Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Michael J. Beckerman, 25, of Genevieve, Mo.
Sgt. Beckerman was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 31, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
Beckerman arrived at Fort Campbell in January last year and was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Support Troop Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.
"He was the type of person that you could look up to and respect. He loved his family. He loved his daughter. He loved his wife," said Rosie Weisbrod, a family friend. "He loved life," added her husband, Dan. "He lived it to its fullest."
Relatives tell NewsChannel 5 Sgt. Beckerman enlisted in the National Guard at age 18 after graduating from high school in Ste. Genevieve. He spent two years in the National Guard before enlisting in the Army.
Sgt. Beckerman completed tours of duty in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He was an explosives ordinance disposal specialist. Family says he loved his work and took great pride in his duties.
Beckerman joined the Army in September 2004. He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon and the Combat Action Badge.
He is survived by his wife, Spc Margaretta A. Beckerman and daughter, Brianna J. Beckerman of Tennessee and his parents Lisa and Steve Beckerman of Missouri.
Army Sgt. Michael J. Beckerman was killed in action on 12/31/10.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
WO1 William J. "Billy/Cooter" McCotter
Remember Our Heroes
This was posted on September 30, 2010:
I received a call from Fort Rucker today with some news that kicked me in the gut. I don't know WO1 McCotter but the Soldier who called me does. Billy is a stand up guy and REALLY needs our prayers right now. Turn it on and turn it up folks!
Billy is my brother. He's 25. A newly-awarded black hawk pilot in the army. He just finished flight school in Alabama, and is on leave until mid-October, when he is supposed to report to Hawaii. He's been visiting friends, and had plans to stop and see several of you. As we all know, sometimes life doesn't go according to plans.
There are many details in this story. I will give the basics now, and share more in future posts.
Billy (or Cooter, as many of you know him), just spent the past weekend in the Florida Keys with friends. He was losing his appetite, and his stomach was hurting more and more.
Tyler and Melissa Haines went with him to the ER on Monday. They found lots of fluid in his abdomen, some sort of mass, and a bunch of "nodules." He had a CAT scan on Monday. They drained 2 liters of fluid from his abdomen on Tuesday, and did another CAT scan. They say a bunch of masses in the CAT scan, but weren't sure what all that meant because of the fluid. On Wednesday, they did an endoscopy. During all this time, he was on pain meds, and the frequency started increasing. But the pain meds are harsh, and they made him throw up. He's been throwing up since Monday night.
Billy was diagnosed with poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma on Thursday morning. In basic terms, that means stomach cancer. It's in stage IV (highly advanced). The doctors say it's incurable and inoperable. It's too big and too far spread to get it out.
This was posted today, December 28, 2010 (The blog can be found at http://billy-cooter-mccotter.blogspot.com/2010)
I still wake up some mornings and wonder how all of this could be happening. It still doesn't seem real.
Billy has been gone for just over 24 hours, and I still can't believe it. I miss him like crazy, and I can't imagine life without him! The whole journey seems too short...
Just after Billy was diagnosed on September 23, they told us that he probably had a year to live. A year! It seemed so short. None of us imagined we'd have even less time with him.
The past week or so was incredibly difficult for Billy. His pain level rose; breathing got more difficult; and Billy started to sleep a lot more as the doctors increased his pain medication. It was difficult to watch him struggle.
It feels premature to have to tell you all that Billy passed away the night after Christmas. I'd rather tell you other stories--like the story of Buddy's reunion with Billy, or Christmas Eve night as some of the family hung around Billy beside his bed. Those stories are rich and full. But Billy is gone now, and life feels a lot more empty. I miss my brother more than words could ever say.
On the day after Christmas, I woke up late. We had been up late the night before, and I hadn't slept through the night since Buddy had arrived on Christmas Eve. (He's my new room mate, and he likes to take charge of the bed real estate sometimes.) Also, I was just plain tired.
Around mid-day, I called my mom to check in on how Billy was doing. "Things seemed to change this morning," she said. "Billy started having trouble breathing, and he seems different now." I wasn't sure what different meant, but there was an urgency in her voice. "If I were you, I'd get over here as soon as possible." So I got off the phone and contacted my siblings. One by one, as soon as we were ready, we headed over to the hospital.
As we passed by the nurses' station on the way to Billy's room, the nurses were quieter than usual. It seemed like something was wrong.
When I got to Billy's room, I knew that something was different. His blood pressure was slowly dropping; he had a fever; and his breathing was strained. Instead of the oxygen tube, he had an oxygen mask. His eyes were open, but I don't know how alert he was. He wasn't really able to say anything.
As a family, we stayed by Billy's side all day. Our nurse--Ellie--was amazing. She watched Billy closely and attended to everything we needed. Billy's doctor--Dr. Klotz--was full of empathy. He did everything in his power to make Billy feel the best he possibly could. But Dr. Klotz and Ellie both knew that sometimes their all is not enough. Ellie frequently asked how I was doing; she knew it was tearing me apart inside. Dr. Klotz knew it was hard, and he was somehow both honest and compassionate as he shared his thoughts. The morning after Christmas, Dr. Klotz told Billy that God might be taking him home a bit sooner than he had expected, and he told us as a family that it would probably happen in the next 12-24 hours. For the rest of the day, family stayed by Billy's side.
As evening came, we called Sam--one of the army nurses who had become a family friend. Sam wasn't working that day, but he had asked that we call him if anything changed. Soon after we called him, he joined us around Billy's bed. Just after 7pm, the nurses changed shifts, and Roxanne--another amazing nurse--joined us. It wasn't until after 8pm, well after the shift change, that Ellie (the daytime nurse) left. It was an emotional goodbye. I think it's hard for nurses to care for patients well without their hearts becoming attached.
We took turns around Billy's bed. Occasionally, he'd make a sound, as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn't seem to form the words. We took turns holding his hand; once in a while, he'd give us a squeeze, and we'd squeeze back. It was the only way we knew to love him--to be there and to tell him how much we loved him. Knowing the time was short, we told him the remaining things we wanted to say.
Just after 9pm, his pulse started to drop. It had been just over 100bpm for much of the afternoon and evening. It quickly dropped to 90bpm, and then dropped even lower. Roxanne couldn't get the blood pressure machine to register, so she took his blood pressure manually. That, too, was falling.
His breathing became slower--more labored, less frequent. I knew it was coming. Time to let go. There was not a dry eye in the room. I'm not sure any of us could really believe it was happening. We had been told this day would come--and it seemed like it was coming much too soon.
Around 9:30, the doctors came in. As they turned to my mom, my heart broke. "I'm sorry for you loss," the doctor said. We had known it was coming, but her statement felt so final. They checked Billy's eyes and closed them. "Time of death," she said, "was 9:35pm." She turned again to us. "I'm so sorry. You may stay as long as you need." And she left the room. It came so soon. So suddenly. Too fast.
For now, I'll just say that Buddy did arrive in time, and the reunion between Buddy and Billy was one of the best Christmas gifts Billy could have received. I'll share the story of that reunion soon.
We also shared one more Christmas together as a family. It was a tough day for Billy--but we spent it with him. I have know doubt that he knew he was dearly and deeply loved.
Thank you to all of you for your gifts, cards, support, hugs, phone calls, text messages, prayers, jokes, wisdom, encouragement, and friendship. You mean a lot to us, and our lives are richer for having known you. We are honored that so many would join us on this difficult journey.
This was posted on September 30, 2010:
I received a call from Fort Rucker today with some news that kicked me in the gut. I don't know WO1 McCotter but the Soldier who called me does. Billy is a stand up guy and REALLY needs our prayers right now. Turn it on and turn it up folks!
Billy is my brother. He's 25. A newly-awarded black hawk pilot in the army. He just finished flight school in Alabama, and is on leave until mid-October, when he is supposed to report to Hawaii. He's been visiting friends, and had plans to stop and see several of you. As we all know, sometimes life doesn't go according to plans.
There are many details in this story. I will give the basics now, and share more in future posts.
Billy (or Cooter, as many of you know him), just spent the past weekend in the Florida Keys with friends. He was losing his appetite, and his stomach was hurting more and more.
Tyler and Melissa Haines went with him to the ER on Monday. They found lots of fluid in his abdomen, some sort of mass, and a bunch of "nodules." He had a CAT scan on Monday. They drained 2 liters of fluid from his abdomen on Tuesday, and did another CAT scan. They say a bunch of masses in the CAT scan, but weren't sure what all that meant because of the fluid. On Wednesday, they did an endoscopy. During all this time, he was on pain meds, and the frequency started increasing. But the pain meds are harsh, and they made him throw up. He's been throwing up since Monday night.
Billy was diagnosed with poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma on Thursday morning. In basic terms, that means stomach cancer. It's in stage IV (highly advanced). The doctors say it's incurable and inoperable. It's too big and too far spread to get it out.
This was posted today, December 28, 2010 (The blog can be found at http://billy-cooter-mccotter.blogspot.com/2010)
I still wake up some mornings and wonder how all of this could be happening. It still doesn't seem real.
Billy has been gone for just over 24 hours, and I still can't believe it. I miss him like crazy, and I can't imagine life without him! The whole journey seems too short...
Just after Billy was diagnosed on September 23, they told us that he probably had a year to live. A year! It seemed so short. None of us imagined we'd have even less time with him.
The past week or so was incredibly difficult for Billy. His pain level rose; breathing got more difficult; and Billy started to sleep a lot more as the doctors increased his pain medication. It was difficult to watch him struggle.
It feels premature to have to tell you all that Billy passed away the night after Christmas. I'd rather tell you other stories--like the story of Buddy's reunion with Billy, or Christmas Eve night as some of the family hung around Billy beside his bed. Those stories are rich and full. But Billy is gone now, and life feels a lot more empty. I miss my brother more than words could ever say.
On the day after Christmas, I woke up late. We had been up late the night before, and I hadn't slept through the night since Buddy had arrived on Christmas Eve. (He's my new room mate, and he likes to take charge of the bed real estate sometimes.) Also, I was just plain tired.
Around mid-day, I called my mom to check in on how Billy was doing. "Things seemed to change this morning," she said. "Billy started having trouble breathing, and he seems different now." I wasn't sure what different meant, but there was an urgency in her voice. "If I were you, I'd get over here as soon as possible." So I got off the phone and contacted my siblings. One by one, as soon as we were ready, we headed over to the hospital.
As we passed by the nurses' station on the way to Billy's room, the nurses were quieter than usual. It seemed like something was wrong.
When I got to Billy's room, I knew that something was different. His blood pressure was slowly dropping; he had a fever; and his breathing was strained. Instead of the oxygen tube, he had an oxygen mask. His eyes were open, but I don't know how alert he was. He wasn't really able to say anything.
As a family, we stayed by Billy's side all day. Our nurse--Ellie--was amazing. She watched Billy closely and attended to everything we needed. Billy's doctor--Dr. Klotz--was full of empathy. He did everything in his power to make Billy feel the best he possibly could. But Dr. Klotz and Ellie both knew that sometimes their all is not enough. Ellie frequently asked how I was doing; she knew it was tearing me apart inside. Dr. Klotz knew it was hard, and he was somehow both honest and compassionate as he shared his thoughts. The morning after Christmas, Dr. Klotz told Billy that God might be taking him home a bit sooner than he had expected, and he told us as a family that it would probably happen in the next 12-24 hours. For the rest of the day, family stayed by Billy's side.
As evening came, we called Sam--one of the army nurses who had become a family friend. Sam wasn't working that day, but he had asked that we call him if anything changed. Soon after we called him, he joined us around Billy's bed. Just after 7pm, the nurses changed shifts, and Roxanne--another amazing nurse--joined us. It wasn't until after 8pm, well after the shift change, that Ellie (the daytime nurse) left. It was an emotional goodbye. I think it's hard for nurses to care for patients well without their hearts becoming attached.
We took turns around Billy's bed. Occasionally, he'd make a sound, as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn't seem to form the words. We took turns holding his hand; once in a while, he'd give us a squeeze, and we'd squeeze back. It was the only way we knew to love him--to be there and to tell him how much we loved him. Knowing the time was short, we told him the remaining things we wanted to say.
Just after 9pm, his pulse started to drop. It had been just over 100bpm for much of the afternoon and evening. It quickly dropped to 90bpm, and then dropped even lower. Roxanne couldn't get the blood pressure machine to register, so she took his blood pressure manually. That, too, was falling.
His breathing became slower--more labored, less frequent. I knew it was coming. Time to let go. There was not a dry eye in the room. I'm not sure any of us could really believe it was happening. We had been told this day would come--and it seemed like it was coming much too soon.
Around 9:30, the doctors came in. As they turned to my mom, my heart broke. "I'm sorry for you loss," the doctor said. We had known it was coming, but her statement felt so final. They checked Billy's eyes and closed them. "Time of death," she said, "was 9:35pm." She turned again to us. "I'm so sorry. You may stay as long as you need." And she left the room. It came so soon. So suddenly. Too fast.
For now, I'll just say that Buddy did arrive in time, and the reunion between Buddy and Billy was one of the best Christmas gifts Billy could have received. I'll share the story of that reunion soon.
We also shared one more Christmas together as a family. It was a tough day for Billy--but we spent it with him. I have know doubt that he knew he was dearly and deeply loved.
Thank you to all of you for your gifts, cards, support, hugs, phone calls, text messages, prayers, jokes, wisdom, encouragement, and friendship. You mean a lot to us, and our lives are richer for having known you. We are honored that so many would join us on this difficult journey.
Marine Cpl. Tevan L. Nguyen
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Cpl. Tevan L. Nguyen, 21, of Hutto, Texas
Cpl. Nguyen was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Dec. 28, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.
The sign in the Hutto living room of the parents of Marine Cpl. Tevan L. Nguyen says "Welcome Home." It was hung there to celebrate when he finished his stint in the Marines in 2012, said Nguyen's girlfriend, Monique Stearns, who was sitting in the room Thursday holding the couple's 3-month-old son in her arms.
"He had an uncle he had looked up to who was in the Army, and he wanted to follow in his footsteps," said Mona Rivera, Nguyen's cousin, who was at the Nguyen home Thursday with her mother, Amparo Garcia, and Stearns.
Nguyen's parents, Tam and Amy Nguyen, had gone to Pennsylvania to identify their son's body and bring him back to Texas to be buried in a Brownwood cemetery near the grave of his grandmother, Lucia Salazar, Rivera said.
Stearns said Nguyen last saw their son, Tevan Nguyen Jr., when the baby was 9 days old in September. She last talked to Nguyen on Monday, when he said he was going out on patrol, Stearns said. He never talked to her about the war but always asked how his son was doing, she said. The couple met when they were both students at Hutto High School, Stearns said.
"You could never be mad at him," she said. "He always made you smile."
Nguyen ran track and was a member of the Hutto football team that reached the state championship in 2005 . His room at his parents' house is filled with sports medals. "He didn't drink, he never smoked, and he believed in prayer," Rivera said. Nguyen had a lot of courage and never thought anything could beat him, Rivera said.
"He used to call himself a ninja because he was part Asian and could do karate," Stearns said. Nguyen had wanted to go to school and work on cars when he got out of the Marines, she said.
He won several personal service awards, including the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, a spokesman for the Marines said Thursday.
Because Nguyen was based in California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement Wednesday about Nguyen's death:
"Corporal Tevan Nguyen was a brave Marine who gave his life in service to our country. Maria and I were deeply saddened to learn of his death, and we will forever be grateful for his sacrifice.
"On behalf of all Californians, we extend our sympathies to Tevan's friends and family during this difficult time. In honor of Cpl. Nguyen, Capitol flags will be flown at half-staff."
Marine Cpl. Tevan L. Nguyen was killed in action on 12/28/10.
Marine Cpl. Tevan L. Nguyen, 21, of Hutto, Texas
Cpl. Nguyen was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Dec. 28, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.
The sign in the Hutto living room of the parents of Marine Cpl. Tevan L. Nguyen says "Welcome Home." It was hung there to celebrate when he finished his stint in the Marines in 2012, said Nguyen's girlfriend, Monique Stearns, who was sitting in the room Thursday holding the couple's 3-month-old son in her arms.
"He had an uncle he had looked up to who was in the Army, and he wanted to follow in his footsteps," said Mona Rivera, Nguyen's cousin, who was at the Nguyen home Thursday with her mother, Amparo Garcia, and Stearns.
Nguyen's parents, Tam and Amy Nguyen, had gone to Pennsylvania to identify their son's body and bring him back to Texas to be buried in a Brownwood cemetery near the grave of his grandmother, Lucia Salazar, Rivera said.
Stearns said Nguyen last saw their son, Tevan Nguyen Jr., when the baby was 9 days old in September. She last talked to Nguyen on Monday, when he said he was going out on patrol, Stearns said. He never talked to her about the war but always asked how his son was doing, she said. The couple met when they were both students at Hutto High School, Stearns said.
"You could never be mad at him," she said. "He always made you smile."
Nguyen ran track and was a member of the Hutto football team that reached the state championship in 2005 . His room at his parents' house is filled with sports medals. "He didn't drink, he never smoked, and he believed in prayer," Rivera said. Nguyen had a lot of courage and never thought anything could beat him, Rivera said.
"He used to call himself a ninja because he was part Asian and could do karate," Stearns said. Nguyen had wanted to go to school and work on cars when he got out of the Marines, she said.
He won several personal service awards, including the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, a spokesman for the Marines said Thursday.
Because Nguyen was based in California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement Wednesday about Nguyen's death:
"Corporal Tevan Nguyen was a brave Marine who gave his life in service to our country. Maria and I were deeply saddened to learn of his death, and we will forever be grateful for his sacrifice.
"On behalf of all Californians, we extend our sympathies to Tevan's friends and family during this difficult time. In honor of Cpl. Nguyen, Capitol flags will be flown at half-staff."
Marine Cpl. Tevan L. Nguyen was killed in action on 12/28/10.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Marine Sgt. Garrett A. Misener
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Sgt. Garrett A. Misener, 25, of Cordova, Tenn.
Sgt. Misener was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Dec. 27, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.
Marine remembered by donating teddy bears for kids
Cindy Wolff
The Commercial Appeal via AP
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Marine Sgt. Garrett Misener came home under a sun so bright people squinted to see him.
If the measure of a man is counted after he dies, more than 125 friends and family members came to Wilson Air Center on Sunday to watch his flag-draped casket be lowered from the plane.
Six Marines marched 57 steps on the tarmac to claim him.
More than 50 American flags flicked in the wind, held by a motorcycle group called the Patriot Guard Riders.
The 25-year-old sergeant was killed early on Dec. 27 in Afghanistan, mortally wounded by an improvised explosive device. He survived five tours of duty: one in Africa, one on a ship in the Caribbean and three in Iraq. His funeral was held Monday.
“He felt like God called him to be in the military,” said his mother, Janne Zaccagnino. “It was important to him to serve his country.”
His mother sent him care packages about once a month. Socks, Little Debbie brownies, magazines, batteries, anything he needed was shipped thousands of miles away.
“The food he misses the most was Taco Bell,” Zaccagnino said.
He was flown to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
At Dover, his body was washed clean, embalmed and gently dressed in his finest uniform. The military typically sends their dead home ready to be buried. Bringing him to Memphis was the next step.
His best friend, Greg Luce, escorted Misener's body home. The two were baptized on the same day. They grew up down the street from each other in Cordova.
Misener’s mother sat on the front row of chairs placed just inside a hangar.
It helped the family and friends stay warm in the 40-degree temperature and 5-mph wind. Most wore winter coats over skirts, slacks and blue jeans. There’s no manual that tells what is appropriate attire to watch a Marine’s casket be taken from a plane and placed in a hearse.
His mother clutched a teddy bear.
“It started with GarBear,” his mother said, a nickname that rhymes with Care Bears, which were popular then. “Later we just called him Bear.”
The family asked that instead of flowers at the funeral people bring new teddy bears to be given to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. More information can be found on “Operation Bear Hug” on Facebook.
The family also suggested donations to the Gallaway Mission House.
Misner’s family watched the Marines march his casket to the hearse. Several of them walked to the casket. They clutched each other and cried. They moved away. The hearse driver strapped in the casket and closed the door.
After the funeral, Misener’s body was to be taken to Belen, N.M., for another service with relatives on his father’s side, with burial in a family plot next to his favorite uncle.
Marine Sgt. Garrett A. Misener was killed in action on 12/27/10.
Marine Sgt. Garrett A. Misener, 25, of Cordova, Tenn.
Sgt. Misener was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Dec. 27, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.
Marine remembered by donating teddy bears for kids
Cindy Wolff
The Commercial Appeal via AP
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Marine Sgt. Garrett Misener came home under a sun so bright people squinted to see him.
If the measure of a man is counted after he dies, more than 125 friends and family members came to Wilson Air Center on Sunday to watch his flag-draped casket be lowered from the plane.
Six Marines marched 57 steps on the tarmac to claim him.
More than 50 American flags flicked in the wind, held by a motorcycle group called the Patriot Guard Riders.
The 25-year-old sergeant was killed early on Dec. 27 in Afghanistan, mortally wounded by an improvised explosive device. He survived five tours of duty: one in Africa, one on a ship in the Caribbean and three in Iraq. His funeral was held Monday.
“He felt like God called him to be in the military,” said his mother, Janne Zaccagnino. “It was important to him to serve his country.”
His mother sent him care packages about once a month. Socks, Little Debbie brownies, magazines, batteries, anything he needed was shipped thousands of miles away.
“The food he misses the most was Taco Bell,” Zaccagnino said.
He was flown to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
At Dover, his body was washed clean, embalmed and gently dressed in his finest uniform. The military typically sends their dead home ready to be buried. Bringing him to Memphis was the next step.
His best friend, Greg Luce, escorted Misener's body home. The two were baptized on the same day. They grew up down the street from each other in Cordova.
Misener’s mother sat on the front row of chairs placed just inside a hangar.
It helped the family and friends stay warm in the 40-degree temperature and 5-mph wind. Most wore winter coats over skirts, slacks and blue jeans. There’s no manual that tells what is appropriate attire to watch a Marine’s casket be taken from a plane and placed in a hearse.
His mother clutched a teddy bear.
“It started with GarBear,” his mother said, a nickname that rhymes with Care Bears, which were popular then. “Later we just called him Bear.”
The family asked that instead of flowers at the funeral people bring new teddy bears to be given to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. More information can be found on “Operation Bear Hug” on Facebook.
The family also suggested donations to the Gallaway Mission House.
Misner’s family watched the Marines march his casket to the hearse. Several of them walked to the casket. They clutched each other and cried. They moved away. The hearse driver strapped in the casket and closed the door.
After the funeral, Misener’s body was to be taken to Belen, N.M., for another service with relatives on his father’s side, with burial in a family plot next to his favorite uncle.
Marine Sgt. Garrett A. Misener was killed in action on 12/27/10.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Marine Lance Cpl. Kenneth A. Corzine
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Kenneth A. Corzine, 23, of Bethalto, Ill.
LCpl. Corzine was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Dec. 24, 2010 of wounds sustained Dec. 5 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
December 15, 2010
Marine Lance Cpl. Kenny Corzine, who lost both legs last week in an IED explosion while serving in Afghanistan, returned to the United States and is in good spirits, his family says. "Kenny is in as good a shape as can be expected," said Jim Corzine of Roxana, Kenny's uncle. "He is pretty upbeat and has been making jokes."
Kenny Corzine, who had been serving overseas in Afghanistan for the last several months, was part of a nine-man patrol, consisting of eight soldiers and one medic, when an IED explosion on Dec. 5 abruptly changed his life.
"From what I understand, the patrol came under fire and took cover behind a rock," Jim Corzine said. "When they did, (insurgents) detonated the IED. I believe four in his unit were KIA (killed in action), and three others are in very serious condition, with one soldier losing his face.
"I am very grateful to the medic that was with them; he kept the Marines alive who were not killed. The medics that serve are amazing people."
Kenny was transported to a U.S. military hospital in Germany to recover. Along with losing both legs, his arm also was "degloved," or stripped of tissue. Jim Corzine says the latest update on the arm is a good one, and doctors are confident they will be able to save it. Last Thursday, Kenny was transported from Germany to Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. Most of his family from the local area, including his father, Kenny, his mother, Carla, his grandmother, Sharon, and Jim Corzine flew to Maryland to be by his side and show their support.
"I will be here through this week," Jim said. "I have to be home Friday to pick up my son, Blake. He does not know yet about Kenny." Blake Corzine, who grew up with Kenny, currently is in basic training for infantry in the U.S. Army at Fort Benning, Ga. Kenny's brother, Nick Corzine, also is a Marine and has flown to Maryland, as well, to be by his brother's side.
Betty Davis of Hartford, Kenny's grandmother, was not able to travel to Maryland but expressed her love and concern for her grandson. "He is a wonderful young man, as is his brother, Nick," Davis said. "We are grateful he is doing well. I got to spend some time with him before he left for Afghanistan. He had less than a year to go before his out date."
Davis said both of Kenny's parents, Kenny Corzine and Carla Corzine, have been in touch and are working together to support Kenny. "They are both glad to be able to be there for him," Davis said.
Kenny Corzine, 23, grew up in Bethalto and graduated from Civic Memorial High School. Wanting to be a Marine since he was a child, he left for boot camp in 2007 at the age of 20. He also has a 3-year-old daughter, Macy, with his girlfriend, Precious Hart.
The Patriot Guard already has contacted the family and plans to escort Kenny home to Bethalto from the hospital when he is released, a date that is unclear at this point. "We really want to express our gratitude to the Marine Corps, as well as the Patriot Guard, during this trying time for our family," Jim Corzine said.
December 27, 20101
A Metro East family is feeling the painful impact of the war in Afghanistan first hand. Marine Lance Corporal Kenny Corzine, 23, from Bethalto has died. Corzine had been hospitalized after losing both of his legs in an IED attack on December 5.
Corzine was on a walking patrol with other marines early on a Sunday morning when an IED went off. He lost both of his legs and suffered a serious arm injury. Corzine's uncle, Jim Corzine, says Kenny wanted to be a Marine ever since he was a kid.
We first told you about this big military family on December 7. Three other family members besides Kenny are currently serving. Jim's home in Roxanna is all about that military commitment. There are military pictures everywhere, a flag out front that's currently at half staff for Kenny and a space Jim calls the war room. It's a room Jim built for military members who need a place to stay or just relax.
After Kenny was injured, Jim showed us a picture of Kenny outside his home next to a sign asking for prayers. "I've never experienced anything harder than this in my life. And I've been through the ringer both as a police officer and as a father. I've seen about everything that can be done and I've never, ever experienced a hit like this."
Kenny's grandmother, Sharon Collins, added with tears in her eyes, "I have to believe that he's going to make it. I love him with all my heart."
Jim has a message for whoever attacked his nephew: "Our colors still fly. We will never strike our colors and we will never run." Along with the rest of his family, Kenny also has a three-year-old daughter who he and his girlfriend had together. Corzine was being treated at a hospital in Germany.
Marine Lance Cpl. Kenneth A. Corzine was killed in action on 12/24/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Kenneth A. Corzine, 23, of Bethalto, Ill.
LCpl. Corzine was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Dec. 24, 2010 of wounds sustained Dec. 5 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
December 15, 2010
Marine Lance Cpl. Kenny Corzine, who lost both legs last week in an IED explosion while serving in Afghanistan, returned to the United States and is in good spirits, his family says. "Kenny is in as good a shape as can be expected," said Jim Corzine of Roxana, Kenny's uncle. "He is pretty upbeat and has been making jokes."
Kenny Corzine, who had been serving overseas in Afghanistan for the last several months, was part of a nine-man patrol, consisting of eight soldiers and one medic, when an IED explosion on Dec. 5 abruptly changed his life.
"From what I understand, the patrol came under fire and took cover behind a rock," Jim Corzine said. "When they did, (insurgents) detonated the IED. I believe four in his unit were KIA (killed in action), and three others are in very serious condition, with one soldier losing his face.
"I am very grateful to the medic that was with them; he kept the Marines alive who were not killed. The medics that serve are amazing people."
Kenny was transported to a U.S. military hospital in Germany to recover. Along with losing both legs, his arm also was "degloved," or stripped of tissue. Jim Corzine says the latest update on the arm is a good one, and doctors are confident they will be able to save it. Last Thursday, Kenny was transported from Germany to Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. Most of his family from the local area, including his father, Kenny, his mother, Carla, his grandmother, Sharon, and Jim Corzine flew to Maryland to be by his side and show their support.
"I will be here through this week," Jim said. "I have to be home Friday to pick up my son, Blake. He does not know yet about Kenny." Blake Corzine, who grew up with Kenny, currently is in basic training for infantry in the U.S. Army at Fort Benning, Ga. Kenny's brother, Nick Corzine, also is a Marine and has flown to Maryland, as well, to be by his brother's side.
Betty Davis of Hartford, Kenny's grandmother, was not able to travel to Maryland but expressed her love and concern for her grandson. "He is a wonderful young man, as is his brother, Nick," Davis said. "We are grateful he is doing well. I got to spend some time with him before he left for Afghanistan. He had less than a year to go before his out date."
Davis said both of Kenny's parents, Kenny Corzine and Carla Corzine, have been in touch and are working together to support Kenny. "They are both glad to be able to be there for him," Davis said.
Kenny Corzine, 23, grew up in Bethalto and graduated from Civic Memorial High School. Wanting to be a Marine since he was a child, he left for boot camp in 2007 at the age of 20. He also has a 3-year-old daughter, Macy, with his girlfriend, Precious Hart.
The Patriot Guard already has contacted the family and plans to escort Kenny home to Bethalto from the hospital when he is released, a date that is unclear at this point. "We really want to express our gratitude to the Marine Corps, as well as the Patriot Guard, during this trying time for our family," Jim Corzine said.
December 27, 20101
A Metro East family is feeling the painful impact of the war in Afghanistan first hand. Marine Lance Corporal Kenny Corzine, 23, from Bethalto has died. Corzine had been hospitalized after losing both of his legs in an IED attack on December 5.
Corzine was on a walking patrol with other marines early on a Sunday morning when an IED went off. He lost both of his legs and suffered a serious arm injury. Corzine's uncle, Jim Corzine, says Kenny wanted to be a Marine ever since he was a kid.
We first told you about this big military family on December 7. Three other family members besides Kenny are currently serving. Jim's home in Roxanna is all about that military commitment. There are military pictures everywhere, a flag out front that's currently at half staff for Kenny and a space Jim calls the war room. It's a room Jim built for military members who need a place to stay or just relax.
After Kenny was injured, Jim showed us a picture of Kenny outside his home next to a sign asking for prayers. "I've never experienced anything harder than this in my life. And I've been through the ringer both as a police officer and as a father. I've seen about everything that can be done and I've never, ever experienced a hit like this."
Kenny's grandmother, Sharon Collins, added with tears in her eyes, "I have to believe that he's going to make it. I love him with all my heart."
Jim has a message for whoever attacked his nephew: "Our colors still fly. We will never strike our colors and we will never run." Along with the rest of his family, Kenny also has a three-year-old daughter who he and his girlfriend had together. Corzine was being treated at a hospital in Germany.
Marine Lance Cpl. Kenneth A. Corzine was killed in action on 12/24/10.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Marine Lance Cpl. William H. Crouse IV
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. William H. Crouse IV, 22, of Woodruff, S.C.
LCpl Crouse was assigned to 1st Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Dec. 21, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
A Fort Wayne marine died Tuesday in Afghanistan. Lance Corporal William “Billy” Crouse was 22. His family tells NewsChannel 15 that Crouse and his bomb-sniffing dog were patrolling in Afghanistan when they were hit by an improvised explosive device.
"He put himself in harm's way to save others, at least that's what we've been told. We're waiting on 100% confirmation on that," said Jennifer Chaffee, Crouse's sister. She said as he was being airlifted from the scene, he suffered a fatal heart attack. It was Crouse's first tour of duty and he had been in Afghanistan just six weeks.
"He wanted to make a difference and this was way his way of doing that," said Chaffee. "And without him being here - he can't speak for himself - it's our job to say, 'freedom isn't free.' It comes at a huge price and this is that price."
Crouse grew up in Angola and Fort Wayne and played football at Northrop High School before moving to South Carolina.
"He was a phenomenal human being," said longtime family friend Cindi Baker. "Billy loved life. Billy loved being a marine. Billy loved being proud to serve in the military so that we all could be free. He will always be my hero."
Though it's a sad time, Chaffee said their family is trying to remember to celebrate Crouse's life. "He constantly had a smile on his face. He wanted to make everybody happy. He was proud to be a marine."
As the holidays approach, the news of his death is still sinking in. "It's not real. You hope you're gonna wake up and and someone's gonna say, "It's a huge mistake, we found something we thought was his and we assume it was him.' But the more things that come in, the more it cements in your mind that this is real and it's time to deal with it," Chaffee said.
Cindi Baker, who's known Crouse since the day he was born, hopes his death serves as a reminder for all Americans. "We want to celebrate his life and let the people out there know that all these people overseas - at this time of year and all throughout the year - they're there to make a difference for us here in the United States."
Marine Lance Cpl. William H. Crouse IV was killed in action on 12/21/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. William H. Crouse IV, 22, of Woodruff, S.C.
LCpl Crouse was assigned to 1st Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Dec. 21, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
A Fort Wayne marine died Tuesday in Afghanistan. Lance Corporal William “Billy” Crouse was 22. His family tells NewsChannel 15 that Crouse and his bomb-sniffing dog were patrolling in Afghanistan when they were hit by an improvised explosive device.
"He put himself in harm's way to save others, at least that's what we've been told. We're waiting on 100% confirmation on that," said Jennifer Chaffee, Crouse's sister. She said as he was being airlifted from the scene, he suffered a fatal heart attack. It was Crouse's first tour of duty and he had been in Afghanistan just six weeks.
"He wanted to make a difference and this was way his way of doing that," said Chaffee. "And without him being here - he can't speak for himself - it's our job to say, 'freedom isn't free.' It comes at a huge price and this is that price."
Crouse grew up in Angola and Fort Wayne and played football at Northrop High School before moving to South Carolina.
"He was a phenomenal human being," said longtime family friend Cindi Baker. "Billy loved life. Billy loved being a marine. Billy loved being proud to serve in the military so that we all could be free. He will always be my hero."
Though it's a sad time, Chaffee said their family is trying to remember to celebrate Crouse's life. "He constantly had a smile on his face. He wanted to make everybody happy. He was proud to be a marine."
As the holidays approach, the news of his death is still sinking in. "It's not real. You hope you're gonna wake up and and someone's gonna say, "It's a huge mistake, we found something we thought was his and we assume it was him.' But the more things that come in, the more it cements in your mind that this is real and it's time to deal with it," Chaffee said.
Cindi Baker, who's known Crouse since the day he was born, hopes his death serves as a reminder for all Americans. "We want to celebrate his life and let the people out there know that all these people overseas - at this time of year and all throughout the year - they're there to make a difference for us here in the United States."
Marine Lance Cpl. William H. Crouse IV was killed in action on 12/21/10.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Army Pfc. Conrado D. Javier Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Conrado D. Javier Jr., 19, of Marina, Calif.
Pfc Javier was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany; died Dec. 19, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
A 19-year-old soldier from Marina died during the weekend in Afghanistan after his vehicle was attacked with an improvised explosive device used by the enemy, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
Pfc. Conrado D. Javier Jr., a 2009 graduate of Seaside High School, suffered fatal injuries in the Sunday attack in Kandahar province. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment in Vilseck, Germany.
"I still can't believe it," said Javier's 29-year-old sister, Araceli, in the doorway of the family's home on Crescent Avenue, where a car in the driveway carried a black and gold Army bumper sticker.
Javier, who was one of eight children, yearned to be in the military since he was 5 years old, his sister said.
At Seaside High, Javier was active in the ROTC program, was a member of the drill team and frequently volunteered to attend funerals and other occasions with the team, she said.
"He was real loyal and real compassionate," his sister said. Javier's parents, Julia and Conrado, traveled to Maryland to accompany their son's body home from Dover Air Force Base, she said. The family received word of his death Sunday and was still reeling, she said.
"We've had a rosary for him every night with close family members. We pray for him," his sister said.
Javier grew up in Seaside and longed to become an Army officer and an attorney, she said.
She said their mother told them that military service was part of the family's Mexican heritage, but she worried about Javier joining the service.
Her brother joined the Army months after graduating from high school. He came home on leave at Thanksgiving before deploying to Afghanistan, she said.
His parents worked as farmworkers when the family was younger, then shifted to hospitality industry jobs.
His father has been working at the Navy Lodge in Monterey for the past year after losing a job in the 2009 closure of Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley.
Ron Rickow, general manager at the Navy Lodge, recalled seeing the young soldier at Thanksgiving. "He was all excited about joining the Army and seeing the world," Rickow said.
His father is a popular member of the lodge staff, and news of his son's death was greeted somberly. "I didn't sleep too well last night," Rickow said. "We are like a family here."
Rickow said within an hour after he received the go-ahead, employees pooled their leave time to assure Javier's father that he won't lose any pay "until he's ready to return."
Javier is the fifth Monterey County service member to die in the nine-year war in Afghanistan known as Operation Enduring Freedom. Last week, a funeral was held at Fort Ord for Staff Sgt. Vincent Ashlock of Seaside, who died Dec. 4 in a non-combat incident in Afghanistan's Khost province.
Javier "just wanted to serve his country," his sister said, recalling how he loved the Fourth of July and fireworks.
After his Thanksgiving leave, she said, her brother "left happy" bound for Afghanistan, saying he would be back next summer for a family trip to Mexico.
Army Pfc. Conrado D. Javier Jr. was killed in action on 12/19/10.
Army Pfc. Conrado D. Javier Jr., 19, of Marina, Calif.
Pfc Javier was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany; died Dec. 19, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
A 19-year-old soldier from Marina died during the weekend in Afghanistan after his vehicle was attacked with an improvised explosive device used by the enemy, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
Pfc. Conrado D. Javier Jr., a 2009 graduate of Seaside High School, suffered fatal injuries in the Sunday attack in Kandahar province. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment in Vilseck, Germany.
"I still can't believe it," said Javier's 29-year-old sister, Araceli, in the doorway of the family's home on Crescent Avenue, where a car in the driveway carried a black and gold Army bumper sticker.
Javier, who was one of eight children, yearned to be in the military since he was 5 years old, his sister said.
At Seaside High, Javier was active in the ROTC program, was a member of the drill team and frequently volunteered to attend funerals and other occasions with the team, she said.
"He was real loyal and real compassionate," his sister said. Javier's parents, Julia and Conrado, traveled to Maryland to accompany their son's body home from Dover Air Force Base, she said. The family received word of his death Sunday and was still reeling, she said.
"We've had a rosary for him every night with close family members. We pray for him," his sister said.
Javier grew up in Seaside and longed to become an Army officer and an attorney, she said.
She said their mother told them that military service was part of the family's Mexican heritage, but she worried about Javier joining the service.
Her brother joined the Army months after graduating from high school. He came home on leave at Thanksgiving before deploying to Afghanistan, she said.
His parents worked as farmworkers when the family was younger, then shifted to hospitality industry jobs.
His father has been working at the Navy Lodge in Monterey for the past year after losing a job in the 2009 closure of Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley.
Ron Rickow, general manager at the Navy Lodge, recalled seeing the young soldier at Thanksgiving. "He was all excited about joining the Army and seeing the world," Rickow said.
His father is a popular member of the lodge staff, and news of his son's death was greeted somberly. "I didn't sleep too well last night," Rickow said. "We are like a family here."
Rickow said within an hour after he received the go-ahead, employees pooled their leave time to assure Javier's father that he won't lose any pay "until he's ready to return."
Javier is the fifth Monterey County service member to die in the nine-year war in Afghanistan known as Operation Enduring Freedom. Last week, a funeral was held at Fort Ord for Staff Sgt. Vincent Ashlock of Seaside, who died Dec. 4 in a non-combat incident in Afghanistan's Khost province.
Javier "just wanted to serve his country," his sister said, recalling how he loved the Fourth of July and fireworks.
After his Thanksgiving leave, she said, her brother "left happy" bound for Afghanistan, saying he would be back next summer for a family trip to Mexico.
Army Pfc. Conrado D. Javier Jr. was killed in action on 12/19/10.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Marine Cpl. Eric M. Torbert Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Cpl. Eric M. Torbert Jr., 25, of Lancaster, Pa.
Cpl Torbert was assigned to the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Dec. 18, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
A local Marine has died in Afghanistan. Cpl. Eric Torbert, 25, a 2003 graduate of Penn Manor High School, is the fallen Marine. Circumstances of his death were not immediately available.
Torbert was married in June to Marcelle Torbert. The couple lived in Vista California, near where he was stationed. Torbert's body was scheduled to be returned to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, according to a press release from the base.
Torbert, a combat engineer, left for Afghanistan in November, according to his Facebook page. "Heading to the other side of the world for a bit. ... Alright so I'll be back in a couple months, 7-10 maybe," he wrote.
Then in a post from early this month, he wrote, "I'm going to be out for a while. A bit long than last time, which was shorter than expected.
"I send my love to my friends and family."
Torbert's Facebook profile photo showed a different side: playing an electric guitar, with hair below his shoulders, sporting a denim vest with a Metallica patch and a Black Sabbath T-shirt.
On Sunday, his father posted an update to the death announcement: "I pray to God those of you with loved ones serving in the armed forces never see the Black GMC Cargo Van pull to the front of your home with 2 uniformed officers exiting the vehicle, knowing as they approach the front door what it is they are about to say."
Torbert's awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.
Phil Gale, the Penn Manor principal, said the school sent out an e-mail about Torbert's death this morning. Torbert's sister graduated last year and his brother is still a student at Penn Manor.
Gale said Torbert enlisted in the Marines soon after high school, and had an inclination for military service.
Marine Cpl. Eric M. Torbert Jr. was killed in action on 12/18/10.
Marine Cpl. Eric M. Torbert Jr., 25, of Lancaster, Pa.
Cpl Torbert was assigned to the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Dec. 18, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
A local Marine has died in Afghanistan. Cpl. Eric Torbert, 25, a 2003 graduate of Penn Manor High School, is the fallen Marine. Circumstances of his death were not immediately available.
Torbert was married in June to Marcelle Torbert. The couple lived in Vista California, near where he was stationed. Torbert's body was scheduled to be returned to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, according to a press release from the base.
Torbert, a combat engineer, left for Afghanistan in November, according to his Facebook page. "Heading to the other side of the world for a bit. ... Alright so I'll be back in a couple months, 7-10 maybe," he wrote.
Then in a post from early this month, he wrote, "I'm going to be out for a while. A bit long than last time, which was shorter than expected.
"I send my love to my friends and family."
Torbert's Facebook profile photo showed a different side: playing an electric guitar, with hair below his shoulders, sporting a denim vest with a Metallica patch and a Black Sabbath T-shirt.
On Sunday, his father posted an update to the death announcement: "I pray to God those of you with loved ones serving in the armed forces never see the Black GMC Cargo Van pull to the front of your home with 2 uniformed officers exiting the vehicle, knowing as they approach the front door what it is they are about to say."
Torbert's awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.
Phil Gale, the Penn Manor principal, said the school sent out an e-mail about Torbert's death this morning. Torbert's sister graduated last year and his brother is still a student at Penn Manor.
Gale said Torbert enlisted in the Marines soon after high school, and had an inclination for military service.
Marine Cpl. Eric M. Torbert Jr. was killed in action on 12/18/10.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Army Sgt. Eric C. Newman
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Eric C. Newman, 30, of Waynesboro, Miss.
Sgt Newman was assigned to 1st Squadron, 38th Cavalry Regiment, 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Oct. 14, 2010 in Akatzai Kalay, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.
‘The family will never recover from this loss’
By Therese Apel
The (Jackson, Miss.) Clarion-Ledger
WAYNESBORO, Miss. — They knew he was willing to die for his country, but the news of Sgt. Eric C. Newman’s death in Afghanistan still brought shock and sadness to his southeast Mississippi hometown of Waynesboro.
He was the third Mississippi soldier to die in Afghanistan since Sept. 20 and the 70th overall in the wars there and in Iraq.
“I thought the world of him. It hit me, it floored me,” Waynesboro Mayor Joe Taylor said. “I couldn’t believe what they were telling me when they said he’d gotten killed.”
Newman, 30, assigned to 1st Squadron, 38th Cavalry Regiment, 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C., died Oct. 14 in Akatzai Kalay, Afghanistan, of wounds he suffered when insurgents attacked his unit. He was on his second tour of duty, friends of the family said.
The people of Waynesboro, population 5,500, remember Newman as brave and laid-back. They said he wasn’t a big man, but he had a big heart, a positive attitude and good character.
“He was an outstanding individual,” Waynesboro Police Chief James Bunch said. “And it doesn’t surprise me at all that he would sacrifice himself for his country.”
Bunch said Newman worked for the Police Department several years ago before transitioning to the military.
“I know the family will never recover from this loss,” Bunch said, “and our hearts go out to them.”
Taylor said he’d known the sergeant all his life, as Newman’s grandmother lived a block from his house for many years. He said he often referred to Newman as his “little buddy.”
“He was a fine young man, I can tell you that,” Taylor said. “He was a really likeable person, and I thought the world of him.”
Friends of the family said Newman’s father died in a car accident when he was a child, leaving him, younger sister Kim, and his mother, Dianne. Their tight bond was evident to those who knew them.
Eric Newman was reared to be respectful, do right and follow orders, said Carole Dean, a family friend.
“I knew him as a young child, though I didn’t really know him as an adult. But he was raised to be a patriot, and to go and do anything anyone gave him to do,” said Dean.
Scott Bunch, a firefighter in Waynesboro, served in ROTC with Eric Newman at Wayne County High School, where Newman was a year ahead of him.
“You knew when he sets his mind to doing something, he goes all out,” Scott Bunch said. “This is a real tragedy, but I know he did it serving his country.”
Taylor and Dean said Dianne Newman had left town to retrieve her son’s remains at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
Eric Newman joined the Army in 2006 and was deployed to Iraq shortly thereafter. He returned and was one of the first soldiers assigned to the 1st Squadron, 38th Cavalry Regiment, in early 2009. According to the website freedomremembered.com, Newman’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal and nine other decorations.
Army Sgt. Eric C. Newman was killed in action on 10/14/10.
Army Sgt. Eric C. Newman, 30, of Waynesboro, Miss.
Sgt Newman was assigned to 1st Squadron, 38th Cavalry Regiment, 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Oct. 14, 2010 in Akatzai Kalay, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.
‘The family will never recover from this loss’
By Therese Apel
The (Jackson, Miss.) Clarion-Ledger
WAYNESBORO, Miss. — They knew he was willing to die for his country, but the news of Sgt. Eric C. Newman’s death in Afghanistan still brought shock and sadness to his southeast Mississippi hometown of Waynesboro.
He was the third Mississippi soldier to die in Afghanistan since Sept. 20 and the 70th overall in the wars there and in Iraq.
“I thought the world of him. It hit me, it floored me,” Waynesboro Mayor Joe Taylor said. “I couldn’t believe what they were telling me when they said he’d gotten killed.”
Newman, 30, assigned to 1st Squadron, 38th Cavalry Regiment, 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C., died Oct. 14 in Akatzai Kalay, Afghanistan, of wounds he suffered when insurgents attacked his unit. He was on his second tour of duty, friends of the family said.
The people of Waynesboro, population 5,500, remember Newman as brave and laid-back. They said he wasn’t a big man, but he had a big heart, a positive attitude and good character.
“He was an outstanding individual,” Waynesboro Police Chief James Bunch said. “And it doesn’t surprise me at all that he would sacrifice himself for his country.”
Bunch said Newman worked for the Police Department several years ago before transitioning to the military.
“I know the family will never recover from this loss,” Bunch said, “and our hearts go out to them.”
Taylor said he’d known the sergeant all his life, as Newman’s grandmother lived a block from his house for many years. He said he often referred to Newman as his “little buddy.”
“He was a fine young man, I can tell you that,” Taylor said. “He was a really likeable person, and I thought the world of him.”
Friends of the family said Newman’s father died in a car accident when he was a child, leaving him, younger sister Kim, and his mother, Dianne. Their tight bond was evident to those who knew them.
Eric Newman was reared to be respectful, do right and follow orders, said Carole Dean, a family friend.
“I knew him as a young child, though I didn’t really know him as an adult. But he was raised to be a patriot, and to go and do anything anyone gave him to do,” said Dean.
Scott Bunch, a firefighter in Waynesboro, served in ROTC with Eric Newman at Wayne County High School, where Newman was a year ahead of him.
“You knew when he sets his mind to doing something, he goes all out,” Scott Bunch said. “This is a real tragedy, but I know he did it serving his country.”
Taylor and Dean said Dianne Newman had left town to retrieve her son’s remains at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
Eric Newman joined the Army in 2006 and was deployed to Iraq shortly thereafter. He returned and was one of the first soldiers assigned to the 1st Squadron, 38th Cavalry Regiment, in early 2009. According to the website freedomremembered.com, Newman’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal and nine other decorations.
Army Sgt. Eric C. Newman was killed in action on 10/14/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Jose L. Maldonado
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Jose L. Maldonado, 21, of Mathis, Texas
LCpl Maldonado was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif., died Dec. 17, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
MATHIS, TEXAS
Word spread quickly in Mathis.
On Friday, friends and associates of former Mathis High School student athlete Jose L. Maldonado began receiving text messages and phone calls.
That same day, they were told, Maldonado, 21, died while serving in Afghanistan.
“I got a message at work,” said Victor Alvarado Jr., 21. “It just said ‘Jose' and I wasn't sure it was really him.”
The lance corporal, assigned to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force from Camp Pendleton, Calif., was conducting combat operations in Helmand province when he died, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. There was no information available on how long Maldonado had served or what caused his death.
Efforts to reach his family in Mathis were not successful, but in a KRIS-TV news report, Maldonado's family said he was killed in a landmine explosion. It was the second time he stepped on a landmine, according to the report. The first did not detonate fully and he was not seriously injured, the report said.
Two former coaches and several friends described an energetic, intelligent and respectful young man who grew into a quiet but effective leader.
“He was a really great kid,” said Chris Casarez, 37, who was the head football coach at Mathis when Maldonado was on the team as a senior in 2007. “He was such a hard worker. He never let anything bring him down. I was very proud of him.”
Maldonado began attending Mathis during his sophomore year after moving there from theHouston area to live with his aunt and uncle. And while he was quiet at first, it didn't take long for him to find his niche with the other baseball and football players.
Mathis baseball coach Ray Cardona, 40, said being the new kid in such a small town can be difficult for anyone but said other students gravitated toward Maldonado and soon he became a leader on both the baseball diamond and football field.
“He didn't just come straight out and try to take over things,” Cardona said. “He got to know everyone and if he spoke up they listened. Some people just have that. It's not something you can teach.”
Both coaches said they always saw Maldonado's aunt and cousins in the stands at his games.
Friends remembered a fun-loving, easy-going teen
“He was just a cool guy,” said his former baseball and football teammate Michael Cuellar, 22. “He got a long with everybody. He didn't grow up with us but as soon as he came to Mathis everybody got along with him.”
Maldonado joined the Marines in the fall of 2007, the same year he graduated, according to published news reports.
Maldonado began attending Mathis during his sophomore year after moving there from theHouston area to live with his aunt and uncle. And while he was quiet at first, it didn't take long for him to find his niche with the other baseball and football players.
Mathis baseball coach Ray Cardona, 40, said being the new kid in such a small town can be difficult for anyone but said other students gravitated toward Maldonado and soon he became a leader on both the baseball diamond and football field.
“He didn't just come straight out and try to take over things,” Cardona said. “He got to know everyone and if he spoke up they listened. Some people just have that. It's not something you can teach.”
Both coaches said they always saw Maldonado's aunt and cousins in the stands at his games.
Friends remembered a fun-loving, easy-going teen
“He was just a cool guy,” said his former baseball and football teammate Michael Cuellar, 22. “He got a long with everybody. He didn't grow up with us but as soon as he came to Mathis everybody got along with him.”
Maldonado joined the Marines in the fall of 2007, the same year he graduated, according to published news reports.
MATHIS -- A local marine was killed in Afghanistan. 21-year old Lance Corporal Jose Maldonado of Mathis, TX died Friday while conducting combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
"And he said, I stepped on a landmine. It didn't go off right. So when he stepped on it, it was a burst and it threw him but it just messed up his ankle and he had a concussion," said Jessica, Jose's cousin.
According to his family, Maldonado stepped on a mine last week, but was not seriously injured because it was a dud. He went back out on patrol the next day and stepped on another land mine that killed him.
Maldonado joined the Corps in 2007 and served as a rifleman with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
According to the U.S. Marine Corps Public Affairs Department, this was Maldonado's first deployment. He joined the Marines in September 2007 and received several awards including a Purple Heart.
George, Jose's Uncle said, "I am very very proud of him. Not just for the actions, for what he did, because he's always been a proud man. And I'm saying man because I saw him grow from a boy to a young man that served his country. And with all my heart, I am very very proud of him."
"This hits hard in our community, and our hearts go out to his family," the mayor said.
School district officials found out about Maldonado’s death on Friday, and the district plans to honor him after students return from holiday break in January, she said.
As mourners trickled by the house Sunday to offer condolences, George Williams made it a point to show them two items.
The first was a U.S. flag he strung in front of the house in honor of Lance Cpl. Jose Luis Maldonado, the nephew he calls son who was killed during combat in Afghanistan on Friday.
"I want the Taliban to know, they killed our son, but they’ll never kill the American spirit we have," he said.
The second was a sheet of construction paper adorned with a picture of a Christmas tree, signed and dated in careful print by Maldonado, who was then in the fourth grade.
After the 21-year-old Maldonado died in the volatile Helmand province, Williams retreated to a room with his guitar to write a song about his nephew. There, he found hanging on the wall the picture colored with markers and glitter glue and decided to hang it near the Christmas tree. Then he noticed the date on the picture: Dec. 17, 1998, exactly 12 years before Maldonado died.
"To me, it’s like an omen," Williams said. "He’s here with us. He’s here with us."
Williams and the rest of Maldonado’s relatives have spent the past few days trying to cope with the death of the Mathis Marine, known in his family for epic wrestling matches that rumbled throughout the house, his powerful throw during family baseball games, his insatiable appetite and, most importantly, his fierce, protective love for his family, friends and country.
"He really lived and breathed the idea that what he was doing was honorable," his cousin Jessica Williams, 34, said. "He loved it. That’s what he did. That’s what made him happy. That was his purpose in life — protection — whether it was family, friends or country."
George, Jose's Uncle said, "I am very very proud of him. Not just for the actions, for what he did, because he's always been a proud man. And I'm saying man because I saw him grow from a boy to a young man that served his country. And with all my heart, I am very very proud of him."
Marine Lance Cpl. Jose L. Maldonado was killed in action on 12/17/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Jose L. Maldonado, 21, of Mathis, Texas
LCpl Maldonado was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif., died Dec. 17, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
MATHIS, TEXAS
Word spread quickly in Mathis.
On Friday, friends and associates of former Mathis High School student athlete Jose L. Maldonado began receiving text messages and phone calls.
That same day, they were told, Maldonado, 21, died while serving in Afghanistan.
“I got a message at work,” said Victor Alvarado Jr., 21. “It just said ‘Jose' and I wasn't sure it was really him.”
The lance corporal, assigned to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force from Camp Pendleton, Calif., was conducting combat operations in Helmand province when he died, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. There was no information available on how long Maldonado had served or what caused his death.
Efforts to reach his family in Mathis were not successful, but in a KRIS-TV news report, Maldonado's family said he was killed in a landmine explosion. It was the second time he stepped on a landmine, according to the report. The first did not detonate fully and he was not seriously injured, the report said.
Two former coaches and several friends described an energetic, intelligent and respectful young man who grew into a quiet but effective leader.
“He was a really great kid,” said Chris Casarez, 37, who was the head football coach at Mathis when Maldonado was on the team as a senior in 2007. “He was such a hard worker. He never let anything bring him down. I was very proud of him.”
Maldonado began attending Mathis during his sophomore year after moving there from theHouston area to live with his aunt and uncle. And while he was quiet at first, it didn't take long for him to find his niche with the other baseball and football players.
Mathis baseball coach Ray Cardona, 40, said being the new kid in such a small town can be difficult for anyone but said other students gravitated toward Maldonado and soon he became a leader on both the baseball diamond and football field.
“He didn't just come straight out and try to take over things,” Cardona said. “He got to know everyone and if he spoke up they listened. Some people just have that. It's not something you can teach.”
Both coaches said they always saw Maldonado's aunt and cousins in the stands at his games.
Friends remembered a fun-loving, easy-going teen
“He was just a cool guy,” said his former baseball and football teammate Michael Cuellar, 22. “He got a long with everybody. He didn't grow up with us but as soon as he came to Mathis everybody got along with him.”
Maldonado joined the Marines in the fall of 2007, the same year he graduated, according to published news reports.
Maldonado began attending Mathis during his sophomore year after moving there from theHouston area to live with his aunt and uncle. And while he was quiet at first, it didn't take long for him to find his niche with the other baseball and football players.
Mathis baseball coach Ray Cardona, 40, said being the new kid in such a small town can be difficult for anyone but said other students gravitated toward Maldonado and soon he became a leader on both the baseball diamond and football field.
“He didn't just come straight out and try to take over things,” Cardona said. “He got to know everyone and if he spoke up they listened. Some people just have that. It's not something you can teach.”
Both coaches said they always saw Maldonado's aunt and cousins in the stands at his games.
Friends remembered a fun-loving, easy-going teen
“He was just a cool guy,” said his former baseball and football teammate Michael Cuellar, 22. “He got a long with everybody. He didn't grow up with us but as soon as he came to Mathis everybody got along with him.”
Maldonado joined the Marines in the fall of 2007, the same year he graduated, according to published news reports.
MATHIS -- A local marine was killed in Afghanistan. 21-year old Lance Corporal Jose Maldonado of Mathis, TX died Friday while conducting combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
"And he said, I stepped on a landmine. It didn't go off right. So when he stepped on it, it was a burst and it threw him but it just messed up his ankle and he had a concussion," said Jessica, Jose's cousin.
According to his family, Maldonado stepped on a mine last week, but was not seriously injured because it was a dud. He went back out on patrol the next day and stepped on another land mine that killed him.
Maldonado joined the Corps in 2007 and served as a rifleman with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
According to the U.S. Marine Corps Public Affairs Department, this was Maldonado's first deployment. He joined the Marines in September 2007 and received several awards including a Purple Heart.
George, Jose's Uncle said, "I am very very proud of him. Not just for the actions, for what he did, because he's always been a proud man. And I'm saying man because I saw him grow from a boy to a young man that served his country. And with all my heart, I am very very proud of him."
"This hits hard in our community, and our hearts go out to his family," the mayor said.
School district officials found out about Maldonado’s death on Friday, and the district plans to honor him after students return from holiday break in January, she said.
As mourners trickled by the house Sunday to offer condolences, George Williams made it a point to show them two items.
The first was a U.S. flag he strung in front of the house in honor of Lance Cpl. Jose Luis Maldonado, the nephew he calls son who was killed during combat in Afghanistan on Friday.
"I want the Taliban to know, they killed our son, but they’ll never kill the American spirit we have," he said.
The second was a sheet of construction paper adorned with a picture of a Christmas tree, signed and dated in careful print by Maldonado, who was then in the fourth grade.
After the 21-year-old Maldonado died in the volatile Helmand province, Williams retreated to a room with his guitar to write a song about his nephew. There, he found hanging on the wall the picture colored with markers and glitter glue and decided to hang it near the Christmas tree. Then he noticed the date on the picture: Dec. 17, 1998, exactly 12 years before Maldonado died.
"To me, it’s like an omen," Williams said. "He’s here with us. He’s here with us."
Williams and the rest of Maldonado’s relatives have spent the past few days trying to cope with the death of the Mathis Marine, known in his family for epic wrestling matches that rumbled throughout the house, his powerful throw during family baseball games, his insatiable appetite and, most importantly, his fierce, protective love for his family, friends and country.
"He really lived and breathed the idea that what he was doing was honorable," his cousin Jessica Williams, 34, said. "He loved it. That’s what he did. That’s what made him happy. That was his purpose in life — protection — whether it was family, friends or country."
George, Jose's Uncle said, "I am very very proud of him. Not just for the actions, for what he did, because he's always been a proud man. And I'm saying man because I saw him grow from a boy to a young man that served his country. And with all my heart, I am very very proud of him."
Marine Lance Cpl. Jose L. Maldonado was killed in action on 12/17/10.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Marine Cpl. Sean A. Osterman
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Cpl. Sean A. Osterman, 21, of Princeton, Minn.
Cpl. Osterman was assigned to the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C., died Dec. 16, 2010 from wounds received Dec. 14 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
After graduating from high school in 2007, Sean Osterman knew he was headed to the military, but took his time researching which branch might be best for him.
He chose the Marines, and it was not just because his father was a colonel.
Last week, during his second tour in Afghanistan, Osterman, 21, of Princeton, Minn., was mortally wounded while leading his platoon in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan. He was evacuated to Kandahar and then flown to Landstuhl Medical Center at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany, where he died Saturday.
He was assigned to the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C., and was part of what is known as a recon unit, which often conducts surveillance and intelligence gathering beyond the front lines. His unit had been in Afghanistan since about Thanksgiving.
According to a statement released by his family, he was born in La Crosse, Wis., and lived near there until age 9. The family moved to Princeton, where he attended Cambridge Elementary School, Cambridge Middle School and graduated from Technical High School in St. Cloud in 2007. He joined the Marine Corps at age 17 on the Delayed Entry Program and went on active duty after graduation. He had completed one tour in Afghanistan before his current deployment.
Although he had found his time in the Marines rewarding, he had indicated to friends and relatives that he would be leaving the military after completing his service and planned to attend college. During basic training and afterward, if fellow Marines had questions about the service, he would often send his father letters seeking advice for his colleagues.
His father, Marine Reserve Col. Anthony Osterman, was at one time responsible for training and equipping and manning the Afghan security forces, according to an earlier release from the U.S. military. He has since retired from the military.
His mother, Kelly Hugo, a guidance counselor at North Junior High School in St. Cloud, traveled to Germany to be with her son before he died and returned to Delaware with his body Monday night.
In addition to his parents, he is survived by sisters Katie and Olya Osterman, both of Virginia Beach, Va., and two other siblings, Elijah and Sarah Pruka, both of Princeton. Funeral services are planned at the Fort Myer Chapel with interment at Arlington Cemetery. A local memorial service will be planned in the near future.
Marine Cpl. Sean A. Osterman died 12/16/10 from wounds received in action on 12/14/10.
Marine Cpl. Sean A. Osterman, 21, of Princeton, Minn.
Cpl. Osterman was assigned to the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C., died Dec. 16, 2010 from wounds received Dec. 14 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
After graduating from high school in 2007, Sean Osterman knew he was headed to the military, but took his time researching which branch might be best for him.
He chose the Marines, and it was not just because his father was a colonel.
Last week, during his second tour in Afghanistan, Osterman, 21, of Princeton, Minn., was mortally wounded while leading his platoon in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan. He was evacuated to Kandahar and then flown to Landstuhl Medical Center at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany, where he died Saturday.
He was assigned to the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C., and was part of what is known as a recon unit, which often conducts surveillance and intelligence gathering beyond the front lines. His unit had been in Afghanistan since about Thanksgiving.
According to a statement released by his family, he was born in La Crosse, Wis., and lived near there until age 9. The family moved to Princeton, where he attended Cambridge Elementary School, Cambridge Middle School and graduated from Technical High School in St. Cloud in 2007. He joined the Marine Corps at age 17 on the Delayed Entry Program and went on active duty after graduation. He had completed one tour in Afghanistan before his current deployment.
Although he had found his time in the Marines rewarding, he had indicated to friends and relatives that he would be leaving the military after completing his service and planned to attend college. During basic training and afterward, if fellow Marines had questions about the service, he would often send his father letters seeking advice for his colleagues.
His father, Marine Reserve Col. Anthony Osterman, was at one time responsible for training and equipping and manning the Afghan security forces, according to an earlier release from the U.S. military. He has since retired from the military.
His mother, Kelly Hugo, a guidance counselor at North Junior High School in St. Cloud, traveled to Germany to be with her son before he died and returned to Delaware with his body Monday night.
In addition to his parents, he is survived by sisters Katie and Olya Osterman, both of Virginia Beach, Va., and two other siblings, Elijah and Sarah Pruka, both of Princeton. Funeral services are planned at the Fort Myer Chapel with interment at Arlington Cemetery. A local memorial service will be planned in the near future.
Marine Cpl. Sean A. Osterman died 12/16/10 from wounds received in action on 12/14/10.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Army Spc. Sean R. Cutsforth
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Sean R. Cutsforth, 22, of Radford, Va.
Spc. Cutsforth was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 15, 2010 at Ghazni province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms fire.
Sean Cutsforth grew up in Northern Virginia, entered college on a baseball scholarship and attended for three semesters, his wife said.
Then he joined the Army. "He just told me one day that he thought it was the right thing to do," said his wife, Ashley.
And so Sean R. Cutsforth, 22, the left-handed pitcher who had attended high school in Prince William County, became a soldier in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).
Spec. Cutsforth died Dec. 15 in Afghanistan's Ghazni province after he was struck by small-arms fire, according to a statement from Fort Campbell, where his division was based.
Cutsforth was born at Fort Belvoir and grew up in the Manassas and Gainesville areas of Prince William, his wife said. He went to Brentsville District High School.
An outgoing man, "he was one of those genuine all-around, would-do-anything-for-anybody type of persons," his wife said. "I don't think anybody ever had a negative memory of Sean."
Sports and outdoor activities always interested him, and he had been swimming since he was a small child.
A newspaper report on a meet held by the Prince William Swim League in summer 1999 listed him as a winner for the Ben Lomond team in three events, including freestyle and backstroke for boys ages 9 and 10.
Many such reports followed in swimming and other sports. As a sophomore at Brentsville in 2004, Cutsforth was listed as a member of a swim medley relay team that was to compete in the state championships. He was honored for his baseball skills at Brentsville in 2006.
His wife said he played football as well as baseball at Brentsville, and was also on a traveling youth baseball team.
She said Cutsforth received a scholarship to Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk and spent three semesters there. He studied recreation and leisure activities and acted as a swimming coach.
But, she said, he "thought it was his duty to serve his country."
On Sept. 23, 2008, she said, he enlisted in the Army. After basic training he was stationed at Fort Campbell, and this year was deployed to Afghanistan.
Cutsforth's family includes a brother, Ryan, who lives in Gainesville, and sisters Casey of Blacksburg and Kayla of Christiansburg, Va., according to his wife.
Ashley Cutsforth said she met her husband in early 2008 in Radford, Va., where his brother was living. They married in 2009, she said, on the Fourth of July.
She said she is expecting a child in April. It's a boy, she said.
MANASSAS, Va. - Sean Cutsforth, who grew up in Manassas, Va., was a very athletic kid. His mother showed off a photograph she snapped years ago showing her young son sleeping in bed wearing a catcher's mask.
"It was new equipment," laughed Vickie Cutsforth, remembering that night. "He just wanted to try it on. He'd fall asleep with his new bats, everything."
On Wednesday, Vickie Cutsforth was visited by representatives of the U.S. Army bearing terrible news. Her 22-year-old son had been killed by small arms fire while on patrol in Eastern Afghanistan.
Sean received a baseball scholarship to Virginia Wesleyan College, but after three semesters, he announced to his family that he wanted to leave school to join the Army.
"He looked at all the services, met with recruiters and such. [Sean's] was a well thought-out decision," recalled Sean's father, Robert Cutsforth.
"He wanted to serve his country," agreed Sean's mom. "That's what we had to let him do."
Sean was assigned to the 101st Airborne, based in Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. He deployed to Afghanistan in February and was scheduled to return to the U.S. early next year.
The Governor of Kentucky, Steve Beshear will order that flags at all state office buildings be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset on the day of Spc. Cutsforth’s interment.
Spc. Cutsforth is survived by his wife, Ashley L. Cutsforth and unborn son due in April of Clarksville, Tenn.; mother Vickie L. Cutsforth of Manassas, Va.; father, Robert H. Cutsforth, of Gainesville, Va.; brother Ryan of Gainesville, Va.; sister Casey of Blacksburg, Va. and a sister Kayla of Christiansburg, Va.
Family members say Sean loved the Army and was considering making it a career. His family has asked that Sean Cutsforth be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. The Army has agreed.
Army Spc. Sean R. Cutsforth was killed in action on 12/15/10.
Army Spc. Sean R. Cutsforth, 22, of Radford, Va.
Spc. Cutsforth was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 15, 2010 at Ghazni province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms fire.
Sean Cutsforth grew up in Northern Virginia, entered college on a baseball scholarship and attended for three semesters, his wife said.
Then he joined the Army. "He just told me one day that he thought it was the right thing to do," said his wife, Ashley.
And so Sean R. Cutsforth, 22, the left-handed pitcher who had attended high school in Prince William County, became a soldier in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).
Spec. Cutsforth died Dec. 15 in Afghanistan's Ghazni province after he was struck by small-arms fire, according to a statement from Fort Campbell, where his division was based.
Cutsforth was born at Fort Belvoir and grew up in the Manassas and Gainesville areas of Prince William, his wife said. He went to Brentsville District High School.
An outgoing man, "he was one of those genuine all-around, would-do-anything-for-anybody type of persons," his wife said. "I don't think anybody ever had a negative memory of Sean."
Sports and outdoor activities always interested him, and he had been swimming since he was a small child.
A newspaper report on a meet held by the Prince William Swim League in summer 1999 listed him as a winner for the Ben Lomond team in three events, including freestyle and backstroke for boys ages 9 and 10.
Many such reports followed in swimming and other sports. As a sophomore at Brentsville in 2004, Cutsforth was listed as a member of a swim medley relay team that was to compete in the state championships. He was honored for his baseball skills at Brentsville in 2006.
His wife said he played football as well as baseball at Brentsville, and was also on a traveling youth baseball team.
She said Cutsforth received a scholarship to Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk and spent three semesters there. He studied recreation and leisure activities and acted as a swimming coach.
But, she said, he "thought it was his duty to serve his country."
On Sept. 23, 2008, she said, he enlisted in the Army. After basic training he was stationed at Fort Campbell, and this year was deployed to Afghanistan.
Cutsforth's family includes a brother, Ryan, who lives in Gainesville, and sisters Casey of Blacksburg and Kayla of Christiansburg, Va., according to his wife.
Ashley Cutsforth said she met her husband in early 2008 in Radford, Va., where his brother was living. They married in 2009, she said, on the Fourth of July.
She said she is expecting a child in April. It's a boy, she said.
MANASSAS, Va. - Sean Cutsforth, who grew up in Manassas, Va., was a very athletic kid. His mother showed off a photograph she snapped years ago showing her young son sleeping in bed wearing a catcher's mask.
"It was new equipment," laughed Vickie Cutsforth, remembering that night. "He just wanted to try it on. He'd fall asleep with his new bats, everything."
On Wednesday, Vickie Cutsforth was visited by representatives of the U.S. Army bearing terrible news. Her 22-year-old son had been killed by small arms fire while on patrol in Eastern Afghanistan.
Sean received a baseball scholarship to Virginia Wesleyan College, but after three semesters, he announced to his family that he wanted to leave school to join the Army.
"He looked at all the services, met with recruiters and such. [Sean's] was a well thought-out decision," recalled Sean's father, Robert Cutsforth.
"He wanted to serve his country," agreed Sean's mom. "That's what we had to let him do."
Sean was assigned to the 101st Airborne, based in Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. He deployed to Afghanistan in February and was scheduled to return to the U.S. early next year.
The Governor of Kentucky, Steve Beshear will order that flags at all state office buildings be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset on the day of Spc. Cutsforth’s interment.
Spc. Cutsforth is survived by his wife, Ashley L. Cutsforth and unborn son due in April of Clarksville, Tenn.; mother Vickie L. Cutsforth of Manassas, Va.; father, Robert H. Cutsforth, of Gainesville, Va.; brother Ryan of Gainesville, Va.; sister Casey of Blacksburg, Va. and a sister Kayla of Christiansburg, Va.
Family members say Sean loved the Army and was considering making it a career. His family has asked that Sean Cutsforth be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. The Army has agreed.
Army Spc. Sean R. Cutsforth was killed in action on 12/15/10.
Marine Staff Sgt. Justin E. Schmalstieg
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Staff Sgt. Justin E. Schmalstieg, 28, of Pittsburgh
SSgt Schmalstieg was assigned to 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Dec. 15, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.
Marine bomb technician dies in Afghanistan
A veteran Marine bomb technician originally from Stanton Heights was killed in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb on Tuesday.
Sergeant Justin Schmalstieg, 28, a 2000 graduate of Peabody High School and the son of two Pittsburgh police detectives, served with the First Marine Logistics Group and was an expert at disarming explosives.
He had served two tours in Iraq and was finishing a third in Afghanistan, according to his former neighbors in Stanton Heights.
Mr. Schmalstieg got married last year and moved to Oceanside, Calif., outside of San Diego.
In April, he was included in a story in The Convoy, the official publication of the First Marine Logistics Group, which ran an image of him working on a buried bomb during a March training exercise at Deluz Combat Town at Camp Pendleton, Calif.
The Department of Defense has not yet released information about where and how Mr. Schmalstieg died.
Diane Richard, spokeswoman for the city police department, said his parents, Detectives John and Deborah Gilkey, are grieving and requested privacy.
Family members declined to comment Wednesday.
Renee Drummond-Brown, whose son, Specialist Cardell Nino Brown, was close friends with Mr. Schmalstieg, described him as "a very brilliant mind." She said Mr. Schmalstieg spent so much time at her house as a child that she considered him a son.
Even as a child he was unusually quiet and calm, she said, traits that would have served him well as a bomb technician.
"He was the one with the peaceful spirit," she said. "This is a great loss to all of us."
Frantz Pamphile, another childhood friend, echoed her characterization.
"He was always quiet, collected, smart, kind, willing to be there or listen. He was a good friend," he said.
He said that Mr. Schmalstieg joined the military in part because his parents are police officers and they instilled in him "a strong sense of duty."
Marine raised in Stanton Heights killed in Afghanistan
A Marine who grew up in Stanton Heights died in Afghanistan, his family confirmed Wednesday.
Staff Sgt. Justin E. Schmalstieg, 28, an explosive ordnance disposal technician, was in his first tour in Afghanistan. He had enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2001 and served three stints in Iraq, his family said.
"He loved what he was doing," said John Gilkey, a Pittsburgh police detective and Schmalstieg's father. "He was a good kid. What can you say? It hasn't hit us yet."
Gilkey said the family did not want to discuss the circumstances surrounding his son's death. He said they learned of Schmalstieg's death at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday when a Marine knocked on the front door of his Stanton Heights home and delivered the news.
"He loved his job. He loved his job, I'll tell you that," Gilkey said, standing on his front porch while family members gathered inside. "He was charismatic. He seemed to get along with everybody."
Schmalstieg's mother, Deborah Gilkey, also is a Pittsburgh police detective. He had a 15-year-old brother, John, John Gilkey said.
Schmalstieg graduated from Peabody High School, where he was on the ski club and ran cross country.
He married his high school sweetheart, Ann Schneider, in November 2009, Gilkey said. The couple moved to Oceanside, Calif., shortly after their wedding.
Barry Dunbar went to Arsenal Middle School with Schmalstieg. As kids, he recalled, Schmalstieg loved cartoons and video games, and the two would spend hours playing hockey in Morningside and rollerblading through Highland Park.
When they went to different high schools, they remained close, but eventually lost touch in the early 2000s, he said. They reconnected on Facebook when Dunbar, who joined the Army in 2008 and is stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas, considered enlisting.
"We both thought it was a path we'd never go into because as a kid I was totally into sports, and he was into video games," Dunbar said. "But he gave me some choice words. He said, 'You can make a good life out of it and get your life on track.' "
In the 2000 Peabody High yearbook, Schmalstieg's senior portrait appears next to his future wife's portrait. He also is featured on a page dedicated to the cross country team, in which he was listed as a "top runner" next to a photo showing a lanky Schmalstieg pulling away from two other runners.
His wife could not be reached for comment last night. On her Facebook page, her profile picture shows her and Schmalstieg cheek to cheek, smiling at the camera.
The sergeant was an expert at detonating bombs, according to a newsletter published by the 1st Marine Logistics Group. In an April edition of Convoy, Schmalstieg is pictured lying on the ground while working on a bomb during a training exercise at Camp Pendleton in California.
Funeral arrangements are pending. Gilkey said the family is in a "holding pattern" while they wait for the body to be returned to the United States.
The Department of Defense did not immediately announce Schmalstieg's death. City police issued an internal memo informing officers that the detectives' son had died.
Marine Staff Sgt. Justin E. Schmalstieg was killed in action on 12/15/10.
Marine Staff Sgt. Justin E. Schmalstieg, 28, of Pittsburgh
SSgt Schmalstieg was assigned to 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Dec. 15, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.
Marine bomb technician dies in Afghanistan
A veteran Marine bomb technician originally from Stanton Heights was killed in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb on Tuesday.
Sergeant Justin Schmalstieg, 28, a 2000 graduate of Peabody High School and the son of two Pittsburgh police detectives, served with the First Marine Logistics Group and was an expert at disarming explosives.
He had served two tours in Iraq and was finishing a third in Afghanistan, according to his former neighbors in Stanton Heights.
Mr. Schmalstieg got married last year and moved to Oceanside, Calif., outside of San Diego.
In April, he was included in a story in The Convoy, the official publication of the First Marine Logistics Group, which ran an image of him working on a buried bomb during a March training exercise at Deluz Combat Town at Camp Pendleton, Calif.
The Department of Defense has not yet released information about where and how Mr. Schmalstieg died.
Diane Richard, spokeswoman for the city police department, said his parents, Detectives John and Deborah Gilkey, are grieving and requested privacy.
Family members declined to comment Wednesday.
Renee Drummond-Brown, whose son, Specialist Cardell Nino Brown, was close friends with Mr. Schmalstieg, described him as "a very brilliant mind." She said Mr. Schmalstieg spent so much time at her house as a child that she considered him a son.
Even as a child he was unusually quiet and calm, she said, traits that would have served him well as a bomb technician.
"He was the one with the peaceful spirit," she said. "This is a great loss to all of us."
Frantz Pamphile, another childhood friend, echoed her characterization.
"He was always quiet, collected, smart, kind, willing to be there or listen. He was a good friend," he said.
He said that Mr. Schmalstieg joined the military in part because his parents are police officers and they instilled in him "a strong sense of duty."
Marine raised in Stanton Heights killed in Afghanistan
A Marine who grew up in Stanton Heights died in Afghanistan, his family confirmed Wednesday.
Staff Sgt. Justin E. Schmalstieg, 28, an explosive ordnance disposal technician, was in his first tour in Afghanistan. He had enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2001 and served three stints in Iraq, his family said.
"He loved what he was doing," said John Gilkey, a Pittsburgh police detective and Schmalstieg's father. "He was a good kid. What can you say? It hasn't hit us yet."
Gilkey said the family did not want to discuss the circumstances surrounding his son's death. He said they learned of Schmalstieg's death at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday when a Marine knocked on the front door of his Stanton Heights home and delivered the news.
"He loved his job. He loved his job, I'll tell you that," Gilkey said, standing on his front porch while family members gathered inside. "He was charismatic. He seemed to get along with everybody."
Schmalstieg's mother, Deborah Gilkey, also is a Pittsburgh police detective. He had a 15-year-old brother, John, John Gilkey said.
Schmalstieg graduated from Peabody High School, where he was on the ski club and ran cross country.
He married his high school sweetheart, Ann Schneider, in November 2009, Gilkey said. The couple moved to Oceanside, Calif., shortly after their wedding.
Barry Dunbar went to Arsenal Middle School with Schmalstieg. As kids, he recalled, Schmalstieg loved cartoons and video games, and the two would spend hours playing hockey in Morningside and rollerblading through Highland Park.
When they went to different high schools, they remained close, but eventually lost touch in the early 2000s, he said. They reconnected on Facebook when Dunbar, who joined the Army in 2008 and is stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas, considered enlisting.
"We both thought it was a path we'd never go into because as a kid I was totally into sports, and he was into video games," Dunbar said. "But he gave me some choice words. He said, 'You can make a good life out of it and get your life on track.' "
In the 2000 Peabody High yearbook, Schmalstieg's senior portrait appears next to his future wife's portrait. He also is featured on a page dedicated to the cross country team, in which he was listed as a "top runner" next to a photo showing a lanky Schmalstieg pulling away from two other runners.
His wife could not be reached for comment last night. On her Facebook page, her profile picture shows her and Schmalstieg cheek to cheek, smiling at the camera.
The sergeant was an expert at detonating bombs, according to a newsletter published by the 1st Marine Logistics Group. In an April edition of Convoy, Schmalstieg is pictured lying on the ground while working on a bomb during a training exercise at Camp Pendleton in California.
Funeral arrangements are pending. Gilkey said the family is in a "holding pattern" while they wait for the body to be returned to the United States.
The Department of Defense did not immediately announce Schmalstieg's death. City police issued an internal memo informing officers that the detectives' son had died.
Marine Staff Sgt. Justin E. Schmalstieg was killed in action on 12/15/10.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Marine Lance Cpl. Jose A. Hernandez
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Jose A. Hernandez, 19, of West Palm Beach, Fla.
LCpl Hernandez was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Dec. 14, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.
True hero: Lake Worth Marine steps on land mine, protects unit
The family of 19-year-old Lance Corporal Jose Hernandez was understandably grief stricken Wednesday night.
But they found some solace by his last moments alive when he committed an act of heroism.
Lance Cpl. Hernandez was on foot patrol with his unit Tuesday in the Helmand province in Afghanistan when all of the sudden he stepped on a land mine.
What this marine did next, his sisters say, is nothing short of heroism.
"He stepped on the mine and stood there until everyone evacuated. In other words, he sacrificed himself for everyone else," said sister Aronica Nava.
The shrapnel from the explosion killed Hernandez instantly. No one else in his unit was injured.
"He always wanted to make sure everybody was safe, so when we heard he did this it sounded just like him because that's what he always wanted to do," said sister Yollanda Morales.
Friends from Lake Worth High stopped by to console the family and light candles in his memory next to photos of Hernandez and his marine dress hat.
Ironically, Hernandez told his sisters that the thing he feared the most about war was stepping on a land mine.
LAKE WORTH, Fla. - Lance Cpl. Jose A. Hernandez sacrificed himself and that's where his big heart comes in because he would rather put himself first.
Wednesday night , his sisters, aunts, cousins and close friends gathered at his Greenacres home to remember the fallen hero.
"He used to live with us when he went to high school and he was like a brother to me," said his nephew Richard Nava.
Hernandez died after stepping on an IED while on patrol in Afghanistan. He had been in the Marines Corps for two years and would have come home in just four months.
Hernandez graduated from Lake Worth Community High School in 2009 and participated in the R.O.T.C. program there. Former R.O.T.C. members say being a Marine was a goal Hernandez always had and he died making that dream a reality.
"I would always ask him in high school what do you want to do when you grow up and it was always to be an infantry soldier in the Marines," said friend Jordan Foe.
Though they are saddened by his death, those who knew him best try to reflect on how he lived and not how he died.
"Great kid. Great kid. And not one bad bone in his body," said his aunt Marciela Madino.
"Always making people laugh even if you were so mad or if you were upset or even scared," added his sister Yolanda Morales.
Foe, who was in the R.O.T.C. with Hernandez, says his heroic act is something even he couldn't fathom. "Anybody can just easily say but when it comes time to do it takes a lot of guts.".
"The people who fight for us are doing it for a reason so that when we go outside we can do what we want without having to worry about stepping on something or getting hurt and these people, like my brother, sacrifice their lives for our freedom," Morales said.
Lance Cpl. Hernandez was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Jose Hernandez would have turned 20 next week.
Wednesday the flag at Lake Worth Community High School flew at half staff.
Family members say they are grateful his body remained intact and they will have an open casket funeral service. Hernandez will be buried in Colorado.
From the time Jose A. Hernandez was a child, he hoped someday to become a Marine, his family and friends said Wednesday.
"He just wanted to serve his country. He just wanted to be a Marine," Hernandez's cousin, Clara Rodriguez said.
Hernandez, 19, realized that dream, joining the Marines after graduating from Lake Worth High School in 2009. The dream ended this week, when he was killed on Tuesday in combat in Afghanistan.
According to Rodriguez, Hernandez was inspired by his older brother, Don, who also served in the Marines. Hernandez would have celebrated his 20th birthday on the day after Christmas, said his sister, Aronica Nava, of Greenacres.
"He was just a good person," Nava said. "Nobody had anything bad to say about him."
As a child he loved soccer, but "his main thing was joining the Marines," Nava said. He thought he might study aviation after completing his service, she said.
Brad "Scooter" Michael, 19, of West Palm Beach, said he met Hernandez when the two were both enrolled in the ROTC program at Lake Worth High. Michael said he learned of Hernandez's death Tuesday night.
"It was just one of those moments that stop time," Michael said.
Michael said he last saw Hernandez over the summer, when Hernandez was home on leave.
"When he was on leave, he came to my house," Michael said. "My step dad is a Vietnam veteran. When he left in his service blues, my step dad saluted him, my mom gave him a hug and that was the last time I saw him."
Michael described Hernandez as a devoted Marine."
"He was a hardcore Marine, through thick and through thin," Michael said. "He was definitely a jarhead. Definitely, it was hoo-rah all the way through."
Jessica Norris, a friend and fellow Lake Worth High graduate, said of Hernandez: "He was a great guy. Funny. If you were sad, he could absolutely make your day. I remember when he was up north in North Carolina, every night we'd talk on the phone and he'd always make my day.
"Before he left, we promised each other we'd write in our journal every day to each other and then when he came back, that we'd exchange our journals," Norris said. "Unfortunately, that won't happen."
Mario Pagan, a Lantana native stationed with the Marines in California, said he had classes with Hernandez before transferring in his senior year to complete his studies at Gateway High School in Boynton.
"I definitely cried," said Pagan, who arrived home on leave Wednesday night. "You can't stop tears for someone that you knew in person and shared life with. He's not going in vain."
Marine Lance Cpl. Jose A. Hernandez was killed in action on 12/14/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Jose A. Hernandez, 19, of West Palm Beach, Fla.
LCpl Hernandez was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Dec. 14, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.
True hero: Lake Worth Marine steps on land mine, protects unit
The family of 19-year-old Lance Corporal Jose Hernandez was understandably grief stricken Wednesday night.
But they found some solace by his last moments alive when he committed an act of heroism.
Lance Cpl. Hernandez was on foot patrol with his unit Tuesday in the Helmand province in Afghanistan when all of the sudden he stepped on a land mine.
What this marine did next, his sisters say, is nothing short of heroism.
"He stepped on the mine and stood there until everyone evacuated. In other words, he sacrificed himself for everyone else," said sister Aronica Nava.
The shrapnel from the explosion killed Hernandez instantly. No one else in his unit was injured.
"He always wanted to make sure everybody was safe, so when we heard he did this it sounded just like him because that's what he always wanted to do," said sister Yollanda Morales.
Friends from Lake Worth High stopped by to console the family and light candles in his memory next to photos of Hernandez and his marine dress hat.
Ironically, Hernandez told his sisters that the thing he feared the most about war was stepping on a land mine.
LAKE WORTH, Fla. - Lance Cpl. Jose A. Hernandez sacrificed himself and that's where his big heart comes in because he would rather put himself first.
Wednesday night , his sisters, aunts, cousins and close friends gathered at his Greenacres home to remember the fallen hero.
"He used to live with us when he went to high school and he was like a brother to me," said his nephew Richard Nava.
Hernandez died after stepping on an IED while on patrol in Afghanistan. He had been in the Marines Corps for two years and would have come home in just four months.
Hernandez graduated from Lake Worth Community High School in 2009 and participated in the R.O.T.C. program there. Former R.O.T.C. members say being a Marine was a goal Hernandez always had and he died making that dream a reality.
"I would always ask him in high school what do you want to do when you grow up and it was always to be an infantry soldier in the Marines," said friend Jordan Foe.
Though they are saddened by his death, those who knew him best try to reflect on how he lived and not how he died.
"Great kid. Great kid. And not one bad bone in his body," said his aunt Marciela Madino.
"Always making people laugh even if you were so mad or if you were upset or even scared," added his sister Yolanda Morales.
Foe, who was in the R.O.T.C. with Hernandez, says his heroic act is something even he couldn't fathom. "Anybody can just easily say but when it comes time to do it takes a lot of guts.".
"The people who fight for us are doing it for a reason so that when we go outside we can do what we want without having to worry about stepping on something or getting hurt and these people, like my brother, sacrifice their lives for our freedom," Morales said.
Lance Cpl. Hernandez was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Jose Hernandez would have turned 20 next week.
Wednesday the flag at Lake Worth Community High School flew at half staff.
Family members say they are grateful his body remained intact and they will have an open casket funeral service. Hernandez will be buried in Colorado.
From the time Jose A. Hernandez was a child, he hoped someday to become a Marine, his family and friends said Wednesday.
"He just wanted to serve his country. He just wanted to be a Marine," Hernandez's cousin, Clara Rodriguez said.
Hernandez, 19, realized that dream, joining the Marines after graduating from Lake Worth High School in 2009. The dream ended this week, when he was killed on Tuesday in combat in Afghanistan.
According to Rodriguez, Hernandez was inspired by his older brother, Don, who also served in the Marines. Hernandez would have celebrated his 20th birthday on the day after Christmas, said his sister, Aronica Nava, of Greenacres.
"He was just a good person," Nava said. "Nobody had anything bad to say about him."
As a child he loved soccer, but "his main thing was joining the Marines," Nava said. He thought he might study aviation after completing his service, she said.
Brad "Scooter" Michael, 19, of West Palm Beach, said he met Hernandez when the two were both enrolled in the ROTC program at Lake Worth High. Michael said he learned of Hernandez's death Tuesday night.
"It was just one of those moments that stop time," Michael said.
Michael said he last saw Hernandez over the summer, when Hernandez was home on leave.
"When he was on leave, he came to my house," Michael said. "My step dad is a Vietnam veteran. When he left in his service blues, my step dad saluted him, my mom gave him a hug and that was the last time I saw him."
Michael described Hernandez as a devoted Marine."
"He was a hardcore Marine, through thick and through thin," Michael said. "He was definitely a jarhead. Definitely, it was hoo-rah all the way through."
Jessica Norris, a friend and fellow Lake Worth High graduate, said of Hernandez: "He was a great guy. Funny. If you were sad, he could absolutely make your day. I remember when he was up north in North Carolina, every night we'd talk on the phone and he'd always make my day.
"Before he left, we promised each other we'd write in our journal every day to each other and then when he came back, that we'd exchange our journals," Norris said. "Unfortunately, that won't happen."
Mario Pagan, a Lantana native stationed with the Marines in California, said he had classes with Hernandez before transferring in his senior year to complete his studies at Gateway High School in Boynton.
"I definitely cried," said Pagan, who arrived home on leave Wednesday night. "You can't stop tears for someone that you knew in person and shared life with. He's not going in vain."
Marine Lance Cpl. Jose A. Hernandez was killed in action on 12/14/10.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Army Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., 23, of Conway, N.C.
Cpl. McLawhorn was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Sean M. Collins, Spc. Patrick D. Deans, Kenneth E. Necochea Jr., Spc. Derek T. Simonetta and Spc. Jorge E. Villacis.
Willie Atlas “Will” McLawhorn was born in Whiteville, Columbus County North Carolina, on April 2, 1987 to Willie and Diane McLawhorn and to his sister Melanie. He lived in Whiteville until the family moved to Conway, North Carolina in 1998.
Will enjoyed sports as a boy playing baseball in the Dixie Youth League in Whiteville. He also participated in the RA basketball league of the Columbus Baptist Association. He was baptized into the Western Prong Baptist Church and enjoyed his associations with many friends there.
Upon coming to Conway, he continued his love of sports participating in Rec. league baseball and basketball. Will attended Northeast Academy of Lasker, North Carolina, graduating in 2005. While there he continued his love of basketball and baseball playing both sports on the junior varsity and varsity level. He was selected to the All-Roanoke-Chowan Baseball Team his senior year. Will also enjoyed hunting and killed an 8 point buck with his first shot.
From an early age, Will loved to play army, building forts and tossing pine cones pretending they were grenades. In November 2006 Will officially became an infantryman when he joined the United States Army. He did basic training and AIT at Fort Benning, Georgia. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division where he became a part of the Screaming Eagle family. Prior to deployment to Iraq in 2007, he graduated from Air Assault School earning his Air Assault Wings.
He served 15 months in Iraq and reenlisted for 5 years while there. During the next months he earned his Airborne Jump Wings as well as additional training for becoming an NCO. In June of 2010 he deployed with his unit to Afghanistan. Will grew to love his country and wanted to protect her…even if it meant giving his life. He loved his band of brothers who affectionately called him “Claw.”
Will loved life and had a great sense of humor often quipping out one-liners that could leave you in stitches. He was faithful to his friends and would stand with them through thick and thin. He knew that death was a possibility with what he did, but because of his faith, he saw death as simply “another great adventure.” A great soldier and a great man will be surely missed.
Preceding him in death are his maternal grandfather, Earl Barnes and his maternal grandmother and grandfather, Martha Smith McLawhorn and H.M. McLawhorn
Survivors include his mother and father, Diane and Willie McLawhorn of Conway, North Carolina, one sister, Melanie A. McLawhorn of Kelford, North Carolina and his maternal grandmother, Ellen Clark Barnes of Conway, North Carolina.
Army Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr. was killed in action on 12/12/10.
Army Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., 23, of Conway, N.C.
Cpl. McLawhorn was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Sean M. Collins, Spc. Patrick D. Deans, Kenneth E. Necochea Jr., Spc. Derek T. Simonetta and Spc. Jorge E. Villacis.
Willie Atlas “Will” McLawhorn was born in Whiteville, Columbus County North Carolina, on April 2, 1987 to Willie and Diane McLawhorn and to his sister Melanie. He lived in Whiteville until the family moved to Conway, North Carolina in 1998.
Will enjoyed sports as a boy playing baseball in the Dixie Youth League in Whiteville. He also participated in the RA basketball league of the Columbus Baptist Association. He was baptized into the Western Prong Baptist Church and enjoyed his associations with many friends there.
Upon coming to Conway, he continued his love of sports participating in Rec. league baseball and basketball. Will attended Northeast Academy of Lasker, North Carolina, graduating in 2005. While there he continued his love of basketball and baseball playing both sports on the junior varsity and varsity level. He was selected to the All-Roanoke-Chowan Baseball Team his senior year. Will also enjoyed hunting and killed an 8 point buck with his first shot.
From an early age, Will loved to play army, building forts and tossing pine cones pretending they were grenades. In November 2006 Will officially became an infantryman when he joined the United States Army. He did basic training and AIT at Fort Benning, Georgia. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division where he became a part of the Screaming Eagle family. Prior to deployment to Iraq in 2007, he graduated from Air Assault School earning his Air Assault Wings.
He served 15 months in Iraq and reenlisted for 5 years while there. During the next months he earned his Airborne Jump Wings as well as additional training for becoming an NCO. In June of 2010 he deployed with his unit to Afghanistan. Will grew to love his country and wanted to protect her…even if it meant giving his life. He loved his band of brothers who affectionately called him “Claw.”
Will loved life and had a great sense of humor often quipping out one-liners that could leave you in stitches. He was faithful to his friends and would stand with them through thick and thin. He knew that death was a possibility with what he did, but because of his faith, he saw death as simply “another great adventure.” A great soldier and a great man will be surely missed.
Preceding him in death are his maternal grandfather, Earl Barnes and his maternal grandmother and grandfather, Martha Smith McLawhorn and H.M. McLawhorn
Survivors include his mother and father, Diane and Willie McLawhorn of Conway, North Carolina, one sister, Melanie A. McLawhorn of Kelford, North Carolina and his maternal grandmother, Ellen Clark Barnes of Conway, North Carolina.
Army Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr. was killed in action on 12/12/10.
Army Cpl. Sean M. Collins
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Sean M. Collins, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Cpl. Collins was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., Spc. Patrick D. Deans, Kenneth E. Necochea Jr., Spc. Derek T. Simonetta and Spc. Jorge E. Villacis.
A 2004 Yelm High School graduate was among six soldiers killed Sunday in a suicide attack at a military base in southern Afghanistan.
Cpl. Sean M. Collins was killed in a massive blast at a military outpost in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, the Defense Department reported.
Collins, 25, died doing a job he loved, his mother said. “He always wanted to be in the Army since he was in kindergarten,” Linda Collins said Tuesday evening. “He wanted to be on the ground, up front.”
Collins was the first service member with ties to South Sound to die in Afghanistan in nearly five months.
The attack was carried out with 1,000 pounds of explosives loaded into a minibus that wouldn’t stop when Afghan guards tried to halt it, Maj. Gen. John Campbell reported in a video conference Tuesday.
The explosion took down a building and wounded 11 of Collins’ comrades in addition to the six who were killed. NATO has made arrests linked to the attack, NATO reported Monday.
The soldiers were assigned to the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Ky. Campbell said that 103 soldiers from his division have died on their current deployment.
His father, Patrick, said his son had been to Iraq twice -- most recently on a deployment last year. "He could have claimed his dwell time. He could have said, 'Look, I get a year (between deployments),'" Patrick Collins said. "In fact, he had to request a waiver to be able to deploy with his unit, but he was a team leader in an infantry platoon." But Sean Collins knew it was his duty and responsibility to go, his father said.
“Our sincere condolences go out to families and communities at Fort Campbell, and we will keep the families in our thoughts and prayers,” he said.
The attack came less than a month after six Fort Campbell solders were shot and killed by a lone gunman from the Afghan border police during a training mission.
Collins joined the Army in 2006 and had served two deployments in Iraq. His mother said she stayed in touch with him during his deployments and he usually showed an upbeat attitude because he enjoyed his work. She said he was planning to make a career out of the Army.
“I never worried about him in Iraq,” she said. “But for some reason in your heart there’s a hesitancy when he said he was going to Afghanistan.”
Linda Collins, a teacher at Yelm’s Ridgeline Middle School, said her house has been full of friends and family since news about her son made its way through the community over the past three days. “This town is close knit,” she said.
She learned of her son’s death Sunday morning when casualty assistance officers knocked on her door about 9:30 a.m. She had recently encouraged her son to keep up his spirits when he said some of his comrades were killed around Thanksgiving. “Now with what happened with him, it’s unbelievable,” she said.
“He was an awesome person. We are going to miss him,” his mother said.
Funeral services are pending.
According to the War on Terror News website, Collins' awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Valorous Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Support Medal, Army Service Medal and the NATO Medal.
He is survived by his mother, Linda G. Collins of Yelm, Wash., and father, Patrick B. Collins of Palolo Valley, Hawaii. he also has an older brother and two younger sisters.
Army Cpl. Sean M. Collins was killed in action on 12/12/10.
Army Cpl. Sean M. Collins, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Cpl. Collins was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., Spc. Patrick D. Deans, Kenneth E. Necochea Jr., Spc. Derek T. Simonetta and Spc. Jorge E. Villacis.
A 2004 Yelm High School graduate was among six soldiers killed Sunday in a suicide attack at a military base in southern Afghanistan.
Cpl. Sean M. Collins was killed in a massive blast at a military outpost in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, the Defense Department reported.
Collins, 25, died doing a job he loved, his mother said. “He always wanted to be in the Army since he was in kindergarten,” Linda Collins said Tuesday evening. “He wanted to be on the ground, up front.”
Collins was the first service member with ties to South Sound to die in Afghanistan in nearly five months.
The attack was carried out with 1,000 pounds of explosives loaded into a minibus that wouldn’t stop when Afghan guards tried to halt it, Maj. Gen. John Campbell reported in a video conference Tuesday.
The explosion took down a building and wounded 11 of Collins’ comrades in addition to the six who were killed. NATO has made arrests linked to the attack, NATO reported Monday.
The soldiers were assigned to the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Ky. Campbell said that 103 soldiers from his division have died on their current deployment.
His father, Patrick, said his son had been to Iraq twice -- most recently on a deployment last year. "He could have claimed his dwell time. He could have said, 'Look, I get a year (between deployments),'" Patrick Collins said. "In fact, he had to request a waiver to be able to deploy with his unit, but he was a team leader in an infantry platoon." But Sean Collins knew it was his duty and responsibility to go, his father said.
“Our sincere condolences go out to families and communities at Fort Campbell, and we will keep the families in our thoughts and prayers,” he said.
The attack came less than a month after six Fort Campbell solders were shot and killed by a lone gunman from the Afghan border police during a training mission.
Collins joined the Army in 2006 and had served two deployments in Iraq. His mother said she stayed in touch with him during his deployments and he usually showed an upbeat attitude because he enjoyed his work. She said he was planning to make a career out of the Army.
“I never worried about him in Iraq,” she said. “But for some reason in your heart there’s a hesitancy when he said he was going to Afghanistan.”
Linda Collins, a teacher at Yelm’s Ridgeline Middle School, said her house has been full of friends and family since news about her son made its way through the community over the past three days. “This town is close knit,” she said.
She learned of her son’s death Sunday morning when casualty assistance officers knocked on her door about 9:30 a.m. She had recently encouraged her son to keep up his spirits when he said some of his comrades were killed around Thanksgiving. “Now with what happened with him, it’s unbelievable,” she said.
“He was an awesome person. We are going to miss him,” his mother said.
Funeral services are pending.
According to the War on Terror News website, Collins' awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Valorous Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Support Medal, Army Service Medal and the NATO Medal.
He is survived by his mother, Linda G. Collins of Yelm, Wash., and father, Patrick B. Collins of Palolo Valley, Hawaii. he also has an older brother and two younger sisters.
Army Cpl. Sean M. Collins was killed in action on 12/12/10.
Army Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr., 21, of San Diego
Spc. Necochea was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Sean M. Collins, Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., Spc. Patrick D. Deans, Spc. Derek T. Simonetta and Spc. Jorge E. Villacis.
Family and friends of a fallen soldier, a 2007 Poway High School graduate, are mourning his loss this week.
Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr., 21, was among six Army soldiers killed Sunday in Afghanistan, according to the Pentagon.
The soldiers died when insurgents attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense.
Cara Brown, who loved being called “auntie” by her nephew, known to most as “Kenny,” said he was “a good Christian boy.
“He was always smiling and a joy to be with,” she said. “He was kind, and had character.”
Necochea attended junior college for a while, before deciding to enlist in the Army, she said. “It wasn’t just a whim with him,” Brown said. “In our eyes, he’s a hero.”
Remembering that smile of his and the many family stories they have to share about him will help to keep them going while everyone grieves, Brown said.
Meanwhile, Dave LeMaster, a Poway High School history teacher said Necochea liked that subject a lot. “He was genuine, never mean, kind and soft spoken,” LeMaster said. “I never knew he was going off to serve his country, but in class we discuss military service,” he added. “It’s sad that he died, but we’re really proud of him (for serving).”
Laura Dossett of Tennessee, met him when he was stationed at Fort Campbell and they quickly became close. “He was so shy (when they first met) but once we got to know each other, he opened up,” Dossett said. “He was such a gentle, sweet soul. He was a strong Christian. He was one of the only boys who ever willingly went to church with me.
Necochea’s awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Service Medal.
He is survived by his mother, Donna L. Wright of San Diego; and father, Kenneth E. Necochea of Poway; and several brothers and sisters, Amishka Necochea, Kyrnan Necochea, Natalie Nechochea, Evan Nechochea and Dylan Wright.
Army Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr. was killed in action on 12/12/10.
Army Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr., 21, of San Diego
Spc. Necochea was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Sean M. Collins, Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., Spc. Patrick D. Deans, Spc. Derek T. Simonetta and Spc. Jorge E. Villacis.
Family and friends of a fallen soldier, a 2007 Poway High School graduate, are mourning his loss this week.
Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr., 21, was among six Army soldiers killed Sunday in Afghanistan, according to the Pentagon.
The soldiers died when insurgents attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense.
Cara Brown, who loved being called “auntie” by her nephew, known to most as “Kenny,” said he was “a good Christian boy.
“He was always smiling and a joy to be with,” she said. “He was kind, and had character.”
Necochea attended junior college for a while, before deciding to enlist in the Army, she said. “It wasn’t just a whim with him,” Brown said. “In our eyes, he’s a hero.”
Remembering that smile of his and the many family stories they have to share about him will help to keep them going while everyone grieves, Brown said.
Meanwhile, Dave LeMaster, a Poway High School history teacher said Necochea liked that subject a lot. “He was genuine, never mean, kind and soft spoken,” LeMaster said. “I never knew he was going off to serve his country, but in class we discuss military service,” he added. “It’s sad that he died, but we’re really proud of him (for serving).”
Laura Dossett of Tennessee, met him when he was stationed at Fort Campbell and they quickly became close. “He was so shy (when they first met) but once we got to know each other, he opened up,” Dossett said. “He was such a gentle, sweet soul. He was a strong Christian. He was one of the only boys who ever willingly went to church with me.
Necochea’s awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Service Medal.
He is survived by his mother, Donna L. Wright of San Diego; and father, Kenneth E. Necochea of Poway; and several brothers and sisters, Amishka Necochea, Kyrnan Necochea, Natalie Nechochea, Evan Nechochea and Dylan Wright.
Army Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr. was killed in action on 12/12/10.
Army Spc. Patrick D. Deans
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Patrick D. Deans, 22 of Orlando, Fla.
Spc. Deans was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Sean M. Collins, Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr., Spc. Derek T. Simonetta and Spc. Jorge E. Villacis.
It's clear from Spc. Patrick D. Deans' Facebook page that he understood the danger inherent in becoming a soldier.
"A Veteran is someone, who at one point in their life, wrote a blank check payable to the United States of America for an amount up to, and including their life," Deans posted on his wall Nov. 10. "That is beyond honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer remember that fact."
A little more than a month later, Deans was one of six soldiers killed in Kandahar province, Afghanistan by a suicide bomber. He died Sunday, two days before his 23rd birthday.
Deans served in Iraq during his first tour of duty and was sent to Afghanistan after he reenlisted, said Butch Herdegen, 23, one of Deans' closest friends.
It was in Howz-e Madad that Deans and his fellow soldiers, including Spc. Jorge Villacis, 24, of Sunrise, died when an explosives-packed minibus blew up at the entrance to a joint NATO-Afghan base, the Department of Defense said.
He graduated from Timber Creek High School in Orlando and was a member of the JROTC.
Deans was an Infantryman, who joined the Army in June 2007 and arrived at Fort Campbell in November 2007. Deans’ award and decorations include: Army Commendation Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Medal and Overseas Service Ribbon.
He is survived by his mother, Robyn Deans, of Oviedo, and his father, Patrick of Orlando.
Army Spc. Patrick D. Deans was killed in action on 12/12/10
Army Spc. Patrick D. Deans, 22 of Orlando, Fla.
Spc. Deans was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Sean M. Collins, Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr., Spc. Derek T. Simonetta and Spc. Jorge E. Villacis.
It's clear from Spc. Patrick D. Deans' Facebook page that he understood the danger inherent in becoming a soldier.
"A Veteran is someone, who at one point in their life, wrote a blank check payable to the United States of America for an amount up to, and including their life," Deans posted on his wall Nov. 10. "That is beyond honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer remember that fact."
A little more than a month later, Deans was one of six soldiers killed in Kandahar province, Afghanistan by a suicide bomber. He died Sunday, two days before his 23rd birthday.
Deans served in Iraq during his first tour of duty and was sent to Afghanistan after he reenlisted, said Butch Herdegen, 23, one of Deans' closest friends.
It was in Howz-e Madad that Deans and his fellow soldiers, including Spc. Jorge Villacis, 24, of Sunrise, died when an explosives-packed minibus blew up at the entrance to a joint NATO-Afghan base, the Department of Defense said.
He graduated from Timber Creek High School in Orlando and was a member of the JROTC.
Deans was an Infantryman, who joined the Army in June 2007 and arrived at Fort Campbell in November 2007. Deans’ award and decorations include: Army Commendation Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Medal and Overseas Service Ribbon.
He is survived by his mother, Robyn Deans, of Oviedo, and his father, Patrick of Orlando.
Army Spc. Patrick D. Deans was killed in action on 12/12/10
Army Spc. Jorge E. Villacis
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Jorge E. Villacis, 24, of Sunrise, Fla.
Spc. Villacis was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Sean M. Collins, Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., Spc. Patrick D. Deans, Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr. and Spc. Derek T. Simonetta.
Before he returned to Afghanistan late last month after a 15-day leave, Army Spc. Jorge Villacis responded to his family's fears about his safety with a smiling reassurance.
"He just said, 'I have to go back and finish the job. And then I'll be home,'" said the soldier's sister, Jessica Geribon of Pembroke Pines. "He didn't like to stress."
The 24-year-old Sunrise man was among six Army soldiers killed Sunday in Afghanistan's Kandahar province when his unit was attacked by an insurgent using a vehicle rigged with an improvised bomb, the Defense Department announced Tuesday.
The suicide attack used enough explosives to bring down the building the soldiers were in, their commander, Maj. Gen. John Campbell, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Villacis' death came just less than a month after one of his closest friends, Staff Sgt. Juan Rivadeneira, 27, was killed in in a similar incident in Kandahar. Two other soldiers with the 502nd Infantry Regiment died in that attack.
Jessica Geribon, along with her husband Ricardo, her sister Jannina Salterini of Miramar, and Villacis' parents Jorge and Segunda Villacis, of Hollywood, were all at the South Florida VA National Cemetery, west of Lake Worth, on Nov. 30 for Rivadeneira's burial.
As she stood next to Rivadeneira's flag-draped casket, Jessica Geribon said she could not help thinking, "I don't want to be here again for my brother. I don't want to relive this."
Villacis and Rivadeneira met at Fort Campbell and became friends. Rivadeneira's heritage was Venezuelan. Villacis' parents are from Ecuador. Through the soldiers' friendship, their families became close. In November 2009, members of both families celebrated that most American of holidays, Thanksgiving, together at Fort Campbell.
The two soldiers deployed together in June, but served in different units in Afghanistan.
Melissa, Juan's widow, who lives in Miami, rushed to the Geribons' home Sunday when she got word of Villacis' death. "She told me, 'Now they are together again,'" said Jessica Geribon.
Born in New Jersey, Villacis graduated from American Senior High School in Hialeah. He worked as a mechanic before enlisting in the Army in September 2008. He also attended Broward College, and planned on returning to school.
At home, he liked to toss the football in the yard with his nieces and nephews, play Madden NFL video games, and root with passion for the New York Yankees.
Said Ricardo Geribon, "He is a hero. He was just a great kid, with a wonderful smile. He was never mad at anyone." At the time of his enlistment, he lived in Sunrise.
He is survived by his wife, Melissa Villacis; and children Zackert T. Devereaux (7), Julian E. Villacis (2) and Jocelyn E. Villacis (1), all of Fort Campbell; mother Segunda Villacis and father Jorge E. Villacis of Hollywood, Fla.
Army Spc. Jorge E. Villacis was killed in action on 12/12/10.
Army Spc. Jorge E. Villacis, 24, of Sunrise, Fla.
Spc. Villacis was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Sean M. Collins, Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., Spc. Patrick D. Deans, Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr. and Spc. Derek T. Simonetta.
Before he returned to Afghanistan late last month after a 15-day leave, Army Spc. Jorge Villacis responded to his family's fears about his safety with a smiling reassurance.
"He just said, 'I have to go back and finish the job. And then I'll be home,'" said the soldier's sister, Jessica Geribon of Pembroke Pines. "He didn't like to stress."
The 24-year-old Sunrise man was among six Army soldiers killed Sunday in Afghanistan's Kandahar province when his unit was attacked by an insurgent using a vehicle rigged with an improvised bomb, the Defense Department announced Tuesday.
The suicide attack used enough explosives to bring down the building the soldiers were in, their commander, Maj. Gen. John Campbell, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Villacis' death came just less than a month after one of his closest friends, Staff Sgt. Juan Rivadeneira, 27, was killed in in a similar incident in Kandahar. Two other soldiers with the 502nd Infantry Regiment died in that attack.
Jessica Geribon, along with her husband Ricardo, her sister Jannina Salterini of Miramar, and Villacis' parents Jorge and Segunda Villacis, of Hollywood, were all at the South Florida VA National Cemetery, west of Lake Worth, on Nov. 30 for Rivadeneira's burial.
As she stood next to Rivadeneira's flag-draped casket, Jessica Geribon said she could not help thinking, "I don't want to be here again for my brother. I don't want to relive this."
Villacis and Rivadeneira met at Fort Campbell and became friends. Rivadeneira's heritage was Venezuelan. Villacis' parents are from Ecuador. Through the soldiers' friendship, their families became close. In November 2009, members of both families celebrated that most American of holidays, Thanksgiving, together at Fort Campbell.
The two soldiers deployed together in June, but served in different units in Afghanistan.
Melissa, Juan's widow, who lives in Miami, rushed to the Geribons' home Sunday when she got word of Villacis' death. "She told me, 'Now they are together again,'" said Jessica Geribon.
Born in New Jersey, Villacis graduated from American Senior High School in Hialeah. He worked as a mechanic before enlisting in the Army in September 2008. He also attended Broward College, and planned on returning to school.
At home, he liked to toss the football in the yard with his nieces and nephews, play Madden NFL video games, and root with passion for the New York Yankees.
Said Ricardo Geribon, "He is a hero. He was just a great kid, with a wonderful smile. He was never mad at anyone." At the time of his enlistment, he lived in Sunrise.
He is survived by his wife, Melissa Villacis; and children Zackert T. Devereaux (7), Julian E. Villacis (2) and Jocelyn E. Villacis (1), all of Fort Campbell; mother Segunda Villacis and father Jorge E. Villacis of Hollywood, Fla.
Army Spc. Jorge E. Villacis was killed in action on 12/12/10.
Army Spc. Derek T. Simonetta
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Derek T. Simonetta, 21, of Redwood City, Calif.
Spc. Simonetta was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Sean M. Collins, Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., Spc. Patrick D. Deans, Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr. and Spc. Jorge E. Villacis.
U.S. Army Spc. Derek Simonetta celebrated his 21st birthday with his family in Redding and San Carlos two months ago before returning to Afghanistan to fight. He confessed he had some misgivings about going back. "We're going over there to die," one service member told him.
Simonetta returned because it was his job, his family said. On Sunday, he was one of six U.S. soldiers killed in a suicide bombing in Kandahar province. "He gave all he could, and he gave the maximum gift," Paul Simonetta, 62, said Tuesday of his grandson.
Born in San Francisco, Derek Simonetta attended Carlmont High School in Belmont, where he met his wife-to-be, Kimberly, when they were freshmen. He moved to Redding and transferred to a high school there but kept in touch with her.
Bonnie Simonetta, 60, said her grandson had shuttled between his parents while growing up. "He was a young man that overcame a lot of obstacles in his life and had absolutely become a man," she said. "He was bravely serving his country. He was a good boy. We really loved him."
He and Kimberly married in 2008. Almost exactly two years later, Derek Simonetta deployed to Afghanistan. In October, he came home for 16 days to celebrate his 21st birthday with his and his wife's family.
"He was so happy to be home," said Kimberly Simonetta, 20, of San Carlos. "It was the best feeling to see his face, his smile, his bright green eyes."
She added, "He is my world, my everything. He's not gone - he's always with us. I know he's always with me, watching me, guiding me."
Simonetta was planning to leave the Army in January 2012 and hoped to become a deputy sheriff and start a family, his wife said. He knew his time in the Army could be stressful and harrowing.
"I think he had some reservations because of the action he saw," his grandmother said. "One of the things that impressed me was that he was in a firefight the first week he was there. I told him, 'Oh my God, Derek, what did you do? I would be scared if somebody was shooting at me.'
"He just said, 'I just did my job.' To me, that just showed me so much about what he turned out to be, a man who was there to do a job."
He is survived by his wife, Kimberly A. Simonetta of San Carlos, Calif.; mother, Tanya Simonetta of Redding, Calif., and father, James E. Lemp of Redwood City.
Army Spc. Derek T. Simonetta was killed in action on 12/12/10.
Army Spc. Derek T. Simonetta, 21, of Redwood City, Calif.
Spc. Simonetta was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Sean M. Collins, Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., Spc. Patrick D. Deans, Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr. and Spc. Jorge E. Villacis.
U.S. Army Spc. Derek Simonetta celebrated his 21st birthday with his family in Redding and San Carlos two months ago before returning to Afghanistan to fight. He confessed he had some misgivings about going back. "We're going over there to die," one service member told him.
Simonetta returned because it was his job, his family said. On Sunday, he was one of six U.S. soldiers killed in a suicide bombing in Kandahar province. "He gave all he could, and he gave the maximum gift," Paul Simonetta, 62, said Tuesday of his grandson.
Born in San Francisco, Derek Simonetta attended Carlmont High School in Belmont, where he met his wife-to-be, Kimberly, when they were freshmen. He moved to Redding and transferred to a high school there but kept in touch with her.
Bonnie Simonetta, 60, said her grandson had shuttled between his parents while growing up. "He was a young man that overcame a lot of obstacles in his life and had absolutely become a man," she said. "He was bravely serving his country. He was a good boy. We really loved him."
He and Kimberly married in 2008. Almost exactly two years later, Derek Simonetta deployed to Afghanistan. In October, he came home for 16 days to celebrate his 21st birthday with his and his wife's family.
"He was so happy to be home," said Kimberly Simonetta, 20, of San Carlos. "It was the best feeling to see his face, his smile, his bright green eyes."
She added, "He is my world, my everything. He's not gone - he's always with us. I know he's always with me, watching me, guiding me."
Simonetta was planning to leave the Army in January 2012 and hoped to become a deputy sheriff and start a family, his wife said. He knew his time in the Army could be stressful and harrowing.
"I think he had some reservations because of the action he saw," his grandmother said. "One of the things that impressed me was that he was in a firefight the first week he was there. I told him, 'Oh my God, Derek, what did you do? I would be scared if somebody was shooting at me.'
"He just said, 'I just did my job.' To me, that just showed me so much about what he turned out to be, a man who was there to do a job."
He is survived by his wife, Kimberly A. Simonetta of San Carlos, Calif.; mother, Tanya Simonetta of Redding, Calif., and father, James E. Lemp of Redwood City.
Army Spc. Derek T. Simonetta was killed in action on 12/12/10.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Army Spc. Ethan L. Goncalo
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Ethan L. Goncalo, 21, of Fall River, Mass.
Spc. Goncalo was assigned to 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry Regiment, Massachusetts National Guard, Worcester, Mass; died Dec. 11, 2010 in Kabul, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained in a non-combat incident.
On a blustery cold and very wet day, the flags at half staff foretell the sadness. Fall River native Ethan Goncalo lost his life in Afghanistan but the details of his death have not yet been released. He had just turned 21.
The Army National Guardsman had recently gone overseas, deployed in October. Goncalo's family did not want to speak to reporters on camera but the city's Veterans Representative said they were holding strong. "They're mourning," said veterans agent Maunuel DaPonte. "They need answers but right now no one seems to have them."
"We appreciate the mourning of the state, all the community and this city has had so many in this past year," said DaPonte.
In fact four service members from Fall River have fallen since April of this year. National Guardsman Sargent Robert Barrett was the first killed in Afghanistan. Then Army Specialist Scott Andrews was killed also in Afghanistan in June. Then Marine Cpl. Paul Fagundes died while trying to rescue a fellow Marine in the waters off of Cuba in July.
"Hit hard for our city," said Fall River m mayor William Flanagan. "Our city will come together as it has in times past. Offer condolences to the family as we have done in times past."
"I feel a personal loss because I am retired," said DaPonte. "He is my soldier. He is my son. That is the best I can explain it you are anybody else that asks."
Ethan Goncalo, a 2008 graduate of B.M.C. Durfee High School, was serving with the 181st Infantry with the Massachusetts Army National Guard when he died. The cause of death was not immediately available.
“We don’t know how he died,” Mayor Will Flanagan said. The city received word Saturday from Veterans Agent Manuel DaPonte that Goncalo died while serving with the 181st Infantry. He enlisted in March and was deployed to Afghanistan in October. He was the son of Lou Goncalo and Kelly Reed.
Flanagan requested that all flags in the city fly at half-staff. He also arranged for a grief counselor to visit Durfee today. “He was very active at Durfee and being a recent graduate, he still has friends and classmates at Durfee,” Flanagan said.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the Goncalo family,” Flanagan said. “Ethan’s death marks the fourth military funeral to be held this year in our city, and as mayor of Fall River, I issue my condolences to the Goncalo family and will honor any requests that they may have in Ethan’s memory.”
Other Fall River soldiers who died this year serving their country were Army Sgt. Robert Barrett, Army Specialist Scott Andrews and Marine Cpl. Paul Fagundes.
Goncalo is the third Massachusetts soldier in as many weeks to die in Afghanistan.
Michael Costa of Westport, a U.S. history teacher at B.M.C. Durfee High School, had Goncalo as a student in his senior year. “He was a great kid. Full of energy ... Always made you and the class laugh. He was just a genuine person,” Costa said.
Goncalo loved baseball and was a catcher on the Durfee team. “That was his first goal at college — to play baseball,” Costa said. “He played at Westfield State.” He had been enrolled at Westfield State for sociology and also attended Massasoit Community College.
Goncalo also was very active at the Thomas Chew Memorial Boys and Girls Club on Bedford Street.
He attended Bishop Connolly High School before earning his diploma from Durfee. Costa said Goncalo left college after his first year to enlist in the military. “He wanted to get his life on track. He felt that was the best way to go — enter the military,” Costa said.
Costa said he last spoke to Goncalo about a week ago.
“He was very excited to come home. He said he would visit Durfee to see me and talk to some classes about his experience (in Afghanistan),” Costa said. “He was a great kid. I’m going to miss him and the school will miss him.”
Army Spc. Ethan L. Goncalo was killed in a non-combat related incident on 12/11/10.
Army Spc. Ethan L. Goncalo, 21, of Fall River, Mass.
Spc. Goncalo was assigned to 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry Regiment, Massachusetts National Guard, Worcester, Mass; died Dec. 11, 2010 in Kabul, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained in a non-combat incident.
On a blustery cold and very wet day, the flags at half staff foretell the sadness. Fall River native Ethan Goncalo lost his life in Afghanistan but the details of his death have not yet been released. He had just turned 21.
The Army National Guardsman had recently gone overseas, deployed in October. Goncalo's family did not want to speak to reporters on camera but the city's Veterans Representative said they were holding strong. "They're mourning," said veterans agent Maunuel DaPonte. "They need answers but right now no one seems to have them."
"We appreciate the mourning of the state, all the community and this city has had so many in this past year," said DaPonte.
In fact four service members from Fall River have fallen since April of this year. National Guardsman Sargent Robert Barrett was the first killed in Afghanistan. Then Army Specialist Scott Andrews was killed also in Afghanistan in June. Then Marine Cpl. Paul Fagundes died while trying to rescue a fellow Marine in the waters off of Cuba in July.
"Hit hard for our city," said Fall River m mayor William Flanagan. "Our city will come together as it has in times past. Offer condolences to the family as we have done in times past."
"I feel a personal loss because I am retired," said DaPonte. "He is my soldier. He is my son. That is the best I can explain it you are anybody else that asks."
Ethan Goncalo, a 2008 graduate of B.M.C. Durfee High School, was serving with the 181st Infantry with the Massachusetts Army National Guard when he died. The cause of death was not immediately available.
“We don’t know how he died,” Mayor Will Flanagan said. The city received word Saturday from Veterans Agent Manuel DaPonte that Goncalo died while serving with the 181st Infantry. He enlisted in March and was deployed to Afghanistan in October. He was the son of Lou Goncalo and Kelly Reed.
Flanagan requested that all flags in the city fly at half-staff. He also arranged for a grief counselor to visit Durfee today. “He was very active at Durfee and being a recent graduate, he still has friends and classmates at Durfee,” Flanagan said.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the Goncalo family,” Flanagan said. “Ethan’s death marks the fourth military funeral to be held this year in our city, and as mayor of Fall River, I issue my condolences to the Goncalo family and will honor any requests that they may have in Ethan’s memory.”
Other Fall River soldiers who died this year serving their country were Army Sgt. Robert Barrett, Army Specialist Scott Andrews and Marine Cpl. Paul Fagundes.
Goncalo is the third Massachusetts soldier in as many weeks to die in Afghanistan.
Michael Costa of Westport, a U.S. history teacher at B.M.C. Durfee High School, had Goncalo as a student in his senior year. “He was a great kid. Full of energy ... Always made you and the class laugh. He was just a genuine person,” Costa said.
Goncalo loved baseball and was a catcher on the Durfee team. “That was his first goal at college — to play baseball,” Costa said. “He played at Westfield State.” He had been enrolled at Westfield State for sociology and also attended Massasoit Community College.
Goncalo also was very active at the Thomas Chew Memorial Boys and Girls Club on Bedford Street.
He attended Bishop Connolly High School before earning his diploma from Durfee. Costa said Goncalo left college after his first year to enlist in the military. “He wanted to get his life on track. He felt that was the best way to go — enter the military,” Costa said.
Costa said he last spoke to Goncalo about a week ago.
“He was very excited to come home. He said he would visit Durfee to see me and talk to some classes about his experience (in Afghanistan),” Costa said. “He was a great kid. I’m going to miss him and the school will miss him.”
Army Spc. Ethan L. Goncalo was killed in a non-combat related incident on 12/11/10.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Marine Staff Sgt. Stacy A. Green
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Staff Sgt. Stacy A. Green, 34, of Alexander City, Ala.
SSgt Green was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Dec. 10, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.
ALEXANDER CITY, AL. (WSFA) - Alexander City is mourning the loss of one of its own, a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
Staff Sgt. Stacy A. Green, 34, of Alexander City died Friday, December 10, while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
The city is planning to receive the body of Staff Sgt. Green on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. Flags will line U.S. 280 in Alexander City and the flag at Patriot Point will be lowered to half-staff to welcome the soldier back home.
Funeral service for Staff Sergeant Stacy Andrew Green, USMC, 34, of Alexander City, will be Saturday, December 18, 2010 at 1:00 pm at the Faith Temple. Rev. Ira Jones will officiate. Burial will follow in the Hillview Memorial Park. The family will receive friends on Friday, December 17, 2010 from 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Radney Funeral Home.
Staff Sergeant Green passed away on Friday, December 10, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was born on August 22, 1976 in Alexander City, Alabama to Stanley Eugene Green and Gloria Jean Miller Green. He had served in the United States Marine Corp for the past ten years. His unit, stationed at Camp Lejune, NC. was deployed in Afghanistan in August. SSGT Green graduated from Daleville High School in 1995.
“He was a marine full-time. It was his career,” his brother, Tony Green, said.
Tony Green said his brother joined the marines 10 years ago and was deployed to Iraq three times before his deployment to Afghanistan.
“He enjoyed it,” Tony Green said of his brother’s career as a marine. “It changed his life.”
Green’s close friend, Richard Vaughan, said he met Green about two years ago and described the marine as a very outspoken individual who loved his life and lived it to the fullest.
“You know that one dude that made everyone laugh? That was him,” Vaughan shared. “He was the life of the party.”
Vaughan added that Green loved his mother as well as his two Alaskan huskies, Joker and Ace.
“You would just click with him instantly,” Vaughan said. “He never met a stranger. He was a real good person.”
Tony Green described his brother, who lived in Jacksonville, S.C. but came home to Alexander City for holidays and vacations, as very cheerful and said he loved playing online military games.
Tony Green said that before his brother’s deployment in August, he gave him his Facebook account password so he would have it should anything happen to him.
“I got on (Facebook) Friday and let his friends know,” Tony Green said.
Since then, there has been an outpouring of support for Green’s family on his Facebook page from many of his friends.
“Hadn’t seen Stacy in years. Can truly say he was one of the best men I’ve ever known. Thanks for always having my back,” David Asbill posted.
Green’s classmates from Daleville High School also showed their support and shared how much they would miss Green.
“Stacy was my friend and fellow Warhawk on the O-line at Daleville. He was a friend to anyone he met, regardless of their social standing. He will be missed. Thank you Stacy for your service to our country. In time, we will all see you again!,” Daven Davenport posted.
Finally, a number of Green’s fellow marines offered their condolences.
“I can’t believe it was you who had to go. One of the few, who could talk to like a man, and get an honest opinion, and always had our backs. The Marine Corps needs more guys like you. I am proud to have served with you, and my condolences go to your family,” Nathaniel Eliott Ffokinok posted.
Green said the family appreciates all the support.
“He was a great brother,” Tony Green said.
Green’s remains arrived on U.S. soil Sunday, when transported by a U.S. Marine Corps carry team at Dover Air Force Base, Del., Tony Green said.
Marine Staff Sgt. Stacy A. Green was killed in action on 12/10/10.
Marine Staff Sgt. Stacy A. Green, 34, of Alexander City, Ala.
SSgt Green was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Dec. 10, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.
ALEXANDER CITY, AL. (WSFA) - Alexander City is mourning the loss of one of its own, a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
Staff Sgt. Stacy A. Green, 34, of Alexander City died Friday, December 10, while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
The city is planning to receive the body of Staff Sgt. Green on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. Flags will line U.S. 280 in Alexander City and the flag at Patriot Point will be lowered to half-staff to welcome the soldier back home.
Funeral service for Staff Sergeant Stacy Andrew Green, USMC, 34, of Alexander City, will be Saturday, December 18, 2010 at 1:00 pm at the Faith Temple. Rev. Ira Jones will officiate. Burial will follow in the Hillview Memorial Park. The family will receive friends on Friday, December 17, 2010 from 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Radney Funeral Home.
Staff Sergeant Green passed away on Friday, December 10, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was born on August 22, 1976 in Alexander City, Alabama to Stanley Eugene Green and Gloria Jean Miller Green. He had served in the United States Marine Corp for the past ten years. His unit, stationed at Camp Lejune, NC. was deployed in Afghanistan in August. SSGT Green graduated from Daleville High School in 1995.
“He was a marine full-time. It was his career,” his brother, Tony Green, said.
Tony Green said his brother joined the marines 10 years ago and was deployed to Iraq three times before his deployment to Afghanistan.
“He enjoyed it,” Tony Green said of his brother’s career as a marine. “It changed his life.”
Green’s close friend, Richard Vaughan, said he met Green about two years ago and described the marine as a very outspoken individual who loved his life and lived it to the fullest.
“You know that one dude that made everyone laugh? That was him,” Vaughan shared. “He was the life of the party.”
Vaughan added that Green loved his mother as well as his two Alaskan huskies, Joker and Ace.
“You would just click with him instantly,” Vaughan said. “He never met a stranger. He was a real good person.”
Tony Green described his brother, who lived in Jacksonville, S.C. but came home to Alexander City for holidays and vacations, as very cheerful and said he loved playing online military games.
Tony Green said that before his brother’s deployment in August, he gave him his Facebook account password so he would have it should anything happen to him.
“I got on (Facebook) Friday and let his friends know,” Tony Green said.
Since then, there has been an outpouring of support for Green’s family on his Facebook page from many of his friends.
“Hadn’t seen Stacy in years. Can truly say he was one of the best men I’ve ever known. Thanks for always having my back,” David Asbill posted.
Green’s classmates from Daleville High School also showed their support and shared how much they would miss Green.
“Stacy was my friend and fellow Warhawk on the O-line at Daleville. He was a friend to anyone he met, regardless of their social standing. He will be missed. Thank you Stacy for your service to our country. In time, we will all see you again!,” Daven Davenport posted.
Finally, a number of Green’s fellow marines offered their condolences.
“I can’t believe it was you who had to go. One of the few, who could talk to like a man, and get an honest opinion, and always had our backs. The Marine Corps needs more guys like you. I am proud to have served with you, and my condolences go to your family,” Nathaniel Eliott Ffokinok posted.
Green said the family appreciates all the support.
“He was a great brother,” Tony Green said.
Green’s remains arrived on U.S. soil Sunday, when transported by a U.S. Marine Corps carry team at Dover Air Force Base, Del., Tony Green said.
Marine Staff Sgt. Stacy A. Green was killed in action on 12/10/10.
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Marine Lance Cpl. Michael E. Geary
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Michael E. Geary, 20, of Derry, N.H.
LCpl Geary was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Dec. 8, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.
Michael Geary was so proud to be a Marine he wore his dress uniform to show his Pinkerton Academy English teacher after he completed training.
Geary, a 20-year-old from Derry, joined the Marines after he graduated from Pinkerton in 2009 and had risen to the rank of lance corporal by the time he died Wednesday in Afghanistan. He had started training to be a Marine when he was 14 by running and working out with his recruiters, his grieving uncle Michael Maccormack recalled Thursday. Being a Marine "was just something he really wanted to do," Maccormack said.
The family still does not know what happened, Maccormack said.
Geary had been in Afghanistan since August and was due to come home in January. He had other chances at leave but passed them up to help buddies with families. "If he had leave, he passed it up to someone who was married and had children," Maccormack said.
He was serving his first tour in Afghanistan, Maccormack said. He planned to become a police officer or border patrolman when he got out of the service, he said.
Geary told teachers when he was accepted into the Marines it fulfilled a lifelong ambition, Pinkerton spokesman Robin Perrin said. Several teachers remembered Geary as a quiet man who deeply loved his country.
Geary's English teacher, Joseph Dion, issued a statement about his former student, recalling the day Geary told him he had been accepted into the Marines.
"He was standing tall, proud of his decision to become a Marine," Dion wrote. "Right from the start I liked having Mike as a student. He was genuinely interested in learning; he asked honest questions with a real desire to know the truth. When he made the decision to join the Marines, it was clear he had made a decision that would help him achieve a goal he truly believed in."
Dion recalled Geary's senior essay was on what it takes to become a Marine and what Marines have to offer. Dion said the two remained in touch and Geary stopped by after completing his training in his full dress uniform to show he had done what he had set out to do. "Mike was a young man people could admire for his conviction and his accomplishment," Dion said.
Gov. John Lynch said Geary sacrificed his life so "all of us could be free, and we owe him a debt we can never fully repay."
"He is a true New Hampshire hero," Lynch said. "All of us here in New Hampshire are deeply saddened by the loss of such a brave young man."
Marine Lance Cpl. Michael E. Geary was killed in action on 12/08/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Michael E. Geary, 20, of Derry, N.H.
LCpl Geary was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Dec. 8, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.
Michael Geary was so proud to be a Marine he wore his dress uniform to show his Pinkerton Academy English teacher after he completed training.
Geary, a 20-year-old from Derry, joined the Marines after he graduated from Pinkerton in 2009 and had risen to the rank of lance corporal by the time he died Wednesday in Afghanistan. He had started training to be a Marine when he was 14 by running and working out with his recruiters, his grieving uncle Michael Maccormack recalled Thursday. Being a Marine "was just something he really wanted to do," Maccormack said.
The family still does not know what happened, Maccormack said.
Geary had been in Afghanistan since August and was due to come home in January. He had other chances at leave but passed them up to help buddies with families. "If he had leave, he passed it up to someone who was married and had children," Maccormack said.
He was serving his first tour in Afghanistan, Maccormack said. He planned to become a police officer or border patrolman when he got out of the service, he said.
Geary told teachers when he was accepted into the Marines it fulfilled a lifelong ambition, Pinkerton spokesman Robin Perrin said. Several teachers remembered Geary as a quiet man who deeply loved his country.
Geary's English teacher, Joseph Dion, issued a statement about his former student, recalling the day Geary told him he had been accepted into the Marines.
"He was standing tall, proud of his decision to become a Marine," Dion wrote. "Right from the start I liked having Mike as a student. He was genuinely interested in learning; he asked honest questions with a real desire to know the truth. When he made the decision to join the Marines, it was clear he had made a decision that would help him achieve a goal he truly believed in."
Dion recalled Geary's senior essay was on what it takes to become a Marine and what Marines have to offer. Dion said the two remained in touch and Geary stopped by after completing his training in his full dress uniform to show he had done what he had set out to do. "Mike was a young man people could admire for his conviction and his accomplishment," Dion said.
Gov. John Lynch said Geary sacrificed his life so "all of us could be free, and we owe him a debt we can never fully repay."
"He is a true New Hampshire hero," Lynch said. "All of us here in New Hampshire are deeply saddened by the loss of such a brave young man."
Marine Lance Cpl. Michael E. Geary was killed in action on 12/08/10.
Army Spc. Kelly J. Mixon
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Kelly J. Mixon, 23, of Yulee, Fla.
Spc Mixon was assigned to 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany; died Dec. 8, 2010 in Balkh province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an insurgent attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Army Sgt. James A. Ayube II.
In a phone interview with First Coast News, his wife Amy said she's been in shock since the moment she heard the news.
"They came into my office and when I turned the corner and saw them I just broke down into tears and started screaming no way," Mixon said. "I'm grateful for what he did for the country, but I miss him, and I will always love him."
When Kelly J. Mixon came home from Afghanistan for Thanksgiving in Yulee, he got to do two of his favorite things: mess around in the kitchen and play the drums. It was a happy time, family and friends say, tinged with worries about how the rest of his deployment would go.
Those fears became true this week. Mixon and a sergeant from Massachusetts were killed in Balkh province, Afghanistan, after an insurgent attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device.
Mixon, a U.S. Army specialist, would have turned 24 in two weeks. He got married right before he was deployed.
Mixon had talked for years, on and off, about enlisting in some branch of the military, friends and family said. When he signed up a few years after high school, it was clear he’d made the right choice. “When I saw him, he was the happiest I’d seen him in many a long time,” said Mary Sikes, who works in Fernandina Beach High School’s guidance department and saw Mixon over Thanksgiving.
Although Mixon could seem rebellious — “not afraid to be himself in front of everybody” is how his friend Ryan Teston described it — it wasn’t much of a surprise when he enlisted or when he went on to become a sniper.
“He was just looking for a big adventure,” said Bob Jenkins, a drumline instructor who taught Mixon how to play. “He always liked to do everything the best he could.”
Drumming was a major part of Mixon’s life before he enlisted. He was interested in music in middle school and joined the band when he went on to Fernandina Beach High School. “Over the next four years, he was the best student I ever had,” Jenkins said.
He eventually became part of the D-Line, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ official drumline.
When Mixon came home for Thanksgiving, he stopped by and practiced with the current band members at the high school, Teston said. “He talked about how things were going,” said Teston, who had played with Mixon back in high school. “He didn’t really like Afghanistan, but he enjoyed the Army.”
As the news circulated through his close-knit circle of friends and family, the thought that he was happy in the Army provided some comfort. “Everyone was scared” when Mixon left to finish his deployment, his aunt, Ginny Mixon, said through her tears Friday afternoon. “But he was doing what he wanted to do.”
When Mixon finished up his tour, several friends said, he planned on going to culinary school, building on his love of cooking. Although home for only a short time on his last visit back, he managed to indulge that love, too, whipping up a batch of hot wings.
Mixon's step-father, Harold Bargeron, who went to Dover for the arrival of his remains, said Kelly enjoyed being home with family at Thanksgiving.
"He was a fine young man, a good soldier I thought," Bargeron said. "Of course, I wasn't with him while he was in service, but he told some stories about his basic training and all that. He was good, and he loved to fish."
Army Spc. Kelly J. Mixon was killed in action on 12/08/10.
Army Spc. Kelly J. Mixon, 23, of Yulee, Fla.
Spc Mixon was assigned to 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany; died Dec. 8, 2010 in Balkh province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an insurgent attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Army Sgt. James A. Ayube II.
In a phone interview with First Coast News, his wife Amy said she's been in shock since the moment she heard the news.
"They came into my office and when I turned the corner and saw them I just broke down into tears and started screaming no way," Mixon said. "I'm grateful for what he did for the country, but I miss him, and I will always love him."
When Kelly J. Mixon came home from Afghanistan for Thanksgiving in Yulee, he got to do two of his favorite things: mess around in the kitchen and play the drums. It was a happy time, family and friends say, tinged with worries about how the rest of his deployment would go.
Those fears became true this week. Mixon and a sergeant from Massachusetts were killed in Balkh province, Afghanistan, after an insurgent attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device.
Mixon, a U.S. Army specialist, would have turned 24 in two weeks. He got married right before he was deployed.
Mixon had talked for years, on and off, about enlisting in some branch of the military, friends and family said. When he signed up a few years after high school, it was clear he’d made the right choice. “When I saw him, he was the happiest I’d seen him in many a long time,” said Mary Sikes, who works in Fernandina Beach High School’s guidance department and saw Mixon over Thanksgiving.
Although Mixon could seem rebellious — “not afraid to be himself in front of everybody” is how his friend Ryan Teston described it — it wasn’t much of a surprise when he enlisted or when he went on to become a sniper.
“He was just looking for a big adventure,” said Bob Jenkins, a drumline instructor who taught Mixon how to play. “He always liked to do everything the best he could.”
Drumming was a major part of Mixon’s life before he enlisted. He was interested in music in middle school and joined the band when he went on to Fernandina Beach High School. “Over the next four years, he was the best student I ever had,” Jenkins said.
He eventually became part of the D-Line, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ official drumline.
When Mixon came home for Thanksgiving, he stopped by and practiced with the current band members at the high school, Teston said. “He talked about how things were going,” said Teston, who had played with Mixon back in high school. “He didn’t really like Afghanistan, but he enjoyed the Army.”
As the news circulated through his close-knit circle of friends and family, the thought that he was happy in the Army provided some comfort. “Everyone was scared” when Mixon left to finish his deployment, his aunt, Ginny Mixon, said through her tears Friday afternoon. “But he was doing what he wanted to do.”
When Mixon finished up his tour, several friends said, he planned on going to culinary school, building on his love of cooking. Although home for only a short time on his last visit back, he managed to indulge that love, too, whipping up a batch of hot wings.
Mixon's step-father, Harold Bargeron, who went to Dover for the arrival of his remains, said Kelly enjoyed being home with family at Thanksgiving.
"He was a fine young man, a good soldier I thought," Bargeron said. "Of course, I wasn't with him while he was in service, but he told some stories about his basic training and all that. He was good, and he loved to fish."
Army Spc. Kelly J. Mixon was killed in action on 12/08/10.
Army Sgt. James A. Ayube II
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. James A. Ayube II, 25, of Salem, Mass.
Sgt Ayube was assigned to 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany; died Dec. 8, 2010 in Balkh province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an insurgent attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Army Spc. Kelly J. Mixon.
Lauren Elizabeth Ayube's life changed forever with a simple knock at the door last Wednesday.
Two men dressed in formal Class A Army uniforms were standing solemnly outside, and, deep down, the Gloucester native knew what that meant: Her husband, Sgt. James Ayube Jr., a combat medic serving in Afghanistan, had been killed. But she wouldn't let herself believe it, not right away.
"I had a weird, surreal moment. I asked them, 'Why are you dressed like that?'" Lauren Ayube, who attended Gloucester High School, said Sunday. "They asked me if I was Mrs. Ayube, and I said, 'Yes, but why are you dressed like that?' No matter how many times I thought about this moment in my head, I wasn't prepared." She collapsed to the floor, screaming that they must by lying.
James Ayube Jr., 25, of Salem, died Wednesday in Kandahar Providence Afghanistan, when a suicide bomber rounded the corner of a building and blew himself up near the spot where Ayube and Kelly J. Mixon, of Fernandina Beach, Fla. were standing. Both men were killed. The fateful knock on the door came Wednesday evening, and since then the Ayube family has been trying to process the tragedy.
"It was so unreal the first couple days. It's only now sinking in. We're devastated," his father, James Ayube Sr. of Salem, said yesterday.
"It's hard to imagine not having your kid around. It's just not right, a parent having to bury their child. I wish I could make a deal with the devil and switch places with him."
Ayube's body will be brought back to Salem sometime this week and his funeral will likely be soon after.
Ayube, who graduated from Salem High School in 2003, had been in Afghanistan since June and was just three and a half weeks away from going on leave, his wife said. Despite the distance, Lauren, 24, spoke to her husband every day.
"Because of the time difference, when I was waking up, he was going to bed, and when I was going to bed he was waking up," she said. "So we spoke twice a day. We began and ended each day together."
Lauren Ayube, who had played on the Gloucester High School girls tennis team and also acted in King Arthur's Faire at Hammond Castle for several years, was 18 and James just 20 when they met while he was a student at Bunker Hill Community College studying sociology. Ayube enlisted in the Army shortly before the couple married.
Driven to help wounded
From the get-go, Ayube knew he wanted to aid wounded soldiers.
"Initially, I think he did it because he was in the Boy Scouts growing up and he always had a feeling of duty for his country," Lauren said. "He wanted to do something to help."
His son was a religious man and didn't believe in war, his father said. But, despite his beliefs, he understood that people were dying and they needed help.
"That's the type of kid he was, always willing to help other people," James Ayube Sr. said. "He didn't want to be involved in killing or hurting anyone, so he thought being a medic was the best way to help."
"The war was a separate issue from his service," Lauren explained.
Initially, he wanted to join the Navy as a corpsman, the Naval version of a medic. But that changed when Ayube saw the powerful HBO mini-series "Band of Brothers," which depicts an Army company during World War II.
He "saw (medic) Gilbert Roe's character running through the trenches during one part of the show and something clicked for him," Lauren said. "He said, 'that's for me.'"
In early 2008, shortly after they were married, Lauren and James moved to an Army base in Vilseck, Germany. Almost immediately, he got orders to deploy for eight months in Iraq.
"I made him promise me that if things got bad or he saw or experienced something traumatic that he tell me," she said. "I knew all about (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and I didn't want to be shocked to find things out later."
Ayube's deployment in Iraq was relatively uneventful, and after it ended, the couple spent a happy year and a half in Germany. In June, Ayube was given orders to deploy to Afghanistan. The young soldier saw much more action during his second deployment, Lauren said. Keeping his promise, Ayube told his wife about fire fights with insurgents, and the increased use of IEDs (improvised explosive devices) in the area.
"It made me nervous. I was nervous about IEDs or that he'd be shot by a sniper. Suicide bomber was not on the forefront of my mind," she said.
'Had to support him'
Ayube was very much aware of the risks before he chose to enlist as a combat medic, his father said.
"Nobody ever wants to see their kid in harm's way. There were 1,000 reasons for him not to do it," his father said.
"He was 21. Nobody his age believes it's going to happen to him; it's going to be the guy next to him. To their credit, the Army never minimized the danger he was putting himself in. He understood he was going to be in danger and he still signed the papers. I had to support him. As much as I love my son, every other parent feels that way. I can't say my son was better than anyone else's son. If he wanted to do it, I wasn't going to stop him."
Ayube's deployment was set to end next year, and "we had made a lot of plans," Lauren said.
Ayube had planned to re-enlist and request a transfer to Fort Carson, Colo., where Lauren was going to enroll in college. After graduation, the couple would move back to Salem to start a family.
"James really wanted to have kids, he really wanted to be a dad. We saw a house for sale close to his parents and we were thinking about buying it," Lauren said. "We were ready to do the whole family thing."
"It's hard to imagine, hard to accept that we're never going to see him again," his father said. "We were looking forward so much to getting him out of Afghanistan. I hadn't hardly seen the kid in three-and-a-half years. I was looking forward to seeing him as the man he'd grown up to be — a wonderful man."
Army Sgt. James A. Ayube II was killed in action on 12/08/10.
Army Sgt. James A. Ayube II, 25, of Salem, Mass.
Sgt Ayube was assigned to 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany; died Dec. 8, 2010 in Balkh province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an insurgent attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Army Spc. Kelly J. Mixon.
Lauren Elizabeth Ayube's life changed forever with a simple knock at the door last Wednesday.
Two men dressed in formal Class A Army uniforms were standing solemnly outside, and, deep down, the Gloucester native knew what that meant: Her husband, Sgt. James Ayube Jr., a combat medic serving in Afghanistan, had been killed. But she wouldn't let herself believe it, not right away.
"I had a weird, surreal moment. I asked them, 'Why are you dressed like that?'" Lauren Ayube, who attended Gloucester High School, said Sunday. "They asked me if I was Mrs. Ayube, and I said, 'Yes, but why are you dressed like that?' No matter how many times I thought about this moment in my head, I wasn't prepared." She collapsed to the floor, screaming that they must by lying.
James Ayube Jr., 25, of Salem, died Wednesday in Kandahar Providence Afghanistan, when a suicide bomber rounded the corner of a building and blew himself up near the spot where Ayube and Kelly J. Mixon, of Fernandina Beach, Fla. were standing. Both men were killed. The fateful knock on the door came Wednesday evening, and since then the Ayube family has been trying to process the tragedy.
"It was so unreal the first couple days. It's only now sinking in. We're devastated," his father, James Ayube Sr. of Salem, said yesterday.
"It's hard to imagine not having your kid around. It's just not right, a parent having to bury their child. I wish I could make a deal with the devil and switch places with him."
Ayube's body will be brought back to Salem sometime this week and his funeral will likely be soon after.
Ayube, who graduated from Salem High School in 2003, had been in Afghanistan since June and was just three and a half weeks away from going on leave, his wife said. Despite the distance, Lauren, 24, spoke to her husband every day.
"Because of the time difference, when I was waking up, he was going to bed, and when I was going to bed he was waking up," she said. "So we spoke twice a day. We began and ended each day together."
Lauren Ayube, who had played on the Gloucester High School girls tennis team and also acted in King Arthur's Faire at Hammond Castle for several years, was 18 and James just 20 when they met while he was a student at Bunker Hill Community College studying sociology. Ayube enlisted in the Army shortly before the couple married.
Driven to help wounded
From the get-go, Ayube knew he wanted to aid wounded soldiers.
"Initially, I think he did it because he was in the Boy Scouts growing up and he always had a feeling of duty for his country," Lauren said. "He wanted to do something to help."
His son was a religious man and didn't believe in war, his father said. But, despite his beliefs, he understood that people were dying and they needed help.
"That's the type of kid he was, always willing to help other people," James Ayube Sr. said. "He didn't want to be involved in killing or hurting anyone, so he thought being a medic was the best way to help."
"The war was a separate issue from his service," Lauren explained.
Initially, he wanted to join the Navy as a corpsman, the Naval version of a medic. But that changed when Ayube saw the powerful HBO mini-series "Band of Brothers," which depicts an Army company during World War II.
He "saw (medic) Gilbert Roe's character running through the trenches during one part of the show and something clicked for him," Lauren said. "He said, 'that's for me.'"
In early 2008, shortly after they were married, Lauren and James moved to an Army base in Vilseck, Germany. Almost immediately, he got orders to deploy for eight months in Iraq.
"I made him promise me that if things got bad or he saw or experienced something traumatic that he tell me," she said. "I knew all about (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and I didn't want to be shocked to find things out later."
Ayube's deployment in Iraq was relatively uneventful, and after it ended, the couple spent a happy year and a half in Germany. In June, Ayube was given orders to deploy to Afghanistan. The young soldier saw much more action during his second deployment, Lauren said. Keeping his promise, Ayube told his wife about fire fights with insurgents, and the increased use of IEDs (improvised explosive devices) in the area.
"It made me nervous. I was nervous about IEDs or that he'd be shot by a sniper. Suicide bomber was not on the forefront of my mind," she said.
'Had to support him'
Ayube was very much aware of the risks before he chose to enlist as a combat medic, his father said.
"Nobody ever wants to see their kid in harm's way. There were 1,000 reasons for him not to do it," his father said.
"He was 21. Nobody his age believes it's going to happen to him; it's going to be the guy next to him. To their credit, the Army never minimized the danger he was putting himself in. He understood he was going to be in danger and he still signed the papers. I had to support him. As much as I love my son, every other parent feels that way. I can't say my son was better than anyone else's son. If he wanted to do it, I wasn't going to stop him."
Ayube's deployment was set to end next year, and "we had made a lot of plans," Lauren said.
Ayube had planned to re-enlist and request a transfer to Fort Carson, Colo., where Lauren was going to enroll in college. After graduation, the couple would move back to Salem to start a family.
"James really wanted to have kids, he really wanted to be a dad. We saw a house for sale close to his parents and we were thinking about buying it," Lauren said. "We were ready to do the whole family thing."
"It's hard to imagine, hard to accept that we're never going to see him again," his father said. "We were looking forward so much to getting him out of Afghanistan. I hadn't hardly seen the kid in three-and-a-half years. I was looking forward to seeing him as the man he'd grown up to be — a wonderful man."
Army Sgt. James A. Ayube II was killed in action on 12/08/10.
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