Army Sgt. Zachary M. Fisher

Remember Our Heroes

Army Sgt. Zachary M. Fisher, 24, of Ballwin, Mo.

Sgt. Fisher was assigned to the 27th Engineer Battalion (Combat Airborne), 20th Engineer Brigade (Combat), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died July 14, 2010 in Zabul province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his military vehicle with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Spc. Jesse D. Reed, Spc. Matthew J. Johnson and Spc. Chase Stanley.

Sgt. Zachary M. Fisher, 24, of Ballwin, Mo., enlisted in the Army in 2006 and was assigned to the 618th Engineer Support Company. He served as an engineer equipment operator and team leader during route clearance operations. He had previously deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Capt. Steven Holmberg, commander for the 618th Eng. Co., said Fisher had all the qualities of a true leader.

“He shared the knowledge from his last deployment with his soldiers and made sure the right thing was being done, no matter how difficult,” said Holmberg.

Fisher’s awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Army Good Conduct Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Action Badge and Driver Badge with Driver Wheeled Vehicles.

A family from the Ballwin, Missouri area is grieving as the parents of Sgt. Zachary Fisher travel to Dover Air Force base to bring home the body of their son. Fisher's sister says the 25-year-old soldier was killed Wednesday by a road side bomb in Afghanistan. Emily Fisher says as long as she can remember, her older brother wanted to serve in the military. But she also says he was ready to come home to be with Jessica, his wife of two years.

Sgt. Fisher had already spent a year in Iraq and in Afghanistan he worked to disarm IEDs. Fisher was a 2004 graduate of Marquette High School where a history teacher remembers him as a kind, patriotic young man. "And he said that even in that class he saw this enthusiasm and interest in how our country developed and recognized a sense of patriotism in Zach," said Kim Cranston with the Rockwood School District, relaying what Fisher's history teacher remembers. "He was surprised that he had gone on to serve his country."

BALLWIN • A Marquette High School graduate from Ballwin was one of four soldiers killed in a bomb attack on their vehicle in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense said Friday.

Well-wishers left flowers and food on the front porch at Fisher's family home in
Ballwin. Others had written messages on a poster board staked to the front yard. The family has not been able to talk about their son's and will release a statement at a later date as they are able. A family friend has asked for privacy as they all grieve in private during this devastating time.

"Our hero Zach. We love you," one message read.

And someone had planted small plastic American flags in front of each roadside mailbox on the street near the home.

Marquette is in the Rockwood School District. Kim Cranston, chief communications officer for the district, said, "Our hearts go out to the family of this young man."

Funeral services are incomplete at this time.

Sgt. Fisher is survived by his wife Jessica, father and step mother, Robert and Alicia Fisher, brothers, Andrew, Clayton & Alexander Fisher, his sisters, Emily and Zoe Fisher.

Army Sgt. Zachary M. Fisher was killed in action on 7/14/10.