Army Cpl. David M. Unger

Remember Our Heroes

Army Cpl. David M. Unger, 21, of Leavenworth, Kansas.

Cpl. Unger was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. He died Oct. 18 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were 2nd Lt. Christopher E. Loudon, 23, of Brockport, Pa., Cpl. Russell G. Culbertson III, 22, of Amity, Pa. and Spc. Joseph C. Dumas Jr., 25, of New Orleans.

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. -- A soldier from Leavenworth who reveled in making others laugh has died in Iraq, his mother said.

The Department of Defense has not released the official details of Army Cpl. David Unger's death.

His mother, Diana Pitts, told KMBC her son was killed Tuesday when an improvised explosive device struck his armored Humvee. At least two other soldiers also were killed, she said.

"The only way I can remember my son is he made everybody laugh," Pitts said. "For almost 22 years, he was the rock of our family."

Unger, who graduated from Leavenworth High School in 2003, would have celebrated his birthday on Halloween. He leaves behind a wife, Laura Unger, and a son and daughter.

Laura Unger said she met David in high school.

"I was best friends with him in high school, that's how we ended up married," she said.

They both went into the Army and were stationed at Fort Hood in Texas. She got out to raise their son.

Then, David got the call to head overseas.

"I didn't want him to go, he didn't want to go," Unger said.

'He Made Everybody Happy'

The family is cherishing a video he made spoofing "MTV Cribs," which gives viewers an inside look at the plush homes of television and film stars.

In Unger's version, viewers got an inside look of a shabby-looking grassy patch in Iraq. Unger called the ground "the future bowling alley, golf course, horseshoe arena. It's all gonna go down right here."

He also joked about the birds who liked to leave droppings on military beds.

"He was just always just trying to make everybody happy and laugh. That was my child. I just don't know what any of us are going to do without him," said Pitts, who works in the chaplain's office at Fort Leavenworth.

Pitts said Unger was expected to leave Iraq for Kuwait in mid-November. He would have returned to Texas with the 4th Infantry Division in December. Unger already had decided not to re-enlist and instead return to Leavenworth to spend more time with his family, Pitts said.

Army Cpl. David M. Unger was killed in action on 10/18/06.







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