Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Brett W. Land, 24, of Wasco, Calif.
Cpl. Land was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Oct. 30, 2010 in Zhari district, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
Veterans Day has taken on a whole new and somber meaning for Porterville with news that Porterville native Spc. Brett W. Land, 24, died Oct. 30 after his unit was attacked by insurgents with an improvised explosive device in the Zhari district of Afghanistan.
Land is the son of Kenny Land of Camp Nelson and Gretchen Land of Wasco.
Land grew up in Porterville, attended Burton Elementary School, then moved to Bakersfield where he was a standout wrestler on the Bakersfield High School team that won the state wrestling title in 2004.
He joined the Army in November of 2008 and this was his first tour of duty as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. He was scheduled to come home Nov. 15 for 10-days of leave when he was to see for the first time his newborn baby daughter. The child, Rileigh, was born just three weeks ago.
Kenny Land, who has worked for Sierra Forest Products in Terra Bella for 42 years, got a call Saturday morning informing him of his son’s death.
He said he was told that his son was with four other soldiers when they were attacked. Land was the only one killed, but the other four were injured. All were assigned to Company C., 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).
“It’s just one of those things,” said his dad of what happened. “I just keep hanging on the fact that he thought he was doing something good.”
He said his son had already decided to re-enlist and make the Army a career.
“He kind of decided to make a career of it,” said his father. “He really loved it and felt like he needed to be over there. I’m proud of what he was doing.”
Land was an outstanding wrestler. “He started wrestling when he was five,” said his father, adding that nearly everything they did revolved around wrestling. He wrestled on several club teams and as a child he won a couple of national championships and in high school finished third in the state one year and fifth another year.
He wrestled for a short while with West Hills College in Coalinga. Kenny Land said his son was eyeing returning to the states and wrestling in the Army.
During basic training at Ft. Benning in Georgia, Brett Land met his wife, Sarah. She, however, is from California and now lives in Hesperia with their newborn daughter.
The news has come as a shock to many in Porterville, especially the student body of Burton Middle School where they had made Land their “adopted soldier,” said principal and longtime friend of the Land family, Michelle Pengilly.
“It’s tragic today. It feels like we lost one of our own children,” said Pengilly who informed students of Land’s death at the start of school on Monday. “It was very quiet. A lot of sad and long faces,” she said.
Students had been writing Land and had just last week sent off their first care package — a package he will never see.
Pengilly said sadly they at first had the wrong address for Land and the package came back, or he would have received it before Saturday.
Several pictures of Land are displayed around the school and for the rest of this week flags at the campus will be flown at half staff.
“I loved him,” said Pengilly, recalling how she baked cookies with him when he was a child. “I have many fond memories of him.”
She exchanged e-mails with him often and said while he never came out and said what he was doing was dangerous, she could sense that from his messages. “He said things were tough over there. I always had an uneasy feeling,” she said.
She was looking forward to seeing him when he got home later this month and hoped to have him meet with the students.
Kenny Land said funeral arrangements will be made when the military releases his body to the family. That could take up to 10 days. He is not sure where services will be held, but said they likely will be in Porterville where he has many relatives. Besides his parents, he is survived by a sister, two brothers and numerous nieces, cousins, aunts and uncles.
Jasper Land, retired Porterville School District official and cousin of Kenny Land, said he fondly recalls Brett, especially his wrestling. He said Brett would do a backward flip as he entered the mat for a match in an attempt to intimidate his opponent.
Ed Flory, chairman of the city’s Veterans Day observance, said a special tribute will be made to Land at this year’s Vets Day parade.
He noted that Land is the first local man killed in action in Afghanistan and only the second in either Afghanistan or Iraq. A Monache High School graduate, Michael Mitchell, was killed in Iraq in April of 2004.
According to the Army, Land’s awards and decorations include: National Defense Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Airborne Tab.
Army Cpl. Brett W. Land was killed in action on 10/30/10.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Army Spc. Diego A. Solorzano-Valdovinos
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Diego A. Solorzano-Valdovinos, 24, of Huntington Park, Calif.
Spc Solorzano-Valdovinos was assigned to 1st Battalion, 506nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Oct. 29, 2010 in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit on Oct. 27 with small arms fire in Yahya Khel district, Afghanistan.
‘Sgt. Solo’ looked out for his ‘brothers’
The Associated Press
The last time Diego Solorzano Valdovinos talked to his mother, she told him to be careful.
He responded by saying he was a “sheep dog” who had to look after his “brothers.”
The 24-year-old soldier from Huntington Park, Calif., died Oct. 29 in Landstuhl, Germany, where he was being treated after insurgents attacked his unit two days earlier in the Yahya Khel district of Afghanistan.
In Afghanistan, he was the leader an infantry team made up of grenadiers and riflemen.
“His only thought,” Maj. Bradd Schultz wrote to The Los Angeles Times after the soldier’s death, “was about protecting his fellow soldiers from enemy fire.”
Known as “Sgt. Solo,” Solorzano Valdovinos decided in 2006 to join the Army.
“I think he wanted some excitement in his life,” Patricia Valdovinos told the Times. “I couldn’t do anything. He was old enough.”
He wanted to save his money and buy a house after his military service ended.
Flags were being flown at half-staff in the state Capitol on Monday in honor of a soldier from Huntington Park who was fatally injured in combat in Afghanistan.
"Specialist Diego Solorzano-Valdovinos made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said.
"Maria and I are grateful for his service and deeply saddened by the loss of his life," the governor said. "As they remember and mourn the passing of this courageous soldier, our thoughts and prayers go out to all of Diego's family, friends and fellow service members."
Army Spc. Diego A. Solorzano-Valdovinos was killed in action on 10/29/10.
Army Spc. Diego A. Solorzano-Valdovinos, 24, of Huntington Park, Calif.
Spc Solorzano-Valdovinos was assigned to 1st Battalion, 506nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Oct. 29, 2010 in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit on Oct. 27 with small arms fire in Yahya Khel district, Afghanistan.
‘Sgt. Solo’ looked out for his ‘brothers’
The Associated Press
The last time Diego Solorzano Valdovinos talked to his mother, she told him to be careful.
He responded by saying he was a “sheep dog” who had to look after his “brothers.”
The 24-year-old soldier from Huntington Park, Calif., died Oct. 29 in Landstuhl, Germany, where he was being treated after insurgents attacked his unit two days earlier in the Yahya Khel district of Afghanistan.
In Afghanistan, he was the leader an infantry team made up of grenadiers and riflemen.
“His only thought,” Maj. Bradd Schultz wrote to The Los Angeles Times after the soldier’s death, “was about protecting his fellow soldiers from enemy fire.”
Known as “Sgt. Solo,” Solorzano Valdovinos decided in 2006 to join the Army.
“I think he wanted some excitement in his life,” Patricia Valdovinos told the Times. “I couldn’t do anything. He was old enough.”
He wanted to save his money and buy a house after his military service ended.
Flags were being flown at half-staff in the state Capitol on Monday in honor of a soldier from Huntington Park who was fatally injured in combat in Afghanistan.
"Specialist Diego Solorzano-Valdovinos made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said.
"Maria and I are grateful for his service and deeply saddened by the loss of his life," the governor said. "As they remember and mourn the passing of this courageous soldier, our thoughts and prayers go out to all of Diego's family, friends and fellow service members."
Army Spc. Diego A. Solorzano-Valdovinos was killed in action on 10/29/10.
Army Spc. Pedro A. Maldonado
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Pedro A. Maldonado, 20, of Houston
Spc Maldonado was assigned to 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Oct. 29, 20101 in Kandalay, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire.
Maldonado joined Army in 2008
By Jake Lowary
The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf-Chronicle
A Fort Campbell soldier died Oct. 29 when insurgents attacked his unit in Kandalay, Afghanistan.
Spc. Pedro A. Maldonado, 20, of Houston died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
Maldonado joined the Army in August 2008 and arrived at Fort Campbell in September 2009. He is survived by his parents, Pedro and Maria Maldonado of Houston.
Maldonado’s awards and decorations include National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and the Combat Infantry Badge.
Army Spc. Pedro A. Maldonado was killed in action on 10/29/10.
Army Spc. Pedro A. Maldonado, 20, of Houston
Spc Maldonado was assigned to 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Oct. 29, 20101 in Kandalay, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire.
Maldonado joined Army in 2008
By Jake Lowary
The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf-Chronicle
A Fort Campbell soldier died Oct. 29 when insurgents attacked his unit in Kandalay, Afghanistan.
Spc. Pedro A. Maldonado, 20, of Houston died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
Maldonado joined the Army in August 2008 and arrived at Fort Campbell in September 2009. He is survived by his parents, Pedro and Maria Maldonado of Houston.
Maldonado’s awards and decorations include National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and the Combat Infantry Badge.
Army Spc. Pedro A. Maldonado was killed in action on 10/29/10.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Army Staff Sgt. Adam L. Dickmyer
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Adam L. Dickmyer, 26, of Winston-Salem, N.C.
SSgt Dickmyer was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Oct. 28, 2010 near Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
Winston-Salem, N.C. — Family and friends mourning a Winston-Salem native killed in Afighanistan say they also want to celebrate the way he lived his life.
Staff Sgt. Adam L. Dickmyer, 26, was killed Thursday by an improvised explosive device while on foot patrol near Kandahar, according to the Department of Defense.
"I was in disbelief," his father, David Dickmyer, of Winston-Salem, told WFMY News. "I just felt like I was robbed or something and was just shaking. It was very hard to believe. My one and only son."
Family friend Lanette Holmes remembered Dickmyer, who was married, as a kind man.
"You just couldn't meet him without being touched in some way," she said. "He had a really good heart."
The graduate of Carver High School in Winston-Salem always had his eyes on serving in the military, relatives said.
"He wanted to fight for his beliefs, and he wanted to make a difference," Holmes said. "He did that, and we couldn't want anymore for him." Dickmyer was an infantryman.
He joined the Army in 2002 and arrived at Fort Campbell in November 2009. He is survived by his wife, Melinda K. Dickmyer of Arlington, Va.; his father, David Dickmyer of Winston-Salem; and his mother, Stephanie L. Dickmyer of New Port Richey, Fla.
Dickmyer’s awards and decorations include Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Army Superior Unit Award; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Non Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon; Air Assault Badge; Expert Infantry Badge; Parachutists Badge; Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Identification Badge and Marksmanship Qualification Expert Badge.
Army Staff Sgt. Adam L. Dickmyer was killed in action on 10/28/10.
Army Staff Sgt. Adam L. Dickmyer, 26, of Winston-Salem, N.C.
SSgt Dickmyer was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Oct. 28, 2010 near Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
Winston-Salem, N.C. — Family and friends mourning a Winston-Salem native killed in Afighanistan say they also want to celebrate the way he lived his life.
Staff Sgt. Adam L. Dickmyer, 26, was killed Thursday by an improvised explosive device while on foot patrol near Kandahar, according to the Department of Defense.
"I was in disbelief," his father, David Dickmyer, of Winston-Salem, told WFMY News. "I just felt like I was robbed or something and was just shaking. It was very hard to believe. My one and only son."
Family friend Lanette Holmes remembered Dickmyer, who was married, as a kind man.
"You just couldn't meet him without being touched in some way," she said. "He had a really good heart."
The graduate of Carver High School in Winston-Salem always had his eyes on serving in the military, relatives said.
"He wanted to fight for his beliefs, and he wanted to make a difference," Holmes said. "He did that, and we couldn't want anymore for him." Dickmyer was an infantryman.
He joined the Army in 2002 and arrived at Fort Campbell in November 2009. He is survived by his wife, Melinda K. Dickmyer of Arlington, Va.; his father, David Dickmyer of Winston-Salem; and his mother, Stephanie L. Dickmyer of New Port Richey, Fla.
Dickmyer’s awards and decorations include Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Army Superior Unit Award; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Non Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon; Air Assault Badge; Expert Infantry Badge; Parachutists Badge; Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Identification Badge and Marksmanship Qualification Expert Badge.
Army Staff Sgt. Adam L. Dickmyer was killed in action on 10/28/10.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Army Sgt. Michael D. Kirspel Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Michael D. Kirspel Jr., 23, of Hopatcong, N.J.
Sgt. Kirspel was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery (Strike), 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Oct. 27, 2010 near the village of Khwaja Kinti, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.
Drum soldier killed by IED in Afghanistan
Daily Record (Parsippany, N.J.)
A 23-year-old man was killed while serving with the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan, according to the Defense Department.
Sgt. Michael D. Kirspel Jr., 23. of Hopatcong, N.J., died Oct. 27 near the village of Khwaja Kinti of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device, the Defense Department said.
Kirspel was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, and had been stationed at Fort Drum, N.Y.
Kirspel joined the Army in July 2006 shortly after graduating from Hopatcong High School, according to a Fort Drum news release. He previously served in Iraq, according to the release.
He was a cannon crewmember and deployed to Afghanistan this past spring in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Kirspel previously had been stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky. He arrived at Fort Drum in September 2009.
Kirspel served in Iraq from October 2007 through November 2008.
His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal with Valor, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the NATO Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Combat Action Badge, the Marksmanship Qualification Badge and the Driver Mechanic Badge.
Neighbor on Kirspel: ‘What a future this kid has’
By Abbott Koloff
Daily Record (Parsippany, N.J.)
HOPATCONG, N.J. — Sgt. Michael D. Kirspel joined the Army right out of Hopatcong High School in 2006, fulfilling a desire he had since he was just 13-year-old boy. He was months from getting out of the military, friends said, as he served his second tour of duty overseas.
Kirspel, 23, of Hopatcong died early Oct. 27 in Afghanistan from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.
“Everyone around here is going to have an empty place in their souls,” said Jeanine Morris, one of his neighbors in Hopatcong.
Kirspel had told at least one friend earlier this week that he was going on patrol and would be back in a week. He already had served a tour of duty in Iraq and was a cannon crew member in Afghanistan. He told friends he’d be back in the U.S. by the end of the year.
He was looking forward to going cross country on a motorcycle after getting out of the service in March, with a stop in Kentucky where he had once been stationed.
“We weren’t going to bring road maps,” said John Davis, 24, of Stanhope. “We were going to pack up and go wherever.”
And he had plans to live with Davis and another friend in a house while he decided what to do with the rest of his life.
“We had big plans,” said James Baker, 25, of Hopatcong. “We were going to have a bar in the basement.”
Kirspel grew up in Hopatcong with two younger brothers, according to friends. Family members did not immediately respond to requests for interviews. But Kirspel’s father put up a Facebook message on Oct. 28 as a tribute to his son, writing that Michael Jr. was his hero and saying he had lost his “best friend.”
“You gave your all for your country, but left us here with heavy hearts,” his father wrote. “Always in my heart, Love, Dad.”
Kirspel had always talked about joining the Army, and one friend said that it had something to do with the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
“Nine-11 hit him hard,” said Chris Toth, 23, of Hopatcong. “He wanted to do something. … I know [joining the Army] was always something he talked about.”
Hours after Kirspel died, Morris said she saw two military men walk up the steps to Kirspel’s house. She said she knew what that meant, and that it didn’t seem real. She said she and other neighbors have relatives in the military.
“This hits home,” Morris said.
Kirspel used to spend a lot of his spare time driving off-road vehicles, friends said, and loved anything to do with cars and motors. He also loved fishing, hunting and camping. He studied welding at Sussex County Technical School while also attending Hopatcong. That helped when it came to customizing off-road trucks, his friends said. They said he picked the Army because it gave him a chance to do something with mechanics.
Kirspel’s MySpace page says his nickname was “Krispey” and that he loves “offroading and racing.” It also indicates an eclectic musical taste that ranges from Metallica, to the Rolling Stones, to Lynyrd Skynyrd. Friends said he was especially fond of country music.
“You would always hear him coming because he had his country music playing,” Morris said.
Morris remembers Kirspel working on cars in the driveway across the street with his grandfather, posing in front of her garden four years ago on his prom night, helping neighbors shovel snow after storms, cleaning his four-wheel vehicles until they shined and then coming home with his car all covered in mud from a day of off-road adventures.
“We always looked at him and thought, ‘What a future this kid has,’ ” Morris said. “He was just a stellar young man. He loved his family. He loved his country. He was ready to take on anything that was in front of him.”
He joined the Army in July 2006 and served in Iraq from October 2007 to November 2008, according to an Army news release.
He was deployed this past spring from Fort Drum, N.Y., to Afghanistan to be part of Operation Enduring Freedom, where he was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery (Strike), 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.
Kaceylee Sowinski, 23, of Mount Arlington said she talked to Kirspel by phone recently. She said they didn’t say goodbye, because they never did.
“It’s bad luck,” she said.
Sowinski cried as she talked about her friend, saying he was someone she could talk to about anything, and made her laugh. She visited him in Kentucky a couple of years ago and said she cherishes the time they spent together, going to a military ball at Fort Campbell. She and other friends said Kirspel loved being in the Army, but didn’t want to make it a career. He was uncertain about what to do next.
“He wanted to take some time for himself,” Sowinski said.
But they all said he was looking forward to coming home, and spending time with friends and family.
Morris said Kirspel worked hard to become a sergeant, and was proud of his accomplishments.
“From an early age, he figured out that military service would help give him focus,” Morris said. “He got every kind of badge and medal.”
Army Sgt. Michael D. Kirspel Jr. was killed in action on 10/27/10.
Army Sgt. Michael D. Kirspel Jr., 23, of Hopatcong, N.J.
Sgt. Kirspel was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery (Strike), 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Oct. 27, 2010 near the village of Khwaja Kinti, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.
Drum soldier killed by IED in Afghanistan
Daily Record (Parsippany, N.J.)
A 23-year-old man was killed while serving with the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan, according to the Defense Department.
Sgt. Michael D. Kirspel Jr., 23. of Hopatcong, N.J., died Oct. 27 near the village of Khwaja Kinti of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device, the Defense Department said.
Kirspel was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, and had been stationed at Fort Drum, N.Y.
Kirspel joined the Army in July 2006 shortly after graduating from Hopatcong High School, according to a Fort Drum news release. He previously served in Iraq, according to the release.
He was a cannon crewmember and deployed to Afghanistan this past spring in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Kirspel previously had been stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky. He arrived at Fort Drum in September 2009.
Kirspel served in Iraq from October 2007 through November 2008.
His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal with Valor, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the NATO Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Combat Action Badge, the Marksmanship Qualification Badge and the Driver Mechanic Badge.
Neighbor on Kirspel: ‘What a future this kid has’
By Abbott Koloff
Daily Record (Parsippany, N.J.)
HOPATCONG, N.J. — Sgt. Michael D. Kirspel joined the Army right out of Hopatcong High School in 2006, fulfilling a desire he had since he was just 13-year-old boy. He was months from getting out of the military, friends said, as he served his second tour of duty overseas.
Kirspel, 23, of Hopatcong died early Oct. 27 in Afghanistan from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.
“Everyone around here is going to have an empty place in their souls,” said Jeanine Morris, one of his neighbors in Hopatcong.
Kirspel had told at least one friend earlier this week that he was going on patrol and would be back in a week. He already had served a tour of duty in Iraq and was a cannon crew member in Afghanistan. He told friends he’d be back in the U.S. by the end of the year.
He was looking forward to going cross country on a motorcycle after getting out of the service in March, with a stop in Kentucky where he had once been stationed.
“We weren’t going to bring road maps,” said John Davis, 24, of Stanhope. “We were going to pack up and go wherever.”
And he had plans to live with Davis and another friend in a house while he decided what to do with the rest of his life.
“We had big plans,” said James Baker, 25, of Hopatcong. “We were going to have a bar in the basement.”
Kirspel grew up in Hopatcong with two younger brothers, according to friends. Family members did not immediately respond to requests for interviews. But Kirspel’s father put up a Facebook message on Oct. 28 as a tribute to his son, writing that Michael Jr. was his hero and saying he had lost his “best friend.”
“You gave your all for your country, but left us here with heavy hearts,” his father wrote. “Always in my heart, Love, Dad.”
Kirspel had always talked about joining the Army, and one friend said that it had something to do with the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
“Nine-11 hit him hard,” said Chris Toth, 23, of Hopatcong. “He wanted to do something. … I know [joining the Army] was always something he talked about.”
Hours after Kirspel died, Morris said she saw two military men walk up the steps to Kirspel’s house. She said she knew what that meant, and that it didn’t seem real. She said she and other neighbors have relatives in the military.
“This hits home,” Morris said.
Kirspel used to spend a lot of his spare time driving off-road vehicles, friends said, and loved anything to do with cars and motors. He also loved fishing, hunting and camping. He studied welding at Sussex County Technical School while also attending Hopatcong. That helped when it came to customizing off-road trucks, his friends said. They said he picked the Army because it gave him a chance to do something with mechanics.
Kirspel’s MySpace page says his nickname was “Krispey” and that he loves “offroading and racing.” It also indicates an eclectic musical taste that ranges from Metallica, to the Rolling Stones, to Lynyrd Skynyrd. Friends said he was especially fond of country music.
“You would always hear him coming because he had his country music playing,” Morris said.
Morris remembers Kirspel working on cars in the driveway across the street with his grandfather, posing in front of her garden four years ago on his prom night, helping neighbors shovel snow after storms, cleaning his four-wheel vehicles until they shined and then coming home with his car all covered in mud from a day of off-road adventures.
“We always looked at him and thought, ‘What a future this kid has,’ ” Morris said. “He was just a stellar young man. He loved his family. He loved his country. He was ready to take on anything that was in front of him.”
He joined the Army in July 2006 and served in Iraq from October 2007 to November 2008, according to an Army news release.
He was deployed this past spring from Fort Drum, N.Y., to Afghanistan to be part of Operation Enduring Freedom, where he was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery (Strike), 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.
Kaceylee Sowinski, 23, of Mount Arlington said she talked to Kirspel by phone recently. She said they didn’t say goodbye, because they never did.
“It’s bad luck,” she said.
Sowinski cried as she talked about her friend, saying he was someone she could talk to about anything, and made her laugh. She visited him in Kentucky a couple of years ago and said she cherishes the time they spent together, going to a military ball at Fort Campbell. She and other friends said Kirspel loved being in the Army, but didn’t want to make it a career. He was uncertain about what to do next.
“He wanted to take some time for himself,” Sowinski said.
But they all said he was looking forward to coming home, and spending time with friends and family.
Morris said Kirspel worked hard to become a sergeant, and was proud of his accomplishments.
“From an early age, he figured out that military service would help give him focus,” Morris said. “He got every kind of badge and medal.”
Army Sgt. Michael D. Kirspel Jr. was killed in action on 10/27/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Terry E. Honeycutt Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Terry E. Honeycutt Jr., 19, of Waldorf, Md.
LCpl Honeycutt was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Oct. 27, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, from wounds received Oct. 21 while conducting combat operations.
Honeycutt was a 2009 graduate of North Point High School and his aunt, Bonnie Shipley Honeycutt of Elkridge, said he loved life, music and playing the guitar and he also loved his family and the Marines.
Honeycutt was with the 2nd Battalion 9th Regiment stationed out of Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, N.C., according to information on his Facebook page.
"We just know he's our guardian angel," Bonnie Shipley Honeycutt said.
According to information his mother, Christine Honeycutt, posted on Facebook, Honeycutt was caught in the blast of an improvised explosive device Oct. 20 and suffered extensive tissue and muscle damage to his legs, both of which were amputated later on due to the extent of the injuries. Honeycutt arrived at a hospital in Germany on Oct. 24 and died Oct. 27, according to information from his family.
Retired Lt. Col. Jonathan Brown Sr., Air Force Junior ROTC instructor at North Point, said that Honeycutt was a member of the ROTC program at the Waldorf school for four years. Brown said the first thing he remembers Honeycutt telling him the day they met was, "I can't wait until I become a Marine."
North Point Principal Kim Hill said Honeycutt was heavily involved in the Air Force Junior ROTC program and though it was an Air Force program, Honeycutt frequently expressed his love and desire to be a Marine.
Brown said Honeycutt was heavily involved in the color guard and drill programs through ROTC and was involved with many community events through the program.
Hill said that at 8:15 a.m. Thursday morning staff at North Point read a prepared statement announcing Honeycutt's death. Hill said this was the most personal way to inform a school of 2,200 students without having to announce it over the loud speaker.
Hill said counselors were on site to talk with anyone in need and the school would continue to assist students and staff during this time. Hill also said Honeycutt usually always had a smile on his face. "He was all about energy, enthusiasm and all about passion," she said.
Honeycutt's family and friends have filled his Facebook page with messages of love and support. A memory page was created on Facebook in Honeycutt's honor, which is filled with kind words, memories, photos and condolences from those who knew him and those who did not.
Brown said Thursday that it was Honeycutt's dream to be a Marine. "I really truly believe that Terry Honeycutt was living his dream in the Marine Corps."
Marine Lance Cpl. Terry E. Honeycutt Jr. was killed in action on 10/27/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Terry E. Honeycutt Jr., 19, of Waldorf, Md.
LCpl Honeycutt was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Oct. 27, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, from wounds received Oct. 21 while conducting combat operations.
Honeycutt was a 2009 graduate of North Point High School and his aunt, Bonnie Shipley Honeycutt of Elkridge, said he loved life, music and playing the guitar and he also loved his family and the Marines.
Honeycutt was with the 2nd Battalion 9th Regiment stationed out of Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, N.C., according to information on his Facebook page.
"We just know he's our guardian angel," Bonnie Shipley Honeycutt said.
According to information his mother, Christine Honeycutt, posted on Facebook, Honeycutt was caught in the blast of an improvised explosive device Oct. 20 and suffered extensive tissue and muscle damage to his legs, both of which were amputated later on due to the extent of the injuries. Honeycutt arrived at a hospital in Germany on Oct. 24 and died Oct. 27, according to information from his family.
Retired Lt. Col. Jonathan Brown Sr., Air Force Junior ROTC instructor at North Point, said that Honeycutt was a member of the ROTC program at the Waldorf school for four years. Brown said the first thing he remembers Honeycutt telling him the day they met was, "I can't wait until I become a Marine."
North Point Principal Kim Hill said Honeycutt was heavily involved in the Air Force Junior ROTC program and though it was an Air Force program, Honeycutt frequently expressed his love and desire to be a Marine.
Brown said Honeycutt was heavily involved in the color guard and drill programs through ROTC and was involved with many community events through the program.
Hill said that at 8:15 a.m. Thursday morning staff at North Point read a prepared statement announcing Honeycutt's death. Hill said this was the most personal way to inform a school of 2,200 students without having to announce it over the loud speaker.
Hill said counselors were on site to talk with anyone in need and the school would continue to assist students and staff during this time. Hill also said Honeycutt usually always had a smile on his face. "He was all about energy, enthusiasm and all about passion," she said.
Honeycutt's family and friends have filled his Facebook page with messages of love and support. A memory page was created on Facebook in Honeycutt's honor, which is filled with kind words, memories, photos and condolences from those who knew him and those who did not.
Brown said Thursday that it was Honeycutt's dream to be a Marine. "I really truly believe that Terry Honeycutt was living his dream in the Marine Corps."
Marine Lance Cpl. Terry E. Honeycutt Jr. was killed in action on 10/27/10.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Army Sgt. 1st Class Phillip C. Tanner
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Phillip C. Tanner, 43, of Sheridan, Wyo.
SFC Tanner was assigned to 106th Transportation Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Oct. 26, 2010 at Ali Al Salem, Kuwait, of injuries sustained in a non-combat incident.
A 101st Airborne Division Soldier died Tuesday, in a non combat related incident in Ali Al Salem, Kuwait.
Sergeant 1st Class Phillip C. Tanner, 43, of Sheridan, Wyo., was a Motor Transportation Operator assigned to 541st Transportation Company, 106th Transportation Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade. He joined the Army in Oct. 1993 and arrived at Fort Campbell in March 2007.
Tanner was processing through Kuwait after leaving Afghanistan enroute to Fort Campbell at the time of his death. The Army says the 43-year old Tanner was processing through Kuwait when he collapsed and died.
His awards and decorations include: Bronze Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; Non commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon; National Defense Service Medal; Korea Defense Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; United Nations Medal; NATO Medal; and Driver Mechanic Badge.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Phillip C. Tanner died in a non-combat incident on 10/26/10.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Phillip C. Tanner, 43, of Sheridan, Wyo.
SFC Tanner was assigned to 106th Transportation Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Oct. 26, 2010 at Ali Al Salem, Kuwait, of injuries sustained in a non-combat incident.
A 101st Airborne Division Soldier died Tuesday, in a non combat related incident in Ali Al Salem, Kuwait.
Sergeant 1st Class Phillip C. Tanner, 43, of Sheridan, Wyo., was a Motor Transportation Operator assigned to 541st Transportation Company, 106th Transportation Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade. He joined the Army in Oct. 1993 and arrived at Fort Campbell in March 2007.
Tanner was processing through Kuwait after leaving Afghanistan enroute to Fort Campbell at the time of his death. The Army says the 43-year old Tanner was processing through Kuwait when he collapsed and died.
His awards and decorations include: Bronze Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; Non commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon; National Defense Service Medal; Korea Defense Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; United Nations Medal; NATO Medal; and Driver Mechanic Badge.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Phillip C. Tanner died in a non-combat incident on 10/26/10.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Army Sgt. 1st Class Charles M. Sadell
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Charles M. Sadell, 34, of Columbia, Mo.
SFC Sadell was assigned to 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Oct. 24, 2010 at National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., of wounds suffered Oct. 5 at Arif Kala, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.
Flags on state offices will be at half-staff today for a 10th Mountain Division soldier who died Sunday, weeks after being hit by in improvised explosive device in Afghanistan.
On Oct. 5, Sgt. 1st Class Charles M. Sadell, 34, was hit by an IED near Arif Kala, Afghanistan. He was taken to National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., where he died. The military intelligence analyst served with 1st Brigade Combat Team's 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment.
The Columbia, Mo., native joined the Army in 1995 and had deployed to Iraq, Kosovo and Saudi Arabia. When not deployed, he earned a parachutist and expert infantry badge. Among his awards is a Bronze Star.
"On behalf of all New Yorkers, I wish to extend our sympathy to friends, family and fellow soldiers of Sergeant First Class Sadell," Gov. Paterson said. "Though not a native New Yorker, we consider all those who serve at Fort Drum to be part of our New York family."
This is the squadron's sixth death in Afghanistan; all were attributed to IEDs. One of the squadron's duties is to act as the "eyes and ears" of the brigade by providing reconnaissance.
In late September, Col. Willard M. Burleson told WWNY-TV news that the squadron was in southern Afghanistan, near Kandahar, as part of Operation Dragon Strike, which was aimed at driving the Taliban from the area.
The 3,500-soldier brigade deployed to Afghanistan in February of this year and is expected to return in early 2011.
He was deployed to Afghanistan in the spring, according to a news release from Fort Drum. His previous deployments included a four-month tour in Saudi Arabia in 1997, a six-month tour in Kosovo in 2001 and a 12-month tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sadell first joined the Army in 1995. He was previously stationed in Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Leavenworth, Kan.; Dexheim, Germany; and Fort Huachuca, Ariz.
Sadell received a number of awards and decorations, including the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Superior Unit Award and the Kosovo Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, as well as other medals for service in Iraq, professional development and combat action, according to the release.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Charles M. Sadell died 10/24/10 from wounds received in action on 10/5/10.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Charles M. Sadell, 34, of Columbia, Mo.
SFC Sadell was assigned to 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Oct. 24, 2010 at National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., of wounds suffered Oct. 5 at Arif Kala, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.
Flags on state offices will be at half-staff today for a 10th Mountain Division soldier who died Sunday, weeks after being hit by in improvised explosive device in Afghanistan.
On Oct. 5, Sgt. 1st Class Charles M. Sadell, 34, was hit by an IED near Arif Kala, Afghanistan. He was taken to National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., where he died. The military intelligence analyst served with 1st Brigade Combat Team's 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment.
The Columbia, Mo., native joined the Army in 1995 and had deployed to Iraq, Kosovo and Saudi Arabia. When not deployed, he earned a parachutist and expert infantry badge. Among his awards is a Bronze Star.
"On behalf of all New Yorkers, I wish to extend our sympathy to friends, family and fellow soldiers of Sergeant First Class Sadell," Gov. Paterson said. "Though not a native New Yorker, we consider all those who serve at Fort Drum to be part of our New York family."
This is the squadron's sixth death in Afghanistan; all were attributed to IEDs. One of the squadron's duties is to act as the "eyes and ears" of the brigade by providing reconnaissance.
In late September, Col. Willard M. Burleson told WWNY-TV news that the squadron was in southern Afghanistan, near Kandahar, as part of Operation Dragon Strike, which was aimed at driving the Taliban from the area.
The 3,500-soldier brigade deployed to Afghanistan in February of this year and is expected to return in early 2011.
He was deployed to Afghanistan in the spring, according to a news release from Fort Drum. His previous deployments included a four-month tour in Saudi Arabia in 1997, a six-month tour in Kosovo in 2001 and a 12-month tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sadell first joined the Army in 1995. He was previously stationed in Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Leavenworth, Kan.; Dexheim, Germany; and Fort Huachuca, Ariz.
Sadell received a number of awards and decorations, including the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Superior Unit Award and the Kosovo Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, as well as other medals for service in Iraq, professional development and combat action, according to the release.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Charles M. Sadell died 10/24/10 from wounds received in action on 10/5/10.
Army Spc. Steven L. Dupont
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Steven L. Dupont, 20, of Lafayette, La.
Spc. Dupont was assigned to 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany; died Oct. 24, 2010 at Rangrizan, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.
Community affected by Dupont’s death
By Bruce Brown
The (Lafayette, La.) Advertiser
LAFAYETTE, La. — Operation Enduring Freedom became more than a mention on the evening news this week for students and staff at Comeaux High School, as 2008 CHS graduate Steven Dupont was killed in action in Afghanistan on Oct. 24.
“It brings the war home,” math instructor Victoria Koerber said. “It’s not just something students read about any more. They start to experience it first-hand when you lose someone who’s a student at your school.”
The school observed a moment of silence and lowered the American flag to half mast Oct. 26 to honor Dupont, 20, who was a member of the ROTC unit at Comeaux before joining the Army.
Dupont died in Rangrizan, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.
He was assigned to 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, out of Vilseck, Germany.
“He was a good kid — the kind you remember, for the right reasons,” Principal Joe Craig said. “He was the kind of kid you like to have around.
“I remember the first time I saw him was when he was going through the lunch line when he was younger. In time, I got to know him. By the time he finished up, he was one of the leaders of the school.”
“It’s a shame,” Comeaux ROTC Commander John Romann said. “I didn’t know Steven, but his younger brother Robert is in ROTC here at the school. I know the mom and dad, and both young men come from a fine family.”
“They came here five years ago, after Hurricane Katrina,” Craig said. “The kids who ran with Steven and Robert are taking it hard. The first thing we heard was yesterday morning, from some of the ROTC kids, and they were clearly upset. This senior class remembers him.”
“At some point, we will talk with the family and see if they are interested in us finding some way to honor his memory,” Craig said.
Army Spc. Steven L. Dupont was on the last leg of a one-year tour of duty in Afghanistan and was scheduled to return home in Milton in time for Thanksgiving, a family friend said Tuesday.
The Army notified Dupont’s family Sunday that insurgents had attacked their son’s unit with an improvised explosive device. Dupont, 20, died from his wounds at Rangrizan, Afghanistan, the military said in a news release late Monday.
Dupont’s parents were notified of their son’s death after attending Sunday Mass at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, said Anna McKeon, who works with Brenda Dupont at the church in Milton.
A casualty officer met the family when they arrived home from church, McKeon said. The family flew to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Monday and were unavailable for comment Tuesday. Dupont’s body is expected to arrive in Lafayette later this week, McKeon said. Funeral arrangements are pending.
The Dupont family moved from Slidell LA in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina destroyed their home, McKeon said.
Felicia Bernard, who also works with Dupont’s mother, said Steven Dupont was due back home Nov. 21.
Dupont enlisted in the military out of high school after spending four years with the ROTC program at Comeaux High School in Lafayette, said the Rev. Bill Gearheart, the previous pastor at St. Joseph. Gearheart showered praise upon Dupont, calling him a “fine kid” who continued to gain confidence in himself each and every year. “His personality grew as he gained confidence,” Gearheart said. “He was really growing, you could see it.”
Gearheart said Steven Dupont had recently told his mother that he was not afraid to be in Afghanistan because he was at peace with God. Dupont took his faith seriously and was a leader both within the ROTC program and within the church, having volunteered in the church’s youth ministry group and its summer vacation bible school program, Gearheart said.
Corey Gros, 26, of Lafayette, served as youth minister at St. Joseph when Dupont was still in high school. He called Dupont a hero and a nice, respectable and humble person. “He was a very intelligent kid who was always willing to help me out whenever I needed help,” Gros said.
“He just seemed like he had a really bright future ahead of him. I know a lot of people are going to be hurt by his passing,” he said. “He was very involved in the (church).”
Gearheart said Steven Dupont realized that serving in the military allowed him to serve his country while also helping him to afford a quality education at a four-year Catholic college.
“He was really planning his future out instead of simply living in the moment,” Gearheart said.
Leo Hall, a friend and fellow ROTC member, described Dupont as a good person who had always dreamed about being in the military.
“He was like a brother to me and I still can’t believe that he’s gone,” Hall said in an e-mail. “I don’t think any of us believe that this happened. RIP Steven Dupont you will be missed.”
Army Spc. Steven L. Dupont was killed in action on 10/24/10.
Army Spc. Steven L. Dupont, 20, of Lafayette, La.
Spc. Dupont was assigned to 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany; died Oct. 24, 2010 at Rangrizan, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.
Community affected by Dupont’s death
By Bruce Brown
The (Lafayette, La.) Advertiser
LAFAYETTE, La. — Operation Enduring Freedom became more than a mention on the evening news this week for students and staff at Comeaux High School, as 2008 CHS graduate Steven Dupont was killed in action in Afghanistan on Oct. 24.
“It brings the war home,” math instructor Victoria Koerber said. “It’s not just something students read about any more. They start to experience it first-hand when you lose someone who’s a student at your school.”
The school observed a moment of silence and lowered the American flag to half mast Oct. 26 to honor Dupont, 20, who was a member of the ROTC unit at Comeaux before joining the Army.
Dupont died in Rangrizan, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.
He was assigned to 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, out of Vilseck, Germany.
“He was a good kid — the kind you remember, for the right reasons,” Principal Joe Craig said. “He was the kind of kid you like to have around.
“I remember the first time I saw him was when he was going through the lunch line when he was younger. In time, I got to know him. By the time he finished up, he was one of the leaders of the school.”
“It’s a shame,” Comeaux ROTC Commander John Romann said. “I didn’t know Steven, but his younger brother Robert is in ROTC here at the school. I know the mom and dad, and both young men come from a fine family.”
“They came here five years ago, after Hurricane Katrina,” Craig said. “The kids who ran with Steven and Robert are taking it hard. The first thing we heard was yesterday morning, from some of the ROTC kids, and they were clearly upset. This senior class remembers him.”
“At some point, we will talk with the family and see if they are interested in us finding some way to honor his memory,” Craig said.
Army Spc. Steven L. Dupont was on the last leg of a one-year tour of duty in Afghanistan and was scheduled to return home in Milton in time for Thanksgiving, a family friend said Tuesday.
The Army notified Dupont’s family Sunday that insurgents had attacked their son’s unit with an improvised explosive device. Dupont, 20, died from his wounds at Rangrizan, Afghanistan, the military said in a news release late Monday.
Dupont’s parents were notified of their son’s death after attending Sunday Mass at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, said Anna McKeon, who works with Brenda Dupont at the church in Milton.
A casualty officer met the family when they arrived home from church, McKeon said. The family flew to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Monday and were unavailable for comment Tuesday. Dupont’s body is expected to arrive in Lafayette later this week, McKeon said. Funeral arrangements are pending.
The Dupont family moved from Slidell LA in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina destroyed their home, McKeon said.
Felicia Bernard, who also works with Dupont’s mother, said Steven Dupont was due back home Nov. 21.
Dupont enlisted in the military out of high school after spending four years with the ROTC program at Comeaux High School in Lafayette, said the Rev. Bill Gearheart, the previous pastor at St. Joseph. Gearheart showered praise upon Dupont, calling him a “fine kid” who continued to gain confidence in himself each and every year. “His personality grew as he gained confidence,” Gearheart said. “He was really growing, you could see it.”
Gearheart said Steven Dupont had recently told his mother that he was not afraid to be in Afghanistan because he was at peace with God. Dupont took his faith seriously and was a leader both within the ROTC program and within the church, having volunteered in the church’s youth ministry group and its summer vacation bible school program, Gearheart said.
Corey Gros, 26, of Lafayette, served as youth minister at St. Joseph when Dupont was still in high school. He called Dupont a hero and a nice, respectable and humble person. “He was a very intelligent kid who was always willing to help me out whenever I needed help,” Gros said.
“He just seemed like he had a really bright future ahead of him. I know a lot of people are going to be hurt by his passing,” he said. “He was very involved in the (church).”
Gearheart said Steven Dupont realized that serving in the military allowed him to serve his country while also helping him to afford a quality education at a four-year Catholic college.
“He was really planning his future out instead of simply living in the moment,” Gearheart said.
Leo Hall, a friend and fellow ROTC member, described Dupont as a good person who had always dreamed about being in the military.
“He was like a brother to me and I still can’t believe that he’s gone,” Hall said in an e-mail. “I don’t think any of us believe that this happened. RIP Steven Dupont you will be missed.”
Army Spc. Steven L. Dupont was killed in action on 10/24/10.
Army Spc. Thomas A. Moffitt
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Thomas A. Moffitt, 21, of Wichita, Kan.
Spc. Moffitt was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Oct. 24, 2010 in Sarobi district, Paktika province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked by insurgents with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades.
Family and friends say he died doing what he loved. Army Specialist Tom Moffitt died this weekend while serving in Afghanistan.
A day later, he's being remembered as a man who was a friend to everyone.
His friends say all they have to do is think about the 21 year-old and they smile.
"He left his mark on everyone. If you didn't know him you would want to be his best friend when you were done meeting him," said Devan Krausch.
Best friends since high school Krausch and Nick Johnson say they they worried everyday about getting the phone call they received on Sunday.
Johnson tells Eyewitness News, "A friend, who was with his brother actually called me, and then I had to call all my friends and that was extremely hard to do because I had to say the same thing over and over. I've never felt the way I do right now."
The two men, along with a group of Moffitt's friends all ended up at Moffitt's parents home Sunday night, at no surprise to his family.
"He was always in the middle of things. A lot of people said he was the life of the party. He was full of life, had friends wherever he was," said George Diepenbrock, Moffitt's cousin.
And his family says it's that support that's helping them cope. Support for their loss, and for what Specialist Tom Moffitt did.
Diepenbrock says, "He was good at what he was doing and he knew he was serving his country well and we're all very proud of him."
Johnson adds, "He did what most people wouldn't do, that's the main thing, he died a hero."
Moffitt enlisted in the Army soon after graduating from high school, a family spokesman said. Before being assigned to Afghanistan last summer, he had served with the U.S. Army in South Korea. He was scheduled to come home on leave next month.
Army Spc. Thomas A. Moffitt was killed in action on 10/24/10.
Army Spc. Thomas A. Moffitt, 21, of Wichita, Kan.
Spc. Moffitt was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Oct. 24, 2010 in Sarobi district, Paktika province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked by insurgents with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades.
Family and friends say he died doing what he loved. Army Specialist Tom Moffitt died this weekend while serving in Afghanistan.
A day later, he's being remembered as a man who was a friend to everyone.
His friends say all they have to do is think about the 21 year-old and they smile.
"He left his mark on everyone. If you didn't know him you would want to be his best friend when you were done meeting him," said Devan Krausch.
Best friends since high school Krausch and Nick Johnson say they they worried everyday about getting the phone call they received on Sunday.
Johnson tells Eyewitness News, "A friend, who was with his brother actually called me, and then I had to call all my friends and that was extremely hard to do because I had to say the same thing over and over. I've never felt the way I do right now."
The two men, along with a group of Moffitt's friends all ended up at Moffitt's parents home Sunday night, at no surprise to his family.
"He was always in the middle of things. A lot of people said he was the life of the party. He was full of life, had friends wherever he was," said George Diepenbrock, Moffitt's cousin.
And his family says it's that support that's helping them cope. Support for their loss, and for what Specialist Tom Moffitt did.
Diepenbrock says, "He was good at what he was doing and he knew he was serving his country well and we're all very proud of him."
Johnson adds, "He did what most people wouldn't do, that's the main thing, he died a hero."
Moffitt enlisted in the Army soon after graduating from high school, a family spokesman said. Before being assigned to Afghanistan last summer, he had served with the U.S. Army in South Korea. He was scheduled to come home on leave next month.
Army Spc. Thomas A. Moffitt was killed in action on 10/24/10.
Army Pfc. David R. Jones Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. David R. Jones Jr., 21, of St. Johnsville, N.Y.
Pfc Jones was assigned to 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas; died Oct. 24, 2010 in Baghdad of injuries sustained in a non-combat incident.
Private remembered as team player, hard worker
The Associated Press
When David Jones finished playing in a late morning baseball game he didn’t hang around long to chitchat with teammates. Instead, he left to participate in a 5K run later that afternoon with his younger brother, Alex. Jones was keeping a promise he had made to Alex.
Jason Brundage, Jones’ high school baseball and basketball coach, recalled the story recently for the Times Union newspaper in Albany after learning that Jones, an Army prison guard, had died in Iraq.
“He was a good kid, a consummate team player who worked hard for everything he got,” said Brundage, athletic director at St. Johnsville High School in upstate New York.
Jones, 21, of St. Johnsville, died of a gunshot wound Oct. 24 in Baghdad. The military says the shooting was not related to combat and is investigating.
Jones was a 2008 graduate of St. Johnsville High and attended Fulton-Montgomery Community College before joining the Army in 2009. He was assigned to Fort Hood.
Jones was to return home on leave this month and had planned to take his girlfriend, Brittany Winton, to a New York Giants game and ask her to marry him.
Survivors also include his parents, Theresa Ann Bennett and David Richard Jones.
Army Pfc. David R. Jones Jr. died in a non-combat related incident on 10/24/10.
Army Pfc. David R. Jones Jr., 21, of St. Johnsville, N.Y.
Pfc Jones was assigned to 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas; died Oct. 24, 2010 in Baghdad of injuries sustained in a non-combat incident.
Private remembered as team player, hard worker
The Associated Press
When David Jones finished playing in a late morning baseball game he didn’t hang around long to chitchat with teammates. Instead, he left to participate in a 5K run later that afternoon with his younger brother, Alex. Jones was keeping a promise he had made to Alex.
Jason Brundage, Jones’ high school baseball and basketball coach, recalled the story recently for the Times Union newspaper in Albany after learning that Jones, an Army prison guard, had died in Iraq.
“He was a good kid, a consummate team player who worked hard for everything he got,” said Brundage, athletic director at St. Johnsville High School in upstate New York.
Jones, 21, of St. Johnsville, died of a gunshot wound Oct. 24 in Baghdad. The military says the shooting was not related to combat and is investigating.
Jones was a 2008 graduate of St. Johnsville High and attended Fulton-Montgomery Community College before joining the Army in 2009. He was assigned to Fort Hood.
Jones was to return home on leave this month and had planned to take his girlfriend, Brittany Winton, to a New York Giants game and ask her to marry him.
Survivors also include his parents, Theresa Ann Bennett and David Richard Jones.
Army Pfc. David R. Jones Jr. died in a non-combat related incident on 10/24/10.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Army Spc. Ronnie J. Pallares
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Ronnie J. Pallares, 19, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Spc. Pallares was assigned to 27th Engineer Battalion, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Oct. 23, 2010 in Andar district, Ghazni province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.
Fallen Bragg soldier knew he wanted to join Army
The Associated Press
Spc. Ronnie Pallares liked writing, music and following his favorite teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Lakers.
When he was growing up in Rancho Cucamonga, his family saw him going into journalism or becoming a police officer. They didn’t know he had any interest in joining the military, his mother told the Los Angeles Times.
So, it came as a surprise in 2008 when a 17-year-old Pallares asked his mother for permission to enlist in the Army.
“I looked him straight in the eye and asked him, ‘You are telling me that you are willing to die for this country?’ He stood up and said, ‘Yes, Mom. Either you sign this or I will sign up when I am 18.’ I decided to support him,” Brenda Pallares told the Times.
Ronnie J. Pallares, 19, of Rancho Cucamonga, was killed in an explosion on Oct. 23 in Ghazni, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Fort Bragg.
His mother said he was weeks away from leaving Afghanistan, and they both were eager for his return home.
Pallares had a positive attitude, said his Little League coaches Dawn and Ronald Smith, and on a recent trip home, he had talked about also coaching one day.
“Things could be looking bad, and he would say, ‘Let’s turn it around!’“ Dawn Smith said. “He was always trying to help the other guys on the team.”
He wrote this on his Face Book page: "There is nothing more comforting in life for a man then to know the love of a wonderful woman" I love you Vanessa. :) I'm Ronnie Pallares, originally from Rancho Cucamonga California. I moved to North Carolina when i joined the army. I love my family and friends, here and there, and of course Vanessa Jauregui. I am taken...
From his Mom Brenda's FB page:
Monday: Brenda Pallares: Would like to thank everyone for your prayers and support, It has become real now,That i lost my baby. Just remember HIS BEAUTIFUL SMILE!!!
Sunday: YES ITS TRUE I HAVE LOST MY MIJO, MY SON WAS KILLED IN AFGHANSTAIN. JUST PRAY FOR MY FAMILY, HE WAS NOT TO COME HOME LIKE THIS!!!!!
His uncle Vince Pallares wrote the following on his FB page: Vince Pallares: I have lost one of the greatest friends a person can have, if you had the pleasure of ever knowing or meeting him you are a lucky person....I miss you Pumpkin...Vince Pallares: Today My Nephew Ronnie J. Pallares died in Afghanistan,... I am at a loss for words
Pallares' company commander, Capt. Jeffery Donaldson, said in a statement that Pallares was known for his friendly attitude and the proficiency with which he did his work. He helped newer soldiers overcome the initial fear of being in a war zone and was loved by his leaders, who thought his promotion to specialist would only be the beginning of a long career and successful life, he said.
"Because we loved him so much after such a short time, we can't imagine how painful this must be for his family and loved ones," Donaldson said in the statement. "This is an unspeakable tragedy, one from which nobody will ever fully recover. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ronnie's family and our memories will forever be full of the cherished goodness he showed us during the time we were lucky enough to have him."
"I've literally never seen a group so happy to promote someone as when his platoon put the rank on his chest. Everybody was looking forward to witnessing the incredible potential of Ronnie Pallares -- a fact that makes his early passing so much more painful," Donaldson said.
According to the Army, Pallares enlisted in 2008 and arrived at Fort Bragg in February 2009, when he was assigned to the 57th Sapper Co. This was his first deployment, Fort Bragg officials said.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement honoring the young soldier. "We honor (Pallares') courage and commitment to our country," the statement said. "As they mourn this tragic loss of a young life, Maria and I offer our deepest condolences to Ronnie's family, friends and fellow soldiers." In honor of Pallares, Capitol flags will be flown at half-staff.
Pallares' awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, 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 Parachutist Badge.
Army Spc. Ronnie J. Pallares was killed in action on 10/23/10.
Army Spc. Ronnie J. Pallares, 19, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Spc. Pallares was assigned to 27th Engineer Battalion, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Oct. 23, 2010 in Andar district, Ghazni province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.
Fallen Bragg soldier knew he wanted to join Army
The Associated Press
Spc. Ronnie Pallares liked writing, music and following his favorite teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Lakers.
When he was growing up in Rancho Cucamonga, his family saw him going into journalism or becoming a police officer. They didn’t know he had any interest in joining the military, his mother told the Los Angeles Times.
So, it came as a surprise in 2008 when a 17-year-old Pallares asked his mother for permission to enlist in the Army.
“I looked him straight in the eye and asked him, ‘You are telling me that you are willing to die for this country?’ He stood up and said, ‘Yes, Mom. Either you sign this or I will sign up when I am 18.’ I decided to support him,” Brenda Pallares told the Times.
Ronnie J. Pallares, 19, of Rancho Cucamonga, was killed in an explosion on Oct. 23 in Ghazni, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Fort Bragg.
His mother said he was weeks away from leaving Afghanistan, and they both were eager for his return home.
Pallares had a positive attitude, said his Little League coaches Dawn and Ronald Smith, and on a recent trip home, he had talked about also coaching one day.
“Things could be looking bad, and he would say, ‘Let’s turn it around!’“ Dawn Smith said. “He was always trying to help the other guys on the team.”
He wrote this on his Face Book page: "There is nothing more comforting in life for a man then to know the love of a wonderful woman" I love you Vanessa. :) I'm Ronnie Pallares, originally from Rancho Cucamonga California. I moved to North Carolina when i joined the army. I love my family and friends, here and there, and of course Vanessa Jauregui. I am taken...
From his Mom Brenda's FB page:
Monday: Brenda Pallares: Would like to thank everyone for your prayers and support, It has become real now,That i lost my baby. Just remember HIS BEAUTIFUL SMILE!!!
Sunday: YES ITS TRUE I HAVE LOST MY MIJO, MY SON WAS KILLED IN AFGHANSTAIN. JUST PRAY FOR MY FAMILY, HE WAS NOT TO COME HOME LIKE THIS!!!!!
His uncle Vince Pallares wrote the following on his FB page: Vince Pallares: I have lost one of the greatest friends a person can have, if you had the pleasure of ever knowing or meeting him you are a lucky person....I miss you Pumpkin...Vince Pallares: Today My Nephew Ronnie J. Pallares died in Afghanistan,... I am at a loss for words
Pallares' company commander, Capt. Jeffery Donaldson, said in a statement that Pallares was known for his friendly attitude and the proficiency with which he did his work. He helped newer soldiers overcome the initial fear of being in a war zone and was loved by his leaders, who thought his promotion to specialist would only be the beginning of a long career and successful life, he said.
"Because we loved him so much after such a short time, we can't imagine how painful this must be for his family and loved ones," Donaldson said in the statement. "This is an unspeakable tragedy, one from which nobody will ever fully recover. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ronnie's family and our memories will forever be full of the cherished goodness he showed us during the time we were lucky enough to have him."
"I've literally never seen a group so happy to promote someone as when his platoon put the rank on his chest. Everybody was looking forward to witnessing the incredible potential of Ronnie Pallares -- a fact that makes his early passing so much more painful," Donaldson said.
According to the Army, Pallares enlisted in 2008 and arrived at Fort Bragg in February 2009, when he was assigned to the 57th Sapper Co. This was his first deployment, Fort Bragg officials said.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement honoring the young soldier. "We honor (Pallares') courage and commitment to our country," the statement said. "As they mourn this tragic loss of a young life, Maria and I offer our deepest condolences to Ronnie's family, friends and fellow soldiers." In honor of Pallares, Capitol flags will be flown at half-staff.
Pallares' awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, 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 Parachutist Badge.
Army Spc. Ronnie J. Pallares was killed in action on 10/23/10.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Army Staff Sgt. Kenneth K. McAninch
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Kenneth K. McAninch, 28, of Logansport, Ind.
SSgt McAninch was assigned to 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Oct. 21, 2010 at Yahya Khel district, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms fire.
An Army soldier from Northern Indiana -- the 41st military service member from the state killed in Afghanistan -- leaves behind his wife, five children and his parents.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army’s delayed entry program in early 2005 and reported for active duty in March of that year, according to military records.
McAninch attended Lewis Cass Junior-Senior High School.
“I remember Kenny,” Lewis Cass Principal Bill Isaacs said. “He was one of those kids who always worked hard to get things done.”
Isaacs described McAninch as cooperative and respectful. He said he was saddened by McAninch’s death. “It reminds us of the contributions and sacrifices these soldiers are making for us,” Isaacs said.
McAninch is the first Cass County war casualty since the death of Cpl. Shawn Hensel in August 2007. The 20-year-old Hensel was killed while serving in Iraq. He left behind a young wife.
“Even one loss is too many,” said Tim Minnick of the Cass County Veterans Council.
Minnick, a veteran of the Vietnam War, called on the people of Cass County to rally to the support of McAninch’s family. “It’s time for the community to embrace the family and comfort them in their time of need,” he said.
Family members were waiting Saturday for the return of McAninch's body to the United States, said Chris Smith, manager of Gundrum Funeral Home, Logansport, where the arrangements are pending.
His awards and decorations include: Joint Service Commendation Medal; Joint Service Achievement Medal; Joint Meritorious Unit Award; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Mobilization Device and Combat Infantryman Badge.
Army Staff Sgt. Kenneth K. McAninch was killed in action on 10/21/10.
Army Staff Sgt. Kenneth K. McAninch, 28, of Logansport, Ind.
SSgt McAninch was assigned to 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Oct. 21, 2010 at Yahya Khel district, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms fire.
An Army soldier from Northern Indiana -- the 41st military service member from the state killed in Afghanistan -- leaves behind his wife, five children and his parents.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army’s delayed entry program in early 2005 and reported for active duty in March of that year, according to military records.
McAninch attended Lewis Cass Junior-Senior High School.
“I remember Kenny,” Lewis Cass Principal Bill Isaacs said. “He was one of those kids who always worked hard to get things done.”
Isaacs described McAninch as cooperative and respectful. He said he was saddened by McAninch’s death. “It reminds us of the contributions and sacrifices these soldiers are making for us,” Isaacs said.
McAninch is the first Cass County war casualty since the death of Cpl. Shawn Hensel in August 2007. The 20-year-old Hensel was killed while serving in Iraq. He left behind a young wife.
“Even one loss is too many,” said Tim Minnick of the Cass County Veterans Council.
Minnick, a veteran of the Vietnam War, called on the people of Cass County to rally to the support of McAninch’s family. “It’s time for the community to embrace the family and comfort them in their time of need,” he said.
Family members were waiting Saturday for the return of McAninch's body to the United States, said Chris Smith, manager of Gundrum Funeral Home, Logansport, where the arrangements are pending.
His awards and decorations include: Joint Service Commendation Medal; Joint Service Achievement Medal; Joint Meritorious Unit Award; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Mobilization Device and Combat Infantryman Badge.
Army Staff Sgt. Kenneth K. McAninch was killed in action on 10/21/10.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Army Spc. Gerald R. Jenkins
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Gerald R. Jenkins, 19, of Circleville, Ohio
Spc Jenkins was assigned to the 1st Brigade Special Troop Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky; died Oct. 20, 2010 in Maquan, Zhari district, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
A 19-year-old soldier from Circleville who was killed in Afghanistan was remembered yesterday by his father as "an honorable young man" who planned to make a career in the Army.
Spc. Gerald Robert Jenkins died Wednesday after an improvised explosive device detonated while his unit was on foot patrol in Maquan, Zhari district, the U.S. Department of Defense said.
Jenkins was the sort of young man who thought of others before he thought of himself, said his father, Roger D. Jenkins, who imagined what his son's final moments might have been like. "I just know if he was still coherent when this bomb went off, what was going through his mind was what this was going to do to me," said Mr. Jenkins, voice choking. "He worried more about other people than about himself."
"I just told him, 'Don't be a hero. Just come back home.' He's like, 'Dad, they trained us well and I'll be alright.' He promised me and his mother that he was going to come home," Roger Jenkins, the father of Spc. Gerald R. Jenkins, said Friday.
Gerald Jenkins joined the Army in 2008 at age 17 after earning his high-school equivalency certificate. He wanted to make a better life for himself, Mr. Jenkins said.
With some friends using drugs in Circleville and jobs in the area scarce because of the economy, he saw what he didn't want, his father said. What he wanted was the Army, where he hoped to make the rank of sergeant eventually, his father said.
The elder Jenkins, 46, said he raised and home-schooled Gerald after he and the boy's mother divorced when Gerald was 8. "Me and him have been together the last 11 years on our own," Mr. Jenkins said. At first, he wasn't going to give his permission for his son to join the Army at 17: "I wasn't ready to let him go." But he relented when his son begged him.
Gerald Jenkins thrived in the Army. He had been in Afghanistan for only five or six weeks, his father said, when he called home and said he had rejoined the Army for six more years. Jenkins was a combat engineer assigned to the 1st Brigade Special Troop Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Ky.
"Bub," as his parents called him, picked up a new nickname among his Army buddies. They called him "Leroy" Jenkins, after the evangelist, his father said.
He would have been coming home Nov. 1 on a 15-day leave. "He was counting the days down," his father said. On Wednesday night, the elder Jenkins received a phone call from the Circleville Police Department, asking him to come to police headquarters. There, at the station, an Army master sergeant and an Army chaplain told him what had happened to his son.
Yesterday, he received a phone call from an Army family liaison officer telling him that his son's body had just been brought to the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. He was told that his son's body will be returned to Circleville sometime next week.
"He was very brave and a patriot," Mr. Jenkins said. "He wanted to make a difference, and it cost him his life."
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Gerald Jenkins, who died a hero in service to our country as he protected the freedoms we enjoy,” said Kirk McMahon, superintendent of Circleville City Schools. “While our hearts are heavy by his loss, our nation and our community is stronger by his service. Gerald Jenkins will not be forgotten.”
Jenkins was a combat engineer assigned to Alpha Company, 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), according to information obtained from Fort Campbell, Ky. He joined the Army in October 2008 and arrived at Fort Campbell in March 2009.
His awards and decorations include the Army Achievement Medal; Army Commendation Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon.
Army Spc. Gerald R. Jenkins was killed in action on 10/20/10.
Army Spc. Gerald R. Jenkins, 19, of Circleville, Ohio
Spc Jenkins was assigned to the 1st Brigade Special Troop Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky; died Oct. 20, 2010 in Maquan, Zhari district, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
A 19-year-old soldier from Circleville who was killed in Afghanistan was remembered yesterday by his father as "an honorable young man" who planned to make a career in the Army.
Spc. Gerald Robert Jenkins died Wednesday after an improvised explosive device detonated while his unit was on foot patrol in Maquan, Zhari district, the U.S. Department of Defense said.
Jenkins was the sort of young man who thought of others before he thought of himself, said his father, Roger D. Jenkins, who imagined what his son's final moments might have been like. "I just know if he was still coherent when this bomb went off, what was going through his mind was what this was going to do to me," said Mr. Jenkins, voice choking. "He worried more about other people than about himself."
"I just told him, 'Don't be a hero. Just come back home.' He's like, 'Dad, they trained us well and I'll be alright.' He promised me and his mother that he was going to come home," Roger Jenkins, the father of Spc. Gerald R. Jenkins, said Friday.
Gerald Jenkins joined the Army in 2008 at age 17 after earning his high-school equivalency certificate. He wanted to make a better life for himself, Mr. Jenkins said.
With some friends using drugs in Circleville and jobs in the area scarce because of the economy, he saw what he didn't want, his father said. What he wanted was the Army, where he hoped to make the rank of sergeant eventually, his father said.
The elder Jenkins, 46, said he raised and home-schooled Gerald after he and the boy's mother divorced when Gerald was 8. "Me and him have been together the last 11 years on our own," Mr. Jenkins said. At first, he wasn't going to give his permission for his son to join the Army at 17: "I wasn't ready to let him go." But he relented when his son begged him.
Gerald Jenkins thrived in the Army. He had been in Afghanistan for only five or six weeks, his father said, when he called home and said he had rejoined the Army for six more years. Jenkins was a combat engineer assigned to the 1st Brigade Special Troop Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Ky.
"Bub," as his parents called him, picked up a new nickname among his Army buddies. They called him "Leroy" Jenkins, after the evangelist, his father said.
He would have been coming home Nov. 1 on a 15-day leave. "He was counting the days down," his father said. On Wednesday night, the elder Jenkins received a phone call from the Circleville Police Department, asking him to come to police headquarters. There, at the station, an Army master sergeant and an Army chaplain told him what had happened to his son.
Yesterday, he received a phone call from an Army family liaison officer telling him that his son's body had just been brought to the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. He was told that his son's body will be returned to Circleville sometime next week.
"He was very brave and a patriot," Mr. Jenkins said. "He wanted to make a difference, and it cost him his life."
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Gerald Jenkins, who died a hero in service to our country as he protected the freedoms we enjoy,” said Kirk McMahon, superintendent of Circleville City Schools. “While our hearts are heavy by his loss, our nation and our community is stronger by his service. Gerald Jenkins will not be forgotten.”
Jenkins was a combat engineer assigned to Alpha Company, 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), according to information obtained from Fort Campbell, Ky. He joined the Army in October 2008 and arrived at Fort Campbell in March 2009.
His awards and decorations include the Army Achievement Medal; Army Commendation Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon.
Army Spc. Gerald R. Jenkins was killed in action on 10/20/10.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Marine Lance Cpl. Francisco R. Jackson
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Francisco R. Jackson, 24, of Elizabeth, N.J.
LCpl Jackson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 19, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
A second Camp Pendleton Marine, part of San Juan Capistrano's "adopted" 1st Battalion, 11th Marines, has been killed in Afghanistan in less than a week, both in roadside bomb blasts.
Lance Cpl. Francisco R. Jackson was killed while on foot patrol during combat operations against enemy forces in Helmand province on Tuesday, according to a 1st Marine Division news release.
Jackson, a 24-year-old field artillery cannoneer from Elizabeth, N.J., was assigned to 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.
Jackson enlisted in the Marine Corps on Oct. 13, 2009. This was his first combat deployment, the news release said.
His personal service awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
U.S. Marine from Elizabeth dies in Afghanistan
It’s been a hellish month for the U.S. Marines of Camp Pendleton.
In just the past week, ten of their own have been killed in Afghanistan — the youngest 19, the oldest 26 — most of them victims of roadside bombs in the bloody Helmand province.
Today came news of yet another casualty.
Lance Cpl. Francisco R. Jackson, 24, of Elizabeth, was killed Tuesday by an improvised explosive device during a combat operation, said the Department of Defense.
A field artillery cannoneer, Jackson enlisted in the Marine Corps a year ago and was on his first combat deployment. He had been assigned to the 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton in California, and already had been awarded a Purple Heart.
ELIZABETH — Marine Lance Cpl. Francisco R. Jackson called his family in Elizabeth on Monday to deliver a hopeful message from Afghanistan.
"He said, ‘I’ll be home very soon. I want to see you,’" his cousin, Evelyn Cordoba, recalled today. "We were so happy to hear from him."
But the next day, Jackson, 24, was killed by an improvised explosive device during a combat operation in Helmand province, according to the Department of Defense.
He is the 26th service member with ties to New Jersey to die in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001. Roughly 100 others have died in Iraq since the invasion in 2003.
Much of Jackson’s family traveled to Dover Air Force in Delaware today, where his remains arrived.
Coming so soon after Jackson’s phone call from Afghanistan, the shock of his death has devastated the family, said Cordoba, 22, of Elizabeth.
They had already started to make plans for Jackson’s return, expected at the end of November, she said.
"Once, my family went to the Bronx Zoo and he said we were going to have to do that again when he got home," Cordoba said. "This has been hard on everybody."
A field artillery cannoneer, Jackson enlisted in the Marine Corps a year ago and was on his first combat deployment. He had been assigned to the 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and already had been awarded a Purple Heart.
Jackson, who leaves behind a wife and a son, immigrated from the Dominican Republic at a young age and grew up in downtown Elizabeth, Cordoba said.
He was the eldest of four children, with two sisters and one brother, she said.
"He always protected me in school, with guys," Cordoba said.
He attended the William F. Halsey House, part of Elizabeth High School, before transferring to Union County Vocational-Technical Schools in March 2002, a district spokeswoman said.
He decided to enlist last year partly because he had plans to become an engineer, and hoped the Marines would guide him to a better life, Cordoba said.
The military was also a feature of family life, she said: a grandfather served in the Dominican Republic military, Cordoba said.
"He is an example," she said. "He was an excellent Marine, friend, family member. He died as a hero."
Marine Lance Cpl. Francisco R. Jackson was killed in action on 10/19/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Francisco R. Jackson, 24, of Elizabeth, N.J.
LCpl Jackson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 19, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
A second Camp Pendleton Marine, part of San Juan Capistrano's "adopted" 1st Battalion, 11th Marines, has been killed in Afghanistan in less than a week, both in roadside bomb blasts.
Lance Cpl. Francisco R. Jackson was killed while on foot patrol during combat operations against enemy forces in Helmand province on Tuesday, according to a 1st Marine Division news release.
Jackson, a 24-year-old field artillery cannoneer from Elizabeth, N.J., was assigned to 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.
Jackson enlisted in the Marine Corps on Oct. 13, 2009. This was his first combat deployment, the news release said.
His personal service awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
U.S. Marine from Elizabeth dies in Afghanistan
It’s been a hellish month for the U.S. Marines of Camp Pendleton.
In just the past week, ten of their own have been killed in Afghanistan — the youngest 19, the oldest 26 — most of them victims of roadside bombs in the bloody Helmand province.
Today came news of yet another casualty.
Lance Cpl. Francisco R. Jackson, 24, of Elizabeth, was killed Tuesday by an improvised explosive device during a combat operation, said the Department of Defense.
A field artillery cannoneer, Jackson enlisted in the Marine Corps a year ago and was on his first combat deployment. He had been assigned to the 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton in California, and already had been awarded a Purple Heart.
ELIZABETH — Marine Lance Cpl. Francisco R. Jackson called his family in Elizabeth on Monday to deliver a hopeful message from Afghanistan.
"He said, ‘I’ll be home very soon. I want to see you,’" his cousin, Evelyn Cordoba, recalled today. "We were so happy to hear from him."
But the next day, Jackson, 24, was killed by an improvised explosive device during a combat operation in Helmand province, according to the Department of Defense.
He is the 26th service member with ties to New Jersey to die in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001. Roughly 100 others have died in Iraq since the invasion in 2003.
Much of Jackson’s family traveled to Dover Air Force in Delaware today, where his remains arrived.
Coming so soon after Jackson’s phone call from Afghanistan, the shock of his death has devastated the family, said Cordoba, 22, of Elizabeth.
They had already started to make plans for Jackson’s return, expected at the end of November, she said.
"Once, my family went to the Bronx Zoo and he said we were going to have to do that again when he got home," Cordoba said. "This has been hard on everybody."
A field artillery cannoneer, Jackson enlisted in the Marine Corps a year ago and was on his first combat deployment. He had been assigned to the 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and already had been awarded a Purple Heart.
Jackson, who leaves behind a wife and a son, immigrated from the Dominican Republic at a young age and grew up in downtown Elizabeth, Cordoba said.
He was the eldest of four children, with two sisters and one brother, she said.
"He always protected me in school, with guys," Cordoba said.
He attended the William F. Halsey House, part of Elizabeth High School, before transferring to Union County Vocational-Technical Schools in March 2002, a district spokeswoman said.
He decided to enlist last year partly because he had plans to become an engineer, and hoped the Marines would guide him to a better life, Cordoba said.
The military was also a feature of family life, she said: a grandfather served in the Dominican Republic military, Cordoba said.
"He is an example," she said. "He was an excellent Marine, friend, family member. He died as a hero."
Marine Lance Cpl. Francisco R. Jackson was killed in action on 10/19/10.
Marine Staff Sgt. Joshua J. Cullins
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Staff Sgt. Joshua J. Cullins, 28, of Simi Valley, Calif.
SSgt Cullins was assigned to the 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 19, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Two months ago, police officers who patrol downtown Los Angeles took to the streets to film a visual get-well card for a fellow officer who had been injured dismantling a roadside bomb while on duty in Afghanistan with the Marines.
Buoyed by his friends' messages and by an accompanying music video dedicated to him, Staff Sgt. Joshua J. Cullins bounced back quickly from a concussion suffered in the July 16 explosion of the 15-pound bomb.
On Tuesday, his friends learned that Cullins, 28, had died the day before from injuries caused by another roadside bomb. Details of his death were not immediately available from the Department of Defense, but police sources indicated that Cullins was killed by a secondary bomb as his unit was investigating an earlier explosion.
A Marine Corps reservist, Cullins had been serving with the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment in Marja, in Afghanistan's dangerous Helmand province.
August's two-part "Welcome Home" video for Cullins chalked up more than 8,500 views on YouTube.com. In their messages, police officers ranging from Chief Charlie Beck to rookie patrolmen were seen telling Cullins that they were longing for the day they could welcome him home.
"There are no words to express how we feel," Capt. Daryl Russell said Tuesday. He commands patrol officers at the downtown Central Station and was Cullins' LAPD boss.
"I'm so sad this has happened to a kid who really had a bright future with this Police Department," Russell said. "This is a total loss to this city and this country."
Russell said Cullins was being courted by the department's bomb squad because of his expertise as an explosive ordinance officer with the Marine Corps Reserve.
He said Cullins returned to the field in Afghanistan as quickly as doctors would allow. "He'd put in his time and could have had a desk job," Russell said. "He continued wanting to be out with his fellow Marines, doing the job every day he strapped on his boots."
Russell commissioned the "Welcome Home" video. Officer David Marroquin, who has video production experience, recruited a friend, actor-musician J. Hunter Ackerman, to write and perform music for what became a four-minute, 40-second music video.
Footage was shot at the Salton Sea, Fairfax's Original Farmers Market and atop downtown's 52-story Gas Co. tower as well as at local police stations.
Marroquin hurried to Cullins' parents' Simi Valley home Tuesday after learning of the Marine's death, announced "with deep sadness" by Beck.
"It's hard to believe. Unfortunately, we will be welcoming him home in a different way than we expected and were hoping to," Marroquin said.
Cullins spoke frequently and exchanged e-mails with Marroquin after being surprised and delighted by the video and by his police colleagues' well wishes. The Marine posted his last entry on Marroquin's Facebook page Saturday.
"He was a guy who had a lot on his mind and he was asking about how others here are doing and telling us to be safe on the streets back here," Marroquin said. "He said he felt he wasn't worthy of the video and he hoped he wouldn't let everybody down by not making it home."
Cullins is the second LAPD officer to die in Afghanistan. Robert J. Cottle, a SWAT officer and sergeant major with a Marine Corps Reserve battalion, was killed March 24.
In August, Jim Cullins, who owns and operates Abe's Deli in Northridge, told The Times that his son joined the Marines a week after graduating from high school. He spent two years on duty at an embassy in Africa and later became interested in explosive ordinance disposal.
His son was deployed to Afghanistan, then Iraq before leaving active duty, Jim Cullins said. Joshua Cullins became a Marine reservist specializing in bomb disposal and joined the Police Department in July 2008.
Cullins said he worried about his son's Afghanistan work. "Yes, it does bother me a lot that my son takes apart bombs. But I've got one job only — to be there and let him talk to me. There's no sense in me getting emotional when he says he has given me his power of attorney," he said.
"He told me: 'Dad, remember this — if I get hurt it's not your fault. I got into this by myself.' "
Marine Staff Sgt. Joshua J. Cullins was killed in action on 10/19/10.
Marine Staff Sgt. Joshua J. Cullins, 28, of Simi Valley, Calif.
SSgt Cullins was assigned to the 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 19, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Two months ago, police officers who patrol downtown Los Angeles took to the streets to film a visual get-well card for a fellow officer who had been injured dismantling a roadside bomb while on duty in Afghanistan with the Marines.
Buoyed by his friends' messages and by an accompanying music video dedicated to him, Staff Sgt. Joshua J. Cullins bounced back quickly from a concussion suffered in the July 16 explosion of the 15-pound bomb.
On Tuesday, his friends learned that Cullins, 28, had died the day before from injuries caused by another roadside bomb. Details of his death were not immediately available from the Department of Defense, but police sources indicated that Cullins was killed by a secondary bomb as his unit was investigating an earlier explosion.
A Marine Corps reservist, Cullins had been serving with the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment in Marja, in Afghanistan's dangerous Helmand province.
August's two-part "Welcome Home" video for Cullins chalked up more than 8,500 views on YouTube.com. In their messages, police officers ranging from Chief Charlie Beck to rookie patrolmen were seen telling Cullins that they were longing for the day they could welcome him home.
"There are no words to express how we feel," Capt. Daryl Russell said Tuesday. He commands patrol officers at the downtown Central Station and was Cullins' LAPD boss.
"I'm so sad this has happened to a kid who really had a bright future with this Police Department," Russell said. "This is a total loss to this city and this country."
Russell said Cullins was being courted by the department's bomb squad because of his expertise as an explosive ordinance officer with the Marine Corps Reserve.
He said Cullins returned to the field in Afghanistan as quickly as doctors would allow. "He'd put in his time and could have had a desk job," Russell said. "He continued wanting to be out with his fellow Marines, doing the job every day he strapped on his boots."
Russell commissioned the "Welcome Home" video. Officer David Marroquin, who has video production experience, recruited a friend, actor-musician J. Hunter Ackerman, to write and perform music for what became a four-minute, 40-second music video.
Footage was shot at the Salton Sea, Fairfax's Original Farmers Market and atop downtown's 52-story Gas Co. tower as well as at local police stations.
Marroquin hurried to Cullins' parents' Simi Valley home Tuesday after learning of the Marine's death, announced "with deep sadness" by Beck.
"It's hard to believe. Unfortunately, we will be welcoming him home in a different way than we expected and were hoping to," Marroquin said.
Cullins spoke frequently and exchanged e-mails with Marroquin after being surprised and delighted by the video and by his police colleagues' well wishes. The Marine posted his last entry on Marroquin's Facebook page Saturday.
"He was a guy who had a lot on his mind and he was asking about how others here are doing and telling us to be safe on the streets back here," Marroquin said. "He said he felt he wasn't worthy of the video and he hoped he wouldn't let everybody down by not making it home."
Cullins is the second LAPD officer to die in Afghanistan. Robert J. Cottle, a SWAT officer and sergeant major with a Marine Corps Reserve battalion, was killed March 24.
In August, Jim Cullins, who owns and operates Abe's Deli in Northridge, told The Times that his son joined the Marines a week after graduating from high school. He spent two years on duty at an embassy in Africa and later became interested in explosive ordinance disposal.
His son was deployed to Afghanistan, then Iraq before leaving active duty, Jim Cullins said. Joshua Cullins became a Marine reservist specializing in bomb disposal and joined the Police Department in July 2008.
Cullins said he worried about his son's Afghanistan work. "Yes, it does bother me a lot that my son takes apart bombs. But I've got one job only — to be there and let him talk to me. There's no sense in me getting emotional when he says he has given me his power of attorney," he said.
"He told me: 'Dad, remember this — if I get hurt it's not your fault. I got into this by myself.' "
Marine Staff Sgt. Joshua J. Cullins was killed in action on 10/19/10.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Army Spc. Dylan T. Reid
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Dylan T. Reid, 24, of Springfield, Mo.
Spc Reid was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Oct. 16, 2010 in Amarah, Iraq in a non-combat incident.
Joined military while visiting family back home
By Jess Rollins
The (Springfield, Mo.) News-Leader
LAMAR, Mo. — A Lamar family is grieving after a soldier who enlisted in Springfield died in Iraq on Oct. 16.
Pfc. Dylan T. Reid, 24, died in Amarah, Iraq, in support of Operation New Dawn.
Reid, who was posthumously promoted to specialist, was a new and proud father, family and friends said.
“He couldn’t wait to be a dad,” said Dylan’s sister Erika Reid of Lamar. “It’s all he ever talked about.”
She said Dylan’s wife, Alesia, gave birth to their daughter, Avery Lynn, a little more than a month ago. They are living with Alesia Reid’s parents in Minnesota.
Erika Reid said her brother liked to read and listen to loud music and was the best friend a sister could ask for.
She said Dylan joined the military on a whim while in Springfield, visiting his family in nearby Lamar.
“That’s the way things were with him.”
Dylan was the youngest of five siblings.
Reid said Dylan’s parents, who live in Lamar, were at Dover Air Force Base, Del., on Monday receiving their son’s remains.
Mason Dosey of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., graduated with Dylan Reid from Desert Technology High School in 2005.
“He was a really good guy to talk to,” Dosey said, “He never judged anybody.”
Dosey described his friend as a “machine-head” who was always working on something, including his beloved Camaro.
Dosey said he was able to keep in touch with Dylan despite his deployment, speaking with him often on instant messaging.
“He pretty much just talked about how beautiful his daughter was,” Mosey said.
The details of Reid’s death have not been released by the military other than to say they were not combat related.
Reid was a track vehicle repairer with the 4th Infantry Division, out of Fort Carson, Colo. He was seven months into his first deployment.
Army Spc. Dylan T. Reid was killed in a non-combat incident on 10/16/10.
Army Spc. Dylan T. Reid, 24, of Springfield, Mo.
Spc Reid was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Oct. 16, 2010 in Amarah, Iraq in a non-combat incident.
Joined military while visiting family back home
By Jess Rollins
The (Springfield, Mo.) News-Leader
LAMAR, Mo. — A Lamar family is grieving after a soldier who enlisted in Springfield died in Iraq on Oct. 16.
Pfc. Dylan T. Reid, 24, died in Amarah, Iraq, in support of Operation New Dawn.
Reid, who was posthumously promoted to specialist, was a new and proud father, family and friends said.
“He couldn’t wait to be a dad,” said Dylan’s sister Erika Reid of Lamar. “It’s all he ever talked about.”
She said Dylan’s wife, Alesia, gave birth to their daughter, Avery Lynn, a little more than a month ago. They are living with Alesia Reid’s parents in Minnesota.
Erika Reid said her brother liked to read and listen to loud music and was the best friend a sister could ask for.
She said Dylan joined the military on a whim while in Springfield, visiting his family in nearby Lamar.
“That’s the way things were with him.”
Dylan was the youngest of five siblings.
Reid said Dylan’s parents, who live in Lamar, were at Dover Air Force Base, Del., on Monday receiving their son’s remains.
Mason Dosey of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., graduated with Dylan Reid from Desert Technology High School in 2005.
“He was a really good guy to talk to,” Dosey said, “He never judged anybody.”
Dosey described his friend as a “machine-head” who was always working on something, including his beloved Camaro.
Dosey said he was able to keep in touch with Dylan despite his deployment, speaking with him often on instant messaging.
“He pretty much just talked about how beautiful his daughter was,” Mosey said.
The details of Reid’s death have not been released by the military other than to say they were not combat related.
Reid was a track vehicle repairer with the 4th Infantry Division, out of Fort Carson, Colo. He was seven months into his first deployment.
Army Spc. Dylan T. Reid was killed in a non-combat incident on 10/16/10.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Marine Lance Cpl. James D. Boelk
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. James D. Boelk, 24, of Oceanside, Calif.
LCpl Boelk was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 15, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
9 Camp Pendleton Marines Killed From Same Regiment
Nine Camp Pendleton-based Marines have been killed in Afghanistan in eight days. All were members of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment.
The latest casualty, Lance Cpl. James D. Boelk, 24, of Oceanside, Calif., died Friday while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense.
"He was my best friend and my backbone," said Boelk’s sister, Allyssia Boelk.
She says her brother had a way of making everyone around him smile.
“He was always there. He would always be there for me,” Boelk said. “I will always remember his dependability and his smile.”
Lance Cpl. Boelk came from a military family. His sister remembers how even as a little boy, he would always dress up in uniform.
Last year when he enrolled in the Marines, his father was beaming with pride.
“He was very, very proud. I've never seen him more proud actually,” Boelk said.
The 24-year-old was killed Friday in Afghanistan. It was his first deployment.
“I could tell a week or two before he was leaving, he was excited and extremely scared,” his sister said.
Lance Cpl. Boelk received many awards during his short military career, including the Purple Heart and the national defense service medal.
Four of Boelk's fellow Marines with the 3/5 lost their lives in Helmand Province Oct. 13th when a bomb hit their convoy.
Marine Lance Cpl. James D. Boelk was killed in action on 10/15/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. James D. Boelk, 24, of Oceanside, Calif.
LCpl Boelk was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 15, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
9 Camp Pendleton Marines Killed From Same Regiment
Nine Camp Pendleton-based Marines have been killed in Afghanistan in eight days. All were members of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment.
The latest casualty, Lance Cpl. James D. Boelk, 24, of Oceanside, Calif., died Friday while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense.
"He was my best friend and my backbone," said Boelk’s sister, Allyssia Boelk.
She says her brother had a way of making everyone around him smile.
“He was always there. He would always be there for me,” Boelk said. “I will always remember his dependability and his smile.”
Lance Cpl. Boelk came from a military family. His sister remembers how even as a little boy, he would always dress up in uniform.
Last year when he enrolled in the Marines, his father was beaming with pride.
“He was very, very proud. I've never seen him more proud actually,” Boelk said.
The 24-year-old was killed Friday in Afghanistan. It was his first deployment.
“I could tell a week or two before he was leaving, he was excited and extremely scared,” his sister said.
Lance Cpl. Boelk received many awards during his short military career, including the Purple Heart and the national defense service medal.
Four of Boelk's fellow Marines with the 3/5 lost their lives in Helmand Province Oct. 13th when a bomb hit their convoy.
Marine Lance Cpl. James D. Boelk was killed in action on 10/15/10.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Army Spc. Rafael Martinez Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Rafael Martinez Jr., 36, of Spring Valley, Calif.
Spc. Martinez was assigned to the 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Oct. 14, 2010 while conducting combat operations between Moqur and Darreh-Ye-Bum, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. Carlos A. Benitez and Pfc. Tramaine J. Billingsley.
Rafael Martinez, Sr. never wanted his son to join the military. "Before when my son was 18, I didn't give him permission to serve this country," Martinez, Sr. said at his Spring Valley home.
Martinez says he didn't want to lose his only son to war. But when he turned 33, Rafael Martinez, Jr. finally went against his father's wishes and joined the U.S. Army.
"He loved this country so much and he was so proud to serve the United States of America," Martinez, Sr. said about his son, who lived next door to the family home.
In 2007, Specialist Rafael Martinez, Jr. got married and had his daughter, Davina, before serving his first tour in Iraq. During his tour, he was injured by a bomb blast and awarded a purple heart.
Ten months ago, Specialist Martinez and his wife Christina, added to their family with a young son named Rafael III. His family last saw him three months ago before he headed to Afghanistan for his second tour of duty.
On Thursday morning, Martinez, Sr. watched two soldiers walk up to his front door. "I know already my son is dead," he said.
Pentagon officials say Specialist Martinez was killed by an improvised explosive device while on patrol in northwestern Afghanistan. Two fellow soldiers were also killed in the blast.
It is what Martinez. Sr. feared most and why he didn't want his son to join the military. Despite the tremendous loss, he is proud of his son. "I feel great because my son did something he wants, to defend the country," Martinez, Sr. said.
Martinez, Sr. remembers talking to his son for the last time three months ago. Martinez said, "I ask him. You know make sure you finish your four year service and later dedicate to your family."
Army Spc. Rafael Martinez Jr. was killed in action on 10/14/10.
Army Spc. Rafael Martinez Jr., 36, of Spring Valley, Calif.
Spc. Martinez was assigned to the 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Oct. 14, 2010 while conducting combat operations between Moqur and Darreh-Ye-Bum, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. Carlos A. Benitez and Pfc. Tramaine J. Billingsley.
Rafael Martinez, Sr. never wanted his son to join the military. "Before when my son was 18, I didn't give him permission to serve this country," Martinez, Sr. said at his Spring Valley home.
Martinez says he didn't want to lose his only son to war. But when he turned 33, Rafael Martinez, Jr. finally went against his father's wishes and joined the U.S. Army.
"He loved this country so much and he was so proud to serve the United States of America," Martinez, Sr. said about his son, who lived next door to the family home.
In 2007, Specialist Rafael Martinez, Jr. got married and had his daughter, Davina, before serving his first tour in Iraq. During his tour, he was injured by a bomb blast and awarded a purple heart.
Ten months ago, Specialist Martinez and his wife Christina, added to their family with a young son named Rafael III. His family last saw him three months ago before he headed to Afghanistan for his second tour of duty.
On Thursday morning, Martinez, Sr. watched two soldiers walk up to his front door. "I know already my son is dead," he said.
Pentagon officials say Specialist Martinez was killed by an improvised explosive device while on patrol in northwestern Afghanistan. Two fellow soldiers were also killed in the blast.
It is what Martinez. Sr. feared most and why he didn't want his son to join the military. Despite the tremendous loss, he is proud of his son. "I feel great because my son did something he wants, to defend the country," Martinez, Sr. said.
Martinez, Sr. remembers talking to his son for the last time three months ago. Martinez said, "I ask him. You know make sure you finish your four year service and later dedicate to your family."
Army Spc. Rafael Martinez Jr. was killed in action on 10/14/10.
Army Sgt. Carlos A. Benitez
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Carlos A. Benitez, 24, of Carrollton, Texas
Sgt Benitez was assigned to the 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Oct. 14, 2010 while conducting combat operations between Moqur and Darreh-Ye-Bum, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Spc. Rafael Martinez Jr. and Pfc. Tramaine J. Billingsley.
Twenty four years of pictures and memories are scattered on a kitchen table, while family and friends remember. A life taken too soon and a father left heartbroken.
"I love them very much and I am here to give a little support to her," said Josefina Rivera, a family friend.
A mother is left wondering how she will live without her oldest son. "There are no words to say how much, she loved her son," said Rivera.
Army Sgt. Carlos Benitez died in Afghanistan this past week, after insurgents attacked his unit. Two other soldiers were also killed.
Benitez, a Creekview High School graduate, enlisted in the army at 18. It was his childhood dream.
In the last six years, he had already served two 12-month tours in Iraq. He left for his third assignment in the Middle East in July.
His mom shared her fears with friends. "She was also worried when too many days pass away. She doesn't know anything about him," said Rivera. She wasn't the only one. The family told us Benitez was hesitant about his latest assignment.
He didn't want to leave his wife, Susana -- the two married in January 2008 in Denton County and held a church ceremony the following year. Benitez was raising her son as his own -- he also had a daughter from a previous relationship.
He wanted to spend more time with his family. He was even thinking about visiting his 89-year-old grandmother in El Salvador.
It is a family now left without their rock.
His daughter, Angie Benitez, wears a broken heart in honor of her father. She said if he doesn’t come home, she’s going to miss him.
Imelda Castillo painfully remembers receiving a call from her daughter to come home from her job in Farmers Branch on Thursday. There was a military man at the house with bad news: Castillo's son had been killed in Afghanistan.
"It's like a part of me left," Castillo said of her feelings when arriving home to receive the news from the military official.
Castillo said that her son, a graduate of Creekview High School in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch school district, was dedicated to the Army. She said that he wanted to enlist when he was 17 but that she refused to sign paperwork allowing him to do so. He joined when he was 18.
"It's what he wanted, to be in the Army," Castillo said.
Castillo said that she had seen news on TV of soldiers being killed in Iraq and Afghanistan and never thought of it happening to her son.
"Now I understand what it really feels like," she said.
Army Sgt. Carlos A. Benitez was killed in action on 10/14/10.
Army Sgt. Carlos A. Benitez, 24, of Carrollton, Texas
Sgt Benitez was assigned to the 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Oct. 14, 2010 while conducting combat operations between Moqur and Darreh-Ye-Bum, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Spc. Rafael Martinez Jr. and Pfc. Tramaine J. Billingsley.
Twenty four years of pictures and memories are scattered on a kitchen table, while family and friends remember. A life taken too soon and a father left heartbroken.
"I love them very much and I am here to give a little support to her," said Josefina Rivera, a family friend.
A mother is left wondering how she will live without her oldest son. "There are no words to say how much, she loved her son," said Rivera.
Army Sgt. Carlos Benitez died in Afghanistan this past week, after insurgents attacked his unit. Two other soldiers were also killed.
Benitez, a Creekview High School graduate, enlisted in the army at 18. It was his childhood dream.
In the last six years, he had already served two 12-month tours in Iraq. He left for his third assignment in the Middle East in July.
His mom shared her fears with friends. "She was also worried when too many days pass away. She doesn't know anything about him," said Rivera. She wasn't the only one. The family told us Benitez was hesitant about his latest assignment.
He didn't want to leave his wife, Susana -- the two married in January 2008 in Denton County and held a church ceremony the following year. Benitez was raising her son as his own -- he also had a daughter from a previous relationship.
He wanted to spend more time with his family. He was even thinking about visiting his 89-year-old grandmother in El Salvador.
It is a family now left without their rock.
His daughter, Angie Benitez, wears a broken heart in honor of her father. She said if he doesn’t come home, she’s going to miss him.
Imelda Castillo painfully remembers receiving a call from her daughter to come home from her job in Farmers Branch on Thursday. There was a military man at the house with bad news: Castillo's son had been killed in Afghanistan.
"It's like a part of me left," Castillo said of her feelings when arriving home to receive the news from the military official.
Castillo said that her son, a graduate of Creekview High School in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch school district, was dedicated to the Army. She said that he wanted to enlist when he was 17 but that she refused to sign paperwork allowing him to do so. He joined when he was 18.
"It's what he wanted, to be in the Army," Castillo said.
Castillo said that she had seen news on TV of soldiers being killed in Iraq and Afghanistan and never thought of it happening to her son.
"Now I understand what it really feels like," she said.
Army Sgt. Carlos A. Benitez was killed in action on 10/14/10.
Army Pfc. Tramaine J. Billingsley
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Tramaine J. Billingsley, 20, of Portsmouth, Va.
Pfc. Billingsley was assigned to the 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Oct. 14, 2010 while conducting combat operations between Moqur and Darreh-Ye-Bum, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Spc. Rafael Martinez Jr. and Sgt. Carlos A. Benitez.
A former Booker T. Washington student from Norfolk who was killed in Afghanistan is being described by friends and his former coach as an outgoing, strong-willed classmate who made them laugh.
Pfc. Tramaine Billingsley, 20, was riding in a convoy Thursday when it was struck by an improvised explosive device, said Travis Billingsley, his brother. The soldier was among three who were killed, he said.
Travis Billingsley, Tramaine's older brother, said he was a happy person, full of life, who could get along with anyone.
At Booker T. he was a drum major, was in the NJROTC and played varsity soccer.
"There are not enough words that I can put together to describe the likability and charisma of this fallen soldier," his brother Terrance Chambers said in an e-mail.
Tramaine Billingsley was sent to Afghanistan in July on a 12-month deployment. His brother Trevon returned this month after spending a year there. The brothers were in the vicinity of each other in Afghanistan for about a month, Travis Billingsley said. Tramaine 's twin, Tramal, is in the Navy and stationed in Italy.
"We loved him to the fullest and are deeply missing my little brother," Travis Billingsley said in an e-mail.
Janita Burgess Hess, who coached Billingsley on the soccer team for three years, was devastated Friday morning when a player called her to tell her the news. She described Billingsley as an energetic jokester who occasionally got under her skin. "He was just one of these guys - he was the biggest pain. ... He was the most fun." When she took over the team, the players were terrible soccer players. They slowly improved. Billingsley even scored a goal, then danced at center field.
Hess drove him to and from practice regularly. They talked about his home life and personal things. She remembers all the conversations.
As the news spread, Billingsley's friends posted condolences on Facebook.
Delvon Burrus was in the Booker T. band and ROTC with Billingsley. "He was outgoing, loud and very funny," Burrus said.
Marcelis L. Muriel also knew Billingsley from school. "He was a decorated ROTC cadet, a determined and strong-willed person and overall just a good guy," he said in an e-mail. "A person who would keep you laughing if you were around him."
Tracie Page was also in the band with him and friends with his twin brother and older sister. "He was a little guy with a big heart that would befriend anyone," Page said in an e-mail. "His efforts as a soldier have gained him respect from our nation, but his efforts at being a decent human being have gained him the respect of all who knew and loved him. He will undoubtedly be missed."
Army Pfc. Tramaine J. Billingsley was killed in action on 10/14/10.
Army Pfc. Tramaine J. Billingsley, 20, of Portsmouth, Va.
Pfc. Billingsley was assigned to the 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Oct. 14, 2010 while conducting combat operations between Moqur and Darreh-Ye-Bum, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Spc. Rafael Martinez Jr. and Sgt. Carlos A. Benitez.
A former Booker T. Washington student from Norfolk who was killed in Afghanistan is being described by friends and his former coach as an outgoing, strong-willed classmate who made them laugh.
Pfc. Tramaine Billingsley, 20, was riding in a convoy Thursday when it was struck by an improvised explosive device, said Travis Billingsley, his brother. The soldier was among three who were killed, he said.
Travis Billingsley, Tramaine's older brother, said he was a happy person, full of life, who could get along with anyone.
At Booker T. he was a drum major, was in the NJROTC and played varsity soccer.
"There are not enough words that I can put together to describe the likability and charisma of this fallen soldier," his brother Terrance Chambers said in an e-mail.
Tramaine Billingsley was sent to Afghanistan in July on a 12-month deployment. His brother Trevon returned this month after spending a year there. The brothers were in the vicinity of each other in Afghanistan for about a month, Travis Billingsley said. Tramaine 's twin, Tramal, is in the Navy and stationed in Italy.
"We loved him to the fullest and are deeply missing my little brother," Travis Billingsley said in an e-mail.
Janita Burgess Hess, who coached Billingsley on the soccer team for three years, was devastated Friday morning when a player called her to tell her the news. She described Billingsley as an energetic jokester who occasionally got under her skin. "He was just one of these guys - he was the biggest pain. ... He was the most fun." When she took over the team, the players were terrible soccer players. They slowly improved. Billingsley even scored a goal, then danced at center field.
Hess drove him to and from practice regularly. They talked about his home life and personal things. She remembers all the conversations.
As the news spread, Billingsley's friends posted condolences on Facebook.
Delvon Burrus was in the Booker T. band and ROTC with Billingsley. "He was outgoing, loud and very funny," Burrus said.
Marcelis L. Muriel also knew Billingsley from school. "He was a decorated ROTC cadet, a determined and strong-willed person and overall just a good guy," he said in an e-mail. "A person who would keep you laughing if you were around him."
Tracie Page was also in the band with him and friends with his twin brother and older sister. "He was a little guy with a big heart that would befriend anyone," Page said in an e-mail. "His efforts as a soldier have gained him respect from our nation, but his efforts at being a decent human being have gained him the respect of all who knew and loved him. He will undoubtedly be missed."
Army Pfc. Tramaine J. Billingsley was killed in action on 10/14/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Irvin M. Ceniceros
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Irvin M. Ceniceros, 21, of Clarksville, Ark.
LCpl Ceniceros was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 14, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Slain Marine, A Clarksville Graduate, Remembered
A Clarksville Marine killed in battle on Thursday is remembered by family and fellow Marines as a decent and loving man who exemplified the strong character of a Marine.
Lance Cpl. Irvin M. Ceniceros, 21, died while fighting in Afghanistan's Helmand province.
Irvin Ceniceros died in service to a cause he believed in, said his sister, Vanessa Ceniceros.
"He told my father, ‘Don't worry for me, papa, I'm fighting for the ones who can't fight, the ones who can't defend themselves,'" Vanessa Ceniceros said.
Irvin Ceniceros was born in Tampa, Fla., the son of Maria and Ignacio Ceniceros and the youngest of four children, including Vanessa and two brothers, Ivan and Abraham.
"He was our baby brother," Vanessa Ceniceros said. "That's why it hurts so much."
For much of his adolescence, Ivan's family lived in Tampa. As a child, Vanessa said, Ceniceros played tennis and football. In 2002, Ignacio's work brought him and his family to Clarksville.
As a young man, Ceniceros became fascinated with the cars.
"He always wanted to put details on them, make them look nicer with nice rims and nice tires," Vanessa said.
Ceniceros, Vanessa said, was constantly in good spirits.
"He was a very, very funny guy, always making jokes about everything," she said. "He always saw the good things in life. If something was going to be wrong, he would find the good things."
Ceniceros signed up with the Marines in August 2007 after graduating from Clarksville High School. He departed for boot camp in September 2007.
"The Marines to him were very strong people," Vanessa said. "He admired the strength of character of the Marines; that's why I think he wanted to be in the Marines, because he was the same way."
Cpl. Andrew Gutierrez became friends with Ceniceros, who he refers to as "Cini," while they went through boot camp together.
"He was a straight-up great Marine (who) did what he was told (and) knew right from wrong," Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez recalled Ceniceros' determination to prove himself as a Marine.
"(He was) a great machine gunner who did what he had to do to be the best," Gutierrez said.
Lance Cpl. Ceniceros was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force in Camp Pendleton, Calif. With his fellow Marines, he traveled to lands across the globe, including Hawaii, Dubai and countries in Africa.
Ceniceros was deployed to Afghanistan less than two weeks before he was killed in battle.
"He never let us know he was going," Vanessa Ceniceros said. "He didn't want us to worry; he knew our mom and dad would cry."
Ceniceros called and spoke with the family on Oct. 12, , Vanessa said. She said his words were heavy with emotion, out of character for his reliably jovial nature.
"He always made jokes, but the last time we talked to him, he was telling us he loved us and if anything happened to him to not worry because he would be close to God," she said.
"He loved to play with my little one," she said. "He used to call her ‘my little girl' and said he would always protect her."
Irvin Ceniceros grew up in Clarksville, Arkansas a community with just under 8,000 residents and is located on the banks of the Arkansas River and Lake Dardanelle. With the entire northern half of the county in the Ozark National Forest, scenic beauty and outdoor opportunities abound -- canoeing, fishing, hiking and camping.
He enlisted in the Marines in September 2007 and deployed in 2009 to the western Pacific with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Marine Lance Cpl. Irvin M. Ceniceros was killed in action on 10/14/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Irvin M. Ceniceros, 21, of Clarksville, Ark.
LCpl Ceniceros was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 14, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Slain Marine, A Clarksville Graduate, Remembered
A Clarksville Marine killed in battle on Thursday is remembered by family and fellow Marines as a decent and loving man who exemplified the strong character of a Marine.
Lance Cpl. Irvin M. Ceniceros, 21, died while fighting in Afghanistan's Helmand province.
Irvin Ceniceros died in service to a cause he believed in, said his sister, Vanessa Ceniceros.
"He told my father, ‘Don't worry for me, papa, I'm fighting for the ones who can't fight, the ones who can't defend themselves,'" Vanessa Ceniceros said.
Irvin Ceniceros was born in Tampa, Fla., the son of Maria and Ignacio Ceniceros and the youngest of four children, including Vanessa and two brothers, Ivan and Abraham.
"He was our baby brother," Vanessa Ceniceros said. "That's why it hurts so much."
For much of his adolescence, Ivan's family lived in Tampa. As a child, Vanessa said, Ceniceros played tennis and football. In 2002, Ignacio's work brought him and his family to Clarksville.
As a young man, Ceniceros became fascinated with the cars.
"He always wanted to put details on them, make them look nicer with nice rims and nice tires," Vanessa said.
Ceniceros, Vanessa said, was constantly in good spirits.
"He was a very, very funny guy, always making jokes about everything," she said. "He always saw the good things in life. If something was going to be wrong, he would find the good things."
Ceniceros signed up with the Marines in August 2007 after graduating from Clarksville High School. He departed for boot camp in September 2007.
"The Marines to him were very strong people," Vanessa said. "He admired the strength of character of the Marines; that's why I think he wanted to be in the Marines, because he was the same way."
Cpl. Andrew Gutierrez became friends with Ceniceros, who he refers to as "Cini," while they went through boot camp together.
"He was a straight-up great Marine (who) did what he was told (and) knew right from wrong," Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez recalled Ceniceros' determination to prove himself as a Marine.
"(He was) a great machine gunner who did what he had to do to be the best," Gutierrez said.
Lance Cpl. Ceniceros was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force in Camp Pendleton, Calif. With his fellow Marines, he traveled to lands across the globe, including Hawaii, Dubai and countries in Africa.
Ceniceros was deployed to Afghanistan less than two weeks before he was killed in battle.
"He never let us know he was going," Vanessa Ceniceros said. "He didn't want us to worry; he knew our mom and dad would cry."
Ceniceros called and spoke with the family on Oct. 12, , Vanessa said. She said his words were heavy with emotion, out of character for his reliably jovial nature.
"He always made jokes, but the last time we talked to him, he was telling us he loved us and if anything happened to him to not worry because he would be close to God," she said.
"He loved to play with my little one," she said. "He used to call her ‘my little girl' and said he would always protect her."
Irvin Ceniceros grew up in Clarksville, Arkansas a community with just under 8,000 residents and is located on the banks of the Arkansas River and Lake Dardanelle. With the entire northern half of the county in the Ozark National Forest, scenic beauty and outdoor opportunities abound -- canoeing, fishing, hiking and camping.
He enlisted in the Marines in September 2007 and deployed in 2009 to the western Pacific with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Marine Lance Cpl. Irvin M. Ceniceros was killed in action on 10/14/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Alec E. Catherwood
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Alec E. Catherwood, 19, of Byron, Ill.
LCpl Catherwood was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 14, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
BYRON – With hundreds of flickering candles held toward the dusky evening sky, this small city mourned the death of a 19-year-old native son. U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Alec E. Catherwood was gunned down by small arms fire Thursday while combating enemy forces in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province. He died Thursday, 4 months after graduating from Byron High School. He was engaged to be married.
On Saturday morning, Veronica Sanders and Tonya Poppen each mourned the loss of a son. Marine Lance Cpl. Alec E. Catherwood, 19, of Byron, was killed by small-arms fire Thursday while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Helmand Province, according to a news release from the U.S. Marine Corps 1st Division.
He made everyone smile.
The war in Afghanistan has struck close to home
Lance Cpl. Alec E. Catherwood of Byron was shot and killed Thursday by small-arms fire while conducting dismounted combat operations against enemy forces in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Catherwood, a 19-year-old rifleman was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. He was the sixth Marine from the same unit to die in combat within 24 hours.
Alec Catherwood, the son of Kirk and Gretchen Catherwood, was engaged to be married July 2, 2011, to Hailey Patrick of Davis Junction.
Patrick’s mother, Christine, an employee of the Register Star, described him as “the kindest human being who ever walked the face of the earth.”
Always wanted to be a Marine
“Since he was 3 years old, all this kid wanted to be was a Marine. He was already talking about re-enlisting, and this was only his first year.
“To tell you what kind of kid he was, his mom made five phone calls and within five hours, there must have been about 100 people at their house last night.”
Catherwood is a 2009 Byron High School graduate who enlisted in the Marine Corps on June 1, 2009. He loved mudding in his truck and riding his four-wheeler when he was home.
Patrick said her daughter and Catherwood met through a mutual friend and started dating in February 2009.
Loved to dance
“They loved to dance. Their time was so precious when they had it. He was only here for 10 days or two-week visits.”
This was Lance Cpl. Catherwood’s first combat deployment.
Lance Cpl. Catherwood’s personal service awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Korean Defense Service Medal.
“Alec was a Marine, who always wanted to be a Marine,” Patrick said. “He loved his country and wanted to defend it. He is truly an American hero.”
Other than the above statements, a close family friend has stated that Alec's family would like privacy to deal with their loss and grief.
Lance Cpl. Catherwood is survived by his parents Kirk and Gretchen Catherwood and his fiancee Hailey Patrick of Davis Junction and many friends both Marines and those in the Byron, IL. area.
Marine Lance Cpl. Alec E. Catherwood was killed in action on 10/14/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Alec E. Catherwood, 19, of Byron, Ill.
LCpl Catherwood was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 14, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
BYRON – With hundreds of flickering candles held toward the dusky evening sky, this small city mourned the death of a 19-year-old native son. U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Alec E. Catherwood was gunned down by small arms fire Thursday while combating enemy forces in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province. He died Thursday, 4 months after graduating from Byron High School. He was engaged to be married.
On Saturday morning, Veronica Sanders and Tonya Poppen each mourned the loss of a son. Marine Lance Cpl. Alec E. Catherwood, 19, of Byron, was killed by small-arms fire Thursday while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Helmand Province, according to a news release from the U.S. Marine Corps 1st Division.
He made everyone smile.
The war in Afghanistan has struck close to home
Lance Cpl. Alec E. Catherwood of Byron was shot and killed Thursday by small-arms fire while conducting dismounted combat operations against enemy forces in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Catherwood, a 19-year-old rifleman was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. He was the sixth Marine from the same unit to die in combat within 24 hours.
Alec Catherwood, the son of Kirk and Gretchen Catherwood, was engaged to be married July 2, 2011, to Hailey Patrick of Davis Junction.
Patrick’s mother, Christine, an employee of the Register Star, described him as “the kindest human being who ever walked the face of the earth.”
Always wanted to be a Marine
“Since he was 3 years old, all this kid wanted to be was a Marine. He was already talking about re-enlisting, and this was only his first year.
“To tell you what kind of kid he was, his mom made five phone calls and within five hours, there must have been about 100 people at their house last night.”
Catherwood is a 2009 Byron High School graduate who enlisted in the Marine Corps on June 1, 2009. He loved mudding in his truck and riding his four-wheeler when he was home.
Patrick said her daughter and Catherwood met through a mutual friend and started dating in February 2009.
Loved to dance
“They loved to dance. Their time was so precious when they had it. He was only here for 10 days or two-week visits.”
This was Lance Cpl. Catherwood’s first combat deployment.
Lance Cpl. Catherwood’s personal service awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Korean Defense Service Medal.
“Alec was a Marine, who always wanted to be a Marine,” Patrick said. “He loved his country and wanted to defend it. He is truly an American hero.”
Other than the above statements, a close family friend has stated that Alec's family would like privacy to deal with their loss and grief.
Lance Cpl. Catherwood is survived by his parents Kirk and Gretchen Catherwood and his fiancee Hailey Patrick of Davis Junction and many friends both Marines and those in the Byron, IL. area.
Marine Lance Cpl. Alec E. Catherwood was killed in action on 10/14/10.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Marine Pfc. Victor A. Dew
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Pfc. Victor A. Dew, 20, of Granite Bay, Calif.
Pfc Dew was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 13, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations. Also killed were Marines Cpl. Justin J. Cain, Lance Cpl. Joseph E. Rodewald and Lance Cpl. Phillip D. Vinnedge.
With her fiancé stationed in Afghanistan, 20-year-old Courtney Gold continued to write in her diary as if she were talking to him in person. Gold said she planned to give him the entries once he returned home to Granite Bay.
The couple had been engaged for less than two months when she received an unexpected visit at school Wednesday from her fiancé's mother. Pfc. Victor Dew, a Marine and Gold's fiancé, had died that day after a roadside bomb exploded outside his military vehicle during a combat mission in the Helmand province of Afghanistan.
"They both fell to the floor screaming," said her mother, Amber Gold. "It was the most excruciating thing, watching your child hurt and to know that such a wonderful young man wasn't coming home." Her daughter hasn't written a journal entry since Dew's death.
Local resident Mark Soto said a neighbor of Dew’s parents, Tom and Patty Schumacher, witnessed the arrival of the Marines, who informed the parents of their son’s death. The neighbor later confirmed the information and called Soto, whose two sons are currently deployed in Afghanistan.
Soto spoke to Dew’s dad, Tom Schumacher, Friday morning. “He’s not good,” Soto said. “Obviously, he’s still in shock. We were crying. My boy is in the same unit as his son. We haven’t heard from him since (last week).”
Soto, who coached Dew in football at Granite Bay High School, said the parents will receive their son’s body in New Hampshire and are supposed to return home Saturday.
Dew, 20, an anti-tank assault specialist, was one of four Marines killed in the blast. It was his first combat deployment; he had been overseas only about three weeks.
"He was the kind of guy that would give his last breath to you if you needed it," said Dew's fiancé, a student at Boston Reed College in Roseville.
On Friday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger offered his condolences to the victims' families, friends and fellow service members.
"These four Marines gave the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country and their service will forever be remembered and honored," Schwarzenegger said in a statement.
Flags at the state Capitol were flown at half-staff.
Tim Healy, athletic director at Granite Bay High School, said Dew played football for two years and as a senior belonged to the campus Random Act of Kindness club. "He had a great spirit, a really neat kid," said Healy. "He was a kid other students gravitated toward. His disposition was so pleasant."
Healy taught Dew in government and economics classes. It did not surprise him that Dew decided to join the service, because the young man had such a giving nature. "He was one of those kids who cut across every clique," said Healy. "He fit in everywhere."
Dew's fiancé said they met through friends, and she was attracted to his smile and humor. They had known each other about six years before they started dating.
In August, after they'd dated nine months, he popped the question during a family trip to Disneyland. Posing for a photo in front of the amusement park, he asked Gold, "Are you ready for your magical experience? How would you like to make it more magical?" before he got down on one knee.
"From the first time he told me he loved me, I knew I wanted to marry him," said Gold, who on Friday was wearing her engagement ring on one hand and a bracelet that read "Young Love August 26, 2010" on the other. She wore his military dog tags around her neck.
After he was deployed to Afghanistan, Gold said, she sensed at times Dew was nervous about serving overseas, but she recalled he always wanted to be a Marine. He had a Marine flag hanging above the desk in his bedroom for years, she said. "He felt like it was his duty to serve his country."
After the Marine Corps, Dew wanted to become a nurse or emergency medical technician, Gold said.
Friday, Gold received a letter Dew had written before his death. The last paragraph read: "I miss you, babe and I can't wait to hold you close. I can't wait to say 'I do.' There's so much to think about, a lot of emotion, however I'm calm and clear. I will be fine, baby girl."
On her closet door hangs a wedding dress Gold bought before Dew left for Afghanistan. She plans to take a photo of herself in the dress and place it in Dew's casket.
"He was meant to see me in that dress," she said. "He was the honest-to-God hero to me and my family."
His personal service awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Medal.
Marine Pfc. Victor A. Dew was killed in action on 10/13/10.
Marine Pfc. Victor A. Dew, 20, of Granite Bay, Calif.
Pfc Dew was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 13, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations. Also killed were Marines Cpl. Justin J. Cain, Lance Cpl. Joseph E. Rodewald and Lance Cpl. Phillip D. Vinnedge.
With her fiancé stationed in Afghanistan, 20-year-old Courtney Gold continued to write in her diary as if she were talking to him in person. Gold said she planned to give him the entries once he returned home to Granite Bay.
The couple had been engaged for less than two months when she received an unexpected visit at school Wednesday from her fiancé's mother. Pfc. Victor Dew, a Marine and Gold's fiancé, had died that day after a roadside bomb exploded outside his military vehicle during a combat mission in the Helmand province of Afghanistan.
"They both fell to the floor screaming," said her mother, Amber Gold. "It was the most excruciating thing, watching your child hurt and to know that such a wonderful young man wasn't coming home." Her daughter hasn't written a journal entry since Dew's death.
Local resident Mark Soto said a neighbor of Dew’s parents, Tom and Patty Schumacher, witnessed the arrival of the Marines, who informed the parents of their son’s death. The neighbor later confirmed the information and called Soto, whose two sons are currently deployed in Afghanistan.
Soto spoke to Dew’s dad, Tom Schumacher, Friday morning. “He’s not good,” Soto said. “Obviously, he’s still in shock. We were crying. My boy is in the same unit as his son. We haven’t heard from him since (last week).”
Soto, who coached Dew in football at Granite Bay High School, said the parents will receive their son’s body in New Hampshire and are supposed to return home Saturday.
Dew, 20, an anti-tank assault specialist, was one of four Marines killed in the blast. It was his first combat deployment; he had been overseas only about three weeks.
"He was the kind of guy that would give his last breath to you if you needed it," said Dew's fiancé, a student at Boston Reed College in Roseville.
On Friday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger offered his condolences to the victims' families, friends and fellow service members.
"These four Marines gave the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country and their service will forever be remembered and honored," Schwarzenegger said in a statement.
Flags at the state Capitol were flown at half-staff.
Tim Healy, athletic director at Granite Bay High School, said Dew played football for two years and as a senior belonged to the campus Random Act of Kindness club. "He had a great spirit, a really neat kid," said Healy. "He was a kid other students gravitated toward. His disposition was so pleasant."
Healy taught Dew in government and economics classes. It did not surprise him that Dew decided to join the service, because the young man had such a giving nature. "He was one of those kids who cut across every clique," said Healy. "He fit in everywhere."
Dew's fiancé said they met through friends, and she was attracted to his smile and humor. They had known each other about six years before they started dating.
In August, after they'd dated nine months, he popped the question during a family trip to Disneyland. Posing for a photo in front of the amusement park, he asked Gold, "Are you ready for your magical experience? How would you like to make it more magical?" before he got down on one knee.
"From the first time he told me he loved me, I knew I wanted to marry him," said Gold, who on Friday was wearing her engagement ring on one hand and a bracelet that read "Young Love August 26, 2010" on the other. She wore his military dog tags around her neck.
After he was deployed to Afghanistan, Gold said, she sensed at times Dew was nervous about serving overseas, but she recalled he always wanted to be a Marine. He had a Marine flag hanging above the desk in his bedroom for years, she said. "He felt like it was his duty to serve his country."
After the Marine Corps, Dew wanted to become a nurse or emergency medical technician, Gold said.
Friday, Gold received a letter Dew had written before his death. The last paragraph read: "I miss you, babe and I can't wait to hold you close. I can't wait to say 'I do.' There's so much to think about, a lot of emotion, however I'm calm and clear. I will be fine, baby girl."
On her closet door hangs a wedding dress Gold bought before Dew left for Afghanistan. She plans to take a photo of herself in the dress and place it in Dew's casket.
"He was meant to see me in that dress," she said. "He was the honest-to-God hero to me and my family."
His personal service awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Medal.
Marine Pfc. Victor A. Dew was killed in action on 10/13/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph E. Rodewald
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph E. Rodewald, 21, of Albany, Ore.
LCpl Rodewald was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 13, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations. Also killed were Marines Cpl. Justin J. Cain, Lance Cpl. Phillip D. Vinnedge and Pfc. Victor A. Dew.
‘Very special kid’ idolized Oregon football
The Associated Press
Joe Rodewald grew up in a small town not far from the University of Oregon in Eugene.
When he graduated from South Albany High School several years ago, he was such an avid fan of the UO football team that he was voted “Most Devoted Duck Fan” by his senior class.
“He was a very special kid,” said Rodewald’s high school football coach Andy Lusco.
On Oct. 13, Rodewald, 21, was killed in combat in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Camp Pendleton.
“He grew into being one of the finest young men I ever coached,” Lusco said.
KVAL-TV in Eugene reported that hundreds of people attended Rodewald’s memorial service at an Albany church last month, including Gov. Ted Kulongoski and Oregon football coach Chip Kelly.
“I recognize there are dignitaries here like the governor,” said Rodewald’s father John Rodewald. “And it’s hard to say that right up there is head coach Chip Kelly.”
Rodewald would have been “so excited” to know the Oregon football coach would attend his memorial, his father said.
Lance Cpl. Joseph Rodewald wanted to enlist for as long as anyone can remember, even asking his father if he could attend a military school as a boy, family and friends said Thursday.
Rodewald's family couldn't afford to send him to the expensive school, so the energetic young man waited until after his graduation from South Albany High School in 2007 to sign up with the U.S. Marine Corps.
The former high school football player and wrestler, who would have turned 22, next Tuesday, finished his mission Wednesday in southern Afghanistan. Rodewald's family says he was in the convoy riding in the crow's nest as a gunner.
Rodewald was the lead gunner in a four-vehicle convoy engaged in combat operations in Helmand province, in southern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border, when they drove over an improvised explosive device.
"When they told me that, I couldn't believe it. It was very numbing," said Jacque Brotherton, Joseph's mother. "Actually, I thought that they were just going to tell me that he was seriously injured, because Joe of all people, you would think that he'd last forever," Brotherton said.
Rodewald was rushed to a hospital, but his injuries were too severe.
"I didn't expect it because he just went over there. He had high hopes," said John Rodewald, Joseph's father. Rodewald's father, along with the rest of his family is now remembering the man they say lived to serve his country.
Rodewald's father, John Rodewald, described Joseph as a rambunctious kid who grew into a natural leader while playing sports in high school.
"He was a very strong-willed person, very confident," John Rodewald said, surrounded by supporters at the family's Albany home. "I had no doubts that he was going to go and defend our freedoms, and come home and start a normal life."
The Marine's family and friends say he was brave beyond words and was doing what he loved.
Rodewald graduated from South Albany High School, where he played football and wrestled.
"He was really that ultimate teammate that encouraged other people to do their best. So that leader by example is how I'll remember him," said Brent Belveal, Rodewald's former football coach.
Lori Vigna, the wife of the family's pastor, remembered Rodewald as a strong young man who took pride in serving his country. "He had the curliest hair," she said. "You could tell how curly it was even after he had his military haircut."
Asked why his son wanted to join the military, John Rodewald, 46, said the answer was complicated, though he never doubted the young man's commitment. "Millions of people are in the same boat as our family," he said. "Large family, limited income, economy in the toilet, grades aren't the best. What are your options? Community college? Washing dishes? And the military comes in and says, 'Hey, we've got a deal for you.'
"But I don't think it was that for him," the father continued. "If I had won the lottery and could afford to help my kids out with college, would it have been different? I don't know with Joseph, because he was a patriot, and he wanted to serve his country."
He planned to marry his girlfriend, Kandi Hargett, when he returned from Afghanistan.
John Rodewald said he would fly late Thursday to meet his son's body at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where he would be joined by Rodewald's mother, Jacque Brotherton, 44.
His family says that memory now serves as an example to others not only for the life he gave fighting for his country, but it shows just how short life can be.
"When you're with someone and they're leaving, don't hold back, don't just tell them you love them, hug them, because you never know," said Josiah Rodewald, Joseph's brother.
Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph E. Rodewald was killed in action on 10/13/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph E. Rodewald, 21, of Albany, Ore.
LCpl Rodewald was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 13, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations. Also killed were Marines Cpl. Justin J. Cain, Lance Cpl. Phillip D. Vinnedge and Pfc. Victor A. Dew.
‘Very special kid’ idolized Oregon football
The Associated Press
Joe Rodewald grew up in a small town not far from the University of Oregon in Eugene.
When he graduated from South Albany High School several years ago, he was such an avid fan of the UO football team that he was voted “Most Devoted Duck Fan” by his senior class.
“He was a very special kid,” said Rodewald’s high school football coach Andy Lusco.
On Oct. 13, Rodewald, 21, was killed in combat in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Camp Pendleton.
“He grew into being one of the finest young men I ever coached,” Lusco said.
KVAL-TV in Eugene reported that hundreds of people attended Rodewald’s memorial service at an Albany church last month, including Gov. Ted Kulongoski and Oregon football coach Chip Kelly.
“I recognize there are dignitaries here like the governor,” said Rodewald’s father John Rodewald. “And it’s hard to say that right up there is head coach Chip Kelly.”
Rodewald would have been “so excited” to know the Oregon football coach would attend his memorial, his father said.
Lance Cpl. Joseph Rodewald wanted to enlist for as long as anyone can remember, even asking his father if he could attend a military school as a boy, family and friends said Thursday.
Rodewald's family couldn't afford to send him to the expensive school, so the energetic young man waited until after his graduation from South Albany High School in 2007 to sign up with the U.S. Marine Corps.
The former high school football player and wrestler, who would have turned 22, next Tuesday, finished his mission Wednesday in southern Afghanistan. Rodewald's family says he was in the convoy riding in the crow's nest as a gunner.
Rodewald was the lead gunner in a four-vehicle convoy engaged in combat operations in Helmand province, in southern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border, when they drove over an improvised explosive device.
"When they told me that, I couldn't believe it. It was very numbing," said Jacque Brotherton, Joseph's mother. "Actually, I thought that they were just going to tell me that he was seriously injured, because Joe of all people, you would think that he'd last forever," Brotherton said.
Rodewald was rushed to a hospital, but his injuries were too severe.
"I didn't expect it because he just went over there. He had high hopes," said John Rodewald, Joseph's father. Rodewald's father, along with the rest of his family is now remembering the man they say lived to serve his country.
Rodewald's father, John Rodewald, described Joseph as a rambunctious kid who grew into a natural leader while playing sports in high school.
"He was a very strong-willed person, very confident," John Rodewald said, surrounded by supporters at the family's Albany home. "I had no doubts that he was going to go and defend our freedoms, and come home and start a normal life."
The Marine's family and friends say he was brave beyond words and was doing what he loved.
Rodewald graduated from South Albany High School, where he played football and wrestled.
"He was really that ultimate teammate that encouraged other people to do their best. So that leader by example is how I'll remember him," said Brent Belveal, Rodewald's former football coach.
Lori Vigna, the wife of the family's pastor, remembered Rodewald as a strong young man who took pride in serving his country. "He had the curliest hair," she said. "You could tell how curly it was even after he had his military haircut."
Asked why his son wanted to join the military, John Rodewald, 46, said the answer was complicated, though he never doubted the young man's commitment. "Millions of people are in the same boat as our family," he said. "Large family, limited income, economy in the toilet, grades aren't the best. What are your options? Community college? Washing dishes? And the military comes in and says, 'Hey, we've got a deal for you.'
"But I don't think it was that for him," the father continued. "If I had won the lottery and could afford to help my kids out with college, would it have been different? I don't know with Joseph, because he was a patriot, and he wanted to serve his country."
He planned to marry his girlfriend, Kandi Hargett, when he returned from Afghanistan.
John Rodewald said he would fly late Thursday to meet his son's body at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where he would be joined by Rodewald's mother, Jacque Brotherton, 44.
His family says that memory now serves as an example to others not only for the life he gave fighting for his country, but it shows just how short life can be.
"When you're with someone and they're leaving, don't hold back, don't just tell them you love them, hug them, because you never know," said Josiah Rodewald, Joseph's brother.
Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph E. Rodewald was killed in action on 10/13/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Phillip D. Vinnedge
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Phillip D. Vinnedge, 19, of Saint Charles, Mo.
LCpl Vinnedge was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 13, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations. Also killed were Marines Cpl. Justin J. Cain, Lance Cpl. Joseph E. Rodewald and Pfc. Victor A. Dew.
A Marine from St. Charles County was killed Wednesday while on his first combat operation in Afghanistan.
Lance Cpl. Phillip D. Vinnedge, 19, was killed by a roadside bomb while riding in a vehicle in Helmland Province, Afghanistan, according to a news release from the 1st Marine Division. He is a 2009 graduate of Francis Howell Central High School.
Also killed in the blast were Cpl. Justin J. Cain, 22, of Manitowoc, Wis.; Lance Cpl. Joseph E. Rodewald, 21, of Albany, Ore.; and Pfc. Victor A. Dew, 20, of Granite Bay, Calif. All four Marines were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division based in Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Vinnedge, who lived near the Harvester area, enlisted in the Marine Corps Sept. 21, 2009, and deployed to Afghanistan in late September. He was an anti-tank assault man.
His personal service awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
Central High School lowered its flag at half mast to honor Vinnedge.
He was the youngest of three children in his family and was active in the Boy Scouts. His brothers also graduated from Francis Howell Central.
LCpl Vinnedge is survived by his parents David and Julie and by his two brothers, Corey and Jason.
Marine Lance Cpl. Phillip D. Vinnedge was killed in action on 10/13/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Phillip D. Vinnedge, 19, of Saint Charles, Mo.
LCpl Vinnedge was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 13, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations. Also killed were Marines Cpl. Justin J. Cain, Lance Cpl. Joseph E. Rodewald and Pfc. Victor A. Dew.
A Marine from St. Charles County was killed Wednesday while on his first combat operation in Afghanistan.
Lance Cpl. Phillip D. Vinnedge, 19, was killed by a roadside bomb while riding in a vehicle in Helmland Province, Afghanistan, according to a news release from the 1st Marine Division. He is a 2009 graduate of Francis Howell Central High School.
Also killed in the blast were Cpl. Justin J. Cain, 22, of Manitowoc, Wis.; Lance Cpl. Joseph E. Rodewald, 21, of Albany, Ore.; and Pfc. Victor A. Dew, 20, of Granite Bay, Calif. All four Marines were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division based in Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Vinnedge, who lived near the Harvester area, enlisted in the Marine Corps Sept. 21, 2009, and deployed to Afghanistan in late September. He was an anti-tank assault man.
His personal service awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
Central High School lowered its flag at half mast to honor Vinnedge.
He was the youngest of three children in his family and was active in the Boy Scouts. His brothers also graduated from Francis Howell Central.
LCpl Vinnedge is survived by his parents David and Julie and by his two brothers, Corey and Jason.
Marine Lance Cpl. Phillip D. Vinnedge was killed in action on 10/13/10.
Marine Cpl. Justin J. Cain
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Cpl. Justin J. Cain, 22, of Manitowoc, Wis.
Cpl. Cain was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 13, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations. Also killed were Marines Lance Cpl. Phillip D. Vinnedge, Lance Cpl. Joseph E. Rodewald and Pfc. Victor A. Dew.
Wis. Marine killed in Helmand IED blast
By Pat Pankratz
(Manitowoc, Wis.) Herald Times Reporter
MANITOWOC, Wis. — A 22-year-old Marine corporal from Manitowoc and three other members of his battalion died during combat Oct. 13 in southern Afghanistan, according to a Marine Corps spokesman.
Cpl. Justin J. Cain, 22, was among those killed, the Defense Department announced Oct. 14. He is a 2007 graduate of Manitowoc’s Lincoln High School, and enlisted in the Marines on June 19, 2007.
His battalion had been stationed in Afghanistan since September, after shipping there from Camp Pendleton, Calif., according to Cpl. Nola Zachary of the 1st Marine Division Public Affairs Office.
Cain and three of his battalion members were “conducting mounted combat operations against enemy forces in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on Wednesday,” when they were “killed by an IED [improvised explosive device] blast,” according to a prepared statement from that office.
Zachary said the four Marines were riding in a “mine-resistant, ambush-protected ATV” when the blast occurred. He said other details were not immediately available in a report from the Defense Department.
Cain, a machine gunner, was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force.
Katelyn Birringer, 20, Cain’s longtime friend, said Cain had looked forward to going to Afghanistan.
“That’s what he wanted to do,” she said. “He wanted to be there, and wanted to fight for our country. He really wanted to do that.”
She described Cain as a “crazy, fun-loving guy” who enjoyed spending time in Las Vegas. He was not married.
Birringer related that Cain’s last visit to Manitowoc was marred by the death of his good friend, Nick Jost, in an Aug. 29 car crash near Newton. She said Cain was on leave at the time, but had to fly back to Camp Pendleton a day before Jost’s funeral because his unit was preparing for its mission to Afghanistan.
Zachary said Cain had earned numerous awards during his service, including the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon. The Marine Corps will present to his family the Purple Heart and the Combat Action Ribbon on Cain’s behalf, Zachary said.
“The Marines and sailors of the 1st Marine Division mourn the loss of Cpl. Cain,” the Marine Corps said in a prepared statement. “Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family.”
Zachary said arrangements to bring Cain’s body back to the United States are pending.
Cain’s parents, James Cain and Judy and Tim Stock, declined comment.
Friends reflect on fallen Marine’s sacrifice
By Charlie Mathews
(Manitowoc, Wis.) Herald Times Reporter
MANITOWOC, Wis. — Via cell phone calls and social media, the devastating news spread among friends and former Lincoln High School classmates that Marine Corps Cpl. Justin J. Cain had been killed in Afghanistan.
The Manitowoc native, 22, and three battalion members died Oct. 13, victims of a blast from an improvised explosive device.
Two days after his death, from the woman Cain took to his senior prom to his closest buddies now in college or in the service to one of his teachers, memories were shared of a life cut short.
Cain was killed less than two months after classmate and close friend Nick Jost died in an August car crash near Newton.
“He’s a great guy and would do anything for you,” said Kara Raduenz, who went to the prom with Cain and is in the Air Force, stationed at Joint Base Andrews, Md.
On Friday, it was another base — Dover Air Force Base, Del. — where Cain’s mother and stepfather, Judy and Tim Stock, were headed to await the arrival of their son’s body.
Raduenz and another one of Cain’s close friends, Katelyn Birringer, each received a handwritten letter Tuesday, a day before his death.
“He talked about his plane ride over to Afghanistan,” Raduenz said. “[Justin] had just gotten there. In the letter it didn’t seem like he’s scared.”
“This is very hard,” said Mary Goins-Hopkins, a friend of the machine gunner and the wife of a Marine headed for Afghanistan by year-end.
“I never thought this would happen to Justin ... he’s only been [in Afghanistan] two weeks,” she said.
With her 11-month-old son, Aaden, Goins-Hopkins is back in Manitowoc after being with her husband at Camp Pendleton, Calif., a common link between Cain and several of his buddies who chose to become brothers-in-arms.
“He was the nicest guy you could ever imagine,” said Mike Luther, Lincoln class of 2007 and a Marine Corps mechanic currently stationed at Pendleton and awaiting his own overseas deployment.
“If you had a problem, Justin would listen when nobody else would,” Luther said.
“Every Marine wants to go to, at least, one combat mission before he gets out. He transferred units so he could deploy.”
Luther said Cain started talking about joining the Corps when he was a sophomore at Lincoln. Cain enlisted two weeks after graduation.
Jacob Hampson, a University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh senior, was part of Cain’s high school group that enjoyed “mudding.”
Hampson remembered their gang going to “The Pipeline” near Crivitz to drive through mud in their jacked-up pickups with special tires.
Hampson recalled, “Justin’s white Chevy pickup broke down. He limped home to Manitowoc, not going over 40 [mph].”
“I turned him into a ‘mudder,’ and Justin called me ‘Mud,’ ” Luther said.
Ryan Zimmerman, a tech ed teacher at Lincoln, said Cain did all his own work on the white Chevy.
“Justin was very easy going, likable and will be greatly missed by friends and families,” Zimmerman said.
In front of Abraham Lincoln’s campus statue on Oct. 19, the U.S, Wisconsin and school flags were at half-staff.
Flags at Manitowoc County facilities were to be flown at half-staff through sundown Oct. 17 per County Executive Bob Ziegelbauer’s directive.
Lincoln principal Keith Shaw said Cain participated in Youth Options as a senior, attending Lakeshore Technical College as part of its dairy herd management program.
Shaw remembered Cain wearing a U.S.M.C. T-shirt with an American flag in the background of his senior yearbook photo.
“He looked like he was ready to go into the Marines,” Shaw said.
And he did, but now he’s gone, and his friends are struggling to understand.
Hampson saw Cain at a party in August.
“We had just lost Nick [Jost], and they were very close. That really tore him up that he had to go back [to Camp Pendleton] the day before the funeral,” Hampson said.
“I said to Justin, ‘Stay safe.’ ”
“The last time I saw Justin I was getting out of Katelyn’s car and I remember hugging him and saying, ‘See you soon,’ ” Goins-Hopkins said.
“My brain is pretty much fried. But I can say Justin was a brave man and a hero to us all. He gave his life to his country.
“We as civilians should give him and his family the utmost respect for their sacrifice. He will never be forgotten.”
Cain is survived by his parents, James Cain and Judy and Tim Stock, siblings, relatives and friends.
Town allowed to say goodbye to Cain
By Charlie Mathews
Herald Times Reporter (Manitowoc, Wis.)
MANITOWOC, Wis. — A private funeral service for family, relatives and close friends is planned at Salem Ebenezer Reformed Church for fallen Marine Cpl. Justin Cain.
But, all afternoon Oct. 23 at Lincoln High School’s JFK Fieldhouse, individuals who did not personally know the 22-year-old killed in Afghanistan on Oct. 13 had the opportunity to pay their respects to the young man who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to his country.
Just before 1 p.m., a contingent of Patriot Riders, astride their motorcycles with U.S. flags flying, rode south down Ninth Street, ahead of a four-horse-drawn caisson bearing Cain’s casket.
Several hundred who had gathered outside the gym watched silently as the caisson went by, accompanied by a Marine honor guard, and followed by a riderless horse.
Family members and close friends of the class of 2007 graduate gathered just inside a side door of the gymnasium as Marines took the casket off the horse-drawn vehicle.
They placed the casket at the east end of the gym, underneath a large American flag hanging vertically from the rafters.
Then, the public was allowed into JFK to sign a guest book, view photos on easels, watch video slide shows of Cain and his buddies, and pay their respects to his parents — James Cain, and Judy and Tim Stock — and other family members.
Veterans of different military branches were present to honor their fallen brother, including many from Cain’s beloved Corps.
“Once a Marine, always a Marine,” said Manitowoc’s Tom Schultz, who served in the Corps.
Steve Jensen served in the Corps from 1971-73 and rode his motorcycle from Watertown, a Milwaukee suburb, to be part of the Patriot Riders contingent.
In addition to producing the videos shown, several of Cain’s friends also have created an “In Memory of Justin Cain” page on the social networking website Facebook.
Brian Fierst posted, “I was able to coach Justin in eighth-grade football. He was a handful but that’s what I liked about him, hard worker/jokester.
“If I was stressed for some reason he would make me laugh. I will never forget his great smile. Thank you for being the man you are, and for protecting our country.”
Ben Matthies posted, “Justin, I have known you since Monroe school and you were one of the best friends a person could ask for.
“You always know how to make someone laugh and you were incredibly genuine. You are a true hero to everybody and will never be forgotten.”
Cain’s sister Jeanne wrote, “You are a hero and always will be. Can’t believe you are gone but NEVER FORGOTTEN! “We will need you to hold us up through this all. It isn’t going to be easy! Words can’t explain how much it hurts but I know you are in a better place.”
The pastor of Cain’s home church and the leader of his confirmation class, the Rev. Kyle Sorenson, agreed.
Shortly after learning of his death, Sorenson said, “By God’s grace, Justin continued to trust in the Lord ... those who knew him know he is safer now than he has ever been” and they will see him again.
Marine Cpl. Justin J. Cain was killed in action on 10/13/10.
Marine Cpl. Justin J. Cain, 22, of Manitowoc, Wis.
Cpl. Cain was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 13, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations. Also killed were Marines Lance Cpl. Phillip D. Vinnedge, Lance Cpl. Joseph E. Rodewald and Pfc. Victor A. Dew.
Wis. Marine killed in Helmand IED blast
By Pat Pankratz
(Manitowoc, Wis.) Herald Times Reporter
MANITOWOC, Wis. — A 22-year-old Marine corporal from Manitowoc and three other members of his battalion died during combat Oct. 13 in southern Afghanistan, according to a Marine Corps spokesman.
Cpl. Justin J. Cain, 22, was among those killed, the Defense Department announced Oct. 14. He is a 2007 graduate of Manitowoc’s Lincoln High School, and enlisted in the Marines on June 19, 2007.
His battalion had been stationed in Afghanistan since September, after shipping there from Camp Pendleton, Calif., according to Cpl. Nola Zachary of the 1st Marine Division Public Affairs Office.
Cain and three of his battalion members were “conducting mounted combat operations against enemy forces in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on Wednesday,” when they were “killed by an IED [improvised explosive device] blast,” according to a prepared statement from that office.
Zachary said the four Marines were riding in a “mine-resistant, ambush-protected ATV” when the blast occurred. He said other details were not immediately available in a report from the Defense Department.
Cain, a machine gunner, was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force.
Katelyn Birringer, 20, Cain’s longtime friend, said Cain had looked forward to going to Afghanistan.
“That’s what he wanted to do,” she said. “He wanted to be there, and wanted to fight for our country. He really wanted to do that.”
She described Cain as a “crazy, fun-loving guy” who enjoyed spending time in Las Vegas. He was not married.
Birringer related that Cain’s last visit to Manitowoc was marred by the death of his good friend, Nick Jost, in an Aug. 29 car crash near Newton. She said Cain was on leave at the time, but had to fly back to Camp Pendleton a day before Jost’s funeral because his unit was preparing for its mission to Afghanistan.
Zachary said Cain had earned numerous awards during his service, including the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon. The Marine Corps will present to his family the Purple Heart and the Combat Action Ribbon on Cain’s behalf, Zachary said.
“The Marines and sailors of the 1st Marine Division mourn the loss of Cpl. Cain,” the Marine Corps said in a prepared statement. “Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family.”
Zachary said arrangements to bring Cain’s body back to the United States are pending.
Cain’s parents, James Cain and Judy and Tim Stock, declined comment.
Friends reflect on fallen Marine’s sacrifice
By Charlie Mathews
(Manitowoc, Wis.) Herald Times Reporter
MANITOWOC, Wis. — Via cell phone calls and social media, the devastating news spread among friends and former Lincoln High School classmates that Marine Corps Cpl. Justin J. Cain had been killed in Afghanistan.
The Manitowoc native, 22, and three battalion members died Oct. 13, victims of a blast from an improvised explosive device.
Two days after his death, from the woman Cain took to his senior prom to his closest buddies now in college or in the service to one of his teachers, memories were shared of a life cut short.
Cain was killed less than two months after classmate and close friend Nick Jost died in an August car crash near Newton.
“He’s a great guy and would do anything for you,” said Kara Raduenz, who went to the prom with Cain and is in the Air Force, stationed at Joint Base Andrews, Md.
On Friday, it was another base — Dover Air Force Base, Del. — where Cain’s mother and stepfather, Judy and Tim Stock, were headed to await the arrival of their son’s body.
Raduenz and another one of Cain’s close friends, Katelyn Birringer, each received a handwritten letter Tuesday, a day before his death.
“He talked about his plane ride over to Afghanistan,” Raduenz said. “[Justin] had just gotten there. In the letter it didn’t seem like he’s scared.”
“This is very hard,” said Mary Goins-Hopkins, a friend of the machine gunner and the wife of a Marine headed for Afghanistan by year-end.
“I never thought this would happen to Justin ... he’s only been [in Afghanistan] two weeks,” she said.
With her 11-month-old son, Aaden, Goins-Hopkins is back in Manitowoc after being with her husband at Camp Pendleton, Calif., a common link between Cain and several of his buddies who chose to become brothers-in-arms.
“He was the nicest guy you could ever imagine,” said Mike Luther, Lincoln class of 2007 and a Marine Corps mechanic currently stationed at Pendleton and awaiting his own overseas deployment.
“If you had a problem, Justin would listen when nobody else would,” Luther said.
“Every Marine wants to go to, at least, one combat mission before he gets out. He transferred units so he could deploy.”
Luther said Cain started talking about joining the Corps when he was a sophomore at Lincoln. Cain enlisted two weeks after graduation.
Jacob Hampson, a University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh senior, was part of Cain’s high school group that enjoyed “mudding.”
Hampson remembered their gang going to “The Pipeline” near Crivitz to drive through mud in their jacked-up pickups with special tires.
Hampson recalled, “Justin’s white Chevy pickup broke down. He limped home to Manitowoc, not going over 40 [mph].”
“I turned him into a ‘mudder,’ and Justin called me ‘Mud,’ ” Luther said.
Ryan Zimmerman, a tech ed teacher at Lincoln, said Cain did all his own work on the white Chevy.
“Justin was very easy going, likable and will be greatly missed by friends and families,” Zimmerman said.
In front of Abraham Lincoln’s campus statue on Oct. 19, the U.S, Wisconsin and school flags were at half-staff.
Flags at Manitowoc County facilities were to be flown at half-staff through sundown Oct. 17 per County Executive Bob Ziegelbauer’s directive.
Lincoln principal Keith Shaw said Cain participated in Youth Options as a senior, attending Lakeshore Technical College as part of its dairy herd management program.
Shaw remembered Cain wearing a U.S.M.C. T-shirt with an American flag in the background of his senior yearbook photo.
“He looked like he was ready to go into the Marines,” Shaw said.
And he did, but now he’s gone, and his friends are struggling to understand.
Hampson saw Cain at a party in August.
“We had just lost Nick [Jost], and they were very close. That really tore him up that he had to go back [to Camp Pendleton] the day before the funeral,” Hampson said.
“I said to Justin, ‘Stay safe.’ ”
“The last time I saw Justin I was getting out of Katelyn’s car and I remember hugging him and saying, ‘See you soon,’ ” Goins-Hopkins said.
“My brain is pretty much fried. But I can say Justin was a brave man and a hero to us all. He gave his life to his country.
“We as civilians should give him and his family the utmost respect for their sacrifice. He will never be forgotten.”
Cain is survived by his parents, James Cain and Judy and Tim Stock, siblings, relatives and friends.
Town allowed to say goodbye to Cain
By Charlie Mathews
Herald Times Reporter (Manitowoc, Wis.)
MANITOWOC, Wis. — A private funeral service for family, relatives and close friends is planned at Salem Ebenezer Reformed Church for fallen Marine Cpl. Justin Cain.
But, all afternoon Oct. 23 at Lincoln High School’s JFK Fieldhouse, individuals who did not personally know the 22-year-old killed in Afghanistan on Oct. 13 had the opportunity to pay their respects to the young man who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to his country.
Just before 1 p.m., a contingent of Patriot Riders, astride their motorcycles with U.S. flags flying, rode south down Ninth Street, ahead of a four-horse-drawn caisson bearing Cain’s casket.
Several hundred who had gathered outside the gym watched silently as the caisson went by, accompanied by a Marine honor guard, and followed by a riderless horse.
Family members and close friends of the class of 2007 graduate gathered just inside a side door of the gymnasium as Marines took the casket off the horse-drawn vehicle.
They placed the casket at the east end of the gym, underneath a large American flag hanging vertically from the rafters.
Then, the public was allowed into JFK to sign a guest book, view photos on easels, watch video slide shows of Cain and his buddies, and pay their respects to his parents — James Cain, and Judy and Tim Stock — and other family members.
Veterans of different military branches were present to honor their fallen brother, including many from Cain’s beloved Corps.
“Once a Marine, always a Marine,” said Manitowoc’s Tom Schultz, who served in the Corps.
Steve Jensen served in the Corps from 1971-73 and rode his motorcycle from Watertown, a Milwaukee suburb, to be part of the Patriot Riders contingent.
In addition to producing the videos shown, several of Cain’s friends also have created an “In Memory of Justin Cain” page on the social networking website Facebook.
Brian Fierst posted, “I was able to coach Justin in eighth-grade football. He was a handful but that’s what I liked about him, hard worker/jokester.
“If I was stressed for some reason he would make me laugh. I will never forget his great smile. Thank you for being the man you are, and for protecting our country.”
Ben Matthies posted, “Justin, I have known you since Monroe school and you were one of the best friends a person could ask for.
“You always know how to make someone laugh and you were incredibly genuine. You are a true hero to everybody and will never be forgotten.”
Cain’s sister Jeanne wrote, “You are a hero and always will be. Can’t believe you are gone but NEVER FORGOTTEN! “We will need you to hold us up through this all. It isn’t going to be easy! Words can’t explain how much it hurts but I know you are in a better place.”
The pastor of Cain’s home church and the leader of his confirmation class, the Rev. Kyle Sorenson, agreed.
Shortly after learning of his death, Sorenson said, “By God’s grace, Justin continued to trust in the Lord ... those who knew him know he is safer now than he has ever been” and they will see him again.
Marine Cpl. Justin J. Cain was killed in action on 10/13/10.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)