Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Army Master Sgt. Anthony Davis

Remember Our Heroes

Army Master Sgt. Anthony Davis, 43, of Deerfield Beach, Fla.

MSgt. Davis was assigned to the Military Transition Team, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died Nov. 25, 2008 in Baaj, Iraq, after being shot by an Iraqi Security Force soldier while he was conducting a dismounted humanitarian food drop.

Master sergeant worked to help poor Iraqis

The Associated Press

Anthony Davis trained and mentored Iraqi army members and delivered food and relief supplies to poor villages. He was part of a team that assessed schools and then planned renovations and organized supplies.

His daughter Diana, 18, also collected soccer balls to ship to her father, who distributed them to children on his missions.

“Anthony volunteered for humanitarian assistance duty so he could devote himself to the soccer ball plan and really reach out to the surrounding Iraqi communities in need of assistance,” said Joe Albuquerque of the Kerril Woods Homeowner’s Association.

“That’s the Anthony we knew and loved.”

Davis, 43, reared in Baltimore and lately of Triangle, Va., died Nov. 24 in Baaj after being shot by an Iraqi soldier while on a relief mission. He was assigned to Fort Riley.

“We must remain vigilant and pray that we a getting through to the younger generation, who will one day inherit this nation, so that they remember us as peaceful and encouraging not intruders and invaders,” Davis wrote in an e-mail.

He is survived by his wife, Anna, and five children between the ages of 9 and 26 and a 4-year-old grandson.

Army Master Sgt. Anthony Davis was killed in action on 11/25/08.

Marine Capt. Warren A. Frank

Remember Our Heroes

Marine Capt. Warren A. Frank, 26, of Cincinnati, Ohio

Capt. Frank was assigned to the 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liasion Company, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan; died Nov. 25, 2008 while supporting combat operations in Ninewa province, Iraq.

Marine slain on mercy mission

By Eileen Kelley
Cincinnati Enquirer

An Anderson Township Marine who died in Iraq this week was killed during a humanitarian mission, his family said.

Capt. Warren A. Frank, 26, died Tuesday while participating in a food distribution mission north of Baghdad.

His team came under small arms fire by an attacker in an Iraqi soldier’s uniform.

It was not known if the outfit was a disguise or if the Marine was slain by an Iraqi soldier. Many members of the Iraqi military have been trained by U.S. troops.

Also killed in the attack was a U.S. soldier. Several service members were injured.

“Our son wanted nothing more than to make a difference in our world,” said Frank’s father, Warren R. Frank, in a statement sent to the media. “He was not a movie version soldier, but a man who looked forward to loving his children.”

If Frank was killed by an Iraqi soldier, it would be at least the second time since the 2002 U.S. invasion that a Greater Cincinnati Marine has been killed by a member of Iraq’s military.

Cpl. Bryan Taylor was killed in April 2006, just weeks after arriving in Iraq. His unit had been living with the then-fledgling Iraqi Army.

Taylor was refueling his Humvee when he was shot.

All told, more than 4,200 U.S. service members have lost their lives in the war.

Frank grew up in Anderson Township.

He is survived by his wife, Allison, and daughters Sophia Lynn and Isabella Grace. They live in Okinawa, Japan, with their mother, where Frank’s unit was based. Locally he leaves behind his father, his mother, Rebecca, and his sister Sara. Frank is a 2000 graduate of Turpin High School and a 2004 graduate of the Citadel.

The written statement from the family suggested that Frank had done at least three tours in Iraq. It also said that he looked forward to retiring from the service and planned to teach high school history and coach track.

“Our deep sorrow is not in the life we had with him, but in the loss of life we always thought we would share,” wrote Frank’s father.

“He was our son, our brother, devoted husband and an enthusiastic father. He is our reminder that all generations have those who comprise ‘The Greatest Generation.’”

Funeral arrangements are pending, though the elder Frank said it is likely his son will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

Marine Capt. Warren A. Frank was killed in action on 11/25/08

Monday, November 24, 2008

Army 1st Lt. William K. Jernigan

Remember Our Heroes

Army 1st Lt. William K. Jernigan, 35, of Doraville, Ga.

1st Lt. Jernigan was assigned to Headquarters Company, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; died Nov. 24, 2008 in Baqubah, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat-related incident.

Third Stryker Brigade soldier dies

The Associated Press
FAIRBANKS, Alaska — A Fort Wainwright soldier has died in Iraq.

Lt. William K. Jernigan, a 35-year-old Doralville, Ga., native, died of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident.

The Defense Department says the incident is under investigation.

Jernigan was assigned to the Headquarters Company, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry.

Gov. Sarah Palin on Wednesday said she will send an Alaska state flag and a letter of condolence to his family.

9/11 inspired 1st lt. to join Army at age 28
The Associated Press

William K. Jernigan joined the Army relatively late — at 28. It was soon after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

He was living in a commune in British Columbia, Canada, but the attacks on the homeland strongly affected him, so he returned to the U.S. to join the Army.

“He saw the attacks and decided he needed to do something to serve like thousands of other people decided,” said Maj. Glenn Gambrell.

Jernigan, 35, of Doraville, Ga., died Nov. 24 in Baqouba of injuries suffered from a non-combat incident. He was assigned to Fort Wainwright.

Jernigan enlisted as a private and was quickly promoted to sergeant. After obtaining his associate degree, he enrolled in Officer Candidate School and made lieutenant, serving as a military intelligence officer.

The lieutenant sometimes came across as a rough-and-tumble character. Gambrell recounted one incident in which several soldiers were surprised to see Jernigan eating yogurt with a knife.

“He immediately struck me as the type who would much rather live in the woods than sit behind a desk all day,” Gambrell said of first meeting Jernigan.

Army 1st Lt. William K. Jernigan, was killed in a non-combat related incident on 11/24/08

Friday, November 21, 2008

Army Sgt. 1st Class Miguel A. Wilson

Remember Our Heroes

Army Sgt. 1st Class Miguel A. Wilson, 36, of Bonham, Texas

SFC Wilson was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas; died Nov. 21, 2008 in Abu Sayf, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a rescue attempt of another soldier while their unit was conducting a dismounted reconnaissance mission.

Soldier died saving comrade from drowning

The Associated Press

When Miguel Anthony Wilson saw a fellow soldier drowning, he didn’t hesitate. He jumped into the water even though he was wearing heavy gear.

“Later on we found out he did save him,” said his mother, Wanda Wilson. “He just dived in and saved his fellow soldier and the weight of that backpack kept him under and then the current, they said, was strong and he drowned.”

Wilson, 36, of Bonham, Texas, died Nov. 21 in Abu Sayf. He was a 1990 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Hood.

In high school, he played corner back and running back, stood out in soccer, played a little basketball and also ran track.

He’d been to Hawaii, Spain and Kuwait, to name a few of his stops. And this was his second tour in Iraq. “He said ‘If anything happens to me, know that I died for my country that I love,”’ said his mother.

“If you ever met him, you would never forget him,” said his aunt, Edna Wilson. “He was such a remarkable young man that he didn’t meet strangers.”

He also is survived by his wife, Carolyn, and three children from a previous relationship: Brice, 16, Jenae, 14, and Lexis, 12.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Miguel A. Wilson was killed in action on 11/21/08.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Army Pvt. Charles Y. Barnett

Remember Our Heroes

Army Pvt. Charles Y. Barnett, 19, of Bel Air, Md.

Pvt. Barnett was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died on Nov. 20, 2008 of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident in Tallil, Iraq.

Soldier ‘always had a smile on his face’

The Associated Press

One day, Charles Yi Barnett was sitting in a truck when his commanding officer walked up and asked him how he was doing.

“It seemed like he was waiting for me to ask that,” Lt. Col. Scott Kendrick recalled. “He said, ‘I’m on top of the world.”’

Barnett, 19, of Bel Air, Md., died Nov. 20 in a non-combat related incident in Tallil. He was assigned to Fort Hood.

In his free time, he sketched fantasy characters and portraits.

“He was just smarter than any of us,” said a brother, Jason. “And he always had a smile on his face.”

His mother, Ipun “Yvonne” Dashiell, didn’t want her baby boy joining the Army during war. “I said, ‘No, you’re not going anywhere. I want you to stay here so I can care for you and protectyou,”’ Dashiell said. “He told me, ‘Mom, I’m not a baby anymore.”’

He also is survived by his father, Kenneth, and stepfather, Walter “Mike” Dashiell Sr.

Barnett enlisted in the Army right out of high school to fulfill his adventurous dreams of becoming a SWAT team member.

“When he was 14, that’s all he talked about,” said Jason. “He just wanted to get his foot in the door and do something different with his life.”

Army Pvt. Charles Y. Barnett was killed in a non-combat related incident on 11/20/08.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Donald V. Clark

Remember Our Heroes

Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Donald V. Clark, 37, of Memphis, Tenn.

CWO3 Clark was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, Task Force 49, U.S. Army Alaska, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; died Nov. 15, 2008 in Mosul, Iraq, when his OH-58 Kiowa helicopter crashed while on a mission over Mosul. Also killed was Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christian P. Humphreys.

Memphis soldier killed in Iraq helicopter crash
The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Two soldiers, including one from Tennessee, were killed when a U.S. military helicopter made a “hard landing” after hitting wires in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

The U.S. military said the OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopter went down at about 6:10 p.m. Saturday in the eastern part of the city. The military also said that “the incident appears to be combat-unrelated and there was no enemy contact in the area.”

Killed were Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Donald V. Clark, 37, of Memphis, Tenn., and Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christian P. Humphreys, 28, Fallon, Nev.

Both were assigned to the 6th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, Task Force 49, U.S. Army Alaska, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

Army spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Allen told the Anchorage Daily News that Clark and Humphreys were the only two on board the helicopter and no one else was killed or injured. The Army did not say which of the two pilots was flying when the crash occurred.

Clark joined the Army in February 1992 and was assigned to Fort Wainwright in November 2006. Humphreys joined the Army in June 1998 and was assigned to Fort Wainwright in April. Both deployed to Iraq in July, Allen said.

Including Clark, 89 service members from Tennessee have been killed in Iraq, according to an Associated Press count. Nine service members from Tennessee have been killed in Afghanistan.

Funeral held for soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press

DOTHAN, Ala. — Chief Warrant Officer 3 Donald Clark was described Monday as a world class soldier and his wife’s hero during a funeral service for the Newton man who was killed when his helicopter crashed Nov. 15 in Iraq.

Clark, 37, was buried with full military honors after his body was flown to Sunset Memorial Park cemetery in Dothan by helicopter. A military detachment loaded the casket, draped with the American flag, onto a horsedrawn caisson. The caisson carried the body to the funeral site as the family walked behind, according to a report on The Dothan Eagle Web site.

During the ceremony folded American flags were presented to Clark’s 8-year-old son, Bailey, to his wife, Jamie, and to his parents.

CW3 Mike Eckhart’s hand trembled when he presented the flag to Jamie Clark. Eckhart was Clark’s wingman.

“He was absolutely fearless in support of his brothers in combat,” said Eckhart, who delivered the eulogy and told stories of a gregarious, talented, driven soldier who felt truly free in the sky and in the Alaskan wilderness.

His fellow soldiers called him “Genghis Don.” Eckhart referred to Clark as a real man and a world class soldier. He said Clark referred to himself as the “self-proclaimed emperor of Newton.”

Rev. David Willis read a letter Jamie Clark wrote for the service in which she said, “Don and I were the sweetest love story ever told. He was my hero. The sorrow I feel is immeasurable. Don loved his family, his friends, his comrades and his country.”

Willis described Clark as a smart man who could have done anything with his life.

“But he chose to stand together shoulder to shoulder with brave men and women to fight tyranny,” Willis said.

2 Fort Wainwright servicemen remembered
The Associated Press

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — They came from different backgrounds, but shared one passion: flying.

That’s how hundreds from the Fort Wainwright Community remembered two fallen airmen killed Nov. 15 in Mosul, Iraq.

Chief Warrant Officers Donald V. Clark and Christian P. Humphreys were killed instantly when their OH-58 Kiowa helicopter crashed.

Clark, 37, of Tennessee, was remembered for his rough-and-tumble demeanor. He had served as a flight instructor in Korea and Alabama.

Humphreys, 28, of New Mexico, served as a crew chief in the Navy before joining the Army. He was remembered for his love for board games, particularly backgammon.

Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Donald V. Clark was killed in action on 11/15/08.

Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christian P. Humphreys

Remember Our Heroes

Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christian P. Humphreys, 28, of Fallon, Nev.

CWO2 Humphreys was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, Task Force 49, U.S. Army Alaska, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; died Nov. 15, 2008 in Mosul, Iraq, when his OH-58 Kiowa helicopter crashed while on a mission over Mosul. Also killed was Chief Warrant Officer 3 Donald V. Clark.

Pilot killed in Iraq remembered at NAS Fallon
The Associated Press

FALLON, Nev. — An Army pilot killed in a helicopter crash in Iraq spent about two years at the Fallon Naval Air Station where he was remembered Tuesday as a “funny, nice guy” who loved to fly.

Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christian P. Humphreys, 28, who listed his hometown as Fallon, died Saturday when his OH-58 Kiowa helicopter crashed while on a mission over Mosul in Iraq.

Humphreys flew with the Fallon Naval Air Station Search and Rescue Longhorns from June 6, 2004, to May 5, 2006. He left the Navy and joined the Army as part of the “Blue to Green” program to become a helicopter pilot.

At the time of his death, he was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, Task Force 49, U.S. Army Alaska, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

“He was a great guy, always happy and had a joke,” said Sean Whitney, a flight medic, told the Lahontan Valley News on Tuesday. He said Humphreys lived in a rented house on the northwest side of Fallon.

“We used to play with our paintball guns in the cornfields behind his house,” Whitney said.

Whitney remembered when Humphreys married Christina Williams in the fall of 2004. He recollected how they were trying to make a better life for themselves while stationed in Fallon.

Humphreys wife and his parents currently live in Alamogordo, N.M. Funeral arrangements are pending there.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin Schmidt knew Humphreys during the entire time he was assigned to the Longhorns.

“He was a funny guy, a nice guy, a lot of character,” Schmidt said. “Some of the guys here still remember him.” The guy was always entertaining, always had something to say, but like everyone here, he displayed the professionalism in saving lives.”

“This is one guy who loved to fly. He wanted to fly in the front seat,” Schmidt said.”

As a rescue crew chief, Humphreys was in charge of the operation behind the pilots. Schmidt said Humphreys made the decisions when to deploy rescue crews out of the helicopter to assist injured people, and he also took care of the equipment.

Schmidt said the last time the local NAS Fallon Search and Rescue team saw Humphreys was earlier this year when he passed through the valley on his way to Ft. Wainwright.

“We told him to go have fun in Alaska,” Schmidt said. “We all told him he was a lucky son of a gun to be stationed there during a time of war.”

2 Fort Wainwright servicemen remembered
The Associated Press

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — They came from different backgrounds, but shared one passion: flying.

That’s how hundreds from the Fort Wainwright Community remembered two fallen airmen killed Nov. 15 in Mosul, Iraq.

Chief Warrant Officers Donald V. Clark and Christian P. Humphreys were killed instantly when their OH-58 Kiowa helicopter crashed.

Clark, 37, of Tennessee, was remembered for his rough-and-tumble demeanor. He had served as a flight instructor in Korea and Alabama.

Humphreys, 28, of New Mexico, served as a crew chief in the Navy before joining the Army. He was remembered for his love for board games, particularly backgammon.

Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christian P. Humphreys was killed in action on 11/15/08.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Marine Cpl. Aaron M. Allen

Remember Our Heroes

Marine Cpl. Aaron M. Allen, 24, of Buellton, Calif.

Cpl. Allen was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Nov. 14, 2008 in Anbar, Iraq, after being struck by an improvised explosive device while supporting combat operations.

Marine killed by bomb in Iraq

The Associated Press

BUELLTON, Calif. — Cpl. Aaron Allen and his childhood buddies had a special tattoo on their biceps: the Chinese symbol for “warrior.”

And despite his mother’s wishes, Allen, 24, had decided by 16 that he would join the Marines.

“I wanted nothing to do with it. There was no way I could talk him out of it,” Cathy Allen said. “At one point when he was going overseas, I told him I had the right — since he was my only son — to stop this. He begged me not to. He said he had trained for this, he wanted to do it.”

On Nov. 14 Allen was killed by an improvised bomb in Faris, about 10 miles south of Fallujah. It was his second tour of duty in Iraq. He had been scheduled to return to the United States in five weeks. After his enlistment ended next March he planned to attend a fire academy, his relatives said.

The Buellton native joined the Marines in March 2004 and served with the security forces of the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines.

“He was the most caring, loving person,” said his sister Amy, 27. “He opened his house, his arms and his heart to everybody. He was my everything. He was my brother, he was my best friend, he was my dad. He was my little big brother.”

He also was “probably the best dancer you’ve ever seen,” she said.

She, her mother and Allen’s girlfriend saw him off when he left Camp Pendleton in San Diego County to go overseas on Oct. 5.

“I always told him, ‘Remember, you are not invincible,”’ she said.

Allen was a 2002 graduate of Santa Ynez Valley High School, where he was on the football, baseball and wrestling teams.

He sent orange tulips to his girlfriend, Kelly Zajac, and they arrived the day before he died. He called that night to talk to her.

Had she realized it was her last call, “there are millions of things I would have said,” Zajac said.

Allen had planned to propose on her birthday in January.

Marine Iraqi veteran Brian Bull said he had been confident his lifelong friend would return.

“I never had to worry much about him,” Bull said. “He knew how to do his job. And he was good at it.”

Allen also is also survived by his father, Michael Allen of Highland, and his grandmother, Linda Fenton of Indio.

His friends have established the Aaron Allen YFL Scholarship Fund to help pay youth football registration fees for local children.

Marine Cpl. Aaron M. Allen was killed in action on 11/14/08.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Army Spc. Jonnie L. Stiles

Remember Our Heroes

Army Spc. Jonnie L. Stiles, 38, of Highlands Ranch, Colo.

Spc. Stiles was assigned to the 927th Engineer Company (Sapper), 769th Engineer Battalion, Louisiana Army National Guard, Baton Rouge, La.; died Nov. 13, 2008lalabad, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

Soldier from Highlands Ranch dies in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

DENVER — A Colorado soldier has died after being wounded by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, military officials said Saturday.

The Defense Department said Spc. Jonnie Stiles, 38, of Highlands Ranch was wounded when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He died Thursday in Jalalabad of his injuries.

He had been assigned to the Louisiana Army National Guard, serving in the 927th Engineer Company in the 769th Engineer Battalion.

Louisiana National Guard spokesman Maj. Michael Kazmierzak said Stiles had been serving as a gunner on a Humvee doing route clearance when the blast occurred. He said the job typically involves checking roads for bombs and insurgents.

Stiles’ wife, Launa, said that he was nearly killed last month when a suicide bomber blew up a military vehicle in front of his. She said he was still able to rescue three other soldiers and returned to duty before his 30-day recovery period was finished.

“He was strong and really cared for his men,” she said.

Stiles was born in Bartlesville, Okla., and graduated from Littleton High School in Colorado. He served in the military for 17 years, first joining the Marines and then switching to the Army in 1999.

Stiles served three years at Fort Carson, left the Army and then returned as a member of the Colorado Air National Guard last summer. Kazmierzak said Stiles had asked to be transferred to the Louisiana National Guard.

Army Spc. Jonnie L. Stiles was killed in action on 11/13/08.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Army Spc. Corey M. Shea

Remember Our Heroes

Army Spc. Corey M. Shea, 21, of Mansfield, Mass.

Spc. Shea was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas; died Nov. 12, 2008 in Mosul, Iraq, when an Iraqi Army soldier wearing a uniform approached and opened fire. Also killed was Sgt. Jose Regaldo.

Soldier dies in Iraq, Iraqi Army soldier blamed
The Associated Press

MANSFIELD, Mass. — A Massachusetts soldier has died along with a comrade in a shooting blamed on an Iraqi Army soldier.

The Defense Department said Friday that 21-year-old Spc. Corey M. Shea of Mansfield and 23-year-old Sgt. Jose Regalado of Los Angeles died Wednesday in Mosul after an Iraqi Army soldier, in uniform, approached them and opened fire.

The Pentagon said the circumstances are under investigation. Both soldiers were assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Hood, Texas.

Shea’s family told reporters at their home he had been in the Army for about a year and was to come home in January. He was a 2005 graduate of Mansfield High School, where he was on the hockey team.

His stepfather, Jeff Margolin, said Shea was well-liked and “was the gentlest kid.”

Funeral held for Mass. soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press

MANSFIELD, Mass. — A Massachusetts soldier killed in Iraq earlier this month has been laid to rest.

A horse-drawn carriage bearing the remains of Spc. Corey Shea slowly made its way through the streets of his hometown of Mansfield on Monday. Family members, fellow soldiers and elected officials, including Gov. Deval Patrick and Sen. John Kerry, were in attendance at the funeral Mass for the 21-year-old Shea at St. Mary’s Church.

Shea was one of two American soldiers killed on Nov. 12 in Mosul after a uniformed Iraqi Army soldier approached them and opened fire. Six other U.S. troops were injured.

The 2005 graduate of Mansfield High School had been in the Army for about a year and was to come home in January.

He was buried at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.

Fallen soldier ‘would do anything’ for his brothers
The Associated Press

When Corey M. Shea came home from Iraq on leave in September, one of his priorities was to get a tattoo honoring a fellow soldier killed in combat.

Shea had the tattoo drawn on his right arm: “Fallen hero, Staff Sgt. Caldwell.”

“He got that,” said Shea’s mother, Denise Anderson, “and now he’s one of the fallen heroes.”

Shea, 21, of Mansfield, Mass, was killed Nov. 12 in Mosul by small-arms fire. He was a 2005 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Hood.

“Corey was very well liked,” said his stepfather, Jeff Margolin. “He was the gentlest kid. If he was in a confrontation, he would be the kind of guy to make peace and go on his way.”

An avid poker player, sports fanatic and video game lover, Shea had plans to study criminal justice at Texas A&M University.

“Those guys that he fought with over there, they were his brothers. He would do anything for them — and he did. He gave up his life for them and for everybody here,” said Shea’s mother.

“Anything they told him to do, he’d do in a heartbeat,” she said. “He looked out for people, he looked out for me, too.”

He also is survived by his father, William Shea.

Army Spc. Corey M. Shea was killed in action on 11/12/08.

Army Sgt. Jose Regalado

Remember Our Heroes

Army Sgt. Jose Regalado, 23, of Los Angeles

Sgt. Regalado was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas; died Nov. 12, 2008 in Mosul, Iraq, when an Iraqi Army soldier wearing a uniform approached and opened fire. Also killed was Spc. Corey M. Shea.

Sergeant remembered for devotion to daughter

The Associated Press

Sgt. Jose Regalado’s lucky charm was his daughter, even before she was born. He carried around ultrasounds of his baby girl in Iraq.

“I’m just glad to be home and finally go from this to an actual human being, someone that cries,” he said when he returned to the U.S. between tours.

Regalado, 23, of Los Angeles, died Nov. 12 in Mosul from small-arms fire. He was working toward an associate’s degree from Troy State University and was assigned to Fort Hood.

When he arrived at the airport to meet his 2-month-old daughter, Jaimie, and wife, Sharri, he confessed: “I tried to play it cool the whole time, even though I was really excited deep down. My wife gets mad at me for doing that because even though I’m excited I try to play it cool because I’m Mr. Tough Guy.”

He loved anything to do with cars and trucks. He always told his wife that if he was going to die, he wanted to go out in battle.

“I don’t want anyone to have to puree my food,” he would say. “If they do, you better believe I’m going to tell them to put a shot of vodka in it and to knock me out.”

Army Sgt. Jose Regalado was killed in action on 11/12/08.

Saturday, November 08, 2008

Army Staff Sgt. Timothy H. Walker

Remember Our Heroes

Army Staff Sgt. Timothy H. Walker, 38, of Franklin, Tenn.

SSgt. Walker was assigned to the 64th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Nov. 8, 2008 in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

Fort Carson soldier killed in Iraq trained medics
The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A Fort Carson, Colo., soldier who had been helping train Iraqi medics on how to treat combat wounds has died in Baghdad.

The Department of Defense said 38-year-old Staff Sgt. Timothy H. Walker of Franklin, Tenn., died Saturday after a roadside bomb exploded near Walker’s vehicle.

Walker, a combat medic, was assigned to the 64th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.

Walker was the medical material coordinator for the Iraqi Security Forces logistics coordination team, teaching Iraqi police officers and soldiers how to track and receive medical supplies.

Walker was also training Iraqi medics in mass casualty missions and combat lifesaver courses.

He joined the Army in 1990 and served tours in Bosnia and Kuwait. He earned the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, six Army Commendation medals and dozens of other medals and citations.

He is the 244th Fort Carson soldier to die in Iraq since the invasion.

Fallen soldier ‘would do anything for you’
The Associated Press

Staff Sgt. Timothy H. Walker provided medical training for the Iraqi army and Iraqi police officers, hoping each of his students could go back and teach their fellow countrymen.

“In the end, this will allow these medics to be more self-sufficient while gaining the respect of their peers in the Iraqi army,” wrote in September.

Walker, 38, of Franklin, Tenn., was killed Nov. 8 in Baghdad by a roadside bomb. He was assigned to Fort Carson and was his second tour of duty in Iraq.

His unit was assigned to secure Sadr City in Baghdad’s northeast region and he was providing training for the Iraqi army and Iraqi police officers at the time of his death. Walker, a 1988 high school graduate, had also done tours in Bosnia and Kuwait.

“He always had a smile on his face. He was one of those guys that would do anything for you. He just had a great disposition, always smiled whenever you talked to him,” said Ricky Jones, a school administrator. “I really appreciate what he’s done for the country.”

He is survived by his wife, Dawn, and two children, Gregory, 7, and Madison, 3.

Army Staff Sgt. Timothy H. Walker was killed in action on 11/08/08.

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Army Pfc. Theron V. Hobbs

Remember Our Heroes

Army Pfc. Theron V. Hobbs, 22, of Albany, Ga.

Pfc. Hobbs was assigned to the 572nd Engineer Company, 20th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas; died Nov. 6, 2008 in a motor vehicle accident in Kirkuk, Iraq.

Soldier remembered for dedication to family

The Associated Press

Pfc. Theron V. Hobbs’ wife is expecting their first child in February, a son who will be given his father’s name. And she says she will do everything she can to make sure he knows his father in spirit.

“We have a lot videos and I will show them to him. And I know the people who knew Theron will tell him that his father was a good guy,” said Kimberly Hobbs.

Hobbs, 22, of Albany, Ga., died Nov. 6 in a motor vehicle accident in Kirkuk. He was a 2005 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Hood.

“For the most part we are trying to be strong because he was a cheerful person, and he wouldn’t want us to be all depressed. He would want us to celebrate the right way,” said his wife.

When a caravan of police and sheriff cruisers escorted Hobbs body to the funeral home, his wife said: “I know he is grinning from ear to ear if he could see it. I know he is smiling so hard, like is all this is for me.”

She added: “He loved everybody. He made friends with everybody. And he always did what he had to do to take care of his family.”

Army Pfc. Theron V. Hobbs died in a vehicle accident on 11/06/08.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Army Spc. Adam M. Wenger

Remember Our Heroes

Army Spc. Adam M. Wenger, 27, of Waterford, Mich.

Spc. Wenger was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 76th Field Artillery, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died Nov. 5, 2008 in Tunnis, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a non-combat incident.

Dedicated soldier leaves behind loving family

The Associated Press

Adam M. Wenger had been deployed four times — Kosovo, Afghanistan and twice to Iraq.

“Sometimes, we would talk two or three times a day because he missed home so much,” said his wife, Brandy. “The night before he died, we talked about building a deck so we could have a party when he came home.”

Wenger, 27, of Waterford, Mich., died Nov. 5 in Tunnis in a noncombat incident. He was assigned to Fort Stewart.

“He was a good kid,” said David Wenger, his older brother. “He loved his country. He wanted to serve his country. He wanted to do his duty.”

He also is survived by his daughter, Aubrey stepdaughters Starla, and Erica stepsons, Austin, Landin and Jacob and son, Matthew.

The day he left for Iraq, the children put on blue shirts that said, “We support our daddy.” A picture was taken as they gathered around him. His daughter told him not to get killed. “He was very sad that day. He loved soccer, sports, fishing and football, but the kids were everything in the world to him. I have another picture where he’s crying holding our little girl,” his wife said.

Army Spc. Adam M. Wengerwas killed in a non-combat incident on 11/05/08.