Army Sgt. Jeremiah J. Boehmer

Remember Our Heroes

Army Sgt. Jeremiah J. Boehmer, 22, of Parkston, S.D.

Sgt Boehmer was assigned to the 562nd Engineer Company, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; killed Feb. 5 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Stryker engineer squad vehicle in Husayniyah, Iraq. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Christopher R. Morningstar.

PARKSTON, S.D. — Another South Dakota soldier has died in Iraq, according to an Army official assigned to help his family in the wake of his death.

Army Sgt. Jeremiah Boehmer, 22, of Parkston, died when his vehicle was hit by a roadside explosive device about 5 p.m. Sunday, said Army Master Sgt. Lew Gardner, an ROTC instructor at the University of South Dakota.

Gardner said Boehmer and others in his unit were on a routine security mission.

“They were doing a route sweep, where convoys go up and down a route,” to check for danger, Gardner said.

A soldier in Charlie Company, 526 Engineer Battalion out of Fort Wainwright, Alaska, Boehmer was serving as rear air guard. He enlisted on Nov. 15, 2002, Gardner said.

Jim Boehmer, the soldier’s father, said his family did not yet have much information about what had happened.

“All we know is that our son was killed the other day. We’re going to get more information tomorrow,” he told The Argus Leader in story published Tuesday.

Boehmer was a 2002 graduate of Parkston High School.

“He was a real popular kid. He was always positive, outgoing,” Jim Akre, Boehmer’s high school counselor, told KELO-TV of Sioux Falls.

“He was really a bright young man and it’s really a loss for our community.”

Boehmer, who was in Parkston on leave at the start of January, had served in Afghanistan and then went to Iraq for his second tour of duty, KELO reported.

Akre said Boehmer never doubted his decision to join the Army. He said the Boehmer family is trying to cope.

“I know they’re a real close-knit family and obviously they’re pulling together and trying to support each other,” Akre said.

As the Parkston community mourns their fallen soldier, Army Sergeant Jeremiah Boehmer's family is remembering their brother and son. Boehmer's siblings shared his story of courage and determination.

His nickname was Flame and to his brothers and sisters, Jeremiah Boehmer could do anything...He was a guy with nine lives. Now his family is remembering a brother, a best friend, a son...Someone they say the military turned into a man.

Today this family is remembering a 22 year old Army Sergeant and everything about him.

Jeremiah's sister Jessica says, "The army - that was his thing. He said don't worry I'm fine. He was always OK."

His sister Jessica remembers him as being unselfish. Even volunteering to go overseas in place of a father who would have to leave his children behind.

She says, "He looked at it as if he had to leave this world he was only leaving his immediate family and not children."

His sisters and brothers say Jeremiah was never part of the crowd... he stood out by being his own person.

His brother James said, "No one expected him to join the army and that's what he did."

He surprised his family just three weeks ago when he made a trip back home. Little did they know it would be their last time together.

Remembering speaking with her brother before he left, Jessica says, "I said I love you and he said I love you too , I'll be safe don't worry. You always take that for granted that they're gonna be safe. But unfortunately things happen."

And for this family it happened all too soon.

In a letter Jeremiah wrote to his family, "Tell the family I love them and I will be back before they know it."

"Peace Out...that was Jeremiah," said Jessica. "Peace out."

Jeremiah's sisters and brothers said he thought the world of his Master Sergeant and never wrote about the war in a negative way...always the good the military was doing for our country.

Army Sgt. Jeremiah J. Boehmer was killed in action on 02/05/06.