Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Dustin L. Workman II, 19, of Greenwood, Neb.
Spc Workman was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died June 28, 2007 of wounds sustained when his unit was attacked in Baghdad by insurgents using improvised explosive devices. Also killed were Sgt. Shin W. Kim, Sgt. Michael J. Martinez, Sgt. Giann C. Joya Mendoza and Pfc. Cory F. Hiltz.Greenwood man died in Iraq, family says
The Associated Press
OMAHA, Neb. — A 19-year-old Greenwood man died June 28 in Iraq in an attack on a complex, according to family.
Spc. Dustin L. Workman II was a member of the 2/12 Infantry Battalion, B Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, of Fort Carson, Colo., his mother Valerie Workman told the Omaha World-Herald.
“We grieve for the loss of our son, brother and grandson,” she said in a brief statement released June 29. “He served his country with honor.”
Workman graduated from Ashland-Greenwood High in 2005.
Jon Richards, a guidance counselor at the school, recalled Workman as a strong-willed young man who knew as a freshman or sophomore that he wanted to enlist in the Army.
Richards said Workman’s younger brother, Korey, will be a freshman this fall, and a sister, Krysta, will be an eighth-grader.
“I know that they are a very close-knit family and this will be a tough on all of them,” Richards said.
Family, teachers remember Nebraska soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
Army Spc. Dustin L. Workman II’s mother had tried to dissuade him from joining the military, but that only hardened his resolve.
“He is a very strong-willed person,” said Valerie Workman.
“If you tell him not to do something, then that was what he was going to do.”
Workman, 19, of Greenwood, Neb., was killed June 28 in Baghdad by improvised explosive devices. He was a 2005 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Carson, Colo.
“He just wanted to be a police officer,” said his mother. “He figured it was good training if he joined the Army first.”
Bette Starns, an English teacher, said she remembered Workman as a likable boy who had to do extra work to graduate on time.
“He wasn’t crazy about the books,” Starns said. “He liked working on cars and mechanical things. He was a hands-on kind of kid.”
His former guidance counselor Jon Richards recalled Workman as a strong-willed young man who knew as a freshman or sophomore that he wanted to enlist.
“He did his best to adapt and get through school so that he could enlist and give himself some time to figure things out,” Richards said.
He also is survived by his father, Dustin Sr.
Services for Greenwood soldier set for July 7
The Associated Press
OMAHA, Neb. — Services for a Greenwood soldier killed last week in Iraq have been scheduled for July 7.
The Department of Defense confirmed July 1 that Spc. Dustin L. Workman II and four other members of his unit were killed June 28 in Baghdad by improvised explosive devices.
The 19-year-old was a member of the 2nd Battalion 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. That unit is based at Fort Carson, Colo.
Workman’s body was expected to be flown to Lincoln on July 5, according to the Patriot Guard Riders, a group of motorcyclists that bear flags for fallen soldiers.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. July 7 at New Covenant Community Church in Lincoln. Burial will follow in Ashland Cemetery.
Workman’s mother Valerie Workman issued a brief statement June 29 saying that her son served his country with honor and family members were grieving for his loss.
Workman graduated from Ashland-Greenwood High in 2005.
In addition to his parents, Workman is survived by his younger brother, Korey, who will be a high school freshman this fall, and a sister, Krysta, who will be in eighth grade.
Workman is the 51st service member with Nebraska connections to have died in Afghanistan or Iraq since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Services held for Fort Carson soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
LINCOLN, Neb. — Services were held July 8 for a Greenwood soldier based at Fort Carson, Colo., who was killed in Iraq last week.
Friends and family among the 350 who attended the service said Dustin L. Workman II was loyal to his friends, fun-loving and creative.
“He was the best friend a guy could ask for,” said 19-year-old Josh Williams of Ashland. “He’d always find ways to make you laugh.”
Workman and four other members of his unit were killed June 28 in Baghdad by improvised explosive devices. He was 19.
Workman was a member of the 2nd Battalion 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, based at Fort Carson.
Tom Stricklin, a member of that unit, read a letter from Workman’s Fort Carson roommate.
Workman “always found a way to get into trouble,” Stricklin said the roommate wrote.
Stricklin said Workman was “an unforgettable guy.”
Workman graduated from Ashland-Greenwood High in 2005.
One of his former English teachers said Workman was a talented writer who loved books and liked to go his own way.
“Dustin was kind of a rebel,” Jeff Grinvalds said. “He was kind of a James Dean character.”
Army Spc. Dustin L. Workman II was killed in action 6/28/07.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Army Staff Sgt. Daniel A. Newsome
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Daniel A. Newsome, 27, of Chicopee, Mass.
SSgt Newsome was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died June 27, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device.
Chicopee soldier killed by explosive in Baghdad
The Associated Press
A soldier from Chicopee, Mass., was killed by an explosive in Iraq.
Staff Sgt. Daniel A. Newsome died June 27 of wounds suffered in a blast from an improvised explosive device in Baghdad, the Department of Defense said June 28.
Newsome, 27, was assigned at Fort Hood in Texas to the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.
Newsome formerly served in Kosovo, according to according to The Republican newspaper of Springfield. He graduated from Chicopee Comprehensive High School in 1998. His mother lives in Chicopee and his father in Springfield.
About 60 Massachusetts natives have been killed in the Iraq war since it began more than four years ago.
Family remembers soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
After Army Staff Sgt. Daniel A. Newsome’s first tour of duty in Iraq, he returned to Hawaii and said he was lonely. He e-mailed his friends asking if any would come visit him. And one — Karen, a woman he’d known in high school — did.
“She said she loved him from the moment she met him in high school and knew that one day she was going to marry him, and she did,” said his uncle and godfather, Kenneth Willette.
Newsome, 27, of Chicopee, Mass., died June 27 in Baghdad of wounds from an explosive. He was a 1998 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas.
“When he was a teenager, he loved skateboards and fast cars,” his uncle said. “And even as an adult, he loved working on his car. He had a pretty souped-up Honda. He was always adding something to it to make it look better or go faster.”
Newsome was last home about a month ago, and the family made sure they celebrated his son’s first birthday, even though it had not yet arrived.
“It was just a wonderful time,” Willette said. “The memory we’ll have of his son smashing birthday cake over Danny and Karen’s faces is great. And it makes it harder.”
Army Staff Sgt. Daniel A. Newsome was killed in action on 6/27/07.
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Army Staff Sgt. Daniel A. Newsome, 27, of Chicopee, Mass.
SSgt Newsome was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died June 27, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device.
Chicopee soldier killed by explosive in Baghdad
The Associated Press
A soldier from Chicopee, Mass., was killed by an explosive in Iraq.
Staff Sgt. Daniel A. Newsome died June 27 of wounds suffered in a blast from an improvised explosive device in Baghdad, the Department of Defense said June 28.
Newsome, 27, was assigned at Fort Hood in Texas to the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.
Newsome formerly served in Kosovo, according to according to The Republican newspaper of Springfield. He graduated from Chicopee Comprehensive High School in 1998. His mother lives in Chicopee and his father in Springfield.
About 60 Massachusetts natives have been killed in the Iraq war since it began more than four years ago.
Family remembers soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
After Army Staff Sgt. Daniel A. Newsome’s first tour of duty in Iraq, he returned to Hawaii and said he was lonely. He e-mailed his friends asking if any would come visit him. And one — Karen, a woman he’d known in high school — did.
“She said she loved him from the moment she met him in high school and knew that one day she was going to marry him, and she did,” said his uncle and godfather, Kenneth Willette.
Newsome, 27, of Chicopee, Mass., died June 27 in Baghdad of wounds from an explosive. He was a 1998 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas.
“When he was a teenager, he loved skateboards and fast cars,” his uncle said. “And even as an adult, he loved working on his car. He had a pretty souped-up Honda. He was always adding something to it to make it look better or go faster.”
Newsome was last home about a month ago, and the family made sure they celebrated his son’s first birthday, even though it had not yet arrived.
“It was just a wonderful time,” Willette said. “The memory we’ll have of his son smashing birthday cake over Danny and Karen’s faces is great. And it makes it harder.”
Army Staff Sgt. Daniel A. Newsome was killed in action on 6/27/07.
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Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Marine Cpl. Derek C. Dixon
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Cpl. Derek C. Dixon, 20, of Riverside, Ohio
Cpl. Dixon was assigned to 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died June 26, 2007 while conducting combat operations in Saqlawiyah, Iraq.
N.C.-based Marine killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
RIVERSIDE, Ohio — Marine Cpl. Derek Dixon, 20, a North Carolina-based Marine from this Dayton suburb, was killed while conducting combat operations in Iraq, the Pentagon said June 27.
Dixon, who died June 26 in Anbar province, was based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., assigned to Company A, 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force.
Dixon graduated in 2005 from the military careers program at the Mound Street Academies in Dayton.
“He was determined to be a leader, and he truly was,” said George Hurbanek II, principal at the school. “He was a great role model.”
Hurbanek said Dixon was interested in computers and took engineering courses at the school. He said Dixon returned to the school after graduating to help put on a Veterans Day presentation.
Hurbanek said Dixon enjoyed being in the military and was excited about going to Iraq.
“If he was going to die, it was for his country,” Hurbanek said. “He was totally all about being a Marine.”
“He was a great kid,” Hurbanek added. “It’s a huge loss.”
Dixon joined the Marine Corps in July 2004 and was trained as an information systems specialist. He was promoted to corporal in March, according to the military.
Family remember Marine killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
Will Couts, who taught Marine Cpl. Derek C. Dixon at the Military Careers Academy, said he would often talk to Dixon for hours after school about everything from computers to MP3 players.
Couts called him a young man who “could have gone either way” when he was a teen but “found himself and got on the right track.”
Dixon, 20, of Riverside, Ohio, was killed June 26 while working at a vehicle checkpoint in Saqlawiyah, Iraq. He was assigned to Camp Lejeune, Calif.
“Even when he was real young, he always knew he was going to do something wearing a uniform. He was such a good kid, and I’m not just saying that because he was mine,” said his grandmother, Glenda Brightman.
In November 2004, Dixon and another student put together a presentation on Veterans Day for the school. Dixon spoke about the history of the Marine Corps.
“He really believed in it and wanted to serve his country,” Couts said. “He found his niche there.”
“I talked to him before he left,” his sister, Mindy Trochelman, said. “He said he was ready to go, but he was scared.”
He also is survived by his mother, Melissa Trochelman, and father, Tom Trochelman and his wife Ercela.
Marine Cpl. Derek C. Dixon was killed in action on 6/26/07.
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Marine Cpl. Derek C. Dixon, 20, of Riverside, Ohio
Cpl. Dixon was assigned to 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died June 26, 2007 while conducting combat operations in Saqlawiyah, Iraq.
N.C.-based Marine killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
RIVERSIDE, Ohio — Marine Cpl. Derek Dixon, 20, a North Carolina-based Marine from this Dayton suburb, was killed while conducting combat operations in Iraq, the Pentagon said June 27.
Dixon, who died June 26 in Anbar province, was based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., assigned to Company A, 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force.
Dixon graduated in 2005 from the military careers program at the Mound Street Academies in Dayton.
“He was determined to be a leader, and he truly was,” said George Hurbanek II, principal at the school. “He was a great role model.”
Hurbanek said Dixon was interested in computers and took engineering courses at the school. He said Dixon returned to the school after graduating to help put on a Veterans Day presentation.
Hurbanek said Dixon enjoyed being in the military and was excited about going to Iraq.
“If he was going to die, it was for his country,” Hurbanek said. “He was totally all about being a Marine.”
“He was a great kid,” Hurbanek added. “It’s a huge loss.”
Dixon joined the Marine Corps in July 2004 and was trained as an information systems specialist. He was promoted to corporal in March, according to the military.
Family remember Marine killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
Will Couts, who taught Marine Cpl. Derek C. Dixon at the Military Careers Academy, said he would often talk to Dixon for hours after school about everything from computers to MP3 players.
Couts called him a young man who “could have gone either way” when he was a teen but “found himself and got on the right track.”
Dixon, 20, of Riverside, Ohio, was killed June 26 while working at a vehicle checkpoint in Saqlawiyah, Iraq. He was assigned to Camp Lejeune, Calif.
“Even when he was real young, he always knew he was going to do something wearing a uniform. He was such a good kid, and I’m not just saying that because he was mine,” said his grandmother, Glenda Brightman.
In November 2004, Dixon and another student put together a presentation on Veterans Day for the school. Dixon spoke about the history of the Marine Corps.
“He really believed in it and wanted to serve his country,” Couts said. “He found his niche there.”
“I talked to him before he left,” his sister, Mindy Trochelman, said. “He said he was ready to go, but he was scared.”
He also is survived by his mother, Melissa Trochelman, and father, Tom Trochelman and his wife Ercela.
Marine Cpl. Derek C. Dixon was killed in action on 6/26/07.
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Monday, June 25, 2007
Army Spc. Andre Craig Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Andre Craig Jr., 24, of New Haven, Conn.
Spc Craig was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died June 25, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device.
New Haven soldier dies in Iraq
The Associated Press
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A New Haven soldier whose daughter was born earlier this year has been killed in Iraq by a roadside bomb, the governor’s office said June 27.
Army Spc. Andre Craig, a graduate of Wilbur Cross High School, died June 25 in Baghdad when a bomb exploded near the convoy on which he was serving as a gunner.
Craig, 24, returned to New Haven recently for a brief visit to celebrate his birthday and to meet his infant daughter, Taylor, who was born while he was serving in Iraq.
The governor has ordered that flags be flown at half-staff until Craig’s burial.
“He took on the most hazardous duties to protect our country’s freedom,” Rell said in a statement. “His bravery, his courage and the sacrifice he made for each and every one of us will never be forgotten.”
Craig was the 38th military member with Connecticut ties to die since the war began in 2002. Two Connecticut civilians have also been killed.
Craig lived with his 20-year-old brother, Jonathan, and was known to friends, family and children in his neighborhood as “Dre,” according to neighbors.
Craig and his five siblings were close to their mother, a nurse’s aide at the Hospital of St. Raphael in New Haven, said family friend Khabira Hill.
“He wanted to make her proud,” Hill told The Hartford Courant.
Craig’s family plans to hold a funeral service in New Haven and have him buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
Family of slain soldier blames exhaustion
By John Christoffersen
The Associated Press
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The family of a soldier killed in Iraq on June 25 blamed his death on exhaustion, saying soldiers there are not getting enough rest.
Spc. Andre Craig Jr., 24, of New Haven, died of wounds sustained from the explosion of a roadside bomb in Baghdad.
Craig, a graduate of Wilbur Cross High School, was an infantryman assigned to 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, in Fort Riley, Kan.
He entered the Army in October 2005 and began serving with the 1st Infantry Division in March 2006. This was his first deployment to Iraq.
Craig, whose nickname was Dre, called his family by cell phone June 23 to tell them he was on 24-hour security duty, said Erik Brown, his godfather and family spokesman. After that, Craig went out on a mission and was killed, he said.
“He was very tired, he was exhausted,” Brown said June 28. “Due to that exhaustion, we believe that’s why we lost Andre. The soldiers are not getting rest, they’re tired.”
An Army spokeswoman at Fort Riley did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the family’s assertions.
Brown and family members wore T-shirts with Craig’s picture and the words, “Dre 2007 in God we trust.”
Craig, 24, returned to New Haven recently for a brief visit to celebrate his birthday and to meet his infant daughter, Taylor, who was born while he was serving in Iraq.
Craig described “deplorable” conditions in Iraq, including women being raped and feces in the street, Brown said.
“They’re terrorizing each other and we have our soldiers in the middle of a civil war,” Brown said.
Still, Craig was happy doing his job, Brown said. Family and friends said Craig, who had been in Iraq about six months, wanted to be a state trooper and had planned to go to college.
The governor has ordered that flags be flown at half-staff until Craig’s burial.
“He took on the most hazardous duties to protect our country’s freedom,” Rell said in a statement. “His bravery, his courage and the sacrifice he made for each and every one of us will never be forgotten.”
Craig was the 38th military member with Connecticut ties to die since the war began in 2002. Two Connecticut civilians have also been killed.
Craig lived with his 22-year-old brother, Jonathan.
Craig and his five siblings were close to their mother, a nurse’s aide at the Hospital of St. Raphael in New Haven, said family friend Khabira Hill.
Craig’s family plans to hold a funeral service in New Haven and have him buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Va.
Jonathan Craig’s eyes welled up with tears as he recalled his brother’s last visit with his daughter.
“The last words he said he said to me in the living room is take care of my daughter as if you were a father to her until I come back,” Jonathan Craig said.
Family, friends recall soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
Jonathan Craig’s eyes welled up with tears when he recalled the last visit by his older brother, Army Pfc. Andre Craig Jr.
“The last words he said to me in the living room is take care of my daughter as if you were a father to her until I come back,” Jonathan Craig said.
Craig, 24, of New Haven, Conn., was killed June 25 in Baghdad of wounds from an explosive. He was a 2001 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Riley, Kan.
Eric Brown, his godfather, said Craig had hoped to use his military service to help with college costs, and that he planned to become a state trooper when he finished his military service.
Ron Rosarbo, a high school security guard for 12 years, said he remembered Craig well. “He was a quiet leader. He always volunteered to do things, move boxes, take down bleachers.”
Jonathan Craig said his older brother had wanted to join the military since childhood and turned down a scholarship to Rutgers University to serve in the Army. “He was trying to help his family,” said his younger brother.
He also is survived by his wife, Shantia, and daughter, Taylor.
Army Spc. Andre Craig Jr. was killed in action on 6/25/07.
Army Spc. Andre Craig Jr., 24, of New Haven, Conn.
Spc Craig was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died June 25, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device.
New Haven soldier dies in Iraq
The Associated Press
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A New Haven soldier whose daughter was born earlier this year has been killed in Iraq by a roadside bomb, the governor’s office said June 27.
Army Spc. Andre Craig, a graduate of Wilbur Cross High School, died June 25 in Baghdad when a bomb exploded near the convoy on which he was serving as a gunner.
Craig, 24, returned to New Haven recently for a brief visit to celebrate his birthday and to meet his infant daughter, Taylor, who was born while he was serving in Iraq.
The governor has ordered that flags be flown at half-staff until Craig’s burial.
“He took on the most hazardous duties to protect our country’s freedom,” Rell said in a statement. “His bravery, his courage and the sacrifice he made for each and every one of us will never be forgotten.”
Craig was the 38th military member with Connecticut ties to die since the war began in 2002. Two Connecticut civilians have also been killed.
Craig lived with his 20-year-old brother, Jonathan, and was known to friends, family and children in his neighborhood as “Dre,” according to neighbors.
Craig and his five siblings were close to their mother, a nurse’s aide at the Hospital of St. Raphael in New Haven, said family friend Khabira Hill.
“He wanted to make her proud,” Hill told The Hartford Courant.
Craig’s family plans to hold a funeral service in New Haven and have him buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
Family of slain soldier blames exhaustion
By John Christoffersen
The Associated Press
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The family of a soldier killed in Iraq on June 25 blamed his death on exhaustion, saying soldiers there are not getting enough rest.
Spc. Andre Craig Jr., 24, of New Haven, died of wounds sustained from the explosion of a roadside bomb in Baghdad.
Craig, a graduate of Wilbur Cross High School, was an infantryman assigned to 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, in Fort Riley, Kan.
He entered the Army in October 2005 and began serving with the 1st Infantry Division in March 2006. This was his first deployment to Iraq.
Craig, whose nickname was Dre, called his family by cell phone June 23 to tell them he was on 24-hour security duty, said Erik Brown, his godfather and family spokesman. After that, Craig went out on a mission and was killed, he said.
“He was very tired, he was exhausted,” Brown said June 28. “Due to that exhaustion, we believe that’s why we lost Andre. The soldiers are not getting rest, they’re tired.”
An Army spokeswoman at Fort Riley did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the family’s assertions.
Brown and family members wore T-shirts with Craig’s picture and the words, “Dre 2007 in God we trust.”
Craig, 24, returned to New Haven recently for a brief visit to celebrate his birthday and to meet his infant daughter, Taylor, who was born while he was serving in Iraq.
Craig described “deplorable” conditions in Iraq, including women being raped and feces in the street, Brown said.
“They’re terrorizing each other and we have our soldiers in the middle of a civil war,” Brown said.
Still, Craig was happy doing his job, Brown said. Family and friends said Craig, who had been in Iraq about six months, wanted to be a state trooper and had planned to go to college.
The governor has ordered that flags be flown at half-staff until Craig’s burial.
“He took on the most hazardous duties to protect our country’s freedom,” Rell said in a statement. “His bravery, his courage and the sacrifice he made for each and every one of us will never be forgotten.”
Craig was the 38th military member with Connecticut ties to die since the war began in 2002. Two Connecticut civilians have also been killed.
Craig lived with his 22-year-old brother, Jonathan.
Craig and his five siblings were close to their mother, a nurse’s aide at the Hospital of St. Raphael in New Haven, said family friend Khabira Hill.
Craig’s family plans to hold a funeral service in New Haven and have him buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Va.
Jonathan Craig’s eyes welled up with tears as he recalled his brother’s last visit with his daughter.
“The last words he said he said to me in the living room is take care of my daughter as if you were a father to her until I come back,” Jonathan Craig said.
Family, friends recall soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
Jonathan Craig’s eyes welled up with tears when he recalled the last visit by his older brother, Army Pfc. Andre Craig Jr.
“The last words he said to me in the living room is take care of my daughter as if you were a father to her until I come back,” Jonathan Craig said.
Craig, 24, of New Haven, Conn., was killed June 25 in Baghdad of wounds from an explosive. He was a 2001 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Riley, Kan.
Eric Brown, his godfather, said Craig had hoped to use his military service to help with college costs, and that he planned to become a state trooper when he finished his military service.
Ron Rosarbo, a high school security guard for 12 years, said he remembered Craig well. “He was a quiet leader. He always volunteered to do things, move boxes, take down bleachers.”
Jonathan Craig said his older brother had wanted to join the military since childhood and turned down a scholarship to Rutgers University to serve in the Army. “He was trying to help his family,” said his younger brother.
He also is survived by his wife, Shantia, and daughter, Taylor.
Army Spc. Andre Craig Jr. was killed in action on 6/25/07.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Army Sgt. Jimy M. Malone
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Jimy M. Malone, 23, of Wills Point, Texas
Sgt. Malone was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died June 23, 2007 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Army 1st Lt. Daniel P. Riordan, Army Sgt. Joel A. House and Army Spc. Derek A. Calhoun.
23 year old Army Sergeant Jimy Malone decided to enlist when he was a senior at Wills Point High School.
His uncle by marriage, Mike Madden, said, "He had made his mind up that that's what he wanted to do. I mean, he was hard core Army."
For advice, Jimy turned to his principal and retired Army veteran Jim Lamb.
"I knew he was going to be a success in the military, because he was always highly motivated in whatever he did," says Jim.
The Army took Sergeant Malone on two tours to the Middle East, where he saw first hand the costs of war. He shared those experiences with students at his alma mater who were considering a military career. Now, his picture will be added to the school's wall of honor so his sacrifice will not be forgotten.
"We tell kids every year when we start, 'Hey, there's kids fighting and dying on foreign soil to give you the freedom to come up here and act like a fool.' And that's what these kids are doing," says Jim.
Across town, signs of a grieving community can be seen. Flags were flown at half staff at the Veterans Memorial Park and at the Wills Point Fire Station where Jimy served shortly after high school.
And in the neighborhood where Jimy's family still lives, a row of flags were carefully placed by members of the Kiwanis Club.
John Young with Kiwanis says, "We just felt that it was very important to support the family during this time of distraught, and we're just trying to celebrate Jimmy's life."
"It's just, overwhelming love that everyone in this community shows each other," says Mike.
On the tree of his in-law's house hangs a yellow ribbon in honor of a soldier that will never return home.
There's no word yet on when Sergeant Malone's memorial serivce will be held, but his family tells us he will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
He leaves behind his wife and their five month old baby girl.
Army Sgt. Jimy M. Malone was killed in action on 6/23/07.
Army Sgt. Jimy M. Malone, 23, of Wills Point, Texas
Sgt. Malone was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died June 23, 2007 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Army 1st Lt. Daniel P. Riordan, Army Sgt. Joel A. House and Army Spc. Derek A. Calhoun.
23 year old Army Sergeant Jimy Malone decided to enlist when he was a senior at Wills Point High School.
His uncle by marriage, Mike Madden, said, "He had made his mind up that that's what he wanted to do. I mean, he was hard core Army."
For advice, Jimy turned to his principal and retired Army veteran Jim Lamb.
"I knew he was going to be a success in the military, because he was always highly motivated in whatever he did," says Jim.
The Army took Sergeant Malone on two tours to the Middle East, where he saw first hand the costs of war. He shared those experiences with students at his alma mater who were considering a military career. Now, his picture will be added to the school's wall of honor so his sacrifice will not be forgotten.
"We tell kids every year when we start, 'Hey, there's kids fighting and dying on foreign soil to give you the freedom to come up here and act like a fool.' And that's what these kids are doing," says Jim.
Across town, signs of a grieving community can be seen. Flags were flown at half staff at the Veterans Memorial Park and at the Wills Point Fire Station where Jimy served shortly after high school.
And in the neighborhood where Jimy's family still lives, a row of flags were carefully placed by members of the Kiwanis Club.
John Young with Kiwanis says, "We just felt that it was very important to support the family during this time of distraught, and we're just trying to celebrate Jimmy's life."
"It's just, overwhelming love that everyone in this community shows each other," says Mike.
On the tree of his in-law's house hangs a yellow ribbon in honor of a soldier that will never return home.
There's no word yet on when Sergeant Malone's memorial serivce will be held, but his family tells us he will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
He leaves behind his wife and their five month old baby girl.
Army Sgt. Jimy M. Malone was killed in action on 6/23/07.
Army Sgt. William E. Brown
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. William E. Brown, 25, of Phil Campbell, Ala.
Sgt Brown was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died June 23, 2007 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with indirect fire.
Mom: Alabama soldier saved colleague’s life when killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
ENTERPRISE, Ala. — An Army sergeant from Alabama saved the life of another soldier while losing his own to insurgent fire in Iraq, family members said.
Sgt. William Edward Brown, 25, who graduated from Phil Campbell High School and had moved his family to Enterprise with plans to attend flight school at Fort Rucker in October, died June 23 from a mortar attack near Taji, about 12 miles north of Baghdad.
Survivors include his wife, Rachel, who moved to Enterprise earlier this year to prepare for his homecoming, and two children, Ethan, 6, and Tyler, 2.
Brown’s mother, Theresa Kyser of Daleville, said her son and two other soldiers were doing a routine check on a helicopter when the mortar fire hit.
“One of the other soldiers sent word to Rachel that when the mortar hit, that William pushed him out of the way,” Kyser said. “He said he was alive because of William. That’s the way William was, always caring for others.”
Kyser said his wife has had many visitors since her son died.
“He loved everybody, and it seemed like everybody loved him,” she said. “He was a darn good kid, father, brother and husband.”
She said Brown was serving as a crew chief on a Blackhawk helicopter. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
He joined the Army in 2002 and was on his second tour in Iraq.
Regina Lollar of Muscle Shoals, Brown’s mother-in-law, said he was a humble person and a great family man.
“He was just a fabulous man, you couldn’t ask for a better young man,” she said. “His kids and his wife were his world. He loved his country, he loved his family and he loved God.”
Brown’s mother, Theresa Kyser, said everyone that met her son liked him. “He was a little mischievous, but he was so likable that you couldn’t help but like him,” she said. “He was always making you laugh.”
She said she will also remember her son’s loving eyes and his caring ways. When he was about 9, he spotted a turtle crossing the road in front of their car. “William made me stop the car and get the turtle off the road so it wouldn’t get hit. He was such a compassionate person.”
Brown also is survived by his wife, Rachel, and two sons, 6-year-old Ethan and 2-year-old Tyler.
Army Sgt. William E. Brown was killed in action on 6/23/07.
Army Sgt. William E. Brown, 25, of Phil Campbell, Ala.
Sgt Brown was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died June 23, 2007 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with indirect fire.
Mom: Alabama soldier saved colleague’s life when killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
ENTERPRISE, Ala. — An Army sergeant from Alabama saved the life of another soldier while losing his own to insurgent fire in Iraq, family members said.
Sgt. William Edward Brown, 25, who graduated from Phil Campbell High School and had moved his family to Enterprise with plans to attend flight school at Fort Rucker in October, died June 23 from a mortar attack near Taji, about 12 miles north of Baghdad.
Survivors include his wife, Rachel, who moved to Enterprise earlier this year to prepare for his homecoming, and two children, Ethan, 6, and Tyler, 2.
Brown’s mother, Theresa Kyser of Daleville, said her son and two other soldiers were doing a routine check on a helicopter when the mortar fire hit.
“One of the other soldiers sent word to Rachel that when the mortar hit, that William pushed him out of the way,” Kyser said. “He said he was alive because of William. That’s the way William was, always caring for others.”
Kyser said his wife has had many visitors since her son died.
“He loved everybody, and it seemed like everybody loved him,” she said. “He was a darn good kid, father, brother and husband.”
She said Brown was serving as a crew chief on a Blackhawk helicopter. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
He joined the Army in 2002 and was on his second tour in Iraq.
Regina Lollar of Muscle Shoals, Brown’s mother-in-law, said he was a humble person and a great family man.
“He was just a fabulous man, you couldn’t ask for a better young man,” she said. “His kids and his wife were his world. He loved his country, he loved his family and he loved God.”
Brown’s mother, Theresa Kyser, said everyone that met her son liked him. “He was a little mischievous, but he was so likable that you couldn’t help but like him,” she said. “He was always making you laugh.”
She said she will also remember her son’s loving eyes and his caring ways. When he was about 9, he spotted a turtle crossing the road in front of their car. “William made me stop the car and get the turtle off the road so it wouldn’t get hit. He was such a compassionate person.”
Brown also is survived by his wife, Rachel, and two sons, 6-year-old Ethan and 2-year-old Tyler.
Army Sgt. William E. Brown was killed in action on 6/23/07.
Army Specialist Derek A. Calhoun
Remember Our Heroes
Army Specialist Derek A. Calhoun, 23, of Oklahoma City
Spc. Calhoun was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died June 23, 2007 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were 1st Lt. Daniel P. Riordan, Sgt. Jimy M. Malone and Sgt. Joel A. House.
Funeral held for soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY — The last of four Oklahoma soldiers killed in Iraq in a three-day span was buried July 3.
Army Spc. Derek Alan Calhoun, 23, a tank driver, died in Baghdad on June 23 after a Humvee in which he was riding struck a bomb.
“Derek was not just another soldier,” Pastor C. Wayne Childers said at funeral services at South Lindsay Baptist Church. “He was one of ours.
“He was a Southside boy.”
Childers said the church’s congregation gave Calhoun a standing ovation after he got his orders for Iraq.
“That’s how much we respected and loved this young man,” he said.
Calhoun is the 62nd service member from Oklahoma to be killed in Iraq or Afghanistan since the ongoing war on terrorism began in October 2001. Nearly 4,000 Americans service members have died in that time.
Funeral services were held July 2 in Oklahoma City for Sgt. Ryan M. Wood and for Pfc. Thomas Ray Leemhuis on June 30 in Binger. They were among five soldiers who died June 21 after the Bradley Fighting Vehicle in which they were riding hit a roadside bomb in northeast Baghdad.
Funeral services were also held July 2 for Army Pfc. Jerimiah J. Veitch, 21, of Dibble, who died in a separate attack in Baghdad when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle.
Family, friends remember soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
A small stuffed raccoon joined the American flag atop Army Spc. Derek A. Calhoun’s casket during the young man’s funeral service.
Pastor C. Wayne Childers said it had been placed there by Calhoun’s niece, Sierra, who had heard a story about him having a raccoon named Rocky as a pet when he was younger.
“They were calling this one Rocky II,” he said.
Calhoun, 23, of Oklahoma City, was killed June 23 by a roadside bomb in Taji, Iraq. He was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas.
He enjoyed sports and the outdoors, watching and playing football, basketball, fishing and dogs. He loved to spend time with his nieces and nephews.
“He loved sports, any type,” said his father, Alan.
He was badly injured in a bomb attack at Tikrit four months ago.
He suffered wounds to his abdomen, wrist and shoulder, and underwent several surgeries.
George “Marty” Brock, the former pastor of South Lindsay Baptist Church, said part of Calhoun’s military insurance money will be used to open a new playground at the church.
Brock said no one should forget the sacrifice Calhoun made. “He was — and forever shall be a hero,” he said.
He also is survived by his mother, Lou.
Army Specialist Derek A. Calhoun was killed in action on 6/23/07.
Army Specialist Derek A. Calhoun, 23, of Oklahoma City
Spc. Calhoun was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died June 23, 2007 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were 1st Lt. Daniel P. Riordan, Sgt. Jimy M. Malone and Sgt. Joel A. House.
Funeral held for soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY — The last of four Oklahoma soldiers killed in Iraq in a three-day span was buried July 3.
Army Spc. Derek Alan Calhoun, 23, a tank driver, died in Baghdad on June 23 after a Humvee in which he was riding struck a bomb.
“Derek was not just another soldier,” Pastor C. Wayne Childers said at funeral services at South Lindsay Baptist Church. “He was one of ours.
“He was a Southside boy.”
Childers said the church’s congregation gave Calhoun a standing ovation after he got his orders for Iraq.
“That’s how much we respected and loved this young man,” he said.
Calhoun is the 62nd service member from Oklahoma to be killed in Iraq or Afghanistan since the ongoing war on terrorism began in October 2001. Nearly 4,000 Americans service members have died in that time.
Funeral services were held July 2 in Oklahoma City for Sgt. Ryan M. Wood and for Pfc. Thomas Ray Leemhuis on June 30 in Binger. They were among five soldiers who died June 21 after the Bradley Fighting Vehicle in which they were riding hit a roadside bomb in northeast Baghdad.
Funeral services were also held July 2 for Army Pfc. Jerimiah J. Veitch, 21, of Dibble, who died in a separate attack in Baghdad when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle.
Family, friends remember soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
A small stuffed raccoon joined the American flag atop Army Spc. Derek A. Calhoun’s casket during the young man’s funeral service.
Pastor C. Wayne Childers said it had been placed there by Calhoun’s niece, Sierra, who had heard a story about him having a raccoon named Rocky as a pet when he was younger.
“They were calling this one Rocky II,” he said.
Calhoun, 23, of Oklahoma City, was killed June 23 by a roadside bomb in Taji, Iraq. He was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas.
He enjoyed sports and the outdoors, watching and playing football, basketball, fishing and dogs. He loved to spend time with his nieces and nephews.
“He loved sports, any type,” said his father, Alan.
He was badly injured in a bomb attack at Tikrit four months ago.
He suffered wounds to his abdomen, wrist and shoulder, and underwent several surgeries.
George “Marty” Brock, the former pastor of South Lindsay Baptist Church, said part of Calhoun’s military insurance money will be used to open a new playground at the church.
Brock said no one should forget the sacrifice Calhoun made. “He was — and forever shall be a hero,” he said.
He also is survived by his mother, Lou.
Army Specialist Derek A. Calhoun was killed in action on 6/23/07.
Army Sgt. Joel A. House
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Joel A. House, 22, of Lee, Maine
Sgt. House was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died June 23, 2007 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Army 1st Lt. Daniel P. Riordan, Army Sgt. Jimy M. Malone and Army Spc. Derek A. Calhoun.
Soldier killed in Iraq remembered as modest, funny
The Associated Press
Army Sgt. Joel A. House’s humor was on display when he was home in March.
He wore a gray long-sleeved T-shirt that bore a cartoon drawing of a soldier in camouflage standing next to a Humvee.
The yellow lettering read, “Who’s your Baghdaddy?” House, 22, of Lee, Maine, was killed June 23 by a roadside bomb in Taji, Iraq. He was a 2003 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas. He was on his second tour.
House grew up hunting and fishing in the woods around his home.
He played soccer, baseball and basketball in high school and was known among his friends for his guitar playing.
After his military service, Joel hoped go to school to become a game warden, said Deanna House, his mother. He also is survived by his father, Paul House.
House suffered shrapnel wounds to his head and chest when a suicide attacker exploded a bomb at his barracks in March that left his best friend dead. He was hospitalized for several days and then returned to duty.
“He was humble and modest,” Deanna House said. “He didn’t like to make a hoo-ha about anything he did. We had to pull it out of him,” she said.
Army Sgt. Joel A. House was killed in action on 6/23/07.
Army Sgt. Joel A. House, 22, of Lee, Maine
Sgt. House was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died June 23, 2007 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Army 1st Lt. Daniel P. Riordan, Army Sgt. Jimy M. Malone and Army Spc. Derek A. Calhoun.
Soldier killed in Iraq remembered as modest, funny
The Associated Press
Army Sgt. Joel A. House’s humor was on display when he was home in March.
He wore a gray long-sleeved T-shirt that bore a cartoon drawing of a soldier in camouflage standing next to a Humvee.
The yellow lettering read, “Who’s your Baghdaddy?” House, 22, of Lee, Maine, was killed June 23 by a roadside bomb in Taji, Iraq. He was a 2003 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas. He was on his second tour.
House grew up hunting and fishing in the woods around his home.
He played soccer, baseball and basketball in high school and was known among his friends for his guitar playing.
After his military service, Joel hoped go to school to become a game warden, said Deanna House, his mother. He also is survived by his father, Paul House.
House suffered shrapnel wounds to his head and chest when a suicide attacker exploded a bomb at his barracks in March that left his best friend dead. He was hospitalized for several days and then returned to duty.
“He was humble and modest,” Deanna House said. “He didn’t like to make a hoo-ha about anything he did. We had to pull it out of him,” she said.
Army Sgt. Joel A. House was killed in action on 6/23/07.
Army 1st Lt. Daniel P. Riordan
Remember Our Heroes
Army 1st Lt. Daniel P. Riordan, 24, of St. Louis
1st Lt. Riordan was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died June 23, 2007 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Sgt. Joel A. House, Sgt. Jimy M. Malone and Spc. Derek A. Calhoun.
Funeral set for St. Louis-area soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
ST. LOUIS — The military will present the family of a soldier killed in Iraq with the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star at his funeral.
The funeral Mass for First Lt. Daniel Riordan of Sunset Hills will be at 10 a.m. June 30 at St. Catherine Laboure Catholic Church.
Burial will follow at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis County.
Riordan and three others were killed June 23 by a roadside bomb north of Baghdad.
The 24-year-old was born in Fort Worth, Texas. He grew up in south St. Louis County, and graduated from Vianney High School and Southeast Missouri State University.
He became an Army officer in November 2005 and had been in Iraq since October.
Friends remember St. Louis soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
There were things about Army 1st Lt. Daniel P. Riordan that reminded Chris Shank of his brother, Jeremy Shank, who died in Iraq in September.
“He was a good guy, he knew exactly what he wanted, he was really motivated and he’d bend over backwards to help out anybody,” Shank said. “All you had to do was ask.”
Riordan, 24, of St. Louis, was killed June 23 by a roadside bomb in Taji, Iraq. He was a 2005 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University and was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas.
His former principal, Larry Keller, said Riordan sent e-mails almost weekly to his old high school, writing about his soldiers and their dangerous work.
“We could tell he was a real leader,” Keller said. “It was obvious that he was constantly in harm’s way. He never wrote about politics, but always from the point of view of the mission. He was proud to be part of something for our country.”
His family called Riordan “a true cowboy and gentleman who loved country music, the outdoors and his family.” He was active in the Boy Scouts, ran track and played football.
He is survived by his parents, Rick Riordan and Jeanine Rainey, and stepmother, Michelle Riordan.
Army 1st Lt. Daniel P. Riordan was killed in action on 6/23/07.
Army 1st Lt. Daniel P. Riordan, 24, of St. Louis
1st Lt. Riordan was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died June 23, 2007 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Sgt. Joel A. House, Sgt. Jimy M. Malone and Spc. Derek A. Calhoun.
Funeral set for St. Louis-area soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
ST. LOUIS — The military will present the family of a soldier killed in Iraq with the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star at his funeral.
The funeral Mass for First Lt. Daniel Riordan of Sunset Hills will be at 10 a.m. June 30 at St. Catherine Laboure Catholic Church.
Burial will follow at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis County.
Riordan and three others were killed June 23 by a roadside bomb north of Baghdad.
The 24-year-old was born in Fort Worth, Texas. He grew up in south St. Louis County, and graduated from Vianney High School and Southeast Missouri State University.
He became an Army officer in November 2005 and had been in Iraq since October.
Friends remember St. Louis soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
There were things about Army 1st Lt. Daniel P. Riordan that reminded Chris Shank of his brother, Jeremy Shank, who died in Iraq in September.
“He was a good guy, he knew exactly what he wanted, he was really motivated and he’d bend over backwards to help out anybody,” Shank said. “All you had to do was ask.”
Riordan, 24, of St. Louis, was killed June 23 by a roadside bomb in Taji, Iraq. He was a 2005 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University and was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas.
His former principal, Larry Keller, said Riordan sent e-mails almost weekly to his old high school, writing about his soldiers and their dangerous work.
“We could tell he was a real leader,” Keller said. “It was obvious that he was constantly in harm’s way. He never wrote about politics, but always from the point of view of the mission. He was proud to be part of something for our country.”
His family called Riordan “a true cowboy and gentleman who loved country music, the outdoors and his family.” He was active in the Boy Scouts, ran track and played football.
He is survived by his parents, Rick Riordan and Jeanine Rainey, and stepmother, Michelle Riordan.
Army 1st Lt. Daniel P. Riordan was killed in action on 6/23/07.
Army Capt. Darrell C. Lewis
Remember Our Heroes
Army Capt. Darrell C. Lewis, 31, of Washington, D.C.
Cpt. Lewis was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died June 23, 2007 in Vashir City, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his unit was attacked by insurgents using rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and small-arms fire.
D.C. soldier killed in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
Army Capt. Darrell C. Lewis was raised in an area known for drugs and violence. But his family described him as a natural leader who used an inquisitive mind to chase his dreams.
He showed no fear when walking down dangerous streets, and from an early age he rode buses across town to schools outside the neighborhood.
“He knew there was more to life,” said Trina Lewis, a cousin.
Lewis, 31, of Washington, D.C., died June 23 in Vashir City, Afghanistan, after his unit came under attack. He was assigned to Fort Riley, Kan.
“You can’t express it in words it was in his face,” said his mother, Hannah Lewis. “Being in the military was the happiest I’ve ever seen my child.”
At Wittenberg University, Lewis learned Japanese and Chinese.
After joining the Army, he served in Georgia and Washington state, then completed a two-year tour in South Korea.
Hannah Lewis recalled embracing her son for what would be the last time at his wedding reception in San Antonio in December. “I knew he was going away, and I just remembered the hug,” she said.
He also is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and infant son, Rashawn. Lewis also had a 7-year-old daughter, Taylor.
Army Capt. Darrell C. Lewis was killed in action on 6/23/07.
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Army Capt. Darrell C. Lewis, 31, of Washington, D.C.
Cpt. Lewis was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died June 23, 2007 in Vashir City, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his unit was attacked by insurgents using rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and small-arms fire.
D.C. soldier killed in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
Army Capt. Darrell C. Lewis was raised in an area known for drugs and violence. But his family described him as a natural leader who used an inquisitive mind to chase his dreams.
He showed no fear when walking down dangerous streets, and from an early age he rode buses across town to schools outside the neighborhood.
“He knew there was more to life,” said Trina Lewis, a cousin.
Lewis, 31, of Washington, D.C., died June 23 in Vashir City, Afghanistan, after his unit came under attack. He was assigned to Fort Riley, Kan.
“You can’t express it in words it was in his face,” said his mother, Hannah Lewis. “Being in the military was the happiest I’ve ever seen my child.”
At Wittenberg University, Lewis learned Japanese and Chinese.
After joining the Army, he served in Georgia and Washington state, then completed a two-year tour in South Korea.
Hannah Lewis recalled embracing her son for what would be the last time at his wedding reception in San Antonio in December. “I knew he was going away, and I just remembered the hug,” she said.
He also is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and infant son, Rashawn. Lewis also had a 7-year-old daughter, Taylor.
Army Capt. Darrell C. Lewis was killed in action on 6/23/07.
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Thursday, June 21, 2007
Army Sgt. Dustin J. Perrott
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Dustin J. Perrott, 23, of Fredericksburg, Va.
Sgt. Perrott was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died June 21, 2007 in Miri, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
N.C.-based paratrooper dies after bomb explodes in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — A soldier based in North Carolina has died from injuries he suffered when a bomb exploded in Afghanistan, the military announced June 22.
Sgt. Dustin Perrott, 23, of Fredericksburg, Va., died June 21 after the explosion near Miri. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg.
Perrott is survived by his wife, Anna Marie Perrott, who lives in Fayetteville.
Perrott, who joined the Army in March 2004, was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart and other military decorations, according to the 82nd Airborne.
“You just couldn’t help but smile when you talked to him. He will be sorely missed by all of us who knew him, and our thoughts are with his family during their time of grief,” said Lt. Col. Timothy McAteer, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
Final roll call honors 45th soldier killed in Afghanistan this year
By Jason Straziuso
The Associated Press
FORWARD OPERATING BASE GHAZNI, Afghanistan — Sgt. Dustin Perrott’s boots lay beneath an American flag lowered to half-staff as members of his company gave a final salute.
Perrott’s first sergeant barked out his squad’s roll call, shouting the fallen soldier’s name three times into the still evening air. When the 23-year-old did not answer, a 21-gun salute shattered the silence. A bugler played taps.
“We place so much on the shoulders of men like Sergeant Perrott, and as his commander I’m glad he chose to serve,” Lt. Col. Timothy McAteer, Perrott’s battalion commander, told the several hundred soldiers gathered at the ceremony June 23. “We must never let our nation forget his sacrifice.”
Perrott became the 45th U.S. soldier to die in Afghanistan this year when the Humvee he was riding in through the southern province of Ghazni on June 21 was hit by a roadside bomb. Perrott, riding in the right rear seat, died from head injuries.
It was the fourth roadside bomb to explode in Ghazni in four days. U.S. soldiers here are participating in the first operation planned and led by the Afghan army, an effort to push Taliban fighters out of this region and establish security and government for the first time in years.
Called “Dusty” by the men in his company, the Virginia man volunteered to go to Iraq in December 2004. He had been awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal and a Purple Heart. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, N.C.
The roar from two Black Hawk helicopters that brought in the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Maj. Gen. David Rodriguez, washed out the first minutes of the ceremony, held under a fading sun.
When the helicopters pulled away, sniffles from soldiers standing at attention could be heard.
Spc. Clinton Vance, a friend, quoted the Book of Isaiah: “The path I have chosen for you is this, to loosen the bonds of wickedness.”
“He volunteered to leave his house and his wife to let those oppressed go free,” Vance said.
A soldier played “Amazing Grace” on bagpipes as soldiers wept. The men and women of the battalion filed past Perrott’s boots, rifle and helmet. One knelt, another made the sign of the cross.
“It’s a great way to say goodbye to a brave hero,” Rodriguez said afterward, tears welling in his eyes. As the commanding general of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, he attends almost every memorial ceremony.
As the last rays of light faded, soldiers from Perrott’s company gathered for a final photo in front of his gear.
A giant reconnaissance blimp that had been lowered for the ceremony rose into the air to survey the base’s surroundings. Diesel generators roared back to life, spewing acrid smoke into the sky. Soldiers walked away in silence, returning to their tasks.
Army Sgt. Dustin J. Perrott was killed in action on 6/21/07.
For Larger Images
Army Sgt. Dustin J. Perrott, 23, of Fredericksburg, Va.
Sgt. Perrott was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died June 21, 2007 in Miri, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
N.C.-based paratrooper dies after bomb explodes in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — A soldier based in North Carolina has died from injuries he suffered when a bomb exploded in Afghanistan, the military announced June 22.
Sgt. Dustin Perrott, 23, of Fredericksburg, Va., died June 21 after the explosion near Miri. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg.
Perrott is survived by his wife, Anna Marie Perrott, who lives in Fayetteville.
Perrott, who joined the Army in March 2004, was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart and other military decorations, according to the 82nd Airborne.
“You just couldn’t help but smile when you talked to him. He will be sorely missed by all of us who knew him, and our thoughts are with his family during their time of grief,” said Lt. Col. Timothy McAteer, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
Final roll call honors 45th soldier killed in Afghanistan this year
By Jason Straziuso
The Associated Press
FORWARD OPERATING BASE GHAZNI, Afghanistan — Sgt. Dustin Perrott’s boots lay beneath an American flag lowered to half-staff as members of his company gave a final salute.
Perrott’s first sergeant barked out his squad’s roll call, shouting the fallen soldier’s name three times into the still evening air. When the 23-year-old did not answer, a 21-gun salute shattered the silence. A bugler played taps.
“We place so much on the shoulders of men like Sergeant Perrott, and as his commander I’m glad he chose to serve,” Lt. Col. Timothy McAteer, Perrott’s battalion commander, told the several hundred soldiers gathered at the ceremony June 23. “We must never let our nation forget his sacrifice.”
Perrott became the 45th U.S. soldier to die in Afghanistan this year when the Humvee he was riding in through the southern province of Ghazni on June 21 was hit by a roadside bomb. Perrott, riding in the right rear seat, died from head injuries.
It was the fourth roadside bomb to explode in Ghazni in four days. U.S. soldiers here are participating in the first operation planned and led by the Afghan army, an effort to push Taliban fighters out of this region and establish security and government for the first time in years.
Called “Dusty” by the men in his company, the Virginia man volunteered to go to Iraq in December 2004. He had been awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal and a Purple Heart. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, N.C.
The roar from two Black Hawk helicopters that brought in the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Maj. Gen. David Rodriguez, washed out the first minutes of the ceremony, held under a fading sun.
When the helicopters pulled away, sniffles from soldiers standing at attention could be heard.
Spc. Clinton Vance, a friend, quoted the Book of Isaiah: “The path I have chosen for you is this, to loosen the bonds of wickedness.”
“He volunteered to leave his house and his wife to let those oppressed go free,” Vance said.
A soldier played “Amazing Grace” on bagpipes as soldiers wept. The men and women of the battalion filed past Perrott’s boots, rifle and helmet. One knelt, another made the sign of the cross.
“It’s a great way to say goodbye to a brave hero,” Rodriguez said afterward, tears welling in his eyes. As the commanding general of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, he attends almost every memorial ceremony.
As the last rays of light faded, soldiers from Perrott’s company gathered for a final photo in front of his gear.
A giant reconnaissance blimp that had been lowered for the ceremony rose into the air to survey the base’s surroundings. Diesel generators roared back to life, spewing acrid smoke into the sky. Soldiers walked away in silence, returning to their tasks.
Army Sgt. Dustin J. Perrott was killed in action on 6/21/07.
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Army Sgt. Frank Sandoval
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Frank Sandoval suffered severe head injuries in November 2005 when he was hit by shrapnel from an IED in Iraq. He lost his battle on June 21, 2007, after a surgery to implant an artificial "bone flap" - a prosthesis that would replace the portion of his skull that was lost in the 2005 incident. Initially, the surgery appeared to be a success, but when he did not awaken soon after the operation, a CT scan revealed massive swelling of the brain. Sandoval immediately underwent another surgery to remove the flap, as well as another portion of his skull to relieve the pressure. The reason for the swelling remains unclear, and Sandoval never regained consciousness.
Soldier wounded in Iraq in 2005 near death
The Associated Press
A Yuma soldier who was wounded two years ago during his second tour of duty in Iraq, is expected to be taken off life support later this week.
Reports that Sgt. Frank Sandoval had died Monday at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Palo Alto, Calif., were erroneous, according to The Yuma Sun.
Sandoval had undergone surgery last week to replace a missing skull piece with a prosthetic mold.
The hospital declined to further comment on his death.
Sandoval was injured in November 2005 in Baghdad after he volunteered to be in the lead vehicle on a patrol. He had been manning a .50-caliber machine gun mounted on a Humvee when an explosion from a roadside bomb caused a projectile to become lodged in his right temple, forcing doctors to remove a piece of his skull.
After he was evacuated by air, Sandoval made his way to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and on Christmas Eve 2005, Sandoval's wife and parents were there as he woke from a deep coma.
Sandoval spent most of last year in a hospital before eventually returning home to Yuma in September. He underwent extensive physical, speech and occupational therapy at Yuma Rehabilitation Hospital, relearning how to do things that were once simple for him, such as grooming and getting dressed.
He received a Purple Heart for his injury and a Bronze Star, the fourth-highest combat award for bravery in the U.S. military.
At a Yuma ceremony honoring him in March, Sandoval said to the crowd, "I feel honored by all this. But the honor was to serve my country."
In November, Sandoval was reunited with his former unit, Battery B of the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Field Artillery, which had been ordered to Yuma Proving Ground from Fort Sill, Okla.
Family friend Yolie Canales said she knows the Sandovals will make it through this tough time.
"The Sandovals are a very united and loving, loving family, and they will grieve together and support each other," she said. "I know they are extremely saddened. But because their faith is so strong they will find lots of comfort knowing that he is in the Lord's hands now."
Army Sgt. Frank Sandoval suffered severe head injuries in November 2005 when he was hit by shrapnel from an IED in Iraq. He lost his battle on June 21, 2007, after a surgery to implant an artificial "bone flap" - a prosthesis that would replace the portion of his skull that was lost in the 2005 incident. Initially, the surgery appeared to be a success, but when he did not awaken soon after the operation, a CT scan revealed massive swelling of the brain. Sandoval immediately underwent another surgery to remove the flap, as well as another portion of his skull to relieve the pressure. The reason for the swelling remains unclear, and Sandoval never regained consciousness.
Soldier wounded in Iraq in 2005 near death
The Associated Press
A Yuma soldier who was wounded two years ago during his second tour of duty in Iraq, is expected to be taken off life support later this week.
Reports that Sgt. Frank Sandoval had died Monday at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Palo Alto, Calif., were erroneous, according to The Yuma Sun.
Sandoval had undergone surgery last week to replace a missing skull piece with a prosthetic mold.
The hospital declined to further comment on his death.
Sandoval was injured in November 2005 in Baghdad after he volunteered to be in the lead vehicle on a patrol. He had been manning a .50-caliber machine gun mounted on a Humvee when an explosion from a roadside bomb caused a projectile to become lodged in his right temple, forcing doctors to remove a piece of his skull.
After he was evacuated by air, Sandoval made his way to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and on Christmas Eve 2005, Sandoval's wife and parents were there as he woke from a deep coma.
Sandoval spent most of last year in a hospital before eventually returning home to Yuma in September. He underwent extensive physical, speech and occupational therapy at Yuma Rehabilitation Hospital, relearning how to do things that were once simple for him, such as grooming and getting dressed.
He received a Purple Heart for his injury and a Bronze Star, the fourth-highest combat award for bravery in the U.S. military.
At a Yuma ceremony honoring him in March, Sandoval said to the crowd, "I feel honored by all this. But the honor was to serve my country."
In November, Sandoval was reunited with his former unit, Battery B of the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Field Artillery, which had been ordered to Yuma Proving Ground from Fort Sill, Okla.
Family friend Yolie Canales said she knows the Sandovals will make it through this tough time.
"The Sandovals are a very united and loving, loving family, and they will grieve together and support each other," she said. "I know they are extremely saddened. But because their faith is so strong they will find lots of comfort knowing that he is in the Lord's hands now."
Army Specialist Karen N. Clifton
Remember Our Heroes
Army Specialist Karen N. Clifton, 22, of Lehigh Acres, Fla.
Spc. Clifton was assigned to the 554th Military Police Company, 95th Military Police Battalion, Kaiserslautern, Germany; died June 21, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when her vehicle was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade.
Illinois-born soldier killed in Iraq to be buried June 30
The Associated Press
MOUNT ZION, Ill. — Funeral services for Army Cpl. Karen Nicole Clifton, 22, will be held June 30 at the Dawson & Wikoff Funeral Home here, family members announced June 28.
Clifton — who died June 21 in Baghdad, Iraq of wounds suffered when her vehicle was hit with a rocket propelled grenade — will be buried with full military honors at Point Pleasant Cemetery in Long Creek.
A native of Mount Zion, Clifton moved to Lehigh Acres, Fla., to finish high school and enlisted in the Army from there, said Elizabeth Austin, a spokeswoman for Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn. Clifton’s parents and other family members still live in the Mount Zion area, Austin said.
Clifton was assigned to the 554th Military Police Company, 95th Military Police Battalion, Kaiserslautern, Germany.
A specialist 4th class at the time of her death, Clifton was posthumously promoted to corporal, Austin said.
Sister recalls soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
Cindy Blackston always looked up to her older sister, Army Spc. Karen N. Clifton.
“She loved her career,” said Blackston. “She cared about everybody. She said she had like a family over there. She was never down. She never cried. I love her, and I miss her.”
Clifton, 22, of Lehigh Acres, Fla., was killed June 21 in Baghdad when her vehicle was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade.
She was a 2003 high school graduate and was assigned to Kaiserslautern, Germany.
“Ever since she was a little girl, she wanted to be in the Army,” Blackston recalled. “We tried to talk her out of it, but that’s what she wanted to do. She wanted to be on the front lines, and she wanted to support her country.”
Clifton enjoyed poetry, music, shopping and Indy car racing. She also liked watching horror, comedy and action films. She was attending college in Germany and hoped to become a state trooper.
“I just want everybody to know that she was a hero, and she fought for this country for everybody. And I just hope people appreciate what she did,” said mother Chris Hancock.
She also is survived by her father, Doug Clifton.
Army Specialist Karen N. Clifton was killed in action on 6/21/07.
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Army Specialist Karen N. Clifton, 22, of Lehigh Acres, Fla.
Spc. Clifton was assigned to the 554th Military Police Company, 95th Military Police Battalion, Kaiserslautern, Germany; died June 21, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when her vehicle was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade.
Illinois-born soldier killed in Iraq to be buried June 30
The Associated Press
MOUNT ZION, Ill. — Funeral services for Army Cpl. Karen Nicole Clifton, 22, will be held June 30 at the Dawson & Wikoff Funeral Home here, family members announced June 28.
Clifton — who died June 21 in Baghdad, Iraq of wounds suffered when her vehicle was hit with a rocket propelled grenade — will be buried with full military honors at Point Pleasant Cemetery in Long Creek.
A native of Mount Zion, Clifton moved to Lehigh Acres, Fla., to finish high school and enlisted in the Army from there, said Elizabeth Austin, a spokeswoman for Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn. Clifton’s parents and other family members still live in the Mount Zion area, Austin said.
Clifton was assigned to the 554th Military Police Company, 95th Military Police Battalion, Kaiserslautern, Germany.
A specialist 4th class at the time of her death, Clifton was posthumously promoted to corporal, Austin said.
Sister recalls soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
Cindy Blackston always looked up to her older sister, Army Spc. Karen N. Clifton.
“She loved her career,” said Blackston. “She cared about everybody. She said she had like a family over there. She was never down. She never cried. I love her, and I miss her.”
Clifton, 22, of Lehigh Acres, Fla., was killed June 21 in Baghdad when her vehicle was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade.
She was a 2003 high school graduate and was assigned to Kaiserslautern, Germany.
“Ever since she was a little girl, she wanted to be in the Army,” Blackston recalled. “We tried to talk her out of it, but that’s what she wanted to do. She wanted to be on the front lines, and she wanted to support her country.”
Clifton enjoyed poetry, music, shopping and Indy car racing. She also liked watching horror, comedy and action films. She was attending college in Germany and hoped to become a state trooper.
“I just want everybody to know that she was a hero, and she fought for this country for everybody. And I just hope people appreciate what she did,” said mother Chris Hancock.
She also is survived by her father, Doug Clifton.
Army Specialist Karen N. Clifton was killed in action on 6/21/07.
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Army Specialist Daniel J. Agami
Remember Our Heroes
Army Specialist Daniel J. Agami, 25, of Coconut Creek, Fla.
Spc. Agami was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany; died June 21, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Sgt. Alphonso J. Montenegro II, Sgt. Ryan M. Wood, Pfc. Anthony D. Hebert and Pfc. Thomas R. Leemhuis.
Coconut Creek soldier killed by explosive in Iraq
The Associated Press
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. — A Florida soldier was among five killed in an explosion in Iraq, military officials said.
Pfc. Daniel J. Agami, 25, of Coconut Creek, died June 21 from injuries he suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Baghdad, the Department of Defense said June 25.
Agami and the others killed were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, based in Schweinfurt, Germany.
Agami was quoted in a Newsweek magazine article in April about Adhamiya, one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Baghdad. He told the magazine an Army plan to put more soldiers on foot patrol in the capital would leave troops more vulnerable to attack.
“Walk out of here in the middle of the day without enough firepower and you have to retreat? Guess what, your whole platoon is [screwed],” Agami told the magazine.
On a recent visit home, Agami said he faced “bloody battles with insurgents. I go on daily or nightly missions raiding Iraqi homes to find weapons and bombs. The deaths of my friends have been traumatic. I lost six of my closest friends. America fights for freedom and survival for the souls of the entire world.”
Relatives and friends in South Florida remember being shocked when Agami, a music lover with a sunny personality, enlisted two years ago.
“He felt a responsibility to his country,” said his father, Itzhak Agami.
Since deploying to Iraq a year ago, he communicated with friends daily through e-mail and his MySpace page, said his girlfriend, Gina Mulligan.
“He was always happy, even in Iraq. He’d tell me, ‘Baby, it’s OK, it’s fine. Baby, I’m your warrior, I’m protecting you,’ ” Mulligan said.
Lt. Col. Doug Maddox, the Army’s casualty assistance officer, said Agami’s parents will be presented with his Purple Heart, Bronze Star and an Army commendation medal at his funeral June 26.
Agami is survived by his parents, a brother and sister.
Family, friends remember soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
Army Pfc. Daniel J. Agami was well-known for taking pride in teaching his fellow soldiers about Judaism, many of whom told him they were unfamiliar with his faith.
In the Army, “Jewish kids often hide the fact they are Jewish,” Rabbi Denburg said. “He was the only Jew on base that was openly proud to say he was a Jew.” Fellow soldiers affectionately called him “G.I. Jew.”
Agami, 25, of Coconut Creek, Fla., was killed June 21 by an explosive in Baghdad. He was assigned to Schweinfurt, Germany.
“How can you put it in the words? He was the best of the best,” said Sandra Becker, his grandmother.
Agami kept in touch with everyone on his MySpace page, where he displayed his zany sense of humor with dozens of pictures of him in combat — and at play.
He “was the sweetest boyfriend,” said Gina Mulligan, and he called her every other day. He made sure to send her affectionate daily e-mails, too, even if they were just to say “Hi, bye, I’m OK.”
He is survived by his parents, Beth and Itzhak.
“He loved to party,” said Itzhak Agami. “He was quick with the jokes. He had 10,000 friends, and 10,000 friends thinking he was their best friend.”
Army Specialist Daniel J. Agami was killed in action on 6/21/07.
Army Specialist Daniel J. Agami, 25, of Coconut Creek, Fla.
Spc. Agami was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany; died June 21, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Sgt. Alphonso J. Montenegro II, Sgt. Ryan M. Wood, Pfc. Anthony D. Hebert and Pfc. Thomas R. Leemhuis.
Coconut Creek soldier killed by explosive in Iraq
The Associated Press
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. — A Florida soldier was among five killed in an explosion in Iraq, military officials said.
Pfc. Daniel J. Agami, 25, of Coconut Creek, died June 21 from injuries he suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Baghdad, the Department of Defense said June 25.
Agami and the others killed were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, based in Schweinfurt, Germany.
Agami was quoted in a Newsweek magazine article in April about Adhamiya, one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Baghdad. He told the magazine an Army plan to put more soldiers on foot patrol in the capital would leave troops more vulnerable to attack.
“Walk out of here in the middle of the day without enough firepower and you have to retreat? Guess what, your whole platoon is [screwed],” Agami told the magazine.
On a recent visit home, Agami said he faced “bloody battles with insurgents. I go on daily or nightly missions raiding Iraqi homes to find weapons and bombs. The deaths of my friends have been traumatic. I lost six of my closest friends. America fights for freedom and survival for the souls of the entire world.”
Relatives and friends in South Florida remember being shocked when Agami, a music lover with a sunny personality, enlisted two years ago.
“He felt a responsibility to his country,” said his father, Itzhak Agami.
Since deploying to Iraq a year ago, he communicated with friends daily through e-mail and his MySpace page, said his girlfriend, Gina Mulligan.
“He was always happy, even in Iraq. He’d tell me, ‘Baby, it’s OK, it’s fine. Baby, I’m your warrior, I’m protecting you,’ ” Mulligan said.
Lt. Col. Doug Maddox, the Army’s casualty assistance officer, said Agami’s parents will be presented with his Purple Heart, Bronze Star and an Army commendation medal at his funeral June 26.
Agami is survived by his parents, a brother and sister.
Family, friends remember soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
Army Pfc. Daniel J. Agami was well-known for taking pride in teaching his fellow soldiers about Judaism, many of whom told him they were unfamiliar with his faith.
In the Army, “Jewish kids often hide the fact they are Jewish,” Rabbi Denburg said. “He was the only Jew on base that was openly proud to say he was a Jew.” Fellow soldiers affectionately called him “G.I. Jew.”
Agami, 25, of Coconut Creek, Fla., was killed June 21 by an explosive in Baghdad. He was assigned to Schweinfurt, Germany.
“How can you put it in the words? He was the best of the best,” said Sandra Becker, his grandmother.
Agami kept in touch with everyone on his MySpace page, where he displayed his zany sense of humor with dozens of pictures of him in combat — and at play.
He “was the sweetest boyfriend,” said Gina Mulligan, and he called her every other day. He made sure to send her affectionate daily e-mails, too, even if they were just to say “Hi, bye, I’m OK.”
He is survived by his parents, Beth and Itzhak.
“He loved to party,” said Itzhak Agami. “He was quick with the jokes. He had 10,000 friends, and 10,000 friends thinking he was their best friend.”
Army Specialist Daniel J. Agami was killed in action on 6/21/07.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Army Pfc. David J. Bentz III
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. David J. Bentz III, 20, of Newfield, N.J.
Pfc. Bentz was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died June 20, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Maj. Sid W. Brookshire, Staff Sgt. Darren P. Hubbell and Spc. Joe G. Charfauros Jr.
South Jersey soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
FRANKLIN, N.J. — A soldier from Gloucester County has been killed in Iraq, relatives said June 21.
Lena Butterworth of Millville, the mother of Pfc. David J. Bentz III, 20, said she was notified that her son was killed June 20 when the Army vehicle he was driving was struck by enemy fire.
The Defense Department has not yet formally announced Bentz’s death.
Bentz, who lived with his father David and stepmother, Bernadette Bentz, joined the Army last year and took basic training at Fort Benning, Ga. He was a 2004 graduate of Clayton High School.
Bernadette Bentz described her stepson as “happy-go-lucky, bright and charming.”
“We’re not just going to be grieving today,” Bernadette Bentz said. “We’re probably going to think about him for the rest of our lives. Every day.”
Family, friends remember soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
Army Pfc. David J. Bentz III was remembered by friends and family as a courteous, sweet man who knew how to put his dedication where it counted.
“He wasn’t rambunctious,” said Daniel Antonelli, his assistant principal and soccer coach. “He was on the quiet side. But out there on the field, he was tenacious. He’d get all over the place.
“I know he would have fought for his country the same way.”
Bentz III, 20, of Newfield, N.J., was killed June 20 in Baghdad when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb. He was a 2004 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Stewart, Ga.
Bentz loved to play poker and dreamed of becoming a professional card player when he got out of the Army. He delivered pizzas before enlisting.
Bentz studied law enforcement while in high school, and grew up very much the protector of his two younger sisters, Gabrielle Bentz and Brianna Butterworth.
“He was like a big daddy,” said Kimberly Geonnotti, his stepmother.
He also is survived by his father, David Bentz Jr., his birth mother, Lena Butterworth, and Bernadette Bentz, known as his third mother.
Protesters attend funeral of soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
CLAYTON, N.J. — A small group of protesters failed to disrupt funeral services held June 29 for a South Jersey soldier who was killed in Iraq earlier this month.
Veterans, Boy Scouts and area residents, many waving American flags, lined the street outside St. Catherine of Siena Church, where the funeral service was held for Pfc. David J. Bentz III.
Bentz, 20, a 2004 graduate of Clayton High School, was killed June 20 when his Army vehicle was struck by enemy fire in Baghdad.
Before Bentz was laid to rest in Gloucester County Veterans Memorial Cemetery, military officials posthumously awarded him five decorations and awards, including a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.
The funeral was protested by three representatives of the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas, whose members contend that military deaths in Iraq are God’s punishment for America’s tolerance of gays.
Standing behind barricades placed about 500 feet away from the church — the distance required by a state law that was passed in response to the group — the protesters carried signs, shouted and sang songs.
However, they were opposed by about 30 members of the Pennsylvania-based Patriot Guard motorcycle veterans group, who responded to the protesters by loudly singing the national anthem.
Army Pfc. David J. Bentz III was killed in action on 6/20/07.
Army Pfc. David J. Bentz III, 20, of Newfield, N.J.
Pfc. Bentz was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died June 20, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Maj. Sid W. Brookshire, Staff Sgt. Darren P. Hubbell and Spc. Joe G. Charfauros Jr.
South Jersey soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
FRANKLIN, N.J. — A soldier from Gloucester County has been killed in Iraq, relatives said June 21.
Lena Butterworth of Millville, the mother of Pfc. David J. Bentz III, 20, said she was notified that her son was killed June 20 when the Army vehicle he was driving was struck by enemy fire.
The Defense Department has not yet formally announced Bentz’s death.
Bentz, who lived with his father David and stepmother, Bernadette Bentz, joined the Army last year and took basic training at Fort Benning, Ga. He was a 2004 graduate of Clayton High School.
Bernadette Bentz described her stepson as “happy-go-lucky, bright and charming.”
“We’re not just going to be grieving today,” Bernadette Bentz said. “We’re probably going to think about him for the rest of our lives. Every day.”
Family, friends remember soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
Army Pfc. David J. Bentz III was remembered by friends and family as a courteous, sweet man who knew how to put his dedication where it counted.
“He wasn’t rambunctious,” said Daniel Antonelli, his assistant principal and soccer coach. “He was on the quiet side. But out there on the field, he was tenacious. He’d get all over the place.
“I know he would have fought for his country the same way.”
Bentz III, 20, of Newfield, N.J., was killed June 20 in Baghdad when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb. He was a 2004 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Stewart, Ga.
Bentz loved to play poker and dreamed of becoming a professional card player when he got out of the Army. He delivered pizzas before enlisting.
Bentz studied law enforcement while in high school, and grew up very much the protector of his two younger sisters, Gabrielle Bentz and Brianna Butterworth.
“He was like a big daddy,” said Kimberly Geonnotti, his stepmother.
He also is survived by his father, David Bentz Jr., his birth mother, Lena Butterworth, and Bernadette Bentz, known as his third mother.
Protesters attend funeral of soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
CLAYTON, N.J. — A small group of protesters failed to disrupt funeral services held June 29 for a South Jersey soldier who was killed in Iraq earlier this month.
Veterans, Boy Scouts and area residents, many waving American flags, lined the street outside St. Catherine of Siena Church, where the funeral service was held for Pfc. David J. Bentz III.
Bentz, 20, a 2004 graduate of Clayton High School, was killed June 20 when his Army vehicle was struck by enemy fire in Baghdad.
Before Bentz was laid to rest in Gloucester County Veterans Memorial Cemetery, military officials posthumously awarded him five decorations and awards, including a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.
The funeral was protested by three representatives of the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas, whose members contend that military deaths in Iraq are God’s punishment for America’s tolerance of gays.
Standing behind barricades placed about 500 feet away from the church — the distance required by a state law that was passed in response to the group — the protesters carried signs, shouted and sang songs.
However, they were opposed by about 30 members of the Pennsylvania-based Patriot Guard motorcycle veterans group, who responded to the protesters by loudly singing the national anthem.
Army Pfc. David J. Bentz III was killed in action on 6/20/07.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Army Specialist Darryl W. Linder
Remember Our Heroes
Army Specialist Darryl W. Linder, 23, of Hickory, N.C.
Spc. Linder was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died June 19,2007 in Baqubah, Iraq, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device.
N.C. man killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
HICKORY, N.C. — A North Carolina man has died from wounds suffered from a roadside bomb that exploded in Iraq, the military said June 20.
Army Spec. Darryl Wardlaw “Ward” Linder, 24, died June 19 in Baqubah, the Defense Department said. Wardlaw was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, of the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas.
Linder joined the Marine Corps in 2001 and served in Afghanistan. After working for his father briefly, he enlisted in the Army and deployed to Iraq in January.
“He said he wanted to go to Iraq,” said his father, Darryl Linder. “There was nothing here as exciting. He was very much a patriot.”
His survivors include a 3-year-old son, Kyle.
Darryl Linder last talked to his son on Father’s Day. The next news about his son came when an Army chaplain visited the family June 19.
Linder, who graduated from Fred T. Foard High School, excelled in football and baseball in high school, said his lifelong friend, Jeff Fulbright. He also liked to hunt, fish, go camping and bowl.
“He had a magnetism that attracted everybody,” Darryl Linder said.
In the midst of combat, Ward wrote a Mother’s Day card on a pack of meals ready to eat and mailed it home.
He was due to come home on leave next month.
Army Specialist Darryl W. Linder was killed in action on 6/19/07.
Larger Images
Army Specialist Darryl W. Linder, 23, of Hickory, N.C.
Spc. Linder was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died June 19,2007 in Baqubah, Iraq, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device.
N.C. man killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
HICKORY, N.C. — A North Carolina man has died from wounds suffered from a roadside bomb that exploded in Iraq, the military said June 20.
Army Spec. Darryl Wardlaw “Ward” Linder, 24, died June 19 in Baqubah, the Defense Department said. Wardlaw was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, of the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas.
Linder joined the Marine Corps in 2001 and served in Afghanistan. After working for his father briefly, he enlisted in the Army and deployed to Iraq in January.
“He said he wanted to go to Iraq,” said his father, Darryl Linder. “There was nothing here as exciting. He was very much a patriot.”
His survivors include a 3-year-old son, Kyle.
Darryl Linder last talked to his son on Father’s Day. The next news about his son came when an Army chaplain visited the family June 19.
Linder, who graduated from Fred T. Foard High School, excelled in football and baseball in high school, said his lifelong friend, Jeff Fulbright. He also liked to hunt, fish, go camping and bowl.
“He had a magnetism that attracted everybody,” Darryl Linder said.
In the midst of combat, Ward wrote a Mother’s Day card on a pack of meals ready to eat and mailed it home.
He was due to come home on leave next month.
Army Specialist Darryl W. Linder was killed in action on 6/19/07.
Larger Images
Monday, June 18, 2007
Army Pfc. David A. Wilkey Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. David A. Wilkey Jr., 22, of Elkhart, Ind.
Pfc. Wilkey was assigned to 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died June 18, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit in Baghdad.
Upper Peninsula native killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
WILSON, Mich. — A soldier born in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq, the Defense Department and family members said June 19.
Spc. David Anthony Wilkey Jr., 22, died June 18 from wounds suffered the previous day when a roadside bomb blew up near his unit in Baghdad, the Pentagon said. Wilkey was riding in a Humvee convoy, said his father, David Wilkey Sr. of Elkhart, Ind.
Wilkey Jr. was born in Norway, Mich., and grew up in Wilson, his father said. As a teenager, he moved to Elkhart, where he graduated from Jimtown High School.
He worked with his father at Plastic Components Inc. for several years before joining the Army and being deployed to Iraq, family members said.
“He’s going to be missed,” David Wilkey Sr. said. “He’s made a lot of friends.”
Wilkey was married and had a 1-year-old son and a 4-year-old stepson. His wife is expecting another child in October.
Wilkey was based out of Fort Riley, Kan., and nearby Clay Center was his most recent home. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade, 1st Infantry Division.
A memorial service is planned at Fort Riley. Wilkey will be buried in Powers, Mich., in the area where he grew up, his family said.
Fort Riley reports 4 soldier deaths in Iraq, Afghanistan
The Associated Press
FORT RILEY, Kan. — Three Fort Riley soldiers serving in Afghanistan and one serving in Iraq have died of wounds they suffered in weekend bombings, the Army said Tuesday.
Officials of the northeast Kansas post identified those killed in Afghanistan as Capt. Joshua E. Steele, 26, of North Henderson, Ill.; Sgt. 1st Class Christopher D. Henderson, 35, of Hillsboro, Ore.; and Sgt. 1st Class John M. Hennen, 26, of Vinton, La.
The three men were wounded Sunday in Panjway when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle. They were serving on a transition team assigned to Fort Riley-based 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division.
In Iraq, Spc. David Anthony Wilkey Jr., 22, was wounded Sunday by a roadside bomb in Baghdad and died Monday. Relatives said Wilkey was born in Michigan, moved as a teenager to Elkhart, Ind., and had lived most recently with his wife and two children in Clay Center, Kan.
Wilkey was assigned to 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade, 1st Infantry Division.
Army Pfc. David A. Wilkey Jr. was killed in action on 6/18/07.
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Army Pfc. David A. Wilkey Jr., 22, of Elkhart, Ind.
Pfc. Wilkey was assigned to 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died June 18, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit in Baghdad.
Upper Peninsula native killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
WILSON, Mich. — A soldier born in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq, the Defense Department and family members said June 19.
Spc. David Anthony Wilkey Jr., 22, died June 18 from wounds suffered the previous day when a roadside bomb blew up near his unit in Baghdad, the Pentagon said. Wilkey was riding in a Humvee convoy, said his father, David Wilkey Sr. of Elkhart, Ind.
Wilkey Jr. was born in Norway, Mich., and grew up in Wilson, his father said. As a teenager, he moved to Elkhart, where he graduated from Jimtown High School.
He worked with his father at Plastic Components Inc. for several years before joining the Army and being deployed to Iraq, family members said.
“He’s going to be missed,” David Wilkey Sr. said. “He’s made a lot of friends.”
Wilkey was married and had a 1-year-old son and a 4-year-old stepson. His wife is expecting another child in October.
Wilkey was based out of Fort Riley, Kan., and nearby Clay Center was his most recent home. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade, 1st Infantry Division.
A memorial service is planned at Fort Riley. Wilkey will be buried in Powers, Mich., in the area where he grew up, his family said.
Fort Riley reports 4 soldier deaths in Iraq, Afghanistan
The Associated Press
FORT RILEY, Kan. — Three Fort Riley soldiers serving in Afghanistan and one serving in Iraq have died of wounds they suffered in weekend bombings, the Army said Tuesday.
Officials of the northeast Kansas post identified those killed in Afghanistan as Capt. Joshua E. Steele, 26, of North Henderson, Ill.; Sgt. 1st Class Christopher D. Henderson, 35, of Hillsboro, Ore.; and Sgt. 1st Class John M. Hennen, 26, of Vinton, La.
The three men were wounded Sunday in Panjway when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle. They were serving on a transition team assigned to Fort Riley-based 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division.
In Iraq, Spc. David Anthony Wilkey Jr., 22, was wounded Sunday by a roadside bomb in Baghdad and died Monday. Relatives said Wilkey was born in Michigan, moved as a teenager to Elkhart, Ind., and had lived most recently with his wife and two children in Clay Center, Kan.
Wilkey was assigned to 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade, 1st Infantry Division.
Army Pfc. David A. Wilkey Jr. was killed in action on 6/18/07.
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Army Pfc. Larry Parks Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Larry Parks Jr., 24, of Altoona, Pa.
Pfc. Parks was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died June 18, 2007 in Arab Jabor, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Pa. soldier, volunteer firefighter, killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
ALTOONA, Pa. — A Pennsylvania soldier known for his dedication as a volunteer firefighter was killed in Iraq, his family and friends said June 19.
The Pentagon has confirmed that a soldier was killed June 18 by small-arms fire in Baghdad, but did not immediately say whether the soldier was Pfc. Larry Parks, 24, of Altoona.
Parks’ brother, Adam, said June 19 the military informed the family June 18 of Larry Parks’ death. Parks was a tank gunner stationed at Fort Stewart, Ga., he said.
Bob Dennis, president of the Newburg Fire Association, said Parks “liked life in the fast lane and was full of adventure.” Parks enlisted in the military last year, Dennis said.
Firefighters gathering for a monthly meeting June 19 draped black bunting around the Newburg Fire Hall. Parks had been a volunteer firefighter for eight years, enlisting when he was 16 after having hung around the station when he was younger. Parks lived nearby, Dennis said.
Parks watched over younger firefighters, and they in turn idolized him, Dennis said. He had such a reputation for adventure that he received the nickname “Tasmanian Devil,” after the cartoon character that moves at breakneck speeds.
“He was the life of every party we’ve ever had,” Adam Parks, 21, said in a phone interview. “He was unexplainable.”
Parks enjoyed working on cars, especially Chevrolets. His dedication to the volunteer fire department rubbed off on his little brother.
“I’d seen him get into it, and right after that, I did,” Adam Parks said.
Army Pfc. Larry Parks Jr. was killed in action on 6/18/07.
Army Pfc. Larry Parks Jr., 24, of Altoona, Pa.
Pfc. Parks was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died June 18, 2007 in Arab Jabor, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Pa. soldier, volunteer firefighter, killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
ALTOONA, Pa. — A Pennsylvania soldier known for his dedication as a volunteer firefighter was killed in Iraq, his family and friends said June 19.
The Pentagon has confirmed that a soldier was killed June 18 by small-arms fire in Baghdad, but did not immediately say whether the soldier was Pfc. Larry Parks, 24, of Altoona.
Parks’ brother, Adam, said June 19 the military informed the family June 18 of Larry Parks’ death. Parks was a tank gunner stationed at Fort Stewart, Ga., he said.
Bob Dennis, president of the Newburg Fire Association, said Parks “liked life in the fast lane and was full of adventure.” Parks enlisted in the military last year, Dennis said.
Firefighters gathering for a monthly meeting June 19 draped black bunting around the Newburg Fire Hall. Parks had been a volunteer firefighter for eight years, enlisting when he was 16 after having hung around the station when he was younger. Parks lived nearby, Dennis said.
Parks watched over younger firefighters, and they in turn idolized him, Dennis said. He had such a reputation for adventure that he received the nickname “Tasmanian Devil,” after the cartoon character that moves at breakneck speeds.
“He was the life of every party we’ve ever had,” Adam Parks, 21, said in a phone interview. “He was unexplainable.”
Parks enjoyed working on cars, especially Chevrolets. His dedication to the volunteer fire department rubbed off on his little brother.
“I’d seen him get into it, and right after that, I did,” Adam Parks said.
Army Pfc. Larry Parks Jr. was killed in action on 6/18/07.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Army Staff Sgt. Roy P. Lewsader, Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Roy P. Lewsader, Jr., 36, of Clinton, Indiana
SSgt. Lewsader was assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died June 16 in Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained when his vehicle was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade.
Crowd turns out to honor return of Army Staff Sgt. Roy P. Lewsader Jr.
Clinton native killed in Afghanistan
By Arthur E. Foulkes
The Tribune-Star
TERRE HAUTE — Six military pallbearers stood at attention as the flag-draped casket of Army Staff Sgt. Roy P. Lewsader Jr. of Clinton was lowered slowly out of a jet Saturday morning at Terre Haute International Airport-Hulman Field.
The pallbearers carried Lewsader’s casket across the tarmac to a waiting hearse while friends, family, military personnel and others wanting to pay their respects looked on.
“Daddy is coming home,” Melissa Lewsader said she told their children that morning as she dressed and got ready to meet her husband as she always did when he was coming back from a tour of military duty.
“I did my makeup and everything,” she said, smiling faintly.
Lewsader, who died from wounds he received when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle in southern Afghanistan on June 16, was scheduled to return home from his current tour of duty July 1, Melissa Lewsader said.
“I thought this would get easier” as the days went by, she said. “But it’s gotten a lot more difficult.”
Dozens of motorcycles with the Indiana Patriot Guard Riders, police vehicles and family members escorted Lewsader’s hearse from Hulman Field through northern Terre Haute to Frist Funeral Home in Clinton, Roy Lewsader’s home town.
“We feel these guys are true American heroes,” said Jim Moxey, senior ride captain with the Patriot Guard Riders. Members of the motorcycle escort group carried large American flags ahead of and behind Roy Lewsader’s hearse all the way along the transportation route.
“We’ve got to show America that we support these boys,” Moxey said.
Hundreds of people crowded both sides of Indiana 163 at the edge of Clinton as Roy Lewsader’s motorcade arrived in his hometown before noon Saturday.
Smaller groups of people also turned out in nearby Lyford to greet the passing procession.
Roy Lewsader loved his job and volunteered for the mission he was on in Afghanistan, Melissa said. He believed in what he was doing “110 percent,” she said.
“He loved where he was. He loved the [Afghan] people,” she said.
Roy Lewsader enlisted in the Army on his 17th birthday in 1989, Melissa said of her husband. He did two tours of duty in Korea and was on his second tour in support of the current U.S. military efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq when he was killed, she said.
Melissa said she is happy she and her husband decided recently to return to Clinton, which is where both were raised. Being around family has helped during this time, she said.
“I can’t express my gratitude enough to the Wabash Valley,” Melissa said. The Indiana National Guard, the American Legion and others have all reached out to her and her family, she said.
“The response has been overwhelming,” Melissa said.
At the end of the drive from Terre Haute to Clinton, military pall-bearers again carried Roy Lewsader’s casket, this time from the hearse into Frist Funeral Home on Blackman Street.
Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at Frist Funeral Home.
Lewsader’s funeral is 10:30 a.m. Monday, also at Frist, with burial to follow at Roselawn Memorial Park with full military rites.
A dinner will follow at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6658 on North Ninth Street in Clinton.
“We’re here to show support for the families” of American servicemen and women, Moxey said of the dozens of motorcycle riders who escorted Roy Lewsader home for the last time.
“To us they really are heroes,” Moxey said.
Army Staff Sgt. Roy P. Lewsader, Jr. was killed in action on 6/16/07.
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Army Staff Sgt. Roy P. Lewsader, Jr., 36, of Clinton, Indiana
SSgt. Lewsader was assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died June 16 in Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained when his vehicle was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade.
Crowd turns out to honor return of Army Staff Sgt. Roy P. Lewsader Jr.
Clinton native killed in Afghanistan
By Arthur E. Foulkes
The Tribune-Star
TERRE HAUTE — Six military pallbearers stood at attention as the flag-draped casket of Army Staff Sgt. Roy P. Lewsader Jr. of Clinton was lowered slowly out of a jet Saturday morning at Terre Haute International Airport-Hulman Field.
The pallbearers carried Lewsader’s casket across the tarmac to a waiting hearse while friends, family, military personnel and others wanting to pay their respects looked on.
“Daddy is coming home,” Melissa Lewsader said she told their children that morning as she dressed and got ready to meet her husband as she always did when he was coming back from a tour of military duty.
“I did my makeup and everything,” she said, smiling faintly.
Lewsader, who died from wounds he received when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle in southern Afghanistan on June 16, was scheduled to return home from his current tour of duty July 1, Melissa Lewsader said.
“I thought this would get easier” as the days went by, she said. “But it’s gotten a lot more difficult.”
Dozens of motorcycles with the Indiana Patriot Guard Riders, police vehicles and family members escorted Lewsader’s hearse from Hulman Field through northern Terre Haute to Frist Funeral Home in Clinton, Roy Lewsader’s home town.
“We feel these guys are true American heroes,” said Jim Moxey, senior ride captain with the Patriot Guard Riders. Members of the motorcycle escort group carried large American flags ahead of and behind Roy Lewsader’s hearse all the way along the transportation route.
“We’ve got to show America that we support these boys,” Moxey said.
Hundreds of people crowded both sides of Indiana 163 at the edge of Clinton as Roy Lewsader’s motorcade arrived in his hometown before noon Saturday.
Smaller groups of people also turned out in nearby Lyford to greet the passing procession.
Roy Lewsader loved his job and volunteered for the mission he was on in Afghanistan, Melissa said. He believed in what he was doing “110 percent,” she said.
“He loved where he was. He loved the [Afghan] people,” she said.
Roy Lewsader enlisted in the Army on his 17th birthday in 1989, Melissa said of her husband. He did two tours of duty in Korea and was on his second tour in support of the current U.S. military efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq when he was killed, she said.
Melissa said she is happy she and her husband decided recently to return to Clinton, which is where both were raised. Being around family has helped during this time, she said.
“I can’t express my gratitude enough to the Wabash Valley,” Melissa said. The Indiana National Guard, the American Legion and others have all reached out to her and her family, she said.
“The response has been overwhelming,” Melissa said.
At the end of the drive from Terre Haute to Clinton, military pall-bearers again carried Roy Lewsader’s casket, this time from the hearse into Frist Funeral Home on Blackman Street.
Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at Frist Funeral Home.
Lewsader’s funeral is 10:30 a.m. Monday, also at Frist, with burial to follow at Roselawn Memorial Park with full military rites.
A dinner will follow at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6658 on North Ninth Street in Clinton.
“We’re here to show support for the families” of American servicemen and women, Moxey said of the dozens of motorcycle riders who escorted Roy Lewsader home for the last time.
“To us they really are heroes,” Moxey said.
Army Staff Sgt. Roy P. Lewsader, Jr. was killed in action on 6/16/07.
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Army 1st Lt. Frank B. Walkup IV
Remember Our Heroes
Army 1st Lt. Frank B. Walkup IV, 23, of Woodbury, Tenn.
Lt. Walkup was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died June 16 in Kirkuk, Iraq, from injuries sustained in Rashaad Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his position during dismounted operations.
Arrangements imcomplete for Lt. Frank Walkup IV
By Lisa Marchesoni - June 21, 2007
Funeral arrangements are still incomplete for Riverdale High School 2001 graduate Frank B. Walkup IV who died Saturday in Iraq when he was on patrol searching for insurgents and stopped a suspicious convoy, said his father, Frank Walkup III of Woodbury.
Woodbury Funeral Home is handling arrangements which will probably be held the 4th of July with a service at the funeral home, a small memorial service at Woodbury United Methodist Church and burial at Riverside Cemetery in Woodbury.
Walkup was a platoon leader in the U.S. Army's 25th Infantry.
"He's a hero," his father said. "He did this well knowing what the consequences will be."
Walkup is survived by his wife, Sabita, father, stepmother, Mitzi, and eight brothers and sisters who live in Woodbury and his mother, Melissa Oaks of Memphis.
Walkup grew up as "military brat" and began wearing the Army uniform in ninth grade. He was a cadet in the ROTC program at Riverdale. After graduation, he attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville where he participated in ROTC. He was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant after graduation in 2005.
In the Army, Walkup was promoted to 1st lieutenant. He completed air assault school, airborne school and ranger school, making him ranger qualified. He was deployed to Iraq 10 months ago where he served as platoon leader. His tour was extended until October. He planned to make the military his career.
Walkup came from a long-term military family.
"We're very proud of him," the elder Walkup said. "He served very honorably."
At Riverdale, Walkup was a good student who academically scored in the top percentage of his class.
"He never got into any trouble," his father said. ""He was somebody his peers looked up to. He didn't bend to their wishes. He never did drugs and had no problems with the law."
Walkup had a happy attitude who didn't let hardship affect him.
"He had that winning attitude," his father said. "He tried to be a good leader."
His family lived in south Murfreesboro and attended St. Mark's United Methodist Church. They relocated to Woodbury and now attend Woodbury United Methodist Church.
Walkup said the Cannon County community, including his church and his children's baseball teams, has been so supportive since learning about his son's death.
Army 1st Lt. Frank B. Walkup IV was killed in action on 6/16/07.
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Army 1st Lt. Frank B. Walkup IV, 23, of Woodbury, Tenn.
Lt. Walkup was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died June 16 in Kirkuk, Iraq, from injuries sustained in Rashaad Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his position during dismounted operations.
Arrangements imcomplete for Lt. Frank Walkup IV
By Lisa Marchesoni - June 21, 2007
Funeral arrangements are still incomplete for Riverdale High School 2001 graduate Frank B. Walkup IV who died Saturday in Iraq when he was on patrol searching for insurgents and stopped a suspicious convoy, said his father, Frank Walkup III of Woodbury.
Woodbury Funeral Home is handling arrangements which will probably be held the 4th of July with a service at the funeral home, a small memorial service at Woodbury United Methodist Church and burial at Riverside Cemetery in Woodbury.
Walkup was a platoon leader in the U.S. Army's 25th Infantry.
"He's a hero," his father said. "He did this well knowing what the consequences will be."
Walkup is survived by his wife, Sabita, father, stepmother, Mitzi, and eight brothers and sisters who live in Woodbury and his mother, Melissa Oaks of Memphis.
Walkup grew up as "military brat" and began wearing the Army uniform in ninth grade. He was a cadet in the ROTC program at Riverdale. After graduation, he attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville where he participated in ROTC. He was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant after graduation in 2005.
In the Army, Walkup was promoted to 1st lieutenant. He completed air assault school, airborne school and ranger school, making him ranger qualified. He was deployed to Iraq 10 months ago where he served as platoon leader. His tour was extended until October. He planned to make the military his career.
Walkup came from a long-term military family.
"We're very proud of him," the elder Walkup said. "He served very honorably."
At Riverdale, Walkup was a good student who academically scored in the top percentage of his class.
"He never got into any trouble," his father said. ""He was somebody his peers looked up to. He didn't bend to their wishes. He never did drugs and had no problems with the law."
Walkup had a happy attitude who didn't let hardship affect him.
"He had that winning attitude," his father said. "He tried to be a good leader."
His family lived in south Murfreesboro and attended St. Mark's United Methodist Church. They relocated to Woodbury and now attend Woodbury United Methodist Church.
Walkup said the Cannon County community, including his church and his children's baseball teams, has been so supportive since learning about his son's death.
Army 1st Lt. Frank B. Walkup IV was killed in action on 6/16/07.
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Friday, June 15, 2007
Army Master Sgt. Arthur L. Lilley
Remember Our Heroes
Army Master Sgt. Arthur L. Lilley, 35, of Smithfield, Pa.
MSgt Lilley was assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died June 15 in Shkin, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained from enemy small-arms fire.
Fort Bragg soldier killed in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
PITTSBURGH — A Fort Bragg Army master sergeant was killed by gunfire while fighting in Afghanistan, the military said.
Arthur L. Lilley, 35, of Smithfield, Pa., was killed June 15 in Shkin, according to the Department of Defense.
Lilley had been assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, out of Fort Bragg, N.C.
His father, Arthur F. Lilley, said his son joined the military in 1990 and fought in Desert Storm. He was also in Iraq last year.
“He’s got about 25 combat badges,” his father said.
“He loved what he was doing. He enjoyed it. That was his life,” he said. “You always worry, but it’s what he wanted to do.”
Lilley was colorblind and couldn’t pursue his goal of being an air traffic controller for the Air Force, so the Army became an option he never regretted, his mother, Elizabeth Lilley, told The News & Observer of Raleigh, N.C.
Arthur L. Lilley was a youth minister and his wife, Christine, ran the school at St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church in Fayetteville, N.C., Elizabeth Lilley said.
They were high school sweethearts and would have celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary in August.
Lilley is survived by his wife, a daughter, Mackenzie, 10, and a son, Cole, 8.
A memorial service was scheduled for 3 p.m. June 17 at St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church in Fayetteville.
Army Master Sgt. Arthur L. Lilley was killed in action on 6/15/07.
Army Master Sgt. Arthur L. Lilley, 35, of Smithfield, Pa.
MSgt Lilley was assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died June 15 in Shkin, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained from enemy small-arms fire.
Fort Bragg soldier killed in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
PITTSBURGH — A Fort Bragg Army master sergeant was killed by gunfire while fighting in Afghanistan, the military said.
Arthur L. Lilley, 35, of Smithfield, Pa., was killed June 15 in Shkin, according to the Department of Defense.
Lilley had been assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, out of Fort Bragg, N.C.
His father, Arthur F. Lilley, said his son joined the military in 1990 and fought in Desert Storm. He was also in Iraq last year.
“He’s got about 25 combat badges,” his father said.
“He loved what he was doing. He enjoyed it. That was his life,” he said. “You always worry, but it’s what he wanted to do.”
Lilley was colorblind and couldn’t pursue his goal of being an air traffic controller for the Air Force, so the Army became an option he never regretted, his mother, Elizabeth Lilley, told The News & Observer of Raleigh, N.C.
Arthur L. Lilley was a youth minister and his wife, Christine, ran the school at St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church in Fayetteville, N.C., Elizabeth Lilley said.
They were high school sweethearts and would have celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary in August.
Lilley is survived by his wife, a daughter, Mackenzie, 10, and a son, Cole, 8.
A memorial service was scheduled for 3 p.m. June 17 at St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church in Fayetteville.
Army Master Sgt. Arthur L. Lilley was killed in action on 6/15/07.
Army Pfc. Michael P. Pittman
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Michael P. Pittman, 34, of Davenport, Iowa
Pfc. Pittman was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died June 15 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire.
Davenport soldier buried amid family’s tearful farewells
The Associated Press
BETTENDORF, Iowa — A little girl stood by a casket June 22, stroking the still face of her uniformed father.
Army Pfc. Michael Pittman, 34, left behind four children when he died June 15 in an explosion in Iraq. He also left a wife, two brothers and a sister who wept inconsolably through his funeral. One of his brothers vowed to “love and think about” Pittman every day for the rest of his life.
“Michael told me, ‘No matter what happens, my family will be taken care of,’ ” Kirk Pittman eulogized of his brother. “I knew then that he was a great man.”
During the service, a large video screen inside the church flashed photos of a smiling boy at Christmas, and other snapshots that portrayed Pittman’s love for his family.
There were shots of a school boy and, later, a man.
Pittman was a member of the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, out of Fort Riley, Kan. He was born in Davenport and attended high school in Rock Island, Ill. Pittman moved in 2005 to Fort Riley, shortly after he first enlisted in the Army.
Some in the crowded sanctuary voiced their approval when Pastor Michael Kelly of First Assembly of God told how people sometimes confuse athletes for heroes.
“They’re not heroes, they’re celebrities,” he said. Kelly then pointed to Pittman’s casket, saying: “A man like this is a hero.”
Pittman’s wife, Jennefer, and his mother, Sandra Hughes, were handed three medals for the soldier: the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and the Army Good Conduct Medal.
After the service, hundreds of government employees from the Rock Island Arsenal stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the curbs leading to the National Cemetery in Rock Island. Some saluted, many held their hands to their hearts and a few cried.
At the cemetery, the playing of Taps overwhelmed the widow, while Pittman’s brother grieved: “I would gladly trade places with you if you could come back. Dance, dance, dance, Michael, for you are free.”
Army Pfc. Michael P. Pittman was killed in action on 6/15/07.
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Army Pfc. Michael P. Pittman, 34, of Davenport, Iowa
Pfc. Pittman was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died June 15 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire.
Davenport soldier buried amid family’s tearful farewells
The Associated Press
BETTENDORF, Iowa — A little girl stood by a casket June 22, stroking the still face of her uniformed father.
Army Pfc. Michael Pittman, 34, left behind four children when he died June 15 in an explosion in Iraq. He also left a wife, two brothers and a sister who wept inconsolably through his funeral. One of his brothers vowed to “love and think about” Pittman every day for the rest of his life.
“Michael told me, ‘No matter what happens, my family will be taken care of,’ ” Kirk Pittman eulogized of his brother. “I knew then that he was a great man.”
During the service, a large video screen inside the church flashed photos of a smiling boy at Christmas, and other snapshots that portrayed Pittman’s love for his family.
There were shots of a school boy and, later, a man.
Pittman was a member of the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, out of Fort Riley, Kan. He was born in Davenport and attended high school in Rock Island, Ill. Pittman moved in 2005 to Fort Riley, shortly after he first enlisted in the Army.
Some in the crowded sanctuary voiced their approval when Pastor Michael Kelly of First Assembly of God told how people sometimes confuse athletes for heroes.
“They’re not heroes, they’re celebrities,” he said. Kelly then pointed to Pittman’s casket, saying: “A man like this is a hero.”
Pittman’s wife, Jennefer, and his mother, Sandra Hughes, were handed three medals for the soldier: the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and the Army Good Conduct Medal.
After the service, hundreds of government employees from the Rock Island Arsenal stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the curbs leading to the National Cemetery in Rock Island. Some saluted, many held their hands to their hearts and a few cried.
At the cemetery, the playing of Taps overwhelmed the widow, while Pittman’s brother grieved: “I would gladly trade places with you if you could come back. Dance, dance, dance, Michael, for you are free.”
Army Pfc. Michael P. Pittman was killed in action on 6/15/07.
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Thursday, June 14, 2007
Army Pfc. Farid Elazzouzi
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Farid Elazzouzi, 26 of Paterson, N.J.
Pfc Elazzouzi was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Infantry Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died June 14, 2007 in Kirkuk, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Sgt. Derek T. Roberts and Spc. Val J. Borm.
Slain Moroccan soldier entered Army to support family
The Associated Press
Army Spc. Farid Elazzouzi Born and raised in Morocco, Farid Elazzouzi idolized fast cars and the material comforts of life in the U.S.
He managed to win a green card from an annual lottery in Morocco and decided to leave behind his mother and older siblings. He arrived in New Jersey and got a 14-hour-a-day menial job.
One of his friends helped him open a bank account, where he managed to sock away a few thousand dollars. Several acquaintances told him to apply to Passaic County Community College. One of his first questions was about finding a gym.
Tall and well-built, Elazzouzi eventually decided to capitalize on his brawn. When a Moroccan veteran told him about the Army, Elazzouzi enlisted in 2005.
“His poor family,” said Abdalilah Louhab, an acquaintance.
“He was just trying to support them.”
Elazzouzi, 26, of Paterson, N.J., was killed by a roadside blast June 14 in Kirkuk, Iraq. He was assigned to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
“Even if he wasn’t from my country, it’s sad what happened to him,” said Khoed Mahmmoud, who also left Morocco for Paterson two years ago.
He is survived by his mother.
Army Pfc. Farid Elazzouzi was killed in action on 6/14/07.
Army Pfc. Farid Elazzouzi, 26 of Paterson, N.J.
Pfc Elazzouzi was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Infantry Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died June 14, 2007 in Kirkuk, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Sgt. Derek T. Roberts and Spc. Val J. Borm.
Slain Moroccan soldier entered Army to support family
The Associated Press
Army Spc. Farid Elazzouzi Born and raised in Morocco, Farid Elazzouzi idolized fast cars and the material comforts of life in the U.S.
He managed to win a green card from an annual lottery in Morocco and decided to leave behind his mother and older siblings. He arrived in New Jersey and got a 14-hour-a-day menial job.
One of his friends helped him open a bank account, where he managed to sock away a few thousand dollars. Several acquaintances told him to apply to Passaic County Community College. One of his first questions was about finding a gym.
Tall and well-built, Elazzouzi eventually decided to capitalize on his brawn. When a Moroccan veteran told him about the Army, Elazzouzi enlisted in 2005.
“His poor family,” said Abdalilah Louhab, an acquaintance.
“He was just trying to support them.”
Elazzouzi, 26, of Paterson, N.J., was killed by a roadside blast June 14 in Kirkuk, Iraq. He was assigned to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
“Even if he wasn’t from my country, it’s sad what happened to him,” said Khoed Mahmmoud, who also left Morocco for Paterson two years ago.
He is survived by his mother.
Army Pfc. Farid Elazzouzi was killed in action on 6/14/07.
Army Spc. Val J. Borm
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Val J. Borm, 21, of Sidney, Neb.
Spc Borm was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Infantry Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died June 14, 2007 in Kirkuk, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Sgt. Derek T. Roberts and Spc. Farid Elazzouzi.
Hawaii-based soldier from Nebraska killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
SIDNEY, Neb. — A Hawaii-based soldier from Sidney died in Iraq this week when a bomb exploded near the Humvee he was riding in, according to his family.
Val John Borm, 21, died in Iraq’s Kirkuk province after the explosion, his father Larry Borm said June 15.
Borm was serving as an infantryman in B Company, 2nd Battalion, with the 35th Infantry. The unit is based at Fort Shafter, Hawaii.
The military reported June 15 that three U.S. soldiers died when a bomb exploded near their vehicle June 14 during operations in Kirkuk province, in northern Iraq. Another soldier was wounded in the blast.
The military did not release the names of the soldiers killed or wounded in the explosion, so their families could be notified first.
Borm graduated from Sidney High School in 2005 and enlisted in the Army in August 2005.
Borm’s father said his son enjoyed his Army service. Borm said his son liked to play computer games in his free time, and the younger Borm was also an avid paintball competitor.
Borm is survived by his father, mother Lolita and younger sister Kimberly.
Borm was the second Hawaii-based soldier to die in Iraq this week. Pfc. Casey S. Carriker, 20, of Hoquiam, Wash., died June 13 from non-combat injuries. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, at Schofield Barracks.
Family, friends remember soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
Army Spc. Val J. Borm began working at a Safeway Food & Drug store at age 16. He carried out groceries and worked as a checker until he graduated from high school and joined the Army.
He stopped by the store about eight months ago to visit when he was home on leave. Rose Gray, a manager, described Borm as hardworking and helpful.
“We’re going to miss him,” she said.
Borm, 21, of Sidney, Neb., was killed by a roadside bomb June 14 in Kirkuk, Iraq. He was assigned to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
Borm was born in the Philippines and moved to Sidney with his family in 2000. He graduated high school in 2005 and enlisted later that summer.
Borm’s father, Larry, said his son enjoyed his Army service. He said his son liked to play computer games in his free time and was an avid paintball competitor.
After Borm’s family was notified of his death, word spread quickly through the Panhandle town of 6,500. “Everyone feels the impact of this, and our hearts go out to the family,” said Sidney City Manager Gary Person.
He also is survived by his mother, Lolita.
“We are here today to honor a real hero,” Maj. Gen. Robert W. Mixon said during funeral services.
Army Spc. Val J. Borm was killed in action on 6/14/07.
Army Spc. Val J. Borm, 21, of Sidney, Neb.
Spc Borm was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Infantry Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died June 14, 2007 in Kirkuk, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Sgt. Derek T. Roberts and Spc. Farid Elazzouzi.
Hawaii-based soldier from Nebraska killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
SIDNEY, Neb. — A Hawaii-based soldier from Sidney died in Iraq this week when a bomb exploded near the Humvee he was riding in, according to his family.
Val John Borm, 21, died in Iraq’s Kirkuk province after the explosion, his father Larry Borm said June 15.
Borm was serving as an infantryman in B Company, 2nd Battalion, with the 35th Infantry. The unit is based at Fort Shafter, Hawaii.
The military reported June 15 that three U.S. soldiers died when a bomb exploded near their vehicle June 14 during operations in Kirkuk province, in northern Iraq. Another soldier was wounded in the blast.
The military did not release the names of the soldiers killed or wounded in the explosion, so their families could be notified first.
Borm graduated from Sidney High School in 2005 and enlisted in the Army in August 2005.
Borm’s father said his son enjoyed his Army service. Borm said his son liked to play computer games in his free time, and the younger Borm was also an avid paintball competitor.
Borm is survived by his father, mother Lolita and younger sister Kimberly.
Borm was the second Hawaii-based soldier to die in Iraq this week. Pfc. Casey S. Carriker, 20, of Hoquiam, Wash., died June 13 from non-combat injuries. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, at Schofield Barracks.
Family, friends remember soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
Army Spc. Val J. Borm began working at a Safeway Food & Drug store at age 16. He carried out groceries and worked as a checker until he graduated from high school and joined the Army.
He stopped by the store about eight months ago to visit when he was home on leave. Rose Gray, a manager, described Borm as hardworking and helpful.
“We’re going to miss him,” she said.
Borm, 21, of Sidney, Neb., was killed by a roadside bomb June 14 in Kirkuk, Iraq. He was assigned to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
Borm was born in the Philippines and moved to Sidney with his family in 2000. He graduated high school in 2005 and enlisted later that summer.
Borm’s father, Larry, said his son enjoyed his Army service. He said his son liked to play computer games in his free time and was an avid paintball competitor.
After Borm’s family was notified of his death, word spread quickly through the Panhandle town of 6,500. “Everyone feels the impact of this, and our hearts go out to the family,” said Sidney City Manager Gary Person.
He also is survived by his mother, Lolita.
“We are here today to honor a real hero,” Maj. Gen. Robert W. Mixon said during funeral services.
Army Spc. Val J. Borm was killed in action on 6/14/07.
Army Sgt. Derek T. Roberts
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Derek T. Roberts, 24, of Gold River, Calif.
Sgt Roberts was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Infantry Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died June 14, 2007 in Kirkuk, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Spc. Val J. Borm and Spc. Farid Elazzouzi.
Pentagon: Three Hawaii-based soldiers killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
HONOLULU — Three Hawaii-based soldiers died in Iraq last week when a bomb exploded near their vehicle, the Pentagon said June 20.
The death of one of the soldiers — Spc. Val John Borm, 21, of Sidney, Neb. — had been reported earlier by his family.
Sgt. Derek Roberts, 24, of Gold River, Calif., and Spc. Farid Elazzouzi of Paterson, N.J., were also killed. The three died last June 14 in Kirkuk.
Based at Schofield Barracks, the soldiers were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Infantry Combat Team, of the 25th Infantry Division.
Roberts met his fiance, Judi Arel, in Hawaii. They were to marry later this year.
“People know that he was extremely loving and compassionate and very self-giving,” Arel told Honolulu television station KITV on Wednesday in a telephone interview from Sacramento, Calif. “I have nothing but the best, best memories of being with him.”
A memorial service for the three soldiers was slated for June 29 at Schofield Barracks.
They were killed the same week as two other Schofield soldiers in Iraq.
First Lt. Frank B. Walkup IV, 23, died June 16 after a bomb exploded near him and Pfc. Casey Carriker, 20, died June 13 of non-combat injuries.
Friends, fiancee remember soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
Judi Arel, Army Sgt. Derek T. Roberts’s bride-to-be, said he was a highly decorated soldier. But what meant the most to her was the kind of person he was.
“He always gave me compliments everyday and he always just took care of me and that’s what I’ll miss,” Arel said.
Roberts, 24, of Gold River, Calif., died June 14 in Kirkuk, Iraq, when an explosive detonated near his vehicle. He was assigned to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
Other soldiers in Kirkuk knew Roberts as someone who always had a smile, a witty comment, and a way to make every situation better, Arel said.
“No matter how long he was deployed, I would keep waiting for him, because I love him,” Arel said. “No matter how long I have to keep waiting for him, I’ll just keep waiting until I see him again in heaven.”
He also is survived by his parents, Dennis and Willy, who are devastated, Arel said. “Words can’t even explain the shock and grief.”
Kristine Brewer, a family friend, said Roberts was “a very outgoing person and he was always full of life.”
“It’s very, very hard for me to handle,” Brewer said. “It’s a shock to everyone. He was a really good guy.”
Army Sgt. Derek T. Roberts was killed in action on 6/14/07.
Army Sgt. Derek T. Roberts, 24, of Gold River, Calif.
Sgt Roberts was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Infantry Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died June 14, 2007 in Kirkuk, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Spc. Val J. Borm and Spc. Farid Elazzouzi.
Pentagon: Three Hawaii-based soldiers killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
HONOLULU — Three Hawaii-based soldiers died in Iraq last week when a bomb exploded near their vehicle, the Pentagon said June 20.
The death of one of the soldiers — Spc. Val John Borm, 21, of Sidney, Neb. — had been reported earlier by his family.
Sgt. Derek Roberts, 24, of Gold River, Calif., and Spc. Farid Elazzouzi of Paterson, N.J., were also killed. The three died last June 14 in Kirkuk.
Based at Schofield Barracks, the soldiers were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Infantry Combat Team, of the 25th Infantry Division.
Roberts met his fiance, Judi Arel, in Hawaii. They were to marry later this year.
“People know that he was extremely loving and compassionate and very self-giving,” Arel told Honolulu television station KITV on Wednesday in a telephone interview from Sacramento, Calif. “I have nothing but the best, best memories of being with him.”
A memorial service for the three soldiers was slated for June 29 at Schofield Barracks.
They were killed the same week as two other Schofield soldiers in Iraq.
First Lt. Frank B. Walkup IV, 23, died June 16 after a bomb exploded near him and Pfc. Casey Carriker, 20, died June 13 of non-combat injuries.
Friends, fiancee remember soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
Judi Arel, Army Sgt. Derek T. Roberts’s bride-to-be, said he was a highly decorated soldier. But what meant the most to her was the kind of person he was.
“He always gave me compliments everyday and he always just took care of me and that’s what I’ll miss,” Arel said.
Roberts, 24, of Gold River, Calif., died June 14 in Kirkuk, Iraq, when an explosive detonated near his vehicle. He was assigned to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
Other soldiers in Kirkuk knew Roberts as someone who always had a smile, a witty comment, and a way to make every situation better, Arel said.
“No matter how long he was deployed, I would keep waiting for him, because I love him,” Arel said. “No matter how long I have to keep waiting for him, I’ll just keep waiting until I see him again in heaven.”
He also is survived by his parents, Dennis and Willy, who are devastated, Arel said. “Words can’t even explain the shock and grief.”
Kristine Brewer, a family friend, said Roberts was “a very outgoing person and he was always full of life.”
“It’s very, very hard for me to handle,” Brewer said. “It’s a shock to everyone. He was a really good guy.”
Army Sgt. Derek T. Roberts was killed in action on 6/14/07.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Marine Lance Cpl. Johnny R. Strong
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Johnny R. Strong, 21, of Waco, Texas
Lance Cpl. Strong was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; died June 12, 2007 while conducting combat operations in Karmah, Iraq.
Marine from Waco dies in Iraq
The Associated Press
WACO, Texas — A 21-year-old Marine from Waco died during an ambush while on routine patrol in Iraq, the Department of Defense announced June 15.
Lance Cpl. Johnny R. Strong, who had dreamed of being a Marine most of his life, died June 12 in the Anbar province.
He joined the Junior ROTC during his school years.
His mother, Jacqueline Williams, described him as a quiet, stay-at-home son who changed in his late teens.
“I finally said, ‘Go make some friends,’ and that’s when he really flourished,” she said.
Strong described himself as “just a regular person trying to make friends” on his MySpace profile, which he last updated June 8.
He liked to camp, listen to symphony music and play the organ, family members and friends said. He once won a citywide bowling championship in his league.
Strong, who was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division in Twentynine Palms, Calif., was on his second tour in Iraq and was scheduled to return in August. When his first tour ended last fall, Strong returned to Waco for Christmas and left for Iraq at the end of January.
Strong initially planned to make a career out of the military, but after his first tour he decided he wanted to become an engineer.
After graduating from A.J. Moore Academy in 2004, Strong went to boot camp in San Diego, then spent six months in training, earning a marksmanship award.
“Johnny’s an only child, so his mom always tried to stop him from going to Iraq because she didn’t want to lose her only son,” said Strong’s grandmother, Minerva Williams. “But he just told her, ‘Mom, you should just adopt another kid.”’
Funeral arrangements are pending. A scholarship fund in Strong’s memory has been established at the academy, and donations can be made through the school.
Friends, teachers remembers Marine killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
When Ashlie Devaney spotted a street sign that had her mother’s name on it, she turned to her partner in crime, classmate Johnny R. Strong.
“We snuck to where the sign was and spent about an hour trying to get it down without being loud and getting caught. We would run every time a car came up, then wait and run back to the sign.”
She added: “We laughed the whole time. It was one of those childish, teenage things, but it meant something to me that he would risk getting caught just to help me get the sign for my mom.
He was always there for a friend.”
Marine Lance Cpl. Johnny R. Strong, 21, of Waco, Texas, was killed June 12 in combat in Anbar province, Iraq. He was a 2004 high school graduate and was assigned to Twentynine Palms, Calif.
“The most important thing to Johnny in high school was becoming a Marine,” said Claudia Compian, a classmate. “He told me if he ever did anything with his life, he wanted to be a Marine.”
Strong liked symphony music and played the organ. Bowling was another hobby, and he eventually won the citywide championship in his league.
He is survived by his mother, Jacqueline Williams, and father, Steve Strong.
Marine Lance Cpl. Johnny R. Strong was killed in action on 6/12/07.
Marine Lance Cpl. Johnny R. Strong, 21, of Waco, Texas
Lance Cpl. Strong was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; died June 12, 2007 while conducting combat operations in Karmah, Iraq.
Marine from Waco dies in Iraq
The Associated Press
WACO, Texas — A 21-year-old Marine from Waco died during an ambush while on routine patrol in Iraq, the Department of Defense announced June 15.
Lance Cpl. Johnny R. Strong, who had dreamed of being a Marine most of his life, died June 12 in the Anbar province.
He joined the Junior ROTC during his school years.
His mother, Jacqueline Williams, described him as a quiet, stay-at-home son who changed in his late teens.
“I finally said, ‘Go make some friends,’ and that’s when he really flourished,” she said.
Strong described himself as “just a regular person trying to make friends” on his MySpace profile, which he last updated June 8.
He liked to camp, listen to symphony music and play the organ, family members and friends said. He once won a citywide bowling championship in his league.
Strong, who was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division in Twentynine Palms, Calif., was on his second tour in Iraq and was scheduled to return in August. When his first tour ended last fall, Strong returned to Waco for Christmas and left for Iraq at the end of January.
Strong initially planned to make a career out of the military, but after his first tour he decided he wanted to become an engineer.
After graduating from A.J. Moore Academy in 2004, Strong went to boot camp in San Diego, then spent six months in training, earning a marksmanship award.
“Johnny’s an only child, so his mom always tried to stop him from going to Iraq because she didn’t want to lose her only son,” said Strong’s grandmother, Minerva Williams. “But he just told her, ‘Mom, you should just adopt another kid.”’
Funeral arrangements are pending. A scholarship fund in Strong’s memory has been established at the academy, and donations can be made through the school.
Friends, teachers remembers Marine killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
When Ashlie Devaney spotted a street sign that had her mother’s name on it, she turned to her partner in crime, classmate Johnny R. Strong.
“We snuck to where the sign was and spent about an hour trying to get it down without being loud and getting caught. We would run every time a car came up, then wait and run back to the sign.”
She added: “We laughed the whole time. It was one of those childish, teenage things, but it meant something to me that he would risk getting caught just to help me get the sign for my mom.
He was always there for a friend.”
Marine Lance Cpl. Johnny R. Strong, 21, of Waco, Texas, was killed June 12 in combat in Anbar province, Iraq. He was a 2004 high school graduate and was assigned to Twentynine Palms, Calif.
“The most important thing to Johnny in high school was becoming a Marine,” said Claudia Compian, a classmate. “He told me if he ever did anything with his life, he wanted to be a Marine.”
Strong liked symphony music and played the organ. Bowling was another hobby, and he eventually won the citywide championship in his league.
He is survived by his mother, Jacqueline Williams, and father, Steve Strong.
Marine Lance Cpl. Johnny R. Strong was killed in action on 6/12/07.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Army Specialist Crystal Bolling
Remember Our Heroes
Army Specialist Crystal Bolling, 22, of Powder Springs, Georgia.
Spc. Bolling was assigned to 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment at Ft Campbell. She died June 11, 2007 after suffering injuries during an accident in a motor pool in Ft Campbell.
Army Specialist Crystal Bolling died 6/11/07.
Army Specialist Crystal Bolling, 22, of Powder Springs, Georgia.
Spc. Bolling was assigned to 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment at Ft Campbell. She died June 11, 2007 after suffering injuries during an accident in a motor pool in Ft Campbell.
Army Specialist Crystal Bolling died 6/11/07.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Air Force Airman 1st Class Eric M. Barnes
Remember Our Heroes
Air Force Airman 1st Class Eric M. Barnes, 20, of Lorain, Ohio.
Airman 1st Class Barnes was assigned to the 90th Logistics Readiness Squadron, F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo. He died June 9, 2007 as result of an improvised explosive device attack on an Air Force convoy about 100 miles south of Baghdad, Iraq.
Lorain native killed by roadside bomb in Iraq
Posted by John Caniglia June 11, 2007 11:42AM
Categories: Breaking News
A serviceman from Lorain was killed in Iraq on Sunday morning when a roadside bomb exploded as his truck drove over it, his parents said today.
Eric Barnes, 20, a member of the U.S. Air Force, died about 120 miles south of Baghdad during his second tour in Iraq. Barnes graduated from Admiral King High School in 2004.
"He was just a phenomenal kid,'' said Dan Ransom, Barnes' high school baseball coach. "He would do anything you asked of him. He would do anything to make a situation better. He was a great kid from a great family.''
Tom Barnes said his son, as a teenager, wanted to join the Air Force and make a career of the service.
"It was like the Air Force was made for Eric, and Eric was made for the Air Force,'' Tom Barnes said. "He was very upbeat. He thought that the United States had done a lot of good going over there.''
Lorain airman killed on convoy duty
SCOT ALLYN, Morning Journal Writer
LORAIN -- For the second time in six weeks, the Iraq War has claimed a young life from Lorain County.
Air Force Airman 1st Class Eric Barnes, 20, was killed Saturday night while riding in the lead truck in a convoy about 120 miles south of Baghdad, according to his father Tom Barnes of Osborn Avenue in Lorain. The Barnes family was notified about 2:30 a.m. yesterday by a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force ROTC detachment in Kent, Barnes said.
Barnes's death follows that of Army Sgt. Norman Lane Tollet, 30, of Elyria, who died April 28 in Iraq.
Eric Barnes, a 2004 graduate of Lorain Admiral King High School, was killed by a roadside bomb, his father said. The driver of the truck suffered several broken bones and head injuries, according to Barnes.
Eric, a lanky 6-feet-6 inches, was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq. He was due to report to an Air Force base in Anchorage, Alaska, in November, according to Tom Barnes. The young airman was planning a career in the service, his parents said.
''Eric wanted to be in the Air Force since he was a little boy,'' his mother, Shary Barnes, said. ''He believed he needed to be there (in Iraq). That's why he volunteered for a second tour.'' Eric was planning to start courses in November to help him move up in the ranks, according to his parents.
Last night, Tom and Shary Barnes, both 55, recalled a son who enjoyed playing baseball, camping and other outdoor activities and made friends wherever he went. Friends and family filled the Barnes's two-story Lorain home yesterday, offering comfort in a time of tragedy.
Dale Barnes, 19, remembered an older brother with whom he shared many happy times.
''We did everything together,'' Dale Barnes said, choking back tears. ''He was the best brother anyone could ask for. We will all miss him.''
Eric played as a catcher and outfielder for Admiral King and in Lorain Youth Baseball. He was an avid bowler who played a 300 game at age 18 in an adult league at Rebman's Recreation, earning a ring from the American Bowling Congress. He earned Eagle Scout ranking just before his 18th birthday, his father said.
Chuck Strausser was an assistant scoutmaster for Troop 397 in Lorain, Eric's troop. Strausser said he helped Eric with his Eagle badge project, a wheelchair ramp for the Murray Ridge Production Center in Oberlin.
''Eric was a typical boy coming through scouts,'' Strausser said. ''He loved camping. When it was his turn to be senior patrol leader, he was very impressive. He led by example. He made camping fun for the younger boys.''
Shary Barnes said her son grew his blonde hair long in high school to donate to Locks of Love, an organization that provides wigs for those with hair loss. The gesture was typical of the young man, who was always thinking of others, she said. He enjoyed the music and psychedelic styles of the 1970s, she said, posing in a brightly colored tie-dyed shirt for his 2004 high school graduation photo.
Tom Barnes said Eric served in a transportation unit in Iraq.
''They always drove at night,'' Barnes said. On Saturday night, Eric could have been delivering food, uniforms, weapons, ammunition or even water, according to Barnes.
''He would have wanted to be remembered for always doing his best,'' Barnes said.
Air Force Airman 1st Class Eric M. Barnes was killed in action on 6/9/07.
Air Force Airman 1st Class Eric M. Barnes, 20, of Lorain, Ohio.
Airman 1st Class Barnes was assigned to the 90th Logistics Readiness Squadron, F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo. He died June 9, 2007 as result of an improvised explosive device attack on an Air Force convoy about 100 miles south of Baghdad, Iraq.
Lorain native killed by roadside bomb in Iraq
Posted by John Caniglia June 11, 2007 11:42AM
Categories: Breaking News
A serviceman from Lorain was killed in Iraq on Sunday morning when a roadside bomb exploded as his truck drove over it, his parents said today.
Eric Barnes, 20, a member of the U.S. Air Force, died about 120 miles south of Baghdad during his second tour in Iraq. Barnes graduated from Admiral King High School in 2004.
"He was just a phenomenal kid,'' said Dan Ransom, Barnes' high school baseball coach. "He would do anything you asked of him. He would do anything to make a situation better. He was a great kid from a great family.''
Tom Barnes said his son, as a teenager, wanted to join the Air Force and make a career of the service.
"It was like the Air Force was made for Eric, and Eric was made for the Air Force,'' Tom Barnes said. "He was very upbeat. He thought that the United States had done a lot of good going over there.''
Lorain airman killed on convoy duty
SCOT ALLYN, Morning Journal Writer
LORAIN -- For the second time in six weeks, the Iraq War has claimed a young life from Lorain County.
Air Force Airman 1st Class Eric Barnes, 20, was killed Saturday night while riding in the lead truck in a convoy about 120 miles south of Baghdad, according to his father Tom Barnes of Osborn Avenue in Lorain. The Barnes family was notified about 2:30 a.m. yesterday by a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force ROTC detachment in Kent, Barnes said.
Barnes's death follows that of Army Sgt. Norman Lane Tollet, 30, of Elyria, who died April 28 in Iraq.
Eric Barnes, a 2004 graduate of Lorain Admiral King High School, was killed by a roadside bomb, his father said. The driver of the truck suffered several broken bones and head injuries, according to Barnes.
Eric, a lanky 6-feet-6 inches, was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq. He was due to report to an Air Force base in Anchorage, Alaska, in November, according to Tom Barnes. The young airman was planning a career in the service, his parents said.
''Eric wanted to be in the Air Force since he was a little boy,'' his mother, Shary Barnes, said. ''He believed he needed to be there (in Iraq). That's why he volunteered for a second tour.'' Eric was planning to start courses in November to help him move up in the ranks, according to his parents.
Last night, Tom and Shary Barnes, both 55, recalled a son who enjoyed playing baseball, camping and other outdoor activities and made friends wherever he went. Friends and family filled the Barnes's two-story Lorain home yesterday, offering comfort in a time of tragedy.
Dale Barnes, 19, remembered an older brother with whom he shared many happy times.
''We did everything together,'' Dale Barnes said, choking back tears. ''He was the best brother anyone could ask for. We will all miss him.''
Eric played as a catcher and outfielder for Admiral King and in Lorain Youth Baseball. He was an avid bowler who played a 300 game at age 18 in an adult league at Rebman's Recreation, earning a ring from the American Bowling Congress. He earned Eagle Scout ranking just before his 18th birthday, his father said.
Chuck Strausser was an assistant scoutmaster for Troop 397 in Lorain, Eric's troop. Strausser said he helped Eric with his Eagle badge project, a wheelchair ramp for the Murray Ridge Production Center in Oberlin.
''Eric was a typical boy coming through scouts,'' Strausser said. ''He loved camping. When it was his turn to be senior patrol leader, he was very impressive. He led by example. He made camping fun for the younger boys.''
Shary Barnes said her son grew his blonde hair long in high school to donate to Locks of Love, an organization that provides wigs for those with hair loss. The gesture was typical of the young man, who was always thinking of others, she said. He enjoyed the music and psychedelic styles of the 1970s, she said, posing in a brightly colored tie-dyed shirt for his 2004 high school graduation photo.
Tom Barnes said Eric served in a transportation unit in Iraq.
''They always drove at night,'' Barnes said. On Saturday night, Eric could have been delivering food, uniforms, weapons, ammunition or even water, according to Barnes.
''He would have wanted to be remembered for always doing his best,'' Barnes said.
Air Force Airman 1st Class Eric M. Barnes was killed in action on 6/9/07.
Army Sgt. Cory M. Endlich
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Cory M. Endlich, 23, of Massillon, Ohio
Sgt. Endlich was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Wash. He died June 9, 2007 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds sustained from enemy small-arms fire.
Northeast Ohio soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
MASSILLON, Ohio — A soldier from northeast Ohio was shot and killed in Iraq during the weekend while on patrol north of Baghdad, his family said June 11.
“He felt the war was justified and wanted to be there,” said Randy Endlich, father of Sgt. Cory Endlich, 23, a 2003 graduate of Massillon’s Washington High school.
“I am very proud of him and the job he was doing. He was a giver. He would do anything for just about anybody. Anyone would be proud to call him a son. [No one] knows how much he will be missed.”
Endlich left Fort Lewis, Wash., for duty in Iraq on April 9.
In high school, Endlich performed with the Massillon Tiger Swing Band and ran cross country. He worked at a Massillon Dairy Queen, where the message board outside the restaurant was changed to “CORY ENDLICH, OUR HERO, YOU WILL BE MISSED.”
Friends, strangers honor Sgt. Cory Endlich
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
BY Robert Wang
REPOSITORY STAFF WRITER
Kevin Moore keeps in his Bible the last letter he got from U.S. Army Sgt. Cory Endlich .
In that correspondence, postmarked two weeks ago, Endlich told Moore that his base had come under mortar attack on June 2, his 23rd birthday. A fellow soldier had been killed. Endlich, the best friend of Moore's son, also mentioned a village dubbed "17 July" near his base where the residents had a different religious background than others in the area.
"It is my strong belief that if we (weren't here), they would all be dead," Endlich wrote on a sheet of lined paper. "I feel that if I can change their (fate) then I have made a (difference here)."
Two hours after getting the letter June 9, Moore learned that Endlich had died earlier that day. He had been killed by hostile fire north of Baghdad.
"We never said goodbye," said Moore, 43, of Massillon. "He went from being my kid's friend, to being my kid's best friend, to being a son."
On Monday afternoon, Moore, dressed in a full suit on a hot day, attended calling hours at Paquelet Funeral Home for Endlich, a Massillon native.
Inside, the body of Endlich lay in an open casket, wrapped with an American flag. A uniformed honor guard stood watch. Family members shook hands with a steady stream of visitors. One woman was repeatedly overcome by tears as a man consoled her.
Outside the funeral home, at least 11 volunteers from the Patriot Guard Riders stood by the entrance with large American flags.
Two volunteers, David Hunt and his wife, Frankie, took a day off from work and drove more than two hours from Slippery Rock, Pa., to pay homage to a man they never knew. They didn't mind standing for several hours in the intense heat holding flags.
"There's spots (that are) 130 degrees in Iraq, and they have full body armor on," said David Hunt. "We're not getting shot at."
Moore said Endlich had befriended two Iraqi girls who lived in a village by the base. The soldier asked his mother to send him crayons and coloring books to give to them. Moore said Endlich also often volunteered to take the patrol assignments of younger soldiers. And he was frequently the person with the risky task of jumping first out of the armed personnel vehicle.
Endlich, who ran cross-country with Moore's son for Washington High School, may not have had the talent to be an elite runner. But, "I watched that kid run in pain so many times," said Moore. "To him, it didn't matter where he finished. He just had to finish the race."
Moore asked Endlich why he went through the torment.
"I've got to be ready to run," replied Endlich. "I'm going (into the) Airborne (division). I've got to run nonstop."
Army Sgt. Cory M. Endlich was killed in action on 6/9/07.
Army Sgt. Cory M. Endlich, 23, of Massillon, Ohio
Sgt. Endlich was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Wash. He died June 9, 2007 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds sustained from enemy small-arms fire.
Northeast Ohio soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
MASSILLON, Ohio — A soldier from northeast Ohio was shot and killed in Iraq during the weekend while on patrol north of Baghdad, his family said June 11.
“He felt the war was justified and wanted to be there,” said Randy Endlich, father of Sgt. Cory Endlich, 23, a 2003 graduate of Massillon’s Washington High school.
“I am very proud of him and the job he was doing. He was a giver. He would do anything for just about anybody. Anyone would be proud to call him a son. [No one] knows how much he will be missed.”
Endlich left Fort Lewis, Wash., for duty in Iraq on April 9.
In high school, Endlich performed with the Massillon Tiger Swing Band and ran cross country. He worked at a Massillon Dairy Queen, where the message board outside the restaurant was changed to “CORY ENDLICH, OUR HERO, YOU WILL BE MISSED.”
Friends, strangers honor Sgt. Cory Endlich
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
BY Robert Wang
REPOSITORY STAFF WRITER
Kevin Moore keeps in his Bible the last letter he got from U.S. Army Sgt. Cory Endlich .
In that correspondence, postmarked two weeks ago, Endlich told Moore that his base had come under mortar attack on June 2, his 23rd birthday. A fellow soldier had been killed. Endlich, the best friend of Moore's son, also mentioned a village dubbed "17 July" near his base where the residents had a different religious background than others in the area.
"It is my strong belief that if we (weren't here), they would all be dead," Endlich wrote on a sheet of lined paper. "I feel that if I can change their (fate) then I have made a (difference here)."
Two hours after getting the letter June 9, Moore learned that Endlich had died earlier that day. He had been killed by hostile fire north of Baghdad.
"We never said goodbye," said Moore, 43, of Massillon. "He went from being my kid's friend, to being my kid's best friend, to being a son."
On Monday afternoon, Moore, dressed in a full suit on a hot day, attended calling hours at Paquelet Funeral Home for Endlich, a Massillon native.
Inside, the body of Endlich lay in an open casket, wrapped with an American flag. A uniformed honor guard stood watch. Family members shook hands with a steady stream of visitors. One woman was repeatedly overcome by tears as a man consoled her.
Outside the funeral home, at least 11 volunteers from the Patriot Guard Riders stood by the entrance with large American flags.
Two volunteers, David Hunt and his wife, Frankie, took a day off from work and drove more than two hours from Slippery Rock, Pa., to pay homage to a man they never knew. They didn't mind standing for several hours in the intense heat holding flags.
"There's spots (that are) 130 degrees in Iraq, and they have full body armor on," said David Hunt. "We're not getting shot at."
Moore said Endlich had befriended two Iraqi girls who lived in a village by the base. The soldier asked his mother to send him crayons and coloring books to give to them. Moore said Endlich also often volunteered to take the patrol assignments of younger soldiers. And he was frequently the person with the risky task of jumping first out of the armed personnel vehicle.
Endlich, who ran cross-country with Moore's son for Washington High School, may not have had the talent to be an elite runner. But, "I watched that kid run in pain so many times," said Moore. "To him, it didn't matter where he finished. He just had to finish the race."
Moore asked Endlich why he went through the torment.
"I've got to be ready to run," replied Endlich. "I'm going (into the) Airborne (division). I've got to run nonstop."
Army Sgt. Cory M. Endlich was killed in action on 6/9/07.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Army Spc. Shawn D. Gajdos
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Shawn D. Gajdos, 25, of Grand Rapids, Mich.
Spc. Gajdos was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died June 6, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his unit was attacked by insurgents using improvised explosive devices and small-arms fire.
Granholm orders flags lowered to honor Grand Rapids soldier
The Associated Press
LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Jennifer Granholm has ordered that U.S. flags in Michigan be flown at half-staff on Friday to honor a soldier from Grand Rapids who was killed in Iraq.
Army Spc. Shawn D. Gajdos, 25, died from wounds suffered after his unit was attacked in Baghdad by insurgents using improvised explosive devices and small arms fire.
Gajdos was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kan.
Families, friends say Michigan Marine, soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
CHARLOTTE, Mich. — A Marine and a soldier from Michigan have been killed in Iraq, their families and friends said.
The military on June 7 notified the family of Ronald Kestner, of Charlotte, of his death, WILX-TV in Onondaga reported. The circumstances of the death and where he was stationed weren’t immediately available.
Spc. Shawn Gajdos, 25, of Grand Rapids, was killed June 6 in a roadside bombing and artillery shelling, friend Kay Shepard told The Grand Rapids Press.
The U.S. Department of Defense had not confirmed the deaths of either Kestner or Gajdos by early afternoon on June 8.
Kestner has a wife, three children, two stepchildren and one grandchild, the TV station said.
Charlotte is located about 17 miles southwest of Lansing.
Gajdos enlisted about 18 months ago. He had been in Iraq since February after shipping out of Fort Riley, Kan., Shepard said.
He repeatedly told people that enlisting in the Army was the best choice he’d ever made and that he was helping people who needed it most, she said. His favorite movie, “Pay It Forward,” is about a movement to perform good deeds with the belief that those who are helped will do the same for others, eventually improving the world.
“To some people, Iraq seems like a big, bad, ugly place, but Shawn was willing to do whatever it took to help,” Shepard said. “He saw it as a place that he could make a difference.”
Gajdos’ interests included biking, swimming and climbing mountains.
She said only hours before her friend was killed, he had called Shepard to say that he loved and missed her. It sounded to her as if there was a hint of concern in his voice.
“You wonder if somehow, some way, he knew,” Shepard said. “It was one of those calls that I think he felt like he had to make because there wasn’t going to be a tomorrow.”
Family, friends remember soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
Army Pfc. Shawn D. Gajdos’s desire to assist others less fortunate always shone through. His favorite movie was “Pay it Forward.”
He had a morning ritual of sharing a glass of milk with a cat.
He’d take a drink and then give a drink to the feline. In Iraq, he and another soldier briefly adopted a camel spider, giving it food and shade.
“He’d do anything for anyone,” said Kay Shepard, whose home was like a second one for Gajdos.
Gajdos, 25, of Grand Rapids, Mich., was killed June 6 in a roadside bombing and artillery attack in Baghdad. He was a 2000 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Riley, Kan.
His interests included biking, swimming and climbing mountains.
He recently became addicted to Soduku puzzles but held a long fascination with video and role-playing games.
In Iraq, Gajdos yearned for Andes mints and Trident strawberry-kiwi gum. He was taking online courses from Central Texas College.
“He told us that he never regretted going into the service,” said Shepard. “He told us it was the best decision he ever made.”
He also is survived by his mother, Brenda Richards, and father, Anthony Gajdos.
Army Spc. Shawn D. Gajdos was killed in action on 6/06/07.
Army Spc. Shawn D. Gajdos, 25, of Grand Rapids, Mich.
Spc. Gajdos was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died June 6, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his unit was attacked by insurgents using improvised explosive devices and small-arms fire.
Granholm orders flags lowered to honor Grand Rapids soldier
The Associated Press
LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Jennifer Granholm has ordered that U.S. flags in Michigan be flown at half-staff on Friday to honor a soldier from Grand Rapids who was killed in Iraq.
Army Spc. Shawn D. Gajdos, 25, died from wounds suffered after his unit was attacked in Baghdad by insurgents using improvised explosive devices and small arms fire.
Gajdos was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kan.
Families, friends say Michigan Marine, soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
CHARLOTTE, Mich. — A Marine and a soldier from Michigan have been killed in Iraq, their families and friends said.
The military on June 7 notified the family of Ronald Kestner, of Charlotte, of his death, WILX-TV in Onondaga reported. The circumstances of the death and where he was stationed weren’t immediately available.
Spc. Shawn Gajdos, 25, of Grand Rapids, was killed June 6 in a roadside bombing and artillery shelling, friend Kay Shepard told The Grand Rapids Press.
The U.S. Department of Defense had not confirmed the deaths of either Kestner or Gajdos by early afternoon on June 8.
Kestner has a wife, three children, two stepchildren and one grandchild, the TV station said.
Charlotte is located about 17 miles southwest of Lansing.
Gajdos enlisted about 18 months ago. He had been in Iraq since February after shipping out of Fort Riley, Kan., Shepard said.
He repeatedly told people that enlisting in the Army was the best choice he’d ever made and that he was helping people who needed it most, she said. His favorite movie, “Pay It Forward,” is about a movement to perform good deeds with the belief that those who are helped will do the same for others, eventually improving the world.
“To some people, Iraq seems like a big, bad, ugly place, but Shawn was willing to do whatever it took to help,” Shepard said. “He saw it as a place that he could make a difference.”
Gajdos’ interests included biking, swimming and climbing mountains.
She said only hours before her friend was killed, he had called Shepard to say that he loved and missed her. It sounded to her as if there was a hint of concern in his voice.
“You wonder if somehow, some way, he knew,” Shepard said. “It was one of those calls that I think he felt like he had to make because there wasn’t going to be a tomorrow.”
Family, friends remember soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
Army Pfc. Shawn D. Gajdos’s desire to assist others less fortunate always shone through. His favorite movie was “Pay it Forward.”
He had a morning ritual of sharing a glass of milk with a cat.
He’d take a drink and then give a drink to the feline. In Iraq, he and another soldier briefly adopted a camel spider, giving it food and shade.
“He’d do anything for anyone,” said Kay Shepard, whose home was like a second one for Gajdos.
Gajdos, 25, of Grand Rapids, Mich., was killed June 6 in a roadside bombing and artillery attack in Baghdad. He was a 2000 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Riley, Kan.
His interests included biking, swimming and climbing mountains.
He recently became addicted to Soduku puzzles but held a long fascination with video and role-playing games.
In Iraq, Gajdos yearned for Andes mints and Trident strawberry-kiwi gum. He was taking online courses from Central Texas College.
“He told us that he never regretted going into the service,” said Shepard. “He told us it was the best decision he ever made.”
He also is survived by his mother, Brenda Richards, and father, Anthony Gajdos.
Army Spc. Shawn D. Gajdos was killed in action on 6/06/07.
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