Remember Our Heroes
Marine Sgt. Michael C. Roy, 25, of North Fort Myers, Fla.
Sgt. Roy was assigned to 3rd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Special Operations Advisor Group, Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died July 8, 2009 while supporting combat operations in Nimroz province, Afghanistan.
Grew up in New Hampshire
The Associated Press
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — A Marine who was killed in Afghanistan had ties to New Hampshire.
The Department of Defense says 25-year-old Sgt. Michael C. Roy, who lived in North Fort Myers, Fla., and was stationed out of North Carolina, died Wednesday while supporting combat operations in Nimroz province, Afghanistan.
He was assigned to the 3rd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Special Operations Advisor Group, Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command at Camp Lejeune.
Roy grew up in Candia, N.H., and his mother still lives there, WMUR-TV reported.
Took care of his men in the field
The Associated Press
Michael C. Roy enlisted in the Marines just two weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, hoping he could stop al-Qaida and Osama Bin Laden.
“He wanted to protect his country and wanted his children to grow up without war,” said Julie England, a longtime neighbor whose children befriended Roy.
Roy, 25, of North Fort Myers, Fla., was killed by a sniper in Nimroz province, Afghanistan. He graduated from Academy High School in 2001 and was assigned to Camp Lejeune, N.C.
“You couldn’t ask for a better leader as your sergeant,” said Cpl. John Wood, 23, a Marine stationed in Parris Island, S.C., who served under Roy for his first two tours in Iraq. “You couldn’t ask for a better person. If there was anything you needed, he would take care of you.”
Roy’s father, Sgt. Michael Roy of Punta Gorda, Fla., said his son knew from an early age he wanted to serve in the military.
“It was a privilege to serve with him because of his dedication and the way he treated his Marines,” Wood said. “It didn’t matter that he was the same age as us, he was our leader.”
Roy is survived by his wife, Amy, and three young children: Olivia, Mikey and Landon.
Marine Sgt. Michael C. Roy was killed in action on 7/8/09.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Navy Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Darren Ethan Tate
Remember Our Heroes
Navy Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Darren Ethan Tate, 21, of Canyon, Texas
Navy Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Tate was assigned to the USS Iwo Jima, and deployed as an Individual Augmentee to Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan; died of pneumonia July 8, 2009 at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.
Navy says pneumonia claimed IA sailor
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Defense Department said July 9 that a Navy man from the Texas Panhandle has died of non-hostile causes in Afghanistan.
The Pentagon statement says that that 21-year-old Aviation Ordnance Airman Darren Ethan Tate of Canyon died July 8 at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.
The statement did not give the cause of death. Navy spokesman Paul Taylor told The Associated Press that Tate died of pneumonia.
The Navy says Tate had enlisted in August 2006 and was assigned to the USS Iwo Jima, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship. Taylor says Tate became ill while deployed ashore to augment the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan.
Ordnanceman volunteered for trip to Afghanistan
The Associated Press
Darren Ethan Tate was a bodybuilder, a cook and an aspiring pilot rolled into one friendly guy.
“We clowned around a lot,” said his uncle, Wayne Tate. “Just had a great time. He was one terrific young man.”
He said his nephew had wanted to go to Afghanistan in place of another man who’d recently become a father.
“It broke my heart, but I was proud that he was man enough to take on the responsibility he volunteered for,” Wayne Tate said. “He was willing to take on the danger himself.”
Darren Tate, 21, of Canyon, Texas, died of pneumonia July 8 at Bagram Air Base. He had joined the Navy in 2006 after graduating from Canyon High School and was assigned to the USS Iwo Jima.
“You can tell by the size of this crowd that he was loved,” said another uncle, John Stratton, who officiated at Tate’s funeral in Texas.
He was born in California, and that was his nickname when he worked at the Skate Plex in Amarillo, where he also worked and trained at a tae kwon do institute.
He is survived by his parents, Larry and Barbara; a brother, Keith; and a sister, Sarah.
Navy Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Darren Ethan Tate died of pneumonia on 7/8/09.
Navy Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Darren Ethan Tate, 21, of Canyon, Texas
Navy Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Tate was assigned to the USS Iwo Jima, and deployed as an Individual Augmentee to Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan; died of pneumonia July 8, 2009 at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.
Navy says pneumonia claimed IA sailor
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Defense Department said July 9 that a Navy man from the Texas Panhandle has died of non-hostile causes in Afghanistan.
The Pentagon statement says that that 21-year-old Aviation Ordnance Airman Darren Ethan Tate of Canyon died July 8 at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.
The statement did not give the cause of death. Navy spokesman Paul Taylor told The Associated Press that Tate died of pneumonia.
The Navy says Tate had enlisted in August 2006 and was assigned to the USS Iwo Jima, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship. Taylor says Tate became ill while deployed ashore to augment the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan.
Ordnanceman volunteered for trip to Afghanistan
The Associated Press
Darren Ethan Tate was a bodybuilder, a cook and an aspiring pilot rolled into one friendly guy.
“We clowned around a lot,” said his uncle, Wayne Tate. “Just had a great time. He was one terrific young man.”
He said his nephew had wanted to go to Afghanistan in place of another man who’d recently become a father.
“It broke my heart, but I was proud that he was man enough to take on the responsibility he volunteered for,” Wayne Tate said. “He was willing to take on the danger himself.”
Darren Tate, 21, of Canyon, Texas, died of pneumonia July 8 at Bagram Air Base. He had joined the Navy in 2006 after graduating from Canyon High School and was assigned to the USS Iwo Jima.
“You can tell by the size of this crowd that he was loved,” said another uncle, John Stratton, who officiated at Tate’s funeral in Texas.
He was born in California, and that was his nickname when he worked at the Skate Plex in Amarillo, where he also worked and trained at a tae kwon do institute.
He is survived by his parents, Larry and Barbara; a brother, Keith; and a sister, Sarah.
Navy Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Darren Ethan Tate died of pneumonia on 7/8/09.
Army Pvt. Lucas M. Bregg
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pvt. Lucas M. Bregg, 19, of Wright City, Mo.
Pvt. Bregg was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died July 8, 2009 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries suffered from a non-combat related incident.
Bregg was stationed at Hood
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Another Fort Hood soldier has died in Iraq.
The Defense Department says 19-year-old Pvt. Lucas M. Bregg of Wright City, Mo., died July 8 in Baghdad of injuries suffered from a non-combat related incident.
Further details were not immediately released.
Bregg was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, a Central Texas post located near Killeen.
Eyesight issues initially kept Bregg from Army
The Associated Press
Lucas Bregg wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do. After graduating from Wright City (Mo.) High School in 2008, he worked as a roofer. He was also interested in anything related to cars. “He liked to do car work, body work; he loved that,” said his grandmother, Kathleen Green.
He eventually decided on the Army, but recruiters turned him down at first because of bad eyesight. He asked them to reconsider, and he joined last summer.
Bregg, 19, of Wright City, died in Baghdad from injuries he suffered in a noncombat related incident. The military didn’t release details. He was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas.
Michael Bregg said the last time he heard from his son was the day before he died. In a text message, his son wished him a happy wedding anniversary and said he couldn’t wait to get back to town.
He said his son wanted to celebrate the anniversary along with his own wedding and Father’s Day because he had been away.
“We watched him become a man we’re damn proud of,” his father said. “We wish he was here.”
Other survivors include his mother, Tracie Green; two brothers, Zachary and Colton; and his sister, Taylor.
Army Pvt. Lucas M. Bregg was killed in a non-combat related incident on 7/8/09.
Army Pvt. Lucas M. Bregg, 19, of Wright City, Mo.
Pvt. Bregg was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died July 8, 2009 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries suffered from a non-combat related incident.
Bregg was stationed at Hood
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Another Fort Hood soldier has died in Iraq.
The Defense Department says 19-year-old Pvt. Lucas M. Bregg of Wright City, Mo., died July 8 in Baghdad of injuries suffered from a non-combat related incident.
Further details were not immediately released.
Bregg was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, a Central Texas post located near Killeen.
Eyesight issues initially kept Bregg from Army
The Associated Press
Lucas Bregg wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do. After graduating from Wright City (Mo.) High School in 2008, he worked as a roofer. He was also interested in anything related to cars. “He liked to do car work, body work; he loved that,” said his grandmother, Kathleen Green.
He eventually decided on the Army, but recruiters turned him down at first because of bad eyesight. He asked them to reconsider, and he joined last summer.
Bregg, 19, of Wright City, died in Baghdad from injuries he suffered in a noncombat related incident. The military didn’t release details. He was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas.
Michael Bregg said the last time he heard from his son was the day before he died. In a text message, his son wished him a happy wedding anniversary and said he couldn’t wait to get back to town.
He said his son wanted to celebrate the anniversary along with his own wedding and Father’s Day because he had been away.
“We watched him become a man we’re damn proud of,” his father said. “We wish he was here.”
Other survivors include his mother, Tracie Green; two brothers, Zachary and Colton; and his sister, Taylor.
Army Pvt. Lucas M. Bregg was killed in a non-combat related incident on 7/8/09.
Army Spc. Gregory J. Missman
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Gregory J. Missman, 36, of Batavia, Ohio
Spc. Missman was assigned to the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died July 8, 2009 at Bagram, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained elsewhere in Afghanistan, when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms fire.
Missman was based at Carson
The Associated Press
DENVER — Spc. Gregory Missman of Batavia, Ohio, has died of wounds sustained while fighting in Afghanistan.
Defense officials say the 36-year-old soldier based at Fort Carson, south of Colorado Springs, died July 8 at Bagram. They say he was wounded when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms fire.
Missman was assigned to the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson.
Volunteered his time to make community better
The Associated Press
Gregory J. Missman’s 4-year-old son, Jack, doesn’t quite understand the significance of his dad’s death.
Yet his words are mature: “Dad was a strong soldier,” Jack said as he ran into the arms of his mother, Brooke. “He loved us. We loved him.”
Missman was wounded by a roadside bomb and was awarded the Purple Heart before he died of his injuries July 8. He enlisted in the Army after graduating from Amelia High School in 1993, serving for more than three years. He then worked as a computer consultant before re-enlisting. He was assigned to Fort Carson, Colo.
“I don’t know who I’m going to get to fix my computer,” said his father, Jim.
The soldier was a hero to his family long before his death.
“He’s always been a hero of our family,” said his sister, Dawn. “I remember several Thanksgivings we spent together where he was down volunteering in homeless shelters, feeding people who had no place to go or eat.”
He is survived by his father, Jim; his mother, Donna Missman Turner; his son; a brother, Michael Missman; and a sister, Dawn.
Army Spc. Gregory J. Missman was killed in action on 7/8/09.
Army Spc. Gregory J. Missman, 36, of Batavia, Ohio
Spc. Missman was assigned to the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died July 8, 2009 at Bagram, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained elsewhere in Afghanistan, when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms fire.
Missman was based at Carson
The Associated Press
DENVER — Spc. Gregory Missman of Batavia, Ohio, has died of wounds sustained while fighting in Afghanistan.
Defense officials say the 36-year-old soldier based at Fort Carson, south of Colorado Springs, died July 8 at Bagram. They say he was wounded when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms fire.
Missman was assigned to the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson.
Volunteered his time to make community better
The Associated Press
Gregory J. Missman’s 4-year-old son, Jack, doesn’t quite understand the significance of his dad’s death.
Yet his words are mature: “Dad was a strong soldier,” Jack said as he ran into the arms of his mother, Brooke. “He loved us. We loved him.”
Missman was wounded by a roadside bomb and was awarded the Purple Heart before he died of his injuries July 8. He enlisted in the Army after graduating from Amelia High School in 1993, serving for more than three years. He then worked as a computer consultant before re-enlisting. He was assigned to Fort Carson, Colo.
“I don’t know who I’m going to get to fix my computer,” said his father, Jim.
The soldier was a hero to his family long before his death.
“He’s always been a hero of our family,” said his sister, Dawn. “I remember several Thanksgivings we spent together where he was down volunteering in homeless shelters, feeding people who had no place to go or eat.”
He is survived by his father, Jim; his mother, Donna Missman Turner; his son; a brother, Michael Missman; and a sister, Dawn.
Army Spc. Gregory J. Missman was killed in action on 7/8/09.
Monday, July 06, 2009
Army Sgt. Chester W. Hosford
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Chester W. Hosford, 35, of Hastings, Minn.
Sgt. Hosford was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 106th Cavalry Regiment, Illinois National Guard, Dixon, Ill.; died July 6, 2009 in Konduz, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
My Web Times -- A man last listed as an Ottawa resident was killed in action Monday in Afghanistan.
Spc. Chester Hosford, 35, deployed with Troop B, 2nd Battalion, 106th Cavalry based in Dixon, and 1st Lt. Derwin Williams, 41, of Glenwood, were killed when their vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device near Konduz, Afghanistan.
Hosford enlisted with the U.S. Marine Corps in 1993 and joined the Minnesota Army National Guard as a cavalry scout in June 2006. He transferred to the Illinois Army National Guard in April 2008 as part of the Illinois Training Site Detachment in Marseilles.
He lived in Ottawa just a few months before being deployed to Afghanistan in August 2008 as part of the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team to provide police mentor teams to train and mentor the Afghan National Police. It was one of the approximate 30 units with the 33rd IBCT and two units from the 404th Chemical Brigade that deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to form Task Force Phoenix VIII.
Hosford graduated from Sage Creek High School in Peyton, Colo., in 1993. He was single. This was his first deployment.
"It is with a heavy heart that we have to say farewell to two more fallen heroes of the Illinois Army National Guard," said Maj. Gen. William Enyart, Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard, in a press release. "The deployment of the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team has been tough on all of us, especially on the families of these heroes. As we get through this difficult time, we have to remember the honor and bravery of 1st Lt. Williams and Spc. Hosford. I am saddened by this loss, yet so proud of the soldiers they were and the service they provided to this country."
Williams and Hosford are the 15th and 16th casualties from the Illinois Army National Guard"s 33rd IBCT since their deployment to Afghanistan and are the 31st and 32nd casualties the Illinois National Guard has suffered since operations in Afghanistan and Iraq began.
No information on funeral arrangements has been determined at this time.
Army Sgt. Chester W. Hosford was killed in action on 7/6/09.
Army Sgt. Chester W. Hosford, 35, of Hastings, Minn.
Sgt. Hosford was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 106th Cavalry Regiment, Illinois National Guard, Dixon, Ill.; died July 6, 2009 in Konduz, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
My Web Times -- A man last listed as an Ottawa resident was killed in action Monday in Afghanistan.
Spc. Chester Hosford, 35, deployed with Troop B, 2nd Battalion, 106th Cavalry based in Dixon, and 1st Lt. Derwin Williams, 41, of Glenwood, were killed when their vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device near Konduz, Afghanistan.
Hosford enlisted with the U.S. Marine Corps in 1993 and joined the Minnesota Army National Guard as a cavalry scout in June 2006. He transferred to the Illinois Army National Guard in April 2008 as part of the Illinois Training Site Detachment in Marseilles.
He lived in Ottawa just a few months before being deployed to Afghanistan in August 2008 as part of the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team to provide police mentor teams to train and mentor the Afghan National Police. It was one of the approximate 30 units with the 33rd IBCT and two units from the 404th Chemical Brigade that deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to form Task Force Phoenix VIII.
Hosford graduated from Sage Creek High School in Peyton, Colo., in 1993. He was single. This was his first deployment.
"It is with a heavy heart that we have to say farewell to two more fallen heroes of the Illinois Army National Guard," said Maj. Gen. William Enyart, Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard, in a press release. "The deployment of the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team has been tough on all of us, especially on the families of these heroes. As we get through this difficult time, we have to remember the honor and bravery of 1st Lt. Williams and Spc. Hosford. I am saddened by this loss, yet so proud of the soldiers they were and the service they provided to this country."
Williams and Hosford are the 15th and 16th casualties from the Illinois Army National Guard"s 33rd IBCT since their deployment to Afghanistan and are the 31st and 32nd casualties the Illinois National Guard has suffered since operations in Afghanistan and Iraq began.
No information on funeral arrangements has been determined at this time.
Army Sgt. Chester W. Hosford was killed in action on 7/6/09.
Army Spc. Issac L. Johnson
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Issac L. Johnson, 24, of Columbus, Ga.
Spc. Johnson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 108th Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition Squadron, Georgia National Guard, Rome, Ga.; died July 6, 2009in Konduz, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
WSAV-TV -- Defense officials say two Georgia soldiers were killed in action while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan Tuesday.
According to the Department of Defense, Sgt. Brock Henry Chavers Sr., 25, of Statesboro, and Spc. Isaac Lee Johnson Jr., 24, of Columbus, died from injuries from an improvised explosive device (IED).
Chavers was assigned to Americus’ Company D, 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry, and Johnson to Rome’s Troop A, 1st Battalion, 108th Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition (RSTA) Squadron
“This past weekend, as hundreds of millions of Americans celebrated our nation’s independence, our brave sons and daughters were halfway around the world still protecting that freedom. We learned today of the tragic loss of Georgia Guardsmen Sgt. Brock Chavers Sr. and Spc. Isaac Johnson Jr., yesterday in Afghanistan,“ said Governor Sonny Perdue in a statement.
“The deaths of Sgt. Brock Henry Chavers Sr. and Spc. Isaac Lee Johnson Jr. are a devastating loss for the nation, the state, the Georgia Guard and most of all, the families of these fine men,“ said Maj. Gen. William T. Nesbitt, Georgia’s Adjutant General.
“They gave their lives in defense of freedom. The entire Georgia National Guard family grieves with the Chavers and Johnson families at this tragic news,“ said Nesbitt.
Army Spc. Issac L. Johnson was killed in action on 7/6/09.
Army Spc. Issac L. Johnson, 24, of Columbus, Ga.
Spc. Johnson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 108th Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition Squadron, Georgia National Guard, Rome, Ga.; died July 6, 2009in Konduz, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
WSAV-TV -- Defense officials say two Georgia soldiers were killed in action while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan Tuesday.
According to the Department of Defense, Sgt. Brock Henry Chavers Sr., 25, of Statesboro, and Spc. Isaac Lee Johnson Jr., 24, of Columbus, died from injuries from an improvised explosive device (IED).
Chavers was assigned to Americus’ Company D, 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry, and Johnson to Rome’s Troop A, 1st Battalion, 108th Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition (RSTA) Squadron
“This past weekend, as hundreds of millions of Americans celebrated our nation’s independence, our brave sons and daughters were halfway around the world still protecting that freedom. We learned today of the tragic loss of Georgia Guardsmen Sgt. Brock Chavers Sr. and Spc. Isaac Johnson Jr., yesterday in Afghanistan,“ said Governor Sonny Perdue in a statement.
“The deaths of Sgt. Brock Henry Chavers Sr. and Spc. Isaac Lee Johnson Jr. are a devastating loss for the nation, the state, the Georgia Guard and most of all, the families of these fine men,“ said Maj. Gen. William T. Nesbitt, Georgia’s Adjutant General.
“They gave their lives in defense of freedom. The entire Georgia National Guard family grieves with the Chavers and Johnson families at this tragic news,“ said Nesbitt.
Army Spc. Issac L. Johnson was killed in action on 7/6/09.
Army Sgt. Brock H. Chavers
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Brock H. Chavers, 25, of Bulloch, Ga.
Sgt. Chavers was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, Georgia National Guard, Americus, Ga.; died July 6, 2009 in Konduz, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
WSAV-TV -- Defense officials say two Georgia soldiers were killed in action while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan Tuesday.
According to the Department of Defense, Sgt. Brock Henry Chavers Sr., 25, of Statesboro, and Spc. Isaac Lee Johnson Jr., 24, of Columbus, died from injuries from an improvised explosive device (IED).
Chavers was assigned to Americus’ Company D, 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry, and Johnson to Rome’s Troop A, 1st Battalion, 108th Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition (RSTA) Squadron
“This past weekend, as hundreds of millions of Americans celebrated our nation’s independence, our brave sons and daughters were halfway around the world still protecting that freedom. We learned today of the tragic loss of Georgia Guardsmen Sgt. Brock Chavers Sr. and Spc. Isaac Johnson Jr., yesterday in Afghanistan,“ said Governor Sonny Perdue in a statement.
“The deaths of Sgt. Brock Henry Chavers Sr. and Spc. Isaac Lee Johnson Jr. are a devastating loss for the nation, the state, the Georgia Guard and most of all, the families of these fine men,“ said Maj. Gen. William T. Nesbitt, Georgia’s Adjutant General.
“They gave their lives in defense of freedom. The entire Georgia National Guard family grieves with the Chavers and Johnson families at this tragic news,“ said Nesbitt.
Community lines highway for fallen soldier
People stood in the hot July sun at the Statesboro Regional Airport to give him a hero's welcome. It included veterans of wars past and youngsters perhaps just learning that freedom isn't free. It comes at a cost the Chavers' family has already more than paid.
"My older brother Courtney went in first; myself and Bryan went in the same time," explained Victor Chavers, one of his brothers. "Brock and Brandon followed suit. I'd say we're a family of service."
The death brought them home from around the world.
"Three of us were in Afghanistan, one in Honduras and another brother at Fort Benning," said Bryan Chavers. Bryan, Victor, and Brock deployed with the same National Guard unit from Statesboro but were separated to other units once in Afghanistan.
Local police, sheriff's deputies, firefighters, Georgia State Troopers and EMT's stood at attention along the road and on the tarmac to escort the body and the family to the funeral home.
"I've been in combat situations when I lost friends. But it never hit as close to home as this one has," said Brock's oldest brother, Courtney Jones.
He read online about the deaths of Georgia National Guardsmen hours before he received the call that his brother was among those killed. The death hit home to many, some who may not have known him.
Crowds lined most of the three mile route on US Highway 301 North. Patrol cars, fire trucks and more made up the motorcade. More than a dozen motorcyclists from the Patriot Guard Riders helped lead the way.
Riders from around the state came to Statesboro to show support and serve as a physical buffer between the family and any anti-war protesters who might attend. Members of the Southeast Georgia chapter say they ride, even for soldiers they don't personally know.
"He's absolutely our brother. His whole family is military. We can gather here today because the choices they made in their life," explained ride captain Gene Altman.
"It's just overflowing, the support we've gotten from the local community as well as the surrounding community," Victor Chavers noted.
A community that pulled together to see Sgt. Chavers return home one last time.
Visitation will be at Hill Mortuary Friday evening. The funeral service will be Saturday at 2pm at Fletcher Memorial Baptist Church on Lakeview Road. The burial will be at Bulloch Memorial Gardens.
Army Sgt. Brock H. Chavers was killed in action on 7/6/09.
Army Sgt. Brock H. Chavers, 25, of Bulloch, Ga.
Sgt. Chavers was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, Georgia National Guard, Americus, Ga.; died July 6, 2009 in Konduz, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
WSAV-TV -- Defense officials say two Georgia soldiers were killed in action while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan Tuesday.
According to the Department of Defense, Sgt. Brock Henry Chavers Sr., 25, of Statesboro, and Spc. Isaac Lee Johnson Jr., 24, of Columbus, died from injuries from an improvised explosive device (IED).
Chavers was assigned to Americus’ Company D, 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry, and Johnson to Rome’s Troop A, 1st Battalion, 108th Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition (RSTA) Squadron
“This past weekend, as hundreds of millions of Americans celebrated our nation’s independence, our brave sons and daughters were halfway around the world still protecting that freedom. We learned today of the tragic loss of Georgia Guardsmen Sgt. Brock Chavers Sr. and Spc. Isaac Johnson Jr., yesterday in Afghanistan,“ said Governor Sonny Perdue in a statement.
“The deaths of Sgt. Brock Henry Chavers Sr. and Spc. Isaac Lee Johnson Jr. are a devastating loss for the nation, the state, the Georgia Guard and most of all, the families of these fine men,“ said Maj. Gen. William T. Nesbitt, Georgia’s Adjutant General.
“They gave their lives in defense of freedom. The entire Georgia National Guard family grieves with the Chavers and Johnson families at this tragic news,“ said Nesbitt.
Community lines highway for fallen soldier
People stood in the hot July sun at the Statesboro Regional Airport to give him a hero's welcome. It included veterans of wars past and youngsters perhaps just learning that freedom isn't free. It comes at a cost the Chavers' family has already more than paid.
"My older brother Courtney went in first; myself and Bryan went in the same time," explained Victor Chavers, one of his brothers. "Brock and Brandon followed suit. I'd say we're a family of service."
The death brought them home from around the world.
"Three of us were in Afghanistan, one in Honduras and another brother at Fort Benning," said Bryan Chavers. Bryan, Victor, and Brock deployed with the same National Guard unit from Statesboro but were separated to other units once in Afghanistan.
Local police, sheriff's deputies, firefighters, Georgia State Troopers and EMT's stood at attention along the road and on the tarmac to escort the body and the family to the funeral home.
"I've been in combat situations when I lost friends. But it never hit as close to home as this one has," said Brock's oldest brother, Courtney Jones.
He read online about the deaths of Georgia National Guardsmen hours before he received the call that his brother was among those killed. The death hit home to many, some who may not have known him.
Crowds lined most of the three mile route on US Highway 301 North. Patrol cars, fire trucks and more made up the motorcade. More than a dozen motorcyclists from the Patriot Guard Riders helped lead the way.
Riders from around the state came to Statesboro to show support and serve as a physical buffer between the family and any anti-war protesters who might attend. Members of the Southeast Georgia chapter say they ride, even for soldiers they don't personally know.
"He's absolutely our brother. His whole family is military. We can gather here today because the choices they made in their life," explained ride captain Gene Altman.
"It's just overflowing, the support we've gotten from the local community as well as the surrounding community," Victor Chavers noted.
A community that pulled together to see Sgt. Chavers return home one last time.
Visitation will be at Hill Mortuary Friday evening. The funeral service will be Saturday at 2pm at Fletcher Memorial Baptist Church on Lakeview Road. The burial will be at Bulloch Memorial Gardens.
Army Sgt. Brock H. Chavers was killed in action on 7/6/09.
Army 2nd Lt. Derwin I. Williams
Remember Our Heroes
Army 2nd Lt. Derwin I. Williams, 41, of Glenwood, Ill.
2nd Lt. Williams was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 106th Cavalry Regiment, Illinois National Guard, Dixon, Ill.; died July 6, 2009 in Konduz, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Williams served for 16 years
The Associated Press
GLENWOOD, Ill. — A 16-year veteran of the Illinois Army National Guard has been killed while serving in Afghanistan.
Derwin Williams, 41, of Glenwood was killed July 6 when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Konduz. His wife, Felicia Williams, says the military informed her of his death that evening.
Williams worked as a correctional officer with the Cook County sheriff’s office. His wife says he’d served in Iraq for one year in 2004 and was slated to return from his tour in Afghanistan in August.
In addition to his wife, Williams is survived by three daughters, aged 22, 18 and 9.
Drill instructor had a soft spot for his men
The Associated Press
Derwin Williams was a correctional officer and worked as a drill instructor in the Cook County (Ill.) Sheriff’s Boot Camp, a strict detention program based on military discipline in Chicago.
But he had a soft spot, not only for his own children but for some of the men in the program.
The boot camp’s executive director, John Harrington, said Williams often became a father figure for the inmates, some of whom never had relationships with their own fathers.
“His kindness and soft-spoken manner had a great impact on everyone here,” Sheriff Thomas Dart said. “He will be greatly missed.”
Williams, 41, of Glenwood, Ill., died July 6 when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. A member of the Illinois Army National Guard based in Dixon, Williams had served a yearlong tour in Iraq in 2004 and was slated to return from Afghanistan in August, his wife said.
Felicia Williams said her husband would often take three of his girls paintball shooting and to amusement parks. He also was nearby when homework help was needed.
“They talked to him a lot, they went to him for anything, they could talk to him about anything,” his wife said. “They were very close.”
Along with his wife, Williams is survived by two stepdaughters, ages 18 and 22; two daughters, who are 9 and 19; and an 8-year-old son.
Army 2nd Lt. Derwin I. Williams was killed in action on 7/6/09.
Army 2nd Lt. Derwin I. Williams, 41, of Glenwood, Ill.
2nd Lt. Williams was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 106th Cavalry Regiment, Illinois National Guard, Dixon, Ill.; died July 6, 2009 in Konduz, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Williams served for 16 years
The Associated Press
GLENWOOD, Ill. — A 16-year veteran of the Illinois Army National Guard has been killed while serving in Afghanistan.
Derwin Williams, 41, of Glenwood was killed July 6 when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Konduz. His wife, Felicia Williams, says the military informed her of his death that evening.
Williams worked as a correctional officer with the Cook County sheriff’s office. His wife says he’d served in Iraq for one year in 2004 and was slated to return from his tour in Afghanistan in August.
In addition to his wife, Williams is survived by three daughters, aged 22, 18 and 9.
Drill instructor had a soft spot for his men
The Associated Press
Derwin Williams was a correctional officer and worked as a drill instructor in the Cook County (Ill.) Sheriff’s Boot Camp, a strict detention program based on military discipline in Chicago.
But he had a soft spot, not only for his own children but for some of the men in the program.
The boot camp’s executive director, John Harrington, said Williams often became a father figure for the inmates, some of whom never had relationships with their own fathers.
“His kindness and soft-spoken manner had a great impact on everyone here,” Sheriff Thomas Dart said. “He will be greatly missed.”
Williams, 41, of Glenwood, Ill., died July 6 when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. A member of the Illinois Army National Guard based in Dixon, Williams had served a yearlong tour in Iraq in 2004 and was slated to return from Afghanistan in August, his wife said.
Felicia Williams said her husband would often take three of his girls paintball shooting and to amusement parks. He also was nearby when homework help was needed.
“They talked to him a lot, they went to him for anything, they could talk to him about anything,” his wife said. “They were very close.”
Along with his wife, Williams is survived by two stepdaughters, ages 18 and 22; two daughters, who are 9 and 19; and an 8-year-old son.
Army 2nd Lt. Derwin I. Williams was killed in action on 7/6/09.
Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician 2nd Class Tony Michael Randolph
Remember Our Heroes
Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician 2nd Class Tony Michael Randolph, 22, of Henryetta, Okla.
PO2 Randolph was assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Eight, Sigonella, Italy, and was deployed with his platoon to Joint Task Force South conducting counter-improvised explosive device operations in support of Task Force Zabul in Afghanistan; died July 6, 2009 in an improvised explosive device attack on his convoy in northern Afghanistan.
IA killed in explosion in Afghanistan
Staff and wire reports
A 22-year-old individual augmentee was killed July 6 when his convoy was hit by an improvised explosive device in northern Afghanistan, according to the Defense Department.
Rogers Funeral Home in Henryetta, Okla., confirmed July 7 it is handling arrangements for Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician 2nd Class (PJ/DV) Tony Randolph.
Randolph was assigned to Combined Security Transition Command, according to the Defense Department release.
Navy records show that Randolph, who enlisted in 2005, had received a Bronze Star with valor device and a Purple Heart.
Henryetta High School football coach Kenny Speer said Randolph was an all-district lineman for Henryetta who also competed as a powerlifter.
IA sailor killed in Afghanistan laid to rest
The Associated Press
HENRYETTA, Okla. — An Oklahoma sailor who died in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan was remembered in funeral services for his fire and determination.
Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician 2nd Class Tony Michael Randolph, 22, was killed while riding in a convoy in southern Afghanistan on July 6.
Kenny Speer, Randolph’s high school football coach, eulogized the young sailor Wednesday, his voice often cracking with emotion.
He recounted a story of how Randolph kept running around the track because he wouldn’t say “yes, sir” when Speer asked him whether he had enough. Randolph, the coach said, finally said “yes, sir,” but in Spanish.
Speer told mourners that Randolph also had a serious side when he spoke about the military and his mission.
“He was a born leader,” Speer said.
Randolph was a three-year starter and standout on the football team, where he played tackle. He also was involved in champion-class power lifting.
He graduated from Henryetta High School in 2005 and joined the U.S. Navy the following year. He deployed in March to Afghanistan, where his job was to defuse bombs.
The Rev. Jim Paslay, who officiated at the service, said he last saw Randolph in December and described him as a “man on a mission. He seemed to understand what he wanted to do.”
Paslay said the news of Randolph’s death overwhelmed him, as it did much of the community who knew the sailor.
Paslay told mourners he had read the Navy’s creed, and three words — honor, courage and commitment — stood out.
“That’s what the Navy is all about,” Paslay said, “and that’s what Tony was all about.
“We should be grateful today as people for having someone like that.”
For years, Randolph was stationed at Norfolk, Va. He also attended Navy schools at Panama City and Pensacola, Fla.
Randolph was a demolitions expert and was classified as an explosives ordnance demolition technician. He was based at Sigonella, Sicily, before he deployed to Afghanistan.
He was buried at Hillcrest Cemetery in Weleetka.
Determination was Randolph’s hallmark
The Associated Press
Tony Michael Randolph was tough. He was a three-year starter, all-district lineman on Henryetta (Okla.) High School’s football team and was involved in champion-class power lifting.
Randolph was so determined that he once refused to stop running around the track because he didn’t want to say “yes, sir” when football coach Kenny Speer asked whether he’d had enough. Randolph finally said those two words — but in Spanish.
“You’re not going to find a kid that would work harder than he worked,” Speer said. “He knew what direction he wanted his life to go toward.”
Randolph, 22, died July 6 after the vehicle he was riding in struck a roadside bomb in northern Afghanistan. The demolitions expert was based at Sigonella, Sicily.
He graduated in 2005 and joined the Navy the following year. The Rev. Jim Paslay, who officiated at his funeral, said he’d recently read the Navy’s creed, and three words — honor, courage and commitment — stood out.
“That’s what the Navy is all about,” Paslay said, “and that’s what Tony was all about.”
Randolph is survived by his parents, Fred and Peggy Randolph of Weleetka, along with two stepbrothers and two stepsisters.
Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician 2nd Class Tony Michael Randolph was killed in action on 7/6/09.
Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician 2nd Class Tony Michael Randolph, 22, of Henryetta, Okla.
PO2 Randolph was assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Eight, Sigonella, Italy, and was deployed with his platoon to Joint Task Force South conducting counter-improvised explosive device operations in support of Task Force Zabul in Afghanistan; died July 6, 2009 in an improvised explosive device attack on his convoy in northern Afghanistan.
IA killed in explosion in Afghanistan
Staff and wire reports
A 22-year-old individual augmentee was killed July 6 when his convoy was hit by an improvised explosive device in northern Afghanistan, according to the Defense Department.
Rogers Funeral Home in Henryetta, Okla., confirmed July 7 it is handling arrangements for Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician 2nd Class (PJ/DV) Tony Randolph.
Randolph was assigned to Combined Security Transition Command, according to the Defense Department release.
Navy records show that Randolph, who enlisted in 2005, had received a Bronze Star with valor device and a Purple Heart.
Henryetta High School football coach Kenny Speer said Randolph was an all-district lineman for Henryetta who also competed as a powerlifter.
IA sailor killed in Afghanistan laid to rest
The Associated Press
HENRYETTA, Okla. — An Oklahoma sailor who died in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan was remembered in funeral services for his fire and determination.
Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician 2nd Class Tony Michael Randolph, 22, was killed while riding in a convoy in southern Afghanistan on July 6.
Kenny Speer, Randolph’s high school football coach, eulogized the young sailor Wednesday, his voice often cracking with emotion.
He recounted a story of how Randolph kept running around the track because he wouldn’t say “yes, sir” when Speer asked him whether he had enough. Randolph, the coach said, finally said “yes, sir,” but in Spanish.
Speer told mourners that Randolph also had a serious side when he spoke about the military and his mission.
“He was a born leader,” Speer said.
Randolph was a three-year starter and standout on the football team, where he played tackle. He also was involved in champion-class power lifting.
He graduated from Henryetta High School in 2005 and joined the U.S. Navy the following year. He deployed in March to Afghanistan, where his job was to defuse bombs.
The Rev. Jim Paslay, who officiated at the service, said he last saw Randolph in December and described him as a “man on a mission. He seemed to understand what he wanted to do.”
Paslay said the news of Randolph’s death overwhelmed him, as it did much of the community who knew the sailor.
Paslay told mourners he had read the Navy’s creed, and three words — honor, courage and commitment — stood out.
“That’s what the Navy is all about,” Paslay said, “and that’s what Tony was all about.
“We should be grateful today as people for having someone like that.”
For years, Randolph was stationed at Norfolk, Va. He also attended Navy schools at Panama City and Pensacola, Fla.
Randolph was a demolitions expert and was classified as an explosives ordnance demolition technician. He was based at Sigonella, Sicily, before he deployed to Afghanistan.
He was buried at Hillcrest Cemetery in Weleetka.
Determination was Randolph’s hallmark
The Associated Press
Tony Michael Randolph was tough. He was a three-year starter, all-district lineman on Henryetta (Okla.) High School’s football team and was involved in champion-class power lifting.
Randolph was so determined that he once refused to stop running around the track because he didn’t want to say “yes, sir” when football coach Kenny Speer asked whether he’d had enough. Randolph finally said those two words — but in Spanish.
“You’re not going to find a kid that would work harder than he worked,” Speer said. “He knew what direction he wanted his life to go toward.”
Randolph, 22, died July 6 after the vehicle he was riding in struck a roadside bomb in northern Afghanistan. The demolitions expert was based at Sigonella, Sicily.
He graduated in 2005 and joined the Navy the following year. The Rev. Jim Paslay, who officiated at his funeral, said he’d recently read the Navy’s creed, and three words — honor, courage and commitment — stood out.
“That’s what the Navy is all about,” Paslay said, “and that’s what Tony was all about.”
Randolph is survived by his parents, Fred and Peggy Randolph of Weleetka, along with two stepbrothers and two stepsisters.
Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician 2nd Class Tony Michael Randolph was killed in action on 7/6/09.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Army Pfc. Aaron E. Fairbairn
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Aaron E. Fairbairn, 20, of Aberdeen, Wash.
Pfc. Fairbairn was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska. Died July 4, 2009 at Combat Outpost Zerok, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked the outpost using small arms and indirect fire. Also killed was Pfc. Justin A. Casillas.
Aberdeen soldier killed in Afghan bombing on Fourth of July
By Marc Ramirez and Bob Young
Seattle Times staff reporters
David Masters and his wife, Shelley, laughed in relief Friday when they learned their son, an Army private in Afghanistan, was just fine, busy working out and watching videos his family had sent.
Then, on Saturday, Fourth of July morning, an Army chaplain and soldier showed up at their Aberdeen house and told him Pvt. Aaron Fairbairn, 21, had been fatally injured in a truck bombing. Based on news accounts, Masters believes Fairbairn was one of two soldiers fatally injured when a Taliban insurgent drove an explosives-filled truck through the gates of a U.S. base in Afghanistan's eastern Paktika province.
The Department of Defense has yet to confirm the identities of the two killed.
The news was devastating for a family that had come together a decade ago in a union mirroring the "Brady Bunch" clan: The marriage was the second for both Masters and his wife, who each had three kids roughly the same age. Fairbairn was Masters' stepson.
"If there's any day when you're going to make that kind of sacrifice ... " Masters said, his voice tearfully trailing away. Finally, he said: "I realize Aaron's just one guy coming home not sitting in a seat. Lots of other guys have made that same sacrifice."
Until Fairbairn enlisted, family members would drop everything on the Fourth to assemble on the Oregon Coast, an annual tradition. "For our family, it's a really huge deal," Masters said.
This year, Fairbairn's mother, brother and sister flew to Dover, Del., on Independence Day so they could bring the young soldier's remains back to Washington.
"At first I didn't believe it," said Beau Beck, Fairbairn's oldest brother, who learned about his brother's death while he was coaching a Little League team.
"I talked to Aaron probably 12 hours prior to that," Beck said from Dover. "The first thing that rushed to my mind is that he's so young and such a good kid."
His stepfather described him as joyous, honest and dependable, the kid everyone knew first as the paperboy, then as a local lot attendant or the guy who worked at Papa Murphy's Pizza.
Fairbairn, a graduate of Aberdeen's Weatherwax High, was an off-road enthusiast who loved riding dirt bikes and four-wheeling in his truck. He hadn't yet decided what he wanted to do after the service but leaned toward mechanics.
After getting the news of Fairbairn's death, Masters went online, sending out a post on social-networking service Twitter.
Masters noted that he would like to see his son's sacrifice observed using the term #thankyouaaron. For a time late Saturday night his request was fulfilled and "#thankyouaaron" was the most-used term on Twitter, according to the Web site. Other Twitter posters by the thousands thanked Fairbairn and sent words of encouragement to his family.
Just last week, Masters and his wife felt reassured about Fairbairn's well-being even though he was in Afghanistan. They had heard a report saying a U.S. soldier had been kidnapped. Because they hadn't heard from Fairbairn in a while, Masters messaged him on the social-networking site MySpace, which his stepson used to stay in touch with family and friends.
"I told him he'd better call," said Masters, an officer for the state Department of Corrections.
When he finally did, Masters said, it turned out their youngest son hardly ever left the base, spending much of his free time watching the show "Heroes" on DVDs his family had shipped to Afghanistan.
"He was just glad to be over there making a few extra bucks so he could pay off his truck," Masters said.
According to Associated Press reports, the attack on the base was part of a multipronged attack in the Paktika province and came as thousands of U.S. Marines in the country's south continued with a massive anti-Taliban push.
Last month, 3,800 soldiers from Ft. Lewis' 5th (Stryker) Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division started being deployed to southern Afghanistan as part of President Obama's new focus on the war against the Taliban forces. It marks the first time that Stryker Brigade soldiers — who have served in Iraq — have been deployed to the more rugged terrain of Afghanistan.
Beck said some may find patriotic significance in his brother's death on July Fourth. "But I don't care about that. It's my brother."
Army Pfc. Aaron E. Fairbairn was killed in action on 7/04/09.
Army Pfc. Aaron E. Fairbairn, 20, of Aberdeen, Wash.
Pfc. Fairbairn was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska. Died July 4, 2009 at Combat Outpost Zerok, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked the outpost using small arms and indirect fire. Also killed was Pfc. Justin A. Casillas.
Aberdeen soldier killed in Afghan bombing on Fourth of July
By Marc Ramirez and Bob Young
Seattle Times staff reporters
David Masters and his wife, Shelley, laughed in relief Friday when they learned their son, an Army private in Afghanistan, was just fine, busy working out and watching videos his family had sent.
Then, on Saturday, Fourth of July morning, an Army chaplain and soldier showed up at their Aberdeen house and told him Pvt. Aaron Fairbairn, 21, had been fatally injured in a truck bombing. Based on news accounts, Masters believes Fairbairn was one of two soldiers fatally injured when a Taliban insurgent drove an explosives-filled truck through the gates of a U.S. base in Afghanistan's eastern Paktika province.
The Department of Defense has yet to confirm the identities of the two killed.
The news was devastating for a family that had come together a decade ago in a union mirroring the "Brady Bunch" clan: The marriage was the second for both Masters and his wife, who each had three kids roughly the same age. Fairbairn was Masters' stepson.
"If there's any day when you're going to make that kind of sacrifice ... " Masters said, his voice tearfully trailing away. Finally, he said: "I realize Aaron's just one guy coming home not sitting in a seat. Lots of other guys have made that same sacrifice."
Until Fairbairn enlisted, family members would drop everything on the Fourth to assemble on the Oregon Coast, an annual tradition. "For our family, it's a really huge deal," Masters said.
This year, Fairbairn's mother, brother and sister flew to Dover, Del., on Independence Day so they could bring the young soldier's remains back to Washington.
"At first I didn't believe it," said Beau Beck, Fairbairn's oldest brother, who learned about his brother's death while he was coaching a Little League team.
"I talked to Aaron probably 12 hours prior to that," Beck said from Dover. "The first thing that rushed to my mind is that he's so young and such a good kid."
His stepfather described him as joyous, honest and dependable, the kid everyone knew first as the paperboy, then as a local lot attendant or the guy who worked at Papa Murphy's Pizza.
Fairbairn, a graduate of Aberdeen's Weatherwax High, was an off-road enthusiast who loved riding dirt bikes and four-wheeling in his truck. He hadn't yet decided what he wanted to do after the service but leaned toward mechanics.
After getting the news of Fairbairn's death, Masters went online, sending out a post on social-networking service Twitter.
Masters noted that he would like to see his son's sacrifice observed using the term #thankyouaaron. For a time late Saturday night his request was fulfilled and "#thankyouaaron" was the most-used term on Twitter, according to the Web site. Other Twitter posters by the thousands thanked Fairbairn and sent words of encouragement to his family.
Just last week, Masters and his wife felt reassured about Fairbairn's well-being even though he was in Afghanistan. They had heard a report saying a U.S. soldier had been kidnapped. Because they hadn't heard from Fairbairn in a while, Masters messaged him on the social-networking site MySpace, which his stepson used to stay in touch with family and friends.
"I told him he'd better call," said Masters, an officer for the state Department of Corrections.
When he finally did, Masters said, it turned out their youngest son hardly ever left the base, spending much of his free time watching the show "Heroes" on DVDs his family had shipped to Afghanistan.
"He was just glad to be over there making a few extra bucks so he could pay off his truck," Masters said.
According to Associated Press reports, the attack on the base was part of a multipronged attack in the Paktika province and came as thousands of U.S. Marines in the country's south continued with a massive anti-Taliban push.
Last month, 3,800 soldiers from Ft. Lewis' 5th (Stryker) Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division started being deployed to southern Afghanistan as part of President Obama's new focus on the war against the Taliban forces. It marks the first time that Stryker Brigade soldiers — who have served in Iraq — have been deployed to the more rugged terrain of Afghanistan.
Beck said some may find patriotic significance in his brother's death on July Fourth. "But I don't care about that. It's my brother."
Army Pfc. Aaron E. Fairbairn was killed in action on 7/04/09.
Army Pfc. Justin A. Casillas
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Justin A. Casillas, 19, of Dunnigan, Calif.
Pfc. Casillas was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska; died July 4, 2009 at Combat Outpost Zerok, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked the outpost using small arms and indirect fire. Also killed was Pfc. Aaron E. Fairbairn.
Calif. soldier killed by bomb in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
DUNNIGAN, Calif. — Pentagon officials say a soldier from Yolo County was killed on July 4 during an insurgent attack in Afghanistan.
Nineteen-year-old Pfc. Justin Aaron Casillas was one of two soldiers killed when a truck bomb exploded at Combat Outpost Zerok. Also killed was 20-year-old Pfc. Aaron Fairbairn of Aberdeen, Wash.
The attack also injured seven other U.S. soldiers.
Casillas and Fairbairn were assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) of the 25th Infantry Division based at Fort Richardson, Alaska.
Casillas, of Dunnigan, was a paratrooper who had been deployed only four months. He graduated from Pierce High School in Arbuckle last year.
Army Pfc. Justin A. Casillas was killed in action on 7/04/09.
Larger Images
Army Pfc. Justin A. Casillas, 19, of Dunnigan, Calif.
Pfc. Casillas was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska; died July 4, 2009 at Combat Outpost Zerok, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked the outpost using small arms and indirect fire. Also killed was Pfc. Aaron E. Fairbairn.
Calif. soldier killed by bomb in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
DUNNIGAN, Calif. — Pentagon officials say a soldier from Yolo County was killed on July 4 during an insurgent attack in Afghanistan.
Nineteen-year-old Pfc. Justin Aaron Casillas was one of two soldiers killed when a truck bomb exploded at Combat Outpost Zerok. Also killed was 20-year-old Pfc. Aaron Fairbairn of Aberdeen, Wash.
The attack also injured seven other U.S. soldiers.
Casillas and Fairbairn were assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) of the 25th Infantry Division based at Fort Richardson, Alaska.
Casillas, of Dunnigan, was a paratrooper who had been deployed only four months. He graduated from Pierce High School in Arbuckle last year.
Army Pfc. Justin A. Casillas was killed in action on 7/04/09.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Marine Lance Cpl. Charles S. Sharp
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Charles S. Sharp, 20, of Adairsville, Ga.
LCpl Sharp was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died July 2, 2009 while supporting combat operations in Garmsir, Afghanistan.
Enjoyed being near water, beach
The Associated Press
Charles S. Sharp — better known by his middle name, Seth — had a strange request on his Christmas list last year: a coloring book and crayons.
“He said it wasn’t for him but for the children he’d met in Iraq,” said his father, Rick. “He was just that kind of kid. He was proud to be a Marine and be called a Marine.”
Sharp, 20, of Adairsville, Ga., was shot and killed July 2 as his unit pushed into Taliban-controlled Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Camp Lejeune, N.C.
The former Cub Scout who spent many a day hunting in the hills of Georgia with family was determined to join the Corps. He put those skills to good use, graduating from boot camp at Parris Island, S.C., at the top of his class in marksmanship.
“Seth really loved the water and the beach. I said, ‘You love the water. How about the Coast Guard?’ ” said his mother, Angela Sharp Preston. “He was kind of headstrong about the Marine division.”
He and his fiancée, Katie McMahan, had thought about moving to Florida so he could start college, Preston said.
Sharp is survived by his parents and his stepmother, Tiffany Sharp.
Marine Lance Cpl. Charles S. Sharp was killed in action on 07/02/09.
Marine Lance Cpl. Charles S. Sharp, 20, of Adairsville, Ga.
LCpl Sharp was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died July 2, 2009 while supporting combat operations in Garmsir, Afghanistan.
Enjoyed being near water, beach
The Associated Press
Charles S. Sharp — better known by his middle name, Seth — had a strange request on his Christmas list last year: a coloring book and crayons.
“He said it wasn’t for him but for the children he’d met in Iraq,” said his father, Rick. “He was just that kind of kid. He was proud to be a Marine and be called a Marine.”
Sharp, 20, of Adairsville, Ga., was shot and killed July 2 as his unit pushed into Taliban-controlled Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Camp Lejeune, N.C.
The former Cub Scout who spent many a day hunting in the hills of Georgia with family was determined to join the Corps. He put those skills to good use, graduating from boot camp at Parris Island, S.C., at the top of his class in marksmanship.
“Seth really loved the water and the beach. I said, ‘You love the water. How about the Coast Guard?’ ” said his mother, Angela Sharp Preston. “He was kind of headstrong about the Marine division.”
He and his fiancée, Katie McMahan, had thought about moving to Florida so he could start college, Preston said.
Sharp is survived by his parents and his stepmother, Tiffany Sharp.
Marine Lance Cpl. Charles S. Sharp was killed in action on 07/02/09.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Army Major Christopher Todd Galloway
Remember Our Heroes
MAJOR Christopher Todd Galloway was born in FT. Knox, KY on February 12, 1973.
He Graduated from Oxford High School in 1991, where he was a member of the explorer scouts program and he also took great interest in computers and engineering.
MAJOR Galloway went to Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI (where he met his wife Shannon) He graduated in 1996 with a bachelors degree in engineering management. He became involved in ROTC while in college and went to Basic training at FT. Knox, KY.
After Graduation, MAJOR Galloway’s 1st assignment was tank platoon leader in Baumholder, Germany for the C company, 1st battalion, 35th armor of 1st Armor division. While serving as a tank platoon leader, MAJOR Galloway deployed to Bosnia for 6 months conducting the NATO peace keeping operations. He was latter assigned to headquarters and headquarters company (HHC) Excutive Officer under the same Battalion.
Major Galloway’s service includes Assistant Brigade S3 and Batalian S4 in FT. Riley, KS under the 1st Infantry Division. He Served as Troop Commander under D Troop, 1st Squadron, 16th Cavarly regiment in FT. Knox KY. This is where Chris Earned his spurs and Stetson that he was so proud of.
In 2006, Major Galloway was assessed in the Army Acquisition Corps. He served his 1st Acquisition assignment as the assistant Project manager (APM) for survivability under the TANK-AUTOMOTIVE research, development and Engineering center (TARDEC) in Warren, MI. He was deployed to Iraq in 2007 till the Birth of his 2nd son.
He served with the joint MRAP Vehicle Program office for Mine resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) as the APM Survivability under the Program Executive Office, Combat support & Combat service support (PEO CS&CSS)
Major Galloway’s awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service medal, Army Commendation Metal (2 OLC), Army Achievement medal, National Defense Service medal, NATO medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the overseas and Army Service ribbon.
He is survived by his wife Shannon and their 3 children, Nathan is 5 yrs, Benjamin is 2.5 yrs and Lillian is 15 months. Major Galloway is also survived by his Mother Sara Galloway and his sister Erin Galloway. He was preceded in death by his father Major Lawrence Galloway.
To read more, including some entries he himself typed,
http://www.floppingaces.net/2009/08/13/flopping-aces-writer-major-chris-galloway-dead-at-36/
MAJOR Christopher Todd Galloway was born in FT. Knox, KY on February 12, 1973.
He Graduated from Oxford High School in 1991, where he was a member of the explorer scouts program and he also took great interest in computers and engineering.
MAJOR Galloway went to Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI (where he met his wife Shannon) He graduated in 1996 with a bachelors degree in engineering management. He became involved in ROTC while in college and went to Basic training at FT. Knox, KY.
After Graduation, MAJOR Galloway’s 1st assignment was tank platoon leader in Baumholder, Germany for the C company, 1st battalion, 35th armor of 1st Armor division. While serving as a tank platoon leader, MAJOR Galloway deployed to Bosnia for 6 months conducting the NATO peace keeping operations. He was latter assigned to headquarters and headquarters company (HHC) Excutive Officer under the same Battalion.
Major Galloway’s service includes Assistant Brigade S3 and Batalian S4 in FT. Riley, KS under the 1st Infantry Division. He Served as Troop Commander under D Troop, 1st Squadron, 16th Cavarly regiment in FT. Knox KY. This is where Chris Earned his spurs and Stetson that he was so proud of.
In 2006, Major Galloway was assessed in the Army Acquisition Corps. He served his 1st Acquisition assignment as the assistant Project manager (APM) for survivability under the TANK-AUTOMOTIVE research, development and Engineering center (TARDEC) in Warren, MI. He was deployed to Iraq in 2007 till the Birth of his 2nd son.
He served with the joint MRAP Vehicle Program office for Mine resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) as the APM Survivability under the Program Executive Office, Combat support & Combat service support (PEO CS&CSS)
Major Galloway’s awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service medal, Army Commendation Metal (2 OLC), Army Achievement medal, National Defense Service medal, NATO medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the overseas and Army Service ribbon.
He is survived by his wife Shannon and their 3 children, Nathan is 5 yrs, Benjamin is 2.5 yrs and Lillian is 15 months. Major Galloway is also survived by his Mother Sara Galloway and his sister Erin Galloway. He was preceded in death by his father Major Lawrence Galloway.
To read more, including some entries he himself typed,
http://www.floppingaces.net/2009/08/13/flopping-aces-writer-major-chris-galloway-dead-at-36/
Monday, June 29, 2009
Army Sgt. Roger L. Adams Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Roger L. Adams Jr., 36, of Jacksonville, N.C.
Sgt. Admas was assigned to the 120th Combined Arms Battalion, North Carolina National Guard, Wilmington, N.C.; died from wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle June 29, 2009 in Baghdad. Also killed were Sgt. 1st Class Edward C. Kramer, Sgt. Juan C. Baldeosingh and Spc. Robert L. Bittiker.
JACKSONVILLE - Sgt. Roger Leeroy Adams Jr., 36, of Jacksonville died June 29, 2009, while serving with the National Guard in Iraq.
Roger was a member of Half Moon Volunteer Fire Department where he served as a firefighter/EMT. He was also North Carolina Fire Fighter 1 and 2 certified. He had served with the Western Carteret Fire/EMS and Coastal Ambulance Service. Roger served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 13 years and then in the National Guard. In the past he worked with Hatteras Yachts.
A funeral service will be held at Jacksonville High School Sunday, July 12, 2009, at 1 p.m. with Chaplain Mike Koonce officiating.
He is survived by his wife, Teresa Adams; four sons, Tyler, Samuel, Maxwell and Baylee, all of the home; parents, Roger L. Adams Sr. of Greenfield, Mass., and Linda Deome of Kentucky; brothers, Allen Weeks and Eddie Weeks, both of Kentucky; and sisters, Cheryl Adams and Brandy Massey, both of Kentucky.
Army Sgt. Roger L. Adams Jr. was killed in action on 6/29/09.
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Army Sgt. Roger L. Adams Jr., 36, of Jacksonville, N.C.
Sgt. Admas was assigned to the 120th Combined Arms Battalion, North Carolina National Guard, Wilmington, N.C.; died from wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle June 29, 2009 in Baghdad. Also killed were Sgt. 1st Class Edward C. Kramer, Sgt. Juan C. Baldeosingh and Spc. Robert L. Bittiker.
JACKSONVILLE - Sgt. Roger Leeroy Adams Jr., 36, of Jacksonville died June 29, 2009, while serving with the National Guard in Iraq.
Roger was a member of Half Moon Volunteer Fire Department where he served as a firefighter/EMT. He was also North Carolina Fire Fighter 1 and 2 certified. He had served with the Western Carteret Fire/EMS and Coastal Ambulance Service. Roger served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 13 years and then in the National Guard. In the past he worked with Hatteras Yachts.
A funeral service will be held at Jacksonville High School Sunday, July 12, 2009, at 1 p.m. with Chaplain Mike Koonce officiating.
He is survived by his wife, Teresa Adams; four sons, Tyler, Samuel, Maxwell and Baylee, all of the home; parents, Roger L. Adams Sr. of Greenfield, Mass., and Linda Deome of Kentucky; brothers, Allen Weeks and Eddie Weeks, both of Kentucky; and sisters, Cheryl Adams and Brandy Massey, both of Kentucky.
Army Sgt. Roger L. Adams Jr. was killed in action on 6/29/09.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Edward C. Kramer
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Edward C. Kramer, 39, of Wilmington, N.C.
SFC Kramer was assigned to the 120th Combined Arms Battalion, North Carolina National Guard, Wilmington, N.C.; died from wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle June 29, 2009 in Baghdad. Also killed were Sgt. Roger L. Adams Jr., Sgt. Juan C. Baldeosingh and Spc. Robert L. Bittiker.
Star News Online -- Wilmington | As a firefighter and a soldier, Sgt. 1st Class Edward Kramer was the kind of man who always wanted to be in the middle of the action.
But when he wasn’t on duty, friends say, he enjoyed curling his toes in the sand and casting a fishing line into the surf.
“He was really outgoing,” said Ryan Young, who worked with Kramer at the Wilmington Fire Department. “He was one of those special people when he walked in a room, you felt like you knew him.”
On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Defense announced the 39-year-old Kramer, a former Wilmington firefighter and veteran of two wars, was one of four soldiers killed in Iraq this week.
Kramer and three others died from wounds sustained Monday night when an improvised explosive device detonated in Baghdad, near the humvee they were riding in, according to a statement from the defense department. It was the last day of regular combat operations for U.S. forces in Iraqi cities.
This is the North Carolina National Guard’s largest single combat loss since World War II, said Maj. Matthew Handley a North Carolina National Guard spokesman. The deaths bring to 15 the total number of North Carolina National Guard soldiers killed in action since Sept. 11, 2001.
The others killed were Sgt. Juan C. Baldeosingh, 30, of Newport; Spc. Robert L. Bittiker, 39, and Sgt. Roger L. Adams Jr., 36, both of Jacksonville.
The men were serving with the 120th Combined Arms Battalion, which is headquartered in Wilmington.
Kramer was a decorated soldier, and worked at WFD for nine years before taking a firefighting job at Sunny Point Fire Rescue in Brunswick County.
He leaves behind his wife Vicki and two daughters – Erica, 9, and Megan, 7.
Life of service
A former Marine, Kramer was a veteran of Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1991. He joined the N.C. Army National Guard in 1994 and served in Kuwait and Iraq from February 2004 to December 2004.
He earned the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal and numerous other honors, according to the statement.
Most recently, he was deployed to Iraq in April for his second tour of the war.
Battalion Chief David Hines, spokesman for WFD, said Kramer was a dedicated employee and firefighter. He was employed by the city of Wilmington from March 1999 until January 2008.
Kramer began his firefighting career at the Seagate Fire Department and also worked with the Camp Lejeune Fire Department.
Memories
Although his death was not officially announced until Thursday, Kramer’s flag-draped coffin was photographed Wednesday as he was returned to the United States.
In an interview Thursday, Young, the Wilmington firefighter, said Kramer’s friends and family are mourning a genuine and good man who loved his work.
When they weren’t fighting fires, Young said, he and Kramer would head for the coast.
“He really enjoyed the fish and having his feet in the sand,” Young said.
While In Iraq, Kramer and Young kept in touch through e-mail and social networking sites. Young posted fishing photos for his friend to see.
And he had purchased materials to build Kramer custom fishing rods, which they planned to work on together when he came home.
On Thursday, the N.C. National Guard said friends gathered at Kramer’s home and remembered a man dedicated to serving however he could.
“He was always there to help somebody if they needed it,” the statement said. “Even when the person didn’t want help.”
Firefighters and family shared memories of Kramer fishing, fighting fire and riding his motorcycle.
He was a family man who could always be counted on, the statement said.
“He loved us very much,” Kramer’s wife Vicki said in the statement. “He did this for his children, so they wouldn’t have to.”
His mother-in-law Sandy Fazzi said, “He loved his girls and he loved his country.”
Kramer’s funeral arrangements have not been announced, but at least one other memorial has been planned in his honor.
Tom Russell, founder of Step up for Soldiers, is organizing a memorial walk at 6 p.m. Sunday. The walk will begin at the Wilmington Fire Department headquarters and Market Street, and end at the memorial at the National Guard Armory on North Kerr Avenue.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Edward C. Kramer was killed in action on 6/29/09.
Larger Images
Army Sgt. 1st Class Edward C. Kramer, 39, of Wilmington, N.C.
SFC Kramer was assigned to the 120th Combined Arms Battalion, North Carolina National Guard, Wilmington, N.C.; died from wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle June 29, 2009 in Baghdad. Also killed were Sgt. Roger L. Adams Jr., Sgt. Juan C. Baldeosingh and Spc. Robert L. Bittiker.
Star News Online -- Wilmington | As a firefighter and a soldier, Sgt. 1st Class Edward Kramer was the kind of man who always wanted to be in the middle of the action.
But when he wasn’t on duty, friends say, he enjoyed curling his toes in the sand and casting a fishing line into the surf.
“He was really outgoing,” said Ryan Young, who worked with Kramer at the Wilmington Fire Department. “He was one of those special people when he walked in a room, you felt like you knew him.”
On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Defense announced the 39-year-old Kramer, a former Wilmington firefighter and veteran of two wars, was one of four soldiers killed in Iraq this week.
Kramer and three others died from wounds sustained Monday night when an improvised explosive device detonated in Baghdad, near the humvee they were riding in, according to a statement from the defense department. It was the last day of regular combat operations for U.S. forces in Iraqi cities.
This is the North Carolina National Guard’s largest single combat loss since World War II, said Maj. Matthew Handley a North Carolina National Guard spokesman. The deaths bring to 15 the total number of North Carolina National Guard soldiers killed in action since Sept. 11, 2001.
The others killed were Sgt. Juan C. Baldeosingh, 30, of Newport; Spc. Robert L. Bittiker, 39, and Sgt. Roger L. Adams Jr., 36, both of Jacksonville.
The men were serving with the 120th Combined Arms Battalion, which is headquartered in Wilmington.
Kramer was a decorated soldier, and worked at WFD for nine years before taking a firefighting job at Sunny Point Fire Rescue in Brunswick County.
He leaves behind his wife Vicki and two daughters – Erica, 9, and Megan, 7.
Life of service
A former Marine, Kramer was a veteran of Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1991. He joined the N.C. Army National Guard in 1994 and served in Kuwait and Iraq from February 2004 to December 2004.
He earned the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal and numerous other honors, according to the statement.
Most recently, he was deployed to Iraq in April for his second tour of the war.
Battalion Chief David Hines, spokesman for WFD, said Kramer was a dedicated employee and firefighter. He was employed by the city of Wilmington from March 1999 until January 2008.
Kramer began his firefighting career at the Seagate Fire Department and also worked with the Camp Lejeune Fire Department.
Memories
Although his death was not officially announced until Thursday, Kramer’s flag-draped coffin was photographed Wednesday as he was returned to the United States.
In an interview Thursday, Young, the Wilmington firefighter, said Kramer’s friends and family are mourning a genuine and good man who loved his work.
When they weren’t fighting fires, Young said, he and Kramer would head for the coast.
“He really enjoyed the fish and having his feet in the sand,” Young said.
While In Iraq, Kramer and Young kept in touch through e-mail and social networking sites. Young posted fishing photos for his friend to see.
And he had purchased materials to build Kramer custom fishing rods, which they planned to work on together when he came home.
On Thursday, the N.C. National Guard said friends gathered at Kramer’s home and remembered a man dedicated to serving however he could.
“He was always there to help somebody if they needed it,” the statement said. “Even when the person didn’t want help.”
Firefighters and family shared memories of Kramer fishing, fighting fire and riding his motorcycle.
He was a family man who could always be counted on, the statement said.
“He loved us very much,” Kramer’s wife Vicki said in the statement. “He did this for his children, so they wouldn’t have to.”
His mother-in-law Sandy Fazzi said, “He loved his girls and he loved his country.”
Kramer’s funeral arrangements have not been announced, but at least one other memorial has been planned in his honor.
Tom Russell, founder of Step up for Soldiers, is organizing a memorial walk at 6 p.m. Sunday. The walk will begin at the Wilmington Fire Department headquarters and Market Street, and end at the memorial at the National Guard Armory on North Kerr Avenue.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Edward C. Kramer was killed in action on 6/29/09.
Army Sgt. Terry J. Lynch
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Terry J. Lynch, 22, of Shepherd, Mont.
Sgt. Lynch was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died June 29, 2009 in Wardak Province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Hundreds attend fallen hero’s funeral
The Associated Press
BILLINGS, Mont. — Friends and family who gathered at a funeral Mass on July 9 remembered a Shepherd soldier killed in Afghanistan as a man who had a fun-loving spirit and who was serious about serving his country.
Sgt. Terry Lynch, 22, was killed June 29 when an improvised explosive device blew up near the vehicle he was in. The explosion happened in Afghanistan’s Wardak Province.
Hundreds of people gathered at St. Bernard Catholic Church to honor Lynch with songs, prayer and stories. A funeral procession for burial in Shepherd followed.
“Nobody got to say goodbye to Terry, taken so suddenly, so violently, and your last words to him will be precious now,” said the Rev. David Reichling in his homily.
Mark Johnson described his friend as an all-American boy who loved cars, grease, dirt, firecrackers, paint ball and mischief. But he also recalled Lynch’s determination and dedication to his country.
“We as a family, we as a community and we as a nation are forever grateful,” Johnson said.
For his service, Lynch was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for outstanding duty in combat.
Gov. Brian Schweitzer and Lt. Gov. John Bohlinger attended the Mass, as did Maj. Gen. Michael Oates of Fort Drum, N.Y., where Lynch was based with the light infantry 10th Mountain Division.
Sgt. possessed ‘bone-crushing’ handshake
The Associated Press
Terry Lynch, determined and serious about serving his country, had a handshake so firm one friend called it “bone-crushing.”
Mark Johnson also said Lynch was fun-loving and modest.
“I was struck by how modest Terry was, as he told about his promotion to sergeant, his new responsibilities and duties and how he looked forward to being these young men’s boss,” Johnson said.
Lynch, 22, was killed June 29 by a bomb that detonated near his vehicle in Wardak province, Afghanistan. He was based in Form Drum, N.Y.
A funeral procession through Shepherd, Mont., the small town Lynch called home, passed farmland and a high school before reaching the town’s graveyard, where he was buried in a grave next to his mother, Robyn, and older brother, David.
Lynch graduated from Shepherd High School in 2005 and joined the Army at age 18.
“I wanted to give back to my country,” he said told the Billings Gazette newspaper before leaving for basic training.
He is survived by his father, Charlie, and his sister, Kristin, and her husband, Frank.
“We as a family, we as a community, and we as a nation are forever grateful,” Johnson said.
Army Sgt. Terry J. Lynch was killed in action on 6/29/09.
Army Sgt. Terry J. Lynch, 22, of Shepherd, Mont.
Sgt. Lynch was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died June 29, 2009 in Wardak Province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Hundreds attend fallen hero’s funeral
The Associated Press
BILLINGS, Mont. — Friends and family who gathered at a funeral Mass on July 9 remembered a Shepherd soldier killed in Afghanistan as a man who had a fun-loving spirit and who was serious about serving his country.
Sgt. Terry Lynch, 22, was killed June 29 when an improvised explosive device blew up near the vehicle he was in. The explosion happened in Afghanistan’s Wardak Province.
Hundreds of people gathered at St. Bernard Catholic Church to honor Lynch with songs, prayer and stories. A funeral procession for burial in Shepherd followed.
“Nobody got to say goodbye to Terry, taken so suddenly, so violently, and your last words to him will be precious now,” said the Rev. David Reichling in his homily.
Mark Johnson described his friend as an all-American boy who loved cars, grease, dirt, firecrackers, paint ball and mischief. But he also recalled Lynch’s determination and dedication to his country.
“We as a family, we as a community and we as a nation are forever grateful,” Johnson said.
For his service, Lynch was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for outstanding duty in combat.
Gov. Brian Schweitzer and Lt. Gov. John Bohlinger attended the Mass, as did Maj. Gen. Michael Oates of Fort Drum, N.Y., where Lynch was based with the light infantry 10th Mountain Division.
Sgt. possessed ‘bone-crushing’ handshake
The Associated Press
Terry Lynch, determined and serious about serving his country, had a handshake so firm one friend called it “bone-crushing.”
Mark Johnson also said Lynch was fun-loving and modest.
“I was struck by how modest Terry was, as he told about his promotion to sergeant, his new responsibilities and duties and how he looked forward to being these young men’s boss,” Johnson said.
Lynch, 22, was killed June 29 by a bomb that detonated near his vehicle in Wardak province, Afghanistan. He was based in Form Drum, N.Y.
A funeral procession through Shepherd, Mont., the small town Lynch called home, passed farmland and a high school before reaching the town’s graveyard, where he was buried in a grave next to his mother, Robyn, and older brother, David.
Lynch graduated from Shepherd High School in 2005 and joined the Army at age 18.
“I wanted to give back to my country,” he said told the Billings Gazette newspaper before leaving for basic training.
He is survived by his father, Charlie, and his sister, Kristin, and her husband, Frank.
“We as a family, we as a community, and we as a nation are forever grateful,” Johnson said.
Army Sgt. Terry J. Lynch was killed in action on 6/29/09.
Army Spc. Robert L. Bittiker
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Robert L. Bittiker, 39, of Jacksonville, N.C.
Spc. Bittiker was assigned to the 120th Combined Arms Battalion, North Carolina National Guard, Wilmington, N.C.; died from wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle June 29, 29 in Baghdad. Also killed were Sgt. 1st Class Edward C. Kramer, Sgt. Juan C. Baldeosingh and Sgt. Roger L. Adams Jr.
Funerals scheduled for 2 guardsmen killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
WILMINGTON, N.C. — Funeral arrangements are set for two of the four North Carolina National Guard soldiers killed in the unit’s largest single combat loss since World War II.
A funeral will be held for Spc. Robert Bittiker on Wednesday at the Jones Funeral Home in Jacksonville. He will be buried at the Coastal State Veterans Cemetery. Mourners are invited to line the roads from the funeral home to the cemetery.
Sgt. 1st Class Edward Kramer’s memorial service will be held Thursday at St. Mark Catholic Church in Wilmington. Mourners are also invited to line the roads from the church to the Wilmington National Cemetery.
Kramer’s family requested donations be made to Step Up for Soldiers and St. Mark Catholic School instead of flowers.
Working on cars was Bittiker’s passion
The Associated Press
Robert L. Bittiker was a hardworking National Guardsman who kept busy as a trucking company foreman, but he always made time for his sons.
“He loved his sons very much — followed them through all their sports,” said Brian Wheat, Bittiker’s stepfather. Bittiker, who worked for Elijah Morton Trucking Inc. and owned a taxi cab in Jacksonville, N.C., also was an avid sportsman who enjoyed fishing.
Bittiker, 39, of Jacksonville, N.C., was killed June 29 when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle in Baghdad.
The Wilmington, N.C.-based National Guardsman enjoyed cheering on the Washington Redskins and working on a beat-up truck and Ford Mustang, said his mother, Mary Wheat.
“They were pretty rough and unfixable,” she said. “But you probably couldn’t convince him of that.”
Bittiker enlisted in the North Carolina Army National Guard in 1990. This was his third combat deployment, having served in Bosnia and then Iraq in 2004. Bittiker’s family has a history of service. His father served in the Marines and his mother worked for the Department of Defense.
He is survived by his wife, Tami; two sons, Cameron, 14, and Ronnie, 18; and a stepson, Robert Jenkins.
Army Spc. Robert L. Bittiker was killed in action on 6/29/09.
Army Spc. Robert L. Bittiker, 39, of Jacksonville, N.C.
Spc. Bittiker was assigned to the 120th Combined Arms Battalion, North Carolina National Guard, Wilmington, N.C.; died from wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle June 29, 29 in Baghdad. Also killed were Sgt. 1st Class Edward C. Kramer, Sgt. Juan C. Baldeosingh and Sgt. Roger L. Adams Jr.
Funerals scheduled for 2 guardsmen killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
WILMINGTON, N.C. — Funeral arrangements are set for two of the four North Carolina National Guard soldiers killed in the unit’s largest single combat loss since World War II.
A funeral will be held for Spc. Robert Bittiker on Wednesday at the Jones Funeral Home in Jacksonville. He will be buried at the Coastal State Veterans Cemetery. Mourners are invited to line the roads from the funeral home to the cemetery.
Sgt. 1st Class Edward Kramer’s memorial service will be held Thursday at St. Mark Catholic Church in Wilmington. Mourners are also invited to line the roads from the church to the Wilmington National Cemetery.
Kramer’s family requested donations be made to Step Up for Soldiers and St. Mark Catholic School instead of flowers.
Working on cars was Bittiker’s passion
The Associated Press
Robert L. Bittiker was a hardworking National Guardsman who kept busy as a trucking company foreman, but he always made time for his sons.
“He loved his sons very much — followed them through all their sports,” said Brian Wheat, Bittiker’s stepfather. Bittiker, who worked for Elijah Morton Trucking Inc. and owned a taxi cab in Jacksonville, N.C., also was an avid sportsman who enjoyed fishing.
Bittiker, 39, of Jacksonville, N.C., was killed June 29 when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle in Baghdad.
The Wilmington, N.C.-based National Guardsman enjoyed cheering on the Washington Redskins and working on a beat-up truck and Ford Mustang, said his mother, Mary Wheat.
“They were pretty rough and unfixable,” she said. “But you probably couldn’t convince him of that.”
Bittiker enlisted in the North Carolina Army National Guard in 1990. This was his third combat deployment, having served in Bosnia and then Iraq in 2004. Bittiker’s family has a history of service. His father served in the Marines and his mother worked for the Department of Defense.
He is survived by his wife, Tami; two sons, Cameron, 14, and Ronnie, 18; and a stepson, Robert Jenkins.
Army Spc. Robert L. Bittiker was killed in action on 6/29/09.
Army Sgt. Juan C. Baldeosingh
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Juan C. Baldeosingh, 30, of Newport, N.C.
Sgt. Baldeosingh was assigned to the 120th Combined Arms Battalion, North Carolina National Guard, Wilmington, N.C.; died from wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle June 29, 2009 in Baghdad. Also killed were Sgt. 1st Class Edward C. Kramer, Sgt. Roger L. Adams Jr. and Spc. Robert L. Bittiker.
Newsday -- To those who knew him, Sgt. Juan Carlos Baldeosingh was both carefree and dutiful, a fun-loving joker who found military service so fulfilling that he enlisted twice.
Baldeosingh, a National Guardsman who grew up in Hempstead, was among the last four soldiers killed in Baghdad on Monday, just before the U.S. pullback this week in Iraq.
He was scheduled for a two-week leave next week.
"We thought he was coming back," his half-sister Dianna Baldeosingh, 28, said tearfully Thursday at a relative's East Meadow home.
A former Marine, Baldeo-singh, 30, was a U.S. Army National Guardsman serving with the Multi-Nation Division Baghdad when he was killed. His family said the Humvee he was in was hit by an improvised explosive device.
He was on temporary leave from Carteret General Hospital in Morehead City, N.C., where hospital officials said he served as director of the risk management and safety department. He enlisted in the Marines right after high school and served as an infantryman from 1997 to 2004, including a tour in Afghanistan in 2003-04. He moved to North Carolina several years ago and had recently moved his mother from Long Island so she could be closer, his family said.
Baldeosingh enlisted last year in the National Guard. "He was proud of putting on the uniform," said his younger half-sister, Jennyfer Baldeosingh, 26, of East Meadow.
She said her brother called his mother nightly - and last talked to her on Sunday night, saying he had to go into Baghdad the next day.
"He knew he was going into hostile territory," Jennyfer Baldeosingh said. He also leaves behind his wife, Rebecca, and three young daughters - Emily, 2, and 5-year-old twins, Isabella and Kylie.
"I'm very devastated. . . . I had bought the materials to make his welcome home sign for when we picked him up from the Raleigh airport," Rebecca Baldeosingh said by phone from their home in Havelock, N.C.
Baldeosingh was a graduate of Holy Trinity High School in Hicksville, where the school Web site had a death notice.
A message posted with the notice read: "With sadness and gratitude, the Holy Trinity Community prays for Juan, his family, and all of our brave servicemen and women."
A ceremony will be held in North Carolina with burial to follow, though details were not finalized yesterday.
Army Sgt. Juan C. Baldeosingh was killed in action on 6/29/09.
Army Sgt. Juan C. Baldeosingh, 30, of Newport, N.C.
Sgt. Baldeosingh was assigned to the 120th Combined Arms Battalion, North Carolina National Guard, Wilmington, N.C.; died from wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle June 29, 2009 in Baghdad. Also killed were Sgt. 1st Class Edward C. Kramer, Sgt. Roger L. Adams Jr. and Spc. Robert L. Bittiker.
Newsday -- To those who knew him, Sgt. Juan Carlos Baldeosingh was both carefree and dutiful, a fun-loving joker who found military service so fulfilling that he enlisted twice.
Baldeosingh, a National Guardsman who grew up in Hempstead, was among the last four soldiers killed in Baghdad on Monday, just before the U.S. pullback this week in Iraq.
He was scheduled for a two-week leave next week.
"We thought he was coming back," his half-sister Dianna Baldeosingh, 28, said tearfully Thursday at a relative's East Meadow home.
A former Marine, Baldeo-singh, 30, was a U.S. Army National Guardsman serving with the Multi-Nation Division Baghdad when he was killed. His family said the Humvee he was in was hit by an improvised explosive device.
He was on temporary leave from Carteret General Hospital in Morehead City, N.C., where hospital officials said he served as director of the risk management and safety department. He enlisted in the Marines right after high school and served as an infantryman from 1997 to 2004, including a tour in Afghanistan in 2003-04. He moved to North Carolina several years ago and had recently moved his mother from Long Island so she could be closer, his family said.
Baldeosingh enlisted last year in the National Guard. "He was proud of putting on the uniform," said his younger half-sister, Jennyfer Baldeosingh, 26, of East Meadow.
She said her brother called his mother nightly - and last talked to her on Sunday night, saying he had to go into Baghdad the next day.
"He knew he was going into hostile territory," Jennyfer Baldeosingh said. He also leaves behind his wife, Rebecca, and three young daughters - Emily, 2, and 5-year-old twins, Isabella and Kylie.
"I'm very devastated. . . . I had bought the materials to make his welcome home sign for when we picked him up from the Raleigh airport," Rebecca Baldeosingh said by phone from their home in Havelock, N.C.
Baldeosingh was a graduate of Holy Trinity High School in Hicksville, where the school Web site had a death notice.
A message posted with the notice read: "With sadness and gratitude, the Holy Trinity Community prays for Juan, his family, and all of our brave servicemen and women."
A ceremony will be held in North Carolina with burial to follow, though details were not finalized yesterday.
Army Sgt. Juan C. Baldeosingh was killed in action on 6/29/09.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Army Spc. Joshua L. Hazlewood
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Joshua L. Hazlewood, 22, of Manvel, Texas
Spc. Hazlewood was assigned to the 614th Automated Cargo Documentation Detachment; died June 25, 2009 in Arifjan, Kuwait, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident.
Houston Chronicle -- A Brazoria County soldier stationed in Kuwait died Thursday from injuries he received in what military officials said was a non combat-related incident, the Department of Defense announced today.
Spec. Joshua L. Hazlewood, 22, of Manvel, was assigned to the Army’s 614th Automated Cargo Documentation Detachment at Arifjan when he was killed, officials said.
The circumstances that lead to Hazlewood’s death remain under investigation, military officials said.
The Military Moms and Wives of Brazoria County on Saturday will be placing U.S. flags at Hazlewood’s home, the support group announced today.
Army Spc. Joshua L. Hazlewood was killed in a non-combat related incident on 6/25/09.
Army Spc. Joshua L. Hazlewood, 22, of Manvel, Texas
Spc. Hazlewood was assigned to the 614th Automated Cargo Documentation Detachment; died June 25, 2009 in Arifjan, Kuwait, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident.
Houston Chronicle -- A Brazoria County soldier stationed in Kuwait died Thursday from injuries he received in what military officials said was a non combat-related incident, the Department of Defense announced today.
Spec. Joshua L. Hazlewood, 22, of Manvel, was assigned to the Army’s 614th Automated Cargo Documentation Detachment at Arifjan when he was killed, officials said.
The circumstances that lead to Hazlewood’s death remain under investigation, military officials said.
The Military Moms and Wives of Brazoria County on Saturday will be placing U.S. flags at Hazlewood’s home, the support group announced today.
Army Spc. Joshua L. Hazlewood was killed in a non-combat related incident on 6/25/09.
Army 1st Lt. Brian N. Bradshaw
Remember Our Heroes
Army 1st Lt. Brian N. Bradshaw, 24, of Steilacoom, Wash.
1st Lt. Bradshaw was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska; died June 25, 2009 in Kheyl, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
The News Tribune -- Paul Bradshaw said his son Brian joined the Army and went to Afghanistan “to try and help people” and to make the lives of the people there better.
“He could make people feel better,” the elder Bradshaw said Friday shortly before he and his wife Mary left their Steilacoom home to fly to Dover Air Force Base for the arrival of their son’s body back in the United States. “That was his hope. He didn’t go to win a war.”
Lt. Brian Bradshaw, 24, a 2007 graduate of Pacific Lutheran University, died Thursday in Kheyl, Afghanistan. An improvised bomb went off near his vehicle, the Department of Defense announced Friday. Bradshaw and the other soldiers escaped without injury, but with the soldiers out of their vehicle, a passing civilian truck detonated a second roadside bomb, killing Bradshaw.
Bradshaw is the first Pierce County service member to die in Afghanistan in more than a year and the 27th service member from Washington or assigned to military installations in the state to die in Afghanistan since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division in Fort Richardson, Alaska.
The unit deployed in stages to Afghanistan beginning in February and Bradshaw arrived in March, his father said.
Paul Bradshaw said he talked to his son by telephone on Father’s Day.
“He said that where they were at you couldn’t recognize if they were making a difference but they had made friends in that area,” his father said.
The danger there was obvious, Paul Bradshaw said, but whenever his son spoke about it “he was worried about all his men. He was worried about the people he was responsible for, not himself.”
Bradshaw came from a military family. His father is a retired National Guard helicopter pilot. His mother is a retired Army nurse. A lieutenant colonel, she returned to duty to serve with the Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Lewis.
Brian Bradshaw volunteered for the ROTC program at PLU and was in the first class after the 9/11 attacks.
“We are proud beyond belief,” his father said Friday, “(but) we really didn’t encourage him very much either.”
A graduate of Visitation Catholic School and Bellarmine Preparatory School, Bradshaw grew up in Steilacoom. In high school he was member of Pierce County Search and Rescue and was a summer counselor at Camp Don Bosco, a Catholic Youth Organization camp in Carnation, where he once was a young camper.
Paul Bradshaw said his son had “a great sense of humor” and described him as “very athletic, an outdoors and very action-oriented person. He bicycled, was a backcountry skier and climbed mountains.” He knew Crystal Mountain Ski Area and Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia very well.
“But his favorite place (to ski) was Mount Baker,” Paul Bradshaw said.
Paul Bradshaw said he didn’t know if his son planned on making the Army a career though he had talked about it.
“He also talked about teaching history,” he said. “He had started taking helicopters for backcountry skiing and talked about wanting to be a guide for backcountry skiing.”
No funeral arrangements have been made. A memorial service will be held probably after July 4.
“You know what can happen (in war),” Paul Bradshaw said. “You hope it doesn’t. You pray a lot.”
Army 1st Lt. Brian N. Bradshaw was killed in action on 6/25/09.
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Army 1st Lt. Brian N. Bradshaw, 24, of Steilacoom, Wash.
1st Lt. Bradshaw was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska; died June 25, 2009 in Kheyl, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
The News Tribune -- Paul Bradshaw said his son Brian joined the Army and went to Afghanistan “to try and help people” and to make the lives of the people there better.
“He could make people feel better,” the elder Bradshaw said Friday shortly before he and his wife Mary left their Steilacoom home to fly to Dover Air Force Base for the arrival of their son’s body back in the United States. “That was his hope. He didn’t go to win a war.”
Lt. Brian Bradshaw, 24, a 2007 graduate of Pacific Lutheran University, died Thursday in Kheyl, Afghanistan. An improvised bomb went off near his vehicle, the Department of Defense announced Friday. Bradshaw and the other soldiers escaped without injury, but with the soldiers out of their vehicle, a passing civilian truck detonated a second roadside bomb, killing Bradshaw.
Bradshaw is the first Pierce County service member to die in Afghanistan in more than a year and the 27th service member from Washington or assigned to military installations in the state to die in Afghanistan since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division in Fort Richardson, Alaska.
The unit deployed in stages to Afghanistan beginning in February and Bradshaw arrived in March, his father said.
Paul Bradshaw said he talked to his son by telephone on Father’s Day.
“He said that where they were at you couldn’t recognize if they were making a difference but they had made friends in that area,” his father said.
The danger there was obvious, Paul Bradshaw said, but whenever his son spoke about it “he was worried about all his men. He was worried about the people he was responsible for, not himself.”
Bradshaw came from a military family. His father is a retired National Guard helicopter pilot. His mother is a retired Army nurse. A lieutenant colonel, she returned to duty to serve with the Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Lewis.
Brian Bradshaw volunteered for the ROTC program at PLU and was in the first class after the 9/11 attacks.
“We are proud beyond belief,” his father said Friday, “(but) we really didn’t encourage him very much either.”
A graduate of Visitation Catholic School and Bellarmine Preparatory School, Bradshaw grew up in Steilacoom. In high school he was member of Pierce County Search and Rescue and was a summer counselor at Camp Don Bosco, a Catholic Youth Organization camp in Carnation, where he once was a young camper.
Paul Bradshaw said his son had “a great sense of humor” and described him as “very athletic, an outdoors and very action-oriented person. He bicycled, was a backcountry skier and climbed mountains.” He knew Crystal Mountain Ski Area and Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia very well.
“But his favorite place (to ski) was Mount Baker,” Paul Bradshaw said.
Paul Bradshaw said he didn’t know if his son planned on making the Army a career though he had talked about it.
“He also talked about teaching history,” he said. “He had started taking helicopters for backcountry skiing and talked about wanting to be a guide for backcountry skiing.”
No funeral arrangements have been made. A memorial service will be held probably after July 4.
“You know what can happen (in war),” Paul Bradshaw said. “You hope it doesn’t. You pray a lot.”
Army 1st Lt. Brian N. Bradshaw was killed in action on 6/25/09.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Airforce Capt. George Bryan Houghton
Remember Our Heroes
Pilot dies in F-16 crash in West Desert
HILL AIR FORCE BASE -- Military officials confirmed Tuesday afternoon a pilot died in an F-16 crash at the Utah Test and Training Range in the West Desert. The aircraft, assigned to Hill Air Force Base's 388th Fighter Wing, crashed Monday night while on a training mission.
Citing military policy, they will not release his name for 24 hours, but family members tell media outlets in both Utah and North Carolina--the man's home state--that he is 28-year-old Capt. George Bryan Houghton.
Air Force officials say he was a member of the 421st Fighter Squadron, which is assigned to the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base. He was training for combat around 10:30 p.m. when his F-16 went down about 35 miles south of Wendover. It appears he did not issue a distress signal.
Air Force Capt. George Bryan Houghton, 28, of Candler, N.C., was on a routine training mission of the 388th Fighter Wing when the jet went down, according to WLOS-TV, an North Carolina ABC affiliate. Copies of family photos of George Bryan Houghton. (John Fletcher/Asheville Citizen-Times; 6-23-09) Col. Scott Dennis, commander of the 388th Fighter Wing, said, "It is a very difficult time for all of us in the 388th Fighter Wing, and especially in the 421st Fighter Squadron. They are very close. They are in the last stages of preparations for combat right now. The night mission last night was one of those last training missions."
Family members say the mission was going to be to go to Afghanistan.
"As I told the squadron today, what he was doing last night was training for an important mission, and what we hope to do is to save the lives of our soldiers and Marines on the ground. And so it is very important and the way that we will honor him is by continuing that professionalism," Dennis said.
An investigation into the cause of the crash has been launched. Right now, there are no preliminary indications as to what that might be.
Dennis said, "The safety investigation in this mishap is already under way. A board of officials is collecting and protecting evidence from the scene right now. They are gathering and analyzing the relevant data, and it will help us determine the cause of this accident."
There were witnesses to the crash; another pilot and ground crews were in the area on the same training operation. Their accounts are being taken into consideration as part of the investigation.
Meanwhile, the 388th Fighter Wing has grounded its flights for the day. Those operations will most likely resume Wednesday morning.
Family, friends devastated by Houghton's death
In an interview with WLOS in North Carolina, George Houghton, Sr. said, "We were notified this morning, by telephone, around 3:30 this morning that an aircraft had gone down."
About an hour later, George Houghton Sr. says his daughter-in-law confirmed the worst.
Houghton said the news hasn't fully sunk in yet. He said, "I've got his cards still laying on the table."
He says the family is getting by with the help of friends and their church.
He says his son had a sense of duty. He says this sense of duty led his son to train for what he thought was right for himself, his country and his family.
KSL also spoke to the pilot's close friend Bill Jamison, who has known Houghton for about 15 years.
Jamison spent much of the day with the family as they received information from Hill Air Force Base and says everyone is just devastated. He describes Houghton as a leader and a great American who loved the outdoors.
"It was a huge loss for our community, but it was a tremendous loss for our nation. And they need to be aware that these young men are laying their life on the line every day for our nation, and they just need to know that we've lost a great young man," Jamison said.
Jamison says the Houghton family has been through a lot lately: George Houghton's brother was nearly killed in a helicopter crash in 2007 while serving in Afghanistan. He's still recovering in a military hospital.
George Houghton leaves behind a wife, who lives in Layton, and many family members and friends who live in North Carolina.
Pilot dies in F-16 crash in West Desert
HILL AIR FORCE BASE -- Military officials confirmed Tuesday afternoon a pilot died in an F-16 crash at the Utah Test and Training Range in the West Desert. The aircraft, assigned to Hill Air Force Base's 388th Fighter Wing, crashed Monday night while on a training mission.
Citing military policy, they will not release his name for 24 hours, but family members tell media outlets in both Utah and North Carolina--the man's home state--that he is 28-year-old Capt. George Bryan Houghton.
Air Force officials say he was a member of the 421st Fighter Squadron, which is assigned to the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base. He was training for combat around 10:30 p.m. when his F-16 went down about 35 miles south of Wendover. It appears he did not issue a distress signal.
Air Force Capt. George Bryan Houghton, 28, of Candler, N.C., was on a routine training mission of the 388th Fighter Wing when the jet went down, according to WLOS-TV, an North Carolina ABC affiliate. Copies of family photos of George Bryan Houghton. (John Fletcher/Asheville Citizen-Times; 6-23-09) Col. Scott Dennis, commander of the 388th Fighter Wing, said, "It is a very difficult time for all of us in the 388th Fighter Wing, and especially in the 421st Fighter Squadron. They are very close. They are in the last stages of preparations for combat right now. The night mission last night was one of those last training missions."
Family members say the mission was going to be to go to Afghanistan.
"As I told the squadron today, what he was doing last night was training for an important mission, and what we hope to do is to save the lives of our soldiers and Marines on the ground. And so it is very important and the way that we will honor him is by continuing that professionalism," Dennis said.
An investigation into the cause of the crash has been launched. Right now, there are no preliminary indications as to what that might be.
Dennis said, "The safety investigation in this mishap is already under way. A board of officials is collecting and protecting evidence from the scene right now. They are gathering and analyzing the relevant data, and it will help us determine the cause of this accident."
There were witnesses to the crash; another pilot and ground crews were in the area on the same training operation. Their accounts are being taken into consideration as part of the investigation.
Meanwhile, the 388th Fighter Wing has grounded its flights for the day. Those operations will most likely resume Wednesday morning.
Family, friends devastated by Houghton's death
In an interview with WLOS in North Carolina, George Houghton, Sr. said, "We were notified this morning, by telephone, around 3:30 this morning that an aircraft had gone down."
About an hour later, George Houghton Sr. says his daughter-in-law confirmed the worst.
Houghton said the news hasn't fully sunk in yet. He said, "I've got his cards still laying on the table."
He says the family is getting by with the help of friends and their church.
He says his son had a sense of duty. He says this sense of duty led his son to train for what he thought was right for himself, his country and his family.
KSL also spoke to the pilot's close friend Bill Jamison, who has known Houghton for about 15 years.
Jamison spent much of the day with the family as they received information from Hill Air Force Base and says everyone is just devastated. He describes Houghton as a leader and a great American who loved the outdoors.
"It was a huge loss for our community, but it was a tremendous loss for our nation. And they need to be aware that these young men are laying their life on the line every day for our nation, and they just need to know that we've lost a great young man," Jamison said.
Jamison says the Houghton family has been through a lot lately: George Houghton's brother was nearly killed in a helicopter crash in 2007 while serving in Afghanistan. He's still recovering in a military hospital.
George Houghton leaves behind a wife, who lives in Layton, and many family members and friends who live in North Carolina.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Navy Command Master Chief Petty Officer Jeffrey J. Garber
Remember Our Heroes
Navy Command Master Chief Petty Officer Jeffrey J. Garber, 43, of Hemingford, Neb.
Comman Master Chief Petty Officer Garber was assigned to the Dwight D. Eisenhower in the North Arabian Sea; died June 20 of non-hostile causes.
Ike air wing CMC found dead in stateroom
Staff and wire reports
The command master chief for Carrier Air Wing 7, now deployed aboard the carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower, was found dead Saturday in his stateroom, apparently of natural causes, the Navy announced.
Command Master Chief (AW/SW) Jeffrey Garber, 43, was unresponsive when sailors discovered him at 8:15 a.m. local time Saturday; medical teams responded quickly but he was declared dead eight minutes later, the Navy said.
“Master Chief Garber was one of the finest individuals I have ever had the pleasure of knowing,” said Capt. Calvin Craig, commanding officer of CVW 7. “He was the epitome of what a command master chief should be — at every turn selflessly taking care of the men and women of the air wing and the entire Ike strike group team. To say that he will be sorely missed is an understatement. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to the Garber family.”
Garber, of Hemingford, Neb., enlisted in the Navy in 1983 and his assignments included time aboard the cruiser Worden; the carrier Nimitz; the dock landing ship Portland; and service as the command master chief of Strike Fighter Squadron 34, the “Blue Blasters.”
A Navy announcement included fond remembrances from several of Garber’s shipmates, including Rear Adm. Kurt W. Tidd, the Eisenhower strike group’s commander; and the carrier’s top enlisted man, Command Master Chief Bryan Exum.
“The impact master chief Garber has had on the Navy is immeasurable,” Exum said. “Our last conversation was about the importance of CPO history and heritage, and it ended with a firm handshake and smile. I will never forget our last handshake. He was the embodiment of a great CMC. He will be missed by the men and women of team Ike.”
The crew of the Eisenhower planned an underway memorial service for Garber on Saturday. The carrier is in the north Arabian Sea as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Navy Command Master Chief Petty Officer Jeffrey J. Garber died 6/20/09.
Navy Command Master Chief Petty Officer Jeffrey J. Garber, 43, of Hemingford, Neb.
Comman Master Chief Petty Officer Garber was assigned to the Dwight D. Eisenhower in the North Arabian Sea; died June 20 of non-hostile causes.
Ike air wing CMC found dead in stateroom
Staff and wire reports
The command master chief for Carrier Air Wing 7, now deployed aboard the carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower, was found dead Saturday in his stateroom, apparently of natural causes, the Navy announced.
Command Master Chief (AW/SW) Jeffrey Garber, 43, was unresponsive when sailors discovered him at 8:15 a.m. local time Saturday; medical teams responded quickly but he was declared dead eight minutes later, the Navy said.
“Master Chief Garber was one of the finest individuals I have ever had the pleasure of knowing,” said Capt. Calvin Craig, commanding officer of CVW 7. “He was the epitome of what a command master chief should be — at every turn selflessly taking care of the men and women of the air wing and the entire Ike strike group team. To say that he will be sorely missed is an understatement. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to the Garber family.”
Garber, of Hemingford, Neb., enlisted in the Navy in 1983 and his assignments included time aboard the cruiser Worden; the carrier Nimitz; the dock landing ship Portland; and service as the command master chief of Strike Fighter Squadron 34, the “Blue Blasters.”
A Navy announcement included fond remembrances from several of Garber’s shipmates, including Rear Adm. Kurt W. Tidd, the Eisenhower strike group’s commander; and the carrier’s top enlisted man, Command Master Chief Bryan Exum.
“The impact master chief Garber has had on the Navy is immeasurable,” Exum said. “Our last conversation was about the importance of CPO history and heritage, and it ended with a firm handshake and smile. I will never forget our last handshake. He was the embodiment of a great CMC. He will be missed by the men and women of team Ike.”
The crew of the Eisenhower planned an underway memorial service for Garber on Saturday. The carrier is in the north Arabian Sea as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Navy Command Master Chief Petty Officer Jeffrey J. Garber died 6/20/09.
Army 1st Sgt. John D. Blair
Remember Our Heroes
Army 1st Sgt. John D. Blair, 38, of Calhoun, Ga.
First Sgt. Blair was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, Army National Guard, Lawrenceville, Ga.; died June 20, 2009 in Mado Zayi, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle.
Chattanooga Times Free Press -- The body of Georgia Army National Guardsman and former Gordon County Deputy Sheriff John D. Blair, who was killed in combat in Afghanistan on June 20, will be returned to Calhoun on Monday, according to a Sheriff's Office news release.
A military and law enforcement procession will assemble at the Tom B. David Airport and escort the body north on U.S. Highway 41 to Trinity Baptist Church. Visitation will be held from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.
Services will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the church, with burial following at Georgia National Cemetery in Canton with full military and police honors.
1st Sgt. Blair, who went to boot camp before finishing high school, was honored by both his home and adopted states for giving his life during the Afghanistan.
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear announced the state’s flags will fly at half-staff on the day 1st Blair is buried.
On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., called the soldier, who lived in Calhoun, an “American hero and patriot” on the House floor.
1st Sgt. Blair served as a deputy for more than eight years before taking a full-time position with the Georgia National Guard.
A husband, father and grandfather, 1st Sgt. Blair served as an example and mentor to his fellow deputies and soldiers, friends and colleagues said.
Growing up in Harlan County, Ky., he joined the Kentucky National Guard between his junior and senior years in high school and later moved to Calhoun, where he worked with the sheriff’s office.
Deputies wore black bands around their badges last week in memory of the man they called “Gooch.”
“He was passionate about everything he did,” Detective Shane Parrott said of his longtime friend.
Soldiers echoed his comments.
During a 45-minute firefight in Mado Zayi, Afghanistan, on June 20, Staff Sgt. Timothy Bellinger heard the first sergeant’s gun blazing from the vehicle’s gun turret, firing about 80 rounds before a rocket-propelled grenade tore through the turret, according the military newspaper Stars and Stripes.
“I am going to miss him. I miss him already. But we are going to wake up, put our boots on and do what we came here to do,” the staff sergeant told the Stars and Stripes.
He said 1st Sgt. Blair admonished his troops not to “ever give up. You don’t ever give up.”
The Georgia soldier was a “tough, unrelenting” leader, the Stars and Stripes reported.
“He was the meanest, kindest person you’d ever meet,” Pfc. Justin Campbell told Stars and Stripes. “If he didn’t cuss at you, he didn’t like you.”
First Sgt. Blair was a part of Company A of the Guard’s 48th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Division.
Army 1st Sgt. John D. Blair was killed in action on 6/20/09.
Army 1st Sgt. John D. Blair, 38, of Calhoun, Ga.
First Sgt. Blair was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, Army National Guard, Lawrenceville, Ga.; died June 20, 2009 in Mado Zayi, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle.
Chattanooga Times Free Press -- The body of Georgia Army National Guardsman and former Gordon County Deputy Sheriff John D. Blair, who was killed in combat in Afghanistan on June 20, will be returned to Calhoun on Monday, according to a Sheriff's Office news release.
A military and law enforcement procession will assemble at the Tom B. David Airport and escort the body north on U.S. Highway 41 to Trinity Baptist Church. Visitation will be held from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.
Services will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the church, with burial following at Georgia National Cemetery in Canton with full military and police honors.
1st Sgt. Blair, who went to boot camp before finishing high school, was honored by both his home and adopted states for giving his life during the Afghanistan.
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear announced the state’s flags will fly at half-staff on the day 1st Blair is buried.
On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., called the soldier, who lived in Calhoun, an “American hero and patriot” on the House floor.
1st Sgt. Blair served as a deputy for more than eight years before taking a full-time position with the Georgia National Guard.
A husband, father and grandfather, 1st Sgt. Blair served as an example and mentor to his fellow deputies and soldiers, friends and colleagues said.
Growing up in Harlan County, Ky., he joined the Kentucky National Guard between his junior and senior years in high school and later moved to Calhoun, where he worked with the sheriff’s office.
Deputies wore black bands around their badges last week in memory of the man they called “Gooch.”
“He was passionate about everything he did,” Detective Shane Parrott said of his longtime friend.
Soldiers echoed his comments.
During a 45-minute firefight in Mado Zayi, Afghanistan, on June 20, Staff Sgt. Timothy Bellinger heard the first sergeant’s gun blazing from the vehicle’s gun turret, firing about 80 rounds before a rocket-propelled grenade tore through the turret, according the military newspaper Stars and Stripes.
“I am going to miss him. I miss him already. But we are going to wake up, put our boots on and do what we came here to do,” the staff sergeant told the Stars and Stripes.
He said 1st Sgt. Blair admonished his troops not to “ever give up. You don’t ever give up.”
The Georgia soldier was a “tough, unrelenting” leader, the Stars and Stripes reported.
“He was the meanest, kindest person you’d ever meet,” Pfc. Justin Campbell told Stars and Stripes. “If he didn’t cuss at you, he didn’t like you.”
First Sgt. Blair was a part of Company A of the Guard’s 48th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Division.
Army 1st Sgt. John D. Blair was killed in action on 6/20/09.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Army Staff Sgt. Joshua A. Melton
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Joshua A. Melton, 26, of Carlyle, Ill.
SSgt Melton was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment, Illinois National Guard, Marion, Ill.; died June 19, in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Sgt. Paul G. Smith.
Ill. soldier killed months before tour was to end
The Associated Press
GERMANTOWN, Ill. — The brother of a southern Illinois soldier killed in Afghanistan says his sibling was expected to return home in September to his wife and 16-month-old daughter.
Twenty-six-year-old Staff Sgt. Joshua Melton was from Germantown in Clinton County. He died along with 43-year-old Sgt. Paul Smith of East Peoria on Friday.
The Illinois National Guard says their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in Kandahar.
Melton enlisted in the National Guard in 2000 while still in high school in Breese.
Dustin Melton says his late brother knew from the time he was a boy that he wanted to be a soldier.
Joshua Melton's widow, Larissa Melton, says her husband died as something he always wanted to be — a hero.
News-Democrat -- The funeral for a Germantown soldier killed in Afghanistan has been scheduled for Saturday in Germantown.
Illinois Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Joshua Melton, 26, was killed by a roadside bomb in Kandahar, Afghanistan, June 19.
He enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard in 2000 before graduating from Central Community High School in Breese.
This was Joshua Melton's second deployment; his first was to Iraq, from December 2004 to March 2006. Melton was deployed in October and was serving as part of the 33rd Infantry Bridge Combat Team in Afghanistan which was deployed last year to help train the Afghan Army and National Police. His unit worked to protect training teams, fight the Taliban and roll back the heroin trade.
He had planned to be home in September to spend time with his wife, Larissa, and 16-month-old daughter, Aubrey.
In a statement, Larissa Melton said it was her husband's dream to be a hero "and that is what he is, a hero."
Visitation for Melton will be held at 3 p.m. Friday at Moss Funeral Home, 630 Railroad St. in Germantown.
The funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Boniface Catholic Church, 306 Munster in Germantown. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery , 1303 Lake Road in Carlyle, with full military honors.
Condolences for Melton's family can be sent to: Family of Staff Sgt. Joshua Melton, c/o Joshua Lueker, 3686 Logan Road, W. Frankfort, Ill., 62896.
Memorials can be made to his daughter through the Aubrey Melton Trust Fund and can be given through the funeral home or Germantown Trust and Savings Bank.
Army Staff Sgt. Joshua A. Melton was killed in action on 6/19/09.
Army Staff Sgt. Joshua A. Melton, 26, of Carlyle, Ill.
SSgt Melton was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment, Illinois National Guard, Marion, Ill.; died June 19, in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Sgt. Paul G. Smith.
Ill. soldier killed months before tour was to end
The Associated Press
GERMANTOWN, Ill. — The brother of a southern Illinois soldier killed in Afghanistan says his sibling was expected to return home in September to his wife and 16-month-old daughter.
Twenty-six-year-old Staff Sgt. Joshua Melton was from Germantown in Clinton County. He died along with 43-year-old Sgt. Paul Smith of East Peoria on Friday.
The Illinois National Guard says their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in Kandahar.
Melton enlisted in the National Guard in 2000 while still in high school in Breese.
Dustin Melton says his late brother knew from the time he was a boy that he wanted to be a soldier.
Joshua Melton's widow, Larissa Melton, says her husband died as something he always wanted to be — a hero.
News-Democrat -- The funeral for a Germantown soldier killed in Afghanistan has been scheduled for Saturday in Germantown.
Illinois Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Joshua Melton, 26, was killed by a roadside bomb in Kandahar, Afghanistan, June 19.
He enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard in 2000 before graduating from Central Community High School in Breese.
This was Joshua Melton's second deployment; his first was to Iraq, from December 2004 to March 2006. Melton was deployed in October and was serving as part of the 33rd Infantry Bridge Combat Team in Afghanistan which was deployed last year to help train the Afghan Army and National Police. His unit worked to protect training teams, fight the Taliban and roll back the heroin trade.
He had planned to be home in September to spend time with his wife, Larissa, and 16-month-old daughter, Aubrey.
In a statement, Larissa Melton said it was her husband's dream to be a hero "and that is what he is, a hero."
Visitation for Melton will be held at 3 p.m. Friday at Moss Funeral Home, 630 Railroad St. in Germantown.
The funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Boniface Catholic Church, 306 Munster in Germantown. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery , 1303 Lake Road in Carlyle, with full military honors.
Condolences for Melton's family can be sent to: Family of Staff Sgt. Joshua Melton, c/o Joshua Lueker, 3686 Logan Road, W. Frankfort, Ill., 62896.
Memorials can be made to his daughter through the Aubrey Melton Trust Fund and can be given through the funeral home or Germantown Trust and Savings Bank.
Army Staff Sgt. Joshua A. Melton was killed in action on 6/19/09.
Army Sgt. Paul G. Smith
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Paul G. Smith, 43, of Peoria, Ill.
Sgt. Smith was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment, Illinois Army National Guard, Aurora, Ill.; died June 19, 2009 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Joshua A. Melton.
EAST PEORIA — Staff Sgt. Paul G. Smith made his final journey home Friday.
A plane carrying the soldier, who was killed last week in Afghanistan, landed at noon at the Illinois Air National Guard Base before embarking on a procession to East Peoria.
The path of the procession was dotted with supporters holding signs and waving flags to show their support for 43-year-old Smith and his family.
Traffic on Interstate 474 and I-74 slowed to a slow crawl as the procession passed. Some motorists on the entrance ramps got out of their cars to salute Smith. Others could be seen with their heads bowed, seemingly in prayer.
Once the motorcade reached East Peoria, the 1984 EPCHS graduate was given a hero's welcome.
Members of the Patriot Guard Riders surrounded the hearse as it pulled into Remmert Funeral Home and bagpipe players began performing "Amazing Grace."
Smith was older than most when he decided to join the military at age 27. Nonetheless, he was the fastest runner in his training class.
"He was looking for a better job, and he said, 'Well, I'm going to try the military,' " said William Smith, an older brother. "My initial reaction was, 'Are you sure?' But he was a patriot, and he honored his job."
The entire Smith family, including wife, Kim, daughter, Sarah, and son, Ben, continue to struggle with the loss, William Smith said.
"It's the hardest thing I've ever had to cope with," he said.
Those who served with Sgt. Smith knew him as an extremely hard worker.
"He was a quiet soldier, always willing to do what was needed to get the job done," Staff Sgt. Johnathan Brewer said. "It's a great loss. It's hard to find people like him, people who never say no, who never ask why, who do whatever is asked of them."
Ceremony played a large part in services Friday, starting when Smith's casket was moved off the plane at the National Guard base.
About 100 airmen and soldiers were lined up across from one another, creating a line from the cargo doors of the plane to the hearse, Col. William "Robbie" Robertson, commander of the 182nd Airlift Wing, said.
The base was blanketed in silence out of respect for Smith. Before the plane landed, Robertson gave the order, as he does for all such ceremonies, for all work to cease. Motors were turned off. Computers were shut down. Everyone who could be pulled away was in one of the two lines, waiting to show their respect for their fallen comrade.
Smith and another Illinois Army National Guard solider, Staff Sgt. Joshua A. Melton, died June 19 in Kandahar, as the result of their vehicle being hit by an improvised explosive device.
Smith was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 106th Calvary Regiment, 33rd Infantry Brigade, Illinois Army National Guard. When not supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, his unit is located in Aurora.
Melton and Smith are the 13th and 14th casualties from the Illinois National Guard's 33rd IBCT since their deployment to Afghanistan and are the 29th and 30th casualties the Illinois National Guard has suffered since operations in Afghanistan and Iraq began.
Army Sgt. Paul G. Smith was killed in action on 6/19/09.
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Army Sgt. Paul G. Smith, 43, of Peoria, Ill.
Sgt. Smith was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment, Illinois Army National Guard, Aurora, Ill.; died June 19, 2009 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Joshua A. Melton.
EAST PEORIA — Staff Sgt. Paul G. Smith made his final journey home Friday.
A plane carrying the soldier, who was killed last week in Afghanistan, landed at noon at the Illinois Air National Guard Base before embarking on a procession to East Peoria.
The path of the procession was dotted with supporters holding signs and waving flags to show their support for 43-year-old Smith and his family.
Traffic on Interstate 474 and I-74 slowed to a slow crawl as the procession passed. Some motorists on the entrance ramps got out of their cars to salute Smith. Others could be seen with their heads bowed, seemingly in prayer.
Once the motorcade reached East Peoria, the 1984 EPCHS graduate was given a hero's welcome.
Members of the Patriot Guard Riders surrounded the hearse as it pulled into Remmert Funeral Home and bagpipe players began performing "Amazing Grace."
Smith was older than most when he decided to join the military at age 27. Nonetheless, he was the fastest runner in his training class.
"He was looking for a better job, and he said, 'Well, I'm going to try the military,' " said William Smith, an older brother. "My initial reaction was, 'Are you sure?' But he was a patriot, and he honored his job."
The entire Smith family, including wife, Kim, daughter, Sarah, and son, Ben, continue to struggle with the loss, William Smith said.
"It's the hardest thing I've ever had to cope with," he said.
Those who served with Sgt. Smith knew him as an extremely hard worker.
"He was a quiet soldier, always willing to do what was needed to get the job done," Staff Sgt. Johnathan Brewer said. "It's a great loss. It's hard to find people like him, people who never say no, who never ask why, who do whatever is asked of them."
Ceremony played a large part in services Friday, starting when Smith's casket was moved off the plane at the National Guard base.
About 100 airmen and soldiers were lined up across from one another, creating a line from the cargo doors of the plane to the hearse, Col. William "Robbie" Robertson, commander of the 182nd Airlift Wing, said.
The base was blanketed in silence out of respect for Smith. Before the plane landed, Robertson gave the order, as he does for all such ceremonies, for all work to cease. Motors were turned off. Computers were shut down. Everyone who could be pulled away was in one of the two lines, waiting to show their respect for their fallen comrade.
Smith and another Illinois Army National Guard solider, Staff Sgt. Joshua A. Melton, died June 19 in Kandahar, as the result of their vehicle being hit by an improvised explosive device.
Smith was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 106th Calvary Regiment, 33rd Infantry Brigade, Illinois Army National Guard. When not supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, his unit is located in Aurora.
Melton and Smith are the 13th and 14th casualties from the Illinois National Guard's 33rd IBCT since their deployment to Afghanistan and are the 29th and 30th casualties the Illinois National Guard has suffered since operations in Afghanistan and Iraq began.
Army Sgt. Paul G. Smith was killed in action on 6/19/09.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Army Sgt. 1st Class Kevin A. Dupont
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Kevin A. Dupont, 52, of Templeton, Mass.
SFC Dupont was assigned to the 79th Troop Command, Rehoboth, Mass.; died June 17, 2009 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, of wounds suffered March 8 in Kandau, Afghanistan, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Died with wife by his side
The Associated Press
CHICOPEE, Mass. — A soldier has died from injuries he suffered when a military vehicle he was riding in ran over an improvised explosive in Afghanistan three months ago.
Kelli Dupont says her brother, Army Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Dupont, died early June 17 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where he was being treated for third-degree burns.
Dupont, 52, was injured March 8. He graduated from Chicopee High School in 1976 and most recently lived in Templeton. He was a member of the Massachusetts Army National Guard.
Kelli Dupont says her brother’s wife was at his side when he died.
Funeral plans have not been completed. Dupont is survived by elderly parents, two brothers and two sisters.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Kevin A. Dupont died 6/17/09 from combat wounds suffered on 3/8/09.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Kevin A. Dupont, 52, of Templeton, Mass.
SFC Dupont was assigned to the 79th Troop Command, Rehoboth, Mass.; died June 17, 2009 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, of wounds suffered March 8 in Kandau, Afghanistan, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Died with wife by his side
The Associated Press
CHICOPEE, Mass. — A soldier has died from injuries he suffered when a military vehicle he was riding in ran over an improvised explosive in Afghanistan three months ago.
Kelli Dupont says her brother, Army Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Dupont, died early June 17 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where he was being treated for third-degree burns.
Dupont, 52, was injured March 8. He graduated from Chicopee High School in 1976 and most recently lived in Templeton. He was a member of the Massachusetts Army National Guard.
Kelli Dupont says her brother’s wife was at his side when he died.
Funeral plans have not been completed. Dupont is survived by elderly parents, two brothers and two sisters.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Kevin A. Dupont died 6/17/09 from combat wounds suffered on 3/8/09.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Army Capt. Kafele H. Sims
Remember Our Heroes
Army Capt. Kafele H. Sims
32, of Los Angeles; assigned to the 18th Engineer Brigade, Schwetzingen, Germany; died June 16, 2009 in Mosul, Iraq, of a non-combat-related incident.
SCHWETZINGEN, Germany — Ten months ago, Capt. Kafele Sims saved the life of Spc. Brian Quinonez.
On Tuesday, Quinonez said farewell to Sims, the physician assistant who diagnosed him with appendicitis last August. Quinonez had persistent gas pains and went to see Sims.
"Within five minutes, [Sims] said, ‘You have acute appendicitis,’" Quinonez said. "I can’t tell you what happened 20 minutes later because I was knocked out and in surgery. I do know that I am here today because of [Sims’] actions and decisions. That day he saved my life."
Sims, 32, of Los Angeles, died June 16 in Mosul, Iraq, in a noncombat-related incident. The cause of Sims’ death is still under investigation, said Bruce Anderson, U.S. Army Europe spokesman. Sims was assigned to the 18th Engineer Brigade in Schwetzingen.
About 75 soldiers and a few civilians gathered Tuesday afternoon in a small chapel on Tompkins Barracks for Sims’ memorial ceremony.
Last July, Sims joined the brigade in Iraq, where he provided health care to more than 6,000 soldiers and civilians.
Sims is survived by his wife, Masako, and three children, ranging in age from 1 to 4 years old.
Col. Matt Russell, 18th Engineer Brigade commander, spoke to Sims’ wife after she learned of her husband’s death. Sims’ family was his world, according to Russell’s comments, read aloud at Tuesday’s ceremony.
"Just start a conversation and in just a few minutes, [Sims would] have you on the subject of his family," according to Russell’s comments. "His family provided him with his spirit — a spirit that made him who he was."
Army Capt. Kafele H. Sims died of a non-combat related incident on 6/16/09.
Army Capt. Kafele H. Sims
32, of Los Angeles; assigned to the 18th Engineer Brigade, Schwetzingen, Germany; died June 16, 2009 in Mosul, Iraq, of a non-combat-related incident.
SCHWETZINGEN, Germany — Ten months ago, Capt. Kafele Sims saved the life of Spc. Brian Quinonez.
On Tuesday, Quinonez said farewell to Sims, the physician assistant who diagnosed him with appendicitis last August. Quinonez had persistent gas pains and went to see Sims.
"Within five minutes, [Sims] said, ‘You have acute appendicitis,’" Quinonez said. "I can’t tell you what happened 20 minutes later because I was knocked out and in surgery. I do know that I am here today because of [Sims’] actions and decisions. That day he saved my life."
Sims, 32, of Los Angeles, died June 16 in Mosul, Iraq, in a noncombat-related incident. The cause of Sims’ death is still under investigation, said Bruce Anderson, U.S. Army Europe spokesman. Sims was assigned to the 18th Engineer Brigade in Schwetzingen.
About 75 soldiers and a few civilians gathered Tuesday afternoon in a small chapel on Tompkins Barracks for Sims’ memorial ceremony.
Last July, Sims joined the brigade in Iraq, where he provided health care to more than 6,000 soldiers and civilians.
Sims is survived by his wife, Masako, and three children, ranging in age from 1 to 4 years old.
Col. Matt Russell, 18th Engineer Brigade commander, spoke to Sims’ wife after she learned of her husband’s death. Sims’ family was his world, according to Russell’s comments, read aloud at Tuesday’s ceremony.
"Just start a conversation and in just a few minutes, [Sims would] have you on the subject of his family," according to Russell’s comments. "His family provided him with his spirit — a spirit that made him who he was."
Army Capt. Kafele H. Sims died of a non-combat related incident on 6/16/09.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Army Staff Sgt. Edmond L. Lo
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Edmond L. Lo, 23, of Salem, N.H.
SSgt Lo was assigned to the 797th Ordnance Company, 79th Ordnance Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas; died June 13, 2009 in Samarra City, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device that his explosive ordnance disposal team was acting to neutralize detonated.
Staff sergeant was determined to serve country
The Associated Press
SALEM, N.H. — Bright and hardworking like his immigrant parents, Edmond Lo’s future grew even more promising when he was offered a full scholarship to a prominent engineering school. But he turned it down, choosing instead to disarm bombs for the Army.
It was a job intended to save lives, but one that cost Lo his. The 23-year-old staff sergeant was six months into his second tour of duty in Iraq when a roadside bomb he was working on exploded June 13 in Samarra City, his family said.
“I told him to be careful, and he said, ‘I know, I know,’ ” his mother, Rosa Lo, told the New Hampshire Union Leader.
Lo graduated from Salem High School in 2004, where he was a member of the Air Force Junior ROTC program. He was commander of the drill team, color guard and operations squadron, said Thomas Puzzo, a retired Air Force chief master sergeant who helps lead the group.
“We called him Mr. Dependable,” Puzzo told the newspaper. “Every time we needed something, he was there.
Lo was in the second half of his senior year when he started talking about enlisting, Puzzo said. He already had begun getting college acceptance letters.
Lo’s mother said she wanted her son to go to college. The Rochester Institute of Technology accepted him, offered a full three-year scholarship and kept calling, even after he had left for boot camp, she said.
“He had a very strong will,” she said. “He wanted to serve the Army.”
Gene Clark, director of veterans enrollment services at the Rochester Institute of Technology, said the offer almost certainly came from ROTC, perhaps supplemented by the school. He expressed condolences to the family.
“Those of us who are involved in working with veterans often say it’s that 1 percent who are paying the price for the other 99 percent of us to be free,” Clark said.
Lo was the youngest of six children born to parents who emigrated from Hong Kong, became U.S. citizens and started a family. The family runs a computer repair service in Salem.
Lo was assigned to the 797th Ordnance Company, 79th Ordnance Battalion based in Fort Hood, Texas.
After his first tour in Iraq, Lo visited Salem High, sharing photos and stories of Iraq. He didn’t give a lot of details, but said he found the Iraqis gracious, Puzzo recalled.
Lo laid to rest
The Associated Press
SALEM, N.H. — Family, classmates and comrades in arms came together in Salem to remember Army Staff Sgt. Edmond Lo, a young man who turned down a college scholarship to serve his nation.
Lo, a 23-year-old Salem High graduate, was killed June 13 when a roadside bomb he was trying to disarm exploded in Iraq. He was buried Saturday after a funeral service at Mary Queen of Peace Church in Salem.
Retired Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Thomas Puzzo recalled Lo as a quiet and competent leader during his high school’s Junior ROTC program. According to the New Hampshire Sunday News, Lo was the third serviceman from Salem killed in Iraq since 2006.
Army Staff Sgt. Edmond L. Lo was killed in action on 6/13/09.
Army Staff Sgt. Edmond L. Lo, 23, of Salem, N.H.
SSgt Lo was assigned to the 797th Ordnance Company, 79th Ordnance Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas; died June 13, 2009 in Samarra City, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device that his explosive ordnance disposal team was acting to neutralize detonated.
Staff sergeant was determined to serve country
The Associated Press
SALEM, N.H. — Bright and hardworking like his immigrant parents, Edmond Lo’s future grew even more promising when he was offered a full scholarship to a prominent engineering school. But he turned it down, choosing instead to disarm bombs for the Army.
It was a job intended to save lives, but one that cost Lo his. The 23-year-old staff sergeant was six months into his second tour of duty in Iraq when a roadside bomb he was working on exploded June 13 in Samarra City, his family said.
“I told him to be careful, and he said, ‘I know, I know,’ ” his mother, Rosa Lo, told the New Hampshire Union Leader.
Lo graduated from Salem High School in 2004, where he was a member of the Air Force Junior ROTC program. He was commander of the drill team, color guard and operations squadron, said Thomas Puzzo, a retired Air Force chief master sergeant who helps lead the group.
“We called him Mr. Dependable,” Puzzo told the newspaper. “Every time we needed something, he was there.
Lo was in the second half of his senior year when he started talking about enlisting, Puzzo said. He already had begun getting college acceptance letters.
Lo’s mother said she wanted her son to go to college. The Rochester Institute of Technology accepted him, offered a full three-year scholarship and kept calling, even after he had left for boot camp, she said.
“He had a very strong will,” she said. “He wanted to serve the Army.”
Gene Clark, director of veterans enrollment services at the Rochester Institute of Technology, said the offer almost certainly came from ROTC, perhaps supplemented by the school. He expressed condolences to the family.
“Those of us who are involved in working with veterans often say it’s that 1 percent who are paying the price for the other 99 percent of us to be free,” Clark said.
Lo was the youngest of six children born to parents who emigrated from Hong Kong, became U.S. citizens and started a family. The family runs a computer repair service in Salem.
Lo was assigned to the 797th Ordnance Company, 79th Ordnance Battalion based in Fort Hood, Texas.
After his first tour in Iraq, Lo visited Salem High, sharing photos and stories of Iraq. He didn’t give a lot of details, but said he found the Iraqis gracious, Puzzo recalled.
Lo laid to rest
The Associated Press
SALEM, N.H. — Family, classmates and comrades in arms came together in Salem to remember Army Staff Sgt. Edmond Lo, a young man who turned down a college scholarship to serve his nation.
Lo, a 23-year-old Salem High graduate, was killed June 13 when a roadside bomb he was trying to disarm exploded in Iraq. He was buried Saturday after a funeral service at Mary Queen of Peace Church in Salem.
Retired Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Thomas Puzzo recalled Lo as a quiet and competent leader during his high school’s Junior ROTC program. According to the New Hampshire Sunday News, Lo was the third serviceman from Salem killed in Iraq since 2006.
Army Staff Sgt. Edmond L. Lo was killed in action on 6/13/09.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Army Spc. Eduardo S. Silva
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Eduardo S. Silva, 25, of Greenland, Calif.
Spc. Silva was assigned to the 563rd Aviation Support Battalion, 159th Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died June 9, 2009 at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, of a non-combat-related incident.
The Salinas Californian -- Sara Silva says she knew something was wrong when two uniformed military officers arrived at the door of her Greenfield home Tuesday.
The officers were there to break the news that her eldest son, Army Spc. Eduardo Silva, had died in Afghanistan.
"He was going to serve his country," said Sara Silva, who last saw her son about two months ago when the 25-year-old left Afghanistan for the Salinas Valley for a visit.
"He thought [joining the Army] was something good for him," she said of her son, who graduated from Greenfield High School in 2002.
The U.S. Department of Defense said Eduardo Silva, a 101st Airborne Division soldier, died from "non-combat related injuries" in Bagram, Afghanistan, on Tuesday.
The Defense Department said it won't release more information regarding his death as officials continue to investigate.
"We really don't know what happened to him," Sara Silva said.
On Thursday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement regarding the fallen soldier, saying that Capitol flags will be flown at half-staff.
According to a Fort Campbell official, Eduardo Silva entered the Army in August 2006 and arrived at the military base in July 2008.
He graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C., and was deployed with the 159 Aviation Brigade in November 2008.
Officials said the soldier worked as a food service specialist an Army cook. He also had spent about six months in Iraq, Sara Silva said.
She said the family now awaits the arrival of the casket carrying her son's body from Delaware to California.
The news of Eduardo Silva's death also came as a shock to others who knew him.
"No, not him," said Soledad teacher Victoria Zieber, when she heard the news.
Zieber was Eduardo Silva's teacher at Vista Verde Middle School and his band instructor since fourth grade in Greenfield. Zieber said Eduardo played the drums.
"He was a gentleman and respectful," she said. "He would come to me and ask, 'Can I help you with anything after class?' "
Ten years ago, Zieber was about four months pregnant with her son and couldn't think of a name.
Zieber said she thought about her best students. She thought of Eduardo, she said. "I named my son after him," she said, "That's how incredible he was."
Army Spc. Eduardo S. Silva was killed in a non-combat related incident on 6/9/09.
Army Spc. Eduardo S. Silva, 25, of Greenland, Calif.
Spc. Silva was assigned to the 563rd Aviation Support Battalion, 159th Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died June 9, 2009 at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, of a non-combat-related incident.
The Salinas Californian -- Sara Silva says she knew something was wrong when two uniformed military officers arrived at the door of her Greenfield home Tuesday.
The officers were there to break the news that her eldest son, Army Spc. Eduardo Silva, had died in Afghanistan.
"He was going to serve his country," said Sara Silva, who last saw her son about two months ago when the 25-year-old left Afghanistan for the Salinas Valley for a visit.
"He thought [joining the Army] was something good for him," she said of her son, who graduated from Greenfield High School in 2002.
The U.S. Department of Defense said Eduardo Silva, a 101st Airborne Division soldier, died from "non-combat related injuries" in Bagram, Afghanistan, on Tuesday.
The Defense Department said it won't release more information regarding his death as officials continue to investigate.
"We really don't know what happened to him," Sara Silva said.
On Thursday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement regarding the fallen soldier, saying that Capitol flags will be flown at half-staff.
According to a Fort Campbell official, Eduardo Silva entered the Army in August 2006 and arrived at the military base in July 2008.
He graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C., and was deployed with the 159 Aviation Brigade in November 2008.
Officials said the soldier worked as a food service specialist an Army cook. He also had spent about six months in Iraq, Sara Silva said.
She said the family now awaits the arrival of the casket carrying her son's body from Delaware to California.
The news of Eduardo Silva's death also came as a shock to others who knew him.
"No, not him," said Soledad teacher Victoria Zieber, when she heard the news.
Zieber was Eduardo Silva's teacher at Vista Verde Middle School and his band instructor since fourth grade in Greenfield. Zieber said Eduardo played the drums.
"He was a gentleman and respectful," she said. "He would come to me and ask, 'Can I help you with anything after class?' "
Ten years ago, Zieber was about four months pregnant with her son and couldn't think of a name.
Zieber said she thought about her best students. She thought of Eduardo, she said. "I named my son after him," she said, "That's how incredible he was."
Army Spc. Eduardo S. Silva was killed in a non-combat related incident on 6/9/09.
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Marine Lance Cpl. Joshua R. Whittle
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Joshua R. Whittle, 20, of Downey, Calif.
LCpl Whittle was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; died June 6, 2009 while supporting combat operations in Now Zad, Afghanistan.
Whittier Daily News -- Joshua Whittle would have made a career out of the Marine Corps.
But the 20-year-old lance corporal from Downey was killed Saturday, just three weeks after arriving in Afghanistan.
Whittle's mother, Crystal Matson, said his desire to serve in the Marines sprang from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City.
"I always wanted him to be a fireman," said Matson, but she said he became a "true-blue Marine."
Whittle received his high school diploma from Columbus Continuation School in Downey on orders from his recruiter and then enlisted as a Marine.
Whittle was based at Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii with the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division.
He was sent to Afghanistan in May and was killed by a land mine three weeks later.
The Department of Defense announced Whittle's death on Tuesday.
Matson said she was out buying a new Marine flag and star for her window when her stepdaughter called to say there was a military man at the door. She knew immediately what had happened.
"I just begged them not to tell me he was dead," Matson said.
"He was an American," said Carl Matson, Whittle's stepfather, who helped raise him. Matson had been in the Army, and when he asked Whittle why he chose the Marines, Whittle responded, "I want the toughest branch."
Matson remembers Whittle as a tough young man, but even as a child he was classy and respectful.
"All he wanted to do was be a Marine," said Crystal Matson, "and he didn't even get to be one for long."
He is survived by his parents and two stepsisters.
Marine Lance Cpl. Joshua R. Whittle was killed in action on 6/6/09.
Marine Lance Cpl. Joshua R. Whittle, 20, of Downey, Calif.
LCpl Whittle was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; died June 6, 2009 while supporting combat operations in Now Zad, Afghanistan.
Whittier Daily News -- Joshua Whittle would have made a career out of the Marine Corps.
But the 20-year-old lance corporal from Downey was killed Saturday, just three weeks after arriving in Afghanistan.
Whittle's mother, Crystal Matson, said his desire to serve in the Marines sprang from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City.
"I always wanted him to be a fireman," said Matson, but she said he became a "true-blue Marine."
Whittle received his high school diploma from Columbus Continuation School in Downey on orders from his recruiter and then enlisted as a Marine.
Whittle was based at Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii with the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division.
He was sent to Afghanistan in May and was killed by a land mine three weeks later.
The Department of Defense announced Whittle's death on Tuesday.
Matson said she was out buying a new Marine flag and star for her window when her stepdaughter called to say there was a military man at the door. She knew immediately what had happened.
"I just begged them not to tell me he was dead," Matson said.
"He was an American," said Carl Matson, Whittle's stepfather, who helped raise him. Matson had been in the Army, and when he asked Whittle why he chose the Marines, Whittle responded, "I want the toughest branch."
Matson remembers Whittle as a tough young man, but even as a child he was classy and respectful.
"All he wanted to do was be a Marine," said Crystal Matson, "and he didn't even get to be one for long."
He is survived by his parents and two stepsisters.
Marine Lance Cpl. Joshua R. Whittle was killed in action on 6/6/09.
Friday, June 05, 2009
Marine Lance Cpl. Robert D. Ulmer
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Robert D. Ulmer, 22, of Landisville, Pa.
LCpl Ulmer was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, II Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune N.C.; died June 5, 2009 as a result of a nonhostile incident in Taqaddum, Iraq.
Lancaster Online -- Michael Mann remembers Rob Ulmer as a kid who never took himself too seriously.
He did the work Mann assigned him without complaint or hesitation when Ulmer was a student at Lancaster County Career & Technology Center's Willow Street campus.
And Ulmer let everyone know from the moment he walked into Mann's class exactly what his plans were upon graduation.
"From day one, he told everyone he was going into the Marine Corps," Mann said.
When Mann got a phone call Saturday from a high school friend of Ulmer's, who told him the kid with the big booming laugh who couldn't wait to be a Marine had died while serving his country in Iraq, the stepfather of two young men in the military was "devastated."
"It totally took my breath away," said Mann, who has one stepson in the Army and another in the Navy. "The way we teach here, you can't help but get attached to your students, and so it really hit me hard."
A 2006 graduate of Hempfield High School, Lance Cpl. Robert D. Ulmer, 22, was killed Friday in Al Anbar province in what the Department of Defense is calling a "nonhostile incident."
There was no new information available Tuesday about Ulmer's death, according to Major Cliff Gilmore, public affairs officer for the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force headquartered at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
"My experience with these types of incidents is the investigators not only want to handle things quickly, but they want to make sure they get it right," Gilmore said. "And besides dealing with this investigation, they've got a full-scale military operation over there in Iraq to deal with."
The son of Douglas and Kim Ulmer of Arizona, formerly of Landisville, Ulmer enlisted in the Marine Corps in July 2006, about a month after he graduated from Hempfield.
Assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, Ulmer was first deployed to Iraq from September 2007 to April 2008, and was sent back with his unit for the second time in March.
Between his deployments, Ulmer last September married Rebecca Feeser, according to county records.
During his senior year at Hempfield, Ulmer enrolled in a class at the Willow Street campus of the Career and Technology Center, where he learned to fix all kinds of motorcycles, recreational vehicles, lawnmowers and other outdoor machines.
Mann, who is now assistant principal of the school, was Ulmer's teacher.
"I don't think he took the class to pursue a career in it," Mann said. "I think he took it for his own personal use. He liked motorcycles, and I think he had a couple that he liked to tinker with."
Mann remembers that whenever he surveyed his students to find out what careers they planned to pursue upon graduation, Ulmer always replied that he was going into the Marines.
"That's all he ever talked about," Mann said. "Not knowing his background, I think serving his country in the military was something both he and his family were very proud of."
Ulmer was a middle-of-the-road student, according to Mann.
"He wasn't at the top of the class, but he wasn't at the bottom, either," he said. "He just did what he was asked to do."
At the Career and Technology Center, students from schools all over Lancaster County are put together in classes designed to teach specific skills, such as repairing outdoor equipment.
"Sometimes, that can create a lot of tension because these are all seniors and they don't know each other," Mann said.
Early on in the 2005-06 school year, Mann said, Ulmer helped "break the tension" in his class one day when he was repairing a motorcycle tire.
"He had straps on the tire that you're supposed to take off when you start to fill the tire with air, but he forgot to take them off," Mann said. "Next thing I know, I hear this loud 'pop' because the sidewall blew out of Rob's tire.
"He laughed it off with his big booming laugh, and that got the other students to laugh. He helped everyone learn we all make mistakes and you just have to move on."
About a week before he graduated from Hempfield High School, Ulmer participated in the ceremony at Willow Street during which seniors receive certificates stating they have successfully completed the programs in which they were enrolled.
Traditionally, a student who has committed to military service is chosen to lead the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of that ceremony.
Ulmer was that student in June 2006.
"Everybody knew he was going into the Marines, so he was picked," Mann said.
As a Marine, Ulmer was awarded the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.
Marine Lance Cpl. Robert D. Ulmer was killed in a non-combat related incident on 6/5/09.
Marine Lance Cpl. Robert D. Ulmer, 22, of Landisville, Pa.
LCpl Ulmer was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, II Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune N.C.; died June 5, 2009 as a result of a nonhostile incident in Taqaddum, Iraq.
Lancaster Online -- Michael Mann remembers Rob Ulmer as a kid who never took himself too seriously.
He did the work Mann assigned him without complaint or hesitation when Ulmer was a student at Lancaster County Career & Technology Center's Willow Street campus.
And Ulmer let everyone know from the moment he walked into Mann's class exactly what his plans were upon graduation.
"From day one, he told everyone he was going into the Marine Corps," Mann said.
When Mann got a phone call Saturday from a high school friend of Ulmer's, who told him the kid with the big booming laugh who couldn't wait to be a Marine had died while serving his country in Iraq, the stepfather of two young men in the military was "devastated."
"It totally took my breath away," said Mann, who has one stepson in the Army and another in the Navy. "The way we teach here, you can't help but get attached to your students, and so it really hit me hard."
A 2006 graduate of Hempfield High School, Lance Cpl. Robert D. Ulmer, 22, was killed Friday in Al Anbar province in what the Department of Defense is calling a "nonhostile incident."
There was no new information available Tuesday about Ulmer's death, according to Major Cliff Gilmore, public affairs officer for the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force headquartered at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
"My experience with these types of incidents is the investigators not only want to handle things quickly, but they want to make sure they get it right," Gilmore said. "And besides dealing with this investigation, they've got a full-scale military operation over there in Iraq to deal with."
The son of Douglas and Kim Ulmer of Arizona, formerly of Landisville, Ulmer enlisted in the Marine Corps in July 2006, about a month after he graduated from Hempfield.
Assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, Ulmer was first deployed to Iraq from September 2007 to April 2008, and was sent back with his unit for the second time in March.
Between his deployments, Ulmer last September married Rebecca Feeser, according to county records.
During his senior year at Hempfield, Ulmer enrolled in a class at the Willow Street campus of the Career and Technology Center, where he learned to fix all kinds of motorcycles, recreational vehicles, lawnmowers and other outdoor machines.
Mann, who is now assistant principal of the school, was Ulmer's teacher.
"I don't think he took the class to pursue a career in it," Mann said. "I think he took it for his own personal use. He liked motorcycles, and I think he had a couple that he liked to tinker with."
Mann remembers that whenever he surveyed his students to find out what careers they planned to pursue upon graduation, Ulmer always replied that he was going into the Marines.
"That's all he ever talked about," Mann said. "Not knowing his background, I think serving his country in the military was something both he and his family were very proud of."
Ulmer was a middle-of-the-road student, according to Mann.
"He wasn't at the top of the class, but he wasn't at the bottom, either," he said. "He just did what he was asked to do."
At the Career and Technology Center, students from schools all over Lancaster County are put together in classes designed to teach specific skills, such as repairing outdoor equipment.
"Sometimes, that can create a lot of tension because these are all seniors and they don't know each other," Mann said.
Early on in the 2005-06 school year, Mann said, Ulmer helped "break the tension" in his class one day when he was repairing a motorcycle tire.
"He had straps on the tire that you're supposed to take off when you start to fill the tire with air, but he forgot to take them off," Mann said. "Next thing I know, I hear this loud 'pop' because the sidewall blew out of Rob's tire.
"He laughed it off with his big booming laugh, and that got the other students to laugh. He helped everyone learn we all make mistakes and you just have to move on."
About a week before he graduated from Hempfield High School, Ulmer participated in the ceremony at Willow Street during which seniors receive certificates stating they have successfully completed the programs in which they were enrolled.
Traditionally, a student who has committed to military service is chosen to lead the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of that ceremony.
Ulmer was that student in June 2006.
"Everybody knew he was going into the Marines, so he was picked," Mann said.
As a Marine, Ulmer was awarded the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.
Marine Lance Cpl. Robert D. Ulmer was killed in a non-combat related incident on 6/5/09.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Army Spc. Charles ‘Dusty’ Parrish
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Charles ‘Dusty’ Parrish, 23, of Jasper, Ala.
Spc. Parrish was assigned to the 5th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.; died June 4, 2009 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered earlier that day in Jalula, Iraq, when his vehicle was struck by an anti-tank grenade.
Was 1 month short of returning home
The Associated Press
JASPER, Ala. — A 23-year-old soldier from Jasper died in rocket-propelled grenade attack in northern Iraq, just about a month shy of his expected return from Iraq next month, his mother said.
Spc. Dusty Parrish died June 4 during a reconnaissance mission to clear land mines, said his mother, Tina Rigsby.
Rigsby said her son was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and had recently re-enlisted. She said he had been in Iraq for 14 months and was to be stationed in Columbus, Ga., after his expected return from Iraq on July 15.
His homecoming was eagerly anticipated by his wife, Ashley, and his 4-year-old son Caden, Rigsby said.
An Army medic, Parrish trained many of the medics who assisted in his surgery after the attack, his mother said.
“They said he gave a good fight,” she said.
Parrish graduated from Walker County High School in 2003 and had been in the Army three years. He enjoyed weightlifting and won some bodybuilding competitions while in the Army, Rigsby said.
“He was very athletic,” she said. “He couldn’t wait to get home because this is his son’s first year to play T-ball. He was going to come home and tell him how to bat.”
Most of all, Rigsby said, her son was always there to cheer her up.
“Dusty was the type of person who would make you laugh,” she said. “He had an innate ability to make you happy when you were sad.”
On Friday afternoon, the family was still struggling with how to tell Caden his dad wouldn’t be coming home.
“I hate that we have to tell his son,” Rigsby said.
Army Spc. Charles ‘Dusty’ Parrish was killed in action on 6/04/09.
Larger Images
Army Spc. Charles ‘Dusty’ Parrish, 23, of Jasper, Ala.
Spc. Parrish was assigned to the 5th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.; died June 4, 2009 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered earlier that day in Jalula, Iraq, when his vehicle was struck by an anti-tank grenade.
Was 1 month short of returning home
The Associated Press
JASPER, Ala. — A 23-year-old soldier from Jasper died in rocket-propelled grenade attack in northern Iraq, just about a month shy of his expected return from Iraq next month, his mother said.
Spc. Dusty Parrish died June 4 during a reconnaissance mission to clear land mines, said his mother, Tina Rigsby.
Rigsby said her son was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and had recently re-enlisted. She said he had been in Iraq for 14 months and was to be stationed in Columbus, Ga., after his expected return from Iraq on July 15.
His homecoming was eagerly anticipated by his wife, Ashley, and his 4-year-old son Caden, Rigsby said.
An Army medic, Parrish trained many of the medics who assisted in his surgery after the attack, his mother said.
“They said he gave a good fight,” she said.
Parrish graduated from Walker County High School in 2003 and had been in the Army three years. He enjoyed weightlifting and won some bodybuilding competitions while in the Army, Rigsby said.
“He was very athletic,” she said. “He couldn’t wait to get home because this is his son’s first year to play T-ball. He was going to come home and tell him how to bat.”
Most of all, Rigsby said, her son was always there to cheer her up.
“Dusty was the type of person who would make you laugh,” she said. “He had an innate ability to make you happy when you were sad.”
On Friday afternoon, the family was still struggling with how to tell Caden his dad wouldn’t be coming home.
“I hate that we have to tell his son,” Rigsby said.
Army Spc. Charles ‘Dusty’ Parrish was killed in action on 6/04/09.
Army Sgt. 1st Class John C. Beale
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class John C. Beale, 39, of Riverdale, Ga.
SFC Beale was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 108th Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition Squadron, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Georgia Army National Guard, Calhoun, Ga.; died June 4, 2009 near Kapisa, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire. Also killed were Maj. Kevin M. Jenrette and Spc. Jeffrey W. Jordan.
Birth: February 11, 1970 in Riverdale, Georgia
Death: June 4, 2009 in Kapisa, Afghanistan
Sgt 1st Class John C. Beale of Riverdale, Georgia graduated from Riverdale High School. He served in the United States Army from 1991 through 1994 and was a veteran of Operation Desert Storm. He later joined the National Guard in 2005 after a strong desire to return to military service.
His father is a former sailor and a military career was also John’s goal in life. In his civilian job, he worked for the Clayton County Water Authority. He was also very involved with the authority’s youth programs and liked to participate in career days at local schools.
After John married he moved to McDonough, Georgia where he lived with his wife Crystal and their two children.
John died at age 39 near Kapisa, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device and small arms fire.
John was a member of Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church. He is survived by his wife, Crystal; children, Christopher and Calye; father, William B. Beale; brothers, Michael and Timothy; grandfather, William R. Beale; father-in-law, David Collier; brother-in-law, David E. Collier among others. Major Kevin Jenrette and Specialist Jeffrey Jordan were also killed in the attack.
Army
National Guard
1st Battalion
108th Reconnaissance
Surveillance and Target Acquisition Squadron
48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
Calhoun, Georgia
Burial is at Camp Memorial Cemetery in Fayetteville, Georgia
Army Sgt. 1st Class John C. Beale was killed in action on 6/4/09.
Army Sgt. 1st Class John C. Beale, 39, of Riverdale, Ga.
SFC Beale was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 108th Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition Squadron, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Georgia Army National Guard, Calhoun, Ga.; died June 4, 2009 near Kapisa, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire. Also killed were Maj. Kevin M. Jenrette and Spc. Jeffrey W. Jordan.
Birth: February 11, 1970 in Riverdale, Georgia
Death: June 4, 2009 in Kapisa, Afghanistan
Sgt 1st Class John C. Beale of Riverdale, Georgia graduated from Riverdale High School. He served in the United States Army from 1991 through 1994 and was a veteran of Operation Desert Storm. He later joined the National Guard in 2005 after a strong desire to return to military service.
His father is a former sailor and a military career was also John’s goal in life. In his civilian job, he worked for the Clayton County Water Authority. He was also very involved with the authority’s youth programs and liked to participate in career days at local schools.
After John married he moved to McDonough, Georgia where he lived with his wife Crystal and their two children.
John died at age 39 near Kapisa, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device and small arms fire.
John was a member of Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church. He is survived by his wife, Crystal; children, Christopher and Calye; father, William B. Beale; brothers, Michael and Timothy; grandfather, William R. Beale; father-in-law, David Collier; brother-in-law, David E. Collier among others. Major Kevin Jenrette and Specialist Jeffrey Jordan were also killed in the attack.
Army
National Guard
1st Battalion
108th Reconnaissance
Surveillance and Target Acquisition Squadron
48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
Calhoun, Georgia
Burial is at Camp Memorial Cemetery in Fayetteville, Georgia
Army Sgt. 1st Class John C. Beale was killed in action on 6/4/09.
Army Sgt. Jeffrey W. Jordan
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Jeffrey W. Jordan, 21, of Rome, Ga.
Sgt. Jordan was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 108th Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition Squadron, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Georgia Army National Guard, Calhoun, Ga.; died June 4, 2009 near Kapisa, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire. Also killed were Sgt. 1st Class John C. Beale and Maj. Kevin M. Jenrette.
DoD News -- Spc. Jeffrey W. Jordan, 21, of Rome, Ga.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 108th Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition Squadron, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Georgia Army National Guard, Calhoun, Ga.; died June 4 near Kapisa, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire.
Jordan, who was employed by Floyd County Prison, had a wife and a 1-year-old son. He enlisted in the Guard in 2006.
Rome Newswire -- A local Floyd County solider in the National Guard was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan on Thursday.
Jeffery W. Jordan was killed during a deployment with the 108th, which is part of the more than 2,000 members of the Macon-based 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team who are spending a year supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
As first reported by RomeNewswire, Jordan, who grew up in Armuchee and was a current resident of Cave Spring, was 21 years old and was employed as a correctional officer at the Floyd County prison.
Jordan was one of three soldiers killed in a town called Kapsia, which is just north of the capitol city of Kabul. Among the other dead are another American and a soldier from another country. According to information Taliban insurgents attacked their vehicle with a roadside bomb and followed up with small arms fire.
It is not known if the other American killed was a member of the 108th.
The unit was sent to assist in the training of Afghan police and military forces.
Warden Jeff Chandler with the prison said, “We are keeping the Jordan family in our prayers after this awful tragedy.” Chandler said Jordan was an exemplary officer and he will be missed.
Army Sgt. Jeffrey W. Jordan was killed in action on 6/4/09.
Army Sgt. Jeffrey W. Jordan, 21, of Rome, Ga.
Sgt. Jordan was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 108th Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition Squadron, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Georgia Army National Guard, Calhoun, Ga.; died June 4, 2009 near Kapisa, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire. Also killed were Sgt. 1st Class John C. Beale and Maj. Kevin M. Jenrette.
DoD News -- Spc. Jeffrey W. Jordan, 21, of Rome, Ga.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 108th Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition Squadron, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Georgia Army National Guard, Calhoun, Ga.; died June 4 near Kapisa, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire.
Jordan, who was employed by Floyd County Prison, had a wife and a 1-year-old son. He enlisted in the Guard in 2006.
Rome Newswire -- A local Floyd County solider in the National Guard was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan on Thursday.
Jeffery W. Jordan was killed during a deployment with the 108th, which is part of the more than 2,000 members of the Macon-based 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team who are spending a year supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
As first reported by RomeNewswire, Jordan, who grew up in Armuchee and was a current resident of Cave Spring, was 21 years old and was employed as a correctional officer at the Floyd County prison.
Jordan was one of three soldiers killed in a town called Kapsia, which is just north of the capitol city of Kabul. Among the other dead are another American and a soldier from another country. According to information Taliban insurgents attacked their vehicle with a roadside bomb and followed up with small arms fire.
It is not known if the other American killed was a member of the 108th.
The unit was sent to assist in the training of Afghan police and military forces.
Warden Jeff Chandler with the prison said, “We are keeping the Jordan family in our prayers after this awful tragedy.” Chandler said Jordan was an exemplary officer and he will be missed.
Army Sgt. Jeffrey W. Jordan was killed in action on 6/4/09.
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