Remember Our Heroes
Marine Sgt. Cesar B. Ruiz, 26, of San Antonio
Sgt. Ruiz was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve, New Orleans; died Oct. 31, 2009 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
San Antonio Express --Just before noon Tuesday, church bells rang for a fallen San Antonio Marine.
They sounded from San Francesco di Paola Catholic Church for Marine Reserve Sgt. Cesar B. Ruiz, killed by a land mine Oct. 31 while serving in Afghanistan's Helmand province.
An hour and a half before the bells tolled, a large crowd of family, friends, veterans and Marines clogged the church entrance at 205 Piazza Italia.
Patriot Guard Riders stood at attention with U.S. flags waving as the gray hearse bearing the body of the 26-year-old Marine arrived.
His wife, Kimberly Ruiz; 14-month-old son Joshua Cesar; parents Maria and Jose Ruiz; and other family members filed behind the casket that came to rest at the same altar where Ruiz married his wife six years ago.
During the Mass of the Resurrection, clergy and fellow Marines told stories about Ruiz; they said he told his wife that “he wanted to die for a purpose.”
“Know that he rests in the hearts of those who knew and loved him,” the priest said. “He lives in all that we are.”
Ruiz, born in Nava Coahuila, Mexico, grew up in San Antonio and graduated from Taft High School in 2001.
A combat engineer, Ruiz was on his second tour in Afghanistan and second stint with the Marines. He worked with his father as a bricklayer for three years but missed the Marines. He felt that he needed to go back, his family said, and he went back into action with his wife's blessing.
A statue of Jesus with outstretched hands stood above the pews filled from front to back. The wail of restless babies mingled with muffled tears throughout the Mass.
A Marine stood and said Ruiz called his wife before his last mission. He was sure the words “I love you” were said before their final talk ended.
The Marine closed his words with “Semper fi, Marine,” drawing applause from the crowd.
After the hymns, prayers and tributes ended, Marines draped a U.S. flag over the casket.
The procession wound its way to Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, past rows of white headstones adorned with red ribbons. At shelter No. 4, relatives, strangers and veterans in military dress joined the procession.
Ruiz's small son eyed the Marines, standing stiff as stone.
As a Marine escorted Ruiz's mother to a waiting limousine, a Patriot Guard Rider, giving his name only as “Bumblebee,” followed at a distance. He made his way to the door, presenting her with a special coin made for military members killed in action.
“That's always the toughest part,” he said as the long procession wound away from the cemetery.
After the ceremony, a row of large bouquets were the last reminders that San Antonio had lost another son in combat.
They each bore a single banner. Beloved husband. Father. Son. Fallen Marine.
His uncle, Juan Antonio Ruiz, said his nephew was the family's first soldier.
“As family members, it's a sad day because we lost a nephew, a brother, a father, an uncle,” Ruiz said. “But it is a great day for us because as a soldier, he served his country, he loved what he was born to do and he makes us very proud.”
Marine Sgt. Cesar B. Ruiz was killed in action on 10/31/09.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Army Spc. Christopher M. Cooper
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Christopher M. Cooper, 28, of Oceanside, Calif.
Spc. Cooper was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry, 172nd Infantry Brigade, Schweinfurt, Germany; died Oct. 30, 2009 in Babil province, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident.
Served 5 years in Marines before joining Army
The Associated Press
Christopher Cooper was remembered as someone who was kind and charitable, dropping $20 bills in the lap of a homeless person and collecting tattered U.S. flags left on the streets after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Cooper entered the Marine Corps in 2000 and served five years, completing an Iraq tour. After a few months of civilian life in Oceanside, Calif., he joined the Army Reserves, then enlisted in the Active Army.
“He wasn’t one for complaining and it lifted those around him,” retired Spc. Chris Conover wrote in a message posted on the Daily Kos Web site. “You could always talk to him if you needed someone to have a heart-to-heart with.”
Cooper, 28, died Oct. 30 in Babil province, Iraq, in a noncombat-related incident. He was assigned to the Army’s 2nd Battalion at Schweinfurt, Germany.
An obituary said Cooper was a “restless soul” searching for his place in the world until he joined the military.
“He always looked forward to returning home to visit his family and friends but then could not get back fast enough to be reunited with his brothers in the military,” the obituary said.
Cooper is survived by his mother, Sherry Kennon; brother-in-law and sister, Damon and Lori Coachman; and niece Kayla Coachman.
Army Spc. Christopher M. Cooper was killed in a non-combat incident on 10/30/09.
Army Spc. Christopher M. Cooper, 28, of Oceanside, Calif.
Spc. Cooper was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry, 172nd Infantry Brigade, Schweinfurt, Germany; died Oct. 30, 2009 in Babil province, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident.
Served 5 years in Marines before joining Army
The Associated Press
Christopher Cooper was remembered as someone who was kind and charitable, dropping $20 bills in the lap of a homeless person and collecting tattered U.S. flags left on the streets after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Cooper entered the Marine Corps in 2000 and served five years, completing an Iraq tour. After a few months of civilian life in Oceanside, Calif., he joined the Army Reserves, then enlisted in the Active Army.
“He wasn’t one for complaining and it lifted those around him,” retired Spc. Chris Conover wrote in a message posted on the Daily Kos Web site. “You could always talk to him if you needed someone to have a heart-to-heart with.”
Cooper, 28, died Oct. 30 in Babil province, Iraq, in a noncombat-related incident. He was assigned to the Army’s 2nd Battalion at Schweinfurt, Germany.
An obituary said Cooper was a “restless soul” searching for his place in the world until he joined the military.
“He always looked forward to returning home to visit his family and friends but then could not get back fast enough to be reunited with his brothers in the military,” the obituary said.
Cooper is survived by his mother, Sherry Kennon; brother-in-law and sister, Damon and Lori Coachman; and niece Kayla Coachman.
Army Spc. Christopher M. Cooper was killed in a non-combat incident on 10/30/09.
Army Pfc. Lukas C. Hopper
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Lukas C. Hopper, 20, of Merced, Calif.
Pfc. Hopper was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Oct. 30, 2009 southeast of Karadah, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle rollover.
Merced paratrooper dies in Humvee crash in Iraq
The Associated Press
MERCED, Calif. — Family and friends of an Army paratrooper from Merced are mourning his death in a Humvee crash outside Baghdad.
Twenty-year-old Pfc. Lukas Hopper was just two weeks away from the end of his deployment in Iraq when his Humvee rolled over Friday in a noncombat crash. He was with the 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg, N.C.
The Pentagon says the cause of the rollover is under investigation.
Hopper’s family says he joined the Army after graduating from high school because he wanted to see the world. They describe him as a thrillseeker who also was a protective older brother to his two teen sisters.
When he left for Iraq, friends made a cardboard cutout and took his likeness to parties and the beach, posting images on a blog for him to see.
Funeral services are planned for Saturday in Merced.
Army Pfc. Lukas C. Hopper died in a vehicle rollover on 10/30/09.
Army Pfc. Lukas C. Hopper, 20, of Merced, Calif.
Pfc. Hopper was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Oct. 30, 2009 southeast of Karadah, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle rollover.
Merced paratrooper dies in Humvee crash in Iraq
The Associated Press
MERCED, Calif. — Family and friends of an Army paratrooper from Merced are mourning his death in a Humvee crash outside Baghdad.
Twenty-year-old Pfc. Lukas Hopper was just two weeks away from the end of his deployment in Iraq when his Humvee rolled over Friday in a noncombat crash. He was with the 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg, N.C.
The Pentagon says the cause of the rollover is under investigation.
Hopper’s family says he joined the Army after graduating from high school because he wanted to see the world. They describe him as a thrillseeker who also was a protective older brother to his two teen sisters.
When he left for Iraq, friends made a cardboard cutout and took his likeness to parties and the beach, posting images on a blog for him to see.
Funeral services are planned for Saturday in Merced.
Army Pfc. Lukas C. Hopper died in a vehicle rollover on 10/30/09.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Army Spc. Adrian L. Avila
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Adrian L. Avila, 19, of Opelika, Ala.
Spc. Avila was assigned to the 1343rd Chemical Company, 151st Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Battalion, 115th Fires Brigade of the Alabama National Guard, Fort Payne, Ala.; died Oct. 29, 2009 at Khabari Crossing, Kuwait, of injuries sustained from a noncombat-related accident.
Burial for Alabama Guard soldier
The Associated Press
FORT PAYNE, Ala. — Funeral services are scheduled Nov. 6 for a member of a Fort Payne-based Army National Guard unit killed in Kuwait.
The Pentagon says 19-year-old Spc. Adrian L. Avila of Opelika died at Khabari Crossing in Kuwait from injuries he received in a noncombat-related accident.
Avila was assigned as an infantryman with the 1343rd Chemical Company of the 151st Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Battalion. He had been in the National Guard for about two years.
Avila was among 130 members of the unit who left in April for training in Fort Hood, Texas, before being deployed to Kuwait for a year.
Army Spc. Adrian L. Avila was killed in a non-combat related incident on 10/29/09.
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Army Spc. Adrian L. Avila, 19, of Opelika, Ala.
Spc. Avila was assigned to the 1343rd Chemical Company, 151st Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Battalion, 115th Fires Brigade of the Alabama National Guard, Fort Payne, Ala.; died Oct. 29, 2009 at Khabari Crossing, Kuwait, of injuries sustained from a noncombat-related accident.
Burial for Alabama Guard soldier
The Associated Press
FORT PAYNE, Ala. — Funeral services are scheduled Nov. 6 for a member of a Fort Payne-based Army National Guard unit killed in Kuwait.
The Pentagon says 19-year-old Spc. Adrian L. Avila of Opelika died at Khabari Crossing in Kuwait from injuries he received in a noncombat-related accident.
Avila was assigned as an infantryman with the 1343rd Chemical Company of the 151st Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Battalion. He had been in the National Guard for about two years.
Avila was among 130 members of the unit who left in April for training in Fort Hood, Texas, before being deployed to Kuwait for a year.
Army Spc. Adrian L. Avila was killed in a non-combat related incident on 10/29/09.
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Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Army Spc. Joseph L. Gallegos
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Joseph L. Gallegos, 39, of Questa, N.M.
Spc. Gallegos was assigned to the 720th Transportation Company, New Mexico Army National Guard, in Las Vegas, N.M.; died Oct. 28, 2009 in Tallil, Iraq, in a noncombat-related incident.
Guardsman in Iraq dies of heart attack
The Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The New Mexico National Guard said a 39-year-old soldier deployed to Iraq has died after a heart attack.
Spc. Joseph L. Gallegos of Questa died Wednesday in Tallil, Iraq. He was a vehicle mechanic with the 720th Transportation Company out of Las Vegas, N.M.
About 130 members of the unit left New Mexico on May 14 for training before deploying to Iraq in July.
Gallegos served in the Navy and Army before recently joining the National Guard after a five-year break in military service.
Army Spc. Joseph L. Gallegos died of a heart attack on 10/28/09.
For Larger Images
Army Spc. Joseph L. Gallegos, 39, of Questa, N.M.
Spc. Gallegos was assigned to the 720th Transportation Company, New Mexico Army National Guard, in Las Vegas, N.M.; died Oct. 28, 2009 in Tallil, Iraq, in a noncombat-related incident.
Guardsman in Iraq dies of heart attack
The Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The New Mexico National Guard said a 39-year-old soldier deployed to Iraq has died after a heart attack.
Spc. Joseph L. Gallegos of Questa died Wednesday in Tallil, Iraq. He was a vehicle mechanic with the 720th Transportation Company out of Las Vegas, N.M.
About 130 members of the unit left New Mexico on May 14 for training before deploying to Iraq in July.
Gallegos served in the Navy and Army before recently joining the National Guard after a five-year break in military service.
Army Spc. Joseph L. Gallegos died of a heart attack on 10/28/09.
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Marine Lance Cpl. Cody R. Stanley
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Cody R. Stanley, 21, of Rosanky, Texas
Lcpl Stanely was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; died Oct. 28, 2009 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
KVUE News -- A United States Marine from Bastrop County died in Afghanistan Wednesday while supporting combat operations.
Lance Corporal Cody R. Stanley, 21, is from Rosanky and attended Smithville High School. On Friday, some of his former high school teachers talked about the kind of student he was and how they will never forget him.
"He’s the kid any mom would be proud to call her son," said Marganna Martin, math teacher. "These kids leave as boys and come back as men. The military had made him an awesome man."
Stanley joined the Marines right after graduating high school in 2006.
"He was a true country gentleman who loved the outdoors, who loved his friends, who loved his family, and he loved being part of this community and this school," said Tony Quitta, Stanley’s senior English teacher. "I think he'll be remembered for his honesty, his values, and his morality."
On October 28, Stanley was killed in action during a combat support mission in Afghanistan.
"I was devastated to hear the news," said Natalie Frerich. "I can’t imagine what his parents and his family are going through. My heart goes out to them."
This is the third time the small communities of Smithville and Rosanky have lost one of their own in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
"It’s about to the point where I want to lock the doors and not let the recruiters in because they have taken too much from us," said Martin.
Funeral arrangements for Stanley are still being worked out. But we are being told they will be in Smithville.
Marine Lance Cpl. Cody R. Stanley was killed in action on 10/28/09.
Marine Lance Cpl. Cody R. Stanley, 21, of Rosanky, Texas
Lcpl Stanely was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; died Oct. 28, 2009 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
KVUE News -- A United States Marine from Bastrop County died in Afghanistan Wednesday while supporting combat operations.
Lance Corporal Cody R. Stanley, 21, is from Rosanky and attended Smithville High School. On Friday, some of his former high school teachers talked about the kind of student he was and how they will never forget him.
"He’s the kid any mom would be proud to call her son," said Marganna Martin, math teacher. "These kids leave as boys and come back as men. The military had made him an awesome man."
Stanley joined the Marines right after graduating high school in 2006.
"He was a true country gentleman who loved the outdoors, who loved his friends, who loved his family, and he loved being part of this community and this school," said Tony Quitta, Stanley’s senior English teacher. "I think he'll be remembered for his honesty, his values, and his morality."
On October 28, Stanley was killed in action during a combat support mission in Afghanistan.
"I was devastated to hear the news," said Natalie Frerich. "I can’t imagine what his parents and his family are going through. My heart goes out to them."
This is the third time the small communities of Smithville and Rosanky have lost one of their own in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
"It’s about to the point where I want to lock the doors and not let the recruiters in because they have taken too much from us," said Martin.
Funeral arrangements for Stanley are still being worked out. But we are being told they will be in Smithville.
Marine Lance Cpl. Cody R. Stanley was killed in action on 10/28/09.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Army Spc. Robert K. Charlton
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Robert K. Charlton, 22, of Malden, Mo.
Spc. Charlton was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Oct. 27, 2009 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries sustained from a noncombat-related incident Oct. 23 in Wardak, Afghanistan.
Army Spc. Robert K. Charlton died of a non-combat related incident on 10/27/09.
Army Spc. Robert K. Charlton, 22, of Malden, Mo.
Spc. Charlton was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Oct. 27, 2009 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries sustained from a noncombat-related incident Oct. 23 in Wardak, Afghanistan.
Army Spc. Robert K. Charlton died of a non-combat related incident on 10/27/09.
Army Sgt. Issac B. Jackson
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Issac B. Jackson, 27, of Plattsburg, Mo.
Sgt. Jackson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Oct. 27, 2009 in Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. Also killed were Army Sgt. Fernando Delarosa, Army Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez, Army Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, Army Spc. Jared D. Stanker, Army Pfc. Christopher I. Walz and Army Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson.
Missourinet -- A Missourian was among the seven U.S. soldiers who were killed on Tuesday in Afghanistan. 27-year-old Sergeant Isaac B. Jackson of Plattsburg died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device in Arghandab Valley.
Jackson and his fellow soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division in Fort Lewis, Washington.
Army Sgt. Issac B. Jackson was killed in action on 10/27/09.
Army Sgt. Issac B. Jackson, 27, of Plattsburg, Mo.
Sgt. Jackson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Oct. 27, 2009 in Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. Also killed were Army Sgt. Fernando Delarosa, Army Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez, Army Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, Army Spc. Jared D. Stanker, Army Pfc. Christopher I. Walz and Army Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson.
Missourinet -- A Missourian was among the seven U.S. soldiers who were killed on Tuesday in Afghanistan. 27-year-old Sergeant Isaac B. Jackson of Plattsburg died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device in Arghandab Valley.
Jackson and his fellow soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division in Fort Lewis, Washington.
Army Sgt. Issac B. Jackson was killed in action on 10/27/09.
Army Spc. Jared D. Stanker
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Jared D. Stanker, 22, of Evergreen Park, Ill.
Spc. Stanker was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Oct. 27, 2009 in Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. Also killed were Army Sgt. Fernando Delarosa, Army Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez, Army Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, Army Sgt. Issac B. Jackson, Army Pfc. Christopher I. Walz and Army Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson.
Chicago Sun-Times --A 22-year-old soldier from Evergreen Park was killed in Afghanistan this week in what's been the deadliest month so far for U.S. troops since 2001.
Spec. Jared D. Stanker was one of seven soldiers who died Tuesday after enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device, the Defense Department said Thursday. An eighth soldier was killed in a separate bombing Tuesday in southern Afghanistan.
It was Stanker's first deployment. He is survived by his parents and a sister.
"The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing," Stanker wrote on his Facebook page.
He enlisted in 2006, shortly after graduating from Brother Rice High School. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.
Evergreen Park Mayor Jim Sexton said Stanker is the first casualty for the village that has about 20 or 25 soldiers overseas.
"I'm lost for thoughts other than everybody here is praying for his family and for the rest of the troops out there keeping us safe," he said.
Army Spc. Jared D. Stanker was killed in action on 10/27/09.
Army Spc. Jared D. Stanker, 22, of Evergreen Park, Ill.
Spc. Stanker was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Oct. 27, 2009 in Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. Also killed were Army Sgt. Fernando Delarosa, Army Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez, Army Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, Army Sgt. Issac B. Jackson, Army Pfc. Christopher I. Walz and Army Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson.
Chicago Sun-Times --A 22-year-old soldier from Evergreen Park was killed in Afghanistan this week in what's been the deadliest month so far for U.S. troops since 2001.
Spec. Jared D. Stanker was one of seven soldiers who died Tuesday after enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device, the Defense Department said Thursday. An eighth soldier was killed in a separate bombing Tuesday in southern Afghanistan.
It was Stanker's first deployment. He is survived by his parents and a sister.
"The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing," Stanker wrote on his Facebook page.
He enlisted in 2006, shortly after graduating from Brother Rice High School. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.
Evergreen Park Mayor Jim Sexton said Stanker is the first casualty for the village that has about 20 or 25 soldiers overseas.
"I'm lost for thoughts other than everybody here is praying for his family and for the rest of the troops out there keeping us safe," he said.
Army Spc. Jared D. Stanker was killed in action on 10/27/09.
Army Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson, 24, of Broussard, La.
Sgt. Williamson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Oct. 27, 2009 in Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. Also killed were Sgt. Fernando Delarosa, Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez, Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, Sgt. Issac B. Jackson, Spc. Jared D. Stanker and Pfc. Christopher I. Walz.
2 Louisiana soldiers among 18 honored by Obama
By Janet McConnaughey
The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS — Two Louisiana soldiers killed in Afghanistan were among 18 fallen service members honored Thursday by President Barack Obama at the Delaware air force base where their bodies were returned home to the U.S.
The bodies of Sgt. Patrick Williamson, 24, of Broussard, and Pfc. Brian Bates, 20, of Gretna in suburban New Orleans, were on the plane met early Thursday by the president at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
“Brian met the president. And that’s all that matters. I know he would like that,” his wife, Enjolie Bates, said in a telephone interview from Lakewood, Wash. She said Bates loved his job and the Army.
“He liked the idea of fighting for his country. He thought that’s worth it. He believed in it,” she said.
He planned to make the Army his career, said his grandmother, Marlene O’Briant Tully of Gretna.
Both Bates and Williamson were in the Army’s 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry division and were killed Tuesday in Afghanistan, relatives said. Funeral arrangements were incomplete.
Bates drove a Stryker light-armored vehicle, “which he told me was the safest job they had. They hit a bomb. That’s all I know. All seven of them were killed,” Tully said.
Williamson’s father, Leon “Buddy” Williamson, said Thursday that his son recently was promoted to sergeant and was among soldiers in the brigade killed this week in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province.
Williamson said his son was the first member of his family to enlist.
“At the end of the day, he was doing what he wanted,” Williamson said. “He’s wanted to join the Army and be in the infantry since fifth grade.”
He said he didn’t know what had sparked Patrick Williamson’s interest in the Army.
“Patrick lays claim to a badge of honor that very few people can lay claim to: having served his country honorably and well,” he said. “The rest of us can thank him because while the rest of us enjoy the fruits of freedom, he paid the price for it.”
Enjolie Bates said her husband joined the Army to take care of her and their children, Brylie, a 2½-year-old girl, and Braiden, a 1½-year-old boy.
“Braiden, he just started saying ‘Dada,’“ she said.
Tully said her grandson, whom she raised along with his 17-year-old brother, called her weekly. He talked to her Saturday and to his wife on Monday, she said.
She said Jefferson Parish was honoring him by flying flags at half-staff, and she thought it was a “wonderful thing” that an assigned Army escort would be with him until he is buried.
About the president’s decision to meet the airplane, Tully said, “He ought to be there for every last one of them.” A bit later, she said, “Obama needs to do something. Our kids are just dying. For what? What kind of war is this? We’re not trying to win.”
Army Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson was killed in action on 10/27/09.
Army Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson, 24, of Broussard, La.
Sgt. Williamson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Oct. 27, 2009 in Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. Also killed were Sgt. Fernando Delarosa, Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez, Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, Sgt. Issac B. Jackson, Spc. Jared D. Stanker and Pfc. Christopher I. Walz.
2 Louisiana soldiers among 18 honored by Obama
By Janet McConnaughey
The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS — Two Louisiana soldiers killed in Afghanistan were among 18 fallen service members honored Thursday by President Barack Obama at the Delaware air force base where their bodies were returned home to the U.S.
The bodies of Sgt. Patrick Williamson, 24, of Broussard, and Pfc. Brian Bates, 20, of Gretna in suburban New Orleans, were on the plane met early Thursday by the president at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
“Brian met the president. And that’s all that matters. I know he would like that,” his wife, Enjolie Bates, said in a telephone interview from Lakewood, Wash. She said Bates loved his job and the Army.
“He liked the idea of fighting for his country. He thought that’s worth it. He believed in it,” she said.
He planned to make the Army his career, said his grandmother, Marlene O’Briant Tully of Gretna.
Both Bates and Williamson were in the Army’s 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry division and were killed Tuesday in Afghanistan, relatives said. Funeral arrangements were incomplete.
Bates drove a Stryker light-armored vehicle, “which he told me was the safest job they had. They hit a bomb. That’s all I know. All seven of them were killed,” Tully said.
Williamson’s father, Leon “Buddy” Williamson, said Thursday that his son recently was promoted to sergeant and was among soldiers in the brigade killed this week in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province.
Williamson said his son was the first member of his family to enlist.
“At the end of the day, he was doing what he wanted,” Williamson said. “He’s wanted to join the Army and be in the infantry since fifth grade.”
He said he didn’t know what had sparked Patrick Williamson’s interest in the Army.
“Patrick lays claim to a badge of honor that very few people can lay claim to: having served his country honorably and well,” he said. “The rest of us can thank him because while the rest of us enjoy the fruits of freedom, he paid the price for it.”
Enjolie Bates said her husband joined the Army to take care of her and their children, Brylie, a 2½-year-old girl, and Braiden, a 1½-year-old boy.
“Braiden, he just started saying ‘Dada,’“ she said.
Tully said her grandson, whom she raised along with his 17-year-old brother, called her weekly. He talked to her Saturday and to his wife on Monday, she said.
She said Jefferson Parish was honoring him by flying flags at half-staff, and she thought it was a “wonderful thing” that an assigned Army escort would be with him until he is buried.
About the president’s decision to meet the airplane, Tully said, “He ought to be there for every last one of them.” A bit later, she said, “Obama needs to do something. Our kids are just dying. For what? What kind of war is this? We’re not trying to win.”
Army Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson was killed in action on 10/27/09.
Army Pfc. Brian R. Bates, Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Brian R. Bates, Jr., 20, of Gretna, La.
Pfc. Bates was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Oct. 27, 2009 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
2 Louisiana soldiers among 18 honored by Obama
By Janet McConnaughey
The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS — Two Louisiana soldiers killed in Afghanistan were among 18 fallen service members honored Thursday by President Barack Obama at the Delaware air force base where their bodies were returned home to the U.S.
The bodies of Sgt. Patrick Williamson, 24, of Broussard, and Pfc. Brian Bates, 20, of Gretna in suburban New Orleans, were on the plane met early Thursday by the president at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
“Brian met the president. And that’s all that matters. I know he would like that,” his wife, Enjolie Bates, said in a telephone interview from Lakewood, Wash. She said Bates loved his job and the Army.
“He liked the idea of fighting for his country. He thought that’s worth it. He believed in it,” she said.
He planned to make the Army his career, said his grandmother, Marlene O’Briant Tully of Gretna.
Both Bates and Williamson were in the Army’s 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry division and were killed Tuesday in Afghanistan, relatives said. Funeral arrangements were incomplete.
Bates drove a Stryker light-armored vehicle, “which he told me was the safest job they had. They hit a bomb. That’s all I know. All seven of them were killed,” Tully said.
Williamson’s father, Leon “Buddy” Williamson, said Thursday that his son recently was promoted to sergeant and was among soldiers in the brigade killed this week in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province.
Williamson said his son was the first member of his family to enlist.
“At the end of the day, he was doing what he wanted,” Williamson said. “He’s wanted to join the Army and be in the infantry since fifth grade.”
He said he didn’t know what had sparked Patrick Williamson’s interest in the Army.
“Patrick lays claim to a badge of honor that very few people can lay claim to: having served his country honorably and well,” he said. “The rest of us can thank him because while the rest of us enjoy the fruits of freedom, he paid the price for it.”
Enjolie Bates said her husband joined the Army to take care of her and their children, Brylie, a 2½-year-old girl, and Braiden, a 1½-year-old boy.
“Braiden, he just started saying ‘Dada,’“ she said.
Tully said her grandson, whom she raised along with his 17-year-old brother, called her weekly. He talked to her Saturday and to his wife on Monday, she said.
She said Jefferson Parish was honoring him by flying flags at half-staff, and she thought it was a “wonderful thing” that an assigned Army escort would be with him until he is buried.
About the president’s decision to meet the airplane, Tully said, “He ought to be there for every last one of them.” A bit later, she said, “Obama needs to do something. Our kids are just dying. For what? What kind of war is this? We’re not trying to win.”
Army Pfc. Brian R. Bates, Jr. was killed in action on 10/27/09.
Army Pfc. Brian R. Bates, Jr., 20, of Gretna, La.
Pfc. Bates was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Oct. 27, 2009 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
2 Louisiana soldiers among 18 honored by Obama
By Janet McConnaughey
The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS — Two Louisiana soldiers killed in Afghanistan were among 18 fallen service members honored Thursday by President Barack Obama at the Delaware air force base where their bodies were returned home to the U.S.
The bodies of Sgt. Patrick Williamson, 24, of Broussard, and Pfc. Brian Bates, 20, of Gretna in suburban New Orleans, were on the plane met early Thursday by the president at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
“Brian met the president. And that’s all that matters. I know he would like that,” his wife, Enjolie Bates, said in a telephone interview from Lakewood, Wash. She said Bates loved his job and the Army.
“He liked the idea of fighting for his country. He thought that’s worth it. He believed in it,” she said.
He planned to make the Army his career, said his grandmother, Marlene O’Briant Tully of Gretna.
Both Bates and Williamson were in the Army’s 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry division and were killed Tuesday in Afghanistan, relatives said. Funeral arrangements were incomplete.
Bates drove a Stryker light-armored vehicle, “which he told me was the safest job they had. They hit a bomb. That’s all I know. All seven of them were killed,” Tully said.
Williamson’s father, Leon “Buddy” Williamson, said Thursday that his son recently was promoted to sergeant and was among soldiers in the brigade killed this week in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province.
Williamson said his son was the first member of his family to enlist.
“At the end of the day, he was doing what he wanted,” Williamson said. “He’s wanted to join the Army and be in the infantry since fifth grade.”
He said he didn’t know what had sparked Patrick Williamson’s interest in the Army.
“Patrick lays claim to a badge of honor that very few people can lay claim to: having served his country honorably and well,” he said. “The rest of us can thank him because while the rest of us enjoy the fruits of freedom, he paid the price for it.”
Enjolie Bates said her husband joined the Army to take care of her and their children, Brylie, a 2½-year-old girl, and Braiden, a 1½-year-old boy.
“Braiden, he just started saying ‘Dada,’“ she said.
Tully said her grandson, whom she raised along with his 17-year-old brother, called her weekly. He talked to her Saturday and to his wife on Monday, she said.
She said Jefferson Parish was honoring him by flying flags at half-staff, and she thought it was a “wonderful thing” that an assigned Army escort would be with him until he is buried.
About the president’s decision to meet the airplane, Tully said, “He ought to be there for every last one of them.” A bit later, she said, “Obama needs to do something. Our kids are just dying. For what? What kind of war is this? We’re not trying to win.”
Army Pfc. Brian R. Bates, Jr. was killed in action on 10/27/09.
Army Sgt. Dale R. Griffin
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, 29, of Terre Haute, Ind.
Sgt. Griffin was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Oct. 27, 2009 in Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. Also killed were Sgt. Fernando Delarosa, Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez, Sgt. Issac B. Jackson, Spc. Jared D. Stanker, Pfc. Christopher I. Walz and Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson.
Soldier was ‘free spirit,’ champion wrestler
By Ken Kusmer
The Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS — Sgt. Dale Griffin was the son of a Mormon bishop, a champion wrestler and college student who was struggling to find his way in the world when he turned to the military.
Killed Tuesday by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, the body of the Army sergeant from Terre Haute, Ind., came home in a line of flag-draped coffins saluted in Thursday’s pre-dawn darkness by President Barack Obama at Dover Air Force Base.
The somber return was captured in full view of the media, reflecting Obama’s decision to relax an 18-year ban on such coverage that dates to the 1991 Gulf War and was strengthened by former President George W. Bush. Now families decide whether cameras can document the return.
Griffin’s was the only one to say yes out of the 18 families of fallen Americans who were on the C-17 cargo plane at Dover on Thursday.
Griffin, 29, was deployed with the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash., when he and six other soldiers were killed in Tuesday’s bomb in Kandahar province, the military said.
His deployment to Afghanistan was Griffin’s first since enlisting in 2005, said Joe Kubistek, a Fort Lewis spokesman.
“He wanted to be part of an organization that was taking care of things,” said Steve Joseph, his wrestling coach at Terre Haute South High School. “He wasn’t just a member of something: He wanted to do the very best he possibly could in it.”
Joseph coached Griffin to a state runner-up finish in the 189-pound weight class in 1999. Griffin was a team captain, an Eagle Scout and a member of the football team, he said.
“He was a hard-core kid, and no matter how much you required from him, he was always able to deliver,” Joseph said. “When everyone else was getting down ... he was [saying], ‘We can do this. Come on.’”
Griffin’s father, Gene, is a financial planner and the former Mormon bishop in Terre Haute, about 70 miles west of Indianapolis. His mother, Dona, recently organized other women in the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to make fleece blankets for deployed service members.
“They’re very strong and faithful people,” said family friend and current Terre Haute Mormon bishop, Christopher Newton.
“Dale Griffin is the kind of person if you were going to get into a fight, and you were picking sides, he’s the first one you would pick. He was just unbelievably tough and resilient,” said Newton, a Vigo County judge.
Griffin attended Virginia Military Institute for three semesters, majoring in economics and business. As a freshman, he won his weight class and was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the 2000 All-Academy Wrestling Championship.
“I have very fond memories of Dale and what he accomplished here at VMI,” said VMI wrestling coach John Trudgeon, who recalled Griffin as soft-spoken but confident.
But VMI buddy Chaz Wagner said Griffin was “a free spirit” who surprised his friend when he enlisted.
“He liked to have fun and seemed more of a partier than a military kind of guy,” Wagner said.
Nathan Hills, a high school wrestling teammate, said Griffin died as he lived his life.
“He was over serving our country, which doesn’t surprise me. That was the kind of person Dale was. If he believed in something, he would definitely act on it, and obviously he believed that it was important for him to do that,” Hills said.
Vets parade to be part of Ind. soldier’s funeral
The Associated Press
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Hundreds of people are expected to attend a Terre Haute Veterans Day parade that will serve as a funeral procession for an Indiana soldier whose return to the country was marked by a salute from President Barack Obama.
Army Sgt. Dale Griffin of Terre Haute was killed Oct. 27 by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, and Obama participated in the transfer of his body two days later at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
After the parade Nov. 11, Griffin’s flag-draped coffin will be taken to Terre Haute South High School’s gymnasium for a 2 p.m. public funeral.
Hundreds of people, including several school children holding flags, lined the streets Nov. 9 as Griffin’s casket was flown into the city and was taken to a funeral home.
Hundreds pay respects at Indiana soldier’s funeral
By Deanna Martin
The Associated Press
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — An Indiana soldier killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan was remembered on Veterans Day as a happy-go-lucky athlete apt to burst into song at any moment who was as comfortable handing out coloring books to Afghan children as he was working out in the gym.
Terre Haute’s Veteran’s Day parade began in silence as a hearse carrying Army Sgt. Dale Griffin led the somber procession along downtown streets lined with hundreds of people. Some saluted, others stood with hands over their hearts, yet more clutched miniature flags as the cortege rolled quietly by.
John Arley Price, chaplain for the Wabash Valley Veterans Council, said he had never seen so many people turn out on Veterans Day in Terre Haute, about 70 miles west of Indianapolis.
“We do need support for these veterans, while they’re in and when they get out,” he said.
Griffin, 29, was one of six Fort Lewis, Wash.-based soldiers and a local interpreter killed in the Oct. 27 blast. Two days later, President Barack Obama met Griffin’s coffin at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware with a salute.
Griffin’s return was captured in full view of the media, reflecting Obama’s decision to allow families to decide whether cameras can document the dead soldiers and relaxing a ban dating to the 1991 Gulf War.
The soldier’s parents, Gene and Dona Griffin, have said they agreed to the media coverage to put a face on the war in Afghanistan.
“Dale brought our family together in life,” Gene Griffin told mourners at the funeral at Terre Haute South Vigo High School, where enlarged snapshots of the soldier painted a picture of an adventurous boy who could climb up walls in a hallway until he reached the ceiling.
“In his passing, he brought us even closer. And now not only has our family come together at this time, but the nation has found it in their heart to draw a little closer as they reflect on the price of freedom.”
Family and friends speaking at Griffin’s funeral remembered him fondly as a committed athlete and a free spirit who would sometimes belt out Dionne Warwick songs and once entered a wrestling match blowing kisses to a tune from Air Supply.
“You couldn’t be down around Dale,” said Gabe Euratte, who has known Griffin since both were 8 years old. “Dale had that smile and those big blue eyes. It was a smile that was contagious.
“He was just a different cat.”
Wednesday’s somber procession resonated with Loretta Carson, who said she took her 10-year-old daughter Kiara to watch so she could learn the significance of Griffin’s death.
“Regardless of whether you agree with the war, you should always respect the soldiers for what they do for us,” Carson said.
The procession stopped outside a Veterans of Foreign Wars post, where at 11:11 a.m. a small ceremony was held to honor Griffin and other veterans. Members of the Indiana Patriot Guard motorcycle group stood nearby holding American flags.
“Veterans Day comes once a year,” Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett said. “But we need to do this every single day and thank those who serve us and stand up for us.”
Army Sgt. Dale R. Griffin was killed in action on 10/27/09.
Army Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, 29, of Terre Haute, Ind.
Sgt. Griffin was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Oct. 27, 2009 in Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. Also killed were Sgt. Fernando Delarosa, Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez, Sgt. Issac B. Jackson, Spc. Jared D. Stanker, Pfc. Christopher I. Walz and Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson.
Soldier was ‘free spirit,’ champion wrestler
By Ken Kusmer
The Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS — Sgt. Dale Griffin was the son of a Mormon bishop, a champion wrestler and college student who was struggling to find his way in the world when he turned to the military.
Killed Tuesday by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, the body of the Army sergeant from Terre Haute, Ind., came home in a line of flag-draped coffins saluted in Thursday’s pre-dawn darkness by President Barack Obama at Dover Air Force Base.
The somber return was captured in full view of the media, reflecting Obama’s decision to relax an 18-year ban on such coverage that dates to the 1991 Gulf War and was strengthened by former President George W. Bush. Now families decide whether cameras can document the return.
Griffin’s was the only one to say yes out of the 18 families of fallen Americans who were on the C-17 cargo plane at Dover on Thursday.
Griffin, 29, was deployed with the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash., when he and six other soldiers were killed in Tuesday’s bomb in Kandahar province, the military said.
His deployment to Afghanistan was Griffin’s first since enlisting in 2005, said Joe Kubistek, a Fort Lewis spokesman.
“He wanted to be part of an organization that was taking care of things,” said Steve Joseph, his wrestling coach at Terre Haute South High School. “He wasn’t just a member of something: He wanted to do the very best he possibly could in it.”
Joseph coached Griffin to a state runner-up finish in the 189-pound weight class in 1999. Griffin was a team captain, an Eagle Scout and a member of the football team, he said.
“He was a hard-core kid, and no matter how much you required from him, he was always able to deliver,” Joseph said. “When everyone else was getting down ... he was [saying], ‘We can do this. Come on.’”
Griffin’s father, Gene, is a financial planner and the former Mormon bishop in Terre Haute, about 70 miles west of Indianapolis. His mother, Dona, recently organized other women in the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to make fleece blankets for deployed service members.
“They’re very strong and faithful people,” said family friend and current Terre Haute Mormon bishop, Christopher Newton.
“Dale Griffin is the kind of person if you were going to get into a fight, and you were picking sides, he’s the first one you would pick. He was just unbelievably tough and resilient,” said Newton, a Vigo County judge.
Griffin attended Virginia Military Institute for three semesters, majoring in economics and business. As a freshman, he won his weight class and was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the 2000 All-Academy Wrestling Championship.
“I have very fond memories of Dale and what he accomplished here at VMI,” said VMI wrestling coach John Trudgeon, who recalled Griffin as soft-spoken but confident.
But VMI buddy Chaz Wagner said Griffin was “a free spirit” who surprised his friend when he enlisted.
“He liked to have fun and seemed more of a partier than a military kind of guy,” Wagner said.
Nathan Hills, a high school wrestling teammate, said Griffin died as he lived his life.
“He was over serving our country, which doesn’t surprise me. That was the kind of person Dale was. If he believed in something, he would definitely act on it, and obviously he believed that it was important for him to do that,” Hills said.
Vets parade to be part of Ind. soldier’s funeral
The Associated Press
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Hundreds of people are expected to attend a Terre Haute Veterans Day parade that will serve as a funeral procession for an Indiana soldier whose return to the country was marked by a salute from President Barack Obama.
Army Sgt. Dale Griffin of Terre Haute was killed Oct. 27 by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, and Obama participated in the transfer of his body two days later at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
After the parade Nov. 11, Griffin’s flag-draped coffin will be taken to Terre Haute South High School’s gymnasium for a 2 p.m. public funeral.
Hundreds of people, including several school children holding flags, lined the streets Nov. 9 as Griffin’s casket was flown into the city and was taken to a funeral home.
Hundreds pay respects at Indiana soldier’s funeral
By Deanna Martin
The Associated Press
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — An Indiana soldier killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan was remembered on Veterans Day as a happy-go-lucky athlete apt to burst into song at any moment who was as comfortable handing out coloring books to Afghan children as he was working out in the gym.
Terre Haute’s Veteran’s Day parade began in silence as a hearse carrying Army Sgt. Dale Griffin led the somber procession along downtown streets lined with hundreds of people. Some saluted, others stood with hands over their hearts, yet more clutched miniature flags as the cortege rolled quietly by.
John Arley Price, chaplain for the Wabash Valley Veterans Council, said he had never seen so many people turn out on Veterans Day in Terre Haute, about 70 miles west of Indianapolis.
“We do need support for these veterans, while they’re in and when they get out,” he said.
Griffin, 29, was one of six Fort Lewis, Wash.-based soldiers and a local interpreter killed in the Oct. 27 blast. Two days later, President Barack Obama met Griffin’s coffin at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware with a salute.
Griffin’s return was captured in full view of the media, reflecting Obama’s decision to allow families to decide whether cameras can document the dead soldiers and relaxing a ban dating to the 1991 Gulf War.
The soldier’s parents, Gene and Dona Griffin, have said they agreed to the media coverage to put a face on the war in Afghanistan.
“Dale brought our family together in life,” Gene Griffin told mourners at the funeral at Terre Haute South Vigo High School, where enlarged snapshots of the soldier painted a picture of an adventurous boy who could climb up walls in a hallway until he reached the ceiling.
“In his passing, he brought us even closer. And now not only has our family come together at this time, but the nation has found it in their heart to draw a little closer as they reflect on the price of freedom.”
Family and friends speaking at Griffin’s funeral remembered him fondly as a committed athlete and a free spirit who would sometimes belt out Dionne Warwick songs and once entered a wrestling match blowing kisses to a tune from Air Supply.
“You couldn’t be down around Dale,” said Gabe Euratte, who has known Griffin since both were 8 years old. “Dale had that smile and those big blue eyes. It was a smile that was contagious.
“He was just a different cat.”
Wednesday’s somber procession resonated with Loretta Carson, who said she took her 10-year-old daughter Kiara to watch so she could learn the significance of Griffin’s death.
“Regardless of whether you agree with the war, you should always respect the soldiers for what they do for us,” Carson said.
The procession stopped outside a Veterans of Foreign Wars post, where at 11:11 a.m. a small ceremony was held to honor Griffin and other veterans. Members of the Indiana Patriot Guard motorcycle group stood nearby holding American flags.
“Veterans Day comes once a year,” Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett said. “But we need to do this every single day and thank those who serve us and stand up for us.”
Army Sgt. Dale R. Griffin was killed in action on 10/27/09.
Army Sgt. Fernando Delarosa
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Fernando Delarosa, 24, of Alamo, Texas
Sgt. Delarosa was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Oct. 27, 2009 in Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. Also killed were Army Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez, Army Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, Army Sgt. Issac B. Jackson, Army Spc. Jared D. Stanker, Army Pfc. Christopher I. Walz and Army Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson.
Action 4 News -- It is a fear that has come true for yet another Valley family.
Two Army officials showed up at the de La Rosa family’s home on Tuesday to deliver devastating news.
Their son and brother had been killed by enemy fire in Afghanistan on Monday, unexpected news for a family who had just seen their soldier last week.
"It's dangerous...it is,” said Rolando. “This is the last thing on your mind after someone has been in the military for so long. You kind of forget about someone losing their life over there, until you come home and the military show up."
Fernando de La Rosa, an Alamo Memorial graduate and soldier to the core, "If you look at my brother he was just like our leader,” said brother, Rolando de La Rosa. “He was a leader to other military personnel, to us he was our leader because he was our older brother."
Rolando said he knows his brother paid the ultimate price, but he is proud of him.
So are so many others in this Valley city.
The mayor of Alamo said, while he did not know Fernando personally, he has the utmost respect for what he did.
"The whole city is sad about this event and we're with them 100 percent,” said Alamo Mayor Rudy Villarreal. “We feel for them but there are no words to express the feelings because a lot of us don't know the feeling of having lost a son like that."
Flags in Alamo will continue to fly at half staff until Fernando de La Rosa is brought home.
Fernando de La Rosa leaves behind a wife and two children, both boys.
Army Sgt. Fernando Delarosa was killed in action on 10/27/09.
Army Sgt. Fernando Delarosa, 24, of Alamo, Texas
Sgt. Delarosa was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Oct. 27, 2009 in Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. Also killed were Army Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez, Army Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, Army Sgt. Issac B. Jackson, Army Spc. Jared D. Stanker, Army Pfc. Christopher I. Walz and Army Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson.
Action 4 News -- It is a fear that has come true for yet another Valley family.
Two Army officials showed up at the de La Rosa family’s home on Tuesday to deliver devastating news.
Their son and brother had been killed by enemy fire in Afghanistan on Monday, unexpected news for a family who had just seen their soldier last week.
"It's dangerous...it is,” said Rolando. “This is the last thing on your mind after someone has been in the military for so long. You kind of forget about someone losing their life over there, until you come home and the military show up."
Fernando de La Rosa, an Alamo Memorial graduate and soldier to the core, "If you look at my brother he was just like our leader,” said brother, Rolando de La Rosa. “He was a leader to other military personnel, to us he was our leader because he was our older brother."
Rolando said he knows his brother paid the ultimate price, but he is proud of him.
So are so many others in this Valley city.
The mayor of Alamo said, while he did not know Fernando personally, he has the utmost respect for what he did.
"The whole city is sad about this event and we're with them 100 percent,” said Alamo Mayor Rudy Villarreal. “We feel for them but there are no words to express the feelings because a lot of us don't know the feeling of having lost a son like that."
Flags in Alamo will continue to fly at half staff until Fernando de La Rosa is brought home.
Fernando de La Rosa leaves behind a wife and two children, both boys.
Army Sgt. Fernando Delarosa was killed in action on 10/27/09.
Army Pfc. Christopher I. Walz
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Christopher I. Walz, 25, of Vancouver, Wash.
Pfc. Walz was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Oct. 27, 2009 in Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. Also killed were Sgt. Fernando Delarosa, Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez, Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, Sgt. Issac B. Jackson, Spc. Jared D. Stanker and Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson.
The Oregonian -- The Vancouver family of a U.S. Army soldier killed in Afghanistan was among those gathered to greet 18 returning American bodies and meet with President Barack Obama at Dover Air Force Base, Del. early Thursday.
Pfc. Christopher "Ian" Walz was one of a record number of Americans killed in action in Afghanistan this month. His family, including mother Victoria Walz, aunt Donna Walz and ex-wife, Katrina Walz, traveled to the East Coast Wednesday for the ceremonial transfer of the body.
President Barack Obama flew by military helicopter to Dover unexpectedly Wednesday night to witness the return of the fallen soldiers. Obama then met with relatives, including Walz's family, at a nearby chapel.
Donna Walz said the President "was genuine, very genuine." Exhausted after two sleepless nights in a row, she described the ceremony and meeting as "a blur."
"It was surreal," said Katrina Walz, who divorced from Walz in June of this year. She was listed among his next of kin and said she remained close.
"He would have been really proud," Katrina Walz said. "He really liked Obama."
Walz graduated from Hudson's Bay High School in 2002 and earned an associate degree from Clark College. He wanted to become a history teacher or police officer after leaving the army, his family said.
In Vancouver, Walz's fiancee Madeline Damore fought back tears as family and friends passed around photos and talked about Walz's kind way with children, his support of Obama and his contagious sense of humor.
"His laugh was classic -- loud, obnoxious," said cousin, Kim Goldfinch. "He made everyone else laugh in the room."
Damore said she and Walz met while working at a WinCo grocery store in Hazel Dell. He proposed to her on New Year's Eve, after a lover's spat, she said.
Goldfinch shared a printout of an "about me" note that Walz had posted to his MySpace page, detailing why he decided to enlist.
"A lot of people ask why I joined the ARMY. I tell them that I feel it's important to serve my country, plus my 21,000 bonus and 40,000 for school doesn't hurt either, lol" Walz wrote.
He said he hoped to finish a degree in political science, travel the world, then start a career in teaching.
Last Wednesday, Walz told friends and family that he was going on a six-day mission, and that he would call when he returned to base.
According to the Department of Defense, Walz was one of seven U.S. soldiers who died after their armored vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan's Arghandab Valley near Kandahar province.
The soldiers were part of the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, based in Fort Lewis, a fort spokesman confirmed.
Army Pfc. Christopher I. Walz was killed in action on 10/27/09.
Army Pfc. Christopher I. Walz, 25, of Vancouver, Wash.
Pfc. Walz was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Oct. 27, 2009 in Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. Also killed were Sgt. Fernando Delarosa, Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez, Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, Sgt. Issac B. Jackson, Spc. Jared D. Stanker and Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson.
The Oregonian -- The Vancouver family of a U.S. Army soldier killed in Afghanistan was among those gathered to greet 18 returning American bodies and meet with President Barack Obama at Dover Air Force Base, Del. early Thursday.
Pfc. Christopher "Ian" Walz was one of a record number of Americans killed in action in Afghanistan this month. His family, including mother Victoria Walz, aunt Donna Walz and ex-wife, Katrina Walz, traveled to the East Coast Wednesday for the ceremonial transfer of the body.
President Barack Obama flew by military helicopter to Dover unexpectedly Wednesday night to witness the return of the fallen soldiers. Obama then met with relatives, including Walz's family, at a nearby chapel.
Donna Walz said the President "was genuine, very genuine." Exhausted after two sleepless nights in a row, she described the ceremony and meeting as "a blur."
"It was surreal," said Katrina Walz, who divorced from Walz in June of this year. She was listed among his next of kin and said she remained close.
"He would have been really proud," Katrina Walz said. "He really liked Obama."
Walz graduated from Hudson's Bay High School in 2002 and earned an associate degree from Clark College. He wanted to become a history teacher or police officer after leaving the army, his family said.
In Vancouver, Walz's fiancee Madeline Damore fought back tears as family and friends passed around photos and talked about Walz's kind way with children, his support of Obama and his contagious sense of humor.
"His laugh was classic -- loud, obnoxious," said cousin, Kim Goldfinch. "He made everyone else laugh in the room."
Damore said she and Walz met while working at a WinCo grocery store in Hazel Dell. He proposed to her on New Year's Eve, after a lover's spat, she said.
Goldfinch shared a printout of an "about me" note that Walz had posted to his MySpace page, detailing why he decided to enlist.
"A lot of people ask why I joined the ARMY. I tell them that I feel it's important to serve my country, plus my 21,000 bonus and 40,000 for school doesn't hurt either, lol" Walz wrote.
He said he hoped to finish a degree in political science, travel the world, then start a career in teaching.
Last Wednesday, Walz told friends and family that he was going on a six-day mission, and that he would call when he returned to base.
According to the Department of Defense, Walz was one of seven U.S. soldiers who died after their armored vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan's Arghandab Valley near Kandahar province.
The soldiers were part of the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, based in Fort Lewis, a fort spokesman confirmed.
Army Pfc. Christopher I. Walz was killed in action on 10/27/09.
Army Maj. David L. Audo
Remember Our Heroes
Army Maj. David L. Audo, 35, of St. Joseph, Ill.
Maj. Audo was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 22nd Military Police Battalion, 6th Military Police Group, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Oct. 27, 2009 in Baghdad of injuries sustained from a noncombat-related incident.
ST. JOSEPH – A coach and teacher remembered Army Maj. David L. Audo, a University of Illinois graduate from St. Joseph who died Tuesday in Baghdad, as a great athlete and a better student.
Jim Acklin said that in his 31 years in education, he met more than 5,000 students, and Maj. Audo stood out, both on the St. Joseph-Ogden High School track team and in honors biology.
"His sense of humor sticks out, and he was ornery in a good way," Acklin said Wednesday.
The Defense Department reported that the highly decorated military police officer, 35, died Tuesday in Baghdad of injuries sustained in a non-combat-related incident.
The cause remains under investigation, and no other details were available from a Defense Department spokeswoman.
According to the Tacoma (Wash.) News-Tribune, he was assigned in July to Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment of the 22nd Military Police Battalion at Fort Lewis, Wash., and at the time of his death was serving as executive officer for the battalion's forward element in Iraq.
Audo's military career began after receiving his officer commission in 1997. He took his first military police assignment in Schweinfurt, Germany, served two deployments in Kosovo between 1999 and 2001, did a tour of Iraq in 2003, deployed to Afghanistan in 2005, and in 2006 started a three-year stint as a provost marshal in Southport, N.C.
He was a 1992 graduate of St. Joseph-Ogden High School who went to the UI on a ROTC scholarship, according to News-Gazette files. His civilian education included a bachelor's degree in architecture from the UI in 1998 and a master's degree in business from Webster University in St. Louis in 2002.
He married Rebecca K. Johnson in 1998 in Danville. According to her Web site, they have a son, Austin David, born in 1999, and a daughter, Ashley Marie Elizebeth, born in 2002.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been made.
Acklin said Maj. Audo was on the track team as a sprinter, running dashes and relays.
"The team he was on in the spring of 1992 was arguably the strongest dual-meet team we ever had," Acklin said.
Acklin also saw the future major in advanced biology class.
"He was a good student. In senior honors biology, you have to be pretty motivated. He always had a smile on his face, and was excited to be in class. He was part of a group of fun yet challenging students to teach; you had to bring your A game," he said.
Acklin said Maj. Audo was also in the drama club.
Army Maj. David L. Audo died of a non-combat related incident on 10/27/09.
Army Maj. David L. Audo, 35, of St. Joseph, Ill.
Maj. Audo was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 22nd Military Police Battalion, 6th Military Police Group, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Oct. 27, 2009 in Baghdad of injuries sustained from a noncombat-related incident.
ST. JOSEPH – A coach and teacher remembered Army Maj. David L. Audo, a University of Illinois graduate from St. Joseph who died Tuesday in Baghdad, as a great athlete and a better student.
Jim Acklin said that in his 31 years in education, he met more than 5,000 students, and Maj. Audo stood out, both on the St. Joseph-Ogden High School track team and in honors biology.
"His sense of humor sticks out, and he was ornery in a good way," Acklin said Wednesday.
The Defense Department reported that the highly decorated military police officer, 35, died Tuesday in Baghdad of injuries sustained in a non-combat-related incident.
The cause remains under investigation, and no other details were available from a Defense Department spokeswoman.
According to the Tacoma (Wash.) News-Tribune, he was assigned in July to Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment of the 22nd Military Police Battalion at Fort Lewis, Wash., and at the time of his death was serving as executive officer for the battalion's forward element in Iraq.
Audo's military career began after receiving his officer commission in 1997. He took his first military police assignment in Schweinfurt, Germany, served two deployments in Kosovo between 1999 and 2001, did a tour of Iraq in 2003, deployed to Afghanistan in 2005, and in 2006 started a three-year stint as a provost marshal in Southport, N.C.
He was a 1992 graduate of St. Joseph-Ogden High School who went to the UI on a ROTC scholarship, according to News-Gazette files. His civilian education included a bachelor's degree in architecture from the UI in 1998 and a master's degree in business from Webster University in St. Louis in 2002.
He married Rebecca K. Johnson in 1998 in Danville. According to her Web site, they have a son, Austin David, born in 1999, and a daughter, Ashley Marie Elizebeth, born in 2002.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been made.
Acklin said Maj. Audo was on the track team as a sprinter, running dashes and relays.
"The team he was on in the spring of 1992 was arguably the strongest dual-meet team we ever had," Acklin said.
Acklin also saw the future major in advanced biology class.
"He was a good student. In senior honors biology, you have to be pretty motivated. He always had a smile on his face, and was excited to be in class. He was part of a group of fun yet challenging students to teach; you had to bring your A game," he said.
Acklin said Maj. Audo was also in the drama club.
Army Maj. David L. Audo died of a non-combat related incident on 10/27/09.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Marine Cpl. Gregory M.W. Fleury
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Cpl. Gregory M.W. Fleury, 23, of Anchorage, Alaska
Cpl. Fleury was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 26, 2009 in a collision between a UH-1 and an AH-1 helicopter in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Also killed were Capt. Eric A. Jones, Capt. David S. Mitchell and Capt. Kyle R. Van De Giesen.
Anchorage Marine dies in Afghan helicopter crash
CREW CHIEF: Accident is just weeks before third tour was up.
By JAMES HALPIN
A Marine from Anchorage and three others, all in the final weeks of their deployment, died Monday in the Afghanistan province of Helmand when two helicopters collided before sunrise.
Marine Corps Cpl. Gregory Fleury was crew chief aboard a UH-1 Huey that collided midair with an AH-1 Cobra in the predawn dark, according to the Department of Defense.
"It was hard to accept," said his grandfather, Albert Fleury, who lives in Anchorage. "We hoped against all hope that it wasn't true."
The 23-year-old Service High School graduate already had served two tours of duty in Iraq as a gunner and mechanic aboard combat helicopters before being shipped to Afghanistan, his family said.
"Because of this flare-up in Afghanistan, he accepted that," his grandfather said. "We had to respect his willingness to serve and complete this mission. Some people would have tried to demand that they be let out, that they've already served. But he accepted the extra challenge and responsibility, which is typical of him."
Also killed in the crash were the pilot of the Huey and two co-pilots aboard the Cobra, according to the Department of Defense. All were based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., and with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is on the tail end of its deployment, said Maj. William Allen, commander of Marine forces in Alaska. Some members of the unit are already back in California, he said.
Fleury enlisted in the Marines on June 6, 2005, and was awarded several medals, including the Iraqi Campaign Medal and Good Conduct Medal, said Cpl. Derek Carlson, a spokesman for the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.
His grandfather said Fleury, who was born in Sitka, got interested in being a Marine in high school, when he joined the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps.
"He said that was what he wanted to do when he got out of school was go into the Marine Corps and serve his country," the elder Fleury said. "We encouraged him because the military service is a good training and learning ground for young adult people. It gives them direction and something to give their daily life some meaning."
But lately Fleury was thinking about getting out and going back to school, maybe to work on computers, according to his family. His grandfather said he was scheduled to get off of active duty after four years this past June, but that the government extended his service for the deployment.
Allen said Marine records indicated Fleury was on active duty until 2012. The discrepancy could not be resolved Tuesday.
Service High principal Lou Pondolfino said Fleury, who graduated in 2005, was in the orchestra and the Navy JROTC for four years. Teachers who remembered him thought of him as a good kid who tried hard and found a purpose as a cadet in the ROTC, Pondolfino said.
"When he decided to join the Marines, a recruiter took him away one weekend to make up all his work that he hadn't turned in, even though it wouldn't be counted," he said, quoting the teacher. "But he came back and was real proud of himself that he accomplished the task."
Fleury is the second Service High graduate to die in Iraq or Afghanistan in the line of duty, Pondolfino said. In 2005 Lance Cpl. Grant Fraser was killed in western Iraq when a roadside bomb tore through the amphibious, lightly armored transport vehicle he was in.
Next month the high school will rename its theater the Grant Fraser Memorial Auditorium in honor of Fraser, who graduated in 2001 and was active in the school's drama department, Pondolfino said.
What caused the collision that killed Fleury remained under investigation; it was not clear whether the choppers were engaged in combat or another mission when they collided in the dark.
"There is an investigating crew over there with 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade that will be looking into the circumstances to determine the cause of the crash," Allen said. "From the initial casualty report, they weren't able to rule out whether there was enemy contact at the time."
Another helicopter crashed as it left the scene of a gunbattle with insurgents in western Afghanistan Monday, killing seven soldiers and three Drug Enforcement Administration agents and marking the biggest loss of American life on a single day in four years. October has been the deadliest month to date in Afghanistan, with at least 55 Americans killed.
Allen said Fleury's remains arrived at Dover Air Force Base Tuesday and will likely arrive in Anchorage Monday. Gov. Sean Parnell ordered state flags to be lowered to half-staff Thursday in Fleury's honor.
He will be buried at the national cemetery on Fort Richardson next weekend, his grandfather said.
"Being a hero and a person that served admirably for his country, that would be a great place," Fleury said.
Marine Cpl. Gregory M.W. Fleury was killed in action on 10/26/09.
Marine Cpl. Gregory M.W. Fleury, 23, of Anchorage, Alaska
Cpl. Fleury was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 26, 2009 in a collision between a UH-1 and an AH-1 helicopter in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Also killed were Capt. Eric A. Jones, Capt. David S. Mitchell and Capt. Kyle R. Van De Giesen.
Anchorage Marine dies in Afghan helicopter crash
CREW CHIEF: Accident is just weeks before third tour was up.
By JAMES HALPIN
A Marine from Anchorage and three others, all in the final weeks of their deployment, died Monday in the Afghanistan province of Helmand when two helicopters collided before sunrise.
Marine Corps Cpl. Gregory Fleury was crew chief aboard a UH-1 Huey that collided midair with an AH-1 Cobra in the predawn dark, according to the Department of Defense.
"It was hard to accept," said his grandfather, Albert Fleury, who lives in Anchorage. "We hoped against all hope that it wasn't true."
The 23-year-old Service High School graduate already had served two tours of duty in Iraq as a gunner and mechanic aboard combat helicopters before being shipped to Afghanistan, his family said.
"Because of this flare-up in Afghanistan, he accepted that," his grandfather said. "We had to respect his willingness to serve and complete this mission. Some people would have tried to demand that they be let out, that they've already served. But he accepted the extra challenge and responsibility, which is typical of him."
Also killed in the crash were the pilot of the Huey and two co-pilots aboard the Cobra, according to the Department of Defense. All were based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., and with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is on the tail end of its deployment, said Maj. William Allen, commander of Marine forces in Alaska. Some members of the unit are already back in California, he said.
Fleury enlisted in the Marines on June 6, 2005, and was awarded several medals, including the Iraqi Campaign Medal and Good Conduct Medal, said Cpl. Derek Carlson, a spokesman for the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.
His grandfather said Fleury, who was born in Sitka, got interested in being a Marine in high school, when he joined the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps.
"He said that was what he wanted to do when he got out of school was go into the Marine Corps and serve his country," the elder Fleury said. "We encouraged him because the military service is a good training and learning ground for young adult people. It gives them direction and something to give their daily life some meaning."
But lately Fleury was thinking about getting out and going back to school, maybe to work on computers, according to his family. His grandfather said he was scheduled to get off of active duty after four years this past June, but that the government extended his service for the deployment.
Allen said Marine records indicated Fleury was on active duty until 2012. The discrepancy could not be resolved Tuesday.
Service High principal Lou Pondolfino said Fleury, who graduated in 2005, was in the orchestra and the Navy JROTC for four years. Teachers who remembered him thought of him as a good kid who tried hard and found a purpose as a cadet in the ROTC, Pondolfino said.
"When he decided to join the Marines, a recruiter took him away one weekend to make up all his work that he hadn't turned in, even though it wouldn't be counted," he said, quoting the teacher. "But he came back and was real proud of himself that he accomplished the task."
Fleury is the second Service High graduate to die in Iraq or Afghanistan in the line of duty, Pondolfino said. In 2005 Lance Cpl. Grant Fraser was killed in western Iraq when a roadside bomb tore through the amphibious, lightly armored transport vehicle he was in.
Next month the high school will rename its theater the Grant Fraser Memorial Auditorium in honor of Fraser, who graduated in 2001 and was active in the school's drama department, Pondolfino said.
What caused the collision that killed Fleury remained under investigation; it was not clear whether the choppers were engaged in combat or another mission when they collided in the dark.
"There is an investigating crew over there with 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade that will be looking into the circumstances to determine the cause of the crash," Allen said. "From the initial casualty report, they weren't able to rule out whether there was enemy contact at the time."
Another helicopter crashed as it left the scene of a gunbattle with insurgents in western Afghanistan Monday, killing seven soldiers and three Drug Enforcement Administration agents and marking the biggest loss of American life on a single day in four years. October has been the deadliest month to date in Afghanistan, with at least 55 Americans killed.
Allen said Fleury's remains arrived at Dover Air Force Base Tuesday and will likely arrive in Anchorage Monday. Gov. Sean Parnell ordered state flags to be lowered to half-staff Thursday in Fleury's honor.
He will be buried at the national cemetery on Fort Richardson next weekend, his grandfather said.
"Being a hero and a person that served admirably for his country, that would be a great place," Fleury said.
Marine Cpl. Gregory M.W. Fleury was killed in action on 10/26/09.
Army Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez, 27, of South Ozone Park, N.Y.
SSgt. Gonzalez was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Oct. 27, 2009 in Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. Also killed were Army Sgt. Fernando Delarosa, Army Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, Army Sgt. Issac B. Jackson, Army Spc. Jared D. Stanker, Army Pfc. Christopher I. Walz and Army Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson.
A Queens mother whose youngest son was killed this week in Afghanistan tearfully condemned the war on Friday.
"I don't agree with this war," Bienvenida Gonzalez, 60, told the Daily News as she grieved for her son, Staff Sgt. Luis Gonzalez. "There's a lot of families that it's tearing apart."
The 28-year-old died Tuesday along with six other soldiers when enemy forces blew up their vehicle.
The soldier's wife, Jessica, who also is in the Army, declined to comment, saying, "This is our time tomourn."
They have a 5-month-old son, Isaiah.
Gonzalez, who grew up in Corona, eagerly enlisted in the Army eight years ago after graduating from John Bownes High School - and asked his mother to pray that he passed the test.
"He was a good boy, very happy," she recalled.
In their last phone conversation two weeks ago, she said, "he said not to worry about him at that moment because he was fine," and talked about coming home from combat in January.
Family friend Miriam Polanco said Gonzalez's parents were anguished over whether to talk about their opposition to the war.
"They decided you have to speak up," she said. "You don't want this thing to continue."
Army Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez was killed in action on 10/26/09.
Army Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez, 27, of South Ozone Park, N.Y.
SSgt. Gonzalez was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Oct. 27, 2009 in Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. Also killed were Army Sgt. Fernando Delarosa, Army Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, Army Sgt. Issac B. Jackson, Army Spc. Jared D. Stanker, Army Pfc. Christopher I. Walz and Army Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson.
A Queens mother whose youngest son was killed this week in Afghanistan tearfully condemned the war on Friday.
"I don't agree with this war," Bienvenida Gonzalez, 60, told the Daily News as she grieved for her son, Staff Sgt. Luis Gonzalez. "There's a lot of families that it's tearing apart."
The 28-year-old died Tuesday along with six other soldiers when enemy forces blew up their vehicle.
The soldier's wife, Jessica, who also is in the Army, declined to comment, saying, "This is our time tomourn."
They have a 5-month-old son, Isaiah.
Gonzalez, who grew up in Corona, eagerly enlisted in the Army eight years ago after graduating from John Bownes High School - and asked his mother to pray that he passed the test.
"He was a good boy, very happy," she recalled.
In their last phone conversation two weeks ago, she said, "he said not to worry about him at that moment because he was fine," and talked about coming home from combat in January.
Family friend Miriam Polanco said Gonzalez's parents were anguished over whether to talk about their opposition to the war.
"They decided you have to speak up," she said. "You don't want this thing to continue."
Army Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez was killed in action on 10/26/09.
Marine Capt. Kyle R. Van De Giesen
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Capt. Kyle R. Van De Giesen, 29, of North Attleborough Mass.
Capt. Van De Giesen was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 26, 2009 in a collision between a UH-1 and an AH-1 helicopter in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Also killed were Cpl. Gregory M.W. Fleury, Capt. Eric A. Jones and Capt. David S. Mitchell.
Fallen helo pilot remembered by college
The Associated Press
MANCHESTER, N.H. — A Marine helicopter pilot from Massachusetts who died in Afghanistan is being honored at Saint Anselm College.
Capt. Kyle Van De Giesen of North Attleborough, Mass., is a former student and starting quarterback on the Catholic college’s football team.
He was remembered with a prayer and a moment of silence before the Oct. 31 home game against the University of New Haven.
The field was painted with a red, white and blue ribbon as well as Van De Giesen’s uniform number, 12. The Marine motto “Semper Fi” is also being added to the field.
The initials KV will be added to the team’s helmets.
The 29-year-old Van De Giesen was one of 14 Americans killed Monday in a pair of helicopter crashes. He leaves behind a pregnant wife and young daughter.
Hometown remembers fallen Marine
The Associated Press
NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, Mass. — A fallen Marine is being honored in his hometown.
A public candlelight vigil in memory of Marine helicopter pilot Capt. Kyle Van De Giesen is scheduled for Nov. 5 in North Attleborough.
The vigil is being held at Community Field, where the 29-year-old Van De Giesen led the local high school football team to many victories. The team’s former starting quarterback helped lead the North Attleborough High Red Rocketeers to the postseason in 1997.
A funeral service at St. Mary’s Church and processional around the town are scheduled for Friday, to be followed by burial at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.
Van De Giesen died Oct. 26 in a helicopter crash. He leaves behind his pregnant wife and an 18-month-old daughter.
Marine Capt. Kyle R. Van De Giesen was killed in action on 10/26/09.
Marine Capt. Kyle R. Van De Giesen, 29, of North Attleborough Mass.
Capt. Van De Giesen was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 26, 2009 in a collision between a UH-1 and an AH-1 helicopter in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Also killed were Cpl. Gregory M.W. Fleury, Capt. Eric A. Jones and Capt. David S. Mitchell.
Fallen helo pilot remembered by college
The Associated Press
MANCHESTER, N.H. — A Marine helicopter pilot from Massachusetts who died in Afghanistan is being honored at Saint Anselm College.
Capt. Kyle Van De Giesen of North Attleborough, Mass., is a former student and starting quarterback on the Catholic college’s football team.
He was remembered with a prayer and a moment of silence before the Oct. 31 home game against the University of New Haven.
The field was painted with a red, white and blue ribbon as well as Van De Giesen’s uniform number, 12. The Marine motto “Semper Fi” is also being added to the field.
The initials KV will be added to the team’s helmets.
The 29-year-old Van De Giesen was one of 14 Americans killed Monday in a pair of helicopter crashes. He leaves behind a pregnant wife and young daughter.
Hometown remembers fallen Marine
The Associated Press
NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, Mass. — A fallen Marine is being honored in his hometown.
A public candlelight vigil in memory of Marine helicopter pilot Capt. Kyle Van De Giesen is scheduled for Nov. 5 in North Attleborough.
The vigil is being held at Community Field, where the 29-year-old Van De Giesen led the local high school football team to many victories. The team’s former starting quarterback helped lead the North Attleborough High Red Rocketeers to the postseason in 1997.
A funeral service at St. Mary’s Church and processional around the town are scheduled for Friday, to be followed by burial at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.
Van De Giesen died Oct. 26 in a helicopter crash. He leaves behind his pregnant wife and an 18-month-old daughter.
Marine Capt. Kyle R. Van De Giesen was killed in action on 10/26/09.
Marine Capt. Eric A. Jones
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Capt. Eric A. Jones, 29, of Westchester, N.Y.
Capt. Jones was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 26, 2009 in a collision between a UH-1 and an AH-1 helicopter in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Also killed were Cpl. Gregory M.W. Fleury, Capt. David S. Mitchell and Capt. Kyle R. Van De Giesen.
POUND RIDGE - As a Marine attack helicopter pilot, Eric Jones regularly put his life on the line. There were times when his aircraft would be under enemy fire and he most certainly had brushes with danger since his commission in 2004 and later when he was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169.
But Jones, a 1999 graduate of Fox Lane High School, was never one to tell war stories, said his mother, Cynthia Jones. If he was even to hint at the danger, he would do so only in passing, and as part of a joke, laughing it off, his parents said.
Despite his fun-loving demeanor, they always feared for the worst, knowing that one day they might receive the news they got Monday.
Eric Jones, 29, was one of four Marines killed when two helicopters collided over the Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.
"I was always scared about the knock on the door, and it happened," Cynthia Jones, a retired Katonah-Lewisboro elementary school teacher, said during a telephone interview from her home in Mashpee, Mass., where the Joneses have lived since 2005.
Eric Jones was born in Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco and grew up in Pound Ridge. He was a competitive swimmer and, later, played football and lacrosse in high school.
"Eric just loved life," his mother said. "He had a lot of friends, and he was a happy guy. He just made people laugh, and he was very caring."
After high school, he attended Northeastern University, where he continued playing lacrosse, and then began taking private flying lessons. Ever since he was young, Jones had a fascination with flying, which was further stoked when he was 12 and got to go up on a plane with a friend.
"He always wanted to fly, and he wanted to go in the military," his mother said, adding that he chose to fly helicopters because he wanted to be closer to ground troops and provide them air support. "That was his calling."
Jones, who was contracted to stay in the military until 2013, was only a couple of weeks away from returning home for a visit, his mother said. He had planned on returning to Pound Ridge next month to attend his class's 10-year reunion.
"Two weeks and this was it," Cynthia Jones said. "He was scheduled to come home mid-November, the 11th of November."
The Joneses, who were members of the Pound Ridge Community Church, are still completing plans for their son's funeral, which will be held in Massachusetts. Cynthia Jones said she is thankful to the Marines who have provided her support since delivering her the news. In the face of the tragedy, she said, she cherishes the time that she had with her son, whom she described as a "Marine, through-and-through."
"I'm just so grateful that God graced us with such a gorgeous son," she said.
Marine Capt. Eric A. Jones was killed in action on 10/26/09.
Marine Capt. Eric A. Jones, 29, of Westchester, N.Y.
Capt. Jones was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 26, 2009 in a collision between a UH-1 and an AH-1 helicopter in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Also killed were Cpl. Gregory M.W. Fleury, Capt. David S. Mitchell and Capt. Kyle R. Van De Giesen.
POUND RIDGE - As a Marine attack helicopter pilot, Eric Jones regularly put his life on the line. There were times when his aircraft would be under enemy fire and he most certainly had brushes with danger since his commission in 2004 and later when he was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169.
But Jones, a 1999 graduate of Fox Lane High School, was never one to tell war stories, said his mother, Cynthia Jones. If he was even to hint at the danger, he would do so only in passing, and as part of a joke, laughing it off, his parents said.
Despite his fun-loving demeanor, they always feared for the worst, knowing that one day they might receive the news they got Monday.
Eric Jones, 29, was one of four Marines killed when two helicopters collided over the Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.
"I was always scared about the knock on the door, and it happened," Cynthia Jones, a retired Katonah-Lewisboro elementary school teacher, said during a telephone interview from her home in Mashpee, Mass., where the Joneses have lived since 2005.
Eric Jones was born in Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco and grew up in Pound Ridge. He was a competitive swimmer and, later, played football and lacrosse in high school.
"Eric just loved life," his mother said. "He had a lot of friends, and he was a happy guy. He just made people laugh, and he was very caring."
After high school, he attended Northeastern University, where he continued playing lacrosse, and then began taking private flying lessons. Ever since he was young, Jones had a fascination with flying, which was further stoked when he was 12 and got to go up on a plane with a friend.
"He always wanted to fly, and he wanted to go in the military," his mother said, adding that he chose to fly helicopters because he wanted to be closer to ground troops and provide them air support. "That was his calling."
Jones, who was contracted to stay in the military until 2013, was only a couple of weeks away from returning home for a visit, his mother said. He had planned on returning to Pound Ridge next month to attend his class's 10-year reunion.
"Two weeks and this was it," Cynthia Jones said. "He was scheduled to come home mid-November, the 11th of November."
The Joneses, who were members of the Pound Ridge Community Church, are still completing plans for their son's funeral, which will be held in Massachusetts. Cynthia Jones said she is thankful to the Marines who have provided her support since delivering her the news. In the face of the tragedy, she said, she cherishes the time that she had with her son, whom she described as a "Marine, through-and-through."
"I'm just so grateful that God graced us with such a gorgeous son," she said.
Marine Capt. Eric A. Jones was killed in action on 10/26/09.
Marine Capt. David S. Mitchell
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Capt. David S. Mitchell, 30, of Loveland, Ohio
Capt. Mitchell was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 26, 2009 in a collision between a UH-1 and an AH-1 helicopter in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Also killed were Cpl. Gregory M.W. Fleury, Capt. Eric A. Jones and Capt. Kyle R. Van De Giesen.
Loveland Marine killed in Afghanistan
By Jennifer Baker, Barrett J. Brunsman and Carrie Whitaker
Cincinnati Enquirer via Gannett News Service
LOVELAND – David “Seth” Mitchell was known as “Mr. Personality” when he was president of the senior Class of 1997 at Loveland High School.
Even then the student council member, varsity football player and track runner dreamed of serving in the United States military, friends said Tuesday night at a prayer vigil held in his honor.
“I remember he didn’t want to take anyone’s life,” said friend and former teammate Nick Jackson. “He was thinking about this as a sophomore — he was so thoughtful but he felt such a duty to serve.”
Assistant Athletic Director Kevin Taylor said everybody got along with Mitchell.
“I don’t know that he had an enemy,” Taylor said.
But he did: terrorism.
Mitchell, a Cobra helicopter pilot for the Marine Corps, died Monday trying to defeat it in Afghanistan. He was 30.
Two Marine helicopters — a UH-1 and an AH-1 Cobra — collided in flight before sunrise over southern Afghanistan while supporting combat operations, the military disclosed Tuesday. He was one of four Marines killed. Two others were wounded.
His classmates at Loveland High School, teachers, friends and strangers gathered Tuesday night in the school lobby where Mitchell spent his high school years. Later, they moved outside to light candles in his memory.
The shock and loss was evident. Tears fell freely as friends held one another. His classmates, some now young parents, clutched their babies.
About a dozen gathered their courage to stand in front of television cameras and share their memories of Mitchell.
“Seth was my neighbor and he was also a friend,” said Chandra Johnson. “I always felt like when I had conversations with him – I always felt like what I was saying was important. When he talked to you he really wanted to know what you wanted to say.”
Erica Miller gladly helped organize the Class of 1997’s 10-year reunion when Mitchell’s responsibilities kept him too busy to plan it, she said. But he was sure to attend.
“At our class reunion, he was the first one on the dance floor and the last one to leave,” Miller said.
Mitchell grew up in Miami Township, but his family now lives in North Carolina. They could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. He has one sibling, friends said. He is the first Loveland High graduate to die in Afghanistan.
Teachers said Mitchell was the kind of student impossible to forget.
“He sat in the row by the window, third seat back,” said social studies teacher Jeff Geiger, who had Mitchell in his global issues class. “He was always prepared, always did his work. He was the type of kid every teacher wanted in the classroom. We knew he would be successful because he worked hard and was ready to go every day.”
Mitchell graduated from Virginia Tech, joined the Marine Corps in 2001 and was stationed at Camp Pendleton near San Diego, said Marine spokeswoman Cpl. Jessica Aranda.
A member of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, he was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
During his time in the Marines, he received 10 medals and commendations, including the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
A former Marine himself, Geiger said he was especially proud of Mitchell, who helped him stay in touch with Loveland High graduates after they joined the military.
“Seth being a Marine, I have kind of a special place in my heart for him,” Geiger said. “Seth was always willing to help out in any way that he could.
“We won’t let him be forgotten,” Geiger said. “He gives us his life. His sacrifice is why we are able to do what we do on a daily basis. Without men like Seth, who knows where we would be?”
Other teachers at Loveland jumped at the chance Tuesday to honor Mitchell’s memory with accolades.
Julie Powers, who teaches math and spent four years working with Mitchell as an adviser to student council, said Mitchell planned on being a pilot from a young age.
“I don’t know exactly what turned him onto that as a young boy,” Powers said, “but before he reached grade nine, one thing was on his radar screen, no pun intended.”
She said he exemplified the strong leadership demonstrated by the 180-member Class of 1997.
“He was someone who put 110 percent into everything he did, and he did everything,” Powers said.
Powers broke down in tears, then mentioned her son, a fourth-grade student.
“If my son would grow up to be even half the man Seth grew up to be, I will consider myself a success as a parent,” Powers said as she cried. “He was just an amazing kid.”
Mitchell was the second member of the military from Clermont County to die in Afghanistan.
Army Spc. Gregory James Missman, 36, of Union Township, an Amelia High School graduate, was killed by insurgents in July. Six residents have died in Iraq. Two other members of the military killed in Iraq had parents who lived in the county.
“I’m sure we will do something to honor one of Clermont County’s finest,” said County Commissioner Bob Proud, founder of the Whole in My Heart support group for the families and friends of those serving in Afghanistan or Iraq. “The first thing I’m going to try to do is contact his parents to express condolences on behalf of a grateful Clermont County. We will never forget his service or sacrifice.”
Mary Makley Wolff, chairwoman of the Miami Township Board of Trustees, said she would work with local and county officials to “try to reach out to the family and to the community to honor the memory of such a hero.”
The other Marines killed in the collision were Cpl. Gregory M.W. Fleury, 23, of Anchorage, Alaska; Capt. Eric A. Jones, 29, of Westchester, N.Y.; and Capt. Kyle R. Van De Giesen, 29, of North Attleboro, Mass.
Separately Monday, a U.S. military helicopter crashed while returning from the scene of a firefight with suspected Taliban drug traffickers in western Afghanistan, killing 10 Americans, including three DEA agents.
The two crashes made it the deadliest day for U.S. forces in Afghanistan in more than four years.
“[Seth] believed every bit in his service for our country … he knew it was his calling,” said friend Marci Weable. “We’re blessed to have had him be a part of our lives.”
The Associated Press contributed.
Ohio-bred Marine buried at Arlington
By Peter Urban
Gannett News Service
ARLINGTON, Va. — Three Apache Cobra helicopters swept across a clear blue sky over Arlington National Cemetery early Nov. 6 to pay tribute to a pilot killed last month in Afghanistan.
On the hallowed ground below, nearly 200 family, friends and fellow Marines had gathered atop a small knoll where the ashes of Marine Capt. David “Seth” Mitchell were placed on a horse-drawn caisson. A 1997 Loveland High School graduate, the Marine Corps pilot was killed Oct. 26 in a helicopter collision over southern Afghanistan. He had served two previous tours of duty in Iraq.
A Marine band and honor guard led the caisson and the crowd behind down a short road to the cemetery section, where hundreds of marble headstones mark the graves of the honored dead from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
Friends and family traveled from Ohio, North Carolina, Hawaii and Iraq to attend Mitchell’s burial. At the graveside ceremony, his parents, Steve and Connie, younger brother Drew, and aunt and uncle Dottie and Steve Stewart sat together as Chaplain Guy M. Lee offered words of comfort and a prayer.
Off to the side, a firing party fired three rifle volleys, and a lone bugler played Taps.
“We felt honored that so many were there honoring him, and that he did touch so many lives from within and outside of the military,” Steve Mitchell said after the ceremony.
At the graveside, Lt. Gen. George J. Flynn presented the family with an American flag used during the full honors ceremony and offered condolences on bended knee. Mitchell’s father wiped his eyes as Flynn spoke to them.
Flynn, commanding general of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command, volunteered to preside at the ceremony. His son was a close friend of Seth. They met at Virginia Tech and went through Officer Candidates School together.
Marine Gunnery Sgt. William Dixon also offered condolences to the family as he presented 20-year-old Drew with shot casings.
Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Ohio, stood with other family and friends. She offered the family an American flag that flew over the Capitol earlier in the week.
Although he was born in North Carolina, Mitchell considered Clermont County his home. His family moved there when he was 11. At Loveland High School, he played on the football team and was elected senior class president. His classmates voted him “Mr. Personality.”
Former classmates, teachers, friends and strangers gathered last week in the school lobby. Later, they moved outside to light candles in his memory. Feelings of shock and loss were evident. Tears fell freely as friends held one another. Mitchell’s former classmates, some now young parents, clutched their babies.
On Wednesday, 300 people attended his funeral at Colonial Baptist Church in Cary, N.C. His family had moved back there in 2001.
Mitchell, 30, joined the Marines in 2001 after graduating from Virginia Tech on an ROTC scholarship.
A member of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, he was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
During his time in the Marines, he received 10 medals and commendations, including the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
Marine Capt. David S. Mitchell was killed in action 10/26/09.
Marine Capt. David S. Mitchell, 30, of Loveland, Ohio
Capt. Mitchell was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 26, 2009 in a collision between a UH-1 and an AH-1 helicopter in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Also killed were Cpl. Gregory M.W. Fleury, Capt. Eric A. Jones and Capt. Kyle R. Van De Giesen.
Loveland Marine killed in Afghanistan
By Jennifer Baker, Barrett J. Brunsman and Carrie Whitaker
Cincinnati Enquirer via Gannett News Service
LOVELAND – David “Seth” Mitchell was known as “Mr. Personality” when he was president of the senior Class of 1997 at Loveland High School.
Even then the student council member, varsity football player and track runner dreamed of serving in the United States military, friends said Tuesday night at a prayer vigil held in his honor.
“I remember he didn’t want to take anyone’s life,” said friend and former teammate Nick Jackson. “He was thinking about this as a sophomore — he was so thoughtful but he felt such a duty to serve.”
Assistant Athletic Director Kevin Taylor said everybody got along with Mitchell.
“I don’t know that he had an enemy,” Taylor said.
But he did: terrorism.
Mitchell, a Cobra helicopter pilot for the Marine Corps, died Monday trying to defeat it in Afghanistan. He was 30.
Two Marine helicopters — a UH-1 and an AH-1 Cobra — collided in flight before sunrise over southern Afghanistan while supporting combat operations, the military disclosed Tuesday. He was one of four Marines killed. Two others were wounded.
His classmates at Loveland High School, teachers, friends and strangers gathered Tuesday night in the school lobby where Mitchell spent his high school years. Later, they moved outside to light candles in his memory.
The shock and loss was evident. Tears fell freely as friends held one another. His classmates, some now young parents, clutched their babies.
About a dozen gathered their courage to stand in front of television cameras and share their memories of Mitchell.
“Seth was my neighbor and he was also a friend,” said Chandra Johnson. “I always felt like when I had conversations with him – I always felt like what I was saying was important. When he talked to you he really wanted to know what you wanted to say.”
Erica Miller gladly helped organize the Class of 1997’s 10-year reunion when Mitchell’s responsibilities kept him too busy to plan it, she said. But he was sure to attend.
“At our class reunion, he was the first one on the dance floor and the last one to leave,” Miller said.
Mitchell grew up in Miami Township, but his family now lives in North Carolina. They could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. He has one sibling, friends said. He is the first Loveland High graduate to die in Afghanistan.
Teachers said Mitchell was the kind of student impossible to forget.
“He sat in the row by the window, third seat back,” said social studies teacher Jeff Geiger, who had Mitchell in his global issues class. “He was always prepared, always did his work. He was the type of kid every teacher wanted in the classroom. We knew he would be successful because he worked hard and was ready to go every day.”
Mitchell graduated from Virginia Tech, joined the Marine Corps in 2001 and was stationed at Camp Pendleton near San Diego, said Marine spokeswoman Cpl. Jessica Aranda.
A member of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, he was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
During his time in the Marines, he received 10 medals and commendations, including the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
A former Marine himself, Geiger said he was especially proud of Mitchell, who helped him stay in touch with Loveland High graduates after they joined the military.
“Seth being a Marine, I have kind of a special place in my heart for him,” Geiger said. “Seth was always willing to help out in any way that he could.
“We won’t let him be forgotten,” Geiger said. “He gives us his life. His sacrifice is why we are able to do what we do on a daily basis. Without men like Seth, who knows where we would be?”
Other teachers at Loveland jumped at the chance Tuesday to honor Mitchell’s memory with accolades.
Julie Powers, who teaches math and spent four years working with Mitchell as an adviser to student council, said Mitchell planned on being a pilot from a young age.
“I don’t know exactly what turned him onto that as a young boy,” Powers said, “but before he reached grade nine, one thing was on his radar screen, no pun intended.”
She said he exemplified the strong leadership demonstrated by the 180-member Class of 1997.
“He was someone who put 110 percent into everything he did, and he did everything,” Powers said.
Powers broke down in tears, then mentioned her son, a fourth-grade student.
“If my son would grow up to be even half the man Seth grew up to be, I will consider myself a success as a parent,” Powers said as she cried. “He was just an amazing kid.”
Mitchell was the second member of the military from Clermont County to die in Afghanistan.
Army Spc. Gregory James Missman, 36, of Union Township, an Amelia High School graduate, was killed by insurgents in July. Six residents have died in Iraq. Two other members of the military killed in Iraq had parents who lived in the county.
“I’m sure we will do something to honor one of Clermont County’s finest,” said County Commissioner Bob Proud, founder of the Whole in My Heart support group for the families and friends of those serving in Afghanistan or Iraq. “The first thing I’m going to try to do is contact his parents to express condolences on behalf of a grateful Clermont County. We will never forget his service or sacrifice.”
Mary Makley Wolff, chairwoman of the Miami Township Board of Trustees, said she would work with local and county officials to “try to reach out to the family and to the community to honor the memory of such a hero.”
The other Marines killed in the collision were Cpl. Gregory M.W. Fleury, 23, of Anchorage, Alaska; Capt. Eric A. Jones, 29, of Westchester, N.Y.; and Capt. Kyle R. Van De Giesen, 29, of North Attleboro, Mass.
Separately Monday, a U.S. military helicopter crashed while returning from the scene of a firefight with suspected Taliban drug traffickers in western Afghanistan, killing 10 Americans, including three DEA agents.
The two crashes made it the deadliest day for U.S. forces in Afghanistan in more than four years.
“[Seth] believed every bit in his service for our country … he knew it was his calling,” said friend Marci Weable. “We’re blessed to have had him be a part of our lives.”
The Associated Press contributed.
Ohio-bred Marine buried at Arlington
By Peter Urban
Gannett News Service
ARLINGTON, Va. — Three Apache Cobra helicopters swept across a clear blue sky over Arlington National Cemetery early Nov. 6 to pay tribute to a pilot killed last month in Afghanistan.
On the hallowed ground below, nearly 200 family, friends and fellow Marines had gathered atop a small knoll where the ashes of Marine Capt. David “Seth” Mitchell were placed on a horse-drawn caisson. A 1997 Loveland High School graduate, the Marine Corps pilot was killed Oct. 26 in a helicopter collision over southern Afghanistan. He had served two previous tours of duty in Iraq.
A Marine band and honor guard led the caisson and the crowd behind down a short road to the cemetery section, where hundreds of marble headstones mark the graves of the honored dead from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
Friends and family traveled from Ohio, North Carolina, Hawaii and Iraq to attend Mitchell’s burial. At the graveside ceremony, his parents, Steve and Connie, younger brother Drew, and aunt and uncle Dottie and Steve Stewart sat together as Chaplain Guy M. Lee offered words of comfort and a prayer.
Off to the side, a firing party fired three rifle volleys, and a lone bugler played Taps.
“We felt honored that so many were there honoring him, and that he did touch so many lives from within and outside of the military,” Steve Mitchell said after the ceremony.
At the graveside, Lt. Gen. George J. Flynn presented the family with an American flag used during the full honors ceremony and offered condolences on bended knee. Mitchell’s father wiped his eyes as Flynn spoke to them.
Flynn, commanding general of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command, volunteered to preside at the ceremony. His son was a close friend of Seth. They met at Virginia Tech and went through Officer Candidates School together.
Marine Gunnery Sgt. William Dixon also offered condolences to the family as he presented 20-year-old Drew with shot casings.
Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Ohio, stood with other family and friends. She offered the family an American flag that flew over the Capitol earlier in the week.
Although he was born in North Carolina, Mitchell considered Clermont County his home. His family moved there when he was 11. At Loveland High School, he played on the football team and was elected senior class president. His classmates voted him “Mr. Personality.”
Former classmates, teachers, friends and strangers gathered last week in the school lobby. Later, they moved outside to light candles in his memory. Feelings of shock and loss were evident. Tears fell freely as friends held one another. Mitchell’s former classmates, some now young parents, clutched their babies.
On Wednesday, 300 people attended his funeral at Colonial Baptist Church in Cary, N.C. His family had moved back there in 2001.
Mitchell, 30, joined the Marines in 2001 after graduating from Virginia Tech on an ROTC scholarship.
A member of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, he was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
During his time in the Marines, he received 10 medals and commendations, including the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
Marine Capt. David S. Mitchell was killed in action 10/26/09.
Army Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez, 23, of Reno, Nev.
Sgt. Chavez was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., died Oct. 26, 2009 of wounds suffered when the MH-47 helicopter he was aboard crashed in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan. Also killed were Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael P. Montgomery, Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons, Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb and Sgt. Nickolas A. Mueller.
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL --Las Vegas Army Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez-Chavez was a veteran combat soldier with six deployments under his belt when his helicopter crashed Monday, killing him and nine others from a special operations team who were returning from a fierce firefight with the Taliban in western Afghanistan.
He was also a 23-year-old guy with a muscular physique, a love of fast cars and a hopeful outlook, judging by the Myspace and Facebook profiles of him and his friends.
He was called “Sway” online, an apparent reference to how his first name was pronounced. He last logged onto his Myspace page a week before he died.
He listed his mood as “stoked” and wrote that “November is going to be a great month.” He listed his interests as “Cars, Cars, Cars, Boobs, Cars, Beer, and Cars. Yup, typical guy.”
He wrote that he was in a relationship, and had no children.
His mother, Eustolia Hernandez, was expected to escort his remains to his hometown, after President Barack Obama observed the transfer at Dover Air Force Base, Del., and a ceremony was held Thursday at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., home of the famed Night Stalkers 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, officials said.
Three who died in the crash at Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan, were U.S. drug enforcement agents. Eleven other U.S. troops, a U.S. civilian and 14 Afghans were injured in the crash, which occurred on the same day that two Marine helicopters collided in the southern province of Helmand.
The crashes, which killed 14 Americans, marked the heaviest single-day death toll for U.S. troops in Afghanistan since June 28, 2005, when 16 special forces troops died when their helicopter was shot down by enemy forces. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Shane Patton, of Boulder City, was killed in that attack.
A statement posted today on the Army Special Operations Command’s Web site said the Hernandez family acknowledges “the overwhelming and sincere outpouring of sympathy from the local community.”
“We sincerely appreciate the nation’s interest in Josue’s life and his contributions to our great nation,” the statement reads. They asked that the media respect their privacy.
According to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Hernandez-Chavez was a native of Las Vegas who joined the Army in February 2005. The Pentagon on Thursday listed his residence as Reno, but national locator records show his mother has lived in the Las Vegas Valley since at least 1995.
Their home in east Las Vegas appeared quiet today, though there were several cars parked behind a closed gate that surrounded the property.
There was an outpouring of grief online after his death become public.
A young blond woman who is pictured with him in romantic embraces wrote that her mood is “destroyed” and listed her status on Myspace as “i cant stop crying baby i miss you so much please come back to me!!”
The woman, identified on Myspace as Ioana Rotaru, wrote on Hernandez-Chavez’s page: “i miss you so much :((((( sweetie ... we will see each other soon :( RIP baby...”
Others poured out their emotions, as well:
“i miss u already”
“I remember all the plans we made for u when you were coming in Dec.”!
“always and forever in our hearts man”
He posted photos of his time in the military, at a Nine Inch Nails concert, celebrating New Year’s Eve in Puerto Rico, of him as a small child holding a teddy bear, and a dozen photos of a souped-up Audi, which he called “my baby.”
In his first year with his Army unit, he was a medium helicopter repairman. But, in August 2006 his title changed to flight engineer.
All six of his combat deployments were in support of the global war on terrorism.
His awards include two Army Commendation medals, the Army Good Conduct medal, the National Defense Service medal, the Afghanistan Campaign medal with campaign star, the Iraqi Campaign medal with campaign star, the Combat Action badge, the Basic Aviation badge and the Parachutist badge.
He was the 66th military personnel with ties to Nevada to die in the nation’s overseas wars since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, and the second to die in Afghanistan in a week’s span.
Army Pfc. Kimble A. Han, a 30-year-old former Cheyenne High School student from North Las Vegas, was killed in a roadside bomb attack Oct. 23.
The others from Hernandez-Chavez’s unit killed Monday were Chief Warrant Officer Michael P. Montgomery, 36, of Savannah, Ga.; Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyongs, 40, of Spokane, Wash.; Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, 24, of Terrell, Texas; Sgt. Nikolas A. Mueller, 26, of Little Chute, Wis.; Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, 32, of San Diego; and Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, 28, of Medford, N.Y.
Hernandez-Chavez is survived by his father, Pedro Hernandez; mother, Eustolia; and sisters Cristina and Mayra Hernandez, all from Las Vegas.
Army Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez was killed in action on 10/26/09.
Army Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez, 23, of Reno, Nev.
Sgt. Chavez was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., died Oct. 26, 2009 of wounds suffered when the MH-47 helicopter he was aboard crashed in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan. Also killed were Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael P. Montgomery, Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons, Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb and Sgt. Nickolas A. Mueller.
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL --Las Vegas Army Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez-Chavez was a veteran combat soldier with six deployments under his belt when his helicopter crashed Monday, killing him and nine others from a special operations team who were returning from a fierce firefight with the Taliban in western Afghanistan.
He was also a 23-year-old guy with a muscular physique, a love of fast cars and a hopeful outlook, judging by the Myspace and Facebook profiles of him and his friends.
He was called “Sway” online, an apparent reference to how his first name was pronounced. He last logged onto his Myspace page a week before he died.
He listed his mood as “stoked” and wrote that “November is going to be a great month.” He listed his interests as “Cars, Cars, Cars, Boobs, Cars, Beer, and Cars. Yup, typical guy.”
He wrote that he was in a relationship, and had no children.
His mother, Eustolia Hernandez, was expected to escort his remains to his hometown, after President Barack Obama observed the transfer at Dover Air Force Base, Del., and a ceremony was held Thursday at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., home of the famed Night Stalkers 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, officials said.
Three who died in the crash at Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan, were U.S. drug enforcement agents. Eleven other U.S. troops, a U.S. civilian and 14 Afghans were injured in the crash, which occurred on the same day that two Marine helicopters collided in the southern province of Helmand.
The crashes, which killed 14 Americans, marked the heaviest single-day death toll for U.S. troops in Afghanistan since June 28, 2005, when 16 special forces troops died when their helicopter was shot down by enemy forces. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Shane Patton, of Boulder City, was killed in that attack.
A statement posted today on the Army Special Operations Command’s Web site said the Hernandez family acknowledges “the overwhelming and sincere outpouring of sympathy from the local community.”
“We sincerely appreciate the nation’s interest in Josue’s life and his contributions to our great nation,” the statement reads. They asked that the media respect their privacy.
According to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Hernandez-Chavez was a native of Las Vegas who joined the Army in February 2005. The Pentagon on Thursday listed his residence as Reno, but national locator records show his mother has lived in the Las Vegas Valley since at least 1995.
Their home in east Las Vegas appeared quiet today, though there were several cars parked behind a closed gate that surrounded the property.
There was an outpouring of grief online after his death become public.
A young blond woman who is pictured with him in romantic embraces wrote that her mood is “destroyed” and listed her status on Myspace as “i cant stop crying baby i miss you so much please come back to me!!”
The woman, identified on Myspace as Ioana Rotaru, wrote on Hernandez-Chavez’s page: “i miss you so much :((((( sweetie ... we will see each other soon :( RIP baby...”
Others poured out their emotions, as well:
“i miss u already”
“I remember all the plans we made for u when you were coming in Dec.”!
“always and forever in our hearts man”
He posted photos of his time in the military, at a Nine Inch Nails concert, celebrating New Year’s Eve in Puerto Rico, of him as a small child holding a teddy bear, and a dozen photos of a souped-up Audi, which he called “my baby.”
In his first year with his Army unit, he was a medium helicopter repairman. But, in August 2006 his title changed to flight engineer.
All six of his combat deployments were in support of the global war on terrorism.
His awards include two Army Commendation medals, the Army Good Conduct medal, the National Defense Service medal, the Afghanistan Campaign medal with campaign star, the Iraqi Campaign medal with campaign star, the Combat Action badge, the Basic Aviation badge and the Parachutist badge.
He was the 66th military personnel with ties to Nevada to die in the nation’s overseas wars since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, and the second to die in Afghanistan in a week’s span.
Army Pfc. Kimble A. Han, a 30-year-old former Cheyenne High School student from North Las Vegas, was killed in a roadside bomb attack Oct. 23.
The others from Hernandez-Chavez’s unit killed Monday were Chief Warrant Officer Michael P. Montgomery, 36, of Savannah, Ga.; Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyongs, 40, of Spokane, Wash.; Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, 24, of Terrell, Texas; Sgt. Nikolas A. Mueller, 26, of Little Chute, Wis.; Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, 32, of San Diego; and Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, 28, of Medford, N.Y.
Hernandez-Chavez is survived by his father, Pedro Hernandez; mother, Eustolia; and sisters Cristina and Mayra Hernandez, all from Las Vegas.
Army Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez was killed in action on 10/26/09.
Army Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, 28, of Medford, N.Y.
SSgt Bishop was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.. died Oct. 26, 2009 of wounds suffered when the MH-47 helicopter he was aboard crashed in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan. Also killed were Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael P. Montgomery, Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons, Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez and Sgt. Nickolas A. Mueller.
The Patriot-News --For the second time in two months, a soldier with ties to the Carlisle area has died fighting in Afghanistan.
The Department of Defense announced this week that Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, 28, a Green Beret attached to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was among seven soldiers killed when their helicopter crashed Monday in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan.
Bishop's parents and two sisters live in Carlisle. Robert Bishop said his son had always wanted to join the military, but his desire was cemented following the 9/11 attacks.
Bishop said his son had a tour of duty in Iraq and was scheduled to deploy again when he learned he'd been accepted into the Green Beret program. It was a crowning achievement, he said.
"They only take a small group into training, and not everyone makes it, but he did," Robert Bishop said.
Keith Bishop is survived by his wife, Maggie, his parents and four siblings, including his twin sister, Kim Scheller, of Long Island, NY.
Army Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop was killed in action on 10/26/09.
Army Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, 28, of Medford, N.Y.
SSgt Bishop was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.. died Oct. 26, 2009 of wounds suffered when the MH-47 helicopter he was aboard crashed in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan. Also killed were Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael P. Montgomery, Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons, Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez and Sgt. Nickolas A. Mueller.
The Patriot-News --For the second time in two months, a soldier with ties to the Carlisle area has died fighting in Afghanistan.
The Department of Defense announced this week that Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, 28, a Green Beret attached to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was among seven soldiers killed when their helicopter crashed Monday in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan.
Bishop's parents and two sisters live in Carlisle. Robert Bishop said his son had always wanted to join the military, but his desire was cemented following the 9/11 attacks.
Bishop said his son had a tour of duty in Iraq and was scheduled to deploy again when he learned he'd been accepted into the Green Beret program. It was a crowning achievement, he said.
"They only take a small group into training, and not everyone makes it, but he did," Robert Bishop said.
Keith Bishop is survived by his wife, Maggie, his parents and four siblings, including his twin sister, Kim Scheller, of Long Island, NY.
Army Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop was killed in action on 10/26/09.
Army Sgt. Nikolas A. Mueller
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Nikolas A. Mueller, 26, of Little Chute, Wis.
Sgt. Mueller was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., died Oct. 26, 2009 of wounds suffered when the MH-47 helicopter he was aboard crashed in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan. Also killed were Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael P. Montgomery, Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons, Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb and Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez.
DoD IDs soldiers killed in Afghanistan crash
Staff report
The Defense Department has identified the seven special operations soldiers killed Oct. 26 when their MH-47 helicopter crashed in Badghis province in western Afghanistan.
Two of the soldiers were from 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group of Fort Bragg, N.C., and five were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment of Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.
Also killed in the crash were three agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Low visibility has been blamed for the crash, which happened about 3:30 a.m. when the soldiers and federal agents lifted off in the helicopter after an operation to disrupt arms smuggling and drug trafficking in the Darreh-ye Bum Village in Qadis District, according to information from the International Security Assistance Force.
Thick dust stirred up from the initial takeoff overwhelmed the visibility of the crew, according to ISAF. When the crew tried to correct the aircraft’s movement, it struck a tall structure and crashed.
The soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment of Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., were:
Chief Warrant Officer Michael P. Montgomery, 36, of Savannah, Ga.
Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons, 40, of Spokane, Wash.
Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, 24, of Terrell, Texas
Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez, 23, of Reno, Nev.
Sgt. Nikolas A. Mueller, 26, of Little Chute, Wis.
The two soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group of Fort Bragg, N.C., were Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, 32, of San Diego, Calif., and Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, 28, of Medford, N.Y.
Army Sgt. Nikolas A. Mueller was killed in action on 10/26/09.
Army Sgt. Nikolas A. Mueller, 26, of Little Chute, Wis.
Sgt. Mueller was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., died Oct. 26, 2009 of wounds suffered when the MH-47 helicopter he was aboard crashed in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan. Also killed were Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael P. Montgomery, Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons, Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb and Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez.
DoD IDs soldiers killed in Afghanistan crash
Staff report
The Defense Department has identified the seven special operations soldiers killed Oct. 26 when their MH-47 helicopter crashed in Badghis province in western Afghanistan.
Two of the soldiers were from 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group of Fort Bragg, N.C., and five were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment of Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.
Also killed in the crash were three agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Low visibility has been blamed for the crash, which happened about 3:30 a.m. when the soldiers and federal agents lifted off in the helicopter after an operation to disrupt arms smuggling and drug trafficking in the Darreh-ye Bum Village in Qadis District, according to information from the International Security Assistance Force.
Thick dust stirred up from the initial takeoff overwhelmed the visibility of the crew, according to ISAF. When the crew tried to correct the aircraft’s movement, it struck a tall structure and crashed.
The soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment of Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., were:
Chief Warrant Officer Michael P. Montgomery, 36, of Savannah, Ga.
Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons, 40, of Spokane, Wash.
Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, 24, of Terrell, Texas
Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez, 23, of Reno, Nev.
Sgt. Nikolas A. Mueller, 26, of Little Chute, Wis.
The two soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group of Fort Bragg, N.C., were Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, 32, of San Diego, Calif., and Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, 28, of Medford, N.Y.
Army Sgt. Nikolas A. Mueller was killed in action on 10/26/09.
Army Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, 32, of San Diego
SFC Metzger was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C., died Oct. 26, 2009 of wounds suffered when the MH-47 helicopter he was aboard crashed in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan. Also killed were Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael P. Montgomery, Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons, Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez and Sgt. Nickolas A. Mueller.
DoD IDs soldiers killed in Afghanistan crash
Staff report
The Defense Department has identified the seven special operations soldiers killed Oct. 26 when their MH-47 helicopter crashed in Badghis province in western Afghanistan.
Two of the soldiers were from 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group of Fort Bragg, N.C., and five were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment of Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.
Also killed in the crash were three agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Low visibility has been blamed for the crash, which happened about 3:30 a.m. when the soldiers and federal agents lifted off in the helicopter after an operation to disrupt arms smuggling and drug trafficking in the Darreh-ye Bum Village in Qadis District, according to information from the International Security Assistance Force.
Thick dust stirred up from the initial takeoff overwhelmed the visibility of the crew, according to ISAF. When the crew tried to correct the aircraft’s movement, it struck a tall structure and crashed.
The soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment of Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., were:
Chief Warrant Officer Michael P. Montgomery, 36, of Savannah, Ga.
Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons, 40, of Spokane, Wash.
Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, 24, of Terrell, Texas
Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez, 23, of Reno, Nev.
Sgt. Nikolas A. Mueller, 26, of Little Chute, Wis.
The two soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group of Fort Bragg, N.C., were Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, 32, of San Diego, Calif., and Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, 28, of Medford, N.Y.
Army Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger was killed in action on 10/26/09.
Army Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, 32, of San Diego
SFC Metzger was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C., died Oct. 26, 2009 of wounds suffered when the MH-47 helicopter he was aboard crashed in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan. Also killed were Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael P. Montgomery, Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons, Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez and Sgt. Nickolas A. Mueller.
DoD IDs soldiers killed in Afghanistan crash
Staff report
The Defense Department has identified the seven special operations soldiers killed Oct. 26 when their MH-47 helicopter crashed in Badghis province in western Afghanistan.
Two of the soldiers were from 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group of Fort Bragg, N.C., and five were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment of Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.
Also killed in the crash were three agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Low visibility has been blamed for the crash, which happened about 3:30 a.m. when the soldiers and federal agents lifted off in the helicopter after an operation to disrupt arms smuggling and drug trafficking in the Darreh-ye Bum Village in Qadis District, according to information from the International Security Assistance Force.
Thick dust stirred up from the initial takeoff overwhelmed the visibility of the crew, according to ISAF. When the crew tried to correct the aircraft’s movement, it struck a tall structure and crashed.
The soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment of Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., were:
Chief Warrant Officer Michael P. Montgomery, 36, of Savannah, Ga.
Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons, 40, of Spokane, Wash.
Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, 24, of Terrell, Texas
Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez, 23, of Reno, Nev.
Sgt. Nikolas A. Mueller, 26, of Little Chute, Wis.
The two soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group of Fort Bragg, N.C., were Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, 32, of San Diego, Calif., and Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, 28, of Medford, N.Y.
Army Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger was killed in action on 10/26/09.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael P. Montgomery
Remember Our Heroes
Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael P. Montgomery, 36, of Savannah, Ga.
CWO4 Montgomery was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., died Oct. 26, 2009 of wounds suffered when the MH-47 helicopter he was aboard crashed in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan. Also killed were Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons, Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez and Sgt. Nickolas A. Mueller.
The Seattle Times --A Redmond native was among seven U.S. Army Special Operations Command soldiers killed in a helicopter crash Monday in western Afghanistan.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael P. Montgomery, 36, was a pilot and electronic-warfare officer, according to the Department of Defense. The accident, with the regiment that's known as the Night Stalkers, still is under investigation, said the DOD.
Montgomery is survived by his mother, Mary Montgomery, of Redmond, and his wife and son, Anita and Riley Montgomery, of Savannah, Ga., said the department.
Family members could not be contacted.
Another Washington state native, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Niall D. Lyons, 40, who grew up in Spokane and was a pilot and tactical operations officer, also was killed in the crash.
The DOD said all the soldiers died as a result of injuries received when the MH-47 Chinook helicopter they were flying in crashed.
The department said Montgomery volunteered for the Army in October of 1991. He served four years in the National Guard and then was accepted into the Army Warrant Officer Program. He was a combat veteran with seven deployments, two in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and five in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Montgomery was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) in Savannah. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aeronautical Science from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in 2002.
A news release from the DOD shows Montgomery received many awards over the years: the Air Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, the Army Achievement Medal, four Army Reserve Component Achievement Medals, two National Defense Service Medals, Afghanistan Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Iraqi Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, and Senior Aviator Badge.
On Oct. 22, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment had another accident in which a Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a training mission off the coast of Virginia. One service member died, and eight were injured.
Col. Clayton Hutmacher, commander of the regiment, issued a statement on Friday about both crashes that said, in part:
"Every night, the uniquely skilled and highly trained Night Stalker aviators and crew members perform the most challenging and dangerous training and missions in support of our Special Operations brother. ...
"Both aircraft were flown by exceptionally qualified and professional crews. At this time it is unclear as to what caused the aircraft to crash and while it's important that we investigate and determine what caused these tragic events; our immediate and lasting concern is for the families and friends of these extraordinary men who served their country with distinction, made the ultimate sacrifice, and who lived by the motto: 'Night Stalkers Don't Quit.' "
Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael P. Montgomery was killed in action on 10/26/09.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael P. Montgomery, 36, of Savannah, Ga.
CWO4 Montgomery was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., died Oct. 26, 2009 of wounds suffered when the MH-47 helicopter he was aboard crashed in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan. Also killed were Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons, Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez and Sgt. Nickolas A. Mueller.
The Seattle Times --A Redmond native was among seven U.S. Army Special Operations Command soldiers killed in a helicopter crash Monday in western Afghanistan.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael P. Montgomery, 36, was a pilot and electronic-warfare officer, according to the Department of Defense. The accident, with the regiment that's known as the Night Stalkers, still is under investigation, said the DOD.
Montgomery is survived by his mother, Mary Montgomery, of Redmond, and his wife and son, Anita and Riley Montgomery, of Savannah, Ga., said the department.
Family members could not be contacted.
Another Washington state native, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Niall D. Lyons, 40, who grew up in Spokane and was a pilot and tactical operations officer, also was killed in the crash.
The DOD said all the soldiers died as a result of injuries received when the MH-47 Chinook helicopter they were flying in crashed.
The department said Montgomery volunteered for the Army in October of 1991. He served four years in the National Guard and then was accepted into the Army Warrant Officer Program. He was a combat veteran with seven deployments, two in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and five in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Montgomery was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) in Savannah. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aeronautical Science from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in 2002.
A news release from the DOD shows Montgomery received many awards over the years: the Air Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, the Army Achievement Medal, four Army Reserve Component Achievement Medals, two National Defense Service Medals, Afghanistan Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Iraqi Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, and Senior Aviator Badge.
On Oct. 22, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment had another accident in which a Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a training mission off the coast of Virginia. One service member died, and eight were injured.
Col. Clayton Hutmacher, commander of the regiment, issued a statement on Friday about both crashes that said, in part:
"Every night, the uniquely skilled and highly trained Night Stalker aviators and crew members perform the most challenging and dangerous training and missions in support of our Special Operations brother. ...
"Both aircraft were flown by exceptionally qualified and professional crews. At this time it is unclear as to what caused the aircraft to crash and while it's important that we investigate and determine what caused these tragic events; our immediate and lasting concern is for the families and friends of these extraordinary men who served their country with distinction, made the ultimate sacrifice, and who lived by the motto: 'Night Stalkers Don't Quit.' "
Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael P. Montgomery was killed in action on 10/26/09.
Army Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, 24, of Terrell, Texas
SSgt. McNabb was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Airfield, Ga. died Oct. 26, 2009 of wounds suffered when the MH-47 helicopter he was aboard crashed in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan. Also killed were Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael P. Montgomery, Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons, Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez and Sgt. Nickolas A. Mueller.
DoD IDs soldiers killed in Afghanistan crash
Staff report
The Defense Department has identified the seven special operations soldiers killed Oct. 26 when their MH-47 helicopter crashed in Badghis province in western Afghanistan.
Two of the soldiers were from 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group of Fort Bragg, N.C., and five were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment of Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.
Also killed in the crash were three agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Low visibility has been blamed for the crash, which happened about 3:30 a.m. when the soldiers and federal agents lifted off in the helicopter after an operation to disrupt arms smuggling and drug trafficking in the Darreh-ye Bum Village in Qadis District, according to information from the International Security Assistance Force.
Thick dust stirred up from the initial takeoff overwhelmed the visibility of the crew, according to ISAF. When the crew tried to correct the aircraft’s movement, it struck a tall structure and crashed.
The soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment of Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., were:
Chief Warrant Officer Michael P. Montgomery, 36, of Savannah, Ga.
Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons, 40, of Spokane, Wash.
Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, 24, of Terrell, Texas
Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez, 23, of Reno, Nev.
Sgt. Nikolas A. Mueller, 26, of Little Chute, Wis.
The two soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group of Fort Bragg, N.C., were Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, 32, of San Diego, Calif., and Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, 28, of Medford, N.Y.
Army Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb was killed in action on 10/26/09.
Army Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, 24, of Terrell, Texas
SSgt. McNabb was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Airfield, Ga. died Oct. 26, 2009 of wounds suffered when the MH-47 helicopter he was aboard crashed in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan. Also killed were Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael P. Montgomery, Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons, Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez and Sgt. Nickolas A. Mueller.
DoD IDs soldiers killed in Afghanistan crash
Staff report
The Defense Department has identified the seven special operations soldiers killed Oct. 26 when their MH-47 helicopter crashed in Badghis province in western Afghanistan.
Two of the soldiers were from 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group of Fort Bragg, N.C., and five were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment of Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.
Also killed in the crash were three agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Low visibility has been blamed for the crash, which happened about 3:30 a.m. when the soldiers and federal agents lifted off in the helicopter after an operation to disrupt arms smuggling and drug trafficking in the Darreh-ye Bum Village in Qadis District, according to information from the International Security Assistance Force.
Thick dust stirred up from the initial takeoff overwhelmed the visibility of the crew, according to ISAF. When the crew tried to correct the aircraft’s movement, it struck a tall structure and crashed.
The soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment of Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., were:
Chief Warrant Officer Michael P. Montgomery, 36, of Savannah, Ga.
Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons, 40, of Spokane, Wash.
Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, 24, of Terrell, Texas
Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez, 23, of Reno, Nev.
Sgt. Nikolas A. Mueller, 26, of Little Chute, Wis.
The two soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group of Fort Bragg, N.C., were Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, 32, of San Diego, Calif., and Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, 28, of Medford, N.Y.
Army Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb was killed in action on 10/26/09.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Niall Lyons
Remember Our Heroes
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Niall Lyons, 40, of Spokane, Wash.
CWO3 Lyons was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.; died Oct. 26 of wounds suffered when the MH-47 helicopter he was aboard crashed in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan. Also killed were Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael P. Montgomery, Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez and Sgt. Nickolas A. Mueller.
Dothaneagle.com -- Jesse Lee recently lost his neighbor.
But Lee said he lost more than a neighbor. He lost a friend when Niall Lyons recently died from the injuries he suffered in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan.
Lyons, 40, was one of 10 U.S. servicemen to die Monday after the Chinook helicopter they were flying in crashed in Western Afghanistan.
U.S. Army Sgt. Eric Hendrix, of the public affairs office at Fort Bragg, N.C., said Lyons was one of seven U.S. Army Special Operations Command Soldiers who died in the crash. Hendrix also confirmed three U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents also died in the crash.
“We shared life together for about four years,” Lee said. “He was the best neighbor I ever had. My family had gone through some difficult times, and he was there for us. He became more than just a neighbor, he was part of our family.”
Lyons lived in Dothan with his 8-year-old son, John Patrick Lyons. According to Lee and a U.S. Army statement, Lyons was a native of Spokane, Wash., and joined the Army in 1994, before his move to the Dothan in 1998.
Lyons served as an Army helicopter pilot, and according to information provided by the U.S. Army, he served as combat veteran with two deployments, including Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. According to an Army statement, Lyons was most recently assigned to 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Airborne Regiment in Savannah, Ga.
Lee recalled sharing many a meal with Lyons, including some over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Gussie Lee, Jesse’s wife, said she and her husband last saw Lyons over the Labor Day holiday weekend. Lee said Lyons was a member of St. Columba Catholic Church in Dothan.
“He was coming home in November, and he would’ve had Thanksgiving with us, and we would’ve gone fishing,” Jesse Lee said. “But what I’ll miss the most about him is his friendship.”
Phil Schmiesing of Enterprise attended a memorial service at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Ga., Friday afternoon with his wife, Robin Schmiesing, that honored several of the people who died in the crash, including Lyons. Phil Schmiesing said he first met Lyons about 10 years ago when he served as Lyons’ flight instructor.
“He’s like a brother to us,” said Robin Schmiesing. “Our home was his home when he came home, he spent Christmases with us. He loved spending time with his son. That was the joy of his life.”
Phil and Robin Schmiesing are god-parents to John Patrick Lyons.
Gussie Lee described Lyons as very patriotic and that he died doing what he believed in, serving his country.
Hendrix said the cause of the helicopter crash remained under investigation Friday. But he said enemy fire has been ruled out as a cause to the crash. He said dust could’ve likely got into the aircraft’s engine and caused the crash.
According to a statement from the DEA Web site, the three DEA agents had recently returned from a successful counter narcotics operation during which they served search warrants in a western province of Afghanistan when the crash happened.
“It was joint mission involving the DEA,” Hendrix said.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Niall Lyons was killed in action on 10/26/09.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Niall Lyons, 40, of Spokane, Wash.
CWO3 Lyons was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.; died Oct. 26 of wounds suffered when the MH-47 helicopter he was aboard crashed in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan. Also killed were Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael P. Montgomery, Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez and Sgt. Nickolas A. Mueller.
Dothaneagle.com -- Jesse Lee recently lost his neighbor.
But Lee said he lost more than a neighbor. He lost a friend when Niall Lyons recently died from the injuries he suffered in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan.
Lyons, 40, was one of 10 U.S. servicemen to die Monday after the Chinook helicopter they were flying in crashed in Western Afghanistan.
U.S. Army Sgt. Eric Hendrix, of the public affairs office at Fort Bragg, N.C., said Lyons was one of seven U.S. Army Special Operations Command Soldiers who died in the crash. Hendrix also confirmed three U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents also died in the crash.
“We shared life together for about four years,” Lee said. “He was the best neighbor I ever had. My family had gone through some difficult times, and he was there for us. He became more than just a neighbor, he was part of our family.”
Lyons lived in Dothan with his 8-year-old son, John Patrick Lyons. According to Lee and a U.S. Army statement, Lyons was a native of Spokane, Wash., and joined the Army in 1994, before his move to the Dothan in 1998.
Lyons served as an Army helicopter pilot, and according to information provided by the U.S. Army, he served as combat veteran with two deployments, including Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. According to an Army statement, Lyons was most recently assigned to 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Airborne Regiment in Savannah, Ga.
Lee recalled sharing many a meal with Lyons, including some over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Gussie Lee, Jesse’s wife, said she and her husband last saw Lyons over the Labor Day holiday weekend. Lee said Lyons was a member of St. Columba Catholic Church in Dothan.
“He was coming home in November, and he would’ve had Thanksgiving with us, and we would’ve gone fishing,” Jesse Lee said. “But what I’ll miss the most about him is his friendship.”
Phil Schmiesing of Enterprise attended a memorial service at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Ga., Friday afternoon with his wife, Robin Schmiesing, that honored several of the people who died in the crash, including Lyons. Phil Schmiesing said he first met Lyons about 10 years ago when he served as Lyons’ flight instructor.
“He’s like a brother to us,” said Robin Schmiesing. “Our home was his home when he came home, he spent Christmases with us. He loved spending time with his son. That was the joy of his life.”
Phil and Robin Schmiesing are god-parents to John Patrick Lyons.
Gussie Lee described Lyons as very patriotic and that he died doing what he believed in, serving his country.
Hendrix said the cause of the helicopter crash remained under investigation Friday. But he said enemy fire has been ruled out as a cause to the crash. He said dust could’ve likely got into the aircraft’s engine and caused the crash.
According to a statement from the DEA Web site, the three DEA agents had recently returned from a successful counter narcotics operation during which they served search warrants in a western province of Afghanistan when the crash happened.
“It was joint mission involving the DEA,” Hendrix said.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Niall Lyons was killed in action on 10/26/09.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Army Sgt. Eduviges G. Wolf
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Eduviges G. Wolf, 24, of Hawthorne, Calif.
Sgt. Wolf was assigned to the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Oct. 25, 2009 in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked her vehicle with a rocket-propelled grenade.
Funeral set for slain soldier
The Associated Press
ALEXANDRIA, S.D. — Funeral services are being held for a soldier with South Dakota ties who was killed in Afghanistan.
The Defense Department says 24-year-old Army Sgt. Eduviges “Duvi” Guadalupe Wolf of Hawthorne, Calif., died Oct. 25 when a rocket-propelled grenade hit her vehicle.
She leaves behind two children and a husband from the Alexandria area, who also has been stationed in Afghanistan.
Her funeral was scheduled for Nov. 3 in Alexandria, with burial in Farmer. The Rev. Tom Clement says the family of Wolf’s husband is from Farmer.
A statement from Gov. Mike Rounds says Wolf was a member of Alpha Company of the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Her death brings to 30 the number of service members with South Dakota connections who have died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003.
Carson service to remember 2 fallen soldiers
The Associated Press
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Fort Carson is holding a memorial service for two of its soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan in separate attacks.
The service Dec. 9 honors 24-year-old Sgt. Eduviges Guadalupe Wolf and 19-year-old Pfc. Devin J. Michel.
Wolf was assigned to the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. Michel was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Division, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
Wolf died Oct. 25 after a rocket-propelled grenade hit her vehicle. She is survived by two children and a husband who also was serving in Afghanistan.
Michel died Oct. 24 from wounds he suffered when his unit was attacked with an improvised bomb in Zhari province.
Army Sgt. Eduviges G. Wolf was killed in action on 10/25/09.
Army Sgt. Eduviges G. Wolf, 24, of Hawthorne, Calif.
Sgt. Wolf was assigned to the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Oct. 25, 2009 in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked her vehicle with a rocket-propelled grenade.
Funeral set for slain soldier
The Associated Press
ALEXANDRIA, S.D. — Funeral services are being held for a soldier with South Dakota ties who was killed in Afghanistan.
The Defense Department says 24-year-old Army Sgt. Eduviges “Duvi” Guadalupe Wolf of Hawthorne, Calif., died Oct. 25 when a rocket-propelled grenade hit her vehicle.
She leaves behind two children and a husband from the Alexandria area, who also has been stationed in Afghanistan.
Her funeral was scheduled for Nov. 3 in Alexandria, with burial in Farmer. The Rev. Tom Clement says the family of Wolf’s husband is from Farmer.
A statement from Gov. Mike Rounds says Wolf was a member of Alpha Company of the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Her death brings to 30 the number of service members with South Dakota connections who have died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003.
Carson service to remember 2 fallen soldiers
The Associated Press
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Fort Carson is holding a memorial service for two of its soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan in separate attacks.
The service Dec. 9 honors 24-year-old Sgt. Eduviges Guadalupe Wolf and 19-year-old Pfc. Devin J. Michel.
Wolf was assigned to the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. Michel was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Division, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
Wolf died Oct. 25 after a rocket-propelled grenade hit her vehicle. She is survived by two children and a husband who also was serving in Afghanistan.
Michel died Oct. 24 from wounds he suffered when his unit was attacked with an improvised bomb in Zhari province.
Army Sgt. Eduviges G. Wolf was killed in action on 10/25/09.
Army Spc. Brandon K. Steffey
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Brandon K. Steffey, 23, of Sault Sainte Marie, Mich.
Spc. Steffey was assigned to the 178th Military Police Detachment, 89th Military Police Brigade, III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas; died Oct. 25, 2009 in Laghman province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
CARLSBAD — Former Carlsbad resident Andrea (Kurinski) Steffey's husband was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan Sunday.
Army Specialist Brandon Steffey, 23, was a canine tracker handler for Forward Operating Base Fenty Kennel in the Laghman Province of Afghanistan. He was a native of Sault St. Marie, Mich., and based out of Fort Hood, Texas. He joined the Army in 2006, spending time as a K-9 handler in Afghanistan and a gunner in Iraq.
"While other dogs found bombs, his dog Maci would track the scent of the terrorist," said Geraldine Smith, Andrea Steffey's grandmother. "They haven't been officially told if Maci died with Brandon, but they're sure he did since they were never separated."
"He loved that dog and said it had become his best friend," she added, noting that the dog was leased to him, not the Army.
"The last time Andrea talked with him was Saturday, the day before he was killed. He told her he was going out on a mission," said Smith.
Smith was listening to CNN when a reporter told of two soldiers who had been killed, one by a roadside bomb and another in a fire fight. She heard of Brandon's death later that day from her daughter.
"Andrea heard the door bell ring on Sunday and looked out and saw an Army official and the chaplain," Smith said. "She ran upstairs to her mother saying, 'I can't do this - I can't do this.'
"She knew and didn't want to hear it," she added.
Andrea was born and raised in Carlsbad. She is the daughter of David Kurinski and Crystal Gilg. She went to live with her mother in San Antonio to go to school while Brandon was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. The couple have an 18-month-old daughter, Abigail.
In an interview on Oct. 18, a week before his death, Brandon talked about Maci and other dogs that help find militants who build, place and detonate IEDs (improvised explosive devices). The interview took place in Laghman Province, and the story was written by Spc. Derek L. Kuhn.
"During my last deployment in Iraq, I couldn't do my job," Steffey said to the reporter. "I was a gunner, but here I'm doing my job. I like being able to get the bad guys with my dog. They (the dogs) are like soldiers. They risk their lives just like us. Their lives are in our hands and that is why we look out for them.
"Dealing with a dog, teaching a dog and watching him execute his job is very rewarding. I spend a lot of time with my dog and he is my best friend. We're a team," Steffey told the reporter.
The Army flew Andrea to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to meet the plane carrying Brandon and others who were killed in the line of duty. He will be buried in Sault St. Marie some time next week. There will also be a memorial service held at a later date at Ft. Hood, explained Smith.
"No one was with her when he was brought off the plane at Dover," Smith said.
She last saw Brandon in May before he left to go to Iraq in June.
"He was a fun loving young man and loved to make people laugh," Smith said. "He adored his wife and his little girl Abby."
"Every time Abby sees a cell phone she picks it up and says, 'Hello, Daddy,'" she added.
Smith was a military wife, and when she thinks of Brandon and other fallen soldiers, she believes they need to televise every one of the soldiers' bodies being taken off the planes.
"The public needs to know how many we lose every day," Smith said.
"Instead of flowers we decided we're going to buy Brandon a star online so Andrea can tell Abby - there's your daddy's star," she said.
Army Spc. Brandon K. Steffey was killed in action on 10/25/09.
Army Spc. Brandon K. Steffey, 23, of Sault Sainte Marie, Mich.
Spc. Steffey was assigned to the 178th Military Police Detachment, 89th Military Police Brigade, III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas; died Oct. 25, 2009 in Laghman province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
CARLSBAD — Former Carlsbad resident Andrea (Kurinski) Steffey's husband was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan Sunday.
Army Specialist Brandon Steffey, 23, was a canine tracker handler for Forward Operating Base Fenty Kennel in the Laghman Province of Afghanistan. He was a native of Sault St. Marie, Mich., and based out of Fort Hood, Texas. He joined the Army in 2006, spending time as a K-9 handler in Afghanistan and a gunner in Iraq.
"While other dogs found bombs, his dog Maci would track the scent of the terrorist," said Geraldine Smith, Andrea Steffey's grandmother. "They haven't been officially told if Maci died with Brandon, but they're sure he did since they were never separated."
"He loved that dog and said it had become his best friend," she added, noting that the dog was leased to him, not the Army.
"The last time Andrea talked with him was Saturday, the day before he was killed. He told her he was going out on a mission," said Smith.
Smith was listening to CNN when a reporter told of two soldiers who had been killed, one by a roadside bomb and another in a fire fight. She heard of Brandon's death later that day from her daughter.
"Andrea heard the door bell ring on Sunday and looked out and saw an Army official and the chaplain," Smith said. "She ran upstairs to her mother saying, 'I can't do this - I can't do this.'
"She knew and didn't want to hear it," she added.
Andrea was born and raised in Carlsbad. She is the daughter of David Kurinski and Crystal Gilg. She went to live with her mother in San Antonio to go to school while Brandon was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. The couple have an 18-month-old daughter, Abigail.
In an interview on Oct. 18, a week before his death, Brandon talked about Maci and other dogs that help find militants who build, place and detonate IEDs (improvised explosive devices). The interview took place in Laghman Province, and the story was written by Spc. Derek L. Kuhn.
"During my last deployment in Iraq, I couldn't do my job," Steffey said to the reporter. "I was a gunner, but here I'm doing my job. I like being able to get the bad guys with my dog. They (the dogs) are like soldiers. They risk their lives just like us. Their lives are in our hands and that is why we look out for them.
"Dealing with a dog, teaching a dog and watching him execute his job is very rewarding. I spend a lot of time with my dog and he is my best friend. We're a team," Steffey told the reporter.
The Army flew Andrea to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to meet the plane carrying Brandon and others who were killed in the line of duty. He will be buried in Sault St. Marie some time next week. There will also be a memorial service held at a later date at Ft. Hood, explained Smith.
"No one was with her when he was brought off the plane at Dover," Smith said.
She last saw Brandon in May before he left to go to Iraq in June.
"He was a fun loving young man and loved to make people laugh," Smith said. "He adored his wife and his little girl Abby."
"Every time Abby sees a cell phone she picks it up and says, 'Hello, Daddy,'" she added.
Smith was a military wife, and when she thinks of Brandon and other fallen soldiers, she believes they need to televise every one of the soldiers' bodies being taken off the planes.
"The public needs to know how many we lose every day," Smith said.
"Instead of flowers we decided we're going to buy Brandon a star online so Andrea can tell Abby - there's your daddy's star," she said.
Army Spc. Brandon K. Steffey was killed in action on 10/25/09.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Army Pfc. Devin J. Michel
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Devin J. Michel, 19, of Stockton, Ill.
Pfc. Michel was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Oct. 24, 2009 in Zhari province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
STOCKTON (WREX) - A soldier from Stockton was killed while serving in the War on Terror.
Pfc. Devin J. Michel, 19, died when an improvised explosive device went off.
He was on his first tour of duty in Afghanistan. Michel joined the army in June 2008 and was sent to Afghanistan in May 2009.
He's earned the Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Combat Infantry Badge during his time of service.
Michel was a member of the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
Army Pfc. Devin J. Michel was killed in action on 10/24/09.
Army Pfc. Devin J. Michel, 19, of Stockton, Ill.
Pfc. Michel was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Oct. 24, 2009 in Zhari province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
STOCKTON (WREX) - A soldier from Stockton was killed while serving in the War on Terror.
Pfc. Devin J. Michel, 19, died when an improvised explosive device went off.
He was on his first tour of duty in Afghanistan. Michel joined the army in June 2008 and was sent to Afghanistan in May 2009.
He's earned the Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Combat Infantry Badge during his time of service.
Michel was a member of the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
Army Pfc. Devin J. Michel was killed in action on 10/24/09.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Army Pfc. Kimble A. Han
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Kimble A. Han, 30, of Lehi, Utah
Pfc. Han was assigned to the 569th Mobility Augmentation Company, 4th Engineer Battalion, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Oct. 23, 2009 in Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. Also killed was Spc. Eric N. Lembke.
Desert News -- The last thing Lisa Barnes said to her son, Kimble A. Han, was to be careful.
"'You be safe,' I said. But he didn't always listen to me," said Barnes in her Saratoga Springs home Monday.
Barnes had returned the night before from Dover Air Force Base, Del., where she watched as six solders carried her son's remains from an Air Force transport jet.
"He's a hero," Barnes said. "I just wish he could have found another way to make me proud."
Han, 30, an Army private first class, was one of two soldiers who died in Afghanistan last Friday when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
The Department of Defense announced Monday that Han and Spec. Eric N. Lembke, 25, of Tampa, Fla., were killed.
The Department of Defense announced Monday that Han and Spec. Eric N. Lembke, 25, of Tampa, Fla., were killed.
Both served with the 569th Mobility Augmentation Co., 4th Engineer Battalion out of Fort Carson, Colo. The unit, according to a CNN story earlier this year, had barely begun operations in Iraq in late February when it was ordered to Kandahar in Afghanistan.
According to the commander, the shift in the unit's focus was the result of renewed attention on bolstering efforts in Afghanistan, where the battalion specialized in route clearance — finding and destroying land mines and bombs.
Han was the second of eight children, His father died in car accident when he was 14. The family moved around a lot, living in Nevada, Colorado, Oregon and Washington before his family settled in Saratoga Springs five years ago.
"It's been hard on him," his mother said. "He kind of lost his way for a while."
He had attended LDS Business College for a short time, and has made a living as a construction worker.
"He started to straighten up the last two years and joined the military in an effort to reclaim himself," Barnes said. The discipline of military service apparently worked. "When I went to see him graduate from basic training, I had my son back."
Family members describe Han as a gifted athlete and an ardent New England Patriots fan. His enlistment didn't surprise his mother.
"He was my little warrior from the time he was born," Barnes said. "He had spunk. He was never scared of anything or anybody. Last week was the first time I ever heard fear in his voice."
She said her son had expressed interest in returning to the LDS faith in which he had been raised, and said the family was relying on their religious belief right now.
"We've been through loss before with his father. Now that we've lost Kimble, it's like God is taking care of us," she said. U.S. Flags decorate the Barnes' front yard, placed by members of the local LDS ward.
Army Pfc. Kimble A. Han was killed in action on 10/23/09.
Army Pfc. Kimble A. Han, 30, of Lehi, Utah
Pfc. Han was assigned to the 569th Mobility Augmentation Company, 4th Engineer Battalion, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Oct. 23, 2009 in Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. Also killed was Spc. Eric N. Lembke.
Desert News -- The last thing Lisa Barnes said to her son, Kimble A. Han, was to be careful.
"'You be safe,' I said. But he didn't always listen to me," said Barnes in her Saratoga Springs home Monday.
Barnes had returned the night before from Dover Air Force Base, Del., where she watched as six solders carried her son's remains from an Air Force transport jet.
"He's a hero," Barnes said. "I just wish he could have found another way to make me proud."
Han, 30, an Army private first class, was one of two soldiers who died in Afghanistan last Friday when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
The Department of Defense announced Monday that Han and Spec. Eric N. Lembke, 25, of Tampa, Fla., were killed.
The Department of Defense announced Monday that Han and Spec. Eric N. Lembke, 25, of Tampa, Fla., were killed.
Both served with the 569th Mobility Augmentation Co., 4th Engineer Battalion out of Fort Carson, Colo. The unit, according to a CNN story earlier this year, had barely begun operations in Iraq in late February when it was ordered to Kandahar in Afghanistan.
According to the commander, the shift in the unit's focus was the result of renewed attention on bolstering efforts in Afghanistan, where the battalion specialized in route clearance — finding and destroying land mines and bombs.
Han was the second of eight children, His father died in car accident when he was 14. The family moved around a lot, living in Nevada, Colorado, Oregon and Washington before his family settled in Saratoga Springs five years ago.
"It's been hard on him," his mother said. "He kind of lost his way for a while."
He had attended LDS Business College for a short time, and has made a living as a construction worker.
"He started to straighten up the last two years and joined the military in an effort to reclaim himself," Barnes said. The discipline of military service apparently worked. "When I went to see him graduate from basic training, I had my son back."
Family members describe Han as a gifted athlete and an ardent New England Patriots fan. His enlistment didn't surprise his mother.
"He was my little warrior from the time he was born," Barnes said. "He had spunk. He was never scared of anything or anybody. Last week was the first time I ever heard fear in his voice."
She said her son had expressed interest in returning to the LDS faith in which he had been raised, and said the family was relying on their religious belief right now.
"We've been through loss before with his father. Now that we've lost Kimble, it's like God is taking care of us," she said. U.S. Flags decorate the Barnes' front yard, placed by members of the local LDS ward.
Army Pfc. Kimble A. Han was killed in action on 10/23/09.
Army Spc. Eric N. Lembke
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Eric N. Lembke, 25, of Tampa, Fla.
Spc. Lembke was assigned to the 569th Mobility Augmentation Company, 4th Engineer Battalion, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Oct. 23, 2009 in Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. Also killed was Pfc. Kimble A. Han.
The Ledger -- Plant City High graduate Eric Lembke joined the Army two years ago hoping to give his family a better life by the time his tour in Afghanistan ended next year.
But Friday, the 25-year-old Army specialist was killed when an explosive device hit his vehicle, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. His body was returned to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Sunday.
Lembke's brother, 47-year-old Robert Lembke, and Robert's wife, Mary, of Denver, said they didn't even know Lembke had been deployed, and they never said goodbye.
Lembke was adopted by his foster mother, Robert's mother, Dorothy Lembke, when he was a teenager. At the time, his name was Michael Beckum, Mary said. He changed it to Eric Lembke when Dorothy took him in.
Because the two were so far apart in age, Robert Lembke said he and his brother didn't get to know each other until later in life, when Robert came back to Florida from Colorado in 2000 to care for his parents.
Robert remembers how interested Eric Lembke was in the Army. Robert had served for four years when he was 17, and their father was also a veteran.
At the time, Eric Lembke was working at Kash n' Karry — a good job, but "he wanted to take better care of his family," Robert said. "He wanted something better to do with his life."
Eric Lembke married young and eventually had two children, now 7 and 3, Mary Lembke said. He and his wife, Mashalle, moved to Colorado Springs, Colo., in 2008.
"He did everything he did to provide for his family," Mary Lembke said. "It's just really heartbreaking."
Army Spc. Eric N. Lembke was killed in action on 10/23/09.
Army Spc. Eric N. Lembke, 25, of Tampa, Fla.
Spc. Lembke was assigned to the 569th Mobility Augmentation Company, 4th Engineer Battalion, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Oct. 23, 2009 in Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. Also killed was Pfc. Kimble A. Han.
The Ledger -- Plant City High graduate Eric Lembke joined the Army two years ago hoping to give his family a better life by the time his tour in Afghanistan ended next year.
But Friday, the 25-year-old Army specialist was killed when an explosive device hit his vehicle, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. His body was returned to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Sunday.
Lembke's brother, 47-year-old Robert Lembke, and Robert's wife, Mary, of Denver, said they didn't even know Lembke had been deployed, and they never said goodbye.
Lembke was adopted by his foster mother, Robert's mother, Dorothy Lembke, when he was a teenager. At the time, his name was Michael Beckum, Mary said. He changed it to Eric Lembke when Dorothy took him in.
Because the two were so far apart in age, Robert Lembke said he and his brother didn't get to know each other until later in life, when Robert came back to Florida from Colorado in 2000 to care for his parents.
Robert remembers how interested Eric Lembke was in the Army. Robert had served for four years when he was 17, and their father was also a veteran.
At the time, Eric Lembke was working at Kash n' Karry — a good job, but "he wanted to take better care of his family," Robert said. "He wanted something better to do with his life."
Eric Lembke married young and eventually had two children, now 7 and 3, Mary Lembke said. He and his wife, Mashalle, moved to Colorado Springs, Colo., in 2008.
"He did everything he did to provide for his family," Mary Lembke said. "It's just really heartbreaking."
Army Spc. Eric N. Lembke was killed in action on 10/23/09.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Army Spc. Kyle A. Coumas
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Kyle A. Coumas, 22, of Lockeford, Calif
Spc. Coumas was assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Oct. 21, 2009 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
Lodi News-Sentinel -- A Lockeford soldier died Wednesday in Afghanistan when his vehicle was attacked by an improvised explosive device.
U.S. Army Spc. Kyle A. Coumas, 22, died in Kandahar province of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle, the U.S. Army and Department of Defense announced Thursday morning.
"I just talked to him two days ago on Facebook," said Danny Dunne, an English teacher at St. Mary's High School in Stockton, where Coumas graduated in 2005. "Two days later, he's gone. It's difficult to take."
Funeral services are pending.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger acknowledged Coumas' death and announced that flags at the State Capitol in Sacramento will be flown at half-staff.
"Spc. Kyle Coumas was a courageous soldier who gave his life while fighting to protect our country," Schwarzenegger said in a prepared statement. "Californians will never forget Kyle's unwavering commitment to our nation, and we are forever indebted to his service. Maria and I send our thoughts and prayers to all of Kyle's loved ones."
The son of Michael and Lori Coumas, of Lockeford, Kyle Coumas began his tour of active duty in February 2007 and was assigned that June to Fort Lewis, Wash. He went to Afghanistan three months ago. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.
"I remember him as very bright, a bit shy and reserved (as a sophomore)," Dunne said. "I had him again as a senior, and he opened up much more. I noticed he was much more mature than your average senior."
Dunne arrived at school Thursday morning and found an e-mail informing him of Coumas' death. Coumas was a student of Dunne's and was active in the school's Chess Club, which Dunne advised.
"At St. Mary's, we pray every day," Dunne said Thursday. "We did a special prayer for Kyle."
Even in his sophomore year, Dunne recalls, Coumas wanted to serve in the armed forces.
"His journal writing and drawings would be about the military," Dunne added.
Coumas earned awards and decorations, including the National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal and Army Service Ribbon, according to a news release from Fort Lewis.
After Coumas graduated from St. Mary's, he and Dunne became friends. With four daughters, Dunne considered Coumas a surrogate son. They corresponded regularly by e-mail and through the Facebook social networking site.
"He was doing pretty well," Dunne said. "He seemed to be proud of what he was doing. He was happy."
Before attending high school, Coumas attended Mokelumne River School in Acampo before transferring to Century Christian School in Lodi for seventh grade.
Coumas was a close friend of Matthew Aguire of Galt. They attended Mokelumne River School and carpooled to St. Mary's, according to Liz Aguire, Matthew's mother.
"He was very serious about what he was doing — a nice kid who would give the shirt off his back," Liz Aguire said. "I still think of him as a kid."
Coumas performed in the band at St. Mary's and enjoyed competing in an annual band tournament at Disneyland, she said.
Liz Aguire and her son would visit Coumas at Fort Lewis whenever they visited Aguire's mother nearby. They would pick Coumas up at the base and take him to Aguire's mother's home.
Army Spc. Kyle A. Coumas was killed in action on 10/21/09.
Army Spc. Kyle A. Coumas, 22, of Lockeford, Calif
Spc. Coumas was assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Oct. 21, 2009 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
Lodi News-Sentinel -- A Lockeford soldier died Wednesday in Afghanistan when his vehicle was attacked by an improvised explosive device.
U.S. Army Spc. Kyle A. Coumas, 22, died in Kandahar province of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle, the U.S. Army and Department of Defense announced Thursday morning.
"I just talked to him two days ago on Facebook," said Danny Dunne, an English teacher at St. Mary's High School in Stockton, where Coumas graduated in 2005. "Two days later, he's gone. It's difficult to take."
Funeral services are pending.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger acknowledged Coumas' death and announced that flags at the State Capitol in Sacramento will be flown at half-staff.
"Spc. Kyle Coumas was a courageous soldier who gave his life while fighting to protect our country," Schwarzenegger said in a prepared statement. "Californians will never forget Kyle's unwavering commitment to our nation, and we are forever indebted to his service. Maria and I send our thoughts and prayers to all of Kyle's loved ones."
The son of Michael and Lori Coumas, of Lockeford, Kyle Coumas began his tour of active duty in February 2007 and was assigned that June to Fort Lewis, Wash. He went to Afghanistan three months ago. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.
"I remember him as very bright, a bit shy and reserved (as a sophomore)," Dunne said. "I had him again as a senior, and he opened up much more. I noticed he was much more mature than your average senior."
Dunne arrived at school Thursday morning and found an e-mail informing him of Coumas' death. Coumas was a student of Dunne's and was active in the school's Chess Club, which Dunne advised.
"At St. Mary's, we pray every day," Dunne said Thursday. "We did a special prayer for Kyle."
Even in his sophomore year, Dunne recalls, Coumas wanted to serve in the armed forces.
"His journal writing and drawings would be about the military," Dunne added.
Coumas earned awards and decorations, including the National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal and Army Service Ribbon, according to a news release from Fort Lewis.
After Coumas graduated from St. Mary's, he and Dunne became friends. With four daughters, Dunne considered Coumas a surrogate son. They corresponded regularly by e-mail and through the Facebook social networking site.
"He was doing pretty well," Dunne said. "He seemed to be proud of what he was doing. He was happy."
Before attending high school, Coumas attended Mokelumne River School in Acampo before transferring to Century Christian School in Lodi for seventh grade.
Coumas was a close friend of Matthew Aguire of Galt. They attended Mokelumne River School and carpooled to St. Mary's, according to Liz Aguire, Matthew's mother.
"He was very serious about what he was doing — a nice kid who would give the shirt off his back," Liz Aguire said. "I still think of him as a kid."
Coumas performed in the band at St. Mary's and enjoyed competing in an annual band tournament at Disneyland, she said.
Liz Aguire and her son would visit Coumas at Fort Lewis whenever they visited Aguire's mother nearby. They would pick Coumas up at the base and take him to Aguire's mother's home.
Army Spc. Kyle A. Coumas was killed in action on 10/21/09.
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