq, which followed months of training at Fort Hood and at Fort Irwin in the high desert of California.
Atkins was overcome with grief Tuesday. Larry Thomas said since his stepsister served in the active-duty Army and her dad was in the National Guard, their units' paths didn't cross in Iraq.
"Her dad didn't see her for a year while they were over there," Thomas said.
"But they spent a lot of time together at Fort Hood, as much as they could."
He said her dad was disappointed that their leaves home this summer saw the two just miss one another. "They were trying to set up their leaves, but they didn't mesh."
When Julia Atkins came home this summer, Thomas said, she was proud of her new car, a bright red 2004 Oldsmobile Alero. "She would get her nieces and nephews and get in that car and go.
"She loved to shop and she loved to eat. She was ... she was just Julia, and I was looking forward to my sister coming home in February."
The family, while small, remains tightly knit. Thomas' mother, Johnnie Bell Atkins, died in July 1996. A sister, Tawanna Thomas, lives in Bossier City. Another, Shiri Thomas, lives at Fort Hood with her husband, Ricky Selby, who also is in the Army.
Julia Atkins planned to return to school and get married, Larry Thomas said. Atkins' fiancé also is in the Army and remains on duty in Iraq, where a memorial for her also will be held Sunday.
Army Sgt. Julia V. Atkins was killed in action on 12/10/05.
Army Sgt. Julia V. Atkins, 22, of Bossier City, La.
Sgt Atkins was assigned to the 64th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas; killed Dec. 10 when an improvised explosive device detonated near her Humvee during patrol operations in Baghdad.
By John Andrew Prime
The Shreveport Times
A family who remembers Julia Atkins as a fun-loving young woman proud of her new car and planning for the future will attend a memorial in her honor Sunday while they wait for her body to return home for a funeral and burial.
Atkins, 22, died Saturday when an improvised explosive device detonated under her military vehicle in Baghdad, where she was serving with the 64th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, based at Fort Hood, Texas.
"I'm proud of her," her distraught stepbrother, Larry Thomas, said Tuesday at the family home in Bossier City. "She was doing something she wanted to do."
Thomas, who served with the Louisiana Army National Guard's Shreveport-based 1/156th Armor Battalion's Bravo Compnay until early 2004, just before it deployed to service in Iraq, will attend the memorial for Atkins on Sunday at Fort Polk. With him will be their two sisters and his stepfather, Billy Atkins, a staff sergeant with the 1st Battalion's headquarters company. Atkins returned with other unit members in September after an 11-month deployment to Iraq, which followed months of training at Fort Hood and at Fort Irwin in the high desert of California.
Atkins was overcome with grief Tuesday. Larry Thomas said since his stepsister served in the active-duty Army and her dad was in the National Guard, their units' paths didn't cross in Iraq.
"Her dad didn't see her for a year while they were over there," Thomas said.
"But they spent a lot of time together at Fort Hood, as much as they could."
He said her dad was disappointed that their leaves home this summer saw the two just miss one another. "They were trying to set up their leaves, but they didn't mesh."
When Julia Atkins came home this summer, Thomas said, she was proud of her new car, a bright red 2004 Oldsmobile Alero. "She would get her nieces and nephews and get in that car and go.
"She loved to shop and she loved to eat. She was ... she was just Julia, and I was looking forward to my sister coming home in February."
The family, while small, remains tightly knit. Thomas' mother, Johnnie Bell Atkins, died in July 1996. A sister, Tawanna Thomas, lives in Bossier City. Another, Shiri Thomas, lives at Fort Hood with her husband, Ricky Selby, who also is in the Army.
Julia Atkins planned to return to school and get married, Larry Thomas said. Atkins' fiancé also is in the Army and remains on duty in Iraq, where a memorial for her also will be held Sunday.
Army Sgt. Julia V. Atkins was killed in action on 12/10/05.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Marine Staff Sgt. Daniel J. Clay
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Staff Sgt. Daniel J. Clay, 27, of Pensacola, Fla.
SSG Clay was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Dec. 1 by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Fallujah, Iraq.
www.pensacolanewsjournal.com - SSG Clay, a Washington High School graduate, was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division in Twentynine Palms, Calif.
As part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to Regimental Combat Team 8, 2nd Marine Division.
"Words will never describe accurately the honor, courage and commitment of these fallen Marines and sailors," Col. William Crowe, commanding officer of the 7th Marine Regiment, said in a news release. "Seventh Marine Regiment is deeply saddened by the terrible loss of life of 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines. These men did not give their lives in vain, and we will not soon forget our fellow brothers."
Clay was born Dec. 12, 1977, in Pensacola. In addition to Washington High School, he also attended Scenic Heights Elementary and Ferry Pass Middle. He joined the Marine Corps in June 1996, shortly after graduating from Washington.
Assigned to his battalion in November 2003, Clay served as a platoon sergeant. He deployed to Iraq with his unit in July.
Clay was a highly decorated Marine during his nine years in the Corps.
His awards include: the Combat Action Ribbon; three awards of the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal; the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal; two awards of the Meritorious Unit Commendation; the Navy Unit Commendation; two awards of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; the Expeditionary Medal-Marine Corps; the Korean Defense Service Medal; the National Defense Service Medal; five Sea Service Deployment Ribbons; the War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; and the War on Terrorism Service Medal.
Clay's death comes less than two months after the Oct. 23 fatal shooting of Marine Cpl. Jonathan "J.R." Spears, 21, of Molino. Spears was the 2,000th U.S. soldier killed in Iraq, the first from the Pensacola area.
When Spears' uncle, Ed Spears, heard of Clay's death, his thoughts went first to the Clay family.
"We know exactly what they're going through," he said. "It's something you can never be ready for. It's something you never expect to deal with."
Clay resided with his wife, Lisa, in California. His parents, Sara Jo and Bud Clay, reside in Pensacola.
"God bless these fallen heroes," Crowe said. "God bless the families of these wonderful Marines and sailors."
Marine Staff Sgt. Daniel J. Clay was killed in action on 12/01/05.
Marine Staff Sgt. Daniel J. Clay, 27, of Pensacola, Fla.
SSG Clay was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Dec. 1 by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Fallujah, Iraq.
www.pensacolanewsjournal.com - SSG Clay, a Washington High School graduate, was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division in Twentynine Palms, Calif.
As part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to Regimental Combat Team 8, 2nd Marine Division.
"Words will never describe accurately the honor, courage and commitment of these fallen Marines and sailors," Col. William Crowe, commanding officer of the 7th Marine Regiment, said in a news release. "Seventh Marine Regiment is deeply saddened by the terrible loss of life of 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines. These men did not give their lives in vain, and we will not soon forget our fellow brothers."
Clay was born Dec. 12, 1977, in Pensacola. In addition to Washington High School, he also attended Scenic Heights Elementary and Ferry Pass Middle. He joined the Marine Corps in June 1996, shortly after graduating from Washington.
Assigned to his battalion in November 2003, Clay served as a platoon sergeant. He deployed to Iraq with his unit in July.
Clay was a highly decorated Marine during his nine years in the Corps.
His awards include: the Combat Action Ribbon; three awards of the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal; the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal; two awards of the Meritorious Unit Commendation; the Navy Unit Commendation; two awards of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; the Expeditionary Medal-Marine Corps; the Korean Defense Service Medal; the National Defense Service Medal; five Sea Service Deployment Ribbons; the War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; and the War on Terrorism Service Medal.
Clay's death comes less than two months after the Oct. 23 fatal shooting of Marine Cpl. Jonathan "J.R." Spears, 21, of Molino. Spears was the 2,000th U.S. soldier killed in Iraq, the first from the Pensacola area.
When Spears' uncle, Ed Spears, heard of Clay's death, his thoughts went first to the Clay family.
"We know exactly what they're going through," he said. "It's something you can never be ready for. It's something you never expect to deal with."
Clay resided with his wife, Lisa, in California. His parents, Sara Jo and Bud Clay, reside in Pensacola.
"God bless these fallen heroes," Crowe said. "God bless the families of these wonderful Marines and sailors."
Marine Staff Sgt. Daniel J. Clay was killed in action on 12/01/05.
Marine Lance Cpl. Adam W. Kaiser
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Adam W. Kaiser, 19, of Naperville, Ill.
Lance Cpl Kaiser was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Dec. 1 by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Fallujah, Iraq. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Daniel J. Clay, Lance Cpl. John M. Holmason, Lance Cpl. David A. Huhn, Lance Cpl. Robert A. Martinez, Cpl. Anthony T. McElveen, Lance Cpl. Scott T. Modeen, Lance Cpl. Andrew G. Patten, Sgt. Andy A. Stevens, and Lance Cpl. Craig N. Watson.
www.suntimes.com - Lance Cpl. Adam W. Kaiser, 19, of Naperville, had been interested in the military for years before he joined. Kaiser, who held a black belt in tae kwon do, chose the Marine Corps because he believed it presented the toughest challenge, said his father, Wade Kaiser.
"He offered his life for his country when called on for him to give it," Wade Kaiser said, his voice cracking. "I can't be any more proud of him."
Thursday's bombing was the deadliest attack on American troops in Iraq in four months. Also killed was Lance Cpl. Andrew G. Patten, 19, of Byron, which is just south of Rockford, and eight others. A roadside bomb exploded while they were on a foot patrol near Fallujah. Eleven others were wounded.
The team was conducting "counterinsurgency operations throughout Fallujah and the surrounding area" to improve security for the Dec. 15 elections, the military said.
In addition to his dad, Kaiser is survived by his twin sister, Amanda; sister, Sarah; and mother, Christine. He joined the Marines shortly after graduating from Naperville Central.
Mike Pine said Kaiser, his best friend, "was a hard guy to dislike." Pine said Kaiser "had been dedicated to [joining the service] for his entire life."
"From the very beginning, he always wanted to do it," Pine said. "He was always talking about it."
Hyun Wuk Chung, Kaiser's tae kwon do master for five years, said Kaiser was an excellent student. "He was almost mine," he said. "He was like my stepson. I am so sad."
The military said Patten is survived by his father, Alan, and mother, Gayle Nachansky, of Byron.
Kaiser joined the Marine Corps in October 2004 and Patten joined in August 2004. They both served as riflemen and were deployed to Iraq in July.
Kaiser and Patten were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, out of Twentynine Palms, Calif. The unit was attached to the Regimental Combat Team 8, which is part of the II Marine Expeditionary Force based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
The unit has suffered some of the highest casualties of the Iraq war. In the nearly three years since the war began, 147 Marines from II MEF have died in combat, according to 2nd Marine Division spokesman Lt. Barry Edwards.
"Words will never describe accurately the honor, courage and commitment of these fallen Marines and sailors," 7th Marine Regiment commanding officer Col. William B. Crowe said in a statement. "These men did not give their lives in vain, and we will not soon forget our fellow brothers."
Marine Lance Cpl. Adam W. Kaiser was killed in action on 12/01/05.
Marine Lance Cpl. Adam W. Kaiser, 19, of Naperville, Ill.
Lance Cpl Kaiser was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Dec. 1 by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Fallujah, Iraq. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Daniel J. Clay, Lance Cpl. John M. Holmason, Lance Cpl. David A. Huhn, Lance Cpl. Robert A. Martinez, Cpl. Anthony T. McElveen, Lance Cpl. Scott T. Modeen, Lance Cpl. Andrew G. Patten, Sgt. Andy A. Stevens, and Lance Cpl. Craig N. Watson.
www.suntimes.com - Lance Cpl. Adam W. Kaiser, 19, of Naperville, had been interested in the military for years before he joined. Kaiser, who held a black belt in tae kwon do, chose the Marine Corps because he believed it presented the toughest challenge, said his father, Wade Kaiser.
"He offered his life for his country when called on for him to give it," Wade Kaiser said, his voice cracking. "I can't be any more proud of him."
Thursday's bombing was the deadliest attack on American troops in Iraq in four months. Also killed was Lance Cpl. Andrew G. Patten, 19, of Byron, which is just south of Rockford, and eight others. A roadside bomb exploded while they were on a foot patrol near Fallujah. Eleven others were wounded.
The team was conducting "counterinsurgency operations throughout Fallujah and the surrounding area" to improve security for the Dec. 15 elections, the military said.
In addition to his dad, Kaiser is survived by his twin sister, Amanda; sister, Sarah; and mother, Christine. He joined the Marines shortly after graduating from Naperville Central.
Mike Pine said Kaiser, his best friend, "was a hard guy to dislike." Pine said Kaiser "had been dedicated to [joining the service] for his entire life."
"From the very beginning, he always wanted to do it," Pine said. "He was always talking about it."
Hyun Wuk Chung, Kaiser's tae kwon do master for five years, said Kaiser was an excellent student. "He was almost mine," he said. "He was like my stepson. I am so sad."
The military said Patten is survived by his father, Alan, and mother, Gayle Nachansky, of Byron.
Kaiser joined the Marine Corps in October 2004 and Patten joined in August 2004. They both served as riflemen and were deployed to Iraq in July.
Kaiser and Patten were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, out of Twentynine Palms, Calif. The unit was attached to the Regimental Combat Team 8, which is part of the II Marine Expeditionary Force based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
The unit has suffered some of the highest casualties of the Iraq war. In the nearly three years since the war began, 147 Marines from II MEF have died in combat, according to 2nd Marine Division spokesman Lt. Barry Edwards.
"Words will never describe accurately the honor, courage and commitment of these fallen Marines and sailors," 7th Marine Regiment commanding officer Col. William B. Crowe said in a statement. "These men did not give their lives in vain, and we will not soon forget our fellow brothers."
Marine Lance Cpl. Adam W. Kaiser was killed in action on 12/01/05.
Marine Lance Cpl. Scott T. Modeen
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Scott T. Modeen, 24, of Hennepin, Minn.
Lance Cpl Modeen was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Dec. 1 by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Fallujah, Iraq.
Modeen, a 24-year-old lance corporal, joined the Marines after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and was in his second tour of duty in Iraq.
"Scott was the kind of person who could make you laugh whenever you were around him," said a statement from his family. "After 9/11, he joined the Marines and was proud to be defending our freedom. He was proud to be a Marine."
by Sue Webber - Sun Newspapers
A memorial billboard tribute to Lance Cpl. Scott Modeen, 24, of Robbinsdale, was unveiled Jan. 5 in Crystal. Modeen was one of 10 Marines killed Dec. 1, 2005, in Iraq. (Bill Jones Sun Newspapers)
A month-long tribute to Lance Cpl. Scott Modeen of Robbinsdale was unveiled Jan. 5 in Crystal.
Modeen, 24, was one of 10 Marines killed Dec. 1, 2005, in Iraq. His funeral was Dec. 12 at The Church of the Sacred Heart in Robbinsdale.
A memorial billboard designed by one of Modeen's friends was installed last week by Clear Channel Outdoor, on the south side of 42nd Avenue North between Brunswick and Colorado avenues, facing east above Keng's Chow Mein restaurant.
"We were approached by a friend of Scott Modeen's who asked us to do it," said Jeff Fuller, a representative of Clear Channel Outdoor. "We felt it was something we wanted to get involved in."
Matt Guertin, a 1999 Cooper High School graduate and friend of Modeen's, came up with the idea and designed the outdoor board.
"I'd known Scott since ninth grade," said Guertin, an entrepreneur who lives in Golden Valley and owns his own painting company.
Guertin said he and other friends of Modeen's collaborated on the design idea following the Marine's funeral. Guertin used his computer graphics skills to create the design and submitted it to Clear Channel Outdoor for consideration.
Modeen's mother, Kim, said last week she was eagerly awaiting a chance to see the billboard.
In the meantime, she is savoring a last letter from her son that the mailman delivered to her home the day of Scott's funeral Dec. 12.
"The envelope said, 'Don't open me until Christmas,'" Kim Modeen said.
She waited until Dec. 26 to open her son's letter, she said.
"It was the most grown up, beautiful letter," she said. "I just bawled and bawled. It was a 'Dear Mom' letter. He told me how much he loved me, that I was in his heart all day, and that he couldn't wait for a home-cooked meal.
"He said he had a job to do and he was doing it so others could enjoy the holidays with their families."
Her son's letter reminded her that the invisible bubble would keep him safe, said Kim Modeen, who plans to frame her son's last letter.
Marine Lance Cpl. Scott T. Modeen was killed in action on 12/01/05.
Marine Lance Cpl. Scott T. Modeen, 24, of Hennepin, Minn.
Lance Cpl Modeen was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Dec. 1 by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Fallujah, Iraq.
Modeen, a 24-year-old lance corporal, joined the Marines after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and was in his second tour of duty in Iraq.
"Scott was the kind of person who could make you laugh whenever you were around him," said a statement from his family. "After 9/11, he joined the Marines and was proud to be defending our freedom. He was proud to be a Marine."
by Sue Webber - Sun Newspapers
A memorial billboard tribute to Lance Cpl. Scott Modeen, 24, of Robbinsdale, was unveiled Jan. 5 in Crystal. Modeen was one of 10 Marines killed Dec. 1, 2005, in Iraq. (Bill Jones Sun Newspapers)
A month-long tribute to Lance Cpl. Scott Modeen of Robbinsdale was unveiled Jan. 5 in Crystal.
Modeen, 24, was one of 10 Marines killed Dec. 1, 2005, in Iraq. His funeral was Dec. 12 at The Church of the Sacred Heart in Robbinsdale.
A memorial billboard designed by one of Modeen's friends was installed last week by Clear Channel Outdoor, on the south side of 42nd Avenue North between Brunswick and Colorado avenues, facing east above Keng's Chow Mein restaurant.
"We were approached by a friend of Scott Modeen's who asked us to do it," said Jeff Fuller, a representative of Clear Channel Outdoor. "We felt it was something we wanted to get involved in."
Matt Guertin, a 1999 Cooper High School graduate and friend of Modeen's, came up with the idea and designed the outdoor board.
"I'd known Scott since ninth grade," said Guertin, an entrepreneur who lives in Golden Valley and owns his own painting company.
Guertin said he and other friends of Modeen's collaborated on the design idea following the Marine's funeral. Guertin used his computer graphics skills to create the design and submitted it to Clear Channel Outdoor for consideration.
Modeen's mother, Kim, said last week she was eagerly awaiting a chance to see the billboard.
In the meantime, she is savoring a last letter from her son that the mailman delivered to her home the day of Scott's funeral Dec. 12.
"The envelope said, 'Don't open me until Christmas,'" Kim Modeen said.
She waited until Dec. 26 to open her son's letter, she said.
"It was the most grown up, beautiful letter," she said. "I just bawled and bawled. It was a 'Dear Mom' letter. He told me how much he loved me, that I was in his heart all day, and that he couldn't wait for a home-cooked meal.
"He said he had a job to do and he was doing it so others could enjoy the holidays with their families."
Her son's letter reminded her that the invisible bubble would keep him safe, said Kim Modeen, who plans to frame her son's last letter.
Marine Lance Cpl. Scott T. Modeen was killed in action on 12/01/05.
Marine Lance Cpl. Andrew G. Patten
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Andrew G. Patten, 19, of Byron, Ill.
Lance Cpl Patten was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Dec. 1 by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Fallujah, Iraq.
Author: Lindsay Kus
Posted On: Monday, December 19, 2005
Rockford--Family and friends say good-bye to a Byron Marine killed in combat.
Monday more than 100 people paid their respects to 19-year-old Lance Corporal Andrew Patten.
Patten, or Andy as his friends call him, died just two weeks ago on a battlefield in Iraq. Family, former Byron High School classmates, fellow veterans, and community members came to the Maywood Evangelical Free Church in Rockford to say good-bye to the very special young man.
His friend Matt Nyberg says, "It's so hard. It's sad to say good-bye but I like to think of it more of a memorial of his life. His life was incredible. Incredible, but short."
Born in Byron, Andrew Patten graduated from Byron High School in May of 2004. The following summer he decided to join the Marines. Nyberg says, "He wanted to help people and loved adventures. He loved America. He was proud of it." After a four-month stint in Iraq, Lance Corporal Patten was killed on a battlefield in Fallujah.
Monday tearful friends and family joined together at the funeral service to say good-bye. Former classmates talked about the popular Marine. They called him their best friend. "We had incredible times together. We'll keep those memories for the rest of our lives. We're always gonna remember these memories," says friend Eddie Engelert. Mike Bond adds, "I'm gonna miss being able to talk to him."
And although they want be able to talk to him again, the young men say they're proud of their friend and his bravery overseas. Nyberg says, "It makes you proud you read books about people who were buried in Arlington to know that one of your best friends is buried with some of the bravest men in the country. It makes you proud."
Lance Corporal Andrew Patten was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Marine Lance Cpl. Andrew G. Patten was killed in action on 12/01/05.
Marine Lance Cpl. Andrew G. Patten, 19, of Byron, Ill.
Lance Cpl Patten was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Dec. 1 by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Fallujah, Iraq.
Author: Lindsay Kus
Posted On: Monday, December 19, 2005
Rockford--Family and friends say good-bye to a Byron Marine killed in combat.
Monday more than 100 people paid their respects to 19-year-old Lance Corporal Andrew Patten.
Patten, or Andy as his friends call him, died just two weeks ago on a battlefield in Iraq. Family, former Byron High School classmates, fellow veterans, and community members came to the Maywood Evangelical Free Church in Rockford to say good-bye to the very special young man.
His friend Matt Nyberg says, "It's so hard. It's sad to say good-bye but I like to think of it more of a memorial of his life. His life was incredible. Incredible, but short."
Born in Byron, Andrew Patten graduated from Byron High School in May of 2004. The following summer he decided to join the Marines. Nyberg says, "He wanted to help people and loved adventures. He loved America. He was proud of it." After a four-month stint in Iraq, Lance Corporal Patten was killed on a battlefield in Fallujah.
Monday tearful friends and family joined together at the funeral service to say good-bye. Former classmates talked about the popular Marine. They called him their best friend. "We had incredible times together. We'll keep those memories for the rest of our lives. We're always gonna remember these memories," says friend Eddie Engelert. Mike Bond adds, "I'm gonna miss being able to talk to him."
And although they want be able to talk to him again, the young men say they're proud of their friend and his bravery overseas. Nyberg says, "It makes you proud you read books about people who were buried in Arlington to know that one of your best friends is buried with some of the bravest men in the country. It makes you proud."
Lance Corporal Andrew Patten was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Marine Lance Cpl. Andrew G. Patten was killed in action on 12/01/05.
Marine Cpl. Anthony T. McElveen
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Cpl. Anthony T. McElveen, 20, of Little Falls, Minn.
Cpl McElveen was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Dec. 1 by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Fallujah, Iraq.
by Tim Post, Minnesota Public Radio
December 4, 2005
Residents of the central Minnesota town of Little Falls are dealing with the death of one of their hometown sons. Cpl. Anthony McElveen, 21, was killed last Thursday by a roadside bomb in Iraq. Nine other Marines were killed in that attack, including Lance Cpl. Scott Modeen, 24, from New Hope.
Collegeville, Minn. — Anthony McElveen's high school social studies teacher, Randy Tabatt, saw the young Marine just last June. McElveen was attending his younger sister's graduation from Little Falls High School. Tabatt was handing out diplomas, so he was only able to talk briefly with his former student.
"He told me that he was heading out (to Iraq) very soon. I said 'Good luck.' And that was it," Tabatt said.
Tabatt remembers McElveen as a hardworking and dedicated student who loved to talk about politics. Tabatt says by his junior year, McElveen knew he wanted to be a Marine.
"He was a tremendously patriotic young man. He had a love for his country, very respectful, very polite. He wanted to do the right thing. All in allm a good civic-minded individual," Tabatt said.
McElveen vistited Tabatt's classroom last spring and talked with students. He told them he loved what he was doing in the U.S. Marine's 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Division, and was proud of his part in the Iraq war.
"He carried himself with such pride. He was a stoic individual wearing that uniform," said Tabatt. "When he came through the hallways people were in awe of him. When he came into the classroom and spoke the students were very respectful of what he had to say."
Another of McElveen's former teachers invited him into the classroom that day. His band instructor, Dwight Nelson, says McElveen looked every bit a Marine when he strode into the band room. McElveen spent four years playing the saxophone, and so Nelson's students remember him well.
"Many of these kids he went to school with, some of them three years. They remember him sitting in the saxophone section being a good high school student. The next minute he's off to war, and the next minute he's gone," Nelson said.
Nelson says it's McElveen's recent visit to Little Falls that's stuck in everyone's mind. His death is even more painful for everyone in town because, as Nelson says, he was just here.
"We all hear of the 2,100 some deaths (in Iraq), but it's always another person, another face, from another area. Now it really hits home when it's somebody who's walked the streets of our town," Nelson said.
McElveen's parents live in Little Falls. He was married just 10 months ago, to another Little Falls native, who is serving in the U.S. Navy.
Marine Cpl. Anthony T. McElveen was killed in action on 12/01/05.
Marine Cpl. Anthony T. McElveen, 20, of Little Falls, Minn.
Cpl McElveen was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Dec. 1 by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Fallujah, Iraq.
by Tim Post, Minnesota Public Radio
December 4, 2005
Residents of the central Minnesota town of Little Falls are dealing with the death of one of their hometown sons. Cpl. Anthony McElveen, 21, was killed last Thursday by a roadside bomb in Iraq. Nine other Marines were killed in that attack, including Lance Cpl. Scott Modeen, 24, from New Hope.
Collegeville, Minn. — Anthony McElveen's high school social studies teacher, Randy Tabatt, saw the young Marine just last June. McElveen was attending his younger sister's graduation from Little Falls High School. Tabatt was handing out diplomas, so he was only able to talk briefly with his former student.
"He told me that he was heading out (to Iraq) very soon. I said 'Good luck.' And that was it," Tabatt said.
Tabatt remembers McElveen as a hardworking and dedicated student who loved to talk about politics. Tabatt says by his junior year, McElveen knew he wanted to be a Marine.
"He was a tremendously patriotic young man. He had a love for his country, very respectful, very polite. He wanted to do the right thing. All in allm a good civic-minded individual," Tabatt said.
McElveen vistited Tabatt's classroom last spring and talked with students. He told them he loved what he was doing in the U.S. Marine's 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Division, and was proud of his part in the Iraq war.
"He carried himself with such pride. He was a stoic individual wearing that uniform," said Tabatt. "When he came through the hallways people were in awe of him. When he came into the classroom and spoke the students were very respectful of what he had to say."
Another of McElveen's former teachers invited him into the classroom that day. His band instructor, Dwight Nelson, says McElveen looked every bit a Marine when he strode into the band room. McElveen spent four years playing the saxophone, and so Nelson's students remember him well.
"Many of these kids he went to school with, some of them three years. They remember him sitting in the saxophone section being a good high school student. The next minute he's off to war, and the next minute he's gone," Nelson said.
Nelson says it's McElveen's recent visit to Little Falls that's stuck in everyone's mind. His death is even more painful for everyone in town because, as Nelson says, he was just here.
"We all hear of the 2,100 some deaths (in Iraq), but it's always another person, another face, from another area. Now it really hits home when it's somebody who's walked the streets of our town," Nelson said.
McElveen's parents live in Little Falls. He was married just 10 months ago, to another Little Falls native, who is serving in the U.S. Navy.
Marine Cpl. Anthony T. McElveen was killed in action on 12/01/05.
Marine Lance Cpl. Robert A. Martinez
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Robert A. Martinez, 20, of Splendora, Texas
Lance Cpl Martinez was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Dec. 1 by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Fallujah, Iraq.
Associated Press
A Texan who put his baseball dreams on hold to serve in the Marines was killed in Iraq in the deadliest attack against American troops in Iraq in four months, the U.S. military said Saturday.
Lance Cpl. Robert A. Martinez, 20, of Splendora, Texas, and nine others died Thursday when a roadside bomb exploded while they were on a foot patrol near Fallujah. Eleven others were wounded.
Jeremy Hunt, Martinez's stepfather, said Martinez signed up for the Marines as a junior at Cleveland High School and left for boot camp five days after graduating in 2003.
"He met a Marine recruiter, and he saw the life of a Marine," Hunt said. "He knew they were the best trained and highly motivated branch of the United States military, and he always wanted to be with the best."
Martinez was a pitcher for Cleveland High's varsity baseball team, Hunt said.
"For a long time he always wanted to join the Marines, either that or play baseball," Hunt said. "He went to the Marines first and put baseball on the back burner until he got out."
Hunt said Martinez spent his time outside of baseball and school in the company of his family friends "hanging out and making everybody laugh and smile."
Martinez was with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force out of Twentynine Palms, Calif.
The unit was attached to the Regimental Combat Team 8, which is part of the II Marine Expeditionary Force based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Martinez deployed for a second tour in Iraq in July after serving a seven-month tour in 2004, Hunt said.
Martinez is survived by his mother and stepfather, Kelly and Jeremy Hunt of Splendora, siblings Candice McGehee and James Michael McGehee of Splendora, and father James Kevin McGehee of Cleveland.
Marine Lance Cpl. Robert A. Martinez was killed in action on 12/01/05.
Marine Lance Cpl. Robert A. Martinez, 20, of Splendora, Texas
Lance Cpl Martinez was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Dec. 1 by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Fallujah, Iraq.
Associated Press
A Texan who put his baseball dreams on hold to serve in the Marines was killed in Iraq in the deadliest attack against American troops in Iraq in four months, the U.S. military said Saturday.
Lance Cpl. Robert A. Martinez, 20, of Splendora, Texas, and nine others died Thursday when a roadside bomb exploded while they were on a foot patrol near Fallujah. Eleven others were wounded.
Jeremy Hunt, Martinez's stepfather, said Martinez signed up for the Marines as a junior at Cleveland High School and left for boot camp five days after graduating in 2003.
"He met a Marine recruiter, and he saw the life of a Marine," Hunt said. "He knew they were the best trained and highly motivated branch of the United States military, and he always wanted to be with the best."
Martinez was a pitcher for Cleveland High's varsity baseball team, Hunt said.
"For a long time he always wanted to join the Marines, either that or play baseball," Hunt said. "He went to the Marines first and put baseball on the back burner until he got out."
Hunt said Martinez spent his time outside of baseball and school in the company of his family friends "hanging out and making everybody laugh and smile."
Martinez was with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force out of Twentynine Palms, Calif.
The unit was attached to the Regimental Combat Team 8, which is part of the II Marine Expeditionary Force based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Martinez deployed for a second tour in Iraq in July after serving a seven-month tour in 2004, Hunt said.
Martinez is survived by his mother and stepfather, Kelly and Jeremy Hunt of Splendora, siblings Candice McGehee and James Michael McGehee of Splendora, and father James Kevin McGehee of Cleveland.
Marine Lance Cpl. Robert A. Martinez was killed in action on 12/01/05.
Marine Sgt. Andy A. Stevens
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Sgt. Andy A. Stevens, 29, of Tomah, Wis.
Sgt Stevens was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Dec. 1 by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Fallujah, Iraq.
The Tomah Journal
By Bob Kliebenstein
When the national anthem was played prior to the start of the Tomah High School boys basketball game Friday night, the words likely held a little more meaning.
Before the anthem was played, there was a moment of silence after it was announced Sgt. Andy A. Stevens, a 1995 THS graduate, was killed on Dec. 1 in Fallujah, Iraq.
Stevens is the son of Al Stevens, a former longtime THS teacher, who still lives in Tomah. His mother, Kaye Olson, lives in Maryland Heights, Mo., according to a Marine Corps spokesperson.
Stevens was one of 10 United States Marines killed from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations in Fallujah.
All 10 Marines were assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, their unit was attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).
Stevens, who joined the Marines in June 1995 and was serving as a scout sniper, deployed to Iraq with his unit in July, the Marine Corps said.
The U.S. military said last Friday that the group was on a foot patrol near Fallujah. Of the 11 Marines who were injured, seven later returned to duty, it said. The military said the rest of the team was conducting “counterinsurgency operations throughout Fallujah and the surrounding area” to improve security for the Dec. 15 elections.
Sandy Murray was the principal of Tomah High School when Stevens was a student there and remembers him as confidant and determined.
“He knew what he wanted to do — and he did it,” she said.
Murray, now Tomah Elementary School principal, reminisced Saturday evening with Karen Riggs, a Tomah High School social studies teacher who was a guidance counselor then.
She remembered Stevens as a pole vaulter on the track team and a choir member, “He was such a hard worker and so much fun,” Riggs said. “He had such commitment.”
Stevens’ awards include the Combat Action Ribbon, two awards of the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the Meritorious Unit Commen-dation, the Navy Unit Commendation, the Korean Defense Service Medal, two awards of the National Defense Service Medal, five Sea Service Deployment Ribbons, the War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and the War on Terrorism Service Medal.
Marine Sgt. Andy A. Stevens was killed in action on 12/01/05.
Marine Sgt. Andy A. Stevens, 29, of Tomah, Wis.
Sgt Stevens was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Dec. 1 by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Fallujah, Iraq.
The Tomah Journal
By Bob Kliebenstein
When the national anthem was played prior to the start of the Tomah High School boys basketball game Friday night, the words likely held a little more meaning.
Before the anthem was played, there was a moment of silence after it was announced Sgt. Andy A. Stevens, a 1995 THS graduate, was killed on Dec. 1 in Fallujah, Iraq.
Stevens is the son of Al Stevens, a former longtime THS teacher, who still lives in Tomah. His mother, Kaye Olson, lives in Maryland Heights, Mo., according to a Marine Corps spokesperson.
Stevens was one of 10 United States Marines killed from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations in Fallujah.
All 10 Marines were assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, their unit was attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).
Stevens, who joined the Marines in June 1995 and was serving as a scout sniper, deployed to Iraq with his unit in July, the Marine Corps said.
The U.S. military said last Friday that the group was on a foot patrol near Fallujah. Of the 11 Marines who were injured, seven later returned to duty, it said. The military said the rest of the team was conducting “counterinsurgency operations throughout Fallujah and the surrounding area” to improve security for the Dec. 15 elections.
Sandy Murray was the principal of Tomah High School when Stevens was a student there and remembers him as confidant and determined.
“He knew what he wanted to do — and he did it,” she said.
Murray, now Tomah Elementary School principal, reminisced Saturday evening with Karen Riggs, a Tomah High School social studies teacher who was a guidance counselor then.
She remembered Stevens as a pole vaulter on the track team and a choir member, “He was such a hard worker and so much fun,” Riggs said. “He had such commitment.”
Stevens’ awards include the Combat Action Ribbon, two awards of the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the Meritorious Unit Commen-dation, the Navy Unit Commendation, the Korean Defense Service Medal, two awards of the National Defense Service Medal, five Sea Service Deployment Ribbons, the War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and the War on Terrorism Service Medal.
Marine Sgt. Andy A. Stevens was killed in action on 12/01/05.
Marine Lance Cpl. John M. Holmason
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. John M. Holmason, 20, of Suprise, Ariz.
Lance Cpl Holmason was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Dec. 1 by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Fallujah, Iraq.
The Oregonian
Maya Blackmun
SCAPPOOSE -- Two photo portraits of John Holmason faced the more than 800 gathered Sunday morning to honor the dead 20-year-old Marine.
In one, he stood straight-faced in his dress blues, the U.S. Marine Corps flag behind him. In the other, he smiled as he sat in a turtleneck and slacks with his hands clasped around his knees, a wall of yellow leaves in the background.
Two pictures showed a bit of a life just 2 decades old, remembered in a memorial service at Scappoose High School.
Lance Cpl. Holmason died Dec. 1 with nine other Marines from an improvised explosive devise that injured 11 more from his unit. They were at a promotion ceremony in a makeshift patrol base outside Fallujah when the explosion occurred, rather than on a foot patrol as reported initially.
Holmason joined the Marines in August 2004, completed boot camp in February and was sent to Iraq in July. He died 46 days short of his 21st birthday, which he was expecting to celebrate at home before heading back to Iraq.
Instead, his body was brought back to a crowd that gathered in the gym of the school he graduated from in 2003. A colorful mix of orange and black trimmed the walls and the floor, along with red, white and blue in floral arrangements and bows.
A bagpiper played the "U.S. Marine Corps Hymn" as white-gloved Marines brought in his casket draped by the U.S. flag.
Prayers, songs, videos and spoken remembrances by family, friends and fellow servicemen followed. They spoke of Holmason as a disciplined Eagle Scout, playful prankster, fun-loving outdoorsman, got-your-back brother, devoted son and grandson, and dedicated Marine.
Gov. Ted Kulongoski, a former Marine, spoke at the Holmason's funeral, as has been his pledge for all service members killed overseas.
His death is an irreplaceable loss to his family and Scappoose, Kulongoski said, but Holmason's life had an undeniable grace and meaning. As with all of the young who have died of late in military service, Kulongoski said, it's hard to watch such talent and promise eclipsed.
"Our state is forever diminished by his loss," Kulongoski said, before presenting Purple Heart medals and the state flags to Holmason's family.
Many moments of the service brought tears, sniffles and throat-clearing.
Jenae Ricker of St. Helens spoke of her cousin treating her as a sister, vowing to protect her.
"I never knew he meant he'd be watching over me," she said.
But laughter also erupted at memories shared, rumbling through the crowd as one photo flashed of Holmason as a boy side-by-side with a girl grinning into the camera, both in curlers.
Senior Airman Christopher Huber of the U.S. Air Force, spoke of fun times shared as children, serious concerns as adults and a growing respect for his cousin.
"For the man he was becoming," Huber said, "and the man he already had become."
Holmason is survived by his father and stepmother, Tim and Paula Holmason, his mother and stepfather, Karla and Mark Comfort; siblings, Hailee, Hunter and Jaden Holmason and Josh and Jacob Comfort; stepsister, Kaysha Comfort; and numerous other relatives.
Hero Hummer
Marine Lance Cpl. John M. Holmason was killed in action on 12/01/05.
Marine Lance Cpl. John M. Holmason, 20, of Suprise, Ariz.
Lance Cpl Holmason was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Dec. 1 by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Fallujah, Iraq.
The Oregonian
Maya Blackmun
SCAPPOOSE -- Two photo portraits of John Holmason faced the more than 800 gathered Sunday morning to honor the dead 20-year-old Marine.
In one, he stood straight-faced in his dress blues, the U.S. Marine Corps flag behind him. In the other, he smiled as he sat in a turtleneck and slacks with his hands clasped around his knees, a wall of yellow leaves in the background.
Two pictures showed a bit of a life just 2 decades old, remembered in a memorial service at Scappoose High School.
Lance Cpl. Holmason died Dec. 1 with nine other Marines from an improvised explosive devise that injured 11 more from his unit. They were at a promotion ceremony in a makeshift patrol base outside Fallujah when the explosion occurred, rather than on a foot patrol as reported initially.
Holmason joined the Marines in August 2004, completed boot camp in February and was sent to Iraq in July. He died 46 days short of his 21st birthday, which he was expecting to celebrate at home before heading back to Iraq.
Instead, his body was brought back to a crowd that gathered in the gym of the school he graduated from in 2003. A colorful mix of orange and black trimmed the walls and the floor, along with red, white and blue in floral arrangements and bows.
A bagpiper played the "U.S. Marine Corps Hymn" as white-gloved Marines brought in his casket draped by the U.S. flag.
Prayers, songs, videos and spoken remembrances by family, friends and fellow servicemen followed. They spoke of Holmason as a disciplined Eagle Scout, playful prankster, fun-loving outdoorsman, got-your-back brother, devoted son and grandson, and dedicated Marine.
Gov. Ted Kulongoski, a former Marine, spoke at the Holmason's funeral, as has been his pledge for all service members killed overseas.
His death is an irreplaceable loss to his family and Scappoose, Kulongoski said, but Holmason's life had an undeniable grace and meaning. As with all of the young who have died of late in military service, Kulongoski said, it's hard to watch such talent and promise eclipsed.
"Our state is forever diminished by his loss," Kulongoski said, before presenting Purple Heart medals and the state flags to Holmason's family.
Many moments of the service brought tears, sniffles and throat-clearing.
Jenae Ricker of St. Helens spoke of her cousin treating her as a sister, vowing to protect her.
"I never knew he meant he'd be watching over me," she said.
But laughter also erupted at memories shared, rumbling through the crowd as one photo flashed of Holmason as a boy side-by-side with a girl grinning into the camera, both in curlers.
Senior Airman Christopher Huber of the U.S. Air Force, spoke of fun times shared as children, serious concerns as adults and a growing respect for his cousin.
"For the man he was becoming," Huber said, "and the man he already had become."
Holmason is survived by his father and stepmother, Tim and Paula Holmason, his mother and stepfather, Karla and Mark Comfort; siblings, Hailee, Hunter and Jaden Holmason and Josh and Jacob Comfort; stepsister, Kaysha Comfort; and numerous other relatives.
Marine Lance Cpl. John M. Holmason was killed in action on 12/01/05.
Marine Lance Cpl. David A. Huhn
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. David A. Huhn, 24, of Portland, Mich.
Lance Cpl Huhn was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Dec. 1 by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Fallujah, Iraq.
Lance Corporal Dave Huhn graduated from Portland High School in 2000. He joined the Marines in 2004 and was sent to Iraq earlier this summer. He only had a month left until he was scheduled to come home.
His family first got word of his death just before 1am Friday, and they've spent the day trying to accept the fact that he's really gone. Lance Corporal Dave Huhn's uncle Jeffrey Helmel says Huhn was a typical guy.
Jeffrey Helmel, uncle: "He played football in high school, he would fish, play cards, he liked video games."
But when he enlisted in the Marines specifically to fight in Iraq, his uncle say he did a not-so-typical thing.
Jeffrey Helmel: "He went to a place not real popular now, he went with a purpose and a mission, he went to carry out that mission."
He hadn't even been in the Marines yet for 2 full years, but his family says he already planned to make the military his career, and if Huhn could talk to them today, Helmel says he thinks he'd tell them to be strong.
Jeffrey Helmel: "I think he would say, don't worry about me, I did what I wanted to do. I was there for a purpose, I wanted to come home and it just didn't happen."
Now his family here at home is left to carry on without him, but they will never forget anything about him or the sacrifice he made.
Jeffrey Helmel: "He went there for us. Freedom comes at a cost and it seems that every generation has to pay that cost."
Marine Lance Cpl. David A. Huhn was killed in action on 12/01/05.
Marine Lance Cpl. David A. Huhn, 24, of Portland, Mich.
Lance Cpl Huhn was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Dec. 1 by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Fallujah, Iraq.
Lance Corporal Dave Huhn graduated from Portland High School in 2000. He joined the Marines in 2004 and was sent to Iraq earlier this summer. He only had a month left until he was scheduled to come home.
His family first got word of his death just before 1am Friday, and they've spent the day trying to accept the fact that he's really gone. Lance Corporal Dave Huhn's uncle Jeffrey Helmel says Huhn was a typical guy.
Jeffrey Helmel, uncle: "He played football in high school, he would fish, play cards, he liked video games."
But when he enlisted in the Marines specifically to fight in Iraq, his uncle say he did a not-so-typical thing.
Jeffrey Helmel: "He went to a place not real popular now, he went with a purpose and a mission, he went to carry out that mission."
He hadn't even been in the Marines yet for 2 full years, but his family says he already planned to make the military his career, and if Huhn could talk to them today, Helmel says he thinks he'd tell them to be strong.
Jeffrey Helmel: "I think he would say, don't worry about me, I did what I wanted to do. I was there for a purpose, I wanted to come home and it just didn't happen."
Now his family here at home is left to carry on without him, but they will never forget anything about him or the sacrifice he made.
Jeffrey Helmel: "He went there for us. Freedom comes at a cost and it seems that every generation has to pay that cost."
Marine Lance Cpl. David A. Huhn was killed in action on 12/01/05.
Marine Lance Cpl. Craig N. Watson
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Craig N. Watson, 21, of Union City, Mich.
Lance Cpl Watson was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Dec. 1 by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Fallujah, Iraq.
Robert Warner
The Enquirer
On a hilltop north of town, Union City folks circled the family of Lance Cpl. Craig Watson eight-deep in the snow.
Two U.S. Marines lifted the American flag from Watson's silver metal casket. Rifle shots rang out, then taps played mournfully across the cemetery.
Carefully, deliberately, the Marines folded the flag in silence. The only sound was the snow-muffled traffic of M-60 in the distance.
One minute, two minutes.
Finally the flag was folded into a perfect triangle.
One of the Marines held the flag. The other slowly saluted.
Then the Marine turned and knelt in front of Shirley Watson, Craig's mother.
Gently, he handed her the flag.
She sobbed the sobs that only the mother of a soldier killed in action could know.
And old soldiers cried.
So it was Sunday as the Watsons buried their 21-year-old son and brother, killed 10 days earlier in a bomb attack on troops in Fallujah, Iraq.
Earlier, in the same high school gym where three years ago Watson was beginning his senior season on the Union City High School wrestling team, some 800 people gathered to remember their native son.
On the spot where so often Watson's hand was raised in victory on the wrestling mat, folding chairs were filled with the people of Union City. There were classmates, teachers, coaches, veterans and out-of-town dignitaries, including U.S. Rep. Joe Schwarz, R-Battle Creek.
"Remember, time is a gift," said Ed Sybesma, the Union City assistant wrestling coach, a military veteran who recalled debating with Watson the merits of the Army and the Marines. "Seeing all of you here today, I know I'm not the only one who's thankful for the time I had with Craig."
"I need to tell you about the last visit I had with Craig," said the Rev. Robert Tharp of the Church of the Nazarene. "The sparkle in his eye wasn't there. He was worried. Craig was putting up a good front for all of us, but he had come to the end of himself.
"It was just a couple days before his redeployment to this mission that he believed so much in. And even though he believed he was making a difference in the world with his service, having to go back to Iraq for months and months on end, being away from all of you, it started to weigh on him — the hardships, the distance from home, the dangers.
"Craig needed something more than just cards and cookies to get him through. He needed more than the love of all of you. He needed something else in his struggle. ... He just sheepishly came up to me and asked if I could just go across the parking lot and unlock the sanctuary so he could pray. I put my arm around his shoulders and told him, 'Not only — I'll go with you.'
"We made our way to the front of the sanctuary; we knelt down and we prayed."
God gave Watson a new strength that day, Tharp said.
"He went out, went to California and got on a plane and went to Iraq, and put one boot in front of the other, and did his duty."
After the prayers, and the songs — "America the Beautiful," "Amazing Grace," and a recording of Vince Gill's "Go Rest High on that Mountain," hundreds of mourners made the trip across town to Riverside Cemetery for a full military burial service.
The procession of cars, led by nearly two dozen police and fire vehicles, passed under a giant American flag suspended overhead on Broadway Street downtown. Carried on a horse-drawn wagon, Watson's casket was viewed by hundreds of people lining the streets, some at attention, all honoring to their fallen hero. Church bells rang in solemn tribute.
Then it was on to the hilltop, to the crowd around the grave, and those somber last moments.
Snowflakes gathered white-on-white atop the caps of Marines in full dress uniform.
A final benediction, and it was over.
Union City had laid to rest young Craig Watson, old number 67 from the football team, the cute little kid with the soft eyes, the one with his arm around his dad, Jay Watson, at boot camp, the practical joker, the brother of Kevin, Bradley, James, Derek and everybody in the War Dawg platoon of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment.
The people walked back to their cold cars in the snow and wind, sadder but wiser, and knowing Craig's back home now.
Back home in Union City, where he belongs.
Marine Lance Cpl. Craig N. Watson was killed in action on 12/01/05.
Marine Lance Cpl. Craig N. Watson, 21, of Union City, Mich.
Lance Cpl Watson was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Dec. 1 by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Fallujah, Iraq.
Robert Warner
The Enquirer
On a hilltop north of town, Union City folks circled the family of Lance Cpl. Craig Watson eight-deep in the snow.
Two U.S. Marines lifted the American flag from Watson's silver metal casket. Rifle shots rang out, then taps played mournfully across the cemetery.
Carefully, deliberately, the Marines folded the flag in silence. The only sound was the snow-muffled traffic of M-60 in the distance.
One minute, two minutes.
Finally the flag was folded into a perfect triangle.
One of the Marines held the flag. The other slowly saluted.
Then the Marine turned and knelt in front of Shirley Watson, Craig's mother.
Gently, he handed her the flag.
She sobbed the sobs that only the mother of a soldier killed in action could know.
And old soldiers cried.
So it was Sunday as the Watsons buried their 21-year-old son and brother, killed 10 days earlier in a bomb attack on troops in Fallujah, Iraq.
Earlier, in the same high school gym where three years ago Watson was beginning his senior season on the Union City High School wrestling team, some 800 people gathered to remember their native son.
On the spot where so often Watson's hand was raised in victory on the wrestling mat, folding chairs were filled with the people of Union City. There were classmates, teachers, coaches, veterans and out-of-town dignitaries, including U.S. Rep. Joe Schwarz, R-Battle Creek.
"Remember, time is a gift," said Ed Sybesma, the Union City assistant wrestling coach, a military veteran who recalled debating with Watson the merits of the Army and the Marines. "Seeing all of you here today, I know I'm not the only one who's thankful for the time I had with Craig."
"I need to tell you about the last visit I had with Craig," said the Rev. Robert Tharp of the Church of the Nazarene. "The sparkle in his eye wasn't there. He was worried. Craig was putting up a good front for all of us, but he had come to the end of himself.
"It was just a couple days before his redeployment to this mission that he believed so much in. And even though he believed he was making a difference in the world with his service, having to go back to Iraq for months and months on end, being away from all of you, it started to weigh on him — the hardships, the distance from home, the dangers.
"Craig needed something more than just cards and cookies to get him through. He needed more than the love of all of you. He needed something else in his struggle. ... He just sheepishly came up to me and asked if I could just go across the parking lot and unlock the sanctuary so he could pray. I put my arm around his shoulders and told him, 'Not only — I'll go with you.'
"We made our way to the front of the sanctuary; we knelt down and we prayed."
God gave Watson a new strength that day, Tharp said.
"He went out, went to California and got on a plane and went to Iraq, and put one boot in front of the other, and did his duty."
After the prayers, and the songs — "America the Beautiful," "Amazing Grace," and a recording of Vince Gill's "Go Rest High on that Mountain," hundreds of mourners made the trip across town to Riverside Cemetery for a full military burial service.
The procession of cars, led by nearly two dozen police and fire vehicles, passed under a giant American flag suspended overhead on Broadway Street downtown. Carried on a horse-drawn wagon, Watson's casket was viewed by hundreds of people lining the streets, some at attention, all honoring to their fallen hero. Church bells rang in solemn tribute.
Then it was on to the hilltop, to the crowd around the grave, and those somber last moments.
Snowflakes gathered white-on-white atop the caps of Marines in full dress uniform.
A final benediction, and it was over.
Union City had laid to rest young Craig Watson, old number 67 from the football team, the cute little kid with the soft eyes, the one with his arm around his dad, Jay Watson, at boot camp, the practical joker, the brother of Kevin, Bradley, James, Derek and everybody in the War Dawg platoon of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment.
The people walked back to their cold cars in the snow and wind, sadder but wiser, and knowing Craig's back home now.
Back home in Union City, where he belongs.
Marine Lance Cpl. Craig N. Watson was killed in action on 12/01/05.
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