Army 1st Lt. Todd W. Weaver

Remember Our Heroes

Army 1st Lt. Todd W. Weaver, 26, of Hampton, Va.

1st Lt. Weaver was assigned to 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky; died Sept. 9, 2010 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.

JAMES CITY — A Bruton High and College of William & Mary alum was killed Thursday in Afghanistan as he led a reconnaissance team in Kandahar.

1st Lt. Todd W. Weaver died after being struck by an improvised explosive device. He was 26.

“He’s a great kid from a great family. It’s a damn shame,” said Tom Richardson, who coached Weaver in both baseball and football at Queens Lake Middle School, and again in baseball for American Legion Williamsburg Post 39.

“He was a tough kid,” Richardson added. “He knew he wanted to be in the military since he was a little kid.”

W&M government professor John McGlennon said he was familiar with Weaver, who was very successful at the college. He had a sterling academic record and was “considered an exceptional leader” in the ROTC program, McGlennon said.

Weaver served as a cadet battalion leader with ROTC and stayedon as a gold bar recruiter after commissioning into the Army, according to the college.

“We are heartbroken and saddened by the loss of our brother-in-arms,” said Lt. Col. Barbara Streater, chair of military science.

In the Army, Weaver was decorated, having won the Army Commendation Medal.

Corey Paluga, who played baseball against Weaver in high school and with him on Post 39 said, “Todd was a great guy and always seemed to be in a positive mood, whether on the baseball field or hanging out with friends.

“He always had a smile and was a genuine person. He will be missed and my thoughts and prayers go out to Emma, his daughter, and his entire family.”

During its Sept. 11 wreath laying ceremony Saturday morning, the college’s Queens’ Guard will lay a second wreath by the Sunken Garden in Weaver’s honor.

Soldier from Hampton dies in insurgent bomb blast
Tony Wilson knew Todd W. Weaver for about five years.

Weaver and his wife, Emma, would dine about twice a week at the Green Leafe Cafe in Williamsburg, where Wilson is the general manager. The couple would order a few appetizers, eat, laugh and enjoy each other's company, Wilson remembered Friday.

"They'd spend an hour there, then off they would go. Wherever he was, Emma was."

Now, all friends and family have of Weaver are the memories. Weaver, a first lieutenant in the Army and a native of Hampton, died Thursday in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds he suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.

Weaver, 26, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky. He leaves behind a wife and daughter.

Weaver graduated from Bruton High School in York County and attended the College of William and Mary, where he was a cadet in ROTC. He joined the Army National Guard, then served a 10-month deployment in Iraq in 2004, according to a news article on the college's website.

In 2008, Weaver received his bachelor's degree in government and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. He was commissioned into the U.S. Army through William and Mary's ROTC program.

"Todd was an exceptional person," William and Mary spokesman Brian Whitson said in a statement. "While a student, he was a star as a cadet in the ROTC and very well-known by many on campus."

Friends said that Weaver had a fun side to him - karaoke, for example. "It was good," Tony Wilson said. "We got him to sing and everything."

But still, Wilson said, the good times and memories don't stop the pain of losing a friend whom he described as focused, outstanding and fair-minded.

"I think he had the most incredibly pure spirit. He was the embodiment of truth, courage and leadership."

Weaver's awards and decorations included the Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Mobilization Device; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; Air Assault Badge; Expert Infantry Badge; Parachutists Badge and the Ranger Tab.

Officials say a memorial service will be held in Afghanistan. Fort Campbell holds a monthly Eagle Remembrance Ceremony to honor fallen Screaming Eagles. The next ceremony will be held Oct. 6 at 4 p.m. at the Family Readiness Center.

William and Mary mourns the loss of alum serving in Afghanistan ---
The William & Mary and Williamsburg communities are mourning the death of College alumnus and Army 1st Lt. Todd W. Weaver, 26, of Hampton, Va.

Weaver, a member of College's Class of 2008 and graduate of Bruton High School in York County, died Sept. 9 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device, according to a release Friday by the U.S. Department of Defense. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Weaver was well known on campus and is being remembered as a exceptional student and a star cadet while in the ROTC.

"He was just a wonderful young man," said Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Kate Slevin, whose daughter went to school with Weaver at both Bruton High School and William & Mary. "He was very patriotic. He felt he owed it to his country to go serve. He was incredibly bright, engaged and full of life."

According to a 2005 William & Mary News article, Weaver joined the Army National Guard after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and served a 10-month deployment in Iraq in 2004. At William & Mary, he received his bachelor's degree in government and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society in 2008, and he was commissioned into the U.S. Army through College's ROTC program.

"Todd Weaver was an outstanding student and leader, one of the very best in his class," John McGlennon, chair of the government department. "We in the government department share in the deep sense of loss that comes with news of Todd's tragic death."

Lt. Col. Barbara Streater, chair of military science, said that Weaver served as a cadet battalion commander during his time with the ROTC, a position assigned only to top cadets for excellence in leadership,scholarship and physical fitness.

"Clearly, he was the best of the best," she said.

After commissioning into the Army, Weaver spent additional time with the College's ROTC as a gold bar recruiter. Many of the cadets and instructors still at William & Mary knew him well and were hard hit by news of his death.

"We are heartbroken and saddened by the loss of our brother-in-arms," said Streater.

Army 1st Lt. Todd W. Weaver was killed in action on 9/9/10.