Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Adriana Alvarez, 20, of San Benito, Texas
Pfc. Alvarez was assigned to the 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.; died Feb. 10, 2010 in Baghdad, of injuries sustained while supporting combat operations.
A San Benito family who was looking forward to their soldier's return this summer is now dealing with her death.
"We were counting the days and it just happened.... It's very devastating, shocking," says the sister of 20-year-old Private First Class Adriana Alvarez. A casualty assistance officer knocked on the family's door Wednesday evening to deliver the news. "Every time I have to give a notification... it's very difficult. Each one of them is very difficult," says Master Sgt. John Garcia.
Military officials say Alvarez did not die in combat and her death is under investigation. Alvarez is the Valley's first female soldier to die in Iraq.
The U.S. Army policewoman was found Wednesday in Baghdad with a gunshot wound, her sister said. Military officials were investigating Alvarez’s death, her sister said.
"The family’s overwhelmed," said Lydia Caballero, a spokeswoman for America’s Last Patrol, who said the organization was speaking on the family’s behalf. "The family is very confused," Caballero told reporters early Friday evening. "In the last two or three hours everything began to sink in."
Army Pfc. Adriana Alvarez entered military service fresh out of high school, hoping it would pave the way to a criminal justice career.
She was deployed to Iraq in August and, true to her goal, was serving in the military police. She kept in touch with emails and phone calls from Baghdad to her San Benito home, last calling her mother and three sisters on Monday.
Wednesday night officials told the family that Alvarez had been found dead that morning. She had only recently turned 20. The cause of death remained under investigation.
“That was the last time we saw her, when she came home for her birthday in November,” said Alma Alvarez, 25, the oldest of her sisters. “She was just a normal teenager, 20-year-old, who had dreams and everything. Just knowing she's not going to come back, that breaks my heart.”
Alvarez's portrait in her Army uniform was still on a wall in the family's living room Friday, showing a proud, smiling face.
Alma and Diana Alvarez, 16, spoke of her love of photography and classic rock music, and of her steadfast decision to do her duty in the military. She was brave, they said, brave enough to enlist and proud to be serving her country. She always seemed upbeat and happy. "Every day, we just think it's not real, it's not true,” Diana said.
Her mother, Alicia, who had emigrated to the United States from Matamoros, Mexico, was too grief-stricken to speak to visitors. Alma said she was trying to be strong for the others, including her mother and youngest sister, who is 10.
The family hadn't wanted Adriana to sign up, but had supported her decision, Alma said. She told them she knew what she was getting into. “I do want people to know who she was and how she never complained,” Alma said. “She knew she had to serve her country. It's just hard when you lose somebody you love.”
Her death makes her the first female service member from the Rio Grande Valley to die in the war in Iraq.
“The Rio Grande Valley, as Texas, has lost many — too many — like Pfc. Alvarez,” said Rep. Eddie Lucio III, D-Brownsville, in a prepared statement. “She is unique, however, because she is the first young woman from our community to lose her life in this war. We hope she will be the last soldier that San Benito, the Valley, or the nation must mourn, but realize that there may be others.”
Army Pfc. Adriana Alvarez was killed in action on 2/10/10.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Army Sgt. Adam J. Ray
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Adam J. Ray, 23, of Louisville, Ky.
Sgt. Ray was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.; died Feb. 9, 2010 in southern Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
The Defense Department says Sgt. Adam J. Ray died Tuesday in southern Afghanistan from wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device.
Sgt. Ray was on his first combat deployment and had been in Afghanistan since July, according to an Army press release.
The Army promoted him posthumously to sergeant from his previously held rank of specialist.
He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
Adam Ray enlisted in April, 2005 in Jackson, Miss. After attending basic training at Fort Benning, Ga., he was trained as a patient administration specialist and served a year-long tour of duty at Camp Casey, Korea, the Army said.
In February 2007, after returning to the states, the Army assigned Ray to a medical center at Fort Lewis, Wash., which is now Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Sgt. Ray joined his Stryker brigade a year later as a rifleman, following infantryman training at Fort Benning.
During his service, Ray received several military honors, including the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal-Army Service Ribbon as well as the Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal and the NATO Medal.
At a very early age, Adam Ray let it be known he wanted to help people, and serving in the military became one of his goals in life.
“The way he put it was, he wanted to be a cop, that rode a horse, that worked at Busch Gardens and was in the Army,” Amanda Ray said Friday, laughing sadly at the memory of her younger brother, an Army sergeant who died Tuesday in Afghanistan.
Sgt. Ray, 23, died of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his patrol, according to information the U.S. Army provided to North Dakota’s Congressional delegation and governor.
Adam Ray grew up in Kentucky, but his parents, James and Donna Ray, and other family members moved to West Fargo from Florida last summer when James Ray became pastor at Valley Christian Church in Moorhead, Amanda Ray said.
She described her brother as “the rock of our family” and said her brother’s sense of duty extended to those beyond his family.
“Since he was a baby, this is what he wanted to do,” Amanda Ray said. “He felt like it was his responsibility to protect not just his country, but women and children and people who are innocent overseas as well.”
Family members have not been told details of what happened in Afghanistan, but Amanda Ray said her brother’s best friend and fellow soldier, who was with her brother when he died, has shared some things.
“He told us Adam was laughing and smiling to the end, telling jokes,” Amanda Ray said.
Sgt. Adam J. Ray called his mother last weekend from Afghanistan to let her know he was doing OK, and that his unit was heading back to their home base after a mission.
That is the last time his family heard from the 23-year-old, who the Defense Department said died Feb. 9 in southern Afghanistan from wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device.
“He just called and said his unit was on its way back, and that he loved us all, and promised he would not be a hero,” said Donna Ray, from the family’s home in North Dakota. “But he was a hero.”
The son of a military family, whose father is now a Christian minister, Adam lived in Louisville with his family for a decade. His father, Jim, grew up in Okolona, and the family has several relatives — including aunts, uncles and cousins and paternal grandparents, John and Doris Ray — who still live in the Louisville area, Donna Ray said. Adam’s maternal grandparents, Bobby and Marilyn Sumner, live in Tampa, Fla, where he was born.
Of Louisville, Donna Ray said, “We consider it home.” Adam attended Overdale Elementary School in Hillview and was home schooled before attending Oak Hill Academy, a Christian school in West Point, Miss.
His mother noted that the family maintains strong ties to Okolona Christian Church, where her son’s funeral will be held. Details of the funeral and burial are still being finalized with arrangements being handled by the Arch L. Heady & Son Funeral Home on Preston Highway. A Feb. 24 memorial service also is scheduled at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., where Adam was based, Donna Ray said.
A young man with a ready smile, Adam liked listening to Bob Dylan and Charlie Daniels, his mother said. He had recently taken up guitar, and was planning to travel with his Army buddies when their tour was over,
Donna Ray said the family has been receiving phone calls and words of support from members of the military family in the wake of her son’s death. “Everybody has reached out for us in unbelievable ways. It has been so comforting. We can’t begin to say enough,” she said.
Donna said her son always wanted to make his family proud. He also had a funny side, and she recalled how he would often kid his family by pretending he was a University of Kentucky Wildcat fan when he knew many of them supported the University of Louisville Cardinals.
“He didn’t believe in hurting anyone. He was always protecting people,” she said. “He went out of his way to do things for people.…He was very thoughtful and very loyal.”
Donna Ray said her son, the third of five siblings, was dedicated to his family, which includes his 7-year-old nephew, Christopher, and his two older sisters, Betsy, 29, and Amanda, 26, and his two younger brothers, Zachary, 19, and Seth, 16. He had a tattoo done on his chest of a four-leaf clover that was meant to represent his mother and father, and four siblings, she said.
“Adam knew this could happen,” Donna Ray, said of her son’s death. “He planned for it last time he was home. He wanted to make sure his brothers and sisters were taken care of.…He loved them, and he loved God. He never stopped loving God and he never stopped loving his family.”
Donna Ray said her son never questioned his decision to enter the military. “He died not regretting doing what he was doing,” Donna Ray said. “He loved the Army. He hated the war because there was so much evil and sadness. But he faced it. He was not in the least bit regretting it.”
Adam Ray would have celebrated his 24th birthday on March 9.
North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven and U.S. Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., issued separate statements Friday, extending their sympathies to the Ray family.
“This is truly a sad day as again we mourn the loss of a soldier with North Dakota ties,” Conrad said.
“On behalf of all North Dakotans, our hearts and prayers go out to those who are grieving his loss and we honor Sergeant Ray for his distinguished service and steadfast allegiance to defending our nation and preserving freedom around the world,” Gov. Hoeven said.
Amanda Ray said that after his service in the Army, her brother planned to travel Europe with his best friend before going back to school, possibly to become a history teacher and writer.
“He wanted to write a book about his time over there (in Afghanistan),” Amanda Ray said.
“He was my younger brother, but he was more like a big brother to all of us. He looked out for us, he took care of us,” she said, referring to her family, which includes a sister, Betsy, and two brothers, Zachary and Seth.
“It’s very hard and very unreal to us right now to accept this, because in my heart I don’t feel like he’s gone,” Amanda Ray said.
Adam is one of five children. He is survived by his parents Rev. James and Donna Ray of MN, two sisters Amanda and Elizabeth, two brothers Zachary and Seth as well as paternal grandparents John and Doris Ray of KY and Bobby and Marilyn Sumner of Tampa, FL.
Army Sgt. Adam J. Ray was killed in action on 2/9/10.
Army Sgt. Adam J. Ray, 23, of Louisville, Ky.
Sgt. Ray was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.; died Feb. 9, 2010 in southern Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
The Defense Department says Sgt. Adam J. Ray died Tuesday in southern Afghanistan from wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device.
Sgt. Ray was on his first combat deployment and had been in Afghanistan since July, according to an Army press release.
The Army promoted him posthumously to sergeant from his previously held rank of specialist.
He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
Adam Ray enlisted in April, 2005 in Jackson, Miss. After attending basic training at Fort Benning, Ga., he was trained as a patient administration specialist and served a year-long tour of duty at Camp Casey, Korea, the Army said.
In February 2007, after returning to the states, the Army assigned Ray to a medical center at Fort Lewis, Wash., which is now Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Sgt. Ray joined his Stryker brigade a year later as a rifleman, following infantryman training at Fort Benning.
During his service, Ray received several military honors, including the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal-Army Service Ribbon as well as the Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal and the NATO Medal.
At a very early age, Adam Ray let it be known he wanted to help people, and serving in the military became one of his goals in life.
“The way he put it was, he wanted to be a cop, that rode a horse, that worked at Busch Gardens and was in the Army,” Amanda Ray said Friday, laughing sadly at the memory of her younger brother, an Army sergeant who died Tuesday in Afghanistan.
Sgt. Ray, 23, died of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his patrol, according to information the U.S. Army provided to North Dakota’s Congressional delegation and governor.
Adam Ray grew up in Kentucky, but his parents, James and Donna Ray, and other family members moved to West Fargo from Florida last summer when James Ray became pastor at Valley Christian Church in Moorhead, Amanda Ray said.
She described her brother as “the rock of our family” and said her brother’s sense of duty extended to those beyond his family.
“Since he was a baby, this is what he wanted to do,” Amanda Ray said. “He felt like it was his responsibility to protect not just his country, but women and children and people who are innocent overseas as well.”
Family members have not been told details of what happened in Afghanistan, but Amanda Ray said her brother’s best friend and fellow soldier, who was with her brother when he died, has shared some things.
“He told us Adam was laughing and smiling to the end, telling jokes,” Amanda Ray said.
Sgt. Adam J. Ray called his mother last weekend from Afghanistan to let her know he was doing OK, and that his unit was heading back to their home base after a mission.
That is the last time his family heard from the 23-year-old, who the Defense Department said died Feb. 9 in southern Afghanistan from wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device.
“He just called and said his unit was on its way back, and that he loved us all, and promised he would not be a hero,” said Donna Ray, from the family’s home in North Dakota. “But he was a hero.”
The son of a military family, whose father is now a Christian minister, Adam lived in Louisville with his family for a decade. His father, Jim, grew up in Okolona, and the family has several relatives — including aunts, uncles and cousins and paternal grandparents, John and Doris Ray — who still live in the Louisville area, Donna Ray said. Adam’s maternal grandparents, Bobby and Marilyn Sumner, live in Tampa, Fla, where he was born.
Of Louisville, Donna Ray said, “We consider it home.” Adam attended Overdale Elementary School in Hillview and was home schooled before attending Oak Hill Academy, a Christian school in West Point, Miss.
His mother noted that the family maintains strong ties to Okolona Christian Church, where her son’s funeral will be held. Details of the funeral and burial are still being finalized with arrangements being handled by the Arch L. Heady & Son Funeral Home on Preston Highway. A Feb. 24 memorial service also is scheduled at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., where Adam was based, Donna Ray said.
A young man with a ready smile, Adam liked listening to Bob Dylan and Charlie Daniels, his mother said. He had recently taken up guitar, and was planning to travel with his Army buddies when their tour was over,
Donna Ray said the family has been receiving phone calls and words of support from members of the military family in the wake of her son’s death. “Everybody has reached out for us in unbelievable ways. It has been so comforting. We can’t begin to say enough,” she said.
Donna said her son always wanted to make his family proud. He also had a funny side, and she recalled how he would often kid his family by pretending he was a University of Kentucky Wildcat fan when he knew many of them supported the University of Louisville Cardinals.
“He didn’t believe in hurting anyone. He was always protecting people,” she said. “He went out of his way to do things for people.…He was very thoughtful and very loyal.”
Donna Ray said her son, the third of five siblings, was dedicated to his family, which includes his 7-year-old nephew, Christopher, and his two older sisters, Betsy, 29, and Amanda, 26, and his two younger brothers, Zachary, 19, and Seth, 16. He had a tattoo done on his chest of a four-leaf clover that was meant to represent his mother and father, and four siblings, she said.
“Adam knew this could happen,” Donna Ray, said of her son’s death. “He planned for it last time he was home. He wanted to make sure his brothers and sisters were taken care of.…He loved them, and he loved God. He never stopped loving God and he never stopped loving his family.”
Donna Ray said her son never questioned his decision to enter the military. “He died not regretting doing what he was doing,” Donna Ray said. “He loved the Army. He hated the war because there was so much evil and sadness. But he faced it. He was not in the least bit regretting it.”
Adam Ray would have celebrated his 24th birthday on March 9.
North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven and U.S. Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., issued separate statements Friday, extending their sympathies to the Ray family.
“This is truly a sad day as again we mourn the loss of a soldier with North Dakota ties,” Conrad said.
“On behalf of all North Dakotans, our hearts and prayers go out to those who are grieving his loss and we honor Sergeant Ray for his distinguished service and steadfast allegiance to defending our nation and preserving freedom around the world,” Gov. Hoeven said.
Amanda Ray said that after his service in the Army, her brother planned to travel Europe with his best friend before going back to school, possibly to become a history teacher and writer.
“He wanted to write a book about his time over there (in Afghanistan),” Amanda Ray said.
“He was my younger brother, but he was more like a big brother to all of us. He looked out for us, he took care of us,” she said, referring to her family, which includes a sister, Betsy, and two brothers, Zachary and Seth.
“It’s very hard and very unreal to us right now to accept this, because in my heart I don’t feel like he’s gone,” Amanda Ray said.
Adam is one of five children. He is survived by his parents Rev. James and Donna Ray of MN, two sisters Amanda and Elizabeth, two brothers Zachary and Seth as well as paternal grandparents John and Doris Ray of KY and Bobby and Marilyn Sumner of Tampa, FL.
Army Sgt. Adam J. Ray was killed in action on 2/9/10.
Friday, February 05, 2010
Army Sgt. Dillon B. Foxx
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Dillon B. Foxx, 22, of Traverse City, Mich.
Sgt. Foxx was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Feb. 5, 2010 in Bala Murghab, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
Sgt. Dillon Foxx, a forward observer with 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, died when an improvised explosive device detonated while his unit was patrolling the Murghab District.
"He will be missed by everyone that knew him," said Staff Sgt. Matthew Fitzgerald, Foxx's squad leader. "He was always the first person I would come to for help to get things done. He made my job easy knowing that I could count on him to get the job done. I know that he made a difference in my life and I will try to live my life to the fullest for him."
Foxx, a 22-year-old from Traverse City, Mich., enlisted in the Army in May 2006 at the age of 18. He attended One Station Unit Training at Ft. Sill, Okla., and Basic Airborne School at Ft. Benning, Ga. Upon completion of his training, Foxx reported to Ft. Bragg, where he was assigned to the 1-508th PIR.
In January 2007, Foxx deployed with the unit for a 15-month deployment to Afghanistan.
Foxx was promoted to sergeant in January 2009, and redeployed to Afghanistan last August.
"Sgt. Foxx was the type of paratrooper that makes commanding a company easy," said Capt. Aaron White, Foxx's company commander. "He was a self-starter and always got the job done. I am blessed to have served with heroes like Sgt. Foxx. He will be missed by the entire company, and we pray for his son, Levi, and his family."
Foxx's awards and decorations include an Army Commendation with Valor Device, the Army Commendation with two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Action Badge, and the Basic Parachutist Badge.
Dillon is survived by his mother, Trina Pfau of Manton; father, Robert Lentz of Tennessee; his seven-month-old son, Kaiden Levi Foxx; Kaiden's mother, Jessica Cross; two brothers, Chad (Andrienne) Stewart and their son, Blake, currently stationed with the United States Marine Corps in California, and Dale Blakeslee of Manton; two sisters, Savannah Lentz and Lenzy Blakeslee, both of Manton; grandparents, Linda Stewart, Linda Gale, and Walter Lentz; great-grandmother, Fern (Ben) Chupp; his uncle, Chuck (Bonnie) Stewart; an aunt, Alisha (Les) Wormell; and many other loving family members, friends and comrades of the service.
Army Sgt. Dillon B. Foxx was killed in action on 2/5/10.
Army Sgt. Dillon B. Foxx, 22, of Traverse City, Mich.
Sgt. Foxx was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Feb. 5, 2010 in Bala Murghab, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
Sgt. Dillon Foxx, a forward observer with 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, died when an improvised explosive device detonated while his unit was patrolling the Murghab District.
"He will be missed by everyone that knew him," said Staff Sgt. Matthew Fitzgerald, Foxx's squad leader. "He was always the first person I would come to for help to get things done. He made my job easy knowing that I could count on him to get the job done. I know that he made a difference in my life and I will try to live my life to the fullest for him."
Foxx, a 22-year-old from Traverse City, Mich., enlisted in the Army in May 2006 at the age of 18. He attended One Station Unit Training at Ft. Sill, Okla., and Basic Airborne School at Ft. Benning, Ga. Upon completion of his training, Foxx reported to Ft. Bragg, where he was assigned to the 1-508th PIR.
In January 2007, Foxx deployed with the unit for a 15-month deployment to Afghanistan.
Foxx was promoted to sergeant in January 2009, and redeployed to Afghanistan last August.
"Sgt. Foxx was the type of paratrooper that makes commanding a company easy," said Capt. Aaron White, Foxx's company commander. "He was a self-starter and always got the job done. I am blessed to have served with heroes like Sgt. Foxx. He will be missed by the entire company, and we pray for his son, Levi, and his family."
Foxx's awards and decorations include an Army Commendation with Valor Device, the Army Commendation with two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Action Badge, and the Basic Parachutist Badge.
Dillon is survived by his mother, Trina Pfau of Manton; father, Robert Lentz of Tennessee; his seven-month-old son, Kaiden Levi Foxx; Kaiden's mother, Jessica Cross; two brothers, Chad (Andrienne) Stewart and their son, Blake, currently stationed with the United States Marine Corps in California, and Dale Blakeslee of Manton; two sisters, Savannah Lentz and Lenzy Blakeslee, both of Manton; grandparents, Linda Stewart, Linda Gale, and Walter Lentz; great-grandmother, Fern (Ben) Chupp; his uncle, Chuck (Bonnie) Stewart; an aunt, Alisha (Les) Wormell; and many other loving family members, friends and comrades of the service.
Army Sgt. Dillon B. Foxx was killed in action on 2/5/10.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Army Sgt. 1st Class Matthew S. Sluss-Tiller
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Matthew S. Sluss-Tiller, 35, of Catlettsburg, Ky.
SFC Sluss-Tiller was assigned to the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Feb. 3, 2010 in Timagara, Pakistan, from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Army Sgt. 1st Class David J. Hartman and Army Staff Sgt. Mark A. Stets Jr.
Sgt. 1st Class Matthew S. Sluss-Tiller was born on Feb. 14, 1974, in Ashland, Ky. He graduated from Lawrence County High School in 1993.
He died of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device in the Lower Dir District of Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier Province, Feb. 3, while deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
He enlisted in the United States Army Reserves as a heavy construction mechanic in 1991 and served at the 261st Ordnance Company located at Cross Lanes, West Va. In 1993, he enlisted in the U. S. Army as a signal specialist and served at Fort Bragg N.C., Kitzengin, Germany, and Kuwait.
He was assigned to the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, N.C., in April 2009 and has served as a civil affairs noncommissioned officer in Civil Military Operations Cell and most recently as team sergeant of Civil Affairs Team 622.
During his career, he deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Joint Guardian, Kosovo.
His awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq Campaign Medals, and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. He was also awarded the Senior Parachutist’s Badge, Gold Recruiter’s Badge, and German Jump wings.
Sgt 1st Class Sluss-Tiller is a graduate of the U.S. Army Airborne Course, U.S. Army Jumpmaster Course and Master Jumpmaster Course, Air Movement Operations Course, Military Transition Team Course, Civil Affairs Qualification Course, and the Advanced and Basic Noncommissioned Officer courses.
Matthew Sluss-Tiller, a 1993 graduate of Lawrence County High School, was one of three American troops who died in the blast, which occurred outside a girls’ school in northwestern Pakistan. Three students also died in the blast.
Various news organizations reported that Sluss-Tiller and his fellow soldiers were part of a small unit that trains Pakistani Frontier Troops responsible for security near the country’s border with Afghanistan. Their deaths were the first known U.S. military fatalities in Pakistan’s lawless tribal regions near the Afghan border.
Journalists traveling with the American convoy said the blast hit the vehicle in which the soldiers were riding, an indication that the soldiers were targeted.
Brenda Thornbury, an art teacher at LCHS, said Sluss-Tiller was one of her students in high school, and that the two remained friends even after he graduated.
She said Sluss-Tiller would always stop by her classroom to visit whenever he came to the school to see his mother, Jane Blankenship, a special-needs teacher.
On Thursday, Thornbury recalled Sluss-Tiller as a “wonderful, well-mannered and respectful” young man who expressed a desire to be in the military all throughout high school.
“He was always eager to do whatever he needed to do to serve his country,” she said.
Sluss-Tiller also was deeply religious and had a strong faith in God, she said.
Thornbury said she learned of Sluss-Tiller’s death Wednesday night, and that the news hit her hard. “It just doesn’t seem real,” she said.
She also said Sluss-Tiller’s death was a major topic of conversation among the adults at the high school on Thursday.
Thornbury said she hadn’t spoken to Sluss-Tiller since his mother retired several years ago and moved to North Carolina to be closer to her son, his wife, Melissa, and the couple’s 3-year-old daughter, Hannah.
“She wanted to be able to baby-sit and help take care of her grandchild,” she said.
Sluss-Tiller called her last year and used her as a reference for an overseas mission, she said. “He called me his school mom,” Thornbury said.
The military never called her to talk about her former student, she said. “I knew it was dangerous,” she said.
"Both Matthew and David are heroes in my mind — they volunteered to come to Army Special Operations and the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade, they both believed in what they were doing, and they were committed to helping people in a place where violence against innocent populations was too often commonplace,” brigade commander Col. Michael J. Warmack said in a statement. “In the pursuit of what they believed, they made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Sluss-Tiller and his wife were high school sweethearts, Thornbury said, although she said she didn’t know Melissa Sluss-Tiller very well. Matthew Sluss-Tiller was based out of Fort Bragg. His wife works as a counselor at the base.
He is survived by his wife, Melissa, and daughter Hannah of Sanford, N.C., his mother and stepfather Jane and Forest Blankenship of Sanford, N.C., father and stepmother Edward and Von Tiller of Sevierville, Tenn., and stepsister Selena Dawn Pack.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Matthew S. Sluss-Tiller was killed in action on 2/3/10.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Matthew S. Sluss-Tiller, 35, of Catlettsburg, Ky.
SFC Sluss-Tiller was assigned to the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Feb. 3, 2010 in Timagara, Pakistan, from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Army Sgt. 1st Class David J. Hartman and Army Staff Sgt. Mark A. Stets Jr.
Sgt. 1st Class Matthew S. Sluss-Tiller was born on Feb. 14, 1974, in Ashland, Ky. He graduated from Lawrence County High School in 1993.
He died of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device in the Lower Dir District of Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier Province, Feb. 3, while deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
He enlisted in the United States Army Reserves as a heavy construction mechanic in 1991 and served at the 261st Ordnance Company located at Cross Lanes, West Va. In 1993, he enlisted in the U. S. Army as a signal specialist and served at Fort Bragg N.C., Kitzengin, Germany, and Kuwait.
He was assigned to the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, N.C., in April 2009 and has served as a civil affairs noncommissioned officer in Civil Military Operations Cell and most recently as team sergeant of Civil Affairs Team 622.
During his career, he deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Joint Guardian, Kosovo.
His awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq Campaign Medals, and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. He was also awarded the Senior Parachutist’s Badge, Gold Recruiter’s Badge, and German Jump wings.
Sgt 1st Class Sluss-Tiller is a graduate of the U.S. Army Airborne Course, U.S. Army Jumpmaster Course and Master Jumpmaster Course, Air Movement Operations Course, Military Transition Team Course, Civil Affairs Qualification Course, and the Advanced and Basic Noncommissioned Officer courses.
Matthew Sluss-Tiller, a 1993 graduate of Lawrence County High School, was one of three American troops who died in the blast, which occurred outside a girls’ school in northwestern Pakistan. Three students also died in the blast.
Various news organizations reported that Sluss-Tiller and his fellow soldiers were part of a small unit that trains Pakistani Frontier Troops responsible for security near the country’s border with Afghanistan. Their deaths were the first known U.S. military fatalities in Pakistan’s lawless tribal regions near the Afghan border.
Journalists traveling with the American convoy said the blast hit the vehicle in which the soldiers were riding, an indication that the soldiers were targeted.
Brenda Thornbury, an art teacher at LCHS, said Sluss-Tiller was one of her students in high school, and that the two remained friends even after he graduated.
She said Sluss-Tiller would always stop by her classroom to visit whenever he came to the school to see his mother, Jane Blankenship, a special-needs teacher.
On Thursday, Thornbury recalled Sluss-Tiller as a “wonderful, well-mannered and respectful” young man who expressed a desire to be in the military all throughout high school.
“He was always eager to do whatever he needed to do to serve his country,” she said.
Sluss-Tiller also was deeply religious and had a strong faith in God, she said.
Thornbury said she learned of Sluss-Tiller’s death Wednesday night, and that the news hit her hard. “It just doesn’t seem real,” she said.
She also said Sluss-Tiller’s death was a major topic of conversation among the adults at the high school on Thursday.
Thornbury said she hadn’t spoken to Sluss-Tiller since his mother retired several years ago and moved to North Carolina to be closer to her son, his wife, Melissa, and the couple’s 3-year-old daughter, Hannah.
“She wanted to be able to baby-sit and help take care of her grandchild,” she said.
Sluss-Tiller called her last year and used her as a reference for an overseas mission, she said. “He called me his school mom,” Thornbury said.
The military never called her to talk about her former student, she said. “I knew it was dangerous,” she said.
"Both Matthew and David are heroes in my mind — they volunteered to come to Army Special Operations and the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade, they both believed in what they were doing, and they were committed to helping people in a place where violence against innocent populations was too often commonplace,” brigade commander Col. Michael J. Warmack said in a statement. “In the pursuit of what they believed, they made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Sluss-Tiller and his wife were high school sweethearts, Thornbury said, although she said she didn’t know Melissa Sluss-Tiller very well. Matthew Sluss-Tiller was based out of Fort Bragg. His wife works as a counselor at the base.
He is survived by his wife, Melissa, and daughter Hannah of Sanford, N.C., his mother and stepfather Jane and Forest Blankenship of Sanford, N.C., father and stepmother Edward and Von Tiller of Sevierville, Tenn., and stepsister Selena Dawn Pack.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Matthew S. Sluss-Tiller was killed in action on 2/3/10.
Army Sgt. 1st Class David J. Hartman
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class David J. Hartman, 27, of Merced, Calif.
SFC David Hartman was assigned to the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Feb. 3, 2010 in Timagara, Pakistan, from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Army Sgt. 1st Class Matthew S. Sluss-Tiller and Army Staff Sgt. Mark A. Stets Jr.
A Pardeeville mother grieves the loss of her son, killed during a roadside attack in Pakistan. He is a man the entire city will miss.
As flags fly in Pardeeville tonight they are waving with a new sadness for all those who knew Staff Sergeant David Hartman.
Friend Gene Kyburz says, "He always made sure he was honorable about what he did and I think that's the one thing I'll remember about him." There is perhaps nothing more honorable than risking your life to serve your country. Ultimately it cost Hartman his life when he was killed during a roadside attack in Pakistan Wednesday.
Kyburz says, "It kind of leaves an empty space under your feet. You kind of don't know how to react to it but my heart is with his mother and the rest of the family."
Hartman's mother, Mikail Bacon, is a well known member of this community. Kyburz is a friend who says he met David about 5 years ago.
He says, "It's pretty tough on her, very tough but she's holding up. She's a strong lady. That's gotta be pretty hard on her she was very proud of him."
As Hartman's mother's home sits quietly in Pardeeville, word is quickly spreading throughout this community. Neighbors have nothing but positive things to say about the man they remember.
Kyburz says, "He was just a very likable young man."
It's an attack no one expected would hit this close to home.
Bacon said she just talked to her son a few days ago. He told her he was delivering food to poor people in the area, so she says he died doing what he loved: helping others.
Hartman's father, Greg Hartman, and stepmother, Kate, live in the Clear Lake Riviera, while his mother, Mikail Bacon, lives in Pardeeville, Wisc. Late Friday their pastor, Victor Rogers, who leads the North Shore Christian Fellowship in Upper Lake, said he just returned from picking the Hartmans up from the Sacramento airport.
He said they had just returned from Delaware, where David Hartman's body had arrived from Pakistan. The young man's body is due to return to California next week, but funeral arrangements are currently undecided.
Hartman and wife, Cherise, have a young son, Michael, and were expecting their second child together.
The United Kingdom's Telegraph newspaper reported that the three deaths were believed to be the first US military deaths to occur in Pakistan. The US Embassy in Islamabad reported that in addition to the deaths of Hartman, Sluss-Tiller and Stets, two other soldiers were injured in the bomb blast, which occurred at around 11:20 a.m. Wednesday.
Rear Adm. Hal Pittman, director of Communication at U.S. Central Command, said the three men and their fellow members of the military were in Pakistan at the request of that country's government. The US military had been invited by the Pakistan Frontier Corps to conduct training in Lower Dir, according to the US Embassy. They were attending the opening of a new girls' school that had been renovated through US humanitarian assistance when the bomb went off. Such schools have become a particular target for insurgents, according to recent press reports.
Pittman said the attack demonstrated “the terrorists' lack of respect for life and their willingness to use violence against women and children for advancing their malign vision.” Along with the military casualties, the US Embassy reported that several Pakistani citizens – among them children – were killed and injured in the blast.
The US Embassy condemned the bombing. “The carnage at the school in Lower Dir clearly shows the terrorists' vision. The United States and Pakistan are partners in fighting terrorism – and our people are working together to build schools,” according to an agency statement.
Both Hartman and Stuss-Tiller were civil affairs senior noncommissioned officers and had previously deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of the war on terror, according to a statement from the US Army Special Operations Command.
In November 2002 Hartman deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and in 2004 he supported Operation Iraqi Freedom, according to a Special Forces biography.
"Both Matthew and David are heroes in my mind – they volunteered to come to Army Special Operations and the 95th Civil Affairs Bde. (Airborne), they both believed in what they were doing, and they were committed to helping people in a place where violence against innocent populations was too often commonplace," said Col. Michael J. Warmack, commander, 95th Civil Affairs Bde. "In the pursuit of what they believed, they made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Col. Warmack said the work the men were doing “is terribly important and goes to the heart of strengthening the population’s ability to live free from the stranglehold of extremism.”
The bombing is still under investigation, US Army Special Operations Command reported.
David Hartman was born in Merced in 1982. In 2000 he graduated from Kadena High School on Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan, and immediately enlisted into the US Army, according to a Special Forces biography.
While in the Army he had completed a number of courses and served previous assignments including holding the position of platoon sergeant with Company C, Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, officials reported.
His biography said that he also served in multiple positions with the 50th Signal Battalion, XVIII Airborne Corps, including as an electronic maintenance shop foreman, forced entry switch section team chief and sergeant, senior electronic maintenance technician and senior switch technician.
Officials reported that Hartman's awards included the Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War
Army Sgt. 1st Class David J. Hartman was killed in action on 2/3/10.
Army Sgt. 1st Class David J. Hartman, 27, of Merced, Calif.
SFC David Hartman was assigned to the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Feb. 3, 2010 in Timagara, Pakistan, from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Army Sgt. 1st Class Matthew S. Sluss-Tiller and Army Staff Sgt. Mark A. Stets Jr.
A Pardeeville mother grieves the loss of her son, killed during a roadside attack in Pakistan. He is a man the entire city will miss.
As flags fly in Pardeeville tonight they are waving with a new sadness for all those who knew Staff Sergeant David Hartman.
Friend Gene Kyburz says, "He always made sure he was honorable about what he did and I think that's the one thing I'll remember about him." There is perhaps nothing more honorable than risking your life to serve your country. Ultimately it cost Hartman his life when he was killed during a roadside attack in Pakistan Wednesday.
Kyburz says, "It kind of leaves an empty space under your feet. You kind of don't know how to react to it but my heart is with his mother and the rest of the family."
Hartman's mother, Mikail Bacon, is a well known member of this community. Kyburz is a friend who says he met David about 5 years ago.
He says, "It's pretty tough on her, very tough but she's holding up. She's a strong lady. That's gotta be pretty hard on her she was very proud of him."
As Hartman's mother's home sits quietly in Pardeeville, word is quickly spreading throughout this community. Neighbors have nothing but positive things to say about the man they remember.
Kyburz says, "He was just a very likable young man."
It's an attack no one expected would hit this close to home.
Bacon said she just talked to her son a few days ago. He told her he was delivering food to poor people in the area, so she says he died doing what he loved: helping others.
Hartman's father, Greg Hartman, and stepmother, Kate, live in the Clear Lake Riviera, while his mother, Mikail Bacon, lives in Pardeeville, Wisc. Late Friday their pastor, Victor Rogers, who leads the North Shore Christian Fellowship in Upper Lake, said he just returned from picking the Hartmans up from the Sacramento airport.
He said they had just returned from Delaware, where David Hartman's body had arrived from Pakistan. The young man's body is due to return to California next week, but funeral arrangements are currently undecided.
Hartman and wife, Cherise, have a young son, Michael, and were expecting their second child together.
The United Kingdom's Telegraph newspaper reported that the three deaths were believed to be the first US military deaths to occur in Pakistan. The US Embassy in Islamabad reported that in addition to the deaths of Hartman, Sluss-Tiller and Stets, two other soldiers were injured in the bomb blast, which occurred at around 11:20 a.m. Wednesday.
Rear Adm. Hal Pittman, director of Communication at U.S. Central Command, said the three men and their fellow members of the military were in Pakistan at the request of that country's government. The US military had been invited by the Pakistan Frontier Corps to conduct training in Lower Dir, according to the US Embassy. They were attending the opening of a new girls' school that had been renovated through US humanitarian assistance when the bomb went off. Such schools have become a particular target for insurgents, according to recent press reports.
Pittman said the attack demonstrated “the terrorists' lack of respect for life and their willingness to use violence against women and children for advancing their malign vision.” Along with the military casualties, the US Embassy reported that several Pakistani citizens – among them children – were killed and injured in the blast.
The US Embassy condemned the bombing. “The carnage at the school in Lower Dir clearly shows the terrorists' vision. The United States and Pakistan are partners in fighting terrorism – and our people are working together to build schools,” according to an agency statement.
Both Hartman and Stuss-Tiller were civil affairs senior noncommissioned officers and had previously deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of the war on terror, according to a statement from the US Army Special Operations Command.
In November 2002 Hartman deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and in 2004 he supported Operation Iraqi Freedom, according to a Special Forces biography.
"Both Matthew and David are heroes in my mind – they volunteered to come to Army Special Operations and the 95th Civil Affairs Bde. (Airborne), they both believed in what they were doing, and they were committed to helping people in a place where violence against innocent populations was too often commonplace," said Col. Michael J. Warmack, commander, 95th Civil Affairs Bde. "In the pursuit of what they believed, they made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Col. Warmack said the work the men were doing “is terribly important and goes to the heart of strengthening the population’s ability to live free from the stranglehold of extremism.”
The bombing is still under investigation, US Army Special Operations Command reported.
David Hartman was born in Merced in 1982. In 2000 he graduated from Kadena High School on Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan, and immediately enlisted into the US Army, according to a Special Forces biography.
While in the Army he had completed a number of courses and served previous assignments including holding the position of platoon sergeant with Company C, Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, officials reported.
His biography said that he also served in multiple positions with the 50th Signal Battalion, XVIII Airborne Corps, including as an electronic maintenance shop foreman, forced entry switch section team chief and sergeant, senior electronic maintenance technician and senior switch technician.
Officials reported that Hartman's awards included the Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War
Army Sgt. 1st Class David J. Hartman was killed in action on 2/3/10.
Army Staff Sgt. Mark A. Stets Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Mark A. Stets Jr., 39, of El Cajon, Calif.
SSgt Stets was assigned to the 8th Psychological Operations Battalion (Airborne), 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Feb. 3, 2010 in Timagara, Pakistan, from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Army Sgt. 1st Class David J. Hartman and Army Sgt. 1st Class Matthew S. Sluss-Tiller.
The war on terror hits close to home once again. A soldier with local ties has made the ultimate sacrifice.
Family members say it came as no surprise when Mark Stets, Jr. joined the Navy after graduating high school. His aunt, Mary Ann May, said, “He lived and breathed. He always wanted to serve.”
Mark followed in his father’s footsteps, but then decided to join the Army. He became a Staff Sergeant in the Special Forces. His last mission took him to Pakistan to train troops there.
“The forces that they’re training. Those men had been involved in rebuilding a school there that had been previously destroyed,” said Mary Ann.
The news came Wednesday evening. Staff Sergeant Stets was one of three American soldiers killed by a bomb in Pakistan.
Mary Ann said, “The five young men were accompanying their friends to the dedication of the school when they were hit. Mark had been deployed a number of times in combat missions. Came home fine.”
The husband and father of three was not on duty at the time. From the time he was an infant until he graduated from high school, his summers were spent in Lewiston while his dad served America.
“It’s like a higher family,” said Mark’s uncle Thomas May.
Stets came from a proud military family. A family that wants people to understand the reason for the missions undertaken by America’s bravest. “And that purpose is that eagle and that flag. Because if we didn’t do it, who would?” said Thomas.
His final resting place will be Arlington National Cemetery.
Stets is survived by his wife, Nina, and three daughters, Jessica, December, and Rachael, of Fayetteville, N.C.
Army Staff Sgt. Mark A. Stets Jr. was killed in action on 2/3/10.
Army Staff Sgt. Mark A. Stets Jr., 39, of El Cajon, Calif.
SSgt Stets was assigned to the 8th Psychological Operations Battalion (Airborne), 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Feb. 3, 2010 in Timagara, Pakistan, from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Army Sgt. 1st Class David J. Hartman and Army Sgt. 1st Class Matthew S. Sluss-Tiller.
The war on terror hits close to home once again. A soldier with local ties has made the ultimate sacrifice.
Family members say it came as no surprise when Mark Stets, Jr. joined the Navy after graduating high school. His aunt, Mary Ann May, said, “He lived and breathed. He always wanted to serve.”
Mark followed in his father’s footsteps, but then decided to join the Army. He became a Staff Sergeant in the Special Forces. His last mission took him to Pakistan to train troops there.
“The forces that they’re training. Those men had been involved in rebuilding a school there that had been previously destroyed,” said Mary Ann.
The news came Wednesday evening. Staff Sergeant Stets was one of three American soldiers killed by a bomb in Pakistan.
Mary Ann said, “The five young men were accompanying their friends to the dedication of the school when they were hit. Mark had been deployed a number of times in combat missions. Came home fine.”
The husband and father of three was not on duty at the time. From the time he was an infant until he graduated from high school, his summers were spent in Lewiston while his dad served America.
“It’s like a higher family,” said Mark’s uncle Thomas May.
Stets came from a proud military family. A family that wants people to understand the reason for the missions undertaken by America’s bravest. “And that purpose is that eagle and that flag. Because if we didn’t do it, who would?” said Thomas.
His final resting place will be Arlington National Cemetery.
Stets is survived by his wife, Nina, and three daughters, Jessica, December, and Rachael, of Fayetteville, N.C.
Army Staff Sgt. Mark A. Stets Jr. was killed in action on 2/3/10.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Army Capt. Daniel Whitten
Remember Our Heroes
Army Capt. Daniel Whitten, 28, of Grimes, Iowa
Capt. Whitten was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device Feb. 2, 2010 in Zabul province, Afghanistan. Also killed was Pfc. Zachary G. Lovejoy.
An Iowa soldier who grew up in the Des Moines area and graduated from West Point has been killed in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb, the U.S. Department of Defense said today.
U.S. Army Capt. Daniel P. Whitten, 28, of Grimes, was a 1999 graduate of Johnston High School. He died Tuesday in Zabul Province along with Pfc. Zachary G. Lovejoy, 20, of Albuquerque, N.M., when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device, military officials said.
Capt. Whitten is survived by his wife, Star Whitten, and his parents, Dan and Jill Whitten and a sister, Sarah Whitten Frederickson, a captain in the U.S. Army who is also serving in Afghanistan, military officials said.
The two soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, of Fort Bragg, N.C.
“Capt. Whitten and Pfc. Lovejoy were beloved members of the task force. The lived their lives to the fullest extent possible in everything they did. Their lives inspired us, and their memories will drive us to honor them,” said Lt. Col. David I. Oclander, commander of the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Regiment.
Whitten is the 73rd person with Iowa ties killed in Iraq, Afghanistan or other places from combat, illness or accident since the Iraq war began in March 2003.
Capt. Whitten was a 2004 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., where he received a bachelor’s degree with a double major in mathematics and art, philosophy and literature. He spent one semester at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis during his junior year.
A quote on his yearbook read, “I will show you fear in a handful of dust.”
Army Col. Rick Kerin, head of the U.S. Military Academy's Department of English and Philosophy said today that faculty members recalled Whitten "as a bright and thoughtful student, a most personable cadet."
Whitten was commissioned a second lieutenant in May 2004 and was sent to Iraq for a four-month deployment in 2004. In 2007, he was sent to Afghanistan for a 15-month tour, and he returned again to Afghanistan in last August as commanding officer of Company C, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Regiment.
“Dan and Zachary will be missed by all of C Company,” said First Lt. Scott Haran, a platoon leader in Company C. “We will dedicate ourselves to their memory and to their legacy. To Starr and Mr. and Mrs. Lovejoy, you are in our thoughts and prayers.”
Capt. Whitten's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Commendation Medal with two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Air Assault Badge, the Senior Parachutist's Badge and the Ranger Tab.
Whitten played football at Johnston High School, also working on the student newspaper. In addition, he participated in the ROTC program at Hoover High School in Des Moines.
Johnston High School Associate Principal Jerry Stratton got to know Whitten well as a student during the years that he taught history and government and while he coached football. He said Whitten would also return in the years after his graduation to visit. They had many conversations about about foreign policy and the military and Stratton said he always looked forward to talking with the quiet, thoughtful young man.
"He was the kid who was always doing the right thing. He always stood by his values, and was true to his family and himself. He was the kind of young man who you hoped your own kids would grow up to represent," said Stratton, who acknowledged he was struggling today to come to grips with Whitten's death.
"When I think about kids who are thinking about going into the military, the one thing about Dan is that I always trusted his character as a person who I would want representing our country," Stratton said.
Army Col. Rick Kerin, head of the U.S. Military Academy's Department of English and Philosophy said today that faculty members recalled Whitten "as a bright and thoughtful student, a most personable cadet.
"He clearly demonstrated to us the qualities that we rightly celebrate in those graduates who proceed from West Point to the Army to lead soldiers and care for their families during these challenging times," Kerin said.
Capt. Whitten was the first West Point graduate who received a major from his department to have died in the global war on terrorism 'and the loss is profound on many levels," Kerin said.
Daniel Whitten was honored and remembered on Thursday - at the Iowa Capitol, at Johnston High School, on the historic grounds of West Point, and in the rough-and-tumble countryside of Afghanistan.
Whitten's wife, Starr, told The Des Moines Register that her husband was a graduate of Johnston High School and the U.S. Military Academy. He was on his third deployment in four years of marriage.
Army Capt. Daniel Whitten was killed in action on 2/2/10.
Army Capt. Daniel Whitten, 28, of Grimes, Iowa
Capt. Whitten was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device Feb. 2, 2010 in Zabul province, Afghanistan. Also killed was Pfc. Zachary G. Lovejoy.
An Iowa soldier who grew up in the Des Moines area and graduated from West Point has been killed in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb, the U.S. Department of Defense said today.
U.S. Army Capt. Daniel P. Whitten, 28, of Grimes, was a 1999 graduate of Johnston High School. He died Tuesday in Zabul Province along with Pfc. Zachary G. Lovejoy, 20, of Albuquerque, N.M., when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device, military officials said.
Capt. Whitten is survived by his wife, Star Whitten, and his parents, Dan and Jill Whitten and a sister, Sarah Whitten Frederickson, a captain in the U.S. Army who is also serving in Afghanistan, military officials said.
The two soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, of Fort Bragg, N.C.
“Capt. Whitten and Pfc. Lovejoy were beloved members of the task force. The lived their lives to the fullest extent possible in everything they did. Their lives inspired us, and their memories will drive us to honor them,” said Lt. Col. David I. Oclander, commander of the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Regiment.
Whitten is the 73rd person with Iowa ties killed in Iraq, Afghanistan or other places from combat, illness or accident since the Iraq war began in March 2003.
Capt. Whitten was a 2004 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., where he received a bachelor’s degree with a double major in mathematics and art, philosophy and literature. He spent one semester at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis during his junior year.
A quote on his yearbook read, “I will show you fear in a handful of dust.”
Army Col. Rick Kerin, head of the U.S. Military Academy's Department of English and Philosophy said today that faculty members recalled Whitten "as a bright and thoughtful student, a most personable cadet."
Whitten was commissioned a second lieutenant in May 2004 and was sent to Iraq for a four-month deployment in 2004. In 2007, he was sent to Afghanistan for a 15-month tour, and he returned again to Afghanistan in last August as commanding officer of Company C, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Regiment.
“Dan and Zachary will be missed by all of C Company,” said First Lt. Scott Haran, a platoon leader in Company C. “We will dedicate ourselves to their memory and to their legacy. To Starr and Mr. and Mrs. Lovejoy, you are in our thoughts and prayers.”
Capt. Whitten's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Commendation Medal with two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Air Assault Badge, the Senior Parachutist's Badge and the Ranger Tab.
Whitten played football at Johnston High School, also working on the student newspaper. In addition, he participated in the ROTC program at Hoover High School in Des Moines.
Johnston High School Associate Principal Jerry Stratton got to know Whitten well as a student during the years that he taught history and government and while he coached football. He said Whitten would also return in the years after his graduation to visit. They had many conversations about about foreign policy and the military and Stratton said he always looked forward to talking with the quiet, thoughtful young man.
"He was the kid who was always doing the right thing. He always stood by his values, and was true to his family and himself. He was the kind of young man who you hoped your own kids would grow up to represent," said Stratton, who acknowledged he was struggling today to come to grips with Whitten's death.
"When I think about kids who are thinking about going into the military, the one thing about Dan is that I always trusted his character as a person who I would want representing our country," Stratton said.
Army Col. Rick Kerin, head of the U.S. Military Academy's Department of English and Philosophy said today that faculty members recalled Whitten "as a bright and thoughtful student, a most personable cadet.
"He clearly demonstrated to us the qualities that we rightly celebrate in those graduates who proceed from West Point to the Army to lead soldiers and care for their families during these challenging times," Kerin said.
Capt. Whitten was the first West Point graduate who received a major from his department to have died in the global war on terrorism 'and the loss is profound on many levels," Kerin said.
Daniel Whitten was honored and remembered on Thursday - at the Iowa Capitol, at Johnston High School, on the historic grounds of West Point, and in the rough-and-tumble countryside of Afghanistan.
Whitten's wife, Starr, told The Des Moines Register that her husband was a graduate of Johnston High School and the U.S. Military Academy. He was on his third deployment in four years of marriage.
Army Capt. Daniel Whitten was killed in action on 2/2/10.
Army Pfc. Zachary G. Lovejoy
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Zachary G. Lovejoy, 20, of Albuquerque, N.M.
Pfc. Lovejoy was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device Feb. 2, 2010 in Zabul province, Afghanistan. Also killed was Capt. Daniel Whitten.
Zachary Lovejoy enlisted in the Army as an infantryman in August 2008, attending One Station Unit Training and Basic Airborne School at Fort Benning, Ga. He was assigned as assistant machine gunner with the 1-508th PIR at Fort Bragg. He was serving on his first deployment.
Pfc. Lovejoy's awards and decorations include the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Basic Parachutist's Badge.
A friend, Christopher Whippo, said Lovejoy was motivated and wanted to do something with his life.
Zach Lovejoy graduated in 2008 from Albuquerque's La Cueva High School, then joined the Army. The school's athletic director, Larry Waters, says he played football and ran track during his freshman and sophomore years and wrestled.
His friends say he never met a stranger and tell us he was living his dream when he laid his life down for his country.
"He died doing something he wanted to do. He wanted to be a soldier and he wanted to be in the Army. He joined us his junior year in the program with the ultimate goal of joining the military," First Sgt. Alberto Griego said.
Lovejoy participated in Junior ROTC in high school where he made quite an impression on Griego, his instructor. He joined the military straight out of high school after playing football, wrestling and running track.
"Great individual, he'd give you the shirt off his back if he could. He'd help any student out regardless if you were in the ROTC program or not," Griego said.
Lovejoy, who was engaged, died Tuesday in Afghanistan. He's the first ROTC Cadet that Griego has taught who died in combat.
"But this one really hits home because this is one of mine, one of my kids. But it reminds me that I still have about another 30 or 40 cadets, former students that are in the military right now that are in harms way in Iraq and Afghanistan that this could happen to them as well," Griego said.
That's why 1st Sgt. Griego said he will continue to pray for the men and women serving this country, while he mourns the loss of a student, friend, and hero.
"There's no greater individual than that person that's willing to sacrifice their life for our nation. Zach is just a great individual and we're truly going to miss him," Griego said.
Army Pfc. Zachary G. Lovejoy was killed in action 2/2/10.
Army Pfc. Zachary G. Lovejoy, 20, of Albuquerque, N.M.
Pfc. Lovejoy was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device Feb. 2, 2010 in Zabul province, Afghanistan. Also killed was Capt. Daniel Whitten.
Zachary Lovejoy enlisted in the Army as an infantryman in August 2008, attending One Station Unit Training and Basic Airborne School at Fort Benning, Ga. He was assigned as assistant machine gunner with the 1-508th PIR at Fort Bragg. He was serving on his first deployment.
Pfc. Lovejoy's awards and decorations include the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Basic Parachutist's Badge.
A friend, Christopher Whippo, said Lovejoy was motivated and wanted to do something with his life.
Zach Lovejoy graduated in 2008 from Albuquerque's La Cueva High School, then joined the Army. The school's athletic director, Larry Waters, says he played football and ran track during his freshman and sophomore years and wrestled.
His friends say he never met a stranger and tell us he was living his dream when he laid his life down for his country.
"He died doing something he wanted to do. He wanted to be a soldier and he wanted to be in the Army. He joined us his junior year in the program with the ultimate goal of joining the military," First Sgt. Alberto Griego said.
Lovejoy participated in Junior ROTC in high school where he made quite an impression on Griego, his instructor. He joined the military straight out of high school after playing football, wrestling and running track.
"Great individual, he'd give you the shirt off his back if he could. He'd help any student out regardless if you were in the ROTC program or not," Griego said.
Lovejoy, who was engaged, died Tuesday in Afghanistan. He's the first ROTC Cadet that Griego has taught who died in combat.
"But this one really hits home because this is one of mine, one of my kids. But it reminds me that I still have about another 30 or 40 cadets, former students that are in the military right now that are in harms way in Iraq and Afghanistan that this could happen to them as well," Griego said.
That's why 1st Sgt. Griego said he will continue to pray for the men and women serving this country, while he mourns the loss of a student, friend, and hero.
"There's no greater individual than that person that's willing to sacrifice their life for our nation. Zach is just a great individual and we're truly going to miss him," Griego said.
Army Pfc. Zachary G. Lovejoy was killed in action 2/2/10.
Monday, February 01, 2010
Army Pfc. David C. Armstrong
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. David C. Armstrong, 21, of Zanesville, Ohio
Pfc. Armstrong was assigned to the 57th Military Police Company, 8th Military Police Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, U.S. Army Pacific, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Feb. 1, 2010 in Baghdad of injuries sustained from a vehicular accident. Also killed was Pfc. Kenneth T. Butler.
Ohio soldier killed when vehicle overturns in ravine
The Associated Press
ZANESVILLE, Ohio — An Ohio soldier killed in Iraq when the Humvee he was riding in overturned in a ravine loved sports and wanted to go into law enforcement, his uncle said.
Army Pfc. David C. Armstrong, 21, of Zanesville, died Thursday in Baghdad, along with fellow soldier Pfc. Tyler Butler of East Liverpool, said Scott Armstrong, who was speaking on behalf of the Armstrong family.
Scott Armstrong said his nephew played football and baseball in high school, practiced karate and loved to ride motorcycles and four-wheelers.
David Armstrong was born in Galion and moved to Zanesville with his parents, Dave and Marcie Armstrong, when he was a preschooler. He graduated from Maysville High School in 2004, his family said.
His father said the Humvee crash is still under investigation. Military officials informed the family of David Armstrong’s death on Friday morning.
Scott Armstrong said his nephew joined the military because it promised the education he needed to go into law enforcement. He loved animals, including his dogs Bo, Razor and Gage, and wanted to be a law enforcement canine handler.
David Armstrong, who was assigned to the 372nd MP Battalion, 57th MP Company, left for Iraq in June of last year. He was scheduled to return on leave this week and to finish his tour in June.
Scott Armstrong said the family had put off celebrating Christmas, hoping to include his nephew when he visited home.
David Armstrong was married to his high school sweetheart, Tasia Warne, his uncle said.
“David was a very special young man with a bright future ahead of him,” Scott Armstrong said. “Everyone is devastated by his loss. He is sadly missed by his entire family and many, many friends.”
Butler, also killed Thursday, was a 2004 graduate of East Liverpool High School, and was to meet his newborn son, Austin, when he returned on leave Sunday. The baby was born Jan. 23.
Two Hawaii-based soldiers die in Iraq
The Associated Press
HONOLULU — Two Hawaii-based soldiers died in Iraq last week from non-combat-related causes, the military said Feb. 5.
Pfc. David C. Armstrong of Zanesville, Ohio, and Pfc. Kenneth T. Butler of East Liverpool, Ohio, died Feb. 1.
An Army news release said their deaths are under investigation. It gave no further details, and it was unclear if they were killed in the same incident.
Both soldiers were assigned to the 57th Military Police Company in the 8th Military Police Brigade. They were part of the 8th Theater Sustainment Command, based at Schofield Barracks.
Armstrong’s family said the soldier was killed when the Humvee he was riding in overturned in a ravine. Dave Armstrong, his father, said the crash was still under investigation.
Scott Armstrong said his nephew played football and baseball in high school, practiced karate and loved to ride motorcycles and four-wheelers.
“David was a very special young man with a bright future ahead of him,” his uncle said. “Everyone is devastated by his loss. He is sadly missed by his entire family and many, many friends.”
Scott Armstrong said his nephew joined the military because it promised the education he needed to go into law enforcement. He loved animals, including his dogs Bo, Razor and Gage, and wanted to be a law enforcement canine handler.
The soldier left for Iraq in June. He was scheduled to return on leave this week and to finish his tour in June.
Scott Armstrong said the family had put off celebrating Christmas so they could include his nephew when he visited.
Butler, who like Armstrong was 21, was to meet his newborn son, Austin, when he returned on leave Sunday. The baby was born Jan. 23.
‘He laid down his life for us’
By Kathy Thompson
Coshocton Tribune
ZANESVILLE — Cpl. David C. Armstrong was a man of valor with the spirit it takes to lay down one’s life for his country.
Armstrong, 21, paid the ultimate sacrifice when he was killed in a Humvee accident Feb. 1, 2007, in Baghdad. He was a member of the Army 57th Military Police Company and had deployed to Iraq in July of 2006.
Armstrong, who was a graduate of Maysville High School, died just nine days before he was to come home to his family and friends, hundreds of whom gathered in the Cornerstone Full Gospel Church Saturday afternoon to tell him goodbye instead of welcoming him home.
Joining the Army to “selflessly, honorably serve his nation,” Brig. Gen. David Quantock told the crowd that “David had what it took to be a solider. He had courage and commitment. He had the willingness to go into harm’s way. He had the spirit.”
Quantock presented Armstrong’s family with the Bronze Star Medal just prior to addressing the crowd, telling them that Armstrong brought security to America and there was no greater honor than to give the most selfless sacrifice — that of himself.
“David was among the finest America has to offer,” Quantock said. “He was tough as nails and a model of courage, having more than 100 combat missions under his belt.”
“Soldiering came natural to David,” Quantock said. “He set the bar so high as a driver that it will be hard to find someone to compare him to.”
Armstrong’s voice was heard during the service as one of his closest friends, Jordan Wilkes, read a letter that David had written while he was stationed in Iraq.
Armstrong said he loved to have fun and didn’t see much sense in living without it.
“I’ve been through a lot,” Armstrong’s letter read. “I’ve seen a lot of things. The Army is the best worst thing I’ve ever done.”
Armstrong wrote how he had seen the dark side of life while stationed in a war zone and how he had lost a lot of things that were dear to him.
But, he also wrote that all that was only “making him stronger.”
“I believe I’m destined for greatness,” Armstrong wrote. “I’m laid-back, yet outgoing. I can be the life of a party or I can sit back and watch. I’m well-rounded.”
Wilkes had to fight back his grief as he told the crowd that Armstrong was a “free spirit who feared nothing.”
“And he was goofy with the cheesiest smile,” Wilkes said. “He had a laugh that was so enchanting you had to join in.”
Armstrong loved the outdoors, was a sports star, a daredevil and a war hero, Wilkes said.
“He wanted to come home and see Razor’s puppies, he wanted to see his family, go to college, be a father ... he wanted to live,” Wilkes said.
“But David died as a solider,” Wilkes said. “He died 3,000 miles away without kissing his wife goodnight, without hugging his parents one more time. He laid down his life for us.”
According to Wilkes, Armstrong had a love for macaroni and cheese, Ramen noodles, cheese, his motorcycles, his 2001 Mustang GT, his dogs, his wife and his family.
“David had more fun when he was young than most people have in their entire lives,” Wilkes said. “He showed me what it means to be a friend.”
Laura Garrett, Armstrong’s sister, read a letter prepared by her parents, David and Marcie, which told Armstrong how proud they are of him and how they will never forget him.
“You are a good person,” his mother is quoted as saying. “I know you wanted a purpose in life. You had a beautiful smile. I could pick you out of any crowd in a picture just by seeing all your teeth when you smiled. I know pieces of the Army’s hearts have been torn out by losing you.”
The letter went on to say that Armstrong will always be “our baby.”
“Life will never be the same without you,” David and Marcie wrote.
Pastor Marc Caton told the crowd that Armstrong had a mission in life — to be himself.
“He was a man who was good at anything and could do just about everything,” Caton said. “He wanted to be successful and someday become a cop.”
Caton also said Armstrong was a friend who was filled with humor, honor and pride.
“Soldiers are mighty men of valor,” Caton said. “That’s what David was. A mighty man of valor.”
Army Pfc. David C. Armstrong was killed in a vehicle accident on 2/1/10.
Army Pfc. David C. Armstrong, 21, of Zanesville, Ohio
Pfc. Armstrong was assigned to the 57th Military Police Company, 8th Military Police Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, U.S. Army Pacific, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Feb. 1, 2010 in Baghdad of injuries sustained from a vehicular accident. Also killed was Pfc. Kenneth T. Butler.
Ohio soldier killed when vehicle overturns in ravine
The Associated Press
ZANESVILLE, Ohio — An Ohio soldier killed in Iraq when the Humvee he was riding in overturned in a ravine loved sports and wanted to go into law enforcement, his uncle said.
Army Pfc. David C. Armstrong, 21, of Zanesville, died Thursday in Baghdad, along with fellow soldier Pfc. Tyler Butler of East Liverpool, said Scott Armstrong, who was speaking on behalf of the Armstrong family.
Scott Armstrong said his nephew played football and baseball in high school, practiced karate and loved to ride motorcycles and four-wheelers.
David Armstrong was born in Galion and moved to Zanesville with his parents, Dave and Marcie Armstrong, when he was a preschooler. He graduated from Maysville High School in 2004, his family said.
His father said the Humvee crash is still under investigation. Military officials informed the family of David Armstrong’s death on Friday morning.
Scott Armstrong said his nephew joined the military because it promised the education he needed to go into law enforcement. He loved animals, including his dogs Bo, Razor and Gage, and wanted to be a law enforcement canine handler.
David Armstrong, who was assigned to the 372nd MP Battalion, 57th MP Company, left for Iraq in June of last year. He was scheduled to return on leave this week and to finish his tour in June.
Scott Armstrong said the family had put off celebrating Christmas, hoping to include his nephew when he visited home.
David Armstrong was married to his high school sweetheart, Tasia Warne, his uncle said.
“David was a very special young man with a bright future ahead of him,” Scott Armstrong said. “Everyone is devastated by his loss. He is sadly missed by his entire family and many, many friends.”
Butler, also killed Thursday, was a 2004 graduate of East Liverpool High School, and was to meet his newborn son, Austin, when he returned on leave Sunday. The baby was born Jan. 23.
Two Hawaii-based soldiers die in Iraq
The Associated Press
HONOLULU — Two Hawaii-based soldiers died in Iraq last week from non-combat-related causes, the military said Feb. 5.
Pfc. David C. Armstrong of Zanesville, Ohio, and Pfc. Kenneth T. Butler of East Liverpool, Ohio, died Feb. 1.
An Army news release said their deaths are under investigation. It gave no further details, and it was unclear if they were killed in the same incident.
Both soldiers were assigned to the 57th Military Police Company in the 8th Military Police Brigade. They were part of the 8th Theater Sustainment Command, based at Schofield Barracks.
Armstrong’s family said the soldier was killed when the Humvee he was riding in overturned in a ravine. Dave Armstrong, his father, said the crash was still under investigation.
Scott Armstrong said his nephew played football and baseball in high school, practiced karate and loved to ride motorcycles and four-wheelers.
“David was a very special young man with a bright future ahead of him,” his uncle said. “Everyone is devastated by his loss. He is sadly missed by his entire family and many, many friends.”
Scott Armstrong said his nephew joined the military because it promised the education he needed to go into law enforcement. He loved animals, including his dogs Bo, Razor and Gage, and wanted to be a law enforcement canine handler.
The soldier left for Iraq in June. He was scheduled to return on leave this week and to finish his tour in June.
Scott Armstrong said the family had put off celebrating Christmas so they could include his nephew when he visited.
Butler, who like Armstrong was 21, was to meet his newborn son, Austin, when he returned on leave Sunday. The baby was born Jan. 23.
‘He laid down his life for us’
By Kathy Thompson
Coshocton Tribune
ZANESVILLE — Cpl. David C. Armstrong was a man of valor with the spirit it takes to lay down one’s life for his country.
Armstrong, 21, paid the ultimate sacrifice when he was killed in a Humvee accident Feb. 1, 2007, in Baghdad. He was a member of the Army 57th Military Police Company and had deployed to Iraq in July of 2006.
Armstrong, who was a graduate of Maysville High School, died just nine days before he was to come home to his family and friends, hundreds of whom gathered in the Cornerstone Full Gospel Church Saturday afternoon to tell him goodbye instead of welcoming him home.
Joining the Army to “selflessly, honorably serve his nation,” Brig. Gen. David Quantock told the crowd that “David had what it took to be a solider. He had courage and commitment. He had the willingness to go into harm’s way. He had the spirit.”
Quantock presented Armstrong’s family with the Bronze Star Medal just prior to addressing the crowd, telling them that Armstrong brought security to America and there was no greater honor than to give the most selfless sacrifice — that of himself.
“David was among the finest America has to offer,” Quantock said. “He was tough as nails and a model of courage, having more than 100 combat missions under his belt.”
“Soldiering came natural to David,” Quantock said. “He set the bar so high as a driver that it will be hard to find someone to compare him to.”
Armstrong’s voice was heard during the service as one of his closest friends, Jordan Wilkes, read a letter that David had written while he was stationed in Iraq.
Armstrong said he loved to have fun and didn’t see much sense in living without it.
“I’ve been through a lot,” Armstrong’s letter read. “I’ve seen a lot of things. The Army is the best worst thing I’ve ever done.”
Armstrong wrote how he had seen the dark side of life while stationed in a war zone and how he had lost a lot of things that were dear to him.
But, he also wrote that all that was only “making him stronger.”
“I believe I’m destined for greatness,” Armstrong wrote. “I’m laid-back, yet outgoing. I can be the life of a party or I can sit back and watch. I’m well-rounded.”
Wilkes had to fight back his grief as he told the crowd that Armstrong was a “free spirit who feared nothing.”
“And he was goofy with the cheesiest smile,” Wilkes said. “He had a laugh that was so enchanting you had to join in.”
Armstrong loved the outdoors, was a sports star, a daredevil and a war hero, Wilkes said.
“He wanted to come home and see Razor’s puppies, he wanted to see his family, go to college, be a father ... he wanted to live,” Wilkes said.
“But David died as a solider,” Wilkes said. “He died 3,000 miles away without kissing his wife goodnight, without hugging his parents one more time. He laid down his life for us.”
According to Wilkes, Armstrong had a love for macaroni and cheese, Ramen noodles, cheese, his motorcycles, his 2001 Mustang GT, his dogs, his wife and his family.
“David had more fun when he was young than most people have in their entire lives,” Wilkes said. “He showed me what it means to be a friend.”
Laura Garrett, Armstrong’s sister, read a letter prepared by her parents, David and Marcie, which told Armstrong how proud they are of him and how they will never forget him.
“You are a good person,” his mother is quoted as saying. “I know you wanted a purpose in life. You had a beautiful smile. I could pick you out of any crowd in a picture just by seeing all your teeth when you smiled. I know pieces of the Army’s hearts have been torn out by losing you.”
The letter went on to say that Armstrong will always be “our baby.”
“Life will never be the same without you,” David and Marcie wrote.
Pastor Marc Caton told the crowd that Armstrong had a mission in life — to be himself.
“He was a man who was good at anything and could do just about everything,” Caton said. “He wanted to be successful and someday become a cop.”
Caton also said Armstrong was a friend who was filled with humor, honor and pride.
“Soldiers are mighty men of valor,” Caton said. “That’s what David was. A mighty man of valor.”
Army Pfc. David C. Armstrong was killed in a vehicle accident on 2/1/10.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Army Spc. Marc P. Decoteau
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Marc P. Decoteau, 19, of Waterville Valley, N.H.
Spc. Decoteau was assigned to the 6th Psychological Operations Battalion (Airborne), 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Jan. 29, 2010 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained while supporting combat operations.
Small resort town suffers another war casualty
The Associated Press
WATERVILLE VALLEY, N.H. — This small town is reeling from the death of another local resident who died in military action. Army Pfc. Marc Paul Decoteau was killed in action in Afghanistan on Jan. 29, according to military officials.
Decoteau was stationed in Afghanistan as part of a Psychological Operations unit based out of Fort Bragg, N.C., Maj. Greg Heilshorn of the New Hampshire National Guard told the New Hampshire Union Leader. His remains were to return Jan. 31 at Dover, Del., Air Force Base, military officials said.
Decoteau was the son of Mark and Nancy Decoteau of Waterville Valley. He enlisted in the Army after his graduation in 2008 from Plymouth Regional High School.
Four years ago, the community suffered another war loss when Army Capt. Doug DiCenzo, another Plymouth Regional graduate, was killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad.
Decoteau was an outstanding student-athlete at Plymouth Regional High School, where his football coach, Chuck Lenahan, said he was “as good as they come.”
“He was there every day at practice, doing anything he could to benefit the team,” Lenahan said. “He was one of those kids who never got in trouble. Everyone liked him.”
Close family friend Bill Dauer of Plymouth — his son, Spencer, played football with Marc Decoteau — said grief has hit the community “like a ton of bricks.”
“It’s been very devastating and traumatic,” said Dauer, who attended West Point in the early 1980s with Decoteau’s father, Mark.
Mark Decoteau, the soldier’s father, is town manager in Waterville Valley, which has about 300 year-round residents. The loss also is being felt in Warren, where Nancy Decoteau is town administrator.
Decouteau’s funeral scheduled
The Associated Press
PLYMOUTH, N.H. — A funeral is planned this weekend for a New Hampshire soldier killed in Afghanistan.
Nineteen-year-old Army Spc. Marc Paul Decoteau of Waterville Valley was killed Jan. 29.
WMUR-TV says a memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Feb. 6 at Decoteau’s alma mater, Plymouth Regional High School.
Decoteau’s family released a statement Feb. 3 thanking everyone in their community and the state for their support.
Instead of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Marc P. Decoteau Memorial Fund at Community Guarantee Savings Bank in Plymouth to benefit the Plymouth Regional High School lacrosse team.
Hundreds witness fallen soldier’s return
The Associated Press
PLYMOUTH, N.H. — Hundreds of people in a New Hampshire town have honored a local soldier who was killed in Afghanistan.
Schoolchildren, Boy Scout troops and high school athletic teams were among those who stood near the Douglas Dicenzo Memorial Bridge in Plymouth on Feb. 5 to pay tribute to 19-year-old Army Spc. Marc Decoteau, whose casket was escorted by state police and fire trucks in an hour-long procession from Concord. Decoteau died Jan. 29.
He enlisted in the Army after his 2008 graduation from Plymouth Regional High School, where he was remembered as an outstanding student-athlete, helping to win two state football championships. His family lives in Waterville Valley.
A funeral service is scheduled at the school Feb. 6.
Army Spc. Marc P. Decoteau was killed in action on 1/29/10.
Army Spc. Marc P. Decoteau, 19, of Waterville Valley, N.H.
Spc. Decoteau was assigned to the 6th Psychological Operations Battalion (Airborne), 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Jan. 29, 2010 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained while supporting combat operations.
Small resort town suffers another war casualty
The Associated Press
WATERVILLE VALLEY, N.H. — This small town is reeling from the death of another local resident who died in military action. Army Pfc. Marc Paul Decoteau was killed in action in Afghanistan on Jan. 29, according to military officials.
Decoteau was stationed in Afghanistan as part of a Psychological Operations unit based out of Fort Bragg, N.C., Maj. Greg Heilshorn of the New Hampshire National Guard told the New Hampshire Union Leader. His remains were to return Jan. 31 at Dover, Del., Air Force Base, military officials said.
Decoteau was the son of Mark and Nancy Decoteau of Waterville Valley. He enlisted in the Army after his graduation in 2008 from Plymouth Regional High School.
Four years ago, the community suffered another war loss when Army Capt. Doug DiCenzo, another Plymouth Regional graduate, was killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad.
Decoteau was an outstanding student-athlete at Plymouth Regional High School, where his football coach, Chuck Lenahan, said he was “as good as they come.”
“He was there every day at practice, doing anything he could to benefit the team,” Lenahan said. “He was one of those kids who never got in trouble. Everyone liked him.”
Close family friend Bill Dauer of Plymouth — his son, Spencer, played football with Marc Decoteau — said grief has hit the community “like a ton of bricks.”
“It’s been very devastating and traumatic,” said Dauer, who attended West Point in the early 1980s with Decoteau’s father, Mark.
Mark Decoteau, the soldier’s father, is town manager in Waterville Valley, which has about 300 year-round residents. The loss also is being felt in Warren, where Nancy Decoteau is town administrator.
Decouteau’s funeral scheduled
The Associated Press
PLYMOUTH, N.H. — A funeral is planned this weekend for a New Hampshire soldier killed in Afghanistan.
Nineteen-year-old Army Spc. Marc Paul Decoteau of Waterville Valley was killed Jan. 29.
WMUR-TV says a memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Feb. 6 at Decoteau’s alma mater, Plymouth Regional High School.
Decoteau’s family released a statement Feb. 3 thanking everyone in their community and the state for their support.
Instead of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Marc P. Decoteau Memorial Fund at Community Guarantee Savings Bank in Plymouth to benefit the Plymouth Regional High School lacrosse team.
Hundreds witness fallen soldier’s return
The Associated Press
PLYMOUTH, N.H. — Hundreds of people in a New Hampshire town have honored a local soldier who was killed in Afghanistan.
Schoolchildren, Boy Scout troops and high school athletic teams were among those who stood near the Douglas Dicenzo Memorial Bridge in Plymouth on Feb. 5 to pay tribute to 19-year-old Army Spc. Marc Decoteau, whose casket was escorted by state police and fire trucks in an hour-long procession from Concord. Decoteau died Jan. 29.
He enlisted in the Army after his 2008 graduation from Plymouth Regional High School, where he was remembered as an outstanding student-athlete, helping to win two state football championships. His family lives in Waterville Valley.
A funeral service is scheduled at the school Feb. 6.
Army Spc. Marc P. Decoteau was killed in action on 1/29/10.
Army Capt. David J. Thompson
Remember Our Heroes
Army Capt. David J. Thompson, 39, of Hooker, Okla.
Capt Thompson was assigned to the 3rd Battalion 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Jan. 29, 2010 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained while supporting combat operations.
Served in Army, Guard for 21 years
The Associated Press
David J. Thompson was a compassionate, understanding man who had a heartwarming laugh and had wanted to be a soldier since he was a youngster, according to notes left by friends in an online memorial.
Many referred to him as John Paul or simply “J.P.” Douglas Jenison of Ohio called him “one of the greatest men I ever knew and served with.”
Thompson, 39, of Hooker, Okla., was killed Jan. 29 in Wardak province, Afghanistan. The Army said only that he died of injuries from an incident that is under investigation. He was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C., and was on his second deployment to Afghanistan.
He enlisted in the Army in 1989, beginning a career that would take him from South Carolina to Alaska and included humanitarian aid deployments with the North Carolina National Guard.
From 1999 to 2002, he served in the Guard and attended East Carolina University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. He was commissioned as a chemical officer.
Thompson lived near Fort Bragg with his wife, Emily, and daughters Isabelle and Abigail.
Survivors include his parents, Charles and Freida Thompson; and a sister, Alisha Mueller.
Army Capt. David J. Thompson was killed in action on 1/29/10.
Army Capt. David J. Thompson, 39, of Hooker, Okla.
Capt Thompson was assigned to the 3rd Battalion 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Jan. 29, 2010 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained while supporting combat operations.
Served in Army, Guard for 21 years
The Associated Press
David J. Thompson was a compassionate, understanding man who had a heartwarming laugh and had wanted to be a soldier since he was a youngster, according to notes left by friends in an online memorial.
Many referred to him as John Paul or simply “J.P.” Douglas Jenison of Ohio called him “one of the greatest men I ever knew and served with.”
Thompson, 39, of Hooker, Okla., was killed Jan. 29 in Wardak province, Afghanistan. The Army said only that he died of injuries from an incident that is under investigation. He was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C., and was on his second deployment to Afghanistan.
He enlisted in the Army in 1989, beginning a career that would take him from South Carolina to Alaska and included humanitarian aid deployments with the North Carolina National Guard.
From 1999 to 2002, he served in the Guard and attended East Carolina University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. He was commissioned as a chemical officer.
Thompson lived near Fort Bragg with his wife, Emily, and daughters Isabelle and Abigail.
Survivors include his parents, Charles and Freida Thompson; and a sister, Alisha Mueller.
Army Capt. David J. Thompson was killed in action on 1/29/10.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Army Pfc. Scott G. Barnett
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Scott G. Barnett, 24, of Concord, Calif.
Pfc. Barnett was assigned to the 412th Aviation Support Battalion, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, Katterbach, Germany; died Jan. 28, 2010 in Tallil, Iraq, of injuries sustained while supporting combat operations.
GI enlisted in Army last year
The Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO — Military officials say a soldier from Concord has been killed in Iraq.
The Department of Defense says Army Pfc. Scott Barnett died Jan. 28 of injuries he suffered while supporting combat operations in Tallil, Iraq, a city about 160 miles southeast of Baghdad.
Barnett, 24, joined the Army in 2009. He was assigned to the 412th Aviation Support Battalion, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, Katterbach, Germany.
‘We had everything going’
The Associated Press
In high school, Scott Barnett fell in love with Nikki Gill, his future wife, went to Linkin Park concerts with her and participated in walks to raise cancer awareness.
Now Nikki Barnett, the 24-year-old soldier’s wife — who battled non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma as a teenager — says he was her “soul mate.”
“We loved each other so insanely much,” she said.
Scott Barnett of Concord, Calif., died Jan. 28 in Tallil, Iraq, of injuries sustained while supporting combat operations. He was based at Katterbach, Germany.
“He had his ups and downs, but he was proud to be fighting for his country,” Nikki Barnett said. “We always told each other it was temporary. ‘You’ll be home soon. You’ll be back.’ ”
Scott Barnett attended Olympic High School in Concord, where the two had a math class together. It was 2003. They started talking after he made her laugh.
“We just started talking, and we never stopped,” she said.
Five years later, Scott Barnett enlisted in the Army, saying it was what he wanted.
“We knew the risk. We didn’t take it as seriously as we should have,” she said. “We didn’t think it could happen to us. We were young, in love. We had everything going.”
Army Pfc. Scott G. Barnett was killed in action on 1/28/10.
Army Pfc. Scott G. Barnett, 24, of Concord, Calif.
Pfc. Barnett was assigned to the 412th Aviation Support Battalion, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, Katterbach, Germany; died Jan. 28, 2010 in Tallil, Iraq, of injuries sustained while supporting combat operations.
GI enlisted in Army last year
The Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO — Military officials say a soldier from Concord has been killed in Iraq.
The Department of Defense says Army Pfc. Scott Barnett died Jan. 28 of injuries he suffered while supporting combat operations in Tallil, Iraq, a city about 160 miles southeast of Baghdad.
Barnett, 24, joined the Army in 2009. He was assigned to the 412th Aviation Support Battalion, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, Katterbach, Germany.
‘We had everything going’
The Associated Press
In high school, Scott Barnett fell in love with Nikki Gill, his future wife, went to Linkin Park concerts with her and participated in walks to raise cancer awareness.
Now Nikki Barnett, the 24-year-old soldier’s wife — who battled non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma as a teenager — says he was her “soul mate.”
“We loved each other so insanely much,” she said.
Scott Barnett of Concord, Calif., died Jan. 28 in Tallil, Iraq, of injuries sustained while supporting combat operations. He was based at Katterbach, Germany.
“He had his ups and downs, but he was proud to be fighting for his country,” Nikki Barnett said. “We always told each other it was temporary. ‘You’ll be home soon. You’ll be back.’ ”
Scott Barnett attended Olympic High School in Concord, where the two had a math class together. It was 2003. They started talking after he made her laugh.
“We just started talking, and we never stopped,” she said.
Five years later, Scott Barnett enlisted in the Army, saying it was what he wanted.
“We knew the risk. We didn’t take it as seriously as we should have,” she said. “We didn’t think it could happen to us. We were young, in love. We had everything going.”
Army Pfc. Scott G. Barnett was killed in action on 1/28/10.
Army Staff Sgt. Rusty H. Christian
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Rusty H. Christian, 24, of Greeneville, Tenn.
SSgt Christian was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.; died Jan. 28, 2010 in Oruzgan province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
Friends of a U.S. Army Special Forces soldier with Greeneville roots who was killed in Afghanistan earlier this week recalled him Friday as "a little brother" who grew up to love service in the Army.
Staff Sgt. Rusty Christian, 24, a graduate of Greeneville High School, was killed near a military outpost called Camp Cobra in Afghanistan in an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion earlier this week, according to his mother, Donna Ball, of Kingsport, a former Greeneville resident.
"He was like an extra little brother to me," said Derrick Shannon, who described himself as a "best friend" of Rusty's brother, Aaron Christian. "I watched him (Rusty Christian) grow up."
Aaron Christian is now a mathematics teacher and assistant football coach at Chuckey-Doak High School.
'HE WAS VERY PROUD'
Shannon, who served in Iraq in 2004 with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve's Gray-based Lima Company, 24th Marine Regiment, said Friday in a telephone interview with The Greeneville Sun that he and Rusty Christian had maintained a friendly rivalry because he served in the Marines, while Christian had joined the Army.
When Rusty, who was already a veteran of service in Iraq, was accepted for training as a Green Beret (Special Forces soldier) last year, he was "very excited," according to Shannon.
Shannon noted that he first met Rusty Christian when he himself and Rusty's older brother, Aaron, were attending Doak Elementary School in Tusculum.
Shannon said that, although he was several years older than Rusty, the two remained friends.
"I was in his wedding out in Seattle," Shannon said Friday.
He recalled that he had "chatted" with Rusty only about two weeks ago via the Internet while Rusty was serving in Afghanistan.
"He was very proud of what they (his Special Forces unit) were doing over there," Shannon said.
GOING TO DELAWARE
Shannon said in the interview Friday that he was en route to Tri-Cities Regional Airport to see Rusty's mother, stepfather, and brother off on a flight to Dover, Del., where they were to meet Rusty's body when it was flown back to the U.S.
Shannon noted that Sgt. Christian's wife, Amber Christian, of Fort Lewis, Wash., was to meet the other family members at Dover Air Force Base. "She's flying in from Seattle," Shannon said.
Christian will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, D.C., his mother, Donna Ball, said by telephone from her Kingsport home on Thursday night.
KILLED BY IED BLAST
Staff Sgt. Christian died along with three Afghan soldiers when an IED exploded near a military truck they were walking beside, his mother said Thursday evening.
Another U.S. soldier was wounded.
She said she had received no other details of how her son's death occurred.
Sgt. Christian had only been in Afghanistan since the first week of January, Mrs. Ball said.
He was a 2004 graduate of Greeneville High School who had enlisted in the U.S. Army shortly after graduation from GHS.
His mother noted that Christian, a veteran of military service in Iraq, would have been in the Army six years this summer.
BASED AT FORT LEWIS
Mrs. Ball, who said she learned of her son's death about 2:30 p.m. Thursday in a telephone call from his wife, Amber Christian, who was residing with the couple's two young children at Fort Lewis, Wash., where Rusty Christian was based before he deployed to Afghanistan.
The Christians' children are a daughter, Taylor, who turned three on Jan. 26, and a son, Gavin, who will be one-year-old on Feb. 26.
In Kingsport, Mrs. Ball, who formerly lived in Greeneville, said, her son is survived by his stepfather, Jim Ball, and herself.
"You never think this day will come," Mrs. Ball said Thursday evening.
SSgt. Christian is survived by his wife, Amber; their two children, daughter Taylor, age 3, and son Gavin, almost 1; his mother and stepfather, Donna and Jim Ball; his father and stepmother, Mike and Nancy Christian; and a brother, Aaron.
Army Staff Sgt. Rusty H. Christian was killed in action on 1/28/10.
Army Staff Sgt. Rusty H. Christian, 24, of Greeneville, Tenn.
SSgt Christian was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.; died Jan. 28, 2010 in Oruzgan province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
Friends of a U.S. Army Special Forces soldier with Greeneville roots who was killed in Afghanistan earlier this week recalled him Friday as "a little brother" who grew up to love service in the Army.
Staff Sgt. Rusty Christian, 24, a graduate of Greeneville High School, was killed near a military outpost called Camp Cobra in Afghanistan in an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion earlier this week, according to his mother, Donna Ball, of Kingsport, a former Greeneville resident.
"He was like an extra little brother to me," said Derrick Shannon, who described himself as a "best friend" of Rusty's brother, Aaron Christian. "I watched him (Rusty Christian) grow up."
Aaron Christian is now a mathematics teacher and assistant football coach at Chuckey-Doak High School.
'HE WAS VERY PROUD'
Shannon, who served in Iraq in 2004 with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve's Gray-based Lima Company, 24th Marine Regiment, said Friday in a telephone interview with The Greeneville Sun that he and Rusty Christian had maintained a friendly rivalry because he served in the Marines, while Christian had joined the Army.
When Rusty, who was already a veteran of service in Iraq, was accepted for training as a Green Beret (Special Forces soldier) last year, he was "very excited," according to Shannon.
Shannon noted that he first met Rusty Christian when he himself and Rusty's older brother, Aaron, were attending Doak Elementary School in Tusculum.
Shannon said that, although he was several years older than Rusty, the two remained friends.
"I was in his wedding out in Seattle," Shannon said Friday.
He recalled that he had "chatted" with Rusty only about two weeks ago via the Internet while Rusty was serving in Afghanistan.
"He was very proud of what they (his Special Forces unit) were doing over there," Shannon said.
GOING TO DELAWARE
Shannon said in the interview Friday that he was en route to Tri-Cities Regional Airport to see Rusty's mother, stepfather, and brother off on a flight to Dover, Del., where they were to meet Rusty's body when it was flown back to the U.S.
Shannon noted that Sgt. Christian's wife, Amber Christian, of Fort Lewis, Wash., was to meet the other family members at Dover Air Force Base. "She's flying in from Seattle," Shannon said.
Christian will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, D.C., his mother, Donna Ball, said by telephone from her Kingsport home on Thursday night.
KILLED BY IED BLAST
Staff Sgt. Christian died along with three Afghan soldiers when an IED exploded near a military truck they were walking beside, his mother said Thursday evening.
Another U.S. soldier was wounded.
She said she had received no other details of how her son's death occurred.
Sgt. Christian had only been in Afghanistan since the first week of January, Mrs. Ball said.
He was a 2004 graduate of Greeneville High School who had enlisted in the U.S. Army shortly after graduation from GHS.
His mother noted that Christian, a veteran of military service in Iraq, would have been in the Army six years this summer.
BASED AT FORT LEWIS
Mrs. Ball, who said she learned of her son's death about 2:30 p.m. Thursday in a telephone call from his wife, Amber Christian, who was residing with the couple's two young children at Fort Lewis, Wash., where Rusty Christian was based before he deployed to Afghanistan.
The Christians' children are a daughter, Taylor, who turned three on Jan. 26, and a son, Gavin, who will be one-year-old on Feb. 26.
In Kingsport, Mrs. Ball, who formerly lived in Greeneville, said, her son is survived by his stepfather, Jim Ball, and herself.
"You never think this day will come," Mrs. Ball said Thursday evening.
SSgt. Christian is survived by his wife, Amber; their two children, daughter Taylor, age 3, and son Gavin, almost 1; his mother and stepfather, Donna and Jim Ball; his father and stepmother, Mike and Nancy Christian; and a brother, Aaron.
Army Staff Sgt. Rusty H. Christian was killed in action on 1/28/10.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Army Sgt. Carlos E. Gill
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Carlos E. Gill, 25, of Fayetteville, N.C.
Sgt. Gill was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Jan. 26, 2010 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., of an illness. He was evacuated Dec. 19, 2009, from Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, where he was supporting combat operations.
A Fort Lewis soldier died of an illness Tuesday, a week after he was evacuated from Afghanistan, where he was serving with a Stryker brigade, the Department of Defense announced Friday.
Sgt. Carlos E. Gill, 25, of Fayetteville N.C., died at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. The Army did not disclose the nature of the illness.
Carlos Edward Gill had been evacuated from Kandahar Air Field on Dec. 19. He was assigned to the 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.
Sgt. Gill was a member of the Stryker brigade’s 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment.
Now about halfway through its year long deployment in southern Afghanistan, the Fort Lewis-based brigade has lost several troops. Thirty-one soldiers have been reported killed in action, most from explosions.
Sgt. Gill's awards include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service ribbon and the Overseas Service Ribbon.
According to unit records, Gill enlisted January 12, 2005 at Fayetteville, N.C. Following basic training and Advanced Individual Training in Military Occupational Specialty 25U: Signal Support Systems Specialist, he reported to Yongsan, Korea on June 30, 2006. He was reassigned to Fort Lewis July 3, 2008 and was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, The brigade deployed to Afghanistan in July, 2009. This was his first deployment.
Sgt. Gill's civilian and military education includes a high school diploma (2002), the Military Occupational Specialty 25U: Signal Support Systems
Specialist (2006) and Warrior Leadership Course (2008).
Sgt. Gill is survived by his mother Cheryl Walker, father Clarence Gill, brother Christopher Gill, fiancee Rhea Irineo and baby daughter Kamora Victoria.
Army Sgt. Carlos E. Gill, 25, of Fayetteville, N.C.
Sgt. Gill was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Jan. 26, 2010 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., of an illness. He was evacuated Dec. 19, 2009, from Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, where he was supporting combat operations.
A Fort Lewis soldier died of an illness Tuesday, a week after he was evacuated from Afghanistan, where he was serving with a Stryker brigade, the Department of Defense announced Friday.
Sgt. Carlos E. Gill, 25, of Fayetteville N.C., died at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. The Army did not disclose the nature of the illness.
Carlos Edward Gill had been evacuated from Kandahar Air Field on Dec. 19. He was assigned to the 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.
Sgt. Gill was a member of the Stryker brigade’s 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment.
Now about halfway through its year long deployment in southern Afghanistan, the Fort Lewis-based brigade has lost several troops. Thirty-one soldiers have been reported killed in action, most from explosions.
Sgt. Gill's awards include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service ribbon and the Overseas Service Ribbon.
According to unit records, Gill enlisted January 12, 2005 at Fayetteville, N.C. Following basic training and Advanced Individual Training in Military Occupational Specialty 25U: Signal Support Systems Specialist, he reported to Yongsan, Korea on June 30, 2006. He was reassigned to Fort Lewis July 3, 2008 and was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, The brigade deployed to Afghanistan in July, 2009. This was his first deployment.
Sgt. Gill's civilian and military education includes a high school diploma (2002), the Military Occupational Specialty 25U: Signal Support Systems
Specialist (2006) and Warrior Leadership Course (2008).
Sgt. Gill is survived by his mother Cheryl Walker, father Clarence Gill, brother Christopher Gill, fiancee Rhea Irineo and baby daughter Kamora Victoria.
Marine Sgt. David J. Smith
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Sgt. David J. Smith, 25, of Frederick, Md.
Sgt. Smith was assigned to 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Jan. 26, 2010 from wounds received Jan. 23 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Reserve NCO dies from combat wounds
Staff report
A California-based reservist has died from wounds suffered in Afghanistan, the Pentagon reported Feb. 1.
Sgt. David J. Smith, 25, of Frederick, Md., died Jan. 26. He was wounded three days earlier while supporting combat operations in Helmand province.
Smith, who enlisted Dec. 29, 2003, was assigned to Company B, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., and served as a light armored vehicle crewman.
He deployed to Iraq from 2006-07 and was on his first deployment to Afghanistan.
His awards include the Combat Action Ribbon, Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal.
No other information was immediately available.
Marine to be buried at Arlington
The Associated Press
FREDERICK, Md. — A 25-year-old Marine from Frederick who was mortally wounded in Afghanistan will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
The Pentagon says Sgt. David Smith died Jan. 26 at a military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds suffered Jan. 23 in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
A funeral service will be conducted Feb. 9 at 9 a.m. at the Frederick Christian Fellowship Church Complex. Burial at Arlington will start at 3 p.m.
Was the life of the party
The Associated Press
David Smith loved to dance — and when he stepped onto a dance floor, people made sure to make room.
His girlfriend, Kimberly Mott, said Smith loved to be the center of attention, recalling the way he danced at his sister’s wedding last summer.
“He always wore a hat, and he would always incorporate the brim of the hat with the dancing,” Mott said. “Even if he didn’t have a hat, he would pretend it was there.”
Smith, 25, of Frederick, Md., was critically wounded Jan. 23 in a suicide attack in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He died of his injuries three days later. He was assigned to Camp Pendleton, Calif., and was pursuing a degree from East Carolina University.
The Marine always wanted to make a difference, which is why he went to Iraq in 2006 and volunteered to deploy to Afghanistan.
His desire began as a child: He spent hours pretending to rescue his older sister from danger and always wanted to be a heroic soldier when playing with his younger brother, Daniel Brown.
“We would always tear up my mom’s basement, make forts out of cushions and everything, and fight each other and shoot each other,” Brown said. “And he’d get wounded and I’d fix him up.”
Smith also is survived by his mother, Mary Jane McWilliams, and his father, Leonard Smith.
Marine Sgt. David J. Smith died 1/26/10 from wounds received in action on 1/23/10.
Marine Sgt. David J. Smith, 25, of Frederick, Md.
Sgt. Smith was assigned to 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Jan. 26, 2010 from wounds received Jan. 23 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Reserve NCO dies from combat wounds
Staff report
A California-based reservist has died from wounds suffered in Afghanistan, the Pentagon reported Feb. 1.
Sgt. David J. Smith, 25, of Frederick, Md., died Jan. 26. He was wounded three days earlier while supporting combat operations in Helmand province.
Smith, who enlisted Dec. 29, 2003, was assigned to Company B, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., and served as a light armored vehicle crewman.
He deployed to Iraq from 2006-07 and was on his first deployment to Afghanistan.
His awards include the Combat Action Ribbon, Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal.
No other information was immediately available.
Marine to be buried at Arlington
The Associated Press
FREDERICK, Md. — A 25-year-old Marine from Frederick who was mortally wounded in Afghanistan will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
The Pentagon says Sgt. David Smith died Jan. 26 at a military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds suffered Jan. 23 in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
A funeral service will be conducted Feb. 9 at 9 a.m. at the Frederick Christian Fellowship Church Complex. Burial at Arlington will start at 3 p.m.
Was the life of the party
The Associated Press
David Smith loved to dance — and when he stepped onto a dance floor, people made sure to make room.
His girlfriend, Kimberly Mott, said Smith loved to be the center of attention, recalling the way he danced at his sister’s wedding last summer.
“He always wore a hat, and he would always incorporate the brim of the hat with the dancing,” Mott said. “Even if he didn’t have a hat, he would pretend it was there.”
Smith, 25, of Frederick, Md., was critically wounded Jan. 23 in a suicide attack in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He died of his injuries three days later. He was assigned to Camp Pendleton, Calif., and was pursuing a degree from East Carolina University.
The Marine always wanted to make a difference, which is why he went to Iraq in 2006 and volunteered to deploy to Afghanistan.
His desire began as a child: He spent hours pretending to rescue his older sister from danger and always wanted to be a heroic soldier when playing with his younger brother, Daniel Brown.
“We would always tear up my mom’s basement, make forts out of cushions and everything, and fight each other and shoot each other,” Brown said. “And he’d get wounded and I’d fix him up.”
Smith also is survived by his mother, Mary Jane McWilliams, and his father, Leonard Smith.
Marine Sgt. David J. Smith died 1/26/10 from wounds received in action on 1/23/10.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Marine Lance Cpl. Timothy J. Poole
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Timothy J. Poole, 22, of Bowling Green, Ky.
LCpl Poole was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; died Jan. 24, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
LCpl. Timothy J. Poole Jr., 22, a 2007 graduate of Warren East High School, was killed Sunday during combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense.
Poole served with the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force based in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. He grew up in Jacksonville, Fla., and moved with his family to Bowling Green in October 2005. After Poole enlisted, the family moved back to Jacksonville, where Poole will be laid to rest in Jacksonville National Cemetery.
He attended school in Bowling Green for just a short while, but he was remembered by many who knew him as a quiet, polite young man who wanted to be Marine.
Warren East agriculture teacher Dan Costellow taught Poole in two classes.
“I remember him as a nice kid who wanted to go into the military. I was happy for him and felt like it would help him figure out what he wanted to do with the rest of his life,” Costellow said. “Anytime you hear about a soldier being killed for us, it is sad, but this young man was my student. This is just terrible and upsets me a great deal.”
“Our hearts go out to his friends and family and all those who knew him,” said Cindy Beals, Warren East High School principal. Beals was an assistant principal at the school at the time Poole attended. “It is just a terrible thing,” she said.
Warren East Assistant Principal Edwin Moss remembers Poole, who attended the school for less than two years during his junior and senior years. “Some kids just have a presence and you remember them, and he did,” Moss said. “He was a nice young man, very mannerly. His desire at the time was to become a Marine. He just stood out.”
Sgt. Joel Extine, a Marine Corp. recruiter from Bowling Green, signed Poole up in 2007 following his graduation. “He was an excellent young man,” Extine said. “He came in that day with his dad and brother, was very polite and quiet. He said he had always wanted to be a Marine. He had the heart of a Marine and could run like the wind. He was the kind of kid we wanted to enlist.”
Poole attended Lee High School in Jacksonville before moving to Kentucky. He returned to Jacksonville in November before going back to his base in Hawaii and leaving for Afghanistan, telling family that if he died in action it would be in service to his country, a sacrifice he was willing to take, said Mike Lyons, assignment editor for WTLV/WJXX in Jacksonville, who spoke with Poole’s father, Timothy Poole Sr., as he was headed to Dover, Del., on Tuesday to await the return of his son’s body.
"The only thing he ever really wanted to do was serve his country and make his real dad proud and I think he done that," said his stepfather, Charles Martin. "Lance Corporal" was his title, but his family called him "Bubba."
Poole Sr. was too emotional to speak on camera Wednesday night, but described seeing his son's casket carried off the plane. "When you see it on the news, you don't think about it. But when you see the casket in person, it hits you," said Poole Sr.
Poole Jr. grew up at an area trailer park. Former neighbor Karen Stiers was busy taking calls from family and friends all day about Poole. She said she was still in disbelief. "I don't know from day to day if they are going to come home or if they're not going to come home. It's a hard thing," said Stiers.
Poole's father said his son was ready for anything, saying, "(My son) knew the price. We had talked about it. He didn't care. He understood the price for freedom."
Marine Lance Cpl. Timothy J. Poole was killed in action on 1/24/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Timothy J. Poole, 22, of Bowling Green, Ky.
LCpl Poole was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; died Jan. 24, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
LCpl. Timothy J. Poole Jr., 22, a 2007 graduate of Warren East High School, was killed Sunday during combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense.
Poole served with the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force based in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. He grew up in Jacksonville, Fla., and moved with his family to Bowling Green in October 2005. After Poole enlisted, the family moved back to Jacksonville, where Poole will be laid to rest in Jacksonville National Cemetery.
He attended school in Bowling Green for just a short while, but he was remembered by many who knew him as a quiet, polite young man who wanted to be Marine.
Warren East agriculture teacher Dan Costellow taught Poole in two classes.
“I remember him as a nice kid who wanted to go into the military. I was happy for him and felt like it would help him figure out what he wanted to do with the rest of his life,” Costellow said. “Anytime you hear about a soldier being killed for us, it is sad, but this young man was my student. This is just terrible and upsets me a great deal.”
“Our hearts go out to his friends and family and all those who knew him,” said Cindy Beals, Warren East High School principal. Beals was an assistant principal at the school at the time Poole attended. “It is just a terrible thing,” she said.
Warren East Assistant Principal Edwin Moss remembers Poole, who attended the school for less than two years during his junior and senior years. “Some kids just have a presence and you remember them, and he did,” Moss said. “He was a nice young man, very mannerly. His desire at the time was to become a Marine. He just stood out.”
Sgt. Joel Extine, a Marine Corp. recruiter from Bowling Green, signed Poole up in 2007 following his graduation. “He was an excellent young man,” Extine said. “He came in that day with his dad and brother, was very polite and quiet. He said he had always wanted to be a Marine. He had the heart of a Marine and could run like the wind. He was the kind of kid we wanted to enlist.”
Poole attended Lee High School in Jacksonville before moving to Kentucky. He returned to Jacksonville in November before going back to his base in Hawaii and leaving for Afghanistan, telling family that if he died in action it would be in service to his country, a sacrifice he was willing to take, said Mike Lyons, assignment editor for WTLV/WJXX in Jacksonville, who spoke with Poole’s father, Timothy Poole Sr., as he was headed to Dover, Del., on Tuesday to await the return of his son’s body.
"The only thing he ever really wanted to do was serve his country and make his real dad proud and I think he done that," said his stepfather, Charles Martin. "Lance Corporal" was his title, but his family called him "Bubba."
Poole Sr. was too emotional to speak on camera Wednesday night, but described seeing his son's casket carried off the plane. "When you see it on the news, you don't think about it. But when you see the casket in person, it hits you," said Poole Sr.
Poole Jr. grew up at an area trailer park. Former neighbor Karen Stiers was busy taking calls from family and friends all day about Poole. She said she was still in disbelief. "I don't know from day to day if they are going to come home or if they're not going to come home. It's a hard thing," said Stiers.
Poole's father said his son was ready for anything, saying, "(My son) knew the price. We had talked about it. He didn't care. He understood the price for freedom."
Marine Lance Cpl. Timothy J. Poole was killed in action on 1/24/10.
Marine Sgt. Daniel M. Angus
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Sgt. Daniel M. Angus, 28, of Thonotosassa, Fla.
Sgt. Angus was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Jan. 24, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
The Marine Corps helped shape the life of Daniel M. Angus and turned him into a man. He survived two tours of duty in Iraq, but now his family is planning his funeral after he was killed in an explosion in war-torn Afghanistan.
Angus, 28, of Thonotosassa, died Sunday while on foot patrol in Helmand province when an improvised explosive device detonated, said his mother, Kathy Angus. Two other Marines also were killed.
"He died doing what he loved," his mother said of the 2000 Armwood High School graduate. "He loved the Marine Corps and he gave his life for it."
Angus was working construction and living in Thonotosassa with little direction a few years back. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2003, hoping "to accomplish something in his life," Kathy Angus said. He succeeded and rose to the rank of sergeant. He knew he had found his calling and was planning to make the Marine Corps a career.
"He found himself," Kathy Angus said. "He was well-liked. He did whatever was asked of him and then some."
A childhood friend, Carroll Hanson of Thonotosassa, said Angus grew as a person in the Marines. "The Marine Corps made him a man," said Hanson, 28. "It made him blossom. It brought out all the best in him. It made him shine."
Angus served in Iraq from July 2004 to February 2005 and again from December 2005 to March 2006. He was promoted to sergeant on May 1, 2007. Along the way, he was awarded the Combat Action Ribbon, two Good Conduct Medals, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and a number of service decorations.
"He was an excellent Marine," Kathy Angus said from Dover, Del., where she awaited the return of her son's remains. "The structure was good for him. He was an excellent leader."
The Marines were part of the first wave of the surge of 30,000 military personnel sent to Afghanistan in hopes of defeating al-Qaida and the Taliban. Soldiers from the 1st Battalion were expecting to face a bloody fight, according to a Chinese television station report in December.
Angus was interviewed for the story. "It's a jump-and-run kind of thing," Angus told the television reporter. "You never know when you are going to go. It is not my first Christmas away from home. It is not going to be my last."
The veteran Marine had no way of knowing that it would be.
He leaves behind a wife, Bonnie, whom he married just days before he left for Afghanistan on Dec. 17. The couple has a daughter, Kaitlyn, who will turn 2 in March. Bonnie Angus and their daughter live in Kingston, Tenn., Kathy Angus said.
"They thought they were going to get old and fat together," Kathy Angus said. "Obviously, that's not going to happen."
Born in New York state, Daniel Angus and his family moved to the Thonotosassa area when he was 2. After graduating from Armwood, he began working a construction job in the area, but there was little opportunity for him, his mother said.
"He wanted more for his life," Kathy Angus said.
Outside of military life, Angus loved the outdoors, especially going to the mud hole. He had a big four wheeler that he drove in the woods and through the mud. He also owned a huge pickup that he used to cruise the town and to also go mudding, Kathy Angus said. He liked to fish and hunt, too.
"He was my only son," Kathy Angus said. "I have a daughter, but he was my only son."
Tentative funeral arrangements are planned for Feb. 6 at Serenity Meadows Memorial Park in Riverview. A military funeral will be held at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Kathy Angus said.
Marine Sgt. Daniel M. Angus was killed in action on 1/24/10.
Marine Sgt. Daniel M. Angus, 28, of Thonotosassa, Fla.
Sgt. Angus was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Jan. 24, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
The Marine Corps helped shape the life of Daniel M. Angus and turned him into a man. He survived two tours of duty in Iraq, but now his family is planning his funeral after he was killed in an explosion in war-torn Afghanistan.
Angus, 28, of Thonotosassa, died Sunday while on foot patrol in Helmand province when an improvised explosive device detonated, said his mother, Kathy Angus. Two other Marines also were killed.
"He died doing what he loved," his mother said of the 2000 Armwood High School graduate. "He loved the Marine Corps and he gave his life for it."
Angus was working construction and living in Thonotosassa with little direction a few years back. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2003, hoping "to accomplish something in his life," Kathy Angus said. He succeeded and rose to the rank of sergeant. He knew he had found his calling and was planning to make the Marine Corps a career.
"He found himself," Kathy Angus said. "He was well-liked. He did whatever was asked of him and then some."
A childhood friend, Carroll Hanson of Thonotosassa, said Angus grew as a person in the Marines. "The Marine Corps made him a man," said Hanson, 28. "It made him blossom. It brought out all the best in him. It made him shine."
Angus served in Iraq from July 2004 to February 2005 and again from December 2005 to March 2006. He was promoted to sergeant on May 1, 2007. Along the way, he was awarded the Combat Action Ribbon, two Good Conduct Medals, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and a number of service decorations.
"He was an excellent Marine," Kathy Angus said from Dover, Del., where she awaited the return of her son's remains. "The structure was good for him. He was an excellent leader."
The Marines were part of the first wave of the surge of 30,000 military personnel sent to Afghanistan in hopes of defeating al-Qaida and the Taliban. Soldiers from the 1st Battalion were expecting to face a bloody fight, according to a Chinese television station report in December.
Angus was interviewed for the story. "It's a jump-and-run kind of thing," Angus told the television reporter. "You never know when you are going to go. It is not my first Christmas away from home. It is not going to be my last."
The veteran Marine had no way of knowing that it would be.
He leaves behind a wife, Bonnie, whom he married just days before he left for Afghanistan on Dec. 17. The couple has a daughter, Kaitlyn, who will turn 2 in March. Bonnie Angus and their daughter live in Kingston, Tenn., Kathy Angus said.
"They thought they were going to get old and fat together," Kathy Angus said. "Obviously, that's not going to happen."
Born in New York state, Daniel Angus and his family moved to the Thonotosassa area when he was 2. After graduating from Armwood, he began working a construction job in the area, but there was little opportunity for him, his mother said.
"He wanted more for his life," Kathy Angus said.
Outside of military life, Angus loved the outdoors, especially going to the mud hole. He had a big four wheeler that he drove in the woods and through the mud. He also owned a huge pickup that he used to cruise the town and to also go mudding, Kathy Angus said. He liked to fish and hunt, too.
"He was my only son," Kathy Angus said. "I have a daughter, but he was my only son."
Tentative funeral arrangements are planned for Feb. 6 at Serenity Meadows Memorial Park in Riverview. A military funeral will be held at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Kathy Angus said.
Marine Sgt. Daniel M. Angus was killed in action on 1/24/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Zachary D. Smith
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Zachary D. Smith, 19, of Hornell, N.Y.
LCpl Smith was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Jan. 24, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
A marine from the City of Hornell has died in Afghanistan. Hornell Mayor Shawn Hogan tells News 10 Now that Lance Corporal Zach Smith, a 2008 graduate of Hornell High School, was killed in action this weekend.
Mayor Hogan says he learned about the incident Sunday morning and believes Smith was killed by an improvised explosive device. Hogan says Smith is the first person from Hornell to die in the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“This is the first time that the brutality of war has really knocked on our community’s door and delivered a message that, you know, war is brutal and unjust and not fair in any way. This young man was a tremendous young man and he will be missed and this is a tremendous tragedy,” said Shawn Hogan, Hornell Mayor.
Mayor Hogan has ordered all city flags to be flown at half staff until Smith’s body is returned home.
“He always wanted to be a Marine. It’s something he always wanted and looked forward to. He was taking after his uncle Matt. That’s why he joined the Marines,” said his grandfather, Sid Smith of North Hornell.
Smith’s grandmother, Alice Smith, spoke for all in the Hornell area who knew him. “He was a great kid,” she said, adding, “Full of life and and love, always on the up. He had a lot of friends and was a thoughtful boy."
Mayor Shawn Hogan said the Smiths are his neighbors on Mays Avenue and he was deeply saddened by the news.
“He grew up across the street from me and he always brought a smile to my face and happiness to my heart because he was such a warm personality … It’s almost like a part of my family is gone. I just know this is a big loss for the community. You often hear about these brave young men dying and it’s always somebody else’s brother or son. Now this is something we have to cope with,” said Hogan.
Hogan ordered the city flags flown at half staff Sunday morning until Smith’s body is returned home.
“The brutality of war was dumped at our door step this morning and it’s ugly,” Hogan said.
Known by those close to him for his sense of humor and athleticism, Smith touched the lives of many coaches at Hornell High School.
Mickey Carretto retired from the HHS football program after the 2008 season. Carretto coached the Red Raiders offensive line and linebackers from 1998 to 2008.
“I’ve known him since he was a baby,” Carretto said. “He was one of the most sincere, honest, nice kids that you’ll ever meet up with. Always a smile on his face and he always had a great positive attitude. He always took the time with the younger kids, he took them under his wing so to speak. In fact, he treated my little girls like gold. They’re as devastated as anybody right now … You can’t say enough good things about him. A?blue-chip kid who will be missed by everybody.”
Gene Mastin, HHS athletic director and head varsity football coach, spoke to the same degree of the soldier, neighbor, friend and family member that remains on so many minds.
“They don’t come any better,” Mastin said. “If Hornell ever had a favorite son it was probably Zach Smith. He was universally liked. Everything about him was good,” he said. “Devastating. You deal with so many great kids and Zach was right at the top of the list. I can’t imagine … he was just everything that was good about any kid growing up today. He was just one of the best, most well-respected kids we’ve had in our school.”
Mastin said the pair formed a close bond over the years without effort.
“I don’t know but we did,”Mastin said. “He was just one of those kids that was so easy to like. And such a hard worker. He called me every week of every game, throughout the playoffs and things like that … You get close with people, and this was somebody I was going to be close with for the rest of our lives. A great kid and a great family. One of those things that you really grapple to find words for. Just devastating.”
He and his wife, Anne, were high school sweethearts. He was a football player, she was a cheerleader.
Smith is survived by his wife, Anne (Deebs) Smith, whom he married last summer; his brother, Nathaniel, 23; his sister, Grace, 10; his parents, Christopher Smith, an Amity-based state trooper who is the Canaseraga Central School resource officer, and his wife, Kim, and his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Mike and Andrea Deebs of Hornell.
Marine Lance Cpl. Zachary D. Smith was killed in action on 1/24/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Zachary D. Smith, 19, of Hornell, N.Y.
LCpl Smith was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Jan. 24, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
A marine from the City of Hornell has died in Afghanistan. Hornell Mayor Shawn Hogan tells News 10 Now that Lance Corporal Zach Smith, a 2008 graduate of Hornell High School, was killed in action this weekend.
Mayor Hogan says he learned about the incident Sunday morning and believes Smith was killed by an improvised explosive device. Hogan says Smith is the first person from Hornell to die in the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“This is the first time that the brutality of war has really knocked on our community’s door and delivered a message that, you know, war is brutal and unjust and not fair in any way. This young man was a tremendous young man and he will be missed and this is a tremendous tragedy,” said Shawn Hogan, Hornell Mayor.
Mayor Hogan has ordered all city flags to be flown at half staff until Smith’s body is returned home.
“He always wanted to be a Marine. It’s something he always wanted and looked forward to. He was taking after his uncle Matt. That’s why he joined the Marines,” said his grandfather, Sid Smith of North Hornell.
Smith’s grandmother, Alice Smith, spoke for all in the Hornell area who knew him. “He was a great kid,” she said, adding, “Full of life and and love, always on the up. He had a lot of friends and was a thoughtful boy."
Mayor Shawn Hogan said the Smiths are his neighbors on Mays Avenue and he was deeply saddened by the news.
“He grew up across the street from me and he always brought a smile to my face and happiness to my heart because he was such a warm personality … It’s almost like a part of my family is gone. I just know this is a big loss for the community. You often hear about these brave young men dying and it’s always somebody else’s brother or son. Now this is something we have to cope with,” said Hogan.
Hogan ordered the city flags flown at half staff Sunday morning until Smith’s body is returned home.
“The brutality of war was dumped at our door step this morning and it’s ugly,” Hogan said.
Known by those close to him for his sense of humor and athleticism, Smith touched the lives of many coaches at Hornell High School.
Mickey Carretto retired from the HHS football program after the 2008 season. Carretto coached the Red Raiders offensive line and linebackers from 1998 to 2008.
“I’ve known him since he was a baby,” Carretto said. “He was one of the most sincere, honest, nice kids that you’ll ever meet up with. Always a smile on his face and he always had a great positive attitude. He always took the time with the younger kids, he took them under his wing so to speak. In fact, he treated my little girls like gold. They’re as devastated as anybody right now … You can’t say enough good things about him. A?blue-chip kid who will be missed by everybody.”
Gene Mastin, HHS athletic director and head varsity football coach, spoke to the same degree of the soldier, neighbor, friend and family member that remains on so many minds.
“They don’t come any better,” Mastin said. “If Hornell ever had a favorite son it was probably Zach Smith. He was universally liked. Everything about him was good,” he said. “Devastating. You deal with so many great kids and Zach was right at the top of the list. I can’t imagine … he was just everything that was good about any kid growing up today. He was just one of the best, most well-respected kids we’ve had in our school.”
Mastin said the pair formed a close bond over the years without effort.
“I don’t know but we did,”Mastin said. “He was just one of those kids that was so easy to like. And such a hard worker. He called me every week of every game, throughout the playoffs and things like that … You get close with people, and this was somebody I was going to be close with for the rest of our lives. A great kid and a great family. One of those things that you really grapple to find words for. Just devastating.”
He and his wife, Anne, were high school sweethearts. He was a football player, she was a cheerleader.
Smith is survived by his wife, Anne (Deebs) Smith, whom he married last summer; his brother, Nathaniel, 23; his sister, Grace, 10; his parents, Christopher Smith, an Amity-based state trooper who is the Canaseraga Central School resource officer, and his wife, Kim, and his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Mike and Andrea Deebs of Hornell.
Marine Lance Cpl. Zachary D. Smith was killed in action on 1/24/10.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Marine Lance Cpl. Jeremy M. Kane
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Jeremy M. Kane, 22, of Towson, Md.
LCpl Kane was assigned to 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Jan. 23, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
At 13, Jeremy Kane was deeply affected by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. The event shaped his life, and led him to a fateful choice.
"He knew he had to do something for his country, and that was join the military," said his mother, Melinda, of Cherry Hill. "He wanted to serve."
To drive home the point, Kane joined the Marine Corps on Sept. 11, 2006, during his freshman year at Rutgers University and served as a reservist. On Saturday, three months into his deployment in Afghanistan, the 22-year-old lance corporal was killed when a suicide bomber attacked his unit in Helmand Province.
The attack apparently was in retaliation for the seizure of tons of opium and weapons the Marines had discovered, according to early reports. Hours later, three military officers arrived at Melinda Kane's door with the heartrending news. "I knew when I opened the door they were there for one reason," she said. "It's hard to comprehend. Everyone was worried but confident he would come back safe and sound.
"He was bright, in excellent condition, and well-trained," she said. "There was no reason to believe he would be harmed."
Melinda Kane, 52, said her son had recently phoned his girlfriend to plan a homecoming party for his return in May. "They talked about what kind of celebration they would have," she said.
Jeremy Kane graduated from Cherry Hill High School East in 2006 and studied criminal justice at Rutgers. He planned to return to the university to finish his senior year.
"He was an avid reader," his mother said. "He read books most adults would never read. He listened to classical music and hung out with friends, playing video games."
Kane's father, Bruce, was a pathologist at Cooper University Hospital in Camden and had served as a major in the Army. He died in June 2008 while his son was undergoing Marine Corps training.
Kane "thought it was his duty as an American to serve his country," his mother said. "His grandfather had also been in the Marines."
He "chose the Marines because it was the most difficult and most respected," she said. "He was in communications and told me he wouldn't leave the base, but I think he said that to placate me."
Kane had two brothers: Benjamin, 16, a junior at Cherry Hill East, and Daniel, 19, a sophomore at Virginia Tech.
Family and friends, including Cherry Hill Mayor Bernie Platt, gathered at the Kane home. The mayor's Platt Memorial Chapel in Cherry Hill is handling funeral arrangements, which were pending.
"This is a heartbreaking day for the people of Cherry Hill," Platt said. "Jeremy Kane was a distinguished and dedicated member of our community, and we're all very saddened by his passing."
Rep. John Adler (D., N.J.), whose district includes Cherry Hill, phoned the family to offer condolences. "Cherry Hill has lost a brave and heroic young man who dedicated his life to serving our country," Adler said. "He sacrificed his life to protect our communities and families. My thoughts and prayers are with his family today."
Melinda Kane remembered his first call from Afghanistan. He asked for chocolates and pens to hand out to the children of a local village.
"I want people to know that this was someone from Cherry Hill," she said. "He had options, and this was his choice.
"He knew the dangers but wanted a rich, full life. I don't think he ever thought this would happen."
Bryan Adams, a friend of Kane's from his days at Rutgers University, shared word of his friend's death via social networking site Facebook.
His notation read: "I am writing this message with a heavy heart; I regret to inform you that yesterday Jeremy Kane was killed in Afghanistan. Jeremy was an outstanding role model and representative for military and veteran students at Rutgers-Camden...."
Adams fondly remembered Kane as a person with a "vibrant personality" who truly cared about his fellow brothers and sisters in arms.
Adams went on to say that, "Jeremy was a stellar student and an active member of Veterans for Education. [We] are going to sincerely miss him and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends and may he rest in peace."
Another friend of Kane's, Bill Bell wrote, "Just saw Jeremy on the Fox news. He looked like a hero in his marine uniform. I'm so proud to have been able to say I was friends with such an amazing man."
And amazing he was. In addition to fulfilling his call to duty, Kane, who had recently lost his beloved father to cancer, was on the verge of completing a degree at Rutgers University where he majored in criminal justice and political science.
He was a physical fitness buff and an active member of Veterans for Education who worked part-time as a security guard at the Tweeter Center in Camden.
LCpl. Kane's mother said despite his father's death 18 months ago of stomach cancer and being so close to finishing college, her son was understandably conflicted when he learned that his reserve unit was being activated and sent to Afghanistan, but he understood his responsibility to the Marine Corps and deployed proudly in October.
Kane's father was a military man himself who worked as a pathologist at Cooper University Hospital in Camden at the time of his death. In addition to his mother and siblings, Kane leaves his girlfriend, Julia Smoot, to mourn his death.
Marine Lance Cpl. Jeremy M. Kane was killed in action on 1/23/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Jeremy M. Kane, 22, of Towson, Md.
LCpl Kane was assigned to 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Jan. 23, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
At 13, Jeremy Kane was deeply affected by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. The event shaped his life, and led him to a fateful choice.
"He knew he had to do something for his country, and that was join the military," said his mother, Melinda, of Cherry Hill. "He wanted to serve."
To drive home the point, Kane joined the Marine Corps on Sept. 11, 2006, during his freshman year at Rutgers University and served as a reservist. On Saturday, three months into his deployment in Afghanistan, the 22-year-old lance corporal was killed when a suicide bomber attacked his unit in Helmand Province.
The attack apparently was in retaliation for the seizure of tons of opium and weapons the Marines had discovered, according to early reports. Hours later, three military officers arrived at Melinda Kane's door with the heartrending news. "I knew when I opened the door they were there for one reason," she said. "It's hard to comprehend. Everyone was worried but confident he would come back safe and sound.
"He was bright, in excellent condition, and well-trained," she said. "There was no reason to believe he would be harmed."
Melinda Kane, 52, said her son had recently phoned his girlfriend to plan a homecoming party for his return in May. "They talked about what kind of celebration they would have," she said.
Jeremy Kane graduated from Cherry Hill High School East in 2006 and studied criminal justice at Rutgers. He planned to return to the university to finish his senior year.
"He was an avid reader," his mother said. "He read books most adults would never read. He listened to classical music and hung out with friends, playing video games."
Kane's father, Bruce, was a pathologist at Cooper University Hospital in Camden and had served as a major in the Army. He died in June 2008 while his son was undergoing Marine Corps training.
Kane "thought it was his duty as an American to serve his country," his mother said. "His grandfather had also been in the Marines."
He "chose the Marines because it was the most difficult and most respected," she said. "He was in communications and told me he wouldn't leave the base, but I think he said that to placate me."
Kane had two brothers: Benjamin, 16, a junior at Cherry Hill East, and Daniel, 19, a sophomore at Virginia Tech.
Family and friends, including Cherry Hill Mayor Bernie Platt, gathered at the Kane home. The mayor's Platt Memorial Chapel in Cherry Hill is handling funeral arrangements, which were pending.
"This is a heartbreaking day for the people of Cherry Hill," Platt said. "Jeremy Kane was a distinguished and dedicated member of our community, and we're all very saddened by his passing."
Rep. John Adler (D., N.J.), whose district includes Cherry Hill, phoned the family to offer condolences. "Cherry Hill has lost a brave and heroic young man who dedicated his life to serving our country," Adler said. "He sacrificed his life to protect our communities and families. My thoughts and prayers are with his family today."
Melinda Kane remembered his first call from Afghanistan. He asked for chocolates and pens to hand out to the children of a local village.
"I want people to know that this was someone from Cherry Hill," she said. "He had options, and this was his choice.
"He knew the dangers but wanted a rich, full life. I don't think he ever thought this would happen."
Bryan Adams, a friend of Kane's from his days at Rutgers University, shared word of his friend's death via social networking site Facebook.
His notation read: "I am writing this message with a heavy heart; I regret to inform you that yesterday Jeremy Kane was killed in Afghanistan. Jeremy was an outstanding role model and representative for military and veteran students at Rutgers-Camden...."
Adams fondly remembered Kane as a person with a "vibrant personality" who truly cared about his fellow brothers and sisters in arms.
Adams went on to say that, "Jeremy was a stellar student and an active member of Veterans for Education. [We] are going to sincerely miss him and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends and may he rest in peace."
Another friend of Kane's, Bill Bell wrote, "Just saw Jeremy on the Fox news. He looked like a hero in his marine uniform. I'm so proud to have been able to say I was friends with such an amazing man."
And amazing he was. In addition to fulfilling his call to duty, Kane, who had recently lost his beloved father to cancer, was on the verge of completing a degree at Rutgers University where he majored in criminal justice and political science.
He was a physical fitness buff and an active member of Veterans for Education who worked part-time as a security guard at the Tweeter Center in Camden.
LCpl. Kane's mother said despite his father's death 18 months ago of stomach cancer and being so close to finishing college, her son was understandably conflicted when he learned that his reserve unit was being activated and sent to Afghanistan, but he understood his responsibility to the Marine Corps and deployed proudly in October.
Kane's father was a military man himself who worked as a pathologist at Cooper University Hospital in Camden at the time of his death. In addition to his mother and siblings, Kane leaves his girlfriend, Julia Smoot, to mourn his death.
Marine Lance Cpl. Jeremy M. Kane was killed in action on 1/23/10.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Army Pfc. Gifford E. Hurt
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Gifford E. Hurt, 19, of Yonkers, N.Y.
Pfc. Hurt was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment, 214th Fires Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Sill, Okla.; died Jan. 20, 2010 in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a noncombat-related accident.
Army background influenced decision to enlist
The Associated Press
Gifford Hurt’s parents are Army veterans, and he grew up on military bases.
No one was surprised when Hurt, of Yonkers N.Y., decided on an Army career and enlisted a year ago at age 18.
“All of our friends are in the military, and that’s all he knew,” said his mother, Lisa Davis.
Hurt’s assignment at Fort Sill, Okla., required him to work at the post while several others were deployed to Iraq. But when an opportunity arose, Hurt, known as “GJ,” eagerly volunteered to join them.
Hurt was a passenger in a Humvee in Mosul, Iraq, when it crashed Jan. 20, killing him. The Army says the crash was not combat related and is under investigation.
Hurt enjoyed boxing, basketball and weight training. He also was skilled at defusing conflicts, said Mike Henry, who went through basic training with him.
“There would be fights going on, and he would be the one to stop the fighting,” Henry said.
Another comrade, Frank Perez, said in an online tribute that Hurt will not be forgotten and that his unit “will finish out this mission in your memory.”
Survivors also include his father, Gifford Hurt Sr.; two sisters, Ashley Trapp and Alyssa Thompson, and two brothers, Tarique and Malik Thompson.
Army Pfc. Gifford E. Hurt was killed in a non-combat related accident on 1/20/10.
Army Pfc. Gifford E. Hurt, 19, of Yonkers, N.Y.
Pfc. Hurt was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment, 214th Fires Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Sill, Okla.; died Jan. 20, 2010 in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a noncombat-related accident.
Army background influenced decision to enlist
The Associated Press
Gifford Hurt’s parents are Army veterans, and he grew up on military bases.
No one was surprised when Hurt, of Yonkers N.Y., decided on an Army career and enlisted a year ago at age 18.
“All of our friends are in the military, and that’s all he knew,” said his mother, Lisa Davis.
Hurt’s assignment at Fort Sill, Okla., required him to work at the post while several others were deployed to Iraq. But when an opportunity arose, Hurt, known as “GJ,” eagerly volunteered to join them.
Hurt was a passenger in a Humvee in Mosul, Iraq, when it crashed Jan. 20, killing him. The Army says the crash was not combat related and is under investigation.
Hurt enjoyed boxing, basketball and weight training. He also was skilled at defusing conflicts, said Mike Henry, who went through basic training with him.
“There would be fights going on, and he would be the one to stop the fighting,” Henry said.
Another comrade, Frank Perez, said in an online tribute that Hurt will not be forgotten and that his unit “will finish out this mission in your memory.”
Survivors also include his father, Gifford Hurt Sr.; two sisters, Ashley Trapp and Alyssa Thompson, and two brothers, Tarique and Malik Thompson.
Army Pfc. Gifford E. Hurt was killed in a non-combat related accident on 1/20/10.
Army Staff Sgt. Thaddeus S. Montgomery
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Thaddeus S. Montgomery, 29, of West Yellowstone, Mont.
SSgt. Montgomery was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Jan. 20, 2010 at Lorengal Outpost, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained in a non-combat-related incident.
This was SSGT Montgomery's third deployment. He served two previous tours in Iraq before deploying to Afghanistan in June of 2009. Montgomery was a decorated soldier. He received more than a dozen military honors over the course of his almost seven-year Army career. The honors included two Army Commendation Medals, an Army Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Citation, two Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal w/ Campaign Star Iraq Campaign Medal w/ two Campaign Stars, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, three Overseas Service Ribbons, NATO Service Medal, Combat Infantry Badge and an Expert Infantry Badge.
Montgomery is survived by a 3-year-old son, Thaddeus Montgomery III. He is also survived by a fiancée, Erica Amora Tadeo of Malaysia, his father, Thaddeus Montgomery Sr. and his mother, Debra Hays. Other survivors include a sister, Stephanie Montgomery, of Atlanta and a brother, Dustin (Holly) Border, of Madison, according to friends.
Army Staff Sgt. Thaddeus S. Montgomery was killed in a non-combat related incident on 1/20/10.
Army Staff Sgt. Thaddeus S. Montgomery, 29, of West Yellowstone, Mont.
SSgt. Montgomery was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Jan. 20, 2010 at Lorengal Outpost, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained in a non-combat-related incident.
This was SSGT Montgomery's third deployment. He served two previous tours in Iraq before deploying to Afghanistan in June of 2009. Montgomery was a decorated soldier. He received more than a dozen military honors over the course of his almost seven-year Army career. The honors included two Army Commendation Medals, an Army Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Citation, two Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal w/ Campaign Star Iraq Campaign Medal w/ two Campaign Stars, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, three Overseas Service Ribbons, NATO Service Medal, Combat Infantry Badge and an Expert Infantry Badge.
Montgomery is survived by a 3-year-old son, Thaddeus Montgomery III. He is also survived by a fiancée, Erica Amora Tadeo of Malaysia, his father, Thaddeus Montgomery Sr. and his mother, Debra Hays. Other survivors include a sister, Stephanie Montgomery, of Atlanta and a brother, Dustin (Holly) Border, of Madison, according to friends.
Army Staff Sgt. Thaddeus S. Montgomery was killed in a non-combat related incident on 1/20/10.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam K. Ginett
Remember Our Heroes
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam K. Ginett, 29, of Knightdale, N.C.
TSgt. Ginett was assigned to the 31st Civil Engineer Squadron, Aviano Air Base, Italy; died Jan. 19, 2010 near Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device.
Tech. Sgt. Adam K. Ginett (aka "Brother Circus Trick" to his EOD brothers}
Relatives and friends are mourning the loss of a Knightdale native and Airman who died in Afghanistan of wounds inflicted by an improvised explosive device.
Ginett worked in explosive ordinance disposal and was a master sniper. Ginett's parents said that they learned of his death Tuesday after three men came to their front door.
“There was a captain, a lieutenant and a chaplain. And once I saw them, I knew,” said Christina Kazakavage, Ginett's mother.
Christina Kazakavage said Saturday that she takes comfort knowing her son died doing what he loved. “He understood what he was supposed to do,” Christina Kazakavage said.
“He’s over there saving lives,” said James Kazakavage, Ginett's step-father.
Ginett lived in Knightdale before joining the Air Force at age 18. He served three tours in Iraq and two tours in Afghanistan. Ginett earned the Bronze Star on his first tour in Afghanistan. He and six others in his unit came under fire from 28 members of the Taliban. They killed 13 insurgents and captured the others, according to his parents. His unit was unharmed.
“He said, 'I wasn't supposed to take a life, that was not my mission. I’m supposed to save lives by getting rid of the explosives,'” Christina Kazakavage recalled from a conversation with her son.
According to his grandfather, Jim Haslam of Cary, Ginett's unit was walking toward a location where a cache of IEDs was thought to be hidden. One other person (Army Capt Paul Pena) was killed in the incident and three were wounded, Haslam said.
Ginett opted for explosive ordnance duty after he graduated from boot camp. Though he had planned for a career in the military since he was in high school, he had other interests, too. He interned for four summers during high school with cartoonists at Walt Disney World in Florida, and he worked in Nancy Redman's pottery studio in Knightdale during his last year at East Wake. Redman remembers him as an artistic friend of the family. "He just had a big interest in art," she said.
Ginett held two bachelor's degrees and a master's degree in criminal justice and political science, according to the obituary. At the time of his death, he lived with his mother, step-father and sister, Sarah Kazakavage, in Coats.
Canadian Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard, who heads coalition forces in Kandahar province, identified Capt. Paul Pena, 27, and Tech Sgt. Adam Ginett, 29 as the two who were killed. Five other soldiers were injured. Word of the incident was delayed pending notification of family.
"Their loss will be mourned by Americans, Canadians and the Afghans they served with," Menard said. "We will remember their sacrifice."
Ginett, of Knightdale, N.C., was a counter-IED specialist. He had previously been awarded the Bronze Star for heroic or meritorious achievement or service during his previous deployments. "Adam was a dedicated soldier and a team player," Menard said.
TSgt Ginett is survived by his father Allyn Ginett, of Sodus New York, mother & step-father, Christina & James Kazakavage, and his sister Sarah Kazakavage.
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam K. Ginett was killed in action on 1/19/10.
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam K. Ginett, 29, of Knightdale, N.C.
TSgt. Ginett was assigned to the 31st Civil Engineer Squadron, Aviano Air Base, Italy; died Jan. 19, 2010 near Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device.
Tech. Sgt. Adam K. Ginett (aka "Brother Circus Trick" to his EOD brothers}
Relatives and friends are mourning the loss of a Knightdale native and Airman who died in Afghanistan of wounds inflicted by an improvised explosive device.
Ginett worked in explosive ordinance disposal and was a master sniper. Ginett's parents said that they learned of his death Tuesday after three men came to their front door.
“There was a captain, a lieutenant and a chaplain. And once I saw them, I knew,” said Christina Kazakavage, Ginett's mother.
Christina Kazakavage said Saturday that she takes comfort knowing her son died doing what he loved. “He understood what he was supposed to do,” Christina Kazakavage said.
“He’s over there saving lives,” said James Kazakavage, Ginett's step-father.
Ginett lived in Knightdale before joining the Air Force at age 18. He served three tours in Iraq and two tours in Afghanistan. Ginett earned the Bronze Star on his first tour in Afghanistan. He and six others in his unit came under fire from 28 members of the Taliban. They killed 13 insurgents and captured the others, according to his parents. His unit was unharmed.
“He said, 'I wasn't supposed to take a life, that was not my mission. I’m supposed to save lives by getting rid of the explosives,'” Christina Kazakavage recalled from a conversation with her son.
According to his grandfather, Jim Haslam of Cary, Ginett's unit was walking toward a location where a cache of IEDs was thought to be hidden. One other person (Army Capt Paul Pena) was killed in the incident and three were wounded, Haslam said.
Ginett opted for explosive ordnance duty after he graduated from boot camp. Though he had planned for a career in the military since he was in high school, he had other interests, too. He interned for four summers during high school with cartoonists at Walt Disney World in Florida, and he worked in Nancy Redman's pottery studio in Knightdale during his last year at East Wake. Redman remembers him as an artistic friend of the family. "He just had a big interest in art," she said.
Ginett held two bachelor's degrees and a master's degree in criminal justice and political science, according to the obituary. At the time of his death, he lived with his mother, step-father and sister, Sarah Kazakavage, in Coats.
Canadian Brig.-Gen. Daniel Menard, who heads coalition forces in Kandahar province, identified Capt. Paul Pena, 27, and Tech Sgt. Adam Ginett, 29 as the two who were killed. Five other soldiers were injured. Word of the incident was delayed pending notification of family.
"Their loss will be mourned by Americans, Canadians and the Afghans they served with," Menard said. "We will remember their sacrifice."
Ginett, of Knightdale, N.C., was a counter-IED specialist. He had previously been awarded the Bronze Star for heroic or meritorious achievement or service during his previous deployments. "Adam was a dedicated soldier and a team player," Menard said.
TSgt Ginett is survived by his father Allyn Ginett, of Sodus New York, mother & step-father, Christina & James Kazakavage, and his sister Sarah Kazakavage.
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam K. Ginett was killed in action on 1/19/10.
Army Capt. Paul W. Pena
Remember Our Heroes
Army Capt. Paul W. Pena, 27, of San Marcos, Texas
Capt. Pena was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Jan. 19, 2010 in Arghandab River Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
As a member of the Junior ROTC at the San Marcos Baptist Academy, Paul W. Peña was the kind of cadet who worked quietly and humbly behind the scenes, making sure important events like the unit's annual inspection went smoothly.
After he graduated and attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and later during his career as an Army officer, he would return to the school, and his teachers would marvel at how the skinny teenager they knew had bulked up and blossomed into a proud soldier.
The Canadian Press reported that Peña died Tuesday along with Tech Sgt. Adam Ginett, 29, of North Carolina. The pair were on a foot patrol with Afghan soldiers in the Arghandab district, just north of Kandahar city, when they were killed by a roadside bomb.
Five other soldiers were wounded. Peña and Ginett were working with the 2nd Battalion, 508 Parachute Infantry Regiment, and serving under Canadian command.
San Marcos Mayor Susan Narvaiz ordered the San Marcos city flag to be flown at half-staff in his memory; officials said she is asking Gov. Rick Perry's office for an official proclamation to lower the U.S. flag in San Marcos in Pena's memory.
Shelley Henry, the Baptist academy's communications director, said a memorial service in San Marcos is being planned. Peña's family could not be reached.
Peña grew up in San Marcos and attended the academy on RM 12, which today has about 250 students who board there or live in the area and attend daily, Henry said. Peña was a day student.
Henry, who was the National Honor Society adviser while Peña was a student, remembers him as a hardworking and well-liked student dedicated to JROTC. He rose to the rank of cadet major and graduated from the academy fifth in his class in 2000, Henry said.
"He was just a diligent, well-behaved kid," Henry said. "He was one of the bright stars of his class."
Max Smith, a math and physics teacher at the academy, said it came as a surprise to no one when Peña was selected to go to West Point.
"He was the ideal student, from a teacher's perspective," said Smith, a retired Army colonel. "He always came back here and let you know he was OK and that he appreciated all you'd done for him."
Smith said hearing the news about Peña's death was like "a kick in the gut" but said Peña epitomized the idea of serving one's country.
Henry said Peña was on his second deployment and recently completed a tour of duty in Iraq. He visited the school last summer and met with old teachers. She said he was unafraid to go back into combat.
"He was just a leader, and I don't think he was the kind to go in afraid," she said. "He was a brave soldier."
Henry said Capt Pena is survived only by his mother Cecilia Peña, who went to greet her son’s body at Dover Air Force Base. Henry said Peña was an Eagle Scout and a member of the National Honors Society.
Army Capt. Paul W. Pena was killed in action on 1/19/10.
Army Capt. Paul W. Pena, 27, of San Marcos, Texas
Capt. Pena was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Jan. 19, 2010 in Arghandab River Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
As a member of the Junior ROTC at the San Marcos Baptist Academy, Paul W. Peña was the kind of cadet who worked quietly and humbly behind the scenes, making sure important events like the unit's annual inspection went smoothly.
After he graduated and attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and later during his career as an Army officer, he would return to the school, and his teachers would marvel at how the skinny teenager they knew had bulked up and blossomed into a proud soldier.
The Canadian Press reported that Peña died Tuesday along with Tech Sgt. Adam Ginett, 29, of North Carolina. The pair were on a foot patrol with Afghan soldiers in the Arghandab district, just north of Kandahar city, when they were killed by a roadside bomb.
Five other soldiers were wounded. Peña and Ginett were working with the 2nd Battalion, 508 Parachute Infantry Regiment, and serving under Canadian command.
San Marcos Mayor Susan Narvaiz ordered the San Marcos city flag to be flown at half-staff in his memory; officials said she is asking Gov. Rick Perry's office for an official proclamation to lower the U.S. flag in San Marcos in Pena's memory.
Shelley Henry, the Baptist academy's communications director, said a memorial service in San Marcos is being planned. Peña's family could not be reached.
Peña grew up in San Marcos and attended the academy on RM 12, which today has about 250 students who board there or live in the area and attend daily, Henry said. Peña was a day student.
Henry, who was the National Honor Society adviser while Peña was a student, remembers him as a hardworking and well-liked student dedicated to JROTC. He rose to the rank of cadet major and graduated from the academy fifth in his class in 2000, Henry said.
"He was just a diligent, well-behaved kid," Henry said. "He was one of the bright stars of his class."
Max Smith, a math and physics teacher at the academy, said it came as a surprise to no one when Peña was selected to go to West Point.
"He was the ideal student, from a teacher's perspective," said Smith, a retired Army colonel. "He always came back here and let you know he was OK and that he appreciated all you'd done for him."
Smith said hearing the news about Peña's death was like "a kick in the gut" but said Peña epitomized the idea of serving one's country.
Henry said Peña was on his second deployment and recently completed a tour of duty in Iraq. He visited the school last summer and met with old teachers. She said he was unafraid to go back into combat.
"He was just a leader, and I don't think he was the kind to go in afraid," she said. "He was a brave soldier."
Henry said Capt Pena is survived only by his mother Cecilia Peña, who went to greet her son’s body at Dover Air Force Base. Henry said Peña was an Eagle Scout and a member of the National Honors Society.
Army Capt. Paul W. Pena was killed in action on 1/19/10.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael P. Shannon
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael P. Shannon, 52, of Canadensis, Pa.
SFC Shannon was assigned to Headquarters, 7th Army and U.S. Army Europe, Heidelberg, Germany; died Jan. 17, 2010 in Kabul, Afghanistan, of a heart attack.
Soldier suffers heart attack in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
CANADENSIS, Pa. — Sgt. 1st Class Michael P. Shannon would keep a straight face while telling a joke, his family says, and it often took a moment to realize he was kidding.
Though he had a healthy sense of humor, Shannon was serious about the Army.
“He was a soldier through and through,” said his wife, Donna. “The Army was his life. The only thing equal to the Army in his life was his family.”
Shannon, of Canadensis, suffered a fatal heart attack Jan. 17 while serving in Afghanistan. He was 52.
The New York City native first enlisted in 1977. He earned a bachelor’s degree at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, then a master’s in degree criminal justice at Long Island University in Brookville, N.Y.
He met his wife while working as a corrections officer in New York. He retired in 2001 as an assistant deputy warden.
“His attitude was, we’re all going die some way,” Donna Shannon said. “No one has a master plan to avoid it, so don’t use it as an excuse to not do your part for your country and your family. That’s the kind of man he was.”
He is survived by his mother, Lorena; and three children, Rhea, 21, Michel’le, 18, and George, 9.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael P. Shannon died of a heart attack on 1/17/10.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael P. Shannon, 52, of Canadensis, Pa.
SFC Shannon was assigned to Headquarters, 7th Army and U.S. Army Europe, Heidelberg, Germany; died Jan. 17, 2010 in Kabul, Afghanistan, of a heart attack.
Soldier suffers heart attack in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
CANADENSIS, Pa. — Sgt. 1st Class Michael P. Shannon would keep a straight face while telling a joke, his family says, and it often took a moment to realize he was kidding.
Though he had a healthy sense of humor, Shannon was serious about the Army.
“He was a soldier through and through,” said his wife, Donna. “The Army was his life. The only thing equal to the Army in his life was his family.”
Shannon, of Canadensis, suffered a fatal heart attack Jan. 17 while serving in Afghanistan. He was 52.
The New York City native first enlisted in 1977. He earned a bachelor’s degree at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, then a master’s in degree criminal justice at Long Island University in Brookville, N.Y.
He met his wife while working as a corrections officer in New York. He retired in 2001 as an assistant deputy warden.
“His attitude was, we’re all going die some way,” Donna Shannon said. “No one has a master plan to avoid it, so don’t use it as an excuse to not do your part for your country and your family. That’s the kind of man he was.”
He is survived by his mother, Lorena; and three children, Rhea, 21, Michel’le, 18, and George, 9.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael P. Shannon died of a heart attack on 1/17/10.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Marine Sgt. Christopher R. Hrbek
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Sgt. Christopher R. Hrbek, 25, of Westwood, N.J.
Sgt. Hrbek was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. died Jan. 14, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
WESTWOOD -- On Christmas Day, Marine Sgt. Christopher Hrbek called home to Bergen County from Afghanistan with the news he had been nominated for a Bronze Star.
A fellow Marine, a master sergeant, had been gravely injured by a bomb buried in the dirt. Under heavy enemy fire, Sgt. Hrbek and a Navy corpsman had rushed to the man’s aid, applying tourniquets to the stumps of his severed legs and carrying him to safety.
Family members learned today Christopher Hrbek will receive the award posthumously.
Hrbek, 25, a married Westwood native, was killed Thursday when he stepped on an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Helmand Province, his family and the Department of Defense said. He had previously served three tours of duty in Iraq.
“He was born a Marine. He wanted to die a Marine,” said Beau Hodges, 28, Hrbek’s stepbrother. “He was proud to die for his country.”
Sgt. Hrbek is at least the 14th service member with ties to New Jersey to die in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001. At least 96 others have died in Iraq since 2003.
A full-size flagpole springs from the lawn of the brick, colonial-style home where Chris Hrbek grew up with his mother, Cheryl, and stepfather, JayMee Hodges. An American flag and a Marine Corps flag flew at half-staff today. Relatives gathered throughout the day, by turns crying and laughing as they shared stories.
Once a slight kid who had been afraid of the dark well into his teens, Christopher Hrbek grew into a fearless, muscled warrior who planned to make a career of the Corps.
“He loved it over there,” said another stepbrother, Jim Hodges, 31. “He wanted to do this for the rest of his life.”
Hrbek made the point to one of his two sisters, Amy Dellentash, in a recent phone call home, after she had learned of his nomination for the Bronze Star. He had spoken of three-hour firefights and of coming under attack every time his unit went out on patrol. Amy Dellentash, 33, knew American service members were falling.
“I knew he was at war and in a terrible situation, and I just wanted to know if he was really okay,” she said.
She said her brother responded, “Are you kidding me? I love what I do.”
Sgt. Hrbek’s admiration for the Marine Corps took root as a sophomore at Westwood High School, where he was a member of the wrestling team and something of a class clown, relatives said. He began reading and watching movies about the Corps after scoring well on a physical evaluation used by the service, his family said.
Seven months after graduation, he was off to Paris Island for basic training. His service brought him to Iraq three times, first in 2005. He served again from February to September 2007 and then from August 2008 to March 2009. He left for Afghanistan in November. Hrbek was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Family members said Hrbek might have taken a different route, fighting fires instead of wars. Both his stepbrothers are firefighters in New York City, and his stepfather is a member of the Westwood Volunteer Fire Department. Hrbek, too, began volunteering at age 16.
The lure was strong. Beau Hodges said his stepbrother had a place in the academy last year in the New York Fire Department but chose instead to re-enlist in the Marines.
Sgt. Hrbek’s career kept him away for long stretches from his wife, Jamie Hrbek, 23, but in an interview this evening at her Emerson home, she said distance and time never seemed to take anything from their relationship.
When they first saw each other three years ago, it was only for a few seconds, she said. She was a waitress in a local restaurant. He was a customer. Hrbek was about to talk to her when he was summoned to a fire scene. It would be a month before he got her number from a friend.
“We could have said we loved each other without really seeing each other,” she said.
They talked for six hours in that first phone conversation. Late in 2007, they married. “I could say a thousand things about him,” she said. “He was filled with a sense of adventure.”
His personal decorations include two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, the Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, and a number of campaign and service decorations.
Sgt. Hrbek also is survived by his wife Jamie Wengerter Hodges, father Richard Hrbek of Emerson, mother and step dad Cheryl and JayMee Hodges, step brothers Jim and Beau Hodges and sister Amy Dellentash as well as the members of the Westwood Volunteer Fire Department.
Marine Sgt. Christopher R. Hrbek was killed in aciton on 01/14/10.
Marine Sgt. Christopher R. Hrbek, 25, of Westwood, N.J.
Sgt. Hrbek was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. died Jan. 14, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
WESTWOOD -- On Christmas Day, Marine Sgt. Christopher Hrbek called home to Bergen County from Afghanistan with the news he had been nominated for a Bronze Star.
A fellow Marine, a master sergeant, had been gravely injured by a bomb buried in the dirt. Under heavy enemy fire, Sgt. Hrbek and a Navy corpsman had rushed to the man’s aid, applying tourniquets to the stumps of his severed legs and carrying him to safety.
Family members learned today Christopher Hrbek will receive the award posthumously.
Hrbek, 25, a married Westwood native, was killed Thursday when he stepped on an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Helmand Province, his family and the Department of Defense said. He had previously served three tours of duty in Iraq.
“He was born a Marine. He wanted to die a Marine,” said Beau Hodges, 28, Hrbek’s stepbrother. “He was proud to die for his country.”
Sgt. Hrbek is at least the 14th service member with ties to New Jersey to die in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001. At least 96 others have died in Iraq since 2003.
A full-size flagpole springs from the lawn of the brick, colonial-style home where Chris Hrbek grew up with his mother, Cheryl, and stepfather, JayMee Hodges. An American flag and a Marine Corps flag flew at half-staff today. Relatives gathered throughout the day, by turns crying and laughing as they shared stories.
Once a slight kid who had been afraid of the dark well into his teens, Christopher Hrbek grew into a fearless, muscled warrior who planned to make a career of the Corps.
“He loved it over there,” said another stepbrother, Jim Hodges, 31. “He wanted to do this for the rest of his life.”
Hrbek made the point to one of his two sisters, Amy Dellentash, in a recent phone call home, after she had learned of his nomination for the Bronze Star. He had spoken of three-hour firefights and of coming under attack every time his unit went out on patrol. Amy Dellentash, 33, knew American service members were falling.
“I knew he was at war and in a terrible situation, and I just wanted to know if he was really okay,” she said.
She said her brother responded, “Are you kidding me? I love what I do.”
Sgt. Hrbek’s admiration for the Marine Corps took root as a sophomore at Westwood High School, where he was a member of the wrestling team and something of a class clown, relatives said. He began reading and watching movies about the Corps after scoring well on a physical evaluation used by the service, his family said.
Seven months after graduation, he was off to Paris Island for basic training. His service brought him to Iraq three times, first in 2005. He served again from February to September 2007 and then from August 2008 to March 2009. He left for Afghanistan in November. Hrbek was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Family members said Hrbek might have taken a different route, fighting fires instead of wars. Both his stepbrothers are firefighters in New York City, and his stepfather is a member of the Westwood Volunteer Fire Department. Hrbek, too, began volunteering at age 16.
The lure was strong. Beau Hodges said his stepbrother had a place in the academy last year in the New York Fire Department but chose instead to re-enlist in the Marines.
Sgt. Hrbek’s career kept him away for long stretches from his wife, Jamie Hrbek, 23, but in an interview this evening at her Emerson home, she said distance and time never seemed to take anything from their relationship.
When they first saw each other three years ago, it was only for a few seconds, she said. She was a waitress in a local restaurant. He was a customer. Hrbek was about to talk to her when he was summoned to a fire scene. It would be a month before he got her number from a friend.
“We could have said we loved each other without really seeing each other,” she said.
They talked for six hours in that first phone conversation. Late in 2007, they married. “I could say a thousand things about him,” she said. “He was filled with a sense of adventure.”
His personal decorations include two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, the Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, and a number of campaign and service decorations.
Sgt. Hrbek also is survived by his wife Jamie Wengerter Hodges, father Richard Hrbek of Emerson, mother and step dad Cheryl and JayMee Hodges, step brothers Jim and Beau Hodges and sister Amy Dellentash as well as the members of the Westwood Volunteer Fire Department.
Marine Sgt. Christopher R. Hrbek was killed in aciton on 01/14/10.
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