Army Cpl. Justin D. Ross

Remember Our Heroes

Army Cpl. Justin D. Ross, 22, of Green Bay, Wis.

Cpl Ross was assigned to 863rd Engineer Battalion, Army Reserve, Wausau, Wis.; died March 26, 2011 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked by small-arms fire.

HOWARD, Wis.—
A Green Bay man whose father is the pastor of an area church has been killed while serving in Afghanistan.

The Defense Department confirmed Sunday that Justin D. Ross, 22, died Saturday in Helmand province of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked by small arms fire. Ross was assigned to the 863rd Engineer Battalion, Wausau, Wis.

New Freedom Church says pastor Ron Ross and his wife, Debbie, flew to Dover Air Force Base on Sunday for the return of their son's body.

"Being this soon into the grieving process you are still in shock," Gerald Heins, the assistant pastor at New Freedom, told WLUK-TV. "You are still trying to make sense of it, trying to understand what happened."

Justin Ross was a 2007 graduate of Bay Port High School. He was in the Army Reserves and deployed in August.

"Even before he graduated high school he was talking about going into the military," Heins said.

Heins said Ross will be remembered as a wonderful man who was proud to serve his country.

"From what I understand he really enjoyed it," Heins said. "He loved the guys from his squad and he enjoyed the process and the idea of being able to defend his country."

Heins said the church and its members didn't know many details of what happened.

Before leaving, the pastor wrote on his Facebook page, "We thank God for freedom and all those ... who have paid the ultimate price. We are proud of you Justin!"

Army Cpl. Justin D. Ross was killed in action on 3/26/11.