Army Sgt. 1st Class Lawrence D. Ezell

Remember Our Heroes

Army Sgt. 1st Class Lawrence D. Ezell, 30, of Portland, Texas

SFC Ezell was assigned to the 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group, Fort Carson, Colo.; died April 30, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit during combat operations.

Colorado Springs Gazette -- A decorated veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was killed Wednesday in Baghdad, the first casualty from his Fort Carson-based bomb disposal group.

Sgt. 1st Class Lawrence D. Ezell, of Portland, Texas, died after an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit during combat operations, the Department of Defense said Saturday.

Ezell, 30, was an explosive ordnance disposal specialist. He was on his second tour in Iraq, deploying Nov. 1 with fellow members of the 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group. The unit has fewer than 100 people in Iraq.

He received the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal and the Senior Explosive Ordnance Disposal Badge.

He served in Iraq from March 2003 to October 2004 and in Afghanistan from October 2005 to April 2006, according to records from Fort Carson.

The bombing pushed the Fort Carson death toll to 237, according to Gazette records.

Ezell's death came on the day another soldier from the Colorado Springs area died in a Baghdad bombing. Spc. Ronald J. Tucker, 21, of Fountain, was serving as a mortarman with a unit from Fort Hood, Texas.

Six other soldiers from Fort Carson were wounded in Baghdad last week in fighting between U.S. forces and militiamen loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Ezell joined the Army on Jan. 11, 1997, and the 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group on March 23, 2007.

A casualty assistance officer reached by telephone at Ezell's Fountain home on Saturday said the soldier's widow, Christina, did not want to comment. The Gazette could not locate relatives in Texas.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Lawrence D. Ezell was killed in action on 4/30/08.





Larger Images

Army Staff Sgt. Chad A. Caldwell

Remember Our Heroes

Army Staff Sgt. Chad A. Caldwell, 24, of Spokane, Wash.

SSgt Caldwell was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas; died April 30, 2008 in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries sustained while conducting dismounted combat operations.

KXLY -- FORT HOOD, Texas - The United States Army has confirmed that Staff Sgt. Chad Caldwell, a native of Spokane, has died in combat in Iraq.

Staff Sgt. Caldwell died on Wednesday from injuries suffered during an operation in Mosul, Iraq. He was assigned to Killer Troop, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, which is based at Fort Hood, Texas.

According to Caldwell's MySpace page, he is a 2001 graduate of Cheney High School. He joined the Army in 2002.

The soldier had been featured in a number of publications in the past couple of months.

He was interviewed for a story in the March 18 issue of Stars and Stripes, where he talked about his second tour of duty in Iraq.

He also was in Iraq for a 15-month tour of duty in 2003-04, and he is quoted as saying he never thought the Army would still be in Iraq when he was on his first tour of duty.

He was also photographed while on duty in Mosul in the April 10 editon of the Christian Science Monitor, and a photo of him playing golf was in the March 25 edition of USA Today.

Caldwell, who was single, was the father of two sons.

Army Staff Sgt. Chad A. Caldwell was killed in action on 4/30/08.

Army Capt. Andrew R. Pearson

Remember Our Heroes

Army Capt. Andrew R. Pearson, 32, of Billings, Mont.

Cpt. Pearson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died April 30, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Spc. Ronald J. Tucker.

Billings soldier killed in Iraq
By Matthew Brown
The Associated Press

BILLINGS, Mont. — A 32-year-old Army captain from Billings has been killed after his vehicle was hit by an explosion in Iraq, officials said.

The Department of Defense said Capt. Andrew R. Pearson, with the 4th Infantry Division from Fort Hood, Texas, was one of two soldiers killed in Wednesday’s blast from an improvised explosive device in Baghdad.

He is the 27th military service member from Montana to die so far in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the office of Gov. Brian Schweitzer.

Also killed in the Baghdad explosion was 21-year-old Spc. Ronald J. Tucker of Fountain, Colo. Their mission had been to train Iraqi forces.

Pearson joined the military in June 1998 and had been with the 4th Infantry since February 2007. His service awards included a Bronze Star.

Married and with four children, he had been deployed in March for a third tour of duty, after serving previously in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

“He believed in what he was doing and gave his all for America,” his father, Ron Pearson, said in an interview Friday. “He was very resolute in what he was doing.”

Ron Pearson said his son loved to hunt, fish and ride his bike, but that his top priority was his family. He and his wife, Jon Marie, had planned to buy a travel trailer and tour the country when Pearson got back from his latest 15-month tour, Ron Pearson said.

“They wanted to travel around and enjoy family life,” he said.

A 2001 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, where he majored in economics, Andrew Pearson was inspired to enter the military by his great-uncle, who also attended West Point, his father said.

For the 2001 academy yearbook, Pearson chose a quote from President John F. Kennedy to accompany his photo: “In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility — I welcome it.”

Memorial services are planned at the War Memorial in Billings on May 10 and at Fort Hood on May 15.

Pearson will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Flags ordered flown at half-staff for fallen soldier
The Associated Press

HELENA, Mont. — Gov. Brian Schweitzer is ordering flags flown at half-staff on May 9 and 10 in honor of an Army captain from Billings who was killed in Iraq.

Capt. Andrew R. Pearson, with the 4th Infantry Division from Fort Hood, Texas, was killed on April 30 after his vehicle was hit by an explosion in Baghdad.

Also killed in the blast was 21-year-old Spc. Ronald J. Tucker of Fountain, Colo. Their mission had been to train Iraqi forces.

The 32-year-old Pearson joined the military in June 1998 and had been with the 4th Infantry since February 2007.

Memorial services are planned at the War Memorial in Billings on Saturday and at Fort Hood on May 15. Pearson will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Army Capt. Andrew R. Pearson was killed in action on 4/30/08.

Army Spc. Ronald J. Tucker

Remember Our Heroes

Army Spc. Ronald J. Tucker, 21, of Fountain, Colo.

Spc. Tucker was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died April 30, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Capt. Andrew R. Pearson.

Colorado Springs Gazette --A 21-year-old soldier from Fountain died in a Baghdad bombing, the Army announced today.

Spc. Ronald J. Tucker was on patrol with his unit from Fort Hood, Texas, on Wednesday when the vehicle he was riding in was hit by a roadside bomb.

Another soldier in the vehicle, Capt. Andrew R. Pearson, 32, of Billings, Mont., also died in the bombing, the Army said.

Both men were assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, which started operations in Iraq last month.

Tucker, a 2005 graduate of Fountain-Fort Carson High School, joined the Army in 2005 and was trained to be a mortarman. He was assigned to Fort Hood in August 2006 and went to the Middle East earlier this year.

"Ronnie had a passion to be successful," said Fountain-Fort Carson dean of students Mitch Johnson, who had known Tucker since he was a first-grader. "He was a hard-working student."

Johnson said Tucker was the kind of kid most school administrators don't notice, because he worked so hard and kept his nose clean.

But Ronnie stood out for the right reasons, including his sense of humor.

"If there was a good practical joke to be played, you could count on Ronnie having that grin on his face," Johnson said.

Johnson said it was no surprise that Tucker joined the Army after high school.

"He was a young man who had been around the military influence here the whole time he was in school."

Tucker is the third Fountain-Fort Carson graduate to die in Iraq.

Johnson said Tucker, the 58th Colorado native killed in the Iraq war, is survived by his mother and two sisters.

Tucker's death came as fighting rages in Baghdad between Shiite militiamen loyal to cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and Army forces. This week, Fort Carson's 3rd Brigade Combat team suffered six wounded soldiers during a four-hour firefight in Baghdad's Shiite slum, Sadr City.

Fighting continued today with several attacks on the Fort Carson soldiers while they built barriers to close off Sadr City. Just before 6 p.m. soldiers from Fort Carson's 1st Battalion, 68th Armored Regiment were ambushed with rifle fire from a building in Sadr City.

A news release from the Army's Baghdad headquarters said the soldiers called in air support and the building was destroyed by a pair of Hellfire missiles.

Army Spc. Ronald J. Tucker was killed in action on 4/30/08.

Army Staff Sgt. Clay A. Craig

Remember Our Heroes

Army Staff Sgt. Clay A. Craig, 22, of Mesquite, Texas

SSgt. Craig was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky; died April 29, 2008 in Baghdad from wounds sustained when he received small-arms fire during combat operations.

101st’s 2nd BCT seeks those responsible for soldiers’ deaths
By Jake Lowary
The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf-Chronicle

Following the 101st Airborne Division’s deadliest month in the current deployment, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team is committed to finding those responsible for the deaths.

On April 29, two 2nd BCT soldiers died during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq.

Staff Sgt. Clay A. Craig, 22, of Mesquite, Texas, and Staff Sgt. Bryan E. Bolander, 26, of Hemet, Calif., died from small-arms fire and an improvised explosive device, respectively.

The 2nd BCT has taken a proactive approach to finding those responsible, a 2nd BCT spokesman said this week.

“We are aggressively seeking out information and intelligence sources to find those responsible and bring them to justice,” 2nd BCT spokesman Maj. J. Frank Garcia told The Leaf-Chronicle via e-mail from Iraq.

Garcia said the brigade continues to keep the families and friends of the fallen soldiers in their prayers as they search for the responsible parties.

Craig and Bolander’s deaths marked the 10th and 11th for the 101st in April, making it the deadliest month since three 101st brigades deployed to Iraq in September.

Prior to April, January — with eight deaths — had been the division’s deadliest month. No 101st soldiers were killed in March.

A total of 31 soldiers assigned to the 101st have died during the current deployment.

Of those, 11 have come from the 2nd BCT, second only to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, which has lost 17 soldiers.

Since the start of the Iraq war, 237 soldiers from Fort Campbell have died overseas.

Garcia said the location of the 2nd BCT and its focus of combat operations are not to blame for the recent spike in casualties.

“Every assigned unit area comes with its own set of variables,” he wrote. “We do not attribute any specific reasons for our recent losses. These attacks occur randomly.”

Army Staff Sgt. Clay A. Craig was killed in action on 4/29/08.





Larger Images

Army Staff Sgt. Bryan E. Bolander

Remember Our Heroes

Army Staff Sgt. Bryan E. Bolander, 26, of Bakersfield, Calif.

SSgt Bolander was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died April 29, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device.

California soldier dies before wedding
The Associated Press

VIRGINIA CITY, Nev. — A decorated California soldier was killed in Iraq just weeks before he was due to be sent home for his wedding, his father said.

Army Staff Sgt. Bryan E. Bolander, 26, of Bakersfield, Calif., died Tuesday after his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in Baghdad.

He had planned to be back in the U.S. about a week before his June 6 wedding, said his father, Greg Bolander of Virginia City, about 20 miles southeast of Reno.

“His commander, his master sergeant, was to be the best man at his wedding,” Greg Bolander told the Reno Gazette-Journal. “Now, he will accompany his body home.”

Bryan Bolander was on his fourth tour of duty in Iraq when he died. He joined the Army in April 2000 and arrived at Fort Campbell in Kentucky in November 2002.

“I have a hard time understanding four tours,” Greg Bolander told the Nevada Appeal. “But he was a very dedicated Army person. He loved his job.”

Bryan Bolander’s stepmother, Brenda Bolander, and grandparents, Jack and Dorothy Bolander, also live in Virginia City.

He also is survived by his son, Tyler Bolander, 4, of St. Louis, and his mother and stepfather, Toni and Robert Kahrmann of Clarksville, Tenn.

A memorial service will be held in Iraq and burial will be in the Clarksville Veterans Cemetery in Tennessee.

Including Bolander, 12 soldiers from Fort Campbell died in April and 234 soldiers from the base on the Kentucky-Tennessee state line have been killed since the war started.

During his Army career, Bolander received numerous awards and medals, including the Army Commendation Medal with Valor, which is typically awarded to soldiers who perform heroically in combat.

Army Staff Sgt. Bryan E. Bolander remembered
The Associated Press

Being a soldier wasn’t just a way to get a steady paycheck for Bryan E. Bolander.

“He loved his job, loved being a Ranger,” said his father, Greg Bolander. “His commander, his master sergeant, was to be the best man at his wedding.”

Bolander, 26, of Bakersfield, Calif., was killed April 29 in Baghdad after his vehicle struck an explosive. He was assigned to Fort Campbell and was on his fourth tour.

He had been drawn to military service ever since he was a boy.

“He wasted no time — he enlisted when he was 18, but he loved what he did,” Greg Bolander said.

He planned to marry his fiancee, Sandra, in June. He loved to fish in the ocean, whether he caught anything or not.

“He was an awesome kid,” Greg Bolander said. “He played every sport, and he was a straight-A student. He was never in trouble.”

He visited his grandparents last year when one of his buddies got married in Las Vegas.

“He was about 5-foot-9-inches tall and was stocky as a kid, but when I hugged him, he was hard as nails. He told me he did push-ups during the commercials when he was watching TV,” said his grandfather, Jack Bolander.

He also is survived by his son, Tyler, 4.

Army Staff Sgt. Bryan E. Bolander was killed in action on 4/29/08.

Army Sgt. 1st Class David L. McDowell

Remember Our Heroes

Army Sgt. 1st Class David L. McDowell, 30, of Ramona, Calif.

SFC McDowell was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died April 29, 2008 in Bastion, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked using small arms fire.

DoD News -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sgt. 1st Class David L. McDowell, 30, of Ramona, Calif., died April 29 in Bastion, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash.

According to NBCsandiego.com, McDowell, who previously served in Iraq, had left for a mission to Afghanistan on March 29.

The 12-year Army veteran, a father of two, married his high school sweetheart, his mother, Laurie Wathen, told NBC.

Army Sgt. 1st Class David L. McDowell was killed in action on 4/29/08.

Air Force Senior Airman Jonathan A. V. Yelner

Remember Our Heroes

Air Force Senior Airman Jonathan A. V. Yelner, 24, of Lafayette, La.

SrA Yelner was assigned to the 28th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.; died April 29, 2008 near Bagram, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.

Fallen airman remembered as full of life

Staff report

Senior Airman Jonathan A.V. Yelner — Vega to his friends — had no difficulty holding his own among the soldiers at Forward Operating Base Kutschbach, Afghanistan.

“As one of the very few airmen on the FOB, the other soldiers down there enjoyed razzing Yelner up quite a bit. He never let it bother him and was quick to shoot back with a smart comment,” Army Capt. Casey McCausland, Kapisa South Civil Affairs team leader, recalled at his memorial service at Bagram Air Base.

Yelner, 24, was just a few months into a yearlong tour with the Army when he was killed April 29 by an improvised explosive device near Bagram. A bomb loader by training, he volunteered for the in-lieu-of tasking as a Humvee driver for the Kapisa and Parwan Provincial Reconstruction Team, a job he did carefully and conscientiously.

“From setting up the radios, to mounting the crew serve weapon ... we could always count on Yelner to get it done right the first time,” McCausland said.

Master Sgt. Felipe Richards, the PRT first sergeant, remembered Yelner as a “smart, vibrant, full-of-life person who brought a smile to my face.”

The California native enlisted in the Air Force in October 2003 and was assigned to the 28th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., as a weapons load crew member for the B-1B bomber, according to Bagram officials. It was his third deployment, but his first in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

“I’m very proud of him,” his father, Bruce Yelner of El Cerrito, Calif., told the San Francisco Chronicle. “He was performing one of the ... nobler duties of the military in Afghanistan. He did a lot of good for the local Afghans.”

Air Force Senior Airman Jonathan A. V. Yelner was killed in action on 4/29/08.

Army Pfc. Adam L. Marion

Remember Our Heroes

Army Pfc. Adam L. Marion, 26, of Mount Airy, N.C.

Pfc. Marion was assigned to the 171st Engineer Company, North Carolina Army National Guard, Saint Pauls, N.C.; died April 28, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his forward operating base with indirect fire. Also killed were Sgt. Marcus C. Mathes and Sgt. Mark A. Stone.

Army Pfc. Adam L. Marion remembered
The Associated Press

Adam L. Marion loved kids, and at one point, he worked with children involved with parks and recreation programs and at a home for abused children.

Family members say that he carried his passion for helping children with him to Iraq, where he spent as much time as possible with Iraqi kids.

“He was really funny, joking and always smiling,” said Ivy Jean Atkins, a cousin. “He loved kids and had a loving heart.”

Marion, 26, of Mount Airy, N.C., was killed April 28 during an attack on a base near Baghdad. He was a 2000 high school graduate and was assigned to Saint Pauls, N.C.

“He loved to have fun,” said Kathy Robertson, a friend. “Just being around him would make you laugh, and he loved to cut up and pick. He was just fun to be around.”

He had the words “Freedom Isn’t Free” tattooed on his biceps.

He is survived by his parents, Pam and Donnie.

“His family is a very loving, very giving family, and they taught him. They instilled in him the importance of taking care of your community and your country,” Robertson said. “I think that’s part of the reason he joined the military.”

Army Pfc. Adam L. Marion was killed in action on 4/28/08.

Army Sgt. Marcus C. Mathes

Remember Our Heroes

Army Sgt. Marcus C. Mathes, 26, of Zephyrhills, Fla.

Sgt. Mathes was assigned to the 94th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Polk, La.; died April 28, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his forward operating base with indirect fire. Also killed were Pfc. Adam L. Marion and Sgt. Mark A. Stone.

Army Sgt. Marcus C. Mathes remembered
The Associated Press

Marcus C. Mathes loved hiking to waterfalls, going scuba diving and riding dirt bikes.

“Marcus was always fun,” said his stepmother, Joyce Mathes. “I know he died a soldier and doing exactly what he wanted to do.”

That was Marcus, but it didn’t totally define him.

Mathes, 26, of Zephyrhills, Fla., was killed April 28 during a rocket attack in Baghdad. He was assigned to Fort Polk.

Mathes left for boot camp on his 23rd birthday, March 15, 2005.

He served in Afghanistan from October 2006 until March 2007. In November 2007, he left for Iraq.

He had “US Army” tattooed into his skin. He also had a tattoo of an American eagle, and also one of his wife’s name.

“Like most young men, he enjoyed his car very much,” said Mathes’ father-in-law, Chuck Ehrman. “He also was the type to make everyone feel happy. He was very fun-loving.”

He loved anything dangerous or thrilling, said his mother, Sue Sawyer. “He was full of life,” she said. “He loved life and lived it to the fullest.”

He also is survived by his wife, Julia. “Hey baby!” she wrote to him on Valentine’s Day. “If I were there, I’d make you a sand heart.”

Army Sgt. Marcus C. Mathes was killed in action on 4/28/08.

Army Sgt. Mark A. Stone

Remember Our Heroes

Army Sgt. Mark A. Stone, 22, of Buchanan Dam, Texas

Sgt. Stone was assigned to the 94th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Polk, La.; died April 28, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his forward operating base with indirect fire. Also killed were Pfc. Adam L. Marion and Sgt. Marcus C. Mathes.

Army Sgt. Mark A. Stone remembered
The Associated Press

As a teen, Mark A. Stone wanted a swimming pool in the backyard.

His family couldn’t afford it — Stone’s mother had died a few years earlier, and a back injury kept his father, Don, out of work.

So Stone began to dig. Two years later, four feet down, he hit rock.

Even if the pool was just a dream, he grabbed a pick ax anyway, just to try.

Stone, 22, of Buchanan Dam, Texas, was killed April 28 in Baghdad of wounds from indirect fire. He was assigned to Fort Polk and had served a year in Afghanistan.

“I’m proud of my brother,” said his brother, Jason Stone. “He died for his country. I’m sure all his friends and family are going to miss him.”

He loved tinkering with his truck and was known to listen quietly, with a somber expression.

“He chose his words wisely,” said Zane Lewis, Stone’s best friend. “He would never talk just to talk.”

Lewis described Stone as the guy who once helped him, without a word of complaint, unload an entire truckload of printers for Lewis’ family business. It’s the kind of thing Stone was always willing to do, Lewis said, seemingly just for the chance to hang out.

Army Sgt. Mark A. Stone was killed in action on 4/28/08.

Army Cpl. David P. McCormick

Remember Our Heroes

Army Cpl. David P. McCormick, 26, of Fresno, Texas

Cpl. McCormick was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died April 28, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his forward operating base came under rocket attack.

Army Cpl. David P. McCormick remembered
The Associated Press

While home on leave about a month ago, David P. McCormick was gleefully fixing up a little red Spitfire.

“He had it all planned out right down to the specific types of bolts he was going to use — he even had the parts he wanted for the car fixed up on a PowerPoint presentation,” said his brother-in-law, Kelley Davis.

McCormick, 26, of Bay City, Texas, died April 28 in Baghdad of wounds suffered after his base came under rocket attack. He was a 2000 high school graduate, was assigned to Fort Campbell and was on his second tour.

“The thing that I remember most about David was that he took the time to be helpful to a freshman,” said Bryan Hairell, a freshman when McCormick was a senior. “He was a good friend and a good person and I will miss him dearly.”

He planned to attend Texas State University, where he wanted to pursue a master’s degree in business administration. He also planned to join the U.S. Coast Guard.

“David loved his country and loved learning,” said his mother, Anna. “He always kept himself around people with big minds and big ideas.”

Army Cpl. David P. McCormick was killed in action on 4/28/08.

Army Spc. William T. Dix

Remember Our Heroes

Army Spc. William T. Dix, 32, of Culver City, Calif.

Spc. Dix was assigned to the 14th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, I Corps, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died April 27, 2008 at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, of injuries sustained in a non-combat-related incident.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer -- One Fort Lewis soldier has been killed in Afghanistan and a second has died in Kuwait, the Defense Department said Wednesday.

In Kuwait, Pfc. William T. Dix, a 32-year-old Fort Lewis soldier with a combat-engineer battalion returning to Iraq to find and disarm roadside bombs was killed on Sunday..

Dix, of Culver City, Calif., who previously served in Iraq from November 2005 to October 2006, died at Camp Buehring, Kuwait of injuries sustained in what the Defense Department described as a "non-combat related incident." The incident remains under investigation and details were not released, Pentagon officials said.

Dix was deployed to Iraq only in March as part of the 490-member 14th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade from Fort Lewis. Units entering Iraq normally stage in Kuwait.

Dix previously served in the Marine Corps and Army Reserve, then joined the active duty Army in 2004.

Dix, who earned numerous commendations as a Marine and soldier, had served a year in Korea before his yearlong deployment to Iraq with the 14th Engineer Battalion from 2005 to 2006.

Army Spc. William T. Dix died from non-combat related injuries on 4/27/08.

Army Staff Sgt. Shaun J. Whitehead

Remember Our Heroes

Army Staff Sgt. Shaun J. Whitehead, 24, of Commerce, Ga.

SSgt. Whitehead was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died April 24, 2008 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when he encountered an improvised explosive device while on a dismounted patrol.

Three Fort Campbell soldiers killed in two days
The Associated Press

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — Three Fort Campbell-based soldiers, including one from Georgia, have been killed in two days in Iraq in separate incidents, according to the Department of Defense.

The Army says staff Sgt. Shaun J. Whitehead was struck and killed by a bomb while patrolling on foot in Iskandariyah on Thursday. Whitehead, 25, from Commerce, Ga., was assigned to A Company, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.

The day before Whitehead’s death, John T. Bishop, 22, of Gaylord, Mich., and 1st Lt. Timothy W. Cunningham, 26, of College Station, Texas, died in Golden Hills, Iraq, from injuries suffered when their vehicle rolled into a canal. The deaths are under investigation.

Both were assigned to C Troop, 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.

Including the three deaths, six soldiers from the base on the Tennessee-Kentucky state line have died in the last week.

Whitehead entered the Army in September 2003. He is survived by his wife, Brenda, a son and a daughter, all of Fort Campbell, and his mother, Rebecca Whitehead, of Maysville, Ga.

Whitehead attended Commerce High School and joined the Army in 2003, the Athens Banner-Herald reported.

“He was a nice young man. Didn’t get into trouble, a nice kid,” Commerce High School counselor Elaine Roller told the newspaper.

His funeral is being handled by Evans Funeral Home in Jefferson.

Cunningham joined the Army in May 2006 and came to Fort Campbell in April 2007. The infantry officer completed U.S. Army Ranger school and earned a Parachutist Badge. He is survived by his wife, daughter and parents.

Bishop, an infantryman, joined the Army in August 2006 and came to Fort Campbell in January 2007. He earned several awards, including the Army Good Conduct Medal and the Expert Infantry Badge. He is survived by his wife and parents.

Army Staff Sgt. Shaun J. Whitehead remembered
The Associated Press

Staff Sgt. Justin Akers served with Shaun J. Whitehead during his first deployment to Iraq, from 2004 to 2006, when Whitehead “was just coming into his own as a leader,” he said.

“He always put his soldiers first, and that’s the greatest compliment I can pay a noncommissioned officer in the United States Army,” Akers said.

Whitehead, 24, of Commerce, Ga., died April 24 in Iskandariyah of wounds sustained from an explosive. He was assigned to Fort Campbell.

His grandfather served in Korea and Vietnam, and Shaun signed up knowing he would soon be on his way to Iraq. “He thought it was time for him to contribute,” said his grandfather, Coy O’Shields.

“Shaun taught me how to love. He truly did,” said his wife, Janie. “He opened up to me a whole other level of love.”

On visits back to Georgia with his family, Whitehead would run at the first sight of his mother to pick her up and twirl her around, laughing, she said.

“May God be kind to me, and may that memory never fade,” said his mother, Rebecca.

He also is survived by a daughter, Janna, and a son, Gabriel.

Army Staff Sgt. Shaun J. Whitehead was killed in action on 4/24/08.

Army Staff Sgt. Ronald C. Blystone

Remember Our Heroes

Army Staff Sgt. Ronald C. Blystone, 34, of Springfield, Mo.

SSgt. Blystone was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died April 23, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when he encountered small-arms fire during a dismounted patrol.

Local soldier killed in Iraq
By Jaime Baranyai
Springfield News-Leader

When a black car pulled into the driveway and she saw two officers coming to the front door, Alexia Blystone knew one of her sons had been killed in Iraq — she just didn’t know which one.

“I wouldn’t let them speak for a long time ... I didn’t want to know,” she said.

She soon learned it was her oldest son — Army Staff Sgt. Ronald C. Blystone, 34 — who had been killed Wednesday in Iraq.

“It was exactly like in the movies,” she said, recalling the officers’ visit to her Springfield home Wednesday evening. “It’s every parent’s worst nightmare to have to bury their child.”

The 1992 graduate of Glendale High School died when he suffered wounds during an encounter with small-arms fire during a patrol in Baghdad. It was his third tour in Iraq.

Blystone was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, the Department of Defense said.

He leaves behind his wife, Kelly, and their three children, Maggie, 13, Molly, 10, and Zakery, 9, Alexia Blystone said. His wife and children live in Texas.

Alexia Blystone said her son, who was known as “R.C.,” was the type of guy who was friends with everyone.

“He was wonderful,” she said softly. “... Very loving, giving. Everybody that met him loved him.”

Blystone expressed great pride in her son’s accomplishments, which include a Bronze Star Medal.

The military decoration may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit or meritorious service. When awarded for bravery, it is the fourth-highest combat award of the U.S. Armed Forces and the ninth-highest military award.

“His commanders were amazed by him,” Alexia Blystone said.

She said he was also featured on the cover of U.S. News & World Report magazine with a caption that read: “We’re Winning.”

“It was a very proud moment for everyone,” she said.

His children were his passion, Alexia Blystone said. He also loved to scuba dive and was recently certified in deep-water rescues, she said.

He was an avid football player too.

“He had a good opportunity to explore that but chose not to,” she said.

Alexia Blystone recalled the last time she saw her son in February during a visit to Texas.

“We just did family stuff and we just spent time together,” she said, her voice quiet again.

She said she’s still in shock. “It’s not real, and it won’t be real for a long time.”

What scares her the most is the thought of losing her youngest son, 23-year-old Joseph Blystone. She hopes he will be able to come home from Iraq for the funeral, which will be in Springfield.

“I have no idea how I’m going to handle my youngest son finishing his tour,” she said. “I don’t want to take the chance of losing another son over there.”

• • • • •

Army Staff Sgt. Ronald C. Blystone remembered
The Associated Press

Ronald C. Blystone was the very model of a soldier — he was once featured on the cover of U.S. News & World Report magazine with a caption that read: “We’re Winning.”

“It was a very proud moment for everyone,” said his mother, Alexia Blystone.

Blystone, 34, who was known as “R.C.” and hailed from Springfield, Mo., was killed April 23 by small-arms fire in Baghdad during a patrol.

He was a 1992 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Hood.

“He loved his country, but above all else he loved his wife and children,” said Steve Maples, director of the Missouri Veterans Cemetery. “God has called R.C. to that place of eternal peace.”

It was his third tour in Iraq. He played football and wrestled while in high school, loved watching the Kansas City Chiefs and going scuba diving.

“His commanders were amazed by him,” Alexia Blystone said.

She said he was the type of guy who was friends with everyone.

“He was wonderful,” she said. “Very loving, giving. Everybody that met him loved him.”

He also leaves behind his wife, Kelly, and their three children, Maggie, 13, Molly, 10, and Zakery, 9.

Army Staff Sgt. Ronald C. Blystone was killed in action on 4/23/08.

Army Sgt. Guadalupe Cervantes Ramirez

Remember Our Heroes

Army Sgt. Guadalupe Cervantes Ramirez, 26, of Fort Irwin, Calif.

Sgt. Cervantes-Ramirez was assigned to the 2nd Transportation Company (Heavy Equipment Transport), Echelons Above Brigade Support Battalion, National Training Center Support Brigade, Fort Irwin; died April 23, 2008 at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, of injuries sustained in a vehicle incident.

Army Sgt. Guadalupe Cervantes Ramirez remembered
The Associated Press

Army Brig. Gen. Manuel Ortiz said Guadalupe Cervantes Ramirez was a loving man who was eager to learn and absorbed knowledge like a sponge.

“He was a loving husband, a loving father, a loving son and a great soldier,” Ortiz said. “Why was he a great soldier? He was full of endless energy and endless love for all those around him.”

Ramirez, 26, of Fort Irwin, Calif., died April 23 at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, of injuries from a vehicle accident. He was assigned to Fort Irwin.

“We have lost a great soldier, and we will miss him,” Ortiz said, “but he will not be forgotten.”

Ramirez was born in Mexicali and immigrated to the U.S. with his parents in 1989, graduating from high school in 1999. He was first deployed to Iraq in 2003 and also served for a year in Korea before his second departure overseas to Iraq.

“His devotion, loyalty and unfailing courage in the face of danger serve as an inspiration to all Americans,” said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

He is survived by his wife, Amber, and their two children, Amy, 7, and Guadalupe, 4.

Army Sgt. Guadalupe Cervantes Ramirez was killed on 4/23/08.

Army Pfc. John T. Bishop

Remember Our Heroes

Army Pfc. John T. Bishop, 22, of Gaylord, Mich.

Pfc. Bishop was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died April 23, 2008 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a vehicle incident.

Soldier loved all things adventure
By Joe Rossiter
Detroit Free Press

When Pfc. John Bishop arrived home from Iraq in March on an 18-day leave, family members recalled his euphoria upon seeing the foot-and-a-half snow base outside their Gaylord home.

Next to his loved ones, the sight of snow was the best thing for the snowmobile enthusiast.

Mr. Bishop, 22, was one of two soldiers of the Army’s 101st Airborne Division out of Ft. Campbell, Ky., who died April 23 while on patrol in Golden Hills, Iraq.

For Mr. Bishop, a young daredevil who used to skydive over Grand Traverse Bay, adventure was as much a part of his persona as his dedication to the country when, following in the footsteps of his father and two brothers, he enlisted in the Army nearly two years ago.

“He was a genuine thrill-seeker,” said his sister, Jennifer Tye.

Born in Royal Oak, Mr. Bishop grew up in St. Clair Shores, and the family moved to Gaylord in 2000. After enlisting in the Army in August 2006, he was deployed to Iraq a year later.

Two months before his departure, he married Diane Caddell in a Las Vegas wedding chapel.

In addition to his wife and sister, survivors include his parents, John and Gaye Bishop; brothers Bernie Bishop and Kevin Tye; sister, Lisa Katchmark, and grandparents Arthur and Marlene LeCuru.

Funeral services are at 9 a.m. Friday at the Gaylord Evangelical Free Church, 1649 E. M-32, Gaylord. Visitation will precede services at 8 a.m. at the church.

Burial with full military honors will take place later in the day at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly.

Flags to be lowered to honor soldier
The Associated Press

LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Jennifer Granholm has ordered flags to be lowered Friday in honor of a soldier who died in Iraq while on active duty.

Army Pfc. John Bishop of Gaylord died April 23 from injuries he sustained in a vehicle crash. He was 22.

Bishop was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), at Fort Campbell, Ky.

Army Pfc. John T. Bishop remembered
The Associated Press

If it involved speed or danger, John T. Bishop was right there.

“He was an avid snowmobiler. He liked to fish and skydive. He liked to do dangerous things. He was a risk-taker,” said his father, John William Bishop.

Bishop, 22, of Gaylord, Mich., died April 23 when his vehicle rolled over in a canal in Golden Hills. He was assigned to Fort Campbell.

“John always looked up to the other military members in our family,” said his sister, Jennifer. “He felt joining the Army was his duty and the honorable thing to do. We were all so proud of him and never once did he regret his decision.”

He reveled in the joy of zooming along the northern landscape on his Arctic Cat with the wind whipping in his face, and would skydive over Grand Traverse Bay.

While home, Bishop made a point of visiting each member of his large clan scattered throughout Michigan and spent four days crisscrossing the state to do so. “He was usually the glue that held everything together and always had a knack for solving family problems,” said his sister.

He also is survived by his wife, Diane.

Army Pfc. John T. Bishop was killed in action on 4/23/08.

Army 1st Lt. Timothy W. Cunningham

Remember Our Heroes

Army 1st Lt. Timothy W. Cunningham, 26, of College Station, Texas

1st Lt. Cunningham wa assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died April 23, 2008 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a vehicle incident.

Army 1st Lt. Timothy W. Cunningham remembered
The Associated Press

Timothy W. Cunningham and his brother loved going to school and would look for efficient ways to get there on time.

“I walked into their room one night and both boys were lying on top of their bedspreads, fully dressed, lying very still with their hands by their sides,” said their mother, Cindy.

“When I asked what was up, they both told me that they talked it over and figured out that they could get extra sleep and get to school sooner if they dressed the night before and didn’t have to make their beds.”

Cunningham, 26, who grew up in Alvin, Texas, died April 23 of injuries from a vehicle accident in Golden Hills, Iraq. He was assigned to Fort Campbell.

“He was the young man that every dad wishes his daughter would marry,” said the Rev. Alfred Perry.

He graduated high school in 2000 and received a nuclear engineering degree from the U.S. Military Academy. “He was a great kid who did everything he was supposed to do,” said Ricky Hassell, his former principal.

He is survived by his wife, Samantha, and his 1-year-old daughter, Abigail.

“If I could sum up Tim’s life, it would be that he lived all out,” said his mother.

Army 1st Lt. Timothy W. Cunningham was killed in a vehicle accident on 4/23/08.

Army Sgt. Dwayne D. Davis

Remember Our Heroes

Sgt. Dwayne D. Davis was born on April 20, 1978, and finished his life's journey on April 22, 2008.

Dwayne graduated from Ray- Pec High School in 1998. He then entered the US Army and proudly served his country. During this time he served in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and two tours in Iraq. While serving he received numerous commendations and medals.

After discharge he married his wife, Cara, in Elk City, Okla., where they made their home and he began working for Unit Drilling.

Dwayne never met a stranger and had a huge heart. He was a great man and we will all miss his smiling face, bright eyes and humor.

Dwayne is survived by his wife Cara; parents, Donna and Doyle Davis; brother, Nick Davis and Krystal; grandparents, Eleanor and Jim Poindexter, Bennie Davis, Ethel and Kenneth Cornell; great-grandmother, Dorothy Short; daughter, Kailyn Davis; aunts, Sherri Davis and Lori Miller; aunts and uncles, David and Julie Halsey, Wanda and Dave Harris, Trenna and Randy Hayes, George and Dee Halsey, Terri and Don Fennelly, Scott and Theresa Halsey and Craig and Lisa Halsey and lots of other friends and family that love him.

Gone but Never Forgotten.

Interment was at Ft. Leavenworth National Cemetery.

Marine Cpl. Jonathan T. Yale

Remember Our Heroes

Marine Cpl. Jonathan T. Yale, 21, of Burkeville, Va.

Cpl. Yale was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died April 22, 2008 of wounds sustained while conducting combat operations in Balad, Iraq. Also killed was Lance Cpl. Jordan C. Haerter.

Marine Cpl. Jonathan T. Yale remembered
The Associated Press

Jonathan T. Yale’s mother said he was the kind of guy who liked to make people happy.

“He was the class clown, even when he wasn’t at school,” Rebecca Yale said. “But he also didn’t mind sitting home with his momma to watch a chick flick with a box of Kleenex between us. He was the best boy you could ask for.”

Yale, 21, of Burkeville, Va., was killed April 22 during the explosion of a suicide vehicle in Ramadi. He was a 2006 high school graduate and was assigned to Camp Lejeune.

When he was little, Yale loved to hang out with his granddad “in the bush and the thicket,” his grandfather, William Sydnor Sr., said. “I used to call him ‘Wild Man.’ No matter how much he would get scratched up in the woods, he always wanted to go again next time.”

Mother and son were so close that when he got stationed at Camp Lejeune almost two years ago, she and his sister moved to North Carolina from Virginia to be closer to him.

Yale became an “awesome skateboarder” and “one of the top paintball players” in the area, according to his mother. She said he was setting up a Web site for a paintball team he had founded.

Marine Cpl. Jonathan T. Yale was killed in action on 4/22/08.





View Larger Images

Marine Lance Cpl. Jordan C. Haerter

Remember Our Heroes

Marine Lance Cpl. Jordan C. Haerter, 19, of Sag Harbor, N.Y.

LCpl Haerter was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died April 22, 2008 of wounds sustained while conducting combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq. Also killed was Cpl. Jonathan T. Yale.

Marine Lance Cpl. Jordan C. Haerter remembered

The Associated Press

In his senior year yearbook, Jordan C. Haerter’s favorite movie was “Black Hawk Down” and his ambitions included “become a good Marine and successful in life.”

“I know everyone says it when this happens, but he was a nice kid,” said Ronn Pirrelli, who coached Haerter in Little League.

“Some kids come and go. He was one of those kids you don’t forget.”

Haerter, 19, of Sag Harbor, N.Y., was killed April 22 by a suicide car bomb in Ramadi. He was a 2006 high school graduate and was assigned to Camp Lejeune.

Haerter enjoyed waging paintball battles and driving his beloved Dodge pickup truck on the beach. “He was a great, great kid,” said principal Jeff Nichols. “He was really well-liked. It’s just very sad.”

His father, Christian Haerter, said his son was always a hands-on type of guy who preferred to be out in the real world working, “getting your hands dirty,” rather than in a classroom.

“It’s not that he was disillusioned with school, he was very good in school,” said his dad. “But he liked the whole concept of apprenticeship.”

He also is survived by his mother, JoAnn Lyles.

Marine Lance Cpl. Jordan C. Haerter was killed in action on 4/22/08.





View Larger Images

Army Pvt. Ronald R. Harrison

Remember Our Heroes

Army Pvt. Ronald R. Harrison, 25, of Morris Plains, N.J.

Pvt. Harrison was assigned to the 703rd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died April 22, 2008 at Forward Operating Base Falcon near Baghdad, Iraq, of a non-combat-related injury.

Army Spc. Ronald R. Harrison remembered
The Associated Press

Ronald R. Harrison loved to cook for the family. He could create sumptuous dishes of fish, chicken and London broil. “He would have made a great chef,” said family spokesman Peter Rowland.

Harrison, 25, of Morris Plains, N.J., died April 22 near Baghdad of a non-combat injury. He was assigned to Fort Stewart.

He played football, basketball and track in high school and enlisted in the National Guard in December 2003.

“Harrison was a dedicated soldier as well as a loving husband, stepfather, son, brother, and friend, whose memory lives in the hearts of his family and fellow soldiers,” said Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

After high school, he worked for several years at an Exxon gas station and also for an exterminator, his parents said.

“He intended to make the Army his career. He enjoyed the services and was proud to wear the uniform,” Rowland said. “The Army was very good for him.”

Harrison is survived by his wife, Kagen, and her son, Max.

“He was always trying to do good by his kid, and his parents, and his friend,” said friend Ben Ala, who often spoke with Harrison over the phone.

Army Pvt. Ronald R. Harrison died from a non-combat related injury on 4/22/08.

Navy Airman Apprentice Adrian M. Campos

Remember Our Heroes

Navy Airman Apprentice Adrian M. Campos, 22, of El Paso, Texas

Airman Campos was assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Support Squadron 22, which was attached to the USNS Arctic; he was found dead in Dubai on April 21, 2008 due to a non-combat-related incident.

EL PASO TIMES— Adrian M. Campos, who died Monday in the United Arab Emirate of Dubai, joined the U.S. Navy to visit distant shores, have different experiences and see things far from the Rio Grande that runs next to his small hometown of Fabens, a family member said Wednesday.

Campos, 22, died on when he fell in a hotel under murky circumstances while on shore leave.

"He wanted to see the world, wanted to travel, to see other things other people dream about," said Campos' older brother, Carlos Campos.

Adrian Campos was the youngest of four siblings and graduated in 2003 from Fabens High School, where at one time he was a member of the school's Navy Junior ROTC program. He leaves behind a wife and a 1-year-old daughter, Carlos Campos said. Adrian Campos' wife could not be reached.

Carlos Campos described his younger brother as an outgoing person who enjoyed helping others.

"He was the life of the party," Carlos Campos said.

In April 2006, Adrian Campos joined the Navy. He was an airman apprentice assigned to the Helicopter Sea Combat Support Squadron 22, which is attached to the USNS Arctic, a fast-moving supply ship out of Norfolk, Va.

"He loved his experience in the Navy. He had a job he liked to do a lot. He worked with helicopters," said Carlos Campos, adding that his brother had the goal of eventually opening his own auto body shop.

In November, Adrian Campos' unit was deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Cmdr. Lydia Robertson, a spokeswoman for the Navy's 5th Fleet in Manama, Bahrain, told The (Norfolk, Va.) Virginian-Pilot newspaper Wednesday that Airman Apprentice Campos was found dead in a hotel while he was off duty and on liberty.

The National, an English-language newspaper in the United Arab Emirates, reported on its Web site (www.thenational.ae) that accounts conflict on why Campos fell to his death early Monday morning from the third floor of the atrium in a Ramada Hotel in Dubai.

Local police told the newspaper the incident was a suicide, but U.S. authorities said it was an accident. Campos might have been sitting on a railing when he fell. The Navy continues an investigation.

Carlos Campos said his brother had told the family he was enjoying his time in the Middle East.

"We don't know exactly what happened. We are still waiting" to learn more, Carlos Campos said. The family is also waiting to find out when the body of Adrian Campos will be returned to El Paso so they can schedule his funeral.

Navy Airman Apprentice Adrian M. Campos died of a non-combat related incident on 4/21/08.

Army Spc. Steven J. Christofferson

Remember Our Heroes

Army Spc. Steven J. Christofferson, 20, of Cudahy, Wis.

Spc. Christofferson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died April 21, 2008 in Bayji, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Army Sgt. Adam J. Kohlhaas.

Family confirms death of soldier in Iraq

By Dinesh Ramde
The Associated Press

MILWAUKEE — A Wisconsin soldier has died in Iraq, a family member said Tuesday, making the soldier the 89th serviceman from the state killed there since the war began in 2003.

Details remained sketchy about the death of Spc. Steven Christofferson, 20, of Cudahy. His aunt, Monique Nimphius, confirmed for The Associated Press that Christofferson had died but directed questions to his mother, Michelle Christofferson.

A female who answered the phone at Michelle Christofferson’s home said, “The family has no comment at this time. Thank you,” and hung up.

A military Web site that lists Army casualties did not have any information Tuesday on Christofferson’s death.

Christofferson was a 2006 graduate of Cudahy High School, where he was a member of the football, wrestling and track teams, Principal Chris Haeger said.

“He was a very cordial, approachable kid. He was very, very excited about the military, about the idea of committing himself to his country,” Haeger recalled. “It’s just really hard. It’s a very somber day at the high school.”

Neighbor Ryan Ohlendorf said Christofferson was like a big brother to him. The 16-year-old said he didn’t want to believe the news when the family told him Monday night his friend had been killed by a roadside bomb.

“I didn’t think it was real,” he said. “It was like I lost somebody that I loved.”

Christofferson was laid-back and a good sport, Ohlendorf said. He recalled the time last spring when the two were walking to a park, with Christofferson proudly sporting a T-shirt he’d been given after the Army recruited him.

“The T-shirt was way too big. He looked like he was walking with a dress on,” Ohlendorf said. “I was calling him a girl, and he was just laughing and kidding around.”

He paused, then added softly, “Good times.”

A number of friends left messages on Christofferson’s Facebook page Tuesday. One expressed pride in his military service and said he will be missed. Another called him a hero and expressed gratitude for his sacrifice to the country.

The news of Christofferson’s death came days before the funerals for two Marine reservists, both members of Milwaukee-based Fox Company.

Lance Cpl. Dean Opicka, 29, of Waukesha, and Cpl. Richard Nelson, 23, of Kenosha, were killed April 14 by a roadside bomb that also injured a third Marine.

Opicka’s funeral will be Thursday morning in Luxemburg, while Nelson will have his the same day in Kenosha.

Army Spc. Steven J. Christofferson remembered
The Associated Press

High school principal Christopher Haeger remembered encountering Steven J. Christofferson the day he enlisted in the Army.

“He was very, very excited,” Haeger said. “It wasn’t so much of an issue of getting this type of training or schooling, or money for school, but ‘I’m so excited to represent my country and fight for all the things that we hold valuable here.’”

Christofferson, 20, of Cudahy, Wis., was killed April 21 in Beiji when his vehicle struck an explosive. He was assigned to Fort Campbell.

Christofferson was a 2006 high school graduate who played football, wrestled and ran track. His mother served in the Air Force for 10 years, and his father is in the Army.

“I told him whatever he wanted to do, it was his decision,” said his mother, Michelle Christofferson. “A week after he graduated, he left.”

Andrew Wierzchowski admired his friend for the athletic ability he showed and the character he displayed among his friends.

“He didn’t give up,” Wierzchowski said. “If something wasn’t going right, he’d keep trying. If it was something he wanted, he wouldn’t give up.”

Army Spc. Steven J. Christofferson was killed in action on 4/21/08.

Army Sgt. Adam J. Kohlhaas

Remember Our Heroes

Army Sgt. Adam J. Kohlhaas, 26, of Perryville, Mo.

Sgt. Kohlhaas was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died April 21, 2008 in Bayji, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Army Spc. Steven J. Christofferson.

Two Fort Campbell soldiers killed in Iraq
The Associated Press

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — A soldier from Kentucky who spent his time between the football field and the hunting field was among two infantrymen who died this week in Iraq from injuries suffered when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device.

Sgt. Adam J. Kohlhaas, 26, who grew up in Cadiz, Ky., and Spc. Steven J. Christofferson, 20, of Cudahy, Wis., died Monday in Bayji, the Department of Defense said.

They were both assigned to D Company, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.

Kohlhaas joined the Army nearly six years ago and had been at Fort Campbell since October 2002. He was on his third deployment since enlisting the summer before his senior year of high school, his brother, Nate Kohlhaas, said Thursday.

He is survived by his wife, Rebecca, of Bowling Green, Ky.; his daughter, Londyn Nelson of St. Peters, Mo., and his father, Henry Kohlhaas of Cadiz, Ky. His father said he enlisted in the Army in Missouri.

Adam Kohlhaas, who just recently turned 26, impressed his football coaches at Trigg County High School with his dedication and enthusiasm, his brother said.

“He didn’t do nothing normal — he had to take an extra step,” Nate Kohlhaas said. “He was a big guy with a big heart.”

An avid turkey hunter, Adam Kohlhaas was an expert with guns, his brother said. A memorial Web site created by his family shows a picture of him as a grinning child, holding up a fish longer than his torso.

He was hoping to take leave in July to go on a honeymoon with his new wife, Nate Kohlhaas said.

Henry Kohlhaas said Adam lost his mother in January 2007, and an uncle 12 months later.

“It’s been a continued numbness,” he said, “but he’s back in his mom’s arms.”

Funeral arrangements were pending.

Christofferson joined Army in June 2006 and arrived at Fort Campbell in October 2006. He is survived by his mother, Michell Christofferson, also of Cudahy, and his father, Jeffrey Christofferson.

Christofferson was a 2006 graduate of Cudahy High School, where he played football, wrestled and ran track.

Including Kohlhaas and Christofferson, a total of 229 soldiers from Fort Campbell have died in the Iraq war. Of those, 28 soldiers have died in the latest deployment, which began in September.

• • • • •

Funeral held for Fort Campbell soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — The family of a Fort Campbell soldier who was killed in Iraq accepted awards for him at a tearful funeral Thursday.

The ceremony for 26-year-old Sgt. Adam J. Kohlhaas of Bowling Green was held at J.C. Kirby & Son Funeral Home in his home town. After the funeral, military rites were performed outside the chapel and family and friends placed roses on his casket.

“Over 4,000 have died in Iraq, and it’s now personal,” the Rev. Sally McClain said. “This last week has been days of weeping and mourning.”

The Bowling Green Daily News reported that Kohlhaas’ family was presented with three awards he received in the military: the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and the Army Commendation Medal.

“He cared more about others than himself, which often led to him getting in over his head,” Adam’s father, Henry Kohlhaas said. “I’ll miss your hugs and smile, and I’ll never forget them. I’m so proud of you, son.”

Kohlhaas and 20-year-old Spc. Steven J. Christofferson of Cudahy, Wis., were killed April 21 in Bayji. They were assigned to D Company, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.

On the same day as Kohlhaas’ funeral, the military announced the combat death of another Fort Campbell soldier in Iraq. Staff Sgt. Clay Craig of Mesquite, Texas, also a member of the 101st Airborne Division, was killed Monday in Baghdad.

Including Craig, 233 soldiers from Fort Campbell, which straddles the Kentucky-Tennessee border, have died while deployed in the Iraq war. Of those, 32 have been in the current deployment that began last fall.

Kohlhaas had been at Fort Campbell since October 2002 and was on his third deployment.

Survivors include his wife, Rebecca, of Bowling Green, Ky.; his daughter, Londyn Nelson of St. Peters, Mo.; and his father, Henry Kohlhaas of Cadiz, Ky.

• • • • •

Army Sgt. Adam J. Kohlhaas remembered
The Associated Press

When Adam J. Kohlhaas died, he was riding in a lead vehicle so all the others in his unit would be safe.

“There’s no greater love than laying down your life for a friend,” Chaplain Lt. Col. Rhett Starnes said. “Adam was doing exactly what he wanted to do. He loved being a soldier, he loved being a father, and he loved life. He gave completely of himself.”

Kohlhaas, 26, of Perryville, Mo., was killed April 21 in Beiji when his vehicle struck an explosive. He was assigned to Fort Campbell and was on his third deployment.

Kohlhaas impressed his football coaches in high school with his dedication and enthusiasm, his brother said. “He didn’t do nothing normal — he had to take an extra step,” Nate Kohlhaas said. “He was a big guy with a big heart.”

He was on his third deployment, and loved to hunt and play guitar.

“He had a way of touching people’s lives without really trying,” said Joe Misuraco, his best friend. “I’m proud to call him my friend, not just my friend, but my best friend.”

He is survived by his wife, Rebecca, and a daughter, Londyn.

Army Sgt. Adam J. Kohlhaas was killed in action on 4/21/08.

Marine 1st Lt. Matthew R. Vandegrift

Remember Our Heroes

Marine 1st Lt. Matthew R. Vandegrift, 28, of Littleton, Colo.

1st Lt. Vandegrift was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died April 21, 2008 in Basra, Iraq, from wounds sustained while conducting combat operations.

Marine 1st Lt. Matthew R. Vandegrift remembered
The Associated Press

Growing up in Texas, Matthew R. Vandegrift was the kid in the middle of the rock fight, the one who dropped a cat out a second-story window to see if it really would land on its feet, and the one who put the emergency brake on a car that was rolling down a hill after he saw it in a James Bond movie.

“He was never the guy to start the fight,” said his brother, Barrett. “But he was always the one to finish it.”

Vandegrift, 28, of Littleton, Colo., died April 21 from wounds sustained during combat in Basra. He was a 2003 graduate of Texas A&M, where he was part of the school’s Midshipmen Battalion NROTC program, and was assigned to Camp Lejeune.

Vandegrift fulfilled a lifelong desire to serve his country and to follow in the footsteps of his father, who served in the Marine Corps from 1963 to 1971. “That boy thought I hung the moon,” said his father, John Vandegrift. “It’s the proudest thing I can claim.”

Mary Jane Vandegrift described her son as a charismatic child who grew into a caring man, someone who was determined to better the lives of those around him.

“He was the perfect kid,” she said. “One in a million.”

Marine 1st Lt. Matthew R. Vandegrift was killed in action on 4/21/08.

Navy Counselor 1st Class Cherie L. Morton

Remember Our Heroes

Navy Counselor 1st Class Cherie L. Morton, 40, of Bakersfield, Calif.

PO1C Morton was assigned to Naval Security Force, Naval Support Activity Bahrain; died April 20, 2008 in Galali, Muharraq, Bahrain.

USN PO1C Cherie Morton, 40, of Bakersfield, CA died in her quarters in in Qalali, Muharraq in Bahrain. She was assigned to Naval Security Force, Naval Support Activity Bahrain as a Petty Officer First Class (E-6) Command Career Counselor for the Southwest Asia area.

Cherie had served 15 years in the Navy and was twice awarded the Navy Achievement Medal and the Good Conduct Medal on four occasions.

She was born in Rockville, IL and graduated from West Rockford High School.

Cherie is survived by her father, Richard Gary; her mother, Mary Hughes—both of Rockville, IL; and her son, Brian Trevor of Los Angeles, according to a news release.

An investigation continues.

Navy Counselor 1st Class Cherie L. Morton died 4/20/08.

Army Sgt. Sergio Sanchez

Remember Our Heroes
82nd Airborne Division Paratrooper dies after robbery

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — An 82nd Airborne Division Paratrooper has died from wounds sustained when he was shot during a suspected robbery in Fayetteville, N.C.

Sgt. Sergio Sanchez, 22, a computer systems repair technician, assigned to the 407th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Abn. Div., was from Anniston, Ala.

The investigation into the event that led to Sanchez’s initial wounding and subsequent death is ongoing. The City of Fayetteville Police Department is the lead agency in the investigation.

"Sgt. Sanchez was an exemplary paratrooper who served magnificently in B Company, 407th Brigade Support Battalion, for over 15 months in combat,” said Ltc. Thomas J. Rogers, his battalion commander.

“His loss is tragic and the void that he leaves behind will be difficult to fill,” Rogers added. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.”

Sanchez was born in Yuma, AZ in March 1986. He joined the Army in July 2004. He completed Basic Combat Training at Ft. Jackson, SC and Advanced Individual Training at Ft. Gordon, GA. Following his completion of Airborne School at Ft. Benning, GA, Sanchez arrived at Ft. Bragg and the 82nd Airborne Division in June 2005.

Sanchez most recently deployed with 2nd Brigade Combat Team in Jan. 2007 as part of the “surge” to contain violence in and around Baghdad, Iraq. He remained there for 15-months and returned home only 29 days before the attack that claimed his life. It was his only deployment.

“Sgt. Sanchez succumbed to his wounds and was pronounced dead at 4:44 am on April 19,” said Capt. Havard M. Whiles, his company commander, “SGT Sanchez was an essential part of the B Co. ‘Weasels’ Communications and Electronics repair shop and was vital to the company’s successful deployment during the Baghdad Troop Surge.” Whiles added, “the memory of this paratrooper’s spirit and sense of humor will never be forgotten.”

Sanchez’s awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Army Good Conduct Medal-second award, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Svc. Ribbon, and the Parachutist’s Badge.

He is survived by father, Sergio Sanchez Sr., his mother, Guadalupe Sanchez, and sister, Diana Sanchez, both of Anniston, AL

Police seek info in Fort Bragg death
05/02/2008 09:32 AM
By: News 14 Carolina Staff

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Fayetteville police need your help solving the murder of a Fort Bragg soldier.

Sgt. Sergio Sanchez, 22, died April 19th after being shot during a robbery April 12th. Sanchez was assigned to the 407th brigade support battalion of the 82nd airborne division, and had just recently returned from a 15-month tour of duty in Iraq.

Police believe Sanchez was walking to his car when he came across a robbery in progress at Blue Street and Washington Street behind Sharkey's night club. That's when police say he was shot and robbed.

The shooting happened around 3 a.m. last Saturday. Police still want to talk with anyone who might have been at the bar that night.

Anyone with information is asked to call Fayetteville CrimeStoppers at (910) 483-8477.

Army Sgt. Lance O. Eakes

Remember Our Heroes

Army Sgt. Lance O. Eakes, 25, of Apex, N.C.

Sgt. Eakes was assigned to the 1132nd Military Police Company, North Carolina Army National Guard, Rocky Mount, N.C.; died April 18, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.

N.C. guardsman dies in Iraq
The Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. — A military police officer from the North Carolina National Guard has died in a roadside bombing in Iraq, military officials said Monday.

Spc. Lance Oliver Eakes, 25, of Apex was killed Friday when his Humvee was hit by an improvised explosive device. The bombing occurred as he returned from a mission with Iraqi police near Baghdad, according to a statement from the National Guard.

Eakes, on his second deployment to Iraq, was a member of the 1132nd Military Police Company, headquartered in Rocky Mount. He was promoted posthumously to sergeant.

Two other soldiers were hurt but suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the statement said. Their names weren’t released.

Eakes’ father, John, said his son “couldn’t believe what happened on 9/11” and wanted to serve his country. Lance Eakes decided military police training would help his law enforcement career aspirations, his father said.

Eakes also is survived by his mother, Tammy Eakes. His parents live in Wake County.

The National Guard said Eakes was the ninth North Carolina National Guardsman to be killed during fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Another soldier from the Eakes’ military police company was killed and 14 were wounded during a mortar attack about two weeks ago.

Army Spc. Lance O. Eakes remembered
The Associated Press

Lance O. Eakes’ family remembers when he pulled a fire alarm at school when he was in first grade. His parents recalled how terrified of being arrested Lance became.

“For weeks, we’d say, ‘Hey, the police are coming for you,’” said John Eakes, his father. “That kept him acting in line for a really long time.”

Eakes, 25, of Apex, N.C., was killed April 18 in Baghdad by an explosive. He was a 2001 high school graduate and was assigned to Rocky Mount.

Serving his country was his son’s No. 1 reason for joining the National Guard, his father said.

“He couldn’t believe what happened on 9/11,” John Eakes said.

Lance wanted to serve his country, and “he felt like the training would be good for his career aspirations.”

Eakes aspired to be a law enforcement officer. “That’s why he decided to be an MP,” his father said. “He wanted to be a policeman or a highway patrolman.”

A competitive kick boxer, Eakes had multiple awards and belts for his abilities. He was a Royal Ranger and an active member of the fellowship of Christian Frontiersmen at his church.

He also is survived by his mother, Tammy.

Army Sgt. Lance O. Eakes was killed in action on 4/18/08.

Army Cpl. Benjamin K. Brosh

Remember Our Heroes

Army Cpl. Benjamin K. Brosh, 22, of Colorado Springs, Colo.

Cpl. Brosh was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died April 18, 2008 at Forward Operating Base Anaconda in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained in Paliwoda, Iraq, when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.

101st Airborne soldier killed in explosion in Iraq
The Associated Press

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — A Fort Campbell soldier was killed in Iraq when a vehicle carrying a bomb exploded at a checkpoint near Balad, Iraq, on Friday.

Spc. Benjamin K. Brosh, of Colorado Springs, Colo., died of wounds suffered during the explosion at Forward Operating Base Anaconda in Paliwoda.

The 22-year-old specialist was an infantryman assigned to D. Company, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.

Brosh joined the Army in April 2006 and was assigned to Fort Campbell in December 2006.

He is survived by his father, James Brosh of Biloxi, Miss., and his mother, Barbara Brosh, also of Colorado Springs.

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear announced Tuesday that flags at state buildings will remain at half-staff until his funeral, for which arrangements are pending.

Flags are currently at half-staff in honor of the death of another Fort Campbell soldier, Staff Sgt. Jason Brown, of Magnolia, Texas, who died April 17 in Sama Village, Iraq.

• • • • •

Fallen soldier coming home
By Holbrook Mohr
Hattiesburg (Miss.) American

JACKSON — Army Spc. Benjamin K. Brosh is described as an adventurous man who wanted to be on the front lines protecting his buddies and a caring person who enjoyed passing out soccer balls to Iraqi children.

“He was scared but he had the courage to overcome it. There was no such thing as backing down,” said his father, James Brosh, of Biloxi. “The Army was his life.”

Benjamin Brosh, a 22-year-old Biloxi native whose hometown was listed by the military as Colorado Springs, Colo., where his mother lives, died in a vehicle blast April 18 at Forward Operating Base Anaconda in Iraq.

He is to be buried Saturday in Biloxi.

“He believed in what he was doing — seriously believed in it ,” James Brosh said. “He was in quite a few firefights. He was front-line infantry. He chose that.”

The soldier had been home-schooled for several years in Biloxi before getting his general education diploma at Gulf Coast Community College. He then started a crabbing business “and knew the water better than he knew the land,” but suffered several setbacks, including Hurricane Katrina, before joining the Army in 2006, James Brosh said.

During a recent trip home on leave, Benjamin Brosh told his father how much he enjoyed giving out soccer balls to children in Iraq, then challenging the youngsters to a friendly game.

“Can you see somebody out there in full body armor playing soccer?” his father asked with a quiet chuckle under his strained voice. “He got along real good with the Iraqi people. He felt sorry for them for what they’d been through.”

Benjamin Brosh also told his father of the brutality of war, and the struggles some soldiers have coping with their experiences on the battlefield. Many of the troops, the soldier told his father, were most troubled to see children used as human shields or slain for associating with Americans.

Benjamin Brosh was the “rock,” who his Army buddies depended on for advice and reassurance, the father said.

“When he was home on leave, after three days, he was antsy to get back because he thought he had to protect his buddies,” James Brosh said. “I have a great loss from this war. And I’m not bitter. I know that he’s fine. He’s not gone like some people believe.”

Brosh’s body was expected to arrive at an Air National Guard facility in Gulfport on Friday about 9:20 a.m., and there will be a plane-side ceremony, said Matthew Dubaz, a funeral director with Bradford O’Keefe Funeral Home. The funeral service will be at noon Saturday at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Biloxi. Friends may call two hours prior, Dubaz said. Burial will follow at the Biloxi National Cemetery.

Benjamin Brosh was assigned to D Company, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.

• • • • •

Hundreds attend funeral of Biloxi soldier
The Associated Press

BILOXI, Miss. — Army Spc. Benjamin Brosh was laid to rest at Biloxi National Cemetery on Saturday, about a week after he died in an explosion in Iraq.

“He knew there was risk involved, but he wasn’t afraid to die,” said Father Patrick Mockler of Our Lady of Fatima Church, where services were held.

“He died doing what he loved — serving his country in the military,” Mockler said to the hundreds of mourners at the church.

Supporters of Brosh, who attended Gautier High School before joining the Army, aligned Pass Road hours before the noon funeral. Many of them wave American flags.

Brosh’s body was returned to Mississippi on Friday.

The 22-year-old Biloxi native whose hometown was listed by the military as Colorado Springs, Colo., where his mother lives, died in a vehicle blast April 18 at Forward Operating Base Anaconda in Iraq.

He was remembered during Saturday’s service as a loving brother, a wonderful uncle and a terrific son.

Brosh was assigned to D Company, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.

• • • • •

Army Spc. Benjamin K. Brosh remembered
The Associated Pres

Becky Endt, Benjamin K. Brosh’s ninth-grade Mississippi studies teacher in high school, described him as happy.

“That’s my one-word answer,” she said. “He was a fun-loving kid that enjoyed life and enjoyed his friends. When I think of him, I just see him coming down the hall with a big grin on his face.”

Brosh, 22, of Colorado Springs, Colo., died April 18 in Balad after his vehicle struck an explosive in Paliwoda. He was assigned to Fort Campbell.

Born and raised in Gautier, fishing and golf were his favorite activities.

Brosh also visited family in Colorado last month and went snow skiing for the first time. He quickly picked up snowboarding.

“He could always make anybody smile, and he impacted everyone he met,” said Jamie Brosh, a sister. “He would help anybody that he could. He was a good man. He made the whole family proud of him.

He’s our little hero. He has done a lot in 22 years that most people can’t say they’ve done.”

He also is survived by his father, James Brosh, and his mother, Barbara Brosh.

Army Cpl. Benjamin K. Brosh was killed in action on 4/18/08.





View Larger Images

Army Staff Sgt. Jason L. Brown

Remember Our Heroes

Army Staff Sgt. Jason L. Brown, 29, of Magnolia, Texas

SSgt Brown was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, Fort Campbell, Ky.; died April 17, 2008 in Sama Village, Iraq, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked using small-arms fire and grenades.

Fort Campbell soldier dies in Iraq
The Associated Press

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — An Army Special Forces soldier with Oklahoma ties was killed by a burst of small-arms fire while trying to capture an al-Qaeda leader in an Iraq town, the military said.

Staff Sgt. Jason L. Brown, 29, was killed early Thursday during a combat operation in Sama Village.

Brown, of Magnolia, Texas, was a Special Forces engineer sergeant assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Campbell, an Army post along the Kentucky-Tennessee border.

Brown was killed instantly by small-arms fire while attempting to enter a building during an operation to capture an al-Qaeda leader in the village, according to a release from the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.

Brown enlisted in the Army in 2003 and was on his second combat tour when he died, the release said.

Brown is survived by his daughter, Alyssa Gomez, of Cypress Texas; his mother, Rosemary, and his father, James, of Cartwright, Okla.

• • • • •

Funeral held in Oklahoma for slain Green Beret
The Associated Press

DURANT, Okla. — Following a funeral in southeastern Oklahoma, a soldier killed in Iraq will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

A funeral was held Saturday in Durant for Staff Sgt. Jason Logan Brown. The Green Beret, whose parents live in Cartwright near the Texas border, was killed during combat last week in Sama Village, Iraq.

According to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Brown — who listed his home as Magnolia, Texas — was killed instantly by small arms fire while attempting to enter a building during an April 17 operation to capture an al-Qaida leader in the village.

Brown, 29, was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group at Fort Campbell, Ky. He was in his second deployment to Iraq.

Brown was born in Dallas and graduated from Desoto High School before earning a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Sam Houston State University in 2002. He enlisted in the Army the following year and earned the coveted Green Beret in 2004.

His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, a Meritorious Service Medal and an Army Commendation Medal.

Brown is survived by his daughter, Alyssa Gomez of Cypress, Texas, and his parents, James and Rosemary Brown of Cartwright.

• • • • •

Army Staff Sgt. Jason L. Brown remembered
The Associated Press

Mandy Wallace-Villarreal will always remember her friend Jason L. Brown as a smart, handsome, kind, respectful and funny guy.

“You accomplished more in five years than most will accomplish in an entire lifetime. You will be greatly missed but never ever forgotten,” Wallace-Villarreal wrote on an online message board.

Brown, 29, of Magnolia, Texas, was killed April 17 by small-arms fire in Sama Village. He was assigned to Fort Campbell and was on his second tour.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Sam Houston State University in 2002, enlisted in the Army the next year and earned the coveted Green Beret in 2004.

What his friends liked about him most were his sense of humor, his outgoing personality, his willingness to always lend a helping hand, and especially his love for life. He enjoyed the outdoors. In his free time, he hunted, fished and worked in his yard.

Brown is survived by his daughter, Alyssa Gomez.

“We’ll miss you dearly and we love you with all our hearts. You are leaving behind a legacy no other shoes can fill,” wrote friends Ryan and Jennifer Knell.

Army Staff Sgt. Jason L. Brown was killed in action on 4/17/08.

Marine Cpl. Kyle W. Wilks

Remember Our Heroes

Marine Cpl. Kyle W. Wilks, 24, of Rogers, Ark.

Cpl Wilks was assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 24, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died April 15, 2008 in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations. Also killed was Marine 1st Sgt. Luke J. Mercardante.

Ark. Marine killed in Afghanistan
The Associated Press

ROGERS, Ark. — The Defense Department has announced that a Marine from Rogers was killed in a combat operation in Afghanistan.

Family members say Cpl. Kyle W. Wilks was on a convoy when his vehicle was struck April 15 by a roadside bomb in Kandahar province. The family says a military report says Wilks was killed instantly.

The 24-year-old Wilks was the son of Randall and Kathy Wilks and was a 2002 graduate of Rogers High School.

Wilks’ uncle, Steve Wilks, says his nephew had to stay behind because of a health problem when his Marine Corps unit first shipped out for a tour in Iraq. Kyle Wilks later found out that the soldier who went in his place was killed by a roadside bomb. Steve Wilks says that knowledge makes his nephew’s death harder to grasp.

Family members and friends say Kyle Wilks wanted to go into law enforcement after his hitch was up. Wilks is being remembered for his friendliness — people who knew him said he had an easy smile and that he could strike up a conversation with anyone.

Also killed was 1st Sgt. Luke J. Mercardante of Athens, Ga.

They were members of Combat Logistics Battalion 24, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

24th MEU honors its first 2 to fall
By Paul Wiseman
USA Today

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Even before the Marines here began fighting Taliban insurgents in the lawless southern provinces, they were holding a memorial service for two of their own.

Cpl. Kyle Wilks was remembered as a NASCAR-loving prankster. First Sgt. Luke Mercardante, the highest-ranking noncommissioned officer in his logistics battalion, was “the glue that held us together,” said Maj. Keith Owens. “He helped our small problems from becoming big problems.”

“It hit us hard,” said Staff Sgt. Liandro Barajas, 28, of Yakima, Wash.

The deaths last week during a supply run — the Marine unit’s first major foray outside the safety of the sprawling military base at Kandahar airfield — are a brutal reminder of an enemy that is tenaciously hanging on seven years after U.S. and allied forces toppled the Taliban leadership for sheltering Osama bin Laden.

About 100 Marines left Kandahar airfield April 15 in a convoy of dozens of vehicles carrying supplies when a powerful improvised explosive device hidden in a culvert beneath the road detonated around midnight.

“The road was gone,” says Staff Sgt. Lauro Samaniego, 30, of Laredo, Texas, leader of a four-man bomb squad who had investigated IED attacks during two tours in Iraq. “This was one of the biggest ones I’ve ever seen.”

The blast gouged a hole 12 feet wide and 6 feet deep, stopping the convoy. Mercardante, 35, of Athens, Ga., and Wilks, 24, of Rogers, Ark., were dead. Two other Marines were injured, one seriously.

“They knew we were coming,” said Staff Sgt. Robin Clements, the assistant convoy commander. “We were making pretty good headway. Out of nowhere — a huge explosion. We could see it from the rear of the convoy. Immediately, we knew it wasn’t your ordinary IED. ... That explosion could have demolished a tank.”

The bomb went off beneath Mercardante’s Humvee. He was originally assigned to sit in the lead Humvee but was moved farther back, where it was thought he’d be safer, Clements said.

When the sun came up, the Marines found that they’d been hit in a place of rare beauty — wildflowers, wheat fields, vineyards, streams — in countryside usually dominated by rock, dust and dirt. Samaniego’s team traced the detonator to a spot behind a mud wall about 50 yards from the convoy. The insurgent who planted it and set off the bomb was long gone.

Canadian troops from a nearby outpost fed the stranded Marines and filled in the crater, allowing the convoy to get moving again before mid-morning, says Lt. Col. Ricky Brown, commander of the Marines’ logistics battalion.

Afterward, the Marines’ commander, Col. Peter Petronzio, received handwritten, hand-delivered condolences from dozens of allied countries — a sign, he says, that despite widespread reports of divisions within the NATO security force, “we’re all in this together.”

On Tuesday, more than 100 Marines stood at attention before four empty boots and two sets of dog tags. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Tom Nagy, a medical officer attached to the Marine unit, read from a letter Mercardante wrote to his sister.

“I want no person to ever feel sad or pity for me or my Marines as we endure hardship and sacrifice, as this is our calling with the unknown outcome being that of God’s master plan,” Nagy quoted Mercardante as writing.

The Marines say they won’t be looking for revenge when they launch their operations against the Taliban insurgents.

“You focus on what you can do for the living. You’re no good to anyone if you let your emotions get in the way,” Samaniego said. “Am I angry? No. Am I sad? Yes. We lost two men who were willing to fight for other people they never knew and for a culture that didn’t understand them and that they didn’t understand.”

“This is what we do.” Clements said. “We move on.” Her husband is also a Marine back at Camp Lejeune. Together, they have served four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001, alternating deployments so one of them could stay home to care for their children.

“I’m a mother of four boys,” she said. “I don’t want them over here doing this one day.”

Marine Cpl. Kyle W. Wilks was killed in action on 4/15/08.

Marine 1st Sgt. Luke J. Mercardante

Remember Our Heroes

Marine 1st Sgt. Luke J. Mercardante, 35, of Athens, Ga.

1st Sgt. Mercardante was assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 24, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died April 15, 2008 in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations. Also killed was Marine Cpl. Kyle W. Wilks.

24th MEU honors its first 2 to fall

By Paul Wiseman
USA Today

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Even before the Marines here began fighting Taliban insurgents in the lawless southern provinces, they were holding a memorial service for two of their own.

Cpl. Kyle Wilks was remembered as a NASCAR-loving prankster. First Sgt. Luke Mercardante, the highest-ranking noncommissioned officer in his logistics battalion, was “the glue that held us together,” said Maj. Keith Owens. “He helped our small problems from becoming big problems.”

“It hit us hard,” said Staff Sgt. Liandro Barajas, 28, of Yakima, Wash.

The deaths last week during a supply run — the Marine unit’s first major foray outside the safety of the sprawling military base at Kandahar airfield — are a brutal reminder of an enemy that is tenaciously hanging on seven years after U.S. and allied forces toppled the Taliban leadership for sheltering Osama bin Laden.

About 100 Marines left Kandahar airfield April 15 in a convoy of dozens of vehicles carrying supplies when a powerful improvised explosive device hidden in a culvert beneath the road detonated around midnight.

“The road was gone,” says Staff Sgt. Lauro Samaniego, 30, of Laredo, Texas, leader of a four-man bomb squad who had investigated IED attacks during two tours in Iraq. “This was one of the biggest ones I’ve ever seen.”

The blast gouged a hole 12 feet wide and 6 feet deep, stopping the convoy. Mercardante, 35, of Athens, Ga., and Wilks, 24, of Rogers, Ark., were dead. Two other Marines were injured, one seriously.

“They knew we were coming,” said Staff Sgt. Robin Clements, the assistant convoy commander. “We were making pretty good headway. Out of nowhere — a huge explosion. We could see it from the rear of the convoy. Immediately, we knew it wasn’t your ordinary IED. ... That explosion could have demolished a tank.”

The bomb went off beneath Mercardante’s Humvee. He was originally assigned to sit in the lead Humvee but was moved farther back, where it was thought he’d be safer, Clements said.

When the sun came up, the Marines found that they’d been hit in a place of rare beauty — wildflowers, wheat fields, vineyards, streams — in countryside usually dominated by rock, dust and dirt. Samaniego’s team traced the detonator to a spot behind a mud wall about 50 yards from the convoy. The insurgent who planted it and set off the bomb was long gone.

Canadian troops from a nearby outpost fed the stranded Marines and filled in the crater, allowing the convoy to get moving again before mid-morning, says Lt. Col. Ricky Brown, commander of the Marines’ logistics battalion.

Afterward, the Marines’ commander, Col. Peter Petronzio, received handwritten, hand-delivered condolences from dozens of allied countries — a sign, he says, that despite widespread reports of divisions within the NATO security force, “we’re all in this together.”

On Tuesday, more than 100 Marines stood at attention before four empty boots and two sets of dog tags. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Tom Nagy, a medical officer attached to the Marine unit, read from a letter Mercardante wrote to his sister.

“I want no person to ever feel sad or pity for me or my Marines as we endure hardship and sacrifice, as this is our calling with the unknown outcome being that of God’s master plan,” Nagy quoted Mercardante as writing.

The Marines say they won’t be looking for revenge when they launch their operations against the Taliban insurgents.

“You focus on what you can do for the living. You’re no good to anyone if you let your emotions get in the way,” Samaniego said. “Am I angry? No. Am I sad? Yes. We lost two men who were willing to fight for other people they never knew and for a culture that didn’t understand them and that they didn’t understand.”

“This is what we do.” Clements said. “We move on.” Her husband is also a Marine back at Camp Lejeune. Together, they have served four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001, alternating deployments so one of them could stay home to care for their children.

“I’m a mother of four boys,” she said. “I don’t want them over here doing this one day.”

Marine 1st Sgt. Luke J. Mercardante was killed in action on 4/15/08.

Army Sgt. Joseph A. Richard III

Remember Our Heroes

Army Sgt. Joseph A. Richard III, 27, of Lafayette, La.

Sgt. Richard was assigned to the 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Polk, La.; died April 14, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.

Army Sgt. Joseph A. Richard III remembered
The Associated Press

From the time he was learning to walk, Joseph A. Richard III was called “Little Joe.” He picked up the name “Sweet Joe” in high school.

“His classmates nicknamed him Sweet Joe because he was such a gentleman and was so kind,” said Paula Mayeux, his former school secretary.

Richard, 27, of Lafayette, La., was killed April 14 in Baghdad of wounds sustained from an explosive. He was assigned to Fort Polk and was on his third tour.

He was a 1999 high school graduate and attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he was pursuing a bachelor’s in public relations.

Andrew Ducote, his former principal, said he was known as a quiet young man, but a hard worker. “He was dedicated, he had a sense of responsibility. His service proves that,” Ducote said.

Mayeux said she and others had been surprised when Richard opted for the military. “We kind of thought he was going into the priesthood,” she said.

“His aunt asked him why he signed up for a third deployment. He told her, ‘To save my country.’ He was a very fine child,” said neighbor Marilyn LaFleur.

He is survived by his wife, Monique.

Army Sgt. Joseph A. Richard III was killed in action on 4/14/08.

Marine Cpl. Richard J. Nelson

Remember Our Heroes

Marine Cpl. Richard J. Nelson, 23, of Racine, Wis.

Cpl. Nelson was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Milwaukee; died April 14, 2008 while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq. Also killed was Lance Cpl. Dean D. Opicka.

2 Marines killed, 1 wounded in Iraq bombing
The Associated Press

MILWAUKEE — Two Wisconsin Marines were killed and a third wounded in Iraq on Monday. All three belonged to Milwaukee-based Fox Company.

Staff Sgt. Cliff Turley, public affairs officer for the Marine Reserve unit, said a single roadside bomb killed 23-year-old Cpl. Richard Nelson of Kenosha and 29-year-old Lance Cpl. Dean Opicka, a Casco native and graduate of Carroll College in Waukesha. The Pentagon listed Opicka’s address as Waukesha.

Turley said the explosion also wounded 21-year-old Lance Cpl. David Doyle of Racine, but Doyle was expected to stay in Iraq and return to duty.

The deaths were the first during Fox Company’s second tour in Iraq. Five members were killed during a deployment in 2004-2005.

Nelson’s mother, Susan Nelson, said she was informed that her son was killed by an improvised bomb in Anbar province, and military officials offered no other details.

He was the second youngest of her seven children, she said. Survivors include five brothers and a sister.

He served in Iraq before but had gotten married a year ago Monday and wasn’t looking forward to going back for this tour, his mother said.

“He knew what was waiting for him there,” she said.

Nelson loved to hunt and fish and watch Green Bay Packer games, she said. He idolized Packers quarterback Brett Favre and even called home the day Favre retired last month.

“He told me, ‘Mom, tell me the news isn’t true. Tell me Brett Favre hasn’t retired.’ He wanted to hold onto the memories he left.”

He and his wife, Kristen, planned to start their own family when he got home, Susan Nelson said. He also planned to go to college and become an elementary school teacher.

“He just loved kids,” she said.

The last time they’d seen him in person was Christmas, when the whole family was together, she said. Her husband, Lennie, a Vietnam veteran, was taking the news of his son’s death “terrible,” she said.

But she wasn’t angry with President Bush, insisting Bush doesn’t want to see men die and the public doesn’t have all the information about what’s going on in Iraq.

“When you send a child off to war ... things happen,” she said. “Nothing goes by God without him giving permission. I believe something good is going to come from it. I don’t know what that is yet, but my husband and I have faith. I’ll understand it someday, just not now.”

Opicka graduated from Luxemburg-Casco High School in 1997 and is the third graduate of the school to die in the Iraq war. He played quarterback for the football team and point guard for the basketball team.

At Carroll College, he played baseball and graduated in May 2002 with a double major in psychology and history, said college spokeswoman Claire Beglinger.

He later returned to Carroll, completing a teaching certification in spring of 2005, and taught in the Milwaukee area before being deployed to Iraq.

Steve Okoniewski, principal at Luxemburg-Casco, said he met with Opicka before his deployment and the two discussed the possibility of his teaching at his old high school.

“He got called up and knew he wouldn’t be back until August,” Okoniewski said. “I would have loved to have had him back. Then his dad told me that he wouldn’t be back until November.”

Eighty-eight members of the military from Wisconsin have died in the Iraq war.

• • • • •

Hundreds remember Marine killed in Iraq
The Associated Press

KENOSHA, Wis. — Hundreds gathered at a local school to remember a 23-year-old Marine reservist killed in Iraq.

Cpl. Richard “Ricky” Nelson, a member of the Milwaukee-based Fox Company, died Monday by a roadside bomb in Iraq. Lance Cpl. Dean Opicka, 29, was also killed in the attack.

The memorial Friday was outside Christian Life School, where Nelson graduated in 2003 and his mother, Susan Nelson, is the administrator.

Susan Nelson said she talked to her son two days before his death.

“His faith was strong. He spoke that very clearly when we were on the phone, and he initiated that,” she said. “That’s absolutely why I’m not a wreck right now and when all the military showed up at my door.”

She was at the ceremony with her husband, Lennie, Nelson’s wife, Kristen and other family members.

Senior Tim Britzman, who organized the event, was only in the seventh grade when Nelson graduated, but said he was well remembered by a lot of students.

Marine Cpl. Richard J. Nelson remembered
The Associated Press

Richard J. Nelson lived to watch Green Bay Packer games. He idolized Packers quarterback Brett Favre and even called home the day Favre retired.

“He told me, ‘Mom, tell me the news isn’t true. Tell me Brett Favre hasn’t retired.’ He wanted to hold onto the memories he left,” said his mother, Susan Nelson.

Nelson, 23, of Racine, Wis., was killed April 14 during combat in Anbar province. He was a 2004 high school graduate and was assigned to Milwaukee.

Nelson played percussion in the school band and enjoyed hunting and fishing with his father, Leonard. He signed up for the Marine Reserves as a high school senior.

His father taught him how to do remodeling work, and he worked as a carpenter for Cornerstone Construction in Kenosha.

He and his wife, Kristen, planned to start their own family when he got home, Susan Nelson said. He also planned to go to college and become an elementary school teacher.

“When he was home, he was around a bunch of little kids. He has 14 nieces and nephews. The more he was around kids, the more he realized that’s what he wanted to do,” she said.

Marine Cpl. Richard J. Nelson was killed in action on 4/14/08.