Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Daniel W. Wallace, 27, of Dry Ridge, Ky.
Sgt. Wallace was assigned to the 201st Engineer Battalion, Kentucky Army National Guard in Cynthiana, Ky.; died Oct. 31, 2008 in Badin Kheyl, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire.
Ky. National Guard soldier killed in Afghanistan
By Joe Biesk
The Associated Press
FRANKFORT, Ky. — A Kentucky National Guard soldier was killed in Afghanistan last week when his platoon was attacked by a group of Taliban fighters, military officials said Monday.
Sgt. Daniel Wallace, 27, was killed in action Friday in the West Paktika Province of Afghanistan, Kentucky Adjutant General Edward Tonini said.
Wallace, a gunner in a Mine-Resistant, Armor-Protected vehicle, was shot when he got out to handle a piece of equipment that had been knocked loose, Tonini said.
“Sgt. Daniel Wallace was a true patriot,” Tonini said at a news conference. “One who stood up and answered the call to serve his nation in a time of need.”
Wallace’s death marked the 17th member of the Kentucky National Guard to be killed in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001. Wallace, who was assigned to the Kentucky National Guard’s 201st Engineer Battalion, was the third to die in Afghanistan.
Wallace, of Dry Ridge, has been posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals, and has been promoted to the rank of sergeant. Wallace joined the National Guard in May 2006 and was on his first deployment.
Tonini said Wallace’s platoon was conducting a mission to find and remove improvised explosive devices when one of the vehicles got stuck. Wallace was shot and killed when he left the vehicle he was in to handle a piece of equipment that had been knocked loose, prompting a firefight that led to the deaths of up to 20 Taliban fighters, Tonini said.
“At the time, there were many villagers planting winter wheat in the fields, there were goat herders all around, children playing near the roadways,” Tonini said. “It was a typical example of what we expect to be a safe area — because typically we don’t see people when there are to be ambushes or any kind of instances like we had here at this point.”
Wallace’s brother, Spc. Alex Wallace, is a medic in the Kentucky Army National Guard’s 940th Military Police Company. Alex Wallace said he and his brother had decided to make the military their career.
“I am proud of my brother,” he said. “I’m going to keep carrying on. I know he wants me to serve my full time, which is what I’m going to do.”
His mother, Karen Wallace, said her son loved being in the military and was also very religious and helped his unit’s chaplain. A tearful Karen Wallace said her son had asked her to write to other soldiers who had not recently received letters of their own.
“Danny had a lot, a lot of sympathy for people,” she said. “Danny’s my fallen hero.”
Funeral services set for Kentucky soldier
The Associated Press
FRANKFORT, Ky. — The funeral for a Kentucky National Guard soldier killed in Afghanistan has been set for Saturday.
Guard spokesman Col. Phil Miller says the funeral for 27-year-old Sgt. Daniel Wallace of Dry Ridge will be held at 2 p.m. at the Grant County High School auditorium.
Wallace was killed last week when his platoon was attacked by a group of Taliban fighters. He was assigned to the Kentucky National Guard’s 201st Engineer Battalion.
Miller said visitation for Wallace will be Friday at the Eckler-McDaniel Funeral Home in Dry Ridge and continue Saturday at Grant County High School before the funeral.
Miller said burial with full military honors will be conducted at the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery North at Williamstown immediately after funeral services.
Army Sgt. Daniel W. Wallace was killed in action on 10/31/08.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Army Sgt. Scott J. Metcalf
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Scott J. Metcalf, 36, of Framingham, Mass.
Sgt. Metcalf was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Oct. 29, 2008 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat-related incident.
Fort Campbell soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — The Department of Defense says a Fort Campbell soldier from Massachusetts has died from noncombat injuries in Iraq.
The military announced Friday that 36-year-old Sgt. Scott J. Metcalf, of Framingham, Mass., died Wednesday from injuries suffered in a noncombat related incident. The incident is under investigation.
Metcalf was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Calvary Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. He was a unit supply specialist assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop.
He joined the Army in July 1990 and arrived at Fort Campbell in January 2001.
He is survived by his wife, Betty, and daughter, Korrine, of Clarksville, Tenn., and mother, Paulette, of Northbridge, Mass.
Army Sgt. Scott J. Metcalf died from a non-combat related incident on 10/29/08.
Army Sgt. Scott J. Metcalf, 36, of Framingham, Mass.
Sgt. Metcalf was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Oct. 29, 2008 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat-related incident.
Fort Campbell soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — The Department of Defense says a Fort Campbell soldier from Massachusetts has died from noncombat injuries in Iraq.
The military announced Friday that 36-year-old Sgt. Scott J. Metcalf, of Framingham, Mass., died Wednesday from injuries suffered in a noncombat related incident. The incident is under investigation.
Metcalf was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Calvary Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. He was a unit supply specialist assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop.
He joined the Army in July 1990 and arrived at Fort Campbell in January 2001.
He is survived by his wife, Betty, and daughter, Korrine, of Clarksville, Tenn., and mother, Paulette, of Northbridge, Mass.
Army Sgt. Scott J. Metcalf died from a non-combat related incident on 10/29/08.
Army Pfc. Bradley S. Coleman
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Bradley S. Coleman, 24, of Martinsville, Va.
Pfc. Coleman was assigned to the 51st Transportation Company, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, Mannheim, Germany; died Oct. 29, 2008 at Qayyarah Airfield, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident.
Martinsville Bulletin -- The family of Pfc. Bradley Shane Coleman, a local soldier who was killed last week in Iraq, tentatively plans to hold his funeral Friday, according to the funeral home handling arrangements.
Coleman, who was 24, died Wednesday of a gunshot wound, his stepmother has said. The Army has told family members Coleman’s death is under investigation, Yolanda Coleman has said.
On Sunday, Kelly Ratcliff, director of Community Funeral Services, said the Coleman family tentatively plans to hold a visitation Thursday and the funeral Friday. Locations had not been chosen as of Sunday afternoon, Ratcliff said.
Shane Coleman and his wife of two years, Heather Coleman, have two children, Edward Shane, age 2 and a half, and Shyanna, 1. He and his wife had known each other since they were children and were married in May 2006, his stepmother said.
“His biggest thing was he liked spending time with his children and his wife,” Yolanda Coleman said.
“He loved his children. They were the whole world to him,” she added.
His father called him “a great son. ... He was a sweet, loving, kind person who was always a gentleman,” his stepmother said.
Coleman, a transportation specialist, enlisted in the Army in April 2007 and was sent to Iraq on his first tour in June. He was supposed to be home on leave in January 2009, his stepmother said.
“From the time he was a small child, that’s all he talked about: going in the Army,” Yolanda Coleman said.
He was in JROTC at Magna Vista High School but after graduating in 2003, he did not enlist immediately. Instead, he worked with his father, a brickmason, for a few years.
Coleman was first stationed in Germany before being sent to a base in Iraq that the Army called “Q-West,” his stepmother said. In Iraq, he was able to call his wife and talk “just about every day,” Yolanda Coleman said, and the family also communicated through e-mail.
“He really liked the Army itself, but once he got to Iraq ... it was hard on him,” she said. “He told his daddy that what you see on the news and what he saw over there were like two different worlds.”
A representative from the Army went to Coleman’s wife’s house to break the news around 10 p.m. Wednesday, but the family found out about his death about an hour before when a friend posted something on Coleman’s MySpace page, she said.
“Shane was the kind of person where everybody he met wanted to be his friend,” Yolanda Coleman said. “We probably had 50 to 60 of his friends come by the house in last 24 hours, talking about what a good person he was.”
“You think you’re prepared for something like this, knowing he’s in a hostile situation. But nothing prepares you,” she added.
His body has been returned to the United States for an autopsy, which Coleman said is standard procedure. It will be several days before it is released to the family, Coleman said.
Also surviving in addition to his stepmother are his father, Dale Bradley Coleman of Ridgeway; his mother, Dianne Vernon of Eden, N.C.; three sisters; two stepbrothers; and a stepsister.
Army Pfc. Bradley S. Coleman was killed in a non-combat incident on 10/29/08.
Army Pfc. Bradley S. Coleman, 24, of Martinsville, Va.
Pfc. Coleman was assigned to the 51st Transportation Company, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, Mannheim, Germany; died Oct. 29, 2008 at Qayyarah Airfield, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident.
Martinsville Bulletin -- The family of Pfc. Bradley Shane Coleman, a local soldier who was killed last week in Iraq, tentatively plans to hold his funeral Friday, according to the funeral home handling arrangements.
Coleman, who was 24, died Wednesday of a gunshot wound, his stepmother has said. The Army has told family members Coleman’s death is under investigation, Yolanda Coleman has said.
On Sunday, Kelly Ratcliff, director of Community Funeral Services, said the Coleman family tentatively plans to hold a visitation Thursday and the funeral Friday. Locations had not been chosen as of Sunday afternoon, Ratcliff said.
Shane Coleman and his wife of two years, Heather Coleman, have two children, Edward Shane, age 2 and a half, and Shyanna, 1. He and his wife had known each other since they were children and were married in May 2006, his stepmother said.
“His biggest thing was he liked spending time with his children and his wife,” Yolanda Coleman said.
“He loved his children. They were the whole world to him,” she added.
His father called him “a great son. ... He was a sweet, loving, kind person who was always a gentleman,” his stepmother said.
Coleman, a transportation specialist, enlisted in the Army in April 2007 and was sent to Iraq on his first tour in June. He was supposed to be home on leave in January 2009, his stepmother said.
“From the time he was a small child, that’s all he talked about: going in the Army,” Yolanda Coleman said.
He was in JROTC at Magna Vista High School but after graduating in 2003, he did not enlist immediately. Instead, he worked with his father, a brickmason, for a few years.
Coleman was first stationed in Germany before being sent to a base in Iraq that the Army called “Q-West,” his stepmother said. In Iraq, he was able to call his wife and talk “just about every day,” Yolanda Coleman said, and the family also communicated through e-mail.
“He really liked the Army itself, but once he got to Iraq ... it was hard on him,” she said. “He told his daddy that what you see on the news and what he saw over there were like two different worlds.”
A representative from the Army went to Coleman’s wife’s house to break the news around 10 p.m. Wednesday, but the family found out about his death about an hour before when a friend posted something on Coleman’s MySpace page, she said.
“Shane was the kind of person where everybody he met wanted to be his friend,” Yolanda Coleman said. “We probably had 50 to 60 of his friends come by the house in last 24 hours, talking about what a good person he was.”
“You think you’re prepared for something like this, knowing he’s in a hostile situation. But nothing prepares you,” she added.
His body has been returned to the United States for an autopsy, which Coleman said is standard procedure. It will be several days before it is released to the family, Coleman said.
Also surviving in addition to his stepmother are his father, Dale Bradley Coleman of Ridgeway; his mother, Dianne Vernon of Eden, N.C.; three sisters; two stepbrothers; and a stepsister.
Army Pfc. Bradley S. Coleman was killed in a non-combat incident on 10/29/08.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Army Sgt. Nicholas A. Casey
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Nicholas A. Casey, 22, of Canton, Ohio
Sgt. Casey was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Oct. 27, 2008 in Baghlan, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when a suicide bomber detonated explosives as he was preparing to enter a building. Also killed was Sgt. Kevin D. Grieco.
Army Sgt. Nicholas A. Casey remembered
The Associated Press
By 10th grade, Nicholas A. Casey was starting to listen to service recruiters. Because of a lack of jobs in the area, Casey started to see the military as a way of life.
“That’s what he wanted to do,” said his father, Samuel. “He didn’t never give up on nothing that he started.”
Casey, 22, of Canton, Ohio, died Oct. 28 in Baghlan province, Afghanistan, of wounds from a suicide bomb attack. He was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C.
In high school, he played baseball and football. His son was no more than an average athlete, Samuel Casey said, but he played the games the best he could.
“When he was young, he was always in his own little world,” his father said. “He was a happy kid. We had a broken marriage, but whether he was at his mother’s or father’s, he was happy.”
He also is survived by his wife, Rachelle, and two sons, Nicholas II, 3, and Curtis, 2.
His grandmother, Audrey Wendling, said the boys dressed up as soldiers for Halloween.
“It was the cutest thing, and we were so proud of the two boys,” she said. “Their father was their hero, and he died a hero.
“Nick will always be their hero. Nothing can ever change that.”
Army Sgt. Nicholas A. Casey was killed in action on 10/27/08.
Larger Images
Army Sgt. Nicholas A. Casey, 22, of Canton, Ohio
Sgt. Casey was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Oct. 27, 2008 in Baghlan, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when a suicide bomber detonated explosives as he was preparing to enter a building. Also killed was Sgt. Kevin D. Grieco.
Army Sgt. Nicholas A. Casey remembered
The Associated Press
By 10th grade, Nicholas A. Casey was starting to listen to service recruiters. Because of a lack of jobs in the area, Casey started to see the military as a way of life.
“That’s what he wanted to do,” said his father, Samuel. “He didn’t never give up on nothing that he started.”
Casey, 22, of Canton, Ohio, died Oct. 28 in Baghlan province, Afghanistan, of wounds from a suicide bomb attack. He was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C.
In high school, he played baseball and football. His son was no more than an average athlete, Samuel Casey said, but he played the games the best he could.
“When he was young, he was always in his own little world,” his father said. “He was a happy kid. We had a broken marriage, but whether he was at his mother’s or father’s, he was happy.”
He also is survived by his wife, Rachelle, and two sons, Nicholas II, 3, and Curtis, 2.
His grandmother, Audrey Wendling, said the boys dressed up as soldiers for Halloween.
“It was the cutest thing, and we were so proud of the two boys,” she said. “Their father was their hero, and he died a hero.
“Nick will always be their hero. Nothing can ever change that.”
Army Sgt. Nicholas A. Casey was killed in action on 10/27/08.
Larger Images
Army Sgt. Kevin D. Grieco
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Kevin D. Grieco, 35, of Bartlett, Ill.
Sgt. Grieco was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 122nd Field Artillery, Illinois Army National Guard, Sycamore, Ill.; died Oct. 27, 2008 in in Baghlan, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when a suicide bomber detonated explosives as he was preparing to enter a building. Also killed was Sgt. Nicholas A. Casey.
Ill. soldier, a former sailor, dies in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
BARTLETT, Ill. — An Illinois Army National Guard soldier has been killed in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense said Tuesday.
Sgt. Kevin D. Grieco, 35, of Bartlett died Monday of wounds sustained when a suicide bomber detonated explosives as Grieco prepared to enter a building in Baghlan, Afghanistan, the defense department said.
Sgt. Nicholas A. Casey, 22, of Canton, Ohio, was killed in the same incident. Casey was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), in Fort Bragg, N.C.
Grieco was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 122nd Field Artillery with the Illinois Army National Guard in Sycamore. His unit deployed to Afghanistan about four months ago, according to the Illinois Army and Air National Guard.
“When we lose an Illinois National Guard Soldier, it’s like losing a brother or sister,” Maj. Gen. William Enyart, adjutant general of the Illinois National Guard, said in a statement. “On behalf of the men and women of the Illinois National Guard, we offer our deepest condolences to the Grieco family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.”
Grieco graduated from Waynesville High School in Missouri in 1992 and earned a bachelor’s degree at Aurora University in 2004. He enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard in December 2006 after 13 years in the Navy.
He was married with two children.
Grieco is the 19th casualty for the Illinois National Guard since operations in Afghanistan and Iraq began.
Army Sgt. Kevin D. Grieco remembered
The Associated Press
Kevin D. Grieco met his future wife in 2003 after returning from a deployment to Spain. They met while line dancing.
“As soon as he walked in, I said, ‘I’m going to dance with this man,’” said Rashmi Grieco. “I asked him to dance, and he said, ‘No, I don’t think so.’ And then he saw me dancing with his best friend, and he said, ‘OK, maybe I’ll try.’”
Grieco, 35, of Bartlett, Ill., died Oct. 28 in Baghlan, Afghanistan, of wounds from a suicide bomb attack. He was assigned to Sycamore, Ill.
“He was extremely dedicated to his military career,” his wife said. “He would keep telling me that even if he could die for his country, he would love to. And he would not hesitate to die twice, three times.”
He was a 13-year Navy veteran. Wanting to become an officer and see more action, he enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard in 2006.
Grieco was an avid outdoorsman and worked as a contractor for a lawn-mowing company. In 2004, he earned a degree in recreational park administration from Aurora University.
He also is survived by two children, Joshua, 4, and Angeli, 2.
Army Sgt. Kevin D. Grieco was killed in action on 10/27/08.
Army Sgt. Kevin D. Grieco, 35, of Bartlett, Ill.
Sgt. Grieco was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 122nd Field Artillery, Illinois Army National Guard, Sycamore, Ill.; died Oct. 27, 2008 in in Baghlan, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when a suicide bomber detonated explosives as he was preparing to enter a building. Also killed was Sgt. Nicholas A. Casey.
Ill. soldier, a former sailor, dies in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
BARTLETT, Ill. — An Illinois Army National Guard soldier has been killed in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense said Tuesday.
Sgt. Kevin D. Grieco, 35, of Bartlett died Monday of wounds sustained when a suicide bomber detonated explosives as Grieco prepared to enter a building in Baghlan, Afghanistan, the defense department said.
Sgt. Nicholas A. Casey, 22, of Canton, Ohio, was killed in the same incident. Casey was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), in Fort Bragg, N.C.
Grieco was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 122nd Field Artillery with the Illinois Army National Guard in Sycamore. His unit deployed to Afghanistan about four months ago, according to the Illinois Army and Air National Guard.
“When we lose an Illinois National Guard Soldier, it’s like losing a brother or sister,” Maj. Gen. William Enyart, adjutant general of the Illinois National Guard, said in a statement. “On behalf of the men and women of the Illinois National Guard, we offer our deepest condolences to the Grieco family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.”
Grieco graduated from Waynesville High School in Missouri in 1992 and earned a bachelor’s degree at Aurora University in 2004. He enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard in December 2006 after 13 years in the Navy.
He was married with two children.
Grieco is the 19th casualty for the Illinois National Guard since operations in Afghanistan and Iraq began.
Army Sgt. Kevin D. Grieco remembered
The Associated Press
Kevin D. Grieco met his future wife in 2003 after returning from a deployment to Spain. They met while line dancing.
“As soon as he walked in, I said, ‘I’m going to dance with this man,’” said Rashmi Grieco. “I asked him to dance, and he said, ‘No, I don’t think so.’ And then he saw me dancing with his best friend, and he said, ‘OK, maybe I’ll try.’”
Grieco, 35, of Bartlett, Ill., died Oct. 28 in Baghlan, Afghanistan, of wounds from a suicide bomb attack. He was assigned to Sycamore, Ill.
“He was extremely dedicated to his military career,” his wife said. “He would keep telling me that even if he could die for his country, he would love to. And he would not hesitate to die twice, three times.”
He was a 13-year Navy veteran. Wanting to become an officer and see more action, he enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard in 2006.
Grieco was an avid outdoorsman and worked as a contractor for a lawn-mowing company. In 2004, he earned a degree in recreational park administration from Aurora University.
He also is survived by two children, Joshua, 4, and Angeli, 2.
Army Sgt. Kevin D. Grieco was killed in action on 10/27/08.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Army Pfc. Cody J. Eggleston
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Cody J. Eggleston, 21, of Eugene, Ore.
Pfc Eggleston was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; died Oct. 24, 2008 at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., of wounds sustained Oct. 16 in Baqubah, Iraq, when he received indirect fire.
War in Iraq claims Eugene soldier
The Associated Press
EUGENE, Ore. — A soldier from Eugene has died from wounds he suffered in Iraq this month.
Pfc. Cody J. Eggleston died Friday at Bethesda Naval Medical Center in Maryland. The 21-year-old had been injured by indirect fire on Oct. 16 in Baqubah, the Department of Defense said.
Eggleston joined the Army in July 2007, not long after his graduation from North Eugene Alternative High School, and was an infantryman assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
He is the second fatality from the attack on Oct. 16. Pfc. Heath Pickard of Texas died on the day of it.
Eggleston died with his wife, Karie, by his side, according to WSPA-TV in Spartanburg, S.C. He and Karie, who is from western North Carolina, were married in June in Alaska.
“They were very much looking forward to taking a honeymoon,” family spokeswoman Alyse Aiken said in a statement to the television station. “Cody was amazing with Karie’s 6-year-old daughter, Raegan. I remember spending the day with them the weekend after their reception, and I was blown away at how good he was with her.”
Eggleston’s body is to be flown to Redmond on Wednesday.
Pfc. chose infantry to ‘stand up for what I believe’
The Associated Press
Cody J. Eggleston had a knack for seeing the bright side and sharing his upbeat perspective, said friend Kaitlyn Kite.
“If I was stressing over school, he would be able to put it in a different light and I’d feel better,” she said.
Eggleston, 21, of Eugene, Ore., died Oct. 24 of wounds suffered Oct. 16 in Baqubah. He was a 2007 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Wainwright.
Though Eggleston scored highly in Army aptitude tests, he volunteered for the infantry. According to Chaplain Vern Arledge, “He said, ‘Dad, I want to be on the front lines. I want to be out there to protect my friends and stand up for what I believe.’” He was a film buff, enjoying movies from kid films to action adventures. “He loved old Westerns. He could say the lines of some of them, he’d watched them so many times,” said half-sister Trina Jackson.
He is survived by his wife, Karie, and stepdaughter Raegen.
Days before he was mortally wounded, he e-mailed his new wife.
“Baby, I miss you so much,” he wrote. “It sucks, not being able to fall asleep with you on the line, not being able to talk to you for several hours every day. It just destroys me inside.”
Army Pfc. Cody J. Eggleston was killed in action Oct. on 10/24/08
Army Pfc. Cody J. Eggleston, 21, of Eugene, Ore.
Pfc Eggleston was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; died Oct. 24, 2008 at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., of wounds sustained Oct. 16 in Baqubah, Iraq, when he received indirect fire.
The Associated Press
EUGENE, Ore. — A soldier from Eugene has died from wounds he suffered in Iraq this month.
Pfc. Cody J. Eggleston died Friday at Bethesda Naval Medical Center in Maryland. The 21-year-old had been injured by indirect fire on Oct. 16 in Baqubah, the Department of Defense said.
Eggleston joined the Army in July 2007, not long after his graduation from North Eugene Alternative High School, and was an infantryman assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
He is the second fatality from the attack on Oct. 16. Pfc. Heath Pickard of Texas died on the day of it.
Eggleston died with his wife, Karie, by his side, according to WSPA-TV in Spartanburg, S.C. He and Karie, who is from western North Carolina, were married in June in Alaska.
“They were very much looking forward to taking a honeymoon,” family spokeswoman Alyse Aiken said in a statement to the television station. “Cody was amazing with Karie’s 6-year-old daughter, Raegan. I remember spending the day with them the weekend after their reception, and I was blown away at how good he was with her.”
Eggleston’s body is to be flown to Redmond on Wednesday.
Pfc. chose infantry to ‘stand up for what I believe’
The Associated Press
Cody J. Eggleston had a knack for seeing the bright side and sharing his upbeat perspective, said friend Kaitlyn Kite.
“If I was stressing over school, he would be able to put it in a different light and I’d feel better,” she said.
Eggleston, 21, of Eugene, Ore., died Oct. 24 of wounds suffered Oct. 16 in Baqubah. He was a 2007 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Wainwright.
Though Eggleston scored highly in Army aptitude tests, he volunteered for the infantry. According to Chaplain Vern Arledge, “He said, ‘Dad, I want to be on the front lines. I want to be out there to protect my friends and stand up for what I believe.’” He was a film buff, enjoying movies from kid films to action adventures. “He loved old Westerns. He could say the lines of some of them, he’d watched them so many times,” said half-sister Trina Jackson.
He is survived by his wife, Karie, and stepdaughter Raegen.
Days before he was mortally wounded, he e-mailed his new wife.
“Baby, I miss you so much,” he wrote. “It sucks, not being able to fall asleep with you on the line, not being able to talk to you for several hours every day. It just destroys me inside.”
Army Pfc. Cody J. Eggleston was killed in action Oct. on 10/24/08
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Army Sgt. Clint A. Sikorski
Remember Our Heroes
Sgt. Clint Sikorski, a Wausau East grad, killed by vehicle at Fort Lewis Army base
East High graduate hit by vehicle while directing traffic
Wausau Daily Herald • October 22, 2008
FORT LEWIS, Wash. -- A 2005 Wausau East High School graduate and U.S. Army soldier was killed Friday when he was struck by a vehicle while stationed in the state of Washington.
Sgt. Clint Sikorski, 21, formerly of Wausau, was attempting to stop traffic at Fort Lewis when he was hit by a civilian vehicle driven by a soldier, according to a Fort Lewis public affairs statement. He was directing an Army truck to a nearby small-arms range when he was struck and killed.
He was stationed at the base since July 2007 as a member of the 1st Battalion, 377th Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade. He was a howitzer gunner.
"It was a nightmare. We're still in shock," his mother, Walline Sikorski of Wausau, said Tuesday from Washington, where she was joined by her brother from California and a daughter, with a second daughter preparing to join her today.
The incident occurred before 6 a.m. Friday, and Sikorski was taken to Madigan Army Medical Center, where he died later that day of his injuries, according to the statement.
Walline said her son became "gung ho" about the Army in high school and turned himself from "a roly-poly kid" into a man "with eight-pack, not six-pack abs," who led others with passion.
A soldier Walline Sikorski met in Washington since her son's death told her about a time when he had approached the higher ranking Sikorski about a marital problem. A few minutes later, Sikorski returned and had arranged a 10-day leave for the soldier.
"He wanted (the soldier) to fix his problem so he could be at his best when he returned," Walline said.
Sikorski married his wife, Wausau-area native Mandy Sikorski, in July 2007 after the two met in an Internet chat room while he was stationed in Korea.
Sgt. Clint Sikorski, a Wausau East grad, killed by vehicle at Fort Lewis Army base
East High graduate hit by vehicle while directing traffic
Wausau Daily Herald • October 22, 2008
FORT LEWIS, Wash. -- A 2005 Wausau East High School graduate and U.S. Army soldier was killed Friday when he was struck by a vehicle while stationed in the state of Washington.
Sgt. Clint Sikorski, 21, formerly of Wausau, was attempting to stop traffic at Fort Lewis when he was hit by a civilian vehicle driven by a soldier, according to a Fort Lewis public affairs statement. He was directing an Army truck to a nearby small-arms range when he was struck and killed.
He was stationed at the base since July 2007 as a member of the 1st Battalion, 377th Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade. He was a howitzer gunner.
"It was a nightmare. We're still in shock," his mother, Walline Sikorski of Wausau, said Tuesday from Washington, where she was joined by her brother from California and a daughter, with a second daughter preparing to join her today.
The incident occurred before 6 a.m. Friday, and Sikorski was taken to Madigan Army Medical Center, where he died later that day of his injuries, according to the statement.
Walline said her son became "gung ho" about the Army in high school and turned himself from "a roly-poly kid" into a man "with eight-pack, not six-pack abs," who led others with passion.
A soldier Walline Sikorski met in Washington since her son's death told her about a time when he had approached the higher ranking Sikorski about a marital problem. A few minutes later, Sikorski returned and had arranged a 10-day leave for the soldier.
"He wanted (the soldier) to fix his problem so he could be at his best when he returned," Walline said.
Sikorski married his wife, Wausau-area native Mandy Sikorski, in July 2007 after the two met in an Internet chat room while he was stationed in Korea.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Army Spc. Stephen R. Fortunato
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Stephen R. Fortunato, 25, of Danvers, Mass.
Spc. Fortunato was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Oct. 14, 2008 of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device in Qazi Bandeh, Afghanistan. Also killed were Spc. Cory J. Bertrand and Sgt. Preston R. Medley.
Army Spc. Stephen R. Fortunato remembered
The Associated Press
Stephen R. Fortunato was the oldest of three children, and his younger siblings were at their mother’s side to offer memories of their brother.
“I don’t even want to believe this is true. He was my role model, my hero,” said Anthony, 20, the youngest. “I loved him so much that I really, really hope that wherever he is, he knows that.”
Fortunato, 25, of Danvers, Mass., died Oct. 14 in Qazi Bandeh, Afghanistan, when his vehicle struck an IED. He was a 2002 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas.
“My son Stephen was very affectionate and a loving kid,” Betty Crawford said. “He was the jokester, all the time. But he was also a dedicated soldier. He went into the Army like anyone else, a kid. He came home as a man.”
He tried studying graphic arts at North Shore Community College, but decided he was not ready for college. He enlisted, choosing the Army because he wanted to be in combat.
He also is survived by his wife, Sherri.
“He had brown hair, green eyes, and the biggest smile in the world,” she said. “He was a loving person. He loved his family. He loved his mother. He stayed strong for them. He was a hero.”
Army Spc. Stephen R. Fortunato was killed in action on 10/14/08.
Army Spc. Stephen R. Fortunato, 25, of Danvers, Mass.
Spc. Fortunato was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Oct. 14, 2008 of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device in Qazi Bandeh, Afghanistan. Also killed were Spc. Cory J. Bertrand and Sgt. Preston R. Medley.
Army Spc. Stephen R. Fortunato remembered
The Associated Press
Stephen R. Fortunato was the oldest of three children, and his younger siblings were at their mother’s side to offer memories of their brother.
“I don’t even want to believe this is true. He was my role model, my hero,” said Anthony, 20, the youngest. “I loved him so much that I really, really hope that wherever he is, he knows that.”
Fortunato, 25, of Danvers, Mass., died Oct. 14 in Qazi Bandeh, Afghanistan, when his vehicle struck an IED. He was a 2002 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas.
“My son Stephen was very affectionate and a loving kid,” Betty Crawford said. “He was the jokester, all the time. But he was also a dedicated soldier. He went into the Army like anyone else, a kid. He came home as a man.”
He tried studying graphic arts at North Shore Community College, but decided he was not ready for college. He enlisted, choosing the Army because he wanted to be in combat.
He also is survived by his wife, Sherri.
“He had brown hair, green eyes, and the biggest smile in the world,” she said. “He was a loving person. He loved his family. He loved his mother. He stayed strong for them. He was a hero.”
Army Spc. Stephen R. Fortunato was killed in action on 10/14/08.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Army Spc. Geoffrey G. Johnson
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Geoffrey G. Johnson, 28, of Lubbock, Texas
Spc. Johnson was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Division Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Oct. 12, 2008 of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident in Baghdad.
Spc. was ‘golden boy’ who could be relied on
The Associated Press
Spc. Geoffrey G. Johnson was a terrain data specialist who worked in geospatial intelligence. He helped commanders understand unknown areas into which they would lead troops.
But he wasn’t always behind a desk — he volunteered for special patrols, going out and helping to identify enemies.
“I think he thought he could do some good there,” said his father, Jim. “He saw some bad things happen to innocent people.”
Johnson, 28, of Lubbock, Texas, died Oct. 12 of a heart attack in Baghdad. He was a 1998 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Hood.
He was born in Provo, Utah, and moved to Lubbock in 1985. He graduated from South Plains College School of Vocational Nursing before joining the Army. He enjoyed playing games and reading with his children, and was an avid waterskier.
Sgt. Darren Tindall, Johnson’s supervisor, said he excelled in his job and was among the brightest he has led. When he needed the best job done quickly, he knew he could count on “the Golden Boy.”
He also is survived by his wife, Amy and children, Kelsi, 8, Parker, 5, Joel, 3, and Brayden, 1.
Army Spc. Geoffrey G. Johnson was killed in a non-combat related incident on 10/12/08.
Army Spc. Geoffrey G. Johnson, 28, of Lubbock, Texas
Spc. Johnson was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Division Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Oct. 12, 2008 of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident in Baghdad.
Spc. was ‘golden boy’ who could be relied on
The Associated Press
Spc. Geoffrey G. Johnson was a terrain data specialist who worked in geospatial intelligence. He helped commanders understand unknown areas into which they would lead troops.
But he wasn’t always behind a desk — he volunteered for special patrols, going out and helping to identify enemies.
“I think he thought he could do some good there,” said his father, Jim. “He saw some bad things happen to innocent people.”
Johnson, 28, of Lubbock, Texas, died Oct. 12 of a heart attack in Baghdad. He was a 1998 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Hood.
He was born in Provo, Utah, and moved to Lubbock in 1985. He graduated from South Plains College School of Vocational Nursing before joining the Army. He enjoyed playing games and reading with his children, and was an avid waterskier.
Sgt. Darren Tindall, Johnson’s supervisor, said he excelled in his job and was among the brightest he has led. When he needed the best job done quickly, he knew he could count on “the Golden Boy.”
He also is survived by his wife, Amy and children, Kelsi, 8, Parker, 5, Joel, 3, and Brayden, 1.
Army Spc. Geoffrey G. Johnson was killed in a non-combat related incident on 10/12/08.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Army Sgt. William P. Rudd
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. William P. Rudd, 27, of Madisonville, Ky.
Sgt. Rudd was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.; died Oct. 5, 2008 of wounds sustained from enemy small arms fire while on a combat patrol in Mosul, Iraq.
Ky. Army Ranger dies in Iraq
The Associated Press
MADISONVILLE, Ky. — The father of a western Kentucky soldier killed in Iraq says the Madisonville community is “filling me up with love and prayers” since learning of his 27-year-old son’s death.
Sgt. William P. Rudd died Sunday after being hit by enemy small-arms fire while on combat patrol in Mosul, according to the Defense Department.
Rudd was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Ga.
“The community is filling me up with love and prayers,” the soldier’s father, Bill Rudd of Madisonville, told The Messenger newspaper of Madisonville. “They support what Patrick did for our cause, so we wouldn’t have terrorists back over here.”
Patrick Rudd is believed to be the first Hopkins County native killed in Iraq.
He graduated from Madisonville-North Hopkins High School in 1999, then went to work on the assembly line at White Hydraulics in Hopkinsville.
Patrick Rudd had previously been deployed twice to Afghanistan and five times to Iraq. He joined the Army on Oct. 2, 2003.
“He had spent two years thinking about it, knowing that he needed a different direction in his life and wanting to defend our country.”
Patrick Rudd served with the Army Rangers, which are elite special operations troops.
“He didn’t join for himself,” Bill Rudd said. “You might say he joined for everyone else over here.”
Patrick Rudd was a decorated soldier, receiving the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and many awards.
He is expected to posthumously receive the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal.
Bill Rudd last saw his son four months ago when he visited Fort Benning, Ga., where Patrick was stationed.
Other survivors include Patrick Rudd’s mother, Pamela Coakley of Nortonville; his stepmother, Barbara Rudd of Madisonville; and a sister and brother.
The family is waiting to hear when the body will be returned to the United States before making funeral arrangements.
Western Ky. soldier laid to rest, slain in Iraq
The Associated Press
MADISONVILLE, Ky. — The father of a western Ky. Army Ranger recently slain in Iraq said Wednesday that his son was slain during the attack that killed an alleged high-ranking leader of al-Qaida in Iraq.
The Messenger of Madisonville reported thousands stood by the roadside as more than a hundred cars followed the hearse carrying Sgt. William Patrick Rudd’s body the six miles to the cemetery. The 27-year-old soldier is the first from Hopkins County to die in the Iraq war.
Rudd’s father, Bill Rudd, stood at his son’s casket at First Baptist Church at the beginning of his funeral and told the congregation his son died in the same raid in which U.S. soldiers killed Abu Qaswarah, the alleged No. 2 leader of al-Qaida in Iraq.
The U.S. military announced Abu Qaswarah’s death Wednesday, saying he died Oct. 5 during a raid on a building in Mosul and that news of his death was withheld to allow for positive identification.
The military said Rudd died the same day of wounds suffered from enemy small-arms fire while on a combat patrol in Mosul. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga. Rudd served with the Army Rangers, which are elite special operations troops.
He graduated from Madisonville-North Hopkins High School in 1999, then went to work on the assembly line at White Hydraulics in Hopkinsville.
Rudd had previously been deployed twice to Afghanistan and five times to Iraq. He joined the Army on Oct. 2, 2003.
Members of Rudd’s unit shared memories of their friend during the funeral. A Bible verse was repeated often: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
“I didn’t understand the meaning of John 15:13 until Oct. 5,” Sgt. Mark Williams said. “The night he died, he was with his brothers, his friends.”
On Tuesday, three of Rudd’s comrades — Cpl. Kyle Lillard, Staff Sgt. Brett Krueger and Sgt. Dusty Harrell — shared memories of their friend, whom they called “Ricky.”
Lillard, 25, of Gallatin, Tenn., served with Rudd for three years.
“Outside of work, we’d hang out a lot,” he said. “He came from a place like mine, with the same kind of people.” The friends shared a love of country music and “outdoor stuff,” like fishing and hunting.
“We had pretty much everything in common,” said Krueger, 25, of Grand Junction, Colo. “He was a good-hearted person who loved life. You could never catch him on a bad day.”
Herrell, 29, of Monetta, Ark., recalled Rudd’s fear of snakes with a smile. He and Rudd did a lot of camping and canoeing together. On one occasion, they were on a fishing trip in Georgia when Harrell reeled in a water moccasin on his line.
“I turned around ... Ricky was already up the hill,” Harrell said, laughing. “I convinced him to take the pole. The snake was still on it. I dispatched the snake with a big rock to get it off the hook.”
Besides his father, Rudd is survived by his mother, Pamela Coakley of Nortonville; his stepmother, Barbara Rudd of Madisonville; and a sister and brother.
Hopkins County Sheriff Frankie Latham, whose department helped organize security detail for the funeral procession, told The Messenger that members of Rudd’s unit told him they had seen a negative reaction at another soldier’s funeral recently and asked him what to expect from the community.
“I said it would be just the opposite,” Latham said. “This community supports men and women in the military, but this surprised even me.”
Fallen Ranger known for ‘excellence’
The Associated Press
Sgt. Dusty Herrell recalled William P. Rudd’s fear of snakes with a smile. On one occasion, they were on a fishing trip in Georgia when Herrell reeled in a water moccasin on his line.
By the time Herrell turned around, “Ricky was already up the hill,” Herrell said, laughing. “I convinced him to take the pole.
The snake was still on it.”
Rudd, 27, of Madisonville, Ky., died Oct. 5 of wounds from small-arms fire in Mosul. He was a 1999 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Benning.
After school, he went to work on an assembly line at White Hydraulics and joined the Army in 2003. “He had spent two years thinking about it, knowing that he needed a different direction in his life and wanting to defend our country,” said his father, Bill Rudd.
He had done five deployments to Iraq and two to Afghanistan.
“Anything he did, he did with excellence,” said Sgt. Mark Williams, a fellow Ranger.
He also is survived by his mother, Pamela Coakley and his stepmother, Barbara Rudd.
“He was the best friend anyone could have asked for,” Herrell said. “And he didn’t have to be talking to you to cheer you up.”
Army Sgt. William P. Rudd was killed in action on 10/05/08.
Army Sgt. William P. Rudd, 27, of Madisonville, Ky.
Sgt. Rudd was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.; died Oct. 5, 2008 of wounds sustained from enemy small arms fire while on a combat patrol in Mosul, Iraq.
Ky. Army Ranger dies in Iraq
The Associated Press
MADISONVILLE, Ky. — The father of a western Kentucky soldier killed in Iraq says the Madisonville community is “filling me up with love and prayers” since learning of his 27-year-old son’s death.
Sgt. William P. Rudd died Sunday after being hit by enemy small-arms fire while on combat patrol in Mosul, according to the Defense Department.
Rudd was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Ga.
“The community is filling me up with love and prayers,” the soldier’s father, Bill Rudd of Madisonville, told The Messenger newspaper of Madisonville. “They support what Patrick did for our cause, so we wouldn’t have terrorists back over here.”
Patrick Rudd is believed to be the first Hopkins County native killed in Iraq.
He graduated from Madisonville-North Hopkins High School in 1999, then went to work on the assembly line at White Hydraulics in Hopkinsville.
Patrick Rudd had previously been deployed twice to Afghanistan and five times to Iraq. He joined the Army on Oct. 2, 2003.
“He had spent two years thinking about it, knowing that he needed a different direction in his life and wanting to defend our country.”
Patrick Rudd served with the Army Rangers, which are elite special operations troops.
“He didn’t join for himself,” Bill Rudd said. “You might say he joined for everyone else over here.”
Patrick Rudd was a decorated soldier, receiving the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and many awards.
He is expected to posthumously receive the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal.
Bill Rudd last saw his son four months ago when he visited Fort Benning, Ga., where Patrick was stationed.
Other survivors include Patrick Rudd’s mother, Pamela Coakley of Nortonville; his stepmother, Barbara Rudd of Madisonville; and a sister and brother.
The family is waiting to hear when the body will be returned to the United States before making funeral arrangements.
Western Ky. soldier laid to rest, slain in Iraq
The Associated Press
MADISONVILLE, Ky. — The father of a western Ky. Army Ranger recently slain in Iraq said Wednesday that his son was slain during the attack that killed an alleged high-ranking leader of al-Qaida in Iraq.
The Messenger of Madisonville reported thousands stood by the roadside as more than a hundred cars followed the hearse carrying Sgt. William Patrick Rudd’s body the six miles to the cemetery. The 27-year-old soldier is the first from Hopkins County to die in the Iraq war.
Rudd’s father, Bill Rudd, stood at his son’s casket at First Baptist Church at the beginning of his funeral and told the congregation his son died in the same raid in which U.S. soldiers killed Abu Qaswarah, the alleged No. 2 leader of al-Qaida in Iraq.
The U.S. military announced Abu Qaswarah’s death Wednesday, saying he died Oct. 5 during a raid on a building in Mosul and that news of his death was withheld to allow for positive identification.
The military said Rudd died the same day of wounds suffered from enemy small-arms fire while on a combat patrol in Mosul. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga. Rudd served with the Army Rangers, which are elite special operations troops.
He graduated from Madisonville-North Hopkins High School in 1999, then went to work on the assembly line at White Hydraulics in Hopkinsville.
Rudd had previously been deployed twice to Afghanistan and five times to Iraq. He joined the Army on Oct. 2, 2003.
Members of Rudd’s unit shared memories of their friend during the funeral. A Bible verse was repeated often: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
“I didn’t understand the meaning of John 15:13 until Oct. 5,” Sgt. Mark Williams said. “The night he died, he was with his brothers, his friends.”
On Tuesday, three of Rudd’s comrades — Cpl. Kyle Lillard, Staff Sgt. Brett Krueger and Sgt. Dusty Harrell — shared memories of their friend, whom they called “Ricky.”
Lillard, 25, of Gallatin, Tenn., served with Rudd for three years.
“Outside of work, we’d hang out a lot,” he said. “He came from a place like mine, with the same kind of people.” The friends shared a love of country music and “outdoor stuff,” like fishing and hunting.
“We had pretty much everything in common,” said Krueger, 25, of Grand Junction, Colo. “He was a good-hearted person who loved life. You could never catch him on a bad day.”
Herrell, 29, of Monetta, Ark., recalled Rudd’s fear of snakes with a smile. He and Rudd did a lot of camping and canoeing together. On one occasion, they were on a fishing trip in Georgia when Harrell reeled in a water moccasin on his line.
“I turned around ... Ricky was already up the hill,” Harrell said, laughing. “I convinced him to take the pole. The snake was still on it. I dispatched the snake with a big rock to get it off the hook.”
Besides his father, Rudd is survived by his mother, Pamela Coakley of Nortonville; his stepmother, Barbara Rudd of Madisonville; and a sister and brother.
Hopkins County Sheriff Frankie Latham, whose department helped organize security detail for the funeral procession, told The Messenger that members of Rudd’s unit told him they had seen a negative reaction at another soldier’s funeral recently and asked him what to expect from the community.
“I said it would be just the opposite,” Latham said. “This community supports men and women in the military, but this surprised even me.”
Fallen Ranger known for ‘excellence’
The Associated Press
Sgt. Dusty Herrell recalled William P. Rudd’s fear of snakes with a smile. On one occasion, they were on a fishing trip in Georgia when Herrell reeled in a water moccasin on his line.
By the time Herrell turned around, “Ricky was already up the hill,” Herrell said, laughing. “I convinced him to take the pole.
The snake was still on it.”
Rudd, 27, of Madisonville, Ky., died Oct. 5 of wounds from small-arms fire in Mosul. He was a 1999 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Benning.
After school, he went to work on an assembly line at White Hydraulics and joined the Army in 2003. “He had spent two years thinking about it, knowing that he needed a different direction in his life and wanting to defend our country,” said his father, Bill Rudd.
He had done five deployments to Iraq and two to Afghanistan.
“Anything he did, he did with excellence,” said Sgt. Mark Williams, a fellow Ranger.
He also is survived by his mother, Pamela Coakley and his stepmother, Barbara Rudd.
“He was the best friend anyone could have asked for,” Herrell said. “And he didn’t have to be talking to you to cheer you up.”
Army Sgt. William P. Rudd was killed in action on 10/05/08.
Marine Col. Michael R. Stahlman
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Col. Michael R. Stahlman, 45, of Chevy Chase, Md.
Col. Stahlman assigned to Headquarters Battalion, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; died Oct. 5, 2008 from injuries sustained in a July 31 nonhostile incident in Anbar province, Iraq.
Col. dies from July nonhostile incident in Iraq
Staff report
OCEANSIDE, Calif. — The Pentagon on Tuesday announced the death of Marine Col. Michael R. Stahlman, who died Sunday from injuries stemming from a nonhostile incident July 31 in Iraq.
Stahlman, 45, of Chevy Chase, Md., served as the staff judge advocate at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif., where he also was director of legal services, according to a statement released Wednesday by Jenny Haskamp, a Combat Center spokeswoman. The desert base is also home to the Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command.
No details were readily available about the incident, which officials said is under investigation.
Stahlman, a 1985 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, had completed naval flight officer training and training in the F-4 fighter program before he went to law school under the Corps’ Funded Law Program, according to the Combat Center. In 1993, he received his law degree from California Western School of Law. He later received a master’s degree from the Judge Advocate’s School in Charlottesville, Va., where he later served as an instructor and vice chair of the school’s Criminal Law Department.
His personal military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with gold star, Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal and Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal with gold star.
Last year, Stahlman served as an Article 32 investigation hearing officer at Camp Pendleton in one of the cases arising from the Nov. 19, 2005, deaths of Iraqi civilians in Hadithah.
Fallen colonel ‘excelled at everything’
The Associated Press
A Naval Academy classmate of Col. Michael R. Stahlman said he set tremendously high standards for himself.
“He excelled at everything — academics, athletics — and he made it look easy. Whatever we did, he was number one, and he didn’t even break a sweat,” Joe Matza said.
Stahlman, 45, of Chevy Chase, Md., died Oct. 5 of injuries from a non-hostile incident July 31 in Anbar province. He was assigned to Twentynine Palms.
“He had an outstanding reputation,” said Lt. Col. Steve Stewart at the U.S. Army Legal Center at the Judge Advocate General’s School.
Stahlman grew up around the world — his father worked for the U.S. Foreign Service — and admired the Marines who guarded U.S. embassies.
He was a 1985 graduate of the Naval Academy who majored in political science. In 1993, he got a law degree from the California Western School of Law.
“He was a very motivated, great student — very smart and very patriotic. He was someone you knew was going to devote his life to the military,” said Rick Camacho, 46, another academy classmate.
He is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and two daughters: Piper, 7, and MacKenna, 11.
Marine Col. Michael R. Stahlman died from a nonhostile incident on 10/5/08.
Marine Col. Michael R. Stahlman, 45, of Chevy Chase, Md.
Col. Stahlman assigned to Headquarters Battalion, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; died Oct. 5, 2008 from injuries sustained in a July 31 nonhostile incident in Anbar province, Iraq.
Col. dies from July nonhostile incident in Iraq
Staff report
OCEANSIDE, Calif. — The Pentagon on Tuesday announced the death of Marine Col. Michael R. Stahlman, who died Sunday from injuries stemming from a nonhostile incident July 31 in Iraq.
Stahlman, 45, of Chevy Chase, Md., served as the staff judge advocate at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif., where he also was director of legal services, according to a statement released Wednesday by Jenny Haskamp, a Combat Center spokeswoman. The desert base is also home to the Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command.
No details were readily available about the incident, which officials said is under investigation.
Stahlman, a 1985 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, had completed naval flight officer training and training in the F-4 fighter program before he went to law school under the Corps’ Funded Law Program, according to the Combat Center. In 1993, he received his law degree from California Western School of Law. He later received a master’s degree from the Judge Advocate’s School in Charlottesville, Va., where he later served as an instructor and vice chair of the school’s Criminal Law Department.
His personal military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with gold star, Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal and Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal with gold star.
Last year, Stahlman served as an Article 32 investigation hearing officer at Camp Pendleton in one of the cases arising from the Nov. 19, 2005, deaths of Iraqi civilians in Hadithah.
Fallen colonel ‘excelled at everything’
The Associated Press
A Naval Academy classmate of Col. Michael R. Stahlman said he set tremendously high standards for himself.
“He excelled at everything — academics, athletics — and he made it look easy. Whatever we did, he was number one, and he didn’t even break a sweat,” Joe Matza said.
Stahlman, 45, of Chevy Chase, Md., died Oct. 5 of injuries from a non-hostile incident July 31 in Anbar province. He was assigned to Twentynine Palms.
“He had an outstanding reputation,” said Lt. Col. Steve Stewart at the U.S. Army Legal Center at the Judge Advocate General’s School.
Stahlman grew up around the world — his father worked for the U.S. Foreign Service — and admired the Marines who guarded U.S. embassies.
He was a 1985 graduate of the Naval Academy who majored in political science. In 1993, he got a law degree from the California Western School of Law.
“He was a very motivated, great student — very smart and very patriotic. He was someone you knew was going to devote his life to the military,” said Rick Camacho, 46, another academy classmate.
He is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and two daughters: Piper, 7, and MacKenna, 11.
Marine Col. Michael R. Stahlman died from a nonhostile incident on 10/5/08.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Army Pfc. Tavarus D. Setzler
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Tavarus D. Setzler, 23, of Jacksonville, Fla.
Pfc. Setzler was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Oct. 2, 2008 of wounds sustained when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in Majar al Kabir, Iraq.
Soldier’s remains to arrive at Naval Air Station
The Associated Press
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Hundreds gathered at Jacksonville Naval Air Station to greet the flag-draped coffin of a Florida soldier killed in Iraq.
Pentagon officials say Pfc. Tavarus D. Setzler of Jacksonville died Oct. 2 when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Majar al-Kabir, Iraq.
Setzler was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood.
His family prayed over his coffin after it was taken out of a jet Friday. Police and veterans on motorcycles then escorted the family off the base, past hundreds of service members and civilian base employees.
Pfc. remembered as being motivated, dedicated
The Associated Press
Tavarus D. Setzler had been in the Army for less than a year and had been in Iraq for about six months. He proposed to his girlfriend after returning from boot camp in Texas.
“He was wearing a big old ring, and I said ‘Oh, that’s what happens now — you go to Texas and come back with a ring?’” his fiancee, Brittnie Jones, remembered saying. “‘Where’s my ring?”‘ Setzler gave it to her later that day, not long before heading off to Iraq.
Setzler, 23, of Jacksonville, Fla., was killed Oct. 2 when his vehicle struck an explosive in Majar al-Kabir. He was a 2005 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Hood.
“He was an outstanding student,” said Navy Lt. Dean Williams, a senior naval science instructor at his high school. “For ROTC, he was the kind of student you want. He was motivated and dedicated and very well disciplined.”
His brother Shawn Baker last heard from his brother on Sept. 29, three days before his death. It was the day before Baker’s birthday.
“It was an e-mail and it said he was coming home soon,” Baker said. “It said, ‘Happy birthday, old man. I’ll see you in November.’”
Army Pfc. Tavarus D. Setzler was killed in action on 10/2/08.
Army Pfc. Tavarus D. Setzler, 23, of Jacksonville, Fla.
Pfc. Setzler was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Oct. 2, 2008 of wounds sustained when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in Majar al Kabir, Iraq.
Soldier’s remains to arrive at Naval Air Station
The Associated Press
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Hundreds gathered at Jacksonville Naval Air Station to greet the flag-draped coffin of a Florida soldier killed in Iraq.
Pentagon officials say Pfc. Tavarus D. Setzler of Jacksonville died Oct. 2 when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Majar al-Kabir, Iraq.
Setzler was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood.
His family prayed over his coffin after it was taken out of a jet Friday. Police and veterans on motorcycles then escorted the family off the base, past hundreds of service members and civilian base employees.
Pfc. remembered as being motivated, dedicated
The Associated Press
Tavarus D. Setzler had been in the Army for less than a year and had been in Iraq for about six months. He proposed to his girlfriend after returning from boot camp in Texas.
“He was wearing a big old ring, and I said ‘Oh, that’s what happens now — you go to Texas and come back with a ring?’” his fiancee, Brittnie Jones, remembered saying. “‘Where’s my ring?”‘ Setzler gave it to her later that day, not long before heading off to Iraq.
Setzler, 23, of Jacksonville, Fla., was killed Oct. 2 when his vehicle struck an explosive in Majar al-Kabir. He was a 2005 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Hood.
“He was an outstanding student,” said Navy Lt. Dean Williams, a senior naval science instructor at his high school. “For ROTC, he was the kind of student you want. He was motivated and dedicated and very well disciplined.”
His brother Shawn Baker last heard from his brother on Sept. 29, three days before his death. It was the day before Baker’s birthday.
“It was an e-mail and it said he was coming home soon,” Baker said. “It said, ‘Happy birthday, old man. I’ll see you in November.’”
Army Pfc. Tavarus D. Setzler was killed in action on 10/2/08.
Army Spc. Jason E. von Zerneck
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Jason E. von Zerneck, 33, of Charlotte, N.C.
Spc. Von Zerneck was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry Regiment, New York Army National Guard, Jamestown, N.Y.; died Oct. 2,2008 of injuries sustained from a vehicle incident in Qara Bagh Karez, Afghanistan.
Army Spc. Jason E. von Zerneck remembered
The Associated Press
Before he left for Afghanistan in January, Jason E. von Zerneck told a newspaper that leaving his family behind was “definitely the hardest thing.”
“Some of the soldiers in this unit come from the poorest neighborhoods,” he said. “These are the people who are putting their lives on the line for the city and the country, and sometimes that is forgotten.”
Von Zerneck, 33, of New York City, died Oct. 2 after his vehicle overturned in Qara Bagh Karez, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Jamestown, N.Y.
Von Zerneck, a compliance officer with Bank of America, was a “die-hard Yankees fan” and loved watching New York Rangers games.
His mother, Barbara, said she hoped that her son would be remembered by Americans as a brave soldier. “I don’t think there’s enough attention paid to the sacrifices of our soldiers,” she said. “That’s something that angers me.”
He is survived by his wife, Stephanie, 30, and three children — daughter Raina, 9, and sons Joseph, 6, and Noah, 3.
His father, Richard, said his son recently e-mailed him to thank him for helping to plan Noah’s birthday party.
Army Spc. Jason E. von Zerneck was killed in action on 10/2/08.
Larger Images
Army Spc. Jason E. von Zerneck, 33, of Charlotte, N.C.
Spc. Von Zerneck was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry Regiment, New York Army National Guard, Jamestown, N.Y.; died Oct. 2,2008 of injuries sustained from a vehicle incident in Qara Bagh Karez, Afghanistan.
Army Spc. Jason E. von Zerneck remembered
The Associated Press
Before he left for Afghanistan in January, Jason E. von Zerneck told a newspaper that leaving his family behind was “definitely the hardest thing.”
“Some of the soldiers in this unit come from the poorest neighborhoods,” he said. “These are the people who are putting their lives on the line for the city and the country, and sometimes that is forgotten.”
Von Zerneck, 33, of New York City, died Oct. 2 after his vehicle overturned in Qara Bagh Karez, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Jamestown, N.Y.
Von Zerneck, a compliance officer with Bank of America, was a “die-hard Yankees fan” and loved watching New York Rangers games.
His mother, Barbara, said she hoped that her son would be remembered by Americans as a brave soldier. “I don’t think there’s enough attention paid to the sacrifices of our soldiers,” she said. “That’s something that angers me.”
He is survived by his wife, Stephanie, 30, and three children — daughter Raina, 9, and sons Joseph, 6, and Noah, 3.
His father, Richard, said his son recently e-mailed him to thank him for helping to plan Noah’s birthday party.
Army Spc. Jason E. von Zerneck was killed in action on 10/2/08.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Army Veteran Elijah Warren
Remember Our Heroes
Suicide of Army Veteran, Senior Shocks Family
By Zach Williams
Contributing Writer
Wednesday, October 8, 2008 | 8:49 pm
Elijah Warren, a UC Berkeley senior and a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, died from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head on Oct. 1 in his Oakland home. He was 26 years old.
Police found Warren at his residence on the 1900 block of 90th Street in Oakland at 3 p.m. on Oct. 1, said Oakland Police spokesperson Jeff Thomason. Warren did not leave a suicide note, Thomason said.
About 20 friends and family members came to Warren's wake in Oakland on Wednesday to bid farewell to a man who they said was intelligent, ambitious and articulate. His sudden passing shocked his loved ones, many of whom said there had been no indication that Warren would take his own life.
"No tell-tale signs," said Geoff Warren, his older brother. "A really cool, calm guy."
Elijah Warren, an Oakland native, leaves behind an ex-wife, Traci Lee-Warren, and a 10-year-old stepson, Jinho Warren. He would have graduated this spring from UC Berkeley with a degree in political science, family members said.
Before enrolling at UC Berkeley, Warren had dropped out of high school in ninth grade. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 17 and served in the Special Forces for eight years, during which time he learned Arabic and traveled through Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia.
Family members said they did not notice any signs of depression in Warren when he returned from overseas in 2005.
"Elijah was a good soldier, obeyed commands given to him," said Rev. Earl Hooker, assistant minister at Sweet Home Baptist Church in East Oakland. "We got to learn from Elijah how to be caring and helpful to one another."
Starting in 2005, Warren also took community college classes in Alameda.
"I don't come across a student like Elijah often, one in a million ... he was the younger brother I never had. It's hard, a void in my life, the pain is there," said Maurice Jones, Warren's English instructor at the community college.
After he transferred to UC Berkeley in 2007, Warren continued to pursue his passions for study and debate in the classroom.
"I was particularly impressed by his passion in class discussions," said Peter Ryan, Warren's Political Science 104 GSI, in an e-mail.
UC Berkeley senior Antonio Herrera, one of Warren's best friends, said that Warren possessed a unique intelligence.
"He was so smart, it didn't make sense," he said.
Warren, along with his brothers, also taught for a self-defense mentoring program at Berkeley Technology Academy. He trained high school students in a physically rigorous regimen and spoke to them about the importance of attending college, often drawing on his own personal experiences.
"They saw him at Berkeley, forcing them to sign up for college. And what could they say?" Geoff Warren said.
Another brother, Jinho Warren, said it is difficult to justly define Elijah's character.
"He was an activist, socialist, every adjective that you can think of (for) an intelligent black man," he said.
Warren's funeral will be held this Thursday at 11 a.m. at East Oakland Deliverance Center in Oakland.
Suicide of Army Veteran, Senior Shocks Family
By Zach Williams
Contributing Writer
Wednesday, October 8, 2008 | 8:49 pm
Elijah Warren, a UC Berkeley senior and a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, died from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head on Oct. 1 in his Oakland home. He was 26 years old.
Police found Warren at his residence on the 1900 block of 90th Street in Oakland at 3 p.m. on Oct. 1, said Oakland Police spokesperson Jeff Thomason. Warren did not leave a suicide note, Thomason said.
About 20 friends and family members came to Warren's wake in Oakland on Wednesday to bid farewell to a man who they said was intelligent, ambitious and articulate. His sudden passing shocked his loved ones, many of whom said there had been no indication that Warren would take his own life.
"No tell-tale signs," said Geoff Warren, his older brother. "A really cool, calm guy."
Elijah Warren, an Oakland native, leaves behind an ex-wife, Traci Lee-Warren, and a 10-year-old stepson, Jinho Warren. He would have graduated this spring from UC Berkeley with a degree in political science, family members said.
Before enrolling at UC Berkeley, Warren had dropped out of high school in ninth grade. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 17 and served in the Special Forces for eight years, during which time he learned Arabic and traveled through Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia.
Family members said they did not notice any signs of depression in Warren when he returned from overseas in 2005.
"Elijah was a good soldier, obeyed commands given to him," said Rev. Earl Hooker, assistant minister at Sweet Home Baptist Church in East Oakland. "We got to learn from Elijah how to be caring and helpful to one another."
Starting in 2005, Warren also took community college classes in Alameda.
"I don't come across a student like Elijah often, one in a million ... he was the younger brother I never had. It's hard, a void in my life, the pain is there," said Maurice Jones, Warren's English instructor at the community college.
After he transferred to UC Berkeley in 2007, Warren continued to pursue his passions for study and debate in the classroom.
"I was particularly impressed by his passion in class discussions," said Peter Ryan, Warren's Political Science 104 GSI, in an e-mail.
UC Berkeley senior Antonio Herrera, one of Warren's best friends, said that Warren possessed a unique intelligence.
"He was so smart, it didn't make sense," he said.
Warren, along with his brothers, also taught for a self-defense mentoring program at Berkeley Technology Academy. He trained high school students in a physically rigorous regimen and spoke to them about the importance of attending college, often drawing on his own personal experiences.
"They saw him at Berkeley, forcing them to sign up for college. And what could they say?" Geoff Warren said.
Another brother, Jinho Warren, said it is difficult to justly define Elijah's character.
"He was an activist, socialist, every adjective that you can think of (for) an intelligent black man," he said.
Warren's funeral will be held this Thursday at 11 a.m. at East Oakland Deliverance Center in Oakland.
Marine Sgt. Jan Pietrzak
Remember Our Heroes
US Marines charged with murdering colleague and wife
Four Marines, including one nicknamed "Psycho", have been charged with the execution-style murder of a fellow Marine and his wife at their home in California.
Last Updated: 7:11PM GMT 07 Nov 2008
Two of the men worked for the murdered marine, Sgt Jan Pietrzak, 24, a helicopter mechanic based in San Diego who served in Iraq from 2005 to 2006.
He and his wife, Quiana Jenkins-Pietrzak, 26, were found gagged, tied up and shot in the head at their ransacked home in Riverside County, southeast of Los Angeles, last month.
According to court documents, the four men, aged 18 to 21, confessed to investigators that they robbed and murdered Sgt Peitrzak and sexually assaulted and killed his wife after breaking-in in search of valuables last month.
Jewellery and other items were taken and a fire was set before they left, investigators said.
Sgt Pietrzak, who was born in Poland and raised in Brooklyn, New York, joined the Marines in 2003.
Murder charges were filed against Lance Cpl Emrys John, 18, of Maryland, and Lance Cpl Tyrone Miller, 20, of North Carolina – who both worked for Sgt Pietrzak – Pte. Kevin Cox, 20, of Tennessee, and Lance Cpl Kesaun Sykes, 21, of California.
Miller said he forced his way into the home by pointing a shotgun at Sgt Pietrzak, according to an affidavit, before tying him and his wife up and discussing with John whether to kill them.
Cox and Sykes, known as "Psycho," acknowledged they went to the home to rob Sgt Pietrzak. All four said his wife was sexually assaulted.
The men are being held in jail and due in court on November 20. Prosecutors said they had not decided whether to seek the death penalty.
US Marines charged with murdering colleague and wife
Four Marines, including one nicknamed "Psycho", have been charged with the execution-style murder of a fellow Marine and his wife at their home in California.
Last Updated: 7:11PM GMT 07 Nov 2008
Two of the men worked for the murdered marine, Sgt Jan Pietrzak, 24, a helicopter mechanic based in San Diego who served in Iraq from 2005 to 2006.
He and his wife, Quiana Jenkins-Pietrzak, 26, were found gagged, tied up and shot in the head at their ransacked home in Riverside County, southeast of Los Angeles, last month.
According to court documents, the four men, aged 18 to 21, confessed to investigators that they robbed and murdered Sgt Peitrzak and sexually assaulted and killed his wife after breaking-in in search of valuables last month.
Jewellery and other items were taken and a fire was set before they left, investigators said.
Sgt Pietrzak, who was born in Poland and raised in Brooklyn, New York, joined the Marines in 2003.
Murder charges were filed against Lance Cpl Emrys John, 18, of Maryland, and Lance Cpl Tyrone Miller, 20, of North Carolina – who both worked for Sgt Pietrzak – Pte. Kevin Cox, 20, of Tennessee, and Lance Cpl Kesaun Sykes, 21, of California.
Miller said he forced his way into the home by pointing a shotgun at Sgt Pietrzak, according to an affidavit, before tying him and his wife up and discussing with John whether to kill them.
Cox and Sykes, known as "Psycho," acknowledged they went to the home to rob Sgt Pietrzak. All four said his wife was sexually assaulted.
The men are being held in jail and due in court on November 20. Prosecutors said they had not decided whether to seek the death penalty.
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