Marine Cpl. Jacob H. Neal

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Marine Cpl. Jacob H. Neal, 23, of San Marcos, Texas

Cpl. Neal was assigned to 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, Grand Rapids, Mich.; died Jan. 19, 2007 while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.

A 23-year-old Marine who has family in East Texas died this past Friday while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq.

Capt. Tyson Dunkelberger from the U.S. Department of Defense identified the soldier as Cpl. Jacob H. Neal of San Marcos.

Family members who live in Kennard said they were awaiting the arrival of Neal's body sometime this weekend so that funeral arrangements could be made.

"I don't blame anyone," said Eunice Zalesky, Neal's grandmother, in a telephone interview Wednesday. "He volunteered for his country ... he was fighting to save his country,"

Neal was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve's 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Grand Rapids, Mich. He had been the recipient of a National Defense Service Medal.

Marine Cpl. Jacob H. Neal was killed in action on 1/19/07.

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Joseph D. Alomar

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Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Joseph D. Alomar, 22, of Brooklyn, New York

Petty Officer Alomar was assigned to the Navy Provisional Detention Battalion at Camp Bucca, Iraq. He died in a non-combat related incident January 17, 2007.

amNew York -- A 22-year-old Brooklyn man who died in a noncombat situation in Iraq on Jan. 17 was remembered Saturday by his family as the engaging, athletic oldest brother of a large family.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Joseph D. Alomar, who was based at Camp Bucca, a Naval detention center and had served for two-and-half years, died in a "hostile fire zone," a defense department release said. His death is under investigation, it said.

On Thursday afternoon, two officers disclosed the news of Alomar's passing to his stepmother, Aileen Encarnacion, 39, who raised him since the age of 4 and still lives at his childhood home in Cypress Hills. The family's living room is adorned with trophies from his days playing high school baseball and basketball.

Also at the home were three of Alomar's seven siblings and three step-siblings. Alomar's wife, Jennifer, who could not be reached, and 5-year-old daughter Jalleeha live in Virginia Beach, Va.

Sabrina Figueroa, 15, last heard from her brother, who she called "Little Joey," on Jan. 14 in an e-mail. She said he wrote to his younger sister, affectionately calling her "Brina," about how proud he was to have "such a pretty sister."

"He was a good brother and now a good hero," Figueroa said. "With Little Joey, there's nobody that didn't like him."

Alomar enjoyed being in the service and had wanted to join the military since he was a boy, his family said. "He loved it ... He was very fascinated with it, with everything, the Marines, the Navy, Army, everything," said Figueroa.

But Alomar, who attended James Madison High School in Brooklyn, said little about his assignment in Iraq. "He did say he was on a ship at one time. Then they put him on land after. Then they put him on security ... He was very tight about what he did. He wanted to come home," said Encarnacion.

The last time Alomar was in Brooklyn was nine months ago, before shipping out for his tour of duty, during one of three one-week breaks. He took his siblings ice skating in Central Park. Encarnacion made his favorite dinner of beans and fried chicken.

The family said they want to know more about Alomar's death. "They said that there was going to be an investigation. There really were no details other than there was a bullet to his head," she said.

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Joseph D. Alomar died on 01/17/07.





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Marine Cpl. Jonathan J. Schulze

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Marine Cpl. Jonathan J. Shulze, 25, New Prague, Minn

Veterans Affairs Secretary James Nicholson, who testified yesterday before the House Appropriations Committee, has been met with tough questioning this week on Capitol Hill about the VA’s proposed budget and, in particular, about the case of a decorated Iraq war veteran who took his own life after being put on a waiting list for in patient mental health.

Members of House and Senate committees on veterans affairs say the story of Marine Private Jonathan Schulze, 25, of Stewart, Minn. , stands as a tragic example of how the federal government is under funding the VA, which they believe is straining to provide for wounded veterans.

Schulze, who was the recipient of two Purple Hearts for his service during a tour of duty near Fallujah in 2004, packed his bag on Jan. 11 and tried to check himself into a psychiatric unit in St. Cloud, Minn. , telling the in take counselor he was suicidal.

He was turned away, his family said, and placed 26th on a waiting list for a 12-bed specialized psychiatric unit for post-traumatic stress disorder, a sometimes debilitating mental illness triggered by memories of war. It is plaguing an estimated 1 in 5 veterans returning from Iraq.

Schulze’s father, James, and stepmother, Marianne, who were with him when he tried to be admitted, insist he told in take officials twice that he was suicidal — in person Jan. 11, and the next day over the phone.

Four days later, Schulze hanged himself with a household extension cord in the basement of a New Prague, Minn., apartment where he was living temporarily with a war buddy, Major Eric Satersmoen.

Satersmoen , 25, said he tried unsuccessfully to help Schulze navigate the bureaucracy of the VA on many occasions and was with him when he made a phone call on Jan. 2 informing his primary care physician at the VA that he was suicidal. Satersmoen remembers that he was told he would not get a bed in a unit until March due to overcrowding.

Marine Cpl. Jonathan J. Schulze died 01/16/07.





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Army Specialist Matthew T. Grimm

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Army Specialist Matthew T. Grimm, 21, of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.

Spc. Grimm was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, Texas; died Jan. 15 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations.

When Matthew Tyler Grimm joined his cousin's racing team in the summer of 2004, it was his first experience working with the high-performance stock cars that were the backbone of the American Speed Association.

Army Spc. Matthew Tyler Grimm, 21, of Wisconsin Rapids is the 68th Wisconsin service member killed in Iraq and the first of 2007.

That fall, he joined another team, the U.S. Army, where he learned about tanks and artillery.

"He was always ready to take on a new challenge," 1995 ASA champion Bryan Reffner said Tuesday after learning that his cousin had died in Iraq the day before.

The 21-year-old Army specialist, who was a member of C Company, 2/7 Cavalry in Fort Bliss, Texas, was killed when the vehicle in which he was riding was struck by a roadside bomb, his mother, Jean Grimm, said Tuesday.

She did not know where her son was killed, but said he had been in Iraq since late October and until a week ago had been stationed in Mosul.

"He laughed and smiled a lot," Jean Grimm said. "He was friends with everyone, and he really enjoyed life."

According to his mother, Matthew Grimm entered the Army the fall after graduating from Lincoln High School, where he played football, wrestled, dabbled in weightlifting and met an Army recruiter.

"I guess (the Army) just looked interesting to him," said Jean Grimm, whose other son, Andrew, 23, is serving in Iraq as a specialist with the Wisconsin National Guard.

"He didn't really know what he wanted to do yet."

Shane Benitz, an assistant wrestling coach at Lincoln who worked with Grimm in his sophomore year, described him as a "powerhouse" wrestler with a muscular frame.

"He was just a great kid, a good athlete, hard-working, everything you want in a member of a high school sports team," Benitz said. "Our program is really saddened to hear the news."

Immediately after high school, Grimm began working for Reffner Motor Sports in Stevens Point, unloading cars from the previous race and getting them ready for the next, Reffner said.

"Matt worked in the shop, and in racing, that's 90 percent of the work," Reffner said.

Much of Grimm's work for the team involved maintaining the cars, his cousin said.

"He'd be looking for anything that might be falling off and tightening up nuts and bolts," Reffner said, adding that his cousin was more like a muscle-bound younger brother who lived life the way he worked out in the gym.

"He just wanted to do things right and then do them better," he said. "He was always looking to achieve a goal and then exceed it."

Grimm, who is also survived by his father, Eldon, is the 68th Wisconsin service member killed in Iraq and the first of 2007. He is also the second from Wood County killed in the war in the last six weeks.

Army Specialist Matthew T. Grimm was killed in action on 01/15/07.

Army Sgt. James M. Wosika, Jr.

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Army Sgt. James M. Wosika, Jr., 24, of St. Paul, Minn.

Sgt. Woskia was assigned to the 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 136th Infantry, Crookston, Minn. Died Jan. 9 in Fallujah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit while on combat patrol.

By Herón Márquez Estrada and Curt Brown, Star Tribune
Last update: January 11, 2007 – 12:02 AM

Sgt. James Wosika Jr.'s weakness was chocolate ice cream. His long-term goal was to become a fireman. His short-term goal was to come home safely from the war in Iraq.

On Tuesday, Wosika, 24, was killed by a homemade bomb while he was on foot patrol for the Minnesota National Guard near the town of Fallujah, becoming the 49th person with strong ties to Minnesota to die in the conflict.

Wosika, a state champion wrestler and a football player at Highland Park Senior High in St. Paul, also became the third member of Company B, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 136th Infantry, to die in the past five weeks in Iraq.

Two friends, Specialists Bryan T. McDonough, 22, of Maplewood, and Corey J. Rystad, 20, of Red Lake Falls, died in early December in the same area when a bomb destroyed their Humvee. Sgt. John Kriesel lost his legs in the bombing.

"This has been a tough month for Company B," Lt. Col. Kevin Gutknecht of the National Guard said through tears Wednesday. "I feel deeply, deeply sad for the families that have had to endure these losses."

Wosika's death was announced on the same day that President Bush delivered a nationally televised address urging an escalation in the number of soldiers deployed to Iraq.

Therese Goddard, a neighbor of the Wosika family, said that after she learned of the death she called U.S. Sens. Norm Coleman and Amy Klobuchar and U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, urging them to bring home the troops.

"I'm heartbroken for the family," Goddard said. "But on the other hand, I'm angry that any more American troops should be killed in Iraq."

But Gutknecht made it clear Wednesday that Wosika's death should not be politicized.

"I think that any day a soldier dies is a sad day," he said, "and other things that are going on in the world, I think, have no bearing."

A chilling effect

Wednesday's mood was somber at the Wosika home, where American flags and a U.S. Army flag were in a window and on the front porch of the home in the West End neighborhood of St. Paul.

James Wosika Sr., in a KSTP-TV interview, said his son came from a long line of military people and that he joined the service to honor them.

"He was doing what he wanted to do for his country," the elder Wosika told the station. "Our minds are a blank. We don't know whether to laugh or cry or what."

Ann Taylor, 81, who lives around the corner from the family and spent Tuesday with them, said the death hit the West 7th neighborhood hard.

"I prayed for him every single day and had a yellow ribbon on my tree," said Taylor, who has carried a picture of Wosika in the display window of her purse since he was deployed last March. "I raised the flag every morning for Jimmy since he's been in Iraq. He was just a wonderful kid."

Jim Paddock, an assistant principal at Como Park High School and Wosika's former wrestling coach at Highland, said he had known Wosika since the soldier was in the seventh grade.

"He had two loves, wrestling and to serve his country," Paddock said. "He was a good kid, the kind that showed up everyday and you could depend on him. It's going to be a big hole in everybody's heart."

That much was evident on Wosika's MySpace.com website, which was filled with remembrances from Wosika's friends in Minnesota and his fellow soldiers in Iraq.

"I never thought this would happen," wrote a 21-year-old Oakdale soldier stationed with Wosika in Fallujah. "It sucks so much, but I know you're in a better place now with Bryan and Corey. ... It was an honor getting to know you and serving with you. I'll always miss you buddy. Rest in peace."

Other friends called Wosika, who joined the National Guard in 2000 after high school, a hero for his military service.

"You were a great person and a hero to many," a 24-year-old St. Paul woman wrote. "We love you and you will be greatly missed. RIP my friend."

The MySpace pages are also filled with insight into Wosika's personality (such as his weakness for chocolate ice cream) and his character, including his motto that "Your life is there so grab it!!!"

Wosika, who accessed his MySpace page the night before he died, wrote that he believed heroes were "any man or [woman] that has died for this country."

His biggest fear?

"Not coming home."

Army Sgt. James M. Wosika, Jr. was killed in action on 01/09/07.

Army Specialist Eric T. Caldwell

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Army Specialist Eric T. Caldwell, 22, of Salisbury, Md.,

Spc. Caldwell was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. Died Jan 7 in Iraq of wounds sustained when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire.

A soldier who was raised in Salisbury has died of injuries suffered in Iraq, the Pentagon said yesterday.

Spc. Eric T. Caldwell, 22, died Sunday in Iraq after his patrol encountered enemy small-arms fire north of Baghdad, said his uncle, Melvin "M.J." Caldwell Jr. of Salisbury.

Specialist Caldwell was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas, the Defense Department said in announcing his death.

Relatives told the Daily Press in Newport News, Va., that the soldier was scheduled to visit home for a two-week vacation this weekend.

"Eric was raised by his grandparents in the Salisbury area," said Brad Bellacicco, a friend of the family who is executive director of the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce. "At 15, he moved to Virginia with his mother, then at 18 moved in with his aunt and uncle."

Specialist Caldwell joined the Maryland National Guard in June 2003 and was assigned to the 121st Combat Engineer Battalion in Prince Frederick.

He lived with Melvin and Pamela Caldwell in Salisbury until enlisting in the Army in early 2005, his uncle said.

Specialist Caldwell worked hard to overcome learning disabilities to realize his ambition, said his uncle.

"His life was the United States Army," he said. "He wanted to become a soldier like his grandfather, who served in World War II. He loved the structure of the Army, and the guys he served with became like extended family. He was a very focused young man, once he realized the direction he wanted to go."

Specialist Caldwell had attended Gloucester High School near the Tidewater area of Virginia and schools in Marco Island, Fla., after attending Pinehurst Elementary School in Salisbury.

As a youngster, he was a member of Boy Scout Troop 185 at St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church in Salisbury. Survivors also include his mother, Vanessa Caldwell of Gloucester, Va.; his father, Brian Caldwell of Philadelphia; two sisters, his twin Andrea Caldwell of New Orleans and Katie Caldwell of Philadelphia; and his paternal grandparents, Melvin and Naomi Caldwell of Salisbury.

A memorial service is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday at the First Presbyterian Church in Gloucester, the Daily Press reported. Another service was being planned for Monday at St. Francis DeSales Church in Salisbury.

He will be buried Wednesday at Arlington National Cemetery.

Army Specialist Eric T. Caldwell was killed in action on 01/07/07.

Army Cpl. Jeremiah J. Johnson

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Army Cpl. Jeremiah J. Johnson, 23, of Vancouver, Wash

Cpl. Johnson was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.
died Jan. 6 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle rolled over Dec. 26 in Baghdad.

Cpl. Jeremiah Johnson, who dreamed of Army and baseball, dies at age 23
By Sara Jean Green
Seattle Times staff reporter

Cpl. Jeremiah Johnson was a natural athlete who dreamed of playing baseball.

Perhaps the ground gave way beneath the weight of her son's Humvee, but Elizabeth Johnson doesn't know for sure.

She was taking down Christmas decorations in her Vancouver, Wash., home when she got a call from the U.S. Army on Dec. 26, saying her 23-year-old son, Cpl. Jeremiah Johnson, had been critically injured in a rollover accident while on patrol in Baghdad, Iraq.

Elizabeth Johnson, her husband, David, and Cpl. Johnson's wife, Gale, flew to Washington, D.C., the next day, got their passports issued to them in an hour and were on a flight to Germany, arriving at an Army hospital in time to spend almost a week at Cpl. Johnson's bedside before he died Friday.

Elizabeth Johnson brought along family photos and bought magazines and sweets for her son, not realizing how grave his condition was. The reality set in only after two neurosurgeons briefed the family, telling them that Cpl. Johnson had suffered severe hypothermia and brain damage after his Humvee tipped over on a road along a canal, pinning him underwater for 10 minutes.

"I said, 'You mean that I will never hear Jeremiah talk to me again?' and they said, 'That's correct. You'll never know Jeremiah the way you have known Jeremiah,' " Elizabeth Johnson said Tuesday from Vancouver.

"I have never cried that deep inner [cry], you know? Jeremiah was the most awesome son you could ever hope for. He was the boy next door, the kind of boy you'd want your daughter to marry," she said.

Cpl. Johnson was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division based at Fort Richardson, Alaska, according to the Army. Also killed were two soldiers in Cpl. Johnson's unit: Spc. Douglas Tinsley, 21, of Chester, S.C. died at the scene of the Humvee accident and Spc. Joseph Strong, 21, of Lebanon, Ind., died en route to the hospital in Germany.

Elizabeth Johnson said Strong was Cpl. Johnson's best friend in the military.

Cpl. Johnson, the eldest of five children, was a natural athlete who became a star center-fielder for the Prairie High School baseball team and dreamed of playing in the Major Leagues, said David Johnson, who coached his son in Little League baseball.

Though his baseball dreams were eventually replaced with new dreams of an Army career, both he and his father looked forward to the day Cpl. Johnson's son, Isaiah, was big enough to pick up a baseball bat.

"We had both dreamed of coaching his son together," David Johnson said of Isaiah, who will turn 5 this month.

Baseball wasn't the only constant in Cpl. Johnson's life. As a first-grader, he met Gale, the girl he'd eventually marry, at Sunday school. She often attended Cpl. Johnson's baseball games, even traveling with his family to out-of-state tournaments, David Johnson said. The two married soon after graduating from Prairie High School in 2001, he said.

The couple also have a 2-year-old daughter, Rya.

"He wanted to do his part for his country," his father said. Cpl. Johnson enlisted 3 ½ years ago and deployed for Iraq in October.

In addition to his parents, wife and children, he is survived by his sisters, Naphtali, 21, and Lauralee, 20; and his brothers, Zachary, 17, and Timothy, 15, all of Vancouver.

A memorial service is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday at Vancouver First Church of God, 3300 N.E. 78th St., with a graveside service on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Evergreen Memorial Gardens, also in Vancouver.

A trust fund for Cpl. Johnson's wife and children has been set up at Washington Mutual.

Army Cpl. Jeremiah J. Johnson was killed in the line of duty on 01/06/07.





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Army Specialist Raymond N. Mitchell, III

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Army Specialist Raymond N. Mitchell, III, 21, of West Memphis, Ark.

Spc. Mitchell was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Jan 6 in Baghdad of wounds sustained during route security operations.

SPC Raymond N. 'Neal' Mitchell III

SPC Raymond N. "Neal" Mitchell III was born Dec. 30, 1985, in Smyrna. SPC Mitchell died Jan. 6, 2007 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds sustained during routine security operations. A short eulogy will be delivered at 1:30 p.m. Monday at Woodfin Chapel, Smyrna. Graveside services with full military honors will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Mapleview Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be from 3 to 6 p.m. today and from 11 a.m. until time of services on Monday.

SPC Mitchell was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Fort Drum, NY. He was a proud member of the Golden Dragons, Charlie Company which was deployed in Aug. 2006. SPC Mitchell's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, which were awarded posthumously, a National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon and the Combat Infantryman's Badge.

He is survived by his father, Raymond N. Mitchell Jr. and his sister Caroline Mitchell of Fairview, Tn.; mother Mrs. Carolyn Mitchell of Bellevue, Tn.; grandparents Raymond N. Mitchell Sr. and Mrs. Joyce Blair Mitchell of Winchester, Tn.; aunts Mrs. Angela Freeman, Mrs. Karen Coker, Mrs. Serena Lindley, Mrs. Judy Duncan and Mrs. Marilyn Newberry; uncle Dave Lindley; numerous cousins; and best friend and cousin, Jared Lindley. SPC Mitchell was preceded in death by his grandmother, Betty Jo Cargile Mitchell of Smyrna and his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Washington Parsley of Nashville.

Neal was a 2004 graduate of West Memphis Christian School and attended Arkansas State University before joining the Army. He left on Dec. 6, 2006, to return to Baghdad after a Thanksgiving leave

A soldier from Smyrna who was killed in Iraq will be laid to rest on Monday. Army Specialist, Raymond Mitchell, 21, died last Saturday in Baghdad. His body arrived Saturday morning at Smyrna Municipal Airport.

Mitchell was born in Smyrna and has many relatives in the area.

Mitchell was killed near Baghdad on January 6 when his patrol came under small arms fire. He deployed to Iraq last August as an infantryman with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York.

Mitchell’s father said he was very proud of what his son was doing. He said, "He was very athletic he was looking forward when he was out of the service to returning to college playing baseball. He was a very gifted athlete. He was a constant companion of mine."

Mitchell enlisted in the Army in June 2005, after a year in college. He was home on leave during Thanksgiving and reassured his family he was doing what he wanted to do.

His family watched as soldiers from the Tennessee National Guard Honor Guard Program made sure Mitchell was treated with all the respect he deserves.

Smyrna soldier laid to rest
By ALICIA PICKETT
apickett@dnj.com
— Alicia Pickett, 278-5109


SMYRNA — Friends and family members of the late Raymond Neal Mitchell III remembered the 21-year-old Smyrna native and soldier as friendly, fearless and a competitor.

Spc. Mitchell, who was killed Jan. 6 by ambush fire while on patrol in Baghdad, Iraq, was buried Monday at Mapleview Cemetery in Smyrna with full military honors.

Mitchell was a specialist in the 10th Mountain Division of the U.S. Army. He was killed a week after celebrating his 21st birthday.

"Neal gave great hugs," said Joyce Mitchell, his grandmother.

Born in Smyrna, Mitchell spent most of his childhood in Aurora, Colo., and in 2002 went to live with grandparents in West Memphis, Ark., during his junior year of high school. His grandparents, Raymond and Joyce Mitchell, are originally from Smyrna.

"Neal brought pride to my name because he did a job for the benefit of every person in this country and he laid down his life," said Raymond Mitchell Sr. about his grandson.

Childhood friend Chris House of Colorado said Mitchell's tenacity in military life started in the playground as they played laser tag.

"Neal was a little guy, but he was a giant. He was fearless because he was just a competitor, just strong and that's what makes him a giant on the inside," said House.

Sgt. Matthew Brennan attended Tuesday's funeral and said Mitchell was a rifleman and worked in the dismounted patrol, where he and others would walk the streets of Iraq and talk with local citizens.

"He (Mitchell) was very friendly toward the locals and he knew a lot about his equipment," Brennan recalled.

Two of Mitchell's teachers from West Memphis Christian School who attended Tuesday's funeral said he had a rocky academic start at the Arkansas school, but he turned around.

"Neal was having some academic difficulties, but never gave up," said Lynnette Bankstone, who tutored Mitchell in Algebra II when he first moved to Arkansas.

Matt Daigle, who was one of his classmates at West Memphis Christian, said Mitchell kept to himself when he first arrived in Arkansas but later broke out of his shell.

"Neal was not selfish with his life," said Daigle.

Jon Jackson, another West Memphis Christian classmate, said Mitchell had a great sound system in his old Cadillac.

"We had a lot in common (because) we both liked to drive fast," said Jackson.

Raymond Mitchell Jr., the soldier's father, said his son lived fearlessly.

"He was planning on coming back (and going) back to college to play baseball," said Raymond Mitchell Jr.

Raymond Mitchell Jr. said the last time he saw his son was when he drove him to the airport on Dec. 6 after a two-week furlough for Thanksgiving and assured his father that he would be OK.

"Neal was not afraid because in battle you are full of adrenaline and you have to know what to do," he said.

Members of Rolling Thunder, a group of motorcyclists who support veterans, troops and POWs, also paid their respects at Mitchell's funeral.

"We are riding in honor of the fallen," said Gary Covington, who served in the 82nd Airborne, and a member of the organization.

According to Rolling Thunder president Bob Ousley, the organization has five chapters in Tennessee, including one based in Smyrna.

"It is cold and wet and our bikes are dirty, but we would do this every day of the week," said Ousley, who along with about a dozen riders followed the funeral procession to the graveside to salute Mitchell.

Army Specialist Raymond N. Mitchell, III was killed in action on 01/06/07.

Army Maj. Michael L. Mundell

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Army Maj. Michael L. Mundell, 47, of Brandenburg, Ky.

Maj. Mundell was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 108th Division (Institutional Training), Spartanburg, S.C. died Jan. 5 in Fallujah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations.

(KDKA) PITTSBURGH A roadside bomb in Fallujah, Iraq, detonated and claimed the life of a soldier with local ties.

Army Major Michael Mundell, 47, grew up in Canonsburg, Washington County.

He graduated from Canon-McMillan High School and attended Washington and Jefferson College.

Friends and family say becoming a soldier was a lifelong dream for Mundell.

According to his family, Mundell spent about 12 years in active duty the first time around. He started this tour of duty last year on Father's Day and planned to be home by Father's Day this year.

"That is the hardest thing for my wife to accept at this point. Not just that he has died, but him leaving behind four children, the oldest of which is about to graduate from high school and theoretically he would have been here for her graduation," said Ken Sofranko, Mundell's brother-in-law.

Mundell had just returned to active duty after he was hit by a sniper's bullet.

"He was a good man. He was like my hero," said Taylor Sofranko, Mundell's niece.

Army Maj. Michael L. Mundell was killed in action on 01/05/07.

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Army Staff Sgt. Charles D. Allen

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Army Staff Sgt. Charles D. Allen, 28, of Wasilla, Alaska

SSgt Allen was assigned to the 296th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Jan. 4, 2007 in Baghdad of injuries suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire during combat operations.

Alaskan medic killed in Iraq was on second tour
Family says medic loved being in Army, taking care of 'his' troops.

By Rindi White
Anchorage Daily News (Alaska)

WASILLA, Alaska — Staff Sgt. Charles D. Allen died doing precisely what he loved most, his family said.

"Since I have known him, we've both been prepared for this because we both knew this is what he wants to do," said Kerensa Allen, Charles Allen's wife and best friend.

"He used to say 'sacrifice the good of the few for the good of the many.' He was all about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. He was an extraordinary soldier, an extraordinary man," she said.

Charles Allen, 28, of Wasilla died in Iraq after being shot in the neck by small-arms fire Thursday. He was promoted posthumously to staff sergeant, according to Fort Lewis public information officer Leslie Kaye.

According to information from the Department of Defense, Allen was killed when his unit came in contact with enemy forces in Baghdad during combat operations. He was a combat medic, assigned to the 296th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, based at Fort Lewis, Wash.

Kerensa said Charles often volunteered for duty and was traveling with another unit, the 23rd Infantry Brigade on Jan. 4. She said she had no other details.

Kerensa said her husband of 10 years was lucky to have led the career of his dreams, one of adventure, activity and challenge. He embarked on that career in Colony High School when he joined the junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. Kerensa joined too, and spent four years in the Army Reserves. ROTC and the Army gave them the active lifestyle both of them wanted.

"I got to rappel, run through the woods. Our senior prom, we were almost late for our dinner because we were in an ROTC competition," Kerensa said.

Charles and Kerensa were among the first students in Colony High's junior ROTC program. Retired Lt. Col. Ed Strabel said he remembered Charles as a very fit, outgoing student. Charles earned several awards and became one of three company commanders, a role that challenged Allen to lead while planning his company's next steps.

Charles' father, Dave Allen, of Chester, Mont., said his son had a natural knack for leadership and seemed born to his role in the Army. He wasn't surprised that his son was an excellent soldier.

"He was so enthused with his job, that's where it came from," Dave Allen said. "He was a really good medic and he wanted to be out there giving the guys the best care they could get."

On his time off, Charles Allen played video games and watched cartoons with his 7-year-old son, Orion. He enjoyed being outdoors hunting, fishing and fishing with a bow and arrow. Bow fishing was a technique he learned from his father and a pastime he was crazy for, Kerensa said.

"We almost crashed a car because he thought he saw a carp jump out of a lake," Kerensa said.

The Allens moved from base to base while Charles trained. They were stationed in Georgia, Louisiana and North and South Carolina before Kerensa asked to move to a base closer to her family. After a stint at Fort Wainwright, they were transferred to Fort Lewis.

Charles Allen was midway through his second tour of duty in Iraq when he was killed. He preferred his work as a combat medic to his job during his first tour of duty, tending to Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison, Dave Allen said.

His son deployed in 2004 to Iraq at roughly the same time the Abu Ghraib prison scandal broke. A major overseeing the prison hospital was relieved of her duties, and Charles was temporarily assigned to run the wound care center.

Although he got recognition for having an infection rate lower than stateside hospitals, Dave Allen said his son wanted to help soldiers in the field instead.

"He always said it exactly -- 'My guys need me,' " Dave Allen said.

The military occupied much of Charles Allen's life, even beyond training and active duty. Kerensa said she and her husband hosted single soldiers at Thanksgiving and Christmas each year to make holidays easier on them. Everywhere they were stationed, Charles took a subordinate under his wing and taught him to excel in the military, she said.

"He didn't want to be promoted because he wanted to be able to work with his soldiers," Kerensa said.

His mother, Kathy Allen of Wasilla, said she beli eved her son enjoyed the structure and support the military provided.

"The guys banded together. They took care of each other," she said.

Kathy Allen said that when she and her son celebrated their birthdays in April 2006 she sought assurance he would be home to celebrate future birthdays.

"He guaranteed me he would come home and do it," she said. "He did his best."

The family has planned a memorial service at Fort Lewis at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. A funeral is planned for Saturday but exact details were still being arranged, Kerensa said. She said she hasn't yet considered holding an Alaska service.

Army Staff Sgt. Charles D. Allen was killed in action on 01/04/07.

Army Specialist Richard A. Smith

Remember Our Heroes

Army Specialist Richard A. Smith, 20, of Grand Prairie, Texas

Spc. Smith was assigned to the 215th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Dec. 31 in Baqubah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated while on a combat patrol. Also killed was Cpl. Jonathan E. Schiller.

Dallas Morning News --During the short time he served in the Army, Spc. Richard Anthony Smith gained recognition as the 1st Cavalry Division's soldier of the year.

Spc. Smith, 20, who believed he was called by God to serve in the Army, was killed by a roadside bomb on New Year's Day while driving a Humvee with his unit northeast of Baghdad. Another soldier also died in the attack, which injured two other soldiers.

Spc. Smith had started his tour of duty in Iraq in October and was a driver for a commander. He had been trained as a dietitian and cook, but that work is done by civilians in Iraq.

He and his wife, Amber Smith of Arlington, were expecting their first child in three months. Spc. Smith married his high school sweetheart in July 2005 after completing boot camp.

"He loved her so much," said his mother, Barbara Speer of Grand Prairie. "He told me that the worst thing he could think of was if he died there ... because he wouldn't want to hurt her."

She said her son had transformed his life since marrying Ms. Smith.

"He became very passionate about the Army and about doing what God was trying to tell him to do," his mother said. "I cried because I didn't want him to go into the service at first. Then he told me, 'Mom, I'm going because God called me, and you can't cry.' "

Spc. Smith was born in Arlington, where he grew up, with the exception of time his family spent in Whitehouse in East Texas.

Spc. Smith was taking college courses and intended to get a degree after his military service was complete, his mother-in-law said.

In 2004, Spc. Smith graduated from Summit High School in Mansfield, where he met his wife-to-be when they were both juniors.

"They'd known each other for five years," said his mother-in-law, Diane Hipple.

In addition to his wife and mother, Spc. Smith is survived by his father and stepmother, James and Tammy Smith of Frisco; a brother, Andy Preston of Grand Prairie; and two sisters, Denise Thompson of Arlington and Jessica Preston of Grand Prairie.

Army Specialist Richard A. Smith was killed in action on 12/31/06.

Army Cpl. Jonathan E. Schiller

Remember Our Heroes

Army Cpl. Jonathan E. Schiller, 20, of Ottumwa, Iowa

Cpl. Schiller was assigned to the 215th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Dec. 31 in Baqubah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated while on a combat patrol. Also killed was Spc. Richard A. Smith.

OTTUMWA, Iowa -- An Ottumwa soldier was laid to rest on Monday.

Cpl. Jonathan Schiller, 20, died on New Year's Eve when a bomb exploded near his Humvee.

Mourners gathered at Ottumwa High School to say goodbye to Schiller. Patriot Guard Riders stood at attention outside Ottumwa High School holding American flags in Schiller's honor.

"We came out to show our respect for the fallen and the families and the communities in which they live," said Ken Dieken of the Patriot Guard Riders.

Several hundred people gathered inside the packed auditorium at 10 a.m.

Schiller was a 2004 graduate of Ottumwa High School. He joined the Army in March 2005.

"Jon was full of life, full of spirit, full of love and full of laughter," said the Rev. Paul Smith.

Schiller was remembered as someone who liked to laugh and loved to serve his country.

Friends said that in high school, Schiller was involved in video production and that he enjoyed playing basketball.

Sgt. Stanley Struthers read notes from Schiller's fellow soldiers.

"This is one from Spc. Bargus: Truth be told, Schiller wondered why were here. … We all asked it at one time. We would debate for hours. My reasons were different from his. We were here to watch each others' backs. We have plans after Army life. No matter how bad the situation became, he always made me laugh," Struthers said.

Second Lt. John Paluska fought in Iraq and was injured. He also attended the services.

"He loved what he did and he loved to make people smile and Jon had that natural charismatic charm about him," he said.

The funeral procession traveled to Monroe where Schiller was buried. More attendees turned out to show their respect.

"The young man was fighting for my country; for my family's freedom," said Laura Frana, who attended the service.

His family said Schiller died doing what he loved: serving his country and fighting for freedom.

"I liked what his Dad said, 'The army made my son into a man,'" Smith said.

Schiller was awarded several awards including the bronze star and Purple Heart.

After the funeral, Schiller was buried in Monroe with full military honors.

Army Cpl. Jonathan E. Schiller was killed in action on 12/31/06.

Army Sgt. Christopher P. Messer

Remember Our Heroes

Army Sgt. Christopher P. Messer, 28, of Petersburg, Fla.

Sgt. Messer was assigned to 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Dec. 27 in Baghdad of wounds received from an improvised explosive device that detonated near him while on dismounted patrol. Also killed was Pfc. Nathaniel A. Given.

Standing near the casket draped in the American flag, family and friends said their final goodbyes to Army Sgt. Christopher Messer Monday.

Burial services were held at Pleasant View Cemetery in Summerfield Township and included a 21-gun salute and a bugler playing "Taps." About 200 family and friends gathered around the family, who sat under a canopy on the cold, breezy winter afternoon.

Sgt. Messer, 28, was killed in action Dec. 27 while serving in Iraq. He died from injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated while he was on combat patrol. He was an infantryman assigned to Company D, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment based in Fort Drum, N.Y.

Raised in Dundee Township, he is survived by his wife, Amie, and 2-year-old daughter, Skyle. The family had recently moved to Raisinville Township from Monroe.

Funeral services were held Monday at Bacarella Funeral Home, where the Rev. Harold Raymond, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church, Ida, officiated. Some family members briefly spoke about Sgt. Messer, including the games they would play while growing up.

"He would laugh without effort ... we all had a lot of fun times together," a cousin said at the funeral home. "Our family was poor in (the sense of) money, but rich in laughter. We have the best memories."

Nearly 400 family, friends and members of local police and sheriff's departments attended the service. The swell of the crowd spilled into the hallway, and many people filled a second room where a speaker system was set up.

Immediate family members, sitting in the front row, wept as "Proud to be an American" and "American Soldier" played during the service.

The Rev. Raymond spoke to the crowd about Sgt. Messer's life rather than his tragic death.

"This doesn't have to be the end. He's full of glory and focused on Jesus Christ," he said. "He now has an eternal relationship with the Lord. Trust that he's with the Lord. Don't leave here without hope. I know you ask why, why this had to happen. I cannot answer that. Only God knows why."

The Rev. Raymond held up a laminated prayer card, containing the words to the "Prayer of Salvation," that Sgt. Messer always kept with him. The pastor read some of the prayer, which proclaims faith in God.

"He read it so many times, it's blurred," the pastor said after reading a portion. "Chris had faith and hope. He did not perish. He now has eternal life with his Savior."

Following the sermon, Army Gen. Thomas Cole spoke about the fallen soldier.

"He was a fun-loving soldier and a natural leader," he said. "He is an American hero who sacrificed everything he loved so we can live in a free country."

Gen. Cole then presented the Messer family with Sgt. Messer's medals: the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.

Joining the Army in 2003, Sgt. Messer was serving his second tour of duty when he was killed. He had served from February, 2004, to March, 2005, in Samarra, Iraq.

After he completed basic training at Fort Benning, Ga., he was assigned to 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment at Ledward Barracks in Germany. In 2005, he was reassigned to Fort Drum, N.Y.

He attended Ida Public Schools and graduated from Dundee Alternative High School in 1997.

He is the eighth soldier with Monroe County ties to die in the war.

After serving for his country, Sgt. Messer is now serving the Lord, the Rev. Raymond said.

"He has been ushered by angels to the presence of the Lord," he said at the funeral service. "His spirit is alive forever."

Army Sgt. Christopher P. Messer was killed in action on 12/27/06.

Army Pvt. Clinton T. McCormick

Remember Our Heroes

Army Pvt. Clinton T. McCormick, 20, of Jacksonville, Fla.

Pvt. McCormick was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Dec. 27 of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated during combat operations in Baghdad.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A Jacksonville man is coping with the death of his brother, a local soldier who was killed in Iraq earlier this week.

The day after Christmas, 20-year-old Tyler McCormick died when a roadside bomb exploded during his patrol in Iraq.

Tyler McCormick's older brother Daniel McCormick said the two were best friends growing up and that it's still difficult for him to talk about the moment he found out his brother was dead.

Daniel was driving to work on Wednesday when he got a call from his mother.

"I didn't believe her until I talked to the guy and he told me," Daniel McCormick said.

"That guy" was an Army chaplain who had to break the difficult news to Daniel McCormick and his family.

Tyler McCormick had been in Iraq since October. Daniel McCormick said his younger brother was a little scared when he first arrived in Iraq, but since then, he concentrated on the mission and helped his unit.

"He never changed his mind. He was ready to go over there and fight," Daniel McCormick said. "He always wanted to be in the military. He loved it."

Growing up and living most of his life in Jacksonville, Tyler McCormick went to school at Crystal Springs Elementary and then to Joseph Stillwell Middle School. Even back then, his brother said he had one dream -- to be in the military.

"He was a kid, 8 or 9 years old. We both wanted to go," Daniel McCormick said.

A bad knee kept Daniel McCormick from joining, but Tyler McCormick joined in August 2005.

In Colorado for training and also in Iraq, Tyler McCormick kept in touch with his brother and his friends via the Internet.

Word of the tragedy spread to Tyler McCormick's MySpace.com page on Wednesday, and entries talking about his death and how much his friends miss him and other written statements have been left to honor the solder.

"He loved doing it. He was proud of it," Daniel McCormick said.

Army Pvt. Clinton T. McCormick was killed in action on 12/27/06.

Army Sgt. John T. Bubeck

Remember Our Heroes

Army Sgt. John T. Bubeck, 25, of Collegeville, Pa.

Sgt. Bubeck was assigned to the 9th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany; died Dec. 26 of wounds sustained Dec. 25 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad. Also killed were: Spc. Aaron L. Preston and Pfc. Andrew H. Nelson.

Soldier called home for Christmas, then died Judith L. Bubeck of Collegeville spoke with her son before his fatal injury.
By Kera Ritter
Inquirer Staff Writer

Between missions in Baghdad, Sgt. John T. Bubeck found time Monday to make a brief phone call to his mother in Collegeville to wish her a Merry Christmas.

"He was talking about sheep running loose in the street, and then he said, 'I gotta go because we're going out,' " Judith L. Bubeck, his mother, recalled last night.

The 25-year-old soldier rarely wrote home, but he called on holidays, and his mother transcribed the conversations to share with his brother, Jim, and sister, Kathryn.

He ended the call with: "I'll go hassle the neighbors now, and preserve freedom, and save the world."

Shortly after that phone call, Bubeck and two other soldiers were fatally wounded after an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle in Baghdad, according to the Department of Defense. Bubeck died the next day.

Military representatives delivered the news to Judith Bubeck around noon on Tuesday, Dec. 26 - her birthday.

Bubeck and the other soldiers were assigned to the Ninth Engineer Battalion, Second Brigade Combat Team, of the Army's First Infantry Division out of Schweinfurt, Germany. He had been in Iraq less than three months.

Bubeck enlisted in the Army in August 2002 after a string of jobs cooking in mom-and-pop restaurants. Always the joker, Bubeck had trouble convincing his mother that he was trading in his electric guitar and nights with friends listening to the Grateful Dead for basic training.

He preferred dirty work to paperwork, and became a combat engineer. Although he was proud of being a soldier, he was less than pleased with his military photograph.

"He said he looked like a Chihuahua," Judith Bubeck said.

After stops in South Korea, Texas and Germany, Bubeck's battalion was sent to Kuwait at the end of August, and then to Iraq in October.

"I was very proud of him, more proud than scared," his mother said. "I knew he'd done basic training and he was prepared.

"He was looking forward to it. He kept saying, 'I'm tired of sitting on the bench in the game. I want to get in.' "

His mother recalled a recent conversation in which he talked excitedly about a ride he had taken in a Black Hawk helicopter.

"He was my risk-taker. He liked the adventure, and he liked to be where the action was," she said.

"I could just picture him in his Superman cape," she continued.

On Bubeck's MySpace Web page, he wrote about life in the military and posted snapshots of himself and other soldiers in his unit.

"For the last few years, I've been off the local scene doing the do for Uncle Sam," Bubeck's personal entry reads.

"My talent as a bulls- artist paid off when they awarded me Sergeant stripes. Suckers! I'm currently on a long-term 'business trip' to the Middle East until next summer."

Army Sgt. John T. Bubeck was killed in action on 12/26/06.

Army Specialist Aaron L. Preston

Remember Our Heroes

Army Specialist Aaron L. Preston, 29, of Dallas, TX

Spc. Preston was assigned to the 9th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany; died Dec. 26 of wounds sustained Dec. 25 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad. Also killed were: Sgt. John T. Bubeck and Pfc. Andrew H. Nelson.

Aaron L. Preston: For soldier, service was a family tradition

09:21 AM CST on Saturday, December 30, 2006
By JON NIELSEN / The Dallas Morning News


Aaron L. Preston sustained a family tradition that saw his relatives on battlefields on Iwo Jima and in Europe, Vietnam and Korea.

Three years ago, at age 26, it was his turn to serve. He enlisted in the Army.

"Aaron felt an inherent sense of pride," said his younger brother, Richard Preston. "Deep down he wanted to do his duty to the country, and at the same time he felt a sense of obligation."

Before enlisting, Mr. Preston, a 1995 graduate of W.T. White High School in Dallas, attended Texas State University part time and found activities around San Marcos that connected him to the outdoors. He worked part time on ranches and spent days fishing in the Hill Country's waterways.

Mr. Preston was deployed to Iraq this year, following a path to combat blazed by his uncle and grandfather. The soldier achieved the rank of specialist and hoped to earn enough experience to start a career in the oilfields or mines as a demolitions expert.

"He wanted to help out and get ahead, and the only place he could learn about demolitions was in the military," said his brother-in-law Noel Coward. "He was really waiting to come home and start doing these things."

He was to be released from duty in eight months, his family said. But on Christmas Day, Spc. Preston died from wounds suffered when an improvised explosive detonated near his vehicle in Baghdad. He died just before midnight.

"They must've caught him by surprise because that boy was smart," Mr. Coward said.

Spc. Preston, a combat engineer, was precise when it came to the minutiae of his job. He knew his life depended on it, as did those of his military brothers, most of them five to 10 years younger than he was.

Stationed in Germany for much of his military career, Spc. Preston missed the burnt-orange sunsets that settle over the Texas horizon. He remained in touch with his family via telephone or e-mail. But in Germany, he found a new family.

They called Spc. Preston "Pops" or "Gramps," terms they used frequently as a joke but also as a sign of respect for the 29-year-old serviceman. He often said that he had to help his colleagues because they were so young and didn't always follow protocol. But Spc. Preston, a details guy, did.

"He watched over those young men," said Mr. Coward, "and he enjoyed that, and they enjoyed that. They depended on him."

Two other members of Spc. Preston's company were also killed in Monday's blast: Sgt. John T. Bubeck, 25, of Collegeville, Pa., and Pfc. Andrew H. Nelson, 19, of St. Johns, Mich. They were assigned to the 9th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division in Schweinfurt, Germany.

Army Specialist Aaron L. Preston was killed in action on 12/25/06.

Army Pfc. Andrew H. Nelson

Remember Our Heroes

Army Pfc. Andrew H. Nelson, 19, of Saint Johns, Mich.

Pfc. Nelson was assigned to the 9th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany; died Dec. 26 of wounds sustained Dec. 25 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad. Also killed were: Sgt. John T. Bubeck and Spc. Aaron L. Preston.

Community Honors Local Fallen Soldier

An outpouring of support in Clinton County as a community bands together honoring one of its own. Visitation was held for 19-year-old Andrew Nelson of St. Johns, an Army Private First Class killed in Iraq.

His sacrifice is being felt all across the tight-knit community. It is a moment of tribute for private Andrew Nelson, the first Saint John's soldier killed in combat since Vietnam.

Martha Leavitt, family friend of PFC Andrew Nelson: "Knowing that he sacrificed himself for our freedom is such a statement, he's such a hero."
All across Saint Johns there are signs of tribute, a makeshift memorial downtown, a black ribbon as the city pays its respects, honoring the life of Andrew Nelson, forever marking his name in their history.

Erick Richards, St. Johns VFW Commander: "He wanted to go so that others could come home. He knew the responsibilities. He knew the dangers and he did his job."

To those who knew him best, the 19 year old was a man of unlimited potential, , but in pictures, you can see Private Nelson found his calling very early in life.

Cody Stinnett, best friend of PFC Andrew Nelson: "Ever since the day I knew him, since the day anyone knew him, all he ever wanted to do was go into the Army, and that's what he did."

Friends and family began visitation at the Keck-Coleman Funeral Home saying goodbye to a young man who made his community proud, a Saint Johns soldier finally home. Nelson's survived by his parents, two sisters and his high-school sweetheart who he married last year. Visitation continues from 2-4 and 6-8pm. A funeral service and a full-military burial are planned for Saturday morning.


Army Pfc. Andrew H. Nelson was killed in action on 12/25/06.

Army Specialist Michael J. Crutchfield

Remember Our Heroes

Army Specialist Michael J. Crutchfield, 21, of Stockton, Calif.

Spc. Crutchfield was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Dec. 23 of a non-combat related injury in Balad, Iraq. Crutchfield's death is under investigation.

A wrenching farewell
As Stockton soldier laid to rest, mother has doubts about suicide

By Daniel Thigpen
Record Staff Writer

TRACY - Standing just a few feet from her son's open casket, Anna Alford was not ready to concede that he had put himself there.

Not the soldier, the chess master, the video-game whiz; the young man friends said constantly pushed people to better themselves.

"His life was bright. And his life was brighter than many people may think," she told a small crowd of family, friends and even a few strangers at a Saturday morning memorial service for her son, Army Spc. Michael J. Crutchfield.

In July, the 21-year-old Crutchfield left with his Fort Bragg, N.C., unit for Iraq. He died Dec. 23 in Balad, north of Baghdad.

Days later, the Department of Defense reported his death was noncombat-related and under investigation. An Army spokesman at Fort Bragg said Crutchfield killed himself.

But during a somber gathering at a Tracy chapel Saturday, Crutchfield's mother said she still has her doubts.

"I'm not certain if it is suicide," Alford said. "I haven't seen a piece of paper in front of me that says it is."

Mostly, however, those close to him chose to focus not on the way he died but instead on the way he lived.

Nicholas Pedercini, 19, who said Crutchfield moved in with him and his family for more than a year, recalled an enthusiastic friend who would wake the house up to join him in whatever he had chosen to pursue that day, whether it was jogging or spending hours at a mall arcade.

"He was always trying to lift everybody else up, but apparently none of us were around to help him," he said.

Crutchfield grew up in his mother's house in French Camp but left home when he was 16 and entered the foster care system, said his sister, Amber Crutchfield. She said she was not sure why he left; he did not confide in her or other family members the reasons.

"It just happened," she said outside the chapel. "He wanted to do that."

Michael Crutchfield enlisted in the Army when he was 19, said his father, Steve Crutchfield, who lives in Nevada.

The last time he saw his son was during a visit in April, just a few months before Michael was deployed to Iraq. He said his son seemed to be in good spirits and excited about serving overseas.

"He was great. He was ready to go," Steve Crutchfield said after the funeral.

Friends said Michael Crutchfield did not talk about his problems or his childhood.

Instead, he appeared to be the one they often depended on. His comrades in the Army nicknamed him "Crutch," because they leaned on him for information in his unit, said Brig. Gen. John McMahon.

Outside the memorial service Saturday, more than a dozen members of a motorcycle club for Vietnam War veterans stood in the parking lot, each clutching an American flag.

Another dozen uniformed service members assembled in the back of the chapel. Sobs from a female friend grew louder with each rifle shot during the three-volley salute.

Before the service was over, Crutchfield's mother appealed to the people before her to seek help for whatever trials they may endure but to remember to reach out as well.

"Let's help people out there who do need an extra hand," she said. "It's not such a lonely world."

Army Specialist Michael J. Crutchfield died on 12/23/06.

Hospitalman Kyle A. Nolen

Remember Our Heroes

Hospitalman Kyle A. Nolen, 21, of Ennis, Texas

Hospitalman Nolen was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; killed Dec. 21 as a result of enemy action in Anbar Province, Iraq.

Pact to join military led fallen medic to Iraq

ENNIS, Texas - As a boy, Kyle Nolen made a pact with his best friends that they'd all join the military.

Even his wife couldn't dissuade him from fulfilling that vow when Nolen joined the Navy last year. He became a medic and was deployed in August to Iraq, where he died Thursday after his vehicle went over a land mine.

"I was scared for this reason," said his wife, Cassie. "I am proud of him, and I supported him, but I would have chosen something different."

Kyle Nolen, 21, graduated from Ennis High School in 2003. He loved to fish, spend time with his family and play soccer, said his father, Michael Nolen.

"He always thought about everybody and he loved his family," said his mother, Frances Nolen.

He also leaves behind a 3-year-old son, a 5-month-old daughter, four sisters and a brother.

The Nolens lived in Twentynine Palms, Calif., where Kyle Nolen was based. He was assigned to H Company, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Division.

Cassie Nolen said she plans to move her family back to Ennis to live in a house she and her husband built before he enlisted.

Ennis mourns its fallen son
By CANDIE BECK-ADAMS Ennis Journal Managing Editor

A horse drawn carriage carried a fallen Ennis soldier to his final resting place Tuesday, as funeral services were held for Navy corpsman Kyle Anthony Nolen, 21.

Nolen was killed in the line of duty in Iraq on Dec. 21, 2006. He and his family have been lifelong residents of Ennis and the standing room only crowd that gathered at the chapel remembered him as a kind and happy young man who always strived to go the next step and face the obstacles in his life.

“Kyle did not run from difficulties, he met them head on and tried to conquer them,” said Nolen’s uncle, Army Sgt. First Class Marty Moreno.

He went on to share with the crowd that Nolen had been offered a job that would have placed him in less danger, but he did not take the position because it would have meant leaving his fellow men behind.

Nolen’s dedication and loyalty to those around him was a common theme as members of his family and friends shared their memories of him with the crowd.

Moreno stressed everyone that Nolen was so dedicated to his wife and family that when other members of his unit were going out for entertainment, that he could be found on the telephone with his wife, Cassie for hours.

“Members of his unit actually got him dressed and tied him up to take him out bowling, but when their attention was on the game and off of him, he slipped away from them. When they got back Kyle was on the phone with Cassie,” he said.

Navy Chaplain Barrett Craig reminded the crowd of the importance of the mission Nolen was on and how his death, while difficult to understand, wasn’t in vain.

“Kyle did something, he died in defense of the God-given freedoms we are all entitled to,” Craig said. “There is evil in this world that wishes to take those freedoms from us and from the people we are trying to help, if we give up at the sound of their first bullet, we’d be giving in to evil.”

U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, spoke and expressed how proud he was to be part of Nolen’s service, calling him “the best of the best” and saying that Nolen died doing what he wanted to do and what he had made a choice to do.

“He was there because he felt called to be there. He was a medic because he wanted a career in medicine to help ease pain and suffering,” Barton said. “He made a choice to volunteer and protect the freedoms we all enjoy.”

Barton also said Nolen was among a very small group of volunteers as less than 1/2 of 1 percent of the people in the country volunteers for the military.

He went on to remind the crowd that Nolen’s death marked the third military member from Ennis to be killed in the line of duty in recent years.

“The War on Terror is not a joke, it is very real. We are believers of tolerance, religious freedoms etc., and the radical, militant Islamic fundamentalists are against everything we stand for. We are fighting a war worth fighting. Kyle’s death was a tragedy but it was for a cause worth defending,” Barton said.

Admiral Brian Brannman echoed Barton’s sentiments, calling Nolen “not just a cog in the wheel but a treasure of the nation,” as he presented Nolen’s Purple Heart medal to his wife Cassie.

Moreno expressed to the crowd how difficult it was for Nolen’s family to understand why he was killed but that they understood how important the decision to enlist was to him.

“It is hard for us to understand why Kyle was taken from us, but he really gave us all in this room, the greatest gift anyone can give and his family supported his decisions,” Moreno said.

With a voice thick with emotion he added, “I would like to think that God chooses who he wants in heaven and I’m not sure if he has a navy, but I know that Kyle is in God’s army now.”

Nolen leaves behind his wife Cassie, children Ryan and Railey Nolen, and numerous other family and friends.

Hospitalman Kyle A. Nolen was killed in action on 12/21/06.

Army Specialist Robert J. Volker

Remember Our Heroes

Army Specialist Robert J. Volker, 21, of Big Spring, Texas

Spc. Volker was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. He died Dec. 20 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV.

Big Spring Herald -- By STEVE REAGAN Staff Writer.

The war in Iraq has claimed one of Big Spring’s own. U.S. Army Spec. Robert J. "R.J." Volker, 21, died Wednesday when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Two other soldiers traveling with Volker were injured in the incident.

Volker was a life-long resident of Big Spring and a 2003 graduate of Big Spring High School, where he played French horn in the band.

"He was a very fine young man," BSHS Band Director Rocky Harris recalled. "He was just outstanding for us ... We have great memories of him and were very touched by his loss. We definitely feel for his family."

Volker also had a brief flirtation with sports.

"He tried to play football, until he realized he was smaller than everyone else out there," said his mother, Melissa.

"R.J." was remembered as a young man who enjoyed having fun, but also had a serious, caring side. That sense of caring is one factor that led him to Iraq, his mother said.

"He was always in and out of our house when he was growing up," said family friend Adrian Ayala. "He was just a good kid ... playful, lively. He enjoyed things."

Melissa Volker said her son joined the service soon after his younger brother, Johnathan, enlisted into the Navy in September 2005.

"Three days (after Johnathan enlisted), R.J. told me to go with him because he was joining the Army," Melissa said. "He just couldn’t let his little brother go without him."

After completing basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., Volker completed combat engineer school before shipping overseas in October of this year.

He was assigned to the First Calvary Division. His duties included finding IEDs and snipers.

"He just missed this one," Melissa Volker said of the incident that took her son’s life. The other two passengers in Volker’s vehicle were injured — one critically — but both were expected to survive.

His mother said Volker realized the controversial nature of the war in Iraq, but believed in the cause which eventually took his life.

"He did not like being there. We called it ‘the catbox.’ Every time I talked to him, I asked him if he cleaned the catbox," she said. "But he was protecting a people ... who had been beaten up and bullied for a long time. My son always tried to help people. He heard the cry (in Iraq), so he went to help."

Volker is also survived by his wife, Martha, and his father, Robert. Funeral services are pending at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home.

Army Specialist Robert J. Volker was killed in action on 12/20/06.

Army Specialist Andrew P. Daul

Remember Our Heroes

Army Specialist Andrew P. Daul, Sgt. Andrew P. Daul, 21, of Brighton, Mich.

Spc. Daul was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Friedberg, Germany. He died Dec. 19 in Hit, Iraq, of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Abrams tank during combat operations.

Soldier killed in Iraq was avid, competitive bodybuilder

Associated Press

BRIGHTON -- U.S. Army Spc. Andrew Patrick Daul wasn't looking to make the military his lifelong career, his family said.

He was to leave Iraq in February following two tours, but died after an improvised explosive device went off near his tank.

"Everyone is very, very proud of Andrew," his father told the Ann Arbor News.

"Even though we always knew this is something that could happen, it's still shocking. We felt he was in a relatively safe place, if there is such a thing in Iraq."

Daul, 21, of Brighton died Tuesday Dec. 19, 2006, in Hit, Iraq, from the blast that went off near his Abrams tank, the Defense Department said in a statement.

While Daul worried about the hazards of war, he reassured his family he would be fine.

"We were obviously pretty much brought to our knees when soldiers came to our door," Daul's older brother, Michael, said about being notified of his brother's death.

"But we're surrounded by lots of family and friends."

Andrew Daul became interested in serving with the military during his senior year at Brighton High School.

He had served three and a half years and was looking forward to a discharge in July.

Daul was an avid and competitive bodybuilder.

He was fascinated by extreme sports such as skiing and snowboarding.

Along with his brother and parents, Daul is survived by two sisters and other relatives.

Daul served with the 1st Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, based in Friedberg, Germany.

He would have returned to the base in Germany in February, his father said.

Army Specialist Andrew P. Daul was killed in action on 12/19/06.

Army Pfc. Seth M. Stanton

Remember Our Heroes

Army Pfc. Seth M. Stanton, 19, of Colorado Springs, Colo.; assigned to the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Dec. 17 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries sustained when his Humvee struck an improvised explosive device while on mounted patrol Dec. 16 in Taji, Iraq. Also killed were: Spc. Matthew J. Stanley and Staff Sgt. David R. Staats.

Bombing in Iraq kills Colorado soldier
By Tillie Fong, Rocky Mountain News
December 19, 2006

Seth Stanton was text-messaging his uncle, Eric DeMello, a few hours before he went on patrol with his unit in Taji, Iraq.

"My son (Eric) was telling him to be safe and be careful and to keep warm, because it was cold there," said Stanton's grandfather, Joe DeMello, of Woodland Park.

Pfc. Stanton, 19, of Colorado City, died early Sunday from injuries he suffered Saturday when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb.

"He was the commander of a patrol in Taji and he was in the lead vehicle," his grandfather said. "There were three other soldiers in the vehicle, and they were all killed."

Stanton was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division, based in Fort Hood, Texas.

Stanton's mother, Anna, of Colorado City, received a call Saturday saying that he was injured and that he was in serious but stable condition. The Army was planning to transport him back to the United States for care, DeMello said. But on Sunday, two soldiers arrived to tell her that her son was dead.

Stanton was born in Woodland Park; his grandmother, Georgell Stanton, served as midwife. He moved to Colorado City when he was 4 and was home-schooled, except for his junior year in high school, when he attended Coronado High School in Colorado Springs.

"He got such good marks that they considered him a senior," said his grandfather, adding that Stanton graduated in 2005.

Stanton enlisted in the Army after graduation. He left for basic training in June 2005. DeMello recalled his apprehension when he saw his grandson before he left.

"My grandkids call me 'Pa' and he said, 'Pa, what do you think of my joining the Army?' And I told him, 'It would be the greatest thing that would happen to you except at this time, because there was an Iraq war going,' " DeMello said.

But that didn't deter Stanton, who was inspired by his uncle, Eric DeMello, an Army veteran who fought in the first Gulf War.

"He was a soldier and he wanted to do his duty," his grandfather said.

DeMello said his grandson loved off-roading with friends and playing paintball. He also loved spending time with his two younger brothers, Nathan, 16, and Dylan, 9.

DeMello said his grandson had planned to go to college after his Army stint but didn't know what he wanted to study yet.

Stanton enjoyed life, his grandfather said. "I remember his outgoing personality, his zest for life," he said. "He made friends with a smile."

A military funeral in Colorado Springs is pending next week at New Life Church.

Army Pfc. Seth M. Stanton was killed in action on 12/17/06.

Army Staff Sgt. David R. Staats

Remember Our Heroes

Army Staff Sgt. David R. Staats, 30, of Pueblo, Colo.

SSgt. Staats was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died of injuries sustained when his Humvee struck an improvised explosive device while on mounted patrol Dec. 16 in Taji, Iraq. Also killed were: Spc. Matthew J. Stanley and Pfc. Seth M. Stanton.

Rocky Mountain News --

Arizona members of David R. Staats' family had a premonition of his death for the past week. "Everyone had a gut feeling . . . but no one could figure out why," said his sister, Bethany Staats, of Glendale, Ariz.

"When my parents walked in the house (with the news), I just knew. It blew us away."

Staff Sgt. David R. Staats, 30, of Colorado Springs, was killed Saturday when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee while on patrol in Taji, Iraq.

Another Coloradan, Pfc. Seth Stanton, 19, also of Colorado Springs, was killed in the same attack.

Both were assigned to the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division based in Fort Hood, Texas.

Born in Norfolk, Va., David Staats graduated from Cactus High School in Glendale, Ariz. in 1995, and immediately enlisted in the Army.

"His dad was in the Air Force and he idolized him, but he chose Army," said his sister.

In 2002, Staats was sent to Kuwait, where he did a year's tour. The next year he was sent to Iraq.

When he returned after a year's stint, he decided to leave the military.

"The military changed him," said Bethany Staats.

"He was quiet, he was more serious. He was more in control of his emotions . . ."

David Staats worked as a civilian mechanic for a time, but decided to re-enlist with the Army last year.

"He didn't like civilian life," said Bethany Staats.

"He liked the military - that was his life. It was in his blood."

David Staats was in his sixth week of deployment when he was killed.

"He was an amazing person," Bethany Staats said.

"He was always there when you needed him. He helped raise my daughter the first three years I had her.

"She was his pride and joy for a while."

Bethany Staats said the family will have a separate funeral service for him in Arizona, but David Staats will be buried in Colorado.

"David had called Colorado home," said his sister. "He loved Colorado."

David Staats is survived by his wife, Meagan Staats of Colorado Springs, his son from a previous marriage, Tyler David Staats of Glendale, Ariz., and his parents, Roger and Wanda Staats of Peoria, Ariz., as well as his sister.

Army Staff Sgt. David R. Staats was killed in action on 12/16/06.

Marine Lance Cpl. Nicklas J. Palmer

Remember Our Heroes

Marine Lance Cpl. Nicklas J. Palmer, 19, of Leadville, Colo.

Lance Cpl. Palmer was assigned to the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; killed Dec. 16 while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.

Summit Daily News -- Summit County, CO Colorado LEADVILLE - "This is the hardest thing ... I am just numb," Rachele Palmer said from her home Tuesday.

It had only been 48 hours after she heard the news of her youngest son, Nick.

Nick Palmer died in Iraq over the weekend as a Marine. He was killed by a sniper while patrolling in a Humvee in Fallujah at the time. He was 19 years old.

The weekend before the holidays, the last thing the Palmer's wanted to hear about was the death of their son.

Rachele and her husband Brad had returned from a holiday party Saturday afternoon when three Marines arrived at their door with the news.

"It was actually kind of funny at first," Palmer said. His father Brad, director of Lake County Road and Bridge, thought Jehovah's Witnesses were coming to the door and asked his wife to attend to them.

But when his mother Rachele peeked through the three little windows at the front and saw that they were Marines, she said she went completely numb.

"I couldn't tell you what their names had been because I couldn't hear them," she said. "They came in and asked me some questions. If his name was Nick, if his name was Palmer, if we had a son in the Marines. I was numb for a long time. It's the hardest thing ...

"Every word out of their mouth was adding up and getting worse," she said, "they told me he was shot, that he had died. I didn't know what to think ... I couldn't think."

Giant of the gridiron

The family moved to Leadville in 1995. Nick spent most of his life in Leadville.

He lived the true American lifestyle. He grew up in a rural mountain community with a father who loved football, a caring mother and an older brother. The rest of the extended family live in Montana.

The family activities revolved around football, watching it, playing it or dreaming about it.

"They watched football," his mother said. "Saturday, there's college ball, then Sunday, Monday and Thursday there's pro football. You watch football or you go to the kitchen and cook like I do. He watched football."

Nick played football from the time he was in seventh grade all through high school. With the help from his father, he lettered all four years.

"He ran offensive and defensive (lineman)," his mother said. "He didn't like to come to the sidelines very often but he would do it because he knew the other kids wanted to play. He was very generous that way."

As a junior, Nick was thinking about his future. He knew he was going into the military, his mother said.

"As a mother, I said, 'Oh, my god, no,'" she said when he told her he decided to be a Marine. "This was when the war was in full-blown motion. It's not like it hadn't started yet. But he knew this is what he wanted to do ... he must have dreamt about being a Marine ... and he signed up for it."

His father shared similar views.

He told him: "You know, you're going to Iraq then?"

Fit for the journey

Palmer left for boot camp in San Diego shortly after graduation.

The Palmer's would hear from their son when he first arrived in Iraq three to four times a week. He discovered a phone bank close to his base and used it frequently. But as the weeks passed, the Palmer's heard less and less from him.

"The calls would come a little further between because he was out on patrol and they had to go and do what they had to do," Rachele said. "It was a week, week and a half when we'd hear from him. It was hard not to hear from him."

He told his mother that he worked long hours with hard work. That was his duty as a Marine.

He trained for nearly the entire year before he entered the Marines. He wanted to be physically fit and prepared for the journey and the experience.

The preparations consisted of endless hours at the gym, jogging, hiking and swimming with friends.

He carpooled with fellow friends who joined the Marines and trained as a group.

"He lived in the weight room," his mother said. "At 10,200 feet, if it's not hard enough for running, he would toss 30 to 40 pound weights in his back pack and run with that. It was mind boggling to see.

"He wanted to be fit all year round."

A quiet, serious young man at home, Nick shared a more jovial, humorous side with his friends, his mother said.

A joker and humorist, his mother recalls camping and fishing trips he would take with his family and some of the funny things he would do but said "he was Mr. Serious at home."

"He was a polite, well-mannered good kid," Rachele said.

A shower of condolences

Visitors from around the globe are calling the Palmer's household sharing their condolences.

"This community is in mourning," said County Commissioner Ken Olsen. Olsen works closely with Nick's father at the county.

Within two and a half hours after the Marines left their front door, people showed up.

"Word spread across the U.S., total strangers are calling us, Marine families called," she said. "From the East to West Coast, the word is out. And if there is one, there's 200 who have come to the door."

The phones were ringing off the hook, landline and cellular phones, the doorbell ringing all day.

One visitor stopped by early Tuesday morning, asked if there was anything he could do, but Palmer told him no.

"I don't know what you can do," she said. "I don't even know what to do. Nobody knows what to do or what to say ... neither do I."

Flowers and flags started to collect at the Palmer home. And an area near the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum, which is across from the Palmer home, has ben set aside for people to hang yellow ribbings and offer their support.

Leadville resident Carol Hill said Monday that the coverage of this war reminded her of Vietnam.

"When you're watching the news on the television, all you see are numbers and body counts," Hill said. "It's just like Vietnam. And it's sad."

Marine Lance Cpl. Nicklas J. Palmer was killed in action on 12/16/06.

Army Staff Sgt. Joseph E. Phaneuf

Remember Our Heroes

Army Staff Sgt. Joseph E. Phaneuf, 38, of Eastford, Conn.

SSgt. Phaneuf was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 102nd Infantry Brigade, Hartford, Conn.; died Dec. 15 of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Mehtar Lam, Afghanistan.

Soldier's Widow: 'He Was A Patriot'
Roadside Bomb Kills Connecticut-Based Guardsman

EASTFORD, Conn. -- A Connecticut-based soldier has been killed in Afghanistan by a roadside explosive, military officials confirmed Monday.

Connecticut Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Joseph Phaneuf II, 38, died Friday when a vehicle in which he was riding struck a roadside bomb.

"Saturday morning at 6:47, I heard a car pull into the driveway, and I peeked out the window," said Michelle Phaneuf, the soldier's wife.

Phaneuf was a member of the First Battalion 102nd Infantry and was one of three soldiers in the vehicle when the explosion occurred, Michelle Phaneuf said.

"It is very difficult to lose another great soldier who answered the call to duty," said Maj. Gen. Thaddeus J. Martin, the adjutant general and commander of the Connecticut National Guard.

Michelle Phaneuf said her husband served in the military in the 1990s and re-enlisted after the 2001 terrorist attacks. He served in Iraq and volunteered for the Afghanistan-bound unit because he felt strongly about the need to serve overseas again, she said.

"He was a soldier, a patriot through and through," she said. "He felt he was needed to go over there and do what he could do."

"Joseph Phaneuf was a volunteer citizen-soldier who served his state and country in the truest sense," Gov. M. Jodi Rell said. "His example of service and sacrifice is as inspirational as his death is tragic."

The governor ordered flags lowered to half-staff on Monday.

He especially enjoyed working with the children and bringing them candy, ball point pens and other items they otherwise rarely could get, she said.

"I knew he was out and about, he loved being out. One of his favorite things was going into the villages, into the schools and surprising the kids," Michelle Phaneuf said.

Michelle Phaneuf said she last spoke with her husband by telephone on Wednesday. She and the couple's son and two daughters sent care packages of presents for Joseph Phaneuf to hand out.

Channel 3 Eyewitness News reporter Katy Zachry said the children are equally as proud of their dad. He coached them in sports, loved to take pictures of them and always made time to volunteer in Eastford.

"A lot of people can't understand why he went back again. That's fine, just be proud of him. When he was here, he did good. And when he was there, he was excellent," Michelle Phaneuf said.

"We're going to have Christmas," she said. "That's what he would have wanted, and that's what we're going to do."

Funeral and burial arrangements had not yet been made Sunday night, but Michelle Phaneuf said her husband told her he wanted to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Eastford town buildings were draped in black over the weekend.

Phaneuf's battalion was mobilized in January and left for Afghanistan in April. It is scheduled to return to Connecticut in spring 2007.

Army Staff Sgt. Joseph E. Phaneuf was killed in action on 12/15/06.

Army Sgt. Yevgeniy Ryndych

Remember Our Heroes

Army Sgt. Yevgeniy Ryndych, 24, of Brooklyn, N.Y.

Sgt. Ryndych was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Dec. 6 of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit while on patrol in Ramadi, Iraq.

NEW YORK (CBS/AP)- Within hours of hearing her love had been killed in Iraq, a soldier's fiancée got an engagement ring, his family said.

Sgt. Yevgeniy Ryndych, 24, died Wednesday in Ramadi, the Defense Department said.

His family and fiancée were told on the same day she got a package with the engagement ring, said the soldier's brother, Ivan Ryndych.

"He had proposed over the phone from Iraq within the past month," said Ivan Ryndych, 20. "He bought an engagement ring over the Internet."

Ryndych, who was born in Ukraine and immigrated to New York City as a teenager, was on his second tour of duty in Iraq, his brother said. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Carson, Colo.

Ivan Ryndych said his brother had gone on to a special-forces unit after his first tour in Iraq ended last year. But then he volunteered to rejoin his old unit when it headed back to Iraq, his brother said.

"His exact words to me were, 'I don't want to leave them behind,' " Ivan Ryndych said.

Ivan Ryndych responded angrily when he realized he lost his brother on the same day a report criticizing President Bush's failing Iraq strategy came out.

"It won't change anything," Ivan Ryndych told the New York Daily News.

In an interview with Newsday, Ivan Ryndych said that until his brother's death, he had also contemplated a career in the Army. "I changed my mind," he said. "I just don't want to put my parents through the same thing."

The family immigrated to Brooklyn from Ukraine in 1998 and has since moved to Staten Island. A flag flew at half-staff outside their home Thursday; inside, the living room displayed photographs of Ryndych in uniform.

Ryndych graduated from Lafayette High School in Brooklyn, according to published reports.

A voracious reader who enjoyed military-strategy games, he had wanted to join the Army for years, his brother said.

"He just liked the whole Army concept," Ivan Ryndych said.

Army Sgt. Yevgeniy Ryndych was killed in action on 12/06/06.

Army Pfc. Ross A. McGinnis

Remember Our Heroes

Army Pfc. Ross A. McGinnis, 19, of Knox, Pa.

Pfc. McGinnis was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany; died Dec. 4 of injuries sustained when a grenade was thrown into his vehicle in Baghdad.

Silver Star approved for Soldier who sacrificed himself for crew
Dec 13, 2006
BY Staff Sgt. W. Wayne Marlow

Soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice, will receive a Silver Star.FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq (Army News Service, Dec. 13, 2006) - Pfc. Ross A. McGinnis packed only 136 pounds into his 6-foot frame, but few have matched his inner strength.

McGinnis sacrificed himself in an act of supreme bravery Dec. 4, belying his status as the youngest Soldier in Company C, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment. The 19-year-old mechanic from Knox, Pa., likely saved the lives of four Soldiers riding with him on a mission in the Adhamiyah section of Baghdad.

McGinnis was manning the gunner's hatch when an insurgent tossed a grenade from above. It flew past McGinnis and down the hatch before lodging near the radio.

His platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Cedric Thomas, recalled what happened next: "Pfc. McGinnis yelled 'Grenade ... It's in the truck,' I looked out of the corner of my eye as I was crouching down and I saw him pin it down."

McGinnis did so even though he could have escaped. "He had time to jump out of the truck," Thomas said. "He chose not to."

The Silver Star Medal was approved for McGinnis's action and will be awarded posthumously.

"He gave his life to save his crew and his platoon sergeant," Thomas said. "He's a hero. He's a professional. He was just an awesome guy."

Three of the Soldiers with McGinnis that day have returned to duty, while a fourth is recovering in Germany.

McGinnis joined the Army after graduating high school in 2005. He had been in the Army 18 months and made his mark even before his heroic deed.

"He was a good kid," said C Company's senior enlisted Soldier, First Sgt. Kenneth J. Hendrix. "He had just gotten approved for a waiver to be promoted to specialist."

He also appeared on the Nov. 30 cover of Stars & Stripes, manning his turret.
Besides his military accomplishments, McGinnis leaves his friends and family with memories of a fun-loving, loyal man.

Pfc. Brennan Beck, also of the 1st Bn., 26th Inf. Regt., said McGinnis made others feel better.

"He would go into a room and when he left, everyone was laughing," Beck said. "He did impersonations of others in the company. He was quick-witted, just hilarious. He loved making people laugh. He was a comedian through and through."

While having a witty side, McGinnis took his job seriously.

"He was not a garrison Soldier. He hated it back in garrison," Beck said. "He loved it here in Iraq. He loved being a gunner. It was a thrill, he loved everything about it. He was one our best Soldiers. He did a great job."

Beck has memories of talking all night with McGinnis about where they wanted their lives to go, and said McGinnis always remembered his friends.

"When I had my appendix removed, he was the only one who visited me in the hospital," Beck said. "That meant a lot."

Another infantryman with the 1st Bn., 26th Inf. Regt., Pfc.Michael Blair recalled that McGinnis helped him when he arrived at Ledward Barracks in Schweinfurt, Germany.

"When I first came to the unit ... he was there and took me in and showed me around," Blair said. "He was real easy to talk to. You could tell him anything."

McGinnis' final heroic act came as no surprise to Blair.

"He was that kind of person," Blair said. "He would rather take it himself than have his buddies go down."

The brigade's senior noncommissioned officer, Command Sgt. Maj. William Johnson, also had high praise for McGinnis.

"Anytime you get a Soldier to do something like that - to give his life to protect his fellow Soldiers - that's what heroes are made of," Johnson said.

It also demonstrates, Johnson continued, that the 'MySpace Generation' has what it takes to carry on the Army's proud traditions.

"Some think Soldiers who come in today are all about themselves," Johnson said. "I see it differently."

(Staff Sgt. W. Wayne Marlow writes for the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.)

Army Pfc. Ross A. McGinnis was killed in action on 12/04/06.

Army Pfc. Nicholas D. Turcotte

Remember Our Heroes

Army Pfc. Nicholas D. Turcotte, 23, of Maple Grove, Minn.

Pfc. Turcotte was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry, West St. Paul, Minn.; died Dec. 4 in Nasiriyah, Iraq, from injuries sustained in a vehicle accident.

Minnesota Public Radio -- St. Paul, Minn. — Nicholas Turcotte, 23, of Maple Grove died Monday night. Military officials say he was in an armored vehicle that was escorting a logistics convoy when his vehicle rolled over on a road near Al Nasiriyia. They say the accident was not caused by hostile military activity and remains under investigation.


Turcotte enlisted in the National Guard in 2004, three years after he graduated from Maple Grove High School. One of his teachers there was Giuseppe Mendolia. Mendolia, who is now principal of Brooklyn Junior High School, says he immediately recognized Turcotte's name when he heard the news, and he pulled out the the Maple Grove yearbook to recall his former student.

"I remember Nick as being a happy-go-lucky student who was always quick with a smile and seemed pretty happy about life and relaxed and easy-going," he said.

One of Turcotte's classmates agrees. Jackie Arnold was involved in several of the school's bands with Turcotte.

"He was just really a nice kid all-around. He talked to everybody, was really approachable, really friendly with everybody," she said.

Arnold says, for a time, she and Turcotte were assigned to load up the band's instruments and uniforms.

"We had five minutes to get 500 people's instruments packed up into a truck and ready to go," she said.

Arnold described Turcotte as a team-player and a problem-solver recalling that he found a way to load the truck more efficiently.

Turcotte was very involved in the school's music department. Eric Bitterman, the Maple Grove High School band director, says Turcotte was a gifted trombonist who played in the jazz ensemble, was a section leader in the marching band and also sang in the choir, among other activities. But Bitterman says, Turcotte had other good qualities. He says the young man liked to cheer people up.

"I think what I'll remember best about Nick is he was always good at making light of dark times in his life or anyone's life. He had a quick wit, and always able to offered a joke to lighten the moment," he said.

Bitterman says he didn't know that Turcotte had enlisted in the National Guard, but he says it's not surprising that he did.

"In our marching band he was high-spirited and highly self-disciplined in his own practice. He'd be able to motivate others around him to rise to the occasion as well," he said.

At a press conference Wednesday morning, National Guard officials said Turcotte was a dedicated soldier; even during boot camp, he'd get up early for physical training on his own, and then train again with his unit.

Nicholas Turcotte was ranked as a specialist at the time of his death, but the National Guard says he'll be promoted posthumously to sergeant.

He is survived by his wife, Jennifer and mother, Debbie Moore.

Army Pfc. Nicholas D. Turcotte was killed in a vehicle accident on 12/4/06