Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Philip E. Windorski

Remember Our Heroes

Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Philip E. Windorski, 35, of Bovey, Minn.

CWO3 Windorski was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Jan. 26, 2009 in Kirkuk, Iraq, from wounds sustained when two OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters crashed. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 2 Matthew G. Kelley, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua M. Tillery and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Benjamin H. Todd.

Soldier was close to retirement
The Associated Press

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. — A Minnesota woman says her son was among four Americans killed when two U.S. helicopters crashed in northern Iraq.

Ruth Windorski of Grand Rapids says she learned Monday that her 36-year-old son, Philip Windorski Jr., was among those killed in the single deadliest incident for U.S. troops in four months.

Philip Windorski grew up in Grand Rapids, in northern Minnesota, and was recently stationed out of Fort Drum, N.Y.

His mother says Windorski was a couple of years away from retirement, but planned to re-up. She says he was on his third tour of Iraq. He leaves behind a wife and three children.

His mother says Windorski “was a great pilot, and he loved the Army more than anything.”

A U.S. military statement says the crash did not appear to be a result of hostile fire.

His death brings to 75 the number of people with strong Minnesota ties who have died in connection with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.


Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Philip E. Windorski was killed in action on 01/26/09.