Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Joshua M. Moore, 20, of Russellville, Ky.
Pfc. Moore was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany; died May 30, 2007, in Baghdad of wounds sustained when the vehicle he was in struck an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. Bacilio E. Cuellar and Spc. James E. Lundin.
Kentuckian says his son was killed in Iraq
By BRUCE SCHREINER
Associated Press Writer
LOUISVILLE, Ky. --Pfc. Joshua Moore had seen lots of death in Iraq - from suicide bombings aimed at civilians to roadside explosions that killed Army buddies.
Having witnessed the precariousness of life, the 20-year-old Moore - known as a happy-go-lucky kid in his southern Kentucky hometown - planned his own funeral just in case.
On Friday, his family was preparing to carry out those last wishes.
Moore was killed this week in the Baghdad area when an explosive device hit the Humvee he rode in with several other soldiers, according to his father, Jeff Moore. His death came in one of the deadliest months of the war for U.S. troops, with at least 122 casualties.
The Pentagon had not yet confirmed his death.
In his native Logan County, Moore was remembered for his outgoing, fun-loving nature, his faith and his easy way with schoolchildren who had corresponded with him.
"He could light up your world. He was just special," said Jane Wells, Moore's seventh and eighth grade science teacher, who kept in contact with him through the years.
Moore returned home on leave a few weeks ago, taking time to visit Lewisburg School to meet students who were his pen pals.
"They felt sort of like he was their hero," said Barrett Nelson, the school's principal.
Moore's stint in Iraq added a serious side to his personality, Wells said. "He said, 'I've seen more death than I ever thought I would see in my life,'" Wells recalled him saying.
Moore told his former teacher he had taken out extra life insurance to help care for his sister's children. He also prepared a DVD with funeral instructions if the worst happened.
He picked out the music and asked that another Logan County soldier who enlisted when he did be among the soldiers firing the gun salute at his graveside, Jeff Moore said.
The young soldier talked openly about the dangers in Iraq - the roadside bombs and snipers. "He talked that it could happen," his father said.
A week before returning home on leave, Moore was in another military vehicle that struck an explosive device, his father said. He had suffered ear problems from that blast.
During his visit home, he was asked by friends about American involvement in Iraq and whether he wished he'd chosen another profession, his father said. Joshua Moore always replied he had no regrets about joining the Army and believed in the U.S. mission.
"He honestly felt like they were doing good," his father said.
Moore grew up in rural Logan County, a few miles from Russellville and Lewisburg.
During his short time at home, Joshua Moore also bought a 2005 GMC pickup truck and spent lots of time customizing it.
"That was his pride and joy," said his father, who was building a garage for the truck.
His son enlisted in the Army shortly after graduating from Logan County High School in 2005. He worked briefly at a Bowling Green factory before joining the military. His long-term goal was to become a Kentucky State Police trooper, his father said.
Joshua Moore was stationed in Germany until deploying to Iraq about a year ago.
Wells said Moore's tour of duty in Iraq was originally supposed to be over when he returned home on leave recently. But his stint was extended a few more months, resulting in his return to Iraq, she said.
Wells remembered the boy who had given her a necklace when he graduated from the eighth grade and who rode a stick horse around the school gym at a mock Kentucky Derby race.
"He was quick. He had so much energy he didn't know what to do with it," she said.
Army Pfc. Joshua M. Moore was killed in action on 5/30/07.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Army Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway, 25, of Valley, Ala.
Sgt. Hadaway was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 30, 2007 in Upper Sangin Valley, Afghanistan, when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed apparently due to enemy fire. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers, Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell and Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires.
An East Alabama family is mourning the loss of a 25-year-old son, husband and father, who was shot down by the Taliban.
Sergeant Brandon Hadaway, along with six other soldiers, was killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday.
According to family members, the Taliban shot down Hadaway's Chinook helicopter with a rocket propelled grenade. The Hadaway family says no words can express what they are going through. They tell me their tight knit family and prayers from the community is what's holding them up through this awful time.
Hadaway attended Valley High School, then decided to join the military about five and half years ago and was stationed at Fort Bragg. It's a military family, with Hadaway's brother just finishing up basic training at Fort Knox. Hadaway did three tours oversees, first in Afghanistan, then Iraq, then back in Afghanistan. He was the crew chief on the Chinook helicopter, when it was shot down by Taliban fighters, Wednesday.
He leaves behind a young wife and three sons, ages, six, three and a seven month old baby boy. Right now, the family still doesn't know when funeral services will be. We do know they will be held at Fairfax Congregation Holiness church. Johnson Brown Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.
Hadaway was one of five paratroopers killed when their helicopter crashed in Afghanistan last Wednesday, according to information released Monday by the 82nd Airborne Division.
Hadaway, who also served in Iraq in 2005, joined the Army in 2002. He is survived by his wife, Rachel, of Fort Bragg, and leaves behind a stepson and two sons.
Staff Sgt. Ronald E. Walton described him as “a big ol’ teddy bear” and said he was always “joking and having fun with the guys.”
U.S. military officials have said initial reports suggested the CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade, but that enemy fire was one of several possible reasons for the crash in volatile Helmand province, in the southern part of the country. A Briton and a Canadian were killed along with the five Americans.
“Their courage and dedication will never be forgotten, and we will honor them by continuing our commitment to supporting the Afghan people and government while fighting the War on Terror,” Army Col. Kelly Thomas, the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade’s commander, said in a statement.
Army Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway was killed in action on 5/30/07.
Army Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway, 25, of Valley, Ala.
Sgt. Hadaway was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 30, 2007 in Upper Sangin Valley, Afghanistan, when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed apparently due to enemy fire. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers, Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell and Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires.
An East Alabama family is mourning the loss of a 25-year-old son, husband and father, who was shot down by the Taliban.
Sergeant Brandon Hadaway, along with six other soldiers, was killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday.
According to family members, the Taliban shot down Hadaway's Chinook helicopter with a rocket propelled grenade. The Hadaway family says no words can express what they are going through. They tell me their tight knit family and prayers from the community is what's holding them up through this awful time.
Hadaway attended Valley High School, then decided to join the military about five and half years ago and was stationed at Fort Bragg. It's a military family, with Hadaway's brother just finishing up basic training at Fort Knox. Hadaway did three tours oversees, first in Afghanistan, then Iraq, then back in Afghanistan. He was the crew chief on the Chinook helicopter, when it was shot down by Taliban fighters, Wednesday.
He leaves behind a young wife and three sons, ages, six, three and a seven month old baby boy. Right now, the family still doesn't know when funeral services will be. We do know they will be held at Fairfax Congregation Holiness church. Johnson Brown Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.
Hadaway was one of five paratroopers killed when their helicopter crashed in Afghanistan last Wednesday, according to information released Monday by the 82nd Airborne Division.
Hadaway, who also served in Iraq in 2005, joined the Army in 2002. He is survived by his wife, Rachel, of Fort Bragg, and leaves behind a stepson and two sons.
Staff Sgt. Ronald E. Walton described him as “a big ol’ teddy bear” and said he was always “joking and having fun with the guys.”
U.S. military officials have said initial reports suggested the CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade, but that enemy fire was one of several possible reasons for the crash in volatile Helmand province, in the southern part of the country. A Briton and a Canadian were killed along with the five Americans.
“Their courage and dedication will never be forgotten, and we will honor them by continuing our commitment to supporting the Afghan people and government while fighting the War on Terror,” Army Col. Kelly Thomas, the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade’s commander, said in a statement.
Army Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway was killed in action on 5/30/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell, 28, of Lake Toxaway, N.C.
SSgt. Bagwell was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 30, 2007 in Upper Sangin Valley, Afghanistan, when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed apparently due to enemy fire. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers, Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires and Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway.
Rosman High School graduate Charlie Bagwell was one of five 82nd Airborne Division soldiers killed this week when a helicopter went down over southern Afghanistan, his father said Friday.
A chaplain and another officer from Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, the home of the 82nd, came to the family's home about 6 p.m. Thursday to tell them about his son's death, Lane Bagwell said.
"You know the risks when they go. You just think it isn't going to happen to you or yours," his father said. "I knew there was always that possibility."
The Fort Bragg officials told him the CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down Wednesday by a rocket-propelled grenade, Bagwell said.
U.S. military officials have said enemy fire was one possibility, but they were not certain why the helicopter crashed and were still investigating. The Taliban claimed responsibility.
Bagwell, a staff sergeant, was a mechanic and crew chief. He is survived by his parents, including mother, Judith, and sister, Sarah. He had an 8-year-old autistic son, Preston Owen, with a girlfriend, Amanda Galloway, who has since married, his father said.
Classmates voted Bagwell, who was a junior varsity basketball player and varsity football center, most athletic in 1997, his senior year.
Football coach Dan Essenberg remembered a pugnacious player.
"I've coached a lot of kids, but Charlie's one you ain't going to forget," Essenberg said. "He wasn't blessed with tremendous speed, but he was a hard-working kid."
After school, Bagwell worked briefly as a carpenter but already had plans to join the military, said people who knew him.
"He graduated, and he didn't want to go to college, and there wasn't nothing to do around here, no jobs," his father said.
In 2005, Bagwell served in Iraq. He had been in Afghanistan since 2005 and was assigned to Combined Joint Task Force-82, which is built around the 82nd's 4th Brigade Combat Team.
The helicopter went down in southern Afghanistan's Helmand Province, killing the American soldiers and two others on board - a Briton and a Canadian.
Shortly before the crash, the twin-rotor helicopter had dropped off at least 30 paratroopers from the 82nd in an air assault on a Taliban position. The assault came on the first day of a new joint NATO-Afghan operation to force Taliban fighters out of the northern part of the province.
Bagwell last talked to his parents the day after Mother's Day.
He rarely said much when they talked, "but he said he had some stories to tell us when he got back," his father said.
His parents were not aware that a helicopter had gone down or that the 82nd was involved until the Thursday visit.
Army Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell was killed in action on 5/30/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell, 28, of Lake Toxaway, N.C.
SSgt. Bagwell was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 30, 2007 in Upper Sangin Valley, Afghanistan, when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed apparently due to enemy fire. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers, Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires and Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway.
Rosman High School graduate Charlie Bagwell was one of five 82nd Airborne Division soldiers killed this week when a helicopter went down over southern Afghanistan, his father said Friday.
A chaplain and another officer from Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, the home of the 82nd, came to the family's home about 6 p.m. Thursday to tell them about his son's death, Lane Bagwell said.
"You know the risks when they go. You just think it isn't going to happen to you or yours," his father said. "I knew there was always that possibility."
The Fort Bragg officials told him the CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down Wednesday by a rocket-propelled grenade, Bagwell said.
U.S. military officials have said enemy fire was one possibility, but they were not certain why the helicopter crashed and were still investigating. The Taliban claimed responsibility.
Bagwell, a staff sergeant, was a mechanic and crew chief. He is survived by his parents, including mother, Judith, and sister, Sarah. He had an 8-year-old autistic son, Preston Owen, with a girlfriend, Amanda Galloway, who has since married, his father said.
Classmates voted Bagwell, who was a junior varsity basketball player and varsity football center, most athletic in 1997, his senior year.
Football coach Dan Essenberg remembered a pugnacious player.
"I've coached a lot of kids, but Charlie's one you ain't going to forget," Essenberg said. "He wasn't blessed with tremendous speed, but he was a hard-working kid."
After school, Bagwell worked briefly as a carpenter but already had plans to join the military, said people who knew him.
"He graduated, and he didn't want to go to college, and there wasn't nothing to do around here, no jobs," his father said.
In 2005, Bagwell served in Iraq. He had been in Afghanistan since 2005 and was assigned to Combined Joint Task Force-82, which is built around the 82nd's 4th Brigade Combat Team.
The helicopter went down in southern Afghanistan's Helmand Province, killing the American soldiers and two others on board - a Briton and a Canadian.
Shortly before the crash, the twin-rotor helicopter had dropped off at least 30 paratroopers from the 82nd in an air assault on a Taliban position. The assault came on the first day of a new joint NATO-Afghan operation to force Taliban fighters out of the northern part of the province.
Bagwell last talked to his parents the day after Mother's Day.
He rarely said much when they talked, "but he said he had some stories to tell us when he got back," his father said.
His parents were not aware that a helicopter had gone down or that the 82nd was involved until the Thursday visit.
Army Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell was killed in action on 5/30/07.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers
Remember Our Heroes
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers, 29, of Carson City, Nev.
CWO2 Rodgers was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 30, 2007 in Upper Sangin Valley, Afghanistan, when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed apparently due to enemy fire. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier, Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell, Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires and Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway.
Arkansan says paratrooper son loved family, country
The Associated Press
JONESBORO, Ark. — The father of one of five Army paratroopers killed last month in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan says his son was an excellent father and husband who died defending his country.
Chief Warrant Officer Joshua R. Rodgers, 29, of Carson City, Nev., was killed in the May 30 crash. His father, Dan Rodgers of Jonesboro, told The Sun newspaper that he had heard from his son May 26, and they had planned a trip to the Smoky Mountains in the near future.
“He was a daddy’s boy. He loved to hunt,” Dan Rodgers said.
Rodgers said his son spent summers with him in Jonesboro, was personable and understood his mission in Afghanistan.
“He was real outgoing and was real good with kids,” Dan Rodgers said. “He did believe in what he was doing and had 100 percent faith in our government.”
Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer Christopher M. Allgaier, 33, of Omaha, Neb.; Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell, 28, of Lake Toxaway, N.C.; Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires, 25, of West Jordan, Utah; and Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway, 25, of Valley, Ala., according to the 82nd Airborne Division.
All five were members of the 3rd General Aviation Support Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, and were based at Fort Bragg, N.C. A Briton and a Canadian were killed along with the five Americans.
Allgaier and Rodgers were piloting the helicopter when it crashed, said 82nd Airborne Division spokesman Maj. Tom Earnhardt.
Dan Rodgers said that he has spoken with officials at Fort Bragg about what happened with the helicopter that night.
“They said it was a textbook flight. They were flying in a sandy area and went in high moonlight. There were about 400 feet off the ground and were shot down with a rocket-propelled grenade,” Dan Rodgers said.
Joshua Rodgers is survived by his wife Casey Rodgers and three daughters.
“Josh always talked about his three princesses. He strove to provide them everything they ever needed, and even more,” said Chief Warrant Officer Heath Barrett.
Rodgers joined the Army in 2000, Barrett said.
“He died protecting those he loved most in this world. Josh died being the best soldier he knew how to be,” Barrett said.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers was killed in action on 5/30/07.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers, 29, of Carson City, Nev.
CWO2 Rodgers was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 30, 2007 in Upper Sangin Valley, Afghanistan, when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed apparently due to enemy fire. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier, Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell, Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires and Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway.
Arkansan says paratrooper son loved family, country
The Associated Press
JONESBORO, Ark. — The father of one of five Army paratroopers killed last month in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan says his son was an excellent father and husband who died defending his country.
Chief Warrant Officer Joshua R. Rodgers, 29, of Carson City, Nev., was killed in the May 30 crash. His father, Dan Rodgers of Jonesboro, told The Sun newspaper that he had heard from his son May 26, and they had planned a trip to the Smoky Mountains in the near future.
“He was a daddy’s boy. He loved to hunt,” Dan Rodgers said.
Rodgers said his son spent summers with him in Jonesboro, was personable and understood his mission in Afghanistan.
“He was real outgoing and was real good with kids,” Dan Rodgers said. “He did believe in what he was doing and had 100 percent faith in our government.”
Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer Christopher M. Allgaier, 33, of Omaha, Neb.; Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell, 28, of Lake Toxaway, N.C.; Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires, 25, of West Jordan, Utah; and Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway, 25, of Valley, Ala., according to the 82nd Airborne Division.
All five were members of the 3rd General Aviation Support Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, and were based at Fort Bragg, N.C. A Briton and a Canadian were killed along with the five Americans.
Allgaier and Rodgers were piloting the helicopter when it crashed, said 82nd Airborne Division spokesman Maj. Tom Earnhardt.
Dan Rodgers said that he has spoken with officials at Fort Bragg about what happened with the helicopter that night.
“They said it was a textbook flight. They were flying in a sandy area and went in high moonlight. There were about 400 feet off the ground and were shot down with a rocket-propelled grenade,” Dan Rodgers said.
Joshua Rodgers is survived by his wife Casey Rodgers and three daughters.
“Josh always talked about his three princesses. He strove to provide them everything they ever needed, and even more,” said Chief Warrant Officer Heath Barrett.
Rodgers joined the Army in 2000, Barrett said.
“He died protecting those he loved most in this world. Josh died being the best soldier he knew how to be,” Barrett said.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers was killed in action on 5/30/07.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier
Remember Our Heroes
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier, 33, of Middleton, Mo.
CWO3 Allgaier was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 30, 2007 in Upper Sangin Valley, Afghanistan, when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed apparently due to enemy fire. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers, Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell, Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires and Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway.
Army Chief Warrant Officer Chris Allgaier, a native of Omaha, was among those killed Wednesday when a helicopter went down in Afghanistan. His father told us Friday that the 33-year-old pilot loved to fly.
Allgaier was among five U.S. soldiers killed in the crash of the transport helicopter. They were members of the 82nd Airborne Division.
Allgaier was an Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 and a graduate of Creighton Prep. The school had its flag at half-staff on Friday in his memory.
Allgaier's father, Bob Allgaier said Friday, "I figured it was much safer there than in Iraq. They did most of their flying at night which was supposedly safer yet."
Major John Thomas, a spokesperson for NATO's International Security Assistance Force, says, "It was a hostile area where the helicopter went down and initial indications are that enemy fire may have brought down the helicopter."
Maj. Thomas says that 30 or more service members from the 82nd Airborne had been dropped off by the Chinook shortly before it went down late Wednesday. A Briton and a Canadian were killed along with the five Americans.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Chinook crashed on the first day of a new joint NATO-Afghan operation to force Taliban fighters out of parts of Afghanistan's volatile Helmand Province, in the southern part of the country.
Bob Allgaier says, "He was doing what he thought was right. And it was his job."
Chris had been in Afghanistan since January and in the Army for 12 years.
He leaves behind his wife and three daughters: nine-year-old Natalie, eight-year-old Gina and three-year-old Joanna.
Bob Allgaier says, "The two older ones know their dad is dead. The baby, she doesn't know. Her mom told me last night and had her play phone out like she was talking to her daddy. It's possible at her age she will never know him."
Bob says part of his duty now will be to make sure his granddaughters don't forget their father.
"He'll always be a hero to me," Bob said.
Omaha native dies in helicopter crash in Afghanistan
By The Associated Press
OMAHA, Neb. — An Omaha native was among the five American soldiers killed this week in an Army helicopter crash in Afghanistan.
Chief Warrant Officer Chris Allgaier died Wednesday after about 30 service members from the 82nd Airborne Division had been dropped off by the CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter, his father, Bob Allgaier, told the Omaha World-Herald.
Chris Allgaier, 33, graduated from Omaha Creighton Prep High School in 1991, said Nate Driml, the school’s director of alumni and community relations. Driml said a priest from the Jesuit school visited Allgaier’s family Friday.
U.S. military officials said initial reports suggested the helicopter was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade but that enemy fire was only one of several possibilities.
Before his deployment, Allgaier had lived near the 82nd’s headquarters in Fort Bragg, N.C., with his wife, Jennie, and their three children.
Funeral services were pending.
Allgaier graduated with highest honors at Prep, ranking No. 4 in his class, Driml said. Allgaier was a member of the National Honor Society, the National Spanish Honor Society and the school’s science club, Driml said.
Allgaier earned a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical administration from Saint Louis University in 1995 and a master’s degree in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2001, according to Allgaier’s personal Web page on the “Friendster” social networking site.
The Chinook crashed on the first day of a new joint NATO-Afghan operation to force Taliban fighters out of parts of Afghanistan’s volatile Helmand Province, in the southern part of the country.
The American soldiers who were killed were part of a brigade that deployed earlier this year along with the division’s commanding general and his staff.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier was killed in action on 5/30/07.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier, 33, of Middleton, Mo.
CWO3 Allgaier was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 30, 2007 in Upper Sangin Valley, Afghanistan, when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed apparently due to enemy fire. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers, Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell, Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires and Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway.
Army Chief Warrant Officer Chris Allgaier, a native of Omaha, was among those killed Wednesday when a helicopter went down in Afghanistan. His father told us Friday that the 33-year-old pilot loved to fly.
Allgaier was among five U.S. soldiers killed in the crash of the transport helicopter. They were members of the 82nd Airborne Division.
Allgaier was an Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 and a graduate of Creighton Prep. The school had its flag at half-staff on Friday in his memory.
Allgaier's father, Bob Allgaier said Friday, "I figured it was much safer there than in Iraq. They did most of their flying at night which was supposedly safer yet."
Major John Thomas, a spokesperson for NATO's International Security Assistance Force, says, "It was a hostile area where the helicopter went down and initial indications are that enemy fire may have brought down the helicopter."
Maj. Thomas says that 30 or more service members from the 82nd Airborne had been dropped off by the Chinook shortly before it went down late Wednesday. A Briton and a Canadian were killed along with the five Americans.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Chinook crashed on the first day of a new joint NATO-Afghan operation to force Taliban fighters out of parts of Afghanistan's volatile Helmand Province, in the southern part of the country.
Bob Allgaier says, "He was doing what he thought was right. And it was his job."
Chris had been in Afghanistan since January and in the Army for 12 years.
He leaves behind his wife and three daughters: nine-year-old Natalie, eight-year-old Gina and three-year-old Joanna.
Bob Allgaier says, "The two older ones know their dad is dead. The baby, she doesn't know. Her mom told me last night and had her play phone out like she was talking to her daddy. It's possible at her age she will never know him."
Bob says part of his duty now will be to make sure his granddaughters don't forget their father.
"He'll always be a hero to me," Bob said.
Omaha native dies in helicopter crash in Afghanistan
By The Associated Press
OMAHA, Neb. — An Omaha native was among the five American soldiers killed this week in an Army helicopter crash in Afghanistan.
Chief Warrant Officer Chris Allgaier died Wednesday after about 30 service members from the 82nd Airborne Division had been dropped off by the CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter, his father, Bob Allgaier, told the Omaha World-Herald.
Chris Allgaier, 33, graduated from Omaha Creighton Prep High School in 1991, said Nate Driml, the school’s director of alumni and community relations. Driml said a priest from the Jesuit school visited Allgaier’s family Friday.
U.S. military officials said initial reports suggested the helicopter was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade but that enemy fire was only one of several possibilities.
Before his deployment, Allgaier had lived near the 82nd’s headquarters in Fort Bragg, N.C., with his wife, Jennie, and their three children.
Funeral services were pending.
Allgaier graduated with highest honors at Prep, ranking No. 4 in his class, Driml said. Allgaier was a member of the National Honor Society, the National Spanish Honor Society and the school’s science club, Driml said.
Allgaier earned a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical administration from Saint Louis University in 1995 and a master’s degree in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2001, according to Allgaier’s personal Web page on the “Friendster” social networking site.
The Chinook crashed on the first day of a new joint NATO-Afghan operation to force Taliban fighters out of parts of Afghanistan’s volatile Helmand Province, in the southern part of the country.
The American soldiers who were killed were part of a brigade that deployed earlier this year along with the division’s commanding general and his staff.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier was killed in action on 5/30/07.
Army Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires, 25, of West Jordan, Utah
Sgt. Blamires was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 30, 2007 in Upper Sangin Valley, Afghanistan, when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed apparently due to enemy fire. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers, Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell and Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway.
Utah soldier remembered as loving husband, father
By Deborah Bulkeley
Deseret Morning News
SOUTH JORDAN — "Love" is the word that perhaps most aptly describes the life of Sgt. Jesse Blamires.
Those who knew Blamires, 25, remembered him Saturday for his love of his wife, Kimberly, and his two children, 4-year-old Kalli and 8-month-old Danika. He loved God and he loved his country. He also loved to fly.
"He did what he loved," Blamires' sister, Julie, told those who attended his memorial service at the River 7th Ward building in South Jordan.
On May 30, Blamires "was right there with his infectious smile. He gave me a high five," remembered Mark Jones. Then Blamires boarded a helicopter for the last time.
Blamires was one of seven people killed when Taliban forces apparently shot down the Army CH 47-Chinook helicopter.
Julie Blamires remembered flying had been her brother's dream since he was a young child.
"He had this blanky he loved so much," she said. "It had the ABCs on it. ABC, what do you want to be? He wanted to be a pilot, he wanted to be a pilot so bad. He wanted to have a wife and children."
Jesse Blamires served with the 82nd Airborne Division. He had recently been promoted to crew chief and dreamed of going to officer school and becoming a pilot. Blamires, a Skyline High School graduate, was born in Honolulu and grew up in Sandy. His family lives in Fort Bragg, N.C., where he was stationed.
The last time Mark Jones was pilot in command while flying with Blamires, he remembers going out to have a little fun after completing a test flight.
"I actually got to hear Jesse give an audible 'wee,"' he said.
But Blamires' deployment wasn't just about flying, it was also about bravery. About a month before he was killed, Blamires immediately came to the aid of another aircraft when it came under fire during a mission in Afghanistan.
"He returned fire so effectively that whoever was on the ground decided that the first aircraft wasn't important, and they started to fire at Jesse's aircraft," Jones said. "Undaunted, Jesse continued to return fire until he ran out of ammunition."
Then, a soldier in another aircraft fired back, Jones said, and because of the two, "the mission was a success and we had four aircraft come home safely. That is the definition of a hero. Jesse was a hero."
Flags waved in the family's yard Saturday, and flags lined the street leading to the River 7th Ward. More than 100 members of the Patriot Guard Riders stood watch outside, holding American flags.
"It's just an honor to be here," said Bruce Clement, adding that the riders were present to show respect to the fallen hero and to ensure the service wasn't interrupted.
It wasn't. Few at the service noticed three protestors from the Westboro Baptist Church a few blocks away, holding signs such as "pray for more dead soldiers." South Jordan police said the demonstrators didn't break any laws, including a law passed by the 2007 Legislature against noisy or disruptive protests within 200 feet of a funeral or memorial service.
The Patriot Guard Riders were also present at the Salt Lake City Cemetery, where Blamires was laid to rest, while mourners and a circle of riders holding American flags looked on.
Kimberly Blamires held the couple's 8-month-old daughter as General Carroll Pollett presented her with an American flag. She was also presented with her husband's military ID tags and military honors — the Bronze Star, Air Merit Medal and Combat Action Badge. The honors were also presented to Blamires' parents, Craig and Sandra.
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. met briefly with the family before the service. Blamires' father is deeply involved in the Boy Scouts of America, and the organization created a "Heart of the Eagle" award in Blamires' honor. While Blamires did not achieve the level of Eagle Scout, "he had the heart of an Eagle in the way he lived and died," said Paul Moore, a Scout executive. Future awards will be given to those who exemplify that spirit.
Army Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires was killed in action on 5/30/07.
Army Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires, 25, of West Jordan, Utah
Sgt. Blamires was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 30, 2007 in Upper Sangin Valley, Afghanistan, when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed apparently due to enemy fire. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers, Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell and Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway.
Utah soldier remembered as loving husband, father
By Deborah Bulkeley
Deseret Morning News
SOUTH JORDAN — "Love" is the word that perhaps most aptly describes the life of Sgt. Jesse Blamires.
Those who knew Blamires, 25, remembered him Saturday for his love of his wife, Kimberly, and his two children, 4-year-old Kalli and 8-month-old Danika. He loved God and he loved his country. He also loved to fly.
"He did what he loved," Blamires' sister, Julie, told those who attended his memorial service at the River 7th Ward building in South Jordan.
On May 30, Blamires "was right there with his infectious smile. He gave me a high five," remembered Mark Jones. Then Blamires boarded a helicopter for the last time.
Blamires was one of seven people killed when Taliban forces apparently shot down the Army CH 47-Chinook helicopter.
Julie Blamires remembered flying had been her brother's dream since he was a young child.
"He had this blanky he loved so much," she said. "It had the ABCs on it. ABC, what do you want to be? He wanted to be a pilot, he wanted to be a pilot so bad. He wanted to have a wife and children."
Jesse Blamires served with the 82nd Airborne Division. He had recently been promoted to crew chief and dreamed of going to officer school and becoming a pilot. Blamires, a Skyline High School graduate, was born in Honolulu and grew up in Sandy. His family lives in Fort Bragg, N.C., where he was stationed.
The last time Mark Jones was pilot in command while flying with Blamires, he remembers going out to have a little fun after completing a test flight.
"I actually got to hear Jesse give an audible 'wee,"' he said.
But Blamires' deployment wasn't just about flying, it was also about bravery. About a month before he was killed, Blamires immediately came to the aid of another aircraft when it came under fire during a mission in Afghanistan.
"He returned fire so effectively that whoever was on the ground decided that the first aircraft wasn't important, and they started to fire at Jesse's aircraft," Jones said. "Undaunted, Jesse continued to return fire until he ran out of ammunition."
Then, a soldier in another aircraft fired back, Jones said, and because of the two, "the mission was a success and we had four aircraft come home safely. That is the definition of a hero. Jesse was a hero."
Flags waved in the family's yard Saturday, and flags lined the street leading to the River 7th Ward. More than 100 members of the Patriot Guard Riders stood watch outside, holding American flags.
"It's just an honor to be here," said Bruce Clement, adding that the riders were present to show respect to the fallen hero and to ensure the service wasn't interrupted.
It wasn't. Few at the service noticed three protestors from the Westboro Baptist Church a few blocks away, holding signs such as "pray for more dead soldiers." South Jordan police said the demonstrators didn't break any laws, including a law passed by the 2007 Legislature against noisy or disruptive protests within 200 feet of a funeral or memorial service.
The Patriot Guard Riders were also present at the Salt Lake City Cemetery, where Blamires was laid to rest, while mourners and a circle of riders holding American flags looked on.
Kimberly Blamires held the couple's 8-month-old daughter as General Carroll Pollett presented her with an American flag. She was also presented with her husband's military ID tags and military honors — the Bronze Star, Air Merit Medal and Combat Action Badge. The honors were also presented to Blamires' parents, Craig and Sandra.
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. met briefly with the family before the service. Blamires' father is deeply involved in the Boy Scouts of America, and the organization created a "Heart of the Eagle" award in Blamires' honor. While Blamires did not achieve the level of Eagle Scout, "he had the heart of an Eagle in the way he lived and died," said Paul Moore, a Scout executive. Future awards will be given to those who exemplify that spirit.
Army Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires was killed in action on 5/30/07.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Army Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing, 22, of Phoenix, AZ
Sgt. Ewing was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 28, 2007 in Abu Sayda, Iraq, of wounds sustained when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed were1st Lt. Kile G. West, Cpl. Zachary D. Baker, Cpl. James E. Summers and Spc. Alexandre A. Alexeev.
Arizona Republic -- Anthony D. Ewing said all he wanted to do was "go home and relax."
Described as "optimistic" by his friends and himself, the 22-year-old had promised that "I'll come home soon damnit!" according to a post on his MySpace profile.
But the army sergeant won't return to the United States the way friends and family had hoped.
Ewing was one of five soldiers killed on Memorial Day in Abu Savda, Iraq, when a bomb struck their vehicle, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Ewing, who was on his second tour in Iraq, according to friends, was supposed to return to the United States soon, but his tour had been extended another 90 days.
Ewing and four other soldiers in the 1st Cavalry Division, stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, were killed in the vehicle explosion.
Ewing was a 2003 graduate of Westview High School in Avondale.
His father still lives in the Valley, and his mother lives in Texas.
"He was always an outgoing, optimistic person," said Ashley Logan, who has known Ewing since fifth grade.
The pair went to Sundance Elementary School in Peoria.
"He always made people smile no matter what," Logan said.
Ewing had planed to start college in February, she said.
Army Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing, 22, of Phoenix, AZ
Sgt. Ewing was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 28, 2007 in Abu Sayda, Iraq, of wounds sustained when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed were1st Lt. Kile G. West, Cpl. Zachary D. Baker, Cpl. James E. Summers and Spc. Alexandre A. Alexeev.
Arizona Republic -- Anthony D. Ewing said all he wanted to do was "go home and relax."
Described as "optimistic" by his friends and himself, the 22-year-old had promised that "I'll come home soon damnit!" according to a post on his MySpace profile.
But the army sergeant won't return to the United States the way friends and family had hoped.
Ewing was one of five soldiers killed on Memorial Day in Abu Savda, Iraq, when a bomb struck their vehicle, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Ewing, who was on his second tour in Iraq, according to friends, was supposed to return to the United States soon, but his tour had been extended another 90 days.
Ewing and four other soldiers in the 1st Cavalry Division, stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, were killed in the vehicle explosion.
Ewing was a 2003 graduate of Westview High School in Avondale.
His father still lives in the Valley, and his mother lives in Texas.
"He was always an outgoing, optimistic person," said Ashley Logan, who has known Ewing since fifth grade.
The pair went to Sundance Elementary School in Peoria.
"He always made people smile no matter what," Logan said.
Ewing had planed to start college in February, she said.
Army Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army 1st Lt. Kile G. West
Remember Our Heroes
Army 1st Lt. Kile G. West, 23, of Pasadena, Texas
1st Lt. West was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 28, 2007 in Abu Sayda, Iraq, of wounds sustained when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing, Cpl. Zachary D. Baker, Cpl. James E. Summers and Spc. Alexandre A. Alexeev.
Houston Chronicle -- An Army lieutenant with ties to Pasadena was one of 10 American servicemen killed on Memorial Day in Iraq.
Army 2nd Lt. Kile Grant West was killed when the Bradley fighting vehicle he commanded hit an improvised explosive device as he and his crew were trying to rescue soldiers in a downed helicopter, said his uncle Gary West, of Pasadena.
Kile West and his crew were killed, as were two soldiers in the downed helicopter, his uncle said on Tuesday.
West, 23, who grew up in Pasadena, had been looking forward to a scheduled two-week leave next month to visit family in Texas. The December 2005 Stephen F. Austin University graduate was planning to return to the United States on June 15.
An outdoorsman, Kile West had asked his father and uncle to check out a shotgun he could buy while here.
"We had already gone and looked at one for him to buy. He liked to bird hunt and deer hunt," Gary West said. The shotgun his nephew wanted was for bird hunting.
Gary West said his nephew had always planned to join the military.
"Kile wanted to be a soldier his whole life. I was a soldier, and his grandfather was a soldier in World War II. He just wanted to do that. He would watch the military channel on TV all the time. He wanted to go to college to be an officer in the Army. He died doing what he wanted to do," the uncle said.
West, who graduated from Hutto High School in Central Texas in 2001, was deployed to Iraq in October.
He is survived by his father and stepmother, Clark Grady West and Melissa West, of Pasadena; his mother, Nanette West, of Round Rock, and two younger sisters.
Army 1st Lt. Kile G. West was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army 1st Lt. Kile G. West, 23, of Pasadena, Texas
1st Lt. West was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 28, 2007 in Abu Sayda, Iraq, of wounds sustained when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing, Cpl. Zachary D. Baker, Cpl. James E. Summers and Spc. Alexandre A. Alexeev.
Houston Chronicle -- An Army lieutenant with ties to Pasadena was one of 10 American servicemen killed on Memorial Day in Iraq.
Army 2nd Lt. Kile Grant West was killed when the Bradley fighting vehicle he commanded hit an improvised explosive device as he and his crew were trying to rescue soldiers in a downed helicopter, said his uncle Gary West, of Pasadena.
Kile West and his crew were killed, as were two soldiers in the downed helicopter, his uncle said on Tuesday.
West, 23, who grew up in Pasadena, had been looking forward to a scheduled two-week leave next month to visit family in Texas. The December 2005 Stephen F. Austin University graduate was planning to return to the United States on June 15.
An outdoorsman, Kile West had asked his father and uncle to check out a shotgun he could buy while here.
"We had already gone and looked at one for him to buy. He liked to bird hunt and deer hunt," Gary West said. The shotgun his nephew wanted was for bird hunting.
Gary West said his nephew had always planned to join the military.
"Kile wanted to be a soldier his whole life. I was a soldier, and his grandfather was a soldier in World War II. He just wanted to do that. He would watch the military channel on TV all the time. He wanted to go to college to be an officer in the Army. He died doing what he wanted to do," the uncle said.
West, who graduated from Hutto High School in Central Texas in 2001, was deployed to Iraq in October.
He is survived by his father and stepmother, Clark Grady West and Melissa West, of Pasadena; his mother, Nanette West, of Round Rock, and two younger sisters.
Army 1st Lt. Kile G. West was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army Cpl. Zachary D. Baker
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Zachary D. Baker, 24, of Vilonia, Ark.
Cpl. Baker was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 28, 2007 in Abu Sayda, Iraq, of wounds sustained when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed were1st Lt. Kile G. West, Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing, Cpl. James E. Summers and Spc. Alexandre A. Alexeev.
Today's THV -- Another Arkansas family is faced with the heartache of losing a soldier in Iraq. Army SPC Zachary Baker of Vilonia has now been added to the state's list of fallen heroes.
Zachary D. Baker was a true American patriot. He was a soldier sent to Iraq first in 2005 who then volunteered to go back for a second tour.
"That’s Bubba for you, always trying to help people, help the world - just give to everyone," says sister Kara Welcher. "He was just trying to help."
Kara constantly worried about her big brother, "Bubba" as most called him, but she and her father admit nothing prepared them for his death.
Kara says, "I just never thought it would happen to our family; it wouldn't happen to us, we wouldn't lose him."
Kenneth Welcher describes hearing that his son had been killed in action, "Like somebody ripped my heart out and threw it on the ground and started stomping on it. That's what it's like knowing I’ll never see my son again. It's hard. He's a good boy, a hero."
Zach was killed on Memorial Day. Insurgents shot down a U.S. helicopter north of Baghdad. Before it crashed, the two inside radioed for help. Zach was part of the rescue team racing to the scene when a roadside bomb exploded underneath his Bradley vehicle. He and five others died.
"He went to save his buddies, doing his job - what he wanted to do," says Kenneth.
Kara says, "People need to remember him as a hero and he fought for his country. He wasn't just fighting for his family; he was fighting for everybody."
Zach leaves behind a wife, Christina, and seven-year-old son, Andrew. His mother, Sandy, is in Texas with them making arrangements for the return of her son's body.
Weeping, Kara says, "No matter how hard it hurts me or my dad or my brothers or aunts, it hurts my mom ten times more and I don't even know how she's feeling because she's trying to be strong for all of us because it's been tough."
At his parents’ home in Vilonia, Zach’s young cousins and nieces and nephews run around a makeshift memorial in Zach’s honor-- seemingly unaware of the hero they've lost. But, his family says it's a picture of freedom that Zach is looking down on proudly.
"If anybody that knows him, they know he went to heaven because he was a good person, a good person," says Kara.
Army Cpl. Zachary D. Baker was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army Cpl. Zachary D. Baker, 24, of Vilonia, Ark.
Cpl. Baker was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 28, 2007 in Abu Sayda, Iraq, of wounds sustained when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed were1st Lt. Kile G. West, Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing, Cpl. James E. Summers and Spc. Alexandre A. Alexeev.
Today's THV -- Another Arkansas family is faced with the heartache of losing a soldier in Iraq. Army SPC Zachary Baker of Vilonia has now been added to the state's list of fallen heroes.
Zachary D. Baker was a true American patriot. He was a soldier sent to Iraq first in 2005 who then volunteered to go back for a second tour.
"That’s Bubba for you, always trying to help people, help the world - just give to everyone," says sister Kara Welcher. "He was just trying to help."
Kara constantly worried about her big brother, "Bubba" as most called him, but she and her father admit nothing prepared them for his death.
Kara says, "I just never thought it would happen to our family; it wouldn't happen to us, we wouldn't lose him."
Kenneth Welcher describes hearing that his son had been killed in action, "Like somebody ripped my heart out and threw it on the ground and started stomping on it. That's what it's like knowing I’ll never see my son again. It's hard. He's a good boy, a hero."
Zach was killed on Memorial Day. Insurgents shot down a U.S. helicopter north of Baghdad. Before it crashed, the two inside radioed for help. Zach was part of the rescue team racing to the scene when a roadside bomb exploded underneath his Bradley vehicle. He and five others died.
"He went to save his buddies, doing his job - what he wanted to do," says Kenneth.
Kara says, "People need to remember him as a hero and he fought for his country. He wasn't just fighting for his family; he was fighting for everybody."
Zach leaves behind a wife, Christina, and seven-year-old son, Andrew. His mother, Sandy, is in Texas with them making arrangements for the return of her son's body.
Weeping, Kara says, "No matter how hard it hurts me or my dad or my brothers or aunts, it hurts my mom ten times more and I don't even know how she's feeling because she's trying to be strong for all of us because it's been tough."
At his parents’ home in Vilonia, Zach’s young cousins and nieces and nephews run around a makeshift memorial in Zach’s honor-- seemingly unaware of the hero they've lost. But, his family says it's a picture of freedom that Zach is looking down on proudly.
"If anybody that knows him, they know he went to heaven because he was a good person, a good person," says Kara.
Army Cpl. Zachary D. Baker was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army Cpl. James E. Summers, III
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. James E. Summers III, 21, of Bourbon, Mo.
Cpl. Summers was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 28, 2007 in Abu Sayda, Iraq, of wounds sustained when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed were1st Lt. Kile G. West, Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing, Cpl. Zachary D. Baker and Spc. Alexandre A. Alexeev.
KSDK -- KSDK - Flags are at half staff in Bourbon, Missouri, as the residents of the town learn about the death of a soldier fighting in Iraq.
A sign near the center of town reads "Our fallen hero, Jimmy Summers."
21-year-old Specialist James E. Summers was killed Monday in Iraq. He was a rescuer, coming to the aid of troops who'd gone down in a helicopter near Baghdad. Summers was hit by a sniper's bullet during the rescue mission.
His family says he always had a dream of joining the Army.
"He's my brother and he loves me, and I know I love him, and he wouldn't want us to be sad or depressed about this," said Tom Summers, his brother. "He would want us to move on and he would want us to be happy. He would want to honor him as best we could, and that's what I'm trying to do."
Another brother, 28-year old Michael Summers, is a sergeant in the Army. He'll be accompanying his brother's body home to the United States.
James Summers was married and the father of a 4-year-old daughter.
His father was once the police chief in Bourbon, which is near the Crawford-Franklin County line.
Army Cpl. James E. Summers III was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army Cpl. James E. Summers III, 21, of Bourbon, Mo.
Cpl. Summers was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 28, 2007 in Abu Sayda, Iraq, of wounds sustained when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed were1st Lt. Kile G. West, Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing, Cpl. Zachary D. Baker and Spc. Alexandre A. Alexeev.
KSDK -- KSDK - Flags are at half staff in Bourbon, Missouri, as the residents of the town learn about the death of a soldier fighting in Iraq.
A sign near the center of town reads "Our fallen hero, Jimmy Summers."
21-year-old Specialist James E. Summers was killed Monday in Iraq. He was a rescuer, coming to the aid of troops who'd gone down in a helicopter near Baghdad. Summers was hit by a sniper's bullet during the rescue mission.
His family says he always had a dream of joining the Army.
"He's my brother and he loves me, and I know I love him, and he wouldn't want us to be sad or depressed about this," said Tom Summers, his brother. "He would want us to move on and he would want us to be happy. He would want to honor him as best we could, and that's what I'm trying to do."
Another brother, 28-year old Michael Summers, is a sergeant in the Army. He'll be accompanying his brother's body home to the United States.
James Summers was married and the father of a 4-year-old daughter.
His father was once the police chief in Bourbon, which is near the Crawford-Franklin County line.
Army Cpl. James E. Summers III was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army Specialist Alexandre A. Alexeev
Remember Our Heroes
Army Specialist Alexandre A. Alexeev, 23, of Wilmington, Calif.
Spc. Alexeev was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 28 in Abu Sayda, Iraq, of wounds sustained when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed were 1st Lt. Kile G. West, Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing, Cpl. Zachary D. Baker and Cpl. James E. Summers.
Soldier believed in cause
Nation: Portrait of local soldier emerges through his e-mails.
By Josh Grossberg, Staff writer
Alexeev They never met, never spoke on the telephone, had virtually nothing in common.
But in a yearlong exchange of e-mails between a Northern California mother and a young Wilmington resident who died in Iraq last week, a portrait emerged of a shy man who enjoyed ice hockey, relished the small gifts she sent him and loved his adopted country.
"We just kind of communicated about stuff," said Rose Ramirez-Latham about 23-year-old Spc. Alexandre A. Alexeev, a native of Russia who was among five soldiers killed Monday when their vehicle was struck by a makeshift bomb in the city of Abu Sayda. "We just kept it positive."
Ramirez-Latham, a Santa Rosa resident, came into contact with Alexeev through the Soldiers Angel Network, an organization that connects people fighting overseas with concerned people back home.
"My impression was obviously he believed in the country," she said. "He was fighting for a cause."
Efforts to reach Alexeev's family in the Moreno Valley have been unsuccessful.
Alexeev was 14 when his family left Russia and moved to Hawthorne, said his longtime friend Dan Corbei. He graduated from Hawthorne High School in 2002. His family bought a house in Wilmington about two years ago.
"He was a good guy, really smart," said Corbei, a Torrance resident. "He was a really sharp kid who made the most of everything."
For fun, the two would go clubbing and listen to music.
"He loved online gaming, techno music and working with computers," Corbei said.
Corbei said his friend hoped to become a citizen, which is why he joined the military. He didn't enjoy being overseas, but liked making friends with local children.
But when he got to Iraq, he kept his thoughts mostly to himself, Ramirez-Latham said. He shied away from discussing personal matters and kept her mostly in the dark about the details of his missions.
Sometimes weeks would go by without him writing.
"When you know someone, you look for his e-mails to see if he's OK," she said. "If I didn't hear from him for two weeks, I'd start getting stressed."
In one case, when he finally got back from a mission, he apologized for the delay.
"He thanked me for my concern," she said.
He told her he spent time in Iraqi villages.
"He said he was living with the Iraqis," she said. "Iraqi kids love soccer. He had some balls and they asked him for some. He gave them to the Iraqi kids."
But as his time overseas grew longer, he seemed to grow tired of the ordeal he was living through.
"The last one said he was really tired and really stressed," she said.
Ramirez-Latham would offer to send him gifts, but Alexeev was shy about accepting them.
"I asked him what he needed. He said he felt awkward asking for things. I e-mailed him back saying, `Don't feel bad. I'm going to send you something."'
Although she knew he was proud to serve his country, Ramirez-Latham said Alexeev couldn't wait for his time overseas to come to an end.
"All I can think about is being back home and enjoying a normal life," he wrote.
Army Specialist Alexandre A. Alexeev was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army Specialist Alexandre A. Alexeev, 23, of Wilmington, Calif.
Spc. Alexeev was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 28 in Abu Sayda, Iraq, of wounds sustained when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed were 1st Lt. Kile G. West, Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing, Cpl. Zachary D. Baker and Cpl. James E. Summers.
Soldier believed in cause
Nation: Portrait of local soldier emerges through his e-mails.
By Josh Grossberg, Staff writer
Alexeev They never met, never spoke on the telephone, had virtually nothing in common.
But in a yearlong exchange of e-mails between a Northern California mother and a young Wilmington resident who died in Iraq last week, a portrait emerged of a shy man who enjoyed ice hockey, relished the small gifts she sent him and loved his adopted country.
"We just kind of communicated about stuff," said Rose Ramirez-Latham about 23-year-old Spc. Alexandre A. Alexeev, a native of Russia who was among five soldiers killed Monday when their vehicle was struck by a makeshift bomb in the city of Abu Sayda. "We just kept it positive."
Ramirez-Latham, a Santa Rosa resident, came into contact with Alexeev through the Soldiers Angel Network, an organization that connects people fighting overseas with concerned people back home.
"My impression was obviously he believed in the country," she said. "He was fighting for a cause."
Efforts to reach Alexeev's family in the Moreno Valley have been unsuccessful.
Alexeev was 14 when his family left Russia and moved to Hawthorne, said his longtime friend Dan Corbei. He graduated from Hawthorne High School in 2002. His family bought a house in Wilmington about two years ago.
"He was a good guy, really smart," said Corbei, a Torrance resident. "He was a really sharp kid who made the most of everything."
For fun, the two would go clubbing and listen to music.
"He loved online gaming, techno music and working with computers," Corbei said.
Corbei said his friend hoped to become a citizen, which is why he joined the military. He didn't enjoy being overseas, but liked making friends with local children.
But when he got to Iraq, he kept his thoughts mostly to himself, Ramirez-Latham said. He shied away from discussing personal matters and kept her mostly in the dark about the details of his missions.
Sometimes weeks would go by without him writing.
"When you know someone, you look for his e-mails to see if he's OK," she said. "If I didn't hear from him for two weeks, I'd start getting stressed."
In one case, when he finally got back from a mission, he apologized for the delay.
"He thanked me for my concern," she said.
He told her he spent time in Iraqi villages.
"He said he was living with the Iraqis," she said. "Iraqi kids love soccer. He had some balls and they asked him for some. He gave them to the Iraqi kids."
But as his time overseas grew longer, he seemed to grow tired of the ordeal he was living through.
"The last one said he was really tired and really stressed," she said.
Ramirez-Latham would offer to send him gifts, but Alexeev was shy about accepting them.
"I asked him what he needed. He said he felt awkward asking for things. I e-mailed him back saying, `Don't feel bad. I'm going to send you something."'
Although she knew he was proud to serve his country, Ramirez-Latham said Alexeev couldn't wait for his time overseas to come to an end.
"All I can think about is being back home and enjoying a normal life," he wrote.
Army Specialist Alexandre A. Alexeev was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Theodore U. Church
Remember Our Heroes
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Theodore U. Church, 32, of Ohio
CWO2 Church was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died May 28 in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his OH-58D Kiowa helicopter crashed after receiving heavy enemy fire during combat operations. Also killed was 1st Lt. Keith N. Heidtman.
Ohio soldier killed after helicopter crashes in Iraq
The Associated Press
HONOLULU — A soldier from Ohio was one of two based at the Schofield Barracks in Honolulu who were killed in Iraq this week, the Pentagon said May 30.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Theodore U. Church of South Point, Ohio, and 1st Lt. Keith N. Heidtman of Norwich, Conn., died from wounds sustained when their helicopter crashed after being hit by enemy fire.
Church’s family in Ohio asked the Army to tell the media they wanted to grieve in private, a Schofield public affairs official said. Church was 32 years old.
Heidtman, 24, was a graduate of Norwich Free Academy and the University of Connecticut. He arrived in Iraq in December and was scheduled to come home for leave in July.
Church and Heidtman were among 10 U.S. soldiers who died in roadside bombings and the helicopter crash May 28, the military reported, making May the deadliest month of the year for U.S. troops in Iraq.
Eight of those killed were from Task Force Lightning. Six were killed in an insurgent roadside bomb ambush as they raced to rescue the two who died in the helicopter crash. The military did not say if the helicopter was shot down or had mechanical problems. All eight died in Diyala province north of the capital.
“We know that the helicopter had received ground fire, but do not know yet the cause of the helicopter going down,” Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a military spokesman, said in an interview with Associated Press Radio.
Heidtman and Church were assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade in the 25th Infantry Division.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Theodore U. Church was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Theodore U. Church, 32, of Ohio
CWO2 Church was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died May 28 in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his OH-58D Kiowa helicopter crashed after receiving heavy enemy fire during combat operations. Also killed was 1st Lt. Keith N. Heidtman.
Ohio soldier killed after helicopter crashes in Iraq
The Associated Press
HONOLULU — A soldier from Ohio was one of two based at the Schofield Barracks in Honolulu who were killed in Iraq this week, the Pentagon said May 30.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Theodore U. Church of South Point, Ohio, and 1st Lt. Keith N. Heidtman of Norwich, Conn., died from wounds sustained when their helicopter crashed after being hit by enemy fire.
Church’s family in Ohio asked the Army to tell the media they wanted to grieve in private, a Schofield public affairs official said. Church was 32 years old.
Heidtman, 24, was a graduate of Norwich Free Academy and the University of Connecticut. He arrived in Iraq in December and was scheduled to come home for leave in July.
Church and Heidtman were among 10 U.S. soldiers who died in roadside bombings and the helicopter crash May 28, the military reported, making May the deadliest month of the year for U.S. troops in Iraq.
Eight of those killed were from Task Force Lightning. Six were killed in an insurgent roadside bomb ambush as they raced to rescue the two who died in the helicopter crash. The military did not say if the helicopter was shot down or had mechanical problems. All eight died in Diyala province north of the capital.
“We know that the helicopter had received ground fire, but do not know yet the cause of the helicopter going down,” Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a military spokesman, said in an interview with Associated Press Radio.
Heidtman and Church were assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade in the 25th Infantry Division.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Theodore U. Church was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army 1st Lt. Keith N. Heidtman
Remember Our Heroes
Army 1st Lt. Keith N. Heidtman, 24, of Norwich, Conn.
1st Lt. Heidtman was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died May 28, 2007 in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his OH-58D Kiowa helicopter crashed after receiving heavy enemy fire during combat operations. Also killed was Chief Warrant Officer 2 Theodore U. Church.
Norwich soldier dies in helicopter crash in Iraq
The Associated Press
NORWICH, Conn. — A helicopter crash in Iraq on Memorial Day claimed the life of a Norwich soldier, the governor’s office said May 29.
Army 1st Lt. Keith Heidtman, 24, was the 37th military member with Connecticut ties to die since the war began in 2002. Two Connecticut civilians have also been killed. Gov. M. Jodi Rell ordered all state and U.S. flags lowered to half staff in Heidtman’s honor.
“Lt. Heidtman made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us, and he did so to protect the freedom that we so often take for granted,” Rell said in a statement. “To have given his life on Memorial Day is especially poignant.”
Heidtman was one of 10 U.S. soldiers who died in roadside bombings and the helicopter crash May 28, the military reported, making May the deadliest month of the year for U.S. troops in Iraq.
The American deaths raised the number of U.S. forces killed this month to at least 112, according to an Associated Press count assembled from U.S. military statements.
Eight of the soldiers were from Task Force Lightning — six killed when explosions hit near their vehicles and two in a helicopter crash. The military did not say if the helicopter was shot down or had mechanical problems.
Heidtman was a 2001 graduate of Norwich Free Academy and a graduate of the University of Connecticut.
His parents were notified May 29. He was the son of Kerry Heidtman and Maureen Robidoux. His stepfather is Art Robidoux. A phone message from The Associated Press was left at his family’s home.
“If you had to pick your son, this is who you would pick. He was handsome, he was bright,” Kerry Heidtman told The Day of New London.
Heidtman arrived in Iraq in December and was scheduled to come home for leave in July.
“We’re sending our finest, and we’re losing them,” Kerry Heidtman said.
Protesters a no-show at soldier’s funeral
The Associated Press
NORWICH, Conn. — Protesters who had threatened to disrupt the funeral of a Norwich soldier killed in Iraq were a no-show June 8.
Army 1st Lt. Keith Heidtman died May 28 when his helicopter was shot down. His funeral was at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
“In his 24 years, Keith accomplished more, gave more, made a greater impact on our world, than most do in many decades of life,” Connecticut Army National Guard State Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Kevin P. Cavanaugh said at the church. “Keith made a difference.”
A solemn ceremony at his grave featured a rifle salute, a flyover by two Connecticut National Guard Blackhawk helicopters and a flag-bearing tribute by dozens of supporters.
The threat of protests by a Kansas group called Westboro Baptist Church prompted legislators and Gov. M. Jodi Rell to work together this week to fast-track a bill limiting such demonstrations.
The same group from Kansas protested at an East Lyme military funeral last December. The group held signs that read “Thank God for IEDs” — improvised explosive devices — and “God is America’s Terror.” They claim that the deaths of American soldiers are punishment from God for the country’s tolerance of homosexuals.
Legislators passed the bill this week before the legislative session ended. Rell signed it June 6.
The Legislature had already passed a similar bill earlier in the session, but the law wouldn’t have taken effect until Oct. 1.
The legislation bars anyone from willfully making or assisting in making a noise or diversion that’s not part of any funeral, or intending to disturb the peace at any funeral, within the property line of a cemetery or house of worship, or within 150 feet of the intersection of the boundary and a roadway.
Though there were no Westboro protesters at the funeral, a group called the Patriot Guard Riders, members of the Waterford High School Drama Club and several other groups were on hand to support the troops.
John Coffindaffer, president of the Sikorsky Veterans Association, came from Oxford.
“We’re just here to offer our support for the lieutenant and his family,” said Coffindaffer, a retired Air Force helicopter pilot.
Heidtman was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Rell and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney were among the dignitaries who attended.
Army 1st Lt. Keith N. Heidtman was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army 1st Lt. Keith N. Heidtman, 24, of Norwich, Conn.
1st Lt. Heidtman was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died May 28, 2007 in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his OH-58D Kiowa helicopter crashed after receiving heavy enemy fire during combat operations. Also killed was Chief Warrant Officer 2 Theodore U. Church.
Norwich soldier dies in helicopter crash in Iraq
The Associated Press
NORWICH, Conn. — A helicopter crash in Iraq on Memorial Day claimed the life of a Norwich soldier, the governor’s office said May 29.
Army 1st Lt. Keith Heidtman, 24, was the 37th military member with Connecticut ties to die since the war began in 2002. Two Connecticut civilians have also been killed. Gov. M. Jodi Rell ordered all state and U.S. flags lowered to half staff in Heidtman’s honor.
“Lt. Heidtman made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us, and he did so to protect the freedom that we so often take for granted,” Rell said in a statement. “To have given his life on Memorial Day is especially poignant.”
Heidtman was one of 10 U.S. soldiers who died in roadside bombings and the helicopter crash May 28, the military reported, making May the deadliest month of the year for U.S. troops in Iraq.
The American deaths raised the number of U.S. forces killed this month to at least 112, according to an Associated Press count assembled from U.S. military statements.
Eight of the soldiers were from Task Force Lightning — six killed when explosions hit near their vehicles and two in a helicopter crash. The military did not say if the helicopter was shot down or had mechanical problems.
Heidtman was a 2001 graduate of Norwich Free Academy and a graduate of the University of Connecticut.
His parents were notified May 29. He was the son of Kerry Heidtman and Maureen Robidoux. His stepfather is Art Robidoux. A phone message from The Associated Press was left at his family’s home.
“If you had to pick your son, this is who you would pick. He was handsome, he was bright,” Kerry Heidtman told The Day of New London.
Heidtman arrived in Iraq in December and was scheduled to come home for leave in July.
“We’re sending our finest, and we’re losing them,” Kerry Heidtman said.
Protesters a no-show at soldier’s funeral
The Associated Press
NORWICH, Conn. — Protesters who had threatened to disrupt the funeral of a Norwich soldier killed in Iraq were a no-show June 8.
Army 1st Lt. Keith Heidtman died May 28 when his helicopter was shot down. His funeral was at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
“In his 24 years, Keith accomplished more, gave more, made a greater impact on our world, than most do in many decades of life,” Connecticut Army National Guard State Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Kevin P. Cavanaugh said at the church. “Keith made a difference.”
A solemn ceremony at his grave featured a rifle salute, a flyover by two Connecticut National Guard Blackhawk helicopters and a flag-bearing tribute by dozens of supporters.
The threat of protests by a Kansas group called Westboro Baptist Church prompted legislators and Gov. M. Jodi Rell to work together this week to fast-track a bill limiting such demonstrations.
The same group from Kansas protested at an East Lyme military funeral last December. The group held signs that read “Thank God for IEDs” — improvised explosive devices — and “God is America’s Terror.” They claim that the deaths of American soldiers are punishment from God for the country’s tolerance of homosexuals.
Legislators passed the bill this week before the legislative session ended. Rell signed it June 6.
The Legislature had already passed a similar bill earlier in the session, but the law wouldn’t have taken effect until Oct. 1.
The legislation bars anyone from willfully making or assisting in making a noise or diversion that’s not part of any funeral, or intending to disturb the peace at any funeral, within the property line of a cemetery or house of worship, or within 150 feet of the intersection of the boundary and a roadway.
Though there were no Westboro protesters at the funeral, a group called the Patriot Guard Riders, members of the Waterford High School Drama Club and several other groups were on hand to support the troops.
John Coffindaffer, president of the Sikorsky Veterans Association, came from Oxford.
“We’re just here to offer our support for the lieutenant and his family,” said Coffindaffer, a retired Air Force helicopter pilot.
Heidtman was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Rell and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney were among the dignitaries who attended.
Army 1st Lt. Keith N. Heidtman was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Marine Lance Cpl. David P. Lindsey
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. David P. Lindsey, 20, of Spartanburg, S.C.
Cpl. Lindsey was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died May 25, 2007 from a nonhostile incident in the Anbar province, Iraq. His death is under investigation.
Family spoke to Marine just hours before his death
The Associated Press
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The family of Marine Lance Cpl. David Paul Lindsey said they spoke with him just hours before he died in Iraq.
“It’s wonderful we had that opportunity to talk to him last night because within the next 12 hours, he was dead,” Lindsey’s father Mike Bishop told the (Spartanburg) Herald-Journal on May 25.
The family could not be reached for comment May 26, but Kim Stroud, Lindsey’s godmother, said the 20-year-old Lindsey was killed sometime between 6 p.m. May 24 and 10 a.m. May 25, EDT.
Lindsey was not identified as a casualty on the Department of Defense Web site, but the agency typically waits several days before identifying those killed. The military reported that a Marine died May 25 of non-combat-related causes in Anbar province.
Stroud said the military told the family that Lindsey died from a gunshot wound to the head and may have been shot while on guard duty. His death is still being investigated.
Lindsey graduated from Spartanburg High School in 2005 and joined the Marines in October of that year. He had been stationed in Iraq as an infantryman with the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, since early January. He was scheduled to return home in August.
“He was proud to be a Marine and proud to serve,” said Bishop, who said he had served as a lieutenant colonel in the Army during the Vietnam War. “That’s what boys in this family have always wanted and always done.”
Stroud said Lindsey wanted to be like his father, grandfather and uncle and serve in the military. “David was just the most awesome kid,” Stroud said.
Lindsey’s sister Rachel Baxter told the Herald-Journal that a letter Lindsey wrote Jan. 30 after he had been in Iraq just 17 days painted a picture of who he was.
“We have been watching Flags of our Fathers,” Lindsey wrote. “It’s about the Marines on Iwo Jima and the flag-raising on top of the mountain. I tell you where the U.S. troops were outnumbered and had the disadvantage but still went face to face with danger and still took the objective; those men and women are true American heroes (like pops).
“I know Vietnam was bad but that didn’t stop Dad. And this is my promise to y’all. Iraq is bad, but it isn’t going to stop me (like father, like son.) I’m out here on the front lines so y’all can sleep in peace tonight.”
Lindsey was 6 years old when he went to live with the Bishops because his biological family was unable to take care of him, but Stroud said he was never officially adopted.
“It was a rough beginning,” Baxter told the newspaper. “He needed parents so badly the moment he walked in our home he started calling them Mom and Dad.”
The family ended their last phone call with Lindsey the way they always did.
“We say we love you but we also say ‘be there,’ as in ‘be in heaven,’ and he is there,” Lindsey’s 25-year-old sister Shawna Cowart said.
Marine Lance Cpl. David P. Lindsey was killed in action on 5/25/07.
Marine Lance Cpl. David P. Lindsey, 20, of Spartanburg, S.C.
Cpl. Lindsey was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died May 25, 2007 from a nonhostile incident in the Anbar province, Iraq. His death is under investigation.
Family spoke to Marine just hours before his death
The Associated Press
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The family of Marine Lance Cpl. David Paul Lindsey said they spoke with him just hours before he died in Iraq.
“It’s wonderful we had that opportunity to talk to him last night because within the next 12 hours, he was dead,” Lindsey’s father Mike Bishop told the (Spartanburg) Herald-Journal on May 25.
The family could not be reached for comment May 26, but Kim Stroud, Lindsey’s godmother, said the 20-year-old Lindsey was killed sometime between 6 p.m. May 24 and 10 a.m. May 25, EDT.
Lindsey was not identified as a casualty on the Department of Defense Web site, but the agency typically waits several days before identifying those killed. The military reported that a Marine died May 25 of non-combat-related causes in Anbar province.
Stroud said the military told the family that Lindsey died from a gunshot wound to the head and may have been shot while on guard duty. His death is still being investigated.
Lindsey graduated from Spartanburg High School in 2005 and joined the Marines in October of that year. He had been stationed in Iraq as an infantryman with the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, since early January. He was scheduled to return home in August.
“He was proud to be a Marine and proud to serve,” said Bishop, who said he had served as a lieutenant colonel in the Army during the Vietnam War. “That’s what boys in this family have always wanted and always done.”
Stroud said Lindsey wanted to be like his father, grandfather and uncle and serve in the military. “David was just the most awesome kid,” Stroud said.
Lindsey’s sister Rachel Baxter told the Herald-Journal that a letter Lindsey wrote Jan. 30 after he had been in Iraq just 17 days painted a picture of who he was.
“We have been watching Flags of our Fathers,” Lindsey wrote. “It’s about the Marines on Iwo Jima and the flag-raising on top of the mountain. I tell you where the U.S. troops were outnumbered and had the disadvantage but still went face to face with danger and still took the objective; those men and women are true American heroes (like pops).
“I know Vietnam was bad but that didn’t stop Dad. And this is my promise to y’all. Iraq is bad, but it isn’t going to stop me (like father, like son.) I’m out here on the front lines so y’all can sleep in peace tonight.”
Lindsey was 6 years old when he went to live with the Bishops because his biological family was unable to take care of him, but Stroud said he was never officially adopted.
“It was a rough beginning,” Baxter told the newspaper. “He needed parents so badly the moment he walked in our home he started calling them Mom and Dad.”
The family ended their last phone call with Lindsey the way they always did.
“We say we love you but we also say ‘be there,’ as in ‘be in heaven,’ and he is there,” Lindsey’s 25-year-old sister Shawna Cowart said.
Marine Lance Cpl. David P. Lindsey was killed in action on 5/25/07.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Army Staff Sgt. Russell K. Shoemaker
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Russell K. Shoemaker, 31, of Sweet Springs, Mo.
SSgt. Shoemaker was assigned to 1st Brigade Transition Team, and attached to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died May 24, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed was Sgt. 1st Class Robert E. Dunham.
KOMU -- SWEET SPRINGS - The death of a mid-Missouri soldier killed in Iraq hit home on Memorial Day.
Most of the people who live in the small town of Sweet Springs learned on Monday that one of their own was killed.
Staff Sergeant Russell K. Shoemaker of Sweet Springs and another soldier were killed on Thursday in Baghdad when the vehicle they were traveling in hit an improvised explosive device.
Shoemaker was 31 years old and was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas. He was married four years ago.
The news came as a shock to Shoemaker's father, who also served in the military.
"He was an American fighting soldier," Shoemaker said. "He lived the Army and the Army way. He always placed the mission first and never accepted defeat."
Originally, Shoemaker signed up for active duty, but transferred in order to spend more time with his family.
The Shoemakers now reside in Emma, but their former town of Sweet Springs is grieving just as well.
"This is another situation that again we know young men like them has made it better for all of us and it's quite a sacrifice," Sweet Springs resident Jerry Reid said. "We're grateful and again the Sweet Springs sommunity is, have their heart felt feelings go out to the Shoemaker family."
Shoemaker was an army reserve infantry-man and joined the army in 1995.
His family said he loved kids and went from active duty to the reserves to help start a family.
Army Staff Sgt. Russell K. Shoemaker was killed in action on 5/24/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Russell K. Shoemaker, 31, of Sweet Springs, Mo.
SSgt. Shoemaker was assigned to 1st Brigade Transition Team, and attached to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died May 24, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed was Sgt. 1st Class Robert E. Dunham.
KOMU -- SWEET SPRINGS - The death of a mid-Missouri soldier killed in Iraq hit home on Memorial Day.
Most of the people who live in the small town of Sweet Springs learned on Monday that one of their own was killed.
Staff Sergeant Russell K. Shoemaker of Sweet Springs and another soldier were killed on Thursday in Baghdad when the vehicle they were traveling in hit an improvised explosive device.
Shoemaker was 31 years old and was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas. He was married four years ago.
The news came as a shock to Shoemaker's father, who also served in the military.
"He was an American fighting soldier," Shoemaker said. "He lived the Army and the Army way. He always placed the mission first and never accepted defeat."
Originally, Shoemaker signed up for active duty, but transferred in order to spend more time with his family.
The Shoemakers now reside in Emma, but their former town of Sweet Springs is grieving just as well.
"This is another situation that again we know young men like them has made it better for all of us and it's quite a sacrifice," Sweet Springs resident Jerry Reid said. "We're grateful and again the Sweet Springs sommunity is, have their heart felt feelings go out to the Shoemaker family."
Shoemaker was an army reserve infantry-man and joined the army in 1995.
His family said he loved kids and went from active duty to the reserves to help start a family.
Army Staff Sgt. Russell K. Shoemaker was killed in action on 5/24/07.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert E. Dunham
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert E. Dunham, 36, of Baltimore
SFC Dunham was assigned to 1st Brigade Transition Team, and attached to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died May 24, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Russell K. Shoemaker.
Baltimore native, a former honor student, killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
BALTIMORE — Sgt. 1st Class Robert Dunham, who grew up in the Park Heights community in west Baltimore, was killed in Iraq when the Humvee he was riding was hit by an explosive device near Baghdad, his family said.
Dunham, 36, had been serving in Iraq since January, according to his brother, Charles Dunham of Parkville. He lived at Fort Gordon, Ga., with his wife and five children.
“I believe he really liked what he did,” Charles Dunham told The (Baltimore) Sun. “He loved to serve. He was a giving person, real loving, and the Army was good to his family.”
Sgt. Dunham had been concerned about the danger in Iraq, particularly after a truck in a convoy he was in recently was heavily damaged by an improvised explosive device, his brother said.
The Department of Defense had not publicly confirmed Dunham’s death May 25, but family members said they were notified May 24.
Dunham graduated in 1988 from Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School, where he studied industrial electronics, his brother said. He was an honors student who loved playing basketball in community leagues.
He joined the Army the same year he graduated and trained at Fort Dix, N.J., to work with communications equipment. He was stationed in Germany, Kansas and Arkansas before his family settled in Georgia.
He served in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm, in Bosnia and in Somalia and had received Special Forces training before his latest tour in Iraq, his brother said.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert E. Dunham was killed in action on 5/24/07.
View Larger Images
Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert E. Dunham, 36, of Baltimore
SFC Dunham was assigned to 1st Brigade Transition Team, and attached to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died May 24, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Russell K. Shoemaker.
Baltimore native, a former honor student, killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
BALTIMORE — Sgt. 1st Class Robert Dunham, who grew up in the Park Heights community in west Baltimore, was killed in Iraq when the Humvee he was riding was hit by an explosive device near Baghdad, his family said.
Dunham, 36, had been serving in Iraq since January, according to his brother, Charles Dunham of Parkville. He lived at Fort Gordon, Ga., with his wife and five children.
“I believe he really liked what he did,” Charles Dunham told The (Baltimore) Sun. “He loved to serve. He was a giving person, real loving, and the Army was good to his family.”
Sgt. Dunham had been concerned about the danger in Iraq, particularly after a truck in a convoy he was in recently was heavily damaged by an improvised explosive device, his brother said.
The Department of Defense had not publicly confirmed Dunham’s death May 25, but family members said they were notified May 24.
Dunham graduated in 1988 from Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School, where he studied industrial electronics, his brother said. He was an honors student who loved playing basketball in community leagues.
He joined the Army the same year he graduated and trained at Fort Dix, N.J., to work with communications equipment. He was stationed in Germany, Kansas and Arkansas before his family settled in Georgia.
He served in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm, in Bosnia and in Somalia and had received Special Forces training before his latest tour in Iraq, his brother said.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert E. Dunham was killed in action on 5/24/07.
View Larger Images
Army Pfc. Robert H. Dembowski
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Robert H. Dembowski, 20, of Ivyland, Pa.
Pfc. Dembowski was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 24 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small-arms fire.
N.C.-based paratrooper killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — An 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper died of injuries sustained from enemy small-arms fire during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, earlier this week, the Defense Department said May 25.
Spc. Robert Dembowski, Jr., 20, of Ivyland, Pa., was a company radio transmitter with 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division.
“Spc. Dembowski was a highly dedicated paratrooper,” said Capt. Aaron King, the rear detachment commander for Dembowki’s battalion. “He was dedicated not only to his profession but also in serving this great nation.”
Dembowski, who was killed May 24, joined the Army in January 2006. He completed infantry one station unit training and the basic airborne course at Fort Benning, Ga., in April 2006.
He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, when he arrived at the 82nd Airborne in May 2006.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart.
Dembowski is survived by his parents, Robert Sr. and Frances Dembowski, and his sister, Janice Dembowski, all of Ivyland, Pa.
Army Pfc. Robert H. Dembowski was killed in action on 5/24/07.
Army Pfc. Robert H. Dembowski, 20, of Ivyland, Pa.
Pfc. Dembowski was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 24 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small-arms fire.
N.C.-based paratrooper killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — An 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper died of injuries sustained from enemy small-arms fire during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, earlier this week, the Defense Department said May 25.
Spc. Robert Dembowski, Jr., 20, of Ivyland, Pa., was a company radio transmitter with 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division.
“Spc. Dembowski was a highly dedicated paratrooper,” said Capt. Aaron King, the rear detachment commander for Dembowki’s battalion. “He was dedicated not only to his profession but also in serving this great nation.”
Dembowski, who was killed May 24, joined the Army in January 2006. He completed infantry one station unit training and the basic airborne course at Fort Benning, Ga., in April 2006.
He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, when he arrived at the 82nd Airborne in May 2006.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart.
Dembowski is survived by his parents, Robert Sr. and Frances Dembowski, and his sister, Janice Dembowski, all of Ivyland, Pa.
Army Pfc. Robert H. Dembowski was killed in action on 5/24/07.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Army Spc. Daniel P. Cagle
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Daniel P. Cagle, 22, of Carson, Calif.
Spc Cagle was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died May 23, 2007 in Balad, Iraq of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit in Ramadi. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Steve Butcher Jr.
Born on May 20, 1985 in Torrance, California, Daniel grew up in Del Aire, an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County near Hawthorne, California. He attended Juan De Anza Elementary and then Dana Middle School of the Wiseburn School District for K-8.
As a boy Daniel actively enjoyed school and sports – karate, roller hockey, skateboarding, and surfing.
Daniel loved to read and liked to watch the History and Discovery channels.
His favorite music included Sublime, Pennywise, Jonny Cash and anything with a good guitar lick.
Daniel loved his family and friends. Daniel lived and loved life.
Daniel enlisted in the US Army early November 2005 following a family tradition. He was assigned to A Company, 3-69 Armor Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia. He was deployed to the Al Anbar province in January 2007 where he took on the leadership responsibility of fire team lead in his squad. On May 23, 2007, Daniel was fatally wounded while conducting combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in Albu Obaid, Iraq.
SPC Daniel P. Cagle awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, and the Combat Infantry Badge.
http://www.danielcagle.com/index.html
Army Spc. Daniel P. Cagle was killed in action on 5/23/07.
Army Spc. Daniel P. Cagle, 22, of Carson, Calif.
Spc Cagle was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died May 23, 2007 in Balad, Iraq of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit in Ramadi. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Steve Butcher Jr.
Born on May 20, 1985 in Torrance, California, Daniel grew up in Del Aire, an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County near Hawthorne, California. He attended Juan De Anza Elementary and then Dana Middle School of the Wiseburn School District for K-8.
As a boy Daniel actively enjoyed school and sports – karate, roller hockey, skateboarding, and surfing.
Daniel loved to read and liked to watch the History and Discovery channels.
His favorite music included Sublime, Pennywise, Jonny Cash and anything with a good guitar lick.
Daniel loved his family and friends. Daniel lived and loved life.
Daniel enlisted in the US Army early November 2005 following a family tradition. He was assigned to A Company, 3-69 Armor Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia. He was deployed to the Al Anbar province in January 2007 where he took on the leadership responsibility of fire team lead in his squad. On May 23, 2007, Daniel was fatally wounded while conducting combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in Albu Obaid, Iraq.
SPC Daniel P. Cagle awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, and the Combat Infantry Badge.
http://www.danielcagle.com/index.html
Army Spc. Daniel P. Cagle was killed in action on 5/23/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Steve Butcher Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Steve Butcher Jr., 27, of Rochester, N.Y.
SSgt Butcher was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died May 23, 2007 of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit in Ramadi, Iraq. Also killed was Pfc. Daniel P. Cagle.
Rochester area soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A soldier from suburban Rochester was killed in Iraq after an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit, military officials said May 25.
Staff Sgt. Steve Butcher Jr., 27, of Penfield, N.Y. died May 23 in Ramadi.
He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
Butcher’s family and friends learned of his death May 23, according to Steve Butcher Sr.’s law firm. The soldier’s father declined to comment through his law firm.
Butcher was also survived by a six-year-old daughter.
He graduated from Penfield high school in 1997. He also attended Charles Finney School and McQuaid Jesuit High School.
Butcher’s sister, Angela told R-News that he prioritized his fellow soldiers.
“My brother wanted to do everything to ensure the safety of his men,” she said. “He felt personally responsible.”
Butcher last returned home for a visit in November, then returned for his third tour of duty in Iraq in January.
Army Staff Sgt. Steve Butcher Jr. was killed in action on 5/23/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Steve Butcher Jr., 27, of Rochester, N.Y.
SSgt Butcher was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died May 23, 2007 of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit in Ramadi, Iraq. Also killed was Pfc. Daniel P. Cagle.
Rochester area soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A soldier from suburban Rochester was killed in Iraq after an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit, military officials said May 25.
Staff Sgt. Steve Butcher Jr., 27, of Penfield, N.Y. died May 23 in Ramadi.
He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
Butcher’s family and friends learned of his death May 23, according to Steve Butcher Sr.’s law firm. The soldier’s father declined to comment through his law firm.
Butcher was also survived by a six-year-old daughter.
He graduated from Penfield high school in 1997. He also attended Charles Finney School and McQuaid Jesuit High School.
Butcher’s sister, Angela told R-News that he prioritized his fellow soldiers.
“My brother wanted to do everything to ensure the safety of his men,” she said. “He felt personally responsible.”
Butcher last returned home for a visit in November, then returned for his third tour of duty in Iraq in January.
Army Staff Sgt. Steve Butcher Jr. was killed in action on 5/23/07.
Army Cpl. Victor H. Toledo Pulido
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Victor H. Toledo Pulido, 22, of Hanford, Calif.
Cpl. Pulido was assigned to 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Benning, Ga.; died May 23 in al Nahrawan, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed was Cpl. Jonathan D. Winterbottom.
Army Cpl. Victor H. Toledo-Pulido, 22, Hanford; one of two soldiers killed in blast
By Matt Lait and Hector Becerra, Times Staff Writers
Though he wasn't a U.S. citizen, Army Cpl. Victor H. Toledo-Pulido's patriotism for his adopted country was undeniable, friends and family members said.
As a teenager, the Mexican immigrant befriended servicemen while working at a restaurant on a military base in Lemoore, south of Fresno. He joined the California Army National Guard and soon decided to pursue a career in the Army.
In March, the 22-year-old resident of Hanford, east of Lemoore, was deployed to Iraq.
On May 23, he was one of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Nahrawan, Iraq, southeast of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Ft. Benning, Ga.
Toledo-Pulido's mother, Maria Gaspar, said that she tried to dissuade her son from joining the Army but that he was determined to volunteer. "I told him I did not approve. We all told him," she said. "He was my youngest; he was my baby. And since he was born, I overprotected him. [But] he was grown up, and he wanted to mature and make his own decisions."
Growing up in the Central Valley, he was keenly aware that he was not an American citizen, but "he loved this country," his mother said. "He said, 'This is my country.' "
Toledo-Pulido was about 7 years old when a smuggler helped him and his older brother and mother cross over the mountains along the California border into the United States. He became a legal resident in 1999. Like many undocumented immigrants, he worked hard jobs at a young age. He toiled in the fields of the Central Valley with an uncle, picking grapes and other crops. Later, he took jobs as a restaurant cook.
Family members said they didn't know why, but Toledo-Pulido always showed an interest in joining the military.
Gaspar said she last saw her son in March as he and hundreds of soldiers left Ft. Benning for Iraq. He told her that no matter where he went, she would always be with him. He went over the good times and the bad times of their lives, as if paging through a family album.
"He talked like he knew something was going to happen," his mother said.
Toledo-Pulido, the father of a 1 1/2 -year-old boy, called home regularly from Iraq and spoke with his wife and other family members. "The last time we talked, we didn't say much, because we both just cried," his mother said. "He told me that he missed me and that he loved me a lot and that he was fine. I told him to take care of himself. I told him he was my baby and my little boy and that he would never stop being my baby. He said, 'Yes, Mom, I am your baby.' "
In the early morning hours of May 23, Toledo-Pulido and others in his platoon were awakened and given a mission to retrieve a military vehicle that had just been hit by an explosive. After concluding the mission, the team started driving back to their base. Minutes into the trip, their vehicle was hit by a tremendous explosion.
Army Capt. Troy Thomas, who was in the vehicle, was sent flying through the air. Miraculously, he was unscathed. But when he looked back to check on the others in the vehicle, he saw Toledo-Pulido's lifeless body slumped over the steering wheel. Another soldier was also mortally wounded in the blast.
"It is hard to explain the rush of emotion in a time like that," Thomas wrote in an e-mail to The Times. "People should not have to experience that feeling. It is because of brave human beings like Victor that war is only witnessed by a few so that the majority can live free and never experience what I felt that day."
Thomas said he would never forget him or the American values he stood for. He said Toledo-Pulido was a "Mexican citizen voluntarily serving in our armed forces at a time when you hear more about illegal immigration on TV than the war itself."
"What does it take to prove your worth as an American?" Thomas asked. "Well, if you ask me … Victor Toledo-Pulido showed his worth by serving his nation and his family."
Toledo-Pulido's brother Yosio Toledo, 29, said he gets angry when people portray immigrants as people who just take and give nothing back. He said his brother had friends who were also immigrants going through basic training and serving in Iraq. "They judge us and say we just come to take their jobs and positions, but we also make sacrifices," he said. "Victor worked since he was little, in the fields and in restaurants. He was a Mexican, but he thought like an American. And he gave his life for this country."
Gaspar said she is proud of her son, an "immigrant who gave his life for this country, and who did so with joy."
In addition to his mother and Yosio, he is survived by his wife, Christi; his son, Isak; his stepfather, Paz Gaspar Noriega; his brother Gaston Toledo-Pulido; and his sister, Maria McGee.
Army Cpl. Victor H. Toledo Pulido was killed in action on 5/23/07.
Army Cpl. Victor H. Toledo Pulido, 22, of Hanford, Calif.
Cpl. Pulido was assigned to 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Benning, Ga.; died May 23 in al Nahrawan, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed was Cpl. Jonathan D. Winterbottom.
Army Cpl. Victor H. Toledo-Pulido, 22, Hanford; one of two soldiers killed in blast
By Matt Lait and Hector Becerra, Times Staff Writers
Though he wasn't a U.S. citizen, Army Cpl. Victor H. Toledo-Pulido's patriotism for his adopted country was undeniable, friends and family members said.
As a teenager, the Mexican immigrant befriended servicemen while working at a restaurant on a military base in Lemoore, south of Fresno. He joined the California Army National Guard and soon decided to pursue a career in the Army.
In March, the 22-year-old resident of Hanford, east of Lemoore, was deployed to Iraq.
On May 23, he was one of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Nahrawan, Iraq, southeast of Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Ft. Benning, Ga.
Toledo-Pulido's mother, Maria Gaspar, said that she tried to dissuade her son from joining the Army but that he was determined to volunteer. "I told him I did not approve. We all told him," she said. "He was my youngest; he was my baby. And since he was born, I overprotected him. [But] he was grown up, and he wanted to mature and make his own decisions."
Growing up in the Central Valley, he was keenly aware that he was not an American citizen, but "he loved this country," his mother said. "He said, 'This is my country.' "
Toledo-Pulido was about 7 years old when a smuggler helped him and his older brother and mother cross over the mountains along the California border into the United States. He became a legal resident in 1999. Like many undocumented immigrants, he worked hard jobs at a young age. He toiled in the fields of the Central Valley with an uncle, picking grapes and other crops. Later, he took jobs as a restaurant cook.
Family members said they didn't know why, but Toledo-Pulido always showed an interest in joining the military.
Gaspar said she last saw her son in March as he and hundreds of soldiers left Ft. Benning for Iraq. He told her that no matter where he went, she would always be with him. He went over the good times and the bad times of their lives, as if paging through a family album.
"He talked like he knew something was going to happen," his mother said.
Toledo-Pulido, the father of a 1 1/2 -year-old boy, called home regularly from Iraq and spoke with his wife and other family members. "The last time we talked, we didn't say much, because we both just cried," his mother said. "He told me that he missed me and that he loved me a lot and that he was fine. I told him to take care of himself. I told him he was my baby and my little boy and that he would never stop being my baby. He said, 'Yes, Mom, I am your baby.' "
In the early morning hours of May 23, Toledo-Pulido and others in his platoon were awakened and given a mission to retrieve a military vehicle that had just been hit by an explosive. After concluding the mission, the team started driving back to their base. Minutes into the trip, their vehicle was hit by a tremendous explosion.
Army Capt. Troy Thomas, who was in the vehicle, was sent flying through the air. Miraculously, he was unscathed. But when he looked back to check on the others in the vehicle, he saw Toledo-Pulido's lifeless body slumped over the steering wheel. Another soldier was also mortally wounded in the blast.
"It is hard to explain the rush of emotion in a time like that," Thomas wrote in an e-mail to The Times. "People should not have to experience that feeling. It is because of brave human beings like Victor that war is only witnessed by a few so that the majority can live free and never experience what I felt that day."
Thomas said he would never forget him or the American values he stood for. He said Toledo-Pulido was a "Mexican citizen voluntarily serving in our armed forces at a time when you hear more about illegal immigration on TV than the war itself."
"What does it take to prove your worth as an American?" Thomas asked. "Well, if you ask me … Victor Toledo-Pulido showed his worth by serving his nation and his family."
Toledo-Pulido's brother Yosio Toledo, 29, said he gets angry when people portray immigrants as people who just take and give nothing back. He said his brother had friends who were also immigrants going through basic training and serving in Iraq. "They judge us and say we just come to take their jobs and positions, but we also make sacrifices," he said. "Victor worked since he was little, in the fields and in restaurants. He was a Mexican, but he thought like an American. And he gave his life for this country."
Gaspar said she is proud of her son, an "immigrant who gave his life for this country, and who did so with joy."
In addition to his mother and Yosio, he is survived by his wife, Christi; his son, Isak; his stepfather, Paz Gaspar Noriega; his brother Gaston Toledo-Pulido; and his sister, Maria McGee.
Army Cpl. Victor H. Toledo Pulido was killed in action on 5/23/07.
Army Cpl. Jonathan D. Winterbottom
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Jonathan D. Winterbottom, 21, of Falls Church, Va.
Cpl. Winterbottom was assigned to 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Benning, Ga.; died May 23, 2007 in al Nahrawan, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed was Cpl. Victor H. Toledo Pulido.
FCHS Class of ‘03’s Cpl. Jonathan Winterbottom, Medic, Killed in Iraq
By Jeff Dooley
Cpl. Jonathan Winterbottom, a Class of 2003 graduate of Falls Church High School, was killed in Iraq May 23 when a roadside bomb exploded near the vehicle in which he was riding. Winterbottom was 21 years old.
Winterbottom, who was known as Jon to his friends, enlisted in the Army after graduating high school. Friends say that he originally enlisted with the intention of becoming an Army ranger, but found his true calling as a medic, as he had always wanted to help people. Genevieve Makris, a fellow class of 2003 FCHS graduate who says she had known Winterbottom since the two of them “were in diapers,” said Winterbottom most enjoyed taking care of the Iraqi children. Winterbottom, who was stationed out of Fort Benning, Ga., was on his second tour of duty in Iraq when he was killed.
In high school, Winterbottom participated actively in sports, joining the wrestling, track, cross country, football and lacrosse teams. Friends say he was unsure of what he wanted to do with his life following graduation, which led him to enlist in the Army. While in high school, Winterbottom also had to endure to loss of his mother, Evelyn, who passed away from lung cancer.
Winterbottom’s friends remembered him for his friendship and personality.
“He was probably the most unique person I’ve ever met,” Danny Omana said. Omana was also a class of 2003 FCHS graduate and a member of the “Fab Four,” the name given to the close-knit quartet of Omana, Winterbottom, Tony Hayduk and Jeff Newell. Hayduk called Winterbottom an “amazing friend,” adding that he could “depend on him for pretty much anything.” Close friend Jana Kuwano described Winterbottom as being “very funny” and having “a good head on his shoulders.”
Robert Winterbottom, Jon’s father, who described his son as a “wonderful, loving, energetic guy,” says that Jon would not want his loved ones to be sad for too long.
“If he were here to speak for himself, I’m sure he’d say ‘Don’t spend a lot of time grieving. Get on with your life. I always enjoyed life, and you should too.’”
Winterbottom leaves behind a younger sister, Sarah, 19, and a younger brother, J.J., 17.
On Friday, May 25, the day that Jonathan Winterbottom would have turned 22 years old, his friends assembled at the Winterbottom home to pay tribute to and celebrate the life of the friend and family member that they all loved. They brought cards, lit candles, exchanged stories of their favorite moments with Jon, sang “Amazing Grace” and “Happy Birthday.” Winterbottom’s father said it was “very moving” to see his son’s friends come out and show their love and support.
While his friends said that the vigil was obviously a very sad occasion, Kuwano said that there were happy times as well.
“It wasn’t just sad because we all talked about why we were there,” Kuwano said. “And why we loved him so much.”
Hayduk saw it as an opportunity to repay his loyal friend. When Hayduk turned 21, Winterbottom, who was in Iraq at the time, still managed to call and wish his buddy a happy birthday. Hayduk said that this is a prime example of the type of friend Winterbottom was.
“We all owed him something,” Hayduk said.
Winterbottom’s funeral Mass will be held at the Word of Life Assembly of God Church (5225 Backlick Rd., Springfield, Va.) on Saturday, June 2. He will be buried with his mother at the Oakwood Cemetery in Falls Church. There will also be a viewing Friday, June 1 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the National Funeral Home (7482 Lee Highway, Falls Church).
As sad as his friends are at the loss of their loyal and good friend, Winterbottom’s memory still brings joy to their lives.
“Even now, you can’t help but smile when you think about him,” said Kuwano. “Because that’s what he was always doing.”
Army Cpl. Jonathan D. Winterbottom was killed in action on 5/23/07.
Army Cpl. Jonathan D. Winterbottom, 21, of Falls Church, Va.
Cpl. Winterbottom was assigned to 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Benning, Ga.; died May 23, 2007 in al Nahrawan, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed was Cpl. Victor H. Toledo Pulido.
FCHS Class of ‘03’s Cpl. Jonathan Winterbottom, Medic, Killed in Iraq
By Jeff Dooley
Cpl. Jonathan Winterbottom, a Class of 2003 graduate of Falls Church High School, was killed in Iraq May 23 when a roadside bomb exploded near the vehicle in which he was riding. Winterbottom was 21 years old.
Winterbottom, who was known as Jon to his friends, enlisted in the Army after graduating high school. Friends say that he originally enlisted with the intention of becoming an Army ranger, but found his true calling as a medic, as he had always wanted to help people. Genevieve Makris, a fellow class of 2003 FCHS graduate who says she had known Winterbottom since the two of them “were in diapers,” said Winterbottom most enjoyed taking care of the Iraqi children. Winterbottom, who was stationed out of Fort Benning, Ga., was on his second tour of duty in Iraq when he was killed.
In high school, Winterbottom participated actively in sports, joining the wrestling, track, cross country, football and lacrosse teams. Friends say he was unsure of what he wanted to do with his life following graduation, which led him to enlist in the Army. While in high school, Winterbottom also had to endure to loss of his mother, Evelyn, who passed away from lung cancer.
Winterbottom’s friends remembered him for his friendship and personality.
“He was probably the most unique person I’ve ever met,” Danny Omana said. Omana was also a class of 2003 FCHS graduate and a member of the “Fab Four,” the name given to the close-knit quartet of Omana, Winterbottom, Tony Hayduk and Jeff Newell. Hayduk called Winterbottom an “amazing friend,” adding that he could “depend on him for pretty much anything.” Close friend Jana Kuwano described Winterbottom as being “very funny” and having “a good head on his shoulders.”
Robert Winterbottom, Jon’s father, who described his son as a “wonderful, loving, energetic guy,” says that Jon would not want his loved ones to be sad for too long.
“If he were here to speak for himself, I’m sure he’d say ‘Don’t spend a lot of time grieving. Get on with your life. I always enjoyed life, and you should too.’”
Winterbottom leaves behind a younger sister, Sarah, 19, and a younger brother, J.J., 17.
On Friday, May 25, the day that Jonathan Winterbottom would have turned 22 years old, his friends assembled at the Winterbottom home to pay tribute to and celebrate the life of the friend and family member that they all loved. They brought cards, lit candles, exchanged stories of their favorite moments with Jon, sang “Amazing Grace” and “Happy Birthday.” Winterbottom’s father said it was “very moving” to see his son’s friends come out and show their love and support.
While his friends said that the vigil was obviously a very sad occasion, Kuwano said that there were happy times as well.
“It wasn’t just sad because we all talked about why we were there,” Kuwano said. “And why we loved him so much.”
Hayduk saw it as an opportunity to repay his loyal friend. When Hayduk turned 21, Winterbottom, who was in Iraq at the time, still managed to call and wish his buddy a happy birthday. Hayduk said that this is a prime example of the type of friend Winterbottom was.
“We all owed him something,” Hayduk said.
Winterbottom’s funeral Mass will be held at the Word of Life Assembly of God Church (5225 Backlick Rd., Springfield, Va.) on Saturday, June 2. He will be buried with his mother at the Oakwood Cemetery in Falls Church. There will also be a viewing Friday, June 1 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the National Funeral Home (7482 Lee Highway, Falls Church).
As sad as his friends are at the loss of their loyal and good friend, Winterbottom’s memory still brings joy to their lives.
“Even now, you can’t help but smile when you think about him,” said Kuwano. “Because that’s what he was always doing.”
Army Cpl. Jonathan D. Winterbottom was killed in action on 5/23/07.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Army Staff Sgt. Shannon V. Weaver
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Shannon V. Weaver, 28, Urich, Mo.
SSgt. Weaver was assigned to the 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska; died May 21, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when multiple improvised explosive devices detonated near their vehicle. Also killed were Sgt. Brian D. Ardron and Spc. Michael W. Davis.
Soldier’s widow said he was uneasy about tour in Iraq
By Robin Hice, Rome News Tribune Staff Writer
Desiree Weaver was making her way back to Fort Richardson, Alaska, earlier this week to begin preparations for her husband’s return from Iraq this July. She was in transit from her mother’s home in Missouri and had stopped in South Dakota.
Oddly, her mother called and wanted to meet her there to finish the trip with her. She agreed.
When they met at the airport, Weaver was not just greeted with a traveling companion but with the crushing news that her husband was dead.
Staff Sgt. Shannon Weaver, a Polk County native, was killed Monday by a roadside bomb in southern Baghdad.
The last message Desiree Weaver received from her husband was just before he left on the mission that took his life.
“I’m going on mission. Stay safe. I love you.”
Weaver, a 28-year-old soldier on his second tour in Iraq, was on a mission to disarm explosive devices like the one that killed him, according to his wife.
He was a combat engineer who joined the ArmyStaff Sgt. Shannon Weaver’s last message to his wife ended with “I love you.”
in 1997 and was based at Fort Richardson, Alaska, in January 2005.
“He usually did things like the demolition of bridges,” Desiree Weaver said. But this time he was to search for and disarm roadside bombs to make sure other convoys coming through the area didn’t get hit, she explained.
Weaver, who was also a squad leader, had told his wife of five years to not make a lot of plans for them when he returned because he was afraid that something might happen to him before his July break.
“He didn’t have a good feeling about this tour,” Desiree Weaver said as she thought back to his departure for this tour. His job was particularly dangerous. Volatile conditions continued to increase in the area he was working, she explained.
Weaver was an experienced soldier having served in three other tours of duty, one in the Dominican Republic, one in Kosovo in 2002 and a previous tour in Iraq.
Weaver was part of the initial push when the war started, his wife explained. “He was one of the first soldiers to cross the lines.”
The Weavers had plans to move back close to Cedartown to be near his grandparents who live in Borden Springs, Ala.
“We had bought some land in Gadsden and planned to build a house and start a family there.”
The Piedmont, Ala., High School graduate will be buried at Shiloh Baptist Church in Esom Hill, which he attended while living with his grandparents for several years.
Gammage Funeral Home has charge of the arrangements. It could take weeks before his body is returned to the states, his wife said.
Army Staff Sgt. Shannon V. Weaver was killed in action on 5/21/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Shannon V. Weaver, 28, Urich, Mo.
SSgt. Weaver was assigned to the 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska; died May 21, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when multiple improvised explosive devices detonated near their vehicle. Also killed were Sgt. Brian D. Ardron and Spc. Michael W. Davis.
Soldier’s widow said he was uneasy about tour in Iraq
By Robin Hice, Rome News Tribune Staff Writer
Desiree Weaver was making her way back to Fort Richardson, Alaska, earlier this week to begin preparations for her husband’s return from Iraq this July. She was in transit from her mother’s home in Missouri and had stopped in South Dakota.
Oddly, her mother called and wanted to meet her there to finish the trip with her. She agreed.
When they met at the airport, Weaver was not just greeted with a traveling companion but with the crushing news that her husband was dead.
Staff Sgt. Shannon Weaver, a Polk County native, was killed Monday by a roadside bomb in southern Baghdad.
The last message Desiree Weaver received from her husband was just before he left on the mission that took his life.
“I’m going on mission. Stay safe. I love you.”
Weaver, a 28-year-old soldier on his second tour in Iraq, was on a mission to disarm explosive devices like the one that killed him, according to his wife.
He was a combat engineer who joined the ArmyStaff Sgt. Shannon Weaver’s last message to his wife ended with “I love you.”
in 1997 and was based at Fort Richardson, Alaska, in January 2005.
“He usually did things like the demolition of bridges,” Desiree Weaver said. But this time he was to search for and disarm roadside bombs to make sure other convoys coming through the area didn’t get hit, she explained.
Weaver, who was also a squad leader, had told his wife of five years to not make a lot of plans for them when he returned because he was afraid that something might happen to him before his July break.
“He didn’t have a good feeling about this tour,” Desiree Weaver said as she thought back to his departure for this tour. His job was particularly dangerous. Volatile conditions continued to increase in the area he was working, she explained.
Weaver was an experienced soldier having served in three other tours of duty, one in the Dominican Republic, one in Kosovo in 2002 and a previous tour in Iraq.
Weaver was part of the initial push when the war started, his wife explained. “He was one of the first soldiers to cross the lines.”
The Weavers had plans to move back close to Cedartown to be near his grandparents who live in Borden Springs, Ala.
“We had bought some land in Gadsden and planned to build a house and start a family there.”
The Piedmont, Ala., High School graduate will be buried at Shiloh Baptist Church in Esom Hill, which he attended while living with his grandparents for several years.
Gammage Funeral Home has charge of the arrangements. It could take weeks before his body is returned to the states, his wife said.
Army Staff Sgt. Shannon V. Weaver was killed in action on 5/21/07.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Army Pfc. Alexander R. Varela
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Alexander R. Varela, 19, of Fernley, Nev.
Pfc. Varela was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 19 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Christopher Moore, Sgt. Jean P. Medlin, Spc. David W. Behrle, Spc. Joseph A. Gilmore and Pfc. Travis F. Haslip.
Family mourns death of Fernley soldier
The Associated Press
FERNLEY, Nev. — The father of a Fernley soldier killed in Iraq said his son was eager to come home.
An emotional Roger Varela said he last spoke with his son, Army Pfc. Alejandro Varela, on Thursday. Two days later, 19-year-old and five others from his unit were killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near their vehicle south of Baghdad.
“I’m not ready for this. I thought I was, but I’m not,” a tearful Roger Varela said while talking with reporters Monday at Fernley City Hall.
“It’s hard to lose a son. He was my baby.”
The Pentagon on Tuesday confirmed Varela was killed on May 19. He and five others killed in the explosion were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, based at Ford Hood, Texas.
Known to his friends as Alex, Varela went to basic training last May as part of a three-year enlistment.
His girlfriend, Alexandria Avant, a private in the Nevada Army National Guard, said Varela wanted to serve three years and then leave the military, but he had no regrets about enlisting.
“He wanted to come home,” Avant said.
Varela lived in Fernley the past seven years. His mother and other family members live in the Sacramento, Calif., area.
Before joining the Army, Alejandro Varela helped his father out in construction work in the Fernley area.
“He wanted to come back home and go back to work for me,” Roger Varela said.
“I’m not going to get any calls from him. I’m not going to be able to touch him anymore.”
Friends say he loved exploring the Nevada desert on all-terrain vehicles, and shooting trap and skeet.
“He always liked those rides to Winnemucca Lake,” about halfway between Fernley and Gerlach, said his buddy, James Palmer said.
Palmer said riding quads will be the best way to remember Varela.
“We’ll get all of his friends together,” Palmer said. “We’ll gas up the quads, and we’ll head out into the desert. That’s what he’d want us to do.”
Fernley Mayor Todd Cutler asked that flags in Fernley fly at half staff Tuesday in honor of the young soldier.
Gov. Jim Gibbons also ordered flags be flown at half-staff for the day at the Nevada State Capitol.
150 attend memorial service for Fernley soldier
The Associated Press
FERNLEY, Nev. — Another northern Nevadan has been remembered at a memorial service resulting from the war in Iraq.
Army Pfc. Alexander Varela of Fernley was memorialized on May 31 at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Ceremony.
On May 30, it was Army Sgt. Anthony Schober who was remembered in Carson City.
When Varela died May 18, he was part of a unit looking for soldiers who might have escaped the May 12 ambush in which Schober was killed.
Varela was buried May 30 in Fair Oaks, Calif., where his mother and much of his family lives. Schober was buried May 24 in Santa Rosa, Calif., where he grew up, although he attended high school in Minden.
About 150 people attended Thursday’s service in Fernley.
Empty riding boots sat atop Varela’s four-wheeler, a reminder of the passion the 19-year-old enjoyed before his life was cut short in war.
“We have proof he loved us,” Chaplain Bill Rohrer said. “The highest and greatest example of selflessness is the American soldier.
“He was not lost to terrorism. His young life was given to a friend,” Rohrer said. “Alex did not lose his life, he gave his life.”
Rohrer introduced Varela’s girlfriend, Pfc. Alexandria Avant, 19, who is enlisted in the Nevada Army National Guard. She escorted Varela’s father, Roger, into the ceremony.
Avant read a poem titled, “My Military Soldier” which detailed the sacrifices many American soldiers make for their country. She lifted her tear-filled eyes to the crowd several times while reading the poem but was able to finish.
Varela will not be interred at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery, but a bench in his honor will be placed on the grounds.
Army Pfc. Alexander R. Varela was killed in action on 5/19/07.
Army Pfc. Alexander R. Varela, 19, of Fernley, Nev.
Pfc. Varela was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 19 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Christopher Moore, Sgt. Jean P. Medlin, Spc. David W. Behrle, Spc. Joseph A. Gilmore and Pfc. Travis F. Haslip.
Family mourns death of Fernley soldier
The Associated Press
FERNLEY, Nev. — The father of a Fernley soldier killed in Iraq said his son was eager to come home.
An emotional Roger Varela said he last spoke with his son, Army Pfc. Alejandro Varela, on Thursday. Two days later, 19-year-old and five others from his unit were killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near their vehicle south of Baghdad.
“I’m not ready for this. I thought I was, but I’m not,” a tearful Roger Varela said while talking with reporters Monday at Fernley City Hall.
“It’s hard to lose a son. He was my baby.”
The Pentagon on Tuesday confirmed Varela was killed on May 19. He and five others killed in the explosion were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, based at Ford Hood, Texas.
Known to his friends as Alex, Varela went to basic training last May as part of a three-year enlistment.
His girlfriend, Alexandria Avant, a private in the Nevada Army National Guard, said Varela wanted to serve three years and then leave the military, but he had no regrets about enlisting.
“He wanted to come home,” Avant said.
Varela lived in Fernley the past seven years. His mother and other family members live in the Sacramento, Calif., area.
Before joining the Army, Alejandro Varela helped his father out in construction work in the Fernley area.
“He wanted to come back home and go back to work for me,” Roger Varela said.
“I’m not going to get any calls from him. I’m not going to be able to touch him anymore.”
Friends say he loved exploring the Nevada desert on all-terrain vehicles, and shooting trap and skeet.
“He always liked those rides to Winnemucca Lake,” about halfway between Fernley and Gerlach, said his buddy, James Palmer said.
Palmer said riding quads will be the best way to remember Varela.
“We’ll get all of his friends together,” Palmer said. “We’ll gas up the quads, and we’ll head out into the desert. That’s what he’d want us to do.”
Fernley Mayor Todd Cutler asked that flags in Fernley fly at half staff Tuesday in honor of the young soldier.
Gov. Jim Gibbons also ordered flags be flown at half-staff for the day at the Nevada State Capitol.
150 attend memorial service for Fernley soldier
The Associated Press
FERNLEY, Nev. — Another northern Nevadan has been remembered at a memorial service resulting from the war in Iraq.
Army Pfc. Alexander Varela of Fernley was memorialized on May 31 at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Ceremony.
On May 30, it was Army Sgt. Anthony Schober who was remembered in Carson City.
When Varela died May 18, he was part of a unit looking for soldiers who might have escaped the May 12 ambush in which Schober was killed.
Varela was buried May 30 in Fair Oaks, Calif., where his mother and much of his family lives. Schober was buried May 24 in Santa Rosa, Calif., where he grew up, although he attended high school in Minden.
About 150 people attended Thursday’s service in Fernley.
Empty riding boots sat atop Varela’s four-wheeler, a reminder of the passion the 19-year-old enjoyed before his life was cut short in war.
“We have proof he loved us,” Chaplain Bill Rohrer said. “The highest and greatest example of selflessness is the American soldier.
“He was not lost to terrorism. His young life was given to a friend,” Rohrer said. “Alex did not lose his life, he gave his life.”
Rohrer introduced Varela’s girlfriend, Pfc. Alexandria Avant, 19, who is enlisted in the Nevada Army National Guard. She escorted Varela’s father, Roger, into the ceremony.
Avant read a poem titled, “My Military Soldier” which detailed the sacrifices many American soldiers make for their country. She lifted her tear-filled eyes to the crowd several times while reading the poem but was able to finish.
Varela will not be interred at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery, but a bench in his honor will be placed on the grounds.
Army Pfc. Alexander R. Varela was killed in action on 5/19/07.
Army Pfc. Travis F. Haslip
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Travis F. Haslip, 20, of Ooltewah, Tenn.
Pfc. Haslip was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 19 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Christopher Moore, Sgt. Jean P. Medlin, Spc. David W. Behrle, Spc. Joseph A. Gilmore and Pfc. Alexander R. Varela.
Soldier from Hamilton County killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — An Army private identified as being from Hamilton County was among six soldiers killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle in Iraq, the Department of Defense said May 22.
Pfc. Travis F. Haslip, 20, of Ooltewah was killed May 19 with five other members of the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Calvary Division, from Fort Hood, Texas, a department statement said.
Nancy Bourget, a spokeswoman at Fort Hood, said Haslip was deployed to Iraq in October after joining the military in December 2006 as an infantryman.
WDEF-TV in Chattanooga reported that Haslip only attended high school in Ooltewah for his freshman year, but he was remembered by some teachers there.
“If I could sum it up in one word he was a sweet kid, you know, he was, never caused any problem. He was quiet but he was always attentive,” biology teacher Marty Miller said.
Hundreds, including strangers, pay tribute to fallen soldier
The Associated Press
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A fallen soldier’s funeral procession and Memorial Day burial at Chattanooga National Cemetery turned into a community tribute.
Hundreds of people, many who didn’t know Army Pfc. Travis Haslip stood along the procession route Monday.
Haslip, 20, was a laid-back person who liked to keep a low profile and would have been surprised by the outpouring of support, said Derek Blevins, a longtime friend of Haslip’s.
Sgt. 1st Class Kendra Biggs, who served in Iraq with the Army Reserve in 2004 and 2005, was on her way to do some shopping when she saw people lining up with flags outside a funeral home. She called her husband, Brack Biggs, to join her for the procession with the couple’s 10-month-old baby.
“We just wanted to let the family know that they are supported,” Kendra Biggs said.
Joey Hughes showed up wearing a Marine Corps T-shirt. Hughes was recently recalled by the Marine Corps after serving from 2002 to 2006 and has orders to report in October for deployment to Iraq.
He held a flag Monday in honor of a soldier he never met, he said, because “I think this young man deserves his proper due.”
Haslip and five other soldiers were killed May 19 in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle. After joining the Army in December 2005, Haslip was assigned in June 2006 to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, at Fort Hood, Texas. Four months later, he left for Iraq.
Haslip’s friends and family remembered him as a warm person who always had a hug for his mother and a smile for his friends.
Eddie Ivester, a Vietnam veteran whose parents are buried at the cemetery, also attended the service without knowing Haslip.
“I just wanted to say thank you, ” he said.
Army Pfc. Travis F. Haslip was killed in action on 5/19/07.
Army Pfc. Travis F. Haslip, 20, of Ooltewah, Tenn.
Pfc. Haslip was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 19 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Christopher Moore, Sgt. Jean P. Medlin, Spc. David W. Behrle, Spc. Joseph A. Gilmore and Pfc. Alexander R. Varela.
Soldier from Hamilton County killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — An Army private identified as being from Hamilton County was among six soldiers killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle in Iraq, the Department of Defense said May 22.
Pfc. Travis F. Haslip, 20, of Ooltewah was killed May 19 with five other members of the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Calvary Division, from Fort Hood, Texas, a department statement said.
Nancy Bourget, a spokeswoman at Fort Hood, said Haslip was deployed to Iraq in October after joining the military in December 2006 as an infantryman.
WDEF-TV in Chattanooga reported that Haslip only attended high school in Ooltewah for his freshman year, but he was remembered by some teachers there.
“If I could sum it up in one word he was a sweet kid, you know, he was, never caused any problem. He was quiet but he was always attentive,” biology teacher Marty Miller said.
Hundreds, including strangers, pay tribute to fallen soldier
The Associated Press
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A fallen soldier’s funeral procession and Memorial Day burial at Chattanooga National Cemetery turned into a community tribute.
Hundreds of people, many who didn’t know Army Pfc. Travis Haslip stood along the procession route Monday.
Haslip, 20, was a laid-back person who liked to keep a low profile and would have been surprised by the outpouring of support, said Derek Blevins, a longtime friend of Haslip’s.
Sgt. 1st Class Kendra Biggs, who served in Iraq with the Army Reserve in 2004 and 2005, was on her way to do some shopping when she saw people lining up with flags outside a funeral home. She called her husband, Brack Biggs, to join her for the procession with the couple’s 10-month-old baby.
“We just wanted to let the family know that they are supported,” Kendra Biggs said.
Joey Hughes showed up wearing a Marine Corps T-shirt. Hughes was recently recalled by the Marine Corps after serving from 2002 to 2006 and has orders to report in October for deployment to Iraq.
He held a flag Monday in honor of a soldier he never met, he said, because “I think this young man deserves his proper due.”
Haslip and five other soldiers were killed May 19 in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle. After joining the Army in December 2005, Haslip was assigned in June 2006 to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, at Fort Hood, Texas. Four months later, he left for Iraq.
Haslip’s friends and family remembered him as a warm person who always had a hug for his mother and a smile for his friends.
Eddie Ivester, a Vietnam veteran whose parents are buried at the cemetery, also attended the service without knowing Haslip.
“I just wanted to say thank you, ” he said.
Army Pfc. Travis F. Haslip was killed in action on 5/19/07.
Army Specialist Joseph A. Gilmore
Remember Our Heroes
Army Specialist Joseph A. Gilmore, 26, of Webster, Fla.
Spc. Gilmore was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 19, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Christopher Moore, Sgt. Jean P. Medlin, Spc. David W. Behrle, Pfc. Travis F. Haslip and Pfc. Alexander R. Varela.
Orlando Sentinel -- Though their military schedules and assignments conflicted, brothers Sean and Joseph Gilmore tried to talk once a month.
"He was ready to come home and see his family. It was rough out there," said Sean Gilmore, an Alabama National Guard member, recalling the last chat with his brother, formerly of the small Sumter County community of Webster, about 60 miles west of Orlando.
A combat medic who met and married his wife in Sumter, Spc. Joseph Gilmore was among six soldiers killed Saturday in Iraq when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle, the Department of Defense said Tuesday.
Gilmore, 26, was the father of two children, ages 5 and 3.
"He's a hero, and I hope to someday be the man he was," his younger brother said in a phone interview from Alabama. "Everything he did was for somebody else."
One of seven boys, Joseph Gilmore was born and reared in Hartford, Ala., but relocated after high school to Bushnell, where he lived with his grandmother, Bonnie Clinton. She died in 2001.
Gilmore and five other soldiers from Fort Hood outside Killeen, Texas, died in the blast Saturday during combat operations in Baghdad.
He joined the military in August 2005, earning a marksmanship badge and other honors.
Sean Gilmore, 24, an Alabama Guard member who was furloughed from duty in Kuwait for his brother's funeral service, said his brother enlisted to make a better life for his family.
"That was his No. 1 concern," he said. "He loved his kids."
His widow, Eve Gilmore, 32, would not comment.
A MySpace page belonging to Eve Gilmore in Fort Hood, where the family resides, showed a picture of a soldier Tuesday with the caption: "R.I.P. Joseph Gilmore. Gone But Never Forgotten."
The soldiers' parents, Frank and Betty Gilmore, also could not be reached for comment.
A soldier's family needs sympathy and compassion not just now but later, too, when their friends return to their own lives, said Debbie Busch, executive director of the Gold Star Family Support Center at Fort Hood.
The center, funded by donations, provides a weekly support group, counseling and compassion for spouses, children and other family members.
Busch said the center reaches out to more than 400 families, often calling survivors as difficult dates approach -- birthdays, anniversaries and holidays.
"We try to bridge the gap and reach out to them," she said. "Believe me, often it's exactly what grieving families need."
The organization's Web site is goldstarfamilysupport.org.
Army Specialist Joseph A. Gilmore was killed in action on 5/19/07.
Army Specialist Joseph A. Gilmore, 26, of Webster, Fla.
Spc. Gilmore was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 19, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Christopher Moore, Sgt. Jean P. Medlin, Spc. David W. Behrle, Pfc. Travis F. Haslip and Pfc. Alexander R. Varela.
Orlando Sentinel -- Though their military schedules and assignments conflicted, brothers Sean and Joseph Gilmore tried to talk once a month.
"He was ready to come home and see his family. It was rough out there," said Sean Gilmore, an Alabama National Guard member, recalling the last chat with his brother, formerly of the small Sumter County community of Webster, about 60 miles west of Orlando.
A combat medic who met and married his wife in Sumter, Spc. Joseph Gilmore was among six soldiers killed Saturday in Iraq when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle, the Department of Defense said Tuesday.
Gilmore, 26, was the father of two children, ages 5 and 3.
"He's a hero, and I hope to someday be the man he was," his younger brother said in a phone interview from Alabama. "Everything he did was for somebody else."
One of seven boys, Joseph Gilmore was born and reared in Hartford, Ala., but relocated after high school to Bushnell, where he lived with his grandmother, Bonnie Clinton. She died in 2001.
Gilmore and five other soldiers from Fort Hood outside Killeen, Texas, died in the blast Saturday during combat operations in Baghdad.
He joined the military in August 2005, earning a marksmanship badge and other honors.
Sean Gilmore, 24, an Alabama Guard member who was furloughed from duty in Kuwait for his brother's funeral service, said his brother enlisted to make a better life for his family.
"That was his No. 1 concern," he said. "He loved his kids."
His widow, Eve Gilmore, 32, would not comment.
A MySpace page belonging to Eve Gilmore in Fort Hood, where the family resides, showed a picture of a soldier Tuesday with the caption: "R.I.P. Joseph Gilmore. Gone But Never Forgotten."
The soldiers' parents, Frank and Betty Gilmore, also could not be reached for comment.
A soldier's family needs sympathy and compassion not just now but later, too, when their friends return to their own lives, said Debbie Busch, executive director of the Gold Star Family Support Center at Fort Hood.
The center, funded by donations, provides a weekly support group, counseling and compassion for spouses, children and other family members.
Busch said the center reaches out to more than 400 families, often calling survivors as difficult dates approach -- birthdays, anniversaries and holidays.
"We try to bridge the gap and reach out to them," she said. "Believe me, often it's exactly what grieving families need."
The organization's Web site is goldstarfamilysupport.org.
Army Specialist Joseph A. Gilmore was killed in action on 5/19/07.
Army Specialist David W. Behrle
Remember Our Heroes
Army Specialist David W. Behrle, 20, of Tipton, Iowa
Spc. Behrle was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 19, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Christopher Moore, Sgt. Jean P. Medlin, Spc. Joseph A. Gilmore, Pfc. Travis F. Haslip and Pfc. Alexander R. Varela.
Tipton loses second soldier to war in Iraq
The Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa — An Army soldier from Iowa was among six soldiers killed May 19 when a bomb exploded near their vehicle in Baghdad, the military said May 22.
The Department of Defense confirmed that Spc. David W. Behrle, 20, of Tipton, died of wounds suffered in the blast.
All six soldiers killed in the explosion were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas.
Behrle is Tipton’s second Iraq casualty. Iowa Army National Guard Sgt. Aaron Siskel, 22, died Nov. 29, 2003, when his convoy was ambushed in Iraq.
Behrle, who graduated in 2005 from Tipton High School, was senior class president.
“He was definitely set on being in the Army,” said a friend, Scott Woode, 20, of Tipton. “He said it felt right. That it was something he needed to do.”
Behrle was the son of Dixie Pelzer, of Tipton, and John Behrle, who lives in Nebraska.
“This is very sad. David was such a good kid, as Aaron was. We are just kind of like, ‘Why Tipton?’ ” said Richard Grimoskas, superintendent of the Tipton Community School District.
Mark Weaver, a Vietnam veteran who is commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2537 in Tipton, said people in town were stunned to learn of the young soldier’s death. Behrle’s grandfather, Kenny Jedlicka, is active in the local American Legion post.
“It’s a great loss to the community. It’s a big shock for a town as small as this one to have lost our second soldier,” Weaver said.
Behrle participated in football, golf and wrestling for the Tipton High School Tigers. He had just visited the school a month or two ago while he was home on leave and had chatted with some former teachers, school officials said.
“David was a great kid, an absolutely wonderful kid. Your typical Iowa kid — very involved and everybody liked him,” Grimoskas said.
Mourners honor sacrifice of Tipton soldier
The Associated Press
TIPTON, Iowa — Funeral services were held May 29 for Army Spc. David Behrle, the second soldier from this eastern Iowa town to die in Iraq.
Hundreds of mourners packed into the Tipton Middle School gymnasium to honor the 20-year-old, who was described as a likable person who was active in school activities.
Behrle, who was Tipton High School’s senior class president and commencement speaker two years ago, was among six soldiers killed May 19 in a roadside explosion near Baghdad. All were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas.
Behrle, who enlisted in the Army in June 2005 and went to Iraq in October, was buried in the Woodbridge Cemetery in Buchanan, about six miles west of Tipton.
Behrle received posthumous awards of the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, and Combat Infantryman’s Badge. His school also retired his high school football jersey, which carried the number 65.
His former coaches and teachers described Behrle as a soft-spoken teenager who came prepared, asked questions and worked hard in sports and school.
“Dave was positive, kind, generous and a lot of fun,” said Dick Grimoskas, Tipton’s school superintendent.
The service ended with a montage of photos of Behrle growing up and in the military.
“The war may have taken your body from us but not your heart and soul,” the soldier’s family said in a statement that was read at the funeral.
Tipton, a town of about 3,155 people 30 miles northeast of Iowa City, saw its first hometown soldier die in Iraq on Nov. 29, 2003, when Spc. Aaron J. Sissel, 22, was shot in Hadithah by enemy fire.
Army Specialist David W. Behrle was killed in action on 5/19/07.
Army Specialist David W. Behrle, 20, of Tipton, Iowa
Spc. Behrle was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 19, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Christopher Moore, Sgt. Jean P. Medlin, Spc. Joseph A. Gilmore, Pfc. Travis F. Haslip and Pfc. Alexander R. Varela.
Tipton loses second soldier to war in Iraq
The Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa — An Army soldier from Iowa was among six soldiers killed May 19 when a bomb exploded near their vehicle in Baghdad, the military said May 22.
The Department of Defense confirmed that Spc. David W. Behrle, 20, of Tipton, died of wounds suffered in the blast.
All six soldiers killed in the explosion were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas.
Behrle is Tipton’s second Iraq casualty. Iowa Army National Guard Sgt. Aaron Siskel, 22, died Nov. 29, 2003, when his convoy was ambushed in Iraq.
Behrle, who graduated in 2005 from Tipton High School, was senior class president.
“He was definitely set on being in the Army,” said a friend, Scott Woode, 20, of Tipton. “He said it felt right. That it was something he needed to do.”
Behrle was the son of Dixie Pelzer, of Tipton, and John Behrle, who lives in Nebraska.
“This is very sad. David was such a good kid, as Aaron was. We are just kind of like, ‘Why Tipton?’ ” said Richard Grimoskas, superintendent of the Tipton Community School District.
Mark Weaver, a Vietnam veteran who is commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2537 in Tipton, said people in town were stunned to learn of the young soldier’s death. Behrle’s grandfather, Kenny Jedlicka, is active in the local American Legion post.
“It’s a great loss to the community. It’s a big shock for a town as small as this one to have lost our second soldier,” Weaver said.
Behrle participated in football, golf and wrestling for the Tipton High School Tigers. He had just visited the school a month or two ago while he was home on leave and had chatted with some former teachers, school officials said.
“David was a great kid, an absolutely wonderful kid. Your typical Iowa kid — very involved and everybody liked him,” Grimoskas said.
Mourners honor sacrifice of Tipton soldier
The Associated Press
TIPTON, Iowa — Funeral services were held May 29 for Army Spc. David Behrle, the second soldier from this eastern Iowa town to die in Iraq.
Hundreds of mourners packed into the Tipton Middle School gymnasium to honor the 20-year-old, who was described as a likable person who was active in school activities.
Behrle, who was Tipton High School’s senior class president and commencement speaker two years ago, was among six soldiers killed May 19 in a roadside explosion near Baghdad. All were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas.
Behrle, who enlisted in the Army in June 2005 and went to Iraq in October, was buried in the Woodbridge Cemetery in Buchanan, about six miles west of Tipton.
Behrle received posthumous awards of the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, and Combat Infantryman’s Badge. His school also retired his high school football jersey, which carried the number 65.
His former coaches and teachers described Behrle as a soft-spoken teenager who came prepared, asked questions and worked hard in sports and school.
“Dave was positive, kind, generous and a lot of fun,” said Dick Grimoskas, Tipton’s school superintendent.
The service ended with a montage of photos of Behrle growing up and in the military.
“The war may have taken your body from us but not your heart and soul,” the soldier’s family said in a statement that was read at the funeral.
Tipton, a town of about 3,155 people 30 miles northeast of Iowa City, saw its first hometown soldier die in Iraq on Nov. 29, 2003, when Spc. Aaron J. Sissel, 22, was shot in Hadithah by enemy fire.
Army Specialist David W. Behrle was killed in action on 5/19/07.
Army Sgt. Jean P. Medlin
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Jean P. Medlin, 27, of Pelham, Ala.
Sgt. Medlin was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 19, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Christopher Moore, Spc. David W. Behrle, Spc. Joseph A. Gilmore, Pfc. Travis F. Haslip and Pfc. Alexander R. Varela.
Ala. soldier among 6 killed in roadside bombing in Iraq
The Associated Press
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Sgt. Jean Paul Medlin finished a stint in the Marines and then felt compelled to join the military again after the U.S. invaded Iraq, opting for the Army this time.
On May 19, the 27-year-old soldier from Trussville was among six U.S. troops killed in a roadside bombing in Baghdad.
Medlin, who had been a Marine sniper, was a skilled soldier and would have survived the bombing had he not been in a vehicle, said father Ronnie Medlin.
“If he had been on foot it never would have happened; he was smart tactically,” his father told The Birmingham News in a story May 23.
Tommy Tyler met Medlin in the second grade and the two later served together as Marines. After the service, Medlin moved to Pelham and enrolled in Jefferson State Community College, Tyler said. But Medlin decided to return to the military, joining the Army after fighting began in Iraq.
“He just couldn’t take it anymore; he had to go,” Tyler said. “He wanted to fight for his country on the front lines.” Medlin went to Iraq in October with members of the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, from Fort Hood, Texas.
Jeff Hendrix, a former teammate of Medlin’s, said Medlin seemed to prefer military service to civilian life.
“He seemed happy being around his family and all, but he didn’t seem as happy,” Hendrix said.
He put all of his heart into his military service, Medlin’s sister, Silvia Medlin, said.
During his military career, Medlin obtained several medals, including the Kosovo Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, the Global War on Terror (Service) Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and the NATO Medal.
Funeral arrangements had not been made as of May 22, but Medlin will likely receive a Marine send-off.
“He died as an Army soldier, but he always said he wanted to be remembered as a Marine,” Tyler said.
Army Sgt. Jean P. Medlin was killed in action on 5/19/07.
Army Sgt. Jean P. Medlin, 27, of Pelham, Ala.
Sgt. Medlin was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 19, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Christopher Moore, Spc. David W. Behrle, Spc. Joseph A. Gilmore, Pfc. Travis F. Haslip and Pfc. Alexander R. Varela.
Ala. soldier among 6 killed in roadside bombing in Iraq
The Associated Press
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Sgt. Jean Paul Medlin finished a stint in the Marines and then felt compelled to join the military again after the U.S. invaded Iraq, opting for the Army this time.
On May 19, the 27-year-old soldier from Trussville was among six U.S. troops killed in a roadside bombing in Baghdad.
Medlin, who had been a Marine sniper, was a skilled soldier and would have survived the bombing had he not been in a vehicle, said father Ronnie Medlin.
“If he had been on foot it never would have happened; he was smart tactically,” his father told The Birmingham News in a story May 23.
Tommy Tyler met Medlin in the second grade and the two later served together as Marines. After the service, Medlin moved to Pelham and enrolled in Jefferson State Community College, Tyler said. But Medlin decided to return to the military, joining the Army after fighting began in Iraq.
“He just couldn’t take it anymore; he had to go,” Tyler said. “He wanted to fight for his country on the front lines.” Medlin went to Iraq in October with members of the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, from Fort Hood, Texas.
Jeff Hendrix, a former teammate of Medlin’s, said Medlin seemed to prefer military service to civilian life.
“He seemed happy being around his family and all, but he didn’t seem as happy,” Hendrix said.
He put all of his heart into his military service, Medlin’s sister, Silvia Medlin, said.
During his military career, Medlin obtained several medals, including the Kosovo Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, the Global War on Terror (Service) Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and the NATO Medal.
Funeral arrangements had not been made as of May 22, but Medlin will likely receive a Marine send-off.
“He died as an Army soldier, but he always said he wanted to be remembered as a Marine,” Tyler said.
Army Sgt. Jean P. Medlin was killed in action on 5/19/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Moore
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Moore, 28, of Alpaugh, Calif.
SSgt. Moore was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 19, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Sgt. Jean P. Medlin, Spc. David W. Behrle, Spc. Joseph A. Gilmore, Pfc. Travis F. Haslip and Pfc. Alexander R. Varela.
Soldier joined military to get out of small Calif. town
By The Associated Press
ALPAUGH, Calif. — The day after he graduated from high school in 1996, Christopher Moore joined the Army.
He wanted to get out of this small town north of Bakersfield and figured the best way was by entering the military.
Moore 28, was killed in Baghdad with five other soldiers on May 19 when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle while on patrol. Moore, a staff sergeant, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas.
On Tuesday, Moore was buried next to his best friend, Dustin Mills, from the Army, at a cemetery in Kennedale, Texas. Mills was killed in a car crash in 1997.
“He always wanted to serve his country,” said his mother, Martha. “He died doing the job he loved to do.”
Moore served three tours in the Middle East after completing basic training at Fort Benning in Georgia. He was first assigned to the 101st Airborne Division where he earned his air assault badge. Moore was then deployed to Kuwait where he guarded Patriot missile sites.
After coming home, he was assigned to Fort Benning and was later stationed with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C.
Moore left the military for a short time, but returned and re-enlisted. He was sent on his first tour of Iraq in April 2004. He did a second tour this past October — this time as a commander of a Bradley fighting vehicle.
Moore’s ex-wife, Kindell Mills, said the two met because her brother — Moore’s best friend — had become close during basic training. The couple had three daughters, Ashlyn, 9; Kalyn, 7; and Taylor, 4.
“Chris was my best friend,” she said. “And there is not another person in this world that could come close to the type of father he was to my children.”
Family and friends said Moore spent his last weekend in the United States taking visiting family members to an amusement park and volunteering to help paint the home of an elderly woman he never met. He later played paintball.
In addition to his ex-wife, daughters and mother, Moore is survived by a brother, Robert; two sisters, Misty Collins and Nancy Ince; his grandparents; and numerous other relatives.
Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Moore was killed in action on 5/19/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Moore, 28, of Alpaugh, Calif.
SSgt. Moore was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 19, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Sgt. Jean P. Medlin, Spc. David W. Behrle, Spc. Joseph A. Gilmore, Pfc. Travis F. Haslip and Pfc. Alexander R. Varela.
Soldier joined military to get out of small Calif. town
By The Associated Press
ALPAUGH, Calif. — The day after he graduated from high school in 1996, Christopher Moore joined the Army.
He wanted to get out of this small town north of Bakersfield and figured the best way was by entering the military.
Moore 28, was killed in Baghdad with five other soldiers on May 19 when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle while on patrol. Moore, a staff sergeant, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas.
On Tuesday, Moore was buried next to his best friend, Dustin Mills, from the Army, at a cemetery in Kennedale, Texas. Mills was killed in a car crash in 1997.
“He always wanted to serve his country,” said his mother, Martha. “He died doing the job he loved to do.”
Moore served three tours in the Middle East after completing basic training at Fort Benning in Georgia. He was first assigned to the 101st Airborne Division where he earned his air assault badge. Moore was then deployed to Kuwait where he guarded Patriot missile sites.
After coming home, he was assigned to Fort Benning and was later stationed with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C.
Moore left the military for a short time, but returned and re-enlisted. He was sent on his first tour of Iraq in April 2004. He did a second tour this past October — this time as a commander of a Bradley fighting vehicle.
Moore’s ex-wife, Kindell Mills, said the two met because her brother — Moore’s best friend — had become close during basic training. The couple had three daughters, Ashlyn, 9; Kalyn, 7; and Taylor, 4.
“Chris was my best friend,” she said. “And there is not another person in this world that could come close to the type of father he was to my children.”
Family and friends said Moore spent his last weekend in the United States taking visiting family members to an amusement park and volunteering to help paint the home of an elderly woman he never met. He later played paintball.
In addition to his ex-wife, daughters and mother, Moore is survived by a brother, Robert; two sisters, Misty Collins and Nancy Ince; his grandparents; and numerous other relatives.
Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Moore was killed in action on 5/19/07.
Army Sgt. Jason A. Schumann
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Jason A. Schumann, 23, of Hawley, Minn.
Sgt. Schumann was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Polk, La.; died May 19, 2007 in Diwaniyah, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Hawley soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
HAWLEY, Minn. — Jason Schumann is remembered by his high school principal as a delightful young man who always had a smile on his face.
The 23-year-old Army sergeant was killed May 19 when a bomb exploded near his vehicle in Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq, about 100 miles west of Baghdad, the Defense Department said May 22.
Schumann, of Hawley, was the 60th person with strong Minnesota ties who have died in connection with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Hawley High School Principal Mike Martin called his former student a “delightful young man in every regard,” known by some as “Tuba” for the instrument he played in the high school band.
“He was an extremely happy student, kind of a free spirit of sorts, but in a very good sort of way,” Martin said. “We just thoroughly enjoyed him as a student.”
His family’s pastor, the Rev. Tom Olson of Solem Lutheran Church, said Schumann’s unit was escorting a convoy to the Baghdad airport when it was attacked. Schumann was on his second tour of duty in Iraq, Olson said.
Schumann’s wife, Laura, and son, Joe, who will be 2 years old next month, were staying in her native England while he was deployed. They are expected in Hawley on May 24, Olson said.
His father and stepmother, Jim and Sherry Schumann, live in Rollag, 13 miles south of Hawley. His mother and stepfather, Candie Glisson and Russell Toth, live in Fargo, N.D., about 20 miles west of Hawley. They did not want to be interviewed, the pastor said.
Schumann was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Polk, La.
Schumann, a native of Tucson, Ariz., moved to Hawley in 1999 and graduated from Hawley High School in 2002. He joined the Army soon after graduation.
Martin said Schumann sent an e-mail to his high school band director three months ago “thanking him for all he’d done for Tuba. He talked about learning dedication and discipline. For a 23-year-old to take time to reflect and convey that message, that says a lot about the kind of guy Tuba was.”
In addition to playing in band, Martin said Schumann was the school’s mascot during his senior year.
“We’re the ‘Nuggets’ and nobody knew what the mascot should look like,” Martin said. “But they put together an outfit with a Styrofoam pick ax, making him up like a gold miner or something, and he was out there at all the games when the cheerleaders were on the floor.”
Pastor Olson said Schumann was very talented, and read part of Schumann’s obituary that will be published next week in the Hawley Herald:
“He was a selfless leader, always putting his fellow soldiers’ needs before his own. ... He liked to sail and also built sailboats and enjoyed cross country running. He was a talented artist and enjoyed writing historical fiction.”
Funeral arrangements were pending, Olson said. Schumann will be buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
Military officials said a memorial service will be held May 24 at Fort Polk.
Army Sgt. Jason A. Schumann was killed in action on 5/19/07.
Army Sgt. Jason A. Schumann, 23, of Hawley, Minn.
Sgt. Schumann was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Polk, La.; died May 19, 2007 in Diwaniyah, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Hawley soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
HAWLEY, Minn. — Jason Schumann is remembered by his high school principal as a delightful young man who always had a smile on his face.
The 23-year-old Army sergeant was killed May 19 when a bomb exploded near his vehicle in Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq, about 100 miles west of Baghdad, the Defense Department said May 22.
Schumann, of Hawley, was the 60th person with strong Minnesota ties who have died in connection with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Hawley High School Principal Mike Martin called his former student a “delightful young man in every regard,” known by some as “Tuba” for the instrument he played in the high school band.
“He was an extremely happy student, kind of a free spirit of sorts, but in a very good sort of way,” Martin said. “We just thoroughly enjoyed him as a student.”
His family’s pastor, the Rev. Tom Olson of Solem Lutheran Church, said Schumann’s unit was escorting a convoy to the Baghdad airport when it was attacked. Schumann was on his second tour of duty in Iraq, Olson said.
Schumann’s wife, Laura, and son, Joe, who will be 2 years old next month, were staying in her native England while he was deployed. They are expected in Hawley on May 24, Olson said.
His father and stepmother, Jim and Sherry Schumann, live in Rollag, 13 miles south of Hawley. His mother and stepfather, Candie Glisson and Russell Toth, live in Fargo, N.D., about 20 miles west of Hawley. They did not want to be interviewed, the pastor said.
Schumann was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Polk, La.
Schumann, a native of Tucson, Ariz., moved to Hawley in 1999 and graduated from Hawley High School in 2002. He joined the Army soon after graduation.
Martin said Schumann sent an e-mail to his high school band director three months ago “thanking him for all he’d done for Tuba. He talked about learning dedication and discipline. For a 23-year-old to take time to reflect and convey that message, that says a lot about the kind of guy Tuba was.”
In addition to playing in band, Martin said Schumann was the school’s mascot during his senior year.
“We’re the ‘Nuggets’ and nobody knew what the mascot should look like,” Martin said. “But they put together an outfit with a Styrofoam pick ax, making him up like a gold miner or something, and he was out there at all the games when the cheerleaders were on the floor.”
Pastor Olson said Schumann was very talented, and read part of Schumann’s obituary that will be published next week in the Hawley Herald:
“He was a selfless leader, always putting his fellow soldiers’ needs before his own. ... He liked to sail and also built sailboats and enjoyed cross country running. He was a talented artist and enjoyed writing historical fiction.”
Funeral arrangements were pending, Olson said. Schumann will be buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
Military officials said a memorial service will be held May 24 at Fort Polk.
Army Sgt. Jason A. Schumann was killed in action on 5/19/07.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Army Sgt. Anselmo Martinez III
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Anselmo Martinez III, 26, of Robstown, Texas
Sgt. Martinez was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 18, 2007 in Tahrir, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Spc. Casey W. Nash and Spc. Joshua G. Romero.
A beloved son is laid to rest
Martinez is 20th from area to die
By Israel Saenz
The church inside was packed with those paying respects to his cousin, Army Sgt. Anselmo Martinez III, who died May 18 serving in Iraq. Standing outside the church, Lara, 25, remembered his cousin as a joker who always wanted to hang out with friends, but who eventually settled down with a family and returned home a changed man after joining the military.
“When we had hung out before, it was like kid stuff. He was always looking for the next joke,” said Lara, a Corpus Christi resident. “But when he came back, he had become a man.”
Martinez, 26, and two other U.S. soldiers were killed May 18, after their armored vehicle ran over an improvised explosive device. He is the 20th area resident to die in Iraq or Afghanistan.
About 400 family, friends and community members filled the church; many were left standing in the church or spilling out of the front doors. Patriot Guard Riders of South Texas escorted Martinez’s casket to the church.
The common thread voiced by Martinez’s relatives in remembering him Monday was his selfless nature. Lara said part of his cousin’s decision to join the military was to have job security and be able to provide for his wife and two daughters.
“He was always willing to give himself up for everybody,” Lara said.
Cousin Monica Garcia said Martinez was like a big brother while they were attending Robstown High School. He graduated in 1998, a year before she did.
“He was a lot of fun to be around, and always thought about others before he thought about himself,” said Garcia, 26.
Martinez lived with wife Christina and daughters Felicity, 7, and Elianna, 5, in Fort Hood, before deploying in October with the 1st Cavalry Division.
As military pallbearers carried the casket to a waiting hearse, family members followed outside. His father, Anselmo Martinez Jr., shook hand after hand of friends and those who attended to show support. He put his arm around his wife, Diana, as she and other family members wept in each others’ arms.
Christina Martinez kept her eyes locked on her husband’s casket outside the church as she stood holding a folded American flag.
Martinez’s body will be cremated today, Army spokesperson Eric N. Atkinson said. His wife will keep his ashes.
Sylvia Sandoval of Kingsville stood sweating outside the church during the service. Her son Edward returned last week from Bahrain, where he has been serving with the Navy. Sandoval does not know the Martinez family, but scrapped plans for a Memorial Day family barbecue to show support.
“My son returned, but I feel for the people going through this,” Sandoval said. “What better way to mark Memorial Day.”
Army Sgt. Anselmo Martinez III was killed in action on 5/18/07.
Army Sgt. Anselmo Martinez III, 26, of Robstown, Texas
Sgt. Martinez was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 18, 2007 in Tahrir, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Spc. Casey W. Nash and Spc. Joshua G. Romero.
A beloved son is laid to rest
Martinez is 20th from area to die
By Israel Saenz
The church inside was packed with those paying respects to his cousin, Army Sgt. Anselmo Martinez III, who died May 18 serving in Iraq. Standing outside the church, Lara, 25, remembered his cousin as a joker who always wanted to hang out with friends, but who eventually settled down with a family and returned home a changed man after joining the military.
“When we had hung out before, it was like kid stuff. He was always looking for the next joke,” said Lara, a Corpus Christi resident. “But when he came back, he had become a man.”
Martinez, 26, and two other U.S. soldiers were killed May 18, after their armored vehicle ran over an improvised explosive device. He is the 20th area resident to die in Iraq or Afghanistan.
About 400 family, friends and community members filled the church; many were left standing in the church or spilling out of the front doors. Patriot Guard Riders of South Texas escorted Martinez’s casket to the church.
The common thread voiced by Martinez’s relatives in remembering him Monday was his selfless nature. Lara said part of his cousin’s decision to join the military was to have job security and be able to provide for his wife and two daughters.
“He was always willing to give himself up for everybody,” Lara said.
Cousin Monica Garcia said Martinez was like a big brother while they were attending Robstown High School. He graduated in 1998, a year before she did.
“He was a lot of fun to be around, and always thought about others before he thought about himself,” said Garcia, 26.
Martinez lived with wife Christina and daughters Felicity, 7, and Elianna, 5, in Fort Hood, before deploying in October with the 1st Cavalry Division.
As military pallbearers carried the casket to a waiting hearse, family members followed outside. His father, Anselmo Martinez Jr., shook hand after hand of friends and those who attended to show support. He put his arm around his wife, Diana, as she and other family members wept in each others’ arms.
Christina Martinez kept her eyes locked on her husband’s casket outside the church as she stood holding a folded American flag.
Martinez’s body will be cremated today, Army spokesperson Eric N. Atkinson said. His wife will keep his ashes.
Sylvia Sandoval of Kingsville stood sweating outside the church during the service. Her son Edward returned last week from Bahrain, where he has been serving with the Navy. Sandoval does not know the Martinez family, but scrapped plans for a Memorial Day family barbecue to show support.
“My son returned, but I feel for the people going through this,” Sandoval said. “What better way to mark Memorial Day.”
Army Sgt. Anselmo Martinez III was killed in action on 5/18/07.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)