Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Collin J. Bowen, 38, of Millersville, Md.
SFC Bowen was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment, Maryland Army National Guard, Towson, Md.; died March 14, 2008 at Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, of wounds sustained Jan. 2 in Khowst Province, Afghanistan, when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
Soldier injured in Afghanistan bombing dies in Texas hospital
The Associated Press
MARION, Ind. — An Army sergeant from Indiana injured in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan that killed two other soldiers died March 14 at a Texas military hospital, relatives said.
Sgt. 1st Class Collin J. Bowen, 38, a Marion native, was critically injured Jan. 2 in Afghanistan’s Khowst province, a troubled region on the Pakistani border. The Army reservist had been hospitalized at Brooke Army Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston, Texas, since Jan. 6.
Bowen graduated in 1988 from Marion High School. He had lived in Maryland with his wife, Ursula, their daughter and his two stepdaughters.
Bowen’s uncle, Dean Neal, said he received a call about his nephew’s death about 2 a.m. March 14. He told the Chronicle-Tribune that he was grateful he was able to visit Bowen at the Texas hospital about two weeks ago.
“Collin passed away peacefully ... with his family holding his hands at his bedside,” Bowen’s brother Justin wrote in an online journal. “May he rest in peace.”
The online journal had reported during the past two weeks that Bowen’s condition had deteriorated. He had his final of many emergency surgeries March 11 to repair damage to abdominal tissue that had become infected.
Relatives said Bowen, who earned a Purple Heart after being wounded, had volunteered to go to Afghanistan.
His other survivors include his parents, who live in Marion, and two brothers who live in the Indianapolis area. Funeral services were pending March 14.
Two other soldiers — Lt. Col. Richard Berrettini, 52, of Wilcox, Pa., and Sgt. Shawn Hill, 37, of Wellford, S.C. — died in the Jan. 2 bombing, along with an Afghani interpreter.
Soldier wanted to ‘do his part’
By Cathy Kightlinger
Indianapolis Star
MARION, Ind. — Army Staff Sgt. Collin J. Bowen’s mother referred to her boy as “America’s son” during his funeral service Thursday.
“I really share this sadness and pride with everyone,” Carolyn Smith said while greeting mourners who waited in line to comfort her. “He is not just mine. He belongs to everybody.”
Bowen, a 38-year-old Maryland National Guardsman, died a week ago at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.
The soldier who grew up in Indiana suffered fatal wounds Jan. 2 in Khowst province, Afghanistan, when the vehicle in which he was riding encountered an improvised explosive device, according to the Department of Defense.
The veteran soldier was at the end of a year’s time in Afghanistan when he agreed to go on his final mission. He volunteered when asked by a new and inexperienced commander who wanted help, family members said. When the fatal explosion occurred on the last day of a 10-day mission, Bowen and others in a convoy were on their way back to base, the family said.
The explosion also killed the three others, including an Afghan interpreter, in the vehicle.
Bowen suffered burns on 50 percent of his body and spent the last weeks of his life on ventilators and dialysis machines, family members said.
“Collin did not want to die,” said his younger brother Justin Bowen, 36, Indianapolis. “He wanted to contribute and do his part.”
Bowen — who grew up in Marion and was known for his competitive spirit, loyalty and tenacity — fought to live, even in the end, said Justin. He and Bowen’s other brother, Shelby, 33, Carmel, gave eulogies in front of about 500 people at Grace Community Church in Marion on Thursday. The family said about 300 more people attended a visitation after the service.
Although he is gone, Justin said, his brother’s heart beats inside him, their family members and, they hope, everyone who honored him at the service.
“I hope a part of Collin’s heart continues in all of you,” he said.
There were a few laughs during the service, too: when the “Rocky” movie theme played as pictures of Bowen’s teenage years flashed on a screen, and as Shelby recalled the Bowen brothers’ childhood antics.
“His life should be celebrated and his memories cherished,” said Shelby.
After the service, Collin’s wife, Ursula Bowen, Nottingham, Md., remembered the last words she exchanged with her husband: “Te amo. Chau” — Spanish words for “I love you. Bye.”
Bowen met his wife when she was his Spanish teacher.
“I’m very proud of him — extremely proud of being his wife,” said Ursula, adding that Bowen always tried to help others.
That included asking family members to send him candy, paper and pencils to distribute to the children in Afghanistan, said Justin.
But Bowen’s courage did not mean he wasn’t frightened in Afghanistan.
“He called my mother and said, ‘I’m afraid,’” said Justin. “That didn’t stop him from doing it.”
Bowen, who earned a Bronze Star for bravery in combat, is the 17th service member with Indiana ties to die of injuries suffered in Afghanistan since U.S. troops were sent there after the Sept. 11 attacks, and the first this year.
Other survivors include three daughters, Gabriela and Katelyn Bowen and Erin McDermott; his stepfather, Richard Smith; and his father and stepmother, Michael and Beverly Bowen, Marion.
Bowen will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Collin J. Bowen was killed in action on 03/14/08.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Army Spc. Dustin C. Jackson
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Dustin C. Jackson, 21, of Arlington, Texas
Spc. Jackson assigned to the 350th Adjutant General Company, Grand Prairie, Texas; died March 12, 2008 in Tallil, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle was hit by indirect fire. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Juantrea T. Bradley and Pfc. Tenzin L. Samten.
Fort Worth Star Telegram -- Dustin Jackson of Arlington was killed in Iraq on Tuesday, relatives said.
Mr. Jackson, who was in the Army, was married to Michelle Jackson, the granddaughter of Arlington City Councilman Gene Patrick. Mr. Jackson, 21, was killed when a roadside bomb struck the vehicle in which he was traveling.
Patrick said the Army did not identify Mr. Jackson's body until Wednesday and further details have not been released.
Mr. Jackson had been married for about a year, Patrick said. He was scheduled to return home in two weeks and planned to begin college.
Mr. Jackson is the second Patrick family member killed in the war. His nephew Jeremy E. Ray of Houston was killed a week before Christmas 2007. Ray, a First Lieutenant, had been in Iraq six weeks.
"This is one of these cases where Michelle and Dustin came together and carefully planned out their lives," Patrick said.
Army Spc. Dustin C. Jackson was killed in action on 3/12/08.
Army Spc. Dustin C. Jackson, 21, of Arlington, Texas
Spc. Jackson assigned to the 350th Adjutant General Company, Grand Prairie, Texas; died March 12, 2008 in Tallil, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle was hit by indirect fire. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Juantrea T. Bradley and Pfc. Tenzin L. Samten.
Fort Worth Star Telegram -- Dustin Jackson of Arlington was killed in Iraq on Tuesday, relatives said.
Mr. Jackson, who was in the Army, was married to Michelle Jackson, the granddaughter of Arlington City Councilman Gene Patrick. Mr. Jackson, 21, was killed when a roadside bomb struck the vehicle in which he was traveling.
Patrick said the Army did not identify Mr. Jackson's body until Wednesday and further details have not been released.
Mr. Jackson had been married for about a year, Patrick said. He was scheduled to return home in two weeks and planned to begin college.
Mr. Jackson is the second Patrick family member killed in the war. His nephew Jeremy E. Ray of Houston was killed a week before Christmas 2007. Ray, a First Lieutenant, had been in Iraq six weeks.
"This is one of these cases where Michelle and Dustin came together and carefully planned out their lives," Patrick said.
Army Spc. Dustin C. Jackson was killed in action on 3/12/08.
Army Spc. Tenzin L. Samten
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Tenzin L. Samten, 33, of Prescott, Ariz.
Spc. Samten was assigned to the 7th Special Troops Battalion, 7th Sustainment Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Eustis, Va.; died March 12, 2008 in Tallil, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle was hit by indirect fire. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Juantrea T. Bradley and Spc. Dustin C. Jackson.
2 soldiers from Ariz. are killed
By Maxine Park
The Arizona Republic
Two Arizona soldiers died in Iraq this week: Spc. Tenzin L. Samten, 33, of Prescott, and Staff Sgt. Ernesto Guadalupe Cimarrusti, 25, of Douglas.
Samten was killed along with two other soldiers on Wednesday in Tallil after their non-tactical vehicle was hit by indirect fire, the Department of Defense said.
Officials said Samten was a motor transport operator assigned to the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) in Fort Eustis, Va.
Samten enlisted in the Army in July 2006. Officials said that he received several awards, including the Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal. Samten is survived by his wife and two children.
Cimarrusti was killed in a suicide bombing along with four other soldiers on Monday in central Baghdad. The soldiers were talking with shop owners when explosives were detonated 30 feet away.
Cimarrusti was on his third tour in Iraq. He is survived by his wife, daughter and parents.
Army Spc. Tenzin L. Samten was killed in action on 3/12/08.
Army Spc. Tenzin L. Samten, 33, of Prescott, Ariz.
Spc. Samten was assigned to the 7th Special Troops Battalion, 7th Sustainment Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Eustis, Va.; died March 12, 2008 in Tallil, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle was hit by indirect fire. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Juantrea T. Bradley and Spc. Dustin C. Jackson.
2 soldiers from Ariz. are killed
By Maxine Park
The Arizona Republic
Two Arizona soldiers died in Iraq this week: Spc. Tenzin L. Samten, 33, of Prescott, and Staff Sgt. Ernesto Guadalupe Cimarrusti, 25, of Douglas.
Samten was killed along with two other soldiers on Wednesday in Tallil after their non-tactical vehicle was hit by indirect fire, the Department of Defense said.
Officials said Samten was a motor transport operator assigned to the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) in Fort Eustis, Va.
Samten enlisted in the Army in July 2006. Officials said that he received several awards, including the Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal. Samten is survived by his wife and two children.
Cimarrusti was killed in a suicide bombing along with four other soldiers on Monday in central Baghdad. The soldiers were talking with shop owners when explosives were detonated 30 feet away.
Cimarrusti was on his third tour in Iraq. He is survived by his wife, daughter and parents.
Army Spc. Tenzin L. Samten was killed in action on 3/12/08.
Army Staff Sgt. Juantrea T. Bradley
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Juantrea T. Bradley, 28, of Greenville, N.C.
SSgt. Bradley was assigned to the 7th Special Troops Battalion, 7th Sustainment Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Eustis, Va.; died March 12, 2008 in Tallil, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle was hit by indirect fire. Also killed were Spc. Dustin C. Jackson and Pfc. Tenzin L. Samten.
WVEC -- NEWPORT NEWS -- Two Fort Eustis-based soldiers were killed in Iraq.
Staff Sgt. Juantrea Bradley, 28, and Pfc. Tenzin L. Samten, 33, were two of three Amy soldiers who lost their lives in a mortar attack on Wednesday near Nassiriya, southeast of Baghdad.
The third, Spc. Dustin C. Jackson, 21, was based out of Grand Prairie, Texas. From US Army
Bradley and Samten were part of the 7th Sustainment Brigade, which handles supply movement for U.S. forces. The unit was heading for its third tour of duty in Iraq since 2003 when it left in October. Unlike the previous 6 and 12 month assignments, this deployment was for 15 months.
Family members had mixed views about the length of the mission.
"You want to know the truth? I'm not really happy about it," said Katy Breault. "This is his second tour."
"You know, I married the Army when I married my husband," said Sidney Harrison. "It's hard, but I'm a Christian, and I love God, and I believe He's going to keep up while he's gone and everything is going to be ok."
The soldiers were sent to provide logistical support to more than 20,000 U.S. and coalition forces in convoys and convoy support, resupplying amunition, purifying water, distributing supplies and maintaining equipment.
Bradley was a cargo specialist and joined the Army in February of 1999. He joined the 7th Sustainment Brigade in June of 2007. He leaves behind his wife and four children.
Army Staff Sgt. Juantrea T. Bradley was killed in action on 3/12/08.
Army Staff Sgt. Juantrea T. Bradley, 28, of Greenville, N.C.
SSgt. Bradley was assigned to the 7th Special Troops Battalion, 7th Sustainment Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Eustis, Va.; died March 12, 2008 in Tallil, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle was hit by indirect fire. Also killed were Spc. Dustin C. Jackson and Pfc. Tenzin L. Samten.
WVEC -- NEWPORT NEWS -- Two Fort Eustis-based soldiers were killed in Iraq.
Staff Sgt. Juantrea Bradley, 28, and Pfc. Tenzin L. Samten, 33, were two of three Amy soldiers who lost their lives in a mortar attack on Wednesday near Nassiriya, southeast of Baghdad.
The third, Spc. Dustin C. Jackson, 21, was based out of Grand Prairie, Texas. From US Army
Bradley and Samten were part of the 7th Sustainment Brigade, which handles supply movement for U.S. forces. The unit was heading for its third tour of duty in Iraq since 2003 when it left in October. Unlike the previous 6 and 12 month assignments, this deployment was for 15 months.
Family members had mixed views about the length of the mission.
"You want to know the truth? I'm not really happy about it," said Katy Breault. "This is his second tour."
"You know, I married the Army when I married my husband," said Sidney Harrison. "It's hard, but I'm a Christian, and I love God, and I believe He's going to keep up while he's gone and everything is going to be ok."
The soldiers were sent to provide logistical support to more than 20,000 U.S. and coalition forces in convoys and convoy support, resupplying amunition, purifying water, distributing supplies and maintaining equipment.
Bradley was a cargo specialist and joined the Army in February of 1999. He joined the 7th Sustainment Brigade in June of 2007. He leaves behind his wife and four children.
Army Staff Sgt. Juantrea T. Bradley was killed in action on 3/12/08.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Army SSgt. Laurent J. West
Remember Our Heroes
Army SSgt. Laurent J. West, 32, of Raleigh, N.C.
SSgt. West was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. He died March 11, 2008 near Kishkishkia, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
News & Observer -- Retired U.S. Army Col. Larry West said his son, Laurent, came to him as a teenager expressing interest in joining the Army.
"I said, 'Why?' He said, 'Because you're in the military and I'm so proud of you,' " the elder West said by phone from his Green Spring, W.Va., home Friday night. "I told him, 'When you're up to your neck in the water in the foxhole, and it's people yelling at you, it won't be me out there with you.' "
He joined anyway.
Staff Sgt. Laurent J. West, 32, an Army brat who made a home in many states as a child, was killed when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device March 11near Kishkishkia, Iraq.
West, a cavalry scout, was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg. Bradley, a cargo specialist, was assigned to the 7th Special Troops Battalion, 7th Sustainment Brigade, 10th Mountain Division at Fort Eustis, Va.
West, of Southport, joined the Army in July 1993 as a member of the Chemical Corps. He switched to cavalry scout in 1998.
West had served tours overseas several times, including two to Bosnia in 1998 and 2000. West's awards include the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with two silver oak leaf clusters, the Army Good Conduct Medal with three loops, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service ribbon and the Combat Action and Parachutist's badges.
Besides his father, he is survived by his wife, Michelle West; stepdaughters, Nistasha and Madison; and his mother, Ilona Bauer.
Army SSgt. Laurent J. West was killed in action on 3/11/08.
Army SSgt. Laurent J. West, 32, of Raleigh, N.C.
SSgt. West was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. He died March 11, 2008 near Kishkishkia, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
News & Observer -- Retired U.S. Army Col. Larry West said his son, Laurent, came to him as a teenager expressing interest in joining the Army.
"I said, 'Why?' He said, 'Because you're in the military and I'm so proud of you,' " the elder West said by phone from his Green Spring, W.Va., home Friday night. "I told him, 'When you're up to your neck in the water in the foxhole, and it's people yelling at you, it won't be me out there with you.' "
He joined anyway.
Staff Sgt. Laurent J. West, 32, an Army brat who made a home in many states as a child, was killed when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device March 11near Kishkishkia, Iraq.
West, a cavalry scout, was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg. Bradley, a cargo specialist, was assigned to the 7th Special Troops Battalion, 7th Sustainment Brigade, 10th Mountain Division at Fort Eustis, Va.
West, of Southport, joined the Army in July 1993 as a member of the Chemical Corps. He switched to cavalry scout in 1998.
West had served tours overseas several times, including two to Bosnia in 1998 and 2000. West's awards include the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with two silver oak leaf clusters, the Army Good Conduct Medal with three loops, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service ribbon and the Combat Action and Parachutist's badges.
Besides his father, he is survived by his wife, Michelle West; stepdaughters, Nistasha and Madison; and his mother, Ilona Bauer.
Army SSgt. Laurent J. West was killed in action on 3/11/08.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Army Capt. Torre R. Mallard
Remember Our Heroes
Army Capt. Torre R. Mallard, 27, of Oklahoma
Capt. Mallard was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas; died March 10, 2008 in Balad Ruz, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Spc. Donald A. Burkett and Sgt. Phillip R. Anderson.
The Free Lance Star -- The son of a well-respected military instructor in Spotsylvania County was killed in Iraq this week.
Yet, few of retired Master Sgt. Mose Mallard's co-workers knew of his son's accomplishments, said Lee Browning, principal of the Spotsylvania Career and Technical Center.
Mallard has taught the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps at the center since 2006.
"He could have bragged about his son, but he was never the type to do that," Browning said of Mallard. "He's kind of a quiet man and he's highly regarded and respected."
Mallard left his Stafford County home this week for Fort Hood, Texas. His older son, Capt. Torre Mallard, was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Hood.
The 27-year-old captain and two other soldiers from the unit were killed Monday by an improvised explosive device in Balad Ruz, Iraq.
Balad Ruz is a small village in the Diyala province northeast of Baghdad. Since last summer, it's been one of the deadliest places in Iraq for U.S. troops, according to PBS.org.
Mallard was proud his son had followed him into the military, said Sgt. Ed Fulmore, a fellow JROTC instructor at the center.
Mallard, who could not be reached for comment, served in the Gulf War, Fulmore said.
Torre Mallard was on his second tour of duty in Iraq, Fulmore said. In 2004, as a first lieutenant, he was photographed while searching for insurgents in Baghdad.
Just last month, the Army officer was quoted in a Multi-National Corps press release.
He and other soldiers were working with informants when an al-Qaida cell fired on them with rocket-propelled grenades.
No Americans were hurt, but six armed insurgents were killed, including the cell's leader, who organized kidnappings and the placement of explosive devices.
"The people in this area will definitely be a lot safer now," Torre Mallard said.
The Army officer graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2002. At his commissioning ceremony, he received his first salute from his father, according to the Anniston (Ala.) Star.
Torre Mallard's parents, Robin and Mose Mallard III, and his grandparents, Flora and Mose Mallard Jr., lived in Anniston at the time.
Despite the rigors of West Point, Torre Mallard played football for the Army and completed Airborne School at Fort Bragg. In July 2002, he served as company commander, the highest position in the cadet chain of command, according to the Anniston paper.
A memorial service is planned Wednesday in Anniston, with a funeral Friday at West Point.
A lot of Mose Mallard's fellow teachers have asked the principal of the Spotsylvania center how they can help. Torre Mallard is survived by a wife and two young sons, Torre Jr. and Joshua.
The family asked that expressions of sympathy be made in the name of the children, in care of Mose and Robin Mallard, and sent to: Spotsylvania Career and Technical Center, 6713 Smith Station Road, Spotsylvania, Va. 22553.
==Additional story==
The department said Capt. Torre R. Mallard, 27, was from Oklahoma but did not give a hometown. He, along with Spc. Donald A. Burkett, 24, of Comanche, Texas; and Sgt. Phillip R. Anderson, 28, of Everett, Wash., died after their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in Balad Ruz, Iraq.
They were assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment from Fort Hood, Texas, the department said.
Mallard lived in Lawton when his father, Mose Mallard III, was stationed at Fort Sill. The Mallards last maintained an Oklahoma address about five years ago.
Mallard's grandfather, Mose Mallard Jr., described Torre as the "finest young man in the world."
"It broke my heart when I heard it," the Anniston, Ala., resident told The Oklahoman. "He played football and baseball, and he was just an outstanding student. (He) always got good grades. I was proud of him."
Mose Mallard Jr. couldn't explain why the Department of Defense listed Torre Mallard's home state as Oklahoma. Mose Mallard III had a Lawton address briefly in 1986.
He graduated in May 1998 from Selmen High School in Slidell, La., and entered the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., that sum mer, according to a 2002 report by the Anniston (Ala.) Star.
He graduated from West Point on June 1, 2002, with a bachelor's degree in computer science, the newspaper reported.
During the spring semester of his sophomore year at the academy he served a four-month term as a company commander, one of the highest positions in the Cadet Chain of Command at the academy, the Star reported.
Mallard played sprint football for the Army and completed airborne training at Fort Bragg, N.C.
Army Capt. Torre R. Mallard was killed in action on 3/10/08.
Army Capt. Torre R. Mallard, 27, of Oklahoma
Capt. Mallard was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas; died March 10, 2008 in Balad Ruz, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Spc. Donald A. Burkett and Sgt. Phillip R. Anderson.
The Free Lance Star -- The son of a well-respected military instructor in Spotsylvania County was killed in Iraq this week.
Yet, few of retired Master Sgt. Mose Mallard's co-workers knew of his son's accomplishments, said Lee Browning, principal of the Spotsylvania Career and Technical Center.
Mallard has taught the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps at the center since 2006.
"He could have bragged about his son, but he was never the type to do that," Browning said of Mallard. "He's kind of a quiet man and he's highly regarded and respected."
Mallard left his Stafford County home this week for Fort Hood, Texas. His older son, Capt. Torre Mallard, was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Hood.
The 27-year-old captain and two other soldiers from the unit were killed Monday by an improvised explosive device in Balad Ruz, Iraq.
Balad Ruz is a small village in the Diyala province northeast of Baghdad. Since last summer, it's been one of the deadliest places in Iraq for U.S. troops, according to PBS.org.
Mallard was proud his son had followed him into the military, said Sgt. Ed Fulmore, a fellow JROTC instructor at the center.
Mallard, who could not be reached for comment, served in the Gulf War, Fulmore said.
Torre Mallard was on his second tour of duty in Iraq, Fulmore said. In 2004, as a first lieutenant, he was photographed while searching for insurgents in Baghdad.
Just last month, the Army officer was quoted in a Multi-National Corps press release.
He and other soldiers were working with informants when an al-Qaida cell fired on them with rocket-propelled grenades.
No Americans were hurt, but six armed insurgents were killed, including the cell's leader, who organized kidnappings and the placement of explosive devices.
"The people in this area will definitely be a lot safer now," Torre Mallard said.
The Army officer graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2002. At his commissioning ceremony, he received his first salute from his father, according to the Anniston (Ala.) Star.
Torre Mallard's parents, Robin and Mose Mallard III, and his grandparents, Flora and Mose Mallard Jr., lived in Anniston at the time.
Despite the rigors of West Point, Torre Mallard played football for the Army and completed Airborne School at Fort Bragg. In July 2002, he served as company commander, the highest position in the cadet chain of command, according to the Anniston paper.
A memorial service is planned Wednesday in Anniston, with a funeral Friday at West Point.
A lot of Mose Mallard's fellow teachers have asked the principal of the Spotsylvania center how they can help. Torre Mallard is survived by a wife and two young sons, Torre Jr. and Joshua.
The family asked that expressions of sympathy be made in the name of the children, in care of Mose and Robin Mallard, and sent to: Spotsylvania Career and Technical Center, 6713 Smith Station Road, Spotsylvania, Va. 22553.
==Additional story==
The department said Capt. Torre R. Mallard, 27, was from Oklahoma but did not give a hometown. He, along with Spc. Donald A. Burkett, 24, of Comanche, Texas; and Sgt. Phillip R. Anderson, 28, of Everett, Wash., died after their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in Balad Ruz, Iraq.
They were assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment from Fort Hood, Texas, the department said.
Mallard lived in Lawton when his father, Mose Mallard III, was stationed at Fort Sill. The Mallards last maintained an Oklahoma address about five years ago.
Mallard's grandfather, Mose Mallard Jr., described Torre as the "finest young man in the world."
"It broke my heart when I heard it," the Anniston, Ala., resident told The Oklahoman. "He played football and baseball, and he was just an outstanding student. (He) always got good grades. I was proud of him."
Mose Mallard Jr. couldn't explain why the Department of Defense listed Torre Mallard's home state as Oklahoma. Mose Mallard III had a Lawton address briefly in 1986.
He graduated in May 1998 from Selmen High School in Slidell, La., and entered the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., that sum mer, according to a 2002 report by the Anniston (Ala.) Star.
He graduated from West Point on June 1, 2002, with a bachelor's degree in computer science, the newspaper reported.
During the spring semester of his sophomore year at the academy he served a four-month term as a company commander, one of the highest positions in the Cadet Chain of Command at the academy, the Star reported.
Mallard played sprint football for the Army and completed airborne training at Fort Bragg, N.C.
Army Capt. Torre R. Mallard was killed in action on 3/10/08.
Army Spc. Donald A. Burkett
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Donald A. Burkett, 24, of Comanche, Texas
Spc. Burkett was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas; died March 10, 2008 in Balad Ruz, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. Phillip R. Anderson and Capt. Torre R. Mallard.
Family mourns soldier who had turned his life around
By Doug Myers (Contact)
Three-year-old Mason Burkett can't quite fathom that his father went away to war and isn't coming back.
Mason's dad, 24-year-old Spc. Donald A. "Wesley" Burkett of Comanche, and two other soldiers were killed Monday when their vehicle came upon an improvised explosive device in Balad Ruz, Iraq.
Soon, however, Mason will have a reminder of his dad, a birthday present Burkett planned to give his only child when he came home on leave from Iraq in September.
"We were supposed to go out and get the puppy, so his daddy could give it to him when he came in," said Carolyn Gray, Burkett's mother.
Now, she said, the family plans to obtain a puppy and give it to Mason, months before his fourth birthday, in remembrance of his late father.
Plans are to tell Mason, Gray said, "That was what Daddy was going to do."
"He was like my grandson. They're both extremely intelligent," the 53-year-old Gray said.
She then chuckled and added: "I don't know where they got it from actually."
A Zephyr high school dropout who received his GED (General Educational Development) in February 2001, Burkett entered the U.S. Army in April 2006 as an armor crewman, and since August 2006, he was assigned to 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, according to Fort Hood officials.
Before his death, Gray said, her son had told his family he was "reading the Bible over there and that he wanted us to get Mason into Sunday school and start taking him to church on a regular basis."
He had his life straightened out, she said.
"He wanted to go forward in the Army," Gray said. "He was very proud to be in the military, and I was very proud he was in the military."
While he acknowledged recently that he'd "goofed off" and had trouble finding focus over the years, Gray said her son had married, bought his wife, Brandi, a house in Killeen and made plans for the future.
"I was supposed to go down to CTC (Central Texas College) in Killeen Wednesday and sign him up for online classes," she said. "To further your career in the Army, you have to take classes, and he wanted to get his associate (degree) at CTC and bachelor's from Tarleton."
His goal was to become a sergeant, she said, and he was extremely serious about his Army duties.
"He would tell us nothing," Gray said. "Any information we got was through the grapevine."
Zephyr ISD Superintendent David Whisenhunt said Burkett was "a real smart kid" who was looking for direction in his life. He was well-liked but quiet, he said, and a UIL academic competitor before he withdrew from high school and later earned a GED.
"Wesley was a little ol' skinny thing back then," said Gary Bufe, Zephyr school principal for 25 years. "I remember him being really intelligent."
In fact, Bufe said, Burkett was "extremely smart," noting he generally scored in the 96th to 99th percentile range on pre-ACT college readiness tests.
However, as Burkett got older, "He really didn't know what he wanted to do."
"It saddens all of us very much, especially with someone you knew personally," Bufe said of his death. "I'm very proud of him for serving. I'm very proud that he changed things."
On Monday, Burkett was killed along with Capt. Torre Ramoine Mallard, 27, of Oklahoma, and Sgt. Phillip Reid Anderson, 28, of Everett, Wash. The soldiers deployed in November 2007.
Burkett's awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
According to Gray, Burkett's body will arrive at Brownwood Regional Airport on Wednesday and a "small ceremony" will be held. He then will be taken to Heartland Funeral Home, which is handling arrangements. A graveside service will be held at a yet-to-be-determined time in Killeen, she said.
Army Spc. Donald A. Burkett was killed in action on 3/10/08.
Army Spc. Donald A. Burkett, 24, of Comanche, Texas
Spc. Burkett was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas; died March 10, 2008 in Balad Ruz, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. Phillip R. Anderson and Capt. Torre R. Mallard.
Family mourns soldier who had turned his life around
By Doug Myers (Contact)
Three-year-old Mason Burkett can't quite fathom that his father went away to war and isn't coming back.
Mason's dad, 24-year-old Spc. Donald A. "Wesley" Burkett of Comanche, and two other soldiers were killed Monday when their vehicle came upon an improvised explosive device in Balad Ruz, Iraq.
Soon, however, Mason will have a reminder of his dad, a birthday present Burkett planned to give his only child when he came home on leave from Iraq in September.
"We were supposed to go out and get the puppy, so his daddy could give it to him when he came in," said Carolyn Gray, Burkett's mother.
Now, she said, the family plans to obtain a puppy and give it to Mason, months before his fourth birthday, in remembrance of his late father.
Plans are to tell Mason, Gray said, "That was what Daddy was going to do."
"He was like my grandson. They're both extremely intelligent," the 53-year-old Gray said.
She then chuckled and added: "I don't know where they got it from actually."
A Zephyr high school dropout who received his GED (General Educational Development) in February 2001, Burkett entered the U.S. Army in April 2006 as an armor crewman, and since August 2006, he was assigned to 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, according to Fort Hood officials.
Before his death, Gray said, her son had told his family he was "reading the Bible over there and that he wanted us to get Mason into Sunday school and start taking him to church on a regular basis."
He had his life straightened out, she said.
"He wanted to go forward in the Army," Gray said. "He was very proud to be in the military, and I was very proud he was in the military."
While he acknowledged recently that he'd "goofed off" and had trouble finding focus over the years, Gray said her son had married, bought his wife, Brandi, a house in Killeen and made plans for the future.
"I was supposed to go down to CTC (Central Texas College) in Killeen Wednesday and sign him up for online classes," she said. "To further your career in the Army, you have to take classes, and he wanted to get his associate (degree) at CTC and bachelor's from Tarleton."
His goal was to become a sergeant, she said, and he was extremely serious about his Army duties.
"He would tell us nothing," Gray said. "Any information we got was through the grapevine."
Zephyr ISD Superintendent David Whisenhunt said Burkett was "a real smart kid" who was looking for direction in his life. He was well-liked but quiet, he said, and a UIL academic competitor before he withdrew from high school and later earned a GED.
"Wesley was a little ol' skinny thing back then," said Gary Bufe, Zephyr school principal for 25 years. "I remember him being really intelligent."
In fact, Bufe said, Burkett was "extremely smart," noting he generally scored in the 96th to 99th percentile range on pre-ACT college readiness tests.
However, as Burkett got older, "He really didn't know what he wanted to do."
"It saddens all of us very much, especially with someone you knew personally," Bufe said of his death. "I'm very proud of him for serving. I'm very proud that he changed things."
On Monday, Burkett was killed along with Capt. Torre Ramoine Mallard, 27, of Oklahoma, and Sgt. Phillip Reid Anderson, 28, of Everett, Wash. The soldiers deployed in November 2007.
Burkett's awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
According to Gray, Burkett's body will arrive at Brownwood Regional Airport on Wednesday and a "small ceremony" will be held. He then will be taken to Heartland Funeral Home, which is handling arrangements. A graveside service will be held at a yet-to-be-determined time in Killeen, she said.
Army Spc. Donald A. Burkett was killed in action on 3/10/08.
Army Sgt. Phillip R. Anderson
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Phillip R. Anderson, 28, of Everett, Wash.
Sgt. Anderson was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas; died March 10, 2008 in Balad Ruz, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Spc. Donald A. Burkett and Capt. Torre R. Mallard.
Herald Net -- An Everett soldier who was killed Monday in Iraq had seen previous combat.
The Army said Friday that Sgt. Phillip Reid Anderson, 28, had won a Purple Heart and a number of other decorations associated with the war there.
He and two others assigned to the U.S. Army base at Fort Hood, Texas, died Monday in Balad Ruz, Iraq, when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. Anderson was an armor crew member.
An Army spokesman at Fort Hood said there was little information immediately available about Anderson's family or where they live.
Anderson joined the Army in October 1999. He has been assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment since August 2006. He and his companions were deployed to Iraq in November.
Besides the Purple Heart, Anderson's decorations included the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Service Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Combat Action Badge and Driver-Mechanic Badge.
Others killed in the attack included Capt. Torre Ramoine Mallard, 27, of Oklahoma, an armor officer; and Spc. Donald Allen Burkett, 24, of Comanche, Texas, an armor crew member.
Anderson is the 16th service member with connections to Snohomish or Island counties to die in the Iraq conflict. So far, nearly 4,000 U.S. troops have perished in the war, which began in March 2003.
The 2nd Squadron, known as Sabre Squadron, originated in 1846 as a regiment of mounted riflemen designed to provide greater mobility than the regular infantry, according to the Army.
In modern times, the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment is equipped with M1 Abrams tanks and M3 Bradley fighting vehicles. It is the only heavy armored cavalry regiment in the Army. Two other regiments are both considered light armored cavalry regiments
Army Sgt. Phillip R. Anderson was killed in action on 03/10/08.
Army Sgt. Phillip R. Anderson, 28, of Everett, Wash.
Sgt. Anderson was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas; died March 10, 2008 in Balad Ruz, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Spc. Donald A. Burkett and Capt. Torre R. Mallard.
Herald Net -- An Everett soldier who was killed Monday in Iraq had seen previous combat.
The Army said Friday that Sgt. Phillip Reid Anderson, 28, had won a Purple Heart and a number of other decorations associated with the war there.
He and two others assigned to the U.S. Army base at Fort Hood, Texas, died Monday in Balad Ruz, Iraq, when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. Anderson was an armor crew member.
An Army spokesman at Fort Hood said there was little information immediately available about Anderson's family or where they live.
Anderson joined the Army in October 1999. He has been assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment since August 2006. He and his companions were deployed to Iraq in November.
Besides the Purple Heart, Anderson's decorations included the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Service Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Combat Action Badge and Driver-Mechanic Badge.
Others killed in the attack included Capt. Torre Ramoine Mallard, 27, of Oklahoma, an armor officer; and Spc. Donald Allen Burkett, 24, of Comanche, Texas, an armor crew member.
Anderson is the 16th service member with connections to Snohomish or Island counties to die in the Iraq conflict. So far, nearly 4,000 U.S. troops have perished in the war, which began in March 2003.
The 2nd Squadron, known as Sabre Squadron, originated in 1846 as a regiment of mounted riflemen designed to provide greater mobility than the regular infantry, according to the Army.
In modern times, the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment is equipped with M1 Abrams tanks and M3 Bradley fighting vehicles. It is the only heavy armored cavalry regiment in the Army. Two other regiments are both considered light armored cavalry regiments
Army Sgt. Phillip R. Anderson was killed in action on 03/10/08.
Army Staff Sgt. David D. Julian
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. David D. Julian, 31, of Evanston, Wyo.
SSgt. Julian was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died March 10, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Ernesto G. Cimarrusti, Sgt. 1st. Class Shawn M. Suzch, Cpl. Robert T. McDavid and Cpl. Scott A. McIntosh.
ABC4 -- EVANSTON, Wyoming (ABC 4 News) - The Iraq war has hit the town of Evanston Wyoming hard.
For the first time, a member of their community is killed in action.
David Julian, a graduate of Evanston High School in 1994, was killed in action.
Julian was among the eight soldiers killed in two separate attacks involving Al-Qaeda militants.
"This has been tragic blow for our community,” said Marianne McLean who belongs to a committee that supports military personal serving in the Middle East.
Julian grew up in Evanston Wyoming but few remember seeing him after high school graduation.
That's because he joined the Army and was on his fourth tour of duty in Iraq at the time of his death.
Those who knew him say he was military all the way but between tours would come home.
“David has come to Evanston a lot of opportune times,” McLean said. “The parade, he was in our parade float, he was just somebody who is true military."
Like the time in 2003 when he laid a wreath at the county's memorial for fallen soldiers.
The memorial sits outside the county building and honors those soldiers from Evanston who gave their lives in past wars.
“One minute he's there and the next moment he's gone,” said V.F.W. Commander Robert Hagerman. “It’s disastrous that what it is."
Now, Julian becomes the first soldier from Evanston to die in the Iraq war and word is spreading about his death.
"This town is real patriotic oriented, the flags come out during the holidays,” said Hagerman. “People really support the U.S. Government but this is the first death that will hit this community deep. I'm sure of it, there's no doubt in my mind."
Julian was based in Fort Stewart Georgia. He has a wife and a two month old baby. His family from Evanston flew immediately to Georgia to be with her. His father, Wally Julian said that once his body is returned they will bury him in Evanston.
Army Staff Sgt. David D. Julian was killed in action on 03/10/08.
Army Staff Sgt. David D. Julian, 31, of Evanston, Wyo.
SSgt. Julian was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died March 10, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Ernesto G. Cimarrusti, Sgt. 1st. Class Shawn M. Suzch, Cpl. Robert T. McDavid and Cpl. Scott A. McIntosh.
ABC4 -- EVANSTON, Wyoming (ABC 4 News) - The Iraq war has hit the town of Evanston Wyoming hard.
For the first time, a member of their community is killed in action.
David Julian, a graduate of Evanston High School in 1994, was killed in action.
Julian was among the eight soldiers killed in two separate attacks involving Al-Qaeda militants.
"This has been tragic blow for our community,” said Marianne McLean who belongs to a committee that supports military personal serving in the Middle East.
Julian grew up in Evanston Wyoming but few remember seeing him after high school graduation.
That's because he joined the Army and was on his fourth tour of duty in Iraq at the time of his death.
Those who knew him say he was military all the way but between tours would come home.
“David has come to Evanston a lot of opportune times,” McLean said. “The parade, he was in our parade float, he was just somebody who is true military."
Like the time in 2003 when he laid a wreath at the county's memorial for fallen soldiers.
The memorial sits outside the county building and honors those soldiers from Evanston who gave their lives in past wars.
“One minute he's there and the next moment he's gone,” said V.F.W. Commander Robert Hagerman. “It’s disastrous that what it is."
Now, Julian becomes the first soldier from Evanston to die in the Iraq war and word is spreading about his death.
"This town is real patriotic oriented, the flags come out during the holidays,” said Hagerman. “People really support the U.S. Government but this is the first death that will hit this community deep. I'm sure of it, there's no doubt in my mind."
Julian was based in Fort Stewart Georgia. He has a wife and a two month old baby. His family from Evanston flew immediately to Georgia to be with her. His father, Wally Julian said that once his body is returned they will bury him in Evanston.
Army Staff Sgt. David D. Julian was killed in action on 03/10/08.
Army Cpl. Scott A. McIntosh
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Scott A. McIntosh, 26, of Houston
Cpl. McIntosh was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died March 10, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Ernesto G. Cimarrusti, Staff Sgt. David D. Julian, Cpl. Robert T. McDavid and Sgt. 1st. Class Shawn M. Suzch.
Houston Chronicle -- Scott A. McIntosh wasn't sure what to do after he graduated from Cypress Creek High School in 2001.
About a year later, the Humble native decided to give the Army a try.
"He didn't want to go to college right away — I think he knew he needed to get more discipline," his father, Alex McIntosh, said, then chuckled. "When he got in, he was very excited. He loved the Army."
Cpl. McIntosh, 26, will be remembered as an American hero during a funeral service at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church, 14301 Stuebner Airline, his father said.
He was on his second tour in Iraq when a suicide bomber claimed his life and that of four other soldiers March 10 in Baghdad.
The five were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Ga., the Defense Department announced.
"It's pretty simple to sum him up: He loved his family, loved the Army, he loved his country and he loved life," Alex McIntosh said. "Probably more than anybody else I've ever known. He was fun-loving and just lit up a room."
McIntosh, who had just re-enlisted, had served in Iraq for about 11 months during his latest tour there, his father said.
He was on leave during Christmas when he brought his girlfriend home to meet his family. McIntosh met the Savannah, Ga., schoolteacher while he was stationed at Fort Stewart.
"We were hoping things were moving in that direction," toward marriage, Alex McIntosh said.
Although on his second tour, McIntosh never mentioned the war or any close calls he may have had to his family.
"I think he did that out of concern for our state of mind," his father said.
He added that he wasn't sure if his son had decided to make a career of the Army.
"He was a young man with a whole future ahead of him," he said. "He lived 26 years and I don't think he ever had a bad day in his life. Nothing bothered him for very long."
McIntosh also never spoke to his family about the chance that he might not make it back from the war.
On Tuesday, McIntosh will be buried with military honors that include a uniformed honor guard and bugler.
Along with the military tradition, volunteer motorcycle riders, called Patriot Guard Riders, will rumble alongside the funeral procession and stand at attention with U.S. flags during the ceremonies.
"He would've just thought that was the coolest," his father said.
Army Cpl. Scott A. McIntosh was killed in action on 03/10/08.
Army Cpl. Scott A. McIntosh, 26, of Houston
Cpl. McIntosh was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died March 10, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Ernesto G. Cimarrusti, Staff Sgt. David D. Julian, Cpl. Robert T. McDavid and Sgt. 1st. Class Shawn M. Suzch.
Houston Chronicle -- Scott A. McIntosh wasn't sure what to do after he graduated from Cypress Creek High School in 2001.
About a year later, the Humble native decided to give the Army a try.
"He didn't want to go to college right away — I think he knew he needed to get more discipline," his father, Alex McIntosh, said, then chuckled. "When he got in, he was very excited. He loved the Army."
Cpl. McIntosh, 26, will be remembered as an American hero during a funeral service at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church, 14301 Stuebner Airline, his father said.
He was on his second tour in Iraq when a suicide bomber claimed his life and that of four other soldiers March 10 in Baghdad.
The five were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Ga., the Defense Department announced.
"It's pretty simple to sum him up: He loved his family, loved the Army, he loved his country and he loved life," Alex McIntosh said. "Probably more than anybody else I've ever known. He was fun-loving and just lit up a room."
McIntosh, who had just re-enlisted, had served in Iraq for about 11 months during his latest tour there, his father said.
He was on leave during Christmas when he brought his girlfriend home to meet his family. McIntosh met the Savannah, Ga., schoolteacher while he was stationed at Fort Stewart.
"We were hoping things were moving in that direction," toward marriage, Alex McIntosh said.
Although on his second tour, McIntosh never mentioned the war or any close calls he may have had to his family.
"I think he did that out of concern for our state of mind," his father said.
He added that he wasn't sure if his son had decided to make a career of the Army.
"He was a young man with a whole future ahead of him," he said. "He lived 26 years and I don't think he ever had a bad day in his life. Nothing bothered him for very long."
McIntosh also never spoke to his family about the chance that he might not make it back from the war.
On Tuesday, McIntosh will be buried with military honors that include a uniformed honor guard and bugler.
Along with the military tradition, volunteer motorcycle riders, called Patriot Guard Riders, will rumble alongside the funeral procession and stand at attention with U.S. flags during the ceremonies.
"He would've just thought that was the coolest," his father said.
Army Cpl. Scott A. McIntosh was killed in action on 03/10/08.
Army Cpl. Robert T. McDavid
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Robert T. McDavid, 29, of Starkville, Miss.
Cpl. McDavid was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died March 10, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Ernesto G. Cimarrusti, Staff Sgt. David D. Julian, Sgt. 1st. Class Shawn M. Suzch and Cpl. Scott A. McIntosh.
Hundreds line Starkville street to honor fallen soldier
The Associated Press
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Hundreds of residents, many holding up American flags, gathered along Main Street in this college town Wednesday, giving a final salute to a local soldier killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq.
The funeral for Army Cpl. Robert Taylor McDavid III fell on the same day as the fifth anniversary of the U.S. war in Iraq.
Armando De La Cruz of Starkville, watching as the funeral procession slowly passed on the way to Oddfellows Cemetery, said his family had lived near Robert and Jean Alice McDavid and he had seen their son grow up.
“He was a good kid. Oh, you know, a normal kid,” De La Cruz told The Commercial Dispatch.
The funeral was held at First Presbyterian Church.
McDavid, 29, and four other soldiers died in the March 10 attack that left three other soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter injured. The bomber struck as soldiers chatted with shop owners while on patrol in central Baghdad. It was the deadliest attack on American forces in the capital in more than eight months.
“He was a true American hero,” Tiffany McDavid said of her husband as a stiff breeze whipped across the cemetery. “And I’ve known him since I was 10 years old.”
Robert McDavid attended Starkville Academy and Starkville High School. He received an associate’s degree in accounting from North Mississippi Community College and later attended Mississippi State University, where he was a member of the band.
He joined the Army in 2005 and deployed to Iraq in May 2007. Robert McDavid said his son was a tank operator with the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment out of Fort Stewart, Ga.
Survivors include his wife, Tiffany Leigh McDavid; his parents, Robert and Jean Alice McDavid; and a sister, Leslie McDavid.
The Associated Press in Jackson has counted at least 60 soldiers with strong Mississippi ties to have died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Four — Staff Sgt. Christopher L. Robinson, Army Sgt. Taurean T. Harris, Sgt. Charles B. Kitowski III and Maj. Michael L. Green — died in Afghanistan while the others died in Iraq.
“I wish this were the last time we’d have to come out here like this,” Frank Davis, a former Starkville alderman said as the procession passed in front of the public library.
Army Cpl. Robert T. McDavid was killed in action on 03/10/08.
Army Cpl. Robert T. McDavid, 29, of Starkville, Miss.
Cpl. McDavid was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died March 10, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Ernesto G. Cimarrusti, Staff Sgt. David D. Julian, Sgt. 1st. Class Shawn M. Suzch and Cpl. Scott A. McIntosh.
Hundreds line Starkville street to honor fallen soldier
The Associated Press
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Hundreds of residents, many holding up American flags, gathered along Main Street in this college town Wednesday, giving a final salute to a local soldier killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq.
The funeral for Army Cpl. Robert Taylor McDavid III fell on the same day as the fifth anniversary of the U.S. war in Iraq.
Armando De La Cruz of Starkville, watching as the funeral procession slowly passed on the way to Oddfellows Cemetery, said his family had lived near Robert and Jean Alice McDavid and he had seen their son grow up.
“He was a good kid. Oh, you know, a normal kid,” De La Cruz told The Commercial Dispatch.
The funeral was held at First Presbyterian Church.
McDavid, 29, and four other soldiers died in the March 10 attack that left three other soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter injured. The bomber struck as soldiers chatted with shop owners while on patrol in central Baghdad. It was the deadliest attack on American forces in the capital in more than eight months.
“He was a true American hero,” Tiffany McDavid said of her husband as a stiff breeze whipped across the cemetery. “And I’ve known him since I was 10 years old.”
Robert McDavid attended Starkville Academy and Starkville High School. He received an associate’s degree in accounting from North Mississippi Community College and later attended Mississippi State University, where he was a member of the band.
He joined the Army in 2005 and deployed to Iraq in May 2007. Robert McDavid said his son was a tank operator with the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment out of Fort Stewart, Ga.
Survivors include his wife, Tiffany Leigh McDavid; his parents, Robert and Jean Alice McDavid; and a sister, Leslie McDavid.
The Associated Press in Jackson has counted at least 60 soldiers with strong Mississippi ties to have died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Four — Staff Sgt. Christopher L. Robinson, Army Sgt. Taurean T. Harris, Sgt. Charles B. Kitowski III and Maj. Michael L. Green — died in Afghanistan while the others died in Iraq.
“I wish this were the last time we’d have to come out here like this,” Frank Davis, a former Starkville alderman said as the procession passed in front of the public library.
Army Cpl. Robert T. McDavid was killed in action on 03/10/08.
Army Staff Sgt. Ernesto G. Cimarrusti
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Ernesto G. Cimarrusti, 25, of Douglas, Ariz.
SSgt. Cimarrusti was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died March 10, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. 1st. Class Shawn M. Suzch, Staff Sgt. David D. Julian, Cpl. Robert T. McDavid and Cpl. Scott A. McIntosh.
2 soldiers from Ariz. are killed
By Maxine Park
The Arizona Republic
Two Arizona soldiers died in Iraq this week: Pfc. Tenzin L. Samten, 33, of Prescott, and Army Staff Sgt. Ernesto Guadalupe Cimarrusti, 25, of Douglas.
Samten was killed along with two other soldiers on Wednesday in Tallil after their non-tactical vehicle was hit by indirect fire, the Department of Defense said.
Officials said Samten was a motor transport operator assigned to the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) in Fort Eustis, Va.
Samten enlisted in the Army in July 2006. Officials said that he received several awards, including the Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal. Samten is survived by his wife and two children.
Cimarrusti was killed in a suicide bombing along with four other soldiers on Monday in central Baghdad. The soldiers were talking with shop owners when explosives were detonated 30 feet away.
Cimarrusti was on his third tour in Iraq. He is survived by his wife, daughter and parents.
Army Staff Sgt. Ernesto G. Cimarrusti was killed in action on 03/10/08.
Army Staff Sgt. Ernesto G. Cimarrusti, 25, of Douglas, Ariz.
SSgt. Cimarrusti was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died March 10, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. 1st. Class Shawn M. Suzch, Staff Sgt. David D. Julian, Cpl. Robert T. McDavid and Cpl. Scott A. McIntosh.
2 soldiers from Ariz. are killed
By Maxine Park
The Arizona Republic
Two Arizona soldiers died in Iraq this week: Pfc. Tenzin L. Samten, 33, of Prescott, and Army Staff Sgt. Ernesto Guadalupe Cimarrusti, 25, of Douglas.
Samten was killed along with two other soldiers on Wednesday in Tallil after their non-tactical vehicle was hit by indirect fire, the Department of Defense said.
Officials said Samten was a motor transport operator assigned to the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) in Fort Eustis, Va.
Samten enlisted in the Army in July 2006. Officials said that he received several awards, including the Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal. Samten is survived by his wife and two children.
Cimarrusti was killed in a suicide bombing along with four other soldiers on Monday in central Baghdad. The soldiers were talking with shop owners when explosives were detonated 30 feet away.
Cimarrusti was on his third tour in Iraq. He is survived by his wife, daughter and parents.
Army Staff Sgt. Ernesto G. Cimarrusti was killed in action on 03/10/08.
Army Sgt. 1st. Class Shawn M. Suzch
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st. Class Shawn M. Suzch,32, of Hilltown, Pa.
SFC Suzch was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died March 10, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Ernesto G. Cimarrusti, Staff Sgt. David D. Julian, Cpl. Robert T. McDavid and Cpl. Scott A. McIntosh.
Bucks County Courier Times -- When children asked Army Sgt. 1st Class Shawn Suzch about his job, he would tell them, "My job is to get my men out safe and alive."
"He constantly would say that," said Rick Pforter, a former foster father and a close friend of Suzch’s. "He would e-mail us, and he said, ‘A good day is a day when we all come back alive.’ "
Suzch, 32, who grew up in Bucks County and graduated from Pennridge High School, had many good days — the day he returned from his tour of Kosovo, the days he returned from his first and second tours of Iraq, and the day he returned home in September to see his wife and new baby girl.
But he will have no more good days.
Suzch and three of his men were killed at about 3 p.m. Monday in Mansour — a wealthy section of Baghdad that many consider to be a barometer for U.S. success in Iraq — when a man in his 30s approached them and detonated the bombs he wore on a vest. The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed the bombing by press time, but not the names of the individuals killed.
Four other American soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter were wounded. One of the soldiers died later Monday from his wounds.
The bombing was the worst attack on U.S. forces in Baghdad in about six months.
Rick and Abby Pforter of Coopersburg have known Suzch for 16 years and really worried about him during his first two tours of Iraq.
"Because it was the invasion and a lot of the insurgency was taking place," Rick Pforter said. "We were feeling very positive about him returning this time because of the lull in fighting."
Suzch was supposed to return in May to Fort Stewart, in Georgia, where he resided.
He grew up in the Levittown and Langhorne areas, Pforter said, and lived in foster homes in different parts of Bucks County.
Pforter said Suzch came from a broken family — his father was out of the picture, he hardly saw his mother during his teenage years, and he had two half-brothers who were also in foster care.
Suzch got in trouble with police when he was 13 for possession of drugs and spent some time at the Bucks County Youth Center, Pforter said. Suzch then lived with a foster family in Plumsteadville.
When he was 16, Suzch went to live at a Bucks County probation home in Hilltown that was run by the Pforters.
The Pforters had taken care of hundreds of children during the 20 years they ran the home, but Suzch was special.
He lived with the Pforters for nearly two years — his junior and senior years of high school. Rick Pforter said Suzch stayed with his family during the holidays because Suzch couldn’t go home to his biological family. Suzch worked hard to be a father figure to his younger half-brothers and became a big brother figure to the Pforters’ two sons.
He played basketball with the young Pforters.
"There was this one area (of the court) we called Suzchland because he would always sink 3-point shots from that spot," said Brett Pforter, now 24.
Suzch got the Pforter boys into collecting trading cards. And he built snowmen and igloos with them in the winter.
"The fact that he was older made him kind of like a role model," said Brett Pforter. "He was a real nice guy, level-headed, got along well with everybody."
Rick Pforter said, "Anybody who knew Shawn just felt like this kid was a really good kid and was just a victim of his environment...He never wanted to go back to the youth center — not even to say ‘hi’ to some of the kids. He’d say, ‘That’s not me anymore.’ "
Pforter said Suzch knew in his junior year that he wanted to join the Army.
"I think, at first, he looked at it as he knew he wasn’t going to get into college and it was a way to finance college for him," Pforter said.
Suzch enlisted during his senior year and spent his weekends at Fort Dix.
He graduated from Pennridge in 1994.
"Seeing him get that diploma was special," Pforter said.
"It was the only time during the year and a half that he was with us that we met his mom. It was the very last time we saw her. Sometime or another, she had decided she would come and see him graduate. I think it raised hopes in his mind that maybe there was some hope for that family, but that never panned out."
Suzch went to Germany after basic training. There, he met and married Angela, a German national.
Pforter said Suzch continued to try to be a father figure to his half-brothers and even had one of his half-brothers come and live with him in Germany for a year.
Suzch would call Rick Pforter long-distance for advice about raising the boy or for help finding the other half-brother.
Suzch eventually had a son of his own. But the baby was born with lung defects, and Shawn and Angela lost him in a year, Pforter said.
They had another baby — a healthy little girl named Alyssa Jayden — in September.
Suzch, who was promoted last year to sergeant first class and signed on for another six years of duty, focused on his family and his military career.
"I think he fell in love with it," Pforter said.
"He talked about it all the time. ‘His men.’ He would say that a lot. When he told stories, he would say, ‘Yeah, my men. I had to get my men out.’ That became a family to him. It really did."
And family was something Suzch had always wanted.
"That’s really the sad part about this whole thing. Because he finally got one..." Pforter said, trailing off.
Army Sgt. 1st. Class Shawn M. Suzch was killed in action on 03/10/08.
Army Sgt. 1st. Class Shawn M. Suzch,32, of Hilltown, Pa.
SFC Suzch was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died March 10, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Ernesto G. Cimarrusti, Staff Sgt. David D. Julian, Cpl. Robert T. McDavid and Cpl. Scott A. McIntosh.
Bucks County Courier Times -- When children asked Army Sgt. 1st Class Shawn Suzch about his job, he would tell them, "My job is to get my men out safe and alive."
"He constantly would say that," said Rick Pforter, a former foster father and a close friend of Suzch’s. "He would e-mail us, and he said, ‘A good day is a day when we all come back alive.’ "
Suzch, 32, who grew up in Bucks County and graduated from Pennridge High School, had many good days — the day he returned from his tour of Kosovo, the days he returned from his first and second tours of Iraq, and the day he returned home in September to see his wife and new baby girl.
But he will have no more good days.
Suzch and three of his men were killed at about 3 p.m. Monday in Mansour — a wealthy section of Baghdad that many consider to be a barometer for U.S. success in Iraq — when a man in his 30s approached them and detonated the bombs he wore on a vest. The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed the bombing by press time, but not the names of the individuals killed.
Four other American soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter were wounded. One of the soldiers died later Monday from his wounds.
The bombing was the worst attack on U.S. forces in Baghdad in about six months.
Rick and Abby Pforter of Coopersburg have known Suzch for 16 years and really worried about him during his first two tours of Iraq.
"Because it was the invasion and a lot of the insurgency was taking place," Rick Pforter said. "We were feeling very positive about him returning this time because of the lull in fighting."
Suzch was supposed to return in May to Fort Stewart, in Georgia, where he resided.
He grew up in the Levittown and Langhorne areas, Pforter said, and lived in foster homes in different parts of Bucks County.
Pforter said Suzch came from a broken family — his father was out of the picture, he hardly saw his mother during his teenage years, and he had two half-brothers who were also in foster care.
Suzch got in trouble with police when he was 13 for possession of drugs and spent some time at the Bucks County Youth Center, Pforter said. Suzch then lived with a foster family in Plumsteadville.
When he was 16, Suzch went to live at a Bucks County probation home in Hilltown that was run by the Pforters.
The Pforters had taken care of hundreds of children during the 20 years they ran the home, but Suzch was special.
He lived with the Pforters for nearly two years — his junior and senior years of high school. Rick Pforter said Suzch stayed with his family during the holidays because Suzch couldn’t go home to his biological family. Suzch worked hard to be a father figure to his younger half-brothers and became a big brother figure to the Pforters’ two sons.
He played basketball with the young Pforters.
"There was this one area (of the court) we called Suzchland because he would always sink 3-point shots from that spot," said Brett Pforter, now 24.
Suzch got the Pforter boys into collecting trading cards. And he built snowmen and igloos with them in the winter.
"The fact that he was older made him kind of like a role model," said Brett Pforter. "He was a real nice guy, level-headed, got along well with everybody."
Rick Pforter said, "Anybody who knew Shawn just felt like this kid was a really good kid and was just a victim of his environment...He never wanted to go back to the youth center — not even to say ‘hi’ to some of the kids. He’d say, ‘That’s not me anymore.’ "
Pforter said Suzch knew in his junior year that he wanted to join the Army.
"I think, at first, he looked at it as he knew he wasn’t going to get into college and it was a way to finance college for him," Pforter said.
Suzch enlisted during his senior year and spent his weekends at Fort Dix.
He graduated from Pennridge in 1994.
"Seeing him get that diploma was special," Pforter said.
"It was the only time during the year and a half that he was with us that we met his mom. It was the very last time we saw her. Sometime or another, she had decided she would come and see him graduate. I think it raised hopes in his mind that maybe there was some hope for that family, but that never panned out."
Suzch went to Germany after basic training. There, he met and married Angela, a German national.
Pforter said Suzch continued to try to be a father figure to his half-brothers and even had one of his half-brothers come and live with him in Germany for a year.
Suzch would call Rick Pforter long-distance for advice about raising the boy or for help finding the other half-brother.
Suzch eventually had a son of his own. But the baby was born with lung defects, and Shawn and Angela lost him in a year, Pforter said.
They had another baby — a healthy little girl named Alyssa Jayden — in September.
Suzch, who was promoted last year to sergeant first class and signed on for another six years of duty, focused on his family and his military career.
"I think he fell in love with it," Pforter said.
"He talked about it all the time. ‘His men.’ He would say that a lot. When he told stories, he would say, ‘Yeah, my men. I had to get my men out.’ That became a family to him. It really did."
And family was something Suzch had always wanted.
"That’s really the sad part about this whole thing. Because he finally got one..." Pforter said, trailing off.
Army Sgt. 1st. Class Shawn M. Suzch was killed in action on 03/10/08.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Army Sgt. Gabriel Guzman
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Gabriel Guzman, 25, of Hornbrook, Calif.
Sgt. Guzman was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died March 8, 2008 in Orgun E, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device in Gholam Haydar Kala, Afghanistan.
San Jose Mercury News - Sgt. Gabriel Guzman, 25, of Hornbrook, Calif., died March 8 at Orgun E, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device in Gholam Haydar Kala, Afghanistan.
He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Anni Watson had been in labor for 21 hours when the officers showed up at her hospital room door with news that her brother, Army Sgt. Gabriel Guzman, formerly of Concord, had died Saturday in Afghanistan. His Humvee had run over an improvised explosive device.
The 27-year-old screamed at the officers. Then she kicked them out of her Sacramento hospital room.
"I freaked," said Watson. "I was crying and I said, 'How dare you? Don't say sorry to me when you don't know me. You kept him longer than you were supposed to. He's supposed to be home by now.' "
The officers had come to notify her mother, Shelley Tucker, who was in the hospital room, too. Watson said they all cried - her husband, her mother and her.
An hour later, Jordan Lucy Enelia Watson was born. If she had been a boy, he would have been named Gabriel Christopher.
Guzman, who was so close with his sister that they had a code language and nicknames that only they knew, died on Saturday. He was 25. He was supposed to come home last July, but the tour extensions added up. In all, he served 24 months in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Though his hometown is listed as Hornbrook, in Siskiyou County, he lived for 10 years - his adolescent and teenage years - in Concord. He went to Oak Grove Middle School and Concord High School, then took classes at Diablo Valley College before joining the Army at 21 and shipping out to Iraq shortly thereafter.
He has a 7-year-old daughter, Angela Haley Guzman, who lives in Concord with her mother. Watson said the girl, who has Down syndrome, was the light of her brother's life and much of the reason he joined the Army.
"He thought it would put him on a good, adult path, and that he could come back when it was all over and take good care of her," Watson said.
"When he got back, we all - me, my husband, my son and the baby - were going to move to Concord or Pleasant Hill with him," said Watson, a Sacramento resident and college student.
"It's where he called home."
Guzman had planned to go back to school and study kinesiology. He had always been into health and fitness, she said.
In the minutes after learning of her brother's death, Watson tried to focus on her baby girl. She didn't want the sadness radiating from her into her daughter. When she left the hospital, that's when it started.
"It's those little windows you get when you're alone," she said Thursday afternoon. "That's when the memories come pouring back."
Scab. It was the goofball nickname she gave her brother when they were kids. She can't explain why, but that's what keeps slipping into her mind during those idle moments right before sleep or when she's looking at herself in the bathroom mirror.
"He was goofy," she said. "We were goofy together. He was the one person who got me."
He couldn't call home often, but he did keep in touch through e-mail and his Myspace page.
Tucker, who lives in Mexico but has been in California waiting for her grandchild's birth, said the last communication she had with her son was via computer.
"Don't trip, mom," he wrote on her Myspace page, responding to her worry. He hadn't written, he explained, because he hadn't had the chance. Not because he was in danger.
Tucker wrote him back on March 6, two days before he died.
Watson said the last time she talked to him on the phone, he said he no longer had to go out on patrol, which meant safer times. The last communication she had was an e-mail on March 1, the day Jordan was due.
"Happy due date," he wrote.
Now, he crops up in the funniest places, she said. Her eight-year-old son mimics him - specifically the "Eich!" karate noise Guzman often made when playing with him.
"He was a very inspirational, dignified person," Watson said. "Some people said he was *censored*y, but I wouldn't say that - he never upset me or made me mad. He was the type who would always take the time to listen to you, even if he didn't agree."
He loved martial arts and gambling. He wasn't a fan of R&B or rap - didn't know the difference between the two, he says on his Myspace page - but loved Metallica.
"I have forgotten what it is to have a normal life," he wrote on his Myspace page.
"I walk the path laid before me for now. Soon I will choose where that path leads. I have had some hard lessons in my life. After everything, I have learned more about myself and what I believe in.
"I have been called arrogant, stubborn, over-confident . . . " he continued. "I enjoy conflict, and I hate to lose. Sometimes people don't understand me or my intentions. I am myself as much as I can be. Much is said in silence. More is learned in defeat than victory."
Watson said she has felt his presence since Saturday - even in that hospital room where all the screaming happened.
She'd had a hard time conceiving a child. It took years after the birth of her son to have another.
"I have this weird feeling and I can't explain it, but I feel like he's wants to make sure the baby's content," she said. "I wouldn't call the timing a coincidence. That's too insignificant a word."
Though she got upset with the officers - both for recruiting him in the first place and for telling her of his death - she respects the Army and is proud of her brother.
Tucker said she'd tried to talk him out of joining, but she's proud, too, of his accomplishments.
"I think he'd want his life remembered as a statement of peace," Tucker said.
"He was a strong person who always put others before himself," said a friend, Noreen Saima, 23. "He was kind-hearted and funny, a little sarcastic sometimes to the point where he came across as arrogant. But he was a good guy. He always told it like it was, and even if his friends were different, or didn't agree with him, he accepted it."
Guzman joined the Army in July 2003 and was deployed to Afghanistan in February 2007. Members of his company said he was a dedicated and selfless soldier whose awards included the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
"On a mission this past year while conducting a mountain clearance operation, Sgt. Guzman willingly gave the platoon RTO (radio telephone operator) his last bit of water knowing that we still had more than 4 kilometers to move," 1st Sgt. Derek Gondek said in a statement. "That is just the type of man that he was. His utmost concern was always his paratroopers."
Guzman wrote on his MySpace profile, "I have forgotten what it is to have a normal life. I walk the path laid before me for now. Soon I will choose where that path leads. I have had some hard lessons in my life. After everything, I have learned more about myself and what I believe in."
He noted that he has been called arrogant, stubborn and overconfident. "I enjoy conflict, and I hate to lose," he wrote. "Sometimes people don't understand me or my intentions. I am myself as much as I can be."
Guzman was based out of Fort Bragg, NC, and was killed in Gholam Haydar Kala, Afghanistan.
Army Sgt. Gabriel Guzman was killed in action on 3/8/08.
Army Sgt. Gabriel Guzman, 25, of Hornbrook, Calif.
Sgt. Guzman was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died March 8, 2008 in Orgun E, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device in Gholam Haydar Kala, Afghanistan.
San Jose Mercury News - Sgt. Gabriel Guzman, 25, of Hornbrook, Calif., died March 8 at Orgun E, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device in Gholam Haydar Kala, Afghanistan.
He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Anni Watson had been in labor for 21 hours when the officers showed up at her hospital room door with news that her brother, Army Sgt. Gabriel Guzman, formerly of Concord, had died Saturday in Afghanistan. His Humvee had run over an improvised explosive device.
The 27-year-old screamed at the officers. Then she kicked them out of her Sacramento hospital room.
"I freaked," said Watson. "I was crying and I said, 'How dare you? Don't say sorry to me when you don't know me. You kept him longer than you were supposed to. He's supposed to be home by now.' "
The officers had come to notify her mother, Shelley Tucker, who was in the hospital room, too. Watson said they all cried - her husband, her mother and her.
An hour later, Jordan Lucy Enelia Watson was born. If she had been a boy, he would have been named Gabriel Christopher.
Guzman, who was so close with his sister that they had a code language and nicknames that only they knew, died on Saturday. He was 25. He was supposed to come home last July, but the tour extensions added up. In all, he served 24 months in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Though his hometown is listed as Hornbrook, in Siskiyou County, he lived for 10 years - his adolescent and teenage years - in Concord. He went to Oak Grove Middle School and Concord High School, then took classes at Diablo Valley College before joining the Army at 21 and shipping out to Iraq shortly thereafter.
He has a 7-year-old daughter, Angela Haley Guzman, who lives in Concord with her mother. Watson said the girl, who has Down syndrome, was the light of her brother's life and much of the reason he joined the Army.
"He thought it would put him on a good, adult path, and that he could come back when it was all over and take good care of her," Watson said.
"When he got back, we all - me, my husband, my son and the baby - were going to move to Concord or Pleasant Hill with him," said Watson, a Sacramento resident and college student.
"It's where he called home."
Guzman had planned to go back to school and study kinesiology. He had always been into health and fitness, she said.
In the minutes after learning of her brother's death, Watson tried to focus on her baby girl. She didn't want the sadness radiating from her into her daughter. When she left the hospital, that's when it started.
"It's those little windows you get when you're alone," she said Thursday afternoon. "That's when the memories come pouring back."
Scab. It was the goofball nickname she gave her brother when they were kids. She can't explain why, but that's what keeps slipping into her mind during those idle moments right before sleep or when she's looking at herself in the bathroom mirror.
"He was goofy," she said. "We were goofy together. He was the one person who got me."
He couldn't call home often, but he did keep in touch through e-mail and his Myspace page.
Tucker, who lives in Mexico but has been in California waiting for her grandchild's birth, said the last communication she had with her son was via computer.
"Don't trip, mom," he wrote on her Myspace page, responding to her worry. He hadn't written, he explained, because he hadn't had the chance. Not because he was in danger.
Tucker wrote him back on March 6, two days before he died.
Watson said the last time she talked to him on the phone, he said he no longer had to go out on patrol, which meant safer times. The last communication she had was an e-mail on March 1, the day Jordan was due.
"Happy due date," he wrote.
Now, he crops up in the funniest places, she said. Her eight-year-old son mimics him - specifically the "Eich!" karate noise Guzman often made when playing with him.
"He was a very inspirational, dignified person," Watson said. "Some people said he was *censored*y, but I wouldn't say that - he never upset me or made me mad. He was the type who would always take the time to listen to you, even if he didn't agree."
He loved martial arts and gambling. He wasn't a fan of R&B or rap - didn't know the difference between the two, he says on his Myspace page - but loved Metallica.
"I have forgotten what it is to have a normal life," he wrote on his Myspace page.
"I walk the path laid before me for now. Soon I will choose where that path leads. I have had some hard lessons in my life. After everything, I have learned more about myself and what I believe in.
"I have been called arrogant, stubborn, over-confident . . . " he continued. "I enjoy conflict, and I hate to lose. Sometimes people don't understand me or my intentions. I am myself as much as I can be. Much is said in silence. More is learned in defeat than victory."
Watson said she has felt his presence since Saturday - even in that hospital room where all the screaming happened.
She'd had a hard time conceiving a child. It took years after the birth of her son to have another.
"I have this weird feeling and I can't explain it, but I feel like he's wants to make sure the baby's content," she said. "I wouldn't call the timing a coincidence. That's too insignificant a word."
Though she got upset with the officers - both for recruiting him in the first place and for telling her of his death - she respects the Army and is proud of her brother.
Tucker said she'd tried to talk him out of joining, but she's proud, too, of his accomplishments.
"I think he'd want his life remembered as a statement of peace," Tucker said.
"He was a strong person who always put others before himself," said a friend, Noreen Saima, 23. "He was kind-hearted and funny, a little sarcastic sometimes to the point where he came across as arrogant. But he was a good guy. He always told it like it was, and even if his friends were different, or didn't agree with him, he accepted it."
Guzman joined the Army in July 2003 and was deployed to Afghanistan in February 2007. Members of his company said he was a dedicated and selfless soldier whose awards included the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
"On a mission this past year while conducting a mountain clearance operation, Sgt. Guzman willingly gave the platoon RTO (radio telephone operator) his last bit of water knowing that we still had more than 4 kilometers to move," 1st Sgt. Derek Gondek said in a statement. "That is just the type of man that he was. His utmost concern was always his paratroopers."
Guzman wrote on his MySpace profile, "I have forgotten what it is to have a normal life. I walk the path laid before me for now. Soon I will choose where that path leads. I have had some hard lessons in my life. After everything, I have learned more about myself and what I believe in."
He noted that he has been called arrogant, stubborn and overconfident. "I enjoy conflict, and I hate to lose," he wrote. "Sometimes people don't understand me or my intentions. I am myself as much as I can be."
Guzman was based out of Fort Bragg, NC, and was killed in Gholam Haydar Kala, Afghanistan.
Army Sgt. Gabriel Guzman was killed in action on 3/8/08.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Air Force Staff Sgt. Christopher S. Frost
Remember Our Heroes
Air Force Staff Sgt. Christopher S. Frost, 24, of Waukesha, Wis.
Sgt. Frost was assigned to 377th Air Base Wing, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.; killed March 3, 2008 near Bayji, Iraq, in an Iraqi Army Mi-17 helicopter crash. The circumstances surrounding the crash are under investigation.
Staff Sgt. Christopher S. Frost, 24, of Waukesha, Wis., died March 3 near Bayji, Iraq in a crash of an Iraqi Army Mi-17 helicopter. He was assigned to the 377th Air Base Wing, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
And as a member of the U.S. Air Force serving in Iraq, he got to employ his relentless pursuit of stories as an editor of a military publication, Gary Frost said.
"He was ecstatic when one of his stories got picked up by a Spokane, Washington, newspaper," Gary Frost said in a telephone interview Wednesday night, after learning that his son had been killed in Iraq. "He is esteemed by the people who worked around him for his willingness to tackle any assignment or any mission."
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Staff Sgt. Christopher S. Frost, 24, died Monday near Bayji, Iraq, in a crash of an Iraqi Army Mi-17 helicopter. The circumstances surrounding the crash are under investigation. He was assigned to the 377th Air Base Wing, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
Christopher Frost, a graduate of Mukwonago High School from the Town of Vernon, worked in public affairs as editor of The Advisor, a semimonthly publication of the Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq, his father said.
He enlisted in the Air Force right out of high school and was deployed to Iraq in fall, Gary Frost said.
'Loved the challenge'
"He loved the challenge and the relentlessness of his job," he said. "He had high hopes of being a top journalist someday."
He never forgot about those around him, his father said.
"When he would ask to have stuff sent from home, whether it was batteries, candies or snacks, it would not be for him," he said. "It would be for the kids or the troops out in the field for whom he had the utmost respect."
His son will be missed by the people he touched simply by being himself, his father said.
Christopher Frost's grandmother, Mary Jean Frost of Waukesha, said she took care of him from the age of 4 months until he started first grade so that both his parents could work.
"I can't say that he ever misbehaved. He was a really good kid," she said.
'A wonderful person'
"He and I used to go away for a couple days up north by ourselves," she continued. "We had a lot of good times together. It's hard for me to know he's gone. I can't even imagine it. He was a wonderful person."
The circumstances surrounding the accident remained under investigation, but the statement said the crash occurred in a dust storm.
Friends of his family are heartsick. "Christopher was a great kid. He always smiled, and he always waved when he'd go down the street," said Donna Roepke.
Roepke still lives next door to Frost's parents in the neighborhood where he grew up.
She remembers the last time she saw him, "he was riding the bike with his two children back in October."
Frost has two young children.
Those who knew him say he was a great father and a great soldier. "I stayed in contact with his mom and dad and always asked, 'How's Christopher doing?'" Roepke told us. "They would always say he'll be home at such and such a date, or he'll be home for Christmas. Now he's not coming home," she said.
Frost was assigned to the 377th Air Base Wing out of Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
He was just finishing up his second tour in Iraq. He was reportedly scheduled to come home in 20 days.
Frost, who worked in the base's public affairs office, had been deployed in Iraq since September. His role was to support a command team responsible for organizing and training Iraqi security forces.
A six-year veteran of the Air Force, Frost was stationed at the Kirtland base since July 2005.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Christopher S. Frost was killed in a helicopter crash on 3/03/08
Air Force Staff Sgt. Christopher S. Frost, 24, of Waukesha, Wis.
Sgt. Frost was assigned to 377th Air Base Wing, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.; killed March 3, 2008 near Bayji, Iraq, in an Iraqi Army Mi-17 helicopter crash. The circumstances surrounding the crash are under investigation.
Staff Sgt. Christopher S. Frost, 24, of Waukesha, Wis., died March 3 near Bayji, Iraq in a crash of an Iraqi Army Mi-17 helicopter. He was assigned to the 377th Air Base Wing, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
And as a member of the U.S. Air Force serving in Iraq, he got to employ his relentless pursuit of stories as an editor of a military publication, Gary Frost said.
"He was ecstatic when one of his stories got picked up by a Spokane, Washington, newspaper," Gary Frost said in a telephone interview Wednesday night, after learning that his son had been killed in Iraq. "He is esteemed by the people who worked around him for his willingness to tackle any assignment or any mission."
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Staff Sgt. Christopher S. Frost, 24, died Monday near Bayji, Iraq, in a crash of an Iraqi Army Mi-17 helicopter. The circumstances surrounding the crash are under investigation. He was assigned to the 377th Air Base Wing, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
Christopher Frost, a graduate of Mukwonago High School from the Town of Vernon, worked in public affairs as editor of The Advisor, a semimonthly publication of the Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq, his father said.
He enlisted in the Air Force right out of high school and was deployed to Iraq in fall, Gary Frost said.
'Loved the challenge'
"He loved the challenge and the relentlessness of his job," he said. "He had high hopes of being a top journalist someday."
He never forgot about those around him, his father said.
"When he would ask to have stuff sent from home, whether it was batteries, candies or snacks, it would not be for him," he said. "It would be for the kids or the troops out in the field for whom he had the utmost respect."
His son will be missed by the people he touched simply by being himself, his father said.
Christopher Frost's grandmother, Mary Jean Frost of Waukesha, said she took care of him from the age of 4 months until he started first grade so that both his parents could work.
"I can't say that he ever misbehaved. He was a really good kid," she said.
'A wonderful person'
"He and I used to go away for a couple days up north by ourselves," she continued. "We had a lot of good times together. It's hard for me to know he's gone. I can't even imagine it. He was a wonderful person."
The circumstances surrounding the accident remained under investigation, but the statement said the crash occurred in a dust storm.
Friends of his family are heartsick. "Christopher was a great kid. He always smiled, and he always waved when he'd go down the street," said Donna Roepke.
Roepke still lives next door to Frost's parents in the neighborhood where he grew up.
She remembers the last time she saw him, "he was riding the bike with his two children back in October."
Frost has two young children.
Those who knew him say he was a great father and a great soldier. "I stayed in contact with his mom and dad and always asked, 'How's Christopher doing?'" Roepke told us. "They would always say he'll be home at such and such a date, or he'll be home for Christmas. Now he's not coming home," she said.
Frost was assigned to the 377th Air Base Wing out of Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
He was just finishing up his second tour in Iraq. He was reportedly scheduled to come home in 20 days.
Frost, who worked in the base's public affairs office, had been deployed in Iraq since September. His role was to support a command team responsible for organizing and training Iraqi security forces.
A six-year veteran of the Air Force, Frost was stationed at the Kirtland base since July 2005.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Christopher S. Frost was killed in a helicopter crash on 3/03/08
Army Sgt. Robert T. Rapp
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Robert T. Rapp, 22, of Sonora, Calif.
Sgt. Rapp was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; killed March 3, 2008 in the Sabari District of Afghanistan of wounds sustained during combat operations. Also killed was Spc. Steven R. Koch.
A decorated Army paratrooper, who was an avid outdoorsman and a talented athlete growing up in the California Gold Country town Sonora, was killed Monday while on duty in Afghanistan.
Sgt. Robert T. Rapp, 22, was an infantryman leader assigned to a combat unit in Sabari, Afghanistan. A statement released today by the Army said that Rapp died of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near the Sabari District Center.
It was Rapp's second deployment in the Middle East after joining the Army upon his 2004 high school graduation.
Jennifer Rapp, Rapp's mother, said her son was a patriot and a committed soldier. She also said that his view of his role in the military had evolved since his first tour of duty.
"He went to Iraq as a very young man (in 2005) ... he lost his roommate and best friend," said Jennifer Rapp. "He went to Afghanistan as a sergeant and he said his biggest responsibility was to bring his men home alive."
Jennifer Rapp said that her son always had an interest in the military. She said he played with G.I. Joe toys when he was a very young boy. He also showed an early interest and talent in sports, joining an area ski team at age 6 and becoming an accomplished wrestler, golfer, cross-country runner and dove hunter.
After basic training at Fort Benning, Ga. in 2004, he served in Iraq near the border of Syria, Jennifer Rapp said.
In recognition of his service in Iraq and Afghanistan, Rapp was awarded the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal and several other honors.
"Bobby had a heart of gold and was one of the most generous and kind people that you could ever know," Jennifer Rapp said. "He said there was no greater honor than to serve his country."
Jennifer Rapp said that Robert had one year left of his commitment to the military and that he was originally scheduled to come home in January, but that his unit's tour was extended to mid-April.
"He wanted to serve our country and protect our country," Jennifer Rapp said. "He loved this country."
Army Sgt. Robert T. Rapp was killed in action on 3/03/08.
Army Sgt. Robert T. Rapp, 22, of Sonora, Calif.
Sgt. Rapp was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; killed March 3, 2008 in the Sabari District of Afghanistan of wounds sustained during combat operations. Also killed was Spc. Steven R. Koch.
A decorated Army paratrooper, who was an avid outdoorsman and a talented athlete growing up in the California Gold Country town Sonora, was killed Monday while on duty in Afghanistan.
Sgt. Robert T. Rapp, 22, was an infantryman leader assigned to a combat unit in Sabari, Afghanistan. A statement released today by the Army said that Rapp died of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near the Sabari District Center.
It was Rapp's second deployment in the Middle East after joining the Army upon his 2004 high school graduation.
Jennifer Rapp, Rapp's mother, said her son was a patriot and a committed soldier. She also said that his view of his role in the military had evolved since his first tour of duty.
"He went to Iraq as a very young man (in 2005) ... he lost his roommate and best friend," said Jennifer Rapp. "He went to Afghanistan as a sergeant and he said his biggest responsibility was to bring his men home alive."
Jennifer Rapp said that her son always had an interest in the military. She said he played with G.I. Joe toys when he was a very young boy. He also showed an early interest and talent in sports, joining an area ski team at age 6 and becoming an accomplished wrestler, golfer, cross-country runner and dove hunter.
After basic training at Fort Benning, Ga. in 2004, he served in Iraq near the border of Syria, Jennifer Rapp said.
In recognition of his service in Iraq and Afghanistan, Rapp was awarded the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal and several other honors.
"Bobby had a heart of gold and was one of the most generous and kind people that you could ever know," Jennifer Rapp said. "He said there was no greater honor than to serve his country."
Jennifer Rapp said that Robert had one year left of his commitment to the military and that he was originally scheduled to come home in January, but that his unit's tour was extended to mid-April.
"He wanted to serve our country and protect our country," Jennifer Rapp said. "He loved this country."
Army Sgt. Robert T. Rapp was killed in action on 3/03/08.
Army Cpl. Steven R. Koch
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Steven R. Koch, 23, of Milltown, N.J.
Cpl. Koch was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; killed March 3, 2008 in the Sabari District of Afghanistan of wounds sustained during combat operations. Also killed was Sgt. Robert T. Rapp.
A 23-year-old soldier from New Jersey scheduled to return home next month was killed in Afghanistan, military officials and family members said tonight.
Army Cpl. Steven R. Koch, 23, of Milltown in Middlesex County, died Monday in the Sabari District of Afghanistan of wounds suffered during combat operations, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
"My husband and I are very proud of our son," said his mother, Christine Koch, during a brief phone interview tonight. "He died for his country and he died loving his country."
An assistant gunner, Koch was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C., Defense Department officials said.
Koch is survived by a wife, Amy, and daughter, Zoe, both of Spotswood, military officials said. He also leaves a brother, William, and his parents, William and Christine Koch, all of Milltown.
Steven Koch had completed his 15-month tour of duty, and was due home next month, his mother said. "This is so difficult, it's too new, I hardly believe he's gone," Christine Koch said.
Defense Department officials said Koch died of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near the Sabari District Center. A second soldier, Sgt. Robert T. Rapp, 22, of Sonora, Calif., also was killed in the attack.
Koch is the 97th service member with ties to New Jersey killed in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. He was promoted posthumously to corporal from specialist, according to military officials.
"Corporal Koch was a highly dedicated paratrooper," said Capt. Henry Rowland, the 1st Battalion, 508th PIR rear detachment commander. "He was dedicated not only to his profession but also in serving this great nation."
Koch joined the Army in March 2006. He arrived to the 82nd Airborne Division in August 2006, after completing Infantry One Station Unit Training and the Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Ga.
"He will be sorely missed by all of those who knew him, and our thoughts are with his family during their time of grief," Rowland said.
Koch's decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. He also was awarded the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, and the Parachutist's Badge, military officials said.
Army Cpl. Steven R. Koch was killed in action on 3/03/08.
Army Cpl. Steven R. Koch, 23, of Milltown, N.J.
Cpl. Koch was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; killed March 3, 2008 in the Sabari District of Afghanistan of wounds sustained during combat operations. Also killed was Sgt. Robert T. Rapp.
A 23-year-old soldier from New Jersey scheduled to return home next month was killed in Afghanistan, military officials and family members said tonight.
Army Cpl. Steven R. Koch, 23, of Milltown in Middlesex County, died Monday in the Sabari District of Afghanistan of wounds suffered during combat operations, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
"My husband and I are very proud of our son," said his mother, Christine Koch, during a brief phone interview tonight. "He died for his country and he died loving his country."
An assistant gunner, Koch was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C., Defense Department officials said.
Koch is survived by a wife, Amy, and daughter, Zoe, both of Spotswood, military officials said. He also leaves a brother, William, and his parents, William and Christine Koch, all of Milltown.
Steven Koch had completed his 15-month tour of duty, and was due home next month, his mother said. "This is so difficult, it's too new, I hardly believe he's gone," Christine Koch said.
Defense Department officials said Koch died of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near the Sabari District Center. A second soldier, Sgt. Robert T. Rapp, 22, of Sonora, Calif., also was killed in the attack.
Koch is the 97th service member with ties to New Jersey killed in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. He was promoted posthumously to corporal from specialist, according to military officials.
"Corporal Koch was a highly dedicated paratrooper," said Capt. Henry Rowland, the 1st Battalion, 508th PIR rear detachment commander. "He was dedicated not only to his profession but also in serving this great nation."
Koch joined the Army in March 2006. He arrived to the 82nd Airborne Division in August 2006, after completing Infantry One Station Unit Training and the Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Ga.
"He will be sorely missed by all of those who knew him, and our thoughts are with his family during their time of grief," Rowland said.
Koch's decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. He also was awarded the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, and the Parachutist's Badge, military officials said.
Army Cpl. Steven R. Koch was killed in action on 3/03/08.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Army Spc. Kevin S. Mowl
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Kevin S. Mowl, 22, of Pittsford, N.Y.
Spc. Mowl was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Feb. 25, 2008 at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., of wounds sustained in Baghdad, Iraq, on Aug. 2, 2007, when the vehicle he was in encountered an improvised explosive device.
Soldier dies 6 months after being hurt in Iraq
The Associated Press
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — A western New York soldier wounded six months ago in an explosion in Iraq has died in a military hospital in Maryland.
Army Spc. Kevin Mowl of the Rochester suburb of Pittsford was 22 when he died Monday at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda.
Mowl suffered multiple broken bones and a head injury Aug. 2 when a roadside bomb flipped his vehicle in Baghdad. Three others died, and 11 soldiers and an interpreter were injured.
President Bush presented Mowl with a Purple Heart and a Presidential Medallion at the hospital in December.
Mowl recently suffered a serious infection after part of his feeding tube broke and perforated his intestines.
Since Mowl was injured, his family has kept a Web page chronicling his recovery. The page, which received more than 70,000 visits in six months, will include funeral plans once they are made.
Mowl was sent to Iraq in June 2006 and patrolled with Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team based at Fort Lewis, Wash.
Army Spc. Kevin S. Mowl died 2/25/08 from injuries sustained 8/2/07.
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Army Spc. Kevin S. Mowl, 22, of Pittsford, N.Y.
Spc. Mowl was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Feb. 25, 2008 at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., of wounds sustained in Baghdad, Iraq, on Aug. 2, 2007, when the vehicle he was in encountered an improvised explosive device.
Soldier dies 6 months after being hurt in Iraq
The Associated Press
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — A western New York soldier wounded six months ago in an explosion in Iraq has died in a military hospital in Maryland.
Army Spc. Kevin Mowl of the Rochester suburb of Pittsford was 22 when he died Monday at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda.
Mowl suffered multiple broken bones and a head injury Aug. 2 when a roadside bomb flipped his vehicle in Baghdad. Three others died, and 11 soldiers and an interpreter were injured.
President Bush presented Mowl with a Purple Heart and a Presidential Medallion at the hospital in December.
Mowl recently suffered a serious infection after part of his feeding tube broke and perforated his intestines.
Since Mowl was injured, his family has kept a Web page chronicling his recovery. The page, which received more than 70,000 visits in six months, will include funeral plans once they are made.
Mowl was sent to Iraq in June 2006 and patrolled with Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team based at Fort Lewis, Wash.
Army Spc. Kevin S. Mowl died 2/25/08 from injuries sustained 8/2/07.
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Sunday, February 24, 2008
Army Spc. Micheal E. Phillips
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Micheal E. Phillips, 19, of Ardmore, Okla.
Spc. Phillips was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Air Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Feb. 24, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
KTEN -- A 19-year-old Ardmore soldier is killed in Iraq. PFC Micheal Phillips graduated from high school in Ardmore.
He has two brothers and a sister who also attend school there. Monday, grief counselors were at the high school to talk with students.
Staff members and students spent the day grieving the death of Phillips, who they say was dedicated and honorable.
Phillips was killed last week, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The military notified his family over the weekend.
Phillips joined the military out of high school and friends say he joined to fight for his friends, family and country.
Ardmore H.S. Assistant Principal Jake Falvey says, "Last year, I got a letter from him talking about his commitment to what he was going and he had found his place in life. The Phillips are a wonderful family and this affects everybody in the community."
Counselor Donnell Cox says, "When an actual crisis happens, we are on call to come to a school and assist the counselors and principal on how to facilitate kids."
Army Spc. Micheal E. Phillips was killed in action on 2/24/08.
Army Spc. Micheal E. Phillips, 19, of Ardmore, Okla.
Spc. Phillips was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Air Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Feb. 24, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
KTEN -- A 19-year-old Ardmore soldier is killed in Iraq. PFC Micheal Phillips graduated from high school in Ardmore.
He has two brothers and a sister who also attend school there. Monday, grief counselors were at the high school to talk with students.
Staff members and students spent the day grieving the death of Phillips, who they say was dedicated and honorable.
Phillips was killed last week, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The military notified his family over the weekend.
Phillips joined the military out of high school and friends say he joined to fight for his friends, family and country.
Ardmore H.S. Assistant Principal Jake Falvey says, "Last year, I got a letter from him talking about his commitment to what he was going and he had found his place in life. The Phillips are a wonderful family and this affects everybody in the community."
Counselor Donnell Cox says, "When an actual crisis happens, we are on call to come to a school and assist the counselors and principal on how to facilitate kids."
Army Spc. Micheal E. Phillips was killed in action on 2/24/08.
Army Spc. Orlando A. Perez
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Orlando A. Perez, 23, of Houston
Spc. Perez was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany; died Feb. 24, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds sustained from small arms fire during dismounted operations.
VILSECK, Germany — Spc. Orlando A. Perez was a loving son, a faithful husband, a loyal friend and a brave infantryman who hoped to attend college and start a family when he got home.
Perez was killed in action Sunday in Baghdad. His unit, the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment held a memorial service for him Friday.
“How lucky we were to know and serve with Tony Perez,” said Lt. Col. Tom Rickard, the regiment’s rear detachment commander.
Perez was born Dec. 10, 1984, in Houston. He enlisted in the Army on Aug. 25, 2005, joined the Strykers in Fort Lewis, Wash., and moved to Vilseck, Germany, with the unit.
“Spc. Perez participated in numerous ranges, live-fire exercises and situational training exercises (in Germany),” according to the program for the ceremony.
Capt. Raul Vasquez, the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cav Rear Detachment commander, had teary eyes as he stood in the rain outside the chapel after the ceremony. During the ceremony he said he was experiencing the same emotions he felt at ceremonies for two other fallen Strykers, Sgt. 1st Class Randy Lewis Johnson and Spc. Avealao Milo.
Johnson, 34, of Washington, died Sept. 27, 2007, in Baghdad when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle and Milo, 23, of American Samoa, was killed Oct. 4, 2007, when he and his fellow soldiers came under small-arms fire.
Vasquez said the best word to describe Perez was “friend.”
“He was looking to go to college and start a family when he came back from Iraq,” he said.
Perez used rest and recuperation leave from Iraq to spend a week with his mother, Nicolasa Arevalo, in New York and a week with his wife, April, in Texas, Vasquez said during the ceremony.
“Tony never let April forget his perpetual love for her,” he said.
On the battlefield Perez was the first to clear rooms, he said.
“Why [did Perez die] at the young age of 23? Why after only seven months of marriage? Why before [having] … children,” Vasquez asked.
However, Perez accomplished his primary mission in life, Vasquez said. “Your mother is proud, and April knows you are her immortal love,” he said.
Perez is also survived by a brother, Edward Marta, and a sister, Angelica Marta, according to the program.
Army Spc. Orlando A. Perez was killed in action on 2/24/08.
Army Spc. Orlando A. Perez, 23, of Houston
Spc. Perez was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany; died Feb. 24, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds sustained from small arms fire during dismounted operations.
VILSECK, Germany — Spc. Orlando A. Perez was a loving son, a faithful husband, a loyal friend and a brave infantryman who hoped to attend college and start a family when he got home.
Perez was killed in action Sunday in Baghdad. His unit, the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment held a memorial service for him Friday.
“How lucky we were to know and serve with Tony Perez,” said Lt. Col. Tom Rickard, the regiment’s rear detachment commander.
Perez was born Dec. 10, 1984, in Houston. He enlisted in the Army on Aug. 25, 2005, joined the Strykers in Fort Lewis, Wash., and moved to Vilseck, Germany, with the unit.
“Spc. Perez participated in numerous ranges, live-fire exercises and situational training exercises (in Germany),” according to the program for the ceremony.
Capt. Raul Vasquez, the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cav Rear Detachment commander, had teary eyes as he stood in the rain outside the chapel after the ceremony. During the ceremony he said he was experiencing the same emotions he felt at ceremonies for two other fallen Strykers, Sgt. 1st Class Randy Lewis Johnson and Spc. Avealao Milo.
Johnson, 34, of Washington, died Sept. 27, 2007, in Baghdad when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle and Milo, 23, of American Samoa, was killed Oct. 4, 2007, when he and his fellow soldiers came under small-arms fire.
Vasquez said the best word to describe Perez was “friend.”
“He was looking to go to college and start a family when he came back from Iraq,” he said.
Perez used rest and recuperation leave from Iraq to spend a week with his mother, Nicolasa Arevalo, in New York and a week with his wife, April, in Texas, Vasquez said during the ceremony.
“Tony never let April forget his perpetual love for her,” he said.
On the battlefield Perez was the first to clear rooms, he said.
“Why [did Perez die] at the young age of 23? Why after only seven months of marriage? Why before [having] … children,” Vasquez asked.
However, Perez accomplished his primary mission in life, Vasquez said. “Your mother is proud, and April knows you are her immortal love,” he said.
Perez is also survived by a brother, Edward Marta, and a sister, Angelica Marta, according to the program.
Army Spc. Orlando A. Perez was killed in action on 2/24/08.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Army Spc. Keisha M. Morgan
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Keisha M. Morgan, 25, of Washington, D.C.
Spc. Morgan was assigned to the Division Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Feb. 22, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, of a non-combat-related cause.
WTOP News -- A District family is honoring an Army soldier, graduate of Wilson High School, who died while serving in Iraq.
The military says 25-year-old Spc. Keisha Marie Morgan died Feb. 22 in Baghdad of a non-combat related cause. The circumstances of her death are under investigation. "Everytime people would see Keisha Morgan, they'd always see her with a smile." Everytime Diana Morgan reads an email from her daughter Keisha's best friend in Iraq, she says she cries. Morgan was found by her best friend Ruby on the floor of their Baghdad barracks.
"She had a seizure, but was responsive." A short time later, she died. Autopsy results so far are inconclusive; a mystery that is now haunting Diana Morgan.
Nevertheless, she remembers her beautiful 25-year-old daughter as a happy, bright young woman who loved her country and loved being a soldier.
"I think she learned to be a better person in the Army." Even though her daughter didn't die in combat, Diana Morgan still sees Keisha as a hero who served her country well.
"She was a hero before she died. I'm really going to miss her. I feel like my heart's been broken since she's been gone."
Morgan was assigned to the Division Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood, Texas.
Army Spc. Keisha M. Morgan died of non-combat causes on 2/22/08.
Army Spc. Keisha M. Morgan, 25, of Washington, D.C.
Spc. Morgan was assigned to the Division Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Feb. 22, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, of a non-combat-related cause.
WTOP News -- A District family is honoring an Army soldier, graduate of Wilson High School, who died while serving in Iraq.
The military says 25-year-old Spc. Keisha Marie Morgan died Feb. 22 in Baghdad of a non-combat related cause. The circumstances of her death are under investigation. "Everytime people would see Keisha Morgan, they'd always see her with a smile." Everytime Diana Morgan reads an email from her daughter Keisha's best friend in Iraq, she says she cries. Morgan was found by her best friend Ruby on the floor of their Baghdad barracks.
"She had a seizure, but was responsive." A short time later, she died. Autopsy results so far are inconclusive; a mystery that is now haunting Diana Morgan.
Nevertheless, she remembers her beautiful 25-year-old daughter as a happy, bright young woman who loved her country and loved being a soldier.
"I think she learned to be a better person in the Army." Even though her daughter didn't die in combat, Diana Morgan still sees Keisha as a hero who served her country well.
"She was a hero before she died. I'm really going to miss her. I feel like my heart's been broken since she's been gone."
Morgan was assigned to the Division Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood, Texas.
Army Spc. Keisha M. Morgan died of non-combat causes on 2/22/08.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Marine Lance Cpl. Drew W. Weaver
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Drew W. Weaver, 20, of St. Charles, Mo.
LCpl. Weaver was assigned to the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; died Feb. 21, 2008 in Al Anbar, Iraq, while conducting combat operations.
KSDK -- Students and faculty at St. Charles West High School mourned the loss of a recent graduate. On Friday, word came that Lance Corporal Drew Weaver had been killed in action, serving his country in Iraq.
Weaver graduated just three years ago and was voted 'Best Eyes' in his senior year book.
According to Assistant Principal Scott Voekl, Weaver always supported his friends in whatever they did.
"As an easy going young man, as a young man who loved life, loved seeking out adventure, when it came to life and enjoying himself, and everybody here at St. Charles West and in our community will miss him," said Voekl.
As for his own plans, Voelkl remembers as Weaver searched for what he would do after high school.
Just before graduation, Weaver made up his mind to join the Marine Corps. Voelkl remembers the young man running on Zumbehl Road in the morning before school, preparing himself for boot camp.
Some students at St. Charles West knew Weaver, and school administrators plan on having counselors on hand when school reopens on Monday.
No announcements have been made about services for Weaver.
St. Charles Journal - An icy wind blew across the tarmac at Lambert International Airport Wednesday morning — a sharp greeting for one of St. Charles’ fallen. Reporters from TV stations and an honor guard of aging bikers and their families stood behind a fence shivering while a Marine sergeant prepared to read a statement from the grieving family.
Lance Cpl. Drew Weaver was 20 years old when an insurgent’s bullet took his life Thursday."On behalf of all of Drew’s family, we would like to thank all the Marine Corps, all of his classmates, friends, fellow veterans and the community for the support that has been given to our family during this great loss," Sgt. Casey Fulton read. "We consider our son a hero and we are so proud of his dedication and sacrifice that he has given to our country. He will be greatly missed."
According to Fulton, Weaver was patrolling the streets in the Al Anbar province with members of C Company 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion when Iraqi gunmen fired upon his unit.
"Drew Weaver was fatally shot while engaging the enemy," Fulton said. "……… He gave the ultimate sacrifice."
Fulton said he could not release the name of the city because of ongoing military operations.
Patrolling the streets of Iraqi communities is part of the standard routine for Marines in Iraq. Fulton said the patrols ensure there is a visible presence and are instrumental in keeping the peace.
"It’s something that has to be done," he said. "We are out there looking for caches of weapons or insurgent leaders and just keeping the place relatively safe. Unfortunately, this happens."
A light snow began to fall as Weaver’s plane pulled in. His brother Navy Petty Officer Jeff Weaver and his best friend Marine Cpl. Ryan Hanson were on the plane escorting Weaver’s remains.
The two were joined by a Marine Corps honor guard and pall bearers who carried the casket to the waiting hearse and by Weaver’s friends and family members who had come to claim Weaver’s remains.
Hanson and Weaver joined the Marines together on the buddy program, Fulton said.
"They came in together and did basic together before being shipped off to their duty stations," he said. "Cpl. Hanson was stationed in Okinawa and pulled from duty so he could escort his best friend home."
Weaver, a graduate of St. Charles West High School, is remembered for his positive attitude and sense of humor and dedication to his country.
"I knew him," Mayor Patti York said Wednesday. "He was a friend of my daughters — really a nice young man. He knew everyone and his death is very close to everybody’s heart. It’s been a long time since anyone from St. Charles has died in combat — it’s still pretty raw. We are doing everything we can for the family. I can’t talk about it without crying. We are very proud of him and his family. Our hearts go out to he family and all his friends."
York ordered flags flown at half-staff in St. Charles until services are concluded Friday.
Prior to joining the Marines, Weaver worked at Jiffy Lube on Zumbehl Road in St. Charles with April Meierotto, 20, of St. Charles.
Meierotto said she felt grateful to have known Weaver when he was alive.
"He was the best kid anyone could ever want," Meierotto said. "He was always there for anybody, and he made the shop a lot of fun."
Erynn Yount, 22, of St. Charles was two years ahead of Weaver at St. Cletus Catholic School.
Yount said she was shocked when she saw news of his death on television.
"He was that sweet little kid who was so laid-back and played soccer and baseball with my brother," Yount said.
Visitation is scheduled from 2-8 p.m. Thursday at Baue Funeral and Memorial Center, 3950 W. Clay St. in St. Charles. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Cletus Catholic Church, 2705 Zumbehl Road.
Weaver’s body will be buried in St. Charles Memorial Gardens. Memorial donations may be sent to the LCpl Drew Weaver Fund c/o Baue Funeral Home, 3950 W. Clay St., St. Charles, MO 63301.
The United States enters its fifth year of combat in Iraq next month. The Department of Defense reports there have been 3,972 U.S. service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan and 29,080 soldiers wounded. Seventy-four Missourians have died in the two countries; Weaver was the third this month.
"We’ve done this too many times. It never gets any easier," Fulton said. "Any time a Marine is lost, we’ve lost a brother. It gets to your heart."
Marine Lance Cpl. Drew W. Weaver was killed in action on 2/21/08.
Marine Lance Cpl. Drew W. Weaver, 20, of St. Charles, Mo.
LCpl. Weaver was assigned to the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; died Feb. 21, 2008 in Al Anbar, Iraq, while conducting combat operations.
KSDK -- Students and faculty at St. Charles West High School mourned the loss of a recent graduate. On Friday, word came that Lance Corporal Drew Weaver had been killed in action, serving his country in Iraq.
Weaver graduated just three years ago and was voted 'Best Eyes' in his senior year book.
According to Assistant Principal Scott Voekl, Weaver always supported his friends in whatever they did.
"As an easy going young man, as a young man who loved life, loved seeking out adventure, when it came to life and enjoying himself, and everybody here at St. Charles West and in our community will miss him," said Voekl.
As for his own plans, Voelkl remembers as Weaver searched for what he would do after high school.
Just before graduation, Weaver made up his mind to join the Marine Corps. Voelkl remembers the young man running on Zumbehl Road in the morning before school, preparing himself for boot camp.
Some students at St. Charles West knew Weaver, and school administrators plan on having counselors on hand when school reopens on Monday.
No announcements have been made about services for Weaver.
St. Charles Journal - An icy wind blew across the tarmac at Lambert International Airport Wednesday morning — a sharp greeting for one of St. Charles’ fallen. Reporters from TV stations and an honor guard of aging bikers and their families stood behind a fence shivering while a Marine sergeant prepared to read a statement from the grieving family.
Lance Cpl. Drew Weaver was 20 years old when an insurgent’s bullet took his life Thursday."On behalf of all of Drew’s family, we would like to thank all the Marine Corps, all of his classmates, friends, fellow veterans and the community for the support that has been given to our family during this great loss," Sgt. Casey Fulton read. "We consider our son a hero and we are so proud of his dedication and sacrifice that he has given to our country. He will be greatly missed."
According to Fulton, Weaver was patrolling the streets in the Al Anbar province with members of C Company 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion when Iraqi gunmen fired upon his unit.
"Drew Weaver was fatally shot while engaging the enemy," Fulton said. "……… He gave the ultimate sacrifice."
Fulton said he could not release the name of the city because of ongoing military operations.
Patrolling the streets of Iraqi communities is part of the standard routine for Marines in Iraq. Fulton said the patrols ensure there is a visible presence and are instrumental in keeping the peace.
"It’s something that has to be done," he said. "We are out there looking for caches of weapons or insurgent leaders and just keeping the place relatively safe. Unfortunately, this happens."
A light snow began to fall as Weaver’s plane pulled in. His brother Navy Petty Officer Jeff Weaver and his best friend Marine Cpl. Ryan Hanson were on the plane escorting Weaver’s remains.
The two were joined by a Marine Corps honor guard and pall bearers who carried the casket to the waiting hearse and by Weaver’s friends and family members who had come to claim Weaver’s remains.
Hanson and Weaver joined the Marines together on the buddy program, Fulton said.
"They came in together and did basic together before being shipped off to their duty stations," he said. "Cpl. Hanson was stationed in Okinawa and pulled from duty so he could escort his best friend home."
Weaver, a graduate of St. Charles West High School, is remembered for his positive attitude and sense of humor and dedication to his country.
"I knew him," Mayor Patti York said Wednesday. "He was a friend of my daughters — really a nice young man. He knew everyone and his death is very close to everybody’s heart. It’s been a long time since anyone from St. Charles has died in combat — it’s still pretty raw. We are doing everything we can for the family. I can’t talk about it without crying. We are very proud of him and his family. Our hearts go out to he family and all his friends."
York ordered flags flown at half-staff in St. Charles until services are concluded Friday.
Prior to joining the Marines, Weaver worked at Jiffy Lube on Zumbehl Road in St. Charles with April Meierotto, 20, of St. Charles.
Meierotto said she felt grateful to have known Weaver when he was alive.
"He was the best kid anyone could ever want," Meierotto said. "He was always there for anybody, and he made the shop a lot of fun."
Erynn Yount, 22, of St. Charles was two years ahead of Weaver at St. Cletus Catholic School.
Yount said she was shocked when she saw news of his death on television.
"He was that sweet little kid who was so laid-back and played soccer and baseball with my brother," Yount said.
Visitation is scheduled from 2-8 p.m. Thursday at Baue Funeral and Memorial Center, 3950 W. Clay St. in St. Charles. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Cletus Catholic Church, 2705 Zumbehl Road.
Weaver’s body will be buried in St. Charles Memorial Gardens. Memorial donations may be sent to the LCpl Drew Weaver Fund c/o Baue Funeral Home, 3950 W. Clay St., St. Charles, MO 63301.
The United States enters its fifth year of combat in Iraq next month. The Department of Defense reports there have been 3,972 U.S. service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan and 29,080 soldiers wounded. Seventy-four Missourians have died in the two countries; Weaver was the third this month.
"We’ve done this too many times. It never gets any easier," Fulton said. "Any time a Marine is lost, we’ve lost a brother. It gets to your heart."
Marine Lance Cpl. Drew W. Weaver was killed in action on 2/21/08.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Army Spc. Micheal B. Matlock, Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Spc. Micheal B. Matlock, Jr., 21, of Glen Burnie, Md.
Spc. Matlock was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky. died Feb. 20, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device in Baghdad on Feb. 19.
Baltimore Sun -- A Glen Burnie soldier was one of three men killed in Iraq this week after their vehicle hit a roadside bomb, the Pentagon said yesterday.
Spc. Micheal B. Matlock Jr., 21, an infantryman with the 101st Airborne Division, died Wednesday from wounds suffered when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in Baghdad, where the soldiers were responsible for security.
Also fatally injured in the Tuesday explosion were Sgt. Conrad Alvarez, 22, of Big Spring, Texas, and Cpl. Albert Bitton, 20, of Chicago.
Matlock was raised by his mother, Sheena Douglas, and his stepfather, Ronald Douglas, in Glen Burnie. His biological father, Micheal Matlock Sr., lives in North Carolina.
A year ago, Micheal Matlock Jr. married Breon Summers, his high-school sweetheart. The couple have one child, Byron, 1. Family members reached last night declined to comment.
Neighbors in the Cohansey Court townhouse community where Matlock grew up described him as a happy and responsible child, who often helped his stepfather with landscaping jobs he did on the side for elderly neighbors. Matlock also loved to play basketball.
"My heart goes out to Ron," said Kelly Gross, who is close to Matlock's stepfather. "He loved that boy, he loved him. Words cannot say... the devastation, the devastation."
Gross last saw Matlock about two weeks ago, when he came home for a visit. Matlock, he said, was in good spirits, and planning for his future: He even bought a gray Ford Explorer.
"It's not fair, it's really not fair," Gross said. "I'll be so glad when this war in Iraq is over."
Matlock joined the Army in 2006 and arrived in Fort Campbell, Ky., just four months later. Shortly afterward, he shipped out to Iraq as a member of a combat team responsible for security in the northwest part of the Iraqi capital.
Matlock's company has run counterinsurgency operations, such as joint patrols with Iraqi forces, in an effort to weed out insurgents, according to an article in the base newspaper.
Earlier this month, soldiers in Matlock's company captured a suspected Iranian-trained "special groups" criminal cell leader in Baghdad. On Feb. 10, the military reported that the company detained the alleged cell leader during a raid. The cell leader is believed to have been involved in IED and small-arms attacks against coalition and Iraqi security forces. The brigade had been in Iraq before, returning from a deployment to south Baghdad in September 2006.
Matlock's awards and decorations include: National Defense Service Medal; Iraqi Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; and Weapons Qualification, M4, expert.
A memorial service for the slain soldiers will be held in Iraq. Fort Campbell holds a monthly Eagle Remembrance Ceremony the second Wednesday of each month.
Spc. Micheal B. Matlock, Jr., was killed in action on 2/20/08.
Spc. Micheal B. Matlock, Jr., 21, of Glen Burnie, Md.
Spc. Matlock was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky. died Feb. 20, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device in Baghdad on Feb. 19.
Baltimore Sun -- A Glen Burnie soldier was one of three men killed in Iraq this week after their vehicle hit a roadside bomb, the Pentagon said yesterday.
Spc. Micheal B. Matlock Jr., 21, an infantryman with the 101st Airborne Division, died Wednesday from wounds suffered when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in Baghdad, where the soldiers were responsible for security.
Also fatally injured in the Tuesday explosion were Sgt. Conrad Alvarez, 22, of Big Spring, Texas, and Cpl. Albert Bitton, 20, of Chicago.
Matlock was raised by his mother, Sheena Douglas, and his stepfather, Ronald Douglas, in Glen Burnie. His biological father, Micheal Matlock Sr., lives in North Carolina.
A year ago, Micheal Matlock Jr. married Breon Summers, his high-school sweetheart. The couple have one child, Byron, 1. Family members reached last night declined to comment.
Neighbors in the Cohansey Court townhouse community where Matlock grew up described him as a happy and responsible child, who often helped his stepfather with landscaping jobs he did on the side for elderly neighbors. Matlock also loved to play basketball.
"My heart goes out to Ron," said Kelly Gross, who is close to Matlock's stepfather. "He loved that boy, he loved him. Words cannot say... the devastation, the devastation."
Gross last saw Matlock about two weeks ago, when he came home for a visit. Matlock, he said, was in good spirits, and planning for his future: He even bought a gray Ford Explorer.
"It's not fair, it's really not fair," Gross said. "I'll be so glad when this war in Iraq is over."
Matlock joined the Army in 2006 and arrived in Fort Campbell, Ky., just four months later. Shortly afterward, he shipped out to Iraq as a member of a combat team responsible for security in the northwest part of the Iraqi capital.
Matlock's company has run counterinsurgency operations, such as joint patrols with Iraqi forces, in an effort to weed out insurgents, according to an article in the base newspaper.
Earlier this month, soldiers in Matlock's company captured a suspected Iranian-trained "special groups" criminal cell leader in Baghdad. On Feb. 10, the military reported that the company detained the alleged cell leader during a raid. The cell leader is believed to have been involved in IED and small-arms attacks against coalition and Iraqi security forces. The brigade had been in Iraq before, returning from a deployment to south Baghdad in September 2006.
Matlock's awards and decorations include: National Defense Service Medal; Iraqi Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; and Weapons Qualification, M4, expert.
A memorial service for the slain soldiers will be held in Iraq. Fort Campbell holds a monthly Eagle Remembrance Ceremony the second Wednesday of each month.
Spc. Micheal B. Matlock, Jr., was killed in action on 2/20/08.
Army Cpl. Albert Bitton
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Albert Bitton, 20, of Chicago
Cpl. Bitton was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky. died Feb. 20, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device in Baghdad on Feb. 19.
ABC Local -- CHICAGO (WLS) -- A soldier from Chicago has been killed while serving in Iraq. Twenty-year-old Albert Bitton was killed in Baghdad on Tuesday when his Humvee was hit by an explosive device.
Bitton served as a medic in Iraq. He joined the Army so he could receive financial help for medical school.
There were major changes in Albert Bitton's life last fall. He was married in August and was scheduled to head out to Iraq in October. But, before that trip he visited his former high school in uniform, where he talked about his plans to return one day and become a doctor.
Friends and family are sharing their memories of the 20-year-old, a medic in the Army, who died Tuesday in Baghdad.
"Going and being a medic was something he believed in. It was something that was going to contribute to his future," said Tal Kohn, Bitton's friend.
Those close to Bitton say he saw the Army as a way to gain the training and financial help to someday become a surgeon. The West Rogers Park native joined the Army in December of 2005 after finishing high school at Ida Crown Jewish Academy.
While there, Bitton got good grades, mostly A's, joined the wrestling team and he met the woman who would later become his wife. They married last fall before Bitton left for Iraq.
"I'm still not used to the fact I'm not gonna talk to him. My immediate reflex is to remember these things for the next time he calls," said Melissa Handleman, wife.
Bitton was scheduled to return home in January of next year. He kept in touch with his family and friends via e-mail. "Towards the end, a lot of his friends said the emails coming from Iraq said he was having a tougher time; he put on a good face for his parents," said Rabbi Leonard Matanky, Ida Crown Jewish Academy.
On Tuesday, Bitton was killed when the Humvee he was in hit an improvised explosive device. His family says Bitton joined the Army not just for medical experience but because he was a patriot.
"He liked his country, he loved his country very much," said Elie Bitton, father.
Albert's father Elie and mother Sylvia have received condolences from friends as far away as Israel and Alaska. His body is expected to return to Chciago sometime his weekend and his funeral is planned for early next week.
Army Cpl. Albert Bitton was killed in action on 2/20/08.
Army Cpl. Albert Bitton, 20, of Chicago
Cpl. Bitton was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky. died Feb. 20, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device in Baghdad on Feb. 19.
ABC Local -- CHICAGO (WLS) -- A soldier from Chicago has been killed while serving in Iraq. Twenty-year-old Albert Bitton was killed in Baghdad on Tuesday when his Humvee was hit by an explosive device.
Bitton served as a medic in Iraq. He joined the Army so he could receive financial help for medical school.
There were major changes in Albert Bitton's life last fall. He was married in August and was scheduled to head out to Iraq in October. But, before that trip he visited his former high school in uniform, where he talked about his plans to return one day and become a doctor.
Friends and family are sharing their memories of the 20-year-old, a medic in the Army, who died Tuesday in Baghdad.
"Going and being a medic was something he believed in. It was something that was going to contribute to his future," said Tal Kohn, Bitton's friend.
Those close to Bitton say he saw the Army as a way to gain the training and financial help to someday become a surgeon. The West Rogers Park native joined the Army in December of 2005 after finishing high school at Ida Crown Jewish Academy.
While there, Bitton got good grades, mostly A's, joined the wrestling team and he met the woman who would later become his wife. They married last fall before Bitton left for Iraq.
"I'm still not used to the fact I'm not gonna talk to him. My immediate reflex is to remember these things for the next time he calls," said Melissa Handleman, wife.
Bitton was scheduled to return home in January of next year. He kept in touch with his family and friends via e-mail. "Towards the end, a lot of his friends said the emails coming from Iraq said he was having a tougher time; he put on a good face for his parents," said Rabbi Leonard Matanky, Ida Crown Jewish Academy.
On Tuesday, Bitton was killed when the Humvee he was in hit an improvised explosive device. His family says Bitton joined the Army not just for medical experience but because he was a patriot.
"He liked his country, he loved his country very much," said Elie Bitton, father.
Albert's father Elie and mother Sylvia have received condolences from friends as far away as Israel and Alaska. His body is expected to return to Chciago sometime his weekend and his funeral is planned for early next week.
Army Cpl. Albert Bitton was killed in action on 2/20/08.
Army Staff Sgt. Bryant W. Mackey
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Bryant W. Mackey, 30, of Eureka, Kan.
SSgt. Mackey was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas; died Feb. 20, 2008 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds sustained when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle.
KWCH -- Another Kansas soldier has died in Iraq. The Pentagon says 30-year-old Staff Sgt. Bryant Mackey died after a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle.
People close to Mackey say he was funny, a team-player who was dedicated to both his family and his country. They say he was well aware of the dangers of war but was proud to be a soldier.
Waylon Stitt and Kelly Ebberts both graduated with Mackey from Hamilton High School in 1996. SSgt. Mackey joined the U.S. Army just before September 11th and was on his second tour of duty in Iraq. The first time he was injured by gunfire, but his friends say that wasn't about to scare him away from serving his country.
"We graduated with 17 people in our class," says Stitts. "It was the biggest class in 28 years, and with a class so small you can just imagine how big our hearts were for each other."
Ebberts says, "When you hear about it happening on TV and then it's someone that you know, went to school with, palled around with, that's when it hits your heart."
SSgt. Mackey leaves behind a wife and three small children who have been living in the Hamilton area during his second tour in Iraq.
Army Staff Sgt. Bryant W. Mackey was killed in action on 2/20/08.
Army Staff Sgt. Bryant W. Mackey, 30, of Eureka, Kan.
SSgt. Mackey was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas; died Feb. 20, 2008 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds sustained when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle.
KWCH -- Another Kansas soldier has died in Iraq. The Pentagon says 30-year-old Staff Sgt. Bryant Mackey died after a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle.
People close to Mackey say he was funny, a team-player who was dedicated to both his family and his country. They say he was well aware of the dangers of war but was proud to be a soldier.
Waylon Stitt and Kelly Ebberts both graduated with Mackey from Hamilton High School in 1996. SSgt. Mackey joined the U.S. Army just before September 11th and was on his second tour of duty in Iraq. The first time he was injured by gunfire, but his friends say that wasn't about to scare him away from serving his country.
"We graduated with 17 people in our class," says Stitts. "It was the biggest class in 28 years, and with a class so small you can just imagine how big our hearts were for each other."
Ebberts says, "When you hear about it happening on TV and then it's someone that you know, went to school with, palled around with, that's when it hits your heart."
SSgt. Mackey leaves behind a wife and three small children who have been living in the Hamilton area during his second tour in Iraq.
Army Staff Sgt. Bryant W. Mackey was killed in action on 2/20/08.
Army Capt. Nathan R. Raudenbush
Remember Our Heroes
Army Capt. Nathan R. Raudenbush, 25, of Earl Township, Pa.
Capt. Raudenbush was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died Feb. 20, 2008 in Busayefi, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
Family: Fort Stewart soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
DOUGLASSVILLE, Pa. — Family members say a Fort Stewart, Ga., solider has been killed in Iraq.
Relatives say 26-year-old Army 1st Lt. Nathan Raudenbush was killed Feb. 20 afternoon in southern Baghdad. He was patrolling in a Humvee destroyed by a roadside bomb. Two other soldiers were injured.
Raudenbush was the son of Brian and Mary Raudenbush of Earl Township. He was a 2001 graduate of Spring-Ford High School in Royersford, Montgomery County.
Brian Raudenbush says his son was a longtime member of the Boy Scouts of America, and enjoyed distance running and golf. He is survived his wife, Casey, and their 20-month-old son, Jackson, of Port Wentworth, Ga.
Pa. soldier killed in Iraq posthumously promoted
The Associated Press
DOUGLASSVILLE, Pa. — A soldier from Pennsylvania who was killed in Iraq has been posthumously promoted.
Capt. Nathan Raudenbush was killed Feb. 20 in southern Baghdad when the Humvee he was in was destroyed by a roadside bomb. Two other soldiers were injured in the blast.
The 25-year-old Raudenbush was an Army first lieutenant at the time of his death. He was later elevated to captain.
“That is Army policy for anyone who is promotable,” Kevin Larson, spokesman for Fort Stewart, Ga., where Raudenbush was stationed, said Feb. 25.
Raudenbush was a 2001 graduate of Spring-Ford High School in Royersford. He was a longtime member of the Boys Scouts of America and enjoyed distance running and golf, according to his family. He joined the ROTC as a freshman at Widener University.
His father, Brian, said one reason his son signed up for ROTC was because he was inspired to help his country following the September 2001 terrorist attacks.
“We called his class the Class of 9/11,” said Lt. Col. Robert Sewall, professor of military science at Widener and commander of the ROTC Freedom Battalion.
“He was a very good cadet,” Sewall said. “I always thought he had a great command presence about him. He was an excellent mentor of the more junior cadets.”
Raudenbush’s father said his son was a bit scared about the dangers of his deployment, but secure in his training.
“He was ready to do this for his country,” Brian Raudenbush said.
Raudenbush was a tank commander with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, according to the Defense Department. He was deployed to Iraq in September.
Raudenbush is survived his wife, Casey, and their 20-month-old son, Jackson, of Port Wentworth, Ga.
Army Capt. Nathan R. Raudenbush was killed in action on 2/20/08.
Army Capt. Nathan R. Raudenbush, 25, of Earl Township, Pa.
Capt. Raudenbush was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died Feb. 20, 2008 in Busayefi, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
Family: Fort Stewart soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
DOUGLASSVILLE, Pa. — Family members say a Fort Stewart, Ga., solider has been killed in Iraq.
Relatives say 26-year-old Army 1st Lt. Nathan Raudenbush was killed Feb. 20 afternoon in southern Baghdad. He was patrolling in a Humvee destroyed by a roadside bomb. Two other soldiers were injured.
Raudenbush was the son of Brian and Mary Raudenbush of Earl Township. He was a 2001 graduate of Spring-Ford High School in Royersford, Montgomery County.
Brian Raudenbush says his son was a longtime member of the Boy Scouts of America, and enjoyed distance running and golf. He is survived his wife, Casey, and their 20-month-old son, Jackson, of Port Wentworth, Ga.
Pa. soldier killed in Iraq posthumously promoted
The Associated Press
DOUGLASSVILLE, Pa. — A soldier from Pennsylvania who was killed in Iraq has been posthumously promoted.
Capt. Nathan Raudenbush was killed Feb. 20 in southern Baghdad when the Humvee he was in was destroyed by a roadside bomb. Two other soldiers were injured in the blast.
The 25-year-old Raudenbush was an Army first lieutenant at the time of his death. He was later elevated to captain.
“That is Army policy for anyone who is promotable,” Kevin Larson, spokesman for Fort Stewart, Ga., where Raudenbush was stationed, said Feb. 25.
Raudenbush was a 2001 graduate of Spring-Ford High School in Royersford. He was a longtime member of the Boys Scouts of America and enjoyed distance running and golf, according to his family. He joined the ROTC as a freshman at Widener University.
His father, Brian, said one reason his son signed up for ROTC was because he was inspired to help his country following the September 2001 terrorist attacks.
“We called his class the Class of 9/11,” said Lt. Col. Robert Sewall, professor of military science at Widener and commander of the ROTC Freedom Battalion.
“He was a very good cadet,” Sewall said. “I always thought he had a great command presence about him. He was an excellent mentor of the more junior cadets.”
Raudenbush’s father said his son was a bit scared about the dangers of his deployment, but secure in his training.
“He was ready to do this for his country,” Brian Raudenbush said.
Raudenbush was a tank commander with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, according to the Defense Department. He was deployed to Iraq in September.
Raudenbush is survived his wife, Casey, and their 20-month-old son, Jackson, of Port Wentworth, Ga.
Army Capt. Nathan R. Raudenbush was killed in action on 2/20/08.
Army Sgt. Conrad Alvarez
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Conrad Alvarez, 22, of Big Spring, Texas
Sgt. Alvarez was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Feb. 20, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device on Feb. 19. Also killed were Cpl. Albert Bitton and Spc. Micheal B. Matlock Jr.
Houston Chronicle -- DALLAS — A West Texas soldier was one of three killed in Iraq from injuries suffered in an explosion this week, the Pentagon said.
Sgt. Conrad Alvarez, 22, of Big Spring, Texas, died Wednesday, a day after being injured when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device in Baghdad.
His colleagues, Cpl. Albert Bitton, 20, of Chicago, and Spec. Micheal B. Matlock Jr., 21, of Glen Burniem, Md., also died.
All three were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Alvarez entered the Army in March 2005 and arrived at Fort Campbell in August 2005.
Alvarez's body has been flown back to the United States for funeral services, said family spokesman the Rev. Joel Miller of Big Spring. He said he did not have funeral details yet.
Alvarez was the second Roscoe High School graduate to die in Iraq recently. Last month, Army Staff Sgt. Wayne Jeffries, 37, was killed after his convoy was hit by a bomb.
Alvarez was an infantryman assigned to A Co., 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. He entered the Army in March 2005 and arrived at Fort Campbell in August 2005.
He is survived by his wife, Maria, of Oak Grove, Ky.; daughters, Celeste and Alyssa, of Swee*censored*er; father, Arthur, whose address is unknown; and mother, Belinda Garcia, of Big Spring, according to the Fort Campbell news release.
Relatives could not be reached for comment Friday.
Miller said the family was in shock after learning of Alvarez's death Wednesday morning from Army officials. He said the family has already lost one relative to the war. Alvarez's sister, Christina, was married to Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, a buddy from his platoon who was abducted and decapitated by al-Qaida in 2006 in Iraq.
Alvarez's awards and decorations include: Army Commendation Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Iraqi Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Combat Infantry Badge; and Weapons Qualification, M4, expert.
Alvarez attended Roscoe High School, where he played football and was "one of the best punt returners I've ever seen," said Wes Williams, the high school's athletic director. He said Alvarez was an outgoing person who regularly stayed in touch after he graduated in November 2003.
Alvarez graduated from the Hobbs alternative high school, in which several school districts, including Roscoe, participated.
Roscoe High School Principal Frank Young remembers Alvarez as a "good guy" who had some problems, which led him to the alternative high school, but that he turned his life around.
Williams said Alvarez was the kind of person people would meet and like immediately.
"I always looked forward to having him come by because he was such a very magnetic personality," he said. "... He always had such a great heart."
The two kept in touch by e-mail, and Alvarez enjoyed keeping up with the Plowboys football team. The two visited in person between the soldier's tours of duty to Iraq.
"He was proud to serve," Williams said.
Alvarez called him just before he left on his latest tour to Iraq. Williams said his spirits were high, and he talked of becoming a military recruiter.
Williams was notified by a relative of his death Wednesday.
"That news hurt pretty bad," he said, adding, "I was sure proud of that kid. He had really done well in the military."
Army Sgt. Conrad Alvarez was killed in action on 2/20/08.
Army Sgt. Conrad Alvarez, 22, of Big Spring, Texas
Sgt. Alvarez was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Feb. 20, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device on Feb. 19. Also killed were Cpl. Albert Bitton and Spc. Micheal B. Matlock Jr.
Houston Chronicle -- DALLAS — A West Texas soldier was one of three killed in Iraq from injuries suffered in an explosion this week, the Pentagon said.
Sgt. Conrad Alvarez, 22, of Big Spring, Texas, died Wednesday, a day after being injured when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device in Baghdad.
His colleagues, Cpl. Albert Bitton, 20, of Chicago, and Spec. Micheal B. Matlock Jr., 21, of Glen Burniem, Md., also died.
All three were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Alvarez entered the Army in March 2005 and arrived at Fort Campbell in August 2005.
Alvarez's body has been flown back to the United States for funeral services, said family spokesman the Rev. Joel Miller of Big Spring. He said he did not have funeral details yet.
Alvarez was the second Roscoe High School graduate to die in Iraq recently. Last month, Army Staff Sgt. Wayne Jeffries, 37, was killed after his convoy was hit by a bomb.
Alvarez was an infantryman assigned to A Co., 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. He entered the Army in March 2005 and arrived at Fort Campbell in August 2005.
He is survived by his wife, Maria, of Oak Grove, Ky.; daughters, Celeste and Alyssa, of Swee*censored*er; father, Arthur, whose address is unknown; and mother, Belinda Garcia, of Big Spring, according to the Fort Campbell news release.
Relatives could not be reached for comment Friday.
Miller said the family was in shock after learning of Alvarez's death Wednesday morning from Army officials. He said the family has already lost one relative to the war. Alvarez's sister, Christina, was married to Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, a buddy from his platoon who was abducted and decapitated by al-Qaida in 2006 in Iraq.
Alvarez's awards and decorations include: Army Commendation Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Iraqi Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Combat Infantry Badge; and Weapons Qualification, M4, expert.
Alvarez attended Roscoe High School, where he played football and was "one of the best punt returners I've ever seen," said Wes Williams, the high school's athletic director. He said Alvarez was an outgoing person who regularly stayed in touch after he graduated in November 2003.
Alvarez graduated from the Hobbs alternative high school, in which several school districts, including Roscoe, participated.
Roscoe High School Principal Frank Young remembers Alvarez as a "good guy" who had some problems, which led him to the alternative high school, but that he turned his life around.
Williams said Alvarez was the kind of person people would meet and like immediately.
"I always looked forward to having him come by because he was such a very magnetic personality," he said. "... He always had such a great heart."
The two kept in touch by e-mail, and Alvarez enjoyed keeping up with the Plowboys football team. The two visited in person between the soldier's tours of duty to Iraq.
"He was proud to serve," Williams said.
Alvarez called him just before he left on his latest tour to Iraq. Williams said his spirits were high, and he talked of becoming a military recruiter.
Williams was notified by a relative of his death Wednesday.
"That news hurt pretty bad," he said, adding, "I was sure proud of that kid. He had really done well in the military."
Army Sgt. Conrad Alvarez was killed in action on 2/20/08.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Army Spc. Chad D. Groepper
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Chad D. Groepper, 21, of Kingsley, Iowa
Spc. Groepper was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Feb. 17, 2008 in Diyala, Iraq, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his dismounted patrol using small arms fire. Also killed was Spc. Luke S. Runyan.
Army identifies 2 Fort Lewis soldiers killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
FORT LEWIS, Wash. — The Army has identified two Fort Lewis soldiers who were killed Feb. 17 in the Diyala province of Iraq when their patrol was attacked by small-arms fire.
Spc. Chad D. Groepper of Kingsley, Iowa, and Spc. Luke S. Runyan of Spring Grove, Pa., were both 21.
Both were members of the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, and deployed in April 2007.
The Army released the identifications Feb. 19, a day after notifying families.
Families say that Groepper leaves behind a wife and 4-month-old daughter; Runyan leaves behind a wife and a 1-year-old daughter.
Army Spc. Chad D. Groepper was killed in action on 2/17/08.
Army Spc. Chad D. Groepper, 21, of Kingsley, Iowa
Spc. Groepper was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Feb. 17, 2008 in Diyala, Iraq, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his dismounted patrol using small arms fire. Also killed was Spc. Luke S. Runyan.
Army identifies 2 Fort Lewis soldiers killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
FORT LEWIS, Wash. — The Army has identified two Fort Lewis soldiers who were killed Feb. 17 in the Diyala province of Iraq when their patrol was attacked by small-arms fire.
Spc. Chad D. Groepper of Kingsley, Iowa, and Spc. Luke S. Runyan of Spring Grove, Pa., were both 21.
Both were members of the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, and deployed in April 2007.
The Army released the identifications Feb. 19, a day after notifying families.
Families say that Groepper leaves behind a wife and 4-month-old daughter; Runyan leaves behind a wife and a 1-year-old daughter.
Army Spc. Chad D. Groepper was killed in action on 2/17/08.
Army Spc. Luke S. Runyan
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Luke S. Runyan, 21, of Spring Grove, Pa.
Spc. Runyan was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Feb. 17, 2008 in Diyala, Iraq, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his dismounted patrol using small arms fire. Also killed was Spc. Chad D. Groepper.
Soldier from south central Pa. killed in ambush in Iraq
The Associated Press
YORK, Pa. — A soldier from central Pennsylvania was one of two soldiers shot and killed in an ambush in Iraq.
Army Spc. Luke Runyan, 21, died Feb. 17 in Diyala province from wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his dismounted patrol using small-arms fire, according to the Department of Defense.
Runyan leaves behind a wife, Courtney, and their 1-year-old daughter, Brynn. The two met while he was stationed at Fort Lewis, Wash.
Runyan, an avid hunter who also enjoyed riding his motorcycle, enlisted in the Army while he was a senior at Spring Grove Area Senior High School. Late last year, he re-enlisted for another three years.
He deployed to Iraq last spring.
“He had no fear of combat and I guess that was part of his training,” said his father, Marc Runyan, of West Manchester Township. “He once told me you go out on a mission and if you get hit, you get hit. If you don’t, you don’t. It’s as simple as that. He did feel very strongly they were doing an excellent job freeing the Iraqi people from al-Qaida.”
Runyan was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division’s 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Lewis. The other soldier killed was Spc. Chad D. Groepper, 21, of Kingsley, Iowa, who was also assigned to the unit.
Runyan’s father said he was told by Army officials that the attack was an ambush and that another soldier was also injured.
Army Spc. Luke S. Runyan was killed in action on 2/17/08.
Army Spc. Luke S. Runyan, 21, of Spring Grove, Pa.
Spc. Runyan was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Feb. 17, 2008 in Diyala, Iraq, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his dismounted patrol using small arms fire. Also killed was Spc. Chad D. Groepper.
Soldier from south central Pa. killed in ambush in Iraq
The Associated Press
YORK, Pa. — A soldier from central Pennsylvania was one of two soldiers shot and killed in an ambush in Iraq.
Army Spc. Luke Runyan, 21, died Feb. 17 in Diyala province from wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his dismounted patrol using small-arms fire, according to the Department of Defense.
Runyan leaves behind a wife, Courtney, and their 1-year-old daughter, Brynn. The two met while he was stationed at Fort Lewis, Wash.
Runyan, an avid hunter who also enjoyed riding his motorcycle, enlisted in the Army while he was a senior at Spring Grove Area Senior High School. Late last year, he re-enlisted for another three years.
He deployed to Iraq last spring.
“He had no fear of combat and I guess that was part of his training,” said his father, Marc Runyan, of West Manchester Township. “He once told me you go out on a mission and if you get hit, you get hit. If you don’t, you don’t. It’s as simple as that. He did feel very strongly they were doing an excellent job freeing the Iraqi people from al-Qaida.”
Runyan was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division’s 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Lewis. The other soldier killed was Spc. Chad D. Groepper, 21, of Kingsley, Iowa, who was also assigned to the unit.
Runyan’s father said he was told by Army officials that the attack was an ambush and that another soldier was also injured.
Army Spc. Luke S. Runyan was killed in action on 2/17/08.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Army Staff Sgt. Javares J. Washington
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Javares J. Washington, 27, of Pensacola, Fla.
SSgt Washington was assigned to the 6th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Feb. 11, 2008 at Camp Buehring, Kuwait City, Kuwait, of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident.
Pensacola News Journal -- The family of a Pensacola man who died serving in Kuwait remembered him Tuesday as a standout high school athlete, loyal son and family man.
Army Staff Sgt. Javares Washington's family said he was killed Sunday in a vehicle accident. Washington's family was notified Monday.
Washington, 27, was best known locally for his days at Escambia High School, where he played football and was also on the track team.
The former running back graduated in 1999 and left Pensacola for Flagstaff, Ariz., to play football on a full scholarship at Northern Arizona University.
He left the university the following season because his scholarship was cut, Washington's mother, Felicia Smith, said.
Escambia High's former football coach Ronnie Gilliland had a close relationship with Washington. Gilliland's son, Brett Gilliland, who played quarterback on the team, was Washington's high school buddy.
"It's been real tough," Ronnie Gilliland said of Washington's death. "My wife was real close to him. He was just a real likeable young man."
Washington decided to join the military after leaving college, following in the footsteps of his brother.
"He enjoyed it," said Washington's stepfather, Roy Smith. "It showed and taught him a lot of things. It gave him independence."
Washington, who was stationed in Kentucky, left for Kuwait Sept. 7.
"He went by and visited everybody he knew because he knew he was coming home, but it wasn't going to be any time soon," his stepfather said. "We definitely didn't expect him not to come home at all."
Washington called his family as often as he could after leaving for Kuwait. Washington's parents spent Tuesday remembering the good times they shared with their son while being comforted by family and friends.
"I want to remember Javares when he was home, before he went to Kuwait," Felicia Smith said.
Washington's wife, Letrica, 28, his daughter, Tristyne, 9 months, and stepson, Mekhi, 7, plan to arrive in Pensacola later this week from Kentucky. Washington also leaves behind another son, Jayden, 6, of Pensacola and four siblings, including two stepbrothers.
Army Staff Sgt. Javares J. Washington was killed in a vehicle accident on 2/11/08.
Army Staff Sgt. Javares J. Washington, 27, of Pensacola, Fla.
SSgt Washington was assigned to the 6th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Feb. 11, 2008 at Camp Buehring, Kuwait City, Kuwait, of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident.
Pensacola News Journal -- The family of a Pensacola man who died serving in Kuwait remembered him Tuesday as a standout high school athlete, loyal son and family man.
Army Staff Sgt. Javares Washington's family said he was killed Sunday in a vehicle accident. Washington's family was notified Monday.
Washington, 27, was best known locally for his days at Escambia High School, where he played football and was also on the track team.
The former running back graduated in 1999 and left Pensacola for Flagstaff, Ariz., to play football on a full scholarship at Northern Arizona University.
He left the university the following season because his scholarship was cut, Washington's mother, Felicia Smith, said.
Escambia High's former football coach Ronnie Gilliland had a close relationship with Washington. Gilliland's son, Brett Gilliland, who played quarterback on the team, was Washington's high school buddy.
"It's been real tough," Ronnie Gilliland said of Washington's death. "My wife was real close to him. He was just a real likeable young man."
Washington decided to join the military after leaving college, following in the footsteps of his brother.
"He enjoyed it," said Washington's stepfather, Roy Smith. "It showed and taught him a lot of things. It gave him independence."
Washington, who was stationed in Kentucky, left for Kuwait Sept. 7.
"He went by and visited everybody he knew because he knew he was coming home, but it wasn't going to be any time soon," his stepfather said. "We definitely didn't expect him not to come home at all."
Washington called his family as often as he could after leaving for Kuwait. Washington's parents spent Tuesday remembering the good times they shared with their son while being comforted by family and friends.
"I want to remember Javares when he was home, before he went to Kuwait," Felicia Smith said.
Washington's wife, Letrica, 28, his daughter, Tristyne, 9 months, and stepson, Mekhi, 7, plan to arrive in Pensacola later this week from Kentucky. Washington also leaves behind another son, Jayden, 6, of Pensacola and four siblings, including two stepbrothers.
Army Staff Sgt. Javares J. Washington was killed in a vehicle accident on 2/11/08.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Army Sgt. Corey E. Spates
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Corey E. Spates, 21, of LaGrange, Ga.
Sgt Spates was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas; died Feb. 10, 2008 in Diyala, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
Soldier from LaGrange, Ga., killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
LAGRANGE, Ga. — Family members say an Army sergeant from LaGrange has been killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq, a week after his first wedding anniversary.
Relatives told the LaGrange Daily News that 21-year-old Sergeant Corey Spates, 21, died Feb. 10 in the Diyala province.
His wife and parents were notified by the Army that evening.
The family said they were told there were multiple casualties in the blast, but that the Army would not release details until the next of kin of all victims had been notified.
Spates, who attended Troup High School, had left for his second deployment in November. He and his wife celebrated their first anniversary last week.
Army Sgt. Corey E. Spates was killed in action on 2/10/08.
Army Sgt. Corey E. Spates, 21, of LaGrange, Ga.
Sgt Spates was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas; died Feb. 10, 2008 in Diyala, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
Soldier from LaGrange, Ga., killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
LAGRANGE, Ga. — Family members say an Army sergeant from LaGrange has been killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq, a week after his first wedding anniversary.
Relatives told the LaGrange Daily News that 21-year-old Sergeant Corey Spates, 21, died Feb. 10 in the Diyala province.
His wife and parents were notified by the Army that evening.
The family said they were told there were multiple casualties in the blast, but that the Army would not release details until the next of kin of all victims had been notified.
Spates, who attended Troup High School, had left for his second deployment in November. He and his wife celebrated their first anniversary last week.
Army Sgt. Corey E. Spates was killed in action on 2/10/08.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Army Pfc. Jack T. Sweet
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Jack T. Sweet, 19, of Alexandria Bay, N.Y.
Pfc. Sweet was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Feb. 8, 2008 in Jawwalah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
Family remembers upstate NY soldier killed in Iraq bomb explosion
The Associated Press
ALEXANDRIA BAY, N.Y. — A 10th Mountain Division soldier from upstate New York was killed in Iraq when his vehicle was hit with a roadside bomb, according to the soldier’s family
Pfc. Jack Sweet, 19, of Alexandria Bay, was killed Feb. 8, said his father, Glenn Sweet.
Sweet was a Humvee driver with the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry. Glenn Sweet said his son had always wanted to join the military and planned for a career in the Army. When he was younger, Sweet was a member of the Jefferson County Young Marines.
“He loved what he was doing,” Sweet told The Watertown Daily Times.
Sweet went through basic training last April and was later stationed at Fort Drum. His unit was sent to Kirkuk province in September.
“He was so happy to finally get a chance to do his part,” Sweet said.
The younger Sweet was home for Christmas and spent the time visiting with family and friends, telling stories about his time in Iraq. Sweet said he liked hearing about what his son was doing and was proud of all of his accomplishments.
“He’s my hero,” Sweet said.
The younger Sweet attended Alexandria Central School and earned a general equivalency diploma.
Alexandria High School Principal Ronald Hochmuth said he had known Sweet since the seventh grade and that he was full of life.
“He always had a twinkle in his eye,” Hochmuth said.
The principal said the school held a moment of silence for Sweet and the flag was at half-staff Feb. 11. He said counselors were on hand to help students deal with the death. In addition, students were collecting stories and pictures of Sweet for a eulogy.
Sweet’s family said funeral arrangements would be made in the next few days.
Army Pfc. Jack T. Sweet was killed in action on 2/8/08.
Army Pfc. Jack T. Sweet, 19, of Alexandria Bay, N.Y.
Pfc. Sweet was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Feb. 8, 2008 in Jawwalah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
Family remembers upstate NY soldier killed in Iraq bomb explosion
The Associated Press
ALEXANDRIA BAY, N.Y. — A 10th Mountain Division soldier from upstate New York was killed in Iraq when his vehicle was hit with a roadside bomb, according to the soldier’s family
Pfc. Jack Sweet, 19, of Alexandria Bay, was killed Feb. 8, said his father, Glenn Sweet.
Sweet was a Humvee driver with the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry. Glenn Sweet said his son had always wanted to join the military and planned for a career in the Army. When he was younger, Sweet was a member of the Jefferson County Young Marines.
“He loved what he was doing,” Sweet told The Watertown Daily Times.
Sweet went through basic training last April and was later stationed at Fort Drum. His unit was sent to Kirkuk province in September.
“He was so happy to finally get a chance to do his part,” Sweet said.
The younger Sweet was home for Christmas and spent the time visiting with family and friends, telling stories about his time in Iraq. Sweet said he liked hearing about what his son was doing and was proud of all of his accomplishments.
“He’s my hero,” Sweet said.
The younger Sweet attended Alexandria Central School and earned a general equivalency diploma.
Alexandria High School Principal Ronald Hochmuth said he had known Sweet since the seventh grade and that he was full of life.
“He always had a twinkle in his eye,” Hochmuth said.
The principal said the school held a moment of silence for Sweet and the flag was at half-staff Feb. 11. He said counselors were on hand to help students deal with the death. In addition, students were collecting stories and pictures of Sweet for a eulogy.
Sweet’s family said funeral arrangements would be made in the next few days.
Army Pfc. Jack T. Sweet was killed in action on 2/8/08.
Army Staff Sgt. Jerald A. Whisenhunt
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Jerald A. Whisenhunt, 32, of Orrick, Mo.
SSgt. Whisenhunt was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Feb. 8, 2008 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. Timothy P. Martin, Spc. Michael T. Manibog and Sgt. Gary D. Willett.
Staff Sgt. Jerald A. Whisenhunt from Orrick is killed in Iraq
Whisenhunt A soldier with ties to the area was one of four killed in Iraq last week when their vehicle rolled over an improvised explosive.
Staff Sgt. Jerald A. Whisenhunt, 32, died Feb. 8 in Taji, Iraq.
Whisenhunt’s hometown was Orrick, according to the Department of Defense. Whisenhunt, who was married, joined the Army in 2000 and was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks in Hawaii.
Also killed in the blast were fellow 25th Infantry Division members Spc. Michael T. Manibog, 31, of Alameda, Calif.; Sgt. Timothy P. Martin, 27, of Pixley, Calif.; and Sgt. Gary D. Willett, 34, of Alamogordo, N.M.
Army Staff Sgt. Jerald A. Whisenhunt was killed in action on 2/8/08.
Army Staff Sgt. Jerald A. Whisenhunt, 32, of Orrick, Mo.
SSgt. Whisenhunt was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Feb. 8, 2008 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. Timothy P. Martin, Spc. Michael T. Manibog and Sgt. Gary D. Willett.
Staff Sgt. Jerald A. Whisenhunt from Orrick is killed in Iraq
Whisenhunt A soldier with ties to the area was one of four killed in Iraq last week when their vehicle rolled over an improvised explosive.
Staff Sgt. Jerald A. Whisenhunt, 32, died Feb. 8 in Taji, Iraq.
Whisenhunt’s hometown was Orrick, according to the Department of Defense. Whisenhunt, who was married, joined the Army in 2000 and was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks in Hawaii.
Also killed in the blast were fellow 25th Infantry Division members Spc. Michael T. Manibog, 31, of Alameda, Calif.; Sgt. Timothy P. Martin, 27, of Pixley, Calif.; and Sgt. Gary D. Willett, 34, of Alamogordo, N.M.
Army Staff Sgt. Jerald A. Whisenhunt was killed in action on 2/8/08.
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