Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Kevin A. Gilbertson, 24, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Sgt. Gilbertson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany; died Aug. 31, 2007 in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit during combat operations Aug. 29, 2007 in Ramadi, Iraq.
Cedar Rapids soldier dies during second stint in Iraq
By Nigel Duara
Des Moines Register
Cedar Rapids native Sgt. Kevin Allan Gilbertson died Aug. 31 in a hospital in Germany.
The soldier, known as an upbeat, rabble-rousing, ball of fire nicknamed Gilmoe, was shot in Ramadi, Iraq, last week and died two days later. He was on his second tour in the country, military officials said.
“He was always go-go-go,” said his former stepmother Diane Gilbertson, who married Gilbertson’s father when Kevin was 4 years old. “It hit me. It hit me hard.”
Kevin Gilbertson, 25, was a newly minted family man. His son was born 8 months ago to his wife. The couple lived in Scheweinfurt, Germany, where Gilbertson served with the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division.
“He joined the Army right out of high school to get a college education when he got out,” said Don Gilbertson, the soldier’s father. “His dream was getting a degree and supporting his family.
“He was the greatest kid in the world.”
A 2001 graduate of Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School, Kevin Gilbertson’s MySpace page told much of his story.
The postings ranged from expletive-laced tough-guy messages left by his buddies to pink-and-purple “Happy Easter” cards that prominently display bunny rabbits.
The soldier’s aunt, Amy Gilbertson of Austin, Texas, said that Kevin “was kind of like my little brother. He’s always been very proud. He loved his country. He really embraced being a soldier.”
Diane Gilbertson said Kevin made family a priority. He immediately befriended her twin sons, now 21 years old, and would visit her 12-year-old boy when he was on leave from Iraq. “He looks up to Kevin,” Gilbertson said. “He was a huge influence.”
Many posts on Kevin Gilbertson’s Web page related to his service or to his son. One, left on New Year’s Eve 2006, included a prayer for soldiers.
“Please God ... Grant them courage, when times seem bleak. Grant them strength, when they seem weak. Grant them comfort, when they feel all alone, and most of all, God, please bring them all home.”
Don Gilbertson said he will travel to Germany to retrieve his son’s body and return it to Iowa. Funeral arrangements are pending at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home in Cedar Rapids.
Army Sgt. Kevin A. Gilbertson died on 8/31/07 due to combat injuries of 8/29/07.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Army Spc. Travis M. Virgadamo
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Travis M. Virgadamo, 19, of Las Vegas
Spc. Virgadamo was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died Aug. 30, 2007 in Taji, Iraq, in a non-combat-related incident.
It is with sincere regret that I report that Army Specialist Travis Virgadamo, 19, of Las Vegas, a military Instructor who assisted the Military Cadets of Fort Stewart of the American Cadet Alliance (ACA), and a long-time contributer in CadetStuff using the screen name "Vegas," died last Thursday at a location just outside of Baghdad due to a non-combat gunshot wound. He was a Calvary Scout attached to a Georgia-based infantry unit.
Virgadamo was born Aug. 17, 1988, in Victorville, Calif., and moved to Las Vegas with his family at age 5. He was home-schooled and worked as a box boy at an Albertsons in southwest Las Vegas. He served several years in the Civil Air Patrol. He also assisted the Military Cadets of Fort Stewart for 18 months, formally joining the ACA's Army Cadet Corps in December 2006. He deployed in May, 2007.
"Specialist Virgadamo was always available to help out in any way he could and always enthusiastic. He was a great asset to the unit and a good friend to all who knew him. He will be sorely missed," said Major Bill MacDonald, Officer-in-Charge of the Military Cadets of Fort Stewart.
Army Spc. Travis M. Virgadamo died in Iraq on 8/30/07.
Army Spc. Travis M. Virgadamo, 19, of Las Vegas
Spc. Virgadamo was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died Aug. 30, 2007 in Taji, Iraq, in a non-combat-related incident.
It is with sincere regret that I report that Army Specialist Travis Virgadamo, 19, of Las Vegas, a military Instructor who assisted the Military Cadets of Fort Stewart of the American Cadet Alliance (ACA), and a long-time contributer in CadetStuff using the screen name "Vegas," died last Thursday at a location just outside of Baghdad due to a non-combat gunshot wound. He was a Calvary Scout attached to a Georgia-based infantry unit.
Virgadamo was born Aug. 17, 1988, in Victorville, Calif., and moved to Las Vegas with his family at age 5. He was home-schooled and worked as a box boy at an Albertsons in southwest Las Vegas. He served several years in the Civil Air Patrol. He also assisted the Military Cadets of Fort Stewart for 18 months, formally joining the ACA's Army Cadet Corps in December 2006. He deployed in May, 2007.
"Specialist Virgadamo was always available to help out in any way he could and always enthusiastic. He was a great asset to the unit and a good friend to all who knew him. He will be sorely missed," said Major Bill MacDonald, Officer-in-Charge of the Military Cadets of Fort Stewart.
Army Spc. Travis M. Virgadamo died in Iraq on 8/30/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Jason M. Butkus
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Jason M. Butkus, 34, of West Milford, N.J.
SSgt. Butkus was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died Aug. 30, 2007 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit.
Soldier from New Jersey killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
TRENTON, N.J. — An Army sergeant from Passaic County was killed when insurgents attacked his vehicle in Iraq, the military said Aug. 31.
Staff Sgt. Jason M. Butkus, 34, who grew up in West Milford, N.J., died Aug. 30 when his Humvee was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in Baghdad, his family said.
He was assigned to the A Company, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, out of Fort Riley, Kan.
Butkus joined the Army in 1995 and began serving with the 1st Infantry Division in October 2006. This was his first deployment to Iraq.
“He died doing what he loved, serving in uniform as an infantry NCO,” his family said in a statement. “Jason will always be a hero to us.”
Butkus was a graduate of West Milford High School, where he was a member of the track and wrestling teams.
His mother and stepfather, Cheryl and Edward Bohn, live in Old Bridge.
Butkus is also survived by his father, Michael Butkus of Houston, Texas; his former wife, Amanda, and a 9-year-old son, Connor, both of Fairbanks, Alaska; and his sisters, Tonya Conklin of West Milford, and Vanessa Butkus of Bloomingdale.
Army Staff Sgt. Jason M. Butkus was killed in action on 8/30/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Jason M. Butkus, 34, of West Milford, N.J.
SSgt. Butkus was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died Aug. 30, 2007 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit.
Soldier from New Jersey killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
TRENTON, N.J. — An Army sergeant from Passaic County was killed when insurgents attacked his vehicle in Iraq, the military said Aug. 31.
Staff Sgt. Jason M. Butkus, 34, who grew up in West Milford, N.J., died Aug. 30 when his Humvee was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in Baghdad, his family said.
He was assigned to the A Company, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, out of Fort Riley, Kan.
Butkus joined the Army in 1995 and began serving with the 1st Infantry Division in October 2006. This was his first deployment to Iraq.
“He died doing what he loved, serving in uniform as an infantry NCO,” his family said in a statement. “Jason will always be a hero to us.”
Butkus was a graduate of West Milford High School, where he was a member of the track and wrestling teams.
His mother and stepfather, Cheryl and Edward Bohn, live in Old Bridge.
Butkus is also survived by his father, Michael Butkus of Houston, Texas; his former wife, Amanda, and a 9-year-old son, Connor, both of Fairbanks, Alaska; and his sisters, Tonya Conklin of West Milford, and Vanessa Butkus of Bloomingdale.
Army Staff Sgt. Jason M. Butkus was killed in action on 8/30/07.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel E. Scheibner
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel E. Scheibner, 40, of Muskegon, Mich.
SFC Scheibnere was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 30, 2007 in Al Noor, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle struck an IED.
Michigan native killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
NORTON SHORES, Mich. — A soldier who grew up in the Muskegon area has been killed while serving in Iraq, his sister-in-law said.
Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Scheibner died Aug. 29, said Barb Badolati of Grand Haven.
The Department of Defense had not issued an announcement as of Aug. 31. Details about his death were not available.
Scheibner, 40, was raised in Norton Shores and graduated in 1986 from Mona Shores High School. A career soldier, he was stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington state and recently marked his 20th year with the Army, Badolati said.
She described Scheibner as a “wonderful” husband and father and a dedicated patriot. He was supposed to retire from the military last April but agreed to accept one more mission, she said.
He also served in the Gulf War of 1990-91.
“He was the most committed, loving and generous family man that I have ever known,” she said. “He also had a wonderful sense of humor.”
Scheibner’s surviving family members also include his wife, Ann, and their 12-year-old son, Tyler. The family lives in the Tacoma, Wash., area.
“He left here a child and became a man in the service,” his sister-in-law, Kasi Scheibner of Norton Shores, told The Muskegon Chronicle. “That was something we were really proud of.”
Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel E. Scheibner was killed in action on 8/30/07.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel E. Scheibner, 40, of Muskegon, Mich.
SFC Scheibnere was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 30, 2007 in Al Noor, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle struck an IED.
Michigan native killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
NORTON SHORES, Mich. — A soldier who grew up in the Muskegon area has been killed while serving in Iraq, his sister-in-law said.
Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Scheibner died Aug. 29, said Barb Badolati of Grand Haven.
The Department of Defense had not issued an announcement as of Aug. 31. Details about his death were not available.
Scheibner, 40, was raised in Norton Shores and graduated in 1986 from Mona Shores High School. A career soldier, he was stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington state and recently marked his 20th year with the Army, Badolati said.
She described Scheibner as a “wonderful” husband and father and a dedicated patriot. He was supposed to retire from the military last April but agreed to accept one more mission, she said.
He also served in the Gulf War of 1990-91.
“He was the most committed, loving and generous family man that I have ever known,” she said. “He also had a wonderful sense of humor.”
Scheibner’s surviving family members also include his wife, Ann, and their 12-year-old son, Tyler. The family lives in the Tacoma, Wash., area.
“He left here a child and became a man in the service,” his sister-in-law, Kasi Scheibner of Norton Shores, told The Muskegon Chronicle. “That was something we were really proud of.”
Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel E. Scheibner was killed in action on 8/30/07.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Army Spc. John R. Fish
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. John Robert Fish, 19, of Paso Robles, Calif.,
Spc Fish was found dead Aug. 29, 2007 at Dona Ana Base Camp, N.M. Fish, an ammunitions specialist, entered the military in February 2005. He was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 589th Combat Support Battalion, 41st Fires Brigade, since August 2005. He came back from a year in Iraq in November 2006.
He suffered an apparent gun shot wound.
Fish’s military awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, Meritorious Unit Citation, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism (Service) Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.
Army Spc. John Robert Fish died 8/29/07
Army Spc. John Robert Fish, 19, of Paso Robles, Calif.,
Spc Fish was found dead Aug. 29, 2007 at Dona Ana Base Camp, N.M. Fish, an ammunitions specialist, entered the military in February 2005. He was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 589th Combat Support Battalion, 41st Fires Brigade, since August 2005. He came back from a year in Iraq in November 2006.
He suffered an apparent gun shot wound.
Fish’s military awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, Meritorious Unit Citation, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism (Service) Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.
Army Spc. John Robert Fish died 8/29/07
Army Pvt. Justin T. Sanders
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pvt. Justin T. Sanders, 22, of Watson, La.
Pvt. Sanders was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Aug. 29, 2007 in Taji, Iraq, in a non-combat-related incident.
Louisiana soldier to be buried Friday
The Associated Press
WATSON, La. — A funeral service is scheduled for Friday for a 22-year-old soldier who died in Iraq.
Pvt. Justin T. Sanders, died Aug. 29 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds he received in a non-combat related incident that occurred earlier in the day, Army spokeswoman Brandy Gill said.
Gill refused to release further details, saying the death is still under investigation.
Sanders was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, according to the Defense Department. He joined the Army in August 2005 and arrived in Iraq in November 2006, Gill said.
Following a funeral service in Denham Springs, Sanders will be buried at Port Hudson National Cemetery.
He deployed to Iraq in November.
Sanders’ military awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Combat Infantry Badge and the Expert Weapons Qualification Badge.
Army Pvt. Justin T. Sanders was killed in action on 8/29/07.
Army Pvt. Justin T. Sanders, 22, of Watson, La.
Pvt. Sanders was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Aug. 29, 2007 in Taji, Iraq, in a non-combat-related incident.
Louisiana soldier to be buried Friday
The Associated Press
WATSON, La. — A funeral service is scheduled for Friday for a 22-year-old soldier who died in Iraq.
Pvt. Justin T. Sanders, died Aug. 29 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds he received in a non-combat related incident that occurred earlier in the day, Army spokeswoman Brandy Gill said.
Gill refused to release further details, saying the death is still under investigation.
Sanders was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, according to the Defense Department. He joined the Army in August 2005 and arrived in Iraq in November 2006, Gill said.
Following a funeral service in Denham Springs, Sanders will be buried at Port Hudson National Cemetery.
He deployed to Iraq in November.
Sanders’ military awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Combat Infantry Badge and the Expert Weapons Qualification Badge.
Army Pvt. Justin T. Sanders was killed in action on 8/29/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Andrew P. Nelson
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Andrew P. Nelson, 22, of Moorhead, Minn.
SSgt. Nelson was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 29, 2007 in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit.
82nd Airborne soldier killed in Iraq during third tour
The Associated Press
MOORHEAD, Minn. — A solider from the 82nd Airborne Division died earlier this week while serving his third tour of duty in Iraq, a family spokesman said.
Army Sgt. Andrew Nelson, 22, of Moorhead, Minn., was killed Aug. 29 while on patrol outside of Tikrit. His family received the news from the military that night, said Todd Taylor, a family spokesman. Further details were not immediately available.
Nelson enlisted in the Army immediately after high school. He also served one tour of duty in Afghanistan. He graduated from Shanley High School in Fargo, N.D., in 2003 and also attended St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Moorhead.
Valerie Ritland, principal of St. Joseph’s and Nelson’s cousin, said she was shocked after hearing of his death.
“It was so hard to believe,” she said. “I just totally miss him.”
Ritland said she remembered Nelson as being compassionate and dedicated to Boy Scouts, where he earned the rank of Eagle Scout, and to his church activities.
“He was such a person of character who showed respect for others,” she said. “His mom did a good job of raising him.”
Nelson was an altar server at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Moorhead, where Monsignor Mike Foltz remembered him as a young man with a big heart who was dedicated to serving others, his community, his country and his church.
Ron Schneider, his scoutmaster, remembered Nelson for his “constant smirk” and his talent for leadership.
“It’s hard not to be real proud,” he said.
Nelson is survived by his mother, Suzanne Nelson, and sister, Jessica, both of Moorhead.
Mourners in Moorhead say goodbye to soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
MOORHEAD, Minn. — Mourners gathered at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on Sept. 6 to say goodbye to a 22-year-old soldier who was killed in Iraq.
Staff Sgt. Andrew Nelson died Aug. 29 in Muqdadiyah, about 55 miles northeast of Baghdad, when insurgents attacked his unit. He was on his third tour of duty.
The Rev. August Gothman noted that those who served in World War Two are often called, “The Greatest Generation.”
He said those serving now are part of their own greatest generation.
Nelson was a Moorhead native who joined the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division after graduating from Shanley High School in Fargo, N.D., in 2003.
He will be buried Sept. 7 at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis.
Nelson is the 63rd person with strong Minnesota ties to have died in connection with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Army Staff Sgt. Andrew P. Nelson was killed in action on 8/29/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Andrew P. Nelson, 22, of Moorhead, Minn.
SSgt. Nelson was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 29, 2007 in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit.
82nd Airborne soldier killed in Iraq during third tour
The Associated Press
MOORHEAD, Minn. — A solider from the 82nd Airborne Division died earlier this week while serving his third tour of duty in Iraq, a family spokesman said.
Army Sgt. Andrew Nelson, 22, of Moorhead, Minn., was killed Aug. 29 while on patrol outside of Tikrit. His family received the news from the military that night, said Todd Taylor, a family spokesman. Further details were not immediately available.
Nelson enlisted in the Army immediately after high school. He also served one tour of duty in Afghanistan. He graduated from Shanley High School in Fargo, N.D., in 2003 and also attended St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Moorhead.
Valerie Ritland, principal of St. Joseph’s and Nelson’s cousin, said she was shocked after hearing of his death.
“It was so hard to believe,” she said. “I just totally miss him.”
Ritland said she remembered Nelson as being compassionate and dedicated to Boy Scouts, where he earned the rank of Eagle Scout, and to his church activities.
“He was such a person of character who showed respect for others,” she said. “His mom did a good job of raising him.”
Nelson was an altar server at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Moorhead, where Monsignor Mike Foltz remembered him as a young man with a big heart who was dedicated to serving others, his community, his country and his church.
Ron Schneider, his scoutmaster, remembered Nelson for his “constant smirk” and his talent for leadership.
“It’s hard not to be real proud,” he said.
Nelson is survived by his mother, Suzanne Nelson, and sister, Jessica, both of Moorhead.
Mourners in Moorhead say goodbye to soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
MOORHEAD, Minn. — Mourners gathered at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on Sept. 6 to say goodbye to a 22-year-old soldier who was killed in Iraq.
Staff Sgt. Andrew Nelson died Aug. 29 in Muqdadiyah, about 55 miles northeast of Baghdad, when insurgents attacked his unit. He was on his third tour of duty.
The Rev. August Gothman noted that those who served in World War Two are often called, “The Greatest Generation.”
He said those serving now are part of their own greatest generation.
Nelson was a Moorhead native who joined the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division after graduating from Shanley High School in Fargo, N.D., in 2003.
He will be buried Sept. 7 at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis.
Nelson is the 63rd person with strong Minnesota ties to have died in connection with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Army Staff Sgt. Andrew P. Nelson was killed in action on 8/29/07.
Army Spc. Edward L. Brooks
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Edward L. Brooks, 25, of Dayton, Ohio
Spc. Brooks died Aug. 29, 2007 in Ramadi, Iraq, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.
Dayton Daily News -- The Department of Defense late Thursday announced the death of a soldier from Dayton who died of wounds from an improvised explosive device in Iraq.
Killed while serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom was Spc. Edward L. Brooks, 25.
He died Wednesday in Ramadi of wounds from the explosion, the announcement said. Brooks was assigned to 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.
A Springfield native serving in Iraq was injured in the same explosion.
Colonel White High School Junior ROTC Maj. Odell W. Graves said Thursday that Brooks was a member of the ROTC class of 2000.
Graves said he expects that Brooks will be flown into Wright-Patterson Air Force Base within the next several days.
Graves said Brooks had been wounded three times before his fatal injury.
"He was a winner," Graves said. "He was one of the true heroes in my book. He never complained. A stellar hero, a true Daytonian."
In the Junior ROTC, Brooks excelled at being a "spin master" in precision rifle drills, twirling his 9-pound rifle like a baton. Initially, Graves said, Brooks entered the service as a tank driver.
His mother is coming from Tennessee for services, which should be held at Omega Baptist Church, Graves said.
Graves said Brooks' wife and infant child are also coming from Germany. Brooks was a cadet colonel for the national champion ROTC drill team at Colonel White, which has been renamed Thurgood Marshall.
Graves said he expects the entire class of 2000 to be present at memorial services. The school's ROTC, as well as UD's ROTC and Army representatives will participate in the services.
Several years ago, Brooks helped raise the flag during the grand opening ceremony at the U.S. Post Office on Salem Avenue, Graves said, recalling that he called Brooks at the last minute to help with the ceremony.
Brooks promptly agreed.
"Edward was one of those gems," he said.
Army Spc. Edward L. Brooks was killed in action on 8/29/07.
Army Spc. Edward L. Brooks, 25, of Dayton, Ohio
Spc. Brooks died Aug. 29, 2007 in Ramadi, Iraq, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.
Dayton Daily News -- The Department of Defense late Thursday announced the death of a soldier from Dayton who died of wounds from an improvised explosive device in Iraq.
Killed while serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom was Spc. Edward L. Brooks, 25.
He died Wednesday in Ramadi of wounds from the explosion, the announcement said. Brooks was assigned to 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.
A Springfield native serving in Iraq was injured in the same explosion.
Colonel White High School Junior ROTC Maj. Odell W. Graves said Thursday that Brooks was a member of the ROTC class of 2000.
Graves said he expects that Brooks will be flown into Wright-Patterson Air Force Base within the next several days.
Graves said Brooks had been wounded three times before his fatal injury.
"He was a winner," Graves said. "He was one of the true heroes in my book. He never complained. A stellar hero, a true Daytonian."
In the Junior ROTC, Brooks excelled at being a "spin master" in precision rifle drills, twirling his 9-pound rifle like a baton. Initially, Graves said, Brooks entered the service as a tank driver.
His mother is coming from Tennessee for services, which should be held at Omega Baptist Church, Graves said.
Graves said Brooks' wife and infant child are also coming from Germany. Brooks was a cadet colonel for the national champion ROTC drill team at Colonel White, which has been renamed Thurgood Marshall.
Graves said he expects the entire class of 2000 to be present at memorial services. The school's ROTC, as well as UD's ROTC and Army representatives will participate in the services.
Several years ago, Brooks helped raise the flag during the grand opening ceremony at the U.S. Post Office on Salem Avenue, Graves said, recalling that he called Brooks at the last minute to help with the ceremony.
Brooks promptly agreed.
"Edward was one of those gems," he said.
Army Spc. Edward L. Brooks was killed in action on 8/29/07.
Marine Cpl. John C. Tanner
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Cpl. John C. Tanner, 21, of Columbus, Georgia
Cpl. Tanner died Aug. 29, 2007 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
It's still kind of a shock, and I just want my boy home."
The "boy" Melanie Tanner is referring to...is the youngster who grew into a responsible man...a marine, serving his country in Iraq.
It was there Corporal John C. Tanner was killed Wednesday during a roadside bomb explosion.
Tanner says she can't help but think about the baby she refers to as Corey...the fun-loving prankster of the family.
"He was very mischevious, always into trouble, but very, he was a sweetheart," says Tanner.
"He liked to get into trouble, he liked to get us into a lot of trouble," says John's older brother Henry Tanner.
That passion turned into a personal calling to serve. Tanner says that after 9-11, her son knew what he wanted to do.
"He said that one, he wanted to get back at 'em, and two, he wanted to keep them from doing it again."
And Henry says it was that same spirit of determination that kept his brother going in Iraq.
"Every time that we talked, he told me that he loved his job."
A job John Tanner lost his life fulfilling. But, for this family...it's not in vain. The 21-year-old solider's wife is expecting the couple's first child next month. And it's through this baby, Melanie Tanner says she'll remember her own.
"I don't know if we'll ever be able to tell him how good his dad was, but I want to try."
Marine Cpl. John C. Tanner was killed in action on 8/29/07.
Marine Cpl. John C. Tanner, 21, of Columbus, Georgia
Cpl. Tanner died Aug. 29, 2007 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
It's still kind of a shock, and I just want my boy home."
The "boy" Melanie Tanner is referring to...is the youngster who grew into a responsible man...a marine, serving his country in Iraq.
It was there Corporal John C. Tanner was killed Wednesday during a roadside bomb explosion.
Tanner says she can't help but think about the baby she refers to as Corey...the fun-loving prankster of the family.
"He was very mischevious, always into trouble, but very, he was a sweetheart," says Tanner.
"He liked to get into trouble, he liked to get us into a lot of trouble," says John's older brother Henry Tanner.
That passion turned into a personal calling to serve. Tanner says that after 9-11, her son knew what he wanted to do.
"He said that one, he wanted to get back at 'em, and two, he wanted to keep them from doing it again."
And Henry says it was that same spirit of determination that kept his brother going in Iraq.
"Every time that we talked, he told me that he loved his job."
A job John Tanner lost his life fulfilling. But, for this family...it's not in vain. The 21-year-old solider's wife is expecting the couple's first child next month. And it's through this baby, Melanie Tanner says she'll remember her own.
"I don't know if we'll ever be able to tell him how good his dad was, but I want to try."
Marine Cpl. John C. Tanner was killed in action on 8/29/07.
Army Capt. Erick M. Foster
Remember Our Heroes
Army Capt. Erick M. Foster, 29, of Wexford, Pa.
Capt. Foster was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 29, 2007 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit during combat operations in Muqdadiyah, Iraq.
Fort Bragg captain from Pa. dies in Iraq
The Associated Press
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — An Army captain with the 82nd Airborne Division based here died in Iraq this week after an insurgent attack, the Defense Department announced Aug 30.
Capt. Erick M. Foster, 29, of Franklin Park, Pa., died Aug. 29 in Balad of injuries sustained when his unit was attacked by insurgent small-arms fire in Muqdadiya, military officials said.
Foster was the commander of A Troop, 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
He graduated from North Allegheny High School in 1996 and Duquesne University in 2000, after which he joined the Army.
He received his commission in armor in May 2000 and was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas, for a time before reporting to the 82nd Airborne Division in April 2004. Foster became his troop’s commander in October 2006.
“Foster was a respected and proven combat leader whose love for his men supplied him daily with motivation,” Foster’s close friend, Capt. John Hartsock, said in a written statement.
Foster had previously deployed to Iraq from 2004 to 2005 with the 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, according to a news release from the 82nd Airborne Division.
Foster is survived by his parents, Robert and Barbara Foster, and sister Abby Foster, all of Franklin Park, Pa. Another sister, Elizabeth Werkheiser, lives in South Kirkwood, Mo.
Robert Foster told KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh that his only son was “the best of the best” and at “the tip of the sword in the pursuit of al-Qaida.”
Army Capt. Erick M. Foster was killed in action on 8/29/07.
Army Capt. Erick M. Foster, 29, of Wexford, Pa.
Capt. Foster was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 29, 2007 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit during combat operations in Muqdadiyah, Iraq.
Fort Bragg captain from Pa. dies in Iraq
The Associated Press
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — An Army captain with the 82nd Airborne Division based here died in Iraq this week after an insurgent attack, the Defense Department announced Aug 30.
Capt. Erick M. Foster, 29, of Franklin Park, Pa., died Aug. 29 in Balad of injuries sustained when his unit was attacked by insurgent small-arms fire in Muqdadiya, military officials said.
Foster was the commander of A Troop, 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
He graduated from North Allegheny High School in 1996 and Duquesne University in 2000, after which he joined the Army.
He received his commission in armor in May 2000 and was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas, for a time before reporting to the 82nd Airborne Division in April 2004. Foster became his troop’s commander in October 2006.
“Foster was a respected and proven combat leader whose love for his men supplied him daily with motivation,” Foster’s close friend, Capt. John Hartsock, said in a written statement.
Foster had previously deployed to Iraq from 2004 to 2005 with the 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, according to a news release from the 82nd Airborne Division.
Foster is survived by his parents, Robert and Barbara Foster, and sister Abby Foster, all of Franklin Park, Pa. Another sister, Elizabeth Werkheiser, lives in South Kirkwood, Mo.
Robert Foster told KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh that his only son was “the best of the best” and at “the tip of the sword in the pursuit of al-Qaida.”
Army Capt. Erick M. Foster was killed in action on 8/29/07.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Army Sgt. James S. Collins Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. James S. Collins Jr., 35, of Rochester Hills, Mich.
Sgt. Collins was assigned to the 303rd Military Police Company (Combat Support), U.S. Army Reserve, Jackson, Mich.; died Aug. 28, 2007 in Kirkuk, Iraq, of wounds sustained during combat operations.
Parents of slain Michigan soldier call him a hero
The Associated Press
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. — A Michigan soldier killed this week during combat operations in Kirkuk had been in Iraq nearly a year, the military said.
Sgt. James S. Collins Jr., 35, of Rochester Hills, was part of the 303rd Military Police. The company deployed in Iraq last September and conducted convoy security operations, Army officials said.
Collins died Aug. 28.
“We are very proud of our son, Jim, as are his wife, his son, and his sister,” Collins’ parents said Aug. 30 in a release. “To us, Jim will always be a hero. He did his duty as he saw it and was proud of his service to his country.”
Collins’ Army Reserve company is based in Jackson, Mich.
Mourners bid farewell to soldier in Southfield
By KORIE WILKINS
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
The shots rang out, 21 of them, saluting a soldier. Then, a trumpeter played “Taps” as American flags fluttered and flapped in the breeze
Sgt. James S. Collins Jr., 35, was laid to rest this afternoon at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield. He died Aug. 28 in Kirkuk, Iraq.
More than 100 mourners attended services for Collins, who was from Jackson. Friends and family declined to speak. A memorial service for Collins was held prior to the burial at A.J. Desmond & Sons funeral home in Troy.
According to an obituary published on the funeral home’s Web site, Collins graduated from Southfield Lathrup High School in 1990. He played football and ran track before getting his degree in criminal justice from Lake Superior State University. He had served in the U.S. Marines for four years before enlisting with the Army Reserves. He had long loved the military. When he was young, he’d read and re-read a book on D-Day, according to the obituary.
His hobbies included hunting, waterskiing, hiking and watching the Detroit Red Wings, and he had a Labrador retriever, Sadie, according to the obituary.
Maj. Annmarie Daneker, spokeswoman for the Army Reserve 88th Regional Readiness Command, said Collins was a full-time Army Reserve soldier.
Daneker said she didn’t know any details about Collins’ death but said he died of wounds suffered during combat operations. He was assigned to the 303rd Military Police Company, U.S. Army Reserve based in Jackson and had been in Iraq since September 2006. His unit conducted security operations and was expected to return home in November or December, Daneker said.
He joined the 303rd in December 2005.
During the service today, Collins’ flag-draped coffin was carried by six soldiers. Prayers were said and scriptures read and the final roll call was performed, where members of the funeral honors team respond to their names and then the deceased name is read twice — meaning he is missing or killed.
The flag was folded and presented to his wife, Amy. Another flag was given to his son Dawson, 8. Both flags, Daneker said, had three M-16 bullets inside to represent duty, honor and country.
In addition to his wife and son, Collins is survived by his parents, a sister and a grandmother.
Army Sgt. James S. Collins Jr. was killed in action on 8/28/07.
Army Sgt. James S. Collins Jr., 35, of Rochester Hills, Mich.
Sgt. Collins was assigned to the 303rd Military Police Company (Combat Support), U.S. Army Reserve, Jackson, Mich.; died Aug. 28, 2007 in Kirkuk, Iraq, of wounds sustained during combat operations.
Parents of slain Michigan soldier call him a hero
The Associated Press
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. — A Michigan soldier killed this week during combat operations in Kirkuk had been in Iraq nearly a year, the military said.
Sgt. James S. Collins Jr., 35, of Rochester Hills, was part of the 303rd Military Police. The company deployed in Iraq last September and conducted convoy security operations, Army officials said.
Collins died Aug. 28.
“We are very proud of our son, Jim, as are his wife, his son, and his sister,” Collins’ parents said Aug. 30 in a release. “To us, Jim will always be a hero. He did his duty as he saw it and was proud of his service to his country.”
Collins’ Army Reserve company is based in Jackson, Mich.
Mourners bid farewell to soldier in Southfield
By KORIE WILKINS
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
The shots rang out, 21 of them, saluting a soldier. Then, a trumpeter played “Taps” as American flags fluttered and flapped in the breeze
Sgt. James S. Collins Jr., 35, was laid to rest this afternoon at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield. He died Aug. 28 in Kirkuk, Iraq.
More than 100 mourners attended services for Collins, who was from Jackson. Friends and family declined to speak. A memorial service for Collins was held prior to the burial at A.J. Desmond & Sons funeral home in Troy.
According to an obituary published on the funeral home’s Web site, Collins graduated from Southfield Lathrup High School in 1990. He played football and ran track before getting his degree in criminal justice from Lake Superior State University. He had served in the U.S. Marines for four years before enlisting with the Army Reserves. He had long loved the military. When he was young, he’d read and re-read a book on D-Day, according to the obituary.
His hobbies included hunting, waterskiing, hiking and watching the Detroit Red Wings, and he had a Labrador retriever, Sadie, according to the obituary.
Maj. Annmarie Daneker, spokeswoman for the Army Reserve 88th Regional Readiness Command, said Collins was a full-time Army Reserve soldier.
Daneker said she didn’t know any details about Collins’ death but said he died of wounds suffered during combat operations. He was assigned to the 303rd Military Police Company, U.S. Army Reserve based in Jackson and had been in Iraq since September 2006. His unit conducted security operations and was expected to return home in November or December, Daneker said.
He joined the 303rd in December 2005.
During the service today, Collins’ flag-draped coffin was carried by six soldiers. Prayers were said and scriptures read and the final roll call was performed, where members of the funeral honors team respond to their names and then the deceased name is read twice — meaning he is missing or killed.
The flag was folded and presented to his wife, Amy. Another flag was given to his son Dawson, 8. Both flags, Daneker said, had three M-16 bullets inside to represent duty, honor and country.
In addition to his wife and son, Collins is survived by his parents, a sister and a grandmother.
Army Sgt. James S. Collins Jr. was killed in action on 8/28/07.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Rocky H. Herrera
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Rocky H. Herrera, 43, of Salt Lake City
SFC Herrera was assigned to the 585th Engineer Pipeline Company, 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 28, 2007 in Jaji, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. Cory L. Clark and Sgt. Bryce D. Howard.
Salt Lake native dies in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY — A 43-year-old Utah native assigned to Fort Lewis in Washington state died from a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, his family said.
Army Sgt. Rocky Herrera was expected home early in 2008. He was killed Aug. 27 while trying to shield other soldiers, family members said.
“Rocky believed in what he was doing,” his mother, Elaine Herrera, said Aug. 29. “And he had to protect his troops because it was his job.”
Herrera boxed until he was 25 and was known in the ring as the “Rock.” He graduated from West High School and joined the military in his 20s. He left Salt Lake City about 10 years ago and was living in Lacey, Wash.
Utah native killed in Afghanistan remembered as a man who 'inspired'
By Stephen Speckman
Deseret Morning News
Sgt. 1st Class Rocky Herrera wasn't just Number 45, the total of military and non-military people with Utah ties who have died while involved in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Herrera, 43, was a brother, father, husband, uncle, son and grandfather. His family wanted everyone who attended Herrera's funeral Wednesday to know that. Near his open casket inside St. Ann Catholic Church were photos of the family man, the fisherman, the boxer and the Chicago Cubs fan.
He was remembered as someone who had a great sense of humor, a man who "inspired" others, lived life to the fullest and loved the outdoors.
His family also wanted people to know Herrera, who was based at Fort Lewis, was a hero.
Herrera and two others were killed Aug. 28 in Jaji, Afghanistan, in a blast by a suicide bomber. Family members had heard Herrera was trying to shield other soldiers from the bomber. He had served full time in the Army for about 20 years. His specialty was as an engineer, helping to build roads and bridges in Afghanistan.
During mass held before his burial with full honors in his hometown Salt Lake City, Herrera was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, which is given in recognition for acts of bravery and merit.
Capt. Jenn Foxworth read a letter written by Lt. Col. Mark Deschenes, who served with Herrera in Afghanistan, where Deschenes is commander of Task Force Pacemaker, based in Sharana.
Deschenes wrote that over a three-day period following Herrera's death, many soldiers came up to him to talk about their fallen comrade. On an "isolated outpost in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan," those soldiers described Herrera as someone who helped make them strong. At the time he died he was assigned to the 585th Engineer Pipeline Company, 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade.
"His loss to the Pacemaker family will be felt forever," Deschenes said. "There are no words to describe the void that cannot and will not be filled."
Deschenes called Herrera a "superior human example," selfless, hardworking and a dedicated soldier and family man.
"Those characteristics have been adopted and ingrained in the people who knew him, and in this way his legacy will continue to serve us," Deschenes wrote.
Herrera is survived by his mother, wife, four children, a brother and a sister. His cremated remains will be buried at the Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery next to his father Henry Herrera, who died last January
Army Sgt. 1st Class Rocky H. Herrera was killed in action on 8/28/07.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Rocky H. Herrera, 43, of Salt Lake City
SFC Herrera was assigned to the 585th Engineer Pipeline Company, 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 28, 2007 in Jaji, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. Cory L. Clark and Sgt. Bryce D. Howard.
Salt Lake native dies in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY — A 43-year-old Utah native assigned to Fort Lewis in Washington state died from a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, his family said.
Army Sgt. Rocky Herrera was expected home early in 2008. He was killed Aug. 27 while trying to shield other soldiers, family members said.
“Rocky believed in what he was doing,” his mother, Elaine Herrera, said Aug. 29. “And he had to protect his troops because it was his job.”
Herrera boxed until he was 25 and was known in the ring as the “Rock.” He graduated from West High School and joined the military in his 20s. He left Salt Lake City about 10 years ago and was living in Lacey, Wash.
Utah native killed in Afghanistan remembered as a man who 'inspired'
By Stephen Speckman
Deseret Morning News
Sgt. 1st Class Rocky Herrera wasn't just Number 45, the total of military and non-military people with Utah ties who have died while involved in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Herrera, 43, was a brother, father, husband, uncle, son and grandfather. His family wanted everyone who attended Herrera's funeral Wednesday to know that. Near his open casket inside St. Ann Catholic Church were photos of the family man, the fisherman, the boxer and the Chicago Cubs fan.
He was remembered as someone who had a great sense of humor, a man who "inspired" others, lived life to the fullest and loved the outdoors.
His family also wanted people to know Herrera, who was based at Fort Lewis, was a hero.
Herrera and two others were killed Aug. 28 in Jaji, Afghanistan, in a blast by a suicide bomber. Family members had heard Herrera was trying to shield other soldiers from the bomber. He had served full time in the Army for about 20 years. His specialty was as an engineer, helping to build roads and bridges in Afghanistan.
During mass held before his burial with full honors in his hometown Salt Lake City, Herrera was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, which is given in recognition for acts of bravery and merit.
Capt. Jenn Foxworth read a letter written by Lt. Col. Mark Deschenes, who served with Herrera in Afghanistan, where Deschenes is commander of Task Force Pacemaker, based in Sharana.
Deschenes wrote that over a three-day period following Herrera's death, many soldiers came up to him to talk about their fallen comrade. On an "isolated outpost in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan," those soldiers described Herrera as someone who helped make them strong. At the time he died he was assigned to the 585th Engineer Pipeline Company, 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade.
"His loss to the Pacemaker family will be felt forever," Deschenes said. "There are no words to describe the void that cannot and will not be filled."
Deschenes called Herrera a "superior human example," selfless, hardworking and a dedicated soldier and family man.
"Those characteristics have been adopted and ingrained in the people who knew him, and in this way his legacy will continue to serve us," Deschenes wrote.
Herrera is survived by his mother, wife, four children, a brother and a sister. His cremated remains will be buried at the Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery next to his father Henry Herrera, who died last January
Army Sgt. 1st Class Rocky H. Herrera was killed in action on 8/28/07.
Army Sgt. Cory L. Clark
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Cory L. Clark, 25, of Plant City, Fla.
Sgt. Clark was assigned to the 585th Engineer Pipeline Company, 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 28, 2007 in Jaji, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. 1st Class Rocky H. Herrera and Sgt. Bryce D. Howard.
Plant City soldier, deployed twice to Iraq, killed in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
PLANT CITY, Fla. — A Tampa-area soldier who was deployed twice to Iraq has been killed in Afghanistan.
Sgt. Cory L. Clark, 25, of Plant City, died Aug. 28 after an improvised bomb went off in Jaji, near Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan, the Defense Department said.
Clark was assigned to the 585th Engineer Pipeline Company, 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, based in Fort Lewis, Wash.
Two other soldiers from the same unit also died in the explosion.
Clark’s mother, Wrenita Codrington, said he called a few days ago to tell her about his promotion to sergeant. As an Army engineer, he had been working on cracked roads and broken buildings, she said.
After Clark’s first deployment to Iraq, he returned home to marry his high school sweetheart. The couple had three children before Clark was redeployed to Iraq, and later to Afghanistan.
Clark enlisted in the Army just after graduating from Durant High School in 2001. He was tired of working in a grocery store freezer, Codrington said.
“He joined the military, saying, ‘I’d rather get a little dirty than a lot cold all the time,’ ” Codrington told WTVT-TV.
Army Sgt. Cory L. Clark was killed in action on 8/28/07.
Army Sgt. Cory L. Clark, 25, of Plant City, Fla.
Sgt. Clark was assigned to the 585th Engineer Pipeline Company, 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 28, 2007 in Jaji, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. 1st Class Rocky H. Herrera and Sgt. Bryce D. Howard.
Plant City soldier, deployed twice to Iraq, killed in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
PLANT CITY, Fla. — A Tampa-area soldier who was deployed twice to Iraq has been killed in Afghanistan.
Sgt. Cory L. Clark, 25, of Plant City, died Aug. 28 after an improvised bomb went off in Jaji, near Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan, the Defense Department said.
Clark was assigned to the 585th Engineer Pipeline Company, 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, based in Fort Lewis, Wash.
Two other soldiers from the same unit also died in the explosion.
Clark’s mother, Wrenita Codrington, said he called a few days ago to tell her about his promotion to sergeant. As an Army engineer, he had been working on cracked roads and broken buildings, she said.
After Clark’s first deployment to Iraq, he returned home to marry his high school sweetheart. The couple had three children before Clark was redeployed to Iraq, and later to Afghanistan.
Clark enlisted in the Army just after graduating from Durant High School in 2001. He was tired of working in a grocery store freezer, Codrington said.
“He joined the military, saying, ‘I’d rather get a little dirty than a lot cold all the time,’ ” Codrington told WTVT-TV.
Army Sgt. Cory L. Clark was killed in action on 8/28/07.
Army Sgt. Bryce D. Howard
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Bryce D. Howard, 24, of Vancouver, Wash.
Sgt. Howard was assigned to Headquarters Support Company, 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 28, 2007 in Jaji, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. 1st Class Rocky H. Herrera and Sgt. Cory L. Clark.
Bombing kills three Fort Lewis soldiers in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
FORT LEWIS, Wash. — Three soldiers killed in a suicide bombing as they helped build a bridge in Afghanistan were identified Aug. 30 as members of a unit from this Army post south of Tacoma.
Sgt. 1st Class Rocky H. Herrera, 43, of Salt Lake City; Sgt. Cory L. Clark, 25, of Plant City, Fla.; and Sgt. Bryce D. Howard, 24, of Vancouver, Wash., members of the 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, died Aug. 28 in the attack in Jaji in eastern Afghanistan, military officials said.
Herrera and Clark were members of the battalion’s 585th Engineer Pipeline Company and Howard was in the Headquarters Support Company. The battalion has been in Afghanistan since March.
Herrera, a construction equipment supervisor, entered military service Aug. 25, 1986, and his current term of active service began in April 1996.
He previously was with the 38th Engineer Company in Hanau, Germany; the 31st Maintenance Company at Fort Irwin, Calif.; and with the 5th Engineer Battalion and later the 577th Engineer Battalion as an instructor in Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., before being assigned to Fort Lewis on Aug. 14, 2005.
Clark, a general construction equipment operator who had been deployed twice to Iraq, called home a few days before his death to say he had been promoted to sergeant, his mother, Wrenita Codrington, told WTVT Television in Tampa.
He enlisted in the Army just after graduating from Durant High School in 2001, fed up with working in a grocery store freezer, Codrington said.
“He joined the military, saying, ‘I’d rather get a little dirty than a lot cold all the time,”’ Codrington said.
After Clark’s first tour in Iraq, he returned home to marry his high school sweetheart and they had three children before he was sent to Iraq a second time, his mother said.
Howard, a technical engineer, entered the military on Jan. 16, 2002, underwent basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, then spent a year at Camp Henry, South Korea, before reporting to Fort Lewis on Aug. 19, 2003.
U.S. Army Sgt. Bryce D. Howard, 24, formerly of Battle Ground, was one of three soldiers killed Tuesday in Afghanistan by an improvised explosive device, the Defense Department said.
He is the first Southwest Washington soldier to be killed in Afghanistan and the 111th member of the U.S. military with ties to Oregon or southwest Washington to die in Iraq, Afghanistan or Pakistan since the current conflict began.
The Army "was the best thing to happen to him," Howard's father, Dean Howard, said Thursday evening.
"It transformed a young, rebellious teenager into an adult," said Dean Howard, a Vietnam veteran and Yacolt-area resident.
"He was just good-spirited," Dean Howard said. "He developed some really good, close friends (in the Army)."
Also, Bryce's father said, "He had a smile that could get him out of trouble."
Bryce Howard graduated from Battle Ground High School in 2001. Later that year he met his future wife, Amber, in Hazel Dell. They married in December 2001.
The couple, who make their home in Tacoma near Fort Lewis, have two children: Caleb, 7, and Ryen, 3.
"We felt very fortunate he met her and got married," Dean Howard said.
Bryce Howard, a snowboard and motorcycle enthusiast, planned to pursue a career as a surveyor when he left the Army, his father said.
Bryce has a brother, James Howard, 23, and a sister, Casey Howard, 21, both of Clark County.
Bryce was serving his second tour in Afghanistan; he also served there from February 2005 to February 2006.
Jaji, the town where the Defense Department said the explosive device detonated, is best known in Afghanistan's recent military history for a 1987 battle in which Osama bin Laden led Afghan rebels against Soviet soldiers. Jaji is on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Not even a year removed from high school, Bryce Howard entered the Army on Jan. 16, 2002. As a technical engineer, he was assigned to Headquarters Support Company, 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade. The unit is based in Fort Lewis, Wash.
He attended initial entry training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and then reported to Camp Henry, Korea, in August 2002, where he served a 12-month tour.
He reported to Fort Lewis on Aug. 19, 2003, and was assigned to 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade.
Howard's military education included Basic Combat Training in 2002, the Technical Engineer Qualification Course in 2002, Warrior Leaders Course in 2004, and Combat Lifesaver Course in 2003, the Defense Department said.
His awards and decorations include two Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, and NATO Medal.
Howard was posthumously promoted to his current rank from his previous rank of corporal.
Also killed were Sgt. 1st Class Rocky H. Herrera, 43, of Salt Lake City; and Sgt. Cory L. Clark, 25, of Plant City, Fla. Herrera and Clark were assigned to the 585th Engineer Pipeline Company, 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade.
A memorial ceremony will be held Sept. 12 at Fort Lewis for the three soldiers, Dean Howard said.
Army Sgt. Bryce D. Howard was killed in action on 8/28/07.
Army Sgt. Bryce D. Howard, 24, of Vancouver, Wash.
Sgt. Howard was assigned to Headquarters Support Company, 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 28, 2007 in Jaji, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. 1st Class Rocky H. Herrera and Sgt. Cory L. Clark.
Bombing kills three Fort Lewis soldiers in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
FORT LEWIS, Wash. — Three soldiers killed in a suicide bombing as they helped build a bridge in Afghanistan were identified Aug. 30 as members of a unit from this Army post south of Tacoma.
Sgt. 1st Class Rocky H. Herrera, 43, of Salt Lake City; Sgt. Cory L. Clark, 25, of Plant City, Fla.; and Sgt. Bryce D. Howard, 24, of Vancouver, Wash., members of the 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, died Aug. 28 in the attack in Jaji in eastern Afghanistan, military officials said.
Herrera and Clark were members of the battalion’s 585th Engineer Pipeline Company and Howard was in the Headquarters Support Company. The battalion has been in Afghanistan since March.
Herrera, a construction equipment supervisor, entered military service Aug. 25, 1986, and his current term of active service began in April 1996.
He previously was with the 38th Engineer Company in Hanau, Germany; the 31st Maintenance Company at Fort Irwin, Calif.; and with the 5th Engineer Battalion and later the 577th Engineer Battalion as an instructor in Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., before being assigned to Fort Lewis on Aug. 14, 2005.
Clark, a general construction equipment operator who had been deployed twice to Iraq, called home a few days before his death to say he had been promoted to sergeant, his mother, Wrenita Codrington, told WTVT Television in Tampa.
He enlisted in the Army just after graduating from Durant High School in 2001, fed up with working in a grocery store freezer, Codrington said.
“He joined the military, saying, ‘I’d rather get a little dirty than a lot cold all the time,”’ Codrington said.
After Clark’s first tour in Iraq, he returned home to marry his high school sweetheart and they had three children before he was sent to Iraq a second time, his mother said.
Howard, a technical engineer, entered the military on Jan. 16, 2002, underwent basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, then spent a year at Camp Henry, South Korea, before reporting to Fort Lewis on Aug. 19, 2003.
U.S. Army Sgt. Bryce D. Howard, 24, formerly of Battle Ground, was one of three soldiers killed Tuesday in Afghanistan by an improvised explosive device, the Defense Department said.
He is the first Southwest Washington soldier to be killed in Afghanistan and the 111th member of the U.S. military with ties to Oregon or southwest Washington to die in Iraq, Afghanistan or Pakistan since the current conflict began.
The Army "was the best thing to happen to him," Howard's father, Dean Howard, said Thursday evening.
"It transformed a young, rebellious teenager into an adult," said Dean Howard, a Vietnam veteran and Yacolt-area resident.
"He was just good-spirited," Dean Howard said. "He developed some really good, close friends (in the Army)."
Also, Bryce's father said, "He had a smile that could get him out of trouble."
Bryce Howard graduated from Battle Ground High School in 2001. Later that year he met his future wife, Amber, in Hazel Dell. They married in December 2001.
The couple, who make their home in Tacoma near Fort Lewis, have two children: Caleb, 7, and Ryen, 3.
"We felt very fortunate he met her and got married," Dean Howard said.
Bryce Howard, a snowboard and motorcycle enthusiast, planned to pursue a career as a surveyor when he left the Army, his father said.
Bryce has a brother, James Howard, 23, and a sister, Casey Howard, 21, both of Clark County.
Bryce was serving his second tour in Afghanistan; he also served there from February 2005 to February 2006.
Jaji, the town where the Defense Department said the explosive device detonated, is best known in Afghanistan's recent military history for a 1987 battle in which Osama bin Laden led Afghan rebels against Soviet soldiers. Jaji is on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Not even a year removed from high school, Bryce Howard entered the Army on Jan. 16, 2002. As a technical engineer, he was assigned to Headquarters Support Company, 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade. The unit is based in Fort Lewis, Wash.
He attended initial entry training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and then reported to Camp Henry, Korea, in August 2002, where he served a 12-month tour.
He reported to Fort Lewis on Aug. 19, 2003, and was assigned to 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade.
Howard's military education included Basic Combat Training in 2002, the Technical Engineer Qualification Course in 2002, Warrior Leaders Course in 2004, and Combat Lifesaver Course in 2003, the Defense Department said.
His awards and decorations include two Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, and NATO Medal.
Howard was posthumously promoted to his current rank from his previous rank of corporal.
Also killed were Sgt. 1st Class Rocky H. Herrera, 43, of Salt Lake City; and Sgt. Cory L. Clark, 25, of Plant City, Fla. Herrera and Clark were assigned to the 585th Engineer Pipeline Company, 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade.
A memorial ceremony will be held Sept. 12 at Fort Lewis for the three soldiers, Dean Howard said.
Army Sgt. Bryce D. Howard was killed in action on 8/28/07.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Army Sgt. Jan M. Argonish
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Jan M. Argonish, 26, of Peckville, Pa.
Sgt. Argonish was assigned to the 55th Brigade, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Scranton, Pa.; died Aug. 27, 2007 at Forward Operating Base Naray, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit during combat operations in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Also killed were Maj. Henry S. Ofeciar and Master Sgt. Scott R. Ball.
Homecoming of a hero
BY STACY BROWN
STAFF WRITER
Sgt. Jan Argonish, who died Monday in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, was brought home amid the blare of sirens from police and fire engines, and the rumble of about 60 motorcycles that formed a nearly milelong motorcade that also included family and friends.
It began in Delaware and made its way from the Pennsylvania Turnpike onto Interstate 81, through Scranton and into Peckville for Sgt. Argonish's final homecoming.
After the motorcade emerged along Route 247, the Friends of the Forgotten, a group devoted to honoring the nation's fallen soldiers, helped lead the procession through Jessup and Blakely and onto Electric Street in Peckville to Sacred Heart Church.
As the hearse passed, dozens wept and saluted. Tears grew more intense as Sgt. Argonish's flag-drapped coffin was removed from the gray hearse outside the church. Family members, including Sgt. Argonish's 8-year-old son, Jacob, hugged each other and friends.
"This is almost too much to take," Mindy Marinchak, a Blakely resident said. "This is such a homecoming. One, I know the family will never forget and one I certainly will not."
Gov. Ed Rendell ordered all Pennsylvania flags at state facilities in Lackawanna County and in the Capitol Complex be flown at half-staff until after today's funeral.
The 26-year-old Scranton resident and graduate of Valley View High School in Peckville was on a resupply mission when a six-vehicle convoy he was part of came under attack. Sgt. Argonish was serving with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard's 55th Brigade and had volunteered to be part of an embedded training team helping the Afghan National Army.
He was a combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom as well as a correctional officer at the U.S. Penitentiary Canaan in Waymart.
During a viewing held later Friday, more than 1,000 people waited in line for hours to pay their respects. Inside the church, a number of photos of Sgt. Argonish were placed on a stand at the church's entrance. In the rotunda where his body lay in a closed casket, family and friends watched a video tribute.
"The sad irony of such a great homecoming is that the person it is done for is not alive to see it," said U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr., who stood in line for nearly three hours to pay respect to Sgt. Argonish's family.
Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty also waited nearly three hours in a line that stretched two blocks. "To (pay respect), I don't mind the wait," Mr. Doherty said.
Sgt. Argonish's older brother Nick Argonish said he and his family were overwhelmed by the outpouring of love.
"There were people along the streets, people that knew Jan and people that didn't know Jan," he said. "It was just an amazing homecoming for him. And I'm very proud to be his brother."
Funeral services are scheduled this morning at 10 at Sacred Heart Church, 1101 Willow Street in Peckville.
In memory
Blakely Borough Mayor Jeanette Acciare-Mariani is requesting all residents display their flags today in honor of Army Sgt. Jan Argonish. Mrs. Mariani also proclaimed Sept. 1, 2007 as "Sgt. Jan Argonish Day," in "recognition of his heroism and the impact he had on our borough."
Army Sgt. Jan M. Argonish was killed in action on 8/27/07.
Army Sgt. Jan M. Argonish, 26, of Peckville, Pa.
Sgt. Argonish was assigned to the 55th Brigade, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Scranton, Pa.; died Aug. 27, 2007 at Forward Operating Base Naray, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit during combat operations in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Also killed were Maj. Henry S. Ofeciar and Master Sgt. Scott R. Ball.
Homecoming of a hero
BY STACY BROWN
STAFF WRITER
Sgt. Jan Argonish, who died Monday in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, was brought home amid the blare of sirens from police and fire engines, and the rumble of about 60 motorcycles that formed a nearly milelong motorcade that also included family and friends.
It began in Delaware and made its way from the Pennsylvania Turnpike onto Interstate 81, through Scranton and into Peckville for Sgt. Argonish's final homecoming.
After the motorcade emerged along Route 247, the Friends of the Forgotten, a group devoted to honoring the nation's fallen soldiers, helped lead the procession through Jessup and Blakely and onto Electric Street in Peckville to Sacred Heart Church.
As the hearse passed, dozens wept and saluted. Tears grew more intense as Sgt. Argonish's flag-drapped coffin was removed from the gray hearse outside the church. Family members, including Sgt. Argonish's 8-year-old son, Jacob, hugged each other and friends.
"This is almost too much to take," Mindy Marinchak, a Blakely resident said. "This is such a homecoming. One, I know the family will never forget and one I certainly will not."
Gov. Ed Rendell ordered all Pennsylvania flags at state facilities in Lackawanna County and in the Capitol Complex be flown at half-staff until after today's funeral.
The 26-year-old Scranton resident and graduate of Valley View High School in Peckville was on a resupply mission when a six-vehicle convoy he was part of came under attack. Sgt. Argonish was serving with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard's 55th Brigade and had volunteered to be part of an embedded training team helping the Afghan National Army.
He was a combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom as well as a correctional officer at the U.S. Penitentiary Canaan in Waymart.
During a viewing held later Friday, more than 1,000 people waited in line for hours to pay their respects. Inside the church, a number of photos of Sgt. Argonish were placed on a stand at the church's entrance. In the rotunda where his body lay in a closed casket, family and friends watched a video tribute.
"The sad irony of such a great homecoming is that the person it is done for is not alive to see it," said U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr., who stood in line for nearly three hours to pay respect to Sgt. Argonish's family.
Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty also waited nearly three hours in a line that stretched two blocks. "To (pay respect), I don't mind the wait," Mr. Doherty said.
Sgt. Argonish's older brother Nick Argonish said he and his family were overwhelmed by the outpouring of love.
"There were people along the streets, people that knew Jan and people that didn't know Jan," he said. "It was just an amazing homecoming for him. And I'm very proud to be his brother."
Funeral services are scheduled this morning at 10 at Sacred Heart Church, 1101 Willow Street in Peckville.
In memory
Blakely Borough Mayor Jeanette Acciare-Mariani is requesting all residents display their flags today in honor of Army Sgt. Jan Argonish. Mrs. Mariani also proclaimed Sept. 1, 2007 as "Sgt. Jan Argonish Day," in "recognition of his heroism and the impact he had on our borough."
Army Sgt. Jan M. Argonish was killed in action on 8/27/07.
Army Master Sgt. Scott R. Ball
Remember Our Heroes
Army Master Sgt. Scott R. Ball, 38, of Mount Holly Springs, Pa.
MSgt Ball was assigned to the 55th Brigade, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Scranton, Pa.; died Aug. 27, 2007 at Forward Operating Base Naray, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit during combat operations in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Also killed were Maj. Henry S. Ofeciar and Sgt. Jan M. Argonish.
2 Pa. National Guard soldiers die in combat in Afghanistan
By Michael Rubinkam
The Associated Press
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Two Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers embedded with the Afghan military were among five people killed in an ambush by suspected Taliban militants Aug. 27.
The ambush in Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan killed Master Sgt. Scott R. Ball, 38, of Carlisle, and Sgt. Jan M. Argonish, 26, of Scranton, along with an active-duty Army officer whose name has not been released and two Afghan soldiers, the Guard said Aug. 28.
In civilian life, Ball was a state police trooper and Argonish a prison guard.
They are the first Pennsylvania Guard soldiers to be killed in combat in Afghanistan. Twenty-seven soldiers from the state Guard have been killed in Iraq.
“We mourn the loss of these dedicated soldiers and our thoughts and prayers are with the families,” Maj. Gen. Jessica L. Wright, state adjutant general, said in a statement. “These brave warriors proudly represented their commonwealth and country and, sadly, made the ultimate sacrifice.”
The pair had been in Afghanistan since February helping train Afghan and coalition forces. They were on a resupply mission when their convoy came under attack.
Ball was an eight-year state police veteran based at the agency’s Carlisle barracks. A former active-duty soldier, he joined the Guard in 1992. He is survived by his wife and two children and his mother.
The motorcycle patrolman and training officer was a well-liked, charismatic leader who mentored many new troopers, said his supervisor, Sgt. Jonathan Mays.
“We looked to him to put his stamp on our younger members because we wanted them to emulate his performance,” Mays said. “We look to the best among us to fill that role as an educator and he certainly was one of those. He’s going to be sorely missed.”
Ball also was a doting father who enjoyed motorcycles and auto racing and who was pursuing his pilot’s license, Mays said.
State police Commissioner Jeffrey Miller said Ball is the second active-duty state police trooper to be killed in combat since World War II. Trooper Daniel R. Lightner of Hollidaysburg was killed in Iraq in 2005 while serving with the Guard.
Argonish was a corrections officer at the federal prison in Waymart, Wayne County, who saw combat in Iraq and volunteered to go to Afghanistan. He is survived by his son, his parents and two sisters.
He died trying to protect his comrades, said National Guard Lt. Col. Chris Cleaver.
“He was in one of the rear vehicles and where he was found, he was trying to protect his other soldiers in that convoy,” Cleaver told a news conference in Scranton. “If you can imagine, with that number of casualties and fatalities, you are looking at overwhelming opposition fire at your location.”
Violence in Afghanistan is running at its highest level since the U.S. invasion nearly six years ago. Clashes in southern and eastern Afghanistan this week have killed more than 100 militants and more than 10 NATO troops, including Ball and Argonish.
Memorial services for both men are pending.
Army Master Sgt. Scott R. Ball was killed in action on 8/27/07.
Army Master Sgt. Scott R. Ball, 38, of Mount Holly Springs, Pa.
MSgt Ball was assigned to the 55th Brigade, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Scranton, Pa.; died Aug. 27, 2007 at Forward Operating Base Naray, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit during combat operations in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Also killed were Maj. Henry S. Ofeciar and Sgt. Jan M. Argonish.
2 Pa. National Guard soldiers die in combat in Afghanistan
By Michael Rubinkam
The Associated Press
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Two Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers embedded with the Afghan military were among five people killed in an ambush by suspected Taliban militants Aug. 27.
The ambush in Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan killed Master Sgt. Scott R. Ball, 38, of Carlisle, and Sgt. Jan M. Argonish, 26, of Scranton, along with an active-duty Army officer whose name has not been released and two Afghan soldiers, the Guard said Aug. 28.
In civilian life, Ball was a state police trooper and Argonish a prison guard.
They are the first Pennsylvania Guard soldiers to be killed in combat in Afghanistan. Twenty-seven soldiers from the state Guard have been killed in Iraq.
“We mourn the loss of these dedicated soldiers and our thoughts and prayers are with the families,” Maj. Gen. Jessica L. Wright, state adjutant general, said in a statement. “These brave warriors proudly represented their commonwealth and country and, sadly, made the ultimate sacrifice.”
The pair had been in Afghanistan since February helping train Afghan and coalition forces. They were on a resupply mission when their convoy came under attack.
Ball was an eight-year state police veteran based at the agency’s Carlisle barracks. A former active-duty soldier, he joined the Guard in 1992. He is survived by his wife and two children and his mother.
The motorcycle patrolman and training officer was a well-liked, charismatic leader who mentored many new troopers, said his supervisor, Sgt. Jonathan Mays.
“We looked to him to put his stamp on our younger members because we wanted them to emulate his performance,” Mays said. “We look to the best among us to fill that role as an educator and he certainly was one of those. He’s going to be sorely missed.”
Ball also was a doting father who enjoyed motorcycles and auto racing and who was pursuing his pilot’s license, Mays said.
State police Commissioner Jeffrey Miller said Ball is the second active-duty state police trooper to be killed in combat since World War II. Trooper Daniel R. Lightner of Hollidaysburg was killed in Iraq in 2005 while serving with the Guard.
Argonish was a corrections officer at the federal prison in Waymart, Wayne County, who saw combat in Iraq and volunteered to go to Afghanistan. He is survived by his son, his parents and two sisters.
He died trying to protect his comrades, said National Guard Lt. Col. Chris Cleaver.
“He was in one of the rear vehicles and where he was found, he was trying to protect his other soldiers in that convoy,” Cleaver told a news conference in Scranton. “If you can imagine, with that number of casualties and fatalities, you are looking at overwhelming opposition fire at your location.”
Violence in Afghanistan is running at its highest level since the U.S. invasion nearly six years ago. Clashes in southern and eastern Afghanistan this week have killed more than 100 militants and more than 10 NATO troops, including Ball and Argonish.
Memorial services for both men are pending.
Army Master Sgt. Scott R. Ball was killed in action on 8/27/07.
Army Maj. Henry S. Ofeciar
Remember Our Heroes
Army Maj. Henry S. Ofeciar, 37, of Agana, Guam
Maj. Ofeciar was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died Aug. 27, 2007 at Forward Operating Base Naray, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit during combat operations in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Also killed were Master Sgt. Scott R. Ball and Sgt. Jan M. Argonish.
Fallen soldier returns home
By Lacee A.C. Martinez
Pacific Daily News
Holding lit tapered candles, dozens of friends and family members welcomed home the body of another Guam soldier lost in battle.
The body of Army Maj. Henry Ofeciar arrived just before 1 a.m. yesterday on a Continental Airlines flight greeted with a water salute followed by a short and quiet state reception at the island's commuter terminal.
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Ofeciar was one of three soldiers killed in combat on Aug. 27 when enemy forces using small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades attacked his unit in Afghanistan.
He was 37.
Ofeciar was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, out of Fort Riley, Kan. He was embedded with the Afghan police before his death.
The Micronesian region now mourns 24 sons killed since the War on Terror began in 2001. Ten of the soldiers died this year, according to Pacific Daily News files.
Master Sgt. Scott R. Ball, 38, of Mount Holly Springs, Penn., and Sgt. Jan M. Argonish, 26, of Peckville, Penn., were with Ofeciar during the attack. Ball and Argonish were assigned to the 55th Brigade, Pennsylvania Army National Guard.
While U.S. Army Reserve Honor Guard soldiers in their green uniforms carried the soldier's coffin through the old terminal, Ofeciar's father, donning a blue U.S. Customs and Border Protection uniform, stood firm and saluted.
"He told us that he was going to be deployed to Afghanistan and help the Afghani people," the father said. "I'm very sad but that's what he loved to do."
Pedro Ofeciar flew in from Texas to bury his son killed in battle.
"I would say he was my hero to my co-workers," Pedro Ofeciar said. "He was my son but I would call him my hero. He died in defense of our freedom."
The soldier's uncle, Tony Borja, said he, too, was proud of his nephew who rose through the military ranks.
Borja, a Las Vegas resident and retired Air Force officer, spent time briefly with his nephew early last month when the soldier was on island to bury a close aunt.
"You have this thing like he's a brother-in-arms," Borja said. "He had established milestones and we're very proud of that. His potential hasn't even been challenged yet. I'm very saddened by his death."
After speeches given by Gov. Felix Camacho and Guam National Guard Adjutant General Maj. Donald Goldhorn, Talofofo Mayor Pedro Paulino spoke of the sacrifice the soldier and his family has made for the nation.
Henry Ofeciar is the second Talofofo native killed in the War on Terror.
U.S. Army Spc. Richard DeGracia Naputi Jr. of Talofofo died in 2005 when a homemade bomb detonated during combat operations, PDN files state.
"When our nation needed him to serve in a time of crisis, without hesitation, Maj. Henry San Nicolas Ofeciar knew that it was an obligation to serve his armed forces he so loved and cherished," Paulino said.
"He knew that freedom was not free. He knew that there were a number of soldiers before him that paid the ultimate price so that we could partake in the freedom that we all sometimes take for granted."
A funeral service for Henry Ofeciar is scheduled for Sept. 15 at the San Miguel Catholic Church in Talofofo.
Army Maj. Henry S. Ofeciar was killed in action on 8/27/07.
Army Maj. Henry S. Ofeciar, 37, of Agana, Guam
Maj. Ofeciar was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died Aug. 27, 2007 at Forward Operating Base Naray, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit during combat operations in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Also killed were Master Sgt. Scott R. Ball and Sgt. Jan M. Argonish.
Fallen soldier returns home
By Lacee A.C. Martinez
Pacific Daily News
Holding lit tapered candles, dozens of friends and family members welcomed home the body of another Guam soldier lost in battle.
The body of Army Maj. Henry Ofeciar arrived just before 1 a.m. yesterday on a Continental Airlines flight greeted with a water salute followed by a short and quiet state reception at the island's commuter terminal.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ofeciar was one of three soldiers killed in combat on Aug. 27 when enemy forces using small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades attacked his unit in Afghanistan.
He was 37.
Ofeciar was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, out of Fort Riley, Kan. He was embedded with the Afghan police before his death.
The Micronesian region now mourns 24 sons killed since the War on Terror began in 2001. Ten of the soldiers died this year, according to Pacific Daily News files.
Master Sgt. Scott R. Ball, 38, of Mount Holly Springs, Penn., and Sgt. Jan M. Argonish, 26, of Peckville, Penn., were with Ofeciar during the attack. Ball and Argonish were assigned to the 55th Brigade, Pennsylvania Army National Guard.
While U.S. Army Reserve Honor Guard soldiers in their green uniforms carried the soldier's coffin through the old terminal, Ofeciar's father, donning a blue U.S. Customs and Border Protection uniform, stood firm and saluted.
"He told us that he was going to be deployed to Afghanistan and help the Afghani people," the father said. "I'm very sad but that's what he loved to do."
Pedro Ofeciar flew in from Texas to bury his son killed in battle.
"I would say he was my hero to my co-workers," Pedro Ofeciar said. "He was my son but I would call him my hero. He died in defense of our freedom."
The soldier's uncle, Tony Borja, said he, too, was proud of his nephew who rose through the military ranks.
Borja, a Las Vegas resident and retired Air Force officer, spent time briefly with his nephew early last month when the soldier was on island to bury a close aunt.
"You have this thing like he's a brother-in-arms," Borja said. "He had established milestones and we're very proud of that. His potential hasn't even been challenged yet. I'm very saddened by his death."
After speeches given by Gov. Felix Camacho and Guam National Guard Adjutant General Maj. Donald Goldhorn, Talofofo Mayor Pedro Paulino spoke of the sacrifice the soldier and his family has made for the nation.
Henry Ofeciar is the second Talofofo native killed in the War on Terror.
U.S. Army Spc. Richard DeGracia Naputi Jr. of Talofofo died in 2005 when a homemade bomb detonated during combat operations, PDN files state.
"When our nation needed him to serve in a time of crisis, without hesitation, Maj. Henry San Nicolas Ofeciar knew that it was an obligation to serve his armed forces he so loved and cherished," Paulino said.
"He knew that freedom was not free. He knew that there were a number of soldiers before him that paid the ultimate price so that we could partake in the freedom that we all sometimes take for granted."
A funeral service for Henry Ofeciar is scheduled for Sept. 15 at the San Miguel Catholic Church in Talofofo.
Army Maj. Henry S. Ofeciar was killed in action on 8/27/07.
Army Pfc. Thomas R. Wilson
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Thomas R. Wilson, 21, of Maurertown, Va.
Pfc. Wilson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy; died Aug. 27, 2007 in Paktika, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit during combat operations.
Remembering A Fallen Son
‘You Could Be Sure You Were Protected’
By Jimmy LaRoue
Maurertown - It’s a long way from Mount Zion Lutheran Church near Maurertown, where Pfc. Thomas R. Wilson was baptized, to a lone tower in the cool Afghanistan darkness where the only voices filling the air were Wilson and Pfc. Derek Hill of Galax.
The two Virginia men formed a close bond when they first met in Italy as part of the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. They grew even closer over the eight months they spent together.
On those lonely nights of tower duty, they would talk about home, about life, about dreams – and a lot about faith.
Wilson was always an encourager, and gave some of that to Hill, a former youth pastor who had been shaken somewhat in his faith. Wilson told him to stay with it.
Whenever possible, the two would go to chapel with a couple other platoon members.
Wilson also talked up his love of home, where kids run barefoot and build forts and where adults leave their doors unlocked.
He was tall, lean and fast, but he also had steady hands – ones equally adept at hunting and fishing, sketching and taking pictures. He was also laid back, yet quick with a joke or to partake in a prank.
Still, the 2004 Central High School graduate worked hard and earned good grades. He put his speed and good hands to use at the high school, running track and playing basketball.
And he tried, but failed, to win the goat competition at the county fair every year.
Wilson had hopes of going back to West Virginia University to finish his degree in wildlife and fishery management and work in the outdoors. He wanted to get married and have children. And he and Hills hoped to hike the Appalachian Trail after their tours of duty were over.
Wilson had less than two weeks left before coming home on leave. His buddy hoped he would be able to see the home Wilson talked so much of.
The home where he ran loose in the woods – hunting and fishing and camping.
The home where he played pranks on his two sisters, brother and mom.
The home he depicted so well in drawings and photographs – and no doubt had embedded in his soul.
The home to which he never made it back alive.
Word comes
Wilson’s aunt, Kathy, was the first to learn.
She and her husband, Jim Hepner Jr., were watching Wilson’s younger brother Ethan at the soldier’s lifelong home.
Julie Hepner, Thomas’s mother, had driven down to Lynchburg to drop off his younger sister Chelsea at the Virginia School for the Arts, where she will spend the year studying ballet. His older sister, Chloe, was living in South Carolina.
Jim and Ethan were on the way to the fair preparing for the goat competition when two men in Army dress uniforms approached the house.
Kathy called her husband and told him to come home immediately. She didn’t want to tell him over the phone, but by the tone in her voice, he knew it was something serious, so he gathered Ethan and left.
On the way home, Jim told Ethan they were going back home because his mom wanted to talk to him before taking Chelsea to DMV, since it was the day she was to get her driver’s license. Chelsea and Julie were supposed to be on their way back from Lynchburg.
Jim pulled up, and soon after, he and Kathy were on their way to Lynchburg.
The two couldn’t tell anyone yet.
Julie didn’t know.
The Army broke the news to the soldier’s mother in a Lynchburg hotel at 7:30 a.m., Tuesday morning. Within an hour, she had called Chloe to tell her.
By 9 a.m., she had picked up Chelsea for the trip back home, now for a much different reason.
Life in Afghanistan
Wilson wasn’t able to write extensive letters while in Afghanistan.
“In one of his last letters, he told me about Derek and how much he was like his best friend,” Julie said.
He wouldn’t lie to her, she said, if things weren’t going well.
Julie would write her son 16-page letters about her family and what they were up to.
“I love getting details from home,” he told his mom.
Wilson frequently talked of home to Hill and to anyone who would listen.
The conditions in Afghanistan weren’t that bad, Hill said. Their space was a square concrete room about the size of Wilson’s porch at home.
“We managed to scrounge up some carpet, so we laid some carpet on the concrete floor,” Hill said.
While temperatures would get over 100 degrees during the day, it’d fall below 50 at night.
Wilson bugged his new friend about going to chapel when they had the chance. It wasn’t an option not to go, Hill said.
Wilson liked to laugh, and he was fun to be around.
Hill is going to miss having Wilson waking him up the most, walking up in the middle of the night, looking for food.
“He’d walk over and say, ‘Hey, Hill, you sleeping?’ ” Hill recalled.
“Yeah, yeah I am,” Hill would answer.
“You got anything to eat?” would come Wilson’s response.
He’d always ask Hill if he had any snacks.
“We’re in Afghanistan, where money really doesn’t matter, and he’s like, ‘I’ll give you some money if you’ll give me something to eat.’”
“I don’t want your money, man,” Hill would tell him. “I’ve got a box over there, go and get what you want.”
Growing Up
“If you were his friend, you could be sure you were protected, right Marty?” the soldier’s mother said, turning to his best friend, Marty French.
Wilson never met someone he didn’t get along with.
Growing up, Wilson was always protective of his sisters and younger brother.
He could also tell the best stories, his mother said.
“We were really looking forward to his stories when he came home,” she said.
Wilson often went out into the fields behind the house, and if he didn’t come back with a creature to scare someone in his house, he’d have a drawing or photograph, many of which could be found in numerous sketchbooks and on photographs inside the Hepner home.
At the funeral home, numerous pieces of art were on display, showcasing a range of skills, from his work with ceramics, to sketching, paintings and taking pictures.
The soldier loved hunting, fishing, going on rides with his friends. He was up for fun – for pranks and jokes.
“He’d always be laughing,” French said. “The favorite thing we used to do is just jump in the car and go.”
They’d listen to hard rock, country, bluegrass whatever, and he had the same goofy dance for every song.
Faith – and Prayers Answered
Wilson also had a very strong faith.
He went to church and Sunday school weekly at the church his great-grandfather started. It’s where Wilson was baptized and confirmed.
“It was a part of our life,” his mother said.
He was the first person to serve on the church council as a youth.
She believes her son took his faith in everything he did. Hill can attest to that.
“He definitely knew whose he was, what he was supposed to be doing,” Julie said. “He might not have been a minister ordained, but he definitely spreads God’s love in service.”
In the week since the Army men came to Wilson’s home, his family has taken solace in several events.
After the interrupted trip to the goats at the fair, the family talked to Wilson’s younger brother, Ethan, about whether he should continue with the goat competition. He felt his older brother would have wanted him to continue, and so he did.
Ethan competed and won his class – something that Wilson was never able to do. Then Ethan got a bigger surprise. His goat won best in show, bringing a loud cheer from the hundreds in attendance.
“What a bright spot in our day – Thomas was just right there with you,” Julie told her youngest son.
It got a little brighter when Hill showed up escorting Wilson’s body – another prayer of Julie’s answered. No deceased soldier had ever come back to his family faster, according to Wilson’s uncle.
Hill Arrives
Hill went home with Wilson, but not the way either had envisioned.
During a firefight in Paktika, Afghanistan, Wilson was killed instantly, and another in his platoon was injured.
The Army turned over Wilson’s body and allowed Hill to represent the company in escorting him home.
Home was everything Wilson had told Hill it would be.
The surroundings felt familiar, as he had long since known everybody’s name.
Hill walked out behind the modest house to see the 120-acre farm of Wilson’s grandfather, James Hepner Sr. And he saw the church his mom had Wilson go to every Sunday.
Scores of people streamed in and out of the house, some bringing food and drinks while kids ran barefoot outside and played on the swing set.
Family and friends poured over photographs and shared memories of Thomas.
Hill had thought his friend – a friend of many – would be helping make new memories with him.
He didn’t imagine hopping over the electric fence out back to see where his friend would be buried.
The Future
Hill plans to carry on with his friend’s dream. He’ll walk the Appalachian Trail, but with Ethan and a few of Wilson’s friends instead. He also plans to go back into youth ministry.
But first, he’ll have to board a plane Sept. 8 from Dulles taking him back to Afghanistan.
He’ll tell his battalion about the person his family and many friends knew Thomas to be, but they’re likely to know the story by heart.
Wilson loved God, he loved his family, he loved his friends and he loved the country – and his country.
He believed in what he was doing, and yet he looked forward to coming back and treading the ground of his youth.
And even if he’ll no longer get that chance, he’ll be present in the fields where he grew up.
Country roads took him home.
Army Pfc. Thomas R. Wilson was killed in action on 8/27/07.
Army Pfc. Thomas R. Wilson, 21, of Maurertown, Va.
Pfc. Wilson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy; died Aug. 27, 2007 in Paktika, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit during combat operations.
Remembering A Fallen Son
‘You Could Be Sure You Were Protected’
By Jimmy LaRoue
Maurertown - It’s a long way from Mount Zion Lutheran Church near Maurertown, where Pfc. Thomas R. Wilson was baptized, to a lone tower in the cool Afghanistan darkness where the only voices filling the air were Wilson and Pfc. Derek Hill of Galax.
The two Virginia men formed a close bond when they first met in Italy as part of the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. They grew even closer over the eight months they spent together.
On those lonely nights of tower duty, they would talk about home, about life, about dreams – and a lot about faith.
Wilson was always an encourager, and gave some of that to Hill, a former youth pastor who had been shaken somewhat in his faith. Wilson told him to stay with it.
Whenever possible, the two would go to chapel with a couple other platoon members.
Wilson also talked up his love of home, where kids run barefoot and build forts and where adults leave their doors unlocked.
He was tall, lean and fast, but he also had steady hands – ones equally adept at hunting and fishing, sketching and taking pictures. He was also laid back, yet quick with a joke or to partake in a prank.
Still, the 2004 Central High School graduate worked hard and earned good grades. He put his speed and good hands to use at the high school, running track and playing basketball.
And he tried, but failed, to win the goat competition at the county fair every year.
Wilson had hopes of going back to West Virginia University to finish his degree in wildlife and fishery management and work in the outdoors. He wanted to get married and have children. And he and Hills hoped to hike the Appalachian Trail after their tours of duty were over.
Wilson had less than two weeks left before coming home on leave. His buddy hoped he would be able to see the home Wilson talked so much of.
The home where he ran loose in the woods – hunting and fishing and camping.
The home where he played pranks on his two sisters, brother and mom.
The home he depicted so well in drawings and photographs – and no doubt had embedded in his soul.
The home to which he never made it back alive.
Word comes
Wilson’s aunt, Kathy, was the first to learn.
She and her husband, Jim Hepner Jr., were watching Wilson’s younger brother Ethan at the soldier’s lifelong home.
Julie Hepner, Thomas’s mother, had driven down to Lynchburg to drop off his younger sister Chelsea at the Virginia School for the Arts, where she will spend the year studying ballet. His older sister, Chloe, was living in South Carolina.
Jim and Ethan were on the way to the fair preparing for the goat competition when two men in Army dress uniforms approached the house.
Kathy called her husband and told him to come home immediately. She didn’t want to tell him over the phone, but by the tone in her voice, he knew it was something serious, so he gathered Ethan and left.
On the way home, Jim told Ethan they were going back home because his mom wanted to talk to him before taking Chelsea to DMV, since it was the day she was to get her driver’s license. Chelsea and Julie were supposed to be on their way back from Lynchburg.
Jim pulled up, and soon after, he and Kathy were on their way to Lynchburg.
The two couldn’t tell anyone yet.
Julie didn’t know.
The Army broke the news to the soldier’s mother in a Lynchburg hotel at 7:30 a.m., Tuesday morning. Within an hour, she had called Chloe to tell her.
By 9 a.m., she had picked up Chelsea for the trip back home, now for a much different reason.
Life in Afghanistan
Wilson wasn’t able to write extensive letters while in Afghanistan.
“In one of his last letters, he told me about Derek and how much he was like his best friend,” Julie said.
He wouldn’t lie to her, she said, if things weren’t going well.
Julie would write her son 16-page letters about her family and what they were up to.
“I love getting details from home,” he told his mom.
Wilson frequently talked of home to Hill and to anyone who would listen.
The conditions in Afghanistan weren’t that bad, Hill said. Their space was a square concrete room about the size of Wilson’s porch at home.
“We managed to scrounge up some carpet, so we laid some carpet on the concrete floor,” Hill said.
While temperatures would get over 100 degrees during the day, it’d fall below 50 at night.
Wilson bugged his new friend about going to chapel when they had the chance. It wasn’t an option not to go, Hill said.
Wilson liked to laugh, and he was fun to be around.
Hill is going to miss having Wilson waking him up the most, walking up in the middle of the night, looking for food.
“He’d walk over and say, ‘Hey, Hill, you sleeping?’ ” Hill recalled.
“Yeah, yeah I am,” Hill would answer.
“You got anything to eat?” would come Wilson’s response.
He’d always ask Hill if he had any snacks.
“We’re in Afghanistan, where money really doesn’t matter, and he’s like, ‘I’ll give you some money if you’ll give me something to eat.’”
“I don’t want your money, man,” Hill would tell him. “I’ve got a box over there, go and get what you want.”
Growing Up
“If you were his friend, you could be sure you were protected, right Marty?” the soldier’s mother said, turning to his best friend, Marty French.
Wilson never met someone he didn’t get along with.
Growing up, Wilson was always protective of his sisters and younger brother.
He could also tell the best stories, his mother said.
“We were really looking forward to his stories when he came home,” she said.
Wilson often went out into the fields behind the house, and if he didn’t come back with a creature to scare someone in his house, he’d have a drawing or photograph, many of which could be found in numerous sketchbooks and on photographs inside the Hepner home.
At the funeral home, numerous pieces of art were on display, showcasing a range of skills, from his work with ceramics, to sketching, paintings and taking pictures.
The soldier loved hunting, fishing, going on rides with his friends. He was up for fun – for pranks and jokes.
“He’d always be laughing,” French said. “The favorite thing we used to do is just jump in the car and go.”
They’d listen to hard rock, country, bluegrass whatever, and he had the same goofy dance for every song.
Faith – and Prayers Answered
Wilson also had a very strong faith.
He went to church and Sunday school weekly at the church his great-grandfather started. It’s where Wilson was baptized and confirmed.
“It was a part of our life,” his mother said.
He was the first person to serve on the church council as a youth.
She believes her son took his faith in everything he did. Hill can attest to that.
“He definitely knew whose he was, what he was supposed to be doing,” Julie said. “He might not have been a minister ordained, but he definitely spreads God’s love in service.”
In the week since the Army men came to Wilson’s home, his family has taken solace in several events.
After the interrupted trip to the goats at the fair, the family talked to Wilson’s younger brother, Ethan, about whether he should continue with the goat competition. He felt his older brother would have wanted him to continue, and so he did.
Ethan competed and won his class – something that Wilson was never able to do. Then Ethan got a bigger surprise. His goat won best in show, bringing a loud cheer from the hundreds in attendance.
“What a bright spot in our day – Thomas was just right there with you,” Julie told her youngest son.
It got a little brighter when Hill showed up escorting Wilson’s body – another prayer of Julie’s answered. No deceased soldier had ever come back to his family faster, according to Wilson’s uncle.
Hill Arrives
Hill went home with Wilson, but not the way either had envisioned.
During a firefight in Paktika, Afghanistan, Wilson was killed instantly, and another in his platoon was injured.
The Army turned over Wilson’s body and allowed Hill to represent the company in escorting him home.
Home was everything Wilson had told Hill it would be.
The surroundings felt familiar, as he had long since known everybody’s name.
Hill walked out behind the modest house to see the 120-acre farm of Wilson’s grandfather, James Hepner Sr. And he saw the church his mom had Wilson go to every Sunday.
Scores of people streamed in and out of the house, some bringing food and drinks while kids ran barefoot outside and played on the swing set.
Family and friends poured over photographs and shared memories of Thomas.
Hill had thought his friend – a friend of many – would be helping make new memories with him.
He didn’t imagine hopping over the electric fence out back to see where his friend would be buried.
The Future
Hill plans to carry on with his friend’s dream. He’ll walk the Appalachian Trail, but with Ethan and a few of Wilson’s friends instead. He also plans to go back into youth ministry.
But first, he’ll have to board a plane Sept. 8 from Dulles taking him back to Afghanistan.
He’ll tell his battalion about the person his family and many friends knew Thomas to be, but they’re likely to know the story by heart.
Wilson loved God, he loved his family, he loved his friends and he loved the country – and his country.
He believed in what he was doing, and yet he looked forward to coming back and treading the ground of his youth.
And even if he’ll no longer get that chance, he’ll be present in the fields where he grew up.
Country roads took him home.
Army Pfc. Thomas R. Wilson was killed in action on 8/27/07.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Army Staff Sgt. Nicholas R. Carnes
Remember Our Heroes
Staff Sgt. Nicholas R. Carnes, 25, of Dayton, Ky.
SSgt. Carnes died Aug. 26, 2007 in Orgun-e, Afghanistan, from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire in Lewanne Bazaar, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery Regiment, Kentucky Army National Guard, Carrollton, Ky.
Guardsman killed in action
BB Riverboat captain had been married less than a year, to another captain
BY RYAN CLARK
DAYTON - Two American flags fly from the Carnes home on Fourth Avenue. In the windows, signs and yellow ribbons ask to Pray for Our Troops and Bring Them Home.
Monday, about a dozen grieving family members and friends sat on the front porch, mourning one of their own - 25-year-old Staff Sgt. Nicholas Carnes of the Kentucky National Guard.
Wray Jean Carnes talked about her son, who was killed in Afghanistan over the weekend when his unit engaged the enemy in a firefight.
"They were on maneuvers, looking for (improvised explosive devices)," she said. "Then the enemy fired on his squad."
Sunday, she received a late-night phone call telling her Nicholas had been killed.
Carnes was part of the Guard's 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery, based in Carrolton.
He graduated from Dayton High School in 2000, where he played football.
He entered the Army National Guard at 17 and went to work at BB Riverboats, where he became a captain before leaving on his guard deployment in October 2006.
His wife, Terri Bernstein-Carnes, is herself a captain and a member of the Bernstein family, owners of BB Riverboats. Sept. 19 would have been their first wedding anniversary.
This was Carnes' first deployment, his mother said.
"He was the most kind, gentle, loving young man," his mother said. "There wasn't anyone he ever met who didn't love him. He never grumbled. He was always there to lend a helping hand. He was a giving young man."
But his mission had more importance.
"He wanted to protect his family," she said of his desire to serve. "He wanted us all to be free."
"We're not only going through a personal loss, we're also going through a professional loss," said his father-in-law, Alan Bernstein said. "(Nicholas) really thought he was doing the right thing, serving his country. He thought that if he lost his life, it was in the name of freedom. He knew the danger, and still he was overly-enthusiastic about going. We lost a great kid."
Bernstein said Carnes was destined for great things.
"But he was short-cutted," he said. "He was a natural leader, never in a bad mood.
"I don't know what there is to say to my daughter. She's a strong girl, like he was a strong man. We're getting a lot of support from the community already, even people we don't know."
Carnes will have a military funeral, but arrangements are pending, the family said.
Staff Sgt. Nicholas R. Carnes was killed in action on 8/26/07.
Staff Sgt. Nicholas R. Carnes, 25, of Dayton, Ky.
SSgt. Carnes died Aug. 26, 2007 in Orgun-e, Afghanistan, from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire in Lewanne Bazaar, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery Regiment, Kentucky Army National Guard, Carrollton, Ky.
Guardsman killed in action
BB Riverboat captain had been married less than a year, to another captain
BY RYAN CLARK
DAYTON - Two American flags fly from the Carnes home on Fourth Avenue. In the windows, signs and yellow ribbons ask to Pray for Our Troops and Bring Them Home.
Monday, about a dozen grieving family members and friends sat on the front porch, mourning one of their own - 25-year-old Staff Sgt. Nicholas Carnes of the Kentucky National Guard.
Wray Jean Carnes talked about her son, who was killed in Afghanistan over the weekend when his unit engaged the enemy in a firefight.
"They were on maneuvers, looking for (improvised explosive devices)," she said. "Then the enemy fired on his squad."
Sunday, she received a late-night phone call telling her Nicholas had been killed.
Carnes was part of the Guard's 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery, based in Carrolton.
He graduated from Dayton High School in 2000, where he played football.
He entered the Army National Guard at 17 and went to work at BB Riverboats, where he became a captain before leaving on his guard deployment in October 2006.
His wife, Terri Bernstein-Carnes, is herself a captain and a member of the Bernstein family, owners of BB Riverboats. Sept. 19 would have been their first wedding anniversary.
This was Carnes' first deployment, his mother said.
"He was the most kind, gentle, loving young man," his mother said. "There wasn't anyone he ever met who didn't love him. He never grumbled. He was always there to lend a helping hand. He was a giving young man."
But his mission had more importance.
"He wanted to protect his family," she said of his desire to serve. "He wanted us all to be free."
"We're not only going through a personal loss, we're also going through a professional loss," said his father-in-law, Alan Bernstein said. "(Nicholas) really thought he was doing the right thing, serving his country. He thought that if he lost his life, it was in the name of freedom. He knew the danger, and still he was overly-enthusiastic about going. We lost a great kid."
Bernstein said Carnes was destined for great things.
"But he was short-cutted," he said. "He was a natural leader, never in a bad mood.
"I don't know what there is to say to my daughter. She's a strong girl, like he was a strong man. We're getting a lot of support from the community already, even people we don't know."
Carnes will have a military funeral, but arrangements are pending, the family said.
Staff Sgt. Nicholas R. Carnes was killed in action on 8/26/07.
Army Sgt. Joshua L. Morley
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Joshua L. Morley, 22, of Boise, Idaho
Sgt. Morley was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 26, 2007 in Samarra, Iraq, of wounds sustained when the enemy attacked his unit during combat operations. Also killed was Spc. Tracy C. Willis.
Family: Fort Bragg soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. — A Fort Bragg-based soldier died in Iraq without ever meeting his baby daughter, family members said Aug. 27.
Josh Morley, 22, died Aug. 26 in southern Iraq after he and a comrade came under fire, family members said. It’s wasn’t immediately clear if Morley was one of the two soldiers who died Aug. 26 in a firefight in Samarra that saw a dozen insurgents killed.
Morley is survived by his wife, Kendra, and a daughter, who was born in April, said Irene Brevard, Morley’s aunt.
“Josh was a fine young man that wanted to serve his country so that the rest of us could have our freedom,” she said.
Morley was born in Hendersonville, said his father, Joe Morley, but Joe Morley’s career in the Army took the family to different cities. “Hendersonville was as much of a hometown as he ever knew,” said Joe Morley, who lives in Carthage.
He said Josh Morley’s mother, Sara, lives in Apex. Josh and Kendra Morley had been living at Fort Bragg, where Josh Morley was in the 505th Parachute Infantry, part of the 82nd Airborne Division, family members said.
Joe Morley said Josh’s mother, Sara, now lives in Apex.
Army Sgt. Joshua L. Morley was killed in action on 8/26/07.
Army Sgt. Joshua L. Morley, 22, of Boise, Idaho
Sgt. Morley was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 26, 2007 in Samarra, Iraq, of wounds sustained when the enemy attacked his unit during combat operations. Also killed was Spc. Tracy C. Willis.
Family: Fort Bragg soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. — A Fort Bragg-based soldier died in Iraq without ever meeting his baby daughter, family members said Aug. 27.
Josh Morley, 22, died Aug. 26 in southern Iraq after he and a comrade came under fire, family members said. It’s wasn’t immediately clear if Morley was one of the two soldiers who died Aug. 26 in a firefight in Samarra that saw a dozen insurgents killed.
Morley is survived by his wife, Kendra, and a daughter, who was born in April, said Irene Brevard, Morley’s aunt.
“Josh was a fine young man that wanted to serve his country so that the rest of us could have our freedom,” she said.
Morley was born in Hendersonville, said his father, Joe Morley, but Joe Morley’s career in the Army took the family to different cities. “Hendersonville was as much of a hometown as he ever knew,” said Joe Morley, who lives in Carthage.
He said Josh Morley’s mother, Sara, lives in Apex. Josh and Kendra Morley had been living at Fort Bragg, where Josh Morley was in the 505th Parachute Infantry, part of the 82nd Airborne Division, family members said.
Joe Morley said Josh’s mother, Sara, now lives in Apex.
Army Sgt. Joshua L. Morley was killed in action on 8/26/07.
Army Spc. Tracy C. Willis
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Tracy C. Willis, 21, of Marshall, Texas
Spc. Willis was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 26, 2007 in Samarra, Iraq, of wounds sustained when the enemy attacked his unit during combat operations. Also killed was Sgt. Joshua L. Morley.
2 Fort Bragg soldiers killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — The two soldiers who died Aug. 26 in a firefight in Samarra, Iraq, were based at Fort Bragg, the military said Aug. 27.
Killed were Sgt. Joshua L. Morley, 22, and Cpl. Tracy C. Willis, 21, of San Antonio, Texas. Although the military listed Morley’s hometown as Boise, Idaho, family members said he and his wife lived at Fort Bragg and that Morley considered Hendersonville his hometown.
Both men were with the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. Morley was a sniper and Willis was a scout.
A dozen insurgents also died in the firefight Aug. 26.
Morley is survived by his wife, Kendra, and a daughter, who was born in April, said Irene Brevard, Morley’s aunt.
“Josh was a fine young man that wanted to serve his country so that the rest of us could have our freedom,” she said.
Morley was born in Hendersonville, said his father, Joe Morley, but Joe Morley’s career in the Army took the family to different cities. “Hendersonville was as much of a hometown as he ever knew,” said Joe Morley, who lives in Carthage.
He said Josh Morley’s mother, Sara, lives in Apex. Josh and Kendra Morley had been living at Fort Bragg, where Josh Morley was in the 505th Parachute Infantry, part of the 82nd Airborne Division, family members said.
The unit will hold a memorial service in Iraq for the men.
Willis is survived by his parents, Darryl and Wilma Willis of San Antonio.
Army Spc. Tracy C. Willis was killed in action on 8/26/07.
Army Spc. Tracy C. Willis, 21, of Marshall, Texas
Spc. Willis was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 26, 2007 in Samarra, Iraq, of wounds sustained when the enemy attacked his unit during combat operations. Also killed was Sgt. Joshua L. Morley.
2 Fort Bragg soldiers killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — The two soldiers who died Aug. 26 in a firefight in Samarra, Iraq, were based at Fort Bragg, the military said Aug. 27.
Killed were Sgt. Joshua L. Morley, 22, and Cpl. Tracy C. Willis, 21, of San Antonio, Texas. Although the military listed Morley’s hometown as Boise, Idaho, family members said he and his wife lived at Fort Bragg and that Morley considered Hendersonville his hometown.
Both men were with the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. Morley was a sniper and Willis was a scout.
A dozen insurgents also died in the firefight Aug. 26.
Morley is survived by his wife, Kendra, and a daughter, who was born in April, said Irene Brevard, Morley’s aunt.
“Josh was a fine young man that wanted to serve his country so that the rest of us could have our freedom,” she said.
Morley was born in Hendersonville, said his father, Joe Morley, but Joe Morley’s career in the Army took the family to different cities. “Hendersonville was as much of a hometown as he ever knew,” said Joe Morley, who lives in Carthage.
He said Josh Morley’s mother, Sara, lives in Apex. Josh and Kendra Morley had been living at Fort Bragg, where Josh Morley was in the 505th Parachute Infantry, part of the 82nd Airborne Division, family members said.
The unit will hold a memorial service in Iraq for the men.
Willis is survived by his parents, Darryl and Wilma Willis of San Antonio.
Army Spc. Tracy C. Willis was killed in action on 8/26/07.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew S. Medlicott
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew S. Medlicott, 21, of Houston
LCpl Medlicott was assigned to 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Aug. 25, 2007 from wounds sustained while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.
Houston Chronicle -- Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew S. Medlicott of Houston was on his second tour in Iraq when he was killed instantly Saturday in an explosion, his family said.
Medlicott, 21, was killed when an explosive device was detonated while he was on foot patrol in Al Anbar Province in western Iraq. He served in lraq last year and had been back for only about three weeks.
"He was immediately killed," said his grandmother, Barbara Medlicott of Indianapolis.
"He did not make it to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead."
Medlicott enlisted in 2004 and was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, Calif. He received numerous medals for his military service, including the Combat Action Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.
"He deserves to be lauded for his devotion and his belief in the rightness of what he was doing," Barbara Medlicott said. "He said, 'We will fight them there or we will fight them here.' "
Matthew, like his older brother, Nicholas, always had an interest in the Marines, and he wanted to make a career of the military.
Nicholas Medlicott is also a Marine and is stationed in Hawaii.
Barbara Medlicott said she last saw her grandson in December when she traveled to California.
The trip was a chance to get away for a while after her husband, and Matthew's grandfather, William Medlicott Sr., died last summer.
At that point, she said, it was clear that Matthew would have to return to Iraq.
His first tour in Iraq began in January 2006 and lasted for about seven months.
"We are all in a state of shock — every one of us," she said. "My only comfort that I have is that his grandfather was there to greet him. He's not alone."
Matthew Medlicott is also survived by his father, William B. Medlicott Jr. of Waukegan, Ill.; his mother, Juyne Sauer; stepfather Mark Bigham; and stepsister Katie Bigham, all of Houston. He also has two stepbrothers, Ian Medlicott and Benjamin Medlicott, of Wonder Lake, Ill.
Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew S. Medlicott was killed in action on 8/25/07.
Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew S. Medlicott, 21, of Houston
LCpl Medlicott was assigned to 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Aug. 25, 2007 from wounds sustained while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.
Houston Chronicle -- Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew S. Medlicott of Houston was on his second tour in Iraq when he was killed instantly Saturday in an explosion, his family said.
Medlicott, 21, was killed when an explosive device was detonated while he was on foot patrol in Al Anbar Province in western Iraq. He served in lraq last year and had been back for only about three weeks.
"He was immediately killed," said his grandmother, Barbara Medlicott of Indianapolis.
"He did not make it to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead."
Medlicott enlisted in 2004 and was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, Calif. He received numerous medals for his military service, including the Combat Action Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.
"He deserves to be lauded for his devotion and his belief in the rightness of what he was doing," Barbara Medlicott said. "He said, 'We will fight them there or we will fight them here.' "
Matthew, like his older brother, Nicholas, always had an interest in the Marines, and he wanted to make a career of the military.
Nicholas Medlicott is also a Marine and is stationed in Hawaii.
Barbara Medlicott said she last saw her grandson in December when she traveled to California.
The trip was a chance to get away for a while after her husband, and Matthew's grandfather, William Medlicott Sr., died last summer.
At that point, she said, it was clear that Matthew would have to return to Iraq.
His first tour in Iraq began in January 2006 and lasted for about seven months.
"We are all in a state of shock — every one of us," she said. "My only comfort that I have is that his grandfather was there to greet him. He's not alone."
Matthew Medlicott is also survived by his father, William B. Medlicott Jr. of Waukegan, Ill.; his mother, Juyne Sauer; stepfather Mark Bigham; and stepsister Katie Bigham, all of Houston. He also has two stepbrothers, Ian Medlicott and Benjamin Medlicott, of Wonder Lake, Ill.
Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew S. Medlicott was killed in action on 8/25/07.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Army Sgt. 1st Class Scott M. Carney
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Scott M. Carney, 37, of Ankeny, Iowa.
SFC Carney was assigned to the 2d Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division of the Iowa Army National Guard. He died August 24, 2007 of wounds sustained from a non-combat related incident in Herat, Afghanistan. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation. Also killed in the accident was Sgt. 1st Class Daniel E. Miller, 43, of Rossford, Ohio.
Ankeny soldier killed in Afghanistan Humvee crash
PERRY BEEMAN
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
An Ankeny soldier was killed in Afghanistan Aug. 24 when the Humvee in which he was a passenger rolled during convoy operations near Herat, the Iowa Army National Guard announced this afternoon.
Sgt. 1st Class Scott M. Carney, 37, of Ankeny, a native of Ohio and a graduate of Upper Iowa University, was the 20th member of the Iowa Army National Guard to die in duty related to missions in Afghanistan or Iraq since 2003.
He is the 60th person with Iowa ties to die in the war on terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan since March 2003.
Funeral arrangements are pending with Westover Funeral Home in Des Moines.
Carney’s family, which requested privacy, said in a statement: ”It is with great sadness that we learned of the death of our beloved husband and father, Scott Michael Carney…Scott died doing what he loved, serving his country and protecting the freedom that we enjoy and providing the people of Afghanistan with the opportunity for freedom.”
“We will remember him, his sense of humor, his faith in God and his love for his country with great pride.”
The incident is still under investigation. Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Gregory Hapgood said he had no information on where the convoy was headed, the condition of the driver, the possibility of driver error, or whether there were any other factors. Investigators are treating the situation as an accident.
“I can tell you that it is an extremely rugged place,” Hapgood said. “The driving conditions are harrowing to say the least.”
Col. Tim Orr of the Iowa Army National Guard, who had worked with Carney, said Carney was a model soldier who loved his family and the Army above all.
Carney enlisted in the Army in March 1989, and joined the Iowa Army National Guard in December 2000. This was his first combat mission, and he was part of a team of 50 Iowa soldiers training Afghan police and soldiers. He arrived in Afghanistan in May 2007.
“He was a man who really liked what he was doing,” Orr said. “The Army was his life. He loved his family dearly. He was a great soldier, a great family member and he also was part of the team.”
Survivors include his wife, Jeni and his 12-year-old twin sons, Jacob and Justin; his mother and father, Geneva and John Carney of Somerset, Ohio; brothers Craig Carney of Woodbridge, Va., Russell Carney and Jason Carney of Somerset; and a sister, Lisa Robinson.
Carney was born on July 14, 1970 in Somerset, Ohio and graduated from Sheridan High School in Thornville, Ohio, in 1988. He was a member of his high-school wrestling team.
Carney earned an associate degree from Upper Iowa University in 2003. He also studied at the University of Maryland.
Carney was assigned to the Guard’s Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, based in Boone, Ia.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Scott M. Carney was killed in action on 8/24/07.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Scott M. Carney, 37, of Ankeny, Iowa.
SFC Carney was assigned to the 2d Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division of the Iowa Army National Guard. He died August 24, 2007 of wounds sustained from a non-combat related incident in Herat, Afghanistan. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation. Also killed in the accident was Sgt. 1st Class Daniel E. Miller, 43, of Rossford, Ohio.
Ankeny soldier killed in Afghanistan Humvee crash
PERRY BEEMAN
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
An Ankeny soldier was killed in Afghanistan Aug. 24 when the Humvee in which he was a passenger rolled during convoy operations near Herat, the Iowa Army National Guard announced this afternoon.
Sgt. 1st Class Scott M. Carney, 37, of Ankeny, a native of Ohio and a graduate of Upper Iowa University, was the 20th member of the Iowa Army National Guard to die in duty related to missions in Afghanistan or Iraq since 2003.
He is the 60th person with Iowa ties to die in the war on terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan since March 2003.
Funeral arrangements are pending with Westover Funeral Home in Des Moines.
Carney’s family, which requested privacy, said in a statement: ”It is with great sadness that we learned of the death of our beloved husband and father, Scott Michael Carney…Scott died doing what he loved, serving his country and protecting the freedom that we enjoy and providing the people of Afghanistan with the opportunity for freedom.”
“We will remember him, his sense of humor, his faith in God and his love for his country with great pride.”
The incident is still under investigation. Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Gregory Hapgood said he had no information on where the convoy was headed, the condition of the driver, the possibility of driver error, or whether there were any other factors. Investigators are treating the situation as an accident.
“I can tell you that it is an extremely rugged place,” Hapgood said. “The driving conditions are harrowing to say the least.”
Col. Tim Orr of the Iowa Army National Guard, who had worked with Carney, said Carney was a model soldier who loved his family and the Army above all.
Carney enlisted in the Army in March 1989, and joined the Iowa Army National Guard in December 2000. This was his first combat mission, and he was part of a team of 50 Iowa soldiers training Afghan police and soldiers. He arrived in Afghanistan in May 2007.
“He was a man who really liked what he was doing,” Orr said. “The Army was his life. He loved his family dearly. He was a great soldier, a great family member and he also was part of the team.”
Survivors include his wife, Jeni and his 12-year-old twin sons, Jacob and Justin; his mother and father, Geneva and John Carney of Somerset, Ohio; brothers Craig Carney of Woodbridge, Va., Russell Carney and Jason Carney of Somerset; and a sister, Lisa Robinson.
Carney was born on July 14, 1970 in Somerset, Ohio and graduated from Sheridan High School in Thornville, Ohio, in 1988. He was a member of his high-school wrestling team.
Carney earned an associate degree from Upper Iowa University in 2003. He also studied at the University of Maryland.
Carney was assigned to the Guard’s Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, based in Boone, Ia.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Scott M. Carney was killed in action on 8/24/07.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel E. Miller
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel E. Miller, 43, of Rossford, Ohio
SFC Miller was assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died Aug. 24, 2007 of wounds sustained in a non-combat-related incident in Herat, Afghanistan. Also killed was Sgt. 1st Class Scott M. Carney.
2 Ky. soldiers killed in separate incidents in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
Two Kentucky soldiers were killed in separate incidents in Afghanistan, the military said.
Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Miller, 43, of Rineyville, died along with Sgt. 1st Class Scott Carney, 37, of Ankeny, Iowa, when the Humvee they were riding in flipped Aug. 24 near Herat, according to officials at Fort Riley, Kan.
A Kentucky National Guardsman, Staff Sgt. Nicholas R. Carnes, 25, of Ludlow, Ky., was killed in an attack Aug. 26 in Afghanistan.
Linda Cook, a friend of Miller’s family, said Miller, who was originally from Ohio, is survived by his wife, Anne, and six children, ages 6 months to 13 years.
Cook said Miller was a loving dedicated family man and friend who was known for his sense of humor, his love of coffee and his “MacGyver-like talent” for fixing anything and everything.
Miller was assigned to the Army’s 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, at Fort Riley. A statement on Fort Riley’s Web site said Miller joined the 1st Infantry Division in November and that the deployment was Miller’s first in the war on terrorism. He joined the Army in 1986.
Miller came home for a visit in June, Cook said.
Julie Siscoe, another family friend, said Miller “was an all-around gentle guy and an all-around soldier.”
“He loved the Army and he loved serving his country,” she said. “There are not enough words to describe how good of a man he was.”
Visitation for Miller will be from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. EDT Aug. 31 at Nelson-Edelen-Bennett Funeral Home in Vine Grove. A prayer vigil will begin at 7 p.m. Visitation also will be held at 10 a.m. Sept. 1, followed by the mass of Christian burial at 11 a.m. at St. Christopher Parish in Radcliff. Burial will be Sept. 3 at St. Rose Parish in Perrysburg, Ohio.
In northern Kentucky, family members and friends were mourning Carnes’ death. The guardsman was killed when insurgents attacked his unit.
Wray Jean Carnes said she received a late-night phone call Sunday informing her that her son had been killed over the weekend.
“They were on maneuvers, looking for [improvised explosive devices],” she said Aug. 27. “Then the enemy fired on his squad.”
The military said Carnes died Aug. 26 of wounds from small-arms fire. He is the second Kentucky guardsman killed in Afghanistan.
Carnes, who was from northern Kentucky, was part of the Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery, based in Carrollton. He graduated from Dayton High School in 2000, where he played football.
He entered the Army National Guard at 17 and went to work at BB Riverboats, where he became a captain before leaving on his guard deployment in October 2006.
His wife, Terri Bernstein-Carnes, is also a captain and a member of the family that owns BB Riverboats. Their first wedding anniversary would have been Sept. 19.
This was Carnes’ first deployment, his mother said.
“He was the most kind, gentle, loving young man,” she said. “There wasn’t anyone he ever met who didn’t love him. He never grumbled. He was always there to lend a helping hand. He was a giving young man.”
His father-in-law, Alan Bernstein, said Carnes “really thought he was doing the right thing, serving his country. He thought that if he lost his life, it was in the name of freedom. He knew the danger, and still he was overly enthusiastic about going. We lost a great kid.”
Carnes will have a military funeral, but arrangements are pending, the family said.
Soldiers from Sheridan met in Afghanistan
By Kathy Thompson
The (Newark) Advocate
THORNVILLE — Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Edward Miller and Sgt. 1st Class Scott M. Carney met in Afghanistan and discovered they had something in common; they both graduated from Sheridan High School.
The two now share the same fate, as well. The two soldiers were killed when their Humvee crashed in Afghanistan.
Miller, 43, originally from Thornville and now of Rineyville, Ky., and Carney, 37, originally of Somerset and now of Ankeny, Iowa, died after the Humvee they were riding in rolled over during convoy operations near Herat, Afghanistan, on Friday. The crash is under investigation.
Miller was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Riley, Kan., and Carney was with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division of the Iowa Army National Guard.
Both men were graduates of Sheridan High School — Miller in 1982 and Carney in 1988 — and the pair had become fast friends after their arrival in Afghanistan and learned they attended the same high school.
Miller’s family believes the two men meeting was meant to be.
“We think that they met for a reason,” said Shelly Kaufman, Miller’s sister. “We know that they were a great comfort to each other so far from their families and loved ones. It gives us some peace knowing they were there for each other.”
Miller had been in the military for the past 23 years and his father, Harold, remembers his son’s love of reading, playing little league ball, history, playing in the band and being in the drama club in high school.
“We got in the car one summer to go on a three-week vacation and asked Dan where he wanted to go,” Harold smiles, his eyes misty with tears. “He hopped in and we were off to travel the Sherman trail.”
Miller’s mother, Susan, smiled as that memory comes back to her.
“I remember he had hurt his leg that summer and was on crutches, but it sure didn’t stop him from climbing a hill to see how Sherman had positioned his men,” Susan said. “He loved history and was military through and through.”
Susan also remembers how the family would send Miller candy while stationed in the Middle East that he kept in a pants pocket for the children of the area.
“That stopped when he told us the kids wanted pens,” Susan smiles. “So, we sent boxes and boxes of pens.”
Miller and his wife, Ann, have six children — Michaela, 13, Lucas, 9, Maggie, 7, Dominic, 4, Marianna, 2, and Lucy, seven months.
Lucy was born several weeks after Miller left for Afghanistan, but he was able to come home in June and spend a couple of weeks with his family and see his parents.
“It was the one time I knew I could just pick up the phone and call him and hear his voice,” Susan says. “I’ll miss that.”
Harold said his son was “destined to be a military man.”
“His whole life, that’s what he wanted,” Harold said. “We’re proud of him for that. We’re proud of all the heroes over there fighting for freedom. Dan was doing something he believed was the right thing to do and we’ll always support his decision to do that.”
Kaufman said she and her family will miss her brother’s easy smile, love of a good prank and his upbeat attitude.
“That’s what he would want from us all now,” Kaufmann said. “To be upbeat and remember how much he loved all of us, especially his Anne and the kids.”
Miller is survived by his wife, four daughters, two sons, his parents, two brothers, Dusty (Ruth) Miller, of Thornville, and Fred Miller of Somerset, and his sister, Shelly.
Funeral arrangements are with Nelson-Edelen-Bennett Funeral Homes in Vine Grove, Kentucky.
Carney enlisted a year after graduating high school and served in Germany and Korea before leaving active duty in October 1999.
But his love for the military brought him back in December 2000, when he joined the Iowa Army National Guard, and was qualified as a supply Noncommissioned Officer. Carney transferred to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team in November 2004 and arrived in Afghanistan in May this year. His unit provided advanced combat training to the Afghan National Army and Afghan Police.
While family members asked that they be allowed to grieve for Scott privately, they did issue a statement through the Iowa National Guard.
“It is with great sadness that we learned of the death of our beloved husband and father, Scott Michael Carney, during combat in Afghanistan,” the family wrote. “Scott died doing what he loved, serving his country and protecting the freedom that we enjoy and providing the people of Afghanistan with the opportunity for freedom.”
Col. Tim Orr, of the Iowa National Guard, said Carney was a model solider and loved what he was doing.
“The Army was his life,” Orr said. “He loved his family dearly and was a great family member. He was also part of the team.”
Carney’s brother-in-law, Jamie Mahne, of Jackson, Miss., said Carney was a model husband and father who loved to take his 12-year-old twin sons fishing at Saylorville Lake.
“He was truly an all-American dad,” Mahne said. “He truly was a saint.”
Carney leaves behind his wife, Jeni L. Carney; twins sons, Jacob and Justin; his parents, Geneva S. and John K. Carney, of Somerset; brothers, Craig (Sharon) of Woodbridge, Va., Russell, of Somerset; Jason (Jennifer), of Somerset; and sister, Lisa Robinson.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Westover Funeral Home in Des Moines, Iowa.
Family, friends recall soldier killed in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
RADCLIFF, Ky. — Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Miller wanted to be in Afghanistan, and sent e-mails to his wife Anne nearly every day detailing the progress being made there.
“He really enjoyed what he was doing and thought he was making a difference,” said Miller family friend Julie Sisco. “He did this because he believed in it, not because someone made him.”
Miller, 43, of Rineyville, died along with Sgt. 1st Class Scott Carney, 37, of Ankeny, Iowa, when the Humvee they were riding in flipped near Herat on Aug. 24. The soldiers were assigned to the Army’s 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, in Fort Riley, Kan.
Miller, who is originally from Ohio, is survived by his wife, Anne, and six children, ages 6 months to 13 years.
Church bells rang as Miller’s silver casket entered St. Christopher Catholic Church during funeral services Sept. 1, as family and friends remembered a man who’d made a career in the military.
Miller joined the Army in 1986 and became a member of the 1st Infantry Division in November. His tour in Afghanistan was Miller’s first in the war on terrorism.
Rev. Dennis Cousens said Miller was reading a book titled “Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters” while deployed and called Miller, a Catholic, a man who was open and proud of his faith.
He will be buried with full military honors Sept. 3 in Perrysburg, Ohio.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel E. Miller was killed in action on 8/24/07.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel E. Miller, 43, of Rossford, Ohio
SFC Miller was assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died Aug. 24, 2007 of wounds sustained in a non-combat-related incident in Herat, Afghanistan. Also killed was Sgt. 1st Class Scott M. Carney.
2 Ky. soldiers killed in separate incidents in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
Two Kentucky soldiers were killed in separate incidents in Afghanistan, the military said.
Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Miller, 43, of Rineyville, died along with Sgt. 1st Class Scott Carney, 37, of Ankeny, Iowa, when the Humvee they were riding in flipped Aug. 24 near Herat, according to officials at Fort Riley, Kan.
A Kentucky National Guardsman, Staff Sgt. Nicholas R. Carnes, 25, of Ludlow, Ky., was killed in an attack Aug. 26 in Afghanistan.
Linda Cook, a friend of Miller’s family, said Miller, who was originally from Ohio, is survived by his wife, Anne, and six children, ages 6 months to 13 years.
Cook said Miller was a loving dedicated family man and friend who was known for his sense of humor, his love of coffee and his “MacGyver-like talent” for fixing anything and everything.
Miller was assigned to the Army’s 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, at Fort Riley. A statement on Fort Riley’s Web site said Miller joined the 1st Infantry Division in November and that the deployment was Miller’s first in the war on terrorism. He joined the Army in 1986.
Miller came home for a visit in June, Cook said.
Julie Siscoe, another family friend, said Miller “was an all-around gentle guy and an all-around soldier.”
“He loved the Army and he loved serving his country,” she said. “There are not enough words to describe how good of a man he was.”
Visitation for Miller will be from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. EDT Aug. 31 at Nelson-Edelen-Bennett Funeral Home in Vine Grove. A prayer vigil will begin at 7 p.m. Visitation also will be held at 10 a.m. Sept. 1, followed by the mass of Christian burial at 11 a.m. at St. Christopher Parish in Radcliff. Burial will be Sept. 3 at St. Rose Parish in Perrysburg, Ohio.
In northern Kentucky, family members and friends were mourning Carnes’ death. The guardsman was killed when insurgents attacked his unit.
Wray Jean Carnes said she received a late-night phone call Sunday informing her that her son had been killed over the weekend.
“They were on maneuvers, looking for [improvised explosive devices],” she said Aug. 27. “Then the enemy fired on his squad.”
The military said Carnes died Aug. 26 of wounds from small-arms fire. He is the second Kentucky guardsman killed in Afghanistan.
Carnes, who was from northern Kentucky, was part of the Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery, based in Carrollton. He graduated from Dayton High School in 2000, where he played football.
He entered the Army National Guard at 17 and went to work at BB Riverboats, where he became a captain before leaving on his guard deployment in October 2006.
His wife, Terri Bernstein-Carnes, is also a captain and a member of the family that owns BB Riverboats. Their first wedding anniversary would have been Sept. 19.
This was Carnes’ first deployment, his mother said.
“He was the most kind, gentle, loving young man,” she said. “There wasn’t anyone he ever met who didn’t love him. He never grumbled. He was always there to lend a helping hand. He was a giving young man.”
His father-in-law, Alan Bernstein, said Carnes “really thought he was doing the right thing, serving his country. He thought that if he lost his life, it was in the name of freedom. He knew the danger, and still he was overly enthusiastic about going. We lost a great kid.”
Carnes will have a military funeral, but arrangements are pending, the family said.
Soldiers from Sheridan met in Afghanistan
By Kathy Thompson
The (Newark) Advocate
THORNVILLE — Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Edward Miller and Sgt. 1st Class Scott M. Carney met in Afghanistan and discovered they had something in common; they both graduated from Sheridan High School.
The two now share the same fate, as well. The two soldiers were killed when their Humvee crashed in Afghanistan.
Miller, 43, originally from Thornville and now of Rineyville, Ky., and Carney, 37, originally of Somerset and now of Ankeny, Iowa, died after the Humvee they were riding in rolled over during convoy operations near Herat, Afghanistan, on Friday. The crash is under investigation.
Miller was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Riley, Kan., and Carney was with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division of the Iowa Army National Guard.
Both men were graduates of Sheridan High School — Miller in 1982 and Carney in 1988 — and the pair had become fast friends after their arrival in Afghanistan and learned they attended the same high school.
Miller’s family believes the two men meeting was meant to be.
“We think that they met for a reason,” said Shelly Kaufman, Miller’s sister. “We know that they were a great comfort to each other so far from their families and loved ones. It gives us some peace knowing they were there for each other.”
Miller had been in the military for the past 23 years and his father, Harold, remembers his son’s love of reading, playing little league ball, history, playing in the band and being in the drama club in high school.
“We got in the car one summer to go on a three-week vacation and asked Dan where he wanted to go,” Harold smiles, his eyes misty with tears. “He hopped in and we were off to travel the Sherman trail.”
Miller’s mother, Susan, smiled as that memory comes back to her.
“I remember he had hurt his leg that summer and was on crutches, but it sure didn’t stop him from climbing a hill to see how Sherman had positioned his men,” Susan said. “He loved history and was military through and through.”
Susan also remembers how the family would send Miller candy while stationed in the Middle East that he kept in a pants pocket for the children of the area.
“That stopped when he told us the kids wanted pens,” Susan smiles. “So, we sent boxes and boxes of pens.”
Miller and his wife, Ann, have six children — Michaela, 13, Lucas, 9, Maggie, 7, Dominic, 4, Marianna, 2, and Lucy, seven months.
Lucy was born several weeks after Miller left for Afghanistan, but he was able to come home in June and spend a couple of weeks with his family and see his parents.
“It was the one time I knew I could just pick up the phone and call him and hear his voice,” Susan says. “I’ll miss that.”
Harold said his son was “destined to be a military man.”
“His whole life, that’s what he wanted,” Harold said. “We’re proud of him for that. We’re proud of all the heroes over there fighting for freedom. Dan was doing something he believed was the right thing to do and we’ll always support his decision to do that.”
Kaufman said she and her family will miss her brother’s easy smile, love of a good prank and his upbeat attitude.
“That’s what he would want from us all now,” Kaufmann said. “To be upbeat and remember how much he loved all of us, especially his Anne and the kids.”
Miller is survived by his wife, four daughters, two sons, his parents, two brothers, Dusty (Ruth) Miller, of Thornville, and Fred Miller of Somerset, and his sister, Shelly.
Funeral arrangements are with Nelson-Edelen-Bennett Funeral Homes in Vine Grove, Kentucky.
Carney enlisted a year after graduating high school and served in Germany and Korea before leaving active duty in October 1999.
But his love for the military brought him back in December 2000, when he joined the Iowa Army National Guard, and was qualified as a supply Noncommissioned Officer. Carney transferred to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team in November 2004 and arrived in Afghanistan in May this year. His unit provided advanced combat training to the Afghan National Army and Afghan Police.
While family members asked that they be allowed to grieve for Scott privately, they did issue a statement through the Iowa National Guard.
“It is with great sadness that we learned of the death of our beloved husband and father, Scott Michael Carney, during combat in Afghanistan,” the family wrote. “Scott died doing what he loved, serving his country and protecting the freedom that we enjoy and providing the people of Afghanistan with the opportunity for freedom.”
Col. Tim Orr, of the Iowa National Guard, said Carney was a model solider and loved what he was doing.
“The Army was his life,” Orr said. “He loved his family dearly and was a great family member. He was also part of the team.”
Carney’s brother-in-law, Jamie Mahne, of Jackson, Miss., said Carney was a model husband and father who loved to take his 12-year-old twin sons fishing at Saylorville Lake.
“He was truly an all-American dad,” Mahne said. “He truly was a saint.”
Carney leaves behind his wife, Jeni L. Carney; twins sons, Jacob and Justin; his parents, Geneva S. and John K. Carney, of Somerset; brothers, Craig (Sharon) of Woodbridge, Va., Russell, of Somerset; Jason (Jennifer), of Somerset; and sister, Lisa Robinson.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Westover Funeral Home in Des Moines, Iowa.
Family, friends recall soldier killed in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
RADCLIFF, Ky. — Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Miller wanted to be in Afghanistan, and sent e-mails to his wife Anne nearly every day detailing the progress being made there.
“He really enjoyed what he was doing and thought he was making a difference,” said Miller family friend Julie Sisco. “He did this because he believed in it, not because someone made him.”
Miller, 43, of Rineyville, died along with Sgt. 1st Class Scott Carney, 37, of Ankeny, Iowa, when the Humvee they were riding in flipped near Herat on Aug. 24. The soldiers were assigned to the Army’s 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, in Fort Riley, Kan.
Miller, who is originally from Ohio, is survived by his wife, Anne, and six children, ages 6 months to 13 years.
Church bells rang as Miller’s silver casket entered St. Christopher Catholic Church during funeral services Sept. 1, as family and friends remembered a man who’d made a career in the military.
Miller joined the Army in 1986 and became a member of the 1st Infantry Division in November. His tour in Afghanistan was Miller’s first in the war on terrorism.
Rev. Dennis Cousens said Miller was reading a book titled “Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters” while deployed and called Miller, a Catholic, a man who was open and proud of his faith.
He will be buried with full military honors Sept. 3 in Perrysburg, Ohio.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel E. Miller was killed in action on 8/24/07.
Army Sgt. 1st Class David A. Heringes
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class David A. Heringes, 36, of Tampa, Fla.
SFC Heringes was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 24, 2007 near Tikrit, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit during combat operations in Bayji, Iraq.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
82nd Airborne Division Paratrooper dies in Iraq
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — An 82nd Airborne Division Paratrooper died from injuries sustained when a landmine detonated near his vehicle in Bajyi, Iraq, Friday.
Sgt. 1st Class. David A. Heringes, 36, of Tampa, Fla., was a Platoon Sergeant with the Forward Support Company, 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 82nd Abn. Div.
"Sgt First Class Heringes represented everything good about our paratroopers," said Capt. Desmond Jack, the 1st Bn., 505th PIR rear detachment commander. "He always strived to be the best at everything he did."
Heringes joined the Army in November 1991. He completed two over seas tours in Korea from January 1998 to November 1998 and February 2003 to February 2004.
"His willingness to serve his country and lead great soldiers is just two examples of the type of soldier Heringes was. Sergeant First Class Heringes will be sorely missed by all those who had the honor of serving with him. His family and friends are in our thoughts and prayers." added Jack.
Heringes had one previous combat deployment in Support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan, with the 1st Bn., 505th PIR from September 2004 to November 2004.
Heringes' awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with 4 oak leaf clusters, the Army Good Conduct medal with 4 loops, the National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Non-commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Combat Action Badge and the Master Parachutist's Badge.
Heringes is survived by his wife, Shannan Heringes; his son, Logan, his step-daughter, Cheyenne Ward all of Raeford, N.C.; and his parents, Ronald and Joyce Heringes of Spring Hill, Fla.
The unit will hold a memorial service in Iraq.
Tampa Soldier Killed In Iraq
By Laura Fiorilli of TBO
TAMPA - Sgt. 1st Class David A. Heringes, a graduate of Tampa's Leto High School, joined the U.S. Army 15 years ago because he had a passion for it.
"He was making a career of it and he had no problem where they sent him," said his father, Ron Heringes, of Spring Hill. "That was part of his job.
On Friday, Heringes, 36, died when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit while he was on a mission in Bayji, Iraq, near Tikrit.
"Right now, it is still a shock," said his brother-in-law Bobby Rhone of Wesley Chapel. "Everyone here is still in disbelief."
David A. Heringes
David Heringes had served in Iraq for one year. He had been scheduled to return to the United States this month, but four months ago he learned his tour was extended until November, Ron Heringes said.
He said he had been communicating with his son once a week by phone or e-mail and that his spirits had been positive. David Heringes never spoke about his missions.
He was born in Cleveland and his family moved to Tampa when he was 15. He graduated from Leto High in 1989.
After high school, he worked as an auto mechanic. At the age of 20, he enlisted in the military, Ron Heringes said, and he planned to stay 20 years or more.
David Heringes became a paratrooper with the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. He was also a mechanic for the Army.
He served six weeks in Afghanistan during elections and two years in South Korea, Ron Heringes said.
He described his son as fearless and a "fun-loving father." He enjoyed working on motorcycles and cars, Bobby Rhone said.
In addition to his father and brother-in-law, he is survived by his wife, Shannan Heringes, of Fayetteville, N.C.; a son, 5-year-old Logan Heringes, and a stepdaughter, 9-year-old Cheyenne Ward, both of Fayetteville, N.C.; his mother, Joyce Heringes of Spring Hill and his sister, Melissa Rhone, 27, of Wesley Chapel.
No date has been set for the funeral, but he likely will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Ron Heringes said. The family also has not set a date yet for a local memorial service.
Army Sgt. 1st Class David A. Heringes was killed in action on 8/24/07.
Army Sgt. 1st Class David A. Heringes, 36, of Tampa, Fla.
SFC Heringes was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 24, 2007 near Tikrit, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit during combat operations in Bayji, Iraq.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
82nd Airborne Division Paratrooper dies in Iraq
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — An 82nd Airborne Division Paratrooper died from injuries sustained when a landmine detonated near his vehicle in Bajyi, Iraq, Friday.
Sgt. 1st Class. David A. Heringes, 36, of Tampa, Fla., was a Platoon Sergeant with the Forward Support Company, 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 82nd Abn. Div.
"Sgt First Class Heringes represented everything good about our paratroopers," said Capt. Desmond Jack, the 1st Bn., 505th PIR rear detachment commander. "He always strived to be the best at everything he did."
Heringes joined the Army in November 1991. He completed two over seas tours in Korea from January 1998 to November 1998 and February 2003 to February 2004.
"His willingness to serve his country and lead great soldiers is just two examples of the type of soldier Heringes was. Sergeant First Class Heringes will be sorely missed by all those who had the honor of serving with him. His family and friends are in our thoughts and prayers." added Jack.
Heringes had one previous combat deployment in Support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan, with the 1st Bn., 505th PIR from September 2004 to November 2004.
Heringes' awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with 4 oak leaf clusters, the Army Good Conduct medal with 4 loops, the National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Non-commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Combat Action Badge and the Master Parachutist's Badge.
Heringes is survived by his wife, Shannan Heringes; his son, Logan, his step-daughter, Cheyenne Ward all of Raeford, N.C.; and his parents, Ronald and Joyce Heringes of Spring Hill, Fla.
The unit will hold a memorial service in Iraq.
Tampa Soldier Killed In Iraq
By Laura Fiorilli of TBO
TAMPA - Sgt. 1st Class David A. Heringes, a graduate of Tampa's Leto High School, joined the U.S. Army 15 years ago because he had a passion for it.
"He was making a career of it and he had no problem where they sent him," said his father, Ron Heringes, of Spring Hill. "That was part of his job.
On Friday, Heringes, 36, died when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit while he was on a mission in Bayji, Iraq, near Tikrit.
"Right now, it is still a shock," said his brother-in-law Bobby Rhone of Wesley Chapel. "Everyone here is still in disbelief."
David A. Heringes
David Heringes had served in Iraq for one year. He had been scheduled to return to the United States this month, but four months ago he learned his tour was extended until November, Ron Heringes said.
He said he had been communicating with his son once a week by phone or e-mail and that his spirits had been positive. David Heringes never spoke about his missions.
He was born in Cleveland and his family moved to Tampa when he was 15. He graduated from Leto High in 1989.
After high school, he worked as an auto mechanic. At the age of 20, he enlisted in the military, Ron Heringes said, and he planned to stay 20 years or more.
David Heringes became a paratrooper with the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. He was also a mechanic for the Army.
He served six weeks in Afghanistan during elections and two years in South Korea, Ron Heringes said.
He described his son as fearless and a "fun-loving father." He enjoyed working on motorcycles and cars, Bobby Rhone said.
In addition to his father and brother-in-law, he is survived by his wife, Shannan Heringes, of Fayetteville, N.C.; a son, 5-year-old Logan Heringes, and a stepdaughter, 9-year-old Cheyenne Ward, both of Fayetteville, N.C.; his mother, Joyce Heringes of Spring Hill and his sister, Melissa Rhone, 27, of Wesley Chapel.
No date has been set for the funeral, but he likely will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Ron Heringes said. The family also has not set a date yet for a local memorial service.
Army Sgt. 1st Class David A. Heringes was killed in action on 8/24/07.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Army Sgt. 1st Class Adrian M. Elizalde
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Adrian M. Elizalde, 30, of North Bend, Ore.
SFC Elizalde was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 23, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Tully.
Soldier from North Bend killed in war
The Associated Press
NORTH BEND, Ore. — A soldier from North Bend died last week when an improvised explosive device struck his vehicle southeast of Baghdad.
Sgt. 1st Class Adrian Elizalde, 30, was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), out of Fort Lewis, Wash. A soldier from Pennsylvania also died in the explosion.
The Defense Department initially announced that Elizalde was from North Bend, Ind., which created confusion among friends and family members.
Jorge Elizalde said the mistake created a whirlwind of calls from people wondering whether his son had died.
“We’ve been dealing with a lot here,” he said. “My son was special to us and we know he touched a lot of people. Everybody’s coming forward.”
One of those people is Sally Prouty, a retired North Bend principal who taught Elizalde in second grade.
“He was extremely bright and he liked to break dance and do the moonwalk all the time,” Prouty told The Oregonian newspaper. “What a waste because he really was a wonderful boy. As an adult, he would’ve added a lot to this or any other community where he landed. He was there for everybody whenever they were in need.”
Elizalde joined the Army in 1996, one year after graduating from North Bend High School. He is survived by his parents, Jorge and Teresa Elizalde, and sister Rachel, all of Renton, Wash.; and his daughter Sydney Grace, 6, of Klamath Falls.
“In short, he’s the most wonderful man you’d want to have on your side,” Rachel Elizalde told The World newspaper of Coos Bay. “He stands up for what he believes in. He was a phenomenal father. He was the best.”
Sgt. 1st Class Tim Freeland, who visited the Elizaldes after learning of their loss, said he befriended Elizalde during their first duty assignment at Fort Bragg, N.C. The two men served in the same unit, boxed on the same team, worked together and eventually became roommates.
“It comes in waves,” Freeland said of his sadness. “Sometimes you are OK and sometimes you are not. It sucks, y’know? We lost a good person.”
Teresa Elizalde said her son was serious about his military career, but had talked about becoming a teacher after his stint in the Army, and possibly a wrestling coach.
Elizalde started wrestling at age 8, his father said, and became a standout. In high school, he won a district championship in the 126-pound weight class, qualifying for the state tournament.
“He was a very disciplined person,” Jorge Elizalde said. “Whatever he set his sights on, he went after it. He wanted to be the best at whatever he attempted.”
North Bend Mayor Rick Wetherell, who used to coach Elizalde in football and baseball, said the death leaves a big hole in the city.
“Everybody has a position on this war and at times like this it doesn’t really matter where you stand,” Wetherell said. “You don’t realize the cost until it comes home like it has now.”
North Bend honors soldier kilkled in Iraq
The Associated Press
NORTH BEND, Ore. — In the high school gymnasium where he once wrestled, hundreds of people gathered Sept. 1 to remember the life of Army Sgt. 1st Class Adrian Elizalde, who was killed in Iraq Aug. 23.
The Army Special Forces engineer grew up in the community and graduated from North Bend High School in 1995. The funeral drew old friends, community members, his family and Gov. Ted Kulongoski. Nearly everyone who spoke stopped to rest a hand on the flag-swathed casket.
Elizalde died when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Al Aziziyah, Iraq. He had been in Iraq since February.
He was assigned to Fort Lewis, Wash., and was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal.
Kulongoski said these days of war are “times that try men’s souls.”
“This is a painful day for North Bend High School and the North Bend community. Today, you are grieving for one of you own.
“This community has lost someone who brought a special courage, grace and commitment to everything he did.” Kulongoski said.
He said Elizalde is the first Green Beret from Oregon to die in Iraq.
Elizalde’s parents, Jorge and Teresa Elizalde, did not speak at the funeral, or at the burial at Sunset Memorial Park.
But his older sister, Rachel Elizalde, her face and eyes tinged red from crying, approached the casket. She pressed her lips to the flag before speaking.
“My brother was my hero and when I look out and see all of you, I’m so proud that I shared my hero with you,” she said.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Adrian M. Elizalde was killed in action on 8/23/07.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Adrian M. Elizalde, 30, of North Bend, Ore.
SFC Elizalde was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 23, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Tully.
Soldier from North Bend killed in war
The Associated Press
NORTH BEND, Ore. — A soldier from North Bend died last week when an improvised explosive device struck his vehicle southeast of Baghdad.
Sgt. 1st Class Adrian Elizalde, 30, was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), out of Fort Lewis, Wash. A soldier from Pennsylvania also died in the explosion.
The Defense Department initially announced that Elizalde was from North Bend, Ind., which created confusion among friends and family members.
Jorge Elizalde said the mistake created a whirlwind of calls from people wondering whether his son had died.
“We’ve been dealing with a lot here,” he said. “My son was special to us and we know he touched a lot of people. Everybody’s coming forward.”
One of those people is Sally Prouty, a retired North Bend principal who taught Elizalde in second grade.
“He was extremely bright and he liked to break dance and do the moonwalk all the time,” Prouty told The Oregonian newspaper. “What a waste because he really was a wonderful boy. As an adult, he would’ve added a lot to this or any other community where he landed. He was there for everybody whenever they were in need.”
Elizalde joined the Army in 1996, one year after graduating from North Bend High School. He is survived by his parents, Jorge and Teresa Elizalde, and sister Rachel, all of Renton, Wash.; and his daughter Sydney Grace, 6, of Klamath Falls.
“In short, he’s the most wonderful man you’d want to have on your side,” Rachel Elizalde told The World newspaper of Coos Bay. “He stands up for what he believes in. He was a phenomenal father. He was the best.”
Sgt. 1st Class Tim Freeland, who visited the Elizaldes after learning of their loss, said he befriended Elizalde during their first duty assignment at Fort Bragg, N.C. The two men served in the same unit, boxed on the same team, worked together and eventually became roommates.
“It comes in waves,” Freeland said of his sadness. “Sometimes you are OK and sometimes you are not. It sucks, y’know? We lost a good person.”
Teresa Elizalde said her son was serious about his military career, but had talked about becoming a teacher after his stint in the Army, and possibly a wrestling coach.
Elizalde started wrestling at age 8, his father said, and became a standout. In high school, he won a district championship in the 126-pound weight class, qualifying for the state tournament.
“He was a very disciplined person,” Jorge Elizalde said. “Whatever he set his sights on, he went after it. He wanted to be the best at whatever he attempted.”
North Bend Mayor Rick Wetherell, who used to coach Elizalde in football and baseball, said the death leaves a big hole in the city.
“Everybody has a position on this war and at times like this it doesn’t really matter where you stand,” Wetherell said. “You don’t realize the cost until it comes home like it has now.”
North Bend honors soldier kilkled in Iraq
The Associated Press
NORTH BEND, Ore. — In the high school gymnasium where he once wrestled, hundreds of people gathered Sept. 1 to remember the life of Army Sgt. 1st Class Adrian Elizalde, who was killed in Iraq Aug. 23.
The Army Special Forces engineer grew up in the community and graduated from North Bend High School in 1995. The funeral drew old friends, community members, his family and Gov. Ted Kulongoski. Nearly everyone who spoke stopped to rest a hand on the flag-swathed casket.
Elizalde died when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Al Aziziyah, Iraq. He had been in Iraq since February.
He was assigned to Fort Lewis, Wash., and was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal.
Kulongoski said these days of war are “times that try men’s souls.”
“This is a painful day for North Bend High School and the North Bend community. Today, you are grieving for one of you own.
“This community has lost someone who brought a special courage, grace and commitment to everything he did.” Kulongoski said.
He said Elizalde is the first Green Beret from Oregon to die in Iraq.
Elizalde’s parents, Jorge and Teresa Elizalde, did not speak at the funeral, or at the burial at Sunset Memorial Park.
But his older sister, Rachel Elizalde, her face and eyes tinged red from crying, approached the casket. She pressed her lips to the flag before speaking.
“My brother was my hero and when I look out and see all of you, I’m so proud that I shared my hero with you,” she said.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Adrian M. Elizalde was killed in action on 8/23/07.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Tully
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Tully, 33, of Falls Creek, Pa.
SFC Tully was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 23, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Sgt. 1st Class Adrian M. Elizalde.
Western Pa. soldier dies in Iraq
PITTSBURGH — A western Pennsylvania soldier died Thursday in Iraq, his family and the Defense Department said.
Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Tully, 33, of Falls Creek, died of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive that also killed Sgt. 1st Class Adrian M. Elizalde, 30, of North Bend, Ind., according to the Defense Department. Both were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Lewis, Wash.
Tully’s father, John Tully, said his son wanted to be a career soldier, joining the Marine Corps when he turned 18 and joining the Army four years later. He became a Ranger, then was selected to become a Green Beret.
“He always had aspirations to be the very best and he achieved his goal when he became a Green Beret,” his father said Saturday.
Tully was on his second tour in Iraq, where he was serving as a combat medic. He had been in Iraq for about six weeks, his father said.
John Tully said his older son, Sgt. 1st Class John R. Tully, 36, is also serving in Iraq and will accompany his brother’s body home.
“There are boys out there dying, and girls dying, and they need to be supported wholeheartedly and not just because you feel it for the moment,” John Tully said.
Tully, a 1992 graduate of Brockway High School, is survived by his wife, Heather and a son, Slade Tully, 12.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Tully was killed in action on 8/23/07.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Tully, 33, of Falls Creek, Pa.
SFC Tully was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 23, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Sgt. 1st Class Adrian M. Elizalde.
Western Pa. soldier dies in Iraq
PITTSBURGH — A western Pennsylvania soldier died Thursday in Iraq, his family and the Defense Department said.
Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Tully, 33, of Falls Creek, died of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive that also killed Sgt. 1st Class Adrian M. Elizalde, 30, of North Bend, Ind., according to the Defense Department. Both were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Lewis, Wash.
Tully’s father, John Tully, said his son wanted to be a career soldier, joining the Marine Corps when he turned 18 and joining the Army four years later. He became a Ranger, then was selected to become a Green Beret.
“He always had aspirations to be the very best and he achieved his goal when he became a Green Beret,” his father said Saturday.
Tully was on his second tour in Iraq, where he was serving as a combat medic. He had been in Iraq for about six weeks, his father said.
John Tully said his older son, Sgt. 1st Class John R. Tully, 36, is also serving in Iraq and will accompany his brother’s body home.
“There are boys out there dying, and girls dying, and they need to be supported wholeheartedly and not just because you feel it for the moment,” John Tully said.
Tully, a 1992 graduate of Brockway High School, is survived by his wife, Heather and a son, Slade Tully, 12.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Tully was killed in action on 8/23/07.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Army Spc. Tyler R. Seideman
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Tyler R. Seideman, 20, of Lincoln, Ark.
Spc. Seideman was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Spc. Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook and Spc. Jessy G. Pollard.
Arkansas soldier among 14 dead in Iraq copter crash
The Associated Press
An Arkansas soldier was among the 14 dead from that Black Hawk helicopter crash in northern Iraq.
Spc. Tyler R. Seideman, 20, of Lincoln was killed when the helicopter went down Aug. 23 due to apparent mechanical problems. No one aboard survived.
Family friend Gail True told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that Seideman had been in Iraq for about a year. She said Seideman graduated from Lincoln High School and attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville before enlisting in the Army.
Army Spc. Tyler R. Seideman was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Spc. Tyler R. Seideman, 20, of Lincoln, Ark.
Spc. Seideman was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Spc. Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook and Spc. Jessy G. Pollard.
Arkansas soldier among 14 dead in Iraq copter crash
The Associated Press
An Arkansas soldier was among the 14 dead from that Black Hawk helicopter crash in northern Iraq.
Spc. Tyler R. Seideman, 20, of Lincoln was killed when the helicopter went down Aug. 23 due to apparent mechanical problems. No one aboard survived.
Family friend Gail True told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that Seideman had been in Iraq for about a year. She said Seideman graduated from Lincoln High School and attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville before enlisting in the Army.
Army Spc. Tyler R. Seideman was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Spc. Jessy G. Pollard
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Jessy G. Pollard, 22, of Springfield, Mo.
Spc. Pollard was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Spc. Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
Glendale graduate killed in Black Hawk helicopter crash
Wes Johnson
A 2003 graduate of Glendale High School was among 14 U.S. troops killed in a Black Hawk helicopter crash today in northern Iraq.
Family members confirmed that Springfield native Jessy Pollard, 21, died in the crash.
He was fighting for our American freedoms that we enjoy, said Alan Dewitt, Pollards stepfather in Ozark. After high school he really got into wanting to do that. He prayed about it a lot before he joined.
Dewitt said his stepson was an Army Ranger aboard the UH-60 Black Hawk, one of two helicopters flying a nighttime mission.
Military officials said initial indications showed the helicopter experienced a mechanical problem and was not brought down by hostile fire. The cause of the crash was still under investigation.
It was the deadliest crash since January 2005.
The four crew members and 10 passengers who perished were assigned to Task Force Lightning, the military said.
Pollards aunt, Sandy Kaufman of Springfield, recalled her nephew as a very tall, good-looking young man who was eager to pursue a career in the military.
He was a paratrooper who jumped out of planes and stuff, she recalled. He said it was an adrenaline rush.
Kaufman said Pollard didn' know what direction his life should take until he joined the military.
He just really embraced it, she said. He'd come home and regale us with stories about jumping out of planes at night.
In July, Pollard returned to Ozark for a two-week visit before heading back to Iraq.
We hadnt seen him in six months so it was good to have him back, Dewitt said. �He was doing what he wanted to do.
Pollard is survived by his mother, Patti Jo Dewitt and sister Whitney Pollard, 19, among others.
Pollard played football and basketball at Glendale.
Amanda Orchard, who played softball with Pollards sister at Glendale, remembered Pollard as a real outgoing, fun guy.
I had classes with him, we talked, she said. He was a big, tall guy, real athletic.
Orchard said she was proud that a Glendale graduate chose to serve in the military.
I think thats awesome, if thats what they have the heart to do, she said.
Lesley Noe, who graduated with Pollard, remembered his desire to do more than was asked.
�We both really liked Romeo and Juliet, and in one of our classes we had to memorize 15 lines, she said. We decided to memorize 150 lines. He was really hard-working and always wanted to go above and beyond what you had to do.
Glendale Principal Gary Prouty said the high school will have a moment of silence Thursday the first day of classes to honor Pollards memory.
Army Spc. Jessy G. Pollard was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Spc. Jessy G. Pollard, 22, of Springfield, Mo.
Spc. Pollard was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Spc. Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
Glendale graduate killed in Black Hawk helicopter crash
Wes Johnson
A 2003 graduate of Glendale High School was among 14 U.S. troops killed in a Black Hawk helicopter crash today in northern Iraq.
Family members confirmed that Springfield native Jessy Pollard, 21, died in the crash.
He was fighting for our American freedoms that we enjoy, said Alan Dewitt, Pollards stepfather in Ozark. After high school he really got into wanting to do that. He prayed about it a lot before he joined.
Dewitt said his stepson was an Army Ranger aboard the UH-60 Black Hawk, one of two helicopters flying a nighttime mission.
Military officials said initial indications showed the helicopter experienced a mechanical problem and was not brought down by hostile fire. The cause of the crash was still under investigation.
It was the deadliest crash since January 2005.
The four crew members and 10 passengers who perished were assigned to Task Force Lightning, the military said.
Pollards aunt, Sandy Kaufman of Springfield, recalled her nephew as a very tall, good-looking young man who was eager to pursue a career in the military.
He was a paratrooper who jumped out of planes and stuff, she recalled. He said it was an adrenaline rush.
Kaufman said Pollard didn' know what direction his life should take until he joined the military.
He just really embraced it, she said. He'd come home and regale us with stories about jumping out of planes at night.
In July, Pollard returned to Ozark for a two-week visit before heading back to Iraq.
We hadnt seen him in six months so it was good to have him back, Dewitt said. �He was doing what he wanted to do.
Pollard is survived by his mother, Patti Jo Dewitt and sister Whitney Pollard, 19, among others.
Pollard played football and basketball at Glendale.
Amanda Orchard, who played softball with Pollards sister at Glendale, remembered Pollard as a real outgoing, fun guy.
I had classes with him, we talked, she said. He was a big, tall guy, real athletic.
Orchard said she was proud that a Glendale graduate chose to serve in the military.
I think thats awesome, if thats what they have the heart to do, she said.
Lesley Noe, who graduated with Pollard, remembered his desire to do more than was asked.
�We both really liked Romeo and Juliet, and in one of our classes we had to memorize 15 lines, she said. We decided to memorize 150 lines. He was really hard-working and always wanted to go above and beyond what you had to do.
Glendale Principal Gary Prouty said the high school will have a moment of silence Thursday the first day of classes to honor Pollards memory.
Army Spc. Jessy G. Pollard was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Spc. Michael A. Hook
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Michael A. Hook, 25, of Altoona, Pa.
Spc. Hook was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Spc. Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
Soldier with N.J. ties among 14 killed in Iraq helicopter crash
The Associated Press
ALTOONA, Pa. — A soldier from western Pennsylvania who had ties to New Jersey was among 14 U.S. soldiers killed Aug. 22 when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a nighttime mission in northern Iraq, relatives said.
Army Spc. Michael A. Hook, 25, of Altoona, had been in Iraq for almost a year on his first tour, said his father, Larry Hook, of Little Egg Harbor, N.J.
“He died doing what he wanted to do,” Larry Hook told the Altoona Mirror. “But it’s been pretty devastating.”
After graduating from high school in Altoona in 2001, Hook lived with his father and stepmother, Belinda Hook, in New Jersey and worked doing odd jobs for about a year before returning to Altoona.
His mother, MaryAnn Hook, and his fiancee, Suzie Fetterman, both live in Altoona. Hook was scheduled to return from Iraq in September, and an October wedding was planned.
The Black Hawk was one of two helicopters and had just picked up troops after a mission when it crashed, according to Lt. Col. Michael Donnelly, a military spokesman in northern Iraq. The four crew and 10 passengers aboard were assigned to Task Force Lightning.
Military authorities said it appeared the aircraft was lost due to mechanical problems and not from hostile fire.
Hook enlisted in the Army about two years ago after working in Altoona for a roofing contractor, his father said.
“He just decided he was going into the Army and I respected that,” Larry Hook said.
“I don’t think he was real interested in going to Iraq ... but I think he was excited about coming home,” said Michael Hook’s grandmother, Winifred Hook of Altoona.
Hook’s unit, the 25th Infantry Division’s combat aviation brigade, was expected to be back at its base in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, by late September, his father said.
Michael Hook was looking forward to coming home because his fiancee is pregnant, his father said.
Hook played football at Altoona Area High School.
“It was his dedication that I remember,” coach Phil Riccio said.
Army Spc. Michael A. Hook was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Spc. Michael A. Hook, 25, of Altoona, Pa.
Spc. Hook was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Spc. Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
Soldier with N.J. ties among 14 killed in Iraq helicopter crash
The Associated Press
ALTOONA, Pa. — A soldier from western Pennsylvania who had ties to New Jersey was among 14 U.S. soldiers killed Aug. 22 when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a nighttime mission in northern Iraq, relatives said.
Army Spc. Michael A. Hook, 25, of Altoona, had been in Iraq for almost a year on his first tour, said his father, Larry Hook, of Little Egg Harbor, N.J.
“He died doing what he wanted to do,” Larry Hook told the Altoona Mirror. “But it’s been pretty devastating.”
After graduating from high school in Altoona in 2001, Hook lived with his father and stepmother, Belinda Hook, in New Jersey and worked doing odd jobs for about a year before returning to Altoona.
His mother, MaryAnn Hook, and his fiancee, Suzie Fetterman, both live in Altoona. Hook was scheduled to return from Iraq in September, and an October wedding was planned.
The Black Hawk was one of two helicopters and had just picked up troops after a mission when it crashed, according to Lt. Col. Michael Donnelly, a military spokesman in northern Iraq. The four crew and 10 passengers aboard were assigned to Task Force Lightning.
Military authorities said it appeared the aircraft was lost due to mechanical problems and not from hostile fire.
Hook enlisted in the Army about two years ago after working in Altoona for a roofing contractor, his father said.
“He just decided he was going into the Army and I respected that,” Larry Hook said.
“I don’t think he was real interested in going to Iraq ... but I think he was excited about coming home,” said Michael Hook’s grandmother, Winifred Hook of Altoona.
Hook’s unit, the 25th Infantry Division’s combat aviation brigade, was expected to be back at its base in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, by late September, his father said.
Michael Hook was looking forward to coming home because his fiancee is pregnant, his father said.
Hook played football at Altoona Area High School.
“It was his dedication that I remember,” coach Phil Riccio said.
Army Spc. Michael A. Hook was killed in action on 8/22/07.
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