Remember Our Heroes
Marine Cpl. Thomas E. Saba, 30, of Toms River, N.J.
Cpl. Saba was assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 262, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan; died Feb. 7, 2007, when the helicopter he was flying in crashed while supporting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq. Also killed were 1st Lt. Jared M. Landaker, Sgt. Travis D. Pfister, Capt. Jennifer J. Harris, Sgt. James R. Tijerina, Navy Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Gilbert Minjares Jr. and Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Manuel A. Ruiz
"Their everyday hero"
Family mourns son killed in Iraq
BY ANGELA SANTORIELLO
STAFF WRITER
TOMS RIVER — His family asked him not to go back.
But U.S. Marine Cpl. Thomas Saba was "semper fi" through and through. After already serving five years, he re-enlisted in the Marines when he got word his unit was being deployed to Iraq.
Less than two weeks after he arrived, Saba's life ended at age 30, when his Boeing Sea Knight helicopter crashed near Fallujah in Iraq's Anbar province on Wednesday, 20 miles outside of Baghdad. Saba spent most of his tour assigned to the Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 262, the "Flying Tigers," in Okinawa, Japan.
The January deployment to Iraq was that squadron's first combat deployment since the Vietnam War, and the Saba family said Vietnam War veterans have contacted them to tell them Thomas' death was similar to that of one of their own pilots.
"They said 40 years and 10 days before Thomas's death, the same situation happened, when one of their men re-enlisted over to 'Nam and was in a medevac and was shot down," said Saba's sister, Laura. "They said it was a very eerie coincidence."
Calling Saba "their everyday hero," the family gathered close together yesterday morning at the home of his parents, Barbara and Anthony Saba. Toms River Mayor Paul C. Brush was also there to offer his condolences.
The last time Saba spoke to his parents was the Saturday before his death. He had called them in Florida, where they were vacationing, to ensure they were safe after hearing of the recent tornadoes there.
Laura Saba said she is blessed to have been the last one to spend time with Thomas before he left for Iraq after the Christmas holiday.
"I took him to the airport, and we had a lot of time to talk, and I asked him why he was extending his tour," she said. "He said those were the guys that trained together and were a solid team, and as the crew chief, he said without him the men could go down."
His flight was delayed a day and a half, she said, giving them extra time together at her Highlands home.
"At one time, when his flight was being rerouted, the woman behind the (airline) counter said, "This is not a good sign,' and maybe he should pack up his bags and flee to Canada," she said. "Thomas pointed to a flag and said, "Ma'am, these colors do not run.' "
"He shouldn't have been on the helicopter," said Saba's father, Anthony. "He was bored because they had not assigned his squadron yet, and he wanted to learn medevac (procedures) so he volunteered to fly."
Lt. Gen. Douglas E. Lute, chief operations officer for the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, said Friday that Saba's crash was caused by mechanical failure, but an investigation is still under way.
Though Thomas Saba was the youngest of siblings — sisters Laura Saba and Mary Ellen Ditczkus and brother Anthony Saba — the family said fellow Marines called Saba "the old man," because of the wisdom and leadership with which he guided them.
"He was the baby in the family, but he was a big brother to them," Ditczkus said. She added that Saba had been accepted into both the New York and Los Angeles police departments, but instead choose to enter the service directly after Sept. 11, 2001.
Aside from being a sibling and son, Saba was the godfather to his nephew Brandon, 16; niece Alessandra, 2; and a close family friend.
"He said it was killing him not being able to watch Alessandra grow up," Anthony Saba said.
As Barbara Saba bounced Alessandra on her knee yesterday, Ditczkus said her brother "always wanted to be a father."
"And when he got out of the Marines, he was going to be an elementary school teacher because he wanted to be a male role model," she said. "Not only are my kids going to be deprived of him, so will other children."
After listening to the family reminisce about their son and brother, Brush recalled Marine Pfc. Vincent Frassetto, who was 21 years old when he was killed in September in Iraq, not far from where Saba's plane crashed.
"Vincent was very much like your son. He died for his country and would do it all over again," Brush said. "It sounds like Vincent Frassetto and Thomas would have gotten along well."
The family said this Christmas with Thomas was a present they will always cherish.
"Tommy was the most excited out of everyone," Barbara Saba said. "He had to light up the Minnie and Mickey lights."
Anthony Saba said though his son had healthy, heated political debates among his family when he was home, he would not stand for bashing of President Bush.
"That is my commander in chief," he would say. "Do not say anything against him."
Laura Saba said her brother went back to Iraq because of freedom.
"He would say, "At least we have the ability to talk against the war,' " she said, adding that her brother reminded his family that Americans tend to take their freedom for granted. "He would say, "The problems over there could be here.' "
But as serious as Thomas was, his family said he was also a jokester.
They showed a picture of Thomas, who tricked one of his fellow Marines by standing with a lampshade over his head, posing as a floor lamp. They also told a story of how he had his friend Jeffery, who is 6 feet tall, paged in a Target store.
"He had them say over the loudspeaker, "Will little Jeffery please report to the front desk if you are lost?' " Ditczkus said, smiling. "That was the kind of thing Tommy did."
The Sabas said that since Thomas' death, they found out he had a MySpace page. With a New York Yankees backdrop and a picture of him standing in Yankee Stadium, the page lists 41 of Saba's friends, who just now are finding out about his death, since his sisters made separate postings.
"My God, Tom, I was just talking to you not too long ago. I knew how excited you were to go! You are in our thought(s) and prayers," one of Saba's friends wrote.
Another friend wrote: "Shocking and sad news to hear. Good guy with a generous heart. You'll always be in my memories. Thank you for what you've sacrificed for us all, with love always, your friend."
Laura Saba said her brother would not want anyone to be sad over his death.
"He died for a cause and something he believed in," Ditczkus added.
Thomas Saba's body was flown to the United States yesterday. The family will hold a wake Thursday at Casey Funeral Home in Staten Island, N.Y. Saba will be buried Friday at Moravian Cemetery in Staten Island.
Brush will attend the funeral and offered the family police escorts to Staten Island.
A scholarship fund is being set up for students at Susan E. Wagner High School in Staten Island, which Saba attended. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, money donations be made to the Cpl. Thomas E. Saba Scholarship Fund, c/o Casey Funeral Home, 350 Slosson Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314.
Marine Cpl. Thomas E. Saba was killed in action on 02/07/07.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Marine Sgt. James R. Tijerina
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Sgt. James R. Tijerina, 26, of Beasley, Texas
Sgt. Tijerina was assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Feb. 7 when the helicopter he was flying in crashed while supporting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq. Also killed were 1st Lt. Jared M. Landaker, Sgt. Travis D. Pfister, Cpl. Thomas E. Saba, Capt. Jennifer J. Harris, Navy Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Gilbert Minjares Jr. and Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Manuel A. Ruiz.
Katy Marine Dies In Copter Crash Weeks Before Return From Iraq
Feb. 11, 2007 By ANITA HASSAN, Houston Chronicle
A Marine from Katy died in a helicopter crash in Iraq on Wednesday.
Sgt. James Rodney Tijerina, 26, crew chief on a medical evacuation helicopter, died when his CH-46 Sea Knight caught fire, spun out of control and crashed. The fire was caused by a mechanical failure, military officials told his father, Peter Tijerina, when they came to his home to deliver the news of his son's death on Wednesday.
"I saw two Marines drive up and park," he said. "And I knew they were coming to see me. I knew they were looking for me."
Peter Tijerina said he told the two staff sergeants he wanted few details of the crash that killed his son and six others aboard the helicopter.
"I don't want to know how he died or how he suffered," he said.
James Tijerina was scheduled to return home to his station at Camp Pendleton in San Diego on March 20.
"He had no fear at all," said Peter Tijerina as he described his last conversation with his son in mid-January. "But he was tired and homesick."
James Tijerina decided to join the Marines in 2002 before the war in Iraq began.
"He told me, 'That's what I want to do, Dad,' " Peter Tijerina said. "'I want to go and fight.'"
His father said Tijerina was very proud to be a Marine. As a crew chief, he helped pick up wounded troops and take them to safety.
"He was always expressing that he felt good about doing something good for all those people," he said.
This was James Tijerina's second tour in Iraq, his father said. The first time he was sent to Baghdad was only a year after he joined.
"He wanted to make a career out of it," Peter Tijerina said, adding that his son had enlisted for another five years.
Not only had James Tijerina found a career in the Marines, but it also enabled him to meet the woman who would become his wife, Clowie. His father said the two met after James was stationed at Camp Pendleton in San Diego.
"When he met her, he called to tell me he found his soul mate," Peter Tijerina said.
The couple married last summer shortly before Tijerina left for Iraq. Peter Tijerina said they had planned to have a bigger ceremony in June after his son came home from his tour.
"He had plans," he said. "Man, he had plans like crazy."
Graduating from Katy High School in 1997, Tijerina was part of the football team that won a state championship his senior year.
Last Christmas Eve, he ran in a 5-K race at Camp Taqaddum with 250 other troops where he won first place with a time of 18 minutes and 46 seconds.
"He was an athlete, but he also had a big heart," Peter Tijerina said.
His father described James Tijerina as a softspoken and caring man who loved the outdoors. His real passion, however, was for animals.
"It was a real nightmare in the house when the snakes got loose," he said, chuckling.
He remembered Tijerina finding wounded animals on the street and trying to nurse them back to health. "He had such a soft spot for animals," Peter Tijerina said. "Even the mean dogs he could handle because they could sense it."
Peter Tijerina said that he and his son were very close.
In addition to his father and wife, James Tijerina is survived by his mother, Lilia Carr, his sister, Lynn Ann and brother, Peter Tijerina II.
Marine Sgt. James R. Tijerina was killed in action 02/07/07
Marine Sgt. James R. Tijerina, 26, of Beasley, Texas
Sgt. Tijerina was assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Feb. 7 when the helicopter he was flying in crashed while supporting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq. Also killed were 1st Lt. Jared M. Landaker, Sgt. Travis D. Pfister, Cpl. Thomas E. Saba, Capt. Jennifer J. Harris, Navy Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Gilbert Minjares Jr. and Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Manuel A. Ruiz.
Katy Marine Dies In Copter Crash Weeks Before Return From Iraq
Feb. 11, 2007 By ANITA HASSAN, Houston Chronicle
A Marine from Katy died in a helicopter crash in Iraq on Wednesday.
Sgt. James Rodney Tijerina, 26, crew chief on a medical evacuation helicopter, died when his CH-46 Sea Knight caught fire, spun out of control and crashed. The fire was caused by a mechanical failure, military officials told his father, Peter Tijerina, when they came to his home to deliver the news of his son's death on Wednesday.
"I saw two Marines drive up and park," he said. "And I knew they were coming to see me. I knew they were looking for me."
Peter Tijerina said he told the two staff sergeants he wanted few details of the crash that killed his son and six others aboard the helicopter.
"I don't want to know how he died or how he suffered," he said.
James Tijerina was scheduled to return home to his station at Camp Pendleton in San Diego on March 20.
"He had no fear at all," said Peter Tijerina as he described his last conversation with his son in mid-January. "But he was tired and homesick."
James Tijerina decided to join the Marines in 2002 before the war in Iraq began.
"He told me, 'That's what I want to do, Dad,' " Peter Tijerina said. "'I want to go and fight.'"
His father said Tijerina was very proud to be a Marine. As a crew chief, he helped pick up wounded troops and take them to safety.
"He was always expressing that he felt good about doing something good for all those people," he said.
This was James Tijerina's second tour in Iraq, his father said. The first time he was sent to Baghdad was only a year after he joined.
"He wanted to make a career out of it," Peter Tijerina said, adding that his son had enlisted for another five years.
Not only had James Tijerina found a career in the Marines, but it also enabled him to meet the woman who would become his wife, Clowie. His father said the two met after James was stationed at Camp Pendleton in San Diego.
"When he met her, he called to tell me he found his soul mate," Peter Tijerina said.
The couple married last summer shortly before Tijerina left for Iraq. Peter Tijerina said they had planned to have a bigger ceremony in June after his son came home from his tour.
"He had plans," he said. "Man, he had plans like crazy."
Graduating from Katy High School in 1997, Tijerina was part of the football team that won a state championship his senior year.
Last Christmas Eve, he ran in a 5-K race at Camp Taqaddum with 250 other troops where he won first place with a time of 18 minutes and 46 seconds.
"He was an athlete, but he also had a big heart," Peter Tijerina said.
His father described James Tijerina as a softspoken and caring man who loved the outdoors. His real passion, however, was for animals.
"It was a real nightmare in the house when the snakes got loose," he said, chuckling.
He remembered Tijerina finding wounded animals on the street and trying to nurse them back to health. "He had such a soft spot for animals," Peter Tijerina said. "Even the mean dogs he could handle because they could sense it."
Peter Tijerina said that he and his son were very close.
In addition to his father and wife, James Tijerina is survived by his mother, Lilia Carr, his sister, Lynn Ann and brother, Peter Tijerina II.
Marine Sgt. James R. Tijerina was killed in action 02/07/07
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Marine Sgt. Joshua J. Frazier
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Sgt. Joshua J. Frazier, 24, of Spotsylvania, Va.
Sgt. Frazier was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Feb. 6 while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.
Local Marine killed in Iraq
Sgt. Joshua J. Frazier
Local Marine is killed by sniper
BY BRIAN BAER
Joshua J. Frazier was scheduled to return from Iraq in April, but decided to re-up for a third tour.
The newly promoted sergeant didn't want to leave the young Marines he was now leading on their own. By staying, he told friends and family, he believed he could keep his men safe.
The Spotsylvania County Marine was killed by a sniper in Iraq late Monday, his family said yesterday. He was 24.
Frazier had been serving in the Ar Ramadi area of Iraq as part of the Company A, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment.
His mother, Shelia Cutshall, last spoke with him Sunday night, when he called home with news of his promotion.
"He was upbeat," she said. "I told him I missed him, and he said he missed me, too."
Frazier, who left for his second deployment to Iraq last September, also told her about his plan to extend his stay, and the reasons for that.
To those who knew him best, it was typical Josh.
It was the same guy who would stay with a friend all night after a buddy lost a relative.
It was the same young man who would visit a casual acquaintance in the hospital for hours.
It was the same person who would spend what little free time he had on leave taking family and friends' kids to Lake Anna and birthday parties.
And, above all, they said, it was the same son and brother who would drop anything for his family.
Yesterday afternoon, his mom's house was filled with tangible reminders of the Spotsylvania High graduate.
At one end of the living room, a family friend held onto "Teddy," the stuffed bear Cutshall received as a gift when she was six months pregnant with her second son.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Frazier still slept with the bear when he was home.
On one couch was a blanket with a dragon on it that he had sent his mom for her 50th birthday. A dragon is a sign of strength in Korea, where he once deployed, he told her.
On another sofa rested a small quilt with the Marine insignia and the large words, "Welcome Home Josh." It was prepared for his last return home from Iraq.
The blanket was signed by many of the same friends and family who were gathered at the home yesterday.
Memories flowed.
Frazier collected guns and loved all things Spider-Man. He had a huge handshake, but a warm, sheepish smile.
He was a partier, they recalled with a laugh, but that never kept him from church come Sunday morning.
Michelle Luehrs had known him since grade school.
"He was so full of life and energy and so passionate about so many things. And he cared so much about people," she said. Frazier was the godfather to her 7-year-old son, Xavier.
She remembered what he said when she tried to talk him out of extending his term with the Marines.
"He said, 'Michelle, there's a lot of really bad people over here and I can't go home while they're still here.' He didn't want Xavier to have to go over when he was 18. He felt like it was on his shoulders."
Aaron Mallin, 29, Frazier's older brother, said Josh was proud of the difference he was making in Iraq. He once told Mallin, for instance, that his unit was serving in what has been described as the most dangerous intersection in the world.
Since Frazier and his fellow Marines moved in, he told Mallin, people could once again cross the street without being killed.
"And he was very proud of that," Mallin said.
Dad Rick Frazier said his son's strong will was what made him unique.
"That helped him get through life. He worked very hard at being an individual. But I think the most important thing I can say about my son was that he loved his family and we'll sorely miss that part of him," he said.
"He believed in the United States and believed what he was doing was right. He gave his life for what he thought was the right thing to do."
Death of a celebrity, and a hero
By Jeff Mullin, Commentary - Enid News & Eagle - Enid, OK
Joshua Frazier died Tuesday. His death went relatively unnoticed, particularly when compared to the media frenzy that followed the untimely demise of Anna Nicole Smith.
That is understandable, of course, since Smith was, if nothing else, famous.
She might have been famous simply for being famous, but her name had become a household word.
Smith’s fame seems a testament to the cult of celebrity that grips this country. We love celebrities, or, at least, we love to scrutinize every aspect of their lives.
We hang on every juicy detail of their love lives, from the first blush of romance to the wreckage left strewn in the wake of their breakup.
We want to know where they live, how they live, with whom they live and what substances in which they indulge to help them get through their lives.
We love them when they succeed, we envy them when they are at their sleek, beautiful, sexy, talented best. But we take guilty satisfaction in their downfall, as well. We can’t look away when they gain weight, get arrested for drunk driving, shame themselves by spouting racial epithets or slide into the morass of addiction.
In return celebrities crave our attention. Without the public, they would have no career. But after a time, all try, largely without success, to hold the public at arm’s length, to submit to the relentless scrutiny of adoring fandom only on their own terms.
It never works. In the world of celebrity, there is no having your cake and eating it too.
Joshua Frazier was no celebrity. He was a 24-year-old kid from Spotsylvania, Va., located just off I-95 south of Washington.
He was, by all accounts, a good kid. When a friend had a death in the family, Josh would sit up with them all night, if need be. If someone he knew, even casually, was in the hospital, Frazier would spend hours visiting them. When he was home, Josh Frazier even slept with a teddy bear, one given to his mother when she was pregnant with him.
No one ever saw fit to base a reality series on his life. If they had, they would have focused on a young man who would party on Saturday night, but was always up for church on Sunday morning.
Josh Frazier collected guns and was a huge fan of Spider Man.
Television news programs did not devote long minutes to coverage of Josh Frazier’s death, as they did with Anna Nicole Smith. Magazines will not feature the demise of Josh Frazier on their covers, as they will Anna Nicole. Smith, after all, helps sell magazines.
Why do such people fascinate us? Is it because we wish we could be them, or because we are so glad we’re not?
Anna Nicole Smith was an exotic dancer, turned Playboy playmate, turned blushing bride to an 89-year-old billionaire, turned widow embroiled in a legal fight over her late husband’s estate, turned model, turned grieving mother and now martyr on the altar of society’s obsession with celebrity.
She shared much with her idol, Marilyn Monroe — her blonde hair, her figure, her pouty beauty. But Marilyn had something Anna Nicole lacked, talent. In the end they share an untimely death surrounded by mystery and innuendo.
There is no mystery surrounding the death of Josh Frazier. After graduating from Spotsylvania High School, he enlisted in the Marines, because he wanted to make a difference.
He was on his second deployment to Iraq, and served with Company A, First Battalion, Sixth Marine Regiment in the Ar Ramadi region of Iraq.
Frazier described the area to friends as the most dangerous intersection in the world. Aaron Mallin, Josh’s older brother, told the Fredricksburg (Va.) Free Lance-Star Josh was proud of the difference he and his fellow Marines were making in Iraq. Frazier said once his unit moved into the area, local people could again cross the street without being killed.
“And he was very proud of that,” Mallin told the paper.
Michelle Luehrs, a friend of Frazier’s since grade school, had tried to talk him out of extending his most recent tour in Iraq, a decision he made only recently.
“He said, ‘Michelle, there’s a lot of really bad people over here and I can’t go home while they’re still here,’” Luehrs told the Free Lance-Star.
Frazier talked to his mother, Sheila Cutshall, a week ago. He told her of his recent promotion, and his plans to re-up for a third tour in Iraq.
Tuesday a sniper’s bullet ended the life of Sgt. Joshua J. Frazier. His death made news in his hometown, but elsewhere he was merely a statistic.
We have a skewed sense of what is important, when the death of a celebrity dominates the airwaves and is considered front page news, and the death of a fighting man or woman is treated almost as an afterthought.
Anna Nicole Smith was a troubled celebrity whose life ended too soon. Marine Sgt. Joshua J. Frazier was a hero.
I pray we never lose sight of the difference.
Marine Sgt. Joshua J. Frazier was killed in action on 02/06/07.
Marine Sgt. Joshua J. Frazier, 24, of Spotsylvania, Va.
Sgt. Frazier was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Feb. 6 while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.
Local Marine killed in Iraq
Sgt. Joshua J. Frazier
Local Marine is killed by sniper
BY BRIAN BAER
Joshua J. Frazier was scheduled to return from Iraq in April, but decided to re-up for a third tour.
The newly promoted sergeant didn't want to leave the young Marines he was now leading on their own. By staying, he told friends and family, he believed he could keep his men safe.
The Spotsylvania County Marine was killed by a sniper in Iraq late Monday, his family said yesterday. He was 24.
Frazier had been serving in the Ar Ramadi area of Iraq as part of the Company A, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment.
His mother, Shelia Cutshall, last spoke with him Sunday night, when he called home with news of his promotion.
"He was upbeat," she said. "I told him I missed him, and he said he missed me, too."
Frazier, who left for his second deployment to Iraq last September, also told her about his plan to extend his stay, and the reasons for that.
To those who knew him best, it was typical Josh.
It was the same guy who would stay with a friend all night after a buddy lost a relative.
It was the same young man who would visit a casual acquaintance in the hospital for hours.
It was the same person who would spend what little free time he had on leave taking family and friends' kids to Lake Anna and birthday parties.
And, above all, they said, it was the same son and brother who would drop anything for his family.
Yesterday afternoon, his mom's house was filled with tangible reminders of the Spotsylvania High graduate.
At one end of the living room, a family friend held onto "Teddy," the stuffed bear Cutshall received as a gift when she was six months pregnant with her second son.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Frazier still slept with the bear when he was home.
On one couch was a blanket with a dragon on it that he had sent his mom for her 50th birthday. A dragon is a sign of strength in Korea, where he once deployed, he told her.
On another sofa rested a small quilt with the Marine insignia and the large words, "Welcome Home Josh." It was prepared for his last return home from Iraq.
The blanket was signed by many of the same friends and family who were gathered at the home yesterday.
Memories flowed.
Frazier collected guns and loved all things Spider-Man. He had a huge handshake, but a warm, sheepish smile.
He was a partier, they recalled with a laugh, but that never kept him from church come Sunday morning.
Michelle Luehrs had known him since grade school.
"He was so full of life and energy and so passionate about so many things. And he cared so much about people," she said. Frazier was the godfather to her 7-year-old son, Xavier.
She remembered what he said when she tried to talk him out of extending his term with the Marines.
"He said, 'Michelle, there's a lot of really bad people over here and I can't go home while they're still here.' He didn't want Xavier to have to go over when he was 18. He felt like it was on his shoulders."
Aaron Mallin, 29, Frazier's older brother, said Josh was proud of the difference he was making in Iraq. He once told Mallin, for instance, that his unit was serving in what has been described as the most dangerous intersection in the world.
Since Frazier and his fellow Marines moved in, he told Mallin, people could once again cross the street without being killed.
"And he was very proud of that," Mallin said.
Dad Rick Frazier said his son's strong will was what made him unique.
"That helped him get through life. He worked very hard at being an individual. But I think the most important thing I can say about my son was that he loved his family and we'll sorely miss that part of him," he said.
"He believed in the United States and believed what he was doing was right. He gave his life for what he thought was the right thing to do."
Death of a celebrity, and a hero
By Jeff Mullin, Commentary - Enid News & Eagle - Enid, OK
Joshua Frazier died Tuesday. His death went relatively unnoticed, particularly when compared to the media frenzy that followed the untimely demise of Anna Nicole Smith.
That is understandable, of course, since Smith was, if nothing else, famous.
She might have been famous simply for being famous, but her name had become a household word.
Smith’s fame seems a testament to the cult of celebrity that grips this country. We love celebrities, or, at least, we love to scrutinize every aspect of their lives.
We hang on every juicy detail of their love lives, from the first blush of romance to the wreckage left strewn in the wake of their breakup.
We want to know where they live, how they live, with whom they live and what substances in which they indulge to help them get through their lives.
We love them when they succeed, we envy them when they are at their sleek, beautiful, sexy, talented best. But we take guilty satisfaction in their downfall, as well. We can’t look away when they gain weight, get arrested for drunk driving, shame themselves by spouting racial epithets or slide into the morass of addiction.
In return celebrities crave our attention. Without the public, they would have no career. But after a time, all try, largely without success, to hold the public at arm’s length, to submit to the relentless scrutiny of adoring fandom only on their own terms.
It never works. In the world of celebrity, there is no having your cake and eating it too.
Joshua Frazier was no celebrity. He was a 24-year-old kid from Spotsylvania, Va., located just off I-95 south of Washington.
He was, by all accounts, a good kid. When a friend had a death in the family, Josh would sit up with them all night, if need be. If someone he knew, even casually, was in the hospital, Frazier would spend hours visiting them. When he was home, Josh Frazier even slept with a teddy bear, one given to his mother when she was pregnant with him.
No one ever saw fit to base a reality series on his life. If they had, they would have focused on a young man who would party on Saturday night, but was always up for church on Sunday morning.
Josh Frazier collected guns and was a huge fan of Spider Man.
Television news programs did not devote long minutes to coverage of Josh Frazier’s death, as they did with Anna Nicole Smith. Magazines will not feature the demise of Josh Frazier on their covers, as they will Anna Nicole. Smith, after all, helps sell magazines.
Why do such people fascinate us? Is it because we wish we could be them, or because we are so glad we’re not?
Anna Nicole Smith was an exotic dancer, turned Playboy playmate, turned blushing bride to an 89-year-old billionaire, turned widow embroiled in a legal fight over her late husband’s estate, turned model, turned grieving mother and now martyr on the altar of society’s obsession with celebrity.
She shared much with her idol, Marilyn Monroe — her blonde hair, her figure, her pouty beauty. But Marilyn had something Anna Nicole lacked, talent. In the end they share an untimely death surrounded by mystery and innuendo.
There is no mystery surrounding the death of Josh Frazier. After graduating from Spotsylvania High School, he enlisted in the Marines, because he wanted to make a difference.
He was on his second deployment to Iraq, and served with Company A, First Battalion, Sixth Marine Regiment in the Ar Ramadi region of Iraq.
Frazier described the area to friends as the most dangerous intersection in the world. Aaron Mallin, Josh’s older brother, told the Fredricksburg (Va.) Free Lance-Star Josh was proud of the difference he and his fellow Marines were making in Iraq. Frazier said once his unit moved into the area, local people could again cross the street without being killed.
“And he was very proud of that,” Mallin told the paper.
Michelle Luehrs, a friend of Frazier’s since grade school, had tried to talk him out of extending his most recent tour in Iraq, a decision he made only recently.
“He said, ‘Michelle, there’s a lot of really bad people over here and I can’t go home while they’re still here,’” Luehrs told the Free Lance-Star.
Frazier talked to his mother, Sheila Cutshall, a week ago. He told her of his recent promotion, and his plans to re-up for a third tour in Iraq.
Tuesday a sniper’s bullet ended the life of Sgt. Joshua J. Frazier. His death made news in his hometown, but elsewhere he was merely a statistic.
We have a skewed sense of what is important, when the death of a celebrity dominates the airwaves and is considered front page news, and the death of a fighting man or woman is treated almost as an afterthought.
Anna Nicole Smith was a troubled celebrity whose life ended too soon. Marine Sgt. Joshua J. Frazier was a hero.
I pray we never lose sight of the difference.
Marine Sgt. Joshua J. Frazier was killed in action on 02/06/07.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Army Pvt. Clarence T. Spencer
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pvt. Clarence T. Spencer, 24, of San Diego
Pvt. Spencer was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Feb. 4, 2007 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his unit came in contact with the enemy using small arms fire in Baqubah.
Fort Worth soldier killed in Iraq action
PVT. CLARENCE SPENCER | 1982 - 2007
By CHRIS VAUGHN
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
CLARENCE SPENCERFORT WORTH -- Sheer habit led Juanita Cole to check her e-mails Tuesday, looking for a new one from her son.
Four times her son had been sent to Iraq, three with the Marines, this last time with the Army, and e-mails were about the only way she knew he was OK.
That was what he always told her: "I'm going to be OK, Mama."
But the last e-mail in her basket was dated Jan. 31, and she knew it would be the last one.
Soldiers from Fort Hood had come to her home Sunday afternoon to tell her that Pvt. Clarence Spencer, 24, had been killed in action in Iraq that morning.
"I just fell out," Cole said. "I didn't see anything. I couldn't hear anything. It still hasn't settled in."
The news hit hard for those who knew Pvt. Spencer, who was a dedicated leader in Dunbar High School's JROTC program and an all-district strong safety on the football team. He graduated from Dunbar in 2001.
"He had a huge heart," said Bob Jones, who was the head coach at Dunbar at the time. "He was a kid who brightened up the room when he walked in. He was enthusiastic in everything he did, and it was contagious. He made it special to come to work."
Pvt. Spencer was born Nov. 26, 1982, in Fort Worth and reared in the Stop Six neighborhood. He toured Wichita (Kan.) State University as a high-school senior. He had a scholarship offer, his mother said, and she thought he was serious about it.
"We even toured the dorm rooms," she said.
Before she knew it, though, a Marine recruiter was at her house. Her son announced his intention to join the service instead.
"I was surprised, but I was all for it," she said.
Retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Don Harris, a JROTC instructor at Dunbar, said Pvt. Spencer enjoyed -- needed, really -- challenges, especially the masculine kind. He was a member of the color guard and the drill team when few other athletes at school bothered with JROTC at all.
"He was always the first to raise his hand when there was something hard to do," Harris said. "He had the grades and the mind to do anything in the service, but of course he chose the combat arms. He was a stud."
His mother said he went through Marine Corps boot camp like "it was a breeze," and his drill instructor joked with her that it was difficult to find anything difficult enough to wipe the little half-smile off his face.
He served in the Marines four years and completed three tours in Iraq. He earned a Purple Heart when he was wounded in action on Sept. 17, 2003, his mother said.
His family often quizzed him about what went on in Iraq, but he didn't share much. His mother knew he was devastated after he switched places in a Humvee with a close friend, who was then badly injured by a roadside bomb.
She also knew he didn't always sleep well when he came home to visit.
"I saw how it affected him," she said. "I'd wake him up, and he'd jump to his feet, ready to fight. I would say, 'Baby, what's the matter?' He'd say, 'Mama, there's some things I can talk about and some things I can't.'
"And I told him, 'Baby, you need to talk to someone about it.'"
His former teachers at Dunbar looked forward to visits from Pvt. Spencer. He dropped by Dunbar to check in on people such as Jones and Harris.
"That's when we as educators know we have made a difference," Jones said.
Pvt. Spencer enjoyed the Marines and wanted to make the military a career. But he wanted to be closer to his family in Fort Worth, so he joined the Army after his enlistment in the Marines ended.
He asked to be stationed at Fort Hood, where he joined the 1-12 Combined Arms Battalion in the 1st Cavalry Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team. He left for Iraq with that division in October.
Pvt. Spencer married a soldier, Shanta Spencer, in September before deploying. He has a 5-year-old daughter in Fort Worth, Chania Spencer, and a sister, Shaneika Bell, his mother said.
Army Pvt. Clarence T. Spencer was killed in action on 02/04/07.
Army Pvt. Clarence T. Spencer, 24, of San Diego
Pvt. Spencer was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Feb. 4, 2007 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his unit came in contact with the enemy using small arms fire in Baqubah.
Fort Worth soldier killed in Iraq action
PVT. CLARENCE SPENCER | 1982 - 2007
By CHRIS VAUGHN
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
CLARENCE SPENCERFORT WORTH -- Sheer habit led Juanita Cole to check her e-mails Tuesday, looking for a new one from her son.
Four times her son had been sent to Iraq, three with the Marines, this last time with the Army, and e-mails were about the only way she knew he was OK.
That was what he always told her: "I'm going to be OK, Mama."
But the last e-mail in her basket was dated Jan. 31, and she knew it would be the last one.
Soldiers from Fort Hood had come to her home Sunday afternoon to tell her that Pvt. Clarence Spencer, 24, had been killed in action in Iraq that morning.
"I just fell out," Cole said. "I didn't see anything. I couldn't hear anything. It still hasn't settled in."
The news hit hard for those who knew Pvt. Spencer, who was a dedicated leader in Dunbar High School's JROTC program and an all-district strong safety on the football team. He graduated from Dunbar in 2001.
"He had a huge heart," said Bob Jones, who was the head coach at Dunbar at the time. "He was a kid who brightened up the room when he walked in. He was enthusiastic in everything he did, and it was contagious. He made it special to come to work."
Pvt. Spencer was born Nov. 26, 1982, in Fort Worth and reared in the Stop Six neighborhood. He toured Wichita (Kan.) State University as a high-school senior. He had a scholarship offer, his mother said, and she thought he was serious about it.
"We even toured the dorm rooms," she said.
Before she knew it, though, a Marine recruiter was at her house. Her son announced his intention to join the service instead.
"I was surprised, but I was all for it," she said.
Retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Don Harris, a JROTC instructor at Dunbar, said Pvt. Spencer enjoyed -- needed, really -- challenges, especially the masculine kind. He was a member of the color guard and the drill team when few other athletes at school bothered with JROTC at all.
"He was always the first to raise his hand when there was something hard to do," Harris said. "He had the grades and the mind to do anything in the service, but of course he chose the combat arms. He was a stud."
His mother said he went through Marine Corps boot camp like "it was a breeze," and his drill instructor joked with her that it was difficult to find anything difficult enough to wipe the little half-smile off his face.
He served in the Marines four years and completed three tours in Iraq. He earned a Purple Heart when he was wounded in action on Sept. 17, 2003, his mother said.
His family often quizzed him about what went on in Iraq, but he didn't share much. His mother knew he was devastated after he switched places in a Humvee with a close friend, who was then badly injured by a roadside bomb.
She also knew he didn't always sleep well when he came home to visit.
"I saw how it affected him," she said. "I'd wake him up, and he'd jump to his feet, ready to fight. I would say, 'Baby, what's the matter?' He'd say, 'Mama, there's some things I can talk about and some things I can't.'
"And I told him, 'Baby, you need to talk to someone about it.'"
His former teachers at Dunbar looked forward to visits from Pvt. Spencer. He dropped by Dunbar to check in on people such as Jones and Harris.
"That's when we as educators know we have made a difference," Jones said.
Pvt. Spencer enjoyed the Marines and wanted to make the military a career. But he wanted to be closer to his family in Fort Worth, so he joined the Army after his enlistment in the Marines ended.
He asked to be stationed at Fort Hood, where he joined the 1-12 Combined Arms Battalion in the 1st Cavalry Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team. He left for Iraq with that division in October.
Pvt. Spencer married a soldier, Shanta Spencer, in September before deploying. He has a 5-year-old daughter in Fort Worth, Chania Spencer, and a sister, Shaneika Bell, his mother said.
Army Pvt. Clarence T. Spencer was killed in action on 02/04/07.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jason G. Defrenn
Remember Our Heroes
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jason G. Defrenn, 34, of Barnwell, S.C.
CWO Defrenn was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Feb. 2 in Taji, Iraq of wounds sustained when his Apache helicopter was forced to land during combat operations. Also killed was Chief Warrant Officer Keith Yoakum.
Barnwell native killed in Iraq
(Barnwell) February 6, 2007 - An Army soldier from Barnwell was killed in a helicopter shoot-down in Iraq.
The family of Army Warrant Officer Jason Garth DeFrenn says he was killed on Friday and family members were informed by the Defense Department over the weekend.
Defrenn's father Garth DeFrenn says the 34-year-old soldier was a member of the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 227th Aviation Regiment, of Fort Hood, Texas.
"I was just selfish. I just didn't want to lose my son," says Garth Defrenn. Defrenn says from the day his son Jason told him he wanted to fly Apache helicopters, he knew in his heart this day would come.
The family says he was due to be home in a week or so. His Apache helicopter was shot down while flying in formation north of Taji, Iraq.
But Defrenn says that wasn't before his son and a co-pilot did something heroic. Jason's dad says they placed their helicopter in the line of fire, diverting another helicopter from being shot down, "You can say he was admired and loved, but the most important thing he ever did was to lay his life down for someone else."
But that is only part of the story. Army warrant officer Defrenn was just days away from returning home to Barnwell and the love of his life, his wife Jenny, who is supposed to give birth to their son at the end of the month.
But the news was too much, says Defrenn's father, "It really, really threw her body into a major shock."
Jenny's blood pressure skyrocketed. She was rushed to Palmetto Baptist. Doctors decided to induce labor. Garth says, "Jenny needed to have the child now so she could deal with the death of her husband."
Tuesday afternoon, Jenny gave birth to a healthy son.
Jason's father tells WIS, "At first, Jenny thought maybe she might want to call him Jason Garth Defrenn, Jr. But she felt like she should go along with her husband's wishes and call him what he wanted to call him. That was Christopher."
"Upstairs is a very remarkable young lady," says Garth. "She is just as much of a patriot as my son. She has given everything for this country. She loved him dearly and her heart is broken."
The soldier leaves behind three children and a spouse who was pregnant with their fourth child.
Laid to rest: Funeral for DeFrenn dignified
by Tim Hicks & Jared Guadagni/ Staff Writers
Remarkable and heroic were the words used to recall Jason DeFrenn's life and death as the Barnwell County community buried one of its own Feb. 16.
Army Chief Warrant Officer Jason G. DeFrenn was buried in the cemetery of the small Allen's Chapel Baptist Church in rural Barnwell County.
Earlier, a funeral service was held at First Baptist Church in Barnwell.
A crowd of about 450 mourners filled the sanctuary at that service. The funeral was also attended by state and local politicians including Gov. Mark Sanford.
Among the 14 flower arrangements at the front of the church was one adorned with a model Apache helicopter. Also at the front was a large portrait of the Army pilot in a desert camouflage uniform set on an easel.
DeFrenn's AH-64 Apache helicopter was shot down Feb. 2 by Iraqi insurgent ground fire. DeFrenn and his copilot, Chief Warrant Officer Keith Yoakum of Hemet, Calif., were both killed in the crash.
DeFrenn and Yoakum's helicopter had turned back and engaged the enemy to protect an American flight formation, according to an Army statement.
DeFrenn's father, Garth DeFrenn recalls his son's last actions in combat during the eulogy.
“My son did something very remarkable two weeks ago. While in combat, he was fired upon. My son decide to come in between the fire,” he said. “In those few seconds, my son decided to lay down his life so others could live.”
“My son was fearless - but he was thoughtful.
“I think all soldiers are like that - fearless and thoughtful. They do something we can't do,” DeFrenn said.
A PowerPoint computer presentation of photos from Jason's childhood preceded words of comfort from three pastors.
DeFrenn's remains, encased in a silver-colored casket, arrived at Barnwell Regional Airport Feb. 13 via a chartered airplane. An honor guard received the casket as a crowd of about 60 family, friends and community stood nearby in an open hangar.
“I couldn't ask for a better homecoming for my son,” DeFrenn said during the eulogy.
Also during the eulogy, DeFrenn referred to Jason's children and what characteristics they inherited from their father.
DeFrenn also mentioned Jason's newest child, Christopher Andrew DeFrenn, who was born Feb. 6, days after his father died in Iraq.
Jenny DeFrenn is Christopher's mother and Jason's widow.
“I hope Christopher grows up to be a peacemaker - we all need peace,” he said.
During the church service, Army personnel presented Garth DeFrenn, Jenny DeFrenn and Fran Nettles, Jason's mother, with copies of the Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals which DeFrenn was awarded posthumously. The three were also given folded American flags at the graveside service.
Jessica and Alexander DeFrenn, Jason's daughter and son, were given copies of their father's identification tags as well.
Ann Ricard and two other representatives from the Midlands chapter of the Blue Star Mothers organization presented DeFrenn's mother, father and widow with the Gold Star Banner. Blue Star parents have children serving in the military and a Gold Star relatives have lost a family member during their military duty.
“It's just great Barnwell has come together,” Ricard said.
Other towns have not shown this kind of support, she said.
Jason DeFrenn is survived by his wife Jennifer “Jenny” Still DeFrenn, Alexander Jason DeFrenn, 15; Jessica Elaine DeFrenn, 10; Michael Alexander DeFrenn, 5; and Christopher Andrew DeFrenn, born Feb. 6.
Relatives, friends and dignitaries weren't the only ones attending DeFrenn's funeral.
Members of the Patriot Guard Riders arrived on 90 motorcycles to escort the hearse to the cemetery. The motorcyclists, many of them veterans, came from North and South Carolina and Georgia.
Flags and yellow ribbons decorated Barnwell in a show of support Feb. 16.
A crowd of about 20 Barnwellians watched the funeral's proceedings from across Allen Street. Some held American flags.
“There is no greater sacrifice than to lay down your life for your country, said a crying Charlene Young of Barnwell.
The event was more personal for Jacqueline Williams of Barnwell, who just had her 20-year-old son deployed to Iraq.
“I'm not saying it didn't mean anything before, but this definitely hits home,” she said.
Foy Dyches saw a steady stream of people come to Dyches Funeral Home offering condolences, he said. His mortuary handled the funeral.
“I bet we've had a thousand (people) coming by to sign the register,” he said.
On Feb. 15, Chief Warrant Officer Frank Campagna, Capt. Jay McElveen and Sgt. Charles Hancock arrived in Barnwell from McEntire Air Force Base in Eastover to arrange one final tribute - the “missing man” formation of three S.C. Air National Guard Apaches to fly over the graveside ceremony.
The three National Guardsmen sighted in coordinates for the flyover with two Apaches making practice runs. The helicopters were from the 1-151st Aviation Battalion of the S.C. Air National Guard, said McElveen, himself an Apache pilot.
After being presented with an American flag folded in its traditional triangular shape, Garth DeFrenn cradled it much like his daughter-in-law cradled her newborn son beside him during the service.
“It went really well, I was very pleased,” DeFrenn said of the service.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jason G. Defrenn was killed in action on 02/02/07.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jason G. Defrenn, 34, of Barnwell, S.C.
CWO Defrenn was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Feb. 2 in Taji, Iraq of wounds sustained when his Apache helicopter was forced to land during combat operations. Also killed was Chief Warrant Officer Keith Yoakum.
Barnwell native killed in Iraq
(Barnwell) February 6, 2007 - An Army soldier from Barnwell was killed in a helicopter shoot-down in Iraq.
The family of Army Warrant Officer Jason Garth DeFrenn says he was killed on Friday and family members were informed by the Defense Department over the weekend.
Defrenn's father Garth DeFrenn says the 34-year-old soldier was a member of the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 227th Aviation Regiment, of Fort Hood, Texas.
"I was just selfish. I just didn't want to lose my son," says Garth Defrenn. Defrenn says from the day his son Jason told him he wanted to fly Apache helicopters, he knew in his heart this day would come.
The family says he was due to be home in a week or so. His Apache helicopter was shot down while flying in formation north of Taji, Iraq.
But Defrenn says that wasn't before his son and a co-pilot did something heroic. Jason's dad says they placed their helicopter in the line of fire, diverting another helicopter from being shot down, "You can say he was admired and loved, but the most important thing he ever did was to lay his life down for someone else."
But that is only part of the story. Army warrant officer Defrenn was just days away from returning home to Barnwell and the love of his life, his wife Jenny, who is supposed to give birth to their son at the end of the month.
But the news was too much, says Defrenn's father, "It really, really threw her body into a major shock."
Jenny's blood pressure skyrocketed. She was rushed to Palmetto Baptist. Doctors decided to induce labor. Garth says, "Jenny needed to have the child now so she could deal with the death of her husband."
Tuesday afternoon, Jenny gave birth to a healthy son.
Jason's father tells WIS, "At first, Jenny thought maybe she might want to call him Jason Garth Defrenn, Jr. But she felt like she should go along with her husband's wishes and call him what he wanted to call him. That was Christopher."
"Upstairs is a very remarkable young lady," says Garth. "She is just as much of a patriot as my son. She has given everything for this country. She loved him dearly and her heart is broken."
The soldier leaves behind three children and a spouse who was pregnant with their fourth child.
Laid to rest: Funeral for DeFrenn dignified
by Tim Hicks & Jared Guadagni/ Staff Writers
Remarkable and heroic were the words used to recall Jason DeFrenn's life and death as the Barnwell County community buried one of its own Feb. 16.
Army Chief Warrant Officer Jason G. DeFrenn was buried in the cemetery of the small Allen's Chapel Baptist Church in rural Barnwell County.
Earlier, a funeral service was held at First Baptist Church in Barnwell.
A crowd of about 450 mourners filled the sanctuary at that service. The funeral was also attended by state and local politicians including Gov. Mark Sanford.
Among the 14 flower arrangements at the front of the church was one adorned with a model Apache helicopter. Also at the front was a large portrait of the Army pilot in a desert camouflage uniform set on an easel.
DeFrenn's AH-64 Apache helicopter was shot down Feb. 2 by Iraqi insurgent ground fire. DeFrenn and his copilot, Chief Warrant Officer Keith Yoakum of Hemet, Calif., were both killed in the crash.
DeFrenn and Yoakum's helicopter had turned back and engaged the enemy to protect an American flight formation, according to an Army statement.
DeFrenn's father, Garth DeFrenn recalls his son's last actions in combat during the eulogy.
“My son did something very remarkable two weeks ago. While in combat, he was fired upon. My son decide to come in between the fire,” he said. “In those few seconds, my son decided to lay down his life so others could live.”
“My son was fearless - but he was thoughtful.
“I think all soldiers are like that - fearless and thoughtful. They do something we can't do,” DeFrenn said.
A PowerPoint computer presentation of photos from Jason's childhood preceded words of comfort from three pastors.
DeFrenn's remains, encased in a silver-colored casket, arrived at Barnwell Regional Airport Feb. 13 via a chartered airplane. An honor guard received the casket as a crowd of about 60 family, friends and community stood nearby in an open hangar.
“I couldn't ask for a better homecoming for my son,” DeFrenn said during the eulogy.
Also during the eulogy, DeFrenn referred to Jason's children and what characteristics they inherited from their father.
DeFrenn also mentioned Jason's newest child, Christopher Andrew DeFrenn, who was born Feb. 6, days after his father died in Iraq.
Jenny DeFrenn is Christopher's mother and Jason's widow.
“I hope Christopher grows up to be a peacemaker - we all need peace,” he said.
During the church service, Army personnel presented Garth DeFrenn, Jenny DeFrenn and Fran Nettles, Jason's mother, with copies of the Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals which DeFrenn was awarded posthumously. The three were also given folded American flags at the graveside service.
Jessica and Alexander DeFrenn, Jason's daughter and son, were given copies of their father's identification tags as well.
Ann Ricard and two other representatives from the Midlands chapter of the Blue Star Mothers organization presented DeFrenn's mother, father and widow with the Gold Star Banner. Blue Star parents have children serving in the military and a Gold Star relatives have lost a family member during their military duty.
“It's just great Barnwell has come together,” Ricard said.
Other towns have not shown this kind of support, she said.
Jason DeFrenn is survived by his wife Jennifer “Jenny” Still DeFrenn, Alexander Jason DeFrenn, 15; Jessica Elaine DeFrenn, 10; Michael Alexander DeFrenn, 5; and Christopher Andrew DeFrenn, born Feb. 6.
Relatives, friends and dignitaries weren't the only ones attending DeFrenn's funeral.
Members of the Patriot Guard Riders arrived on 90 motorcycles to escort the hearse to the cemetery. The motorcyclists, many of them veterans, came from North and South Carolina and Georgia.
Flags and yellow ribbons decorated Barnwell in a show of support Feb. 16.
A crowd of about 20 Barnwellians watched the funeral's proceedings from across Allen Street. Some held American flags.
“There is no greater sacrifice than to lay down your life for your country, said a crying Charlene Young of Barnwell.
The event was more personal for Jacqueline Williams of Barnwell, who just had her 20-year-old son deployed to Iraq.
“I'm not saying it didn't mean anything before, but this definitely hits home,” she said.
Foy Dyches saw a steady stream of people come to Dyches Funeral Home offering condolences, he said. His mortuary handled the funeral.
“I bet we've had a thousand (people) coming by to sign the register,” he said.
On Feb. 15, Chief Warrant Officer Frank Campagna, Capt. Jay McElveen and Sgt. Charles Hancock arrived in Barnwell from McEntire Air Force Base in Eastover to arrange one final tribute - the “missing man” formation of three S.C. Air National Guard Apaches to fly over the graveside ceremony.
The three National Guardsmen sighted in coordinates for the flyover with two Apaches making practice runs. The helicopters were from the 1-151st Aviation Battalion of the S.C. Air National Guard, said McElveen, himself an Apache pilot.
After being presented with an American flag folded in its traditional triangular shape, Garth DeFrenn cradled it much like his daughter-in-law cradled her newborn son beside him during the service.
“It went really well, I was very pleased,” DeFrenn said of the service.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jason G. Defrenn was killed in action on 02/02/07.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
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 in Baghdad of injuries sustained from a vehicular accident. Also killed was Pfc. Kenneth T. Butler.
Columbus Dispatch -- 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."
Army Pfc. David C. Armstrong was killed in action on 02/01/07.
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 in Baghdad of injuries sustained from a vehicular accident. Also killed was Pfc. Kenneth T. Butler.
Columbus Dispatch -- 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."
Army Pfc. David C. Armstrong was killed in action on 02/01/07.
Army Pfc. Kenneth T. Butler
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Kenneth T. Butler, 21, of East Liverpool, Ohio
Pfc. Butler 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 in Baghdad of injuries suffered from a vehicular accident. Also killed was Pfc. David C. Armstrong.
Tribune Chronicle -- EAST LIVERPOOL — The news spread quickly through the community Friday morning. A young man from East Liverpool had been killed in Iraq, apparently the first local fatality from that war.
Pfc. Tyler Butler, 21, a 2004 graduate of East Liverpool High School, died Thursday when the Humvee in which he was a passenger went out of control and overturned in the ravine off a stream or river in Baghdad, according to what his parents were told in person by Army officials Friday morning.
He was a military policeman with the 57th M.P. Company, based at Camp Liberty, Iraq, his parents said. He was deployed to Iraq last June 26 and he had been due to come home on leave this Sunday to meet his newborn son.
At 6 a.m., two soldiers knocked on the door of the Sherwood Avenue home of Kenneth and Laura Butler with the bad news. They were told that their son’s wife, Ashley, was being given the news at the same moment at her home in Traverse City, Mich.
Ashley had given birth to their first child, Austin Tyler Butler, on Jan. 23.
The Butlers were told their son’s close friend was driver of the Humvee and also perished in the accident.
The Department of Defense had listed two soldiers killed in a vehicle accident at Camp Liberty on Thursday, but Butler’s name was not among recent fatalities as of Friday evening.
At East Liverpool High School, principal Linda Henderson announced the news on the public address system after confirming Butler had been killed. He said she remembered as a quiet student with a good sense of humor and a competitive spirit on the football field and wrestling mat.
‘‘I had him as a freshman in theater class,’’ teacher Dawn Moore said.
‘‘He was a quiet, unassuming student. However, he had a wicked sense of humor and was quite the actor in class.’’
Dave Long, teacher of the school’s criminal justice program, said, ‘‘I had him for two years. He was a really great kid, quiet, laid back, a good participant.
‘‘The kids who knew him were highly upset,’’ Long said.
A picture of Butler was posted in Long’s class along with other former students. He said the young man had talked to him about going into the military with the objective of becoming a police officer after Army service.
Henderson said she will work with the student council at ELHS to find an appropriate way to memorialize Tyler Butler.
At American Legion Post 736 in Glenmoor, where Butler was a member, post Commander Steve Tatgehorst said, ‘‘We are taking it pretty bad. He just had a new baby on the 23rd. He never got to see him.’’
Tatgehorst said a piece Butler wrote for the East Liverpool Review in November touched a lot of veterans who had seen combat.
‘‘I’m a combat veteran. People don’t realize unless they have been there, the cry and needing help. He had been there. We were looking forward to talking to him when he got home.’’
The parents were told their son’s body is to be returned in seven to 10 days. His widow is en route to East Liverpool to be with the family.
Army Pfc. Kenneth T. Butler was killed in action on 02/01/07.
Army Pfc. Kenneth T. Butler, 21, of East Liverpool, Ohio
Pfc. Butler 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 in Baghdad of injuries suffered from a vehicular accident. Also killed was Pfc. David C. Armstrong.
Tribune Chronicle -- EAST LIVERPOOL — The news spread quickly through the community Friday morning. A young man from East Liverpool had been killed in Iraq, apparently the first local fatality from that war.
Pfc. Tyler Butler, 21, a 2004 graduate of East Liverpool High School, died Thursday when the Humvee in which he was a passenger went out of control and overturned in the ravine off a stream or river in Baghdad, according to what his parents were told in person by Army officials Friday morning.
He was a military policeman with the 57th M.P. Company, based at Camp Liberty, Iraq, his parents said. He was deployed to Iraq last June 26 and he had been due to come home on leave this Sunday to meet his newborn son.
At 6 a.m., two soldiers knocked on the door of the Sherwood Avenue home of Kenneth and Laura Butler with the bad news. They were told that their son’s wife, Ashley, was being given the news at the same moment at her home in Traverse City, Mich.
Ashley had given birth to their first child, Austin Tyler Butler, on Jan. 23.
The Butlers were told their son’s close friend was driver of the Humvee and also perished in the accident.
The Department of Defense had listed two soldiers killed in a vehicle accident at Camp Liberty on Thursday, but Butler’s name was not among recent fatalities as of Friday evening.
At East Liverpool High School, principal Linda Henderson announced the news on the public address system after confirming Butler had been killed. He said she remembered as a quiet student with a good sense of humor and a competitive spirit on the football field and wrestling mat.
‘‘I had him as a freshman in theater class,’’ teacher Dawn Moore said.
‘‘He was a quiet, unassuming student. However, he had a wicked sense of humor and was quite the actor in class.’’
Dave Long, teacher of the school’s criminal justice program, said, ‘‘I had him for two years. He was a really great kid, quiet, laid back, a good participant.
‘‘The kids who knew him were highly upset,’’ Long said.
A picture of Butler was posted in Long’s class along with other former students. He said the young man had talked to him about going into the military with the objective of becoming a police officer after Army service.
Henderson said she will work with the student council at ELHS to find an appropriate way to memorialize Tyler Butler.
At American Legion Post 736 in Glenmoor, where Butler was a member, post Commander Steve Tatgehorst said, ‘‘We are taking it pretty bad. He just had a new baby on the 23rd. He never got to see him.’’
Tatgehorst said a piece Butler wrote for the East Liverpool Review in November touched a lot of veterans who had seen combat.
‘‘I’m a combat veteran. People don’t realize unless they have been there, the cry and needing help. He had been there. We were looking forward to talking to him when he got home.’’
The parents were told their son’s body is to be returned in seven to 10 days. His widow is en route to East Liverpool to be with the family.
Army Pfc. Kenneth T. Butler was killed in action on 02/01/07.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Army Cpl. Stephen D. Shannon
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Stephen D. Shannon, 21, of Guttenberg, Iowa
Cpl. Shannon was assigned to the 397th Engineer Battalion, Wausau, Wis.; died Jan. 31, in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle was hit by a rocket during combat operations Jan. 30 in Ramadi.
Soldier from Guttenberg killed in Iraq
By The Associated Press and Courier Staff
GUTTENBERG --- A former University of Northern Iowa student killed in combat in Iraq was unique, "one of a kind" from the first day of his life, his mother said Friday.
U.S. Army Reserve Cpl. Stephen D. Shannon was "by no means a saint," said his mother, Joan Shannon, "but definitely a hero."
Shannon, 21, of Guttenberg, was killed Wednesday in Iraq. The military on Friday confirmed his death, and his family, including his mother, father and three siblings, gathered at the family's rural Guttenberg home for a press conference to talk about his life.
Shannon was a combat engineer with the C Company, 397th Engineer Battalion, in Wausau, Wis. The unit arrived in Iraq in September, with a mission to clear roadside bombs. Shannon was performing those duties when the armored vehicle he was driving was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade on the driver's side, killing him.
His last trip home came in late September. He spent four days in Guttenberg, but they went by fast, Joan Shannon said.
"He was hardly ever at home, because he was out with his many friends all the time," she said.
Stephen was a popular student at Clayton Ridge High School in Guttenberg, where he graduated in 2003. He served as president of his junior class and was a musician and an athlete.
He attended UNI from 2003 to 2006, majoring in criminology.
His final call home to his family was about a week ago, the Shannons said, and it was unremarkable. It was a routine call --- Stephen faithfully called home each week and "he sounded good," his mother said.
"He had found his purpose. He liked what he was doing," she said.
Stephen's sister, Kathleen Shannon, 19, recently joined the Army's Reserve Officer Training Corps. She wants to become an Army nurse and said she is proud of her brother.
"I saw what he had become. I also wanted him to have to salute me when I became an officer," she said.
Shannon's body is expected to return to Guttenberg next week, and the family plans to have a viewing and funeral Mass. Joan Shannon said the public will be welcome.
"This kid was pretty special," she said. "If this is his 15 minutes of fame and people want to be a part of it, I have no restrictions."
Army Cpl. Stephen D. Shannon was killed in action on 1/30/07.
Army Cpl. Stephen D. Shannon, 21, of Guttenberg, Iowa
Cpl. Shannon was assigned to the 397th Engineer Battalion, Wausau, Wis.; died Jan. 31, in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle was hit by a rocket during combat operations Jan. 30 in Ramadi.
Soldier from Guttenberg killed in Iraq
By The Associated Press and Courier Staff
GUTTENBERG --- A former University of Northern Iowa student killed in combat in Iraq was unique, "one of a kind" from the first day of his life, his mother said Friday.
U.S. Army Reserve Cpl. Stephen D. Shannon was "by no means a saint," said his mother, Joan Shannon, "but definitely a hero."
Shannon, 21, of Guttenberg, was killed Wednesday in Iraq. The military on Friday confirmed his death, and his family, including his mother, father and three siblings, gathered at the family's rural Guttenberg home for a press conference to talk about his life.
Shannon was a combat engineer with the C Company, 397th Engineer Battalion, in Wausau, Wis. The unit arrived in Iraq in September, with a mission to clear roadside bombs. Shannon was performing those duties when the armored vehicle he was driving was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade on the driver's side, killing him.
His last trip home came in late September. He spent four days in Guttenberg, but they went by fast, Joan Shannon said.
"He was hardly ever at home, because he was out with his many friends all the time," she said.
Stephen was a popular student at Clayton Ridge High School in Guttenberg, where he graduated in 2003. He served as president of his junior class and was a musician and an athlete.
He attended UNI from 2003 to 2006, majoring in criminology.
His final call home to his family was about a week ago, the Shannons said, and it was unremarkable. It was a routine call --- Stephen faithfully called home each week and "he sounded good," his mother said.
"He had found his purpose. He liked what he was doing," she said.
Stephen's sister, Kathleen Shannon, 19, recently joined the Army's Reserve Officer Training Corps. She wants to become an Army nurse and said she is proud of her brother.
"I saw what he had become. I also wanted him to have to salute me when I became an officer," she said.
Shannon's body is expected to return to Guttenberg next week, and the family plans to have a viewing and funeral Mass. Joan Shannon said the public will be welcome.
"This kid was pretty special," she said. "If this is his 15 minutes of fame and people want to be a part of it, I have no restrictions."
Army Cpl. Stephen D. Shannon was killed in action on 1/30/07.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Marine Lance Cpl. Adam Q. Emul
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Adam Q. Emul, 19, of Vancouver, Wash.
Lance Cpl. Emul was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; died Jan. 29 from wounds received while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.
Cpl. Adam Emul, who sister says wanted to serve, is killed in Iraq at age 19
By Brian Alexander
Seattle Times staff reporter
Lance Cpl. Adam Emul was a quiet and very independent teen, yet it still surprised his family when he came home from school one day and said he had signed up for the armed services.
"He was proud; it was something that he wanted to do," his sister, Maryann Mendiola, said Thursday. "We didn't like his decision at the time, but he just kept telling us that it was something that he wanted to do."
Cpl. Emul died in Iraq on Monday during operations in the Al Anbar province, the Department of Defense announced Thursday. Though the department didn't release the details of his death, his sister said he was hit by a bomb's explosion while on foot patrol.
Cpl. Emul, 19, graduated in 2005 from Hudson's Bay High School in Vancouver, Clark County, and went into basic training, his sister said.
He then went on to more advanced training and was only reunited with his family for about a month before he shipped out for Iraq in September.
Cpl. Emul was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force in Twentynine Palms, Calif., according to the Department of Defense.
Cpl. Emul moved to Vancouver from Saipan in 2003 with his sister, her family and his mother, Mendiola said.
"Me and my husband, we have kids of our own, and we wanted to expose our kids to what was outside of the islands. And we wanted Adam to be part of that," Mendiola said. "Living here is way, way different from living back home. Adam pretty much adjusted real well and made friends real fast."
Cpl. Emul loved playing basketball, listening to music and doing "other teenager things," his sister said. "He was still young."
While he was in Iraq, the family kept in touch mainly via e-mail and Cpl. Emul's MySpace page. He would ask for the family to send things, particularly chocolate, for himself, and big bags of candy for the kids in Iraq he met on patrol, Mendiola said.
Mendiola expected her brother to come home in March — he was looking forward to taking a vacation to Saipan to visit family and friends who still live there, she said.
"We just saw how happy he was, and we just supported him from there. But we constantly told him: 'Please be careful,' " Mendiola said. "He was always assuring us not to worry about him, and things were going fine."
In addition to Mendiola, Cpl. Emul is survived by four brothers and sisters: Frankie Quitugua, of Saipan; Clarissa Mendiola, of Vancouver; Mindy Quitugua, of Vancouver; and Christopher Quitugua of Saipan. His parents are Angelica Quitugua, of Vancouver, and Wayne Emul of Saipan. He was preceded in death by a brother, Roger Mendiola.
Marine Lance Cpl. Adam Q. Emul was killed in action on 01/29/07.
Marine Lance Cpl. Adam Q. Emul, 19, of Vancouver, Wash.
Lance Cpl. Emul was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; died Jan. 29 from wounds received while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.
Cpl. Adam Emul, who sister says wanted to serve, is killed in Iraq at age 19
By Brian Alexander
Seattle Times staff reporter
Lance Cpl. Adam Emul was a quiet and very independent teen, yet it still surprised his family when he came home from school one day and said he had signed up for the armed services.
"He was proud; it was something that he wanted to do," his sister, Maryann Mendiola, said Thursday. "We didn't like his decision at the time, but he just kept telling us that it was something that he wanted to do."
Cpl. Emul died in Iraq on Monday during operations in the Al Anbar province, the Department of Defense announced Thursday. Though the department didn't release the details of his death, his sister said he was hit by a bomb's explosion while on foot patrol.
Cpl. Emul, 19, graduated in 2005 from Hudson's Bay High School in Vancouver, Clark County, and went into basic training, his sister said.
He then went on to more advanced training and was only reunited with his family for about a month before he shipped out for Iraq in September.
Cpl. Emul was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force in Twentynine Palms, Calif., according to the Department of Defense.
Cpl. Emul moved to Vancouver from Saipan in 2003 with his sister, her family and his mother, Mendiola said.
"Me and my husband, we have kids of our own, and we wanted to expose our kids to what was outside of the islands. And we wanted Adam to be part of that," Mendiola said. "Living here is way, way different from living back home. Adam pretty much adjusted real well and made friends real fast."
Cpl. Emul loved playing basketball, listening to music and doing "other teenager things," his sister said. "He was still young."
While he was in Iraq, the family kept in touch mainly via e-mail and Cpl. Emul's MySpace page. He would ask for the family to send things, particularly chocolate, for himself, and big bags of candy for the kids in Iraq he met on patrol, Mendiola said.
Mendiola expected her brother to come home in March — he was looking forward to taking a vacation to Saipan to visit family and friends who still live there, she said.
"We just saw how happy he was, and we just supported him from there. But we constantly told him: 'Please be careful,' " Mendiola said. "He was always assuring us not to worry about him, and things were going fine."
In addition to Mendiola, Cpl. Emul is survived by four brothers and sisters: Frankie Quitugua, of Saipan; Clarissa Mendiola, of Vancouver; Mindy Quitugua, of Vancouver; and Christopher Quitugua of Saipan. His parents are Angelica Quitugua, of Vancouver, and Wayne Emul of Saipan. He was preceded in death by a brother, Roger Mendiola.
Marine Lance Cpl. Adam Q. Emul was killed in action on 01/29/07.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Marine Lance Cpl. Anthony C. Melia
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Anthony C. Melia, 20, of Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Lance Cpl. Melia was assigned to Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Jan. 27 while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.
Thousand Oaks Marine killed in combat in Iraq
By Marjorie Hernandez, mhernandez@VenturaCountyStar.com
January 30, 2007
U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Anthony C. Melia always made sure to call his family and friends every week or so between his missions in Iraq.
The 20-year-old Thousand Oaks native would tell them about his experiences in a foreign land and his hopes to return home safely. Most of all, he would tell them about the awesome responsibility he felt for his fellow Marines, family members said.
Melia died Saturday while conducting combat operations in Anbar province in Iraq, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. The news of his death was officially released Monday, but his family and friends were notified Friday evening.
He was extremely proud to wear his "dress blues," said his father, Mike Melia.
"He told me, ‘I lead by example.' I will be the first person to go in there and do it,' " Mike Melia said. "He felt such a sense of duty and responsibility for everyone around him. He was just an incredible human being."
Melia is the 15th Ventura County native killed while on duty in Iraq but the first fallen Marine from Thousand Oaks.
Mike Melia and his wife, Vicki, said their son's battalion was on foot patrol in Anbar when it came across an insurgent who was placing a rocket grenade in an abandoned vehicle. When the insurgent ran from the scene, some Marines were ordered to secure the premises, while the others searched for the insurgent.
"Anthony was walking in the field helping to look for the guy, and that's when a random bullet hit him and ended his life," said Mike Melia, wiping tears from his eyes.
Vicki Melia said it had been a few weeks since she had gotten a call from her son. The family was watching television Friday night when they heard a knock on the door.
"I got up and walked to the door, and I saw five men in uniform standing on my doorstep," Vicki Melia said in tears. "I just knew ... they say when you get a call home, he's injured. When you get a knock on the door, it's not good."
Body on its way back home
Melia's body was en route to a camp in Germany and from there will be flown to a military base in Dover, Del., where it will be prepared for burial, Vicki Melia said. The family expects his body to arrive at Los Angeles International Airport by the end of the week. Plans are being been made for a service at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, but a time and date have yet to be determined.
The Melias said their son dreamed of joining the military from the age of 10. At 17, Melia asked his parents to sign the enlistment form, but Mike Melia said he told his son to wait to make the decision when he turned 18.
About three months after his 2005 graduation, Melia, a defensive back and punt and kick returner for the Thousand Oaks High School Lancers, traded in his white-and-green number 6 football jersey for the Marines' blue uniform.
Melia quickly climbed the ranks and became the fire team squad leader for the Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based at Camp Pendleton.
He was deployed to Iraq on Sept. 13. Melia was scheduled to come home at the end of February but had been extended to April.
On Monday afternoon, a steady stream of family members and friends came by the Melia home on Roundup Circle. Small American flags lined the front yard of the family's two-story home, while balloons with the words "Today, Tomorrow, and Forever ... I Love You" danced in the crisp wind.
Melia's parents and his sister, 22-year-old Nicole; his girlfriend, Jamie Chunko, 18; and friend Ryan Delung, 20, all sat in Melia's room Monday afternoon, shocked and numbed by the tragic news.
The small room by the garage is in the same condition as Melia left it a little more than a year ago, Vicki Melia said. A bright red-orange Marine Corps flag hung on one side of the room, while other flags honoring prisoners of war and a flag picturing part of a rifle hung above his futon bed.
‘It's a dangerous place to be'
Chunko, wrapped in one of the blankets, wiped tears from her face as she smiled and listened to Vicki Melia.
"He would always say, ‘Make sure you take care of Jamie,' " Vicki Melia said.
Before he was deployed, Chunko said Melia promised to marry her the day he returned.
"I told him I'm going to bring the reverend in the car when we pick him up," Chunko said.
Although he was proud of Melia's commitment to his battalion, Mike Melia said it was his son's compassion for others and gracious qualities that made him proud.
"He was just the brightest light there was," Mike Melia said. "He was a Marine, but he was much more than that. He was just an incredible human being."
The Melias have set up a fund in memory of their son. They are also planning to start a scholarship in his honor. Vicki Melia said administrators from Thousand Oaks High School have also discussed erecting a plaque for her son under the football field flagpole.
Although they are heartbroken, Mike and Vicki Melia say they hope people will continue to support the thousands of men and women who are still serving in Iraq.
They also hope young men and women who decide to go into the military think long and hard about their decision.
"They need to know it's a dangerous place to be, even now," Vicki Melia said. "They go in there wide-eyed ... but this is not fun and games. This is not a video game. This is reality."
For more information about the Anthony Melia Fund, call 384-5321. Donations can be sent to Santa Barbara Bank and Trust, c/o Adriana Sanchez at 4646 Adolfo Road, Camarillo, CA 93012.
Marine Lance Cpl. Anthony C. Melia was killed in action on 01/27/07.
Marine Lance Cpl. Anthony C. Melia, 20, of Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Lance Cpl. Melia was assigned to Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Jan. 27 while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.
Thousand Oaks Marine killed in combat in Iraq
By Marjorie Hernandez, mhernandez@VenturaCountyStar.com
January 30, 2007
U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Anthony C. Melia always made sure to call his family and friends every week or so between his missions in Iraq.
The 20-year-old Thousand Oaks native would tell them about his experiences in a foreign land and his hopes to return home safely. Most of all, he would tell them about the awesome responsibility he felt for his fellow Marines, family members said.
Melia died Saturday while conducting combat operations in Anbar province in Iraq, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. The news of his death was officially released Monday, but his family and friends were notified Friday evening.
He was extremely proud to wear his "dress blues," said his father, Mike Melia.
"He told me, ‘I lead by example.' I will be the first person to go in there and do it,' " Mike Melia said. "He felt such a sense of duty and responsibility for everyone around him. He was just an incredible human being."
Melia is the 15th Ventura County native killed while on duty in Iraq but the first fallen Marine from Thousand Oaks.
Mike Melia and his wife, Vicki, said their son's battalion was on foot patrol in Anbar when it came across an insurgent who was placing a rocket grenade in an abandoned vehicle. When the insurgent ran from the scene, some Marines were ordered to secure the premises, while the others searched for the insurgent.
"Anthony was walking in the field helping to look for the guy, and that's when a random bullet hit him and ended his life," said Mike Melia, wiping tears from his eyes.
Vicki Melia said it had been a few weeks since she had gotten a call from her son. The family was watching television Friday night when they heard a knock on the door.
"I got up and walked to the door, and I saw five men in uniform standing on my doorstep," Vicki Melia said in tears. "I just knew ... they say when you get a call home, he's injured. When you get a knock on the door, it's not good."
Body on its way back home
Melia's body was en route to a camp in Germany and from there will be flown to a military base in Dover, Del., where it will be prepared for burial, Vicki Melia said. The family expects his body to arrive at Los Angeles International Airport by the end of the week. Plans are being been made for a service at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, but a time and date have yet to be determined.
The Melias said their son dreamed of joining the military from the age of 10. At 17, Melia asked his parents to sign the enlistment form, but Mike Melia said he told his son to wait to make the decision when he turned 18.
About three months after his 2005 graduation, Melia, a defensive back and punt and kick returner for the Thousand Oaks High School Lancers, traded in his white-and-green number 6 football jersey for the Marines' blue uniform.
Melia quickly climbed the ranks and became the fire team squad leader for the Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based at Camp Pendleton.
He was deployed to Iraq on Sept. 13. Melia was scheduled to come home at the end of February but had been extended to April.
On Monday afternoon, a steady stream of family members and friends came by the Melia home on Roundup Circle. Small American flags lined the front yard of the family's two-story home, while balloons with the words "Today, Tomorrow, and Forever ... I Love You" danced in the crisp wind.
Melia's parents and his sister, 22-year-old Nicole; his girlfriend, Jamie Chunko, 18; and friend Ryan Delung, 20, all sat in Melia's room Monday afternoon, shocked and numbed by the tragic news.
The small room by the garage is in the same condition as Melia left it a little more than a year ago, Vicki Melia said. A bright red-orange Marine Corps flag hung on one side of the room, while other flags honoring prisoners of war and a flag picturing part of a rifle hung above his futon bed.
‘It's a dangerous place to be'
Chunko, wrapped in one of the blankets, wiped tears from her face as she smiled and listened to Vicki Melia.
"He would always say, ‘Make sure you take care of Jamie,' " Vicki Melia said.
Before he was deployed, Chunko said Melia promised to marry her the day he returned.
"I told him I'm going to bring the reverend in the car when we pick him up," Chunko said.
Although he was proud of Melia's commitment to his battalion, Mike Melia said it was his son's compassion for others and gracious qualities that made him proud.
"He was just the brightest light there was," Mike Melia said. "He was a Marine, but he was much more than that. He was just an incredible human being."
The Melias have set up a fund in memory of their son. They are also planning to start a scholarship in his honor. Vicki Melia said administrators from Thousand Oaks High School have also discussed erecting a plaque for her son under the football field flagpole.
Although they are heartbroken, Mike and Vicki Melia say they hope people will continue to support the thousands of men and women who are still serving in Iraq.
They also hope young men and women who decide to go into the military think long and hard about their decision.
"They need to know it's a dangerous place to be, even now," Vicki Melia said. "They go in there wide-eyed ... but this is not fun and games. This is not a video game. This is reality."
For more information about the Anthony Melia Fund, call 384-5321. Donations can be sent to Santa Barbara Bank and Trust, c/o Adriana Sanchez at 4646 Adolfo Road, Camarillo, CA 93012.
Marine Lance Cpl. Anthony C. Melia was killed in action on 01/27/07.
Army Sgt. Mickel D. Garrigus
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Mickel D. Garrigus, 24, of Elma, Wash.
Sgt. Garrigus was assigned to the 543rd Military Police Company, 91st Police Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Jan. 27 of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat patrol in Taji, Iraq.
Sgt. Mickel David Garrigus, Army sergeant from Elma, killed by explosion in Iraq
By Carol M. Ostrom
Seattle Times staff reporter
When he called home Friday from Iraq to his family in Elma, Grays Harbor County, Sgt. Mickel David Garrigus had but a few precious moments on the telephone with his year-old son Ethan. Smiling and gurgling, Ethan accidentally hung up the phone, and the connection was lost.
The next day, Saturday, Jan. 27, Sgt. Garrigus was killed by a roadside bomb in the town of Taji near Baghdad. He was 24.
Sgt. Garrigus was a military police officer with the 10th Mountain Division, 543rd Military Police Company, 91st Police Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade based at Fort Drum, N.Y., and he was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq.
This week, Elma residents are mourning the loss by raising money so that Sgt. Garrigus' mother and stepfather, Deadra and David Garrigus, can travel to his burial — not yet scheduled — at Arlington National Cemetery. The military will pay only for his wife, Natasha, and their son to make the trip.
"Everybody in the community is trying so hard," his mother said Tuesday. "They're bonding together to do fundraisers to get some money together."
Mickel Garrigus was born Dec. 15, 1982, in Tacoma. When he was 4, the family moved to Elma, where he graduated from Elma High School in 2001. He enlisted soon after graduation.
He re-enlisted after his first tour, which took him to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and Iraq. Offered a chance for a stateside job, he refused, his mother said. Instead, she said he told her: "I came here to fight for my country, and that's what I'm going to do."
In the military, he grew up quickly, from a fun-loving, soccer-playing kid into an Army sergeant, a military-police officer charged with protecting others.
"That was his life; he totally enjoyed the military" and serving in Iraq, his mother said. A few weeks ago, he asked his family to send clothing and shoes for Iraqi children.
His wife, who has been living with her family in Carson City, Nev., said fatherhood transformed her once "kind of wild" husband into a family man who set up insurance and a trust fund for Ethan and for his wife's schooling.
Other soldiers told her that the day her husband died, he had ordered a fellow soldier to wear all of her protective gear — which later saved her from the same blast of shrapnel that killed him.
Other survivors include his siblings, Matthew and Nichole Garrigus and Kyla Ostenson, all of Elma.
A local memorial service is set for 3 p.m. Saturday at the Assembly of God Church in McCleary, east of Elma. A donation account has been established through any Timberland Bank location.
Army Sgt. Mickel D. Garrigus was killed in action on 01/27/07.
Army Sgt. Mickel D. Garrigus, 24, of Elma, Wash.
Sgt. Garrigus was assigned to the 543rd Military Police Company, 91st Police Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Jan. 27 of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat patrol in Taji, Iraq.
Sgt. Mickel David Garrigus, Army sergeant from Elma, killed by explosion in Iraq
By Carol M. Ostrom
Seattle Times staff reporter
When he called home Friday from Iraq to his family in Elma, Grays Harbor County, Sgt. Mickel David Garrigus had but a few precious moments on the telephone with his year-old son Ethan. Smiling and gurgling, Ethan accidentally hung up the phone, and the connection was lost.
The next day, Saturday, Jan. 27, Sgt. Garrigus was killed by a roadside bomb in the town of Taji near Baghdad. He was 24.
Sgt. Garrigus was a military police officer with the 10th Mountain Division, 543rd Military Police Company, 91st Police Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade based at Fort Drum, N.Y., and he was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq.
This week, Elma residents are mourning the loss by raising money so that Sgt. Garrigus' mother and stepfather, Deadra and David Garrigus, can travel to his burial — not yet scheduled — at Arlington National Cemetery. The military will pay only for his wife, Natasha, and their son to make the trip.
"Everybody in the community is trying so hard," his mother said Tuesday. "They're bonding together to do fundraisers to get some money together."
Mickel Garrigus was born Dec. 15, 1982, in Tacoma. When he was 4, the family moved to Elma, where he graduated from Elma High School in 2001. He enlisted soon after graduation.
He re-enlisted after his first tour, which took him to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and Iraq. Offered a chance for a stateside job, he refused, his mother said. Instead, she said he told her: "I came here to fight for my country, and that's what I'm going to do."
In the military, he grew up quickly, from a fun-loving, soccer-playing kid into an Army sergeant, a military-police officer charged with protecting others.
"That was his life; he totally enjoyed the military" and serving in Iraq, his mother said. A few weeks ago, he asked his family to send clothing and shoes for Iraqi children.
His wife, who has been living with her family in Carson City, Nev., said fatherhood transformed her once "kind of wild" husband into a family man who set up insurance and a trust fund for Ethan and for his wife's schooling.
Other soldiers told her that the day her husband died, he had ordered a fellow soldier to wear all of her protective gear — which later saved her from the same blast of shrapnel that killed him.
Other survivors include his siblings, Matthew and Nichole Garrigus and Kyla Ostenson, all of Elma.
A local memorial service is set for 3 p.m. Saturday at the Assembly of God Church in McCleary, east of Elma. A donation account has been established through any Timberland Bank location.
Army Sgt. Mickel D. Garrigus was killed in action on 01/27/07.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Army Maj. Alan R. Johnson
Remember Our Heroes
Army Maj. Alan R. Johnson, 44, of Yakima, Wash.
Major Johnson was assigned to the 402nd Civil Affairs Battalion, Tonawanda, N.Y.; died Jan. 26, 2007 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee in Muqdadiyah the same day.
Slain soldier lived for military, parents say
By James MacPherson
The Associated Press
BISMARCK, N.D. — Alan Johnson left the farm where he grew up to become a soldier, and he lived for military service, his parents say.
Johnson, 44, who joined the Army National Guard in North Dakota and later became an Army Reserve major, was killed Jan 26 by a roadside bomb in Iraq, the Pentagon said.
His mother, Mary Hansen, who lives in Sanborn, said she learned of his death Jan. 27.
“It’s still a bad dream, and it’s getting worse,” Hansen said. “He was a good son.”
A statement from the Pentagon said Johnson, of Yakima, Wash., died of injuries when a roadside bomb detonated near his Humvee in Muqdadiyah, Iraq. The statement said Johnson was assigned to the 402nd Civil Affairs Battalion of Tonawanda, N.Y.
Four others were injured in the bomb attack, some seriously, Hansen said.
Johnson grew up in Montpelier, in south central North Dakota, and graduated from high school there in 1981.
“He grew up raising crops and horses and running tractors, and then he went to college,” said his father, Wilfred “Sonny” Johnson of Montpelier.
Alan joined the Guard in North Dakota while in high school, his mother said.
“He was in (the military) 26 years,” Hansen said. “He lived for the service.”
Johnson specialized in Army engineering when he joined the Guard in North Dakota, and he was a member of the Washington state National Guard before transferring to the Army Reserve as a chemical officer and a civil affairs specialist, military officials said.
Hansen said her son lived in Yakima with his wife, Victoria, and a stepdaughter, Megan. She last spoke to him on Christmas. “We didn’t have time to talk about an awful lot,” she said.
It was his first tour of duty in Iraq, Hansen said. The military said he was deployed to Iraq in April 2006.
“He ordinarily would have been coming home in April,” his mother said.
Sonny Johnson said his son “was a good kid, good in school and got good grades. And he loved the Guard.”
Johnson said his son worked as corrections officer at a prison in Yakima. The two last spoke on Alan Johnson’s birthday Dec. 30.
“We talked about what he was doing, and he said they were doing a good job out there,” Sonny Johnson said.
Johnson will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. A memorial service is being planned in Jamestown, N.D., his mother said.
His death brings to 15 the number of U.S. service members from North Dakota or serving with North Dakota military units who have been reported killed while on duty in Iraq, as of Jan. 30. Four others were killed in Afghanistan.
North Dakota Army National Guard officials said Johnson enlisted in the state Guard’s 141st Engineer Combat Battalion, Company B, based in Jamestown, in October 1980.
“We grieve the news of his death as our thoughts and prayers go out to his entire family during this difficult time,” said Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, the state Guard commander. “His service and sacrifice to our nation will always be honored and remembered.”
Besides his wife, stepdaughter and parents, Johnson is survived by brothers Wayne Johnson of Brookville, M.D., Bryan Johnson of Bozeman, Mont., Jeremy Hansen of Eckelson, and sisters Marilyn Waddington of Harrah, Wash., and Susan Roemmich of Spiritwood, N.D., the military said.
A statement from the family, released through the Reserve, said Johnson “lived for God, his family and his country” and was respected by all who knew him.
“As a husband, he was a leader, supporter, protector and best friend — he was a knight in shining armor,” the statement said. “As a father, he mirrored the image of God in his ability to love unconditionally. He has positively affected the lives of many, and his influence will continue to be felt for years to come.”
Memorial service held for slain soldier
The Associated Press
JAMESTOWN, N.D. — A North Dakota native who was killed while serving in Iraq was remembered by family and friends Feb. 10 as a patriot and a leader.
Army Reserve Maj. Alan Johnson, 44, of Yakima, Wash., died Jan. 26. Military officials said a roadside bomb detonated near his Humvee in Muqdadiyah, killing Johnson and injuring four others.
Johnson was assigned to the 402nd Civil Affairs Battalion of Tonawanda, N.Y. He was deployed to Iraq in April 2006. It was his first tour of duty.
“Alan lived and breathed his service to God, his family and his country every day,” Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, commander of the North Dakota Army National Guard, said during Saturday’s memorial service.
Members of the Patriot Guard Riders motorcycle group stood outside First United Methodist Church in subzero temperatures, holding American flags. Those who spoke during the service inside the church described Johnson as a humble man, and a person of deep faith.
“How many other lives has he impacted that people don’t know about?” asked his brother, Bryan, who told how Johnson had helped him in his personal struggles. “He’s a soldier for the United States. He gave his life willingly, but he’s also a soldier for Jesus Christ.”
Gov. John Hoeven spoke of Johnson’s work in Iraq as a civil affairs officer, helping to rebuild the country and win the trust of its people.
“Alan’s was a life of service to family and nation and even the people of another nation,” he said.
Hoeven presented Johnson’s wife, Victoria, and parents, Wilfred Johnson and Mary Ann Hansen, with North Dakota flags that had been flown over the state Capitol in the soldier’s honor. Rep. Earl Pomeroy and Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., presented the family with three American flags that had flown over the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.
Johnson was born in Jamestown and grew up in Montpelier, in south central North Dakota. He graduated from high school there in 1981. He joined the National Guard in North Dakota, serving in Jamestown and Carrington units. His parents and two of his siblings live in North Dakota.
Johnson specialized in Army engineering when he joined the Guard in North Dakota, and he was a member of the Washington National Guard before transferring to the Army Reserve as a chemical officer and a civil affairs specialist, according to the military. He worked as a county corrections officer in Yakima, Wash.
Johnson will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, D.C., on Feb. 14.
“His grave will be marked by a white cross, and that white cross will be a symbol of so much,” Dorgan said.
Johnson’s death brought to 15 the number of U.S. service members from North Dakota or serving with North Dakota military units who have been reported killed while on duty in Iraq. Four others have been killed in Afghanistan.
Johnson is survived by his wife and stepdaughter Megan, both of Yakima; his father from Montpelier and his mother from Sanborn; his brothers, Wayne Johnson, of Brookville, Md., Bryan Johnson, of Bozeman, Mont., and Jeremy Hansen, of Eckelson; and his sisters, Marilyn Waddington, of Harrah, Wash., and Susan Roemmich, of Spiritwood.
Army Maj. Alan R. Johnson was killed in action on 01/26/07.
Army Maj. Alan R. Johnson, 44, of Yakima, Wash.
Major Johnson was assigned to the 402nd Civil Affairs Battalion, Tonawanda, N.Y.; died Jan. 26, 2007 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee in Muqdadiyah the same day.
Slain soldier lived for military, parents say
By James MacPherson
The Associated Press
BISMARCK, N.D. — Alan Johnson left the farm where he grew up to become a soldier, and he lived for military service, his parents say.
Johnson, 44, who joined the Army National Guard in North Dakota and later became an Army Reserve major, was killed Jan 26 by a roadside bomb in Iraq, the Pentagon said.
His mother, Mary Hansen, who lives in Sanborn, said she learned of his death Jan. 27.
“It’s still a bad dream, and it’s getting worse,” Hansen said. “He was a good son.”
A statement from the Pentagon said Johnson, of Yakima, Wash., died of injuries when a roadside bomb detonated near his Humvee in Muqdadiyah, Iraq. The statement said Johnson was assigned to the 402nd Civil Affairs Battalion of Tonawanda, N.Y.
Four others were injured in the bomb attack, some seriously, Hansen said.
Johnson grew up in Montpelier, in south central North Dakota, and graduated from high school there in 1981.
“He grew up raising crops and horses and running tractors, and then he went to college,” said his father, Wilfred “Sonny” Johnson of Montpelier.
Alan joined the Guard in North Dakota while in high school, his mother said.
“He was in (the military) 26 years,” Hansen said. “He lived for the service.”
Johnson specialized in Army engineering when he joined the Guard in North Dakota, and he was a member of the Washington state National Guard before transferring to the Army Reserve as a chemical officer and a civil affairs specialist, military officials said.
Hansen said her son lived in Yakima with his wife, Victoria, and a stepdaughter, Megan. She last spoke to him on Christmas. “We didn’t have time to talk about an awful lot,” she said.
It was his first tour of duty in Iraq, Hansen said. The military said he was deployed to Iraq in April 2006.
“He ordinarily would have been coming home in April,” his mother said.
Sonny Johnson said his son “was a good kid, good in school and got good grades. And he loved the Guard.”
Johnson said his son worked as corrections officer at a prison in Yakima. The two last spoke on Alan Johnson’s birthday Dec. 30.
“We talked about what he was doing, and he said they were doing a good job out there,” Sonny Johnson said.
Johnson will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. A memorial service is being planned in Jamestown, N.D., his mother said.
His death brings to 15 the number of U.S. service members from North Dakota or serving with North Dakota military units who have been reported killed while on duty in Iraq, as of Jan. 30. Four others were killed in Afghanistan.
North Dakota Army National Guard officials said Johnson enlisted in the state Guard’s 141st Engineer Combat Battalion, Company B, based in Jamestown, in October 1980.
“We grieve the news of his death as our thoughts and prayers go out to his entire family during this difficult time,” said Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, the state Guard commander. “His service and sacrifice to our nation will always be honored and remembered.”
Besides his wife, stepdaughter and parents, Johnson is survived by brothers Wayne Johnson of Brookville, M.D., Bryan Johnson of Bozeman, Mont., Jeremy Hansen of Eckelson, and sisters Marilyn Waddington of Harrah, Wash., and Susan Roemmich of Spiritwood, N.D., the military said.
A statement from the family, released through the Reserve, said Johnson “lived for God, his family and his country” and was respected by all who knew him.
“As a husband, he was a leader, supporter, protector and best friend — he was a knight in shining armor,” the statement said. “As a father, he mirrored the image of God in his ability to love unconditionally. He has positively affected the lives of many, and his influence will continue to be felt for years to come.”
Memorial service held for slain soldier
The Associated Press
JAMESTOWN, N.D. — A North Dakota native who was killed while serving in Iraq was remembered by family and friends Feb. 10 as a patriot and a leader.
Army Reserve Maj. Alan Johnson, 44, of Yakima, Wash., died Jan. 26. Military officials said a roadside bomb detonated near his Humvee in Muqdadiyah, killing Johnson and injuring four others.
Johnson was assigned to the 402nd Civil Affairs Battalion of Tonawanda, N.Y. He was deployed to Iraq in April 2006. It was his first tour of duty.
“Alan lived and breathed his service to God, his family and his country every day,” Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, commander of the North Dakota Army National Guard, said during Saturday’s memorial service.
Members of the Patriot Guard Riders motorcycle group stood outside First United Methodist Church in subzero temperatures, holding American flags. Those who spoke during the service inside the church described Johnson as a humble man, and a person of deep faith.
“How many other lives has he impacted that people don’t know about?” asked his brother, Bryan, who told how Johnson had helped him in his personal struggles. “He’s a soldier for the United States. He gave his life willingly, but he’s also a soldier for Jesus Christ.”
Gov. John Hoeven spoke of Johnson’s work in Iraq as a civil affairs officer, helping to rebuild the country and win the trust of its people.
“Alan’s was a life of service to family and nation and even the people of another nation,” he said.
Hoeven presented Johnson’s wife, Victoria, and parents, Wilfred Johnson and Mary Ann Hansen, with North Dakota flags that had been flown over the state Capitol in the soldier’s honor. Rep. Earl Pomeroy and Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., presented the family with three American flags that had flown over the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.
Johnson was born in Jamestown and grew up in Montpelier, in south central North Dakota. He graduated from high school there in 1981. He joined the National Guard in North Dakota, serving in Jamestown and Carrington units. His parents and two of his siblings live in North Dakota.
Johnson specialized in Army engineering when he joined the Guard in North Dakota, and he was a member of the Washington National Guard before transferring to the Army Reserve as a chemical officer and a civil affairs specialist, according to the military. He worked as a county corrections officer in Yakima, Wash.
Johnson will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, D.C., on Feb. 14.
“His grave will be marked by a white cross, and that white cross will be a symbol of so much,” Dorgan said.
Johnson’s death brought to 15 the number of U.S. service members from North Dakota or serving with North Dakota military units who have been reported killed while on duty in Iraq. Four others have been killed in Afghanistan.
Johnson is survived by his wife and stepdaughter Megan, both of Yakima; his father from Montpelier and his mother from Sanborn; his brothers, Wayne Johnson, of Brookville, Md., Bryan Johnson, of Bozeman, Mont., and Jeremy Hansen, of Eckelson; and his sisters, Marilyn Waddington, of Harrah, Wash., and Susan Roemmich, of Spiritwood.
Army Maj. Alan R. Johnson was killed in action on 01/26/07.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Army Sgt. 1st Class Keith A. Callahan
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Keith A. Callahan, 31, of McClure, Pa.
SFC Callahan was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Jan. 24 of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated while he was conducting a combat patrol south of Baghdad.
FayObsever.com --An 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper was killed south of Baghdad when a roadside bomb was detonated near him, the Department of Defense announced Thursday.
He is the first soldier killed since the 2nd Brigade Combat Team deployed to Iraq as part of the surge of troops meant to secure the Iraqi capital.
Sgt. 1st Class Keith A. Callahan, 31, a platoon sergeant with 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, was covering his men at a road crossing when he was killed, 82nd officials said.
"Keith Callahan’s death is a tragic loss to our Task Force, and our thoughts and prayers go to Sgt. 1st Class Callahan’s family," said Lt. Col. Ross E. Davidson, 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment.
The announcement comes as fighting rages between U.S. and Iraqi forces and insurgents in Baghdad.
Callahan is survived by his wife, Dody; sons, Devin and Brady; his daughter, Brooke; and a stepson, Tyler.
The family declined to speak to reporters Thursday but did release a statement through the 82nd Airborne Division.
"Please respect our privacy as we try to gather up the pieces of our broken hearts and carry on our lives in Keith’s name," his wife, Dody, said in the statement. She said her husband was a husband, father and a true American hero.
"Keith loved his soldiers and his dedication to duty lasted to the end shown by the fact that he gave his life to protect his soldiers," Dody Callahan said in the statement. "He would now want his soldiers to bravely forge ahead in this mission and continue his legacy."
Callahan was from McClure, Pa. He joined the Army in 1996 and joined the 82nd Airborne Division in October 2001.
Callahan won two Fort Bragg boxing titles, earning the nickname "Bam-Bam" Callahan, his family said. This was his fourth deployment to Iraq. His military awards and decorations include the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star medal.
A memorial service will be held for him in Iraq, 82nd officials said.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Keith A. Callahan was killed in action on 1/24/07.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Keith A. Callahan, 31, of McClure, Pa.
SFC Callahan was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Jan. 24 of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated while he was conducting a combat patrol south of Baghdad.
FayObsever.com --An 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper was killed south of Baghdad when a roadside bomb was detonated near him, the Department of Defense announced Thursday.
He is the first soldier killed since the 2nd Brigade Combat Team deployed to Iraq as part of the surge of troops meant to secure the Iraqi capital.
Sgt. 1st Class Keith A. Callahan, 31, a platoon sergeant with 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, was covering his men at a road crossing when he was killed, 82nd officials said.
"Keith Callahan’s death is a tragic loss to our Task Force, and our thoughts and prayers go to Sgt. 1st Class Callahan’s family," said Lt. Col. Ross E. Davidson, 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment.
The announcement comes as fighting rages between U.S. and Iraqi forces and insurgents in Baghdad.
Callahan is survived by his wife, Dody; sons, Devin and Brady; his daughter, Brooke; and a stepson, Tyler.
The family declined to speak to reporters Thursday but did release a statement through the 82nd Airborne Division.
"Please respect our privacy as we try to gather up the pieces of our broken hearts and carry on our lives in Keith’s name," his wife, Dody, said in the statement. She said her husband was a husband, father and a true American hero.
"Keith loved his soldiers and his dedication to duty lasted to the end shown by the fact that he gave his life to protect his soldiers," Dody Callahan said in the statement. "He would now want his soldiers to bravely forge ahead in this mission and continue his legacy."
Callahan was from McClure, Pa. He joined the Army in 1996 and joined the 82nd Airborne Division in October 2001.
Callahan won two Fort Bragg boxing titles, earning the nickname "Bam-Bam" Callahan, his family said. This was his fourth deployment to Iraq. His military awards and decorations include the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star medal.
A memorial service will be held for him in Iraq, 82nd officials said.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Keith A. Callahan was killed in action on 1/24/07.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Marine Sgt. Michael M. Kashkoush
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Sgt. Michael M. Kashkoush, 24, of Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Sgt. Kashkoush was assigned to 3rd Intelligence Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan; died Jan. 23 from wounds received while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.
WKYC.com -- CHAGRIN FALLS -- Word came down Thursday that the third serviceman from our area has died in as many days. The latest causality, 24-year old Sgt. Michael Kashkoush, is from Chagrin Falls, and graduated from CFHS in 2001.
The U.S. Department of Defense reports he died January 23rd from wounds received in Iraq's Al Anbar province.
Mark Iammarino was his high school history teacher and coach. Just hours after word came down, his students started talking.
"I've heard it already today, students want to know who he was, what he was like, what he did, and look at his pictures in the yearbook," Iammarino said.
What they'll hear are stories of a bright but quiet alum.
"Mike was one that just about everyone on the staff knew," said Chagrin superintendent David Axner.
He helped take the football and wrestling teams to winning seasons, then graduated and enlisted in the Marines.
"He seemed like a kid where that [the military] would appeal to him. Discipline of military, and possibility to represent the country," Iammarino said.
He was a member of the 3rd Intelligence Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Okinawa, Japan--before taking position in Iraq.
His family tells Channel 3:
[We} would like to thank the communities of Chagrin Falls and Cleveland for the support and kindness shown us during this very difficult time. Michael was an honorable young man who served his corps and his country with the utmost pride and respect.
Funeral arrangements for Marine Sgt. Kashkoush have not yet been arranged.
Marine Sgt. Michael M. Kashkoush was killed in action on 1/23/07.
Marine Sgt. Michael M. Kashkoush, 24, of Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Sgt. Kashkoush was assigned to 3rd Intelligence Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan; died Jan. 23 from wounds received while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.
WKYC.com -- CHAGRIN FALLS -- Word came down Thursday that the third serviceman from our area has died in as many days. The latest causality, 24-year old Sgt. Michael Kashkoush, is from Chagrin Falls, and graduated from CFHS in 2001.
The U.S. Department of Defense reports he died January 23rd from wounds received in Iraq's Al Anbar province.
Mark Iammarino was his high school history teacher and coach. Just hours after word came down, his students started talking.
"I've heard it already today, students want to know who he was, what he was like, what he did, and look at his pictures in the yearbook," Iammarino said.
What they'll hear are stories of a bright but quiet alum.
"Mike was one that just about everyone on the staff knew," said Chagrin superintendent David Axner.
He helped take the football and wrestling teams to winning seasons, then graduated and enlisted in the Marines.
"He seemed like a kid where that [the military] would appeal to him. Discipline of military, and possibility to represent the country," Iammarino said.
He was a member of the 3rd Intelligence Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Okinawa, Japan--before taking position in Iraq.
His family tells Channel 3:
[We} would like to thank the communities of Chagrin Falls and Cleveland for the support and kindness shown us during this very difficult time. Michael was an honorable young man who served his corps and his country with the utmost pride and respect.
Funeral arrangements for Marine Sgt. Kashkoush have not yet been arranged.
Marine Sgt. Michael M. Kashkoush was killed in action on 1/23/07.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Army Spc. Nicholas P. Brown
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Nicholas P. Brown, 24, of Huber Heights, Ohio
Spc Brown was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, Texas; died Jan. 22, 2007 in Mosul, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Brown is survived by his wife, Sara, 21, of Dayton and their son, Nicholas Brown II, born January 14, 2007. Sara moved from Fort Bliss, Texas, to Dayton during her pregnancy to be closer to family while her husband was deployed, the family said.
Days before his death, Brown came home to Dayton from Iraq to see his son.
"It was a blessing that he was able to briefly see his newborn son Nicholas before returning to Iraq" last week, Brown's family said in a prepared statement. "Sara will treasure forever those moments together."
The infantryman was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, at Fort Bliss, according to the Defense Department. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
"Nick was very proud to serve his country," his family said. "He enjoyed playing pool, being with friends and taking care of his family."
Brown joined the Army Reserves in 2001 before switching to active duty in November 2004, according to his family.
He deployed to Iraq in late October, said Jean Offutt, public affairs officer at Fort Bliss. Deployments usually last one year, she said.
"We appreciate everyone's thoughts, prayers, and support, but ask that you allow us this time to grieve in private," the family said.
Army Spc. Nicholas P. Brown was killed in action on 1/22/07.
Army Spc. Nicholas P. Brown, 24, of Huber Heights, Ohio
Spc Brown was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, Texas; died Jan. 22, 2007 in Mosul, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Brown is survived by his wife, Sara, 21, of Dayton and their son, Nicholas Brown II, born January 14, 2007. Sara moved from Fort Bliss, Texas, to Dayton during her pregnancy to be closer to family while her husband was deployed, the family said.
Days before his death, Brown came home to Dayton from Iraq to see his son.
"It was a blessing that he was able to briefly see his newborn son Nicholas before returning to Iraq" last week, Brown's family said in a prepared statement. "Sara will treasure forever those moments together."
The infantryman was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, at Fort Bliss, according to the Defense Department. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
"Nick was very proud to serve his country," his family said. "He enjoyed playing pool, being with friends and taking care of his family."
Brown joined the Army Reserves in 2001 before switching to active duty in November 2004, according to his family.
He deployed to Iraq in late October, said Jean Offutt, public affairs officer at Fort Bliss. Deployments usually last one year, she said.
"We appreciate everyone's thoughts, prayers, and support, but ask that you allow us this time to grieve in private," the family said.
Army Spc. Nicholas P. Brown was killed in action on 1/22/07.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Marine Lance Cpl. Andrew G. Matus
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Andrew G. Matus, 19, of Chetek, Wis.
Lance Cpl. Matus was assigned to Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Jan. 21 from wounds received while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.
WFRV.com -- Lance Cpl. Andrew Matus, 19, graduated in 2005 from Weyerhaeuser High School and had already signed up to be a Marine before that, his father Gary Matus of Chetek said when contacted Monday evening.
He said he had been told his son was shot in Anbar Province. The Pentagon had not yet released any details on the death. The family was informed of the death Sunday, relatives said.
"He was a good kid," said the Marine's grandmother Virginia Matus of Bruce. "He wanted to go. That's what he wanted."
Gary Matus said many family members have served in the military. He said he and his sister are Army veterans, a brother served in Vietnam and his mother and father also served.
As for his son, "he wanted to be a Marine, mainly," he said.
He is the 68th Wisconsin member of the military to die in the Iraq war.
Matus played football in his sophomore year of high school and enjoyed weightlifting, mechanics, hunting and fishing, his mother, Donna Matus, said.
Teachers at Weyerhaeuser said he was creative and good with his hands and was named "Technology Education Student of the Year" there in 2005.
"He's probably the best mechanic I ever saw," said Richard Manor, a technology education teacher at Weyerhaeuser. "If you needed a part, he'd make the parts. He was very talented."
Matus also designed and built furniture and games to raise money for community programs.
"If anybody ever asked him to do anything, he'd be more than happy to help out," Todd Solberg, the school's principal, said.
Marine Lance Cpl. Andrew G. Matus was killed in action on 1/21/07.
Marine Lance Cpl. Andrew G. Matus, 19, of Chetek, Wis.
Lance Cpl. Matus was assigned to Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Jan. 21 from wounds received while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.
WFRV.com -- Lance Cpl. Andrew Matus, 19, graduated in 2005 from Weyerhaeuser High School and had already signed up to be a Marine before that, his father Gary Matus of Chetek said when contacted Monday evening.
He said he had been told his son was shot in Anbar Province. The Pentagon had not yet released any details on the death. The family was informed of the death Sunday, relatives said.
"He was a good kid," said the Marine's grandmother Virginia Matus of Bruce. "He wanted to go. That's what he wanted."
Gary Matus said many family members have served in the military. He said he and his sister are Army veterans, a brother served in Vietnam and his mother and father also served.
As for his son, "he wanted to be a Marine, mainly," he said.
He is the 68th Wisconsin member of the military to die in the Iraq war.
Matus played football in his sophomore year of high school and enjoyed weightlifting, mechanics, hunting and fishing, his mother, Donna Matus, said.
Teachers at Weyerhaeuser said he was creative and good with his hands and was named "Technology Education Student of the Year" there in 2005.
"He's probably the best mechanic I ever saw," said Richard Manor, a technology education teacher at Weyerhaeuser. "If you needed a part, he'd make the parts. He was very talented."
Matus also designed and built furniture and games to raise money for community programs.
"If anybody ever asked him to do anything, he'd be more than happy to help out," Todd Solberg, the school's principal, said.
Marine Lance Cpl. Andrew G. Matus was killed in action on 1/21/07.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Army Sgt. 1st Class John G. Brown
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class John G. Brown, 43, of Little Rock, Ark.
SFC Brown was assigned to the Arkansas Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 185th Aviation Regiment (Air Assault), 77th Aviation Brigade, Camp Robinson, Ark.; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.
It was Gary Brown’s first day back on duty after returning Jan. 13 from a family visit in Arkansas, his brother said. The late soldier grew up in Nashville, Ark., and was living with his wife and two stepdaughters in Little Rock, his brother said.
Gary Brown, who also served in Desert Storm, began his latest tour in April with training in the U.S. before going to Iraq in the late summer, his brother said. He worked for a tire supply company.
Army Sgt. 1st Class John G. Brown was killed in action on 1/20/07.
Army Sgt. 1st Class John G. Brown, 43, of Little Rock, Ark.
SFC Brown was assigned to the Arkansas Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 185th Aviation Regiment (Air Assault), 77th Aviation Brigade, Camp Robinson, Ark.; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.
It was Gary Brown’s first day back on duty after returning Jan. 13 from a family visit in Arkansas, his brother said. The late soldier grew up in Nashville, Ark., and was living with his wife and two stepdaughters in Little Rock, his brother said.
Gary Brown, who also served in Desert Storm, began his latest tour in April with training in the U.S. before going to Iraq in the late summer, his brother said. He worked for a tire supply company.
Army Sgt. 1st Class John G. Brown was killed in action on 1/20/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Floyd E. Lake
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Floyd E. Lake, 43, of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
SSgt Lake was assigned to the Virgin Islands Army National Guard, Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.
By Patricia M. Murret
Capital News Service
Thursday, Jan. 25, 2007
WASHINGTON - Sgt. 1st Class Floyd E. Lake, a logistics coordinator with the Army National Guard, was so good at what he did that, when he joined the National Guard Bureau in Arlington, Va., three years ago, he filled the shoes of someone two ranks higher.
Lake, 43, a Beltsville resident since December 2004, died Saturday, one of 12 soldiers killed in a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crash northeast of Baghdad, Department of Defense officials confirmed Wednesday.
He is survived by his wife, Linda, and five children, J'Nelle, Floyd Jr., Andre, Keeshawn and Tamile.
"He was a wonderful individual. Having him around was a charm," said his commanding officer, Sgt. Maj. Tony Davis.
Colleagues remember Lake as a dedicated father who often could be found attending his children's elementary school activities or running and exercising with his children, Andre and Tamile, who lived with him in Beltsville.
An outdoorsman and "fitness fanatic," Lake took pride in his health and his many physical fitness achievement medals. He repeatedly scored "master fitness" level in military physical training tests, said his civilian boss, Felicia Barrett, logistics support branch chief in the Army National Guard Readiness Center in Arlington.
"He was always out in front, beating most of us in physical fitness tests," Davis said.
A native of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Lake spoke often of his home, colleagues said, treating them to island food he prepared himself at home and stories of buying sweet apples at the open market.
Lake graduated from Ivana Eud Kean High School in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands in 1984, National Guard officials said.
A career soldier, he enlisted in the Army in 1988, and served two years as a stock record clerk at Fort Polk, La., before completing his tour of duty.
In 1990, Lake joined the Virgin Islands Army National Guard, and served as the material control and handling supervisor for the 662nd Field Service Co. on St. Thomas. In 1991, he moved to St. Croix, where he served as the warehouse foreman at the office of the U.S. Property and Fiscal Office.
In 2004, Lake transferred to the National Guard Bureau in Arlington, where he was the logistics noncommissioned officer at the Readiness Center and was responsible for maintaining a $3 million purchasing budget and providing computers, supplies and automation equipment to more than 250 soldiers in three divisions.
"He took care of everything here," said Barrett. "He would do anything you asked him. He took care of his missions and was meticulous about his duties."
Barrett remembers Lake as an easygoing, soft-spoken man, who was not a socialite, but very friendly, and always promised to bring her island jewelry.
Lake deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, in October 2006
Army Staff Sgt. Floyd E. Lake was killed in action on 1/20/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Floyd E. Lake, 43, of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
SSgt Lake was assigned to the Virgin Islands Army National Guard, Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.
By Patricia M. Murret
Capital News Service
Thursday, Jan. 25, 2007
WASHINGTON - Sgt. 1st Class Floyd E. Lake, a logistics coordinator with the Army National Guard, was so good at what he did that, when he joined the National Guard Bureau in Arlington, Va., three years ago, he filled the shoes of someone two ranks higher.
Lake, 43, a Beltsville resident since December 2004, died Saturday, one of 12 soldiers killed in a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crash northeast of Baghdad, Department of Defense officials confirmed Wednesday.
He is survived by his wife, Linda, and five children, J'Nelle, Floyd Jr., Andre, Keeshawn and Tamile.
"He was a wonderful individual. Having him around was a charm," said his commanding officer, Sgt. Maj. Tony Davis.
Colleagues remember Lake as a dedicated father who often could be found attending his children's elementary school activities or running and exercising with his children, Andre and Tamile, who lived with him in Beltsville.
An outdoorsman and "fitness fanatic," Lake took pride in his health and his many physical fitness achievement medals. He repeatedly scored "master fitness" level in military physical training tests, said his civilian boss, Felicia Barrett, logistics support branch chief in the Army National Guard Readiness Center in Arlington.
"He was always out in front, beating most of us in physical fitness tests," Davis said.
A native of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Lake spoke often of his home, colleagues said, treating them to island food he prepared himself at home and stories of buying sweet apples at the open market.
Lake graduated from Ivana Eud Kean High School in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands in 1984, National Guard officials said.
A career soldier, he enlisted in the Army in 1988, and served two years as a stock record clerk at Fort Polk, La., before completing his tour of duty.
In 1990, Lake joined the Virgin Islands Army National Guard, and served as the material control and handling supervisor for the 662nd Field Service Co. on St. Thomas. In 1991, he moved to St. Croix, where he served as the warehouse foreman at the office of the U.S. Property and Fiscal Office.
In 2004, Lake transferred to the National Guard Bureau in Arlington, where he was the logistics noncommissioned officer at the Readiness Center and was responsible for maintaining a $3 million purchasing budget and providing computers, supplies and automation equipment to more than 250 soldiers in three divisions.
"He took care of everything here," said Barrett. "He would do anything you asked him. He took care of his missions and was meticulous about his duties."
Barrett remembers Lake as an easygoing, soft-spoken man, who was not a socialite, but very friendly, and always promised to bring her island jewelry.
Lake deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, in October 2006
Army Staff Sgt. Floyd E. Lake was killed in action on 1/20/07.
Army Lt. Col. David C. Canegata, III
Remember Our Heroes
Army Lt. Col. David C. Canegata, III, 50, of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Lt. Col. Canegata was assigned to the Virgin Islands Army National Guard, Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.
The Mercury News -- ST CROIX, USVI: The identities of the two US Virgin Islands National Guard soldiers killed in Baghdad, Iraq have been released by military officials. Lt. Col. David C. Canegata III of St Croix and Sgt. First Class Floyd Everett Lake of St Thomas died when the US Army Black Hawk helicopter they were traveling in went down.
Virgin Islands Adj. Gen. Eddy Charles described the fallen soldiers as "heroes" and "warriors."
Canegata, 50, began his military service in 1985. He is survived by his wife Shenneth Benjamin Canegata, his four children, Nicole, David-Mychal, Andre and Jessica.
Army Lt. Col. David C. Canegata, III, was killed in action on 1/20/07.
Army Lt. Col. David C. Canegata, III, 50, of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Lt. Col. Canegata was assigned to the Virgin Islands Army National Guard, Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.
The Mercury News -- ST CROIX, USVI: The identities of the two US Virgin Islands National Guard soldiers killed in Baghdad, Iraq have been released by military officials. Lt. Col. David C. Canegata III of St Croix and Sgt. First Class Floyd Everett Lake of St Thomas died when the US Army Black Hawk helicopter they were traveling in went down.
Virgin Islands Adj. Gen. Eddy Charles described the fallen soldiers as "heroes" and "warriors."
Canegata, 50, began his military service in 1985. He is survived by his wife Shenneth Benjamin Canegata, his four children, Nicole, David-Mychal, Andre and Jessica.
Army Lt. Col. David C. Canegata, III, was killed in action on 1/20/07.
Army 1st Sgt. William T. Warren
Remember Our Heroes
Army 1st Sgt. William T. Warren, 48, of North Little Rock, Ark.
1st Sgt. Warren was assigned to the Arkansas Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 185th Aviation Regiment (Air Assault), 77th Aviation Brigade, Camp Robinson, Ark.; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.
Warren’s wife, Doris Warren, said Jan. 23 that her husband was a strong, quiet presence. He was the first sergeant of Bravo Company, commanded by Taylor, of the Arkansas National Guard’s 77th Aviation Brigade. The 77th has been in Iraq since early September.
Doris Warren said her husband died doing what he loved — flying a helicopter.
“Other than family, aviation was Tom Warren’s heart and soul,” she said.
A senior military official said Jan. 22 that investigators have found evidence the Black Hawk may have been shot down — a tube that could be part of a shoulder-fired weapon that may have been fired at the aircraft. An al-Qaida-linked coalition of Iraqi Sunni insurgents called The Islamic State in Iraq claimed Jan. 22 that its fighters shot down the helicopter.
The crash occurred during good weather in Diyala province.
Jacksonville Patriot -- Last Saturday, First Sgt. Tom Warren of North Little Rock volunteered to fill in as door gunner on one of the the Army National Guard’s Blackhawk helicopters that he was in charge of maintaining in Iraq, sitting in for a fellow soldier who had a problem.
That eventful decision meant that he was aboard an ill-fated helicopter which went down northeast of Baghdad in Iraq on Jan. 20, killing not only the 48-year-old Warren but also another North Little Rock resident and the pilot of the craft, Maj. Michael Taylor, 40, Sgt. 1st Class Gary Brown, 43, of Little Rock, and nine other soldiers. While some news agencies have reported enemy fire was responsible, the Army National Guard had not announced an official cause by press time.
William Thomas Warren — or "Tommy," as he liked to be called — grew up in the Amboy neighborhood, the son of Bill and Billie Warren who operated a service station at the corner of MacArthur Drive and Military Road, just down the street from the entrance to Camp Robinson. He graduated from North Little Rock High School’s Ole Main campus in 1976. After six years active duty in the U.S. Army, he returned home to find a job as an aircraft technical inspector at the Arkansas National Guard’s flight facility at Camp Robinson. Warren logged a total of 27 years military service for the country he loved so much.
"My Dad cherished his family and he loved what he did," his oldest son, Zachary Warren, said Tuesday. "He will be greatly missed. Thanks to e-mail we were able to stay in touch during his tour in Iraq. Usually he answered Mom first because he was so busy, but last Friday I e-mailed him and he instantly e-mailed me back. I am so thankful he did. All his best friends are still in Iraq."
His current pastor at Lighthouse Christian Fellowship and best friend growing up, the Rev. Ken Bunch, said that he and Warren spent weekends swimming and fishing at Lake Nimrod on camping trips with their parents. They grew up together, attending the youth group at Amboy Baptist Church and often made trips to Ashley County to go hunting for deer or squirrels.
Both Warren’s and Bunch’s fathers were clowns with the Shriners’ Scimitar unit in Little Rock, and as kids they enjoyed traveling with their dads all decked out in the Shriner clown uniform, just tagging along for fun. The clown outfits, special clown vehicles and motorcycles left their mark upon Warren; friends say that they seldom saw him without a smile on his face, and he also developed a love for motorcycles.
Warren was also a Mason and served in 1999 as Past Master of Big Rock Lodge #33 in Levy, the same leadership position his late father held twice. He was a deacon and former Sunday school director at Lighthouse Christian Fellowship on MacArthur Drive. According to Bunch, Warren was very faithful and committed to his church, but what really impressed him was the way Warren treated every kid like his own.
Warren and his wife, Doris, celebrated their 24th wedding anniversary three days before he was killed in action in Iraq. He was able to call her that day and again later the same week, which was unusual for him. Doris Warren said that her husband loved his country and supported his president.
For Christmas, he had sent a special letter to his 9-year-old son Jordan telling him how proud he was of him. Thanks to family friends, that letter now hangs framed over Jordan’s bed.
Fellow church member Lynne Holley said that Warren was "a really neat guy who loved his wife and family very much. He led devotional and Bible study every Wednesday at my home for awhile."
Ron Treat attended church with Warren and knew him very well. He recalled when Warren’s mother was trying to get a variance from the city of North Little Rock for the property they owned on MacArthur Drive. When the City Council voted the ordinance down without a public hearing, Treat said his friend surprised him.
"I thought I knew Tommy well, " he said. "But when he got up during the public comment period I was shocked at how eloquent he spoke to the council, shaming them for not giving the public a chance to be heard. His pleas were so impassioned that the council immediately retracted what they had done and gave us a chance to be heard."
Treat said that Warren was always happy, an exceptional father who was devoted to his wife and a very religious man. A retired military officer, Treat said that he and Warren talked about his tour of duty in Iraq and that Warren told him he wasn’t afraid to go or to be sent in harm’s way, and that it was just part of wearing the uniform and his duty to the community and nation.
In addition to his wife of 24 years, Warren is survived by five children — Zachary and Jordan Warren of North Little Rock, Denise Day of San Antonio, Texas, Dorreen Hill of Bellview, Fla., and Desire Willingham of Bryant — as well as his mother Billie Warren of North Little Rock, and 13 grandchildren.
Army 1st Sgt. William T. Warren was killed in action on 1/20/07.
Army 1st Sgt. William T. Warren, 48, of North Little Rock, Ark.
1st Sgt. Warren was assigned to the Arkansas Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 185th Aviation Regiment (Air Assault), 77th Aviation Brigade, Camp Robinson, Ark.; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.
Warren’s wife, Doris Warren, said Jan. 23 that her husband was a strong, quiet presence. He was the first sergeant of Bravo Company, commanded by Taylor, of the Arkansas National Guard’s 77th Aviation Brigade. The 77th has been in Iraq since early September.
Doris Warren said her husband died doing what he loved — flying a helicopter.
“Other than family, aviation was Tom Warren’s heart and soul,” she said.
A senior military official said Jan. 22 that investigators have found evidence the Black Hawk may have been shot down — a tube that could be part of a shoulder-fired weapon that may have been fired at the aircraft. An al-Qaida-linked coalition of Iraqi Sunni insurgents called The Islamic State in Iraq claimed Jan. 22 that its fighters shot down the helicopter.
The crash occurred during good weather in Diyala province.
Jacksonville Patriot -- Last Saturday, First Sgt. Tom Warren of North Little Rock volunteered to fill in as door gunner on one of the the Army National Guard’s Blackhawk helicopters that he was in charge of maintaining in Iraq, sitting in for a fellow soldier who had a problem.
That eventful decision meant that he was aboard an ill-fated helicopter which went down northeast of Baghdad in Iraq on Jan. 20, killing not only the 48-year-old Warren but also another North Little Rock resident and the pilot of the craft, Maj. Michael Taylor, 40, Sgt. 1st Class Gary Brown, 43, of Little Rock, and nine other soldiers. While some news agencies have reported enemy fire was responsible, the Army National Guard had not announced an official cause by press time.
William Thomas Warren — or "Tommy," as he liked to be called — grew up in the Amboy neighborhood, the son of Bill and Billie Warren who operated a service station at the corner of MacArthur Drive and Military Road, just down the street from the entrance to Camp Robinson. He graduated from North Little Rock High School’s Ole Main campus in 1976. After six years active duty in the U.S. Army, he returned home to find a job as an aircraft technical inspector at the Arkansas National Guard’s flight facility at Camp Robinson. Warren logged a total of 27 years military service for the country he loved so much.
"My Dad cherished his family and he loved what he did," his oldest son, Zachary Warren, said Tuesday. "He will be greatly missed. Thanks to e-mail we were able to stay in touch during his tour in Iraq. Usually he answered Mom first because he was so busy, but last Friday I e-mailed him and he instantly e-mailed me back. I am so thankful he did. All his best friends are still in Iraq."
His current pastor at Lighthouse Christian Fellowship and best friend growing up, the Rev. Ken Bunch, said that he and Warren spent weekends swimming and fishing at Lake Nimrod on camping trips with their parents. They grew up together, attending the youth group at Amboy Baptist Church and often made trips to Ashley County to go hunting for deer or squirrels.
Both Warren’s and Bunch’s fathers were clowns with the Shriners’ Scimitar unit in Little Rock, and as kids they enjoyed traveling with their dads all decked out in the Shriner clown uniform, just tagging along for fun. The clown outfits, special clown vehicles and motorcycles left their mark upon Warren; friends say that they seldom saw him without a smile on his face, and he also developed a love for motorcycles.
Warren was also a Mason and served in 1999 as Past Master of Big Rock Lodge #33 in Levy, the same leadership position his late father held twice. He was a deacon and former Sunday school director at Lighthouse Christian Fellowship on MacArthur Drive. According to Bunch, Warren was very faithful and committed to his church, but what really impressed him was the way Warren treated every kid like his own.
Warren and his wife, Doris, celebrated their 24th wedding anniversary three days before he was killed in action in Iraq. He was able to call her that day and again later the same week, which was unusual for him. Doris Warren said that her husband loved his country and supported his president.
For Christmas, he had sent a special letter to his 9-year-old son Jordan telling him how proud he was of him. Thanks to family friends, that letter now hangs framed over Jordan’s bed.
Fellow church member Lynne Holley said that Warren was "a really neat guy who loved his wife and family very much. He led devotional and Bible study every Wednesday at my home for awhile."
Ron Treat attended church with Warren and knew him very well. He recalled when Warren’s mother was trying to get a variance from the city of North Little Rock for the property they owned on MacArthur Drive. When the City Council voted the ordinance down without a public hearing, Treat said his friend surprised him.
"I thought I knew Tommy well, " he said. "But when he got up during the public comment period I was shocked at how eloquent he spoke to the council, shaming them for not giving the public a chance to be heard. His pleas were so impassioned that the council immediately retracted what they had done and gave us a chance to be heard."
Treat said that Warren was always happy, an exceptional father who was devoted to his wife and a very religious man. A retired military officer, Treat said that he and Warren talked about his tour of duty in Iraq and that Warren told him he wasn’t afraid to go or to be sent in harm’s way, and that it was just part of wearing the uniform and his duty to the community and nation.
In addition to his wife of 24 years, Warren is survived by five children — Zachary and Jordan Warren of North Little Rock, Denise Day of San Antonio, Texas, Dorreen Hill of Bellview, Fla., and Desire Willingham of Bryant — as well as his mother Billie Warren of North Little Rock, and 13 grandchildren.
Army 1st Sgt. William T. Warren was killed in action on 1/20/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Darryl D. Booker
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Darryl D. Booker, 37, of Midlothian, Va.
SSgt Booker was assigned to the 29th Infantry Division, Virginia Army National Guard, Sandston, Va.; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.
Booker, a Manchester High School graduate, was an air-traffic controller. In his civilian life, he was a full-time employee of the Army Aviation Support Facility at Sandston.
"He was dedicated and committed to what he did," said Booker's father, Earnest R. Hardy Sr. of Smithfield.
Booker was planning on retiring after this deployment, Hardy said.
Active in his church, Booker "wasn't just a soldier in the United States Army," Hardy said. "He had rank in the army of the Lord."
"All Virginia Guardsmen are saddened by the terrible loss of these brave soldiers," said Maj. Gen. Robert B. Newman Jr., the state Guard's commander.
"We owe these Guardsmen and their families immeasurable gratitude," Newman said in a statement.
Booker joined the Virginia Army Guard in September 1987 and was assigned as a flight operations coordinator. In June 1989, he moved to the active-duty Army, serving as an air traffic control operations specialist until 1996. He returned to the Virginia Army National Guard that year, becoming an air traffic control supervisor.
Booker had deployed to Iraq and to Bosnia before his latest tour of duty in the Middle East.
He was married to Myrtle Jean Jones Booker and had a daughter, Derica Booker of Arlington, Texas, and four stepchildren. His funeral arrangements were incomplete yesterday.
Army Staff Sgt. Darryl D. Booker was killed in action on 1/20/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Darryl D. Booker, 37, of Midlothian, Va.
SSgt Booker was assigned to the 29th Infantry Division, Virginia Army National Guard, Sandston, Va.; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.
Booker, a Manchester High School graduate, was an air-traffic controller. In his civilian life, he was a full-time employee of the Army Aviation Support Facility at Sandston.
"He was dedicated and committed to what he did," said Booker's father, Earnest R. Hardy Sr. of Smithfield.
Booker was planning on retiring after this deployment, Hardy said.
Active in his church, Booker "wasn't just a soldier in the United States Army," Hardy said. "He had rank in the army of the Lord."
"All Virginia Guardsmen are saddened by the terrible loss of these brave soldiers," said Maj. Gen. Robert B. Newman Jr., the state Guard's commander.
"We owe these Guardsmen and their families immeasurable gratitude," Newman said in a statement.
Booker joined the Virginia Army Guard in September 1987 and was assigned as a flight operations coordinator. In June 1989, he moved to the active-duty Army, serving as an air traffic control operations specialist until 1996. He returned to the Virginia Army National Guard that year, becoming an air traffic control supervisor.
Booker had deployed to Iraq and to Bosnia before his latest tour of duty in the Middle East.
He was married to Myrtle Jean Jones Booker and had a daughter, Derica Booker of Arlington, Texas, and four stepchildren. His funeral arrangements were incomplete yesterday.
Army Staff Sgt. Darryl D. Booker was killed in action on 1/20/07.
Army Command Sgt. Maj. Marilyn L. Gabbard
Remember Our Heroes
Army Command Sgt. Maj. Marilyn L. Gabbard, 46, of Polk City, Iowa
Command Sgt. Gabbard was assigned to Joint Forces Headquarters, Iowa Army National Guard, Camp Dodge, Johnston, Iowa; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter she was in crashed.
Iowa soldier killed in helicopter crash in Iraq
By Henry C. Jackson
The Associated Press
JOHNSTON, Iowa — The first woman promoted to the rank of command sergeant major in the Iowa Army National Guard was among those killed when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Iraq, guard officials said Jan. 24.
Command Sgt. Maj. Marilyn L. Gabbard, 46, of Polk City, was a passenger on the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter when it crashed Jan. 20 northeast of Baghdad, officials said. She was the first woman in the history of the Iowa National Guard to be killed in combat, Iowa National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Greg Hapgood said.
Military officials said Gabbard’s helicopter might have been shot down, but the investigation was continuing. Twelve National Guard soldiers from seven states and the U.S. Virgin Islands died in the crash.
Gabbard was 19th Iowa National Guard member and the 50th service member with Iowa ties to be killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Gabbard was born in 1960 in Boone and graduated from Boone High School in 1979. She served in the National Guard for 27 years, starting in 1979, ascending to the rank of sergeant major. In her most recent post, Gabbard served as state operations sergeant major at the Iowa National Guard’s Joint Forces Headquarters in Johnston.
Gabbard’s long tenure with the Iowa National Guard made the pain from her loss acute, Hapgood said.
“She touched so many people in so many different areas of our organization,” he said.
As the first woman promoted to her rank, Gabbard was in a position to serve as a role model to other woman soldiers in particular, Hapgood said, but Gabbard never saw herself as a trail blazer, just a soldier and a leader.
“She didn’t take it as a burden,” Hapgood said. “She embraced the fact that she had gone places other people hadn’t gone before. I think she relished having soldiers look up to her.”
Gabbard deployed from Iowa on Dec. 16. She served as the noncommissioned officer in charge of the National Guard Affairs Team in Baghdad. It was her first deployment to the region, Hapgood said.
Gabbard leaves behind her husband, Edward Gabbard; daughter, Melissa Danielson; mother, Mary Van Cannon; brothers, Mark and Mike Van Cannon; sister, Marla Noren; two grandchildren, five stepdaughters and a stepson.
Army Command Sgt. Maj. Marilyn L. Gabbard was killed in action on 1/20/07.
Army Command Sgt. Maj. Marilyn L. Gabbard, 46, of Polk City, Iowa
Command Sgt. Gabbard was assigned to Joint Forces Headquarters, Iowa Army National Guard, Camp Dodge, Johnston, Iowa; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter she was in crashed.
Iowa soldier killed in helicopter crash in Iraq
By Henry C. Jackson
The Associated Press
JOHNSTON, Iowa — The first woman promoted to the rank of command sergeant major in the Iowa Army National Guard was among those killed when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Iraq, guard officials said Jan. 24.
Command Sgt. Maj. Marilyn L. Gabbard, 46, of Polk City, was a passenger on the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter when it crashed Jan. 20 northeast of Baghdad, officials said. She was the first woman in the history of the Iowa National Guard to be killed in combat, Iowa National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Greg Hapgood said.
Military officials said Gabbard’s helicopter might have been shot down, but the investigation was continuing. Twelve National Guard soldiers from seven states and the U.S. Virgin Islands died in the crash.
Gabbard was 19th Iowa National Guard member and the 50th service member with Iowa ties to be killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Gabbard was born in 1960 in Boone and graduated from Boone High School in 1979. She served in the National Guard for 27 years, starting in 1979, ascending to the rank of sergeant major. In her most recent post, Gabbard served as state operations sergeant major at the Iowa National Guard’s Joint Forces Headquarters in Johnston.
Gabbard’s long tenure with the Iowa National Guard made the pain from her loss acute, Hapgood said.
“She touched so many people in so many different areas of our organization,” he said.
As the first woman promoted to her rank, Gabbard was in a position to serve as a role model to other woman soldiers in particular, Hapgood said, but Gabbard never saw herself as a trail blazer, just a soldier and a leader.
“She didn’t take it as a burden,” Hapgood said. “She embraced the fact that she had gone places other people hadn’t gone before. I think she relished having soldiers look up to her.”
Gabbard deployed from Iowa on Dec. 16. She served as the noncommissioned officer in charge of the National Guard Affairs Team in Baghdad. It was her first deployment to the region, Hapgood said.
Gabbard leaves behind her husband, Edward Gabbard; daughter, Melissa Danielson; mother, Mary Van Cannon; brothers, Mark and Mike Van Cannon; sister, Marla Noren; two grandchildren, five stepdaughters and a stepson.
Army Command Sgt. Maj. Marilyn L. Gabbard was killed in action on 1/20/07.
Army Command Sgt. Maj. Roger W. Haller
Remember Our Heroes
Army Command Sgt. Maj. Roger W. Haller, 49, of Davidsonville, Md.
Command Sgt. Haller was assigned to the 70th Regiment, Regional Training Institute — Maryland, Maryland Army National Guard, Reisterstown, Md.; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.
High-ranking Md. National Guard soldier killed in Iraq
BALTIMORE — A high-ranking soldier in the Maryland Army National Guard who taught classes at the guard’s training academy at Camp Fretterd was one of 12 soldiers killed when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed northeast of Baghdad, family members said Jan. 23.
Command Sgt. Maj. Roger W. Haller, 49, of Annapolis, was the top-ranked enlisted man in the guard’s Headquarters 70th Regiment (LDR), a leadership training unit. He was commandant of the noncommissioned officers’ academy, which trains soldiers in a variety of disciplines, including ethics, personnel management and military history.
His family was notified the evening of Jan. 21 that he was killed in the previous day’s crash, said his daughters, Morgan Haller and Kathryn Haller, both of Cambridge.
A spokesman with the Maryland National Guard confirmed Haller’s death Jan. 24, although the Defense Department had not yet announced it.
Haller worked in construction and as a plumber before returning to the guard full-time.
After the Sept. 11 attacks, he begged his superiors to deploy him overseas, Morgan Haller said in a phone interview from her mother’s home. Finally, he was sent shortly after Thanksgiving 2006 to Afghanistan, she said.
“He was so excited. He still asked us if it was OK. I said, ‘It’s something you love, I’m not going to tell you no,’” Morgan Haller said. “We knew what the consequences were in him being over there. When you grow up in a military life your whole life, you know those things can happen, and you’re better prepared for it than most people.”
Haller’s son, Sgt. Daniel Haller, 22, served tours in Afghanistan and Iraq and came home shortly before his father was deployed, Morgan Haller said.
Morgan and Kathryn Haller said they knew little about how their father died. A Pentagon official has said there was evidence in the wreckage that a surface-to-air missile may have shot down the helicopter. U.S. military officials in Baghdad have not confirmed that, and an investigation into the crash continues.
Haller’s daughters did not know why their father was aboard the helicopter or why he traveled to Iraq after being deployed to Afghanistan. He was never very talkative about his assignments.
“He just said he was going over there to fix other people’s messes, and that’s about it,” Morgan Haller said. “He always went to places to fix other people’s problems.”
Haller served in the National Guard for about 24 years, his daughters said — longer than either of them have been alive. He rode Harley-Davidson motorcycles and taught his son and daughters how to hunt and fish, Morgan Haller said.
“He never saw it as, ‘My little girl can’t shoot a gun, and she has to dress in dresses,’ because that’s not me,” said Morgan Haller, 21.
He also loved to travel and took his youngest daughter on several summer vacations.
“Every summer, we would go to a different place,” said Kathryn Haller, 17, a high school senior. “Wherever we went, we would always collect martini glasses.”
When he told her he was going to Afghanistan, “I told him he should go and have fun and take pictures,” Kathryn Haller said.
Haller was divorced from his children’s mother, Sandy Hockman, of Cambridge.
The family was told Haller would be eligible for burial at Arlington National Cemetery.
— Ben Nuckols, The Associated Press
Army Command Sgt. Maj. Roger W. Haller was killed in action on 1/20/07.
Army Command Sgt. Maj. Roger W. Haller, 49, of Davidsonville, Md.
Command Sgt. Haller was assigned to the 70th Regiment, Regional Training Institute — Maryland, Maryland Army National Guard, Reisterstown, Md.; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.
High-ranking Md. National Guard soldier killed in Iraq
BALTIMORE — A high-ranking soldier in the Maryland Army National Guard who taught classes at the guard’s training academy at Camp Fretterd was one of 12 soldiers killed when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed northeast of Baghdad, family members said Jan. 23.
Command Sgt. Maj. Roger W. Haller, 49, of Annapolis, was the top-ranked enlisted man in the guard’s Headquarters 70th Regiment (LDR), a leadership training unit. He was commandant of the noncommissioned officers’ academy, which trains soldiers in a variety of disciplines, including ethics, personnel management and military history.
His family was notified the evening of Jan. 21 that he was killed in the previous day’s crash, said his daughters, Morgan Haller and Kathryn Haller, both of Cambridge.
A spokesman with the Maryland National Guard confirmed Haller’s death Jan. 24, although the Defense Department had not yet announced it.
Haller worked in construction and as a plumber before returning to the guard full-time.
After the Sept. 11 attacks, he begged his superiors to deploy him overseas, Morgan Haller said in a phone interview from her mother’s home. Finally, he was sent shortly after Thanksgiving 2006 to Afghanistan, she said.
“He was so excited. He still asked us if it was OK. I said, ‘It’s something you love, I’m not going to tell you no,’” Morgan Haller said. “We knew what the consequences were in him being over there. When you grow up in a military life your whole life, you know those things can happen, and you’re better prepared for it than most people.”
Haller’s son, Sgt. Daniel Haller, 22, served tours in Afghanistan and Iraq and came home shortly before his father was deployed, Morgan Haller said.
Morgan and Kathryn Haller said they knew little about how their father died. A Pentagon official has said there was evidence in the wreckage that a surface-to-air missile may have shot down the helicopter. U.S. military officials in Baghdad have not confirmed that, and an investigation into the crash continues.
Haller’s daughters did not know why their father was aboard the helicopter or why he traveled to Iraq after being deployed to Afghanistan. He was never very talkative about his assignments.
“He just said he was going over there to fix other people’s messes, and that’s about it,” Morgan Haller said. “He always went to places to fix other people’s problems.”
Haller served in the National Guard for about 24 years, his daughters said — longer than either of them have been alive. He rode Harley-Davidson motorcycles and taught his son and daughters how to hunt and fish, Morgan Haller said.
“He never saw it as, ‘My little girl can’t shoot a gun, and she has to dress in dresses,’ because that’s not me,” said Morgan Haller, 21.
He also loved to travel and took his youngest daughter on several summer vacations.
“Every summer, we would go to a different place,” said Kathryn Haller, 17, a high school senior. “Wherever we went, we would always collect martini glasses.”
When he told her he was going to Afghanistan, “I told him he should go and have fun and take pictures,” Kathryn Haller said.
Haller was divorced from his children’s mother, Sandy Hockman, of Cambridge.
The family was told Haller would be eligible for burial at Arlington National Cemetery.
— Ben Nuckols, The Associated Press
Army Command Sgt. Maj. Roger W. Haller was killed in action on 1/20/07.
Army Col. Brian D. Allgood
Remember Our Heroes
Army Col. Brian D. Allgood, 46, of Oklahoma
Col. Allgood was assigned to the 30th Medical Brigade, European Regional Medical Command, Heidelberg, Germany; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.
Top medical officer killed in Iraq helicopter crash
OKLAHOMA CITY — The top medical officer for U.S. troops in Iraq was among the 12 people killed when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed near Baghdad this weekend, a family member said.
Col. Brian D. Allgood, 46, had been serving in Iraq for about six months before the Jan. 20 crash, said his uncle, Dr. Richard Allgood of Lawton, Okla. A Colorado Springs, Colo., native, Allgood graduated from Air Academy High School in 1978.
Pentagon officials confirmed his death Jan. 24.
“Brian was a wonderful human being,” his mother, Cleo Allgood of Colorado Springs, told The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. “He was a wonderful brother, son, husband and father. He just was a giving person who served his country.”
Richard Allgood said his nephew graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1982 and from the University of Oklahoma Medical Center four years later. After that, he completed his residency at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio and continued his career in the military.
“He just really was a wonderful young man,” Allgood said. “I think that he always wanted to be in the military, and I think that’s what he thought his life and function was going to be. I think he did it willingly. I don’t think he had any reservations about what he was doing.”
Allgood’s death was first reported Jan. 23 by The Oklahoman on its Web site, NewsOK.com.
“My brother, who is his father and lives in Colorado, called me Sunday and said that he had been killed in Iraq. The information that I received is they were apparently shot down by a missile while in a helicopter,” Allgood said.
The military said 12 soldiers were killed Jan. 20 in a helicopter crash in Diyala province northeast of Baghdad and that an investigation continues into whether a shoulder-fired weapon caused the crash.
In more than two decades in the military, Allgood said his nephew had parachuted into Panama and had served as the commanding officer of the hospital at West Point. He was the commanding officer of medical facilities in Korea for two years before being sent to Iraq, his uncle said.
“He was over all the hospitals and all the medical staff and all the facilities in Iraq,” Allgood said.
Brian Allgood was mentioned last August in a USA Today article on how additional training had led to a drop in heat-related deaths by U.S troops in Iraq.
Brian Allgood’s wife and son were living in Germany, where he was due to be stationed in July, Allgood’s uncle said. He also had one brother and one sister.
His father and both of his uncles served in the armed forces in Vietnam.
“He was the third-generation Allgood to go to OU medical school,” Allgood said. “He was very athletic in school, and I think that’s where he got his interest in orthopedic surgery. He really liked the outdoors, fishing. He was a big OU fan. Apparently he was very well respected.”
— Jeff Latzke, The Associated Press
Army Col. Brian D. Allgood was killed in action on 1/20/07.
Army Col. Brian D. Allgood, 46, of Oklahoma
Col. Allgood was assigned to the 30th Medical Brigade, European Regional Medical Command, Heidelberg, Germany; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.
Top medical officer killed in Iraq helicopter crash
OKLAHOMA CITY — The top medical officer for U.S. troops in Iraq was among the 12 people killed when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed near Baghdad this weekend, a family member said.
Col. Brian D. Allgood, 46, had been serving in Iraq for about six months before the Jan. 20 crash, said his uncle, Dr. Richard Allgood of Lawton, Okla. A Colorado Springs, Colo., native, Allgood graduated from Air Academy High School in 1978.
Pentagon officials confirmed his death Jan. 24.
“Brian was a wonderful human being,” his mother, Cleo Allgood of Colorado Springs, told The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. “He was a wonderful brother, son, husband and father. He just was a giving person who served his country.”
Richard Allgood said his nephew graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1982 and from the University of Oklahoma Medical Center four years later. After that, he completed his residency at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio and continued his career in the military.
“He just really was a wonderful young man,” Allgood said. “I think that he always wanted to be in the military, and I think that’s what he thought his life and function was going to be. I think he did it willingly. I don’t think he had any reservations about what he was doing.”
Allgood’s death was first reported Jan. 23 by The Oklahoman on its Web site, NewsOK.com.
“My brother, who is his father and lives in Colorado, called me Sunday and said that he had been killed in Iraq. The information that I received is they were apparently shot down by a missile while in a helicopter,” Allgood said.
The military said 12 soldiers were killed Jan. 20 in a helicopter crash in Diyala province northeast of Baghdad and that an investigation continues into whether a shoulder-fired weapon caused the crash.
In more than two decades in the military, Allgood said his nephew had parachuted into Panama and had served as the commanding officer of the hospital at West Point. He was the commanding officer of medical facilities in Korea for two years before being sent to Iraq, his uncle said.
“He was over all the hospitals and all the medical staff and all the facilities in Iraq,” Allgood said.
Brian Allgood was mentioned last August in a USA Today article on how additional training had led to a drop in heat-related deaths by U.S troops in Iraq.
Brian Allgood’s wife and son were living in Germany, where he was due to be stationed in July, Allgood’s uncle said. He also had one brother and one sister.
His father and both of his uncles served in the armed forces in Vietnam.
“He was the third-generation Allgood to go to OU medical school,” Allgood said. “He was very athletic in school, and I think that’s where he got his interest in orthopedic surgery. He really liked the outdoors, fishing. He was a big OU fan. Apparently he was very well respected.”
— Jeff Latzke, The Associated Press
Army Col. Brian D. Allgood was killed in action on 1/20/07.
Army Cpl. Victor M. Langarica
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Victor M. Langarica, 29, of Decatur, Ga.
Cpl. Langarica was assigned to the 86th Signal Battalion, Fort Huachuca, Ariz.; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.
David Marino Reports
Fort Huachuca soldier dies in Iraq helicopter crash
Jan 26, 2007 07:51 AM EST
A Fort Huachuca soldier died when his Black Hawk helicopter was shot down over Iraq.
Friends and colleagues remember the life of Corporal Victor Langarica.
The 29-year-old died this past weekend in Mosul when a Black Hawk helicopter went down.
Military officials believe the chopper may have been shot down by insurgents.
Specialist Langarica was a member of Fort Huachuca's 11th Signal Brigade. He was a native of Decatur, Georgia.
In every picture, Cpl. Victor Langarica's personality shines through.
His bright smile, and his love for his son and daughter, always stood out to his fellow soldiers.
Specialist Charlie Harris says, "He talked about his kids everyday, he loved his kids. He wanted to give them something he never had."
Spc. Harris says Cpl. Langarica was like a brother.
Harris remembers when his friend got a tattoo on his arm.
Langarica was told by the tattoo artist, it was original and he was the only one who had it.
Turns out, three other soldiers got the same one.
"He said, 'When you see me, cover your sleeves up, cause I got mine first,' and these guys just kept going on about it," Harris said.
Spc. Harris says the Corporal also taught him a few important skills.
"I don't think nobody around here anywhere can out dance him. He taught me how to dance," Harris said.
On the job, the fallen soldier was serious and aimed for perfection.
1st Lt. Robert Ashman says, "He was always the one who stood out, who jumped on the mission right away. He was always one to accomplish everything right away."
Spc. Ashlee Kerrigan says, "When I needed help with something, he was right there."
Without Cpl. Langarica around, things will be different for the 11th Signal Brigade, but he'll always be a part of their family.
Harris says, "I'm going to miss him. I mean, I miss my partner."
Kerrigan adds, "When all the soldiers do come home, there's going to be that little piece missing."
Cpl. Langarica is the first soldier with the 11th Signal Brigade to die in Iraq.
A memorial service will be held Tuesday, January 30 at Fort Huachuca's Main Post Chapel at 10 a.m.
Langarica will be buried in his home state of Georgia.
Army Cpl. Victor M. Langarica was killed in action on 1/20/07.
Army Cpl. Victor M. Langarica, 29, of Decatur, Ga.
Cpl. Langarica was assigned to the 86th Signal Battalion, Fort Huachuca, Ariz.; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.
David Marino Reports
Fort Huachuca soldier dies in Iraq helicopter crash
Jan 26, 2007 07:51 AM EST
A Fort Huachuca soldier died when his Black Hawk helicopter was shot down over Iraq.
Friends and colleagues remember the life of Corporal Victor Langarica.
The 29-year-old died this past weekend in Mosul when a Black Hawk helicopter went down.
Military officials believe the chopper may have been shot down by insurgents.
Specialist Langarica was a member of Fort Huachuca's 11th Signal Brigade. He was a native of Decatur, Georgia.
In every picture, Cpl. Victor Langarica's personality shines through.
His bright smile, and his love for his son and daughter, always stood out to his fellow soldiers.
Specialist Charlie Harris says, "He talked about his kids everyday, he loved his kids. He wanted to give them something he never had."
Spc. Harris says Cpl. Langarica was like a brother.
Harris remembers when his friend got a tattoo on his arm.
Langarica was told by the tattoo artist, it was original and he was the only one who had it.
Turns out, three other soldiers got the same one.
"He said, 'When you see me, cover your sleeves up, cause I got mine first,' and these guys just kept going on about it," Harris said.
Spc. Harris says the Corporal also taught him a few important skills.
"I don't think nobody around here anywhere can out dance him. He taught me how to dance," Harris said.
On the job, the fallen soldier was serious and aimed for perfection.
1st Lt. Robert Ashman says, "He was always the one who stood out, who jumped on the mission right away. He was always one to accomplish everything right away."
Spc. Ashlee Kerrigan says, "When I needed help with something, he was right there."
Without Cpl. Langarica around, things will be different for the 11th Signal Brigade, but he'll always be a part of their family.
Harris says, "I'm going to miss him. I mean, I miss my partner."
Kerrigan adds, "When all the soldiers do come home, there's going to be that little piece missing."
Cpl. Langarica is the first soldier with the 11th Signal Brigade to die in Iraq.
A memorial service will be held Tuesday, January 30 at Fort Huachuca's Main Post Chapel at 10 a.m.
Langarica will be buried in his home state of Georgia.
Army Cpl. Victor M. Langarica was killed in action on 1/20/07.
Army Col. Paul M. Kelly
Remember Our Heroes
Army Col. Paul M. Kelly, 45, of Stafford, Va.
Col. Kelly was assigned to the Joint Force Headquarters of the Virginia Army National Guard in Blackstone, Va.; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.
The Mercury News -- Col. Paul M. Kelly was nicknamed "the Senator" because he was always shaking soldiers' hands, no matter their rank, colleagues said.
The Carroll High School and University of Dayton graduate was among the 12 soldiers killed when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed northeast of Baghdad last Saturday.
Kelly, 45, is one of the most senior Army officers to die in Iraq. He was a mentor to many coming up through the ranks, soldiers said.
Sgt. 1st Class Arturo Robinson remembered how years ago, when he was getting into disciplinary trouble, Kelly told him to take a hard look at the way he was acting.
It was the sort of command that officers give their soldiers all the time — and often it goes ignored. But something about the way Kelly said it — firmly but with respect — got through to Robinson.
"He saved my career," Robinson said. "I would walk behind him in any war, in any place."
Tuesday in Al Asad, Iraq, nearly 200 members of the Virginia National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, gathered in a chapel at their base west of Baghdad to mourn Kelly and the others who died.
Kelly's parents, John and Mary Rose Kelly, and two of his five siblings, Patrick and Theresa, live in Beavercreek.
His brother John, who lives in Boston, recalled a man who cherished the soldiers he worked with.
"Every time we communicated with him, he'd ask us to pray for all the soldiers doing a great job out there," John Kelly said.
"He was extremely caring and dedicated both to the profession and his family and friends. He loved what he did, and he loved his country."
Kelly, of Stafford, Va., was deployed to Iraq with the National Guard last fall and was to come home in March.
Army Col. Paul M. Kelly was killed in action on 1/20/07.
Army Col. Paul M. Kelly, 45, of Stafford, Va.
Col. Kelly was assigned to the Joint Force Headquarters of the Virginia Army National Guard in Blackstone, Va.; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.
The Mercury News -- Col. Paul M. Kelly was nicknamed "the Senator" because he was always shaking soldiers' hands, no matter their rank, colleagues said.
The Carroll High School and University of Dayton graduate was among the 12 soldiers killed when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed northeast of Baghdad last Saturday.
Kelly, 45, is one of the most senior Army officers to die in Iraq. He was a mentor to many coming up through the ranks, soldiers said.
Sgt. 1st Class Arturo Robinson remembered how years ago, when he was getting into disciplinary trouble, Kelly told him to take a hard look at the way he was acting.
It was the sort of command that officers give their soldiers all the time — and often it goes ignored. But something about the way Kelly said it — firmly but with respect — got through to Robinson.
"He saved my career," Robinson said. "I would walk behind him in any war, in any place."
Tuesday in Al Asad, Iraq, nearly 200 members of the Virginia National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, gathered in a chapel at their base west of Baghdad to mourn Kelly and the others who died.
Kelly's parents, John and Mary Rose Kelly, and two of his five siblings, Patrick and Theresa, live in Beavercreek.
His brother John, who lives in Boston, recalled a man who cherished the soldiers he worked with.
"Every time we communicated with him, he'd ask us to pray for all the soldiers doing a great job out there," John Kelly said.
"He was extremely caring and dedicated both to the profession and his family and friends. He loved what he did, and he loved his country."
Kelly, of Stafford, Va., was deployed to Iraq with the National Guard last fall and was to come home in March.
Army Col. Paul M. Kelly was killed in action on 1/20/07.
Army Capt. Sean E. Lyerly
Remember Our Heroes
Army Capt. Sean E. Lyerly, 31, of Pflugerville, Texas
Capt. Lyerly was assigned to the Texas Army National Guard’s 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, 36th Infantry Division, Austin, Texas; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.
Iraq helicopter crash claims Pflugerville man
PFLUGERVILLE, Texas — A member of the Texas National Guard was piloting the Army Black Hawk helicopter that went down in Iraq on Jan. 20, killing all 12 soldiers onboard, officials said Jan. 23.
Capt. Sean E. Lyerly, 31, was assigned to the Texas Army National Guard’s 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, 36th Infantry Division, in Austin.
Texas Army National Guard officials said Lyerly was piloting the helicopter when it went down northeast of Baghdad. The U.S. military in Baghdad has refused to confirm a report by a Pentagon official that debris indicated the helicopter was shot down by a surface-to-air missile.
Nine of the other 11 casualties were assigned to state National Guard units, but none was from Texas.
Lylerly, a 1994 graduate of Stratford High School in Houston, joined the National Guard in 1996 after earning a bachelor of science degree in horticulture from Texas A&M University in May 2000. He went on active duty last February and was sent overseas in August to provide aviation support and security.
During his tenure he received various awards, including a National Defense Service Medal with bronze star. He is being recommended for a posthumous Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his selfless service and acts of heroism and valor, the Texas National Guard said.
His wife, Csilla Lyerly, said he worked as a pilot for the National Guard during hurricanes Katrina and Rita, spending several months flying in supplies and helping with rescue missions.
“My husband was a wonderful man,” she told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. “He was loving, passionate and full of integrity.”
He is survived by his wife and their 3-year-old son, Zackary, and parents George Lyerly of Bryan and Deborah Russo-Blakeman of Houston.
— The Associated Press
Army Capt. Sean E. Lyerly was killed in action on 1/20/07.
Army Capt. Sean E. Lyerly, 31, of Pflugerville, Texas
Capt. Lyerly was assigned to the Texas Army National Guard’s 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, 36th Infantry Division, Austin, Texas; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.
Iraq helicopter crash claims Pflugerville man
PFLUGERVILLE, Texas — A member of the Texas National Guard was piloting the Army Black Hawk helicopter that went down in Iraq on Jan. 20, killing all 12 soldiers onboard, officials said Jan. 23.
Capt. Sean E. Lyerly, 31, was assigned to the Texas Army National Guard’s 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, 36th Infantry Division, in Austin.
Texas Army National Guard officials said Lyerly was piloting the helicopter when it went down northeast of Baghdad. The U.S. military in Baghdad has refused to confirm a report by a Pentagon official that debris indicated the helicopter was shot down by a surface-to-air missile.
Nine of the other 11 casualties were assigned to state National Guard units, but none was from Texas.
Lylerly, a 1994 graduate of Stratford High School in Houston, joined the National Guard in 1996 after earning a bachelor of science degree in horticulture from Texas A&M University in May 2000. He went on active duty last February and was sent overseas in August to provide aviation support and security.
During his tenure he received various awards, including a National Defense Service Medal with bronze star. He is being recommended for a posthumous Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his selfless service and acts of heroism and valor, the Texas National Guard said.
His wife, Csilla Lyerly, said he worked as a pilot for the National Guard during hurricanes Katrina and Rita, spending several months flying in supplies and helping with rescue missions.
“My husband was a wonderful man,” she told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. “He was loving, passionate and full of integrity.”
He is survived by his wife and their 3-year-old son, Zackary, and parents George Lyerly of Bryan and Deborah Russo-Blakeman of Houston.
— The Associated Press
Army Capt. Sean E. Lyerly was killed in action on 1/20/07.
Army Maj. Michael V. Taylor
Remember Our Heroes
Army Maj. Michael V. Taylor, 40, of North Little Rock, Ark.
Maj. Taylor was assigned to the Arkansas Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 185th Aviation Regiment (Air Assault), 77th Aviation Brigade, Camp Robinson, Ark.; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.
WMC Stations --LITTLE ROCK An Arkansas soldier was among the twelve U-S soldiers killed when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed Saturday in Iraq. That word is from the family of Captain Michael Taylor of North Little Rock. Taylor's father-in-law, Sandy Sanders, says Taylor was piloting the helicopter when it went down northeast of Baghdad.
Sanders says the 40-year-old Taylor had been in Iraq for several months and was to return to Arkansas for a family visit in February. He says the family had no other details about the crash.
Taylor, who was in the Army Reserves, also served in Desert Storm.
Taylor and his wife, Wendy, have two children, ages eleven and five. Sanders says Taylor worked in the computer business, and previously worked for the Veterans Administration.
Sanders says his son-in-law loved duck hunting and appreciated life.
The military gave little information on the crash of the Army Black Hawk helicopter. The crash occurred during good weather in Diyala province. U-S and Iraqi forces have been battling Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias for months in the province, around the city of Baqouba. The military did not ruling out hostile fire as the cause of the crash.
Army Maj. Michael V. Taylor was killed in action on 1/20/07.
Army Maj. Michael V. Taylor, 40, of North Little Rock, Ark.
Maj. Taylor was assigned to the Arkansas Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 185th Aviation Regiment (Air Assault), 77th Aviation Brigade, Camp Robinson, Ark.; died in Baghdad on Jan. 20 when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.
WMC Stations --LITTLE ROCK An Arkansas soldier was among the twelve U-S soldiers killed when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed Saturday in Iraq. That word is from the family of Captain Michael Taylor of North Little Rock. Taylor's father-in-law, Sandy Sanders, says Taylor was piloting the helicopter when it went down northeast of Baghdad.
Sanders says the 40-year-old Taylor had been in Iraq for several months and was to return to Arkansas for a family visit in February. He says the family had no other details about the crash.
Taylor, who was in the Army Reserves, also served in Desert Storm.
Taylor and his wife, Wendy, have two children, ages eleven and five. Sanders says Taylor worked in the computer business, and previously worked for the Veterans Administration.
Sanders says his son-in-law loved duck hunting and appreciated life.
The military gave little information on the crash of the Army Black Hawk helicopter. The crash occurred during good weather in Diyala province. U-S and Iraqi forces have been battling Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias for months in the province, around the city of Baqouba. The military did not ruling out hostile fire as the cause of the crash.
Army Maj. Michael V. Taylor was killed in action on 1/20/07.
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