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.