Army Pfc. Donovan D. Witham

Remember Our Heroes

Army Pfc. Donovan D. Witham, 20, of Malvern, Ark.

Pfc. Witham died Aug. 21, 2007 near Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Donovan D. Witham loved hunting, fishing and football, and was a friend to everyone he met in his hometown of 12,000, his family said.

Witham's mother said her son had planned to propose to his girlfriend, Julie DeBoer, in December. "I couldn't ask for a better son," Martha Launius said.

Witham, 20, of Malvern, Ark., was killed by a roadside bomb Aug. 21 near Baghdad. He was a 2005 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Bragg.

"He was one of the most favorite people ever," said his sister, Virginia Bennett.

He played football, ran track and was a member of the choir, Drama Club and Student Council. Witham worked at the Ouachita River Correctional Unit and joined the Army in November 2005.

"Specialist Donovan Witham represented everything good about our paratroopers," said Maj. Mark Lastoria, Witham's troop commander. "He was a volunteer amongst volunteers by not only becoming a military police officer in the Army, but also a paratrooper."

Witham also is survived by his stepfather, Richard Launius.

"He always strived to be the best at everything he did," Lastoria said

Army Pfc. Donovan D. Witham was killed in action on 8/21/07.