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.