Remember Our Heroes
Army 1st Lt. David E. Schultz, 25, of Blue Island, Ill.
1st Lt. Schultz was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Jan. 31, 2008 of wounds sustained when the Convoy Support Center at Scania, Iraq, was attacked by indirect enemy fire.
The News & Observer -- FORT BRAGG - The 82nd Airborne Division said a North Carolina-based paratrooper died from wounds he sustained during combat in Scania, Iraq, last week.
The division said Saturday that 1st Lt. David Schultz, 25, of Blue Island, Ill., was hit by indirect fire Thursday.
He was a platoon leader assigned to the division's 3rd Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team.
"First Lt. David Schultz was a vital part to this organization," said Lt. Col. Michael Iacobucci, commander of the 3rd Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment. "His standards of leadership, resolve, and professionalism were benchmarks by which others measured themselves."
Schultz graduated from Northern Illinois University in 2005 and joined the Army the same year. He was assigned to the 82nd Airborne a year later.
"First Lt. Dave Schultz was a soldier's soldier," said Capt. Nathan Paliska, Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, commander. "He did not mind rolling up his sleeves and getting dirty to accomplish the mission, not just for mission's sake, but for the success of the soldiers he led."
Sabrina Schultz clicked off the vacuum cleaner. Someone was pounding at the door of her home in Fort Bragg, N.C.
She peered out the kitchen window and nearly dropped to her knees. Two military officers in Class A uniforms stood outside. She took a moment to collect herself and then opened the door, thinking they might be at the wrong address.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
"Are you Sabrina Schultz, wife of 1st Lt. David Schultz?" one of them asked.
Without answering, she spun around and went back inside, closing the screen door behind her.
"I didn't want to hear what they had to say," she said Sunday from her home in Fort Bragg. "I thought they made a mistake. I am still in disbelief."
Her husband, a Blue Island native and member of the 82nd Airborne Division, was killed Thursday when enemy mortar struck his office building in Scania, Iraq. He was assigned to the division's 3rd Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, First Brigade Combat Team. He was 25 years old.
Schultz graduated from Eisenhower High School and Northern Illinois University.
"He started out as this shy, quiet little boy and blossomed into a wonderful, caring young man," said his mother, Marjorie Schultz, of New Lenox. "He made us so proud. Every time we turned around, he was getting another award."
Schultz was featured in a November 2007 Daily Southtown story for his work collecting school materials and soccer balls for Iraqi children. With the help of his high school Spanish teacher, Michelle Alfano, they delivered several shipments to Iraqi school children.
"Seeing the smiles on Iraqi children's faces when you bring them the school supplies they need is one of the greatest things I have experienced over here," he said in an e-mail at the time.
Schultz left for Iraq last June.
"That was an awful day," said his wife, who grew up in Galena. "I was very pregnant, and it was hot. There were lots of hugs and kisses. Lots of emotion and long embraces."
Baby Logan, now seven months old, was born days later on Father's Day. Schultz had just arrived in Kuwait and spoke to his wife the day after the birth.
"It was wonderful. He was so excited but also heartbroken because he missed it," Sabrina Schultz said.
He met his son for the first time during a two-week leave near Christmas.
"I don't think I had ever seen him smile so big. He was so happy and nervous because he had never taken care of a baby before," she said. "But he had a real knack for it."
Schultz returned to Iraq Jan. 9. While they worried, no one in his immediate family sensed that he experienced danger on a daily basis. He was expected to return home in the fall.
"He always told me there was no reason to worry. The violence level dropped significantly since they had been over there. I was feeling a little more comfortable about where he was," Sabrina Schultz said.
His mother agreed.
"I know he was in harm's way, but he was an executive officer. What are the odds of a missile coming through your office?" she said.
Schultz enjoyed hunting, fishing and country music. He was proud of his home town and Eisenhower High School where he wrestled and played football.
His parents - dad David Schultz is a Blue Island police sergeant - moved to New Lenox a few months ago. The move and wintry weather on Thursday delayed the military's arrival at the Schultz home to deliver the tragic news.
They learned of their son's death after phoning Sabrina to gush about Logan. She sent photos and video showing him crawling for the first time - footage that David Schultz also saw hours before his death.
After several back-and-forth phone calls, they learned the horrible news and spent the rest of the night pacing.
"I want Logan to know his daddy was a hero, that it was very hard for him to be away from him and that he felt so terrible when he missed his birth," Sabrina Schultz said. "We are all so proud of what he did."
Schultz also is survived by a sister, Rebecca, and a brother, Doug. Funeral arrangements are pending at Hickey Memorial Chapel in Blue Island.
"It's the most God-awful feeling in the world for someone to tell you your child is gone and so far from home, and you can't touch him and see him," his mother said. "Did he suffer? Did he feel anything? That's what haunts me."
But they also find comfort knowing he enjoyed his work and was making a difference in Iraq.
"He was an extremely patriotic person and believed in what he was doing. As corny as it sounds, he did give his life for all of us," Marjorie Schultz said. "He is a true hero."
Schultz, who played on Eisenhower's football and baseball teams, distinguished himself by earning a starting job as a defensive lineman his senior year despite being undersized.
"He was the perfect kid to coach, a hard worker, he worked hard all the time," his former coach Greg Walder said.
Walder said that while Schultz's younger brother Doug showed more natural athletic talent, Schultz earned praise for his inexhaustible work ethic.
"Doug was a better athlete, but he didn't have half of Dave's heart. (Dave) was a great kid, teammates loved him," Walder said.
Schultz's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart.
Schultz is survived by his wife, Sabrina, and their son, who live at Fort Bragg; and his parents, David and Marjorie Schultz of Blue Island, Ill.
Army 1st Lt. David E. Schultz was killed in action on 1/31/08.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Army Capt. Michael A. Norman
Remember Our Heroes
Army Capt. Michael A. Norman, 36, of Killeen, Texas
Capt. Norman was assigned to the Military Transition Team, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died Jan. 31, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
Stars and Stripes -- SEOUL — A memorial service to honor a former Yongsan Garrison-based officer who was killed last week in Iraq is set for Wednesday.
Capt. Michael Norman, 36, of the Military Transition Team, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas, died Thursday from wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an explosive device in Baghdad, according to a Department of Defense news release.
Norman, who left South Korea in March 2007 after serving as the commander for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Garrison-Yongsan, was scheduled to return to South Korea and work with the 501st Military Intelligence Battalion after his tour in Iraq, said garrison spokesman David McNally.
Norman’s wife and family had remained in the Hannam Village military housing area to await his return.
The 3rd Battalion, 8th Brigade, 2nd Division National Police Transition Team, honored one of their fallen officers during a memorial service Feb 2.
Capt. Michael A. Norman, 36, born in Austin, Texas, was killed during combat operations in Baghdad Jan. 31. He was a military intelligence officer assigned to the transition team.
Maj. Bryan Hunt, the chief of the 2nd Division NPTT, remembered Norman as a true professional, and an expert always looking for ways to help others.
“His candor and confidence was everything a team leader could ask for. It was easy to serve with Capt. Norman,” said Hunt. “He knew his job and was always thinking of how to develop his counterpart. He developed a system to report and track any type of (intelligence) that overcame a language and cultural barrier.”
Norman had many duties that pulled him away from his primary military intelligence function, and his Iraqi counterpart had no military intelligence experience. But, Norman was such a great mentor his Iraqi counterpart has provided more intelligence than any other intelligence officer in their brigade, said Hunt.
Norman is also remembered for his more personal side.
“In May, as Team Shark was formed, we met ‘Norm’ or ‘Normando,’ a man whose sense of humor helped bond this team as we all faced the unknown of (Iraqi Assistance Group) and Fort Riley,” said Hunt. “His sharp wit, professionalism and friendship will forever be engrained in this team. Norm enjoyed the Army, and he loved his family. They were his pride and joy. We have lost a great American. Norm, you will not be forgotten.”
Even though Norman was a serious-minded professional who liked to make people laugh, he was first and foremost a family man.
“Captain Norman’s love of the Army and his job were second only to his family. Anyone who found himself in company with him could see that within minutes,” said Master Sgt. Timothy Terpak,. “He constantly spoke of his wife, Chun, and his children, Samuel and Summer. It was clear they were his world. Not a day passed that his family was not mentioned in a conversation with him. He even used (a computer program) to paste (a picture of) himself into pictures to show his family that he was with them, if only in spirit.
“He will be sorely missed by us all. There is now a void where he once stood. He will forever remain in my heart and my memories so that his legacy may live on,” Terpak said. “I express my deepest sympathy to his family and would like them to know we consider Captain Norman a part of our family and we grieve with you. Norm, I miss you buddy. God bless.”
Capt. Michael Allen Norman volunteered for his deployment to Iraq. He wanted to be promoted to major and better his family's life, his mother, Beverly Norman, said Thursday. He felt he had to go.
"The one dreaded thing I didn't want to happen, happened," Beverly said. "We're military enough that I knew when a chaplain and a soldier came to my house and got out of the car with a folder – I knew what they were going to tell me."
Michael's family was notified on the day of his death. Michael's wife, June, and two children, Sammy, 9, and Summer, 3, flew in from Korea on Tuesday. Michael joined his family in Killeen on Thursday.
Michael's plane was late coming to Robert Gray Army Airfield on Fort Hood, but his mother wasn't surprised.
"He was always late – always," Beverly said.
June reiterated that fact on Thursday at the home of Michael's parents in rural Bell County. She said his tardiness was so bad that she would tell him 2 p.m. doctor's appointments were for 1 or 1:30.
"I hated it," June said. "He was always late – a last-minute person – except for his tax return."
Michael filed those last week, June said.
Michael and June met during a previous stint in Korea. June's roommate at the time was a friend of Michael's and had a crush on him.
"When we first met, we didn't like each other much," June said with a smile. "He was rude."
But then June told a story about Michael sneaking off post without a pass to see her. He rode a train, but had to walk a long way from the train station to her work because he didn't have much money. When he got to June's work, he pulled a single rose from his jacket. The couple dated a year and then married in September 1994.
"Just like he was with June, he was all his life," Beverly said. "All the old ladies at church thought he was God-sent. He knew when they got a new hairstyle or were wearing a new dress."That's because Michael cared about clothes, his family said.
"He has more shoes than me," June said as Beverly explained that Michael's shoes had to match everything he wore.
"We have every color of shoe practically, except red or yellow," June said. "Same shoes, just in different colors."
While Michael's favorite color was black, he didn't like to wear it in the summer, his mother said. Plus, June added, he liked her to dress in pink – like a princess. June said he was always calling her and their 3-year-old daughter, Summer, his princesses.
Before he left for Iraq, Michael and June had a life-sized cutout of the 5-foot-11-inch, 192-pound soldier made for Summer's room. Each night she talks to her "Flat Daddy," before going to bed.
A true Texan
The Normans are a military family. Conny Norman, Michael's dad, was in the Army while Michael was growing up. Beverly's family has lived in the Killeen area since Fort Hood was called Camp Hood.
Beverly and Conny met in Killeen. Michael was born in Austin in 1971, the youngest of two boys. He went to elementary school in Florence, spent his middle school years in Germany and graduated from Anderson High School in Austin. He got his bachelor's degree from the University of Texas and joined the Army in 1992.Michael was a Dallas Cowboys fan who played sports from an early age. He played football and baseball in high school, Beverly said.
He also liked playing the guitar, June said. He was always singing. At their engagement party, Michael sang Elvis' "Fools Rush In."
"He was a true Texan from the word go,'" Beverly said. He even has a gun story from his childhood.
When he was 16, one of his friends was showing him an "unloaded" .38-caliber rifle and shot him while trying to prove it wasn't loaded. Michael was shot in the shoulder area and sustained a shattered collarbone. Part of the bullet was even left in his arm because they couldn't get it out, Beverly said. But Michael was worried about his favorite shirt.
As his grandmother drove Michael to the hospital he said, "Could you slow down? I don't want to die on my way to the hospital. And when you get home, could you try to get this blood out of my shirt?"
Returning home
Michael joined the Army to be just like his dad, Beverly said. June added that he also joined to get away from an ex-girlfriend.
When Michael volunteered to go to Iraq, he told his mother that it was his duty to serve his country.
"I was really upset until he told me he volunteered," Beverly said. "What else could I say?"
When Beverly was told a roadside bomb had killed her son, she said she didn't know what to expect.
"One of my greatest reliefs is they told us his body would be viewable," Beverly said. "Then you say, 'Thank you, God.'"
Michael came back to Killeen wrapped in the flag of the country he served.
"When I saw the end of that casket come out of that (airplane) door, all I could say was, 'Oh, no,'" Conny, Michael's father said. "That's when reality really set in ... my knees buckled. (I) almost went to the ground."Beverly said it didn't seem real until Thursday when the family gathered at Robert Gray Army Airfield and saw the plane land with their son onboard.
His flight landed just after noon and stopped in front of a pavilion sheltering the grieving family from the midday sun.
The airplane taxied between two green firetrucks from the Fort Hood Fire Department, which performed a water canon salute. With high winds, spray from the salute reached the onlookers who never turned away.
An honor guard, dressed in their Class A uniforms, carried Michael from the airplane to the waiting hearse.
Beverly cried and was surrounded by friends and family. June held on to a friend and watched with stoic dignity as her husband was loaded into the white vehicle.
Once the back door was closed, the family turned to go inside, away from the wind. Beverly denied the offered wheelchair and walked with her family.
From there, everyone followed the casket, led by the Patriot Guard down U.S. Highway 190 to the funeral home to plan Michael's memorial.
The funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at LifeWay Fellowship.
Following the service, Michael will be buried at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen.
"Until the casket comes in, it doesn't hit you," Beverly said. "That was my hurdle. I think I can make the rest of it now."
Norman’s military awards and decorations include the following: Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Good Conduct Medal with two knots, National Defense Service Medal with two Bronze Stars, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service Medals, Korea Defense Service Medal, Non-Commissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon with the numeral 2, Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge and Combat Action Badge.
Surviving Norman are his wife, Chun, his son Samuel and his daughter, Summer.
Army Capt. Michael A. Norman was killed in action on 1/31/08.
Army Capt. Michael A. Norman, 36, of Killeen, Texas
Capt. Norman was assigned to the Military Transition Team, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died Jan. 31, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
Stars and Stripes -- SEOUL — A memorial service to honor a former Yongsan Garrison-based officer who was killed last week in Iraq is set for Wednesday.
Capt. Michael Norman, 36, of the Military Transition Team, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas, died Thursday from wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an explosive device in Baghdad, according to a Department of Defense news release.
Norman, who left South Korea in March 2007 after serving as the commander for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Garrison-Yongsan, was scheduled to return to South Korea and work with the 501st Military Intelligence Battalion after his tour in Iraq, said garrison spokesman David McNally.
Norman’s wife and family had remained in the Hannam Village military housing area to await his return.
The 3rd Battalion, 8th Brigade, 2nd Division National Police Transition Team, honored one of their fallen officers during a memorial service Feb 2.
Capt. Michael A. Norman, 36, born in Austin, Texas, was killed during combat operations in Baghdad Jan. 31. He was a military intelligence officer assigned to the transition team.
Maj. Bryan Hunt, the chief of the 2nd Division NPTT, remembered Norman as a true professional, and an expert always looking for ways to help others.
“His candor and confidence was everything a team leader could ask for. It was easy to serve with Capt. Norman,” said Hunt. “He knew his job and was always thinking of how to develop his counterpart. He developed a system to report and track any type of (intelligence) that overcame a language and cultural barrier.”
Norman had many duties that pulled him away from his primary military intelligence function, and his Iraqi counterpart had no military intelligence experience. But, Norman was such a great mentor his Iraqi counterpart has provided more intelligence than any other intelligence officer in their brigade, said Hunt.
Norman is also remembered for his more personal side.
“In May, as Team Shark was formed, we met ‘Norm’ or ‘Normando,’ a man whose sense of humor helped bond this team as we all faced the unknown of (Iraqi Assistance Group) and Fort Riley,” said Hunt. “His sharp wit, professionalism and friendship will forever be engrained in this team. Norm enjoyed the Army, and he loved his family. They were his pride and joy. We have lost a great American. Norm, you will not be forgotten.”
Even though Norman was a serious-minded professional who liked to make people laugh, he was first and foremost a family man.
“Captain Norman’s love of the Army and his job were second only to his family. Anyone who found himself in company with him could see that within minutes,” said Master Sgt. Timothy Terpak,. “He constantly spoke of his wife, Chun, and his children, Samuel and Summer. It was clear they were his world. Not a day passed that his family was not mentioned in a conversation with him. He even used (a computer program) to paste (a picture of) himself into pictures to show his family that he was with them, if only in spirit.
“He will be sorely missed by us all. There is now a void where he once stood. He will forever remain in my heart and my memories so that his legacy may live on,” Terpak said. “I express my deepest sympathy to his family and would like them to know we consider Captain Norman a part of our family and we grieve with you. Norm, I miss you buddy. God bless.”
Capt. Michael Allen Norman volunteered for his deployment to Iraq. He wanted to be promoted to major and better his family's life, his mother, Beverly Norman, said Thursday. He felt he had to go.
"The one dreaded thing I didn't want to happen, happened," Beverly said. "We're military enough that I knew when a chaplain and a soldier came to my house and got out of the car with a folder – I knew what they were going to tell me."
Michael's family was notified on the day of his death. Michael's wife, June, and two children, Sammy, 9, and Summer, 3, flew in from Korea on Tuesday. Michael joined his family in Killeen on Thursday.
Michael's plane was late coming to Robert Gray Army Airfield on Fort Hood, but his mother wasn't surprised.
"He was always late – always," Beverly said.
June reiterated that fact on Thursday at the home of Michael's parents in rural Bell County. She said his tardiness was so bad that she would tell him 2 p.m. doctor's appointments were for 1 or 1:30.
"I hated it," June said. "He was always late – a last-minute person – except for his tax return."
Michael filed those last week, June said.
Michael and June met during a previous stint in Korea. June's roommate at the time was a friend of Michael's and had a crush on him.
"When we first met, we didn't like each other much," June said with a smile. "He was rude."
But then June told a story about Michael sneaking off post without a pass to see her. He rode a train, but had to walk a long way from the train station to her work because he didn't have much money. When he got to June's work, he pulled a single rose from his jacket. The couple dated a year and then married in September 1994.
"Just like he was with June, he was all his life," Beverly said. "All the old ladies at church thought he was God-sent. He knew when they got a new hairstyle or were wearing a new dress."That's because Michael cared about clothes, his family said.
"He has more shoes than me," June said as Beverly explained that Michael's shoes had to match everything he wore.
"We have every color of shoe practically, except red or yellow," June said. "Same shoes, just in different colors."
While Michael's favorite color was black, he didn't like to wear it in the summer, his mother said. Plus, June added, he liked her to dress in pink – like a princess. June said he was always calling her and their 3-year-old daughter, Summer, his princesses.
Before he left for Iraq, Michael and June had a life-sized cutout of the 5-foot-11-inch, 192-pound soldier made for Summer's room. Each night she talks to her "Flat Daddy," before going to bed.
A true Texan
The Normans are a military family. Conny Norman, Michael's dad, was in the Army while Michael was growing up. Beverly's family has lived in the Killeen area since Fort Hood was called Camp Hood.
Beverly and Conny met in Killeen. Michael was born in Austin in 1971, the youngest of two boys. He went to elementary school in Florence, spent his middle school years in Germany and graduated from Anderson High School in Austin. He got his bachelor's degree from the University of Texas and joined the Army in 1992.Michael was a Dallas Cowboys fan who played sports from an early age. He played football and baseball in high school, Beverly said.
He also liked playing the guitar, June said. He was always singing. At their engagement party, Michael sang Elvis' "Fools Rush In."
"He was a true Texan from the word go,'" Beverly said. He even has a gun story from his childhood.
When he was 16, one of his friends was showing him an "unloaded" .38-caliber rifle and shot him while trying to prove it wasn't loaded. Michael was shot in the shoulder area and sustained a shattered collarbone. Part of the bullet was even left in his arm because they couldn't get it out, Beverly said. But Michael was worried about his favorite shirt.
As his grandmother drove Michael to the hospital he said, "Could you slow down? I don't want to die on my way to the hospital. And when you get home, could you try to get this blood out of my shirt?"
Returning home
Michael joined the Army to be just like his dad, Beverly said. June added that he also joined to get away from an ex-girlfriend.
When Michael volunteered to go to Iraq, he told his mother that it was his duty to serve his country.
"I was really upset until he told me he volunteered," Beverly said. "What else could I say?"
When Beverly was told a roadside bomb had killed her son, she said she didn't know what to expect.
"One of my greatest reliefs is they told us his body would be viewable," Beverly said. "Then you say, 'Thank you, God.'"
Michael came back to Killeen wrapped in the flag of the country he served.
"When I saw the end of that casket come out of that (airplane) door, all I could say was, 'Oh, no,'" Conny, Michael's father said. "That's when reality really set in ... my knees buckled. (I) almost went to the ground."Beverly said it didn't seem real until Thursday when the family gathered at Robert Gray Army Airfield and saw the plane land with their son onboard.
His flight landed just after noon and stopped in front of a pavilion sheltering the grieving family from the midday sun.
The airplane taxied between two green firetrucks from the Fort Hood Fire Department, which performed a water canon salute. With high winds, spray from the salute reached the onlookers who never turned away.
An honor guard, dressed in their Class A uniforms, carried Michael from the airplane to the waiting hearse.
Beverly cried and was surrounded by friends and family. June held on to a friend and watched with stoic dignity as her husband was loaded into the white vehicle.
Once the back door was closed, the family turned to go inside, away from the wind. Beverly denied the offered wheelchair and walked with her family.
From there, everyone followed the casket, led by the Patriot Guard down U.S. Highway 190 to the funeral home to plan Michael's memorial.
The funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at LifeWay Fellowship.
Following the service, Michael will be buried at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen.
"Until the casket comes in, it doesn't hit you," Beverly said. "That was my hurdle. I think I can make the rest of it now."
Norman’s military awards and decorations include the following: Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Good Conduct Medal with two knots, National Defense Service Medal with two Bronze Stars, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service Medals, Korea Defense Service Medal, Non-Commissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon with the numeral 2, Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge and Combat Action Badge.
Surviving Norman are his wife, Chun, his son Samuel and his daughter, Summer.
Army Capt. Michael A. Norman was killed in action on 1/31/08.
Army Spc. Matthew F. Straughter
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Matthew F. Straughter, 27, of St. Charles, Mo.
Spc. Straughter was assigned to the 1138th Engineer Company, 35th Engineer Brigade, Missouri National Guard, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.; died Jan. 31, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his vehicle was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade.
Mo. guardsman dies in Iraq
By Betsy Taylor
The Associated Press
ST. LOUIS — An Army specialist with the Missouri National Guard died after his vehicle was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in Iraq, the military said Monday.
Matthew Straughter, 27, of Belleville, Ill., died Thursday in Baghdad from his wounds. He enlisted while living in St. Charles, Mo., and was assigned to the 1138th Engineer Company, 35th Engineer Brigade.
Several families with ties to the National Guard learned of Straughter’s death Saturday, when they gathered at Mineral Area College in eastern Missouri for a support gathering for military families.
They expected to have a video teleconference with their loved ones currently serving in Iraq, but a technical problem prevented it from taking place.
Capt. Tamara Spicer said the news of Straughter’s death was delivered in person to the families there by a chaplain’s candidate. While it’s never easy to relay news of a death, she said the military believed word was delivered in a comforting way. Straughter’s family was notified separately and not in attendance at the gathering.
The Park Hills Daily Journal reported Straughter and his wife have five children, and that he was part of the group that left Farmington, Mo., on July 21. A family member declined comment to The Associated Press Monday.
Straughter joined the Missouri Army National Guard as a combat engineer in December 2005 and mobilized last July.
His unit located improvised explosive devices and maintained traffic flow along military supply routes. Straughter served on Operation Jump Start, the border security mission in Arizona from November of 2006 to last June 2007.
The Missouri National Guard said funeral arrangements are pending.
Army Spc. Matthew F. Straughter was killed in action on 1/31/08.
Army Spc. Matthew F. Straughter, 27, of St. Charles, Mo.
Spc. Straughter was assigned to the 1138th Engineer Company, 35th Engineer Brigade, Missouri National Guard, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.; died Jan. 31, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his vehicle was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade.
Mo. guardsman dies in Iraq
By Betsy Taylor
The Associated Press
ST. LOUIS — An Army specialist with the Missouri National Guard died after his vehicle was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in Iraq, the military said Monday.
Matthew Straughter, 27, of Belleville, Ill., died Thursday in Baghdad from his wounds. He enlisted while living in St. Charles, Mo., and was assigned to the 1138th Engineer Company, 35th Engineer Brigade.
Several families with ties to the National Guard learned of Straughter’s death Saturday, when they gathered at Mineral Area College in eastern Missouri for a support gathering for military families.
They expected to have a video teleconference with their loved ones currently serving in Iraq, but a technical problem prevented it from taking place.
Capt. Tamara Spicer said the news of Straughter’s death was delivered in person to the families there by a chaplain’s candidate. While it’s never easy to relay news of a death, she said the military believed word was delivered in a comforting way. Straughter’s family was notified separately and not in attendance at the gathering.
The Park Hills Daily Journal reported Straughter and his wife have five children, and that he was part of the group that left Farmington, Mo., on July 21. A family member declined comment to The Associated Press Monday.
Straughter joined the Missouri Army National Guard as a combat engineer in December 2005 and mobilized last July.
His unit located improvised explosive devices and maintained traffic flow along military supply routes. Straughter served on Operation Jump Start, the border security mission in Arizona from November of 2006 to last June 2007.
The Missouri National Guard said funeral arrangements are pending.
Army Spc. Matthew F. Straughter was killed in action on 1/31/08.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Army Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries, 37, of Roscoe, Texas;
SSgt. Jeffries was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Jan. 28, 2008 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his unit encountered an improvised explosive device during convoy operations. Also killed were Sgt. James E. Craig, Spc. Evan A. Marshall, Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer and Pvt. Joshua A.R. Young.
Fort Carson soldiers remembered in Iraq
The Associated Press
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Five Fort Carson soldiers killed while on a mission to hunt insurgents were remembered in Mosul, Iraq, for their determination and tenacity.
More than 800 troops gathered inside a movie theater on the Army’s Forward Operating Base Marez to eulogize the five soldiers killed Jan. 28 when a homemade bomb exploded and destroyed their Humvee, The Gazette of Colorado Springs reported.
Killed were Sgt. James E. Craig, 26, of Hollywood, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries, 37, of Roscoe, Texas; Spc. Evan A. Marshall, 21, of Athens, Ga.; Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer, 20, of Orange, Calif.; and Pvt. Joshua A. R. Young, 21, of Riddle, Ore.
They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
The memorial was attended by top American commanders in Iraq, including Gen. David Petraeus.
“He never wanted to quit,” Sgt. Tyler Daly was quoted by The Gazette of Marshall. “If you beat him at anything he would say ‘One more time’ or ‘Best two out of three.’”
Pfc. Anthony Mims said Meyer set an example by always giving of himself.
“Brandon was a great soldier and an awesome friend,” Mims eulogized.
Choking back tears, Spc. Richard Jackson told the crowd that Young’s dream was to make a difference in the world.
“That’s what he did,” Jackson said. “He made a difference where the fight is.”
“All were my friends, all were my comrades, and all were leaders,” Sgt. 1st Class Felipe Cruz said during a eulogy.
Cruz said Jeffries was an expert at ridding people of their sadness so they could face another day at war.
“He would bring me back to the light when I was seeing darkness,” Cruz said.
Sgt. Jacob Sandoz spoke about Craig during the service, recalling his friendship and his dedication to the American cause in Iraq.
“He would want us to continue fighting,” Sandoz said.
Army Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries was killed in action on 1/28/08.
Army Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries, 37, of Roscoe, Texas;
SSgt. Jeffries was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Jan. 28, 2008 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his unit encountered an improvised explosive device during convoy operations. Also killed were Sgt. James E. Craig, Spc. Evan A. Marshall, Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer and Pvt. Joshua A.R. Young.
Fort Carson soldiers remembered in Iraq
The Associated Press
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Five Fort Carson soldiers killed while on a mission to hunt insurgents were remembered in Mosul, Iraq, for their determination and tenacity.
More than 800 troops gathered inside a movie theater on the Army’s Forward Operating Base Marez to eulogize the five soldiers killed Jan. 28 when a homemade bomb exploded and destroyed their Humvee, The Gazette of Colorado Springs reported.
Killed were Sgt. James E. Craig, 26, of Hollywood, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries, 37, of Roscoe, Texas; Spc. Evan A. Marshall, 21, of Athens, Ga.; Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer, 20, of Orange, Calif.; and Pvt. Joshua A. R. Young, 21, of Riddle, Ore.
They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
The memorial was attended by top American commanders in Iraq, including Gen. David Petraeus.
“He never wanted to quit,” Sgt. Tyler Daly was quoted by The Gazette of Marshall. “If you beat him at anything he would say ‘One more time’ or ‘Best two out of three.’”
Pfc. Anthony Mims said Meyer set an example by always giving of himself.
“Brandon was a great soldier and an awesome friend,” Mims eulogized.
Choking back tears, Spc. Richard Jackson told the crowd that Young’s dream was to make a difference in the world.
“That’s what he did,” Jackson said. “He made a difference where the fight is.”
“All were my friends, all were my comrades, and all were leaders,” Sgt. 1st Class Felipe Cruz said during a eulogy.
Cruz said Jeffries was an expert at ridding people of their sadness so they could face another day at war.
“He would bring me back to the light when I was seeing darkness,” Cruz said.
Sgt. Jacob Sandoz spoke about Craig during the service, recalling his friendship and his dedication to the American cause in Iraq.
“He would want us to continue fighting,” Sandoz said.
Army Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries was killed in action on 1/28/08.
Army Sgt. James E. Craig
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. James E. Craig, 26, of Hollywood, S.C.
Sgt. Craig was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Jan. 28, 2008 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his unit encountered an improvised explosive device during convoy operations. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries, Spc. Evan A. Marshall, Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer and Pvt. Joshua A.R. Young.
Fort Carson soldiers remembered in Iraq
The Associated Press
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Five Fort Carson soldiers killed while on a mission to hunt insurgents were remembered in Mosul, Iraq, for their determination and tenacity.
More than 800 troops gathered inside a movie theater on the Army’s Forward Operating Base Marez to eulogize the five soldiers killed Jan. 28 when a homemade bomb exploded and destroyed their Humvee, The Gazette of Colorado Springs reported.
Killed were Sgt. James E. Craig, 26, of Hollywood, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries, 37, of Roscoe, Texas; Spc. Evan A. Marshall, 21, of Athens, Ga.; Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer, 20, of Orange, Calif.; and Pvt. Joshua A. R. Young, 21, of Riddle, Ore.
They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
The memorial was attended by top American commanders in Iraq, including Gen. David Petraeus.
“He never wanted to quit,” Sgt. Tyler Daly was quoted by The Gazette of Marshall. “If you beat him at anything he would say ‘One more time’ or ‘Best two out of three.’”
Pfc. Anthony Mims said Meyer set an example by always giving of himself.
“Brandon was a great soldier and an awesome friend,” Mims eulogized.
Choking back tears, Spc. Richard Jackson told the crowd that Young’s dream was to make a difference in the world.
“That’s what he did,” Jackson said. “He made a difference where the fight is.”
“All were my friends, all were my comrades, and all were leaders,” Sgt. 1st Class Felipe Cruz said during a eulogy.
Cruz said Jeffries was an expert at ridding people of their sadness so they could face another day at war.
“He would bring me back to the light when I was seeing darkness,” Cruz said.
Sgt. Jacob Sandoz spoke about Craig during the service, recalling his friendship and his dedication to the American cause in Iraq.
“He would want us to continue fighting,” Sandoz said.
Army Sgt. James E. Craig was killed in action on 1/28/08.
Army Sgt. James E. Craig, 26, of Hollywood, S.C.
Sgt. Craig was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Jan. 28, 2008 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his unit encountered an improvised explosive device during convoy operations. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries, Spc. Evan A. Marshall, Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer and Pvt. Joshua A.R. Young.
Fort Carson soldiers remembered in Iraq
The Associated Press
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Five Fort Carson soldiers killed while on a mission to hunt insurgents were remembered in Mosul, Iraq, for their determination and tenacity.
More than 800 troops gathered inside a movie theater on the Army’s Forward Operating Base Marez to eulogize the five soldiers killed Jan. 28 when a homemade bomb exploded and destroyed their Humvee, The Gazette of Colorado Springs reported.
Killed were Sgt. James E. Craig, 26, of Hollywood, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries, 37, of Roscoe, Texas; Spc. Evan A. Marshall, 21, of Athens, Ga.; Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer, 20, of Orange, Calif.; and Pvt. Joshua A. R. Young, 21, of Riddle, Ore.
They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
The memorial was attended by top American commanders in Iraq, including Gen. David Petraeus.
“He never wanted to quit,” Sgt. Tyler Daly was quoted by The Gazette of Marshall. “If you beat him at anything he would say ‘One more time’ or ‘Best two out of three.’”
Pfc. Anthony Mims said Meyer set an example by always giving of himself.
“Brandon was a great soldier and an awesome friend,” Mims eulogized.
Choking back tears, Spc. Richard Jackson told the crowd that Young’s dream was to make a difference in the world.
“That’s what he did,” Jackson said. “He made a difference where the fight is.”
“All were my friends, all were my comrades, and all were leaders,” Sgt. 1st Class Felipe Cruz said during a eulogy.
Cruz said Jeffries was an expert at ridding people of their sadness so they could face another day at war.
“He would bring me back to the light when I was seeing darkness,” Cruz said.
Sgt. Jacob Sandoz spoke about Craig during the service, recalling his friendship and his dedication to the American cause in Iraq.
“He would want us to continue fighting,” Sandoz said.
Army Sgt. James E. Craig was killed in action on 1/28/08.
Army Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer, 20, of Orange, Calif.
Pfc. Meyer was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Jan. 28, 2008 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his unit encountered an improvised explosive device during convoy operations. Also killed were Sgt. James E. Craig, Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries, Spc. Evan A. Marshall and Pvt. Joshua A.R. Young.
Soldier, newlywed dies in Iraq just short of 21st birthday
The Associated Press
ORANGE, Calif. — When Pfc. Brandon Meyer was deployed to Iraq five months after his wedding, he told his bride that if he died he wanted to be buried by the ocean and he wanted guests to wear his favorite color, baby blue.
Meyer, 20, was killed Jan. 28 when his convoy hit a roadside bomb in Mosul, Iraq. Four other soldiers — all from the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment Team, 4th Infantry Division, from Fort Carson, Colo. — died in the attack, according to the military.
Meyer’s wife, Caitlin, will bury him by the ocean this weekend after a funeral in the church where they were married. She said her husband never doubted his decision to enlist in the military.
“You go into it knowing it could happen, but at the same time you think, ‘Did this just happen to me?’” she said. “I’m a 20-year-old widow. That’s not normal. That’s not the way it should be. At all.”
The couple met on a blind date and Caitlin Meyer fell in love with the young man who had moved to Orange County from Texas to be closer to the beach. He also loved music, baseball and football.
“He’s everything I’m not, and I’m everything he’s not,” said his wife, who grew up in Orange. “It was a spark.”
Meyer called his wife two or three times a week between patrols in Mosul. He told her he had dodged bullets, including one that flew by his head when he looked out a window in a house that was raided by soldiers.
About a week after she heard that story, Meyer was killed in the roadside blast.
Meyer, who was promoted to specialist after his death, is also survived by his parents and a younger sister.
Fort Carson soldiers remembered in Iraq
The Associated Press
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Five Fort Carson soldiers killed while on a mission to hunt insurgents were remembered in Mosul, Iraq, for their determination and tenacity.
More than 800 troops gathered inside a movie theater on the Army’s Forward Operating Base Marez to eulogize the five soldiers killed Jan. 28 when a homemade bomb exploded and destroyed their Humvee, The Gazette of Colorado Springs reported.
Killed were Sgt. James E. Craig, 26, of Hollywood, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries, 37, of Roscoe, Texas; Spc. Evan A. Marshall, 21, of Athens, Ga.; Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer, 20, of Orange, Calif.; and Pvt. Joshua A. R. Young, 21, of Riddle, Ore.
They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
The memorial was attended by top American commanders in Iraq, including Gen. David Petraeus.
“He never wanted to quit,” Sgt. Tyler Daly was quoted by The Gazette of Marshall. “If you beat him at anything he would say ‘One more time’ or ‘Best two out of three.’”
Pfc. Anthony Mims said Meyer set an example by always giving of himself.
“Brandon was a great soldier and an awesome friend,” Mims eulogized.
Choking back tears, Spc. Richard Jackson told the crowd that Young’s dream was to make a difference in the world.
“That’s what he did,” Jackson said. “He made a difference where the fight is.”
“All were my friends, all were my comrades, and all were leaders,” Sgt. 1st Class Felipe Cruz said during a eulogy.
Cruz said Jeffries was an expert at ridding people of their sadness so they could face another day at war.
“He would bring me back to the light when I was seeing darkness,” Cruz said.
Sgt. Jacob Sandoz spoke about Craig during the service, recalling his friendship and his dedication to the American cause in Iraq.
“He would want us to continue fighting,” Sandoz said.
Army Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer was killed in action on 1/28/08.
Army Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer, 20, of Orange, Calif.
Pfc. Meyer was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Jan. 28, 2008 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his unit encountered an improvised explosive device during convoy operations. Also killed were Sgt. James E. Craig, Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries, Spc. Evan A. Marshall and Pvt. Joshua A.R. Young.
Soldier, newlywed dies in Iraq just short of 21st birthday
The Associated Press
ORANGE, Calif. — When Pfc. Brandon Meyer was deployed to Iraq five months after his wedding, he told his bride that if he died he wanted to be buried by the ocean and he wanted guests to wear his favorite color, baby blue.
Meyer, 20, was killed Jan. 28 when his convoy hit a roadside bomb in Mosul, Iraq. Four other soldiers — all from the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment Team, 4th Infantry Division, from Fort Carson, Colo. — died in the attack, according to the military.
Meyer’s wife, Caitlin, will bury him by the ocean this weekend after a funeral in the church where they were married. She said her husband never doubted his decision to enlist in the military.
“You go into it knowing it could happen, but at the same time you think, ‘Did this just happen to me?’” she said. “I’m a 20-year-old widow. That’s not normal. That’s not the way it should be. At all.”
The couple met on a blind date and Caitlin Meyer fell in love with the young man who had moved to Orange County from Texas to be closer to the beach. He also loved music, baseball and football.
“He’s everything I’m not, and I’m everything he’s not,” said his wife, who grew up in Orange. “It was a spark.”
Meyer called his wife two or three times a week between patrols in Mosul. He told her he had dodged bullets, including one that flew by his head when he looked out a window in a house that was raided by soldiers.
About a week after she heard that story, Meyer was killed in the roadside blast.
Meyer, who was promoted to specialist after his death, is also survived by his parents and a younger sister.
Fort Carson soldiers remembered in Iraq
The Associated Press
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Five Fort Carson soldiers killed while on a mission to hunt insurgents were remembered in Mosul, Iraq, for their determination and tenacity.
More than 800 troops gathered inside a movie theater on the Army’s Forward Operating Base Marez to eulogize the five soldiers killed Jan. 28 when a homemade bomb exploded and destroyed their Humvee, The Gazette of Colorado Springs reported.
Killed were Sgt. James E. Craig, 26, of Hollywood, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries, 37, of Roscoe, Texas; Spc. Evan A. Marshall, 21, of Athens, Ga.; Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer, 20, of Orange, Calif.; and Pvt. Joshua A. R. Young, 21, of Riddle, Ore.
They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
The memorial was attended by top American commanders in Iraq, including Gen. David Petraeus.
“He never wanted to quit,” Sgt. Tyler Daly was quoted by The Gazette of Marshall. “If you beat him at anything he would say ‘One more time’ or ‘Best two out of three.’”
Pfc. Anthony Mims said Meyer set an example by always giving of himself.
“Brandon was a great soldier and an awesome friend,” Mims eulogized.
Choking back tears, Spc. Richard Jackson told the crowd that Young’s dream was to make a difference in the world.
“That’s what he did,” Jackson said. “He made a difference where the fight is.”
“All were my friends, all were my comrades, and all were leaders,” Sgt. 1st Class Felipe Cruz said during a eulogy.
Cruz said Jeffries was an expert at ridding people of their sadness so they could face another day at war.
“He would bring me back to the light when I was seeing darkness,” Cruz said.
Sgt. Jacob Sandoz spoke about Craig during the service, recalling his friendship and his dedication to the American cause in Iraq.
“He would want us to continue fighting,” Sandoz said.
Army Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer was killed in action on 1/28/08.
Army Spc. Evan A. Marshall
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Evan A. Marshall, 21, of Athens, Ga.
Spc. Marshall was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Jan. 28, 2008 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his unit encountered an improvised explosive device during convoy operations. Also killed were Sgt. James E. Craig, Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries, Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer and Pvt. Joshua A. R. Young.
Soldier from Georgia among 5 killed in Mosul
The Associated Press
ATHENS, Ga. — A soldier from Georgia was among five U.S. military personnel killed in an ambush in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, family members said Tuesday.
Army Spc. Evan Marshall, 21, of Athens was a 2004 graduate of Cedar Shoals High School and was on his second tour of duty in Iraq when he was killed Monday, his father said.
Marshall joined the Army after high school, trained at Fort Benning outside of Columbus and served in Iraq from December 2005 until December 2006, then was deployed again seven weeks ago, Drew Marshall said.
“We’re devastated by this loss, but we honor his service,” said Marshall, an attorney. “We’re very proud of him, and I consider him and all the other people who are volunteering ... over there as heroes.”
The Army said the five were killed by an explosion in their convoy and small arms fire.
Friends and family members gathered at the Marshalls’ new house in Watkinsville. A prayer service was to be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at First Presbyterian Church in Athens.
Carson soldier ‘wanted to serve his country’
The Associated Press
Wesley Reed and his younger brother, Michael, were close with Evan A. Marshall before he joined the Army, often sharing intense battles on the video game “Halo” and hanging out on youth group and choir trips.
“Once he knew you and was comfortable around you, he was fun to hang out with — he would open up to you,” Wesley Reed said. He remembered a great trip the Marshall and Reed families took early in 2004 to see Georgia win in the Outback Bowl.
Marshall, 21, of Athens, Ga., was killed during an ambush in Mosul on Jan. 28. He was assigned to Fort Carson and was on his second tour.
“The last time I saw Evan was right before Christmas, and I was just amazed at the person he had become,” said Sara Oelke, a longtime friend.
Marshall, who graduated high school in 2004, surprised his parents with his decision to join the Army, in the middle of the war in Iraq, his father said — but it was what he wanted to do.
“So far as I’m able to tell, his motives were that he wanted to serve his country, and he wanted to do something that was hard and challenging,” Drew Marshall said.
He also is survived by his mother, Sheila.
Fort Carson soldiers remembered in Iraq
The Associated Press
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Five Fort Carson soldiers killed while on a mission to hunt insurgents were remembered in Mosul, Iraq, for their determination and tenacity.
More than 800 troops gathered inside a movie theater on the Army’s Forward Operating Base Marez to eulogize the five soldiers killed Jan. 28 when a homemade bomb exploded and destroyed their Humvee, The Gazette of Colorado Springs reported.
Killed were Sgt. James E. Craig, 26, of Hollywood, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries, 37, of Roscoe, Texas; Spc. Evan A. Marshall, 21, of Athens, Ga.; Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer, 20, of Orange, Calif.; and Pvt. Joshua A. R. Young, 21, of Riddle, Ore.
They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
The memorial was attended by top American commanders in Iraq, including Gen. David Petraeus.
“He never wanted to quit,” Sgt. Tyler Daly was quoted by The Gazette of Marshall. “If you beat him at anything he would say ‘One more time’ or ‘Best two out of three.’”
Pfc. Anthony Mims said Meyer set an example by always giving of himself.
“Brandon was a great soldier and an awesome friend,” Mims eulogized.
Choking back tears, Spc. Richard Jackson told the crowd that Young’s dream was to make a difference in the world.
“That’s what he did,” Jackson said. “He made a difference where the fight is.”
“All were my friends, all were my comrades, and all were leaders,” Sgt. 1st Class Felipe Cruz said during a eulogy.
Cruz said Jeffries was an expert at ridding people of their sadness so they could face another day at war.
“He would bring me back to the light when I was seeing darkness,” Cruz said.
Sgt. Jacob Sandoz spoke about Craig during the service, recalling his friendship and his dedication to the American cause in Iraq.
“He would want us to continue fighting,” Sandoz said.
Army Spc. Evan A. Marshall was killed in action on 1/28/08.
Army Spc. Evan A. Marshall, 21, of Athens, Ga.
Spc. Marshall was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Jan. 28, 2008 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his unit encountered an improvised explosive device during convoy operations. Also killed were Sgt. James E. Craig, Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries, Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer and Pvt. Joshua A. R. Young.
Soldier from Georgia among 5 killed in Mosul
The Associated Press
ATHENS, Ga. — A soldier from Georgia was among five U.S. military personnel killed in an ambush in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, family members said Tuesday.
Army Spc. Evan Marshall, 21, of Athens was a 2004 graduate of Cedar Shoals High School and was on his second tour of duty in Iraq when he was killed Monday, his father said.
Marshall joined the Army after high school, trained at Fort Benning outside of Columbus and served in Iraq from December 2005 until December 2006, then was deployed again seven weeks ago, Drew Marshall said.
“We’re devastated by this loss, but we honor his service,” said Marshall, an attorney. “We’re very proud of him, and I consider him and all the other people who are volunteering ... over there as heroes.”
The Army said the five were killed by an explosion in their convoy and small arms fire.
Friends and family members gathered at the Marshalls’ new house in Watkinsville. A prayer service was to be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at First Presbyterian Church in Athens.
Carson soldier ‘wanted to serve his country’
The Associated Press
Wesley Reed and his younger brother, Michael, were close with Evan A. Marshall before he joined the Army, often sharing intense battles on the video game “Halo” and hanging out on youth group and choir trips.
“Once he knew you and was comfortable around you, he was fun to hang out with — he would open up to you,” Wesley Reed said. He remembered a great trip the Marshall and Reed families took early in 2004 to see Georgia win in the Outback Bowl.
Marshall, 21, of Athens, Ga., was killed during an ambush in Mosul on Jan. 28. He was assigned to Fort Carson and was on his second tour.
“The last time I saw Evan was right before Christmas, and I was just amazed at the person he had become,” said Sara Oelke, a longtime friend.
Marshall, who graduated high school in 2004, surprised his parents with his decision to join the Army, in the middle of the war in Iraq, his father said — but it was what he wanted to do.
“So far as I’m able to tell, his motives were that he wanted to serve his country, and he wanted to do something that was hard and challenging,” Drew Marshall said.
He also is survived by his mother, Sheila.
Fort Carson soldiers remembered in Iraq
The Associated Press
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Five Fort Carson soldiers killed while on a mission to hunt insurgents were remembered in Mosul, Iraq, for their determination and tenacity.
More than 800 troops gathered inside a movie theater on the Army’s Forward Operating Base Marez to eulogize the five soldiers killed Jan. 28 when a homemade bomb exploded and destroyed their Humvee, The Gazette of Colorado Springs reported.
Killed were Sgt. James E. Craig, 26, of Hollywood, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries, 37, of Roscoe, Texas; Spc. Evan A. Marshall, 21, of Athens, Ga.; Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer, 20, of Orange, Calif.; and Pvt. Joshua A. R. Young, 21, of Riddle, Ore.
They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
The memorial was attended by top American commanders in Iraq, including Gen. David Petraeus.
“He never wanted to quit,” Sgt. Tyler Daly was quoted by The Gazette of Marshall. “If you beat him at anything he would say ‘One more time’ or ‘Best two out of three.’”
Pfc. Anthony Mims said Meyer set an example by always giving of himself.
“Brandon was a great soldier and an awesome friend,” Mims eulogized.
Choking back tears, Spc. Richard Jackson told the crowd that Young’s dream was to make a difference in the world.
“That’s what he did,” Jackson said. “He made a difference where the fight is.”
“All were my friends, all were my comrades, and all were leaders,” Sgt. 1st Class Felipe Cruz said during a eulogy.
Cruz said Jeffries was an expert at ridding people of their sadness so they could face another day at war.
“He would bring me back to the light when I was seeing darkness,” Cruz said.
Sgt. Jacob Sandoz spoke about Craig during the service, recalling his friendship and his dedication to the American cause in Iraq.
“He would want us to continue fighting,” Sandoz said.
Army Spc. Evan A. Marshall was killed in action on 1/28/08.
Army Pvt. Joshua A.R. Young
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pvt. Joshua A.R. Young, 21, of Riddle, Ore.
Pvt. Young was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Jan. 28, 2008 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his unit encountered an improvised explosive device during convoy operations. Also killed were Sgt. James E. Craig, Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries, Spc. Evan A. Marshall and Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer.
Body of Ore. soldier returning home this week
The Associated Press
RIDDLE, Ore. — Joshua Young’s MySpace page showed a muscular man with a military haircut looking into a mirror. Next to the photo, the soldier had written: “Young coming home in February.”
The 21-year-old and four other soldiers died last week during an ambush in Mosul, Iraq. Young will arrive home in southwest Oregon this week to be buried at Roseburg National Cemetery after a military funeral.
“One of the last things he said was he was going to be home really soon, like a week or two. And a week later, his sister called me and told me what had happened,” said L.J. Butler, one of Young’s best friends in Eugene, where he graduated from high school before moving to Riddle.
Young played high school football and loved animals. He planned to make the military his career and aspired to earn a degree in computer graphic design. Young was an accomplished artist, Butler’s father said.
“Friends and I were sitting down at Papa’s Pizza with Josh and L.J. one night and Josh had a piece of paper in front of him,” Larry Butler said. “And about 15 minutes later he hands us this picture of me and my two friends, the whole background the table and everything. It was great.”
Young was born in Whittier, Calif., and grew up in Oregon with his mother, Dawnya Fouts of Riddle, and two older sisters. He enlisted in May 2007 and was stationed at Fort Collins, Colo., before shipping out to Iraq in December with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
His father, Anthony Young of Whittier, will fly to Delaware Feb. 4 and escort his son’s body back to Oregon. Young said he was concerned about his son’s decision to join the Army and suggested other branches of the military. But the son’s will won out.
“He was a strong, handsome, compassionate young man that cared for others,” Young said.
Relatives said Young was promoted to private first class about a week before his death. One of his sisters, Brandi Yanez, said her family has a history of military service, and her brother wanted to serve the country.
“It’s something that he’s been wanting to do since he was 5 years old,” she said.
Fort Carson soldiers remembered in Iraq
The Associated Press
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Five Fort Carson soldiers killed while on a mission to hunt insurgents were remembered in Mosul, Iraq, for their determination and tenacity.
More than 800 troops gathered inside a movie theater on the Army’s Forward Operating Base Marez to eulogize the five soldiers killed Jan. 28 when a homemade bomb exploded and destroyed their Humvee, The Gazette of Colorado Springs reported.
Killed were Sgt. James E. Craig, 26, of Hollywood, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries, 37, of Roscoe, Texas; Spc. Evan A. Marshall, 21, of Athens, Ga.; Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer, 20, of Orange, Calif.; and Pvt. Joshua A. R. Young, 21, of Riddle, Ore.
They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
The memorial was attended by top American commanders in Iraq, including Gen. David Petraeus.
“He never wanted to quit,” Sgt. Tyler Daly was quoted by The Gazette of Marshall. “If you beat him at anything he would say ‘One more time’ or ‘Best two out of three.’”
Pfc. Anthony Mims said Meyer set an example by always giving of himself.
“Brandon was a great soldier and an awesome friend,” Mims eulogized.
Choking back tears, Spc. Richard Jackson told the crowd that Young’s dream was to make a difference in the world.
“That’s what he did,” Jackson said. “He made a difference where the fight is.”
“All were my friends, all were my comrades, and all were leaders,” Sgt. 1st Class Felipe Cruz said during a eulogy.
Cruz said Jeffries was an expert at ridding people of their sadness so they could face another day at war.
“He would bring me back to the light when I was seeing darkness,” Cruz said.
Sgt. Jacob Sandoz spoke about Craig during the service, recalling his friendship and his dedication to the American cause in Iraq.
“He would want us to continue fighting,” Sandoz said.
Ore. soldier remembered at services in Roseburg
The Associated Press
ROSEBURG, Ore. — Friends and family of Pfc. Joshua A.R. Young said their final farewells to a young man who had wanted to be a soldier since he was a little boy.
Young, 21, and four other soldiers died Jan. 28 when a bomb destroyed their Humvee in Mosul, Iraq. Young was described Feb. 7 as an upbeat man who loved art, animals, computers and paintball, and lived long enough to fulfill his almost lifelong dream of joining the military.
“I’m so proud of what he did for this country and the young man he became,” his sister, Saroje Irwin, told mourners at the Douglas County Fairgrounds.
His other sister, Brandi Yanez, recalled their last phone call, made memorable because they got the Web camera working. That allowed Brandi and her 5-year-old son, Dominyk, to see Josh. And it gave the soldier a chance to see Dominyk happily running around in his own camouflage gear.
Yanez said she and her brother discussed death, but he reassured her that if he did die, at least it would be for a reason. She said he wouldn’t want her to shed tears: “I picture my brother elbowing me in the side and saying: ‘Buck up.’”
Young was an infantryman with the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
Born in California, Young grew up in Eugene and graduated from Churchill High School in 2004. He moved with family to the southwest Oregon town of Riddle before joining the Army in May 2007. He deployed to Iraq in December.
Young’s father, Andrew Young, spoke of his gratitude that Josh found faith during his military service. He wore the gold cross a relative had given him and had the word Christian stamped on his dog tags.
Gov. Ted Kulongoski attended the service and called Young’s death a profound loss for Oregon. One of more than 100 soldiers with Oregon ties to die in Iraq, Kulongoski said the state would be diminished by the loss of another warrior.
“We grieve with you,” Kulongoski told the family. “We wrap our collective arms around you and we will not forget you.”
Later, at the Roseburg National Cemetery, Oregon Army National Guard Brigadier Gen. Raymond Byrne presented the family with a Purple Heart and Bronze Star. After accepting Young’s medals, the family asked for some time alone. They gathered at the coffin to say goodbye.
Army Pvt. Joshua A.R. Young was killed in action on 1/28/08.
Army Pvt. Joshua A.R. Young, 21, of Riddle, Ore.
Pvt. Young was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Jan. 28, 2008 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his unit encountered an improvised explosive device during convoy operations. Also killed were Sgt. James E. Craig, Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries, Spc. Evan A. Marshall and Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer.
Body of Ore. soldier returning home this week
The Associated Press
RIDDLE, Ore. — Joshua Young’s MySpace page showed a muscular man with a military haircut looking into a mirror. Next to the photo, the soldier had written: “Young coming home in February.”
The 21-year-old and four other soldiers died last week during an ambush in Mosul, Iraq. Young will arrive home in southwest Oregon this week to be buried at Roseburg National Cemetery after a military funeral.
“One of the last things he said was he was going to be home really soon, like a week or two. And a week later, his sister called me and told me what had happened,” said L.J. Butler, one of Young’s best friends in Eugene, where he graduated from high school before moving to Riddle.
Young played high school football and loved animals. He planned to make the military his career and aspired to earn a degree in computer graphic design. Young was an accomplished artist, Butler’s father said.
“Friends and I were sitting down at Papa’s Pizza with Josh and L.J. one night and Josh had a piece of paper in front of him,” Larry Butler said. “And about 15 minutes later he hands us this picture of me and my two friends, the whole background the table and everything. It was great.”
Young was born in Whittier, Calif., and grew up in Oregon with his mother, Dawnya Fouts of Riddle, and two older sisters. He enlisted in May 2007 and was stationed at Fort Collins, Colo., before shipping out to Iraq in December with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
His father, Anthony Young of Whittier, will fly to Delaware Feb. 4 and escort his son’s body back to Oregon. Young said he was concerned about his son’s decision to join the Army and suggested other branches of the military. But the son’s will won out.
“He was a strong, handsome, compassionate young man that cared for others,” Young said.
Relatives said Young was promoted to private first class about a week before his death. One of his sisters, Brandi Yanez, said her family has a history of military service, and her brother wanted to serve the country.
“It’s something that he’s been wanting to do since he was 5 years old,” she said.
Fort Carson soldiers remembered in Iraq
The Associated Press
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Five Fort Carson soldiers killed while on a mission to hunt insurgents were remembered in Mosul, Iraq, for their determination and tenacity.
More than 800 troops gathered inside a movie theater on the Army’s Forward Operating Base Marez to eulogize the five soldiers killed Jan. 28 when a homemade bomb exploded and destroyed their Humvee, The Gazette of Colorado Springs reported.
Killed were Sgt. James E. Craig, 26, of Hollywood, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries, 37, of Roscoe, Texas; Spc. Evan A. Marshall, 21, of Athens, Ga.; Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer, 20, of Orange, Calif.; and Pvt. Joshua A. R. Young, 21, of Riddle, Ore.
They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
The memorial was attended by top American commanders in Iraq, including Gen. David Petraeus.
“He never wanted to quit,” Sgt. Tyler Daly was quoted by The Gazette of Marshall. “If you beat him at anything he would say ‘One more time’ or ‘Best two out of three.’”
Pfc. Anthony Mims said Meyer set an example by always giving of himself.
“Brandon was a great soldier and an awesome friend,” Mims eulogized.
Choking back tears, Spc. Richard Jackson told the crowd that Young’s dream was to make a difference in the world.
“That’s what he did,” Jackson said. “He made a difference where the fight is.”
“All were my friends, all were my comrades, and all were leaders,” Sgt. 1st Class Felipe Cruz said during a eulogy.
Cruz said Jeffries was an expert at ridding people of their sadness so they could face another day at war.
“He would bring me back to the light when I was seeing darkness,” Cruz said.
Sgt. Jacob Sandoz spoke about Craig during the service, recalling his friendship and his dedication to the American cause in Iraq.
“He would want us to continue fighting,” Sandoz said.
Ore. soldier remembered at services in Roseburg
The Associated Press
ROSEBURG, Ore. — Friends and family of Pfc. Joshua A.R. Young said their final farewells to a young man who had wanted to be a soldier since he was a little boy.
Young, 21, and four other soldiers died Jan. 28 when a bomb destroyed their Humvee in Mosul, Iraq. Young was described Feb. 7 as an upbeat man who loved art, animals, computers and paintball, and lived long enough to fulfill his almost lifelong dream of joining the military.
“I’m so proud of what he did for this country and the young man he became,” his sister, Saroje Irwin, told mourners at the Douglas County Fairgrounds.
His other sister, Brandi Yanez, recalled their last phone call, made memorable because they got the Web camera working. That allowed Brandi and her 5-year-old son, Dominyk, to see Josh. And it gave the soldier a chance to see Dominyk happily running around in his own camouflage gear.
Yanez said she and her brother discussed death, but he reassured her that if he did die, at least it would be for a reason. She said he wouldn’t want her to shed tears: “I picture my brother elbowing me in the side and saying: ‘Buck up.’”
Young was an infantryman with the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
Born in California, Young grew up in Eugene and graduated from Churchill High School in 2004. He moved with family to the southwest Oregon town of Riddle before joining the Army in May 2007. He deployed to Iraq in December.
Young’s father, Andrew Young, spoke of his gratitude that Josh found faith during his military service. He wore the gold cross a relative had given him and had the word Christian stamped on his dog tags.
Gov. Ted Kulongoski attended the service and called Young’s death a profound loss for Oregon. One of more than 100 soldiers with Oregon ties to die in Iraq, Kulongoski said the state would be diminished by the loss of another warrior.
“We grieve with you,” Kulongoski told the family. “We wrap our collective arms around you and we will not forget you.”
Later, at the Roseburg National Cemetery, Oregon Army National Guard Brigadier Gen. Raymond Byrne presented the family with a Purple Heart and Bronze Star. After accepting Young’s medals, the family asked for some time alone. They gathered at the coffin to say goodbye.
Army Pvt. Joshua A.R. Young was killed in action on 1/28/08.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Army Maj. Alan G. Rogers
Remember Our Heroes
Army Maj. Alan G. Rogers, 40, of Hampton, Fla.
Maj. Rogers was assigned to the Military Transition Team, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died Jan. 27, 2008 of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated while he was conducting a dismounted patrol in Baghdad.
Gainesville Sun -- U.S. Army Maj. Alan G. Rogers should have been making plans to fly home later this month to serve as best man at his best friend's wedding. Instead, Rogers' body was flown home in a flag-draped casket Wednesday morning.
Maj. Alan G. Rogers, 40, had identified Hampton as his hometown when he enlisted in the Army in June 1990. According to information provided by the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Rogers was a military intelligence officer working with a military transition team when he was killed.
Officials at the division's headquarters in Fort Riley, Kan., said transition teams are composed of small groups of American military personnel who have been specially "trained to advise, teach, mentor and coach their Iraqi or Afghan counterparts."
Rogers was serving his second overseas deployment when he became the 142nd person assigned to Fort Riley to be killed in the war.
Rogers, 40, died of wounds he suffered Jan. 27 in Iraq when an improvised explosive device detonated near him while he was on a foot patrol in Baghdad.
Rogers was serving his second tour of duty overseas. He was a military intelligence officer working with a military transition team when he died.
His body arrived at Gainesville Regional Airport just before noon Wednesday. Waiting on the tarmac were his cousin, Cathy Long, and her husband, Reginald Long, both of Ocala.
Also on hand were Rogers' best friend since college, Shay Hill of Jacksonville, and another close friend of both men, Army Sgt. Kelly O'Connor, who also had been asked to participate in Hill's March 1 wedding. Rogers was an only child, was divorced and had no children of his own. O'Connor said the Army was his life.
Despite his grief over Rogers' death, Hill could still smile about how the two met while in college. Hill was helping to pay his way through Santa Fe Community College by selling peanuts alongside U.S. 301. He would wave to passing motorists, hoping his friendliness would encourage them to stop and buy some peanuts.
"One day he (Rogers) stopped and introduced himself and asked why I was waving at him every time he went by," Hill said. "He didn't realize that I was waving at everybody."
Rogers and Hill became roommates for a portion of their college careers. Rogers joined the ROTC program at the University of Florida and then accepted a commission in the U.S. Army in 1990.
"I'll remember him as a true American hero, a very generous spirit," Hill said.
Cathy Long said her fondest memory of her younger cousin will be "his knack for bringing people together."
Long said that Rogers was adopted by his parents, George and Genny Rogers, when they were older. He was their only child and about the same age as Long's oldest son. The Rogers family moved to Florida from New York in 1977 to Hampton, northeast of Gainesville, where Alan attended Hampton Elementary School. He went on to attend middle and high school in Starke.
"We didn't really get close until his parents became ill," Long said. George died of a heart attack in 2000 and Genny of kidney-related problems two years later.
"He preached at his mother's funeral," Long said.
Rogers had joined Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church in Lincoln City as a youngster and was ordained as a pastor there when he was a young man. Ebenezer is where a funeral service will be held for Rogers at 11 a.m. Friday. Daniel Blackman, who coordinates Florida's Military Funeral Honors Program, said Rogers will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery later this month.
Those on hand to escort Rogers' casket from the airport to Starke included representatives of several agencies, including two former high school classmates: Starke Police Chief Gordon Smith and Lt. Barry Warren graduated from Bradford County High School with Rogers in 1985.
"When I was a senior, he was the commander of the Junior ROTC program," Warren said. "He was very knowledgeable about the concept and an excellent leader."
After graduation, Warren saw Rogers one more time - at The Oaks Mall in Gainesville.
"He told me he was doing what he loved, that he was in the Army and living his dream," Warren said. Others in the class of 1985 have phoned and e-mailed The Sun to express similar comments. Several recalled that Rogers was elected the most intellectual class member.
Former neighbor Joyce Mitchell said Rogers was called home frequently as his parents aged, usually because of medical emergencies involving his mother, whose kidneys were failing.
"A mother couldn't have asked for a better son. Anytime they called, he would get here if he could and he became like a parent to his father and mother," Mitchell said. She also said that after many trips home to care for his mother, Rogers' father died suddenly. His mother died within a few months.
Sgt. O'Connor said Rogers' intellectual abilities were also recognized by the Army. According to O'Connor, Rogers earned his first master's degree through the online Phoenix University, then was accepted into an elite program.
"He was one of only 25 Army officers accepted into the public policy master's degree program at Georgetown University," O'Connor said. "That is how he got his internship at the Pentagon for the deputy secretary of defense."
To honor Rogers' memory, Long, Hill and O'Connor said a Web site has been established to accept scholarship donations as a memorial in lieu of flowers.
In addition to a military honor guard at Roger's funeral, the Patriot Guard Riders will be in attendance. The volunteer organization attends military funerals nationwide, according to John "Daze" Vincent, the guard's Florida ride captain. Vincent said the group's only mission is to make certain that respect is shown for those who die while serving the country and sometimes that means shielding mourners from protesters.
"We had a funeral for a soldier last week in Orlando and there were protesters there," Vincent said. "We don't think that's something the families should have to deal with."
Army Maj. Alan G. Rogers was killed in action on 1/27/08.
Army Maj. Alan G. Rogers, 40, of Hampton, Fla.
Maj. Rogers was assigned to the Military Transition Team, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died Jan. 27, 2008 of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated while he was conducting a dismounted patrol in Baghdad.
Gainesville Sun -- U.S. Army Maj. Alan G. Rogers should have been making plans to fly home later this month to serve as best man at his best friend's wedding. Instead, Rogers' body was flown home in a flag-draped casket Wednesday morning.
Maj. Alan G. Rogers, 40, had identified Hampton as his hometown when he enlisted in the Army in June 1990. According to information provided by the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Rogers was a military intelligence officer working with a military transition team when he was killed.
Officials at the division's headquarters in Fort Riley, Kan., said transition teams are composed of small groups of American military personnel who have been specially "trained to advise, teach, mentor and coach their Iraqi or Afghan counterparts."
Rogers was serving his second overseas deployment when he became the 142nd person assigned to Fort Riley to be killed in the war.
Rogers, 40, died of wounds he suffered Jan. 27 in Iraq when an improvised explosive device detonated near him while he was on a foot patrol in Baghdad.
Rogers was serving his second tour of duty overseas. He was a military intelligence officer working with a military transition team when he died.
His body arrived at Gainesville Regional Airport just before noon Wednesday. Waiting on the tarmac were his cousin, Cathy Long, and her husband, Reginald Long, both of Ocala.
Also on hand were Rogers' best friend since college, Shay Hill of Jacksonville, and another close friend of both men, Army Sgt. Kelly O'Connor, who also had been asked to participate in Hill's March 1 wedding. Rogers was an only child, was divorced and had no children of his own. O'Connor said the Army was his life.
Despite his grief over Rogers' death, Hill could still smile about how the two met while in college. Hill was helping to pay his way through Santa Fe Community College by selling peanuts alongside U.S. 301. He would wave to passing motorists, hoping his friendliness would encourage them to stop and buy some peanuts.
"One day he (Rogers) stopped and introduced himself and asked why I was waving at him every time he went by," Hill said. "He didn't realize that I was waving at everybody."
Rogers and Hill became roommates for a portion of their college careers. Rogers joined the ROTC program at the University of Florida and then accepted a commission in the U.S. Army in 1990.
"I'll remember him as a true American hero, a very generous spirit," Hill said.
Cathy Long said her fondest memory of her younger cousin will be "his knack for bringing people together."
Long said that Rogers was adopted by his parents, George and Genny Rogers, when they were older. He was their only child and about the same age as Long's oldest son. The Rogers family moved to Florida from New York in 1977 to Hampton, northeast of Gainesville, where Alan attended Hampton Elementary School. He went on to attend middle and high school in Starke.
"We didn't really get close until his parents became ill," Long said. George died of a heart attack in 2000 and Genny of kidney-related problems two years later.
"He preached at his mother's funeral," Long said.
Rogers had joined Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church in Lincoln City as a youngster and was ordained as a pastor there when he was a young man. Ebenezer is where a funeral service will be held for Rogers at 11 a.m. Friday. Daniel Blackman, who coordinates Florida's Military Funeral Honors Program, said Rogers will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery later this month.
Those on hand to escort Rogers' casket from the airport to Starke included representatives of several agencies, including two former high school classmates: Starke Police Chief Gordon Smith and Lt. Barry Warren graduated from Bradford County High School with Rogers in 1985.
"When I was a senior, he was the commander of the Junior ROTC program," Warren said. "He was very knowledgeable about the concept and an excellent leader."
After graduation, Warren saw Rogers one more time - at The Oaks Mall in Gainesville.
"He told me he was doing what he loved, that he was in the Army and living his dream," Warren said. Others in the class of 1985 have phoned and e-mailed The Sun to express similar comments. Several recalled that Rogers was elected the most intellectual class member.
Former neighbor Joyce Mitchell said Rogers was called home frequently as his parents aged, usually because of medical emergencies involving his mother, whose kidneys were failing.
"A mother couldn't have asked for a better son. Anytime they called, he would get here if he could and he became like a parent to his father and mother," Mitchell said. She also said that after many trips home to care for his mother, Rogers' father died suddenly. His mother died within a few months.
Sgt. O'Connor said Rogers' intellectual abilities were also recognized by the Army. According to O'Connor, Rogers earned his first master's degree through the online Phoenix University, then was accepted into an elite program.
"He was one of only 25 Army officers accepted into the public policy master's degree program at Georgetown University," O'Connor said. "That is how he got his internship at the Pentagon for the deputy secretary of defense."
To honor Rogers' memory, Long, Hill and O'Connor said a Web site has been established to accept scholarship donations as a memorial in lieu of flowers.
In addition to a military honor guard at Roger's funeral, the Patriot Guard Riders will be in attendance. The volunteer organization attends military funerals nationwide, according to John "Daze" Vincent, the guard's Florida ride captain. Vincent said the group's only mission is to make certain that respect is shown for those who die while serving the country and sometimes that means shielding mourners from protesters.
"We had a funeral for a soldier last week in Orlando and there were protesters there," Vincent said. "We don't think that's something the families should have to deal with."
Army Maj. Alan G. Rogers was killed in action on 1/27/08.
Army Sgt. Mikeal W. Miller
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Mikeal W. Miller, 22, of Albany, Ore.
Sgt. Miller was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Jan. 27, 2008 at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., of wounds sustained in Baghdad on July 9, 2007, when the vehicle he was in encountered an improvised explosive device.
Soldier eulogized as best part of his parents
The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. — An Albany soldier killed in Iraq was remembered Saturday as the best part of both of his parents at his service and burial in Willamette national Cemetery.
Sgt. Mikeal Miller, 22, was hit in the head by shrapnel in Baghdad June 9 and died Jan. 27. He was on his second tour in Iraq.
“Time is too slow for those who wait,” said Gov. Theodore Kulongoski, quoting author Henry Van Dyke. “Too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.”
Friends, family and Gen. Charles Jacoby remembered Miller with stories and photos.
“Mike was the best part of me and the best part of Rene mixed together,” his father Steve said. “Megan, he loved you to death,” he said of Miller’s wife.
“I feel glad, and I am happy that he was mine,” Steve Miller said.
Miller’s mother, wife and father each received a folded flag at the service.
Miller never regained consciousness after he was wounded. He died at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
Miller grew up in Lakeview and Albany, and he played football at South Albany High School.
The last picture in the slide show was of Megan’s hand holding Mike’s on his hospital bed.
Miller joined the Army in 2003, the summer after he graduated high school. He was deployed to Iraq in 2004 and again in October 2006. His medals included the Purple Heart and the Army Commendation Medal. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Calvary Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Army Sgt. Mikeal W. Miller died of wounds received in action on 1/27/08.
Army Sgt. Mikeal W. Miller, 22, of Albany, Ore.
Sgt. Miller was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Jan. 27, 2008 at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., of wounds sustained in Baghdad on July 9, 2007, when the vehicle he was in encountered an improvised explosive device.
Soldier eulogized as best part of his parents
The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. — An Albany soldier killed in Iraq was remembered Saturday as the best part of both of his parents at his service and burial in Willamette national Cemetery.
Sgt. Mikeal Miller, 22, was hit in the head by shrapnel in Baghdad June 9 and died Jan. 27. He was on his second tour in Iraq.
“Time is too slow for those who wait,” said Gov. Theodore Kulongoski, quoting author Henry Van Dyke. “Too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.”
Friends, family and Gen. Charles Jacoby remembered Miller with stories and photos.
“Mike was the best part of me and the best part of Rene mixed together,” his father Steve said. “Megan, he loved you to death,” he said of Miller’s wife.
“I feel glad, and I am happy that he was mine,” Steve Miller said.
Miller’s mother, wife and father each received a folded flag at the service.
Miller never regained consciousness after he was wounded. He died at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
Miller grew up in Lakeview and Albany, and he played football at South Albany High School.
The last picture in the slide show was of Megan’s hand holding Mike’s on his hospital bed.
Miller joined the Army in 2003, the summer after he graduated high school. He was deployed to Iraq in 2004 and again in October 2006. His medals included the Purple Heart and the Army Commendation Medal. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Calvary Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Army Sgt. Mikeal W. Miller died of wounds received in action on 1/27/08.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Wilson
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Wilson, 28, of Boynton Beach, Fla.
SSgt Wilson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Jan. 26, 2008 of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated while he was conducting a dismounted patrol in Baghdad.
2 Fort Campbell soldiers killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — Two members of Fort Campbell’s 101st Airborne Division died in separate incidents in Iraq, the military announced Monday.
The Department of Defense said Staff Sgt. Robert J. Wilson, 28, of Boynton Beach, Fla., died Saturday after a bomb detonated while he was conducting a dismounted patrol in Baghdad. He was an infantryman assigned to A Company, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
Earlier, the military said Sgt. Tracy Renee Birkman, 41, died on Friday from non-combat injuries in Owesat. Birkman was a native of New Castle, Va., and was a light-wheel mechanic assigned to F Company, 626th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
She entered the Army in August 1988 and arrived at Fort Campbell in June 2006, the post said.
Birkman is survived by her sons, Bradley Griffith, Joshua Birkman and Ryan Birkman; and her parents, Phyllis and Gerald Griffith, all of New Castle.
Wilson is survived by his father, Willie Wilson of Taylorsville, Ill.; and mother and stepfather, Peggy and Kevin Habian of Boynton Beach.
He entered the Army in January 2002 and arrived at Fort Campbell in September 2006, the post said.
Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Wilson was killed in action on 1/26/08.
Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Wilson, 28, of Boynton Beach, Fla.
SSgt Wilson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Jan. 26, 2008 of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated while he was conducting a dismounted patrol in Baghdad.
2 Fort Campbell soldiers killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — Two members of Fort Campbell’s 101st Airborne Division died in separate incidents in Iraq, the military announced Monday.
The Department of Defense said Staff Sgt. Robert J. Wilson, 28, of Boynton Beach, Fla., died Saturday after a bomb detonated while he was conducting a dismounted patrol in Baghdad. He was an infantryman assigned to A Company, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
Earlier, the military said Sgt. Tracy Renee Birkman, 41, died on Friday from non-combat injuries in Owesat. Birkman was a native of New Castle, Va., and was a light-wheel mechanic assigned to F Company, 626th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
She entered the Army in August 1988 and arrived at Fort Campbell in June 2006, the post said.
Birkman is survived by her sons, Bradley Griffith, Joshua Birkman and Ryan Birkman; and her parents, Phyllis and Gerald Griffith, all of New Castle.
Wilson is survived by his father, Willie Wilson of Taylorsville, Ill.; and mother and stepfather, Peggy and Kevin Habian of Boynton Beach.
He entered the Army in January 2002 and arrived at Fort Campbell in September 2006, the post said.
Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Wilson was killed in action on 1/26/08.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Matthew R. Kahler
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Matthew R. Kahler, 29, of Granite Falls, Minn.
SFC Kahler was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy; died Jan. 26, 2008 at Forward Operating Base Fenty, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from small-arms fire in Waygul, Afghanistan.
Soldier dies after possible friendly fire
The Associated Press
GRANITE FALLS, Minn. — An Army sergeant killed in Afghanistan believed in his mission battling “thugs and hoodlums,” his father said.
Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Ryan Kahler, 29, of Granite Falls, died Saturday after being shot in Waygul. The Defense Department said Kahler may have been hit by friendly fire from an Afghan guard who mistook him for the enemy.
Kahler, who served in Iraq as well as Afghanistan, thought often of his family, his father Ron said on Monday.
“He told me there is a group of thugs and hoodlums who want to rule the world,” Ron Kahler said. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were about keeping the world safe from those people, Kahler said.
Matthew Kahler and his wife, Vicki, have a 4-year-old daughter. The family had been stationed in Vicenza, Italy, for about eight years, his father said.
Ron Kahler said he advised his son to join the Special Forces when Matthew Kahler joined the Army the summer of his junior year at Yellow Medicine East High School. Special Forces would teach Matthew how to survive, his father believed.
Matthew took his father’s advice. He was a member of 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team.
“But now, he’s coming home but he’s not coming home alive,” Kahler said.
Students and staff at Yellow Medicine East High School were absorbing the news of Matthew’s death on Monday. Many of his nieces and nephews are students, Principal Karen Norell said.
Matthew Kahler graduated in 1997; his wife also attended the school.
Rene Diebold of Marshall said Kahler was a longtime friend of her son Dixon.
“As a high school student, (Matthew) was just one of those kids who came over and when you invited him to dinner he was so appreciative and so respectful,” Diebold said.
Dixon Diebold remembered starting a stereo shop in Granite Falls with Kahler when the two were young teenagers. “It was less business and more goofing off,” Diebold said of the pair’s business venture. He also remembered Kahler as a “kind of scrawny” wrestler in high school who always seemed to be competing despite being in pain.
“He was one of the most loyal people,” Diebold said. “I’m sure that’s the way he was with his men.”
Ron Kahler said his son first wanted to be in the military when he was around 10 years old. Matthew was happy with what he was doing, his father said.
Kahler was born in Iowa and lived in Montevideo for several years before he eventually moved to Granite Falls in about 1989, Ron Kahler said.
Funeral arrangements were pending.
Hundreds honor Granite Falls soldier on his final trip home
The Associated Press
GRANITE FALLS, Minn. — Hundreds of people lined the streets of this western Minnesota town Feb. 6 for a procession for Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Kahler, a local soldier who was killed during his third tour of duty in the Middle East.
Kahler, 29, was killed Jan. 26 while on duty near Waygul, Afghanistan, apparently by friendly fire from an Afghan guard allied with U.S. troops.
“This was his home, and we were here to welcome him back,” said Darwin Strong, who joined a crowd of students and residents outside Yellow Medicine East High School.
The tribute began that morning in Willmar, where American flags lined the sidewalk at the municipal airport as the casket carrying Kahler’s body was removed from a plane. After a private ceremony, the casket was loaded into a hearse, which was escorted by fire trucks and police cars for the 40-mile trip to Granite Falls.
Along Highway 23 in the small town of Raymond, sixth-grade students waved flags while people lined the streets.
In Granite Falls, the procession passed the Yellow Medicine County Courthouse and YME High School, where Kahler graduated in 1997. Students filed out the front doors and quietly took up positions lining the street. Some carried American flags or posters reading “In Honor of Matt.”
Ben Lecy, a close friend of Kahler’s and a teacher at the high school, said he and Kahler had discussed the soldier’s willingness to go into harm’s way when Kahler was last home. Lecy said he warned his friend that he could be shot.
“Yes, sir, but I’m willing to do that for my country,” Lecy said Kahler told him.
Kahler was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. His funeral was planned for 1:30 p.m. Feb. 9 at Granite Falls Lutheran Church.
Kahler is survived by his wife, Vicki, and their 4-year-old daughter, Allison.
Minnesota soldier laid to rest in Granite Falls
The Associated Press
GRANITE FALLS, Minn. — A fierce wind whipped the American flags held by an honor guard as Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Ryan Kahler was laid to rest Feb. 9. And many mourners braved whiteout conditions to get to his funeral.
During the service at Granite Falls Lutheran Church — filled to overflowing with family, friends, neighbors and military personnel — Kahler was remembered for being a servant and a shepherd to the troops he led.
Kahler, 29, of Granite Falls, was killed Jan. 26 while leading his platoon on a patrol near Waygul, Afghanistan, apparently by friendly fire from an Afghan guard allied with U.S. troops. He was on his third tour of duty in the Middle East.
The Rev. Steve Carmany said Kahler repeatedly demonstrated courage and loyalty, was “selfless almost to a fault” and was “tireless” in his care for others.
Kahler was someone you’d “want to have your back,” Carmany said.
Sgt. 1st Class William Stockard said Kahler led his troops by example. While recalling his sharp, sarcastic wit, he also said Kahler was a “terrific father” and treated his soldiers with the same kind of love.
The Rev. Bob Knutson said Kahler was committed to making the world better for his 4-year-old daughter, Allison.
Besides Allison, Kahler is survived by his wife, Vicki; parents Colleen Kahler of Montevideo and Ron and Shellie Kahler of Searles, one sister and two brothers.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Matthew R. Kahler was killed in action on 1/26/08.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Matthew R. Kahler, 29, of Granite Falls, Minn.
SFC Kahler was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy; died Jan. 26, 2008 at Forward Operating Base Fenty, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from small-arms fire in Waygul, Afghanistan.
Soldier dies after possible friendly fire
The Associated Press
GRANITE FALLS, Minn. — An Army sergeant killed in Afghanistan believed in his mission battling “thugs and hoodlums,” his father said.
Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Ryan Kahler, 29, of Granite Falls, died Saturday after being shot in Waygul. The Defense Department said Kahler may have been hit by friendly fire from an Afghan guard who mistook him for the enemy.
Kahler, who served in Iraq as well as Afghanistan, thought often of his family, his father Ron said on Monday.
“He told me there is a group of thugs and hoodlums who want to rule the world,” Ron Kahler said. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were about keeping the world safe from those people, Kahler said.
Matthew Kahler and his wife, Vicki, have a 4-year-old daughter. The family had been stationed in Vicenza, Italy, for about eight years, his father said.
Ron Kahler said he advised his son to join the Special Forces when Matthew Kahler joined the Army the summer of his junior year at Yellow Medicine East High School. Special Forces would teach Matthew how to survive, his father believed.
Matthew took his father’s advice. He was a member of 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team.
“But now, he’s coming home but he’s not coming home alive,” Kahler said.
Students and staff at Yellow Medicine East High School were absorbing the news of Matthew’s death on Monday. Many of his nieces and nephews are students, Principal Karen Norell said.
Matthew Kahler graduated in 1997; his wife also attended the school.
Rene Diebold of Marshall said Kahler was a longtime friend of her son Dixon.
“As a high school student, (Matthew) was just one of those kids who came over and when you invited him to dinner he was so appreciative and so respectful,” Diebold said.
Dixon Diebold remembered starting a stereo shop in Granite Falls with Kahler when the two were young teenagers. “It was less business and more goofing off,” Diebold said of the pair’s business venture. He also remembered Kahler as a “kind of scrawny” wrestler in high school who always seemed to be competing despite being in pain.
“He was one of the most loyal people,” Diebold said. “I’m sure that’s the way he was with his men.”
Ron Kahler said his son first wanted to be in the military when he was around 10 years old. Matthew was happy with what he was doing, his father said.
Kahler was born in Iowa and lived in Montevideo for several years before he eventually moved to Granite Falls in about 1989, Ron Kahler said.
Funeral arrangements were pending.
Hundreds honor Granite Falls soldier on his final trip home
The Associated Press
GRANITE FALLS, Minn. — Hundreds of people lined the streets of this western Minnesota town Feb. 6 for a procession for Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Kahler, a local soldier who was killed during his third tour of duty in the Middle East.
Kahler, 29, was killed Jan. 26 while on duty near Waygul, Afghanistan, apparently by friendly fire from an Afghan guard allied with U.S. troops.
“This was his home, and we were here to welcome him back,” said Darwin Strong, who joined a crowd of students and residents outside Yellow Medicine East High School.
The tribute began that morning in Willmar, where American flags lined the sidewalk at the municipal airport as the casket carrying Kahler’s body was removed from a plane. After a private ceremony, the casket was loaded into a hearse, which was escorted by fire trucks and police cars for the 40-mile trip to Granite Falls.
Along Highway 23 in the small town of Raymond, sixth-grade students waved flags while people lined the streets.
In Granite Falls, the procession passed the Yellow Medicine County Courthouse and YME High School, where Kahler graduated in 1997. Students filed out the front doors and quietly took up positions lining the street. Some carried American flags or posters reading “In Honor of Matt.”
Ben Lecy, a close friend of Kahler’s and a teacher at the high school, said he and Kahler had discussed the soldier’s willingness to go into harm’s way when Kahler was last home. Lecy said he warned his friend that he could be shot.
“Yes, sir, but I’m willing to do that for my country,” Lecy said Kahler told him.
Kahler was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. His funeral was planned for 1:30 p.m. Feb. 9 at Granite Falls Lutheran Church.
Kahler is survived by his wife, Vicki, and their 4-year-old daughter, Allison.
Minnesota soldier laid to rest in Granite Falls
The Associated Press
GRANITE FALLS, Minn. — A fierce wind whipped the American flags held by an honor guard as Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Ryan Kahler was laid to rest Feb. 9. And many mourners braved whiteout conditions to get to his funeral.
During the service at Granite Falls Lutheran Church — filled to overflowing with family, friends, neighbors and military personnel — Kahler was remembered for being a servant and a shepherd to the troops he led.
Kahler, 29, of Granite Falls, was killed Jan. 26 while leading his platoon on a patrol near Waygul, Afghanistan, apparently by friendly fire from an Afghan guard allied with U.S. troops. He was on his third tour of duty in the Middle East.
The Rev. Steve Carmany said Kahler repeatedly demonstrated courage and loyalty, was “selfless almost to a fault” and was “tireless” in his care for others.
Kahler was someone you’d “want to have your back,” Carmany said.
Sgt. 1st Class William Stockard said Kahler led his troops by example. While recalling his sharp, sarcastic wit, he also said Kahler was a “terrific father” and treated his soldiers with the same kind of love.
The Rev. Bob Knutson said Kahler was committed to making the world better for his 4-year-old daughter, Allison.
Besides Allison, Kahler is survived by his wife, Vicki; parents Colleen Kahler of Montevideo and Ron and Shellie Kahler of Searles, one sister and two brothers.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Matthew R. Kahler was killed in action on 1/26/08.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Army Pfc. Duncan Charles Crookston
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Duncan Charles Crookston, 19, of Denver
Pfc. Crookston was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died Jan. 25, 2008 in Brooke Army Medical Center, Texas, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad.
Denver Post -- A Denver West High School graduate — one of two men to survive a deadly roadside blast along one of Baghdad's deadliest roads — has died from complications that resulted from his injuries, the Department of Defense and the soldier's family said Sunday.
Pfc. Duncan Charles Crookston, 19, an airborne infantryman who enlisted after graduating from West High School in 2006, died Friday at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. He had been fighting for his life since an improvised bomb exploded near the humvee he was in Sept. 4. He was severely burned and underwent multiple amputations.
"He was very intelligent, very into science and was able to teach himself things about things, especially electronics," his mother, Leesha Crookston, an animal control officer with the city of Lakewood, said in a phone interview from San Antonio. "He ended up being placed as a radio-tech operator in his unit because he was so good with electronics.
Crookston was riding in the rear of a humvee carrying Sgt. Joel Murray, 26, the truck commander, Spc. David Lane, 20, the driver; Pvt. Randy Shelton, 22, the turret gunner and Pfc. Joseph Mixson, 22, when they were hit by a roadside bomb, according to Stars and Stripes newspaper. All of the men were with the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, based in Fort Riley, Kan.
Three of them — Murray, Lane and Shelton — were killed in the blast or died a short time later.
One of the men in his unit told the newspaper that Crookston was soft-spoken and well liked.
"He was always helping us with our computers cause he knew about everything digital," Staff Sgt. Welby Richardson, 31, from Gonzales, Texas, told the Stars and Stripes.
Crookston was badly burned over 50 percent of his body. Both of his legs were amputated, along with his right arm and left hand, his mother said.
He had slipped in and out of conciousness these past few months at BAMC, but recently developed an infection followed by a fever, his mother said.
His family decided to remove life-support, and he died the day before his 20th birthday.
"Everyone hoped for the best, but he was always just kind in and out and kept getting infections," said Estevan Ruiz, 20, of Denver, a longtime friend of Crookston.
"He was a really great guy, and he helped everyone out whenever they needed him," Ruiz said. "And he knew everything about anything — music, computer games, books. And if he didn't know it, he was sure to learn it because that was just the way he was."
Ruiz said Crookston started dating his wife, Meaghun, their last year in high school.
While serving in Iraq, Crookston had been in frequent touch with family in the Denver area. He was home on leave for a few weeks last summer, his mother said.
"It was kind of hard to tell (how he was adjusting) to being there," Leesha Crookston said. "He kept a lot to himself and didn't talk about a lot of stuff that went on there. If anything, he was more interested in what was going on here."
His unit was scheduled to return from Iraq in April, she said.
Crookston leaves behind a wife, his parents and five brothers.
Funeral services are scheduled for 11 a.m. on Feb. 2, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at 2710 S. Monaco Pkwy. His mother said that the last surviving member of the explosion, Mixson, who lost both lower legs in the blast, would try to attend the services.
Army Pfc. Duncan Charles Crookston was killed in action on 1/25/08.
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Army Pfc. Duncan Charles Crookston, 19, of Denver
Pfc. Crookston was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died Jan. 25, 2008 in Brooke Army Medical Center, Texas, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad.
Denver Post -- A Denver West High School graduate — one of two men to survive a deadly roadside blast along one of Baghdad's deadliest roads — has died from complications that resulted from his injuries, the Department of Defense and the soldier's family said Sunday.
Pfc. Duncan Charles Crookston, 19, an airborne infantryman who enlisted after graduating from West High School in 2006, died Friday at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. He had been fighting for his life since an improvised bomb exploded near the humvee he was in Sept. 4. He was severely burned and underwent multiple amputations.
"He was very intelligent, very into science and was able to teach himself things about things, especially electronics," his mother, Leesha Crookston, an animal control officer with the city of Lakewood, said in a phone interview from San Antonio. "He ended up being placed as a radio-tech operator in his unit because he was so good with electronics.
Crookston was riding in the rear of a humvee carrying Sgt. Joel Murray, 26, the truck commander, Spc. David Lane, 20, the driver; Pvt. Randy Shelton, 22, the turret gunner and Pfc. Joseph Mixson, 22, when they were hit by a roadside bomb, according to Stars and Stripes newspaper. All of the men were with the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, based in Fort Riley, Kan.
Three of them — Murray, Lane and Shelton — were killed in the blast or died a short time later.
One of the men in his unit told the newspaper that Crookston was soft-spoken and well liked.
"He was always helping us with our computers cause he knew about everything digital," Staff Sgt. Welby Richardson, 31, from Gonzales, Texas, told the Stars and Stripes.
Crookston was badly burned over 50 percent of his body. Both of his legs were amputated, along with his right arm and left hand, his mother said.
He had slipped in and out of conciousness these past few months at BAMC, but recently developed an infection followed by a fever, his mother said.
His family decided to remove life-support, and he died the day before his 20th birthday.
"Everyone hoped for the best, but he was always just kind in and out and kept getting infections," said Estevan Ruiz, 20, of Denver, a longtime friend of Crookston.
"He was a really great guy, and he helped everyone out whenever they needed him," Ruiz said. "And he knew everything about anything — music, computer games, books. And if he didn't know it, he was sure to learn it because that was just the way he was."
Ruiz said Crookston started dating his wife, Meaghun, their last year in high school.
While serving in Iraq, Crookston had been in frequent touch with family in the Denver area. He was home on leave for a few weeks last summer, his mother said.
"It was kind of hard to tell (how he was adjusting) to being there," Leesha Crookston said. "He kept a lot to himself and didn't talk about a lot of stuff that went on there. If anything, he was more interested in what was going on here."
His unit was scheduled to return from Iraq in April, she said.
Crookston leaves behind a wife, his parents and five brothers.
Funeral services are scheduled for 11 a.m. on Feb. 2, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at 2710 S. Monaco Pkwy. His mother said that the last surviving member of the explosion, Mixson, who lost both lower legs in the blast, would try to attend the services.
Army Pfc. Duncan Charles Crookston was killed in action on 1/25/08.
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Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller, 24, of Iowa City, Iowa
SSgt. Miller was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Jan. 25, 2008 in Barikowt, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when he encountered small-arms fire while conducting combat operations.
Former University of Iowa student killed in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
IOWA CITY, Iowa — A former University of Iowa student was killed during combat operations in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense announced on Saturday.
Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller died in Barikowt, Afghanistan. He suffered wounds during small-arms fire, according to the Department of Defense press release.
Robert Miller’s mother, Maureen Miller, of Oviedo, Fla., told The Gazette of Cedar Rapids that her son had attended the University of Iowa for one year before leaving school to enlist in the Army Special Forces.
She declined further comment, the newspaper reported. A phone message from The Associated Press was not immediately returned.
Miller worked in Special Forces as a weapons sergeant. He was assigned to Company A, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group Airborne, which was based in from Fort Bragg, N.C.
According to the Department of Defense, he was deployed to Afghanistan in 2006 and awarded with the Army Commendation Medal with Valor for courage in the face of the enemy.
He was awarded eight other medals while in service, including the Army Good Conduct Medal, two Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development ribbons, the Ranger Tab and Special Forces Tab.
During his deployment in Afghanistan, Miller earned a promotion to staff sergeant.
Miller was born Oct. 14, 1983 in Harrisburg, Pa. He enlisted in the Army as a special forces candidate on August 2003, and became a Green Beret in 2005.
Miller is survived by his parents, Philip and Maureen Miller; brothers Thomas, Martin and Edward; and sisters Joanna, Mary, Therese and Patricia, all of Oviedo, Fla.
Fallen Green Beret gets battlefield salute
Staff report
Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller, who was killed in action Friday in Afghanistan, was honored by hundreds of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who lined the tarmac and roadway at Bagram Airfield on Sunday to pay their last respects.
Miller was a member of A Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne).
According to a press release from U.S. Army Special Operations Command, he was killed by Taliban fighters as he protected his fellow Operational Detachment Alpha soldiers during combat operations near the Pakistan border.
The firefight took place near the village of Barikowt in the Nari district in Afghanistan’s Konar province during a security patrol with Afghan border police in the Chenar Khar Valley, the release said.
On Sunday, Miller’s flag-draped casket was carried in a tactical vehicle to a waiting Air Force C-17 cargo aircraft, and as the vehicle passed the line of his uniformed comrades, each stood at attention and saluted him for the last time.
Soldiers from Special Operations Task Force 33 formed a cordon leading to the ramp as his brothers in arms serving as pallbearers escorted Miller’s remains into the aircraft’s empty cargo area, the release said.
“He was always quick to volunteer and never thought it should be any other way. On numerous occasions when the Detachment was faced with a difficult task, Robby would just stand up and say, ‘I got this one, I’ll do it, send me,’” Capt. John Bishop of Special Operations Task Force 33 and Miller’s former detachment commander, said at the ceremony.
The release stated that on Jan. 25 Miller was leading a team of Afghan security forces and other coalition soldiers during a combat reconnaissance patrol in Konar Province, near the Pakistan border when insurgents hiding in a structure attacked Miller’s team.
A fellow teammate called for close-air support to drop ordnance on the insurgent position, which momentarily disrupted the attack. But when the combined patrol moved toward the structure to check for any remaining enemy threats, the insurgents again fired using heavy weapons.
Miller’s team captain was seriously wounded within the first minutes of the attack, and while he was being moved to safety, Miller returned fire, remaining at the front of the patrol to lay down suppressive fire on several enemy positions.
Even while injured by direct enemy small arms and machine gun fire, Miller continued to fire his M249 Squad Automatic Weapon and grenades to suppress enemy fire and protect his teammates, who gained cover and also returned fire.
Miller, who was one of eight brothers and sisters, enlisted as a Special Forces trainee on Aug. 14, 2003, according to the release.
He graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course on Sept. 26, 2004, and the Special Forces Weapons Sergeant Course Mar. 4, 2005.
During his last deployment to Afghanistan from August 2006 to March 2007, Miller received two Army Commendation Medals for Valor for his courage under fire, the Army release said.
Miller returned to Afghanistan for his second tour in October 2007, where he served as a weapons sergeant for his team.
Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller was killed in action on 1/25/08.
Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller, 24, of Iowa City, Iowa
SSgt. Miller was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Jan. 25, 2008 in Barikowt, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when he encountered small-arms fire while conducting combat operations.
Former University of Iowa student killed in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
IOWA CITY, Iowa — A former University of Iowa student was killed during combat operations in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense announced on Saturday.
Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller died in Barikowt, Afghanistan. He suffered wounds during small-arms fire, according to the Department of Defense press release.
Robert Miller’s mother, Maureen Miller, of Oviedo, Fla., told The Gazette of Cedar Rapids that her son had attended the University of Iowa for one year before leaving school to enlist in the Army Special Forces.
She declined further comment, the newspaper reported. A phone message from The Associated Press was not immediately returned.
Miller worked in Special Forces as a weapons sergeant. He was assigned to Company A, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group Airborne, which was based in from Fort Bragg, N.C.
According to the Department of Defense, he was deployed to Afghanistan in 2006 and awarded with the Army Commendation Medal with Valor for courage in the face of the enemy.
He was awarded eight other medals while in service, including the Army Good Conduct Medal, two Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development ribbons, the Ranger Tab and Special Forces Tab.
During his deployment in Afghanistan, Miller earned a promotion to staff sergeant.
Miller was born Oct. 14, 1983 in Harrisburg, Pa. He enlisted in the Army as a special forces candidate on August 2003, and became a Green Beret in 2005.
Miller is survived by his parents, Philip and Maureen Miller; brothers Thomas, Martin and Edward; and sisters Joanna, Mary, Therese and Patricia, all of Oviedo, Fla.
Fallen Green Beret gets battlefield salute
Staff report
Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller, who was killed in action Friday in Afghanistan, was honored by hundreds of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who lined the tarmac and roadway at Bagram Airfield on Sunday to pay their last respects.
Miller was a member of A Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne).
According to a press release from U.S. Army Special Operations Command, he was killed by Taliban fighters as he protected his fellow Operational Detachment Alpha soldiers during combat operations near the Pakistan border.
The firefight took place near the village of Barikowt in the Nari district in Afghanistan’s Konar province during a security patrol with Afghan border police in the Chenar Khar Valley, the release said.
On Sunday, Miller’s flag-draped casket was carried in a tactical vehicle to a waiting Air Force C-17 cargo aircraft, and as the vehicle passed the line of his uniformed comrades, each stood at attention and saluted him for the last time.
Soldiers from Special Operations Task Force 33 formed a cordon leading to the ramp as his brothers in arms serving as pallbearers escorted Miller’s remains into the aircraft’s empty cargo area, the release said.
“He was always quick to volunteer and never thought it should be any other way. On numerous occasions when the Detachment was faced with a difficult task, Robby would just stand up and say, ‘I got this one, I’ll do it, send me,’” Capt. John Bishop of Special Operations Task Force 33 and Miller’s former detachment commander, said at the ceremony.
The release stated that on Jan. 25 Miller was leading a team of Afghan security forces and other coalition soldiers during a combat reconnaissance patrol in Konar Province, near the Pakistan border when insurgents hiding in a structure attacked Miller’s team.
A fellow teammate called for close-air support to drop ordnance on the insurgent position, which momentarily disrupted the attack. But when the combined patrol moved toward the structure to check for any remaining enemy threats, the insurgents again fired using heavy weapons.
Miller’s team captain was seriously wounded within the first minutes of the attack, and while he was being moved to safety, Miller returned fire, remaining at the front of the patrol to lay down suppressive fire on several enemy positions.
Even while injured by direct enemy small arms and machine gun fire, Miller continued to fire his M249 Squad Automatic Weapon and grenades to suppress enemy fire and protect his teammates, who gained cover and also returned fire.
Miller, who was one of eight brothers and sisters, enlisted as a Special Forces trainee on Aug. 14, 2003, according to the release.
He graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course on Sept. 26, 2004, and the Special Forces Weapons Sergeant Course Mar. 4, 2005.
During his last deployment to Afghanistan from August 2006 to March 2007, Miller received two Army Commendation Medals for Valor for his courage under fire, the Army release said.
Miller returned to Afghanistan for his second tour in October 2007, where he served as a weapons sergeant for his team.
Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller was killed in action on 1/25/08.
Army Sgt. Tracy Renee Birkman
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Tracy Renee Birkman, 41, of New Castle, Va.
Sgt. Birkman was assigned to the 626th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Jan. 25, 2008 in Owesat, Iraq, from non-combat-related injuries.
2 Fort Campbell soldiers killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — Two members of Fort Campbell’s 101st Airborne Division died in separate incidents in Iraq, the military announced Monday.
The Department of Defense said Staff Sgt. Robert J. Wilson, 28, of Boynton Beach, Fla., died Saturday after a bomb detonated while he was conducting a dismounted patrol in Baghdad. He was an infantryman assigned to A Company, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
Earlier, the military said Sgt. Tracy Renee Birkman, 41, died on Friday from non-combat injuries in Owesat. Birkman was a native of New Castle, Va., and was a light-wheel mechanic assigned to F Company, 626th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
She entered the Army in August 1988 and arrived at Fort Campbell in June 2006, the post said.
Birkman is survived by her sons, Bradley Griffith, Joshua Birkman and Ryan Birkman; and her parents, Phyllis and Gerald Griffith, all of New Castle.
Wilson is survived by his father, Willie Wilson of Taylorsville, Ill.; and mother and stepfather, Peggy and Kevin Habian of Boynton Beach.
He entered the Army in January 2002 and arrived at Fort Campbell in September 2006, the post said.
Army Sgt. Tracy Renee Birkman died of non-combat related injuries on 1/25/08.
Army Sgt. Tracy Renee Birkman, 41, of New Castle, Va.
Sgt. Birkman was assigned to the 626th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Jan. 25, 2008 in Owesat, Iraq, from non-combat-related injuries.
2 Fort Campbell soldiers killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — Two members of Fort Campbell’s 101st Airborne Division died in separate incidents in Iraq, the military announced Monday.
The Department of Defense said Staff Sgt. Robert J. Wilson, 28, of Boynton Beach, Fla., died Saturday after a bomb detonated while he was conducting a dismounted patrol in Baghdad. He was an infantryman assigned to A Company, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
Earlier, the military said Sgt. Tracy Renee Birkman, 41, died on Friday from non-combat injuries in Owesat. Birkman was a native of New Castle, Va., and was a light-wheel mechanic assigned to F Company, 626th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
She entered the Army in August 1988 and arrived at Fort Campbell in June 2006, the post said.
Birkman is survived by her sons, Bradley Griffith, Joshua Birkman and Ryan Birkman; and her parents, Phyllis and Gerald Griffith, all of New Castle.
Wilson is survived by his father, Willie Wilson of Taylorsville, Ill.; and mother and stepfather, Peggy and Kevin Habian of Boynton Beach.
He entered the Army in January 2002 and arrived at Fort Campbell in September 2006, the post said.
Army Sgt. Tracy Renee Birkman died of non-combat related injuries on 1/25/08.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Army Sgt. Michael R. Sturdivant
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Michael R. Sturdivant, 20, of Conway, Ark.
Sgt. Sturdivant was assigned to the 431st Civil Affairs Battalion, U.S. Army Civil Affairs & Psychological Operations Command (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Jan. 22, 2008 in Kirkuk, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident during convoy operations.
Fayetteville Observer -- An Army Reserve civil affairs soldier died Tuesday in Iraq after a vehicle rolled over during a convoy operation.
Sgt. Michael R. Sturdivant, 20, was a civil affairs sergeant assigned to the 431st Civil Affairs Battalion in North Little Rock, Ark. He died in Kirkuk, Iraq, the Army said.
He was mobilized in November 2006 and deployed with the battalion shortly thereafter.
He was scheduled to return stateside in less than two weeks, Army officials said.
Sturdivant’s battalion is a subordinate unit of the U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command at Fort Bragg. It was his first and only unit assignment.
Sturdivant, who lived in Conway, Ark., joined the Army in March 2005. He was a trained civil affairs specialist, enlisting into the command for a six-year tour.
In his civilian life, Sturdivant was a full-time college student and was active in the Boy Scouts, becoming an Eagle Scout.
Sturdivant is survived by his parents, Victor and Cheryl, of Bonner, Mont.
Army Sgt. Michael R. Sturdivant died 1/22/08 after a vehicle accident during convoy operations.
Army Sgt. Michael R. Sturdivant, 20, of Conway, Ark.
Sgt. Sturdivant was assigned to the 431st Civil Affairs Battalion, U.S. Army Civil Affairs & Psychological Operations Command (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Jan. 22, 2008 in Kirkuk, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident during convoy operations.
Fayetteville Observer -- An Army Reserve civil affairs soldier died Tuesday in Iraq after a vehicle rolled over during a convoy operation.
Sgt. Michael R. Sturdivant, 20, was a civil affairs sergeant assigned to the 431st Civil Affairs Battalion in North Little Rock, Ark. He died in Kirkuk, Iraq, the Army said.
He was mobilized in November 2006 and deployed with the battalion shortly thereafter.
He was scheduled to return stateside in less than two weeks, Army officials said.
Sturdivant’s battalion is a subordinate unit of the U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command at Fort Bragg. It was his first and only unit assignment.
Sturdivant, who lived in Conway, Ark., joined the Army in March 2005. He was a trained civil affairs specialist, enlisting into the command for a six-year tour.
In his civilian life, Sturdivant was a full-time college student and was active in the Boy Scouts, becoming an Eagle Scout.
Sturdivant is survived by his parents, Victor and Cheryl, of Bonner, Mont.
Army Sgt. Michael R. Sturdivant died 1/22/08 after a vehicle accident during convoy operations.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Marine Cpl. Peter Kocsis
Remember Our Heroes
U.S. Marine Peter Kocsis, of Bolton, dies at 30
By: Laura F. Alix, Journal Inquirer
A Marine from Bolton who was to leave for his third tour of duty in Iraq in March died unexpectedly in his sleep last weekend at a friend's home in Ventura, Calif.
Marine Corporal Peter Kocsis, formerly of Bolton and Cheshire, was 30 years old. He died of unknown causes on Jan. 19, 2008.
Family members said that in his last email, Kocsis said he wasn't feeling well and that he had planned to lie down.
Kocsis was born July 28, 1977, in Royal Oak, Mich. He graduated from Cheshire High School in 1995 and worked primarily in construction prior to his enlistment at age 26
Family members vividly recalled Kocsis's passion for the Marine Corps.
Susan Boisoneau of Bolton, his mother, said he was scheduled to return to Iraq in March and was planning to enlist for another four years.
"He grew tremendously through the Marines. He loved the Marines so much," she said.
Kocsis's father, Dr. Jeffery Kocsis of Cheshire, echoed that sentiment.
"He had made a commitment to stay with his brothers and re-enlist. He was hoping the hostilities would settle down. He was looking forward to training and advancing and helping train young Marines," Jeffery Kocsis said.
Kocsis served his first tour of duty in Fallujah from March to October 2006. He served part of his second tour in the al-Anbar province from March to November 2007. For both tours he was a special operations combat engineer.
"That operation was very successful," Jeffery Kocsis said. "They were really embraced by the community," he said. "He really had stories of the good we're doing over there," Boisoneau said.
"I'm proud of him not only for protecting his fellow Marines, but also for saving a lot of Iraqi lives," Jeffery Kocsis said.
"It's the little things," Jeffery Kocsis recalled. "I remember on one tour, almost every week, I'd send him a package with little goodies in it. He sent me an e-mail saying he appreciated it, but he felt a little bad because one of his friends had no parents and never received any packages."
Jeffery Kocsis sent his son's friend a package as well the next week.
"Here he is in combat, but he's thinking about the sensitivity of his fellow Marines," he said.
Kocsis's stepfather, Dr. Gil Boison-eau, a dentist, said the Marine Corps' impact on Kocsis was incredible.
"He was just a floundering kid, and he found his way through the Marines," Boisoneau said.
"When he came out of basic training, the first thing he did was open the door for his mother and he told her he loved her," he said.
As to his personal life, Kocsis loved and sought out adventure.
"He liked the dangerous things," Susan Boisoneau said. She said her son enjoyed snowboarding, skateboarding, hiking, and camping.
"He was very good at not getting hurt," she said.
The cause of Kocsis's death is unknown at this time. Jeffery Kocsis said officials would be looking for evidence of an unknown medical condition his son might have had.
"After two tours and combat, this is just very tragic," he added.
"I think he's happy," Susan Boisoneau said. "We just have to deal with it here on earth."
A wake for Kocsis will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25, at the John F. Tierney Funeral Home, 219 W. Center St., Manchester.
Funeral services will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home, followed by burial with military honors in Bolton Center Cemetery.
U.S. Marine Peter Kocsis, of Bolton, dies at 30
By: Laura F. Alix, Journal Inquirer
A Marine from Bolton who was to leave for his third tour of duty in Iraq in March died unexpectedly in his sleep last weekend at a friend's home in Ventura, Calif.
Marine Corporal Peter Kocsis, formerly of Bolton and Cheshire, was 30 years old. He died of unknown causes on Jan. 19, 2008.
Family members said that in his last email, Kocsis said he wasn't feeling well and that he had planned to lie down.
Kocsis was born July 28, 1977, in Royal Oak, Mich. He graduated from Cheshire High School in 1995 and worked primarily in construction prior to his enlistment at age 26
Family members vividly recalled Kocsis's passion for the Marine Corps.
Susan Boisoneau of Bolton, his mother, said he was scheduled to return to Iraq in March and was planning to enlist for another four years.
"He grew tremendously through the Marines. He loved the Marines so much," she said.
Kocsis's father, Dr. Jeffery Kocsis of Cheshire, echoed that sentiment.
"He had made a commitment to stay with his brothers and re-enlist. He was hoping the hostilities would settle down. He was looking forward to training and advancing and helping train young Marines," Jeffery Kocsis said.
Kocsis served his first tour of duty in Fallujah from March to October 2006. He served part of his second tour in the al-Anbar province from March to November 2007. For both tours he was a special operations combat engineer.
"That operation was very successful," Jeffery Kocsis said. "They were really embraced by the community," he said. "He really had stories of the good we're doing over there," Boisoneau said.
"I'm proud of him not only for protecting his fellow Marines, but also for saving a lot of Iraqi lives," Jeffery Kocsis said.
"It's the little things," Jeffery Kocsis recalled. "I remember on one tour, almost every week, I'd send him a package with little goodies in it. He sent me an e-mail saying he appreciated it, but he felt a little bad because one of his friends had no parents and never received any packages."
Jeffery Kocsis sent his son's friend a package as well the next week.
"Here he is in combat, but he's thinking about the sensitivity of his fellow Marines," he said.
Kocsis's stepfather, Dr. Gil Boison-eau, a dentist, said the Marine Corps' impact on Kocsis was incredible.
"He was just a floundering kid, and he found his way through the Marines," Boisoneau said.
"When he came out of basic training, the first thing he did was open the door for his mother and he told her he loved her," he said.
As to his personal life, Kocsis loved and sought out adventure.
"He liked the dangerous things," Susan Boisoneau said. She said her son enjoyed snowboarding, skateboarding, hiking, and camping.
"He was very good at not getting hurt," she said.
The cause of Kocsis's death is unknown at this time. Jeffery Kocsis said officials would be looking for evidence of an unknown medical condition his son might have had.
"After two tours and combat, this is just very tragic," he added.
"I think he's happy," Susan Boisoneau said. "We just have to deal with it here on earth."
A wake for Kocsis will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25, at the John F. Tierney Funeral Home, 219 W. Center St., Manchester.
Funeral services will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home, followed by burial with military honors in Bolton Center Cemetery.
Marine Lance Cpl. James M. Gluff
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. James M. Gluff, 20, of Tunnel Hill, Ga.
LCpl Gluff was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Jan. 19, 2008 in Anbar, Iraq, while conducting combat operations.
Chattanooga Times Free Press -- The body of a 20-year-old Marine killed in Iraq on Saturday will arrive in Chattanooga today, a moment his mother said will make his family’s loss painfully real.
“The worst part hasn’t happened yet — they’re bringing him into Chattanooga in the morning,” Jorean Betancourt said on Wednesday night. “We’re trying to be strong. We’re still in shock.”
Lance Cpl. James Michael Gluff, of Tunnel Hill, Ga., leaves a wife, Hope Gluff, 20, and a 14-month-old son, Michael Wayne.
“My husband is a hero, a true hero,” wrote Mrs. Gluff on her MySpace page, which she has transformed into a memorial to her husband. “I am so glad my son looks and acts like him. I would not have it any other way.”
Lance Cpl. Gluff’s mother said her son died when the Humvee he was in was hit by an explosive device. Riding in the gunner’s turret of the vehicle, her son was the only Marine killed in the explosion, she said.
“Two or three were hurt bad, but they told me because of his Hummer getting blown up he had saved 25 Marines,” she said. “His brothers (are) what he always called them.”
The family was napping on Saturday evening — Mrs. Betancourt and her 14-month-old grandson in a recliner and Mrs. Gluff on the couch — when Marines rang the doorbell at their home in Tunnel Hill.
Lance Cpl. Gluff, who stood about 6-foot-3 and was known as “Big James,” graduated in 2005 from Northwest Whitfield High School with a dual diploma, which means he completed both college-track and vocational course work, said principal Carolyn Towns.
“That usually means a very well-rounded student,” she said.
He joined the Marines straight out of high school, Mrs. Betancourt said.
“Ever since he was 7 or 8 years old he wanted to be a soldier,” she said. “I begged him not to go, but he said he wanted to go serve his county and protect us.”
Lance Cpl. Gluff was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. He died in the Al Anbar province of Iraq, west of Baghdad.
Darrell Chambers, a Ringgold, Ga., resident whose 20-year-old son, Lance. Cpl. Will Chambers, died in Iraq in July, said hearing about the death of Lance Cpl. Gluff was “a kick in the teeth.”
“He was the same age as Will,” Mr. Chambers said, weeping. “He was the same rank, he was from the same area, they were both stationed at Camp Lejeune, they were both killed in Al Anbar province.
“It just seems like it’s us all over again.”
Mr. Chambers said he and his wife, Kathy, plan to attend services for Lance Cpl. Gluff.
“I don’t know the family, but I’m going to try to find out all the information we can so we can be there for them,” Mr. Chambers said. “We know what those people are going through and our hearts go out to them.”
Tunnel Hill resident Judy McNelley said she didn’t know Lance Cpl. Gluff, but news of his death induced a “deep-down emotional heart-strain.” Her 23-year-old son, Josh, is a crew chief with Marine Squadron VMM-162.
“They’re just all my kids,” said Mrs. McNelley, who regularly sends care packages to deployed soldiers. “They’re all my kids, and they all mean something to me.” Her son is scheduled to go to Anbar Province in March, she said.
Love Funeral Home in Dalton, Ga., is handling arrangements for Lance. Cpl. Gluff’s services. Visitation is scheduled for Sunday, with a funeral and then burial at Chattanooga National Cemetery planned for Monday, Mrs. Betancourt said.
Marine Lance Cpl. James M. Gluff was killed in action on 1/19/08.
Marine Lance Cpl. James M. Gluff, 20, of Tunnel Hill, Ga.
LCpl Gluff was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Jan. 19, 2008 in Anbar, Iraq, while conducting combat operations.
Chattanooga Times Free Press -- The body of a 20-year-old Marine killed in Iraq on Saturday will arrive in Chattanooga today, a moment his mother said will make his family’s loss painfully real.
“The worst part hasn’t happened yet — they’re bringing him into Chattanooga in the morning,” Jorean Betancourt said on Wednesday night. “We’re trying to be strong. We’re still in shock.”
Lance Cpl. James Michael Gluff, of Tunnel Hill, Ga., leaves a wife, Hope Gluff, 20, and a 14-month-old son, Michael Wayne.
“My husband is a hero, a true hero,” wrote Mrs. Gluff on her MySpace page, which she has transformed into a memorial to her husband. “I am so glad my son looks and acts like him. I would not have it any other way.”
Lance Cpl. Gluff’s mother said her son died when the Humvee he was in was hit by an explosive device. Riding in the gunner’s turret of the vehicle, her son was the only Marine killed in the explosion, she said.
“Two or three were hurt bad, but they told me because of his Hummer getting blown up he had saved 25 Marines,” she said. “His brothers (are) what he always called them.”
The family was napping on Saturday evening — Mrs. Betancourt and her 14-month-old grandson in a recliner and Mrs. Gluff on the couch — when Marines rang the doorbell at their home in Tunnel Hill.
Lance Cpl. Gluff, who stood about 6-foot-3 and was known as “Big James,” graduated in 2005 from Northwest Whitfield High School with a dual diploma, which means he completed both college-track and vocational course work, said principal Carolyn Towns.
“That usually means a very well-rounded student,” she said.
He joined the Marines straight out of high school, Mrs. Betancourt said.
“Ever since he was 7 or 8 years old he wanted to be a soldier,” she said. “I begged him not to go, but he said he wanted to go serve his county and protect us.”
Lance Cpl. Gluff was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. He died in the Al Anbar province of Iraq, west of Baghdad.
Darrell Chambers, a Ringgold, Ga., resident whose 20-year-old son, Lance. Cpl. Will Chambers, died in Iraq in July, said hearing about the death of Lance Cpl. Gluff was “a kick in the teeth.”
“He was the same age as Will,” Mr. Chambers said, weeping. “He was the same rank, he was from the same area, they were both stationed at Camp Lejeune, they were both killed in Al Anbar province.
“It just seems like it’s us all over again.”
Mr. Chambers said he and his wife, Kathy, plan to attend services for Lance Cpl. Gluff.
“I don’t know the family, but I’m going to try to find out all the information we can so we can be there for them,” Mr. Chambers said. “We know what those people are going through and our hearts go out to them.”
Tunnel Hill resident Judy McNelley said she didn’t know Lance Cpl. Gluff, but news of his death induced a “deep-down emotional heart-strain.” Her 23-year-old son, Josh, is a crew chief with Marine Squadron VMM-162.
“They’re just all my kids,” said Mrs. McNelley, who regularly sends care packages to deployed soldiers. “They’re all my kids, and they all mean something to me.” Her son is scheduled to go to Anbar Province in March, she said.
Love Funeral Home in Dalton, Ga., is handling arrangements for Lance. Cpl. Gluff’s services. Visitation is scheduled for Sunday, with a funeral and then burial at Chattanooga National Cemetery planned for Monday, Mrs. Betancourt said.
Marine Lance Cpl. James M. Gluff was killed in action on 1/19/08.
Army Spc. Jon M. Schoolcraft III
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Jon M. Schoolcraft III, 26, of Wapakoneta, Ohio
Spc. Schoolcraft was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Jan. 19, 2008 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device.
Toledo Blade -- LIMA, Ohio — A U.S. soldier with ties to the Lima area was killed over the weekend in Iraq, his mother said yesterday.
Army Spec. Jon Michael “Mike” Schoolcraft III, 26, a 2001 graduate of Wapakoneta High School whose mother now lives in Lima, died after a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Taji, just north of Baghdad, his mother, Cynthia Ann Hooker, said.
The U.S. Department of Defense said Specialist Schoolcraft died on Saturday. Mrs. Hooker said she first received the news through a phone call from her daughter-in-law at 11:30 p.m. Friday. Baghdad is about nine hours ahead of the United States’ eastern time zone.
Mrs. Hooker said she spoke with military officials yesterday, who told her Specialist Schoolcraft was sent out on a dangerous mission in daylight, and will receive the Purple Heart medal given to troops killed or wounded in action.
“The sergeant told me he needed Michael to go out and scope the area,” Mrs. Hooker told The Blade. “He was out with two other vehicles. The first vehicle hit an [Improvised Explosive Device] and nothing happened. The second vehicle, which my Michael was in,” her voice trailed off, “an Iraqi detonated the bomb right behind my son’s Jeep.”
Specialist Schoolcraft, of the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, was serving his second tour in Iraq. His mother said he arrived in Kuwait on Dec. 8 and was deployed to Iraq on Christmas Day.
Specialist School¬craft married his wife, Amber, on Nov. 17 in Wapa¬koneta, and turned 26 on Dec. 27. The couple had a home in Hawaii.
“With this being his second tour, I just thought he would be more aware. … I don’t know,” Mrs. Hooker said while crying. “You just never plan for this. You always believe they’re coming home.”
Tom Karbowiak, of Wapakoneta, said he grew up with Specialist Schoolcraft. He said the two of them enlisted in the military during their senior year of high school, endured boot camp together at Fort Benning, Ga., and were both stationed in Germany until 2003 deployments to Iraq.
Mr. Karbowiak said he and four friends all served in Iraq and returned safely. He tried to convince Specialist Schoolcraft to avoid a second deployment.
“I always told him he should get out, but he loved [being a soldier] too much,” Mr. Karbowiak said.
Those who knew Specialist Schoolcraft described him as a “warm, caring” person who was outgoing and helpful to others.
Mrs. Hooker, who was recently married, said she raised her son and daughter Megan, 24, as a single mother, and Specialist Schoolcraft acted like “the man of the house” at an early age.
“He did a great job taking care of me and his sister,” Mrs. Hooker said. “He will always be my hero, and he would be proud knowing other mothers and wives will get their husbands and sons back sometime because of what he did.”
Aaron Rex, the principal at Wapakoneta High who taught Specialist Schoolcraft in class as a freshman, said “he always had a smile on his face.”
“You could always count on him to be friendly,” Mr. Rex remembered. “I was looking through the yearbooks today, and he was always smiling.”
Mr. Rex said Specialist Schoolcraft, who also attended Apollo Career Center Joint Vocational School in Lima, is the first Wapakoneta student to die serving the U.S. military in Iraq.
Mr. Rex said he hoped to speak with Mrs. Hooker and school district leaders about ways to honor Specialist Schoolcraft.
“This being a small town that we live in where everybody knows each other, people are going to remember Mike,” Mr. Rex said. “His death is going to be a shock to people.”
Army Spc. Jon M. Schoolcraft III was killed in action on 1/19/08.
Army Spc. Jon M. Schoolcraft III, 26, of Wapakoneta, Ohio
Spc. Schoolcraft was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Jan. 19, 2008 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device.
Toledo Blade -- LIMA, Ohio — A U.S. soldier with ties to the Lima area was killed over the weekend in Iraq, his mother said yesterday.
Army Spec. Jon Michael “Mike” Schoolcraft III, 26, a 2001 graduate of Wapakoneta High School whose mother now lives in Lima, died after a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Taji, just north of Baghdad, his mother, Cynthia Ann Hooker, said.
The U.S. Department of Defense said Specialist Schoolcraft died on Saturday. Mrs. Hooker said she first received the news through a phone call from her daughter-in-law at 11:30 p.m. Friday. Baghdad is about nine hours ahead of the United States’ eastern time zone.
Mrs. Hooker said she spoke with military officials yesterday, who told her Specialist Schoolcraft was sent out on a dangerous mission in daylight, and will receive the Purple Heart medal given to troops killed or wounded in action.
“The sergeant told me he needed Michael to go out and scope the area,” Mrs. Hooker told The Blade. “He was out with two other vehicles. The first vehicle hit an [Improvised Explosive Device] and nothing happened. The second vehicle, which my Michael was in,” her voice trailed off, “an Iraqi detonated the bomb right behind my son’s Jeep.”
Specialist Schoolcraft, of the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, was serving his second tour in Iraq. His mother said he arrived in Kuwait on Dec. 8 and was deployed to Iraq on Christmas Day.
Specialist School¬craft married his wife, Amber, on Nov. 17 in Wapa¬koneta, and turned 26 on Dec. 27. The couple had a home in Hawaii.
“With this being his second tour, I just thought he would be more aware. … I don’t know,” Mrs. Hooker said while crying. “You just never plan for this. You always believe they’re coming home.”
Tom Karbowiak, of Wapakoneta, said he grew up with Specialist Schoolcraft. He said the two of them enlisted in the military during their senior year of high school, endured boot camp together at Fort Benning, Ga., and were both stationed in Germany until 2003 deployments to Iraq.
Mr. Karbowiak said he and four friends all served in Iraq and returned safely. He tried to convince Specialist Schoolcraft to avoid a second deployment.
“I always told him he should get out, but he loved [being a soldier] too much,” Mr. Karbowiak said.
Those who knew Specialist Schoolcraft described him as a “warm, caring” person who was outgoing and helpful to others.
Mrs. Hooker, who was recently married, said she raised her son and daughter Megan, 24, as a single mother, and Specialist Schoolcraft acted like “the man of the house” at an early age.
“He did a great job taking care of me and his sister,” Mrs. Hooker said. “He will always be my hero, and he would be proud knowing other mothers and wives will get their husbands and sons back sometime because of what he did.”
Aaron Rex, the principal at Wapakoneta High who taught Specialist Schoolcraft in class as a freshman, said “he always had a smile on his face.”
“You could always count on him to be friendly,” Mr. Rex remembered. “I was looking through the yearbooks today, and he was always smiling.”
Mr. Rex said Specialist Schoolcraft, who also attended Apollo Career Center Joint Vocational School in Lima, is the first Wapakoneta student to die serving the U.S. military in Iraq.
Mr. Rex said he hoped to speak with Mrs. Hooker and school district leaders about ways to honor Specialist Schoolcraft.
“This being a small town that we live in where everybody knows each other, people are going to remember Mike,” Mr. Rex said. “His death is going to be a shock to people.”
Army Spc. Jon M. Schoolcraft III was killed in action on 1/19/08.
Army Spc. Richard B. Burress
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Richard B. Burress, 25, of Naples, Fla.
Spc. Burress was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died Jan. 19, 2008 in Jabour, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
Naples soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
NAPLES, Fla. — A 25-year-old soldier whose family said he joined the army to add “focus and direction” to his life was killed in Iraq after his vehicle was struck by an explosive, officials said Jan. 21.
Spc. Richard B. Burress, of Naples, died Jan. 19 in Al Jabour, Iraq, the Department of Defense said.
Family members said Burress enjoyed the “simple things” in life — fishing, canoeing and spending time with loved ones, including his daughter, Alyssa.
“His easygoing manner and natural warmth instantly endeared [him] to all who met him,” his family said in a statement.
Burress was “a reluctant hero,” his family said, who “didn’t want to be recognized for his service and was deeply touched by the many thanks he received from strangers.”
Burress was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, out of Fort Stewart, Ga.
Army Spc. Richard B. Burress was killed in action on 1/19/08.
Army Spc. Richard B. Burress, 25, of Naples, Fla.
Spc. Burress was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died Jan. 19, 2008 in Jabour, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
Naples soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
NAPLES, Fla. — A 25-year-old soldier whose family said he joined the army to add “focus and direction” to his life was killed in Iraq after his vehicle was struck by an explosive, officials said Jan. 21.
Spc. Richard B. Burress, of Naples, died Jan. 19 in Al Jabour, Iraq, the Department of Defense said.
Family members said Burress enjoyed the “simple things” in life — fishing, canoeing and spending time with loved ones, including his daughter, Alyssa.
“His easygoing manner and natural warmth instantly endeared [him] to all who met him,” his family said in a statement.
Burress was “a reluctant hero,” his family said, who “didn’t want to be recognized for his service and was deeply touched by the many thanks he received from strangers.”
Burress was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, out of Fort Stewart, Ga.
Army Spc. Richard B. Burress was killed in action on 1/19/08.
Army Staff Sgt. Justin R. Whiting
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Justin R. Whiting, 27, of Hancock, N.Y.
SSgt. Whiting was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Jan. 19, 2008 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device.
Special Forces Command -- Staff Sgt. Justin R. Whiting, 27, was killed in action on Jan. 19 when his vehicle was struck by an IED while conducting combat operations 16 Kilometers south of Mosul, Iraq. He was a Special Forces medical Sergeant assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
He has had two previous combat tours to Iraq in 2004 and 2005 with the 3rd Bn., 5th SFG (A), and was on his third combat tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism.
Whiting was born in Texas and his military records list his hometown of record as Tenn. He volunteered for military service and enlisted in the Army on Dec. 15 1999. he would go on to earn the coveted Green Beret in 2000.
Whiting’s military education includes; the Special Operations Target Interdiction Course, the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, Basic Noncommissioned Officer’s Course, Warrior Leaders Course, Basic Airborne Course, and Special Forces Qualification Course.
His awards and decorations include; the Bronze Star Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, two Army Good Conduct Medals, National Defence Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, two Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbons, Army Service Ribbon, Combat Medical Badge, Parachutist Badge, and Special Forces Tab.
Whiting is survived by his mother, Estelline, of Colorado Springs, Colo., father, Randall, of Hancock, N.Y., sister, Amanda, of DuPont, Wash., and brother, Nathan, of Dover, Tenn.
Army Staff Sgt. Justin R. Whiting was killed in action on 1/19/08.
Army Staff Sgt. Justin R. Whiting, 27, of Hancock, N.Y.
SSgt. Whiting was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Jan. 19, 2008 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device.
Special Forces Command -- Staff Sgt. Justin R. Whiting, 27, was killed in action on Jan. 19 when his vehicle was struck by an IED while conducting combat operations 16 Kilometers south of Mosul, Iraq. He was a Special Forces medical Sergeant assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
He has had two previous combat tours to Iraq in 2004 and 2005 with the 3rd Bn., 5th SFG (A), and was on his third combat tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism.
Whiting was born in Texas and his military records list his hometown of record as Tenn. He volunteered for military service and enlisted in the Army on Dec. 15 1999. he would go on to earn the coveted Green Beret in 2000.
Whiting’s military education includes; the Special Operations Target Interdiction Course, the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, Basic Noncommissioned Officer’s Course, Warrior Leaders Course, Basic Airborne Course, and Special Forces Qualification Course.
His awards and decorations include; the Bronze Star Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, two Army Good Conduct Medals, National Defence Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, two Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbons, Army Service Ribbon, Combat Medical Badge, Parachutist Badge, and Special Forces Tab.
Whiting is survived by his mother, Estelline, of Colorado Springs, Colo., father, Randall, of Hancock, N.Y., sister, Amanda, of DuPont, Wash., and brother, Nathan, of Dover, Tenn.
Army Staff Sgt. Justin R. Whiting was killed in action on 1/19/08.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Navy PO2 David L. Davison
Remember Our Heroes
Navy PO2 David L. Davison, 22, Corpus Christi, TX.
David Leon Davison, 22, of Corpus Christi, TX, was born on January 27, 1985 in Oklahoma City, OK. David died January 16, 2008 in Corpus Christi, TX.
David graduated from Deer Creek High School in 2003. David attended numerous Catholic Heart work camps, assisting those in need throughout the United States.
After 9/11, he made his decision to serve his country. He had enlisted early into the military branch, The Navy, so that he could immediately enter boot camp upon graduation.
Prior to his induction into the Navy, David was a youth counselor at Our Lady of Guadelupe. David has been stationed in Norfolk, VA (May 2004 to February 2005) and Sigonella, Sicily (February 2005 to September 2007) and Corpus Christi, TX (October 2007 to January 2008).
David served approximately nine months in Kuwait. He was anticipating deployment to Bahrain later this year.
His recognitions and medals are as follows: Petty Officer Davison has been awarded the Air Medal Flight Award (1st & 2nd ), Navy And Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (Two Awards), Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon, Sharpshooter Pistol Ribbon and Sharpshooter Rifle Ribbon. His is designated as a Naval Aircrewman with Breast Insignia and Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist with Breast insignia. To include, Two Flag Letters of Commendation and Letter of Appreciation.
David was preceded in death by great-grandmothers, Wilma Collier of Holdenville, OK, Jewell Johnson of Guthrie, OK, Lois Sherrill of McAlester, OK; great-grandfathers, Virgil Sherrill of McAlester, OK, Fairl Johnson of Guthrie, OK, Fred Collier of Holdenville, OK; grandfathers, Delbert Davison of Guthrie, OK, Charles G. Kelley, Sr. of Indiana, Warren Amason of Haileyville, OK; aunts, Sandra Collier of Texas and Sylvia Kelley of McAlester, OK.
Survivors include parents, Jeff And Dee Kuykendall of OKC, Rodney Davison, Crescent; brothers, Clayton Davison of Crescent, OK, Kyle Stoy and wife Lisa of Edmond, OK; sisters, Kim Snipes and husband Marshall of The Village,OK, Carole Marie Kuykendall of OKC, Charlye Kuykendall of OKC; grandparents, Ina Amason of Haileyville, OK, Gerald and Cheryl Collier of Amarillo, TX, Carol Stoy of Edmond, OK, Hershel and Carole Kuykendall of Nichols Hills, OK; goddaughter, Hannah Peczkowski of Virginia; aunts and uncles, Matt and Gerri Miller of Owasso, OK, Mike and Debbie Kelley of Haileyville, OK, Denisa and Daryl Graves of Guthrie, OK, Dawn Herrera of OKC, Lisa and Terry Shultzabarger of OKC, Charles and Danielle Kuykendall of Edmond, OK; nephews, Nugget and Moose; and numerous cousins.
A vigil will be held at Matthews Funeral Home in Edmond, OK, on January 25th at 7:00 p.m. The funeral mass will be said at St. Monica's Catholic Church in Edmond, OK, January 26, 2008, at 10 a.m. Graveside service will be held at Summit View Cemetery in Guthrie, OK, immediately following Mass. Reception will be at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Guthrie. In lieu of flowers/donations: Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund www.cfsrf.org/ Arrangements by Matthews Funeral Home.
Navy PO2 David Davison died 1/16/08.
Navy PO2 David L. Davison, 22, Corpus Christi, TX.
David Leon Davison, 22, of Corpus Christi, TX, was born on January 27, 1985 in Oklahoma City, OK. David died January 16, 2008 in Corpus Christi, TX.
David graduated from Deer Creek High School in 2003. David attended numerous Catholic Heart work camps, assisting those in need throughout the United States.
After 9/11, he made his decision to serve his country. He had enlisted early into the military branch, The Navy, so that he could immediately enter boot camp upon graduation.
Prior to his induction into the Navy, David was a youth counselor at Our Lady of Guadelupe. David has been stationed in Norfolk, VA (May 2004 to February 2005) and Sigonella, Sicily (February 2005 to September 2007) and Corpus Christi, TX (October 2007 to January 2008).
David served approximately nine months in Kuwait. He was anticipating deployment to Bahrain later this year.
His recognitions and medals are as follows: Petty Officer Davison has been awarded the Air Medal Flight Award (1st & 2nd ), Navy And Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (Two Awards), Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon, Sharpshooter Pistol Ribbon and Sharpshooter Rifle Ribbon. His is designated as a Naval Aircrewman with Breast Insignia and Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist with Breast insignia. To include, Two Flag Letters of Commendation and Letter of Appreciation.
David was preceded in death by great-grandmothers, Wilma Collier of Holdenville, OK, Jewell Johnson of Guthrie, OK, Lois Sherrill of McAlester, OK; great-grandfathers, Virgil Sherrill of McAlester, OK, Fairl Johnson of Guthrie, OK, Fred Collier of Holdenville, OK; grandfathers, Delbert Davison of Guthrie, OK, Charles G. Kelley, Sr. of Indiana, Warren Amason of Haileyville, OK; aunts, Sandra Collier of Texas and Sylvia Kelley of McAlester, OK.
Survivors include parents, Jeff And Dee Kuykendall of OKC, Rodney Davison, Crescent; brothers, Clayton Davison of Crescent, OK, Kyle Stoy and wife Lisa of Edmond, OK; sisters, Kim Snipes and husband Marshall of The Village,OK, Carole Marie Kuykendall of OKC, Charlye Kuykendall of OKC; grandparents, Ina Amason of Haileyville, OK, Gerald and Cheryl Collier of Amarillo, TX, Carol Stoy of Edmond, OK, Hershel and Carole Kuykendall of Nichols Hills, OK; goddaughter, Hannah Peczkowski of Virginia; aunts and uncles, Matt and Gerri Miller of Owasso, OK, Mike and Debbie Kelley of Haileyville, OK, Denisa and Daryl Graves of Guthrie, OK, Dawn Herrera of OKC, Lisa and Terry Shultzabarger of OKC, Charles and Danielle Kuykendall of Edmond, OK; nephews, Nugget and Moose; and numerous cousins.
A vigil will be held at Matthews Funeral Home in Edmond, OK, on January 25th at 7:00 p.m. The funeral mass will be said at St. Monica's Catholic Church in Edmond, OK, January 26, 2008, at 10 a.m. Graveside service will be held at Summit View Cemetery in Guthrie, OK, immediately following Mass. Reception will be at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Guthrie. In lieu of flowers/donations: Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund www.cfsrf.org/ Arrangements by Matthews Funeral Home.
Navy PO2 David Davison died 1/16/08.
Army Pfc. Danny L. Kimme
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Danny L. Kimme, 27, of Fisher, Ill.
Pfc. Kimme was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Jan. 16, 2008 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained from grenade and small-arms fire during combat operations. Also killed were Pfc. David H. Sharrett II and Spc. John P. Sigsbee.
Champaign News-Gazette -- FISHER – A Fisher native, Army Pfc. Danny L. Kimme, 27, was killed in Balad, Iraq, on Wednesday.
The Department of Defense announced the deaths of three soldiers Thursday who were serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
They died of wounds sustained when they were attacked by grenade and small arms fire during combat operations.
The soldiers were assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), in Fort Campbell, Ky.
The other casualties were: Pfc. David H. Sharrett II, 27, of Oakton, Va., who died in Pallouata, Iraq; and Spc. John P. Sigsbee, 21, of Waterville, N.Y., who died in Balad, Iraq.
Pfc. Kimme is the son of a Champaign police officer, Doug Kimme.
He is also survived by his wife, Corinne, of Fort Campbell, Ky., and mother, Patricia Barry, of Jacksonville, Ark., according to the Defense Department.
Pfc. Kimme entered the Army in October 2006. He arrived at Fort Campbell in March 2007. His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Weapons Qualification Expert.
A memorial service for the fallen solders will be held in Iraq.
Army Pfc. Danny L. Kimme was killed in action on 1/16/08.
Army Pfc. Danny L. Kimme, 27, of Fisher, Ill.
Pfc. Kimme was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Jan. 16, 2008 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained from grenade and small-arms fire during combat operations. Also killed were Pfc. David H. Sharrett II and Spc. John P. Sigsbee.
Champaign News-Gazette -- FISHER – A Fisher native, Army Pfc. Danny L. Kimme, 27, was killed in Balad, Iraq, on Wednesday.
The Department of Defense announced the deaths of three soldiers Thursday who were serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
They died of wounds sustained when they were attacked by grenade and small arms fire during combat operations.
The soldiers were assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), in Fort Campbell, Ky.
The other casualties were: Pfc. David H. Sharrett II, 27, of Oakton, Va., who died in Pallouata, Iraq; and Spc. John P. Sigsbee, 21, of Waterville, N.Y., who died in Balad, Iraq.
Pfc. Kimme is the son of a Champaign police officer, Doug Kimme.
He is also survived by his wife, Corinne, of Fort Campbell, Ky., and mother, Patricia Barry, of Jacksonville, Ark., according to the Defense Department.
Pfc. Kimme entered the Army in October 2006. He arrived at Fort Campbell in March 2007. His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Weapons Qualification Expert.
A memorial service for the fallen solders will be held in Iraq.
Army Pfc. Danny L. Kimme was killed in action on 1/16/08.
Army Pfc. David H. Sharrett II
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. David H. Sharrett II, 27, of Oakton, Va.
Pfc. Sharrett was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Jan. 16, 2008 in Pallouata, Iraq, of wounds sustained in Balad, Iraq, from grenade and small-arms fire during combat operations. Also killed were Pfc. Danny L. Kimme and Spc. John P. Sigsbee.
Washington Post -- An Army soldier from Fairfax County was killed in Iraq on Wednesday when he and two other soldiers were attacked by grenade and small-arms fire during a combat operation, the Army said yesterday.
David H. Sharrett II, 27, grew up in the Oakton area, was a star defensive end on the Oakton High School football team and lived in Northern Virginia until he decided to enlist in the military in 2006, his father, David H. Sharrett, said yesterday.
"He joined the Army because he wanted to serve his country," his father said. "He just felt like he needed to do this and felt like he was doing the right thing."
Sharrett was born in Woodstock, Va., but lived nearly all of his life in the Oakton area, attending Oakton Elementary and Cooper Intermediate schools. He is survived by his parents, two younger brothers and his wife, Heather.
Sharrett was a devoted reader and student of history, his father said. "When a lot of kids were playing video games, he was reading history books," and he took Shakespeare with him to Iraq, his father said.
As a senior at Oakton High, he was a stalwart player on a 1998 team that posted the best record in school history to that point, 10-2, and lost to Centreville in the Northern Region finals. His father said Sharrett was selected to play in the Super 44statewide All-Star game and graduated in 1999. He loved the Redskins, fishing and heavy-metal music.
Sharrett attended Northern Virginia Community College and worked various jobs after high school, including bartending in St. Croix.
He entered boot camp in August 2006 and was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division in Fort Campbell, Ky.
"He was well trained, and he was a leader," his father said. Sharrett was a private first class, but "he said they were going to make him a sergeant at the earliest opportunity."
After Sharrett was deployed to Iraq in September, the father and son e-mailed or instant-messaged each other nearly every day when the younger Sharrett wasn't on an operation. "His last e-mail, he said, 'I'll be back,' " his father said. "I'd say, 'Take care and be safe.' "
Sharrett's tour of duty was scheduled to end in October 2009, his father said. He planned to return to Northern Virginia, earn a degree and possibly become a history teacher. His father teaches English at Chantilly High School.
"If you could put together the kind of person you wanted defending your country, this is the guy," his father said. "He's the toughest guy I ever knew."
Details of his death were not available yesterday. The Army said in a news release he was wounded in Balad, Iraq, about 50 miles north of Baghdad in the so-called Sunni Triangle, and died in Pallouata, Iraq.
Also killed in the attack were Pfc. Danny L. Kimme, 27, of Fisher, Ill., and Spc. John P. Sigsbee, 21, of Waterville, N.Y.
Army Pfc. David H. Sharrett II was killed in 1/16/08.
Army Pfc. David H. Sharrett II, 27, of Oakton, Va.
Pfc. Sharrett was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Jan. 16, 2008 in Pallouata, Iraq, of wounds sustained in Balad, Iraq, from grenade and small-arms fire during combat operations. Also killed were Pfc. Danny L. Kimme and Spc. John P. Sigsbee.
Washington Post -- An Army soldier from Fairfax County was killed in Iraq on Wednesday when he and two other soldiers were attacked by grenade and small-arms fire during a combat operation, the Army said yesterday.
David H. Sharrett II, 27, grew up in the Oakton area, was a star defensive end on the Oakton High School football team and lived in Northern Virginia until he decided to enlist in the military in 2006, his father, David H. Sharrett, said yesterday.
"He joined the Army because he wanted to serve his country," his father said. "He just felt like he needed to do this and felt like he was doing the right thing."
Sharrett was born in Woodstock, Va., but lived nearly all of his life in the Oakton area, attending Oakton Elementary and Cooper Intermediate schools. He is survived by his parents, two younger brothers and his wife, Heather.
Sharrett was a devoted reader and student of history, his father said. "When a lot of kids were playing video games, he was reading history books," and he took Shakespeare with him to Iraq, his father said.
As a senior at Oakton High, he was a stalwart player on a 1998 team that posted the best record in school history to that point, 10-2, and lost to Centreville in the Northern Region finals. His father said Sharrett was selected to play in the Super 44statewide All-Star game and graduated in 1999. He loved the Redskins, fishing and heavy-metal music.
Sharrett attended Northern Virginia Community College and worked various jobs after high school, including bartending in St. Croix.
He entered boot camp in August 2006 and was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division in Fort Campbell, Ky.
"He was well trained, and he was a leader," his father said. Sharrett was a private first class, but "he said they were going to make him a sergeant at the earliest opportunity."
After Sharrett was deployed to Iraq in September, the father and son e-mailed or instant-messaged each other nearly every day when the younger Sharrett wasn't on an operation. "His last e-mail, he said, 'I'll be back,' " his father said. "I'd say, 'Take care and be safe.' "
Sharrett's tour of duty was scheduled to end in October 2009, his father said. He planned to return to Northern Virginia, earn a degree and possibly become a history teacher. His father teaches English at Chantilly High School.
"If you could put together the kind of person you wanted defending your country, this is the guy," his father said. "He's the toughest guy I ever knew."
Details of his death were not available yesterday. The Army said in a news release he was wounded in Balad, Iraq, about 50 miles north of Baghdad in the so-called Sunni Triangle, and died in Pallouata, Iraq.
Also killed in the attack were Pfc. Danny L. Kimme, 27, of Fisher, Ill., and Spc. John P. Sigsbee, 21, of Waterville, N.Y.
Army Pfc. David H. Sharrett II was killed in 1/16/08.
Army Spc. John P. Sigsbee
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. John P. Sigsbee, 21, of Waterville, N.Y.
Spc. Sigsbee was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Jan. 16, 2008 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained from grenade and small-arms fire during combat operations. Also killed were Pfc. Danny L. Kimme and Pfc. David H. Sharrett II.
News 10 Now -- WATERVILLE, N.Y. -- "Giving his life, he died a hero. It just says what type of young man he was."
Specialist John Sigsbee, 21, a Waterville native, was killed Wednesday after an enemy attack in Balad, Iraq. Sigsbee's High School Guidance counselor, Bob Gray says John was a great kid and his character showed after being injured in Iraq in 2006.
"He chose to return, I think he had a very strong bond with his comrades and fellow soldiers and could not leave them and that just says what kind of young man he was,” said Bob Gray, Waterville Guidance Counselor.
Gray says coming to work has also become a little more difficult because of where the Sigsbee's live.
"They live right down the road from the school here and it's tough driving to work in the morning when you drive by the house,” said Gray.
Now Gray says the loss of John is taking a toll on the entire community. He says everyone is coming together because of it."
"There certainly is a great sadness there but I think there's also a lot of pride in the young man in representing our community the way he has,” said Gray.
One of the ways the community is remembering John is by flying the Village American flag at half-staff.
“He'll be remembered forever,” said Gray.
When Sigsbee was injured by a roadside Bomb in Iraq in 2006 he received the Purple Heart. He was deployed with the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Army Spc. John P. Sigsbee was killed in action on 1/16/08.
Army Spc. John P. Sigsbee, 21, of Waterville, N.Y.
Spc. Sigsbee was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Jan. 16, 2008 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained from grenade and small-arms fire during combat operations. Also killed were Pfc. Danny L. Kimme and Pfc. David H. Sharrett II.
News 10 Now -- WATERVILLE, N.Y. -- "Giving his life, he died a hero. It just says what type of young man he was."
Specialist John Sigsbee, 21, a Waterville native, was killed Wednesday after an enemy attack in Balad, Iraq. Sigsbee's High School Guidance counselor, Bob Gray says John was a great kid and his character showed after being injured in Iraq in 2006.
"He chose to return, I think he had a very strong bond with his comrades and fellow soldiers and could not leave them and that just says what kind of young man he was,” said Bob Gray, Waterville Guidance Counselor.
Gray says coming to work has also become a little more difficult because of where the Sigsbee's live.
"They live right down the road from the school here and it's tough driving to work in the morning when you drive by the house,” said Gray.
Now Gray says the loss of John is taking a toll on the entire community. He says everyone is coming together because of it."
"There certainly is a great sadness there but I think there's also a lot of pride in the young man in representing our community the way he has,” said Gray.
One of the ways the community is remembering John is by flying the Village American flag at half-staff.
“He'll be remembered forever,” said Gray.
When Sigsbee was injured by a roadside Bomb in Iraq in 2006 he received the Purple Heart. He was deployed with the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Army Spc. John P. Sigsbee was killed in action on 1/16/08.
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