Army Spc. Christopher G. Stark

Remember Our Heroes

Army Spc. Christopher G. Stark, 22, of Monett, Mo.

Spc Stark was assigned to the 705th Ordnance Co (EOD), 63rd Ordnance Battalion (EOD), 20th Support Command, Fort Polk. La.; died Feb. 28, 2011 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.

Christopher Stark, a 2007 Monett High School graduate, died in Afghanistan on Monday.

His family released a statement saying Stark, a bomb specialist, was going to disarm one IED when his vehicle was hit with another.

Stark’s mother, Teresa, is the director of the Nevada Regional Technical Center.

David Stephens, the superintendent of the Nevada school district, said after Teresa received word of her son’s death, she sent a notice out to other staff members Monday.

John Jungmann, the superintendent of the Monett school district, said Christopher Stark had been involved in the Junior ROTC program while a student at Monett High School.

The Department of Defense confirmed Stark's death Wednesday, saying he and another member of the 63rd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Battalion, 20th Support Command, were killed when they were attacked with an improvised explosive device.

Stark and Staff Sgt. Chauncy R. Mays, 25, of Cookville, Texas, were in Wardak province, Afghanistan.

A teacher and two JROTC instructors who knew him in high school said Stark was focused on an army career.

A memorial has been set up in the Monett High School's career center and flags are at half-staff.

Statement from the family

United States Army Specialist Christopher G. Stark, 22 of Monett, MO was killed in action on Monday, February 28, 2011, while serving in Afghanistan.

Christopher was an Explosives Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Tech, also known as a bomb specialist.

While en route to an IED (bomb) that had been spotted, his vehicle was hit with another IED and as a result, Christopher was killed.

At this time, there are no other specifics to the incident and the investigation is ongoing.

Christopher is the son of Teresa Stark and the late, Jeff Stark.

Additional family members include brother, Trenton Stark; Grandparents Max & Maxine Brown; and Mary & Bill Johnson.

Extended family include; longtime family friend, Kirk Little and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins

Please respect the family’s privacy at this difficult time and remember them in your thoughts and prayers.

Respectfully,

Teresa & Trenton Stark

“He really had a strong sense of family, community, country,” his former teacher and family friend, Deann Crockett said today. She also spoke of his deep faith and his kind-hearted but determined attitude.

She taught Stark biology and remembers Stark telling her husband about his plans to join the U.S. Army after graduation.

“I knew him as a kid. I would love to have known him as an adult,” Crockett said. “We fall in love with all our kids. He is one of those kids you kind of like to watch and see what he is going to be one day.”

Army Spc. Christopher G. Stark was killed in action on 2/28/11.