Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Dayne D. Dhanoolal, 26, of Brooklyn, N.Y.
Sgt. Dhanoolal was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.; died March 31, 2008 in Baghdad from wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Newsday -- When she saw the uniformed Army personnel at her home in Georgia this week, Yvonne Watkins knew a grim message was to be delivered, her daughter said Thursday night.
But with a son serving in Afghanistan and a son-in-law in Iraq, the anxiety felt doubly heartrending.
"She just fell to the floor," Kynesha Dhanoolal said. "She did not know who it was for."
The fallen soldier was Dhanoolal's husband, Sgt. Dayne Dhanoolal.
The 26-year-old combat engineer had just re-enlisted in January for another four years. "He just felt like it would be the best thing for us and our future family," said Kynesha Dhanoolal, 28.
Just a few months later, on March 31, Dayne Dhanoolal, who went by the name Darren, was dead in Baghdad after a bomb placed by his vehicle exploded, the Defense Department said yesterday in a statement.
Dhanoolal, who was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Benning, Ga., was originally from Trinidad and Tobago and traveled from the Caribbean to New York City when he was a teenager, living in Brooklyn and attending New Dorp High School in Staten Island.
Dhanoolal joined the Army in September 2002 and over the years had earned more than a dozen awards, including a combat action badge and three Army commendation medals, according to Michelle Gordon, a Fort spokeswoman.
Just hours before his death, Dhanoolal said, she received an electronic message from her husband after having not heard from him in some time. He wrote that everything was OK and that he loved her.
Later that day, Dhanoolal learned she was a widow.
"Everything got taken away," Kynesha Dhanoolal said.
Dayne Dhanoolal is survived by his parents and three sisters, including one deployed to the nation where her brother was killed.
Funeral plans are pending.
Trinidad & Tabago Express -- Just three weeks before he was scheduled to return from Iraq, Trinidadian-born US soldier, Sergeant Dayne Dhanoolal, was killed in Baghdad.
Dhanoolal, 26, died of massive injuries when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle on Monday, the US Department of Defence said in a statement.
Dhanoolal was originally from Acono Road, St Joseph, before he migrated to New York 11 years ago.
Dhanoolal, who joined the US Army six years ago, was a combat engineer with the 3rd Brigade in Fort Benning, Georgia. He was supporting "Operation Iraqi Freedom". His older sister, Sergeant First Class Jillene Fenton, is on her fourth tour in Iraq.
Dhanoolal, the only son from five children, was the youngest.
In a statement yesterday, his sister, Darlene Dhanoolal, said, "This is a tough time for our family because we always knew this was a possibility, but we never imagined that it would happen."
Darlene added, "He was the type of person that left a happy memory wherever he went. No matter the situation he always tried to make the best of it."
"We will forever remember his gigantic grin... we know that you (Dayne) are definitely smiling down from heaven at us.
"You are gone but you will always be missed, loved and always remembered forever in our hearts."
Reports in the New York Post said three hours before Dhanoolal was killed, he text-messaged his 28-year-old wife, Kynesha, to tell her he loved her. It was the last thing he said to her.
The couple, who got married three weeks before he first went overseas, had been together over Christmas, before he had to return to Iraq, the paper reported.
Army Sgt. Dayne D. Dhanoolal was killed in action on 3/31/08.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Marine Lt. Col. William G. Hall
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lt. Col. William G. Hall, 38, of Seattle
Lt. Col. Hall was assigned to the 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, Marine Air Control Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died March 30, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds sustained while conducting combat operations.
Seattle Post Intelligencer -- Marine Lt. Col. William G. Hall, a Garfield High School and Washington State University graduate, was killed Saturday in Iraq, according to his family.
Hall, 38, who grew up in Skyway south of Seattle, is one of the highest-ranking U.S. military officers killed in the war. Information about the circumstances of his death was not immediately available from the Defense Department, which had not released an official notice of his loss.
He was the second member of the armed forces with local ties to die in Iraq on Saturday. The Defense Department announced Tuesday that Army Spc. Durrell L. Bennett, 22, of Spanaway was one of two soldiers serving with the 1st Infantry Division from Fort Riley, Kan., who were killed by a roadside bomb and small-arms fire in Baghdad.
Hall's family said the husband and father of four died while riding in Fallujah in a vehicle that struck a roadside bomb. He was on his third deployment there, having arrived in February, and had been promoted to his new rank a month ago.
Hall had told his family not to worry about this deployment because there was more to teach than to fight.
Yet his life was ended by a bomb hidden in the roadway as he was being driven from his quarters to the school, said Pat Ward, the Mukilteo police and fire chaplain and a longtime family friend.
"I can't tell you how fine this young man was -- the finest husband, father, son, Marine, individual -- warm, gracious, just our very best," Ward said. "My heart breaks."
Hall's mother, Millie, of Skyway, declined comment Tuesday, deferring to other family members. Hall "believed strongly in growing, living and learning, and he did all of those things with great courage and integrity," his family said Tuesday in a statement.
Hall's wife and mother first learned in a phone call from the Marine Corps that he was in surgery after being injured. Later, two supportive Marine casualty-notification officers arrived at their door and they knew.
The Marines have been at their side since, family members said.
"He had just been transferred to California and his wife and children were just here in Seattle for Christmas. He wanted to return here someday," said a cousin, Ingrid Goodwin of Seattle.
Hall graduated in 1987 from Garfield, where he had been a member of the school's marching band. He earned a degree in physical education from WSU, where he enrolled in ROTC, which led to his commission in the Marine Corps. In 2006, he earned a master's degree from the University of Phoenix.
Hall's family and friends last heard from him by e-mail from Iraq on Thursday.
"I am sure the first question in each of your minds is my safety, and I am happy to tell you that I'm safe and doing well," he wrote. He signed it "Billy" -- the name those closest to him knew him by.
While his 15-year military career took him many places, Hall's heart remained here, where he grew up nurtured by his adoptive parents, Mildred and the late William Hall.
Hall now will make one final trip home. His body is expected to return to Seattle on Thursday. A memorial service with military honors, at which the public is welcome, is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, 2801 S. Jackson St., Goodwin said.
Hall will be laid to rest next week at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia across from the nation's capital.
Hall is survived by his wife, Xiomara; daughters Tatianna (Tia), 6, and Gladys, 3; stepsons Xavier, 13 and Xander, 9; his mother, Mildred Hall, sisters Dolores Perry and Margie Bell; and a host of other relatives.
Marine Lt. Col. William G. Hall was killed in action on 3/30/08.
Marine Lt. Col. William G. Hall, 38, of Seattle
Lt. Col. Hall was assigned to the 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, Marine Air Control Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died March 30, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds sustained while conducting combat operations.
Seattle Post Intelligencer -- Marine Lt. Col. William G. Hall, a Garfield High School and Washington State University graduate, was killed Saturday in Iraq, according to his family.
Hall, 38, who grew up in Skyway south of Seattle, is one of the highest-ranking U.S. military officers killed in the war. Information about the circumstances of his death was not immediately available from the Defense Department, which had not released an official notice of his loss.
He was the second member of the armed forces with local ties to die in Iraq on Saturday. The Defense Department announced Tuesday that Army Spc. Durrell L. Bennett, 22, of Spanaway was one of two soldiers serving with the 1st Infantry Division from Fort Riley, Kan., who were killed by a roadside bomb and small-arms fire in Baghdad.
Hall's family said the husband and father of four died while riding in Fallujah in a vehicle that struck a roadside bomb. He was on his third deployment there, having arrived in February, and had been promoted to his new rank a month ago.
Hall had told his family not to worry about this deployment because there was more to teach than to fight.
Yet his life was ended by a bomb hidden in the roadway as he was being driven from his quarters to the school, said Pat Ward, the Mukilteo police and fire chaplain and a longtime family friend.
"I can't tell you how fine this young man was -- the finest husband, father, son, Marine, individual -- warm, gracious, just our very best," Ward said. "My heart breaks."
Hall's mother, Millie, of Skyway, declined comment Tuesday, deferring to other family members. Hall "believed strongly in growing, living and learning, and he did all of those things with great courage and integrity," his family said Tuesday in a statement.
Hall's wife and mother first learned in a phone call from the Marine Corps that he was in surgery after being injured. Later, two supportive Marine casualty-notification officers arrived at their door and they knew.
The Marines have been at their side since, family members said.
"He had just been transferred to California and his wife and children were just here in Seattle for Christmas. He wanted to return here someday," said a cousin, Ingrid Goodwin of Seattle.
Hall graduated in 1987 from Garfield, where he had been a member of the school's marching band. He earned a degree in physical education from WSU, where he enrolled in ROTC, which led to his commission in the Marine Corps. In 2006, he earned a master's degree from the University of Phoenix.
Hall's family and friends last heard from him by e-mail from Iraq on Thursday.
"I am sure the first question in each of your minds is my safety, and I am happy to tell you that I'm safe and doing well," he wrote. He signed it "Billy" -- the name those closest to him knew him by.
While his 15-year military career took him many places, Hall's heart remained here, where he grew up nurtured by his adoptive parents, Mildred and the late William Hall.
Hall now will make one final trip home. His body is expected to return to Seattle on Thursday. A memorial service with military honors, at which the public is welcome, is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, 2801 S. Jackson St., Goodwin said.
Hall will be laid to rest next week at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia across from the nation's capital.
Hall is survived by his wife, Xiomara; daughters Tatianna (Tia), 6, and Gladys, 3; stepsons Xavier, 13 and Xander, 9; his mother, Mildred Hall, sisters Dolores Perry and Margie Bell; and a host of other relatives.
Marine Lt. Col. William G. Hall was killed in action on 3/30/08.
Army Sgt. Terrell W. Gilmore
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Terrell W. Gilmore, 38, of Baton Rouge, La.
Sgt. Gilmore was assigned to the 769th Engineer Battalion of the Louisiana Army National Guard, Baton Rouge, La.; died March 30, 2008 in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
2TheAdvocate -- When Sgt. Terrell W. Gilmore returned to Baton Rouge last month for an almost two-week vacation from Iraq, his mother knew it would be the last time she would see him.
“The Lord was dealing with me,” Nancy Lawson said Tuesday from her Baker home.
“I had a feeling he wasn’t coming back.”
Lawson’s intuition was right.
Her 38-year-old son died Sunday in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle, Maj. Michael Kazmierzak said in a Louisiana National Guard news release.
Gilmore was assigned to the Forward Support Company, 769th Engineer Battalion, of the Louisiana National Guard, Kazmierzak said.
Gilmore drove more than 1,000 miles as a heavy-cargo vehicle operator while conducting convoy missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Kazmierzak said.
“He made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Gilmore’s eldest sister, Dietra Wilson, 47 “He was willing to go over there and do what needed to be done.”
Gilmore made the choice to serve his country on June 16, 1988, after graduating from Glen Oaks High School, said George Lawson, Gilmore’s stepfather.
Gilmore didn’t want to burden his mother, who was then rearing six children on her own, with the expense of college, George Lawson said. Gilmore’s older brother, Odis, followed in his footsteps and joined the Navy.
Odis Gilmore, who is stationed in San Diego, will escort his brother’s body back to Baton Rouge, George Lawson said. Both brothers are Desert Storm veterans.
“He was proud of being in the Army,” Nancy Lawson said of Terrell Gilmore. “It was something he wanted to do.”
But the stress of being a soldier was getting to Gilmore, Lawson and Wilson said.
Before coming home on March 5, Gilmore saw a friend get killed by a roadside bomb, Lawson said.
“He didn’t talk to me about it because he didn’t want to worry me,” she said. “But he talked to his stepdad.”
Wilson said Terrell Gilmore also talked to her husband about what he had seen and been through in Iraq.
“I think he was dealing with a lot of stuff,” she said. “I think he was a little scared.”
Gilmore was the father of two children, a 17-year-old daughter and a 15-year-old son, Lawson said.
Gilmore’s wife, Billy L. Gilmore, could not be located Tuesday for comment.
“He was a loving, giving person,” Lawson said. “He would take the shirt off his back if someone was cold.”
Wilson agreed and said she wishes she had taken more time to tell her brother how proud she was of him.
She also said the war in Iraq wasn’t personal until now.
“Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it all,” she said. “The scary thing is that I have another sibling who could be affected. I don’t know if I could handle that.”
Army Sgt. Terrell W. Gilmore was killed in action on 3/30/08.
Army Sgt. Terrell W. Gilmore, 38, of Baton Rouge, La.
Sgt. Gilmore was assigned to the 769th Engineer Battalion of the Louisiana Army National Guard, Baton Rouge, La.; died March 30, 2008 in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
2TheAdvocate -- When Sgt. Terrell W. Gilmore returned to Baton Rouge last month for an almost two-week vacation from Iraq, his mother knew it would be the last time she would see him.
“The Lord was dealing with me,” Nancy Lawson said Tuesday from her Baker home.
“I had a feeling he wasn’t coming back.”
Lawson’s intuition was right.
Her 38-year-old son died Sunday in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle, Maj. Michael Kazmierzak said in a Louisiana National Guard news release.
Gilmore was assigned to the Forward Support Company, 769th Engineer Battalion, of the Louisiana National Guard, Kazmierzak said.
Gilmore drove more than 1,000 miles as a heavy-cargo vehicle operator while conducting convoy missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Kazmierzak said.
“He made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Gilmore’s eldest sister, Dietra Wilson, 47 “He was willing to go over there and do what needed to be done.”
Gilmore made the choice to serve his country on June 16, 1988, after graduating from Glen Oaks High School, said George Lawson, Gilmore’s stepfather.
Gilmore didn’t want to burden his mother, who was then rearing six children on her own, with the expense of college, George Lawson said. Gilmore’s older brother, Odis, followed in his footsteps and joined the Navy.
Odis Gilmore, who is stationed in San Diego, will escort his brother’s body back to Baton Rouge, George Lawson said. Both brothers are Desert Storm veterans.
“He was proud of being in the Army,” Nancy Lawson said of Terrell Gilmore. “It was something he wanted to do.”
But the stress of being a soldier was getting to Gilmore, Lawson and Wilson said.
Before coming home on March 5, Gilmore saw a friend get killed by a roadside bomb, Lawson said.
“He didn’t talk to me about it because he didn’t want to worry me,” she said. “But he talked to his stepdad.”
Wilson said Terrell Gilmore also talked to her husband about what he had seen and been through in Iraq.
“I think he was dealing with a lot of stuff,” she said. “I think he was a little scared.”
Gilmore was the father of two children, a 17-year-old daughter and a 15-year-old son, Lawson said.
Gilmore’s wife, Billy L. Gilmore, could not be located Tuesday for comment.
“He was a loving, giving person,” Lawson said. “He would take the shirt off his back if someone was cold.”
Wilson agreed and said she wishes she had taken more time to tell her brother how proud she was of him.
She also said the war in Iraq wasn’t personal until now.
“Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it all,” she said. “The scary thing is that I have another sibling who could be affected. I don’t know if I could handle that.”
Army Sgt. Terrell W. Gilmore was killed in action on 3/30/08.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Army Sgt. Jevon K. Jordan
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Jevon K. Jordan, 32, of Norfolk, Va.
Sgt. Jordan was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died March 29, 2008 in Abu Jassim, Iraq, when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
The Virginian-Pilot -- A soldier from Norfolk who was injured in an explosion in Iraq last month has died, the Pentagon said late Wednesday.
The Department of Defense said Sgt. Jevon K. Jordan, 32, died Saturday at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany.
Jordan was wounded March 23 in Abu Jassim, Iraq, when the vehicle he was in encountered an improvised explosive device, the Pentagon said.
Jordan was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division based at Fort Stewart, Ga.
OCALA.com -- OCALA - For Ocala resident Kathryn Crowell-Grate, worrying about loved ones in the military is nothing new.
Crowell-Grate grew up in a military family, and her husband, Nathaniel Grate, is retired from the Navy and serving as a civilian contractor on a Navy ship in the Persian Gulf.
But Crowell-Grate couldn't be prepared for the news she received Monday. Her son-in-law, Army Sgt. Javon Jordan, was critically wounded in Iraq.
"When we got the call, everybody thought they were lying," she recalled Thursday. "You watch the news, and think 'OK, it's not going to hit us close to home.' It's always somebody else."
According to Crowell-Grate, Jordan, 32, was wounded Sunday by a roadside bomb that exploded next to the vehicle in which he was riding. Three of his fellow soldiers were killed.
Jordan was flown to a military hospital in Germany with a severe head injury, and is expected to be flown to Bethesda Naval Medical Center today if he is stable enough, Crowell-Grate said. She's planning to fly to Washington, D.C., today to join her daughter Michelle, Jordan's wife, at his bedside.
But the outlook is grim.
"If he's stable enough, they're going to fly him back," she said. "They're not expecting him to make it."
Military spokespeople could not be reached Thursday to confirm Crowell-Grate's account. Paul Flusche, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns' office, confirmed Crowell-Grate had contacted the office for possible assistance with transportation to Washington.
Crowell-Grate, the administrator of the Contemporary Christian Academy/The Children's Hubb in Ocala, said she had known Jordan since he was a child in Norfolk, Va.
"This little boy was in third grade, and he said he's in love with my daughter," she said. "He practically lived at my house."
Javon and Michelle Jordan have been married for 13 years, and live in Virginia with their three children, Crowell-Grate said.
For Jordan, the Army was a ladder to success, she said.
"He loves his country, and the military was all he knew to be successful," she said. He was on his second tour of duty in Iraq, she said.
It's hard to comprehend the war injury that could take her son-in-law's life, Crowell-Grate said. But she's determined to be strong for her daughter and grandchildren.
"That (risk is) a part of his job, and I respect that, and that's a part of my husband's job, and I respect that, but when you're grieving, you can't see past that," she said. "I know because of my faith in God that He'll give me strength to be Grandma and everything that I need to be for them."
Army Sgt. Jevon K. Jordan died on 3/29/08 from combat injuries sustained 3/23/08.
Army Sgt. Jevon K. Jordan, 32, of Norfolk, Va.
Sgt. Jordan was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died March 29, 2008 in Abu Jassim, Iraq, when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
The Virginian-Pilot -- A soldier from Norfolk who was injured in an explosion in Iraq last month has died, the Pentagon said late Wednesday.
The Department of Defense said Sgt. Jevon K. Jordan, 32, died Saturday at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany.
Jordan was wounded March 23 in Abu Jassim, Iraq, when the vehicle he was in encountered an improvised explosive device, the Pentagon said.
Jordan was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division based at Fort Stewart, Ga.
OCALA.com -- OCALA - For Ocala resident Kathryn Crowell-Grate, worrying about loved ones in the military is nothing new.
Crowell-Grate grew up in a military family, and her husband, Nathaniel Grate, is retired from the Navy and serving as a civilian contractor on a Navy ship in the Persian Gulf.
But Crowell-Grate couldn't be prepared for the news she received Monday. Her son-in-law, Army Sgt. Javon Jordan, was critically wounded in Iraq.
"When we got the call, everybody thought they were lying," she recalled Thursday. "You watch the news, and think 'OK, it's not going to hit us close to home.' It's always somebody else."
According to Crowell-Grate, Jordan, 32, was wounded Sunday by a roadside bomb that exploded next to the vehicle in which he was riding. Three of his fellow soldiers were killed.
Jordan was flown to a military hospital in Germany with a severe head injury, and is expected to be flown to Bethesda Naval Medical Center today if he is stable enough, Crowell-Grate said. She's planning to fly to Washington, D.C., today to join her daughter Michelle, Jordan's wife, at his bedside.
But the outlook is grim.
"If he's stable enough, they're going to fly him back," she said. "They're not expecting him to make it."
Military spokespeople could not be reached Thursday to confirm Crowell-Grate's account. Paul Flusche, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns' office, confirmed Crowell-Grate had contacted the office for possible assistance with transportation to Washington.
Crowell-Grate, the administrator of the Contemporary Christian Academy/The Children's Hubb in Ocala, said she had known Jordan since he was a child in Norfolk, Va.
"This little boy was in third grade, and he said he's in love with my daughter," she said. "He practically lived at my house."
Javon and Michelle Jordan have been married for 13 years, and live in Virginia with their three children, Crowell-Grate said.
For Jordan, the Army was a ladder to success, she said.
"He loves his country, and the military was all he knew to be successful," she said. He was on his second tour of duty in Iraq, she said.
It's hard to comprehend the war injury that could take her son-in-law's life, Crowell-Grate said. But she's determined to be strong for her daughter and grandchildren.
"That (risk is) a part of his job, and I respect that, and that's a part of my husband's job, and I respect that, but when you're grieving, you can't see past that," she said. "I know because of my faith in God that He'll give me strength to be Grandma and everything that I need to be for them."
Army Sgt. Jevon K. Jordan died on 3/29/08 from combat injuries sustained 3/23/08.
Army Cpl. Durrell L. Bennett
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Durrell L. Bennett, 22, of Spanaway, Wash.
Cpl. Bennett was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died March 29, 2008 in Baghdad from wounds sustained when he encountered an improvised explosive device and small arms fire. Also killed was Pfc. Patrick J. Miller.
The News Tribune -- Spc. Durrell L. Bennett’s tour of duty in Iraq was supposed to end Friday, his father said.
The 22-year-old Spanaway solider was killed Saturday in Baghdad after encountering an improvised explosive device and small arms fire, the Department of Defense reported Tuesday. He was in the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
He was one of two state service members to die in Iraq over the weekend.
Bennett, who attended Bethel High, had recently re-enlisted and planned to return to the area and share an apartment with his 18-year-old brother.
“He had so many friends,” said his dad, Dempsey Bennett. “Everybody knew Durrell.”
Throughout high school Durrell Bennett wrote songs and wanted to be a music producer. His dad urged him to hit the books and focus on more practical pursuits, he said.
“In his high school years, he and I would battle about that,” Dempsey Bennett said. “But he was determined.”
Durrell Bennett’s MySpace page reads: “Most of my spare time i love to do music thats my first love, im not tryin too make it big or anything like evrybody else. This is just a hobbie, but if it happens i wont complain.”
Army Cpl. Durrell L. Bennett was killd in action on 3/29/08.
Army Cpl. Durrell L. Bennett, 22, of Spanaway, Wash.
Cpl. Bennett was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died March 29, 2008 in Baghdad from wounds sustained when he encountered an improvised explosive device and small arms fire. Also killed was Pfc. Patrick J. Miller.
The News Tribune -- Spc. Durrell L. Bennett’s tour of duty in Iraq was supposed to end Friday, his father said.
The 22-year-old Spanaway solider was killed Saturday in Baghdad after encountering an improvised explosive device and small arms fire, the Department of Defense reported Tuesday. He was in the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
He was one of two state service members to die in Iraq over the weekend.
Bennett, who attended Bethel High, had recently re-enlisted and planned to return to the area and share an apartment with his 18-year-old brother.
“He had so many friends,” said his dad, Dempsey Bennett. “Everybody knew Durrell.”
Throughout high school Durrell Bennett wrote songs and wanted to be a music producer. His dad urged him to hit the books and focus on more practical pursuits, he said.
“In his high school years, he and I would battle about that,” Dempsey Bennett said. “But he was determined.”
Durrell Bennett’s MySpace page reads: “Most of my spare time i love to do music thats my first love, im not tryin too make it big or anything like evrybody else. This is just a hobbie, but if it happens i wont complain.”
Army Cpl. Durrell L. Bennett was killd in action on 3/29/08.
Army Pfc. Patrick J. Miller
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Patrick J. Miller, 23, of New Port Richey, Fla.
Pfc. Miller was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died March 29, 2008 in Baghdad from wounds sustained when he encountered an improvised explosive device and small arms fire. Also killed was Cpl. Durrell L. Bennett.
Tampa Tribune -- NEW PORT RICHEY - Pfc. P.J. Miller shipped his personal belongings from Iraq to New Port Richey because he was expecting to come home in a few weeks.
The 23-year-old was one of two U.S. Army soldiers killed in Baghdad over the weekend, the Department of Defense announced today.
"He thought we needed to be there," his mother, Kim Miller said. "He thought what we was doing was right and he wanted to defend our country."
It is unclear if P.J. Miller died from a roadside bomb or small-arms fire, the Department of Defense said. He was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division from Fort Riley, Kan.
His father, Patrick Miller, said he has been estranged from his son for six years. His divorce stirred bitterness in the family. On Tuesday, Patrick Miller said he regrets not spending enough time with his son.
"Unfortunately, I didn't get to know him better," Patrick Miller said. "It's a big loss that I have to carry with me."
P.J. Miller was a graduate of Mitchell High School in New Port Richey and earned a degree in biology from the University of South Florida. He aspired to attend graduate school to study genetics.
His parents are making funeral arrangements and said they would not be surprised if hundreds attended the service.
"He was a fantastic human being," Patrick Miller said.
He urged parents to be involved with their children even if problems threaten to keep them apart.
"No matter how difficult scenarios might be, always try in the most positive and productive ways to remain a part of your children's lives," he said.
Army Pfc. Patrick J. Miller was killed in action on 3/29/08.
Army Pfc. Patrick J. Miller, 23, of New Port Richey, Fla.
Pfc. Miller was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died March 29, 2008 in Baghdad from wounds sustained when he encountered an improvised explosive device and small arms fire. Also killed was Cpl. Durrell L. Bennett.
Tampa Tribune -- NEW PORT RICHEY - Pfc. P.J. Miller shipped his personal belongings from Iraq to New Port Richey because he was expecting to come home in a few weeks.
The 23-year-old was one of two U.S. Army soldiers killed in Baghdad over the weekend, the Department of Defense announced today.
"He thought we needed to be there," his mother, Kim Miller said. "He thought what we was doing was right and he wanted to defend our country."
It is unclear if P.J. Miller died from a roadside bomb or small-arms fire, the Department of Defense said. He was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division from Fort Riley, Kan.
His father, Patrick Miller, said he has been estranged from his son for six years. His divorce stirred bitterness in the family. On Tuesday, Patrick Miller said he regrets not spending enough time with his son.
"Unfortunately, I didn't get to know him better," Patrick Miller said. "It's a big loss that I have to carry with me."
P.J. Miller was a graduate of Mitchell High School in New Port Richey and earned a degree in biology from the University of South Florida. He aspired to attend graduate school to study genetics.
His parents are making funeral arrangements and said they would not be surprised if hundreds attended the service.
"He was a fantastic human being," Patrick Miller said.
He urged parents to be involved with their children even if problems threaten to keep them apart.
"No matter how difficult scenarios might be, always try in the most positive and productive ways to remain a part of your children's lives," he said.
Army Pfc. Patrick J. Miller was killed in action on 3/29/08.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Army Sgt. Charles A. Jankowski
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Charles A. Jankowski, 24, of Panama City, Fla.
Sgt. Jankowski was assigned to the 3rd Brigade Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died March 28, 2008 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Tearful homecoming for Fla. Panhandle soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Friends and family of a Florida Panhandle soldier are grieving after learning of his death by a bomb blast in Iraq.
Army Spc. Charles Jankowski’s family waited somberly at a Panama City airport for a plane to bring him home Friday. About 80 people assembled on the runway and wept openly as soldiers carried the flag-draped casket from the plane.
The Department of Defense says Jankowski, 24, was killed March 28 by an improvised explosive device.
He planned to drive his younger sister to her prom when he returned home. Officials say he was serving his second tour in Iraq.
Army Sgt. Charles A. Jankowski was killed in action on 3/28/08.
Army Sgt. Charles A. Jankowski, 24, of Panama City, Fla.
Sgt. Jankowski was assigned to the 3rd Brigade Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died March 28, 2008 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Tearful homecoming for Fla. Panhandle soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Friends and family of a Florida Panhandle soldier are grieving after learning of his death by a bomb blast in Iraq.
Army Spc. Charles Jankowski’s family waited somberly at a Panama City airport for a plane to bring him home Friday. About 80 people assembled on the runway and wept openly as soldiers carried the flag-draped casket from the plane.
The Department of Defense says Jankowski, 24, was killed March 28 by an improvised explosive device.
He planned to drive his younger sister to her prom when he returned home. Officials say he was serving his second tour in Iraq.
Army Sgt. Charles A. Jankowski was killed in action on 3/28/08.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Army Cpl. Joshua A. Molina
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Joshua A. Molina, 20, of Houston, Texas
Cpl. Molina was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany; died Mar. 27, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
Click 2 Houston --HOUSTON -- A 20-year-old Elsik High School graduate has been killed in Iraq, KPRC Local 2 reported Saturday.
Army Spc. Joshua Molina was killed Thursday. The Department of Justice said Molina died in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
The news numbed his family.
"Two sergeants came and we just broke down. We couldn't believe it," brother Manuel Molina said.
He said he spoke to his brother earlier in the week and remembered their last conversation clearly.
"I told him I loved him and he would be in my prayers like always. I wasn't expecting this days later after that call he was going to be dead," said Molina.
The family does not have many details surrounding Molina's death. They do know he fought to stay alive.
"He was still alive trying to stay alive. Sadly, he couldn't and I have a feeling that God needed another angel. He's up there looking at me, my whole family. Everything is going to be OK," the younger brother said.
The Molinas are a tight knit family. They were fortunate to have Josh home back in January. Now, they must hold on to those memories to get through their most difficult hours.
"I think this is what he wants for his whole family to be together one, one family and remember the good times," Molina said.
Molina was the fourth Elsik High School graduate to be killed while serving in the war in Iraq.
He was remembered as the man who liked to have fun and as someone who was always smiling. His family said he wanted to be in the military since he was a child.
"Since he was a little kid he liked to play war and guns and we would just play around. He loved the military, especially the U.S. Army," said Molina.
Army Cpl. Joshua A. Molina was killed in action on 3/27/08.
Army Cpl. Joshua A. Molina, 20, of Houston, Texas
Cpl. Molina was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany; died Mar. 27, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
Click 2 Houston --HOUSTON -- A 20-year-old Elsik High School graduate has been killed in Iraq, KPRC Local 2 reported Saturday.
Army Spc. Joshua Molina was killed Thursday. The Department of Justice said Molina died in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
The news numbed his family.
"Two sergeants came and we just broke down. We couldn't believe it," brother Manuel Molina said.
He said he spoke to his brother earlier in the week and remembered their last conversation clearly.
"I told him I loved him and he would be in my prayers like always. I wasn't expecting this days later after that call he was going to be dead," said Molina.
The family does not have many details surrounding Molina's death. They do know he fought to stay alive.
"He was still alive trying to stay alive. Sadly, he couldn't and I have a feeling that God needed another angel. He's up there looking at me, my whole family. Everything is going to be OK," the younger brother said.
The Molinas are a tight knit family. They were fortunate to have Josh home back in January. Now, they must hold on to those memories to get through their most difficult hours.
"I think this is what he wants for his whole family to be together one, one family and remember the good times," Molina said.
Molina was the fourth Elsik High School graduate to be killed while serving in the war in Iraq.
He was remembered as the man who liked to have fun and as someone who was always smiling. His family said he wanted to be in the military since he was a child.
"Since he was a little kid he liked to play war and guns and we would just play around. He loved the military, especially the U.S. Army," said Molina.
Army Cpl. Joshua A. Molina was killed in action on 3/27/08.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Army Cpl. Steven I. Candelo
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Steven I. Candelo, 20, of Houston
Cpl. Candelo was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany; died March 26, 2007 in Baghdad when his vehicle was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade.
Houston Chronicle -- Cpl. Steven Candelo grew up with dreams of becoming a soldier.
His sisters recall his desire to wear a uniform from the time he was a toddler. His closest childhood friend remembered playing war games with Candelo when they were boys and pretending the firecrackers they tossed on the Fourth of July were bombs.
Now Candelo, 20, has become the ultimate hero in uniform — giving his life for his country while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The Elsik High School graduate — who was engaged to be married, owned his own home and was the first in his family to sign up for college — died March 26 in Baghdad when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle.
His family takes comfort knowing Candelo died doing what he loved.
"There's pain inside of me," said Candelo's mother, Julia Martinez. "But I'm proud of him. He was my only boy. ... He was a real good son.
"I always told him, 'Take care, because if you lose your life, it will be like I'm losing mine.' He said, 'Don't worry, Mom. Everything's going to be OK,' " Martinez said tearfully.
For Candelo, the U.S. Army wasn't just a stepping stone — he planned for it to be his lifelong career. And the war being fought in Iraq only strengthened his resolve. His family can't recall him showing any fear of combat.
"He wasn't scared of anything, actually," said his sister, 17-year-old Ivanna Candelo.
"He thought he was doing his job to protect the (Iraqi) people," said his other sister, 15-year-old Erica Candelo.
Neighbors in the family's southwest Harris County neighborhood off Addicks Clodine Road have shown their support, adorning their yards with yellow ribbons.
Steven Candelo was still in high school when he joined the U.S. Army three years ago. Assigned to the 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Calvary Regiment, he was first stationed in Vilseck, Germany.
After making his final visit home to Houston for a two-week period between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, Candelo departed for Iraq in December.
He had planned for a future in Houston, purchasing the home next door to his mother's about six months ago.
"We talked every week, every two weeks," Martinez said. Though she was fearful for her son's well-being in Iraq, she said, "I tried to support him because he loved it."
They last spoke two days before his death. "He said, 'Take care of my sisters, take care of the parrot,' " Martinez said, referring to the pet her son gave her for a Christmas gift during his final visit home. "He said, 'I love you.' "
Candelo's remains are expected to be returned to Houston on Thursday or Friday, his family says. At that time, they will begin planning his funeral service.
Among those waiting to welcome Candelo home is his fiancee and high school sweetheart, Erica Vasquez, 19, who has worn his engagement ring for a year.
On Tuesday, the University of Houston-Downtown student proudly showed the wedding band she had purchased for Candelo for their planned nuptials next year.
"All my crying and everything won't bring him back," said Vasquez, her voice breaking with emotion. "I know he's in a better place. Of course, I am proud of him. I will always love him until the day I die."
Army Cpl. Steven I. Candelo was killed in action on 3/26/08.
Army Cpl. Steven I. Candelo, 20, of Houston
Cpl. Candelo was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany; died March 26, 2007 in Baghdad when his vehicle was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade.
Houston Chronicle -- Cpl. Steven Candelo grew up with dreams of becoming a soldier.
His sisters recall his desire to wear a uniform from the time he was a toddler. His closest childhood friend remembered playing war games with Candelo when they were boys and pretending the firecrackers they tossed on the Fourth of July were bombs.
Now Candelo, 20, has become the ultimate hero in uniform — giving his life for his country while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The Elsik High School graduate — who was engaged to be married, owned his own home and was the first in his family to sign up for college — died March 26 in Baghdad when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle.
His family takes comfort knowing Candelo died doing what he loved.
"There's pain inside of me," said Candelo's mother, Julia Martinez. "But I'm proud of him. He was my only boy. ... He was a real good son.
"I always told him, 'Take care, because if you lose your life, it will be like I'm losing mine.' He said, 'Don't worry, Mom. Everything's going to be OK,' " Martinez said tearfully.
For Candelo, the U.S. Army wasn't just a stepping stone — he planned for it to be his lifelong career. And the war being fought in Iraq only strengthened his resolve. His family can't recall him showing any fear of combat.
"He wasn't scared of anything, actually," said his sister, 17-year-old Ivanna Candelo.
"He thought he was doing his job to protect the (Iraqi) people," said his other sister, 15-year-old Erica Candelo.
Neighbors in the family's southwest Harris County neighborhood off Addicks Clodine Road have shown their support, adorning their yards with yellow ribbons.
Steven Candelo was still in high school when he joined the U.S. Army three years ago. Assigned to the 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Calvary Regiment, he was first stationed in Vilseck, Germany.
After making his final visit home to Houston for a two-week period between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, Candelo departed for Iraq in December.
He had planned for a future in Houston, purchasing the home next door to his mother's about six months ago.
"We talked every week, every two weeks," Martinez said. Though she was fearful for her son's well-being in Iraq, she said, "I tried to support him because he loved it."
They last spoke two days before his death. "He said, 'Take care of my sisters, take care of the parrot,' " Martinez said, referring to the pet her son gave her for a Christmas gift during his final visit home. "He said, 'I love you.' "
Candelo's remains are expected to be returned to Houston on Thursday or Friday, his family says. At that time, they will begin planning his funeral service.
Among those waiting to welcome Candelo home is his fiancee and high school sweetheart, Erica Vasquez, 19, who has worn his engagement ring for a year.
On Tuesday, the University of Houston-Downtown student proudly showed the wedding band she had purchased for Candelo for their planned nuptials next year.
"All my crying and everything won't bring him back," said Vasquez, her voice breaking with emotion. "I know he's in a better place. Of course, I am proud of him. I will always love him until the day I die."
Army Cpl. Steven I. Candelo was killed in action on 3/26/08.
Army Spc. Gregory B. Rundell
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Gregory B. Rundell, 21, of Ramsey, Minn.
Spc. Rundell was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, died March 26, 2008 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds sustained from small arms fire.
North St. Paul soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
ST. PAUL — A soldier from North St. Paul who died in Iraq joined the Army because he thought it would help him achieve his dream of becoming a police officer, relatives said Thursday night.
Army Spec. Gregory B. Rundell, 21, was killed by a sniper Wednesday while manning a guard tower at a base just north of Baghdad, they said.
“I believe Greg gave the ultimate sacrifice. He is a hero in my heart and life,” said his mother, Joanne Richardson, of North St. Paul. “I stand tall and brave, because my son stood tall and brave.”
Rundell was a graduate of North St. Paul High School and had been in Iraq for about three months. His mother told reporters he joined the Army in 2005.
“I would like you all to know that Greg was a good kid,” Richardson said. “When he told me about his decision to join the Army, it broke my heart because I knew this day might come.”
Sgt. Kyle Richardson of the Minnesota National Guard, who recently returned from Iraq, was among four siblings who also attended the news conference at the St. Paul National Guard Armory.
“He knew what the risks were. ... He believed in a cause that was greater than his own,” Kyle Richardson said.
Rundell was due to serve around another year in Iraq. His family said he planned to go to college after he got out of the Army and dreamed of becoming a police officer.
“He had a smile and gentle spirit that drew many people to him,” his mother said.
The family decided to announce his death themselves rather than wait for the official Department of Defense announcement.
Funeral arrangements were still being planned.
Rundell was the 72nd person with strong Minnesota ties to die in connection with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In a letter written from basic training in Fort Benning, Ga., Rundell told his mother not to worry about him, but to take heart, even if the worst happened:
“Please don’t shed a tear for me,” he wrote. “Don’t worry. I don’t want tears of loss, but tears of happiness for what I was able to do.”
Army Spc. Gregory B. Rundell was killed in action on 3/26/08.
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Army Spc. Gregory B. Rundell, 21, of Ramsey, Minn.
Spc. Rundell was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, died March 26, 2008 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds sustained from small arms fire.
North St. Paul soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
ST. PAUL — A soldier from North St. Paul who died in Iraq joined the Army because he thought it would help him achieve his dream of becoming a police officer, relatives said Thursday night.
Army Spec. Gregory B. Rundell, 21, was killed by a sniper Wednesday while manning a guard tower at a base just north of Baghdad, they said.
“I believe Greg gave the ultimate sacrifice. He is a hero in my heart and life,” said his mother, Joanne Richardson, of North St. Paul. “I stand tall and brave, because my son stood tall and brave.”
Rundell was a graduate of North St. Paul High School and had been in Iraq for about three months. His mother told reporters he joined the Army in 2005.
“I would like you all to know that Greg was a good kid,” Richardson said. “When he told me about his decision to join the Army, it broke my heart because I knew this day might come.”
Sgt. Kyle Richardson of the Minnesota National Guard, who recently returned from Iraq, was among four siblings who also attended the news conference at the St. Paul National Guard Armory.
“He knew what the risks were. ... He believed in a cause that was greater than his own,” Kyle Richardson said.
Rundell was due to serve around another year in Iraq. His family said he planned to go to college after he got out of the Army and dreamed of becoming a police officer.
“He had a smile and gentle spirit that drew many people to him,” his mother said.
The family decided to announce his death themselves rather than wait for the official Department of Defense announcement.
Funeral arrangements were still being planned.
Rundell was the 72nd person with strong Minnesota ties to die in connection with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In a letter written from basic training in Fort Benning, Ga., Rundell told his mother not to worry about him, but to take heart, even if the worst happened:
“Please don’t shed a tear for me,” he wrote. “Don’t worry. I don’t want tears of loss, but tears of happiness for what I was able to do.”
Army Spc. Gregory B. Rundell was killed in action on 3/26/08.
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Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Army Staff Sgt. Joseph D. Gamboa
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Joseph D. Gamboa, 34, of Yigo, Guam
SSgt. Gamboa was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany; died Mar. 25, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds suffered when he came under indirect fire.
‘He did it for his family’: Gamboa remembered as a dedicated family man
By Stephanie Godlewski
Pacific Daily News
As family and friends of Staff Sgt. Joseph Gamboa mourn his death, they also are reflecting on the life of the dedicated family man.
The Department of Defense states that Gamboa, of the 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany, came under indirect fire on March 25 and was killed.
Joseph Gamboa’s brother, Vince Gamboa, said the soldier loved spear fishing and nights on the town with his friends.
“His hobby most of the time was spear fishing,” Vince Gamboa said. “We’d go karaoke, bowling. We used to go out drinking together.”
It wasn’t only the times they spent going out together that Vince Gamboa remembers, but also the life lessons he had the chance to teach his little brother.
“I’d teach him. I helped dress him nice so the girls would look at him,” Vince Gamboa said. “I taught him to drive.”
But Joseph Gamboa’s life was not without a little teenage mischief.
“I took him out to (a bar) when he was only 16. I gave him one of my ID’s,” Vince Gamboa remembers.
The brother said Joseph Gamboa would argue with his old siblings on occasion, but whenever he got into trouble with his parents, the older siblings were the ones helping Joseph Gamboa get back in his parent’s good graces.
“He was always arguing with the older ones and then when he was in trouble, we’d go bail him out,” Vince Gamboa said.
It was during his teenage years that Joseph Gamboa met the love of his life, his wife Michelle.
“They met at a family gathering. She was a friend of our cousin. They were just teenagers,” Vince Gamboa said. “Whoever thought they’d get married? They’re opposites.”
But the opposites attracted and produced five children — Tia, Austin, Ashton, Avery and Isabella.
Vince Gamboa said he remembers when his brother became a father for the first time.
“He couldn’t believe it. He was so excited,” Vince Gamboa said.
He also remembers when his brother joined the army.
“The thing about him joining the military was he wanted to. He quit smoking and drinking, started training before he went to basic. He did it for his family,” Vince Gamboa said.
He spoke to his brother the day before he died and told him to be careful. It was only two weeks before the soldier was to return home.
“I told him ‘Stay tough, duck your head and if you have to run, run.’”
Vince Gamboa said the family is hosting nightly rosaries at its home in Dededo. Michelle Gamboa and her five children are scheduled to arrive over the weekend or early next week and funeral arrangements will be announced then.
Guam Congressional delegate Madeleine Bordallo extended her sympathies to the soldier’s relatives for the difficult time they are facing.
“Staff Sgt. Joseph Gamboa was a brave soldier who loved his family, his country, and our island. I join our community in mourning his loss, and in prayer for his wife, children, and family,” Bordallo said.
“Staff Sgt. Gamboa gave the ultimate sacrifice for his nation and we are deeply appreciative of his commitment to preserving our freedom. He inspires us with his selfless dedication and we honor him. On behalf of our island community, I have personally expressed deep condolences to the family of Staff Sgt. Gamboa. I extend these same sympathies to all who knew and loved him. His service to our country and our island will be honored always.”
Speaker Judith Won Pat also expressed her condolences.
“Guam is saddened by the terrible loss of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Joseph Gamboa,” she said in a statement. “On behalf of the members of I Mina’ Bente Nuebi Na Liheslaturan Guahan, we send our sympathies to the Gamboa family. Our prayers are with them during their time of mourning.”
Army Staff Sgt. Joseph D. Gamboa was killed in action on 3/25/08.
Army Staff Sgt. Joseph D. Gamboa, 34, of Yigo, Guam
SSgt. Gamboa was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany; died Mar. 25, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds suffered when he came under indirect fire.
‘He did it for his family’: Gamboa remembered as a dedicated family man
By Stephanie Godlewski
Pacific Daily News
As family and friends of Staff Sgt. Joseph Gamboa mourn his death, they also are reflecting on the life of the dedicated family man.
The Department of Defense states that Gamboa, of the 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany, came under indirect fire on March 25 and was killed.
Joseph Gamboa’s brother, Vince Gamboa, said the soldier loved spear fishing and nights on the town with his friends.
“His hobby most of the time was spear fishing,” Vince Gamboa said. “We’d go karaoke, bowling. We used to go out drinking together.”
It wasn’t only the times they spent going out together that Vince Gamboa remembers, but also the life lessons he had the chance to teach his little brother.
“I’d teach him. I helped dress him nice so the girls would look at him,” Vince Gamboa said. “I taught him to drive.”
But Joseph Gamboa’s life was not without a little teenage mischief.
“I took him out to (a bar) when he was only 16. I gave him one of my ID’s,” Vince Gamboa remembers.
The brother said Joseph Gamboa would argue with his old siblings on occasion, but whenever he got into trouble with his parents, the older siblings were the ones helping Joseph Gamboa get back in his parent’s good graces.
“He was always arguing with the older ones and then when he was in trouble, we’d go bail him out,” Vince Gamboa said.
It was during his teenage years that Joseph Gamboa met the love of his life, his wife Michelle.
“They met at a family gathering. She was a friend of our cousin. They were just teenagers,” Vince Gamboa said. “Whoever thought they’d get married? They’re opposites.”
But the opposites attracted and produced five children — Tia, Austin, Ashton, Avery and Isabella.
Vince Gamboa said he remembers when his brother became a father for the first time.
“He couldn’t believe it. He was so excited,” Vince Gamboa said.
He also remembers when his brother joined the army.
“The thing about him joining the military was he wanted to. He quit smoking and drinking, started training before he went to basic. He did it for his family,” Vince Gamboa said.
He spoke to his brother the day before he died and told him to be careful. It was only two weeks before the soldier was to return home.
“I told him ‘Stay tough, duck your head and if you have to run, run.’”
Vince Gamboa said the family is hosting nightly rosaries at its home in Dededo. Michelle Gamboa and her five children are scheduled to arrive over the weekend or early next week and funeral arrangements will be announced then.
Guam Congressional delegate Madeleine Bordallo extended her sympathies to the soldier’s relatives for the difficult time they are facing.
“Staff Sgt. Joseph Gamboa was a brave soldier who loved his family, his country, and our island. I join our community in mourning his loss, and in prayer for his wife, children, and family,” Bordallo said.
“Staff Sgt. Gamboa gave the ultimate sacrifice for his nation and we are deeply appreciative of his commitment to preserving our freedom. He inspires us with his selfless dedication and we honor him. On behalf of our island community, I have personally expressed deep condolences to the family of Staff Sgt. Gamboa. I extend these same sympathies to all who knew and loved him. His service to our country and our island will be honored always.”
Speaker Judith Won Pat also expressed her condolences.
“Guam is saddened by the terrible loss of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Joseph Gamboa,” she said in a statement. “On behalf of the members of I Mina’ Bente Nuebi Na Liheslaturan Guahan, we send our sympathies to the Gamboa family. Our prayers are with them during their time of mourning.”
Army Staff Sgt. Joseph D. Gamboa was killed in action on 3/25/08.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Army Cpl. Jose A. Rubio Hernandez
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Jose A. Rubio Hernandez, 24, of Mission, Texas
Cpl. Hernandez was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died March 24, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device on March 23. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Christopher M. Hake, Pfc. Andrew J. Habsieger and Pfc. George Delgado.
MISSION, Texas — Before he returned to duty in Iraq, Army Spc. Jose “Joe” Rubio Hernandez told his family that it would likely be the last time they saw him alive.
Rubio, 24, and three other soldiers died Monday, a day after a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Baghdad. Their deaths tipped the war’s death toll for American soldiers over the 4,000 mark.
During a visit to his border hometown in January, Rubio was stunned by how much his son Nikolai — now 11 months — had grown. His family was struck by his appearance, his brother and wife said Thursday.
Rubio had lost almost 30 pounds, confessed to sleeping only a couple hours per night in Iraq and ate little of his mother’s Mexican homecooking. He told them he was scared.
Before he left he stared into the eyes of older brother Edgar Rubio and said, “Do you realize this is going to be the last time you see me?” Edgar recalled Thursday.
Killed with Rubio were Pvt. George Delgado, 21, of Palmdale, Calif., Staff Sgt. Christopher M. Hake, 26, of Enid, Okla. and Pfc. Andrew J. Habsieger, 22, of Festus, Mo. They were assigned to the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Ga.
“He wanted to be known for something and now he is,” said his wife Jennifer Guerra, Nikolai asleep in her arms.
It was an abrupt end for Rubio, the youngest of nine siblings. He was the family’s most educated — he had an associates degree in computer science and hoped one day to earn a doctorate — and was on the verge of becoming the family’s first American citizen.
Rubio had filled out the paperwork for becoming a citizen, a process expedited for those serving in the military, but had not submitted it, Guerra said.
Guerra and Rubio met at the movies when she was 16 and he was 14. He was fascinated by computers and video games. He built his own computers and dreamed of programming his own video games.
“He was one of those who would figure it out himself,” Guerra said. “He would stay there until he figured it out.”
Rubio and Guerra dated through high school and Rubio went on to feed his passion for computers at South Texas College. He already knew he wanted to enlist in the Army, but wanted a degree to improve his chances for advancement, Edgar Rubio said. Guerra and Rubio married after basic training. Nikolai Cyrus Rubio was born while Rubio was stationed at Fort Stewart, just months before his deployment to Iraq.
When Rubio returned for a visit in January, Guerra said “he came back a totally different person — more quiet, serious.”
Rubio was frustrated that Nikolai was slow to warm up to him. But after he was home for a few days Rubio seemed to relax more. He spent time with his son, played video games and watched movies.
Edgar Rubio was amazed that his brother was more aware of new movies and technology than he was even after being in Iraq. The last movie they watched together was Will Ferrell’s spoof on figure skating, “Blades of Glory.” They laughed and laughed, Edgar Rubio said.
Of his siblings, Rubio felt the strongest about giving back to his adopted country. His family had moved from Reynosa, Mexico when he was 4, but he realized what his life would have been like if they had stayed in Mexico, Edgar Rubio said.
Rubio’s sacrifice inspired his brother Edgar. At age 32 he has gone back to school to earn a college degree and will begin the citizenship process this year so he can set a good example for his nephew.
“My brother gave his life for this country,” Edgar Rubio said. “He felt appreciation for this country.”
Army Cpl. Jose A. Rubio Hernandez was killed in action on 3/24/08.
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Army Cpl. Jose A. Rubio Hernandez, 24, of Mission, Texas
Cpl. Hernandez was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died March 24, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device on March 23. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Christopher M. Hake, Pfc. Andrew J. Habsieger and Pfc. George Delgado.
MISSION, Texas — Before he returned to duty in Iraq, Army Spc. Jose “Joe” Rubio Hernandez told his family that it would likely be the last time they saw him alive.
Rubio, 24, and three other soldiers died Monday, a day after a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Baghdad. Their deaths tipped the war’s death toll for American soldiers over the 4,000 mark.
During a visit to his border hometown in January, Rubio was stunned by how much his son Nikolai — now 11 months — had grown. His family was struck by his appearance, his brother and wife said Thursday.
Rubio had lost almost 30 pounds, confessed to sleeping only a couple hours per night in Iraq and ate little of his mother’s Mexican homecooking. He told them he was scared.
Before he left he stared into the eyes of older brother Edgar Rubio and said, “Do you realize this is going to be the last time you see me?” Edgar recalled Thursday.
Killed with Rubio were Pvt. George Delgado, 21, of Palmdale, Calif., Staff Sgt. Christopher M. Hake, 26, of Enid, Okla. and Pfc. Andrew J. Habsieger, 22, of Festus, Mo. They were assigned to the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Ga.
“He wanted to be known for something and now he is,” said his wife Jennifer Guerra, Nikolai asleep in her arms.
It was an abrupt end for Rubio, the youngest of nine siblings. He was the family’s most educated — he had an associates degree in computer science and hoped one day to earn a doctorate — and was on the verge of becoming the family’s first American citizen.
Rubio had filled out the paperwork for becoming a citizen, a process expedited for those serving in the military, but had not submitted it, Guerra said.
Guerra and Rubio met at the movies when she was 16 and he was 14. He was fascinated by computers and video games. He built his own computers and dreamed of programming his own video games.
“He was one of those who would figure it out himself,” Guerra said. “He would stay there until he figured it out.”
Rubio and Guerra dated through high school and Rubio went on to feed his passion for computers at South Texas College. He already knew he wanted to enlist in the Army, but wanted a degree to improve his chances for advancement, Edgar Rubio said. Guerra and Rubio married after basic training. Nikolai Cyrus Rubio was born while Rubio was stationed at Fort Stewart, just months before his deployment to Iraq.
When Rubio returned for a visit in January, Guerra said “he came back a totally different person — more quiet, serious.”
Rubio was frustrated that Nikolai was slow to warm up to him. But after he was home for a few days Rubio seemed to relax more. He spent time with his son, played video games and watched movies.
Edgar Rubio was amazed that his brother was more aware of new movies and technology than he was even after being in Iraq. The last movie they watched together was Will Ferrell’s spoof on figure skating, “Blades of Glory.” They laughed and laughed, Edgar Rubio said.
Of his siblings, Rubio felt the strongest about giving back to his adopted country. His family had moved from Reynosa, Mexico when he was 4, but he realized what his life would have been like if they had stayed in Mexico, Edgar Rubio said.
Rubio’s sacrifice inspired his brother Edgar. At age 32 he has gone back to school to earn a college degree and will begin the citizenship process this year so he can set a good example for his nephew.
“My brother gave his life for this country,” Edgar Rubio said. “He felt appreciation for this country.”
Army Cpl. Jose A. Rubio Hernandez was killed in action on 3/24/08.
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Army Pfc. George Delgado
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. George Delgado, 21, of Palmdale, Calif.
Pfc. Delgado was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died March 24, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device on March 23. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Christopher M. Hake, Pfc. Andrew J. Habsieger and Cpl. Jose A. Rubio Hernandez.
LA Daily News -- An Army private from Palmdale was among four soldiers killed this week in Iraq in an explosion that brought to 4,000 the tally of U.S. servicemen and -women who have died in the Iraq war.
Pvt. George Delgado, 21, died Monday from wounds suffered when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device the day before - Easter Sunday.
"He was a very fun, outgoing, lovable, excited-about-life person," said Palmdale resident Alysse Pernula, 20, who met Delgado at Desert Christian High School. "He always had a smile."
She said he had talked about going into the military and was excited about the prospect.
Since he was sent to Iraq, the friends had talked online through the MySpace and Facebook Web sites. They last chatted a couple of weeks ago, Pernula said.
"I'm really just praying for his family," she said.
In a statement issued Thursday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called Delgado a "true patriot" and ordered Capitol flags to be flown today at half-staff.
Assemblywoman Sharon Runner, R-Lancaster, and her husband, state Sen. George Runner, also a Lancaster Republican, are the founders of Desert Christian Schools.
"Our prayers go out to the family of Pvt. Delgado during this difficult time," Sharon Runner said in a statement. "The Antelope Valley lost a great American - a true patriot and protector of our freedom."
Also today, students at Desert Christian will remember Delgado at a morning assembly.
Coincidentally, another Desert Christian graduate who joined the Army, 20-year-old Patrick Lee, will be at the assembly to thank students for packages sent to him in Iraq.
Delgado joined the Army in May 2007 and was assigned in September to Fort Stewart in Georgia.
Delgado attended Palmdale High School, then transferred to Desert Christian for his senior year, graduating in 2004.
"He was a pretty quiet young man that just had a great zest for life," said Devin Thomas, Desert Christian dean of students. "Once you got to know him, he was a funny young man, a delight to be around."
The two had formed a friendship and Delgado visited after his graduation with thoughts of becoming a teacher, Thomas said. "Sometimes you get kids in and you kind of develop a bond," Thomas said. "When we got the news today, it floored us."
Principal Beth Elder spoke with Delgado's mother, who called with the news her son had died.
"She called us, which was very sweet. I don't think I could have done this. She said they're OK, but it's very hard," Elder said.
LANCASTER - Marine Lance Cpl. Patrick Lee walked through the gymnasium of Desert Christian High School on Friday morning to a standing ovation from hundreds of students.
A graduate of the Lancaster school, Lee had come to thank the students for care packages they sent last Christmas while he was in Iraq.
"It was a huge blessing for us and the Iraqi people," the 19-year-old Lee said of the candy that he shared with Iraqi children. "I just want to say thank you for all your support and all your prayers."
But Lee's visit was tinged with sadness, coming the day students learned that another school grad - U.S. Army Pvt. George Delgado - died Monday in Baghdad after his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device on Easter Sunday.
Delgado's 2004 senior portrait - complete with a fresh tuxedo - was displayed on a screen against one of the gym's walls as administrators remembered the former student and encouraged others to pray for him and his family.
Cecil Swetland, chief executive officer of Desert Christian, paused for a moment while saying Delgado's rank and name aloud.
When Delgado attended Desert Christian High School for his senior year, the school's current seniors were only in eighth grade, Swetland said - but perhaps their older siblings knew him.
And when Delgado's body is returned to the United States, Swetland said, he wants students to welcome him back to Southern California.
"Our mission is to be a support for his family and friends and to honor his memory and the sacrifice that he and so many others have made," Swetland said.
And Swetland read from Philippians 4:6-7.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God," Swetland read.
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Dean of Students Devin Thomas recalled Delgado visiting the school after he had graduated and discussing his desire to become a teacher.
Thomas said he was shocked by the news of Delgado's death.
"It was tough for me to sleep," said Thomas, who took the opportunity Friday to emphasize to the school's students just how special they are.
"You are near and dear to our hearts, more than you will ever imagine," Thomas said. "We would want it no other way."
When Delgado was a senior at Desert Christian, Lee was a sophomore.
"He was a cool guy - happy, willing to help," said Lee, stationed in Iraq from July 2007 until last month.
Members of the football team stood and saluted Lee, a former center on the Desert Christian Knights squad, and recited the team chant.
"What is a knight? Brother's keeper. What is a knight? Warrior. What is a knight? Champion."
Lee, of Lancaster, joined in the second time.
Lee's fiancee, Kathy Samudio, who graduated from the high school in 2005, said she had been text-messaging and instant messaging Delgado since he went to Iraq.
"It was really difficult for him to adjust at first and then he started doing well," said Samudio, 20, of San Diego.
She said she hadn't heard from him for a few weeks and was stunned by the news that she had lost a friend.
Shock and disbelief were common emotions throughout the high school.
"It is eye-opening," said junior Brianna Bloemendaal. "In our school, we have that feeling we will be OK."
But Delgado's death is motivating her to not wait for tomorrow, she said.
"It's inspiring to see a student from here serve our country and sacrifice their lives for something bigger than themselves," said Bloemendaal, 16, of Quartz Hill.
Thomas reminded students that men like Delgado and Lee protect their freedom.
"When we stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance, it is not something that is taken very lightly," he said. "It is something that people are standing and fighting for - our continued freedom, to make things much better and to keep things safe for you and for me."
After learning of Delgado's death, senior Cody Stegman, who plans to join the U.S. Marine Corps after graduation, is even more motivated to fight for his country.
"It makes me angry when it is a roadside bomb," said the 18-year-old from Rosamond. "You can't see the enemy."
But he is confident the military is his calling.
"This is for me," Stegman said. "I need to do this."
Shortly before Pvt. George Delgado deployed to Iraq, he confided to a friend that he might not return.
It was a reality that the 21-year-old Fort Stewart, Ga.,-based soldier said he understood was part of the job.
And it became reality Monday when the Army announced the deaths of Delgado and three other soldiers, a day after a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Baghdad. The deaths pushed the military's count of U.S. service members killed in Iraq to 4,000.
"He would mention it. He said 'I don't know if I am coming back,'" Nolan Browning, one of Delgado's best friends, told The Associated Press.
"He said he knew the danger he faced as a soldier. He worried about it a little bit. But he knew what was expected of him."
Delgado told friends his biggest concern wasn't himself, but his family.
"That's what he worried about most," said Browning, 22. "That was a huge part of him, his family. He was more worried about his mom" than himself.
Word of Delgado's death trickled out slowly in Palmdale, Delgado's home 65 miles north of Los Angeles in the Antelope Valley. By Thursday morning, friends had begun posting memorial messages on Delgado's pages on the social networking sites Facebook and MySpace.
"I'm at a loss of words. Our memories will live with me forever. Rest in Peace my dear friend," wrote Alysse Pernula, who attended high school with Delgado.
Reached by telephone, Pernula described Delgado as "full of life."
"He was very adventurous, outgoing and fun loving," she said.
At Desert Christian High School, where Delgado graduated in 2004, Devin Thomas, the dean of discipline and incoming principal, gathered staff and students together during a lunch break to pray for Delgado and his family.
Teachers and administrators remembered a young man with "an infectious, unique sense of humor."
"From day 1, that was his personality—to laugh and to joke and to have a good time," Thomas said.
Browning said Delgado bounced between wanting to be a teacher and wanting to become a law enforcement officer. Delgado attended Antelope Valley Community College before joining the Army.
"One of the reasons he went into the military was he was searching for what he wanted to do," he said.
Browning last saw Delgado when he returned from Iraq on leave in December. Browning recalled the soldier was more confident, more disciplined than the young man he went to high school and later college with.
"He kind of found direction and purpose with the Army," Browning said.
Army Pfc. George Delgado was killed in action on 3/24/08.
Army Pfc. George Delgado, 21, of Palmdale, Calif.
Pfc. Delgado was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died March 24, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device on March 23. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Christopher M. Hake, Pfc. Andrew J. Habsieger and Cpl. Jose A. Rubio Hernandez.
LA Daily News -- An Army private from Palmdale was among four soldiers killed this week in Iraq in an explosion that brought to 4,000 the tally of U.S. servicemen and -women who have died in the Iraq war.
Pvt. George Delgado, 21, died Monday from wounds suffered when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device the day before - Easter Sunday.
"He was a very fun, outgoing, lovable, excited-about-life person," said Palmdale resident Alysse Pernula, 20, who met Delgado at Desert Christian High School. "He always had a smile."
She said he had talked about going into the military and was excited about the prospect.
Since he was sent to Iraq, the friends had talked online through the MySpace and Facebook Web sites. They last chatted a couple of weeks ago, Pernula said.
"I'm really just praying for his family," she said.
In a statement issued Thursday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called Delgado a "true patriot" and ordered Capitol flags to be flown today at half-staff.
Assemblywoman Sharon Runner, R-Lancaster, and her husband, state Sen. George Runner, also a Lancaster Republican, are the founders of Desert Christian Schools.
"Our prayers go out to the family of Pvt. Delgado during this difficult time," Sharon Runner said in a statement. "The Antelope Valley lost a great American - a true patriot and protector of our freedom."
Also today, students at Desert Christian will remember Delgado at a morning assembly.
Coincidentally, another Desert Christian graduate who joined the Army, 20-year-old Patrick Lee, will be at the assembly to thank students for packages sent to him in Iraq.
Delgado joined the Army in May 2007 and was assigned in September to Fort Stewart in Georgia.
Delgado attended Palmdale High School, then transferred to Desert Christian for his senior year, graduating in 2004.
"He was a pretty quiet young man that just had a great zest for life," said Devin Thomas, Desert Christian dean of students. "Once you got to know him, he was a funny young man, a delight to be around."
The two had formed a friendship and Delgado visited after his graduation with thoughts of becoming a teacher, Thomas said. "Sometimes you get kids in and you kind of develop a bond," Thomas said. "When we got the news today, it floored us."
Principal Beth Elder spoke with Delgado's mother, who called with the news her son had died.
"She called us, which was very sweet. I don't think I could have done this. She said they're OK, but it's very hard," Elder said.
LANCASTER - Marine Lance Cpl. Patrick Lee walked through the gymnasium of Desert Christian High School on Friday morning to a standing ovation from hundreds of students.
A graduate of the Lancaster school, Lee had come to thank the students for care packages they sent last Christmas while he was in Iraq.
"It was a huge blessing for us and the Iraqi people," the 19-year-old Lee said of the candy that he shared with Iraqi children. "I just want to say thank you for all your support and all your prayers."
But Lee's visit was tinged with sadness, coming the day students learned that another school grad - U.S. Army Pvt. George Delgado - died Monday in Baghdad after his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device on Easter Sunday.
Delgado's 2004 senior portrait - complete with a fresh tuxedo - was displayed on a screen against one of the gym's walls as administrators remembered the former student and encouraged others to pray for him and his family.
Cecil Swetland, chief executive officer of Desert Christian, paused for a moment while saying Delgado's rank and name aloud.
When Delgado attended Desert Christian High School for his senior year, the school's current seniors were only in eighth grade, Swetland said - but perhaps their older siblings knew him.
And when Delgado's body is returned to the United States, Swetland said, he wants students to welcome him back to Southern California.
"Our mission is to be a support for his family and friends and to honor his memory and the sacrifice that he and so many others have made," Swetland said.
And Swetland read from Philippians 4:6-7.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God," Swetland read.
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Dean of Students Devin Thomas recalled Delgado visiting the school after he had graduated and discussing his desire to become a teacher.
Thomas said he was shocked by the news of Delgado's death.
"It was tough for me to sleep," said Thomas, who took the opportunity Friday to emphasize to the school's students just how special they are.
"You are near and dear to our hearts, more than you will ever imagine," Thomas said. "We would want it no other way."
When Delgado was a senior at Desert Christian, Lee was a sophomore.
"He was a cool guy - happy, willing to help," said Lee, stationed in Iraq from July 2007 until last month.
Members of the football team stood and saluted Lee, a former center on the Desert Christian Knights squad, and recited the team chant.
"What is a knight? Brother's keeper. What is a knight? Warrior. What is a knight? Champion."
Lee, of Lancaster, joined in the second time.
Lee's fiancee, Kathy Samudio, who graduated from the high school in 2005, said she had been text-messaging and instant messaging Delgado since he went to Iraq.
"It was really difficult for him to adjust at first and then he started doing well," said Samudio, 20, of San Diego.
She said she hadn't heard from him for a few weeks and was stunned by the news that she had lost a friend.
Shock and disbelief were common emotions throughout the high school.
"It is eye-opening," said junior Brianna Bloemendaal. "In our school, we have that feeling we will be OK."
But Delgado's death is motivating her to not wait for tomorrow, she said.
"It's inspiring to see a student from here serve our country and sacrifice their lives for something bigger than themselves," said Bloemendaal, 16, of Quartz Hill.
Thomas reminded students that men like Delgado and Lee protect their freedom.
"When we stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance, it is not something that is taken very lightly," he said. "It is something that people are standing and fighting for - our continued freedom, to make things much better and to keep things safe for you and for me."
After learning of Delgado's death, senior Cody Stegman, who plans to join the U.S. Marine Corps after graduation, is even more motivated to fight for his country.
"It makes me angry when it is a roadside bomb," said the 18-year-old from Rosamond. "You can't see the enemy."
But he is confident the military is his calling.
"This is for me," Stegman said. "I need to do this."
Shortly before Pvt. George Delgado deployed to Iraq, he confided to a friend that he might not return.
It was a reality that the 21-year-old Fort Stewart, Ga.,-based soldier said he understood was part of the job.
And it became reality Monday when the Army announced the deaths of Delgado and three other soldiers, a day after a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Baghdad. The deaths pushed the military's count of U.S. service members killed in Iraq to 4,000.
"He would mention it. He said 'I don't know if I am coming back,'" Nolan Browning, one of Delgado's best friends, told The Associated Press.
"He said he knew the danger he faced as a soldier. He worried about it a little bit. But he knew what was expected of him."
Delgado told friends his biggest concern wasn't himself, but his family.
"That's what he worried about most," said Browning, 22. "That was a huge part of him, his family. He was more worried about his mom" than himself.
Word of Delgado's death trickled out slowly in Palmdale, Delgado's home 65 miles north of Los Angeles in the Antelope Valley. By Thursday morning, friends had begun posting memorial messages on Delgado's pages on the social networking sites Facebook and MySpace.
"I'm at a loss of words. Our memories will live with me forever. Rest in Peace my dear friend," wrote Alysse Pernula, who attended high school with Delgado.
Reached by telephone, Pernula described Delgado as "full of life."
"He was very adventurous, outgoing and fun loving," she said.
At Desert Christian High School, where Delgado graduated in 2004, Devin Thomas, the dean of discipline and incoming principal, gathered staff and students together during a lunch break to pray for Delgado and his family.
Teachers and administrators remembered a young man with "an infectious, unique sense of humor."
"From day 1, that was his personality—to laugh and to joke and to have a good time," Thomas said.
Browning said Delgado bounced between wanting to be a teacher and wanting to become a law enforcement officer. Delgado attended Antelope Valley Community College before joining the Army.
"One of the reasons he went into the military was he was searching for what he wanted to do," he said.
Browning last saw Delgado when he returned from Iraq on leave in December. Browning recalled the soldier was more confident, more disciplined than the young man he went to high school and later college with.
"He kind of found direction and purpose with the Army," Browning said.
Army Pfc. George Delgado was killed in action on 3/24/08.
Army Pfc. Andrew J. Habsieger
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Andrew J. Habsieger, 22, of Festus, Mo.
Pfc. Habsieger was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died March 24, 2008 in Baghdad from wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device on March 23. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Christopher M. Hake, Pfc. George Delgado and Cpl. Jose A. Rubio Hernandez.
Andrew Habsieger, 22, was a standout football player at Festus High School in Festus, Mo., before he enlisted in the Army in 2004.
"He was one of those kids that was always proud to make sacrifices," said Joel Critchlow, Habsieger's football coach. "When he bought into something, he went 110%. There was no halfway with Andy."
Habsieger, who felt compelled to join the military because of the 9/11 attacks, also had a sense of humor. On his MySpace page, he wrote: "I am from a small town in Missouri called Festus. Right now I am visiting the beautiful country of Iraq."
Army Pfc. Andrew J. Habsieger was killed in action on 3/24/08.
Army Pfc. Andrew J. Habsieger, 22, of Festus, Mo.
Pfc. Habsieger was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died March 24, 2008 in Baghdad from wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device on March 23. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Christopher M. Hake, Pfc. George Delgado and Cpl. Jose A. Rubio Hernandez.
Andrew Habsieger, 22, was a standout football player at Festus High School in Festus, Mo., before he enlisted in the Army in 2004.
"He was one of those kids that was always proud to make sacrifices," said Joel Critchlow, Habsieger's football coach. "When he bought into something, he went 110%. There was no halfway with Andy."
Habsieger, who felt compelled to join the military because of the 9/11 attacks, also had a sense of humor. On his MySpace page, he wrote: "I am from a small town in Missouri called Festus. Right now I am visiting the beautiful country of Iraq."
Army Pfc. Andrew J. Habsieger was killed in action on 3/24/08.
Army Staff Sgt. Christopher M. Hake
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Christopher M. Hake, 26, of Enid, Okla.
SSgt. Hake was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died March 24, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device on March 23. Also killed were Pfc. George Delgado, Pfc. Andrew J. Habsieger and Cpl. Jose A. Rubio Hernandez.
Senate honors Enid soldier
The Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Senate paid tribute Tuesday to an Enid soldier killed Easter Sunday in Iraq.
Army Staff Sgt. Chris Hake was one of four soldiers who died when their vehicle was blown up by a roadside bomb in Baghdad.
Hake was a squad leader on his second tour of duty in Iraq with the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.
Sen. Patrick Anderson, R-Enid, said Hake “carried a passion for serving his country and community that inspired everyone around him. His leadership and patriotism were an example to all of us.”
Hake joined the Army after graduating from Oklahoma Bible Academy in 2000. He married to Kelli Short of Stillwater in 2004 and the couple had a son, Gage, in 2006
Army Staff Sgt. Christopher M. Hake was killed in action on 3/24/08.
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Army Staff Sgt. Christopher M. Hake, 26, of Enid, Okla.
SSgt. Hake was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died March 24, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device on March 23. Also killed were Pfc. George Delgado, Pfc. Andrew J. Habsieger and Cpl. Jose A. Rubio Hernandez.
Senate honors Enid soldier
The Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Senate paid tribute Tuesday to an Enid soldier killed Easter Sunday in Iraq.
Army Staff Sgt. Chris Hake was one of four soldiers who died when their vehicle was blown up by a roadside bomb in Baghdad.
Hake was a squad leader on his second tour of duty in Iraq with the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.
Sen. Patrick Anderson, R-Enid, said Hake “carried a passion for serving his country and community that inspired everyone around him. His leadership and patriotism were an example to all of us.”
Hake joined the Army after graduating from Oklahoma Bible Academy in 2000. He married to Kelli Short of Stillwater in 2004 and the couple had a son, Gage, in 2006
Army Staff Sgt. Christopher M. Hake was killed in action on 3/24/08.
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Saturday, March 22, 2008
Army Sgt. David B. Williams
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. David B. Williams, 26, of Tarboro, N.C.
Sgt. Williams was assigned to the 1132nd Military Police Company, North Carolina Army National Guard, Rocky Mount, N.C.; died March 22, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. Thomas C. Ray II and Spc. David S. Stelmat.
2 N.C. National Guard soldiers killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
RALEIGH, N.C. — Two soldiers from North Carolina assigned to a military police company that’s part of the North Carolina Army National Guard were killed over the weekend when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle near Baghdad, Iraq, authorities said.
Killed Saturday were Thomas C. Ray, 40, of Weaverville and Sgt. David Williams, 26, of Tarboro, both with the N.C. Army National Guard and assigned to the 1132 Military Police Co., which is based in Rocky Mount.
Also killed was Spc. David S. Stelmat, 27, of Littleton, N.H. Stelmat was a member of the New Hampshire Army National Guard assigned to the 1132.
Ray joined the Navy in 1985 and served three years on active duty. He joined the N.C. Army National Guard in May 2006.
He is survived by his wife Linda Kay; daughter Sydney Paige; and mother, Ozelle M. Ray.
Ozelle Ray recalled how her son asked her to sign an early enlistment waiver so he could join the Navy.
“I’m incredibly proud of my son,” she said in a statement provided by the Guard. “He gave his life doing what he wanted to do, and I can live with that.”
Thomas Ray, who was assigned to the 105th Military Police Battalion in Asheville, volunteered to join the 1132nd on its deployment to Iraq.
His wife said Ray hoped to make a difference in Iraq. “He wanted to save lives and bring back the younger guys,” she said, describing him as “a loving husband and father who is irreplaceable and will be greatly missed.”
Williams, who joined the N.C. Army National Guard in July 2003, was on his second tour of duty in Iraq. He is survived by his mother, Susan L. Williams, and sister, Mary Beth Williams.
Williams, whom family called Blake, “felt like he had a calling to serve,” his sister said.
He was apprehensive at first about returning to Iraq, his mother said.
“After he met some of the people over there this time, he knew he needed to be there, he was making a difference,” Susan Williams said.
Army Sgt. David B. Williams was killed in action on 3/22/08.
Army Sgt. David B. Williams, 26, of Tarboro, N.C.
Sgt. Williams was assigned to the 1132nd Military Police Company, North Carolina Army National Guard, Rocky Mount, N.C.; died March 22, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. Thomas C. Ray II and Spc. David S. Stelmat.
2 N.C. National Guard soldiers killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
RALEIGH, N.C. — Two soldiers from North Carolina assigned to a military police company that’s part of the North Carolina Army National Guard were killed over the weekend when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle near Baghdad, Iraq, authorities said.
Killed Saturday were Thomas C. Ray, 40, of Weaverville and Sgt. David Williams, 26, of Tarboro, both with the N.C. Army National Guard and assigned to the 1132 Military Police Co., which is based in Rocky Mount.
Also killed was Spc. David S. Stelmat, 27, of Littleton, N.H. Stelmat was a member of the New Hampshire Army National Guard assigned to the 1132.
Ray joined the Navy in 1985 and served three years on active duty. He joined the N.C. Army National Guard in May 2006.
He is survived by his wife Linda Kay; daughter Sydney Paige; and mother, Ozelle M. Ray.
Ozelle Ray recalled how her son asked her to sign an early enlistment waiver so he could join the Navy.
“I’m incredibly proud of my son,” she said in a statement provided by the Guard. “He gave his life doing what he wanted to do, and I can live with that.”
Thomas Ray, who was assigned to the 105th Military Police Battalion in Asheville, volunteered to join the 1132nd on its deployment to Iraq.
His wife said Ray hoped to make a difference in Iraq. “He wanted to save lives and bring back the younger guys,” she said, describing him as “a loving husband and father who is irreplaceable and will be greatly missed.”
Williams, who joined the N.C. Army National Guard in July 2003, was on his second tour of duty in Iraq. He is survived by his mother, Susan L. Williams, and sister, Mary Beth Williams.
Williams, whom family called Blake, “felt like he had a calling to serve,” his sister said.
He was apprehensive at first about returning to Iraq, his mother said.
“After he met some of the people over there this time, he knew he needed to be there, he was making a difference,” Susan Williams said.
Army Sgt. David B. Williams was killed in action on 3/22/08.
Army Sgt. Thomas C. Ray II
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Thomas C. Ray II, 40, of Weaverville, N.C.
Sgt. Ray was assigned to the 1132nd Military Police Company, North Carolina Army National Guard, Rocky Mount, N.C.; died March 22, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Spc. David S. Stelmat and Sgt. David B. Williams.
2 N.C. National Guard soldiers killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
RALEIGH, N.C. — Two soldiers from North Carolina assigned to a military police company that’s part of the North Carolina Army National Guard were killed over the weekend when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle near Baghdad, Iraq, authorities said.
Killed Saturday were Thomas C. Ray, 40, of Weaverville and Sgt. David Williams, 26, of Tarboro, both with the N.C. Army National Guard and assigned to the 1132 Military Police Co., which is based in Rocky Mount.
Also killed was Spc. David S. Stelmat, 27, of Littleton, N.H. Stelmat was a member of the New Hampshire Army National Guard assigned to the 1132.
Ray joined the Navy in 1985 and served three years on active duty. He joined the N.C. Army National Guard in May 2006.
He is survived by his wife Linda Kay; daughter Sydney Paige; and mother, Ozelle M. Ray.
Ozelle Ray recalled how her son asked her to sign an early enlistment waiver so he could join the Navy.
“I’m incredibly proud of my son,” she said in a statement provided by the Guard. “He gave his life doing what he wanted to do, and I can live with that.”
Thomas, who was assigned to the 105th Military Police Battalion in Asheville, volunteered to join the 1132nd on its deployment to Iraq.
His wife said Ray hoped to make a difference in Iraq. “He wanted to save lives and bring back the younger guys,” she said, describing him as “a loving husband and father who is irreplaceable and will be greatly missed.”
Army Sgt. Thomas C. Ray II was killed in action on 3/22/08.
Army Sgt. Thomas C. Ray II, 40, of Weaverville, N.C.
Sgt. Ray was assigned to the 1132nd Military Police Company, North Carolina Army National Guard, Rocky Mount, N.C.; died March 22, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Spc. David S. Stelmat and Sgt. David B. Williams.
2 N.C. National Guard soldiers killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
RALEIGH, N.C. — Two soldiers from North Carolina assigned to a military police company that’s part of the North Carolina Army National Guard were killed over the weekend when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle near Baghdad, Iraq, authorities said.
Killed Saturday were Thomas C. Ray, 40, of Weaverville and Sgt. David Williams, 26, of Tarboro, both with the N.C. Army National Guard and assigned to the 1132 Military Police Co., which is based in Rocky Mount.
Also killed was Spc. David S. Stelmat, 27, of Littleton, N.H. Stelmat was a member of the New Hampshire Army National Guard assigned to the 1132.
Ray joined the Navy in 1985 and served three years on active duty. He joined the N.C. Army National Guard in May 2006.
He is survived by his wife Linda Kay; daughter Sydney Paige; and mother, Ozelle M. Ray.
Ozelle Ray recalled how her son asked her to sign an early enlistment waiver so he could join the Navy.
“I’m incredibly proud of my son,” she said in a statement provided by the Guard. “He gave his life doing what he wanted to do, and I can live with that.”
Thomas, who was assigned to the 105th Military Police Battalion in Asheville, volunteered to join the 1132nd on its deployment to Iraq.
His wife said Ray hoped to make a difference in Iraq. “He wanted to save lives and bring back the younger guys,” she said, describing him as “a loving husband and father who is irreplaceable and will be greatly missed.”
Army Sgt. Thomas C. Ray II was killed in action on 3/22/08.
Army Spc. David S. Stelmat
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. David S. Stelmat, 27, of Littleton, N.H.
Spc. Stelmat was assigned to the 1132nd Military Police Company, North Carolina Army National Guard, Rocky Mount, N.C.; died March 22, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. Thomas C. Ray II and Sgt. David B. Williams.
Service set for fallen soldier
The Associated Press
CONCORD, N.H. — The funeral for a fallen New Hampshire soldier will be held March 24 in Bethlehem.
National Guard medic David Stelmat of Littleton was killed in Iraq on March 22 by a roadside bomb. His funeral will be held at the New Life Assembly of God church on the Littleton-Bethlehem border.
The blast on March 22 killed Stelmat and two other soldiers.
Stelmat and some friends were responsible for a widely circulated photograph after the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Stelmat’s stepfather, Jeff Rennell, said Stelmat and friends climbed to the top of the Old Man of the Mountain to hang a huge American flag from the granite profile. He went back later to retrieve it, but not before some photos were made into posters memorializing the moment.
Overflow crowd mourns N.H. soldier
The Associated Press
BETHLEHEM, N.H. — Nearly 1,000 mourners packed a church, its basement and a tent outside as they said farewell to a National Guard combat medic killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq.
Sgt. David Stelmat’s memorial service was held under snowy skies Monday in Bethlehem, not far from his hometown of Littleton. Stelmat, 27, planned to become a physician’s assistant when he returned home.
Spc. Adam Rich served with Stelmat in Iraq with the 237th Military Police Company of the New Hampshire Army National Guard. He remembered his friend as “a good, funny and charismatic person.”
Stelmat and two other soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb on March 22.
“David was one of the best soldiers I worked with, hands down,” said Spc. Rich Colcord, another member of the unit. He said members from New Hampshire’s rural North Country stuck together.
“It’s a brotherhood that’s hard to describe unless you’ve been through it,” he said.
“I wish there was something I could say to ease the pain of the family. They should be very proud of who he was and what he’s done. He was the epitome of what a soldier should be.”
Heavy, wet snow fell as family and mourners, including Gov. John Lynch, flocked to the New Life Assembly of God Church. Those not in the sanctuary saw the service live by video.
“This community and this state joins with you in grief,” said Lynch. “Please know you are not alone. The community and the whole state of New Hampshire is here for you.”
Alan Campbell said Stelmat was a prankster, always making others laugh, at Profile High School in the late 1990s.
“He was still a clown, but he found his focus helping others,” said Campbell, a school guidance counselor. “He matured into the person he was meant to be.”
Stelmat’s mother, Maryanne Rennell, said last week her son always wanted to help others and joined the military after high school in hopes of becoming a medic. It didn’t happen during his first stint as an Army rifleman in Afghanistan.
His mother said he refused an order during a night operation because he was afraid of killing or injuring civilians. The Army gave him a general discharge, but back at home, he soon started working to become an emergency medical technician and to get back into uniform as a medic.
The Rev. Stephen Bascom Sr. referred to that history at the service, calling Stelmat “deeply patriotic, but more deeply humanitarian.”
David Stelmat Sr. of Centerville, Ohio, was a Marine during the Vietnam war. He had one of the ministers read a statement at the service.
“We are all so very proud of you, son, and our love for you will never diminish,” the father said.
Army Spc. David S. Stelmat was killed in action on 3/22/08.
Army Spc. David S. Stelmat, 27, of Littleton, N.H.
Spc. Stelmat was assigned to the 1132nd Military Police Company, North Carolina Army National Guard, Rocky Mount, N.C.; died March 22, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. Thomas C. Ray II and Sgt. David B. Williams.
Service set for fallen soldier
The Associated Press
CONCORD, N.H. — The funeral for a fallen New Hampshire soldier will be held March 24 in Bethlehem.
National Guard medic David Stelmat of Littleton was killed in Iraq on March 22 by a roadside bomb. His funeral will be held at the New Life Assembly of God church on the Littleton-Bethlehem border.
The blast on March 22 killed Stelmat and two other soldiers.
Stelmat and some friends were responsible for a widely circulated photograph after the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Stelmat’s stepfather, Jeff Rennell, said Stelmat and friends climbed to the top of the Old Man of the Mountain to hang a huge American flag from the granite profile. He went back later to retrieve it, but not before some photos were made into posters memorializing the moment.
Overflow crowd mourns N.H. soldier
The Associated Press
BETHLEHEM, N.H. — Nearly 1,000 mourners packed a church, its basement and a tent outside as they said farewell to a National Guard combat medic killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq.
Sgt. David Stelmat’s memorial service was held under snowy skies Monday in Bethlehem, not far from his hometown of Littleton. Stelmat, 27, planned to become a physician’s assistant when he returned home.
Spc. Adam Rich served with Stelmat in Iraq with the 237th Military Police Company of the New Hampshire Army National Guard. He remembered his friend as “a good, funny and charismatic person.”
Stelmat and two other soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb on March 22.
“David was one of the best soldiers I worked with, hands down,” said Spc. Rich Colcord, another member of the unit. He said members from New Hampshire’s rural North Country stuck together.
“It’s a brotherhood that’s hard to describe unless you’ve been through it,” he said.
“I wish there was something I could say to ease the pain of the family. They should be very proud of who he was and what he’s done. He was the epitome of what a soldier should be.”
Heavy, wet snow fell as family and mourners, including Gov. John Lynch, flocked to the New Life Assembly of God Church. Those not in the sanctuary saw the service live by video.
“This community and this state joins with you in grief,” said Lynch. “Please know you are not alone. The community and the whole state of New Hampshire is here for you.”
Alan Campbell said Stelmat was a prankster, always making others laugh, at Profile High School in the late 1990s.
“He was still a clown, but he found his focus helping others,” said Campbell, a school guidance counselor. “He matured into the person he was meant to be.”
Stelmat’s mother, Maryanne Rennell, said last week her son always wanted to help others and joined the military after high school in hopes of becoming a medic. It didn’t happen during his first stint as an Army rifleman in Afghanistan.
His mother said he refused an order during a night operation because he was afraid of killing or injuring civilians. The Army gave him a general discharge, but back at home, he soon started working to become an emergency medical technician and to get back into uniform as a medic.
The Rev. Stephen Bascom Sr. referred to that history at the service, calling Stelmat “deeply patriotic, but more deeply humanitarian.”
David Stelmat Sr. of Centerville, Ohio, was a Marine during the Vietnam war. He had one of the ministers read a statement at the service.
“We are all so very proud of you, son, and our love for you will never diminish,” the father said.
Army Spc. David S. Stelmat was killed in action on 3/22/08.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Army Staff Sgt. William R. Neil Jr
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. William R. Neil Jr., 38, of Holmdel, N.J.
SSgt. Neil was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died March 21, 2008 in Sperwan Ghar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
Special Forces soldier from N.J. killed in Afghanistan
By Ed Johnson
Asbury Park (N.J.) Press
Staff Sgt. William R. Neil Jr., 38, a decorated Green Beret from New Jersey, was killed Saturday during combat near Sperwan Ghar in Afghanistan, the Army Special Forces Command reported Monday.
Neil, of Holmdel, was killed when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device while involved in a combat operation, the Army said.
Neil, who was assigned to C Company of the 3rd Battalion of the Special Forces Group, was on his second deployment to Afghanistan, the Army said.
Neil’s parents, Patricia and William Neil Sr., live on Lexington Court. Family members declined to speak to a reporter Monday, but the family later issued a statement.
“Billy was a kind and generous person who loved both his family as well as serving his country,” the statement read. “He will be sorely missed by family, friends and his comrades still fighting for the cause Billy so dearly believed in. He is a true patriot who will never be forgotten.”
Neighbors expressed sadness at news of the death.
“I remember seeing him once or twice and he seemed like a real nice guy,” said Irwin Rappaport. “I know his parents and they’ve always been good neighbors. You realize what your priorities need to be when something like this happens so close to home.”
Michael P. McDonough, another neighbor, said he never got to know Neil, but that didn’t diminish his grief.
“Frankly, I’ve been praying for his family,” McDonough said. “My heart went out to them. I know some of the neighbors had been putting food plates together for his family. It’s a little thing, but we hope it helps.”
Neil was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, six Army Achievement medals, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal and the Good Conduct Medal, according to the Army.
Neil is survived by his parents and three sisters, Patricia, Barbara and Veronica, the Army said.
Since the fall of 2006, U.S. Special Forces have been working to train Afghan military and police units to prevent a resurgence of Taliban activity in the Sperwan Ghar region, a joint command statement said.
The town of Sperwan Ghar sits near the center of the hotly contested Panjjwayi Province, an area where both the U.S. and Canadian forces have reported successes in getting the civilian populace to move back into the area. Before the Taliban, it had been a hiding place for the Mujahadeen in their fight against the Soviet invaders.
Reports describe the area as rough, mine-laden terrain with fields separated by hedgerows and mud walls as high as 9 feet tall.
Green Beret, 38, is laid to rest after graveside prayers in Holmdel
By Jim McConville
Asbury Park (N.J.) Press
If a person’s life can be judged by the number of people he touches, then Staff Sgt. William R. Neil Jr. looks to have passed with flying colors.
Approximately 300 people turned out on a chilly and windy Saturday morning to pay their last respects to the former Holmdel resident at his funeral and burial here. Among them were family, friends, police and Army officials, as well as fellow Green Berets.
Neil, 38, was killed March 22 near Sperwan Ghar in Afghanistan when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device while he was involved in a combat operation.
Neil’s family and friends, as well as his extended military family, strode slowly into the church with pained and somber faces.
Fourteen of Neil’s Company C comrades stood motionless in the first two church rows.
During two eulogies, mourners stood silent, a stillness occasionally broken by muffled sniffles and sobs as some struggled to hold back tears.
A native of Jersey City, Neil was praised by both his Army Col. William Hager, deputy commander of the 3rd Special Forces Group, and the St. Catherine’s Church pastor, Monsignor Eugene Rebeck, as a “courageous” and “passionate” man who dedicated himself wholeheartedly to fight for the protection of others. Also in attendance was Bishop John M. Smith, of the Trenton Diocese.
In his homily, Rebeck said Neil “had completed his mission here on Earth.”
“He (Neil) was loyal, compassionate and extremely dedicated to what he was doing,” Rebeck said. “He was always so encouraging and helpful to anyone, friend or not.” Neil, Rebeck said, embodied the Christian creed of sacrifice.
“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for your friends,” Rebeck said. “Sgt. William Neil definitely followed that idea.”
Hager called Neil’s death “a loss of one of America’s sons. Our nation has truly lost an honored and respected soldier, and our regiment has lost a fearless warrior.”
Hager said Neil had led his military life “with dedication and selflessness.”
“Billy (Neil) willingly risked his life to ensure that others can have a chance to experience freedom,” Hager said.
Neil, a paratrooper who was assigned to C Company of the 3rd Battalion of the Special Forces Group, was on his second deployment to Afghanistan when he was killed.
Neil received a full military funeral that included an honor guard, Irish bagpipe player and firearms salute.
Besides Neil’s Green Beret company, there were representatives from the Newark Police Department and the State Police Holmdel barracks, and about 50 members of the New Jersey chapter of the Patriot Guard Riders, a volunteer group that honors military personnel killed in battle.
Patriot members, each holding an American flag, formed a rectangle around Neil’s casket outside of St. Catherine’s before a military guard carrying his body slowly filed into church.
Since the fall of 2006, U.S. Special Forces have been working to train Afghan military and police units to prevent a resurgence of Taliban activity in the Sperwan Ghar region, Army officials said.
Neil joined the Army in 1998. His first duty assignment was with the 4th Ranger Training Battalion, at Fort Benning, Ga. He passed the Special Forces qualification to become a Green Beret in 2006.
Neil is survived by his three sisters, Patricia, Barbara and Veronica, as well as his parents, Patricia and William Neil Sr., who live on Lexington Court in Holmdel.
“Billy was a kind and generous person who loved both his family as well as serving his country,” said Neil’s parents in a prepared statement. “He will be sorely missed by family, friends and his comrades still fighting for the cause Billy so dearly believed in. He is a true patriot who will never be forgotten.”
Neil’s parents on Friday were given their son’s Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Meritorious Service medal in the Combat Infantry badge, posthumously.
During his military career, Neil also was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, six Army Achievement medals, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal and the Good Conduct Medal, according to the Army.
At the graveside ceremony at Holmdel Cemetery, family members stood or sat underneath a green tarpaulin tent in front of the grave site as final prayers and blessings were said by Brig. Gen. Hector Pagan, deputy commander general U.S. Army, JFK Special Warfare Center & School, and by Bishop Smith.
Neil’s six Green Beret pallbearers methodically folded the American flag draped over the casket. Pagan completed the military tradition by receiving the flag and handing it to Neil’s mother.
As a final gesture, several family and friends walked by Neil’s bright silver casket, each placing a single red rose on top.
As mourners filed out of the cemetery, several civilians addressed members of the Green Beret funeral guard with the same refrain: “Thank you; thank you for making it safe here.”
Army Staff Sgt. William R. Neil Jr. was killed in action on 3/21/08.
Army Staff Sgt. William R. Neil Jr., 38, of Holmdel, N.J.
SSgt. Neil was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died March 21, 2008 in Sperwan Ghar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
Special Forces soldier from N.J. killed in Afghanistan
By Ed Johnson
Asbury Park (N.J.) Press
Staff Sgt. William R. Neil Jr., 38, a decorated Green Beret from New Jersey, was killed Saturday during combat near Sperwan Ghar in Afghanistan, the Army Special Forces Command reported Monday.
Neil, of Holmdel, was killed when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device while involved in a combat operation, the Army said.
Neil, who was assigned to C Company of the 3rd Battalion of the Special Forces Group, was on his second deployment to Afghanistan, the Army said.
Neil’s parents, Patricia and William Neil Sr., live on Lexington Court. Family members declined to speak to a reporter Monday, but the family later issued a statement.
“Billy was a kind and generous person who loved both his family as well as serving his country,” the statement read. “He will be sorely missed by family, friends and his comrades still fighting for the cause Billy so dearly believed in. He is a true patriot who will never be forgotten.”
Neighbors expressed sadness at news of the death.
“I remember seeing him once or twice and he seemed like a real nice guy,” said Irwin Rappaport. “I know his parents and they’ve always been good neighbors. You realize what your priorities need to be when something like this happens so close to home.”
Michael P. McDonough, another neighbor, said he never got to know Neil, but that didn’t diminish his grief.
“Frankly, I’ve been praying for his family,” McDonough said. “My heart went out to them. I know some of the neighbors had been putting food plates together for his family. It’s a little thing, but we hope it helps.”
Neil was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, six Army Achievement medals, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal and the Good Conduct Medal, according to the Army.
Neil is survived by his parents and three sisters, Patricia, Barbara and Veronica, the Army said.
Since the fall of 2006, U.S. Special Forces have been working to train Afghan military and police units to prevent a resurgence of Taliban activity in the Sperwan Ghar region, a joint command statement said.
The town of Sperwan Ghar sits near the center of the hotly contested Panjjwayi Province, an area where both the U.S. and Canadian forces have reported successes in getting the civilian populace to move back into the area. Before the Taliban, it had been a hiding place for the Mujahadeen in their fight against the Soviet invaders.
Reports describe the area as rough, mine-laden terrain with fields separated by hedgerows and mud walls as high as 9 feet tall.
Green Beret, 38, is laid to rest after graveside prayers in Holmdel
By Jim McConville
Asbury Park (N.J.) Press
If a person’s life can be judged by the number of people he touches, then Staff Sgt. William R. Neil Jr. looks to have passed with flying colors.
Approximately 300 people turned out on a chilly and windy Saturday morning to pay their last respects to the former Holmdel resident at his funeral and burial here. Among them were family, friends, police and Army officials, as well as fellow Green Berets.
Neil, 38, was killed March 22 near Sperwan Ghar in Afghanistan when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device while he was involved in a combat operation.
Neil’s family and friends, as well as his extended military family, strode slowly into the church with pained and somber faces.
Fourteen of Neil’s Company C comrades stood motionless in the first two church rows.
During two eulogies, mourners stood silent, a stillness occasionally broken by muffled sniffles and sobs as some struggled to hold back tears.
A native of Jersey City, Neil was praised by both his Army Col. William Hager, deputy commander of the 3rd Special Forces Group, and the St. Catherine’s Church pastor, Monsignor Eugene Rebeck, as a “courageous” and “passionate” man who dedicated himself wholeheartedly to fight for the protection of others. Also in attendance was Bishop John M. Smith, of the Trenton Diocese.
In his homily, Rebeck said Neil “had completed his mission here on Earth.”
“He (Neil) was loyal, compassionate and extremely dedicated to what he was doing,” Rebeck said. “He was always so encouraging and helpful to anyone, friend or not.” Neil, Rebeck said, embodied the Christian creed of sacrifice.
“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for your friends,” Rebeck said. “Sgt. William Neil definitely followed that idea.”
Hager called Neil’s death “a loss of one of America’s sons. Our nation has truly lost an honored and respected soldier, and our regiment has lost a fearless warrior.”
Hager said Neil had led his military life “with dedication and selflessness.”
“Billy (Neil) willingly risked his life to ensure that others can have a chance to experience freedom,” Hager said.
Neil, a paratrooper who was assigned to C Company of the 3rd Battalion of the Special Forces Group, was on his second deployment to Afghanistan when he was killed.
Neil received a full military funeral that included an honor guard, Irish bagpipe player and firearms salute.
Besides Neil’s Green Beret company, there were representatives from the Newark Police Department and the State Police Holmdel barracks, and about 50 members of the New Jersey chapter of the Patriot Guard Riders, a volunteer group that honors military personnel killed in battle.
Patriot members, each holding an American flag, formed a rectangle around Neil’s casket outside of St. Catherine’s before a military guard carrying his body slowly filed into church.
Since the fall of 2006, U.S. Special Forces have been working to train Afghan military and police units to prevent a resurgence of Taliban activity in the Sperwan Ghar region, Army officials said.
Neil joined the Army in 1998. His first duty assignment was with the 4th Ranger Training Battalion, at Fort Benning, Ga. He passed the Special Forces qualification to become a Green Beret in 2006.
Neil is survived by his three sisters, Patricia, Barbara and Veronica, as well as his parents, Patricia and William Neil Sr., who live on Lexington Court in Holmdel.
“Billy was a kind and generous person who loved both his family as well as serving his country,” said Neil’s parents in a prepared statement. “He will be sorely missed by family, friends and his comrades still fighting for the cause Billy so dearly believed in. He is a true patriot who will never be forgotten.”
Neil’s parents on Friday were given their son’s Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Meritorious Service medal in the Combat Infantry badge, posthumously.
During his military career, Neil also was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, six Army Achievement medals, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal and the Good Conduct Medal, according to the Army.
At the graveside ceremony at Holmdel Cemetery, family members stood or sat underneath a green tarpaulin tent in front of the grave site as final prayers and blessings were said by Brig. Gen. Hector Pagan, deputy commander general U.S. Army, JFK Special Warfare Center & School, and by Bishop Smith.
Neil’s six Green Beret pallbearers methodically folded the American flag draped over the casket. Pagan completed the military tradition by receiving the flag and handing it to Neil’s mother.
As a final gesture, several family and friends walked by Neil’s bright silver casket, each placing a single red rose on top.
As mourners filed out of the cemetery, several civilians addressed members of the Green Beret funeral guard with the same refrain: “Thank you; thank you for making it safe here.”
Army Staff Sgt. William R. Neil Jr. was killed in action on 3/21/08.
Army Pvt. Tyler J. Smith
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pvt. Tyler J. Smith, 22, of Bethel, Maine
Pvt Smith was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died Mar. 21, 2008 at Forward Operating Base Falcon near Baghdad of wounds sustained when the base received indirect fire.
Maine soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
BETHEL, Maine — A 22-year-old soldier from Bethel has become the latest Maine service member killed in Iraq.
The Defense Department announced Monday that Army Pvt. Tyler Smith died Friday of wounds received when his forward base near Baghdad received indirect fire. The Army would not elaborate on the circumstances, but a spokesman said indirect fire typically describes a mortar or rocket attack.
Smith, a 2004 graduate of Telstar Regional High School, was a combat engineer assigned to a unit of the 3rd Infantry Division.
A spokesman at Fort Stewart, Ga., said Smith joined the Army in December 2005 and arrived in Iraq around the end of November.
Gov. John Baldacci spoke with Smith’s parents, Martin and Wendy Smith. The governor said he will order that flags be lowered to half-staff on the day of the funeral.
“As a state, we join together and mourn the loss of another young soldier from Maine,” Baldacci said in a statement. “This is a terrible loss for his family, his friends and his community. We honor Private Smith’s sacrifice and will keep his family in our hearts and prayers.”
Members of Maine’s congressional delegation also issued statements honoring Smith’s sacrifice and mourning his loss.
Martin and Wendy Smith could not be reached for comment.
Telstar’s dean of students, Charles Raymond, remembered Tyler Smith as a “straight-shooter” who was fun-loving but responsible. “He was a leader among his peers,” Raymond said.
Smith, who excelled in industrial arts, had worked with his father in construction and was very knowledgeable about that field, the school official said.
Army Pvt. Tyler J. Smith was killed in action on 3/21/08.
Army Pvt. Tyler J. Smith, 22, of Bethel, Maine
Pvt Smith was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died Mar. 21, 2008 at Forward Operating Base Falcon near Baghdad of wounds sustained when the base received indirect fire.
Maine soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
BETHEL, Maine — A 22-year-old soldier from Bethel has become the latest Maine service member killed in Iraq.
The Defense Department announced Monday that Army Pvt. Tyler Smith died Friday of wounds received when his forward base near Baghdad received indirect fire. The Army would not elaborate on the circumstances, but a spokesman said indirect fire typically describes a mortar or rocket attack.
Smith, a 2004 graduate of Telstar Regional High School, was a combat engineer assigned to a unit of the 3rd Infantry Division.
A spokesman at Fort Stewart, Ga., said Smith joined the Army in December 2005 and arrived in Iraq around the end of November.
Gov. John Baldacci spoke with Smith’s parents, Martin and Wendy Smith. The governor said he will order that flags be lowered to half-staff on the day of the funeral.
“As a state, we join together and mourn the loss of another young soldier from Maine,” Baldacci said in a statement. “This is a terrible loss for his family, his friends and his community. We honor Private Smith’s sacrifice and will keep his family in our hearts and prayers.”
Members of Maine’s congressional delegation also issued statements honoring Smith’s sacrifice and mourning his loss.
Martin and Wendy Smith could not be reached for comment.
Telstar’s dean of students, Charles Raymond, remembered Tyler Smith as a “straight-shooter” who was fun-loving but responsible. “He was a leader among his peers,” Raymond said.
Smith, who excelled in industrial arts, had worked with his father in construction and was very knowledgeable about that field, the school official said.
Army Pvt. Tyler J. Smith was killed in action on 3/21/08.
Air Force Tech Sgt. William H. Jefferson Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Air Force Tech Sgt. William H. Jefferson Jr., 34, of Norfolk, Va.
TSgt Jefferson was assigned to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, N.C.; died March 21, 2008 near Sperwan Ghar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
Tech. Sgt. William H. Jefferson, Jr., 34, of Norfolk, Va., died March 21 near Sperwan Ghar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, N.C.
While others finish high school unsure of their futures, William H. Jefferson had no doubts as he graduated from Norfolk’s Lake Taylor High School in 1991.
He had already selected his life’s path and planned to march down it in a Marine Corps uniform, said his sister, Tammy Davis, 37, of Virginia Beach.
And he did, making a career of the military that eventually brought him into the Air Force.
On Saturday, he was serving in Afghanistan when the vehicle he was in hit an improvised explosive device.
The Pentagon announced Sunday that the 34-year-old technical sergeant died from wounds suffered in that blast, near Sperwan Ghar.
“The whole draw was to serve his country,” Davis said Sunday night. “For the last two years of high school, he knew he wanted to go in the service.”
Jefferson was assigned to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron based at Pope Air Force Base, N.C.
He was on his third tour in that part of the world, his sister said.
In e-mails home during his deployments, Jefferson had said he could see improvement over time.
“He talked about the differences he saw,” Davis said, “that everyone was making things better. He definitely believed that he should be there and that the U.S. was doing the right thing. He fully supported it 100 percent.”
He was to have returned stateside in 30 days, Davis said.
Jefferson had settled on the Marine Corps “because they said he could get into sky-diving school and scuba school,” Davis said.
He spent four years in the Corps. But even as he grew into a good warrior, he also realized he wanted to be a good husband, she said.
“He had decided he wanted to marry his high school sweetheart,” Davis said, “but he realized that in the Marine Corps, he was gone way too much.”
So Jefferson traded his uniform, donning Air Force blues, determined to serve and have a family.
“He’s been in the Air Force 12 years and planned to stay to retirement,” Davis said.
He had earned his bachelor’s degree and was working toward his master’s, his sister said.
“He wanted to teach high school. He was leaning toward history or government.”
She said he had settled on that as his next profession “because he thought that kids at that age need direction to pick the right path.”
Jefferson “just thought he could help kids,” she said.
He and his wife Kristy – his high school sweetheart, from Virginia Beach – would have marked their 15th anniversary in May.
Their second child, a daughter to be named Natalie, is due in May. Their daughter, Tyler, turned 8 two weeks ago, Davis said.
The family has been living in Fayetteville, N.C.
Jefferson’s parents live in Hampton Roads, in Norfolk.
“Everybody loved him,” Davis said. “It didn’t matter who he met, he just attracted people. He had a great sense of humor, just a big kid.”
She said the family also has learned he was respected. They have spoken with other men in his unit who said he was “a mentor, a great leader.”
When asked if there was anything she wanted to add about her brother, Davis’ voice grew stronger.
“Just tell people how proud we are of him,” Davis said.
“He was doing his job. He was doing what he thought was right,” she said.
“He is actually the all-American boy story; two kids, white picket fence,” she said. “A true hero in every sense of the word.”
Air Force Tech Sgt. William H. Jefferson Jr. was killed in action on 3/21/08.
Air Force Tech Sgt. William H. Jefferson Jr., 34, of Norfolk, Va.
TSgt Jefferson was assigned to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, N.C.; died March 21, 2008 near Sperwan Ghar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
Tech. Sgt. William H. Jefferson, Jr., 34, of Norfolk, Va., died March 21 near Sperwan Ghar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, N.C.
While others finish high school unsure of their futures, William H. Jefferson had no doubts as he graduated from Norfolk’s Lake Taylor High School in 1991.
He had already selected his life’s path and planned to march down it in a Marine Corps uniform, said his sister, Tammy Davis, 37, of Virginia Beach.
And he did, making a career of the military that eventually brought him into the Air Force.
On Saturday, he was serving in Afghanistan when the vehicle he was in hit an improvised explosive device.
The Pentagon announced Sunday that the 34-year-old technical sergeant died from wounds suffered in that blast, near Sperwan Ghar.
“The whole draw was to serve his country,” Davis said Sunday night. “For the last two years of high school, he knew he wanted to go in the service.”
Jefferson was assigned to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron based at Pope Air Force Base, N.C.
He was on his third tour in that part of the world, his sister said.
In e-mails home during his deployments, Jefferson had said he could see improvement over time.
“He talked about the differences he saw,” Davis said, “that everyone was making things better. He definitely believed that he should be there and that the U.S. was doing the right thing. He fully supported it 100 percent.”
He was to have returned stateside in 30 days, Davis said.
Jefferson had settled on the Marine Corps “because they said he could get into sky-diving school and scuba school,” Davis said.
He spent four years in the Corps. But even as he grew into a good warrior, he also realized he wanted to be a good husband, she said.
“He had decided he wanted to marry his high school sweetheart,” Davis said, “but he realized that in the Marine Corps, he was gone way too much.”
So Jefferson traded his uniform, donning Air Force blues, determined to serve and have a family.
“He’s been in the Air Force 12 years and planned to stay to retirement,” Davis said.
He had earned his bachelor’s degree and was working toward his master’s, his sister said.
“He wanted to teach high school. He was leaning toward history or government.”
She said he had settled on that as his next profession “because he thought that kids at that age need direction to pick the right path.”
Jefferson “just thought he could help kids,” she said.
He and his wife Kristy – his high school sweetheart, from Virginia Beach – would have marked their 15th anniversary in May.
Their second child, a daughter to be named Natalie, is due in May. Their daughter, Tyler, turned 8 two weeks ago, Davis said.
The family has been living in Fayetteville, N.C.
Jefferson’s parents live in Hampton Roads, in Norfolk.
“Everybody loved him,” Davis said. “It didn’t matter who he met, he just attracted people. He had a great sense of humor, just a big kid.”
She said the family also has learned he was respected. They have spoken with other men in his unit who said he was “a mentor, a great leader.”
When asked if there was anything she wanted to add about her brother, Davis’ voice grew stronger.
“Just tell people how proud we are of him,” Davis said.
“He was doing his job. He was doing what he thought was right,” she said.
“He is actually the all-American boy story; two kids, white picket fence,” she said. “A true hero in every sense of the word.”
Air Force Tech Sgt. William H. Jefferson Jr. was killed in action on 3/21/08.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Army Pfc. Antione V. Robinson
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Antione V. Robinson, 20, of Detroit
Pfc Robinson was assigned to the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died March 19, 2008 in Nawa, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when the vehicle he was repairing collapsed.
Detroit soldier injured repairing vehicle in Afghanistan dies
The Associated Press
DETROIT — A 20-year-old soldier from Detroit has died in Afghanistan of injuries sustained when the vehicle he was repairing collapsed.
The Department of Defense says Pfc. Antione V. Robinson died Wednesday in Nawa.
Robinson was assigned to the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C.
The military says the incident is under investigation.
Robinson joined the Army in September 2005 and completed wheeled vehicle mechanic advanced individual training at Fort Jackson, S.C., in 2005. He completed the basic airborne course at Fort Benning, Ga., in 2006.
Survivors include his mother, Ginger L. Jhons; his father, Emror Robinson; and his grandmother, Mary L. Stevenson, all of Detroit.
Army Pfc. Antione V. Robinson died in an accident on 3/19/08.
Army Pfc. Antione V. Robinson, 20, of Detroit
Pfc Robinson was assigned to the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died March 19, 2008 in Nawa, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when the vehicle he was repairing collapsed.
Detroit soldier injured repairing vehicle in Afghanistan dies
The Associated Press
DETROIT — A 20-year-old soldier from Detroit has died in Afghanistan of injuries sustained when the vehicle he was repairing collapsed.
The Department of Defense says Pfc. Antione V. Robinson died Wednesday in Nawa.
Robinson was assigned to the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C.
The military says the incident is under investigation.
Robinson joined the Army in September 2005 and completed wheeled vehicle mechanic advanced individual training at Fort Jackson, S.C., in 2005. He completed the basic airborne course at Fort Benning, Ga., in 2006.
Survivors include his mother, Ginger L. Jhons; his father, Emror Robinson; and his grandmother, Mary L. Stevenson, all of Detroit.
Army Pfc. Antione V. Robinson died in an accident on 3/19/08.
Army Sgt. Gregory D. Unruh
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Gregory D. Unruh, 28, of Dickinson, Texas
Sgt. Unruh was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas; died March 19, 2008 in Mandali, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident.
FORT HOOD – The Defense Department announced Friday the death of a Fort Hood soldier who died in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, according to information from Fort Hood public affairs.
Sgt. Gregory D. Unruh, 28, of Dickinson, died Wednesday in Mandali, Iraq, of injuries sustained when his military vehicle rolled over.
The incident is under investigation.
Unruh joined the Army in February 2006 as a fire support specialist and was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment since September 2007.
He deployed to Iraq in November 2007.
Unruh's military awards and decorations include the Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon.
DICKINSON — U.S. Army Sgt. Gregory D. Unruh, who was killed last week during a reconnaissance mission in Iraq, returns home today to his parents, who said they couldn’t be more proud of their son’s military service to his country.
Unruh, 28, is scheduled to arrive at Scholes International Airport in Galveston at 9:45 a.m., where an armada of local law enforcement officers and the Patriot Guard will escort him to a Webster funeral home following a procession through Texas City and Dickinson.
“We’re extremely proud of him,” Anthony Unruh said of his son’s military service Thursday. “There was nothing he wouldn’t do for us, nor us for him.”
A statement from the Fort Hood Public Affairs Office said Unruh joined the Army in February 2006 as a fire support specialist and was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in September.
He was sent to Iraq the following month.
Anthony Unruh said his son was a forward fire control person who would call in air strikes.
“The last time we talked to him, he said every time he goes out, he saves somebody,” Unruh said. “He went out almost every day. He would spend weeks at a time out. He was doing what he wanted to do.”
Unruh was killed when his vehicle rolled over, his father said.
“The only thing we were told was that he was on a reconnaissance mission to take a look at something for the next day,” Unruh said. “He was riding in the top gunner position of his Humvee, and it rolled over somehow. The investigation is not complete.”
Unruh said the family has no remorse or animosity toward anyone concerning his death.
“We were just so proud of him,” Unruh said. “We wanted him back ... He had a good heart. He did what he wanted to do, and that’s what counts.”
Unruh graduated from Pampa High School and studied business at Texas Tech University. He later attended the University of Houston and lived with his parents in Dickinson.
“He was bright,” Unruh said. “And graduated high school at 16, just like me. He was smart, that’s why he was called ‘Professor’ by his platoon. That was their nickname for him.”
After graduating from the University of Houston, Unruh worked for his father at a plastics plant for two years before enlisting in the Army.
“He was due to rotate back in May,” Unruh said. “Then he would have gone back for another six months. When he finished his service, he was going to go to law school.”
A contingent of law enforcement officers from Dickinson, Texas City and Galveston police, along with the sheriff’s office, constables and members of the Patriot Guard, will await Unruh’s return at Scholes Field, said Capt. Brian Goetschius, a Texas City police spokesman.
The escort will leave Galveston and proceed north on Interstate 45 to state Highway 146 in Texas City, Goetschius said. They will continue west on FM 517 through Dickinson and take the interstate to Forest Park Funeral Home in Webster.
Unruh said his son’s funeral is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Tuesday but would likely be a private ceremony. He will be buried at the family’s plot near the funeral home, Unruh said.
Army Sgt. Gregory D. Unruh was killed in a vehicle accident on 3/19/08.
Army Sgt. Gregory D. Unruh, 28, of Dickinson, Texas
Sgt. Unruh was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas; died March 19, 2008 in Mandali, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident.
FORT HOOD – The Defense Department announced Friday the death of a Fort Hood soldier who died in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, according to information from Fort Hood public affairs.
Sgt. Gregory D. Unruh, 28, of Dickinson, died Wednesday in Mandali, Iraq, of injuries sustained when his military vehicle rolled over.
The incident is under investigation.
Unruh joined the Army in February 2006 as a fire support specialist and was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment since September 2007.
He deployed to Iraq in November 2007.
Unruh's military awards and decorations include the Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon.
DICKINSON — U.S. Army Sgt. Gregory D. Unruh, who was killed last week during a reconnaissance mission in Iraq, returns home today to his parents, who said they couldn’t be more proud of their son’s military service to his country.
Unruh, 28, is scheduled to arrive at Scholes International Airport in Galveston at 9:45 a.m., where an armada of local law enforcement officers and the Patriot Guard will escort him to a Webster funeral home following a procession through Texas City and Dickinson.
“We’re extremely proud of him,” Anthony Unruh said of his son’s military service Thursday. “There was nothing he wouldn’t do for us, nor us for him.”
A statement from the Fort Hood Public Affairs Office said Unruh joined the Army in February 2006 as a fire support specialist and was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in September.
He was sent to Iraq the following month.
Anthony Unruh said his son was a forward fire control person who would call in air strikes.
“The last time we talked to him, he said every time he goes out, he saves somebody,” Unruh said. “He went out almost every day. He would spend weeks at a time out. He was doing what he wanted to do.”
Unruh was killed when his vehicle rolled over, his father said.
“The only thing we were told was that he was on a reconnaissance mission to take a look at something for the next day,” Unruh said. “He was riding in the top gunner position of his Humvee, and it rolled over somehow. The investigation is not complete.”
Unruh said the family has no remorse or animosity toward anyone concerning his death.
“We were just so proud of him,” Unruh said. “We wanted him back ... He had a good heart. He did what he wanted to do, and that’s what counts.”
Unruh graduated from Pampa High School and studied business at Texas Tech University. He later attended the University of Houston and lived with his parents in Dickinson.
“He was bright,” Unruh said. “And graduated high school at 16, just like me. He was smart, that’s why he was called ‘Professor’ by his platoon. That was their nickname for him.”
After graduating from the University of Houston, Unruh worked for his father at a plastics plant for two years before enlisting in the Army.
“He was due to rotate back in May,” Unruh said. “Then he would have gone back for another six months. When he finished his service, he was going to go to law school.”
A contingent of law enforcement officers from Dickinson, Texas City and Galveston police, along with the sheriff’s office, constables and members of the Patriot Guard, will await Unruh’s return at Scholes Field, said Capt. Brian Goetschius, a Texas City police spokesman.
The escort will leave Galveston and proceed north on Interstate 45 to state Highway 146 in Texas City, Goetschius said. They will continue west on FM 517 through Dickinson and take the interstate to Forest Park Funeral Home in Webster.
Unruh said his son’s funeral is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Tuesday but would likely be a private ceremony. He will be buried at the family’s plot near the funeral home, Unruh said.
Army Sgt. Gregory D. Unruh was killed in a vehicle accident on 3/19/08.
Army Pfc. Antione V. Robinson
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Antione V. Robinson, 20, of Detroit
Pfc. Robinson was assigned to the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died March 19, 2008 in Nawa, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when the vehicle he was repairing collapsed.
Detroit soldier injured repairing vehicle in Afghanistan dies
The Associated Press
DETROIT — A 20-year-old soldier from Detroit has died in Afghanistan of injuries sustained when the vehicle he was repairing collapsed.
The Department of Defense says Pfc. Antione V. Robinson died Wednesday in Nawa.
Robinson was assigned to the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C.
The military says the incident is under investigation.
Robinson joined the Army in September 2005 and completed wheeled vehicle mechanic advanced individual training at Fort Jackson, S.C., in 2005. He completed the basic airborne course at Fort Benning, Ga., in 2006.
Survivors include his mother, Ginger L. Jhons; his father, Emror Robinson; and his grandmother, Mary L. Stevenson, all of Detroit.
Army Pfc. Antione V. Robinson died of non-combat related injuries on 3/19/08.
Army Pfc. Antione V. Robinson, 20, of Detroit
Pfc. Robinson was assigned to the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died March 19, 2008 in Nawa, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when the vehicle he was repairing collapsed.
Detroit soldier injured repairing vehicle in Afghanistan dies
The Associated Press
DETROIT — A 20-year-old soldier from Detroit has died in Afghanistan of injuries sustained when the vehicle he was repairing collapsed.
The Department of Defense says Pfc. Antione V. Robinson died Wednesday in Nawa.
Robinson was assigned to the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C.
The military says the incident is under investigation.
Robinson joined the Army in September 2005 and completed wheeled vehicle mechanic advanced individual training at Fort Jackson, S.C., in 2005. He completed the basic airborne course at Fort Benning, Ga., in 2006.
Survivors include his mother, Ginger L. Jhons; his father, Emror Robinson; and his grandmother, Mary L. Stevenson, all of Detroit.
Army Pfc. Antione V. Robinson died of non-combat related injuries on 3/19/08.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Army Staff Sgt. Michael D. Elledge
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Michael D. Elledge, 41, of Brownsburg, Ind.
SSgt. Elledge was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died March 17, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device during combat operations. Also killed was Spc. Christopher C. Simpson.
DAILY PRESS & ARGUS — A U.S. Army staff sergeant with Livingston County ties died Monday in Baghdad, Iraq, when his Humvee struck an improvised explosive device during combat operations.
Staff Sgt. Michael Duane Elledge, 41, was assigned to 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division stationed at Fort Carson, Colo. He is survived by his wife, Carleen; and their children, Christopher, 18, Caleb, 8, and Cassidy, 6, all of Colorado Springs, Colo.
The soldier's sister, Pinckney resident Linda Swarthout, remembers her younger brother as a "caring, kind person."
"He felt that he was making a difference in the world, that he was helping the people in Iraq, and it would help secure freedom," she said.
A memorial service will be held for friends and family at 11 a.m. Monday at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4357, 10590 E. Grand River Ave. in the Brighton area.
Brother Tim Elledge, who is two years younger than Michael Elledge, described his brother as a very devoted Christian who would lead Bible studies with his fellow soldiers as well as the Iraqi people.
It was fate that his brother was driving the Humvee when it struck the roadside bomb, Tim Elledge said.
Michael Elledge, who will posthumously receive the Purple Heart, typically was assigned to sit in the turret of a machine gun, but the Humvee driver was sick last Monday and he was reassigned to the driver's position of the Humvee.
"We're all firm in our Christian beliefs, and we think your life is planned from day one," said Tim Elledge, who lives in White Lake Township. "It was (Michael's) time. That was the reason he wasn't on the machine gun."
The soldier assigned to Michael Elledge's job on the machine gun survived, but one passenger in Michael Elledge's Humvee also was killed.
The Department of Defense identified that soldier as Spc. Christopher C. Simpson, 23, of Hampton, Va.
"It's been a tough couple days; everyone is just numb," Tim Elledge noted. "We appreciate everyone's support."
Tim Elledge said his older brother was very giving, very outgoing and an "extremist" who gave 100 percent to everything he did. As children, the older Elledge brother oftentimes allowed the younger brother to tag along, which Tim Elledge found special because most older brothers would not want to bother with a younger sibling.
Michael Elledge played guitar and was in a band at Dexter High School, where he graduated in 1985.
Upon graduating, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served four years of active duty before being honorably discharged. Upon completing basic training, Michael Elledge was instantly promoted in recognition of excelling above all others in his class.
After leaving the Marine Corps, Michael Elledge earned his airframe and powerplant license, which is needed for those working on civilian or military aircraft, and began working for United Airlines as an aircraft mechanic.
He worked for the company for about 14 years, until he was laid off when the airlines suffered after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Financially struggling, Michael Elledge decided to re-enlist, but was too old to rejoin the Marine Corps. At 38, he barely qualified for the U.S. Army, Tim Elledge said.
"He made it through boot camp, schooling and was deployed for the first 12-month tour in 2005," Tim Elledge explained.
Michael Elledge returned home, but was deployed again in December for a 15-month tour. His tour was to end in March 2009.
"He was very devoted to his wife and children. They meant everything to him," Tim Elledge noted.
Michael Elledge was the son of Lynn Gordon and Marion Elledge. He also is survived by three brothers, including Jessie Ortlieb of Hamburg Township, Lynn Elledge of Ypsilanti and Tom Young of White Lake Township; and two sisters, Cheryl Elledge of Ypsilanti, and Marsha Johnson of Dearborn Heights.
==Additional information==
Staff Sgt. Michael D. Elledge, 41, of Brownsburg, Ind.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died Mar. 17 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds suffered when their vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device during combat operations. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Elledge was considered an old man in his company. The two-tour Iraq veteran was a Marine as a teenager, left the military and joined the Army a month after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, D.C.
"When 9/11 hit, he felt a real need to re-enlist," his sister, Marsha Johnson, said by telephone from Detroit. "He was a real patriot."
While he loved his country, Elledge managed to put his wife and three children first in his life, Johnson said.
"The biggest thing for him was his family," she said.
Elledge's unit had moved in recent weeks from Camp Taji, 20 miles north of Baghdad, to a combat outpost closer to the city's core. There, Elledge served as a father figure for younger soldiers far from home.
"He was always proud of what he did, but he didn't flaunt it," Johnson said. "That was just his nature."
His dedication to duty had earned him the Army Commendation Medal.
From a young age, family members knew Elledge would grow up to do great things. He was thoughtful and showed a curiosity and level of caring about the world that other children often lack.
"I always called him a deep spirit," Johnson said.
Army Staff Sgt. Michael D. Elledge was killed in action on 3/17/08.
Army Staff Sgt. Michael D. Elledge, 41, of Brownsburg, Ind.
SSgt. Elledge was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died March 17, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device during combat operations. Also killed was Spc. Christopher C. Simpson.
DAILY PRESS & ARGUS — A U.S. Army staff sergeant with Livingston County ties died Monday in Baghdad, Iraq, when his Humvee struck an improvised explosive device during combat operations.
Staff Sgt. Michael Duane Elledge, 41, was assigned to 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division stationed at Fort Carson, Colo. He is survived by his wife, Carleen; and their children, Christopher, 18, Caleb, 8, and Cassidy, 6, all of Colorado Springs, Colo.
The soldier's sister, Pinckney resident Linda Swarthout, remembers her younger brother as a "caring, kind person."
"He felt that he was making a difference in the world, that he was helping the people in Iraq, and it would help secure freedom," she said.
A memorial service will be held for friends and family at 11 a.m. Monday at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4357, 10590 E. Grand River Ave. in the Brighton area.
Brother Tim Elledge, who is two years younger than Michael Elledge, described his brother as a very devoted Christian who would lead Bible studies with his fellow soldiers as well as the Iraqi people.
It was fate that his brother was driving the Humvee when it struck the roadside bomb, Tim Elledge said.
Michael Elledge, who will posthumously receive the Purple Heart, typically was assigned to sit in the turret of a machine gun, but the Humvee driver was sick last Monday and he was reassigned to the driver's position of the Humvee.
"We're all firm in our Christian beliefs, and we think your life is planned from day one," said Tim Elledge, who lives in White Lake Township. "It was (Michael's) time. That was the reason he wasn't on the machine gun."
The soldier assigned to Michael Elledge's job on the machine gun survived, but one passenger in Michael Elledge's Humvee also was killed.
The Department of Defense identified that soldier as Spc. Christopher C. Simpson, 23, of Hampton, Va.
"It's been a tough couple days; everyone is just numb," Tim Elledge noted. "We appreciate everyone's support."
Tim Elledge said his older brother was very giving, very outgoing and an "extremist" who gave 100 percent to everything he did. As children, the older Elledge brother oftentimes allowed the younger brother to tag along, which Tim Elledge found special because most older brothers would not want to bother with a younger sibling.
Michael Elledge played guitar and was in a band at Dexter High School, where he graduated in 1985.
Upon graduating, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served four years of active duty before being honorably discharged. Upon completing basic training, Michael Elledge was instantly promoted in recognition of excelling above all others in his class.
After leaving the Marine Corps, Michael Elledge earned his airframe and powerplant license, which is needed for those working on civilian or military aircraft, and began working for United Airlines as an aircraft mechanic.
He worked for the company for about 14 years, until he was laid off when the airlines suffered after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Financially struggling, Michael Elledge decided to re-enlist, but was too old to rejoin the Marine Corps. At 38, he barely qualified for the U.S. Army, Tim Elledge said.
"He made it through boot camp, schooling and was deployed for the first 12-month tour in 2005," Tim Elledge explained.
Michael Elledge returned home, but was deployed again in December for a 15-month tour. His tour was to end in March 2009.
"He was very devoted to his wife and children. They meant everything to him," Tim Elledge noted.
Michael Elledge was the son of Lynn Gordon and Marion Elledge. He also is survived by three brothers, including Jessie Ortlieb of Hamburg Township, Lynn Elledge of Ypsilanti and Tom Young of White Lake Township; and two sisters, Cheryl Elledge of Ypsilanti, and Marsha Johnson of Dearborn Heights.
==Additional information==
Staff Sgt. Michael D. Elledge, 41, of Brownsburg, Ind.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died Mar. 17 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds suffered when their vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device during combat operations. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Elledge was considered an old man in his company. The two-tour Iraq veteran was a Marine as a teenager, left the military and joined the Army a month after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, D.C.
"When 9/11 hit, he felt a real need to re-enlist," his sister, Marsha Johnson, said by telephone from Detroit. "He was a real patriot."
While he loved his country, Elledge managed to put his wife and three children first in his life, Johnson said.
"The biggest thing for him was his family," she said.
Elledge's unit had moved in recent weeks from Camp Taji, 20 miles north of Baghdad, to a combat outpost closer to the city's core. There, Elledge served as a father figure for younger soldiers far from home.
"He was always proud of what he did, but he didn't flaunt it," Johnson said. "That was just his nature."
His dedication to duty had earned him the Army Commendation Medal.
From a young age, family members knew Elledge would grow up to do great things. He was thoughtful and showed a curiosity and level of caring about the world that other children often lack.
"I always called him a deep spirit," Johnson said.
Army Staff Sgt. Michael D. Elledge was killed in action on 3/17/08.
Army Sgt. Christopher C. Simpson
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Christopher C. Simpson, 23, of Hampton, Va.
Sgt. Simpson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died March 17, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device during combat operations. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Michael D. Elledge.
Father talked to soldier son 1 last time
The Associated Press
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — When Army Sgt. Christopher Simpson phoned home on Sunday from Iraq, Scott Simpson was nearly too busy to take his son’s call and almost asked him to call back.
It turned out to be their last conversation.
Simpson, 23, and another soldier were killed Monday when their convoy was hit with a roadside bomb in Baghdad.
Simpson had returned to Iraq in December for his second combat tour in three years. He was based at Fort Carson, Colo., with the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
“I’m so glad I took that call,” Scott Simpson told The Post-Standard of Syracuse. “He’s a kid a parent dreams about. I knew the military was going to be a good thing for him. I have no regrets.”
Scott Simpson, of Memphis, N.Y., is a first sergeant with the Air National Guard and was in a meeting Sunday at the Mattydale base when his son called.
The younger Simpson attended Jordan-Elbridge schools until ninth grade, then attended schools in Rome, N.Y., where his mother lived. His mother, Mary Catherine McLaughlin, now lives in Hampton, Va., Scott Simpson said.
Scott Simpson said he remembered taking his son to Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, N.Y., when he was younger and watching him sit in the cockpit of an A-10 attack jet. But when Christopher joined the armed forces, he decided he didn’t want to follow his father into the Air Force.
“He wanted to drive a tank or something more in the thick of things,” Scott Simpson said. “He was proud of what he did. He wanted to do something different.”
Christopher Simpson’s 21-year-old brother, Richard, is in the Marines, the father said.
Scott Simpson said a military funeral would be held in about a week.
Fallen soldier laid to rest in private ceremony
The Associated Press
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A private funeral service was held for an upstate New York soldier killed in Iraq earlier this month in a roadside bombing.
Hundreds of people turned out March 25 at St. Joseph’s Church to pay their last respects to Army Spc. Christopher Simpson. The 23-year-old was killed March 17. The viewing included a video tribute to Simpson’s life.
Simpson had returned to Iraq in December for his second combat tour in three years. He was based at Fort Carson, Colo., with the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
Simpson grew up in upstate New York before he moved to Hampton, Va., with his mother.
He was buried March 26 at Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery.
Army Sgt. Christopher C. Simpson was killed in action on 3/17/08.
Army Sgt. Christopher C. Simpson, 23, of Hampton, Va.
Sgt. Simpson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died March 17, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device during combat operations. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Michael D. Elledge.
Father talked to soldier son 1 last time
The Associated Press
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — When Army Sgt. Christopher Simpson phoned home on Sunday from Iraq, Scott Simpson was nearly too busy to take his son’s call and almost asked him to call back.
It turned out to be their last conversation.
Simpson, 23, and another soldier were killed Monday when their convoy was hit with a roadside bomb in Baghdad.
Simpson had returned to Iraq in December for his second combat tour in three years. He was based at Fort Carson, Colo., with the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
“I’m so glad I took that call,” Scott Simpson told The Post-Standard of Syracuse. “He’s a kid a parent dreams about. I knew the military was going to be a good thing for him. I have no regrets.”
Scott Simpson, of Memphis, N.Y., is a first sergeant with the Air National Guard and was in a meeting Sunday at the Mattydale base when his son called.
The younger Simpson attended Jordan-Elbridge schools until ninth grade, then attended schools in Rome, N.Y., where his mother lived. His mother, Mary Catherine McLaughlin, now lives in Hampton, Va., Scott Simpson said.
Scott Simpson said he remembered taking his son to Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, N.Y., when he was younger and watching him sit in the cockpit of an A-10 attack jet. But when Christopher joined the armed forces, he decided he didn’t want to follow his father into the Air Force.
“He wanted to drive a tank or something more in the thick of things,” Scott Simpson said. “He was proud of what he did. He wanted to do something different.”
Christopher Simpson’s 21-year-old brother, Richard, is in the Marines, the father said.
Scott Simpson said a military funeral would be held in about a week.
Fallen soldier laid to rest in private ceremony
The Associated Press
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A private funeral service was held for an upstate New York soldier killed in Iraq earlier this month in a roadside bombing.
Hundreds of people turned out March 25 at St. Joseph’s Church to pay their last respects to Army Spc. Christopher Simpson. The 23-year-old was killed March 17. The viewing included a video tribute to Simpson’s life.
Simpson had returned to Iraq in December for his second combat tour in three years. He was based at Fort Carson, Colo., with the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
Simpson grew up in upstate New York before he moved to Hampton, Va., with his mother.
He was buried March 26 at Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery.
Army Sgt. Christopher C. Simpson was killed in action on 3/17/08.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Army Sgt. Lerando J. Brown
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Lerando J. Brown, 27, of Gulfport, Miss.
Sgt. Brown was assigned to the 288th Sapper Company, 223rd Engineer Battalion, Mississippi Army National Guard, Houston, Miss.; died March 15,2008 in Balad, Iraq, from injuries sustained in an accident that is currently under investigation.
Gulfport soldier killed in Iraq
By Kathleen Baydala
(Jackson) Clarion-Ledger
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Mississippi Army National Guard soldier in Iraq.
Sgt. Lerando Brown of Gulfport died Saturday in Balad, Iraq, “from injuries suffered in an incident currently under investigation,” according to the Department of Defense. He is the 48th Mississippian to die in Iraq since March 2003.
Brown, 27, was assigned to the 288th Sapper Company, 223rd Engineer Battalion in Houston, Miss.
Lt. Col. Tim Powell with National Guard said this was Brown’s first deployment.
He had been in Iraq since September, when he arrived there with more than 90 other members of the 228th.
Brown’s funeral has been scheduled for noon March 26 at Harts Chapel Church in Poplarville. He will be buried at the Biloxi National Cemetery.
Army Sgt. Lerando J. Brown was killed in an non-combat related accident on 3/15/08.
Army Sgt. Lerando J. Brown, 27, of Gulfport, Miss.
Sgt. Brown was assigned to the 288th Sapper Company, 223rd Engineer Battalion, Mississippi Army National Guard, Houston, Miss.; died March 15,2008 in Balad, Iraq, from injuries sustained in an accident that is currently under investigation.
Gulfport soldier killed in Iraq
By Kathleen Baydala
(Jackson) Clarion-Ledger
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Mississippi Army National Guard soldier in Iraq.
Sgt. Lerando Brown of Gulfport died Saturday in Balad, Iraq, “from injuries suffered in an incident currently under investigation,” according to the Department of Defense. He is the 48th Mississippian to die in Iraq since March 2003.
Brown, 27, was assigned to the 288th Sapper Company, 223rd Engineer Battalion in Houston, Miss.
Lt. Col. Tim Powell with National Guard said this was Brown’s first deployment.
He had been in Iraq since September, when he arrived there with more than 90 other members of the 228th.
Brown’s funeral has been scheduled for noon March 26 at Harts Chapel Church in Poplarville. He will be buried at the Biloxi National Cemetery.
Army Sgt. Lerando J. Brown was killed in an non-combat related accident on 3/15/08.
Army Cpl. William D. O’Brien
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. William D. O’Brien, 19, of Rice, Texas
Cpl. O'Brien was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died March 15, 2008 in Baghdad from wounds sustained when he was attacked by small arms fire during combat operations.
Corsicana Daily Sun — Flags flew at half-mast in Rice Monday, in honor of the loss of Cpl. William David O’Brien, 19, who died Saturday in Baghdad, Iraq. He is the son of Thomas O’Brien of Mabank and Dawn O’Brien of Rice.
He was killed two weeks before his 20th birthday.
O’Brien joined the Army at the age of 17, and had been deployed in Iraq for a year. He was assigned to the First Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, Fourth Brigade Combat Team, First Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan., according to the Department of Defense.
He was the third son in the family to join the Army, after his older brother, John, and a half-brother, Daniel O’Brien. John O’Brien was recently stationed in Alaska, having returned from a tour of duty in Iraq.
“We’re a very patriotic family,” John O’Brien explained. “He was just doing his duty.”
Will O’Brien attended Rice Elementary School, but was home-schooled as a teenager, and was able to finish high school early as a result, John O’Brien said.
“He talked my parents into signing the release so he could join early,” John said.
The younger O’Brien wanted to serve his country, and then go to college to figure out what to do with his life, according to family members.
Will wasn’t a “lifer,” someone who would spend his entire working life in the military, John said.
“He was looking forward to finishing his tour and getting back,” he said.
Thomas O’Brien, Will’s father, works as a travel agent. His mother Dawn owns Mom’s Meal Vault, a small cafe in a former bank in downtown Rice. The windows and doors of the cafe were hung with flags and photos of her soldier son Monday. A red, white and blue flower arrangement stood on the ground in front of the closed and locked doors.
When he wasn’t working, Will O’Brien enjoyed golf, and was a junior PGA player, John said.
“Golf was his passion,” he said.
Will was also a source of joy and strength to his family and friends.
“He was a goofball. He was a very unique individual,” John said, grinning at the memory. “He was very brilliant. He’d come off as kind of a joker, he liked to make people laugh, but down inside he was a very insightful person. He was very wise for his years.”
The Department of Defense confirmed O’Brien’s death Monday afternoon. He died of wounds suffered when he was attacked by small arms fire during combat operations, according to the Department of Defense press release.
“He died a warrior’s death,” John said. “There’s no greater death than to die for your country.”
Funeral arrangements haven’t been made yet. The family is waiting to receive Will O’Brien’s instructions regarding burial, John said.
This week will mark the fifth anniversary of the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom, which began March 20, 2003. Nearly 4,000 Americans have been killed in the war since then.
==Additional story==
North Texas mourns another soldier killed in the Iraq war.
Spc. William O'Brien, 19, was killed Saturday in Baghdad after being wounded by small arms fire during combat, the Defense Department said Monday.
O'Brien grew up and was home schooled in Rice, which is just north of Corsicana. He was also born into a family with a history of service and sacrifice.
"He's a good Christian man and he's with our God, Jesus," said John O'Brien, William's older brother. "And I know he's in a better place now."
O'Brien said he and his little brother joined the Army together, even though William was really too young.
"They were asking for volunteers to join the Army," he said. "He had our parents sign the waiver so he could join at 17."
While the brothers were sent to different units, one day in Baghdad, they got a rare chance to be together.
"It was crazy," O'Brien said. "We got pictures, amazed to see each other. [We] hadn't seen each other in over a year."
Another O'Brien brother, a first sergeant, is on his was home to help the family before both brothers have to return to continue their serve for their country. It's the same thing their dad did during the Vietnam era, which was when he flew B-52s.
"As hard as it is for our family, I can't say enough good words about my brother - a great man, a great American, a true hero," O'Brien said.
They haven't scheduled the funeral yet, but O'Brien is already scheduled to serve in Afghanistan next year.
==Additional story==
Flags flew at half-mast all over Rice Monday, in honor of the loss of one of their own. William David O’Brien, 19, died in Baghdad Saturday, a rifleman in the 128th infantry, Charlie Company out of Fort Riley, Kansas, according to family members.
O’Brien joined the Army at the age of 17, after finishing high school early. He was home-schooled, although he attended Rice Elementary, according to his older brother John O’Brien, who is also in the Army.
The younger O’Brien loved golf and his country, John O’Brien said.
“He was looking forward to finishing his tour and getting back,” John O’Brien said of his brother.
His mother, Dawn O’Brien, runs a small cafe in downtown Rice, and has closed the cafe until further notice.
Army Cpl. William D. O’Brien was killed in action on 3/15/08.
Army Cpl. William D. O’Brien, 19, of Rice, Texas
Cpl. O'Brien was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died March 15, 2008 in Baghdad from wounds sustained when he was attacked by small arms fire during combat operations.
Corsicana Daily Sun — Flags flew at half-mast in Rice Monday, in honor of the loss of Cpl. William David O’Brien, 19, who died Saturday in Baghdad, Iraq. He is the son of Thomas O’Brien of Mabank and Dawn O’Brien of Rice.
He was killed two weeks before his 20th birthday.
O’Brien joined the Army at the age of 17, and had been deployed in Iraq for a year. He was assigned to the First Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, Fourth Brigade Combat Team, First Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan., according to the Department of Defense.
He was the third son in the family to join the Army, after his older brother, John, and a half-brother, Daniel O’Brien. John O’Brien was recently stationed in Alaska, having returned from a tour of duty in Iraq.
“We’re a very patriotic family,” John O’Brien explained. “He was just doing his duty.”
Will O’Brien attended Rice Elementary School, but was home-schooled as a teenager, and was able to finish high school early as a result, John O’Brien said.
“He talked my parents into signing the release so he could join early,” John said.
The younger O’Brien wanted to serve his country, and then go to college to figure out what to do with his life, according to family members.
Will wasn’t a “lifer,” someone who would spend his entire working life in the military, John said.
“He was looking forward to finishing his tour and getting back,” he said.
Thomas O’Brien, Will’s father, works as a travel agent. His mother Dawn owns Mom’s Meal Vault, a small cafe in a former bank in downtown Rice. The windows and doors of the cafe were hung with flags and photos of her soldier son Monday. A red, white and blue flower arrangement stood on the ground in front of the closed and locked doors.
When he wasn’t working, Will O’Brien enjoyed golf, and was a junior PGA player, John said.
“Golf was his passion,” he said.
Will was also a source of joy and strength to his family and friends.
“He was a goofball. He was a very unique individual,” John said, grinning at the memory. “He was very brilliant. He’d come off as kind of a joker, he liked to make people laugh, but down inside he was a very insightful person. He was very wise for his years.”
The Department of Defense confirmed O’Brien’s death Monday afternoon. He died of wounds suffered when he was attacked by small arms fire during combat operations, according to the Department of Defense press release.
“He died a warrior’s death,” John said. “There’s no greater death than to die for your country.”
Funeral arrangements haven’t been made yet. The family is waiting to receive Will O’Brien’s instructions regarding burial, John said.
This week will mark the fifth anniversary of the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom, which began March 20, 2003. Nearly 4,000 Americans have been killed in the war since then.
==Additional story==
North Texas mourns another soldier killed in the Iraq war.
Spc. William O'Brien, 19, was killed Saturday in Baghdad after being wounded by small arms fire during combat, the Defense Department said Monday.
O'Brien grew up and was home schooled in Rice, which is just north of Corsicana. He was also born into a family with a history of service and sacrifice.
"He's a good Christian man and he's with our God, Jesus," said John O'Brien, William's older brother. "And I know he's in a better place now."
O'Brien said he and his little brother joined the Army together, even though William was really too young.
"They were asking for volunteers to join the Army," he said. "He had our parents sign the waiver so he could join at 17."
While the brothers were sent to different units, one day in Baghdad, they got a rare chance to be together.
"It was crazy," O'Brien said. "We got pictures, amazed to see each other. [We] hadn't seen each other in over a year."
Another O'Brien brother, a first sergeant, is on his was home to help the family before both brothers have to return to continue their serve for their country. It's the same thing their dad did during the Vietnam era, which was when he flew B-52s.
"As hard as it is for our family, I can't say enough good words about my brother - a great man, a great American, a true hero," O'Brien said.
They haven't scheduled the funeral yet, but O'Brien is already scheduled to serve in Afghanistan next year.
==Additional story==
Flags flew at half-mast all over Rice Monday, in honor of the loss of one of their own. William David O’Brien, 19, died in Baghdad Saturday, a rifleman in the 128th infantry, Charlie Company out of Fort Riley, Kansas, according to family members.
O’Brien joined the Army at the age of 17, after finishing high school early. He was home-schooled, although he attended Rice Elementary, according to his older brother John O’Brien, who is also in the Army.
The younger O’Brien loved golf and his country, John O’Brien said.
“He was looking forward to finishing his tour and getting back,” John O’Brien said of his brother.
His mother, Dawn O’Brien, runs a small cafe in downtown Rice, and has closed the cafe until further notice.
Army Cpl. William D. O’Brien was killed in action on 3/15/08.
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