Remember Our Heroes
Navy Lt. Miroslav S. Zilberman, 31, of Columbus, Ohio
Lt. Zilberman was assigned to Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 121, based at Naval Base Norfolk, Va.; died after his E-2C Hawkeye crashed into the Arabian Gulf on March 31, 2010. The recovery effort was abandoned on April 2, 2010 and his body was not recovered.
A Navy pilot whose family came to this country to make a better life for him has been declared dead after a plane crash in the Arabian Sea.
The body of Lt. Miroslav "Steven" Zilberman, 31, was not recovered after his E-2C Hawkeye crashed Wednesday, Pentagon officials announced. The search for Zilberman was abandoned Friday, they said.
Zilberman, who also went by Steven or his childhood nickname, Slavic, came to the Columbus area from Ukraine in 1991 with his parents. He was a 1997 graduate of Bexley High School, where he ran cross country and competed in wrestling.
He joined the Navy after graduation, following in the footsteps of his grandfather Gregory Sokolov, who was a major in the Soviet Army in World War II. The family was profiled in a 1997 Dispatch story about Zilberman's decision to join the military.
Family members declined to talk to a reporter when contacted at their home in Bexley yesterday.
The Navy said Saturday that Lt. Zilberman's plane went down in the North Arabian Sea after it "experienced mechanical malfunctions." Three other crew members survived the crash without significant injuries.
The E-2C Hawkeye is used primarily to detect incoming aircraft. Zilberman was assigned to Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 121.
Zilberman's mother, Anna Sokolov, told The Dispatch in 1997 that she was nervous about her son joining the military. One of the reasons the couple decided to come to America was so he would not face compulsory military service.
She had a change of heart after he completed boot camp, however.
"When I saw him at the graduation, I was really proud of him."
MANAMA, Bahrain — The Navy says it has called off search and rescue efforts for a pilot who went missing after his plane crashed in the Persian Gulf region, and the Department of Defense has declared him deceased.
Lt. Zilberman’s plane, from Norfolk, Va.-based Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 121, was returning to the carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower following a mission supporting operations in Afghanistan.
Zilberman, 31, was flying an E-2C Hawkeye, which is primarily used to detect incoming aircraft with its 24-foot diameter radar. Born in the Ukraine, Zilberman was from Columbus, Ohio, and had served in the Navy for eight years.
Lt. Steven Zilberman was born Miroslav Zilberman in Ukraine, but considered Columbus, Ohio, his hometown where he graduated from Bexley High School in 1997. Friends describe Zilberman as "a Jew who came to America and fought for freedom" and, "a wonderful husband and father." Lt. Zilberman served in the U.S. Navy for nearly eight years.
"This is a heart-wrenching loss for the Zilberman family and the Bluetail family," said Cmdr. Joseph F. Finn, CAEWS 121's commanding officer. "It is our exceptional people that are the strength of our community and our Navy. Steven was one such individual. He bravely and willingly accepted the risks of an inherently dangerous job. He was a fine aviator and we are better people for having him in our lives. I extend my deepest sympathy to Steven's family and friends. He will not be forgotten."
Several ships and aircraft, including USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, searched more than 5,300 square miles for the missing aviator.
"Lt. Zilberman was an exceptional Naval Officer and pilot who embodied the best of what America represents," said Capt. Roy Kelley, commander, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7. "We are deeply saddened by this tremendous loss of a fellow aviator and Shipmate. He will be truly missed, and our heart goes out to the Zilberman family during this very difficult time. "
Steven Zilberman is survived by his wife Katrina, two children (no names or ages given) and parents Boris and Anna Zilberman, as well as his Navy shipmates and Bluetail family.
Memorial services for Lt. Zilberman in Ohio have not been released by the family yet. On April 7th, a Memmorial Service will be held aboard the USS Eisenhower and Lt. Steven Zilberman will be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (NCM), and an Air Medal.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Army Staff Sgt. Scott W. Brunkhorst
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Scott W. Brunkhorst, 25, of Fayetteville, N.C.
SSgt Brunkhorst was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died March 30, 2010 in the Arghandab River Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
FORT BRAGG (WTVD) -- An 82nd Airborne Division Paratrooper was killed in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan last Tuesday, while his unit was conducting a dismounted patrol.
Staff Sgt. Scott W. Brunkhorst, a 25-year-old native of Fayetteville N.C., was killed in action when his dismounted patrol detonated an improvised explosive device in the Arghandab River Valley in southern Afghanistan.
The Army and his family says Sgt. Brunkhorst put the lives of his soldiers before his own, and took the brunt of the blast to protect his men.
"He loved his men and would do anything for them," Brunkhorst's wife Krystal Brunkhorst said.
Sgt. Brunkhorst's father says Brunkhorst followed him and his brother in military service. He was assigned to Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team.
But Scott Brunkhorst's aunt and grandmother, who live in Perrysburg, will never forget their lovable, caring 25-year-old who they say originally enlisted to pay for college, but grew to love the comradarie.
SSG Brunkhorst spent two years with his relatives in New Jersey. Despite his mischievous side, they say he was a determined young man who left behind a wife and daughter.
"To me, he was very patriotic," said Marie Lohr, his grandmother. "The whole family says that. He was very caring and loving and if anything when this happened he would have been thinking of the other guys trying to take care of them. He was very close to use and we loved him very much. To the family we consider him a hero."
"I want them to realize a war is still going on and these young men are still out there dying," added Sandra Brunkhorst, the soldier's aunt. "People are going on as if everything's the same and everything but these young men are dying for them."
BRIDGEWATER — Scott Brunkhorst, a 2003 graduate of Bridgewater-Raritan High School and an Army weapons squad leader based at Fort Bragg, N.C., was killed in action in Afghanistan earlier this week.
As word of Brunkhorst's death spread Friday, members of both the Bridgewater government and educational communities reacted.
"It's emotionally devastating news,'' said Township Councilman Howard Norgalis. "I don't know the family, but my heart goes out to his family and friends. It's sad.''
"Obviously they (American soldiers in war zones) put their life on the line every day,'' said Patrick Scaglione, a former township council president and current Somerset County freeholder. "In this case, he had to pay the ultimate price.''
"It's such a tragedy,'' added Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education member Pat Breslin. "Obviously, a good many people within the community are really feeling this.''
Brunkhorst was a member of the football and track teams at Bridgewater-Raritan High School, according to his friend Jim Morgan, 22, who now lives in Branchburg.
"He was a great guy,'' said Morgan, who said Krystal Brunkhorst called him about the death.
"He was proud to be in the military,'' Morgan said, adding that his friend wanted to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Scott Brunkhorst joined the Army after graduating high school.
Jim Morgan remember how his friend "took me under his wing'' when he joined the track team and was running hurdles with Brunkhorst. Morgan was a sophomore. Brunkhorst was a senior.
Brunkhorst gave him tips on how to run hurdles and was "very supportive'' of all his friends, Morgan recalled.
Morgan last saw Brunkhorst when he was visiting Central Jersey with his wife and daughter.
"I remember telling him, 'See you soon, man,'" Morgan said.
Brunkhorst enlisted in the Army as an infantryman in August 2003. He attended one station unit training and Basic Airborne School at Ft. Benning, Ga., and upon completion of his training, reported to Ft. Bragg, N.C.
Brunkhorst was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment in April 2005. The unit was re-designated as 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment three months later.
He was then deployed to Afghanistan for 15 months with 2-508 PIR in February 2007. Brunkhorst was promoted to the rank of sergeant during the deployment.
Upon returning from the deployment, Brunkhorst attended Warriors Leaders Course and was promoted to the rank of staff sergeant in October 2008. He deployed to Afghanistan for a second time with 2-508 PIR in August 2009.
Brunkhorst's military awards and decorations include the Army Commendation medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, the Global War on Terrorism Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Basic Parachutist Badge.
He is survived by his wife Krystal, his daughter Kendall, his father and stepmother Richard and Linda Brunkhorst.
A memorial in his honor will be held in Afghanistan. SSGT Brunkhorst will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.
Army Staff Sgt. Scott W. Brunkhorst was killed in action on 3/30/10.
Army Staff Sgt. Scott W. Brunkhorst, 25, of Fayetteville, N.C.
SSgt Brunkhorst was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died March 30, 2010 in the Arghandab River Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
FORT BRAGG (WTVD) -- An 82nd Airborne Division Paratrooper was killed in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan last Tuesday, while his unit was conducting a dismounted patrol.
Staff Sgt. Scott W. Brunkhorst, a 25-year-old native of Fayetteville N.C., was killed in action when his dismounted patrol detonated an improvised explosive device in the Arghandab River Valley in southern Afghanistan.
The Army and his family says Sgt. Brunkhorst put the lives of his soldiers before his own, and took the brunt of the blast to protect his men.
"He loved his men and would do anything for them," Brunkhorst's wife Krystal Brunkhorst said.
Sgt. Brunkhorst's father says Brunkhorst followed him and his brother in military service. He was assigned to Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team.
But Scott Brunkhorst's aunt and grandmother, who live in Perrysburg, will never forget their lovable, caring 25-year-old who they say originally enlisted to pay for college, but grew to love the comradarie.
SSG Brunkhorst spent two years with his relatives in New Jersey. Despite his mischievous side, they say he was a determined young man who left behind a wife and daughter.
"To me, he was very patriotic," said Marie Lohr, his grandmother. "The whole family says that. He was very caring and loving and if anything when this happened he would have been thinking of the other guys trying to take care of them. He was very close to use and we loved him very much. To the family we consider him a hero."
"I want them to realize a war is still going on and these young men are still out there dying," added Sandra Brunkhorst, the soldier's aunt. "People are going on as if everything's the same and everything but these young men are dying for them."
BRIDGEWATER — Scott Brunkhorst, a 2003 graduate of Bridgewater-Raritan High School and an Army weapons squad leader based at Fort Bragg, N.C., was killed in action in Afghanistan earlier this week.
As word of Brunkhorst's death spread Friday, members of both the Bridgewater government and educational communities reacted.
"It's emotionally devastating news,'' said Township Councilman Howard Norgalis. "I don't know the family, but my heart goes out to his family and friends. It's sad.''
"Obviously they (American soldiers in war zones) put their life on the line every day,'' said Patrick Scaglione, a former township council president and current Somerset County freeholder. "In this case, he had to pay the ultimate price.''
"It's such a tragedy,'' added Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education member Pat Breslin. "Obviously, a good many people within the community are really feeling this.''
Brunkhorst was a member of the football and track teams at Bridgewater-Raritan High School, according to his friend Jim Morgan, 22, who now lives in Branchburg.
"He was a great guy,'' said Morgan, who said Krystal Brunkhorst called him about the death.
"He was proud to be in the military,'' Morgan said, adding that his friend wanted to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Scott Brunkhorst joined the Army after graduating high school.
Jim Morgan remember how his friend "took me under his wing'' when he joined the track team and was running hurdles with Brunkhorst. Morgan was a sophomore. Brunkhorst was a senior.
Brunkhorst gave him tips on how to run hurdles and was "very supportive'' of all his friends, Morgan recalled.
Morgan last saw Brunkhorst when he was visiting Central Jersey with his wife and daughter.
"I remember telling him, 'See you soon, man,'" Morgan said.
Brunkhorst enlisted in the Army as an infantryman in August 2003. He attended one station unit training and Basic Airborne School at Ft. Benning, Ga., and upon completion of his training, reported to Ft. Bragg, N.C.
Brunkhorst was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment in April 2005. The unit was re-designated as 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment three months later.
He was then deployed to Afghanistan for 15 months with 2-508 PIR in February 2007. Brunkhorst was promoted to the rank of sergeant during the deployment.
Upon returning from the deployment, Brunkhorst attended Warriors Leaders Course and was promoted to the rank of staff sergeant in October 2008. He deployed to Afghanistan for a second time with 2-508 PIR in August 2009.
Brunkhorst's military awards and decorations include the Army Commendation medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, the Global War on Terrorism Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Basic Parachutist Badge.
He is survived by his wife Krystal, his daughter Kendall, his father and stepmother Richard and Linda Brunkhorst.
A memorial in his honor will be held in Afghanistan. SSGT Brunkhorst will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.
Army Staff Sgt. Scott W. Brunkhorst was killed in action on 3/30/10.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Army Pfc. James L. Miller
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. James L. Miller, 21, of Yakima, Wash.
Pfc. Miller was assigned to 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.; died March 29, 2010 in Dashat, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
Soldier survived by wife, young daughter
The Associated Press
James Miller’s mother expected him back from Afghanistan by the Fourth of July as the 21-year-old soldier neared his return home to Yakima, Wash.
“He was excited. He was down to three months, almost time to come home,” his mother said. “He had just Skyped his wife and saw his little girl and was talking about her talking to him, saying, ‘Daddy! Daddy!’”
Kim Miller said she last spoke to her son four days before he died.
The soldier was killed March 29 in Dashat by a roadside bomb. He had been assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
“We’re doing the best we can,” Kim Miller said.
Miller graduated from Chugiak High School in Anchorage, Alaska, in 2007, according to his father, Nick Miller.
After moving with friends to Washington state, James Miller met his wife, Katie, while studying mechanics at Yakima Valley Community College.
In 2009, Miller joined the Army because he wanted to provide for his family, his mother said. His daughter, Peyton, was born while he was in boot camp, and he was deployed to Afghanistan about six months after enlisting.
“He was serving his country. He had three more months, and he would’ve been home. But that didn’t happen,” Kim Miller said. “They told him he would be back by the Fourth of July.”
Army Pfc. James L. Miller was killed in action on 3/29/10.
Army Pfc. James L. Miller, 21, of Yakima, Wash.
Pfc. Miller was assigned to 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.; died March 29, 2010 in Dashat, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
Soldier survived by wife, young daughter
The Associated Press
James Miller’s mother expected him back from Afghanistan by the Fourth of July as the 21-year-old soldier neared his return home to Yakima, Wash.
“He was excited. He was down to three months, almost time to come home,” his mother said. “He had just Skyped his wife and saw his little girl and was talking about her talking to him, saying, ‘Daddy! Daddy!’”
Kim Miller said she last spoke to her son four days before he died.
The soldier was killed March 29 in Dashat by a roadside bomb. He had been assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
“We’re doing the best we can,” Kim Miller said.
Miller graduated from Chugiak High School in Anchorage, Alaska, in 2007, according to his father, Nick Miller.
After moving with friends to Washington state, James Miller met his wife, Katie, while studying mechanics at Yakima Valley Community College.
In 2009, Miller joined the Army because he wanted to provide for his family, his mother said. His daughter, Peyton, was born while he was in boot camp, and he was deployed to Afghanistan about six months after enlisting.
“He was serving his country. He had three more months, and he would’ve been home. But that didn’t happen,” Kim Miller said. “They told him he would be back by the Fourth of July.”
Army Pfc. James L. Miller was killed in action on 3/29/10.
Army Pfc. Raymond N. Pacleb
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Raymond N. Pacleb, 31, of Honolulu, Hawaii
Pfc Pacleb was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 487th Field Artillery Regiment, Hawaii National Guard, Wahiawa, Hawaii; died March 29, 2010 in Baghdad of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident.
Hawaii guardsman dies in Iraq
Honolulu Advertiser
A Hawaii Army National Guard soldier from Pearl City has died in a non-combat incident in Iraq.
Pfc. Raymond Pacleb, 31, died Monday in Baghdad, the U.S. and Hawaii Defense Departments said.
Pacleb, a 1996 graduate of Pearl City High who worked at Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 487th Field Artillery, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
The state said Pacleb volunteered to deploy with the Virginia Army National Guard’s 229th Military Police Company as a Unit Supply Specialist.
The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation.
The Pacleb family released a statement asking for a private period of mourning.
“Raymond will be missed very much and the Pacleb family knows he is in a better place,” the statement said. “We are very proud of our son’s service to his country and look up to him as a hero.”
Maj. Gen. Robert Lee, Hawaii’s Adjutant General, called Pacleb’s death “heartbreaking.”
“We know his tragic passing is a very solemn and sobering event for his entire family,” Lee said in a statement. “The members of the Hawaii National Guard grieve along with his family during this difficult time.”
Fallen guardsman joined service to better himself
The Associated Press
Raymond N. Pacleb’s family said they will always remember him as independent, generous and loving.
The 31-year-old soldier from Honolulu, who was injured in a non-combat related incident, died March 29 in Baghdad, according to the Defense Department.
He was assigned to Wahiawa, Hawaii, and volunteered to deploy in October with the Virginia Army National Guard.
“The passing of Private First Class Pacleb is heartbreaking. We know his tragic passing is a very solemn and sobering event for his entire family. The members of the Hawaii National Guard grieve along with his family during this difficult time,” Maj. Gen. Bob Lee, Hawaii state adjutant general, said in a statement.
Army officials have said Pacleb’s death is being investigated.
His family said in a statement that he joined the Hawaii Army National Guard in 2009 better himself.
“We are very proud of [our] son’s service to his country and look up to him as a hero,” his family said. Little information about Pacleb was available, and his family asked for privacy as they mourned his death.
He graduated from Pearl City High School in 1996.
“He exemplified the brave and patriotic citizen-soldiers serving America in Operation Iraqi Freedom,” Lee said.
Army Pfc. Raymond N. Pacleb was killed in a non-combat related incident on 3/29/10.
Army Pfc. Raymond N. Pacleb, 31, of Honolulu, Hawaii
Pfc Pacleb was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 487th Field Artillery Regiment, Hawaii National Guard, Wahiawa, Hawaii; died March 29, 2010 in Baghdad of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident.
Hawaii guardsman dies in Iraq
Honolulu Advertiser
A Hawaii Army National Guard soldier from Pearl City has died in a non-combat incident in Iraq.
Pfc. Raymond Pacleb, 31, died Monday in Baghdad, the U.S. and Hawaii Defense Departments said.
Pacleb, a 1996 graduate of Pearl City High who worked at Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 487th Field Artillery, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
The state said Pacleb volunteered to deploy with the Virginia Army National Guard’s 229th Military Police Company as a Unit Supply Specialist.
The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation.
The Pacleb family released a statement asking for a private period of mourning.
“Raymond will be missed very much and the Pacleb family knows he is in a better place,” the statement said. “We are very proud of our son’s service to his country and look up to him as a hero.”
Maj. Gen. Robert Lee, Hawaii’s Adjutant General, called Pacleb’s death “heartbreaking.”
“We know his tragic passing is a very solemn and sobering event for his entire family,” Lee said in a statement. “The members of the Hawaii National Guard grieve along with his family during this difficult time.”
Fallen guardsman joined service to better himself
The Associated Press
Raymond N. Pacleb’s family said they will always remember him as independent, generous and loving.
The 31-year-old soldier from Honolulu, who was injured in a non-combat related incident, died March 29 in Baghdad, according to the Defense Department.
He was assigned to Wahiawa, Hawaii, and volunteered to deploy in October with the Virginia Army National Guard.
“The passing of Private First Class Pacleb is heartbreaking. We know his tragic passing is a very solemn and sobering event for his entire family. The members of the Hawaii National Guard grieve along with his family during this difficult time,” Maj. Gen. Bob Lee, Hawaii state adjutant general, said in a statement.
Army officials have said Pacleb’s death is being investigated.
His family said in a statement that he joined the Hawaii Army National Guard in 2009 better himself.
“We are very proud of [our] son’s service to his country and look up to him as a hero,” his family said. Little information about Pacleb was available, and his family asked for privacy as they mourned his death.
He graduated from Pearl City High School in 1996.
“He exemplified the brave and patriotic citizen-soldiers serving America in Operation Iraqi Freedom,” Lee said.
Army Pfc. Raymond N. Pacleb was killed in a non-combat related incident on 3/29/10.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Marine Lance Cpl. Randy M. Heck
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Randy M. Heck, 20, of Steubenville, Ohio
LCpl Heck was assigned to the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died March 28, 2010 in Djibouti, Africa, from a non-hostile incident.
Lance Cpl. Randy Michael Heck of Steubenville died friday while serving in South Africa. Officials now say his death occurred during a non-hostile incident.
According to his grandparents the 20-year-old Steubenville resident was a graduate of Harrison Hills High School, and joined the military immediately after graduation.
His father told NEWS9 reporter Ali Myers that his son always wanted to be a Marine and that he comes from a family of people who also served their country.
Heck joined the Marine Corps in June 2007 and was promoted to lance corporal March 1, 2008, according to a press release from II Marine Expeditionary Force. Heck deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from March to October 2008 and deployed with the 24th MEU in January 2010.
Heck's decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, according to II MEF.
He is the son of Everett and Theresa Black of Amsterdam, Ohio, and Eugene Heck of Steubenville, and the brother of Misty Heck of WV.
Marine Lance Cpl. Randy M. Heck died in a non-combat incident on 3/28/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Randy M. Heck, 20, of Steubenville, Ohio
LCpl Heck was assigned to the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died March 28, 2010 in Djibouti, Africa, from a non-hostile incident.
Lance Cpl. Randy Michael Heck of Steubenville died friday while serving in South Africa. Officials now say his death occurred during a non-hostile incident.
According to his grandparents the 20-year-old Steubenville resident was a graduate of Harrison Hills High School, and joined the military immediately after graduation.
His father told NEWS9 reporter Ali Myers that his son always wanted to be a Marine and that he comes from a family of people who also served their country.
Heck joined the Marine Corps in June 2007 and was promoted to lance corporal March 1, 2008, according to a press release from II Marine Expeditionary Force. Heck deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from March to October 2008 and deployed with the 24th MEU in January 2010.
Heck's decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, according to II MEF.
He is the son of Everett and Theresa Black of Amsterdam, Ohio, and Eugene Heck of Steubenville, and the brother of Misty Heck of WV.
Marine Lance Cpl. Randy M. Heck died in a non-combat incident on 3/28/10.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Marine Lance Cpl. Jacob A. Ross
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Jacob A. Ross, 19, of Gillette, Wyo.
LCpl Ross was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died March 24, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Marine from Gillette killed in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
GILLETTE, Wyo. — A Marine from Gillette has been killed while supporting combat operations in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense confirmed Monday.
Lance Cpl. Jacob A. Ross, 19, died Wednesday in Helmand province, military officials said Monday.
He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Ross’ uncle, Steve Sundermeyer, told the Gillette News-Record that Ross’ deployment was supposed to end in May. Ross’ survivors include his wife, sister and brother who is in high school but also plans to join the Marines, Sundermeyer said.
Ross’ father also had joined the Marines.
Ross played soccer and also swam at Campbell County High School.
He started working as a carpenter for Shober Builders as a teen and also was a state champion in the Skills USA carpentry competition.
“We sure thought a lot of him,” said his boss, Mick Shober. “I would give him a job back in a heartbeat.”
Shober’s eyes welled with tears as he talked about his former employee. He said he admired Ross’ sacrifice.
“It’s the sad part of war, but you can’t let the rest of the world stomp you down.”
Those who knew Ross said he was quiet, polite, intelligent, hardworking and kindhearted.
Friend Miles Fortner, 21, said Ross enjoyed hunting, fishing, hiking and camping.
In 2008, the two decided to canoe the Belle Fourche River. They began paddling near Hulett and continued for more than 100 miles to Belle Fourche, S.D. During their journey, an oar broke and they lost a couple bottles of water.
“It just added to the adventure,” Fortner said.
The two kept in touch after high school, and last month Ross called him from a satellite phone. They chatted about Afghanistan.
“He said he was having a great time over there, doing what he wanted to do and wouldn’t take it back for nothing,” Fortner said.
Marine Lance Cpl. Jacob A. Ross was killed in action on 3/24/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Jacob A. Ross, 19, of Gillette, Wyo.
LCpl Ross was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died March 24, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Marine from Gillette killed in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
GILLETTE, Wyo. — A Marine from Gillette has been killed while supporting combat operations in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense confirmed Monday.
Lance Cpl. Jacob A. Ross, 19, died Wednesday in Helmand province, military officials said Monday.
He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Ross’ uncle, Steve Sundermeyer, told the Gillette News-Record that Ross’ deployment was supposed to end in May. Ross’ survivors include his wife, sister and brother who is in high school but also plans to join the Marines, Sundermeyer said.
Ross’ father also had joined the Marines.
Ross played soccer and also swam at Campbell County High School.
He started working as a carpenter for Shober Builders as a teen and also was a state champion in the Skills USA carpentry competition.
“We sure thought a lot of him,” said his boss, Mick Shober. “I would give him a job back in a heartbeat.”
Shober’s eyes welled with tears as he talked about his former employee. He said he admired Ross’ sacrifice.
“It’s the sad part of war, but you can’t let the rest of the world stomp you down.”
Those who knew Ross said he was quiet, polite, intelligent, hardworking and kindhearted.
Friend Miles Fortner, 21, said Ross enjoyed hunting, fishing, hiking and camping.
In 2008, the two decided to canoe the Belle Fourche River. They began paddling near Hulett and continued for more than 100 miles to Belle Fourche, S.D. During their journey, an oar broke and they lost a couple bottles of water.
“It just added to the adventure,” Fortner said.
The two kept in touch after high school, and last month Ross called him from a satellite phone. They chatted about Afghanistan.
“He said he was having a great time over there, doing what he wanted to do and wouldn’t take it back for nothing,” Fortner said.
Marine Lance Cpl. Jacob A. Ross was killed in action on 3/24/10.
Marine Sgt. Maj. Robert J. Cottle
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Sgt. Maj. Robert J. Cottle, 45, of Whittier, Calif.
Sgt Cottle was assigned to the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4thMarine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died March 24, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Also killed was Lance Cpl. Rick J. Centanni.LAPD vet killed in Afghanistan returns to Calif.
The Associated Press
LOS ALAMITOS — The body of a Los Angeles policeman who was killed while serving in Afghanistan has been returned to California.
Hundreds of Marines and police officers were on hand Monday as the flag-draped coffin of 45-year-old Robert J. Cottle was flown into the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base in Orange County.
Cottle was a 20-year LAPD veteran and a member of the SWAT team. A sergeant major in the Marine Reserve, Cottle served two tours of duty in Afghanistan and returned there last August.
The Yorba Linda resident and 19-year-old Lance Cpl. Rick Centanni, also of Yorba Linda, were killed by a roadside bomb last month.
Cottle leaves a wife and 9-month-old daughter.
Sgt. Major Robert J. Cottle, 45, was killed, said his father, Kenneth A. Cottle, 74, of Villa Park. "He was a warrior – that's what he liked to do," Cottle said. "Anything physical."
Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck said he had known Cottle -- known as "R.J.'' to his friends -- for 20 years, and was "deeply saddened'' by his death.
"He is a fine man and a great example of the best LAPD has to offer,'' Beck said.
Friends and family were planning a homecoming party for Cottle when he was due home at the end of May. He reportedly is the first active LAPD officer to be killed in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Cottle's wife, Emily, is a naval officer stationed in Hawaii with their daughter, Kaila Jane. Emily Cottle could not immediately be reached for comment. The longtime couple, whose home was in Yorba Linda, got married about a year ago.
Lanky, blue-eyed and brown-haired, Cottle "loved being a police officer," said LAPD Chief Charlie Beck.
Cottle became an officer in 1990 and joined the elite SWAT unit six years later, Beck said. He called Cottle "an effective and compassionate" officer and "a great human being."
He was "almost the absolute stereotype Marine," said LAPD Capt. Phil Tingirides. "He was one who talked about God and country and he really meant it."
Cottle grew up in Whittier and San Diego, said his sister Bonnie Roybal, 49, of Whittier. As a child, he was bowlegged and had to wear leg braces for more than two years, but he grew into an avid runner and athlete, she said.
Brett Rankin said... My Mom used to baby sit Robert and his sister Bonnie in Whittier, CA. He was a mischievous kid, but never bad. My Mom had told me quite a long time ago that he had settled down and grown up to be quite an admirable young man. She is probably welcoming him in heaven right now. My family's condolences to his family, especially his wife and young child, along with the brave and courageous people with whom he served on LAPD and the Corps.
"He was made fun of as a kid, and he ended up proving them wrong," Roybal said.
A high-energy teenager, his rambunctious exploits and unimpressive grades led him first to military-style camp, then to the Marines at age 18, and finally to the LAPD, she said.
"He didn't have any pretenses or airs. With Robert, what you saw was what you got," Roybal said.
That direct gaze and knack for effortless conversation were traits that served him well as a police officer. But he never lost the taste for adrenaline that first brought him to the LAPD.
"My brother has always lived his life on the edge. He was into risk-taking, wanted to live an extraordinary life" -- and did, his sister said.
As a youth, Robert Cottle split time between his divorced parents' homes in Whittier and in San Diego, never applying himself much to schoolwork, his father said. When a family friend suggested that he attend a summer camp in Texas run by former Marines, the then-15-year-old jumped at the idea. He liked the experience so much he was back for more the following summer, said his father.
After enlisting in the Marines at 18 and being sent on active duty to Africa, Germany and Hawaii, Robert Cottle decided, after seven years, that he wanted to become a police officer.
He stayed in the Marines as a reservist when he entered the LAPD academy in 1990. He became a member of the elite SWAT unit six years later and rose to become assistant team leader, his father said.
"This deeply saddens me, especially since I've known 'RJ' for over 20 years," LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said in a statement. "He is a fine man and a great example of the best LAPD has to offer. He will be missed."
In November 2008, Cottle spoke at a Veterans Day Observance Program hosted by the city of Placentia. He presented Mayor Scot Nelson with an American flag that was flown during a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Marine Sgt. Maj. Robert J. Cottle was killed in action on 3/24/10.
Marine Sgt. Maj. Robert J. Cottle, 45, of Whittier, Calif.
Sgt Cottle was assigned to the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4thMarine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died March 24, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Also killed was Lance Cpl. Rick J. Centanni.LAPD vet killed in Afghanistan returns to Calif.
The Associated Press
LOS ALAMITOS — The body of a Los Angeles policeman who was killed while serving in Afghanistan has been returned to California.
Hundreds of Marines and police officers were on hand Monday as the flag-draped coffin of 45-year-old Robert J. Cottle was flown into the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base in Orange County.
Cottle was a 20-year LAPD veteran and a member of the SWAT team. A sergeant major in the Marine Reserve, Cottle served two tours of duty in Afghanistan and returned there last August.
The Yorba Linda resident and 19-year-old Lance Cpl. Rick Centanni, also of Yorba Linda, were killed by a roadside bomb last month.
Cottle leaves a wife and 9-month-old daughter.
Sgt. Major Robert J. Cottle, 45, was killed, said his father, Kenneth A. Cottle, 74, of Villa Park. "He was a warrior – that's what he liked to do," Cottle said. "Anything physical."
Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck said he had known Cottle -- known as "R.J.'' to his friends -- for 20 years, and was "deeply saddened'' by his death.
"He is a fine man and a great example of the best LAPD has to offer,'' Beck said.
Friends and family were planning a homecoming party for Cottle when he was due home at the end of May. He reportedly is the first active LAPD officer to be killed in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Cottle's wife, Emily, is a naval officer stationed in Hawaii with their daughter, Kaila Jane. Emily Cottle could not immediately be reached for comment. The longtime couple, whose home was in Yorba Linda, got married about a year ago.
Lanky, blue-eyed and brown-haired, Cottle "loved being a police officer," said LAPD Chief Charlie Beck.
Cottle became an officer in 1990 and joined the elite SWAT unit six years later, Beck said. He called Cottle "an effective and compassionate" officer and "a great human being."
He was "almost the absolute stereotype Marine," said LAPD Capt. Phil Tingirides. "He was one who talked about God and country and he really meant it."
Cottle grew up in Whittier and San Diego, said his sister Bonnie Roybal, 49, of Whittier. As a child, he was bowlegged and had to wear leg braces for more than two years, but he grew into an avid runner and athlete, she said.
Brett Rankin said... My Mom used to baby sit Robert and his sister Bonnie in Whittier, CA. He was a mischievous kid, but never bad. My Mom had told me quite a long time ago that he had settled down and grown up to be quite an admirable young man. She is probably welcoming him in heaven right now. My family's condolences to his family, especially his wife and young child, along with the brave and courageous people with whom he served on LAPD and the Corps.
"He was made fun of as a kid, and he ended up proving them wrong," Roybal said.
A high-energy teenager, his rambunctious exploits and unimpressive grades led him first to military-style camp, then to the Marines at age 18, and finally to the LAPD, she said.
"He didn't have any pretenses or airs. With Robert, what you saw was what you got," Roybal said.
That direct gaze and knack for effortless conversation were traits that served him well as a police officer. But he never lost the taste for adrenaline that first brought him to the LAPD.
"My brother has always lived his life on the edge. He was into risk-taking, wanted to live an extraordinary life" -- and did, his sister said.
As a youth, Robert Cottle split time between his divorced parents' homes in Whittier and in San Diego, never applying himself much to schoolwork, his father said. When a family friend suggested that he attend a summer camp in Texas run by former Marines, the then-15-year-old jumped at the idea. He liked the experience so much he was back for more the following summer, said his father.
After enlisting in the Marines at 18 and being sent on active duty to Africa, Germany and Hawaii, Robert Cottle decided, after seven years, that he wanted to become a police officer.
He stayed in the Marines as a reservist when he entered the LAPD academy in 1990. He became a member of the elite SWAT unit six years later and rose to become assistant team leader, his father said.
"This deeply saddens me, especially since I've known 'RJ' for over 20 years," LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said in a statement. "He is a fine man and a great example of the best LAPD has to offer. He will be missed."
In November 2008, Cottle spoke at a Veterans Day Observance Program hosted by the city of Placentia. He presented Mayor Scot Nelson with an American flag that was flown during a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Marine Sgt. Maj. Robert J. Cottle was killed in action on 3/24/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Rick J. Centanni
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Rick J. Centanni, 19, of Yorba Linda, Calif.
LCpl Centanni was assigned to the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4thMarine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died March 24, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Also killed was Sgt. Maj. Robert J. Cottle.
One of the Marines killed was a 19-year-old kid who could barely wait to graduate from Esperanza High School to join the military and eventually become a cop – just like his father.
Marine Lance Cpl. Rick J. Centanni, who entered the military just weeks out of high school in 2008, was in a vehicle that was destroyed by an improvised explosive device, said his father, Jon Centanni, a sergeant in charge of investigations for the Santa Ana Police Department's gang unit.
"He wanted to serve his country," Centanni said. "I supported it, and I still do."
“He had the biggest heart. If you needed a hug, go find Rick,” Centanni’s high school friend Brittany Airey said. I “I want people to know that Rick died doing what he loved and he did it for everyone. He was willing to do what it took to give us our freedom.” Following a tradition she had with Centanni, Airey plans to “burn” chocolate chip cookies for his birthday next week. He would have been turning 20.
The death of Rick Centanni of Yorba Linda was announced Friday over the intercom at Esperanza High School in Anaheim. Class of 2008. Member of the football team. Marine lance corporal killed earlier this week by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.
A secretary put Centanni's yearbook, the one in which his photo shows off his broad shoulders and wide smile, out at the front desk. Students, she knew, were sure to ask to see it.
This isn't the first time this has happened at Esperanza. Or the second. Centanni is the third Esperanza graduate killed in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2004.
"He came out for the team as a junior and I could see from the very first day that he had great enthusiasm for the game, for being part of a team. He loved every part of it," said Jim Pendleton, an English teacher and assistant football coach for the Esperanza Aztecs.
"It didn't surprise me when he went into the military because it was the ultimate expression of teamwork and camaraderie."
Centanni, he said, helped persuade three teammates to enlist with him in the military. One entered the Army. Two others joined him in the Marine Corps.
One of them, Kyle Martin, was in a vehicle behind Centanni's and saw the explosion.
Pendleton looked tired Friday. One of his sons recently finished his second tour in Iraq, safe and sound. But another of his former players was killed there in 2004 and the Aztecs wore a sticker on their helmets the following year: JB, for Army Pfc. Joel Brattain, 21, who left behind a newlywed, his high school sweetheart. Centanni wore a helmet with that sticker.
"With the volunteer military, I don't think the war has the same effect on young people today -- until something like this happens," Pendleton said.
Over in the boys' locker room, a bunch of sophomores were getting ready for their physical education class. "It was somber," Alex Hizon, 16, said of the mood in class when Centanni's death was announced. "People didn't even have to tell us to be quiet. It hit home. My brother's at the Naval Academy."
"My cousin's going into the Marines," added Sean Bennett, 16. "I think about that."
Nearby, another youth, bigger than the others, said he intended to join the Marines too.
"I don't have any other opportunities," he said.
Did Centanni's death make him rethink those plans?
"You can die driving home from school. You can die from a heart attack from all the McDonald's you eat," he said. "It's just as easy dying here as it is there."
"But it's still a tragedy. It's a loss of life," his friend, another 16-year-old, countered. "But I understand where you're coming from."
Over in the weight room, athletic equipment manager Ron Thompson said Centanni was an exemplary young man.
"He was one of my favorites," said Thompson, who said Centanni's No. 30 jersey won't be worn next year. "Good kid. One of those kids who said 'Yes, sir' and 'No, sir.' Very courteous."
Not every kid is, he said. Just the other day, for instance, there was a group of track athletes warming up for a meet. They stopped running when the national anthem began at the baseball game at an adjoining field. But they started running again before it ended.
"I lectured them for a good 10 minutes," Thompson said. "I told them, 'Do you know you have friends over there who are fighting so you can be on the track team? How about showing a little respect?' "
Outside on the school quad, there were posters for a lunchtime concert held earlier this week by a Temecula-based band named War Stories.
C.J. Abraham, a 17-year-old junior, sat where the band had played and talked about whether Centanni's death would play a role in his still-forming thoughts about trying to get into West Point or the Air Force Academy.
"I haven't decided. To go to school and work that hard and then to get killed after all that effort . . .," he said. "I'm in the school band and there's two girls in the color guard and both of their brothers joined (the military) because of this guy. It hit them pretty hard."
Behind him on the quad, high school seniors picked up pre-ordered boxes of graduation announcements -- printed proof that they are about to become adults.
FRIENDSHIP
Centanni and Cottle enjoyed a personal friendship despite the big difference in their ages, friends say. They became close friends after their deployment, with the older Marine taking the younger under his wing, they said.
Both Marines were stationed with the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, out of Camp Pendleton, in southern Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The men were deployed in November on a mission to stop Taliban soldiers and supplies coming from Pakistan, according to published reports about the battalion.
Centanni was a light-armored vehicle driver. He played football for Esperanza in 2007. The mood at Esperanza High School on Thursday was somber as word spread that one of its own had lost his life in battle.
Office employees fielded several calls from alumni Thursday morning who wanted to know if the rumors about Rick Centanni were true. The school later posted an "in memoriam" note on its Web site in his honor.
"There is a motto at this school that says, 'Once an Aztec, always an Aztec.' And it's a loss being felt by the entire Esperanza family right now," Assistant Principal Harry Dolen said.
Centanni's football coach, Bill Pendleton, got emotional as he recalled Centanni, who wore No. 30 and played linebacker his junior and senior years on the Esperanza varsity football team that won league titles both years.
"He was an average athlete, but he played with so much joy and enthusiasm," Pendleton said. "He was a great teammate and it's no surprise at all to me that he chose to join the one other thing with as much camaraderie – the U.S. military."
Pendleton said a photo of Centanni will be added to a "Hall of Fame" in the school's weight room so players can honor him for years to come. And they also will petition the school district to add a bronze plaque on a campus wall so all students can honor him.
"We all need to remember and appreciate what he did for all of us," Pendleton said, choking back tears. "He will be greatly missed by all of us."
Centanni's mother and half-brothers and sisters live in Arizona. The young Marine called his father weekly. They last spoke Monday.
"He sounded totally up," Jon Centanni said. "He loved what he was doing, and loved the guys he was with over there. He was a great kid, a great son. It's a terrible loss, and he will be missed." Centanni would have turned 20 next month.
They hope to have a plaque for him installed at the Yorba Linda Veterans Memorial. Santa Ana Police Chief Paul M. Walters said there likely would be a full departmental turnout for a memorial for Centanni. "When something like this happens, everybody hurts," Walters said.
The commander of the fallen Marines' battalion, Lt. Col. Michael S. Martin, wrote in a letter to family members when it deployed in November that it would likely be in Afghanistan for around seven months.
"This will be a challenging period for all of us," Martin wrote in the letter, which was posted on the battalion's Web site. "Because of the unique skill sets of (the battalion), our location will be very austere and I suspect our operational tempo to be high... meaning we'll be busy."
Jon Centanni said his son's death hasn't made him bitter about the military. "Just say prayers and keep supporting the troops," he said. "Don't get a bad attitude because this happened. It's a part of war."
Marine Lance Cpl. Rick J. Centanni was killed in action on 3/24/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Rick J. Centanni, 19, of Yorba Linda, Calif.
LCpl Centanni was assigned to the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4thMarine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died March 24, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Also killed was Sgt. Maj. Robert J. Cottle.
One of the Marines killed was a 19-year-old kid who could barely wait to graduate from Esperanza High School to join the military and eventually become a cop – just like his father.
Marine Lance Cpl. Rick J. Centanni, who entered the military just weeks out of high school in 2008, was in a vehicle that was destroyed by an improvised explosive device, said his father, Jon Centanni, a sergeant in charge of investigations for the Santa Ana Police Department's gang unit.
"He wanted to serve his country," Centanni said. "I supported it, and I still do."
“He had the biggest heart. If you needed a hug, go find Rick,” Centanni’s high school friend Brittany Airey said. I “I want people to know that Rick died doing what he loved and he did it for everyone. He was willing to do what it took to give us our freedom.” Following a tradition she had with Centanni, Airey plans to “burn” chocolate chip cookies for his birthday next week. He would have been turning 20.
The death of Rick Centanni of Yorba Linda was announced Friday over the intercom at Esperanza High School in Anaheim. Class of 2008. Member of the football team. Marine lance corporal killed earlier this week by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.
A secretary put Centanni's yearbook, the one in which his photo shows off his broad shoulders and wide smile, out at the front desk. Students, she knew, were sure to ask to see it.
This isn't the first time this has happened at Esperanza. Or the second. Centanni is the third Esperanza graduate killed in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2004.
"He came out for the team as a junior and I could see from the very first day that he had great enthusiasm for the game, for being part of a team. He loved every part of it," said Jim Pendleton, an English teacher and assistant football coach for the Esperanza Aztecs.
"It didn't surprise me when he went into the military because it was the ultimate expression of teamwork and camaraderie."
Centanni, he said, helped persuade three teammates to enlist with him in the military. One entered the Army. Two others joined him in the Marine Corps.
One of them, Kyle Martin, was in a vehicle behind Centanni's and saw the explosion.
Pendleton looked tired Friday. One of his sons recently finished his second tour in Iraq, safe and sound. But another of his former players was killed there in 2004 and the Aztecs wore a sticker on their helmets the following year: JB, for Army Pfc. Joel Brattain, 21, who left behind a newlywed, his high school sweetheart. Centanni wore a helmet with that sticker.
"With the volunteer military, I don't think the war has the same effect on young people today -- until something like this happens," Pendleton said.
Over in the boys' locker room, a bunch of sophomores were getting ready for their physical education class. "It was somber," Alex Hizon, 16, said of the mood in class when Centanni's death was announced. "People didn't even have to tell us to be quiet. It hit home. My brother's at the Naval Academy."
"My cousin's going into the Marines," added Sean Bennett, 16. "I think about that."
Nearby, another youth, bigger than the others, said he intended to join the Marines too.
"I don't have any other opportunities," he said.
Did Centanni's death make him rethink those plans?
"You can die driving home from school. You can die from a heart attack from all the McDonald's you eat," he said. "It's just as easy dying here as it is there."
"But it's still a tragedy. It's a loss of life," his friend, another 16-year-old, countered. "But I understand where you're coming from."
Over in the weight room, athletic equipment manager Ron Thompson said Centanni was an exemplary young man.
"He was one of my favorites," said Thompson, who said Centanni's No. 30 jersey won't be worn next year. "Good kid. One of those kids who said 'Yes, sir' and 'No, sir.' Very courteous."
Not every kid is, he said. Just the other day, for instance, there was a group of track athletes warming up for a meet. They stopped running when the national anthem began at the baseball game at an adjoining field. But they started running again before it ended.
"I lectured them for a good 10 minutes," Thompson said. "I told them, 'Do you know you have friends over there who are fighting so you can be on the track team? How about showing a little respect?' "
Outside on the school quad, there were posters for a lunchtime concert held earlier this week by a Temecula-based band named War Stories.
C.J. Abraham, a 17-year-old junior, sat where the band had played and talked about whether Centanni's death would play a role in his still-forming thoughts about trying to get into West Point or the Air Force Academy.
"I haven't decided. To go to school and work that hard and then to get killed after all that effort . . .," he said. "I'm in the school band and there's two girls in the color guard and both of their brothers joined (the military) because of this guy. It hit them pretty hard."
Behind him on the quad, high school seniors picked up pre-ordered boxes of graduation announcements -- printed proof that they are about to become adults.
FRIENDSHIP
Centanni and Cottle enjoyed a personal friendship despite the big difference in their ages, friends say. They became close friends after their deployment, with the older Marine taking the younger under his wing, they said.
Both Marines were stationed with the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, out of Camp Pendleton, in southern Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The men were deployed in November on a mission to stop Taliban soldiers and supplies coming from Pakistan, according to published reports about the battalion.
Centanni was a light-armored vehicle driver. He played football for Esperanza in 2007. The mood at Esperanza High School on Thursday was somber as word spread that one of its own had lost his life in battle.
Office employees fielded several calls from alumni Thursday morning who wanted to know if the rumors about Rick Centanni were true. The school later posted an "in memoriam" note on its Web site in his honor.
"There is a motto at this school that says, 'Once an Aztec, always an Aztec.' And it's a loss being felt by the entire Esperanza family right now," Assistant Principal Harry Dolen said.
Centanni's football coach, Bill Pendleton, got emotional as he recalled Centanni, who wore No. 30 and played linebacker his junior and senior years on the Esperanza varsity football team that won league titles both years.
"He was an average athlete, but he played with so much joy and enthusiasm," Pendleton said. "He was a great teammate and it's no surprise at all to me that he chose to join the one other thing with as much camaraderie – the U.S. military."
Pendleton said a photo of Centanni will be added to a "Hall of Fame" in the school's weight room so players can honor him for years to come. And they also will petition the school district to add a bronze plaque on a campus wall so all students can honor him.
"We all need to remember and appreciate what he did for all of us," Pendleton said, choking back tears. "He will be greatly missed by all of us."
Centanni's mother and half-brothers and sisters live in Arizona. The young Marine called his father weekly. They last spoke Monday.
"He sounded totally up," Jon Centanni said. "He loved what he was doing, and loved the guys he was with over there. He was a great kid, a great son. It's a terrible loss, and he will be missed." Centanni would have turned 20 next month.
They hope to have a plaque for him installed at the Yorba Linda Veterans Memorial. Santa Ana Police Chief Paul M. Walters said there likely would be a full departmental turnout for a memorial for Centanni. "When something like this happens, everybody hurts," Walters said.
The commander of the fallen Marines' battalion, Lt. Col. Michael S. Martin, wrote in a letter to family members when it deployed in November that it would likely be in Afghanistan for around seven months.
"This will be a challenging period for all of us," Martin wrote in the letter, which was posted on the battalion's Web site. "Because of the unique skill sets of (the battalion), our location will be very austere and I suspect our operational tempo to be high... meaning we'll be busy."
Jon Centanni said his son's death hasn't made him bitter about the military. "Just say prayers and keep supporting the troops," he said. "Don't get a bad attitude because this happened. It's a part of war."
Marine Lance Cpl. Rick J. Centanni was killed in action on 3/24/10.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Army Sgt. 1st Class Carlos M. Santos-Silva
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Carlos M. Santos-Silva, 32, of Clarksville, Tenn.
SFC Santos-Silva was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died March 22, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED.
A soldier killed by an improvised explosive device while serving in Afghanistan on Monday has ties to Knoxville and will be honored there in a receiving of friends this upcoming Monday.
SFC Carlos Santos-Silva, 32, will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery next month. This upcoming Monday, he will be honored in Knoxville.
A receiving of friends is set for Monday, March 29, at the National Guard Armory on Sutherland Avenue, in Knoxville from 5 to 7 p.m.
Santos-Silva first enlisted in 1996, when his family lived in Clarksville. About a decade ago, his parents Fransisco and Monika moved to Knoxville.
Santos-Silva died Monday after an improvised explosive device attack on his vehicle, while he was on mounted patrol in the Kandahar province.
Santos-Silva joined the Army as a medical supply specialist in 1996. In 2000, he changed jobs and became an infantryman with the 10th Mountain Division. He deployed to Kosovo in 2001 and deployed twice to Iraq.
After his second deployment to Iraq, Santos-Silva became a drill sergeant at Fort Benning, Ga. While there, he attended Basic Airborne School. In February 2009, Santos-Silva reported to Fort Bragg and deployed with the 4th Brigade Combat Team six months later.
"Sgt. 1st Class Santos-Silva was the epitome of a noncommissioned officer, a true standard bearer," said 1st Lt. Matthew Jarmon, executive officer in Company C. "He cared deeply about his paratroopers, and they cared deeply about him. His men routinely looked to him for leadership guidance, which he readily gave. He was loved by all in the battalion and made you proud to serve."
Since the 4th Brigade Combat Team deployed in August, 20 of its soldiers have died.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star with an oak leaf cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal(3), the Army Good Conduct Medal(4), the National Defense Service Medal, the Kosovo Campaign Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, the Iraqi Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Pathfinder Badge, the Air Assault Badge, and the Basic Parachutist Badge.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Carlos M. Santos-Silva was killed in action 3/22/10.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Carlos M. Santos-Silva, 32, of Clarksville, Tenn.
SFC Santos-Silva was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died March 22, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED.
A soldier killed by an improvised explosive device while serving in Afghanistan on Monday has ties to Knoxville and will be honored there in a receiving of friends this upcoming Monday.
SFC Carlos Santos-Silva, 32, will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery next month. This upcoming Monday, he will be honored in Knoxville.
A receiving of friends is set for Monday, March 29, at the National Guard Armory on Sutherland Avenue, in Knoxville from 5 to 7 p.m.
Santos-Silva first enlisted in 1996, when his family lived in Clarksville. About a decade ago, his parents Fransisco and Monika moved to Knoxville.
Santos-Silva died Monday after an improvised explosive device attack on his vehicle, while he was on mounted patrol in the Kandahar province.
Santos-Silva joined the Army as a medical supply specialist in 1996. In 2000, he changed jobs and became an infantryman with the 10th Mountain Division. He deployed to Kosovo in 2001 and deployed twice to Iraq.
After his second deployment to Iraq, Santos-Silva became a drill sergeant at Fort Benning, Ga. While there, he attended Basic Airborne School. In February 2009, Santos-Silva reported to Fort Bragg and deployed with the 4th Brigade Combat Team six months later.
"Sgt. 1st Class Santos-Silva was the epitome of a noncommissioned officer, a true standard bearer," said 1st Lt. Matthew Jarmon, executive officer in Company C. "He cared deeply about his paratroopers, and they cared deeply about him. His men routinely looked to him for leadership guidance, which he readily gave. He was loved by all in the battalion and made you proud to serve."
Since the 4th Brigade Combat Team deployed in August, 20 of its soldiers have died.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star with an oak leaf cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal(3), the Army Good Conduct Medal(4), the National Defense Service Medal, the Kosovo Campaign Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, the Iraqi Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Pathfinder Badge, the Air Assault Badge, and the Basic Parachutist Badge.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Carlos M. Santos-Silva was killed in action 3/22/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Justin J. Wilson
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Justin J. Wilson, 24, of Palm City, Fla.
LCpl Wilson was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died March 22, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Marine Lance Cpl. Justin Wilson of Palm City was scheduled to come home from Afghanistan in less than two months. Instead, Wednesday morning his parents were on a plane to Delaware to meet his body. Wilson, 24, was killed Monday in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb.
Wilson always had to be first, cousin Donna Forte said. “He was the first in the family to get married. The first to be a Marine. He had to be the best,” Forte said.
The last time Lance Wilson spoke to his son was March 17 — Justin’s 24th birthday. The phone connection was crackling as Justin spoke from somewhere in the Helmand province, Lance Wilson said, shortly before boarding a plane Wednesday morning.
“He was a little afraid. I could hear it in his voice,” the 53-year-old Wilson said. “He didn’t want to talk about what was going on there. He wanted to talk about his wife, the family. He wanted to know what was going at home.”
Wilson joined the Marine Corps in January 2009 and deployed to Afghanistan 10 months later. Promoted to lance corporal earlier this month, Wilson was a motor vehicle operator assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 7, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan.
Justin’s assignment was driving a 7-ton armored truck with a machine gun on top. But recently, Justin had been doing foot patrol. He was killed by an improvised explosive device, said his father. “I was so proud of him. He had commitment, honor, respect,” Lance said.
Standing across from the Wilson home Wednesday, Dale Davant, a 78-year-old Korean war veteran, said he encouraged Wilson to join the Marines while delivering equipment for an ice skating show to Tampa.
“By the time we got back from Tampa he made up his mind that’s what he was going to do, and I encouraged him to do that,” said Davant, who served in the Marines. “He was considering joining before that trip, but I think that trip kind of sealed it.”
Davant said Wilson changed significantly when he completed boot camp. “He had a whole different attitude,” Davant said. “He was a good Marine.” Davant said he talked to Wilson’s family on Tuesday and said they’re in shock.
“If we lose anybody it’s sad, but then I’m having trouble with I encouraged him to join, so I know I’m not supposed to feel that way, but I do,” Davant said.
Justin and Hannah McVeigh were married by a justice of the peace in North Carolina on Oct. 30. They planned a big family wedding in Palm City after he returned from Afghanistan. Justin was a talented artist, making graffiti-style artwork, Forte said.
“He met Hannah, the girl of his dreams. After he and Hannah married, he was deployed the next day,” Forte said. “He was a tough guy on the outside. But inside, he was a softy.”
Handing out candy to children in Afghanistan was one part of the deployment his son enjoyed, Lance said. The Marines had recently helped rebuild a school in Justin’s area.
“Justin believed in what he was doing. He told me him and other Marines would use candy from their packages from home and give to the children,” the father said.
After graduating high school, Justin tried college. When that didn’t work, he decided to join the Marines, Lance said. “He had to be the best. But I told him it was not a good time. I told him if he signed up, he was going to go over there and fight,” Lance said.
Justin’s body will be returned to Palm City for a funeral. He will be cremated. Half the ashes will go to Hannah, the other half to his parents and brother and sister, Lance said.
At the Wilson’s home Wednesday, purple and yellow ribbons were affixed to two palm trees in the front yard. Another purple ribbon adorned the mail box. Purple ribbons also had been tied to trees and mailboxes of neighboring homes. A Marine Corps hat sat in the back of a silver BMW parked in the home’s brick driveway.
Wilson’s awards include the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Purple Heart.
His guest book can be viewed at http://www.legacy.com/gb2/default.aspx?bookid=4368122828670&cid=view and includes: We are all sick with grief over this tragic loss. We have known Justin since the day he was born and feel like we have lost a family member. It's devastating and words can not express our sorrow to Fran, Lance, Chris & Jamie and the entire Wilson/Forte family. Our love is with you all. Drummond Family, N Bellmore, New York
Justin grew up with his parents Francis and Lance, brother Christopher, 20, and sister Jamie, 16, in Commack, N.Y. The family moved to Palm City in 2004 when Lance had an opportunity in his business, the sign industry. He is also survived by his wife Hannah McVeigh.
Marine Lance Cpl. Justin J. Wilson was killed in action on 3/22/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Justin J. Wilson, 24, of Palm City, Fla.
LCpl Wilson was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died March 22, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Marine Lance Cpl. Justin Wilson of Palm City was scheduled to come home from Afghanistan in less than two months. Instead, Wednesday morning his parents were on a plane to Delaware to meet his body. Wilson, 24, was killed Monday in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb.
Wilson always had to be first, cousin Donna Forte said. “He was the first in the family to get married. The first to be a Marine. He had to be the best,” Forte said.
The last time Lance Wilson spoke to his son was March 17 — Justin’s 24th birthday. The phone connection was crackling as Justin spoke from somewhere in the Helmand province, Lance Wilson said, shortly before boarding a plane Wednesday morning.
“He was a little afraid. I could hear it in his voice,” the 53-year-old Wilson said. “He didn’t want to talk about what was going on there. He wanted to talk about his wife, the family. He wanted to know what was going at home.”
Wilson joined the Marine Corps in January 2009 and deployed to Afghanistan 10 months later. Promoted to lance corporal earlier this month, Wilson was a motor vehicle operator assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 7, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan.
Justin’s assignment was driving a 7-ton armored truck with a machine gun on top. But recently, Justin had been doing foot patrol. He was killed by an improvised explosive device, said his father. “I was so proud of him. He had commitment, honor, respect,” Lance said.
Standing across from the Wilson home Wednesday, Dale Davant, a 78-year-old Korean war veteran, said he encouraged Wilson to join the Marines while delivering equipment for an ice skating show to Tampa.
“By the time we got back from Tampa he made up his mind that’s what he was going to do, and I encouraged him to do that,” said Davant, who served in the Marines. “He was considering joining before that trip, but I think that trip kind of sealed it.”
Davant said Wilson changed significantly when he completed boot camp. “He had a whole different attitude,” Davant said. “He was a good Marine.” Davant said he talked to Wilson’s family on Tuesday and said they’re in shock.
“If we lose anybody it’s sad, but then I’m having trouble with I encouraged him to join, so I know I’m not supposed to feel that way, but I do,” Davant said.
Justin and Hannah McVeigh were married by a justice of the peace in North Carolina on Oct. 30. They planned a big family wedding in Palm City after he returned from Afghanistan. Justin was a talented artist, making graffiti-style artwork, Forte said.
“He met Hannah, the girl of his dreams. After he and Hannah married, he was deployed the next day,” Forte said. “He was a tough guy on the outside. But inside, he was a softy.”
Handing out candy to children in Afghanistan was one part of the deployment his son enjoyed, Lance said. The Marines had recently helped rebuild a school in Justin’s area.
“Justin believed in what he was doing. He told me him and other Marines would use candy from their packages from home and give to the children,” the father said.
After graduating high school, Justin tried college. When that didn’t work, he decided to join the Marines, Lance said. “He had to be the best. But I told him it was not a good time. I told him if he signed up, he was going to go over there and fight,” Lance said.
Justin’s body will be returned to Palm City for a funeral. He will be cremated. Half the ashes will go to Hannah, the other half to his parents and brother and sister, Lance said.
At the Wilson’s home Wednesday, purple and yellow ribbons were affixed to two palm trees in the front yard. Another purple ribbon adorned the mail box. Purple ribbons also had been tied to trees and mailboxes of neighboring homes. A Marine Corps hat sat in the back of a silver BMW parked in the home’s brick driveway.
Wilson’s awards include the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Purple Heart.
His guest book can be viewed at http://www.legacy.com/gb2/default.aspx?bookid=4368122828670&cid=view and includes: We are all sick with grief over this tragic loss. We have known Justin since the day he was born and feel like we have lost a family member. It's devastating and words can not express our sorrow to Fran, Lance, Chris & Jamie and the entire Wilson/Forte family. Our love is with you all. Drummond Family, N Bellmore, New York
Justin grew up with his parents Francis and Lance, brother Christopher, 20, and sister Jamie, 16, in Commack, N.Y. The family moved to Palm City in 2004 when Lance had an opportunity in his business, the sign industry. He is also survived by his wife Hannah McVeigh.
Marine Lance Cpl. Justin J. Wilson was killed in action on 3/22/10.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Army Spc Jacob C. Courie
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc Jacob C. Courie, 24 years, of Akron, Ohio, passed away March 18, 2010. Jacob was an Army Specialist serving a second tour in Iraq and was home on two week leave visiting family and friends.
A 24-year-old Iraq war veteran devoted to his friends, his dog and above all his ''baby brother'' died Thursday morning, March 18th, a few hours after being shot near the University of Akron campus.
Jacob C. Courie, 24, of Lake Street in Akron, died from a single shotgun blast that followed a pair of verbal altercations with an unknown man.
An Akron Police Department report stated that the crime was being investigated as an aggravated murder, which makes it eligible for the death penalty. The assailant fled and remained at large, Akron police said.
''He was just super easy to get along with and to know. You couldn't ask for a better guy,'' said Kevin Baughman, who has shared a rented house near Summit Lake with Courie for the past two years. ''You can have friends for 20 years,'' Baughman said, ''but you don't meet a good man like that very often.''
Courie, who was in the Army Reserve, was on leave from service in Iraq, Baughman said. He had been home for only two days of a two-week break when the shooting occurred.
Courie recently had signed up for six more years in the Army and was scheduled to leave April 1 for a new assignment in Afghanistan, Baughman said. Wednesday night, Courie was with his 26-year-old cousin, John D. Moss II. Both wore green Monopoly ''Get Out of Jail Free'' T-shirts for the St. Patrick's Day celebration and were ''just going out to have a couple of beers,'' Baughman said. ''Their family's Irish, and they were just going out to have fun.''
Akron police Lt. Rick Edwards said the men had left the Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar and were walking west on the south side of East Exchange Street when Courie and the gunman got into a verbal altercation. A short time later, Courie and the man again exchanged words. Then the gunman fired.
Baughman said detectives told him the weapon was a sawed-off shotgun they believe the assailant had retrieved from a vehicle in the time between the two arguments.
Emergency personnel transported Courie to Akron General Medical Center, where he died shortly after 5 a.m.
''They told us he was basically dead when he got to the hospital, but they were able to revive him and keep him alive,'' Baughman said. ''They operated on him for hours. One of the doctors mentioned to me that they went all out — not that they don't for everybody — when they saw his military tags.''
In their report, police describe the gunman as a black male about 30 to 35 years old, 6 feet tall and 180 pounds with a thin beard and goatee. He was wearing wire-rim glasses, a long black leather coat, dark pants and a white hat or skull cap.
Victim was 'good friend'
A 2005 news item in the Beacon Journal said Courie graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, in Columbia, S.C., in 2005.
Britany Schroeder-Bonen, who served with Courie during his first deployment to Iraq in 2006 and 2007, said in an e-mail Thursday that he joined the Army, in part, ''to change his life around, to better himself.'' She said that in Iraq they worked together in a supply yard. ''He was an extremely hard worker,'' she said. ''If something had to get done, it got done.'' Schroeder-Bonen said he ''was a very good friend to all.''
On Sunday, Courie wrote on his MySpace page that he was ''sitting in Kuwait waiting to get a flight home to come home on leave.'' He wrote that his heroes are ''the working man. My big brothers. Soldiers, Airmen, and sailors aka seamen.'' Baughman said Courie was particularly devoted to his 20-year-old brother, Jeremy Davis. The three of them lived together with Courie's mixed-breed dog, Lucy, and Baughman's chocolate Labrador retriever, Bruno.
''Jacob would call from Iraq every week and ask how his 'baby brother' was and how his dog was doing. Every week,'' Baughman said. He said that even the dogs got along well. ''Our dogs hit it off. The two dogs were best friends, inseparable,'' he said.
When Courie got home Monday night, Baughman said, ''he wasn't here for 15 minutes, and he shook my hand and told me: 'My baby brother and the dog look great!' '' Baughman said Courie also had a sister, T.J., from New York, and two other brothers, Jason and Dwayne, from Kenmore. Baughman said T.J. was driving to Akron late Wednesday to see Courie and didn't get the word about him being shot until she got into town. ''They didn't want to tell her on the phone while she was traveling,'' Baughman said.
The plans for Courie's two-week leave were simple, Baughman said. He wanted to relax with his family and Lucy, and to cook steaks on the grill Thursday night, like they did every time he came home, Baughman said. ''He was a good man, a good friend. Jacob was the kind of man that, if he told you he was going to do something, he would do it. No matter what it was, he took care of it,'' Baughman said. ''He was dedicated to his country and his family.''
The man who shot him has been caught and is being held on $1 million bond: http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/88821802.html
Army spokesman Raymond Gall provided this information about Jacob Carl Courie in an e-mail to the Plain Dealer: "Rank: SPC (E4) promoted to rank in July 2009 Entry Date: March 2005 Enlisted in 8 year contract with Army Reserve. Military Occupation Skill (MOS): 88M - Motor Transport Operator. Operates all wheel vehicles and equipment over varied terrain and roadways for support of combat operations to include the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Transport (HEMETT), Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET), and Palletized Loading System (PLS) vehicles to include performing self-recovery operations. Secondary MOS: 92A - Automated Logistical Specialist. Primarily responsible for supervising and performing management or warehouse functions in order to maintain equipment records and parts. Awards: Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with M Device. Started service as 92A. Served with 209th Quarter Master Supply Company, Lafayette, IN, where he was mobilized in May 2006 to serve in Kuwait and Iraq for a year. In March 2009 he completed training and was awarded MOS of 88M and reassigned to 319th Quarter Master Battalion, Twinsburg, OH. In July 2009 he was ordered to Active Duty Status for 400 days in support of Iraqi Freedom with the 561st Transportation Company, Ft. McCoy, WI. When deployed he was assigned to the U.S. Army Central Command, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. His tour was to be completed in August 2010."
Jacob is survived by his brothers, Jason Davis, Wayne Courie, Jeremy Davis, all of Akron; sister, Teejay (Tomasz) Podstepski of New York City; niece and nephew, Katelyn Bennett and Jeffrey Mc Dermott, special friends, Buck and Vicky, Kevin Baughman, Dave and Betty; cousin, John Moss, his dog, Lucy-fur and numerous other friends and relatives. He is also survived by his mother, Michelle Davis.
Army Spc Jacob C. Courie, 24 years, of Akron, Ohio, passed away March 18, 2010. Jacob was an Army Specialist serving a second tour in Iraq and was home on two week leave visiting family and friends.
A 24-year-old Iraq war veteran devoted to his friends, his dog and above all his ''baby brother'' died Thursday morning, March 18th, a few hours after being shot near the University of Akron campus.
Jacob C. Courie, 24, of Lake Street in Akron, died from a single shotgun blast that followed a pair of verbal altercations with an unknown man.
An Akron Police Department report stated that the crime was being investigated as an aggravated murder, which makes it eligible for the death penalty. The assailant fled and remained at large, Akron police said.
''He was just super easy to get along with and to know. You couldn't ask for a better guy,'' said Kevin Baughman, who has shared a rented house near Summit Lake with Courie for the past two years. ''You can have friends for 20 years,'' Baughman said, ''but you don't meet a good man like that very often.''
Courie, who was in the Army Reserve, was on leave from service in Iraq, Baughman said. He had been home for only two days of a two-week break when the shooting occurred.
Courie recently had signed up for six more years in the Army and was scheduled to leave April 1 for a new assignment in Afghanistan, Baughman said. Wednesday night, Courie was with his 26-year-old cousin, John D. Moss II. Both wore green Monopoly ''Get Out of Jail Free'' T-shirts for the St. Patrick's Day celebration and were ''just going out to have a couple of beers,'' Baughman said. ''Their family's Irish, and they were just going out to have fun.''
Akron police Lt. Rick Edwards said the men had left the Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar and were walking west on the south side of East Exchange Street when Courie and the gunman got into a verbal altercation. A short time later, Courie and the man again exchanged words. Then the gunman fired.
Baughman said detectives told him the weapon was a sawed-off shotgun they believe the assailant had retrieved from a vehicle in the time between the two arguments.
Emergency personnel transported Courie to Akron General Medical Center, where he died shortly after 5 a.m.
''They told us he was basically dead when he got to the hospital, but they were able to revive him and keep him alive,'' Baughman said. ''They operated on him for hours. One of the doctors mentioned to me that they went all out — not that they don't for everybody — when they saw his military tags.''
In their report, police describe the gunman as a black male about 30 to 35 years old, 6 feet tall and 180 pounds with a thin beard and goatee. He was wearing wire-rim glasses, a long black leather coat, dark pants and a white hat or skull cap.
Victim was 'good friend'
A 2005 news item in the Beacon Journal said Courie graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, in Columbia, S.C., in 2005.
Britany Schroeder-Bonen, who served with Courie during his first deployment to Iraq in 2006 and 2007, said in an e-mail Thursday that he joined the Army, in part, ''to change his life around, to better himself.'' She said that in Iraq they worked together in a supply yard. ''He was an extremely hard worker,'' she said. ''If something had to get done, it got done.'' Schroeder-Bonen said he ''was a very good friend to all.''
On Sunday, Courie wrote on his MySpace page that he was ''sitting in Kuwait waiting to get a flight home to come home on leave.'' He wrote that his heroes are ''the working man. My big brothers. Soldiers, Airmen, and sailors aka seamen.'' Baughman said Courie was particularly devoted to his 20-year-old brother, Jeremy Davis. The three of them lived together with Courie's mixed-breed dog, Lucy, and Baughman's chocolate Labrador retriever, Bruno.
''Jacob would call from Iraq every week and ask how his 'baby brother' was and how his dog was doing. Every week,'' Baughman said. He said that even the dogs got along well. ''Our dogs hit it off. The two dogs were best friends, inseparable,'' he said.
When Courie got home Monday night, Baughman said, ''he wasn't here for 15 minutes, and he shook my hand and told me: 'My baby brother and the dog look great!' '' Baughman said Courie also had a sister, T.J., from New York, and two other brothers, Jason and Dwayne, from Kenmore. Baughman said T.J. was driving to Akron late Wednesday to see Courie and didn't get the word about him being shot until she got into town. ''They didn't want to tell her on the phone while she was traveling,'' Baughman said.
The plans for Courie's two-week leave were simple, Baughman said. He wanted to relax with his family and Lucy, and to cook steaks on the grill Thursday night, like they did every time he came home, Baughman said. ''He was a good man, a good friend. Jacob was the kind of man that, if he told you he was going to do something, he would do it. No matter what it was, he took care of it,'' Baughman said. ''He was dedicated to his country and his family.''
The man who shot him has been caught and is being held on $1 million bond: http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/88821802.html
Army spokesman Raymond Gall provided this information about Jacob Carl Courie in an e-mail to the Plain Dealer: "Rank: SPC (E4) promoted to rank in July 2009 Entry Date: March 2005 Enlisted in 8 year contract with Army Reserve. Military Occupation Skill (MOS): 88M - Motor Transport Operator. Operates all wheel vehicles and equipment over varied terrain and roadways for support of combat operations to include the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Transport (HEMETT), Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET), and Palletized Loading System (PLS) vehicles to include performing self-recovery operations. Secondary MOS: 92A - Automated Logistical Specialist. Primarily responsible for supervising and performing management or warehouse functions in order to maintain equipment records and parts. Awards: Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with M Device. Started service as 92A. Served with 209th Quarter Master Supply Company, Lafayette, IN, where he was mobilized in May 2006 to serve in Kuwait and Iraq for a year. In March 2009 he completed training and was awarded MOS of 88M and reassigned to 319th Quarter Master Battalion, Twinsburg, OH. In July 2009 he was ordered to Active Duty Status for 400 days in support of Iraqi Freedom with the 561st Transportation Company, Ft. McCoy, WI. When deployed he was assigned to the U.S. Army Central Command, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. His tour was to be completed in August 2010."
Jacob is survived by his brothers, Jason Davis, Wayne Courie, Jeremy Davis, all of Akron; sister, Teejay (Tomasz) Podstepski of New York City; niece and nephew, Katelyn Bennett and Jeffrey Mc Dermott, special friends, Buck and Vicky, Kevin Baughman, Dave and Betty; cousin, John Moss, his dog, Lucy-fur and numerous other friends and relatives. He is also survived by his mother, Michelle Davis.
Army Spc. Robert M. Rieckhoff
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Robert M. Rieckhoff, 26, of Kenosha, Wis.
Spc Rieckhoff was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.
, died March 18, 2010 in Baghdad, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with rocket-propelled grenade fire.
A soldier from Kenosha, Wisconsin was killed in Iraq last week.
The Department of Defense confirmed Monday that Army Spc. Robert M. Rieckhoff, 26, died March 18th of wounds he suffered after a rocket-propelled grenade struck the watchtower where he was on duty in Baghdad.
Rieckhoff was a assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) of Fort Drum, NY.
Bubba Rieckhoff's family told The Associated Press he graduated from Tremper High School in 2002 and has completed three previous tours of duty in Kuwait and Iraq.
KENOSHA, Wis. -- Department of Defense agents said a rocket propelled grenade struck a watch tower while Spc. Robert Rieckhoff, 26, was on guard duty.
12 News spoke with the family members about Robert Rieckhoff and their loss.
To his family, he'll always be Bubba, the kid who played in the kitchen while his grandma cooked supper, the young man who sidestepped trouble by joining the military.
"You couldn't ask for a better man," said his stepfather, Roland Garwood. "He could make you laugh, no matter what."
But Saturday, there were only tears as the family gathered in the kitchen where U.S. Army Spc. Robert Rieckhoff once played.
His grandmother, Judith Nelsen, offered a visitor a cup of coffee. She sat at the kitchen table and smiled at the memory of her grandson playing in the kitchen, all those years ago.
"I'd be cooking supper and he would be getting into the cupboards," she said. "He'd play with all my canned goods. He could never do wrong in my eyes."
"He wanted people to be proud of him," said his mother, Barbara Garwood. "His friends were getting in trouble. He didn't want that."
While in the Reserves, he worked at a Pizza Hut in Kenosha. But he wanted something more, and saw the military as a career, his mother said.
"He was very responsible, very mature," she said. "He thought of everyone else."
In January, "Bubba" Rieckhoff came home on leave from Iraq and "showed everyone a good time," his mother said. "He was never able to do that before."
He gave gifts to his extended family, including his nieces, Alexis and Jasmine Sartorius, and took everyone out for dinners.
"I couldn't ask for a better son," Barbara Garwood said. "He listened."
Two days before his death, Rieckhoff told his family he had just purchased an automobile via the Internet, a 2008 Dodge Charger. He wanted to make sure a car was waiting for him near a military base in Fort Drum, N.Y., when his current tour in Iraq ended.
"He was strong as an ox," said Anderson, his uncle. "He shouldn't be dead. He should be around."
Robert Rieckhoff would have turned 27 on June 6.
"He is going to be home on his birthday now," his uncle said.
The family is now planning a funeral.
Rieckhoff's grandmother, Judy Nelson, said that Spc. Rieckhoff got her a snowman figurine for Christmas that she's going to keep out at all times to treasure his memory.
"He said, 'Grandma, all these years, I never could buy a lot of gifts, but now I can,'" Nelsen said. "He was an absolute sweetheart. He is the best kid and I'm so proud of him."
Nelsen said she helped raise Bubba Rieckhoff with her son, Bruce Anderson. "We took him everywhere. Everywhere we went, the kids were with us. They were always a part of our lives," Anderson said.
Spc. Rieckhoff served two tours of duty in Iraq and one tour in Kuwait.
Nelsen said she always worried for his safety, so she asked him to e-mail her daily so she knew he was alright. She said she knew something was wrong Thursday because she didn't hear from him.
"I don't care if you say hello, goodbye, whatever, just get on it that way I know you are OK. Then when they came to the door and I said, 'Please tell me that you want a donation,' and then I saw the cross on the chaplain," Nelsen said.
The family said its finding comfort knowing he died doing something he believed and in their memories of the man they loved.
"I made sure every time I saw him I said how proud I was of him; how proud of the man he'd become and how much I loved him," Anderson said.
Rieckhoff is survived by a son and daughter who live in Tennessee with their mother.
Reckhoff recently re-enlisted as part of Battery Bravo Second Battalion of the 15th Field Artillery Unit out of New York. He began talking about joining the military in high school, said his mother, Barbara Garwood of Kenosha.
MILWAUKEE (AP) ― A Kenosha soldier was killed in Iraq after a rocket-propelled grenade hit the watchtower where he was on guard duty, the soldier's family said Saturday.
"They told us it happened at 9:11 (a.m.) local time," his grandmother, Judith Nelsen, told The Associated Press. "Of all the times, it was 9:11."
He began talking about joining the military in high school, said his mother, Barbara Garwood of Kenosha.
"I told him whatever he decided, I was behind him 100 percent," she said.
Rieckhoff graduated from Tremper High School in 2002 and served two tours of duty in Iraq and one in Kuwait.
He knew how much his family worried so he e-mailed them almost every day to let them know he was safe, his grandmother said. The morning he died, Nelsen asked Garwood whether she checked for an e-mail that day.
"She said she'd check as soon as she finished her coffee," Nelsen said. "Before she finished, there was the military at the back door."
Nelsen paused, then added, "She didn't get the e-mail that day."
Robert Rieckhoff wasn't rich, but he was more interesting in spending his military salary on his family than on himself, his mother said. One of the last gifts he gave her was an expensive Christmas tree, she said.
"Another time he took me to a local casino," Garwood said, chuckling softly. "He said he learned his lesson, that he's never going to do that again."
His grandmother said she cherishes a costly decoration he gave her, a snowman that plays music.
"I cried and his mother cried," she said, her voice cracking. "He said, 'God, guys, it's just a snowman.' I said, 'Robert, this costs too much.' He said, 'Grandma, these are the things I always wanted to buy for you, but I never had the money.' That's the kind of person he was. He'd give you the shirt off his back, the last dollar to his name."
It was hard not to worry about him, even with his regular e-mails, his family said. When he decided to re-enlist it was because he wanted to make sure his kids had health benefits and access to good education, Nelsen said, but he still called his relatives to get their opinions.
"He called and said, 'What do you think?'" his grandmother said. "I said, 'Son, do whatever you want to do.' He said, 'I want you to be proud.' We said, 'We are proud, pal, we couldn't be more proud.'"
Spc. Rieckhoff died one day before the seventh anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. He was the 92nd Wisconsin resident to die in the conflict, according to an AP count. Twelve others have died in Afghanistan since 2004.
His grandmother said Americans shouldn't be dying over there, and the U.S. should bring its troops home now.
"If they (Iraqis) want to fight, let them fight amongst themselves," Nelsen said. "Our boys go over there and lose their lives. I think they should bring those boys home. All of them."
"He has two beautiful children who'll be without a father now." Roland Garwood told station WTMJ-TV.
Spc. Rieckhoff is survived by his two children - Tyler 8, and Katrina 4, of Tennessee, his mom and step dad Barbara and Roland Garwood of AZ, his grand parents who helped raise him Greg and Judy Nelson of Wisconsin, sisters Sheila Sartorius of Tennessee, Kaszaray Rieckhoff of Iowa, Jolene Garwood of Kenosha and Cathy Garwood of Kenosha and brothers Roland Garwood III of Kentucky and Bobby Garwood of Tennessee.
Army Spc. Robert M. Rieckhoff was killed in action on 3/18/10.
Army Spc. Robert M. Rieckhoff, 26, of Kenosha, Wis.
Spc Rieckhoff was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.
, died March 18, 2010 in Baghdad, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with rocket-propelled grenade fire.
A soldier from Kenosha, Wisconsin was killed in Iraq last week.
The Department of Defense confirmed Monday that Army Spc. Robert M. Rieckhoff, 26, died March 18th of wounds he suffered after a rocket-propelled grenade struck the watchtower where he was on duty in Baghdad.
Rieckhoff was a assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) of Fort Drum, NY.
Bubba Rieckhoff's family told The Associated Press he graduated from Tremper High School in 2002 and has completed three previous tours of duty in Kuwait and Iraq.
KENOSHA, Wis. -- Department of Defense agents said a rocket propelled grenade struck a watch tower while Spc. Robert Rieckhoff, 26, was on guard duty.
12 News spoke with the family members about Robert Rieckhoff and their loss.
To his family, he'll always be Bubba, the kid who played in the kitchen while his grandma cooked supper, the young man who sidestepped trouble by joining the military.
"You couldn't ask for a better man," said his stepfather, Roland Garwood. "He could make you laugh, no matter what."
But Saturday, there were only tears as the family gathered in the kitchen where U.S. Army Spc. Robert Rieckhoff once played.
His grandmother, Judith Nelsen, offered a visitor a cup of coffee. She sat at the kitchen table and smiled at the memory of her grandson playing in the kitchen, all those years ago.
"I'd be cooking supper and he would be getting into the cupboards," she said. "He'd play with all my canned goods. He could never do wrong in my eyes."
"He wanted people to be proud of him," said his mother, Barbara Garwood. "His friends were getting in trouble. He didn't want that."
While in the Reserves, he worked at a Pizza Hut in Kenosha. But he wanted something more, and saw the military as a career, his mother said.
"He was very responsible, very mature," she said. "He thought of everyone else."
In January, "Bubba" Rieckhoff came home on leave from Iraq and "showed everyone a good time," his mother said. "He was never able to do that before."
He gave gifts to his extended family, including his nieces, Alexis and Jasmine Sartorius, and took everyone out for dinners.
"I couldn't ask for a better son," Barbara Garwood said. "He listened."
Two days before his death, Rieckhoff told his family he had just purchased an automobile via the Internet, a 2008 Dodge Charger. He wanted to make sure a car was waiting for him near a military base in Fort Drum, N.Y., when his current tour in Iraq ended.
"He was strong as an ox," said Anderson, his uncle. "He shouldn't be dead. He should be around."
Robert Rieckhoff would have turned 27 on June 6.
"He is going to be home on his birthday now," his uncle said.
The family is now planning a funeral.
Rieckhoff's grandmother, Judy Nelson, said that Spc. Rieckhoff got her a snowman figurine for Christmas that she's going to keep out at all times to treasure his memory.
"He said, 'Grandma, all these years, I never could buy a lot of gifts, but now I can,'" Nelsen said. "He was an absolute sweetheart. He is the best kid and I'm so proud of him."
Nelsen said she helped raise Bubba Rieckhoff with her son, Bruce Anderson. "We took him everywhere. Everywhere we went, the kids were with us. They were always a part of our lives," Anderson said.
Spc. Rieckhoff served two tours of duty in Iraq and one tour in Kuwait.
Nelsen said she always worried for his safety, so she asked him to e-mail her daily so she knew he was alright. She said she knew something was wrong Thursday because she didn't hear from him.
"I don't care if you say hello, goodbye, whatever, just get on it that way I know you are OK. Then when they came to the door and I said, 'Please tell me that you want a donation,' and then I saw the cross on the chaplain," Nelsen said.
The family said its finding comfort knowing he died doing something he believed and in their memories of the man they loved.
"I made sure every time I saw him I said how proud I was of him; how proud of the man he'd become and how much I loved him," Anderson said.
Rieckhoff is survived by a son and daughter who live in Tennessee with their mother.
Reckhoff recently re-enlisted as part of Battery Bravo Second Battalion of the 15th Field Artillery Unit out of New York. He began talking about joining the military in high school, said his mother, Barbara Garwood of Kenosha.
MILWAUKEE (AP) ― A Kenosha soldier was killed in Iraq after a rocket-propelled grenade hit the watchtower where he was on guard duty, the soldier's family said Saturday.
"They told us it happened at 9:11 (a.m.) local time," his grandmother, Judith Nelsen, told The Associated Press. "Of all the times, it was 9:11."
He began talking about joining the military in high school, said his mother, Barbara Garwood of Kenosha.
"I told him whatever he decided, I was behind him 100 percent," she said.
Rieckhoff graduated from Tremper High School in 2002 and served two tours of duty in Iraq and one in Kuwait.
He knew how much his family worried so he e-mailed them almost every day to let them know he was safe, his grandmother said. The morning he died, Nelsen asked Garwood whether she checked for an e-mail that day.
"She said she'd check as soon as she finished her coffee," Nelsen said. "Before she finished, there was the military at the back door."
Nelsen paused, then added, "She didn't get the e-mail that day."
Robert Rieckhoff wasn't rich, but he was more interesting in spending his military salary on his family than on himself, his mother said. One of the last gifts he gave her was an expensive Christmas tree, she said.
"Another time he took me to a local casino," Garwood said, chuckling softly. "He said he learned his lesson, that he's never going to do that again."
His grandmother said she cherishes a costly decoration he gave her, a snowman that plays music.
"I cried and his mother cried," she said, her voice cracking. "He said, 'God, guys, it's just a snowman.' I said, 'Robert, this costs too much.' He said, 'Grandma, these are the things I always wanted to buy for you, but I never had the money.' That's the kind of person he was. He'd give you the shirt off his back, the last dollar to his name."
It was hard not to worry about him, even with his regular e-mails, his family said. When he decided to re-enlist it was because he wanted to make sure his kids had health benefits and access to good education, Nelsen said, but he still called his relatives to get their opinions.
"He called and said, 'What do you think?'" his grandmother said. "I said, 'Son, do whatever you want to do.' He said, 'I want you to be proud.' We said, 'We are proud, pal, we couldn't be more proud.'"
Spc. Rieckhoff died one day before the seventh anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. He was the 92nd Wisconsin resident to die in the conflict, according to an AP count. Twelve others have died in Afghanistan since 2004.
His grandmother said Americans shouldn't be dying over there, and the U.S. should bring its troops home now.
"If they (Iraqis) want to fight, let them fight amongst themselves," Nelsen said. "Our boys go over there and lose their lives. I think they should bring those boys home. All of them."
"He has two beautiful children who'll be without a father now." Roland Garwood told station WTMJ-TV.
Spc. Rieckhoff is survived by his two children - Tyler 8, and Katrina 4, of Tennessee, his mom and step dad Barbara and Roland Garwood of AZ, his grand parents who helped raise him Greg and Judy Nelson of Wisconsin, sisters Sheila Sartorius of Tennessee, Kaszaray Rieckhoff of Iowa, Jolene Garwood of Kenosha and Cathy Garwood of Kenosha and brothers Roland Garwood III of Kentucky and Bobby Garwood of Tennessee.
Army Spc. Robert M. Rieckhoff was killed in action on 3/18/10.
Navy Special Warfare Operator Chief (SEAL) Adam L. Brown
Remember Our Heroes
Navy Special Warfare Operator Chief (SEAL) Adam L. Brown, 36, of Hot Springs, Ark.
SEAL Brown was assigned to an East Coast -based SEAL Team; died March 18, 2010 in Afghanistan.
Navy: SEAL killed in Afghanistan
Staff and wire reports
A SEAL assigned to an East Coast SEAL team was killed Thursday in a battle with militants in Afghanistan.
Chief Special Warfare Operator Adam Lee Brown, 36, died from injuries sustained during combat operations, according to a Navy statement released Friday.
Lt. Arlo Abrahamson, spokesman for Naval Special Warfare Group 2, said only that Brown was assigned to a Virginia Beach, Va.-area SEAL team that was part of a special operations task force operating in various parts of Afghanistan.
Brown, a native of Hot Springs, Ark., enlisted in the Navy in 1998 and joined the SEALs in 2001. He earned a Bronze Star with combat “V.”
He is survived by his wife, two children and his parents.
Friends say Brown fought for the common man
The Associated Press
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — A Navy SEAL who was killed in Afghanistan has been remembered as an honorable, hard-working man who died a warrior’s death.
Family and friends gathered March 24 at Hot Springs Baptist Church for the funeral of 36-year-old Chief Petty Officer Adam Brown.
The Defense Department didn’t release details of Brown’s death on March 18. He was assigned to a Virginia Beach, Va.-based SEAL team.
Family friend Darlene Hull described Brown as diligent, respectful and proud to be an American. Others said he fought for the little guy.
After the funeral, people waving American flags lined streets leading to the cemetery.
Brown is survived by his wife, two children and his parents.
Navy Special Warfare Operator Chief (SEAL) Adam L. Brown was killed in action on 3/18/10.
Navy Special Warfare Operator Chief (SEAL) Adam L. Brown, 36, of Hot Springs, Ark.
SEAL Brown was assigned to an East Coast -based SEAL Team; died March 18, 2010 in Afghanistan.
Navy: SEAL killed in Afghanistan
Staff and wire reports
A SEAL assigned to an East Coast SEAL team was killed Thursday in a battle with militants in Afghanistan.
Chief Special Warfare Operator Adam Lee Brown, 36, died from injuries sustained during combat operations, according to a Navy statement released Friday.
Lt. Arlo Abrahamson, spokesman for Naval Special Warfare Group 2, said only that Brown was assigned to a Virginia Beach, Va.-area SEAL team that was part of a special operations task force operating in various parts of Afghanistan.
Brown, a native of Hot Springs, Ark., enlisted in the Navy in 1998 and joined the SEALs in 2001. He earned a Bronze Star with combat “V.”
He is survived by his wife, two children and his parents.
Friends say Brown fought for the common man
The Associated Press
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — A Navy SEAL who was killed in Afghanistan has been remembered as an honorable, hard-working man who died a warrior’s death.
Family and friends gathered March 24 at Hot Springs Baptist Church for the funeral of 36-year-old Chief Petty Officer Adam Brown.
The Defense Department didn’t release details of Brown’s death on March 18. He was assigned to a Virginia Beach, Va.-based SEAL team.
Family friend Darlene Hull described Brown as diligent, respectful and proud to be an American. Others said he fought for the little guy.
After the funeral, people waving American flags lined streets leading to the cemetery.
Brown is survived by his wife, two children and his parents.
Navy Special Warfare Operator Chief (SEAL) Adam L. Brown was killed in action on 3/18/10.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Army Staff Sgt. Richard J. Jordan
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Richard J. Jordan, 29, of Tyler, Texas
SSgt Jordan was assigned to 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas; died March 16, 2010 in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over.
Bliss soldier killed in Iraq vehicle crash
The Associated Press
HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A 29-year-old Fort Bliss, Texas, soldier with ties to Michigan is dead after a vehicle rollover while serving in Iraq.
The Defense Department says Staff Sgt. Richard J. Jordan died March 16 of his injuries from the crash. The agency said he was from Tyler, Texas, but the Detroit News reported March 19 that he was from Harrison Township.
Sister-in-law Carin Poole told the newspaper that Jordan had two daughters — ages 9 and 2. She also said he had been an Army recruiter in Detroit before going to Iraq.
He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, out of Fort Bliss.
Fallen soldier ‘felt like he had to do his part’
The Associated Press
Richard Jordan always seemed to be putting his dimples to work, generating smiles wherever he went.
He loved playing jokes, and when he was the target of one, he rarely let it go without revenge, said Carin Poole, his sister-in-law.
“If he was around, you were going to have a good time,” she said.
Jordan, 29, of Tyler, Texas, died March 16 in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries suffered in a vehicle rollover. He was assigned to Fort Bliss.
He graduated in 1998 from Antioch Community High School in northeastern Illinois, where he played football as a defensive back and later returned as a volunteer assistant coach. He was a fan of sports, especially basketball.
The Ohio native joined the Army in 2003 and worked as a Detroit-area recruiter before moving to the infantry.
Jordan “felt like he had to do his part,” Poole said.
“He loved to help out people,” he said. “Even when he was in Iraq, he would be on Facebook and people would be encouraging him, but he would be doing more encouraging than them.”
Survivors include his wife, Jennifer, and daughters, 9-year-old Jazmine and 2-year-old Madison.
Army Staff Sgt. Richard J. Jordan was killed in action on 3/16/10.
Army Staff Sgt. Richard J. Jordan, 29, of Tyler, Texas
SSgt Jordan was assigned to 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas; died March 16, 2010 in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over.
Bliss soldier killed in Iraq vehicle crash
The Associated Press
HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A 29-year-old Fort Bliss, Texas, soldier with ties to Michigan is dead after a vehicle rollover while serving in Iraq.
The Defense Department says Staff Sgt. Richard J. Jordan died March 16 of his injuries from the crash. The agency said he was from Tyler, Texas, but the Detroit News reported March 19 that he was from Harrison Township.
Sister-in-law Carin Poole told the newspaper that Jordan had two daughters — ages 9 and 2. She also said he had been an Army recruiter in Detroit before going to Iraq.
He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, out of Fort Bliss.
Fallen soldier ‘felt like he had to do his part’
The Associated Press
Richard Jordan always seemed to be putting his dimples to work, generating smiles wherever he went.
He loved playing jokes, and when he was the target of one, he rarely let it go without revenge, said Carin Poole, his sister-in-law.
“If he was around, you were going to have a good time,” she said.
Jordan, 29, of Tyler, Texas, died March 16 in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries suffered in a vehicle rollover. He was assigned to Fort Bliss.
He graduated in 1998 from Antioch Community High School in northeastern Illinois, where he played football as a defensive back and later returned as a volunteer assistant coach. He was a fan of sports, especially basketball.
The Ohio native joined the Army in 2003 and worked as a Detroit-area recruiter before moving to the infantry.
Jordan “felt like he had to do his part,” Poole said.
“He loved to help out people,” he said. “Even when he was in Iraq, he would be on Facebook and people would be encouraging him, but he would be doing more encouraging than them.”
Survivors include his wife, Jennifer, and daughters, 9-year-old Jazmine and 2-year-old Madison.
Army Staff Sgt. Richard J. Jordan was killed in action on 3/16/10.
Marine Gunnery Sgt. Robert L. Gilbert II
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Gunnery Sgt. Robert L. Gilbert II, 28, of Richfield, Ohio
GySgt Gilbert was assigned to 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Special Operations Regiment, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died March 16, 2010 of wounds sustained March 8 while supporting combat operations in Badghis province, Afghanistan.
Marine from Ohio dies after Afghanistan ambush
The Associated Press
RICHFIELD, Ohio — A Marine from Ohio has died from injuries suffered in combat in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense announced March 18.
Gunnery Sgt. Robert Gilbert II of Richfield died March 16, his 28th birthday, at a Maryland hospital.
Officials said he was wounded March 8 while supporting combat operations in Badghis province.
Gilbert was assigned to the 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Special Operations Regiment, Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command in Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Gilbert was on his fifth tour of duty and his second in Afghanistan, family friend Anthony Maroon said.
Maroon said Gilbert’s platoon was ambushed and his helmet was pierced by a shot from a high-powered rifle. He said Gilbert had been shot a couple weeks earlier, but a bullet-proof vest had stopped the bullet.
Gilbert “thought the Taliban was after him and his days were numbered,” Maroon said.
Gilbert was a 2000 graduate of Revere High School. Maroon said Gilbert joined the Marines when he was 18 and that he always wanted to fight for his country.
Revere High art teacher Bob Pierson said Gilbert was friendly and likable and always wanted to be a Marine.
“When you looked at him, you could see him as one. He was a tall, lean muscular kid. He also stood really proud,” Pierson said.
Gilbert’s father, a Richfield police officer, was with him at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., when he died.
Marine Gunnery Sgt. Robert L. Gilbert II died 3/16/10 of wounds sustained in action on 3/8/10.
Marine Gunnery Sgt. Robert L. Gilbert II, 28, of Richfield, Ohio
GySgt Gilbert was assigned to 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Special Operations Regiment, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died March 16, 2010 of wounds sustained March 8 while supporting combat operations in Badghis province, Afghanistan.
Marine from Ohio dies after Afghanistan ambush
The Associated Press
RICHFIELD, Ohio — A Marine from Ohio has died from injuries suffered in combat in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense announced March 18.
Gunnery Sgt. Robert Gilbert II of Richfield died March 16, his 28th birthday, at a Maryland hospital.
Officials said he was wounded March 8 while supporting combat operations in Badghis province.
Gilbert was assigned to the 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Special Operations Regiment, Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command in Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Gilbert was on his fifth tour of duty and his second in Afghanistan, family friend Anthony Maroon said.
Maroon said Gilbert’s platoon was ambushed and his helmet was pierced by a shot from a high-powered rifle. He said Gilbert had been shot a couple weeks earlier, but a bullet-proof vest had stopped the bullet.
Gilbert “thought the Taliban was after him and his days were numbered,” Maroon said.
Gilbert was a 2000 graduate of Revere High School. Maroon said Gilbert joined the Marines when he was 18 and that he always wanted to fight for his country.
Revere High art teacher Bob Pierson said Gilbert was friendly and likable and always wanted to be a Marine.
“When you looked at him, you could see him as one. He was a tall, lean muscular kid. He also stood really proud,” Pierson said.
Gilbert’s father, a Richfield police officer, was with him at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., when he died.
Marine Gunnery Sgt. Robert L. Gilbert II died 3/16/10 of wounds sustained in action on 3/8/10.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Army Sgt. Sean Duran
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Sean Duran, Bedford, TX, died March 14, 2010.
Sean spent the majority of his youth growing up and attending school in Midvale, Utah until the age of 15 when he moved to Bastrop, TX. While attending Bastrop High School, he was actively involved in ROTC. At the age of 17, in the summer between his junior and senior year of high school, he joined the Texas National Guard and went to basic training.
He graduated in 2005 and went on to excel in his military service and was chosen by his leadership to attend Wentworth Military Academy in Lexington, Missouri. He was currently enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute in Irving, TX to pursue a passion in cooking.
Sgt. Sean Duran was a member of the 36th ID and deployed with Foxtrot Company 949th Infantry Unit in August of 2008. He served our country in Operation Iraqi Freedom from November 2008 to August 2009. While in Iraq, Sgt. Duran was a wealth of information and an invaluable support to all who served with him.
While running Combat Logistical Patrols with his platoon he served as communications Sergeant. While on mission, Sgt. Duran earned his nickname 'Preacher' by saying a prayer before the element would return to its home base. Sgt. Duran also played in integral part in training the replacement units and was also selected to train the Iraqi military in use of the ASV tactical vehicle. Sgt. Duran was the recipient of many medals, including the Bronze Star.
Sean is survived by his mother Lisa Duran of Midvale, Utah, his second mother Jane Campos of Bastrop, Texas, his grandmother Mary Duran, his brothers and sister, Aaron, Martin and Veronica. He is also survived by his girlfriend, Lindsey Harrison and his son Tyler Mathew Harrison, both of Granbury, TX. He was a loving son, boyfriend, father, and friend.
Army Sgt. Sean Duran, Bedford, TX, died March 14, 2010.
Sean spent the majority of his youth growing up and attending school in Midvale, Utah until the age of 15 when he moved to Bastrop, TX. While attending Bastrop High School, he was actively involved in ROTC. At the age of 17, in the summer between his junior and senior year of high school, he joined the Texas National Guard and went to basic training.
He graduated in 2005 and went on to excel in his military service and was chosen by his leadership to attend Wentworth Military Academy in Lexington, Missouri. He was currently enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute in Irving, TX to pursue a passion in cooking.
Sgt. Sean Duran was a member of the 36th ID and deployed with Foxtrot Company 949th Infantry Unit in August of 2008. He served our country in Operation Iraqi Freedom from November 2008 to August 2009. While in Iraq, Sgt. Duran was a wealth of information and an invaluable support to all who served with him.
While running Combat Logistical Patrols with his platoon he served as communications Sergeant. While on mission, Sgt. Duran earned his nickname 'Preacher' by saying a prayer before the element would return to its home base. Sgt. Duran also played in integral part in training the replacement units and was also selected to train the Iraqi military in use of the ASV tactical vehicle. Sgt. Duran was the recipient of many medals, including the Bronze Star.
Sean is survived by his mother Lisa Duran of Midvale, Utah, his second mother Jane Campos of Bastrop, Texas, his grandmother Mary Duran, his brothers and sister, Aaron, Martin and Veronica. He is also survived by his girlfriend, Lindsey Harrison and his son Tyler Mathew Harrison, both of Granbury, TX. He was a loving son, boyfriend, father, and friend.
Marine Cpl. Jonathan D. Porto
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Cpl. Jonathan D. Porto, 26, of Largo, Fla.
Cpl. Porto was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died March 14, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Two years after signing up with the U.S. Marine Corps partly because he couldn't get a job in his own country, Jonathan Porto was killed in Afghanistan on Sunday, leaving behind a new bride and an infant daughter he never got a chance to hold.
"I'm going to ask people to refer to him only in the present,'' his father, Steve, said while en route to Dover Air Force Base to receive the 26-year-old man's coffin.
"He has a spirit, he has a life, he has a soul," Steve Porto said. "Jon IS a good guy." Also receiving the coffin will be Jonathan Porto's mother and his wife of 10 months, Rachel.
A corporal, Porto was a small arms repair technician assigned to 1st Battalion 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
His mother, Rachel Bernaby, and stepfather, Brian, were not at their St. Petersburg home Tuesday afternoon. An American flag and a red Marine Corps flag were at half-staff outside their front door.
Porto was born in St. Petersburg and has seven brothers and sisters, said his uncle, Craig Gregoire. The Department of Defense reported that Porto was from Largo.
"It's a tragedy all the way around," he said.
Gregoire said he spoke with his sister, Porto's mother, early Monday. She said Porto had been killed when a vehicle he was in flipped and he was pinned under the wreckage, Gregoire said.
He graduated from Timberlane Regional High School in Plaistow, N.H., in 2002, according to associate principal John Leary. Leary remembered Porto as a hands-on learner who was a good kid. Finding out Porto ended up with the Marine Corps "did not surprise me," he said.
Gregoire, of Hendersonville, N.C., said he thought his nephew "found a sense of purpose" in the Marine Corps. Gregoire's wife, Renae, said she and her husband were saddened by their nephew's death, but comforted knowing he was now with his grandmother, Annette Gregoire, who died March 15, 2001 — nine years ago almost to the day of Porto's death.
"Whenever I saw him at a family gathering, he gave hugs freely, smiled widely and often, and pretty much made me feel cheerful and welcomed," Renae Gregoire said.
Sonya Porto, 33, said her brother was in a convoy in the Helmand province of Afghanistan when the truck he was in went off course and tumbled. He got caught underneath and was killed. "It's pretty haunting, it's pretty sad," she said from her home in Missouri. "He's one of eight kids. We're grieving. We're really close."
She said her brother and his wife were married in May and had a daughter in January. Porto's father said his son never got a chance to hold his newborn daughter and saw her only in pictures.
Sonya Porto described her brother as "probably the most fun" of the eight siblings. "He had a heart of gold and he really wanted to make sure everyone was OK."
"A lot of reasons he was in the military is jobs are so hard to find," Steve Porto said.
Porto's awards include the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and NATO International Security Assistance Force Medal.
Marine Cpl. Jonathan D. Porto was killed in action on 3/14/10.
Marine Cpl. Jonathan D. Porto, 26, of Largo, Fla.
Cpl. Porto was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died March 14, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Two years after signing up with the U.S. Marine Corps partly because he couldn't get a job in his own country, Jonathan Porto was killed in Afghanistan on Sunday, leaving behind a new bride and an infant daughter he never got a chance to hold.
"I'm going to ask people to refer to him only in the present,'' his father, Steve, said while en route to Dover Air Force Base to receive the 26-year-old man's coffin.
"He has a spirit, he has a life, he has a soul," Steve Porto said. "Jon IS a good guy." Also receiving the coffin will be Jonathan Porto's mother and his wife of 10 months, Rachel.
A corporal, Porto was a small arms repair technician assigned to 1st Battalion 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
His mother, Rachel Bernaby, and stepfather, Brian, were not at their St. Petersburg home Tuesday afternoon. An American flag and a red Marine Corps flag were at half-staff outside their front door.
Porto was born in St. Petersburg and has seven brothers and sisters, said his uncle, Craig Gregoire. The Department of Defense reported that Porto was from Largo.
"It's a tragedy all the way around," he said.
Gregoire said he spoke with his sister, Porto's mother, early Monday. She said Porto had been killed when a vehicle he was in flipped and he was pinned under the wreckage, Gregoire said.
He graduated from Timberlane Regional High School in Plaistow, N.H., in 2002, according to associate principal John Leary. Leary remembered Porto as a hands-on learner who was a good kid. Finding out Porto ended up with the Marine Corps "did not surprise me," he said.
Gregoire, of Hendersonville, N.C., said he thought his nephew "found a sense of purpose" in the Marine Corps. Gregoire's wife, Renae, said she and her husband were saddened by their nephew's death, but comforted knowing he was now with his grandmother, Annette Gregoire, who died March 15, 2001 — nine years ago almost to the day of Porto's death.
"Whenever I saw him at a family gathering, he gave hugs freely, smiled widely and often, and pretty much made me feel cheerful and welcomed," Renae Gregoire said.
Sonya Porto, 33, said her brother was in a convoy in the Helmand province of Afghanistan when the truck he was in went off course and tumbled. He got caught underneath and was killed. "It's pretty haunting, it's pretty sad," she said from her home in Missouri. "He's one of eight kids. We're grieving. We're really close."
She said her brother and his wife were married in May and had a daughter in January. Porto's father said his son never got a chance to hold his newborn daughter and saw her only in pictures.
Sonya Porto described her brother as "probably the most fun" of the eight siblings. "He had a heart of gold and he really wanted to make sure everyone was OK."
"A lot of reasons he was in the military is jobs are so hard to find," Steve Porto said.
Porto's awards include the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and NATO International Security Assistance Force Medal.
Marine Cpl. Jonathan D. Porto was killed in action on 3/14/10.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Army Spc. Steven J. Bishop
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Steven J. Bishop, 29, of Christiansburg, Va.
Spc Bishop was assigned to the 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion, 352nd Civil Affairs Command, U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died March 13, 2010 in Tikrit, Iraq, from a noncombat-related illness.
Soldier remembered for maturity, professionalism
The Associated Press
Steven Bishop was an even-keeled guy who liked hanging out at restaurants like D.J.’s Drive-In and listening to country music on the radio in his hometown, his friends said.
That calm demeanor was a necessity for his military job — Bishop was part of a four-person unit that interviewed religious and secular leaders in Iraq and helped build schools, roads and other infrastructure. They worked long days, sometimes up to 18 hours a day, in the six months Bishop was there.
“He was very mature, and that’s the kind of person you wanted,” said his supervisor, Sgt. 1st Class Chris Kern. “He was not very excitable.”
Bishop, 29, of Christiansburg, Va., died of an illness March 13 in Tal Afar, Iraq. He was assigned to Fort Bragg. Bishop graduated in 1999 from Floyd County High School, where he was a starting tackle on the football team.
The soldier served for a time as a volunteer firefighter and also worked for a scrap metal processing company. But he joined the Army Reserve in 2008 “to make a difference for his country,” his family wrote in his obituary.
His obituary said he was adventurous, loved a challenge and never met a stranger. Bishop is survived by his parents, two sisters, a brother and numerous other relatives.
Army Spc. Steven J. Bishop died of a non-combat related illness on 3/13/10.
Army Spc. Steven J. Bishop, 29, of Christiansburg, Va.
Spc Bishop was assigned to the 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion, 352nd Civil Affairs Command, U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died March 13, 2010 in Tikrit, Iraq, from a noncombat-related illness.
Soldier remembered for maturity, professionalism
The Associated Press
Steven Bishop was an even-keeled guy who liked hanging out at restaurants like D.J.’s Drive-In and listening to country music on the radio in his hometown, his friends said.
That calm demeanor was a necessity for his military job — Bishop was part of a four-person unit that interviewed religious and secular leaders in Iraq and helped build schools, roads and other infrastructure. They worked long days, sometimes up to 18 hours a day, in the six months Bishop was there.
“He was very mature, and that’s the kind of person you wanted,” said his supervisor, Sgt. 1st Class Chris Kern. “He was not very excitable.”
Bishop, 29, of Christiansburg, Va., died of an illness March 13 in Tal Afar, Iraq. He was assigned to Fort Bragg. Bishop graduated in 1999 from Floyd County High School, where he was a starting tackle on the football team.
The soldier served for a time as a volunteer firefighter and also worked for a scrap metal processing company. But he joined the Army Reserve in 2008 “to make a difference for his country,” his family wrote in his obituary.
His obituary said he was adventurous, loved a challenge and never met a stranger. Bishop is survived by his parents, two sisters, a brother and numerous other relatives.
Army Spc. Steven J. Bishop died of a non-combat related illness on 3/13/10.
Army Pfc. Erin L. McLyman
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Erin L. McLyman, 26, of Federal Way, Wash.
Pfc McLyman was assigned to the 296th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.; died March 13, 2010 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked her base with mortar fire. Lewis soldier had ties to Washington state, Oregon
Staff and wire reports
TACOMA, Wash. — An Army specialist with ties to Washington and Oregon has died in Iraq.
The body of Spc. Erin L. McLyman, 26, arrived March 15 at Dover Air Force Base, Del. Her identification was released by the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center at Dover.
She died March 13 of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked her base with mortar fire.
She lived most recently in Federal Way. She graduated from Sheldon High School in Eugene, Ore.
Memorial honors Ore. soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski joined about 300 relatives, friends and community members on Thursday at a Eugene memorial service for a 26-year-old soldier killed in Iraq.
Pfc. Erin McLyman died March 13 in Balad, Iraq, from injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked her base with mortar fire. She was a 2001 graduate of Eugene’s Sheldon High School.
The governor had ordered flags at all public institutions to be flown at half-staff Thursday in her memory.
McLyman’s husband, Brian Williams, tucked a folded U.S. flag under his arm and followed the soldiers who carried his wife’s casket out of the Eugene Faith Center.
Williams stopped to watch an ivory-colored hearse led by police officers and Patriot Guard Riders transport the casket down Polk Street. He watched until every motorcycle was out of sight, then murmured, “That’s so awesome.”
Based out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Wash., McLyman was part of the 296th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. Her deployment to Iraq in August was her first.
Fallen soldier had turned life around
The Associated Press
Erin McLyman emerged from high school a confident, good student who before graduating had overcome a severe, years-long drug addiction.
“My grades were dropping, I wasn’t going to class, weird people would come over to the house and drop by in the middle of the night. I’d leave and not come back,” a 17-year-old McLyman said nine years ago in an interview with KVAL-TV in Eugene, Ore.
She was sharing her success story of kicking a habit she said had involved using marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine. After graduating from Sheldon High School in Eugene, where she was a member of a dance team, she enlisted in the Air Force.
She later re-enlisted with the Oregon National Guard and returned to active duty with the Army.
“She lived every moment like she didn’t have a second to spare,” her family wrote.
McLyman, 26, of Federal Way, Wash., was killed March 13 in Balad, Iraq, in a mortar attack. She was assigned to Joint Base Lews-McChord.
“We will miss her — our state and nation will never be quite as good without her,” Gov. Ted Kulongoski said at a memorial service in Eugene.
She is survived by her husband, Brian Williams; her parents, Robert and Flora McLyman; two sisters; and a grandmother.
Army Pfc. Erin L. McLyman was killed in action 3/13/10.
Army Pfc. Erin L. McLyman, 26, of Federal Way, Wash.
Pfc McLyman was assigned to the 296th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.; died March 13, 2010 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked her base with mortar fire. Lewis soldier had ties to Washington state, Oregon
Staff and wire reports
TACOMA, Wash. — An Army specialist with ties to Washington and Oregon has died in Iraq.
The body of Spc. Erin L. McLyman, 26, arrived March 15 at Dover Air Force Base, Del. Her identification was released by the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center at Dover.
She died March 13 of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked her base with mortar fire.
She lived most recently in Federal Way. She graduated from Sheldon High School in Eugene, Ore.
Memorial honors Ore. soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski joined about 300 relatives, friends and community members on Thursday at a Eugene memorial service for a 26-year-old soldier killed in Iraq.
Pfc. Erin McLyman died March 13 in Balad, Iraq, from injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked her base with mortar fire. She was a 2001 graduate of Eugene’s Sheldon High School.
The governor had ordered flags at all public institutions to be flown at half-staff Thursday in her memory.
McLyman’s husband, Brian Williams, tucked a folded U.S. flag under his arm and followed the soldiers who carried his wife’s casket out of the Eugene Faith Center.
Williams stopped to watch an ivory-colored hearse led by police officers and Patriot Guard Riders transport the casket down Polk Street. He watched until every motorcycle was out of sight, then murmured, “That’s so awesome.”
Based out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Wash., McLyman was part of the 296th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. Her deployment to Iraq in August was her first.
Fallen soldier had turned life around
The Associated Press
Erin McLyman emerged from high school a confident, good student who before graduating had overcome a severe, years-long drug addiction.
“My grades were dropping, I wasn’t going to class, weird people would come over to the house and drop by in the middle of the night. I’d leave and not come back,” a 17-year-old McLyman said nine years ago in an interview with KVAL-TV in Eugene, Ore.
She was sharing her success story of kicking a habit she said had involved using marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine. After graduating from Sheldon High School in Eugene, where she was a member of a dance team, she enlisted in the Air Force.
She later re-enlisted with the Oregon National Guard and returned to active duty with the Army.
“She lived every moment like she didn’t have a second to spare,” her family wrote.
McLyman, 26, of Federal Way, Wash., was killed March 13 in Balad, Iraq, in a mortar attack. She was assigned to Joint Base Lews-McChord.
“We will miss her — our state and nation will never be quite as good without her,” Gov. Ted Kulongoski said at a memorial service in Eugene.
She is survived by her husband, Brian Williams; her parents, Robert and Flora McLyman; two sisters; and a grandmother.
Army Pfc. Erin L. McLyman was killed in action 3/13/10.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Army Sgt. 1st Class Glen J. Whetten
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Glen J. Whetten, 31, of Mesa, Ariz.
SFC Whetten was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died March 12, 2010 near Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
PHOENIX - A 31-year-old U.S. soldier from Phoenix has died in Afghanistan.
SFC Glen Jacob Whetten was killed in convoy on March 12, according to his sister Melinda. He was due to celebrate his 32nd birthday on Friday and was engaged to be married.
"He told me he was a consummate gentleman and a soldier," said Amy Whetten, who said she is proud of her son's life and his sacrifice"He told me he was a consummate gentleman and a soldier," said Amy Whetten, who said she is proud of her son's life and his sacrifice.
She said her son was a true believer who served proudly and gave his life fighting for his country. Family members said he volunteered to go to Afghanistan.
"He's lost friends. He's never been sorry. He never looked back," Amy Whetten said. "He didn't have to go back to Afghanistan."
She said a friend told her that Jake's death was the worst thing that could have happened, but Amy Whetten disagrees. She said the worst thing is when people waste their lives doing bad things. Her son perished fighting for his country.
"I'm hurt, but I'm at peace," she said. "It's heartbreaking and it's very sad, but it's not the worst thing."
Glen Whetten grew up in south Phoenix and graduated in 1996 from South Mountain High School.
Michael Lee of Mesa, Whetten's brother-in-law, said Whetten was a confident leader and the kind of person who would inspire others in battle. But he was also a friendly, easygoing man who loved playing with children.
"You kind of thought he was superman, but we are all mortal. You never thought it would happen to him," Lee said. "I'm proud of his life and I'm proud of his death."
Amy Whetten and her late husband, also named Glen, adopted their four children.
Her son was training Afghani forces in Afghanistan, evaluating their effectiveness and the quality of the training they received.
Sgt. Whetten will be remembered at military services at Camp Blackhorse in Kabul, and on Saturday at the Vineyard Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at Seventh and Southern avenues in Phoenix. His 11-year-old daughter, Ariana, lives in Hawaii.
SFC Glen Whetten graduated from South Mountain High School. He enlisted at age 18, and in 2003, he was one of the first soldiers on the ground in Iraq.
After coming home from the war, he went to Georgia to train future soldiers, where he met his fiancee.
"You always know that there's a chance, but you never ever think it's going to be you. I would've never been prepared for his phone call," says Whetten's fiancee Megan Hughes.
He was a dedicated soldier who volunteered to go to Afghanistan to train soldiers there.
A memorial will be held in Phoenix Friday and jointly in Afghanistan. A funeral will be held Saturday in south Phoenix.
This is a link to a tribute page on Face Book set up by his family
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Glen-Jacob-Whetten-American-Soldier-who-died-defending-MY-liberty/394599807651?v=info&ref=mf
"Everybody that knew him knew how committed and loyal he was to his country," Jed said.
Jed said the viewing for his brother will be on Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. at Meldrum Mortuary located at 52 N. MacDonald in Mesa.
The funeral is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. at Rest Haven Cemetery located at 4310 East Southern in Phoenix.
Sgt. Whetten is survived by his mother Amy, a brother, two sisters and his fiancee Megan Hughes. He was preceded in death by his father, Glen.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Glen J. Whetten was killed in action on 3/12/10.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Glen J. Whetten, 31, of Mesa, Ariz.
SFC Whetten was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died March 12, 2010 near Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
PHOENIX - A 31-year-old U.S. soldier from Phoenix has died in Afghanistan.
SFC Glen Jacob Whetten was killed in convoy on March 12, according to his sister Melinda. He was due to celebrate his 32nd birthday on Friday and was engaged to be married.
"He told me he was a consummate gentleman and a soldier," said Amy Whetten, who said she is proud of her son's life and his sacrifice"He told me he was a consummate gentleman and a soldier," said Amy Whetten, who said she is proud of her son's life and his sacrifice.
She said her son was a true believer who served proudly and gave his life fighting for his country. Family members said he volunteered to go to Afghanistan.
"He's lost friends. He's never been sorry. He never looked back," Amy Whetten said. "He didn't have to go back to Afghanistan."
She said a friend told her that Jake's death was the worst thing that could have happened, but Amy Whetten disagrees. She said the worst thing is when people waste their lives doing bad things. Her son perished fighting for his country.
"I'm hurt, but I'm at peace," she said. "It's heartbreaking and it's very sad, but it's not the worst thing."
Glen Whetten grew up in south Phoenix and graduated in 1996 from South Mountain High School.
Michael Lee of Mesa, Whetten's brother-in-law, said Whetten was a confident leader and the kind of person who would inspire others in battle. But he was also a friendly, easygoing man who loved playing with children.
"You kind of thought he was superman, but we are all mortal. You never thought it would happen to him," Lee said. "I'm proud of his life and I'm proud of his death."
Amy Whetten and her late husband, also named Glen, adopted their four children.
Her son was training Afghani forces in Afghanistan, evaluating their effectiveness and the quality of the training they received.
Sgt. Whetten will be remembered at military services at Camp Blackhorse in Kabul, and on Saturday at the Vineyard Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at Seventh and Southern avenues in Phoenix. His 11-year-old daughter, Ariana, lives in Hawaii.
SFC Glen Whetten graduated from South Mountain High School. He enlisted at age 18, and in 2003, he was one of the first soldiers on the ground in Iraq.
After coming home from the war, he went to Georgia to train future soldiers, where he met his fiancee.
"You always know that there's a chance, but you never ever think it's going to be you. I would've never been prepared for his phone call," says Whetten's fiancee Megan Hughes.
He was a dedicated soldier who volunteered to go to Afghanistan to train soldiers there.
A memorial will be held in Phoenix Friday and jointly in Afghanistan. A funeral will be held Saturday in south Phoenix.
This is a link to a tribute page on Face Book set up by his family
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Glen-Jacob-Whetten-American-Soldier-who-died-defending-MY-liberty/394599807651?v=info&ref=mf
"Everybody that knew him knew how committed and loyal he was to his country," Jed said.
Jed said the viewing for his brother will be on Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. at Meldrum Mortuary located at 52 N. MacDonald in Mesa.
The funeral is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. at Rest Haven Cemetery located at 4310 East Southern in Phoenix.
Sgt. Whetten is survived by his mother Amy, a brother, two sisters and his fiancee Megan Hughes. He was preceded in death by his father, Glen.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Glen J. Whetten was killed in action on 3/12/10.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Marine Lance Cpl. Garrett W. Gamble
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Garrett W. Gamble, 20, of Sugar Land, Texas
LCpl Gamble was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died March 11, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
A family spokesperson said Garrett joined the marines shortly after graduating from Austin High School. He was on his first deployment to Afghanistan.
Gamble’s mother, Chelle Greer, brother’s Cody and Gunner and stepfather Brad Greer live in New Territory in Sugar Land. Gamble, 20, graduated from Austin High School.
Mary Williams of the Fort Bend Marine Moms described the news as “our worst nightmare.”
“This is a very sad time for all of us and Garrett's family,” Williams said.
Lance Cpl. Bryce Ritzen, son of Sugar Land resident Karla Ritzen, will be escorting Gamble’s body from Dover Airforce Base back to Houston on March 16, according to the family.
“This is a terrible thing that has happened and we are all shocked,” Ritzen said. Ritzen expressed thanks to the community for the support they have provided to the Houston Marine Moms. Chelle Greer is an active member of the Houston Marine Moms.
Gamble's father Troy played in the National Hockey League for the Vancouver Canucks, but spent more years in the minor leagues. He played for the Houston Aeros from 1994 through 1996. After retiring, he has worked as a broadcaster with the Aeros.
Those who knew him describe him as outgoing with a lot of friends and a gentleman who loved life. "He was doing the thing that he wanted to do. He volunteered for this and he was in the place that he wanted to be," Gamble family spokesperson Mary Williams said.
LCpl Gamble is the older brother of ISHL Austin team player, Cody Gamble. A moment of silence was to be held at the ISHL championship game in honor of LCpl Gamble.
Flags line the street outside the family's home in Sugar Land. "It will mean everything in the world to them. They want their son to be remembered as a hero that he was. They're appreciative of the fact that people appreciate his service and sacrifice," said Williams.
A neighbor reportedly asked the Boy Scouts of America for help erecting the flags along the street and within hours two eagle scouts worked through the night to get it done.
"They are all our sons and daughters. If one of us hurt we all hurt," said Williams.
From a Facebook page:
"Whether in Sugar Land, Jacksonville or Helmand, LCpl. Garrett W. Gamble approached life with enthusiasm. He was caring, kind and fun to be around, but he took his job as a US Marine very seriously. Garrett spent a lot of time "outside the wire" and yesterday, that's where he laid down his life so that we may live in Liberty. Thank you Garrett for the precious gift of Freedom. May you Rest In Peace with our Lord and may God's Angells surround your family until you are reunited.
Sincerely,
Pat"
LCpl. Gamble leaves his father Troy, mother Michelle, stepdad Brad, and brothers Cody and Gunner to mourn his passing.
Marine Lance Cpl. Garrett W. Gamble was killed in action on 3/11/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Garrett W. Gamble, 20, of Sugar Land, Texas
LCpl Gamble was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died March 11, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
A family spokesperson said Garrett joined the marines shortly after graduating from Austin High School. He was on his first deployment to Afghanistan.
Gamble’s mother, Chelle Greer, brother’s Cody and Gunner and stepfather Brad Greer live in New Territory in Sugar Land. Gamble, 20, graduated from Austin High School.
Mary Williams of the Fort Bend Marine Moms described the news as “our worst nightmare.”
“This is a very sad time for all of us and Garrett's family,” Williams said.
Lance Cpl. Bryce Ritzen, son of Sugar Land resident Karla Ritzen, will be escorting Gamble’s body from Dover Airforce Base back to Houston on March 16, according to the family.
“This is a terrible thing that has happened and we are all shocked,” Ritzen said. Ritzen expressed thanks to the community for the support they have provided to the Houston Marine Moms. Chelle Greer is an active member of the Houston Marine Moms.
Gamble's father Troy played in the National Hockey League for the Vancouver Canucks, but spent more years in the minor leagues. He played for the Houston Aeros from 1994 through 1996. After retiring, he has worked as a broadcaster with the Aeros.
Those who knew him describe him as outgoing with a lot of friends and a gentleman who loved life. "He was doing the thing that he wanted to do. He volunteered for this and he was in the place that he wanted to be," Gamble family spokesperson Mary Williams said.
LCpl Gamble is the older brother of ISHL Austin team player, Cody Gamble. A moment of silence was to be held at the ISHL championship game in honor of LCpl Gamble.
Flags line the street outside the family's home in Sugar Land. "It will mean everything in the world to them. They want their son to be remembered as a hero that he was. They're appreciative of the fact that people appreciate his service and sacrifice," said Williams.
A neighbor reportedly asked the Boy Scouts of America for help erecting the flags along the street and within hours two eagle scouts worked through the night to get it done.
"They are all our sons and daughters. If one of us hurt we all hurt," said Williams.
From a Facebook page:
"Whether in Sugar Land, Jacksonville or Helmand, LCpl. Garrett W. Gamble approached life with enthusiasm. He was caring, kind and fun to be around, but he took his job as a US Marine very seriously. Garrett spent a lot of time "outside the wire" and yesterday, that's where he laid down his life so that we may live in Liberty. Thank you Garrett for the precious gift of Freedom. May you Rest In Peace with our Lord and may God's Angells surround your family until you are reunited.
Sincerely,
Pat"
LCpl. Gamble leaves his father Troy, mother Michelle, stepdad Brad, and brothers Cody and Gunner to mourn his passing.
Marine Lance Cpl. Garrett W. Gamble was killed in action on 3/11/10.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Army Pfc. Jason M. Kropat
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Jason M. Kropat, 25, of White Lake, N.Y.
Pfc. Kropat was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died March 9, 2010 in Khowst province, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms, indirect and rocket-propelled grenade fires. Also killed was Sgt. Jonathan J. Richardson.
A soldier from Sullivan County died in Afghanistan on Tuesday after serving there for about two months, according to reports given to family members by Army officials.
Kropat's mother, Kathleen Kropat, was told in a telephone call to her home in Fredericksburg, Texas, shortly before 6 a.m. Wednesday that her son was killed. His father, Glenn Kropat, was also notified. His parents are separated, but live in the same Texas town. Jason had just visited them at Christmas.
"He loved life," Kathleen Kropat said. "He loved his family. He loved his country."
"He was the all-American Boy Scout," said his girlfriend of four years, Shannon Kinne of White Lake. Kinne, 20, said one of his favorite pastimes was to gaze at the stars through a telescope.
Kinne and Kropat had talked extensively about his decision to join the Army. "He told people it was for me, so that we'd have a stable life," Kinne said. But later, Kinne said, Kropat told her he wanted to prove to himself that he could do it. "He was very homesick (in Afghanistan)," she said. Kropat joined the Army in October 2008 and deployed to Afghanistan on Jan. 3, friends say.
Kropat lived most of his life in Smallwood with his three sisters — Kristina, 28, Kimberly, 23, and Courtney, 19. He grew up in Sullivan County and attended Monticello High School.
He loved the outdoors, Kristina Kropat said. Her brother loved to fish and there is a picture of him in the Times Herald-Record from 2008, when he caught a 22-inch trout.
"He really believed in what he was fighting for," Kimberly Kropat said. "He will be missed. He will be sorely missed." Kimberly Kropat said she will be making the funeral arrangements. She plans to have the service in Bethel. And she said she's looking into starting a scholarship in her brother's name.
Kinne had sent Kropat a birthday package only days ago. She wanted it to arrive in Afghanistan before what would have been his 26th birthday — April 10.
First Lt. John Limauro, the company’s executive officer, said Kropat was “an excellent soldier in every capacity,” and was the first to cheer up his fellow soldiers. “Jason was always quick with a joke when everyone was down and the situation was undesirable,” Limauro said.
Limauro said Kropat, who came to Fort Campbell in March 2009, was also proactive in his efforts to spread the cheer. “Jason was the battle buddy that everyone wanted,” Limauro said. “His ability to see his comrades down without words would allow him to cheer anyone up no matter the time of day.”
His awards and decorations include: Army Commendation Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; and Weapons Qualification, M4, expert.
Army Pfc. Jason M. Kropat was killed in action on 3/9/10.
Army Pfc. Jason M. Kropat, 25, of White Lake, N.Y.
Pfc. Kropat was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died March 9, 2010 in Khowst province, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms, indirect and rocket-propelled grenade fires. Also killed was Sgt. Jonathan J. Richardson.
A soldier from Sullivan County died in Afghanistan on Tuesday after serving there for about two months, according to reports given to family members by Army officials.
Kropat's mother, Kathleen Kropat, was told in a telephone call to her home in Fredericksburg, Texas, shortly before 6 a.m. Wednesday that her son was killed. His father, Glenn Kropat, was also notified. His parents are separated, but live in the same Texas town. Jason had just visited them at Christmas.
"He loved life," Kathleen Kropat said. "He loved his family. He loved his country."
"He was the all-American Boy Scout," said his girlfriend of four years, Shannon Kinne of White Lake. Kinne, 20, said one of his favorite pastimes was to gaze at the stars through a telescope.
Kinne and Kropat had talked extensively about his decision to join the Army. "He told people it was for me, so that we'd have a stable life," Kinne said. But later, Kinne said, Kropat told her he wanted to prove to himself that he could do it. "He was very homesick (in Afghanistan)," she said. Kropat joined the Army in October 2008 and deployed to Afghanistan on Jan. 3, friends say.
Kropat lived most of his life in Smallwood with his three sisters — Kristina, 28, Kimberly, 23, and Courtney, 19. He grew up in Sullivan County and attended Monticello High School.
He loved the outdoors, Kristina Kropat said. Her brother loved to fish and there is a picture of him in the Times Herald-Record from 2008, when he caught a 22-inch trout.
"He really believed in what he was fighting for," Kimberly Kropat said. "He will be missed. He will be sorely missed." Kimberly Kropat said she will be making the funeral arrangements. She plans to have the service in Bethel. And she said she's looking into starting a scholarship in her brother's name.
Kinne had sent Kropat a birthday package only days ago. She wanted it to arrive in Afghanistan before what would have been his 26th birthday — April 10.
First Lt. John Limauro, the company’s executive officer, said Kropat was “an excellent soldier in every capacity,” and was the first to cheer up his fellow soldiers. “Jason was always quick with a joke when everyone was down and the situation was undesirable,” Limauro said.
Limauro said Kropat, who came to Fort Campbell in March 2009, was also proactive in his efforts to spread the cheer. “Jason was the battle buddy that everyone wanted,” Limauro said. “His ability to see his comrades down without words would allow him to cheer anyone up no matter the time of day.”
His awards and decorations include: Army Commendation Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; and Weapons Qualification, M4, expert.
Army Pfc. Jason M. Kropat was killed in action on 3/9/10.
Army Sgt. Jonathan J. Richardson
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Jonathan J. Richardson, 24, of Bald Knob, Ark.
Sgt. Richardson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died March 9, 2010 in Khowst province, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms, indirect and rocket-propelled grenade fires. Also killed was Pfc. Jason M. Kropat.
For the second time this month, an Arkansas soldier has been killed while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The Department of Defense says Sgt. Jonathan J. Richardson, 24, of Bald Knob, died on Tuesday in Khowst province.
He had been injured in an attack by insurgents using small-arms, indirect and rocket-propelled grenade fire. Richardson died after being medevaced from the scene.
A soldier killed Tuesday in a bomb and gunfire attack on the U.S.-Afghan base in Khost was the grandson of Ken and Edna Martin of Mountain Home Arkansas — 24-year-old Sgt. Jonathan J. Richardson of Bald Knob.
The Martins were to travel to Springdale today to connect with relatives in preparation for funeral services probably next week.
Mrs. Martin said relatives telephoned with news of the death Tuesday soon after the attack. She said she was especially close to her grandson who lived with her for most of a year when he was a 3-year-old while the family was relocating to the U.S. from South Korea where his parents worked in civil service.
"We became very close and we remained close from then on," Mrs. Martin said.
Mr. Martin said except for the occasional "B" in subject matter that didn't interest him, his stepgrandson was an "A" student in high school. He also excelled at football.
"He was unsure of what he wanted to do when he graduated high school. He could have gone to college and done anything he wanted. But he talked to a recruiter and joined," Mrs. Martin said.
"He made sergeant in less than four years," Mr. Martin said.
Mrs. Martin said she and her grandson's wife, Rachel, have something in common in the sudden loss of a spouse. Her first husband, Jerry J. Cobb, was killed in an armed robbery of the couple's business in Springdale in 1974.
"I know what she's going through," Mrs. Martin said. "You know what's happened, but you just can't get your mind around it."
Mr. Martin called the sergeant's wife "Sweet Rachel."
"They loved each other so much. It was no puppy love. They were deeply, genuinely in love," he said.
The Martins visited the Richardsons last year just after they purchased their first home in Clarkville, Tenn. Sgt. Richardson was stationed at nearby Fort Campbell, Ky.
The fellow soldiers of Sgt. Jonathan Richardson will remember him as the “kind of leader soldiers strive to emulate.”
Richardson joined the Army in June 2006 and arrived at Fort Campbell, Kentucky in January 2007. His awards and decorations include: Army Commendation Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Non-commissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Ribbon; and Weapons Qualification, M4, expert.
Richardson was a fire support specialist who joined the Army in June 2006 and came to Fort Campbell in January 2007.
Along with a brother and sister, Richardson is survived by his wife, Rachel Richardson, of Clarksville, Tenn.; mother Sharon Dunigan, of Bridgeport, W.V.; and father, Jeffery Richardson, of Germany.
Army Sgt. Jonathan J. Richardson was killed in action on 3/9/10.
Army Sgt. Jonathan J. Richardson, 24, of Bald Knob, Ark.
Sgt. Richardson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died March 9, 2010 in Khowst province, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms, indirect and rocket-propelled grenade fires. Also killed was Pfc. Jason M. Kropat.
For the second time this month, an Arkansas soldier has been killed while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The Department of Defense says Sgt. Jonathan J. Richardson, 24, of Bald Knob, died on Tuesday in Khowst province.
He had been injured in an attack by insurgents using small-arms, indirect and rocket-propelled grenade fire. Richardson died after being medevaced from the scene.
A soldier killed Tuesday in a bomb and gunfire attack on the U.S.-Afghan base in Khost was the grandson of Ken and Edna Martin of Mountain Home Arkansas — 24-year-old Sgt. Jonathan J. Richardson of Bald Knob.
The Martins were to travel to Springdale today to connect with relatives in preparation for funeral services probably next week.
Mrs. Martin said relatives telephoned with news of the death Tuesday soon after the attack. She said she was especially close to her grandson who lived with her for most of a year when he was a 3-year-old while the family was relocating to the U.S. from South Korea where his parents worked in civil service.
"We became very close and we remained close from then on," Mrs. Martin said.
Mr. Martin said except for the occasional "B" in subject matter that didn't interest him, his stepgrandson was an "A" student in high school. He also excelled at football.
"He was unsure of what he wanted to do when he graduated high school. He could have gone to college and done anything he wanted. But he talked to a recruiter and joined," Mrs. Martin said.
"He made sergeant in less than four years," Mr. Martin said.
Mrs. Martin said she and her grandson's wife, Rachel, have something in common in the sudden loss of a spouse. Her first husband, Jerry J. Cobb, was killed in an armed robbery of the couple's business in Springdale in 1974.
"I know what she's going through," Mrs. Martin said. "You know what's happened, but you just can't get your mind around it."
Mr. Martin called the sergeant's wife "Sweet Rachel."
"They loved each other so much. It was no puppy love. They were deeply, genuinely in love," he said.
The Martins visited the Richardsons last year just after they purchased their first home in Clarkville, Tenn. Sgt. Richardson was stationed at nearby Fort Campbell, Ky.
The fellow soldiers of Sgt. Jonathan Richardson will remember him as the “kind of leader soldiers strive to emulate.”
Richardson joined the Army in June 2006 and arrived at Fort Campbell, Kentucky in January 2007. His awards and decorations include: Army Commendation Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Non-commissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Ribbon; and Weapons Qualification, M4, expert.
Richardson was a fire support specialist who joined the Army in June 2006 and came to Fort Campbell in January 2007.
Along with a brother and sister, Richardson is survived by his wife, Rachel Richardson, of Clarksville, Tenn.; mother Sharon Dunigan, of Bridgeport, W.V.; and father, Jeffery Richardson, of Germany.
Army Sgt. Jonathan J. Richardson was killed in action on 3/9/10.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Army Spc. Lakeshia M. Bailey
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Lakeshia M. Bailey, 23, of Columbus, Ga.
Spc. Bailey was assigned to the 203rd Brigade Support Battalion, attached to the 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.; died March 8, 2010 north of Al Kut, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle rollover. Also killed was Sgt. Aaron M. Arthur.
Soldier remembered for toughness, outgoing personality
The Associated Press
When Lakeshia Bailey was guarding prisoners at Iraq’s Camp Bucca, she never backed down from the bad guys.
Sgt. 1st Class Allen Battle, who served with Bailey on her first deployment to Iraq in 2007, said she was fearless around what he called “Iraq’s worst criminals.”
“When I say tough, she would take grown men down to the ground,” Battle said. “That’s how strong she was and that’s how committed she was to her job.”
Bailey, 23, of Columbus, Ga., and her close friend, Aaron Arthur — whom colleagues said was like her brother — were killed in a vehicle rollover crash March 8 north of Al Kut, Iraq. The heavy vehicle driver graduated from William H. Spencer High School in 2004 and was assigned to Fort Benning.
Bailey’s love for the military grew while traveling around the world with her parents while her father was in the service. She enlisted in February 2006.
The woman known for flashing a white, wide smile was described as a little sister by her comrades.
“She had a way of lighting up a room when she walked in,” said Sgt. Brett Quinn. “It didn’t matter if everyone was in a bad mood or not, when Bailey walked in she was going to talk to everyone and she was going to make you talk to her.”
Bailey is survived by her husband, Harrison Bateman, parents and numerous other relatives.
Army Spc. Lakeshia M. Bailey was killed in action on 3/8/10.
Army Spc. Lakeshia M. Bailey, 23, of Columbus, Ga.
Spc. Bailey was assigned to the 203rd Brigade Support Battalion, attached to the 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.; died March 8, 2010 north of Al Kut, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle rollover. Also killed was Sgt. Aaron M. Arthur.
Soldier remembered for toughness, outgoing personality
The Associated Press
When Lakeshia Bailey was guarding prisoners at Iraq’s Camp Bucca, she never backed down from the bad guys.
Sgt. 1st Class Allen Battle, who served with Bailey on her first deployment to Iraq in 2007, said she was fearless around what he called “Iraq’s worst criminals.”
“When I say tough, she would take grown men down to the ground,” Battle said. “That’s how strong she was and that’s how committed she was to her job.”
Bailey, 23, of Columbus, Ga., and her close friend, Aaron Arthur — whom colleagues said was like her brother — were killed in a vehicle rollover crash March 8 north of Al Kut, Iraq. The heavy vehicle driver graduated from William H. Spencer High School in 2004 and was assigned to Fort Benning.
Bailey’s love for the military grew while traveling around the world with her parents while her father was in the service. She enlisted in February 2006.
The woman known for flashing a white, wide smile was described as a little sister by her comrades.
“She had a way of lighting up a room when she walked in,” said Sgt. Brett Quinn. “It didn’t matter if everyone was in a bad mood or not, when Bailey walked in she was going to talk to everyone and she was going to make you talk to her.”
Bailey is survived by her husband, Harrison Bateman, parents and numerous other relatives.
Army Spc. Lakeshia M. Bailey was killed in action on 3/8/10.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Army Pvt. Nicholas S. Cook
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pvt. Nicholas S. Cook, 19, of Hungry Horse, Mont.
Pvt Cook was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Camp Ederle, Italy; died March 7, 2010 in Konar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire. Montana soldier killed in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
HUNGRY HORSE, Mont. — The Department of Defense said Wednesday a Montana soldier was killed in Afghanistan over the weekend when insurgents opened fire on his unit.
Defense officials said 19-year-old Pvt. Nicholas S. Cook of Hungry Horse was killed in Konar province on Sunday. His body arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Tuesday.
Kathy Taylor said her grandson joined the Army in April and had been in Afghanistan for just over two months when he was killed. He was set to come home on leave in about two weeks.
She said the Army had not given her any more details about her grandson’s death, including whether any of Cook’s fellow soldiers were killed or injured in the attack.
“All I know is they were out on patrol,” said Taylor, who with her husband raised Cook since he was just 3 years old. “They had finished whatever they were doing and were coming back out of the area when they were ambushed.”
Cook, a 2008 graduate of Columbia Falls High School, loved excitement, whether it came from jumping out of airplanes, off of bridges or cliffs, or snowboarding in the Alps.
“He was quite a daredevil,” Taylor said. “He liked to hunt, skateboard, bike, ride dirt bikes and four-wheelers. And he lived and breathed snowboarding.”
In a posting on his MySpace page, Cook jokingly listed his hometown as “Afghanistan, Montana,” and wrote that “not many people can say they are as stoked about life in general and what they are doing right now.”
“I sure as hell can,” he continued. “I’m doing more now and have seen more already than I ever thought I would.”
Cook was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team based in Camp Ederle, Italy.
Army Pvt. Nicholas S. Cook was killed in action on 3/7/10.
Army Pvt. Nicholas S. Cook, 19, of Hungry Horse, Mont.
Pvt Cook was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Camp Ederle, Italy; died March 7, 2010 in Konar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire. Montana soldier killed in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
HUNGRY HORSE, Mont. — The Department of Defense said Wednesday a Montana soldier was killed in Afghanistan over the weekend when insurgents opened fire on his unit.
Defense officials said 19-year-old Pvt. Nicholas S. Cook of Hungry Horse was killed in Konar province on Sunday. His body arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Tuesday.
Kathy Taylor said her grandson joined the Army in April and had been in Afghanistan for just over two months when he was killed. He was set to come home on leave in about two weeks.
She said the Army had not given her any more details about her grandson’s death, including whether any of Cook’s fellow soldiers were killed or injured in the attack.
“All I know is they were out on patrol,” said Taylor, who with her husband raised Cook since he was just 3 years old. “They had finished whatever they were doing and were coming back out of the area when they were ambushed.”
Cook, a 2008 graduate of Columbia Falls High School, loved excitement, whether it came from jumping out of airplanes, off of bridges or cliffs, or snowboarding in the Alps.
“He was quite a daredevil,” Taylor said. “He liked to hunt, skateboard, bike, ride dirt bikes and four-wheelers. And he lived and breathed snowboarding.”
In a posting on his MySpace page, Cook jokingly listed his hometown as “Afghanistan, Montana,” and wrote that “not many people can say they are as stoked about life in general and what they are doing right now.”
“I sure as hell can,” he continued. “I’m doing more now and have seen more already than I ever thought I would.”
Cook was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team based in Camp Ederle, Italy.
Army Pvt. Nicholas S. Cook was killed in action on 3/7/10.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Marine Lance Cpl. Nigel K. Olsen
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Nigel K. Olsen, 21, of Orem, Utah
LCpl Olsen was assigned to the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died March 4, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while supporting combat operations.
A company of Marine reservists from Utah has suffered its second death this week. Nigel Olsen, 21, of Salem was killed Wednesday in the volatile Helmand Province.
Olsen's death comes two days after the death on another Marine from the Camp Williams-based Charlie Company of the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion. Carlos Aragon, 19, of Orem was on a foot patrol when he stepped on a pressure-activated homemade explosive.
The two Marines had been students together at Mountain View High School in Orem, where Olsen graduated in 2007 and Aragon graduated in 2009, according to the two Marines' social networking pages.
The picture of the 6-year-old boy on the beach standing at attention and giving the camera a smart salute tells you everything you need to know about Lance Cpl. Nigel K. Olsen, said his sister, Stacy Hansen.
"At the age of 3, he knew what he wanted to do," Hansen said. "He wanted to serve his country."
Hansen said her brother joined the Marine Reserve after his high school graduation, but his interest in the military was a lifelong passion.
"He would run around the neighborhood in his camos, playing war with the neighborhood kids," she said. "He was a great brother."
During a recent telephone call, Hansen said Olsen had complained about not being as involved in some of the fighting as he would have liked. "The last time my mom talked to him, he was upset because they were not able to be in a gunbattle," she said. "They ended up being in the thick of it."
In his spare time, he liked playing Xbox and spending time with his family. "He loved Sunday dinners at my mom's house and playing with all of his nieces and nephews," she said.
Olsen moved to Salem two years ago with his parents, Todd and Kim Olsen, and lived there when he wasn't on training exercises. He also took classes at Utah Valley University.
The Olsen family hadn't been in its new home for long. But in this tight-knit town in southern Utah County, it doesn't take long for strangers to feel like friends and for friends to feel like family. And Kim and Todd Olsen made it easy to get close.
So when the news came Thursday morning that the Olsens' youngest son, Nigel, had been killed in Afghanistan's volatile Helmand province the previous day, word spread quickly throughout the town. Flags were lowered at government buildings and raised along Main Street. Neighbors adorned the Olsen family's home in red, white and blue. A group of teenage girls taped heart-shaped messages of love and support to the family's front door.
And as family members traveled to Dover Air Force Base, in Delaware, to await the arrival of the 21-year-old Marine's body, the residents of Salem gathered together to mourn. And to pray.
"It has been difficult for this entire town," said Bret MacCabe, bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ward that the Olsen family has attended since moving to Salem shortly after Nigel's 2007 graduation from Mountain View High School in Orem.
MacCabe said that just about everyone in this predominantly Mormon community knew Nigel Olsen, who made many of the local girls swoon when he attended church in his dress blue uniform and broke from his usually quiet demeanor to share his testimony with fellow parishioners.
"Any guy looks good in dress blues, but he looked particularly good," said 16-year-old Adeline Lamb, who described the young man she adored as "sweet and caring and really proud of what he was doing."
But it was Olsen's quiet nature that was striking to so many of those who got to know him.
"He was very unassuming," said family friend Mark Bracken. "He was fun to be with, but he didn't say much. When you'd ask him a question, you would get a very short response. It wasn't rude or anything, just always to the point."
"He was so, so quiet," remembered Karen Taylor, a neighbor who volunteered to sew the patches onto Olsen's uniforms. "His mom always said it was because she was quiet and his dad was a quiet person too."
But the silence from Afghanistan -- where her son's unit was sometimes cut off from communications for long periods of time -- was worrisome to Kim Olsen, who wrote on her Facebook page that she once went three weeks without hearing from her forward-deployed son.
After news came that another Marine from the Camp Williams-based Charlie Company of the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion -- fellow Mountain View High School graduate Carlos Aragon -- was killed in an improvised explosive attack on Monday, Kim Olsen worried even more.
As she waited for word from her son, Olsen wrote that she was having a "hard time keeping it together when I heard about," Aragon's death. "He and his family are in our prayers."
Within 24 hours, it was her family that was being prayed for by friends, acquaintances and perfect strangers across the country -- and by just about everyone in Salem.
"We're all just praying so hard for them right now, that they will have some peace," MacCabe said. "They have made such a tremendous sacrifice. And so now what we want to do is to be here for them, however they need us to be."
Marine Lance Cpl. Nigel K. Olsen was killed in action on 3/4/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Nigel K. Olsen, 21, of Orem, Utah
LCpl Olsen was assigned to the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died March 4, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while supporting combat operations.
A company of Marine reservists from Utah has suffered its second death this week. Nigel Olsen, 21, of Salem was killed Wednesday in the volatile Helmand Province.
Olsen's death comes two days after the death on another Marine from the Camp Williams-based Charlie Company of the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion. Carlos Aragon, 19, of Orem was on a foot patrol when he stepped on a pressure-activated homemade explosive.
The two Marines had been students together at Mountain View High School in Orem, where Olsen graduated in 2007 and Aragon graduated in 2009, according to the two Marines' social networking pages.
The picture of the 6-year-old boy on the beach standing at attention and giving the camera a smart salute tells you everything you need to know about Lance Cpl. Nigel K. Olsen, said his sister, Stacy Hansen.
"At the age of 3, he knew what he wanted to do," Hansen said. "He wanted to serve his country."
Hansen said her brother joined the Marine Reserve after his high school graduation, but his interest in the military was a lifelong passion.
"He would run around the neighborhood in his camos, playing war with the neighborhood kids," she said. "He was a great brother."
During a recent telephone call, Hansen said Olsen had complained about not being as involved in some of the fighting as he would have liked. "The last time my mom talked to him, he was upset because they were not able to be in a gunbattle," she said. "They ended up being in the thick of it."
In his spare time, he liked playing Xbox and spending time with his family. "He loved Sunday dinners at my mom's house and playing with all of his nieces and nephews," she said.
Olsen moved to Salem two years ago with his parents, Todd and Kim Olsen, and lived there when he wasn't on training exercises. He also took classes at Utah Valley University.
The Olsen family hadn't been in its new home for long. But in this tight-knit town in southern Utah County, it doesn't take long for strangers to feel like friends and for friends to feel like family. And Kim and Todd Olsen made it easy to get close.
So when the news came Thursday morning that the Olsens' youngest son, Nigel, had been killed in Afghanistan's volatile Helmand province the previous day, word spread quickly throughout the town. Flags were lowered at government buildings and raised along Main Street. Neighbors adorned the Olsen family's home in red, white and blue. A group of teenage girls taped heart-shaped messages of love and support to the family's front door.
And as family members traveled to Dover Air Force Base, in Delaware, to await the arrival of the 21-year-old Marine's body, the residents of Salem gathered together to mourn. And to pray.
"It has been difficult for this entire town," said Bret MacCabe, bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ward that the Olsen family has attended since moving to Salem shortly after Nigel's 2007 graduation from Mountain View High School in Orem.
MacCabe said that just about everyone in this predominantly Mormon community knew Nigel Olsen, who made many of the local girls swoon when he attended church in his dress blue uniform and broke from his usually quiet demeanor to share his testimony with fellow parishioners.
"Any guy looks good in dress blues, but he looked particularly good," said 16-year-old Adeline Lamb, who described the young man she adored as "sweet and caring and really proud of what he was doing."
But it was Olsen's quiet nature that was striking to so many of those who got to know him.
"He was very unassuming," said family friend Mark Bracken. "He was fun to be with, but he didn't say much. When you'd ask him a question, you would get a very short response. It wasn't rude or anything, just always to the point."
"He was so, so quiet," remembered Karen Taylor, a neighbor who volunteered to sew the patches onto Olsen's uniforms. "His mom always said it was because she was quiet and his dad was a quiet person too."
But the silence from Afghanistan -- where her son's unit was sometimes cut off from communications for long periods of time -- was worrisome to Kim Olsen, who wrote on her Facebook page that she once went three weeks without hearing from her forward-deployed son.
After news came that another Marine from the Camp Williams-based Charlie Company of the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion -- fellow Mountain View High School graduate Carlos Aragon -- was killed in an improvised explosive attack on Monday, Kim Olsen worried even more.
As she waited for word from her son, Olsen wrote that she was having a "hard time keeping it together when I heard about," Aragon's death. "He and his family are in our prayers."
Within 24 hours, it was her family that was being prayed for by friends, acquaintances and perfect strangers across the country -- and by just about everyone in Salem.
"We're all just praying so hard for them right now, that they will have some peace," MacCabe said. "They have made such a tremendous sacrifice. And so now what we want to do is to be here for them, however they need us to be."
Marine Lance Cpl. Nigel K. Olsen was killed in action on 3/4/10.
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