Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Matthew Soper, 25, of Kalamazoo, Mich.
Sgt. Soper was assigned to the 1461st Transportation Company (Combat Heavy Equipment), Michigan Army National Guard, Jackson, Mich. He died June 6, 2007 in Bayji, Iraq, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device.
Jackson's Sgt. Soper Laid to Rest
Lori Dougovito
In the field house of the high school he once attended, family, friends and fellow soldiers gather to remember Army National Guard Sgt. Matthew Soper.
His funeral was held at Lumen Christi High School Tuesday morning. It was picked because no other place in Jackson could accommodate the expected crowd. Hundreds of people wearing yellow bracelets and ribbons filled chairs and bleachers.
During the funeral, a family member said of Matthew, "He was larger then life. He was extreme. The absolute joy and rib aching laughter he brought into the room will never be forgotten."
Sgt. Soper, 25, was killed in Iraq June 6th. He was a member of the Jackson based Army National Guard 1461st Transportation Company. It was his second tour in Iraq. He knew his job as a gunner was dangerous, but his family says he loved serving his country.
Outside of the high school, members of the Patriot Guard Riders lined the drive. Barb Mitchell came from Kalamazoo. "We provide support for the family and pay our respects through standing a flag line and demonstrating we respect our soldiers and their families," Mitchell says.
Groups of people lined the streets leading to the cemetery. All for one of Jackson's own.
Army Sgt. Matthew Soper was killed in action on 6/6/07.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ryan A. Balmer
Remember Our Heroes
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ryan A. Balmer, 33, of Mishawaka, Ind.
TSgt Balmer was assigned as special agent to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations; died June 5, 2007 in Kirkuk, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Kuglics.
Airman from Mishawaka, Ind., killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah — A 33-year-old airman from Indiana was killed in Iraq by an improvised explosive device, or IED, officials said June 6.
Tech. Sgt. Ryan A. Balmer of Mishawaka, Ind., was a special agent with Hill Air Force Base’s Office of Special Investigation. He was killed June 5 in Kirkuk, the Air Force said.
Balmer is survived by his wife and three children.
“This is a terrible loss and we will fully support agent Balmer’s family during this difficult time,” said Maj. Gen. Kevin Sullivan, Ogden Air Logistics Center commander.
Another agent, Staff Sgt. Matthew Kuglics, 25, of North Canton, Ohio, was also killed. He was assigned to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.
“These warriors are examples of America’s finest and their sacrifice is proof of the heroes that make up the United States Air Force,” said Brig. Gen. Dana Simmons, OSI commander, headquartered at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.
Since February 2003, 84 Indiana military personnel have died after being sent to the Middle East for the war in Iraq.
Wife of airman killed in Iraq returning to Great Falls
The Associated Press
GREAT FALLS, Mont. — The wife of a former Malmstrom Air Force Base airman killed in Iraq this week says she plans to return home to Great Falls with her family.
Air Force Tech Sgt. Ryan Balmer, 33, of Mishawaka, Ind., died June 5 when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device in Kirkuk. He was stationed at Hill Air Force Base in Roy, Utah, at the time of his death.
His wife, Danielle Balmer, a 1992 graduate of Great Falls High School, said her husband was scheduled to return the base June 20, and friends and family were planning a welcome home party for him in Utah.
“The neighbors and I have been preparing signs and getting everything ready,” she said. “He was very anxious to come home.”
The couple has an 11-month-old daughter and a 7-year-old son. Ryan Balmer also had an 11-year-old son from a previous marriage.
“We had the best husband and the best dad we could ever ask for,” Danielle Balmer said.
The two met in 1996, three years after Ryan Balmer came to the Great Falls base, and were married in 1997 at Malmstrom’s chapel. He worked as a load master during his time at the base, his wife said.
Balmer later joined the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, a duty his wife said he believed was his military calling.
He deployed to Iraq in December voluntarily, telling his wife “If I don’t go, somebody else is going to have to.”
“He put us first, before anything else. But he also knew he had an obligation,” Danielle Balmer said.
She called the support she’s received since her husband’s death from her Utah community, the military and friends in Great Falls “more than I could have ever imagined.” She also believes it is a direct result of her husband’s friendly personality.
“He’s just very, very, very loving,” she said. “He was never angry about anything. He was just a great man.”
500 attend funeral for Indiana airman killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — About 500 people attended a funeral service June 14 for a northern Indiana airman who was killed last week during a bombing in Iraq.
Air Force Tech Sgt. Ryan Balmer, 33, a 1992 graduate of Mishawaka High School, and another airman were killed June 5 in Kirkuk.
“People who would go out for their country and this land and other lands and make the ultimate sacrifice, no one has greater love than this. No one has greater love than this and those who would lay down their lives for a brother,” the Rev. Michael Jenkins said during Balmer’s funeral at Clay United Methodist Church.
Balmer’s family — including his wife, two sons and a daughter — led a procession to Southlawn Cemetery, where he was buried in the presence of a military honor guard.
“We are individual services but as a collective, we are one big family,” said Maj. Celeste Ross of South Bend’s Marine Company B. “Tech Sgt. Balmer has a second cousin who is part of our unit, and so we are all connected. And it’s important for us to be here to show them all we are family, and that we do support them.”
Balmer was in Iraq as an agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. The military said such agents often work outside air bases, seeking to identify and stop terrorist threats.
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ryan A. Balmer was killed in action on 6/5/07.
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ryan A. Balmer, 33, of Mishawaka, Ind.
TSgt Balmer was assigned as special agent to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations; died June 5, 2007 in Kirkuk, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Kuglics.
Airman from Mishawaka, Ind., killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah — A 33-year-old airman from Indiana was killed in Iraq by an improvised explosive device, or IED, officials said June 6.
Tech. Sgt. Ryan A. Balmer of Mishawaka, Ind., was a special agent with Hill Air Force Base’s Office of Special Investigation. He was killed June 5 in Kirkuk, the Air Force said.
Balmer is survived by his wife and three children.
“This is a terrible loss and we will fully support agent Balmer’s family during this difficult time,” said Maj. Gen. Kevin Sullivan, Ogden Air Logistics Center commander.
Another agent, Staff Sgt. Matthew Kuglics, 25, of North Canton, Ohio, was also killed. He was assigned to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.
“These warriors are examples of America’s finest and their sacrifice is proof of the heroes that make up the United States Air Force,” said Brig. Gen. Dana Simmons, OSI commander, headquartered at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.
Since February 2003, 84 Indiana military personnel have died after being sent to the Middle East for the war in Iraq.
Wife of airman killed in Iraq returning to Great Falls
The Associated Press
GREAT FALLS, Mont. — The wife of a former Malmstrom Air Force Base airman killed in Iraq this week says she plans to return home to Great Falls with her family.
Air Force Tech Sgt. Ryan Balmer, 33, of Mishawaka, Ind., died June 5 when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device in Kirkuk. He was stationed at Hill Air Force Base in Roy, Utah, at the time of his death.
His wife, Danielle Balmer, a 1992 graduate of Great Falls High School, said her husband was scheduled to return the base June 20, and friends and family were planning a welcome home party for him in Utah.
“The neighbors and I have been preparing signs and getting everything ready,” she said. “He was very anxious to come home.”
The couple has an 11-month-old daughter and a 7-year-old son. Ryan Balmer also had an 11-year-old son from a previous marriage.
“We had the best husband and the best dad we could ever ask for,” Danielle Balmer said.
The two met in 1996, three years after Ryan Balmer came to the Great Falls base, and were married in 1997 at Malmstrom’s chapel. He worked as a load master during his time at the base, his wife said.
Balmer later joined the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, a duty his wife said he believed was his military calling.
He deployed to Iraq in December voluntarily, telling his wife “If I don’t go, somebody else is going to have to.”
“He put us first, before anything else. But he also knew he had an obligation,” Danielle Balmer said.
She called the support she’s received since her husband’s death from her Utah community, the military and friends in Great Falls “more than I could have ever imagined.” She also believes it is a direct result of her husband’s friendly personality.
“He’s just very, very, very loving,” she said. “He was never angry about anything. He was just a great man.”
500 attend funeral for Indiana airman killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — About 500 people attended a funeral service June 14 for a northern Indiana airman who was killed last week during a bombing in Iraq.
Air Force Tech Sgt. Ryan Balmer, 33, a 1992 graduate of Mishawaka High School, and another airman were killed June 5 in Kirkuk.
“People who would go out for their country and this land and other lands and make the ultimate sacrifice, no one has greater love than this. No one has greater love than this and those who would lay down their lives for a brother,” the Rev. Michael Jenkins said during Balmer’s funeral at Clay United Methodist Church.
Balmer’s family — including his wife, two sons and a daughter — led a procession to Southlawn Cemetery, where he was buried in the presence of a military honor guard.
“We are individual services but as a collective, we are one big family,” said Maj. Celeste Ross of South Bend’s Marine Company B. “Tech Sgt. Balmer has a second cousin who is part of our unit, and so we are all connected. And it’s important for us to be here to show them all we are family, and that we do support them.”
Balmer was in Iraq as an agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. The military said such agents often work outside air bases, seeking to identify and stop terrorist threats.
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ryan A. Balmer was killed in action on 6/5/07.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Kuglics
Remember Our Heroes
Air Force Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Kuglics, 25, of North Canton, Ohio
SSgt. Kuglics was assigned as special agent to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations; died June 5, 2007 in Kirkuk, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Tech. Sgt. Ryan A. Balmer.
Green airman killed in Iraq
By Jim Carney
Beacon Journal staff writer
No worries. No regrets.
That was the motto of Air Force Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Kuglics, who left home for the Air Force two months after graduating from Green High School in 2000 and was killed in Iraq on Tuesday.
He was the first Green High School graduate to die in the war.
Kuglics was on his second tour in Iraq and was an agent with a special forces unit and an anti-terrorism task force within the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, said his parents, Donna and Les Kuglics.
He was killed along with another member of his team, Tech. Sgt. Ryan A. Balmer, 33, of Mishawaka, Ind., when an improvised explosive device struck their vehicle in Kirkuk, the Defense Department said.
His parents said an Iraqi translator was also injured in the bombing.
Kuglics, who was not married, turned 25 last Thursday.
He called his family Monday to say he had received their birthday gifts -- a Spider-Man Xbox 360 video game, a bottle of dill pickles and a pepperoni sausage.
``He was a perfect son, and the perfect big brother,'' his mother said.
His sister, Emily Kuglics, 18, is to graduate tonight from Green High School in ceremonies at E.J. Thomas Hall.
``He could walk into a room and the whole room would be glowing and you just knew he was there,'' she said during a Beacon Journal interview with her family at her home Wednesday morning.
Kuglics first worked in satellite communications and served in Kuwait and South Korea prior to his deployments to Iraq, his family said.
He was based at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, served his first tour from March to September 2006 and had been in Iraq this time since March for his second six-month tour.
He bought a house several months ago, his mother said, and his parents had been keeping his dog Hunter during this deployment and the previous one.
His father, 47, a Hewlett-Packard customer field engineer, was working from home Tuesday when Hunter, an American foxhound-beagle mix that Matthew rescued from a shelter in Dayton, began barking.
Les Kuglics went to the door and saw three men in Air Force dress uniforms.
At first, he said, he did not know why they had come to his home.
``One man had a real sad look on his face and he said, `I regret to inform you,' and I said, `Stop right there,' '' Kuglics said.
The father shut the door, put his son's dog in a cage inside and went back to the door.
``It didn't sink in until I let them in,'' he said.
``I just lost it.''
Kuglics was the second Green resident killed in the war.
Ohio Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Brian Crabtree, 31, of Green, a Lake High School graduate and Cuyahoga Falls police officer, was killed in action nearly one year ago on June 8, 2006.
Students at Green High School were informed by Principal Gary Geis on Wednesday morning that one of their own had been killed in action.
``He was just a great kid,'' the principal said.
``He was the kind any parent would be proud to have as a son.''
There was a moment of silence at the school at the time of the announcement, the principal said.
The flag at the school was lowered to half-staff Wednesday morning and a wreath was placed at the flagpole by officials with the Air Force Junior ROTC unit at the school, the principal said.
The airman played soccer in high school and continued to play in the Air Force. This past weekend, his mother said, her son played a game with some of his comrades at his base in Iraq.
The mother, an accounting supervisor for Shin-Etsu Silicones of America, said the family spoke to their son regularly on the phone and exchanged e-mails daily.
``I e-mailed him every morning when I got to work to say good morning,'' she said.
On Tuesday, though, she sent him an e-mail but got no reply.
``By the time I sent it, he was already gone,'' she said.
While her son could have gone to several colleges after high school to study engineering, including Arizona State and the University of Cincinnati, he chose the Air Force, she said.
``He decided his calling was to serve his country,'' she said.
His plan was to retire from the Air Force after 20 years to teach high school history. He had been taking college courses, Donna Kuglics said.
``Matthew was exceptional,'' she said.
``People who didn't know him, need to know that there was not a better person out there, a better son,'' she said, noting his great sense of humor.
``He was a kid at heart. He was never gonna give up that part of himself.''
She said if there was an argument between his parents or an issue between them and Emily, Matthew ``could take any situation and bring our family together... He could fix it and make it right.''
Donna Kuglics said she wants the public to always remember her son.
``Thank a soldier, thank a veteran,'' she said. ``Don't forget the fallen heroes.''
The staff sergeant's father said his son told him this before he left for Iraq:
``I am stepping up to do this. I want to fight terrorism. I don't want some young guy my age who is married with children to possibly sacrifice his life.''
His son, the father said, did step up to the plate.
The airman's sister, Emily, who will go to Stark State College in the fall and plans to study special education, said she will not forget her brother's laugh.
``Even now, I still hear him laughing,'' she said.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Kuglics was killed in action on 6/5/07.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Kuglics, 25, of North Canton, Ohio
SSgt. Kuglics was assigned as special agent to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations; died June 5, 2007 in Kirkuk, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Tech. Sgt. Ryan A. Balmer.
Green airman killed in Iraq
By Jim Carney
Beacon Journal staff writer
No worries. No regrets.
That was the motto of Air Force Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Kuglics, who left home for the Air Force two months after graduating from Green High School in 2000 and was killed in Iraq on Tuesday.
He was the first Green High School graduate to die in the war.
Kuglics was on his second tour in Iraq and was an agent with a special forces unit and an anti-terrorism task force within the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, said his parents, Donna and Les Kuglics.
He was killed along with another member of his team, Tech. Sgt. Ryan A. Balmer, 33, of Mishawaka, Ind., when an improvised explosive device struck their vehicle in Kirkuk, the Defense Department said.
His parents said an Iraqi translator was also injured in the bombing.
Kuglics, who was not married, turned 25 last Thursday.
He called his family Monday to say he had received their birthday gifts -- a Spider-Man Xbox 360 video game, a bottle of dill pickles and a pepperoni sausage.
``He was a perfect son, and the perfect big brother,'' his mother said.
His sister, Emily Kuglics, 18, is to graduate tonight from Green High School in ceremonies at E.J. Thomas Hall.
``He could walk into a room and the whole room would be glowing and you just knew he was there,'' she said during a Beacon Journal interview with her family at her home Wednesday morning.
Kuglics first worked in satellite communications and served in Kuwait and South Korea prior to his deployments to Iraq, his family said.
He was based at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, served his first tour from March to September 2006 and had been in Iraq this time since March for his second six-month tour.
He bought a house several months ago, his mother said, and his parents had been keeping his dog Hunter during this deployment and the previous one.
His father, 47, a Hewlett-Packard customer field engineer, was working from home Tuesday when Hunter, an American foxhound-beagle mix that Matthew rescued from a shelter in Dayton, began barking.
Les Kuglics went to the door and saw three men in Air Force dress uniforms.
At first, he said, he did not know why they had come to his home.
``One man had a real sad look on his face and he said, `I regret to inform you,' and I said, `Stop right there,' '' Kuglics said.
The father shut the door, put his son's dog in a cage inside and went back to the door.
``It didn't sink in until I let them in,'' he said.
``I just lost it.''
Kuglics was the second Green resident killed in the war.
Ohio Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Brian Crabtree, 31, of Green, a Lake High School graduate and Cuyahoga Falls police officer, was killed in action nearly one year ago on June 8, 2006.
Students at Green High School were informed by Principal Gary Geis on Wednesday morning that one of their own had been killed in action.
``He was just a great kid,'' the principal said.
``He was the kind any parent would be proud to have as a son.''
There was a moment of silence at the school at the time of the announcement, the principal said.
The flag at the school was lowered to half-staff Wednesday morning and a wreath was placed at the flagpole by officials with the Air Force Junior ROTC unit at the school, the principal said.
The airman played soccer in high school and continued to play in the Air Force. This past weekend, his mother said, her son played a game with some of his comrades at his base in Iraq.
The mother, an accounting supervisor for Shin-Etsu Silicones of America, said the family spoke to their son regularly on the phone and exchanged e-mails daily.
``I e-mailed him every morning when I got to work to say good morning,'' she said.
On Tuesday, though, she sent him an e-mail but got no reply.
``By the time I sent it, he was already gone,'' she said.
While her son could have gone to several colleges after high school to study engineering, including Arizona State and the University of Cincinnati, he chose the Air Force, she said.
``He decided his calling was to serve his country,'' she said.
His plan was to retire from the Air Force after 20 years to teach high school history. He had been taking college courses, Donna Kuglics said.
``Matthew was exceptional,'' she said.
``People who didn't know him, need to know that there was not a better person out there, a better son,'' she said, noting his great sense of humor.
``He was a kid at heart. He was never gonna give up that part of himself.''
She said if there was an argument between his parents or an issue between them and Emily, Matthew ``could take any situation and bring our family together... He could fix it and make it right.''
Donna Kuglics said she wants the public to always remember her son.
``Thank a soldier, thank a veteran,'' she said. ``Don't forget the fallen heroes.''
The staff sergeant's father said his son told him this before he left for Iraq:
``I am stepping up to do this. I want to fight terrorism. I don't want some young guy my age who is married with children to possibly sacrifice his life.''
His son, the father said, did step up to the plate.
The airman's sister, Emily, who will go to Stark State College in the fall and plans to study special education, said she will not forget her brother's laugh.
``Even now, I still hear him laughing,'' she said.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Kuglics was killed in action on 6/5/07.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Army Sgt. Caleb P. Christopher
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Caleb P. Christopher, 25, of Chandler, Ariz.
Sgt. Christopher was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died June 3 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Funeral held for 25-year-old soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
MESA, Ariz. — Family and friends remembered an Army soldier who was killed in Iraq as a sharp, thoughtful man of few words who was a wiz at Scrabble.
A roadside bomb killed Sgt. Caleb Christopher, 25, on June 3. His memorial service was held June 12 in Gilbert.
“It’s been rough,” said his father, Edward Christopher. “It’ll be a while before all this sinks in.”
His sister-in-law, Jenny Christopher, said Caleb Christopher had been planning to go on vacation in Florida with his fiancee, Rebecca Cadro, who had already packed her bags.
At the service, all Cadro could do is cry as she stared at the casket.
The Rev. Gary Kennedy said Christopher was best known for rallying his fellow soldiers. “ ‘Don’t be scared, don’t think about it, and we’ll get through it,’ he’d tell them,” Kennedy said.
Christopher served in the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, out of Fort Hood, Texas.
He was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Bronze Star and the Global War on Terrorism Service medal.
The family of a Chandler soldier who was killed Sunday in Iraq remembered him Friday as a gentle and intelligent man despite his intimidating stature.
"He was a man of few words with many thoughts and many actions," said Sarah Christopher, sister of Sgt. Caleb P. Christopher, 25.
The family, which had remained quiet since news of his death was released by the Army on Wednesday, spoke outside their rural Chandler home and horse farm.
Rebecca Cadrow, Christopher's fiancée, described him as "catlike" and "cuddly." His last words to her the night before an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle were, "I love you always and forever."
Her fondest memories of their time together were the road trips they took, traveling to states as close as California and as far as Louisiana.
"He loved to relax to music in the car," Cadrow said, wiping away a tear. "He even carried his iPod with him in Iraq."
She said although he liked all genres of music, his favorite song was Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
"He always could convince you he was right," said Edward "E-Jay" Christopher Jr., Caleb's older brother. "He thought things out methodically."
So when the Hamilton High graduate announced his decision to enlist in the Army and then later extend his service, his family and friends did not argue.
"I'm always going to support you in whatever you do," Cadrow told him.
Caleb Christopher served in Afghanistan from 2002 to '03. He deployed to Iraq in 2004 and then again last fall with the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.
He was scheduled to return from his third tour in the Middle East on June 1 but extended his stay so he could go before the promotion board.
He earned numerous awards and decorations during his service: Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism (Service) Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, and Army Reserve Recruiter Badge.
From the Arizona Republic
Army Sgt. Caleb P. Christopher was killed in action on 6/3/07.
Army Sgt. Caleb P. Christopher, 25, of Chandler, Ariz.
Sgt. Christopher was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died June 3 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Funeral held for 25-year-old soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
MESA, Ariz. — Family and friends remembered an Army soldier who was killed in Iraq as a sharp, thoughtful man of few words who was a wiz at Scrabble.
A roadside bomb killed Sgt. Caleb Christopher, 25, on June 3. His memorial service was held June 12 in Gilbert.
“It’s been rough,” said his father, Edward Christopher. “It’ll be a while before all this sinks in.”
His sister-in-law, Jenny Christopher, said Caleb Christopher had been planning to go on vacation in Florida with his fiancee, Rebecca Cadro, who had already packed her bags.
At the service, all Cadro could do is cry as she stared at the casket.
The Rev. Gary Kennedy said Christopher was best known for rallying his fellow soldiers. “ ‘Don’t be scared, don’t think about it, and we’ll get through it,’ he’d tell them,” Kennedy said.
Christopher served in the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, out of Fort Hood, Texas.
He was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Bronze Star and the Global War on Terrorism Service medal.
The family of a Chandler soldier who was killed Sunday in Iraq remembered him Friday as a gentle and intelligent man despite his intimidating stature.
"He was a man of few words with many thoughts and many actions," said Sarah Christopher, sister of Sgt. Caleb P. Christopher, 25.
The family, which had remained quiet since news of his death was released by the Army on Wednesday, spoke outside their rural Chandler home and horse farm.
Rebecca Cadrow, Christopher's fiancée, described him as "catlike" and "cuddly." His last words to her the night before an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle were, "I love you always and forever."
Her fondest memories of their time together were the road trips they took, traveling to states as close as California and as far as Louisiana.
"He loved to relax to music in the car," Cadrow said, wiping away a tear. "He even carried his iPod with him in Iraq."
She said although he liked all genres of music, his favorite song was Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
"He always could convince you he was right," said Edward "E-Jay" Christopher Jr., Caleb's older brother. "He thought things out methodically."
So when the Hamilton High graduate announced his decision to enlist in the Army and then later extend his service, his family and friends did not argue.
"I'm always going to support you in whatever you do," Cadrow told him.
Caleb Christopher served in Afghanistan from 2002 to '03. He deployed to Iraq in 2004 and then again last fall with the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.
He was scheduled to return from his third tour in the Middle East on June 1 but extended his stay so he could go before the promotion board.
He earned numerous awards and decorations during his service: Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism (Service) Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, and Army Reserve Recruiter Badge.
From the Arizona Republic
Army Sgt. Caleb P. Christopher was killed in action on 6/3/07.
Army Pfc. Joshua D. Brown
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Joshua D. Brown, 26, of Tampa, Fla.
Pfc. Brown was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany; died June 3, 2007 of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad. Also killed was Sgt. Shawn E. Dressler.
Florida soldiers killed by improvised bomb in Iraq
The Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. — Two soldiers with ties to Florida have been killed in Iraq, the U.S. Department of Defense said.
Pfc. Joshua D. Brown, 26, died June 3 after his vehicle struck an explosive the day before, the military said.
Brown grew up in Michigan and moved to Tampa a few years before joining the Army in 2005, his father, Wayne Brown, told the St. Petersburg Times for a story published June 6.
Wayne Brown, 53, said his son worked on hardwood floors before enlisting in the Army. About a year ago, after being stationed in Germany, Joshua Brown was deployed to Iraq. He felt he was improving life for people who had lived too long under a dictator, his father said.
“He wanted to help, and that’s why he went over there,” Wayne Brown told the Times.
Joshua Brown, who was recently married, served with the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, in Schweinfurt, Germany.
The department also announced the death of Sgt. Robert A. Surber, 24, of Inverness. Surber was one of four soldiers who died in Iraq on June 3 of wounds suffered when an explosive detonated near their vehicle. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division Stryker Brigade Combat Team, in Fort Lewis, Wash.
Attempts to reach Surber’s family by The Associated Press were not successful.
Also killed from Surber’s unit were Staff Sgt. Greg P. Gagarin, 38, of Los Angeles; Sgt. James C. Akin, 23, of Albuquerque, N.M.; and Sgt. Tyler J. Kritz, 21, of Eagle River, Wis.
Two soldiers with Michigan ties killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
JACKSON, Mich. — A 26-year-old Michigan Army National Guard sergeant who regularly assured his family in e-mail messages that he believed in what he was doing in Iraq has been killed, the family says.
Matthew Soper of Jackson died this week, the military told his family June 6. The circumstances of his death were not immediately available, and the Pentagon had not announced the death early June 7.
“He told me, ‘If I die there, don’t think I didn’t die doing what I love,’ ” his sister, Amy Ciokajlo, 36, told the Jackson Citizen Patriot.
Soper returned from his first Iraq tour in February 2005 and took classes at Kalamazoo Valley Community College until he was called up again in June 2006, his sister said. Soper was to have returned in August.
“He was just counting down the days until he could come home,” said aunt Sandy Cannons of Jackson.
Soper quit Jackson Lumen Christi High School but later earned a high school equivalency degree.
“The military really did turn him around,” Ciokajlo said.
A soldier who grew up in Dearborn Heights also was killed in Iraq when an improvised bomb detonated near his vehicle June 3.
Pfc. Joshua D. Brown, 26, of Tampa, Fla., talked on the phone with his father about a week before his death, the Detroit Free Press said.
“He told me, ‘Don’t worry because God is very faithful.’ That was great to hear him tell me that,” said Wayne Brown of Dearborn Heights. “I was concerned about how he was doing and his spiritual life, and that was reassuring to me.”
Born in Southfield, Brown graduated from Fairlane Christian School in 1998. He played baseball, basketball and soccer, and participated in target shooting and martial arts.
“He was outgoing, very personable,” his father said. “He was a friendly guy, but he was tough too".
Army Pfc. Joshua D. Brown was killed in action on 6/3/07.
Army Pfc. Joshua D. Brown, 26, of Tampa, Fla.
Pfc. Brown was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany; died June 3, 2007 of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad. Also killed was Sgt. Shawn E. Dressler.
Florida soldiers killed by improvised bomb in Iraq
The Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. — Two soldiers with ties to Florida have been killed in Iraq, the U.S. Department of Defense said.
Pfc. Joshua D. Brown, 26, died June 3 after his vehicle struck an explosive the day before, the military said.
Brown grew up in Michigan and moved to Tampa a few years before joining the Army in 2005, his father, Wayne Brown, told the St. Petersburg Times for a story published June 6.
Wayne Brown, 53, said his son worked on hardwood floors before enlisting in the Army. About a year ago, after being stationed in Germany, Joshua Brown was deployed to Iraq. He felt he was improving life for people who had lived too long under a dictator, his father said.
“He wanted to help, and that’s why he went over there,” Wayne Brown told the Times.
Joshua Brown, who was recently married, served with the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, in Schweinfurt, Germany.
The department also announced the death of Sgt. Robert A. Surber, 24, of Inverness. Surber was one of four soldiers who died in Iraq on June 3 of wounds suffered when an explosive detonated near their vehicle. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division Stryker Brigade Combat Team, in Fort Lewis, Wash.
Attempts to reach Surber’s family by The Associated Press were not successful.
Also killed from Surber’s unit were Staff Sgt. Greg P. Gagarin, 38, of Los Angeles; Sgt. James C. Akin, 23, of Albuquerque, N.M.; and Sgt. Tyler J. Kritz, 21, of Eagle River, Wis.
Two soldiers with Michigan ties killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
JACKSON, Mich. — A 26-year-old Michigan Army National Guard sergeant who regularly assured his family in e-mail messages that he believed in what he was doing in Iraq has been killed, the family says.
Matthew Soper of Jackson died this week, the military told his family June 6. The circumstances of his death were not immediately available, and the Pentagon had not announced the death early June 7.
“He told me, ‘If I die there, don’t think I didn’t die doing what I love,’ ” his sister, Amy Ciokajlo, 36, told the Jackson Citizen Patriot.
Soper returned from his first Iraq tour in February 2005 and took classes at Kalamazoo Valley Community College until he was called up again in June 2006, his sister said. Soper was to have returned in August.
“He was just counting down the days until he could come home,” said aunt Sandy Cannons of Jackson.
Soper quit Jackson Lumen Christi High School but later earned a high school equivalency degree.
“The military really did turn him around,” Ciokajlo said.
A soldier who grew up in Dearborn Heights also was killed in Iraq when an improvised bomb detonated near his vehicle June 3.
Pfc. Joshua D. Brown, 26, of Tampa, Fla., talked on the phone with his father about a week before his death, the Detroit Free Press said.
“He told me, ‘Don’t worry because God is very faithful.’ That was great to hear him tell me that,” said Wayne Brown of Dearborn Heights. “I was concerned about how he was doing and his spiritual life, and that was reassuring to me.”
Born in Southfield, Brown graduated from Fairlane Christian School in 1998. He played baseball, basketball and soccer, and participated in target shooting and martial arts.
“He was outgoing, very personable,” his father said. “He was a friendly guy, but he was tough too".
Army Pfc. Joshua D. Brown was killed in action on 6/3/07.
Army Sgt. Kimel L. Watt
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Kimel L. Watt, 21, of Brooklyn, N.Y.
Sgt. Watt was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany; died June 3, 2007 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Family remembers soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
Army Sgt. Kimel L. Watt’s family was full of joy just two days before his death. They learned that he had been accepted into the University of Maine to study computers.
“He just wanted to get a good job and help the family,” said his father, Clifton. “Now, he’s gone, and I don’t know if we can live without him.”
Watt, 21, of New York City, was killed by a roadside bomb June 3 in Baghdad. He was assigned to Schweinfurt, Germany.
His father said he and his wife, Naomi Watt, have two daughters and three other sons, but Kimel was the one closest to his mother.
“He always was saying, ‘Mommy, I love you.’ It’s especially hard for her. She’s in shock.”
After graduating high school, he passed up a scholarship to Johnson and Wales University to join the military. He served at military bases in Korea, Germany and Kuwait.
“We used to hang out, watch TV and play video games. We were real close. When I heard he died, I bugged out. I got down on my knees, crying and punching the floor,” said his younger brother, Dwight.
Added his mother: “He was a very good son. When I see what he did, he made me so proud.”
Army Sgt. Kimel L. Watt was killed in action on 6/3/07.
Army Sgt. Kimel L. Watt, 21, of Brooklyn, N.Y.
Sgt. Watt was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany; died June 3, 2007 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
Family remembers soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
Army Sgt. Kimel L. Watt’s family was full of joy just two days before his death. They learned that he had been accepted into the University of Maine to study computers.
“He just wanted to get a good job and help the family,” said his father, Clifton. “Now, he’s gone, and I don’t know if we can live without him.”
Watt, 21, of New York City, was killed by a roadside bomb June 3 in Baghdad. He was assigned to Schweinfurt, Germany.
His father said he and his wife, Naomi Watt, have two daughters and three other sons, but Kimel was the one closest to his mother.
“He always was saying, ‘Mommy, I love you.’ It’s especially hard for her. She’s in shock.”
After graduating high school, he passed up a scholarship to Johnson and Wales University to join the military. He served at military bases in Korea, Germany and Kuwait.
“We used to hang out, watch TV and play video games. We were real close. When I heard he died, I bugged out. I got down on my knees, crying and punching the floor,” said his younger brother, Dwight.
Added his mother: “He was a very good son. When I see what he did, he made me so proud.”
Army Sgt. Kimel L. Watt was killed in action on 6/3/07.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Army Specialist Keith V. Nepsa
Remember Our Heroes
Army Specialist Keith V. Nepsa, 22, of New Philadelphia, Ohio
Spc. Nepsa was assigned to 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, Texas; died June 2, 2007 of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during operations near Qayyarah, Iraq. Also killed was Army Spc. Jeremiah D. Costello.
Times-Reporter -- Spc. Keith Nepsa enlisted in the Army to achieve his dream – a career in computers – and he wanted to pay for it on his own.
After serving in Iraq for three years right out of high school, the 21-year-old from New Philadelphia re-enlisted to make more money.
His three lifelong friends, Curtis Haught, 20, Casey Webber, 19, and Brandon Clow, 20, all of New Philadelphia, had their doubts about their buddy going to Iraq.
“He promised me he would be OK, so I left it at that,” Haught said Tuesday.
After hearing about Nepsa’s death Saturday as the result of an improvised explosive device, the three want to fulfill another dream of their friend – restoring the 1985 Camaro that Nepsa worked on before he went to Iraq but never finished. Nepsa and his friends often would spend time working on it.
“He tried to get this car together before he went (to Iraq),” said Webber. “He wanted to drive it down the road before he left so we’re going to get it ready and drive it down the road for him.”
“Hopefully, he’ll be there to help us,” said Haught.
The friends are looking for donations to help fix up Nepsa’s Camaro. Those wanting to help can contact Linn-Hert-Geib Funeral Home in New Philadelphia where Nepsa’s funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by the end of the week.
In honor of Nepsa, Haught got a tattoo on his forearm Monday. It’s a black cross that reads “RIP Keith” with Nepsa’s birthdate, Sept. 2, 1985, and the date of his death, June 2, 2007.
The three spoke candidly about Nepsa – a 6-foot-1, 140-pound “skinny kid” who was known for changing his hair – at one point dying it blue and another time putting braids in it. The three reminisced about their good friend while looking through old middle school and high school yearbooks.
Webber said Nepsa had tons of energy, so much so that he could barely sit still to watch a movie. Clow said his favorite memory of Nepsa was the time he watched him eat so much raw cookie dough that it made him sick.
Haught said Nepsa was like a brother to him. The two met when they were 8 years old and Haught’s mom gave Nepsa a ride to their house after a rainy baseball game.
“And he never left,” said Haught.
Clow said he remembers when Nepsa got in trouble at school for dying his hair blue. Clow said that instance just represented the kind of person Nepsa was – fun to be around and outgoing.
“The one thing I’m going to miss about him is his laugh,” said Webber. “He could be in a crowd of 1,000 people, and you could tell him apart by his laugh.”
Webber said for now, he’ll carry a photo of Nepsa in his wallet.
“My biggest fear was that he wasn’t going to come home,” said Webber. “I prayed every day that he would come home safely.”
The Department of Defense officially identified Nepsa as a casualty Tuesday. According to a press release, Nepsa and Spc. Jeremiah D. Costello, 22, of Carlinville, Ill., died Saturday near Qayyarah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an IED detonated near their vehicle. The two were assigned to the 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Bliss, Texas.
According to a family spokesperson, Costello and Nepsa were close friends.
Army Specialist Keith V. Nepsa was killed in action on 6/2/07.
Army Specialist Keith V. Nepsa, 22, of New Philadelphia, Ohio
Spc. Nepsa was assigned to 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, Texas; died June 2, 2007 of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during operations near Qayyarah, Iraq. Also killed was Army Spc. Jeremiah D. Costello.
Times-Reporter -- Spc. Keith Nepsa enlisted in the Army to achieve his dream – a career in computers – and he wanted to pay for it on his own.
After serving in Iraq for three years right out of high school, the 21-year-old from New Philadelphia re-enlisted to make more money.
His three lifelong friends, Curtis Haught, 20, Casey Webber, 19, and Brandon Clow, 20, all of New Philadelphia, had their doubts about their buddy going to Iraq.
“He promised me he would be OK, so I left it at that,” Haught said Tuesday.
After hearing about Nepsa’s death Saturday as the result of an improvised explosive device, the three want to fulfill another dream of their friend – restoring the 1985 Camaro that Nepsa worked on before he went to Iraq but never finished. Nepsa and his friends often would spend time working on it.
“He tried to get this car together before he went (to Iraq),” said Webber. “He wanted to drive it down the road before he left so we’re going to get it ready and drive it down the road for him.”
“Hopefully, he’ll be there to help us,” said Haught.
The friends are looking for donations to help fix up Nepsa’s Camaro. Those wanting to help can contact Linn-Hert-Geib Funeral Home in New Philadelphia where Nepsa’s funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by the end of the week.
In honor of Nepsa, Haught got a tattoo on his forearm Monday. It’s a black cross that reads “RIP Keith” with Nepsa’s birthdate, Sept. 2, 1985, and the date of his death, June 2, 2007.
The three spoke candidly about Nepsa – a 6-foot-1, 140-pound “skinny kid” who was known for changing his hair – at one point dying it blue and another time putting braids in it. The three reminisced about their good friend while looking through old middle school and high school yearbooks.
Webber said Nepsa had tons of energy, so much so that he could barely sit still to watch a movie. Clow said his favorite memory of Nepsa was the time he watched him eat so much raw cookie dough that it made him sick.
Haught said Nepsa was like a brother to him. The two met when they were 8 years old and Haught’s mom gave Nepsa a ride to their house after a rainy baseball game.
“And he never left,” said Haught.
Clow said he remembers when Nepsa got in trouble at school for dying his hair blue. Clow said that instance just represented the kind of person Nepsa was – fun to be around and outgoing.
“The one thing I’m going to miss about him is his laugh,” said Webber. “He could be in a crowd of 1,000 people, and you could tell him apart by his laugh.”
Webber said for now, he’ll carry a photo of Nepsa in his wallet.
“My biggest fear was that he wasn’t going to come home,” said Webber. “I prayed every day that he would come home safely.”
The Department of Defense officially identified Nepsa as a casualty Tuesday. According to a press release, Nepsa and Spc. Jeremiah D. Costello, 22, of Carlinville, Ill., died Saturday near Qayyarah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an IED detonated near their vehicle. The two were assigned to the 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Bliss, Texas.
According to a family spokesperson, Costello and Nepsa were close friends.
Army Specialist Keith V. Nepsa was killed in action on 6/2/07.
Army Specialist Jeremiah D. Costello
Remember Our Heroes
Army Specialist Jeremiah D. Costello, 22, of Carlinville, Ill.
Spc. Costello was assigned to 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, Texas; died June 2, 2007 of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during operations near Qayyarah, Iraq. Also killed was Spc. Keith V. Nepsa.
State Journal-Register -- CARLINVILLE -
When Elayne Willis first saw Jeremiah "Jeremy" David Costello walk into her classroom at Greenfield High School in Greene County, she immediately noticed his distinctive hair.
"He was my first student to have colored hair. It was either green or blue all the time," the sophomore English teacher recalled Monday afternoon. "I thought, 'Oh, my!'"
She said she soon realized the kind heart that lay beneath the seemingly outlandish appearance.
"He was the nicest boy, and he always had a smile," she said.
Costello attended the high school for at least two years, eventually lost the brightly colored hair and went on to join the Army. The 22-year-old Carlinville native was deployed to Iraq last fall and lost his life there over the weekend.
The Department of Defense has not yet released the circumstances of his death.
The Alton Telegraph reported Monday that Costello was an Army truck driver and died Saturday when a roadside bomb exploded.
He left behind a 4-year-old daughter, Lillian Costello, who lives in Alton, the newspaper reported.
"He loved his daughter more than anything. She was the light of his life," Costello's mother, Debra Costello, who lives in Bunker Hill, told the Telegraph.
She said her son had moved to Bunker Hill with her recently.
Willis said she and many others in Greenfield, a small community about 65 miles southwest of Springfield, learned of his death Sunday after it was announced at a church service.
She recalled Costello's relationship with his daughter, who she said looked just like him.
Willis described Costello as a "special boy" who was always polite in class. "He was just a good friend to everybody. He had a smile for everybody," she said.
"His father passed away the year before I met him. He was so dedicated to his father and his memory. He was very close to his family. He would just always talk about his dad, and do things for his dad and mom."
Newspaper archives indicate that Costello's father, Larry, died in January 1999.
Costello grew up in Carlinville, but he made many friends at Greenfield High, a tight-knit school of about 150 students, teachers and staff say.
Dan Bowman, a longtime football coach and dean at the school, called Costello "a very likable young man."
"I remember talking to him a lot of times. (He was) just kind of quiet. A very solid student," Bowman said.
Evelyn Wellenkamp said she was Costello's guidance counselor and described him as a mild-mannered, pleasant young man.
She could not recall Costello expressing military aspirations in high school but said it's not unusual for Greenfield students to join the armed forces.
"Many of our students do look to the military to either further their education or continue one with some type of career," Wellenkamp said.
Though Willis is proud of Costello's choice to join the Army, she said it's difficult losing a former student.
"It's the first one we've lost, so it's pretty tough," she said. "I'm just real proud of him. I wish I could have told him that."
Costello will be buried at Mayfield Park Cemetery in Carlinville, said Brent Davis, who is handling the funeral arrangements at Davis-Anderson Funeral Home. Details were pending.
Army Specialist Jeremiah D. Costello was killed in action on 6/2/07.
Army Specialist Jeremiah D. Costello, 22, of Carlinville, Ill.
Spc. Costello was assigned to 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, Texas; died June 2, 2007 of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during operations near Qayyarah, Iraq. Also killed was Spc. Keith V. Nepsa.
State Journal-Register -- CARLINVILLE -
When Elayne Willis first saw Jeremiah "Jeremy" David Costello walk into her classroom at Greenfield High School in Greene County, she immediately noticed his distinctive hair.
"He was my first student to have colored hair. It was either green or blue all the time," the sophomore English teacher recalled Monday afternoon. "I thought, 'Oh, my!'"
She said she soon realized the kind heart that lay beneath the seemingly outlandish appearance.
"He was the nicest boy, and he always had a smile," she said.
Costello attended the high school for at least two years, eventually lost the brightly colored hair and went on to join the Army. The 22-year-old Carlinville native was deployed to Iraq last fall and lost his life there over the weekend.
The Department of Defense has not yet released the circumstances of his death.
The Alton Telegraph reported Monday that Costello was an Army truck driver and died Saturday when a roadside bomb exploded.
He left behind a 4-year-old daughter, Lillian Costello, who lives in Alton, the newspaper reported.
"He loved his daughter more than anything. She was the light of his life," Costello's mother, Debra Costello, who lives in Bunker Hill, told the Telegraph.
She said her son had moved to Bunker Hill with her recently.
Willis said she and many others in Greenfield, a small community about 65 miles southwest of Springfield, learned of his death Sunday after it was announced at a church service.
She recalled Costello's relationship with his daughter, who she said looked just like him.
Willis described Costello as a "special boy" who was always polite in class. "He was just a good friend to everybody. He had a smile for everybody," she said.
"His father passed away the year before I met him. He was so dedicated to his father and his memory. He was very close to his family. He would just always talk about his dad, and do things for his dad and mom."
Newspaper archives indicate that Costello's father, Larry, died in January 1999.
Costello grew up in Carlinville, but he made many friends at Greenfield High, a tight-knit school of about 150 students, teachers and staff say.
Dan Bowman, a longtime football coach and dean at the school, called Costello "a very likable young man."
"I remember talking to him a lot of times. (He was) just kind of quiet. A very solid student," Bowman said.
Evelyn Wellenkamp said she was Costello's guidance counselor and described him as a mild-mannered, pleasant young man.
She could not recall Costello expressing military aspirations in high school but said it's not unusual for Greenfield students to join the armed forces.
"Many of our students do look to the military to either further their education or continue one with some type of career," Wellenkamp said.
Though Willis is proud of Costello's choice to join the Army, she said it's difficult losing a former student.
"It's the first one we've lost, so it's pretty tough," she said. "I'm just real proud of him. I wish I could have told him that."
Costello will be buried at Mayfield Park Cemetery in Carlinville, said Brent Davis, who is handling the funeral arrangements at Davis-Anderson Funeral Home. Details were pending.
Army Specialist Jeremiah D. Costello was killed in action on 6/2/07.
Army Specialist Jacob M. Lowell
Remember Our Heroes
Army Specialist Jacob M. Lowell, 22, of New Lenox, Ill.
Spc. Lowell was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Air Assault), 173rd Airborne Brigade, Camp Ederle, Italy; died June 2, 2007 near Gowardesh, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using a rocket propelled grenade and small arms fire.
South suburban Chicago soldier dies in Afghanistan
By The Associated Press
CHICAGO — A 22-year-old south suburban soldier has been killed in Afghanistan, his family said.
Army Pfc. Jacob Michael Lowell, of New Lenox, died Saturday, his family said in a statement issued Monday by Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn’s office.
Lowell had been assigned to the 173rd Airborne in Vicenza, Italy. His family said he was serving his first overseas tour and had been in Afghanistan for two weeks.
Lowell was a 2003 graduate of Lincoln-Way Central High School in New Lenox where he played football.
His family said he enlisted in the Army in October 2005 because he wanted to serve his country.
“He was a great son. We are very proud of him,” his father, Raymond Lowell, said in a statement. “He did what he wanted to. He gave 100 percent to anything he did.”
Funeral arrangements were pending, his family said.
There's a photo of him at a high school football game on an autumn night just a few years ago. Wearing No. 54 for Lincoln-Way Central, he's flanked by his parents. His father, a plumber by trade, sports a Lincoln-Way jacket. His mother is clutching a flower and smiling from ear to ear. It's a night when the problems of the world must have seemed distant -- if thought of at all -- to those at that game.
Now, in the spring of 2007, the problems of the world have visited the home of the family of that player who wore No. 54. Jacob Lowell was trying to do something about those problems. About 18 months ago, he enlisted in the Army. "He just heard the call to serve his country," a friend said.
And for his country last week, Army Pfc. Jacob Lowell, of New Lenox, gave the ultimate sacrifice. During his first patrol on his first tour in Afghanistan with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, Lowell was working as a gunner when his Humvee was ambushed. He was shot in the leg, but that didn't stop him from firing his weapon in an attempt to protect the rest of his unit, his family said. But an enemy bullet struck him in the chest and killed him. He was 22.
A life with so much promise ended that quickly. But the way it ended -- as indelibly tragic as it was -- showed Jacob Lowell as everyone knew him: a brave young man doing his utmost to help others. A hero.
That's how he was remembered when the awful news spread through the Lincoln-Way community earlier this week.
"Jake had your back," a high school teammate remembered.
"Jake saved a lot of lives," his aunt said about the final moments of his life. "He was always one to think of everyone else first instead of himself."
And it was obvious he also thought quite a bit about his country. The eagle-and-flag tattoo he received while still in high school was proof of that -- as, of course, was his enlistment. And when he had a job to do, acquaintances said, he gave his best.
"Once he had his heart set on doing something, his work ethic and leadership skills kicked in," Lincoln-Way Central athletic director Ted Robbins said. "He gave 100 percent all the time."
Those words of tribute also speak volumes about Bernadine and Raymond Lowell, who instilled those noble traits in their son. Our community mourns with them, and with Jake's two older siblings, Jennifer and Joe, and with other relatives and friends.
In his memory, we should take a lesson from the way Jake lived his life and try to solve the many problems of the world. We should always give 100 percent. We should always care about people. And we should provide help when it's needed, no matter what it takes.
Army Specialist Jacob M. Lowell was killed in action on 6/2/07.
Army Specialist Jacob M. Lowell, 22, of New Lenox, Ill.
Spc. Lowell was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Air Assault), 173rd Airborne Brigade, Camp Ederle, Italy; died June 2, 2007 near Gowardesh, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using a rocket propelled grenade and small arms fire.
South suburban Chicago soldier dies in Afghanistan
By The Associated Press
CHICAGO — A 22-year-old south suburban soldier has been killed in Afghanistan, his family said.
Army Pfc. Jacob Michael Lowell, of New Lenox, died Saturday, his family said in a statement issued Monday by Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn’s office.
Lowell had been assigned to the 173rd Airborne in Vicenza, Italy. His family said he was serving his first overseas tour and had been in Afghanistan for two weeks.
Lowell was a 2003 graduate of Lincoln-Way Central High School in New Lenox where he played football.
His family said he enlisted in the Army in October 2005 because he wanted to serve his country.
“He was a great son. We are very proud of him,” his father, Raymond Lowell, said in a statement. “He did what he wanted to. He gave 100 percent to anything he did.”
Funeral arrangements were pending, his family said.
There's a photo of him at a high school football game on an autumn night just a few years ago. Wearing No. 54 for Lincoln-Way Central, he's flanked by his parents. His father, a plumber by trade, sports a Lincoln-Way jacket. His mother is clutching a flower and smiling from ear to ear. It's a night when the problems of the world must have seemed distant -- if thought of at all -- to those at that game.
Now, in the spring of 2007, the problems of the world have visited the home of the family of that player who wore No. 54. Jacob Lowell was trying to do something about those problems. About 18 months ago, he enlisted in the Army. "He just heard the call to serve his country," a friend said.
And for his country last week, Army Pfc. Jacob Lowell, of New Lenox, gave the ultimate sacrifice. During his first patrol on his first tour in Afghanistan with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, Lowell was working as a gunner when his Humvee was ambushed. He was shot in the leg, but that didn't stop him from firing his weapon in an attempt to protect the rest of his unit, his family said. But an enemy bullet struck him in the chest and killed him. He was 22.
A life with so much promise ended that quickly. But the way it ended -- as indelibly tragic as it was -- showed Jacob Lowell as everyone knew him: a brave young man doing his utmost to help others. A hero.
That's how he was remembered when the awful news spread through the Lincoln-Way community earlier this week.
"Jake had your back," a high school teammate remembered.
"Jake saved a lot of lives," his aunt said about the final moments of his life. "He was always one to think of everyone else first instead of himself."
And it was obvious he also thought quite a bit about his country. The eagle-and-flag tattoo he received while still in high school was proof of that -- as, of course, was his enlistment. And when he had a job to do, acquaintances said, he gave his best.
"Once he had his heart set on doing something, his work ethic and leadership skills kicked in," Lincoln-Way Central athletic director Ted Robbins said. "He gave 100 percent all the time."
Those words of tribute also speak volumes about Bernadine and Raymond Lowell, who instilled those noble traits in their son. Our community mourns with them, and with Jake's two older siblings, Jennifer and Joe, and with other relatives and friends.
In his memory, we should take a lesson from the way Jake lived his life and try to solve the many problems of the world. We should always give 100 percent. We should always care about people. And we should provide help when it's needed, no matter what it takes.
Army Specialist Jacob M. Lowell was killed in action on 6/2/07.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Army Sgt. Bruce E. Horner
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Bruce E. Horner, 43, or Newport News, Va.
Sgt. Horner was assigned to the 127th Military Police Company, 709th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade, 21st Theater Support Command, Fliegerhorst, Germany; died June 1, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small-arms fire.
Loved ones say their final goodbyes to Army Sgt. Bruce Horner.
BY STEPHANIE HEINATZ
NEWPORT NEWS -- When Doug Horner learned that his brother had been killed in Iraq, he couldn't get the image of an enemy rifleman out of his mind.
Army Sgt. Bruce Horner - a 43-year-old, 18-year military veteran from Newport News - was killed June 1 by a sniper in Baghdad.
"If the man behind the rifle had known Bruce, if Bruce could have met him, he might have put the rifle down," Doug said at Sgt. Horner's funeral Thursday at Olivet Christian Church, where he and his wife worshipped for years.
His personality was larger than life, said David Willis, Sgt. Horner's pastor and long-time friend.
"If you didn't have a friend, you just needed to meet Bruce."
Because of that love for life, the 200 mourners gathered Thursday used the service as a time to celebrate his legacy.
"That's the way he would have wanted it," Willis added. "There is a time to weep and a time to laugh. There is a time to grieve and a time to dance."
And according to the many stories friends shared at the service, for Sgt. Horner there was always a time to eat.
"The boy loved to eat," one of his oldest friends told the crowd.
In ranking the list of things he loved, a good buffet fell somewhere between his marriage and his friends, Sgt. Horner's widow, Erin, said.
Sgt. Horner was equally dedicated to his convictions, a love for the Lord and going to the gym.
Sure, he was always in good shape.
But when friends ran into him at the gym they'd typically find him "standing around talking" in his tank top and weight belt. The crowd erupted in knowing laughter at that particular memory.
Sgt. Horner was one of the greatest church recruiters, Willis said. New people would often come to Sunday services at Olivet, saying they'd been invited by Sgt. Horner when they met him at the gym.
"Bruce never met a stranger," one person said. And he rarely let music play without singing or dancing along.
"I know he danced through those pearly gates and now heaven will never be the same."
He's left big shoes to fill, one friend said. "Did you ever see the size of his feet?" he added with a laugh, thinking of his 6-foot-4 friend.
An Air Force buddy told the congregation that Sgt. Horner also loved to foster their healthy Army versus Air Force rivalry.
Sgt. Horner joked that in Army basic training, new soldiers were issued combat boots. New airmen, he would say, are issued combat slippers.
He teased out of love for the Army. His military service was something he was proud of.
He was so committed to it, in fact, that he spent part of his two-week vacation from the war zone visiting wounded soldiers.
Partly because of that dedication, Erin Horner made sure that Sgt. Horner's burial service was filled with every military honor he was entitled to.
Unlike at the church, where laughter stood in the place of tears, the graveside ceremony at Peninsula Memorial Park in Newport News was somber.
Soldiers from a Fort Eustis honor guard greeted Sgt. Horner's casket with sharp, steady salutes.
The crowd put their hands over their hearts when soldiers lifted the American flag covering Sgt. Horner's casket.
Loved ones wept openly while a lone bugler played taps, then grew quiet as they watched an Army general kneel down before Erin.
On behalf of a grateful nation, he presented her with the folded flag.
Erin accepted the flag with a soft "thank you." She was grateful, too, for having been part of Sgt. Horner's life.
Army Sgt. Bruce E. Horner was killed in action on 6/1/07.
Army Sgt. Bruce E. Horner, 43, or Newport News, Va.
Sgt. Horner was assigned to the 127th Military Police Company, 709th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade, 21st Theater Support Command, Fliegerhorst, Germany; died June 1, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small-arms fire.
Loved ones say their final goodbyes to Army Sgt. Bruce Horner.
BY STEPHANIE HEINATZ
NEWPORT NEWS -- When Doug Horner learned that his brother had been killed in Iraq, he couldn't get the image of an enemy rifleman out of his mind.
Army Sgt. Bruce Horner - a 43-year-old, 18-year military veteran from Newport News - was killed June 1 by a sniper in Baghdad.
"If the man behind the rifle had known Bruce, if Bruce could have met him, he might have put the rifle down," Doug said at Sgt. Horner's funeral Thursday at Olivet Christian Church, where he and his wife worshipped for years.
His personality was larger than life, said David Willis, Sgt. Horner's pastor and long-time friend.
"If you didn't have a friend, you just needed to meet Bruce."
Because of that love for life, the 200 mourners gathered Thursday used the service as a time to celebrate his legacy.
"That's the way he would have wanted it," Willis added. "There is a time to weep and a time to laugh. There is a time to grieve and a time to dance."
And according to the many stories friends shared at the service, for Sgt. Horner there was always a time to eat.
"The boy loved to eat," one of his oldest friends told the crowd.
In ranking the list of things he loved, a good buffet fell somewhere between his marriage and his friends, Sgt. Horner's widow, Erin, said.
Sgt. Horner was equally dedicated to his convictions, a love for the Lord and going to the gym.
Sure, he was always in good shape.
But when friends ran into him at the gym they'd typically find him "standing around talking" in his tank top and weight belt. The crowd erupted in knowing laughter at that particular memory.
Sgt. Horner was one of the greatest church recruiters, Willis said. New people would often come to Sunday services at Olivet, saying they'd been invited by Sgt. Horner when they met him at the gym.
"Bruce never met a stranger," one person said. And he rarely let music play without singing or dancing along.
"I know he danced through those pearly gates and now heaven will never be the same."
He's left big shoes to fill, one friend said. "Did you ever see the size of his feet?" he added with a laugh, thinking of his 6-foot-4 friend.
An Air Force buddy told the congregation that Sgt. Horner also loved to foster their healthy Army versus Air Force rivalry.
Sgt. Horner joked that in Army basic training, new soldiers were issued combat boots. New airmen, he would say, are issued combat slippers.
He teased out of love for the Army. His military service was something he was proud of.
He was so committed to it, in fact, that he spent part of his two-week vacation from the war zone visiting wounded soldiers.
Partly because of that dedication, Erin Horner made sure that Sgt. Horner's burial service was filled with every military honor he was entitled to.
Unlike at the church, where laughter stood in the place of tears, the graveside ceremony at Peninsula Memorial Park in Newport News was somber.
Soldiers from a Fort Eustis honor guard greeted Sgt. Horner's casket with sharp, steady salutes.
The crowd put their hands over their hearts when soldiers lifted the American flag covering Sgt. Horner's casket.
Loved ones wept openly while a lone bugler played taps, then grew quiet as they watched an Army general kneel down before Erin.
On behalf of a grateful nation, he presented her with the folded flag.
Erin accepted the flag with a soft "thank you." She was grateful, too, for having been part of Sgt. Horner's life.
Army Sgt. Bruce E. Horner was killed in action on 6/1/07.
Marine Lt. Col. Michael A. Robinson
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lt. Col. Michael A. Robinson, 42, of Sylacauga, Ala.
Lt Col Robinson was assigned to Mobilization Command, Deployment Processing Command, Marine Corps Installations East, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died June 1, 2007 in Kabul, Afghanistan. His death is under investigation.
Marine lt. col. dies in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
David Simpkins said he and Marine Lt. Col. Michael A. Robinson were good buddies in school. He said his classmates nicknamed Robinson “Chuckwagon” in about the seventh grade.
“I can’t recall how he got the name. He was a real cut-up and I’m sure that had something to do with it,” Simpkins said.
Robinson, 42, of Sylacauga, Ala., was found dead in his sleep June 1 in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Robinson graduated from high school in 1983 and earned an ROTC scholarship to Auburn University, where he obtained a bachelor’s in industrial engineering.
Following tours in Japan and Panama, Robinson served as an artillery instructor at Fort Sill, Okla. He also was based at Fort Worth, Texas, and served a tour of Iraq, where he was responsible for training the Iraqi National Army.
Harold Brooks, director of the Boys Club of Sylacauga, said Robinson attended the club as a young boy and until he graduated from high school.
“He would do whatever I told him to do. He supervised the younger boys when I asked him to. I never had any reservations about putting him in charge,” Brooks said.
He is survived by his wife, Kristi.
Marine Lt. Col. Michael A. Robinson was killed in action on 6/1/07.
Marine Lt. Col. Michael A. Robinson, 42, of Sylacauga, Ala.
Lt Col Robinson was assigned to Mobilization Command, Deployment Processing Command, Marine Corps Installations East, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died June 1, 2007 in Kabul, Afghanistan. His death is under investigation.
Marine lt. col. dies in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
David Simpkins said he and Marine Lt. Col. Michael A. Robinson were good buddies in school. He said his classmates nicknamed Robinson “Chuckwagon” in about the seventh grade.
“I can’t recall how he got the name. He was a real cut-up and I’m sure that had something to do with it,” Simpkins said.
Robinson, 42, of Sylacauga, Ala., was found dead in his sleep June 1 in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Robinson graduated from high school in 1983 and earned an ROTC scholarship to Auburn University, where he obtained a bachelor’s in industrial engineering.
Following tours in Japan and Panama, Robinson served as an artillery instructor at Fort Sill, Okla. He also was based at Fort Worth, Texas, and served a tour of Iraq, where he was responsible for training the Iraqi National Army.
Harold Brooks, director of the Boys Club of Sylacauga, said Robinson attended the club as a young boy and until he graduated from high school.
“He would do whatever I told him to do. He supervised the younger boys when I asked him to. I never had any reservations about putting him in charge,” Brooks said.
He is survived by his wife, Kristi.
Marine Lt. Col. Michael A. Robinson was killed in action on 6/1/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Juan F. Campos
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Juan F. Campos, 27, of McAllen, Texas
SSgt. Campos was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany; died June 1, 2007 at Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, of wounds sustained when his unit was attacked by insurgents using improvised explosive devices and rocket propelled grenades May 14 in Baghdad.
The Monitor -- Army Staff Sgt. Juan Campos’ last battle is over.
The 27-year-old from McAllen died Friday, his family said, more than two weeks after he was injured while on patrol in Iraq.
Campos was badly burned during a roadside bomb attack and transported back to Texas May 16 in critical condition alongside another Rio Grande Valley soldier, his friend Omar Avila of Brownsville.
For a while, Campos and Avila had adjoining hospital rooms.
Officials at San Antonio’s Brooke Army Medical Center, where Campos was being treated, would not confirm his death or say what caused it. Neither would the Pentagon.
Campos’ widow, Jamie Drury-Campos, confirmed his death but said she did not feel ready to talk.
Last month, she described Campos as "this one guy who always does everything right." He was quiet and loving, she said — and an amazing dancer.
He also leaves behind his 8-year-old son, Andre.
Funeral arrangements were not immediately available Friday.
Campos had recently spent several weeks on leave from his second tour in Iraq, spending the downtime in the Valley with his family.
The May 13 attack came just two weeks after he returned to the "Blue Spaders" of the 1st Infantry Division, 2nd Brigade, 1-26 Infantry Regiment.
In that attack, near Baghdad, a vehicle carrying Campos and Avila hit an improvised explosive device, or IED, which has been one of the deadliest weapons used against U.S. forces in Iraq.
In San Antonio, Campos was given a 50-50 chance of survival.
"This is our life," Drury-Campos told The Monitor last month, referring to the uncertainty surrounding her husband’s condition. "It’s like we’re losing our life as he’s slipping away."
Campos received burns to about 80 percent of his body, his wife said in an interview last month.
The McAllen High School graduate’s kidneys were also damaged, and he had needed a respirator to breathe.
Avila, who broke both his legs and was also badly burned, is expected to survive, said his brother, Cesar Avila.
"Thank God, he’s getting better," said Cesar, who’s been by his brother’s side in San Antonio. "He’s been talking to us."
Avila, 21, had his third surgery Friday and is expected to need six or seven more before he leaves the hospital.
"He’s going to be here for a while," said Cesar. "Another couple of months."
Army Staff Sgt. Juan F. Campos died 06/01/07 from wounds received in action on 5/14/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Juan F. Campos, 27, of McAllen, Texas
SSgt. Campos was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany; died June 1, 2007 at Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, of wounds sustained when his unit was attacked by insurgents using improvised explosive devices and rocket propelled grenades May 14 in Baghdad.
The Monitor -- Army Staff Sgt. Juan Campos’ last battle is over.
The 27-year-old from McAllen died Friday, his family said, more than two weeks after he was injured while on patrol in Iraq.
Campos was badly burned during a roadside bomb attack and transported back to Texas May 16 in critical condition alongside another Rio Grande Valley soldier, his friend Omar Avila of Brownsville.
For a while, Campos and Avila had adjoining hospital rooms.
Officials at San Antonio’s Brooke Army Medical Center, where Campos was being treated, would not confirm his death or say what caused it. Neither would the Pentagon.
Campos’ widow, Jamie Drury-Campos, confirmed his death but said she did not feel ready to talk.
Last month, she described Campos as "this one guy who always does everything right." He was quiet and loving, she said — and an amazing dancer.
He also leaves behind his 8-year-old son, Andre.
Funeral arrangements were not immediately available Friday.
Campos had recently spent several weeks on leave from his second tour in Iraq, spending the downtime in the Valley with his family.
The May 13 attack came just two weeks after he returned to the "Blue Spaders" of the 1st Infantry Division, 2nd Brigade, 1-26 Infantry Regiment.
In that attack, near Baghdad, a vehicle carrying Campos and Avila hit an improvised explosive device, or IED, which has been one of the deadliest weapons used against U.S. forces in Iraq.
In San Antonio, Campos was given a 50-50 chance of survival.
"This is our life," Drury-Campos told The Monitor last month, referring to the uncertainty surrounding her husband’s condition. "It’s like we’re losing our life as he’s slipping away."
Campos received burns to about 80 percent of his body, his wife said in an interview last month.
The McAllen High School graduate’s kidneys were also damaged, and he had needed a respirator to breathe.
Avila, who broke both his legs and was also badly burned, is expected to survive, said his brother, Cesar Avila.
"Thank God, he’s getting better," said Cesar, who’s been by his brother’s side in San Antonio. "He’s been talking to us."
Avila, 21, had his third surgery Friday and is expected to need six or seven more before he leaves the hospital.
"He’s going to be here for a while," said Cesar. "Another couple of months."
Army Staff Sgt. Juan F. Campos died 06/01/07 from wounds received in action on 5/14/07.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Army Pfc. Joshua M. Moore
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Joshua M. Moore, 20, of Russellville, Ky.
Pfc. Moore was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany; died May 30, 2007, in Baghdad of wounds sustained when the vehicle he was in struck an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. Bacilio E. Cuellar and Spc. James E. Lundin.
Kentuckian says his son was killed in Iraq
By BRUCE SCHREINER
Associated Press Writer
LOUISVILLE, Ky. --Pfc. Joshua Moore had seen lots of death in Iraq - from suicide bombings aimed at civilians to roadside explosions that killed Army buddies.
Having witnessed the precariousness of life, the 20-year-old Moore - known as a happy-go-lucky kid in his southern Kentucky hometown - planned his own funeral just in case.
On Friday, his family was preparing to carry out those last wishes.
Moore was killed this week in the Baghdad area when an explosive device hit the Humvee he rode in with several other soldiers, according to his father, Jeff Moore. His death came in one of the deadliest months of the war for U.S. troops, with at least 122 casualties.
The Pentagon had not yet confirmed his death.
In his native Logan County, Moore was remembered for his outgoing, fun-loving nature, his faith and his easy way with schoolchildren who had corresponded with him.
"He could light up your world. He was just special," said Jane Wells, Moore's seventh and eighth grade science teacher, who kept in contact with him through the years.
Moore returned home on leave a few weeks ago, taking time to visit Lewisburg School to meet students who were his pen pals.
"They felt sort of like he was their hero," said Barrett Nelson, the school's principal.
Moore's stint in Iraq added a serious side to his personality, Wells said. "He said, 'I've seen more death than I ever thought I would see in my life,'" Wells recalled him saying.
Moore told his former teacher he had taken out extra life insurance to help care for his sister's children. He also prepared a DVD with funeral instructions if the worst happened.
He picked out the music and asked that another Logan County soldier who enlisted when he did be among the soldiers firing the gun salute at his graveside, Jeff Moore said.
The young soldier talked openly about the dangers in Iraq - the roadside bombs and snipers. "He talked that it could happen," his father said.
A week before returning home on leave, Moore was in another military vehicle that struck an explosive device, his father said. He had suffered ear problems from that blast.
During his visit home, he was asked by friends about American involvement in Iraq and whether he wished he'd chosen another profession, his father said. Joshua Moore always replied he had no regrets about joining the Army and believed in the U.S. mission.
"He honestly felt like they were doing good," his father said.
Moore grew up in rural Logan County, a few miles from Russellville and Lewisburg.
During his short time at home, Joshua Moore also bought a 2005 GMC pickup truck and spent lots of time customizing it.
"That was his pride and joy," said his father, who was building a garage for the truck.
His son enlisted in the Army shortly after graduating from Logan County High School in 2005. He worked briefly at a Bowling Green factory before joining the military. His long-term goal was to become a Kentucky State Police trooper, his father said.
Joshua Moore was stationed in Germany until deploying to Iraq about a year ago.
Wells said Moore's tour of duty in Iraq was originally supposed to be over when he returned home on leave recently. But his stint was extended a few more months, resulting in his return to Iraq, she said.
Wells remembered the boy who had given her a necklace when he graduated from the eighth grade and who rode a stick horse around the school gym at a mock Kentucky Derby race.
"He was quick. He had so much energy he didn't know what to do with it," she said.
Army Pfc. Joshua M. Moore was killed in action on 5/30/07.
Army Pfc. Joshua M. Moore, 20, of Russellville, Ky.
Pfc. Moore was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany; died May 30, 2007, in Baghdad of wounds sustained when the vehicle he was in struck an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. Bacilio E. Cuellar and Spc. James E. Lundin.
Kentuckian says his son was killed in Iraq
By BRUCE SCHREINER
Associated Press Writer
LOUISVILLE, Ky. --Pfc. Joshua Moore had seen lots of death in Iraq - from suicide bombings aimed at civilians to roadside explosions that killed Army buddies.
Having witnessed the precariousness of life, the 20-year-old Moore - known as a happy-go-lucky kid in his southern Kentucky hometown - planned his own funeral just in case.
On Friday, his family was preparing to carry out those last wishes.
Moore was killed this week in the Baghdad area when an explosive device hit the Humvee he rode in with several other soldiers, according to his father, Jeff Moore. His death came in one of the deadliest months of the war for U.S. troops, with at least 122 casualties.
The Pentagon had not yet confirmed his death.
In his native Logan County, Moore was remembered for his outgoing, fun-loving nature, his faith and his easy way with schoolchildren who had corresponded with him.
"He could light up your world. He was just special," said Jane Wells, Moore's seventh and eighth grade science teacher, who kept in contact with him through the years.
Moore returned home on leave a few weeks ago, taking time to visit Lewisburg School to meet students who were his pen pals.
"They felt sort of like he was their hero," said Barrett Nelson, the school's principal.
Moore's stint in Iraq added a serious side to his personality, Wells said. "He said, 'I've seen more death than I ever thought I would see in my life,'" Wells recalled him saying.
Moore told his former teacher he had taken out extra life insurance to help care for his sister's children. He also prepared a DVD with funeral instructions if the worst happened.
He picked out the music and asked that another Logan County soldier who enlisted when he did be among the soldiers firing the gun salute at his graveside, Jeff Moore said.
The young soldier talked openly about the dangers in Iraq - the roadside bombs and snipers. "He talked that it could happen," his father said.
A week before returning home on leave, Moore was in another military vehicle that struck an explosive device, his father said. He had suffered ear problems from that blast.
During his visit home, he was asked by friends about American involvement in Iraq and whether he wished he'd chosen another profession, his father said. Joshua Moore always replied he had no regrets about joining the Army and believed in the U.S. mission.
"He honestly felt like they were doing good," his father said.
Moore grew up in rural Logan County, a few miles from Russellville and Lewisburg.
During his short time at home, Joshua Moore also bought a 2005 GMC pickup truck and spent lots of time customizing it.
"That was his pride and joy," said his father, who was building a garage for the truck.
His son enlisted in the Army shortly after graduating from Logan County High School in 2005. He worked briefly at a Bowling Green factory before joining the military. His long-term goal was to become a Kentucky State Police trooper, his father said.
Joshua Moore was stationed in Germany until deploying to Iraq about a year ago.
Wells said Moore's tour of duty in Iraq was originally supposed to be over when he returned home on leave recently. But his stint was extended a few more months, resulting in his return to Iraq, she said.
Wells remembered the boy who had given her a necklace when he graduated from the eighth grade and who rode a stick horse around the school gym at a mock Kentucky Derby race.
"He was quick. He had so much energy he didn't know what to do with it," she said.
Army Pfc. Joshua M. Moore was killed in action on 5/30/07.
Army Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway, 25, of Valley, Ala.
Sgt. Hadaway was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 30, 2007 in Upper Sangin Valley, Afghanistan, when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed apparently due to enemy fire. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers, Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell and Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires.
An East Alabama family is mourning the loss of a 25-year-old son, husband and father, who was shot down by the Taliban.
Sergeant Brandon Hadaway, along with six other soldiers, was killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday.
According to family members, the Taliban shot down Hadaway's Chinook helicopter with a rocket propelled grenade. The Hadaway family says no words can express what they are going through. They tell me their tight knit family and prayers from the community is what's holding them up through this awful time.
Hadaway attended Valley High School, then decided to join the military about five and half years ago and was stationed at Fort Bragg. It's a military family, with Hadaway's brother just finishing up basic training at Fort Knox. Hadaway did three tours oversees, first in Afghanistan, then Iraq, then back in Afghanistan. He was the crew chief on the Chinook helicopter, when it was shot down by Taliban fighters, Wednesday.
He leaves behind a young wife and three sons, ages, six, three and a seven month old baby boy. Right now, the family still doesn't know when funeral services will be. We do know they will be held at Fairfax Congregation Holiness church. Johnson Brown Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.
Hadaway was one of five paratroopers killed when their helicopter crashed in Afghanistan last Wednesday, according to information released Monday by the 82nd Airborne Division.
Hadaway, who also served in Iraq in 2005, joined the Army in 2002. He is survived by his wife, Rachel, of Fort Bragg, and leaves behind a stepson and two sons.
Staff Sgt. Ronald E. Walton described him as “a big ol’ teddy bear” and said he was always “joking and having fun with the guys.”
U.S. military officials have said initial reports suggested the CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade, but that enemy fire was one of several possible reasons for the crash in volatile Helmand province, in the southern part of the country. A Briton and a Canadian were killed along with the five Americans.
“Their courage and dedication will never be forgotten, and we will honor them by continuing our commitment to supporting the Afghan people and government while fighting the War on Terror,” Army Col. Kelly Thomas, the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade’s commander, said in a statement.
Army Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway was killed in action on 5/30/07.
Army Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway, 25, of Valley, Ala.
Sgt. Hadaway was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 30, 2007 in Upper Sangin Valley, Afghanistan, when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed apparently due to enemy fire. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers, Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell and Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires.
An East Alabama family is mourning the loss of a 25-year-old son, husband and father, who was shot down by the Taliban.
Sergeant Brandon Hadaway, along with six other soldiers, was killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday.
According to family members, the Taliban shot down Hadaway's Chinook helicopter with a rocket propelled grenade. The Hadaway family says no words can express what they are going through. They tell me their tight knit family and prayers from the community is what's holding them up through this awful time.
Hadaway attended Valley High School, then decided to join the military about five and half years ago and was stationed at Fort Bragg. It's a military family, with Hadaway's brother just finishing up basic training at Fort Knox. Hadaway did three tours oversees, first in Afghanistan, then Iraq, then back in Afghanistan. He was the crew chief on the Chinook helicopter, when it was shot down by Taliban fighters, Wednesday.
He leaves behind a young wife and three sons, ages, six, three and a seven month old baby boy. Right now, the family still doesn't know when funeral services will be. We do know they will be held at Fairfax Congregation Holiness church. Johnson Brown Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.
Hadaway was one of five paratroopers killed when their helicopter crashed in Afghanistan last Wednesday, according to information released Monday by the 82nd Airborne Division.
Hadaway, who also served in Iraq in 2005, joined the Army in 2002. He is survived by his wife, Rachel, of Fort Bragg, and leaves behind a stepson and two sons.
Staff Sgt. Ronald E. Walton described him as “a big ol’ teddy bear” and said he was always “joking and having fun with the guys.”
U.S. military officials have said initial reports suggested the CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade, but that enemy fire was one of several possible reasons for the crash in volatile Helmand province, in the southern part of the country. A Briton and a Canadian were killed along with the five Americans.
“Their courage and dedication will never be forgotten, and we will honor them by continuing our commitment to supporting the Afghan people and government while fighting the War on Terror,” Army Col. Kelly Thomas, the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade’s commander, said in a statement.
Army Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway was killed in action on 5/30/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell, 28, of Lake Toxaway, N.C.
SSgt. Bagwell was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 30, 2007 in Upper Sangin Valley, Afghanistan, when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed apparently due to enemy fire. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers, Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires and Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway.
Rosman High School graduate Charlie Bagwell was one of five 82nd Airborne Division soldiers killed this week when a helicopter went down over southern Afghanistan, his father said Friday.
A chaplain and another officer from Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, the home of the 82nd, came to the family's home about 6 p.m. Thursday to tell them about his son's death, Lane Bagwell said.
"You know the risks when they go. You just think it isn't going to happen to you or yours," his father said. "I knew there was always that possibility."
The Fort Bragg officials told him the CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down Wednesday by a rocket-propelled grenade, Bagwell said.
U.S. military officials have said enemy fire was one possibility, but they were not certain why the helicopter crashed and were still investigating. The Taliban claimed responsibility.
Bagwell, a staff sergeant, was a mechanic and crew chief. He is survived by his parents, including mother, Judith, and sister, Sarah. He had an 8-year-old autistic son, Preston Owen, with a girlfriend, Amanda Galloway, who has since married, his father said.
Classmates voted Bagwell, who was a junior varsity basketball player and varsity football center, most athletic in 1997, his senior year.
Football coach Dan Essenberg remembered a pugnacious player.
"I've coached a lot of kids, but Charlie's one you ain't going to forget," Essenberg said. "He wasn't blessed with tremendous speed, but he was a hard-working kid."
After school, Bagwell worked briefly as a carpenter but already had plans to join the military, said people who knew him.
"He graduated, and he didn't want to go to college, and there wasn't nothing to do around here, no jobs," his father said.
In 2005, Bagwell served in Iraq. He had been in Afghanistan since 2005 and was assigned to Combined Joint Task Force-82, which is built around the 82nd's 4th Brigade Combat Team.
The helicopter went down in southern Afghanistan's Helmand Province, killing the American soldiers and two others on board - a Briton and a Canadian.
Shortly before the crash, the twin-rotor helicopter had dropped off at least 30 paratroopers from the 82nd in an air assault on a Taliban position. The assault came on the first day of a new joint NATO-Afghan operation to force Taliban fighters out of the northern part of the province.
Bagwell last talked to his parents the day after Mother's Day.
He rarely said much when they talked, "but he said he had some stories to tell us when he got back," his father said.
His parents were not aware that a helicopter had gone down or that the 82nd was involved until the Thursday visit.
Army Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell was killed in action on 5/30/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell, 28, of Lake Toxaway, N.C.
SSgt. Bagwell was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 30, 2007 in Upper Sangin Valley, Afghanistan, when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed apparently due to enemy fire. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers, Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires and Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway.
Rosman High School graduate Charlie Bagwell was one of five 82nd Airborne Division soldiers killed this week when a helicopter went down over southern Afghanistan, his father said Friday.
A chaplain and another officer from Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, the home of the 82nd, came to the family's home about 6 p.m. Thursday to tell them about his son's death, Lane Bagwell said.
"You know the risks when they go. You just think it isn't going to happen to you or yours," his father said. "I knew there was always that possibility."
The Fort Bragg officials told him the CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down Wednesday by a rocket-propelled grenade, Bagwell said.
U.S. military officials have said enemy fire was one possibility, but they were not certain why the helicopter crashed and were still investigating. The Taliban claimed responsibility.
Bagwell, a staff sergeant, was a mechanic and crew chief. He is survived by his parents, including mother, Judith, and sister, Sarah. He had an 8-year-old autistic son, Preston Owen, with a girlfriend, Amanda Galloway, who has since married, his father said.
Classmates voted Bagwell, who was a junior varsity basketball player and varsity football center, most athletic in 1997, his senior year.
Football coach Dan Essenberg remembered a pugnacious player.
"I've coached a lot of kids, but Charlie's one you ain't going to forget," Essenberg said. "He wasn't blessed with tremendous speed, but he was a hard-working kid."
After school, Bagwell worked briefly as a carpenter but already had plans to join the military, said people who knew him.
"He graduated, and he didn't want to go to college, and there wasn't nothing to do around here, no jobs," his father said.
In 2005, Bagwell served in Iraq. He had been in Afghanistan since 2005 and was assigned to Combined Joint Task Force-82, which is built around the 82nd's 4th Brigade Combat Team.
The helicopter went down in southern Afghanistan's Helmand Province, killing the American soldiers and two others on board - a Briton and a Canadian.
Shortly before the crash, the twin-rotor helicopter had dropped off at least 30 paratroopers from the 82nd in an air assault on a Taliban position. The assault came on the first day of a new joint NATO-Afghan operation to force Taliban fighters out of the northern part of the province.
Bagwell last talked to his parents the day after Mother's Day.
He rarely said much when they talked, "but he said he had some stories to tell us when he got back," his father said.
His parents were not aware that a helicopter had gone down or that the 82nd was involved until the Thursday visit.
Army Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell was killed in action on 5/30/07.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers
Remember Our Heroes
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers, 29, of Carson City, Nev.
CWO2 Rodgers was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 30, 2007 in Upper Sangin Valley, Afghanistan, when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed apparently due to enemy fire. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier, Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell, Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires and Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway.
Arkansan says paratrooper son loved family, country
The Associated Press
JONESBORO, Ark. — The father of one of five Army paratroopers killed last month in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan says his son was an excellent father and husband who died defending his country.
Chief Warrant Officer Joshua R. Rodgers, 29, of Carson City, Nev., was killed in the May 30 crash. His father, Dan Rodgers of Jonesboro, told The Sun newspaper that he had heard from his son May 26, and they had planned a trip to the Smoky Mountains in the near future.
“He was a daddy’s boy. He loved to hunt,” Dan Rodgers said.
Rodgers said his son spent summers with him in Jonesboro, was personable and understood his mission in Afghanistan.
“He was real outgoing and was real good with kids,” Dan Rodgers said. “He did believe in what he was doing and had 100 percent faith in our government.”
Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer Christopher M. Allgaier, 33, of Omaha, Neb.; Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell, 28, of Lake Toxaway, N.C.; Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires, 25, of West Jordan, Utah; and Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway, 25, of Valley, Ala., according to the 82nd Airborne Division.
All five were members of the 3rd General Aviation Support Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, and were based at Fort Bragg, N.C. A Briton and a Canadian were killed along with the five Americans.
Allgaier and Rodgers were piloting the helicopter when it crashed, said 82nd Airborne Division spokesman Maj. Tom Earnhardt.
Dan Rodgers said that he has spoken with officials at Fort Bragg about what happened with the helicopter that night.
“They said it was a textbook flight. They were flying in a sandy area and went in high moonlight. There were about 400 feet off the ground and were shot down with a rocket-propelled grenade,” Dan Rodgers said.
Joshua Rodgers is survived by his wife Casey Rodgers and three daughters.
“Josh always talked about his three princesses. He strove to provide them everything they ever needed, and even more,” said Chief Warrant Officer Heath Barrett.
Rodgers joined the Army in 2000, Barrett said.
“He died protecting those he loved most in this world. Josh died being the best soldier he knew how to be,” Barrett said.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers was killed in action on 5/30/07.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers, 29, of Carson City, Nev.
CWO2 Rodgers was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 30, 2007 in Upper Sangin Valley, Afghanistan, when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed apparently due to enemy fire. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier, Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell, Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires and Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway.
Arkansan says paratrooper son loved family, country
The Associated Press
JONESBORO, Ark. — The father of one of five Army paratroopers killed last month in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan says his son was an excellent father and husband who died defending his country.
Chief Warrant Officer Joshua R. Rodgers, 29, of Carson City, Nev., was killed in the May 30 crash. His father, Dan Rodgers of Jonesboro, told The Sun newspaper that he had heard from his son May 26, and they had planned a trip to the Smoky Mountains in the near future.
“He was a daddy’s boy. He loved to hunt,” Dan Rodgers said.
Rodgers said his son spent summers with him in Jonesboro, was personable and understood his mission in Afghanistan.
“He was real outgoing and was real good with kids,” Dan Rodgers said. “He did believe in what he was doing and had 100 percent faith in our government.”
Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer Christopher M. Allgaier, 33, of Omaha, Neb.; Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell, 28, of Lake Toxaway, N.C.; Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires, 25, of West Jordan, Utah; and Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway, 25, of Valley, Ala., according to the 82nd Airborne Division.
All five were members of the 3rd General Aviation Support Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, and were based at Fort Bragg, N.C. A Briton and a Canadian were killed along with the five Americans.
Allgaier and Rodgers were piloting the helicopter when it crashed, said 82nd Airborne Division spokesman Maj. Tom Earnhardt.
Dan Rodgers said that he has spoken with officials at Fort Bragg about what happened with the helicopter that night.
“They said it was a textbook flight. They were flying in a sandy area and went in high moonlight. There were about 400 feet off the ground and were shot down with a rocket-propelled grenade,” Dan Rodgers said.
Joshua Rodgers is survived by his wife Casey Rodgers and three daughters.
“Josh always talked about his three princesses. He strove to provide them everything they ever needed, and even more,” said Chief Warrant Officer Heath Barrett.
Rodgers joined the Army in 2000, Barrett said.
“He died protecting those he loved most in this world. Josh died being the best soldier he knew how to be,” Barrett said.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers was killed in action on 5/30/07.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier
Remember Our Heroes
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier, 33, of Middleton, Mo.
CWO3 Allgaier was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 30, 2007 in Upper Sangin Valley, Afghanistan, when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed apparently due to enemy fire. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers, Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell, Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires and Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway.
Army Chief Warrant Officer Chris Allgaier, a native of Omaha, was among those killed Wednesday when a helicopter went down in Afghanistan. His father told us Friday that the 33-year-old pilot loved to fly.
Allgaier was among five U.S. soldiers killed in the crash of the transport helicopter. They were members of the 82nd Airborne Division.
Allgaier was an Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 and a graduate of Creighton Prep. The school had its flag at half-staff on Friday in his memory.
Allgaier's father, Bob Allgaier said Friday, "I figured it was much safer there than in Iraq. They did most of their flying at night which was supposedly safer yet."
Major John Thomas, a spokesperson for NATO's International Security Assistance Force, says, "It was a hostile area where the helicopter went down and initial indications are that enemy fire may have brought down the helicopter."
Maj. Thomas says that 30 or more service members from the 82nd Airborne had been dropped off by the Chinook shortly before it went down late Wednesday. A Briton and a Canadian were killed along with the five Americans.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Chinook crashed on the first day of a new joint NATO-Afghan operation to force Taliban fighters out of parts of Afghanistan's volatile Helmand Province, in the southern part of the country.
Bob Allgaier says, "He was doing what he thought was right. And it was his job."
Chris had been in Afghanistan since January and in the Army for 12 years.
He leaves behind his wife and three daughters: nine-year-old Natalie, eight-year-old Gina and three-year-old Joanna.
Bob Allgaier says, "The two older ones know their dad is dead. The baby, she doesn't know. Her mom told me last night and had her play phone out like she was talking to her daddy. It's possible at her age she will never know him."
Bob says part of his duty now will be to make sure his granddaughters don't forget their father.
"He'll always be a hero to me," Bob said.
Omaha native dies in helicopter crash in Afghanistan
By The Associated Press
OMAHA, Neb. — An Omaha native was among the five American soldiers killed this week in an Army helicopter crash in Afghanistan.
Chief Warrant Officer Chris Allgaier died Wednesday after about 30 service members from the 82nd Airborne Division had been dropped off by the CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter, his father, Bob Allgaier, told the Omaha World-Herald.
Chris Allgaier, 33, graduated from Omaha Creighton Prep High School in 1991, said Nate Driml, the school’s director of alumni and community relations. Driml said a priest from the Jesuit school visited Allgaier’s family Friday.
U.S. military officials said initial reports suggested the helicopter was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade but that enemy fire was only one of several possibilities.
Before his deployment, Allgaier had lived near the 82nd’s headquarters in Fort Bragg, N.C., with his wife, Jennie, and their three children.
Funeral services were pending.
Allgaier graduated with highest honors at Prep, ranking No. 4 in his class, Driml said. Allgaier was a member of the National Honor Society, the National Spanish Honor Society and the school’s science club, Driml said.
Allgaier earned a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical administration from Saint Louis University in 1995 and a master’s degree in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2001, according to Allgaier’s personal Web page on the “Friendster” social networking site.
The Chinook crashed on the first day of a new joint NATO-Afghan operation to force Taliban fighters out of parts of Afghanistan’s volatile Helmand Province, in the southern part of the country.
The American soldiers who were killed were part of a brigade that deployed earlier this year along with the division’s commanding general and his staff.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier was killed in action on 5/30/07.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier, 33, of Middleton, Mo.
CWO3 Allgaier was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 30, 2007 in Upper Sangin Valley, Afghanistan, when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed apparently due to enemy fire. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers, Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell, Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires and Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway.
Army Chief Warrant Officer Chris Allgaier, a native of Omaha, was among those killed Wednesday when a helicopter went down in Afghanistan. His father told us Friday that the 33-year-old pilot loved to fly.
Allgaier was among five U.S. soldiers killed in the crash of the transport helicopter. They were members of the 82nd Airborne Division.
Allgaier was an Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 and a graduate of Creighton Prep. The school had its flag at half-staff on Friday in his memory.
Allgaier's father, Bob Allgaier said Friday, "I figured it was much safer there than in Iraq. They did most of their flying at night which was supposedly safer yet."
Major John Thomas, a spokesperson for NATO's International Security Assistance Force, says, "It was a hostile area where the helicopter went down and initial indications are that enemy fire may have brought down the helicopter."
Maj. Thomas says that 30 or more service members from the 82nd Airborne had been dropped off by the Chinook shortly before it went down late Wednesday. A Briton and a Canadian were killed along with the five Americans.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Chinook crashed on the first day of a new joint NATO-Afghan operation to force Taliban fighters out of parts of Afghanistan's volatile Helmand Province, in the southern part of the country.
Bob Allgaier says, "He was doing what he thought was right. And it was his job."
Chris had been in Afghanistan since January and in the Army for 12 years.
He leaves behind his wife and three daughters: nine-year-old Natalie, eight-year-old Gina and three-year-old Joanna.
Bob Allgaier says, "The two older ones know their dad is dead. The baby, she doesn't know. Her mom told me last night and had her play phone out like she was talking to her daddy. It's possible at her age she will never know him."
Bob says part of his duty now will be to make sure his granddaughters don't forget their father.
"He'll always be a hero to me," Bob said.
Omaha native dies in helicopter crash in Afghanistan
By The Associated Press
OMAHA, Neb. — An Omaha native was among the five American soldiers killed this week in an Army helicopter crash in Afghanistan.
Chief Warrant Officer Chris Allgaier died Wednesday after about 30 service members from the 82nd Airborne Division had been dropped off by the CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter, his father, Bob Allgaier, told the Omaha World-Herald.
Chris Allgaier, 33, graduated from Omaha Creighton Prep High School in 1991, said Nate Driml, the school’s director of alumni and community relations. Driml said a priest from the Jesuit school visited Allgaier’s family Friday.
U.S. military officials said initial reports suggested the helicopter was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade but that enemy fire was only one of several possibilities.
Before his deployment, Allgaier had lived near the 82nd’s headquarters in Fort Bragg, N.C., with his wife, Jennie, and their three children.
Funeral services were pending.
Allgaier graduated with highest honors at Prep, ranking No. 4 in his class, Driml said. Allgaier was a member of the National Honor Society, the National Spanish Honor Society and the school’s science club, Driml said.
Allgaier earned a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical administration from Saint Louis University in 1995 and a master’s degree in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2001, according to Allgaier’s personal Web page on the “Friendster” social networking site.
The Chinook crashed on the first day of a new joint NATO-Afghan operation to force Taliban fighters out of parts of Afghanistan’s volatile Helmand Province, in the southern part of the country.
The American soldiers who were killed were part of a brigade that deployed earlier this year along with the division’s commanding general and his staff.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier was killed in action on 5/30/07.
Army Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires, 25, of West Jordan, Utah
Sgt. Blamires was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 30, 2007 in Upper Sangin Valley, Afghanistan, when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed apparently due to enemy fire. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers, Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell and Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway.
Utah soldier remembered as loving husband, father
By Deborah Bulkeley
Deseret Morning News
SOUTH JORDAN — "Love" is the word that perhaps most aptly describes the life of Sgt. Jesse Blamires.
Those who knew Blamires, 25, remembered him Saturday for his love of his wife, Kimberly, and his two children, 4-year-old Kalli and 8-month-old Danika. He loved God and he loved his country. He also loved to fly.
"He did what he loved," Blamires' sister, Julie, told those who attended his memorial service at the River 7th Ward building in South Jordan.
On May 30, Blamires "was right there with his infectious smile. He gave me a high five," remembered Mark Jones. Then Blamires boarded a helicopter for the last time.
Blamires was one of seven people killed when Taliban forces apparently shot down the Army CH 47-Chinook helicopter.
Julie Blamires remembered flying had been her brother's dream since he was a young child.
"He had this blanky he loved so much," she said. "It had the ABCs on it. ABC, what do you want to be? He wanted to be a pilot, he wanted to be a pilot so bad. He wanted to have a wife and children."
Jesse Blamires served with the 82nd Airborne Division. He had recently been promoted to crew chief and dreamed of going to officer school and becoming a pilot. Blamires, a Skyline High School graduate, was born in Honolulu and grew up in Sandy. His family lives in Fort Bragg, N.C., where he was stationed.
The last time Mark Jones was pilot in command while flying with Blamires, he remembers going out to have a little fun after completing a test flight.
"I actually got to hear Jesse give an audible 'wee,"' he said.
But Blamires' deployment wasn't just about flying, it was also about bravery. About a month before he was killed, Blamires immediately came to the aid of another aircraft when it came under fire during a mission in Afghanistan.
"He returned fire so effectively that whoever was on the ground decided that the first aircraft wasn't important, and they started to fire at Jesse's aircraft," Jones said. "Undaunted, Jesse continued to return fire until he ran out of ammunition."
Then, a soldier in another aircraft fired back, Jones said, and because of the two, "the mission was a success and we had four aircraft come home safely. That is the definition of a hero. Jesse was a hero."
Flags waved in the family's yard Saturday, and flags lined the street leading to the River 7th Ward. More than 100 members of the Patriot Guard Riders stood watch outside, holding American flags.
"It's just an honor to be here," said Bruce Clement, adding that the riders were present to show respect to the fallen hero and to ensure the service wasn't interrupted.
It wasn't. Few at the service noticed three protestors from the Westboro Baptist Church a few blocks away, holding signs such as "pray for more dead soldiers." South Jordan police said the demonstrators didn't break any laws, including a law passed by the 2007 Legislature against noisy or disruptive protests within 200 feet of a funeral or memorial service.
The Patriot Guard Riders were also present at the Salt Lake City Cemetery, where Blamires was laid to rest, while mourners and a circle of riders holding American flags looked on.
Kimberly Blamires held the couple's 8-month-old daughter as General Carroll Pollett presented her with an American flag. She was also presented with her husband's military ID tags and military honors — the Bronze Star, Air Merit Medal and Combat Action Badge. The honors were also presented to Blamires' parents, Craig and Sandra.
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. met briefly with the family before the service. Blamires' father is deeply involved in the Boy Scouts of America, and the organization created a "Heart of the Eagle" award in Blamires' honor. While Blamires did not achieve the level of Eagle Scout, "he had the heart of an Eagle in the way he lived and died," said Paul Moore, a Scout executive. Future awards will be given to those who exemplify that spirit.
Army Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires was killed in action on 5/30/07.
Army Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires, 25, of West Jordan, Utah
Sgt. Blamires was assigned to the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 30, 2007 in Upper Sangin Valley, Afghanistan, when his CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed apparently due to enemy fire. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher M. Allgaier, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua R. Rodgers, Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell and Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway.
Utah soldier remembered as loving husband, father
By Deborah Bulkeley
Deseret Morning News
SOUTH JORDAN — "Love" is the word that perhaps most aptly describes the life of Sgt. Jesse Blamires.
Those who knew Blamires, 25, remembered him Saturday for his love of his wife, Kimberly, and his two children, 4-year-old Kalli and 8-month-old Danika. He loved God and he loved his country. He also loved to fly.
"He did what he loved," Blamires' sister, Julie, told those who attended his memorial service at the River 7th Ward building in South Jordan.
On May 30, Blamires "was right there with his infectious smile. He gave me a high five," remembered Mark Jones. Then Blamires boarded a helicopter for the last time.
Blamires was one of seven people killed when Taliban forces apparently shot down the Army CH 47-Chinook helicopter.
Julie Blamires remembered flying had been her brother's dream since he was a young child.
"He had this blanky he loved so much," she said. "It had the ABCs on it. ABC, what do you want to be? He wanted to be a pilot, he wanted to be a pilot so bad. He wanted to have a wife and children."
Jesse Blamires served with the 82nd Airborne Division. He had recently been promoted to crew chief and dreamed of going to officer school and becoming a pilot. Blamires, a Skyline High School graduate, was born in Honolulu and grew up in Sandy. His family lives in Fort Bragg, N.C., where he was stationed.
The last time Mark Jones was pilot in command while flying with Blamires, he remembers going out to have a little fun after completing a test flight.
"I actually got to hear Jesse give an audible 'wee,"' he said.
But Blamires' deployment wasn't just about flying, it was also about bravery. About a month before he was killed, Blamires immediately came to the aid of another aircraft when it came under fire during a mission in Afghanistan.
"He returned fire so effectively that whoever was on the ground decided that the first aircraft wasn't important, and they started to fire at Jesse's aircraft," Jones said. "Undaunted, Jesse continued to return fire until he ran out of ammunition."
Then, a soldier in another aircraft fired back, Jones said, and because of the two, "the mission was a success and we had four aircraft come home safely. That is the definition of a hero. Jesse was a hero."
Flags waved in the family's yard Saturday, and flags lined the street leading to the River 7th Ward. More than 100 members of the Patriot Guard Riders stood watch outside, holding American flags.
"It's just an honor to be here," said Bruce Clement, adding that the riders were present to show respect to the fallen hero and to ensure the service wasn't interrupted.
It wasn't. Few at the service noticed three protestors from the Westboro Baptist Church a few blocks away, holding signs such as "pray for more dead soldiers." South Jordan police said the demonstrators didn't break any laws, including a law passed by the 2007 Legislature against noisy or disruptive protests within 200 feet of a funeral or memorial service.
The Patriot Guard Riders were also present at the Salt Lake City Cemetery, where Blamires was laid to rest, while mourners and a circle of riders holding American flags looked on.
Kimberly Blamires held the couple's 8-month-old daughter as General Carroll Pollett presented her with an American flag. She was also presented with her husband's military ID tags and military honors — the Bronze Star, Air Merit Medal and Combat Action Badge. The honors were also presented to Blamires' parents, Craig and Sandra.
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. met briefly with the family before the service. Blamires' father is deeply involved in the Boy Scouts of America, and the organization created a "Heart of the Eagle" award in Blamires' honor. While Blamires did not achieve the level of Eagle Scout, "he had the heart of an Eagle in the way he lived and died," said Paul Moore, a Scout executive. Future awards will be given to those who exemplify that spirit.
Army Sgt. Jesse A. Blamires was killed in action on 5/30/07.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Army Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing, 22, of Phoenix, AZ
Sgt. Ewing was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 28, 2007 in Abu Sayda, Iraq, of wounds sustained when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed were1st Lt. Kile G. West, Cpl. Zachary D. Baker, Cpl. James E. Summers and Spc. Alexandre A. Alexeev.
Arizona Republic -- Anthony D. Ewing said all he wanted to do was "go home and relax."
Described as "optimistic" by his friends and himself, the 22-year-old had promised that "I'll come home soon damnit!" according to a post on his MySpace profile.
But the army sergeant won't return to the United States the way friends and family had hoped.
Ewing was one of five soldiers killed on Memorial Day in Abu Savda, Iraq, when a bomb struck their vehicle, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Ewing, who was on his second tour in Iraq, according to friends, was supposed to return to the United States soon, but his tour had been extended another 90 days.
Ewing and four other soldiers in the 1st Cavalry Division, stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, were killed in the vehicle explosion.
Ewing was a 2003 graduate of Westview High School in Avondale.
His father still lives in the Valley, and his mother lives in Texas.
"He was always an outgoing, optimistic person," said Ashley Logan, who has known Ewing since fifth grade.
The pair went to Sundance Elementary School in Peoria.
"He always made people smile no matter what," Logan said.
Ewing had planed to start college in February, she said.
Army Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing, 22, of Phoenix, AZ
Sgt. Ewing was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 28, 2007 in Abu Sayda, Iraq, of wounds sustained when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed were1st Lt. Kile G. West, Cpl. Zachary D. Baker, Cpl. James E. Summers and Spc. Alexandre A. Alexeev.
Arizona Republic -- Anthony D. Ewing said all he wanted to do was "go home and relax."
Described as "optimistic" by his friends and himself, the 22-year-old had promised that "I'll come home soon damnit!" according to a post on his MySpace profile.
But the army sergeant won't return to the United States the way friends and family had hoped.
Ewing was one of five soldiers killed on Memorial Day in Abu Savda, Iraq, when a bomb struck their vehicle, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Ewing, who was on his second tour in Iraq, according to friends, was supposed to return to the United States soon, but his tour had been extended another 90 days.
Ewing and four other soldiers in the 1st Cavalry Division, stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, were killed in the vehicle explosion.
Ewing was a 2003 graduate of Westview High School in Avondale.
His father still lives in the Valley, and his mother lives in Texas.
"He was always an outgoing, optimistic person," said Ashley Logan, who has known Ewing since fifth grade.
The pair went to Sundance Elementary School in Peoria.
"He always made people smile no matter what," Logan said.
Ewing had planed to start college in February, she said.
Army Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army 1st Lt. Kile G. West
Remember Our Heroes
Army 1st Lt. Kile G. West, 23, of Pasadena, Texas
1st Lt. West was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 28, 2007 in Abu Sayda, Iraq, of wounds sustained when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing, Cpl. Zachary D. Baker, Cpl. James E. Summers and Spc. Alexandre A. Alexeev.
Houston Chronicle -- An Army lieutenant with ties to Pasadena was one of 10 American servicemen killed on Memorial Day in Iraq.
Army 2nd Lt. Kile Grant West was killed when the Bradley fighting vehicle he commanded hit an improvised explosive device as he and his crew were trying to rescue soldiers in a downed helicopter, said his uncle Gary West, of Pasadena.
Kile West and his crew were killed, as were two soldiers in the downed helicopter, his uncle said on Tuesday.
West, 23, who grew up in Pasadena, had been looking forward to a scheduled two-week leave next month to visit family in Texas. The December 2005 Stephen F. Austin University graduate was planning to return to the United States on June 15.
An outdoorsman, Kile West had asked his father and uncle to check out a shotgun he could buy while here.
"We had already gone and looked at one for him to buy. He liked to bird hunt and deer hunt," Gary West said. The shotgun his nephew wanted was for bird hunting.
Gary West said his nephew had always planned to join the military.
"Kile wanted to be a soldier his whole life. I was a soldier, and his grandfather was a soldier in World War II. He just wanted to do that. He would watch the military channel on TV all the time. He wanted to go to college to be an officer in the Army. He died doing what he wanted to do," the uncle said.
West, who graduated from Hutto High School in Central Texas in 2001, was deployed to Iraq in October.
He is survived by his father and stepmother, Clark Grady West and Melissa West, of Pasadena; his mother, Nanette West, of Round Rock, and two younger sisters.
Army 1st Lt. Kile G. West was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army 1st Lt. Kile G. West, 23, of Pasadena, Texas
1st Lt. West was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 28, 2007 in Abu Sayda, Iraq, of wounds sustained when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing, Cpl. Zachary D. Baker, Cpl. James E. Summers and Spc. Alexandre A. Alexeev.
Houston Chronicle -- An Army lieutenant with ties to Pasadena was one of 10 American servicemen killed on Memorial Day in Iraq.
Army 2nd Lt. Kile Grant West was killed when the Bradley fighting vehicle he commanded hit an improvised explosive device as he and his crew were trying to rescue soldiers in a downed helicopter, said his uncle Gary West, of Pasadena.
Kile West and his crew were killed, as were two soldiers in the downed helicopter, his uncle said on Tuesday.
West, 23, who grew up in Pasadena, had been looking forward to a scheduled two-week leave next month to visit family in Texas. The December 2005 Stephen F. Austin University graduate was planning to return to the United States on June 15.
An outdoorsman, Kile West had asked his father and uncle to check out a shotgun he could buy while here.
"We had already gone and looked at one for him to buy. He liked to bird hunt and deer hunt," Gary West said. The shotgun his nephew wanted was for bird hunting.
Gary West said his nephew had always planned to join the military.
"Kile wanted to be a soldier his whole life. I was a soldier, and his grandfather was a soldier in World War II. He just wanted to do that. He would watch the military channel on TV all the time. He wanted to go to college to be an officer in the Army. He died doing what he wanted to do," the uncle said.
West, who graduated from Hutto High School in Central Texas in 2001, was deployed to Iraq in October.
He is survived by his father and stepmother, Clark Grady West and Melissa West, of Pasadena; his mother, Nanette West, of Round Rock, and two younger sisters.
Army 1st Lt. Kile G. West was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army Cpl. Zachary D. Baker
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Zachary D. Baker, 24, of Vilonia, Ark.
Cpl. Baker was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 28, 2007 in Abu Sayda, Iraq, of wounds sustained when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed were1st Lt. Kile G. West, Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing, Cpl. James E. Summers and Spc. Alexandre A. Alexeev.
Today's THV -- Another Arkansas family is faced with the heartache of losing a soldier in Iraq. Army SPC Zachary Baker of Vilonia has now been added to the state's list of fallen heroes.
Zachary D. Baker was a true American patriot. He was a soldier sent to Iraq first in 2005 who then volunteered to go back for a second tour.
"That’s Bubba for you, always trying to help people, help the world - just give to everyone," says sister Kara Welcher. "He was just trying to help."
Kara constantly worried about her big brother, "Bubba" as most called him, but she and her father admit nothing prepared them for his death.
Kara says, "I just never thought it would happen to our family; it wouldn't happen to us, we wouldn't lose him."
Kenneth Welcher describes hearing that his son had been killed in action, "Like somebody ripped my heart out and threw it on the ground and started stomping on it. That's what it's like knowing I’ll never see my son again. It's hard. He's a good boy, a hero."
Zach was killed on Memorial Day. Insurgents shot down a U.S. helicopter north of Baghdad. Before it crashed, the two inside radioed for help. Zach was part of the rescue team racing to the scene when a roadside bomb exploded underneath his Bradley vehicle. He and five others died.
"He went to save his buddies, doing his job - what he wanted to do," says Kenneth.
Kara says, "People need to remember him as a hero and he fought for his country. He wasn't just fighting for his family; he was fighting for everybody."
Zach leaves behind a wife, Christina, and seven-year-old son, Andrew. His mother, Sandy, is in Texas with them making arrangements for the return of her son's body.
Weeping, Kara says, "No matter how hard it hurts me or my dad or my brothers or aunts, it hurts my mom ten times more and I don't even know how she's feeling because she's trying to be strong for all of us because it's been tough."
At his parents’ home in Vilonia, Zach’s young cousins and nieces and nephews run around a makeshift memorial in Zach’s honor-- seemingly unaware of the hero they've lost. But, his family says it's a picture of freedom that Zach is looking down on proudly.
"If anybody that knows him, they know he went to heaven because he was a good person, a good person," says Kara.
Army Cpl. Zachary D. Baker was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army Cpl. Zachary D. Baker, 24, of Vilonia, Ark.
Cpl. Baker was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 28, 2007 in Abu Sayda, Iraq, of wounds sustained when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed were1st Lt. Kile G. West, Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing, Cpl. James E. Summers and Spc. Alexandre A. Alexeev.
Today's THV -- Another Arkansas family is faced with the heartache of losing a soldier in Iraq. Army SPC Zachary Baker of Vilonia has now been added to the state's list of fallen heroes.
Zachary D. Baker was a true American patriot. He was a soldier sent to Iraq first in 2005 who then volunteered to go back for a second tour.
"That’s Bubba for you, always trying to help people, help the world - just give to everyone," says sister Kara Welcher. "He was just trying to help."
Kara constantly worried about her big brother, "Bubba" as most called him, but she and her father admit nothing prepared them for his death.
Kara says, "I just never thought it would happen to our family; it wouldn't happen to us, we wouldn't lose him."
Kenneth Welcher describes hearing that his son had been killed in action, "Like somebody ripped my heart out and threw it on the ground and started stomping on it. That's what it's like knowing I’ll never see my son again. It's hard. He's a good boy, a hero."
Zach was killed on Memorial Day. Insurgents shot down a U.S. helicopter north of Baghdad. Before it crashed, the two inside radioed for help. Zach was part of the rescue team racing to the scene when a roadside bomb exploded underneath his Bradley vehicle. He and five others died.
"He went to save his buddies, doing his job - what he wanted to do," says Kenneth.
Kara says, "People need to remember him as a hero and he fought for his country. He wasn't just fighting for his family; he was fighting for everybody."
Zach leaves behind a wife, Christina, and seven-year-old son, Andrew. His mother, Sandy, is in Texas with them making arrangements for the return of her son's body.
Weeping, Kara says, "No matter how hard it hurts me or my dad or my brothers or aunts, it hurts my mom ten times more and I don't even know how she's feeling because she's trying to be strong for all of us because it's been tough."
At his parents’ home in Vilonia, Zach’s young cousins and nieces and nephews run around a makeshift memorial in Zach’s honor-- seemingly unaware of the hero they've lost. But, his family says it's a picture of freedom that Zach is looking down on proudly.
"If anybody that knows him, they know he went to heaven because he was a good person, a good person," says Kara.
Army Cpl. Zachary D. Baker was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army Cpl. James E. Summers, III
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. James E. Summers III, 21, of Bourbon, Mo.
Cpl. Summers was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 28, 2007 in Abu Sayda, Iraq, of wounds sustained when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed were1st Lt. Kile G. West, Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing, Cpl. Zachary D. Baker and Spc. Alexandre A. Alexeev.
KSDK -- KSDK - Flags are at half staff in Bourbon, Missouri, as the residents of the town learn about the death of a soldier fighting in Iraq.
A sign near the center of town reads "Our fallen hero, Jimmy Summers."
21-year-old Specialist James E. Summers was killed Monday in Iraq. He was a rescuer, coming to the aid of troops who'd gone down in a helicopter near Baghdad. Summers was hit by a sniper's bullet during the rescue mission.
His family says he always had a dream of joining the Army.
"He's my brother and he loves me, and I know I love him, and he wouldn't want us to be sad or depressed about this," said Tom Summers, his brother. "He would want us to move on and he would want us to be happy. He would want to honor him as best we could, and that's what I'm trying to do."
Another brother, 28-year old Michael Summers, is a sergeant in the Army. He'll be accompanying his brother's body home to the United States.
James Summers was married and the father of a 4-year-old daughter.
His father was once the police chief in Bourbon, which is near the Crawford-Franklin County line.
Army Cpl. James E. Summers III was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army Cpl. James E. Summers III, 21, of Bourbon, Mo.
Cpl. Summers was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 28, 2007 in Abu Sayda, Iraq, of wounds sustained when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed were1st Lt. Kile G. West, Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing, Cpl. Zachary D. Baker and Spc. Alexandre A. Alexeev.
KSDK -- KSDK - Flags are at half staff in Bourbon, Missouri, as the residents of the town learn about the death of a soldier fighting in Iraq.
A sign near the center of town reads "Our fallen hero, Jimmy Summers."
21-year-old Specialist James E. Summers was killed Monday in Iraq. He was a rescuer, coming to the aid of troops who'd gone down in a helicopter near Baghdad. Summers was hit by a sniper's bullet during the rescue mission.
His family says he always had a dream of joining the Army.
"He's my brother and he loves me, and I know I love him, and he wouldn't want us to be sad or depressed about this," said Tom Summers, his brother. "He would want us to move on and he would want us to be happy. He would want to honor him as best we could, and that's what I'm trying to do."
Another brother, 28-year old Michael Summers, is a sergeant in the Army. He'll be accompanying his brother's body home to the United States.
James Summers was married and the father of a 4-year-old daughter.
His father was once the police chief in Bourbon, which is near the Crawford-Franklin County line.
Army Cpl. James E. Summers III was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army Specialist Alexandre A. Alexeev
Remember Our Heroes
Army Specialist Alexandre A. Alexeev, 23, of Wilmington, Calif.
Spc. Alexeev was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 28 in Abu Sayda, Iraq, of wounds sustained when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed were 1st Lt. Kile G. West, Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing, Cpl. Zachary D. Baker and Cpl. James E. Summers.
Soldier believed in cause
Nation: Portrait of local soldier emerges through his e-mails.
By Josh Grossberg, Staff writer
Alexeev They never met, never spoke on the telephone, had virtually nothing in common.
But in a yearlong exchange of e-mails between a Northern California mother and a young Wilmington resident who died in Iraq last week, a portrait emerged of a shy man who enjoyed ice hockey, relished the small gifts she sent him and loved his adopted country.
"We just kind of communicated about stuff," said Rose Ramirez-Latham about 23-year-old Spc. Alexandre A. Alexeev, a native of Russia who was among five soldiers killed Monday when their vehicle was struck by a makeshift bomb in the city of Abu Sayda. "We just kept it positive."
Ramirez-Latham, a Santa Rosa resident, came into contact with Alexeev through the Soldiers Angel Network, an organization that connects people fighting overseas with concerned people back home.
"My impression was obviously he believed in the country," she said. "He was fighting for a cause."
Efforts to reach Alexeev's family in the Moreno Valley have been unsuccessful.
Alexeev was 14 when his family left Russia and moved to Hawthorne, said his longtime friend Dan Corbei. He graduated from Hawthorne High School in 2002. His family bought a house in Wilmington about two years ago.
"He was a good guy, really smart," said Corbei, a Torrance resident. "He was a really sharp kid who made the most of everything."
For fun, the two would go clubbing and listen to music.
"He loved online gaming, techno music and working with computers," Corbei said.
Corbei said his friend hoped to become a citizen, which is why he joined the military. He didn't enjoy being overseas, but liked making friends with local children.
But when he got to Iraq, he kept his thoughts mostly to himself, Ramirez-Latham said. He shied away from discussing personal matters and kept her mostly in the dark about the details of his missions.
Sometimes weeks would go by without him writing.
"When you know someone, you look for his e-mails to see if he's OK," she said. "If I didn't hear from him for two weeks, I'd start getting stressed."
In one case, when he finally got back from a mission, he apologized for the delay.
"He thanked me for my concern," she said.
He told her he spent time in Iraqi villages.
"He said he was living with the Iraqis," she said. "Iraqi kids love soccer. He had some balls and they asked him for some. He gave them to the Iraqi kids."
But as his time overseas grew longer, he seemed to grow tired of the ordeal he was living through.
"The last one said he was really tired and really stressed," she said.
Ramirez-Latham would offer to send him gifts, but Alexeev was shy about accepting them.
"I asked him what he needed. He said he felt awkward asking for things. I e-mailed him back saying, `Don't feel bad. I'm going to send you something."'
Although she knew he was proud to serve his country, Ramirez-Latham said Alexeev couldn't wait for his time overseas to come to an end.
"All I can think about is being back home and enjoying a normal life," he wrote.
Army Specialist Alexandre A. Alexeev was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army Specialist Alexandre A. Alexeev, 23, of Wilmington, Calif.
Spc. Alexeev was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 28 in Abu Sayda, Iraq, of wounds sustained when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Also killed were 1st Lt. Kile G. West, Sgt. Anthony D. Ewing, Cpl. Zachary D. Baker and Cpl. James E. Summers.
Soldier believed in cause
Nation: Portrait of local soldier emerges through his e-mails.
By Josh Grossberg, Staff writer
Alexeev They never met, never spoke on the telephone, had virtually nothing in common.
But in a yearlong exchange of e-mails between a Northern California mother and a young Wilmington resident who died in Iraq last week, a portrait emerged of a shy man who enjoyed ice hockey, relished the small gifts she sent him and loved his adopted country.
"We just kind of communicated about stuff," said Rose Ramirez-Latham about 23-year-old Spc. Alexandre A. Alexeev, a native of Russia who was among five soldiers killed Monday when their vehicle was struck by a makeshift bomb in the city of Abu Sayda. "We just kept it positive."
Ramirez-Latham, a Santa Rosa resident, came into contact with Alexeev through the Soldiers Angel Network, an organization that connects people fighting overseas with concerned people back home.
"My impression was obviously he believed in the country," she said. "He was fighting for a cause."
Efforts to reach Alexeev's family in the Moreno Valley have been unsuccessful.
Alexeev was 14 when his family left Russia and moved to Hawthorne, said his longtime friend Dan Corbei. He graduated from Hawthorne High School in 2002. His family bought a house in Wilmington about two years ago.
"He was a good guy, really smart," said Corbei, a Torrance resident. "He was a really sharp kid who made the most of everything."
For fun, the two would go clubbing and listen to music.
"He loved online gaming, techno music and working with computers," Corbei said.
Corbei said his friend hoped to become a citizen, which is why he joined the military. He didn't enjoy being overseas, but liked making friends with local children.
But when he got to Iraq, he kept his thoughts mostly to himself, Ramirez-Latham said. He shied away from discussing personal matters and kept her mostly in the dark about the details of his missions.
Sometimes weeks would go by without him writing.
"When you know someone, you look for his e-mails to see if he's OK," she said. "If I didn't hear from him for two weeks, I'd start getting stressed."
In one case, when he finally got back from a mission, he apologized for the delay.
"He thanked me for my concern," she said.
He told her he spent time in Iraqi villages.
"He said he was living with the Iraqis," she said. "Iraqi kids love soccer. He had some balls and they asked him for some. He gave them to the Iraqi kids."
But as his time overseas grew longer, he seemed to grow tired of the ordeal he was living through.
"The last one said he was really tired and really stressed," she said.
Ramirez-Latham would offer to send him gifts, but Alexeev was shy about accepting them.
"I asked him what he needed. He said he felt awkward asking for things. I e-mailed him back saying, `Don't feel bad. I'm going to send you something."'
Although she knew he was proud to serve his country, Ramirez-Latham said Alexeev couldn't wait for his time overseas to come to an end.
"All I can think about is being back home and enjoying a normal life," he wrote.
Army Specialist Alexandre A. Alexeev was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Theodore U. Church
Remember Our Heroes
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Theodore U. Church, 32, of Ohio
CWO2 Church was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died May 28 in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his OH-58D Kiowa helicopter crashed after receiving heavy enemy fire during combat operations. Also killed was 1st Lt. Keith N. Heidtman.
Ohio soldier killed after helicopter crashes in Iraq
The Associated Press
HONOLULU — A soldier from Ohio was one of two based at the Schofield Barracks in Honolulu who were killed in Iraq this week, the Pentagon said May 30.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Theodore U. Church of South Point, Ohio, and 1st Lt. Keith N. Heidtman of Norwich, Conn., died from wounds sustained when their helicopter crashed after being hit by enemy fire.
Church’s family in Ohio asked the Army to tell the media they wanted to grieve in private, a Schofield public affairs official said. Church was 32 years old.
Heidtman, 24, was a graduate of Norwich Free Academy and the University of Connecticut. He arrived in Iraq in December and was scheduled to come home for leave in July.
Church and Heidtman were among 10 U.S. soldiers who died in roadside bombings and the helicopter crash May 28, the military reported, making May the deadliest month of the year for U.S. troops in Iraq.
Eight of those killed were from Task Force Lightning. Six were killed in an insurgent roadside bomb ambush as they raced to rescue the two who died in the helicopter crash. The military did not say if the helicopter was shot down or had mechanical problems. All eight died in Diyala province north of the capital.
“We know that the helicopter had received ground fire, but do not know yet the cause of the helicopter going down,” Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a military spokesman, said in an interview with Associated Press Radio.
Heidtman and Church were assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade in the 25th Infantry Division.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Theodore U. Church was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Theodore U. Church, 32, of Ohio
CWO2 Church was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died May 28 in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his OH-58D Kiowa helicopter crashed after receiving heavy enemy fire during combat operations. Also killed was 1st Lt. Keith N. Heidtman.
Ohio soldier killed after helicopter crashes in Iraq
The Associated Press
HONOLULU — A soldier from Ohio was one of two based at the Schofield Barracks in Honolulu who were killed in Iraq this week, the Pentagon said May 30.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Theodore U. Church of South Point, Ohio, and 1st Lt. Keith N. Heidtman of Norwich, Conn., died from wounds sustained when their helicopter crashed after being hit by enemy fire.
Church’s family in Ohio asked the Army to tell the media they wanted to grieve in private, a Schofield public affairs official said. Church was 32 years old.
Heidtman, 24, was a graduate of Norwich Free Academy and the University of Connecticut. He arrived in Iraq in December and was scheduled to come home for leave in July.
Church and Heidtman were among 10 U.S. soldiers who died in roadside bombings and the helicopter crash May 28, the military reported, making May the deadliest month of the year for U.S. troops in Iraq.
Eight of those killed were from Task Force Lightning. Six were killed in an insurgent roadside bomb ambush as they raced to rescue the two who died in the helicopter crash. The military did not say if the helicopter was shot down or had mechanical problems. All eight died in Diyala province north of the capital.
“We know that the helicopter had received ground fire, but do not know yet the cause of the helicopter going down,” Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a military spokesman, said in an interview with Associated Press Radio.
Heidtman and Church were assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade in the 25th Infantry Division.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Theodore U. Church was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army 1st Lt. Keith N. Heidtman
Remember Our Heroes
Army 1st Lt. Keith N. Heidtman, 24, of Norwich, Conn.
1st Lt. Heidtman was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died May 28, 2007 in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his OH-58D Kiowa helicopter crashed after receiving heavy enemy fire during combat operations. Also killed was Chief Warrant Officer 2 Theodore U. Church.
Norwich soldier dies in helicopter crash in Iraq
The Associated Press
NORWICH, Conn. — A helicopter crash in Iraq on Memorial Day claimed the life of a Norwich soldier, the governor’s office said May 29.
Army 1st Lt. Keith Heidtman, 24, was the 37th military member with Connecticut ties to die since the war began in 2002. Two Connecticut civilians have also been killed. Gov. M. Jodi Rell ordered all state and U.S. flags lowered to half staff in Heidtman’s honor.
“Lt. Heidtman made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us, and he did so to protect the freedom that we so often take for granted,” Rell said in a statement. “To have given his life on Memorial Day is especially poignant.”
Heidtman was one of 10 U.S. soldiers who died in roadside bombings and the helicopter crash May 28, the military reported, making May the deadliest month of the year for U.S. troops in Iraq.
The American deaths raised the number of U.S. forces killed this month to at least 112, according to an Associated Press count assembled from U.S. military statements.
Eight of the soldiers were from Task Force Lightning — six killed when explosions hit near their vehicles and two in a helicopter crash. The military did not say if the helicopter was shot down or had mechanical problems.
Heidtman was a 2001 graduate of Norwich Free Academy and a graduate of the University of Connecticut.
His parents were notified May 29. He was the son of Kerry Heidtman and Maureen Robidoux. His stepfather is Art Robidoux. A phone message from The Associated Press was left at his family’s home.
“If you had to pick your son, this is who you would pick. He was handsome, he was bright,” Kerry Heidtman told The Day of New London.
Heidtman arrived in Iraq in December and was scheduled to come home for leave in July.
“We’re sending our finest, and we’re losing them,” Kerry Heidtman said.
Protesters a no-show at soldier’s funeral
The Associated Press
NORWICH, Conn. — Protesters who had threatened to disrupt the funeral of a Norwich soldier killed in Iraq were a no-show June 8.
Army 1st Lt. Keith Heidtman died May 28 when his helicopter was shot down. His funeral was at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
“In his 24 years, Keith accomplished more, gave more, made a greater impact on our world, than most do in many decades of life,” Connecticut Army National Guard State Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Kevin P. Cavanaugh said at the church. “Keith made a difference.”
A solemn ceremony at his grave featured a rifle salute, a flyover by two Connecticut National Guard Blackhawk helicopters and a flag-bearing tribute by dozens of supporters.
The threat of protests by a Kansas group called Westboro Baptist Church prompted legislators and Gov. M. Jodi Rell to work together this week to fast-track a bill limiting such demonstrations.
The same group from Kansas protested at an East Lyme military funeral last December. The group held signs that read “Thank God for IEDs” — improvised explosive devices — and “God is America’s Terror.” They claim that the deaths of American soldiers are punishment from God for the country’s tolerance of homosexuals.
Legislators passed the bill this week before the legislative session ended. Rell signed it June 6.
The Legislature had already passed a similar bill earlier in the session, but the law wouldn’t have taken effect until Oct. 1.
The legislation bars anyone from willfully making or assisting in making a noise or diversion that’s not part of any funeral, or intending to disturb the peace at any funeral, within the property line of a cemetery or house of worship, or within 150 feet of the intersection of the boundary and a roadway.
Though there were no Westboro protesters at the funeral, a group called the Patriot Guard Riders, members of the Waterford High School Drama Club and several other groups were on hand to support the troops.
John Coffindaffer, president of the Sikorsky Veterans Association, came from Oxford.
“We’re just here to offer our support for the lieutenant and his family,” said Coffindaffer, a retired Air Force helicopter pilot.
Heidtman was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Rell and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney were among the dignitaries who attended.
Army 1st Lt. Keith N. Heidtman was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Army 1st Lt. Keith N. Heidtman, 24, of Norwich, Conn.
1st Lt. Heidtman was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died May 28, 2007 in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his OH-58D Kiowa helicopter crashed after receiving heavy enemy fire during combat operations. Also killed was Chief Warrant Officer 2 Theodore U. Church.
Norwich soldier dies in helicopter crash in Iraq
The Associated Press
NORWICH, Conn. — A helicopter crash in Iraq on Memorial Day claimed the life of a Norwich soldier, the governor’s office said May 29.
Army 1st Lt. Keith Heidtman, 24, was the 37th military member with Connecticut ties to die since the war began in 2002. Two Connecticut civilians have also been killed. Gov. M. Jodi Rell ordered all state and U.S. flags lowered to half staff in Heidtman’s honor.
“Lt. Heidtman made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us, and he did so to protect the freedom that we so often take for granted,” Rell said in a statement. “To have given his life on Memorial Day is especially poignant.”
Heidtman was one of 10 U.S. soldiers who died in roadside bombings and the helicopter crash May 28, the military reported, making May the deadliest month of the year for U.S. troops in Iraq.
The American deaths raised the number of U.S. forces killed this month to at least 112, according to an Associated Press count assembled from U.S. military statements.
Eight of the soldiers were from Task Force Lightning — six killed when explosions hit near their vehicles and two in a helicopter crash. The military did not say if the helicopter was shot down or had mechanical problems.
Heidtman was a 2001 graduate of Norwich Free Academy and a graduate of the University of Connecticut.
His parents were notified May 29. He was the son of Kerry Heidtman and Maureen Robidoux. His stepfather is Art Robidoux. A phone message from The Associated Press was left at his family’s home.
“If you had to pick your son, this is who you would pick. He was handsome, he was bright,” Kerry Heidtman told The Day of New London.
Heidtman arrived in Iraq in December and was scheduled to come home for leave in July.
“We’re sending our finest, and we’re losing them,” Kerry Heidtman said.
Protesters a no-show at soldier’s funeral
The Associated Press
NORWICH, Conn. — Protesters who had threatened to disrupt the funeral of a Norwich soldier killed in Iraq were a no-show June 8.
Army 1st Lt. Keith Heidtman died May 28 when his helicopter was shot down. His funeral was at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
“In his 24 years, Keith accomplished more, gave more, made a greater impact on our world, than most do in many decades of life,” Connecticut Army National Guard State Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Kevin P. Cavanaugh said at the church. “Keith made a difference.”
A solemn ceremony at his grave featured a rifle salute, a flyover by two Connecticut National Guard Blackhawk helicopters and a flag-bearing tribute by dozens of supporters.
The threat of protests by a Kansas group called Westboro Baptist Church prompted legislators and Gov. M. Jodi Rell to work together this week to fast-track a bill limiting such demonstrations.
The same group from Kansas protested at an East Lyme military funeral last December. The group held signs that read “Thank God for IEDs” — improvised explosive devices — and “God is America’s Terror.” They claim that the deaths of American soldiers are punishment from God for the country’s tolerance of homosexuals.
Legislators passed the bill this week before the legislative session ended. Rell signed it June 6.
The Legislature had already passed a similar bill earlier in the session, but the law wouldn’t have taken effect until Oct. 1.
The legislation bars anyone from willfully making or assisting in making a noise or diversion that’s not part of any funeral, or intending to disturb the peace at any funeral, within the property line of a cemetery or house of worship, or within 150 feet of the intersection of the boundary and a roadway.
Though there were no Westboro protesters at the funeral, a group called the Patriot Guard Riders, members of the Waterford High School Drama Club and several other groups were on hand to support the troops.
John Coffindaffer, president of the Sikorsky Veterans Association, came from Oxford.
“We’re just here to offer our support for the lieutenant and his family,” said Coffindaffer, a retired Air Force helicopter pilot.
Heidtman was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Rell and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney were among the dignitaries who attended.
Army 1st Lt. Keith N. Heidtman was killed in action on 5/28/07.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Marine Lance Cpl. David P. Lindsey
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. David P. Lindsey, 20, of Spartanburg, S.C.
Cpl. Lindsey was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died May 25, 2007 from a nonhostile incident in the Anbar province, Iraq. His death is under investigation.
Family spoke to Marine just hours before his death
The Associated Press
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The family of Marine Lance Cpl. David Paul Lindsey said they spoke with him just hours before he died in Iraq.
“It’s wonderful we had that opportunity to talk to him last night because within the next 12 hours, he was dead,” Lindsey’s father Mike Bishop told the (Spartanburg) Herald-Journal on May 25.
The family could not be reached for comment May 26, but Kim Stroud, Lindsey’s godmother, said the 20-year-old Lindsey was killed sometime between 6 p.m. May 24 and 10 a.m. May 25, EDT.
Lindsey was not identified as a casualty on the Department of Defense Web site, but the agency typically waits several days before identifying those killed. The military reported that a Marine died May 25 of non-combat-related causes in Anbar province.
Stroud said the military told the family that Lindsey died from a gunshot wound to the head and may have been shot while on guard duty. His death is still being investigated.
Lindsey graduated from Spartanburg High School in 2005 and joined the Marines in October of that year. He had been stationed in Iraq as an infantryman with the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, since early January. He was scheduled to return home in August.
“He was proud to be a Marine and proud to serve,” said Bishop, who said he had served as a lieutenant colonel in the Army during the Vietnam War. “That’s what boys in this family have always wanted and always done.”
Stroud said Lindsey wanted to be like his father, grandfather and uncle and serve in the military. “David was just the most awesome kid,” Stroud said.
Lindsey’s sister Rachel Baxter told the Herald-Journal that a letter Lindsey wrote Jan. 30 after he had been in Iraq just 17 days painted a picture of who he was.
“We have been watching Flags of our Fathers,” Lindsey wrote. “It’s about the Marines on Iwo Jima and the flag-raising on top of the mountain. I tell you where the U.S. troops were outnumbered and had the disadvantage but still went face to face with danger and still took the objective; those men and women are true American heroes (like pops).
“I know Vietnam was bad but that didn’t stop Dad. And this is my promise to y’all. Iraq is bad, but it isn’t going to stop me (like father, like son.) I’m out here on the front lines so y’all can sleep in peace tonight.”
Lindsey was 6 years old when he went to live with the Bishops because his biological family was unable to take care of him, but Stroud said he was never officially adopted.
“It was a rough beginning,” Baxter told the newspaper. “He needed parents so badly the moment he walked in our home he started calling them Mom and Dad.”
The family ended their last phone call with Lindsey the way they always did.
“We say we love you but we also say ‘be there,’ as in ‘be in heaven,’ and he is there,” Lindsey’s 25-year-old sister Shawna Cowart said.
Marine Lance Cpl. David P. Lindsey was killed in action on 5/25/07.
Marine Lance Cpl. David P. Lindsey, 20, of Spartanburg, S.C.
Cpl. Lindsey was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died May 25, 2007 from a nonhostile incident in the Anbar province, Iraq. His death is under investigation.
Family spoke to Marine just hours before his death
The Associated Press
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The family of Marine Lance Cpl. David Paul Lindsey said they spoke with him just hours before he died in Iraq.
“It’s wonderful we had that opportunity to talk to him last night because within the next 12 hours, he was dead,” Lindsey’s father Mike Bishop told the (Spartanburg) Herald-Journal on May 25.
The family could not be reached for comment May 26, but Kim Stroud, Lindsey’s godmother, said the 20-year-old Lindsey was killed sometime between 6 p.m. May 24 and 10 a.m. May 25, EDT.
Lindsey was not identified as a casualty on the Department of Defense Web site, but the agency typically waits several days before identifying those killed. The military reported that a Marine died May 25 of non-combat-related causes in Anbar province.
Stroud said the military told the family that Lindsey died from a gunshot wound to the head and may have been shot while on guard duty. His death is still being investigated.
Lindsey graduated from Spartanburg High School in 2005 and joined the Marines in October of that year. He had been stationed in Iraq as an infantryman with the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, since early January. He was scheduled to return home in August.
“He was proud to be a Marine and proud to serve,” said Bishop, who said he had served as a lieutenant colonel in the Army during the Vietnam War. “That’s what boys in this family have always wanted and always done.”
Stroud said Lindsey wanted to be like his father, grandfather and uncle and serve in the military. “David was just the most awesome kid,” Stroud said.
Lindsey’s sister Rachel Baxter told the Herald-Journal that a letter Lindsey wrote Jan. 30 after he had been in Iraq just 17 days painted a picture of who he was.
“We have been watching Flags of our Fathers,” Lindsey wrote. “It’s about the Marines on Iwo Jima and the flag-raising on top of the mountain. I tell you where the U.S. troops were outnumbered and had the disadvantage but still went face to face with danger and still took the objective; those men and women are true American heroes (like pops).
“I know Vietnam was bad but that didn’t stop Dad. And this is my promise to y’all. Iraq is bad, but it isn’t going to stop me (like father, like son.) I’m out here on the front lines so y’all can sleep in peace tonight.”
Lindsey was 6 years old when he went to live with the Bishops because his biological family was unable to take care of him, but Stroud said he was never officially adopted.
“It was a rough beginning,” Baxter told the newspaper. “He needed parents so badly the moment he walked in our home he started calling them Mom and Dad.”
The family ended their last phone call with Lindsey the way they always did.
“We say we love you but we also say ‘be there,’ as in ‘be in heaven,’ and he is there,” Lindsey’s 25-year-old sister Shawna Cowart said.
Marine Lance Cpl. David P. Lindsey was killed in action on 5/25/07.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Army Staff Sgt. Russell K. Shoemaker
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Russell K. Shoemaker, 31, of Sweet Springs, Mo.
SSgt. Shoemaker was assigned to 1st Brigade Transition Team, and attached to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died May 24, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed was Sgt. 1st Class Robert E. Dunham.
KOMU -- SWEET SPRINGS - The death of a mid-Missouri soldier killed in Iraq hit home on Memorial Day.
Most of the people who live in the small town of Sweet Springs learned on Monday that one of their own was killed.
Staff Sergeant Russell K. Shoemaker of Sweet Springs and another soldier were killed on Thursday in Baghdad when the vehicle they were traveling in hit an improvised explosive device.
Shoemaker was 31 years old and was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas. He was married four years ago.
The news came as a shock to Shoemaker's father, who also served in the military.
"He was an American fighting soldier," Shoemaker said. "He lived the Army and the Army way. He always placed the mission first and never accepted defeat."
Originally, Shoemaker signed up for active duty, but transferred in order to spend more time with his family.
The Shoemakers now reside in Emma, but their former town of Sweet Springs is grieving just as well.
"This is another situation that again we know young men like them has made it better for all of us and it's quite a sacrifice," Sweet Springs resident Jerry Reid said. "We're grateful and again the Sweet Springs sommunity is, have their heart felt feelings go out to the Shoemaker family."
Shoemaker was an army reserve infantry-man and joined the army in 1995.
His family said he loved kids and went from active duty to the reserves to help start a family.
Army Staff Sgt. Russell K. Shoemaker was killed in action on 5/24/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Russell K. Shoemaker, 31, of Sweet Springs, Mo.
SSgt. Shoemaker was assigned to 1st Brigade Transition Team, and attached to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died May 24, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed was Sgt. 1st Class Robert E. Dunham.
KOMU -- SWEET SPRINGS - The death of a mid-Missouri soldier killed in Iraq hit home on Memorial Day.
Most of the people who live in the small town of Sweet Springs learned on Monday that one of their own was killed.
Staff Sergeant Russell K. Shoemaker of Sweet Springs and another soldier were killed on Thursday in Baghdad when the vehicle they were traveling in hit an improvised explosive device.
Shoemaker was 31 years old and was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas. He was married four years ago.
The news came as a shock to Shoemaker's father, who also served in the military.
"He was an American fighting soldier," Shoemaker said. "He lived the Army and the Army way. He always placed the mission first and never accepted defeat."
Originally, Shoemaker signed up for active duty, but transferred in order to spend more time with his family.
The Shoemakers now reside in Emma, but their former town of Sweet Springs is grieving just as well.
"This is another situation that again we know young men like them has made it better for all of us and it's quite a sacrifice," Sweet Springs resident Jerry Reid said. "We're grateful and again the Sweet Springs sommunity is, have their heart felt feelings go out to the Shoemaker family."
Shoemaker was an army reserve infantry-man and joined the army in 1995.
His family said he loved kids and went from active duty to the reserves to help start a family.
Army Staff Sgt. Russell K. Shoemaker was killed in action on 5/24/07.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert E. Dunham
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert E. Dunham, 36, of Baltimore
SFC Dunham was assigned to 1st Brigade Transition Team, and attached to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died May 24, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Russell K. Shoemaker.
Baltimore native, a former honor student, killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
BALTIMORE — Sgt. 1st Class Robert Dunham, who grew up in the Park Heights community in west Baltimore, was killed in Iraq when the Humvee he was riding was hit by an explosive device near Baghdad, his family said.
Dunham, 36, had been serving in Iraq since January, according to his brother, Charles Dunham of Parkville. He lived at Fort Gordon, Ga., with his wife and five children.
“I believe he really liked what he did,” Charles Dunham told The (Baltimore) Sun. “He loved to serve. He was a giving person, real loving, and the Army was good to his family.”
Sgt. Dunham had been concerned about the danger in Iraq, particularly after a truck in a convoy he was in recently was heavily damaged by an improvised explosive device, his brother said.
The Department of Defense had not publicly confirmed Dunham’s death May 25, but family members said they were notified May 24.
Dunham graduated in 1988 from Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School, where he studied industrial electronics, his brother said. He was an honors student who loved playing basketball in community leagues.
He joined the Army the same year he graduated and trained at Fort Dix, N.J., to work with communications equipment. He was stationed in Germany, Kansas and Arkansas before his family settled in Georgia.
He served in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm, in Bosnia and in Somalia and had received Special Forces training before his latest tour in Iraq, his brother said.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert E. Dunham was killed in action on 5/24/07.
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Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert E. Dunham, 36, of Baltimore
SFC Dunham was assigned to 1st Brigade Transition Team, and attached to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died May 24, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Russell K. Shoemaker.
Baltimore native, a former honor student, killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
BALTIMORE — Sgt. 1st Class Robert Dunham, who grew up in the Park Heights community in west Baltimore, was killed in Iraq when the Humvee he was riding was hit by an explosive device near Baghdad, his family said.
Dunham, 36, had been serving in Iraq since January, according to his brother, Charles Dunham of Parkville. He lived at Fort Gordon, Ga., with his wife and five children.
“I believe he really liked what he did,” Charles Dunham told The (Baltimore) Sun. “He loved to serve. He was a giving person, real loving, and the Army was good to his family.”
Sgt. Dunham had been concerned about the danger in Iraq, particularly after a truck in a convoy he was in recently was heavily damaged by an improvised explosive device, his brother said.
The Department of Defense had not publicly confirmed Dunham’s death May 25, but family members said they were notified May 24.
Dunham graduated in 1988 from Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School, where he studied industrial electronics, his brother said. He was an honors student who loved playing basketball in community leagues.
He joined the Army the same year he graduated and trained at Fort Dix, N.J., to work with communications equipment. He was stationed in Germany, Kansas and Arkansas before his family settled in Georgia.
He served in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm, in Bosnia and in Somalia and had received Special Forces training before his latest tour in Iraq, his brother said.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert E. Dunham was killed in action on 5/24/07.
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Army Pfc. Robert H. Dembowski
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Robert H. Dembowski, 20, of Ivyland, Pa.
Pfc. Dembowski was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 24 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small-arms fire.
N.C.-based paratrooper killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — An 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper died of injuries sustained from enemy small-arms fire during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, earlier this week, the Defense Department said May 25.
Spc. Robert Dembowski, Jr., 20, of Ivyland, Pa., was a company radio transmitter with 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division.
“Spc. Dembowski was a highly dedicated paratrooper,” said Capt. Aaron King, the rear detachment commander for Dembowki’s battalion. “He was dedicated not only to his profession but also in serving this great nation.”
Dembowski, who was killed May 24, joined the Army in January 2006. He completed infantry one station unit training and the basic airborne course at Fort Benning, Ga., in April 2006.
He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, when he arrived at the 82nd Airborne in May 2006.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart.
Dembowski is survived by his parents, Robert Sr. and Frances Dembowski, and his sister, Janice Dembowski, all of Ivyland, Pa.
Army Pfc. Robert H. Dembowski was killed in action on 5/24/07.
Army Pfc. Robert H. Dembowski, 20, of Ivyland, Pa.
Pfc. Dembowski was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 24 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small-arms fire.
N.C.-based paratrooper killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — An 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper died of injuries sustained from enemy small-arms fire during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq, earlier this week, the Defense Department said May 25.
Spc. Robert Dembowski, Jr., 20, of Ivyland, Pa., was a company radio transmitter with 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division.
“Spc. Dembowski was a highly dedicated paratrooper,” said Capt. Aaron King, the rear detachment commander for Dembowki’s battalion. “He was dedicated not only to his profession but also in serving this great nation.”
Dembowski, who was killed May 24, joined the Army in January 2006. He completed infantry one station unit training and the basic airborne course at Fort Benning, Ga., in April 2006.
He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, when he arrived at the 82nd Airborne in May 2006.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart.
Dembowski is survived by his parents, Robert Sr. and Frances Dembowski, and his sister, Janice Dembowski, all of Ivyland, Pa.
Army Pfc. Robert H. Dembowski was killed in action on 5/24/07.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Army Spc. Daniel P. Cagle
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Daniel P. Cagle, 22, of Carson, Calif.
Spc Cagle was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died May 23, 2007 in Balad, Iraq of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit in Ramadi. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Steve Butcher Jr.
Born on May 20, 1985 in Torrance, California, Daniel grew up in Del Aire, an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County near Hawthorne, California. He attended Juan De Anza Elementary and then Dana Middle School of the Wiseburn School District for K-8.
As a boy Daniel actively enjoyed school and sports – karate, roller hockey, skateboarding, and surfing.
Daniel loved to read and liked to watch the History and Discovery channels.
His favorite music included Sublime, Pennywise, Jonny Cash and anything with a good guitar lick.
Daniel loved his family and friends. Daniel lived and loved life.
Daniel enlisted in the US Army early November 2005 following a family tradition. He was assigned to A Company, 3-69 Armor Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia. He was deployed to the Al Anbar province in January 2007 where he took on the leadership responsibility of fire team lead in his squad. On May 23, 2007, Daniel was fatally wounded while conducting combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in Albu Obaid, Iraq.
SPC Daniel P. Cagle awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, and the Combat Infantry Badge.
http://www.danielcagle.com/index.html
Army Spc. Daniel P. Cagle was killed in action on 5/23/07.
Army Spc. Daniel P. Cagle, 22, of Carson, Calif.
Spc Cagle was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died May 23, 2007 in Balad, Iraq of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit in Ramadi. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Steve Butcher Jr.
Born on May 20, 1985 in Torrance, California, Daniel grew up in Del Aire, an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County near Hawthorne, California. He attended Juan De Anza Elementary and then Dana Middle School of the Wiseburn School District for K-8.
As a boy Daniel actively enjoyed school and sports – karate, roller hockey, skateboarding, and surfing.
Daniel loved to read and liked to watch the History and Discovery channels.
His favorite music included Sublime, Pennywise, Jonny Cash and anything with a good guitar lick.
Daniel loved his family and friends. Daniel lived and loved life.
Daniel enlisted in the US Army early November 2005 following a family tradition. He was assigned to A Company, 3-69 Armor Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia. He was deployed to the Al Anbar province in January 2007 where he took on the leadership responsibility of fire team lead in his squad. On May 23, 2007, Daniel was fatally wounded while conducting combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in Albu Obaid, Iraq.
SPC Daniel P. Cagle awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, and the Combat Infantry Badge.
http://www.danielcagle.com/index.html
Army Spc. Daniel P. Cagle was killed in action on 5/23/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Steve Butcher Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Steve Butcher Jr., 27, of Rochester, N.Y.
SSgt Butcher was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died May 23, 2007 of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit in Ramadi, Iraq. Also killed was Pfc. Daniel P. Cagle.
Rochester area soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A soldier from suburban Rochester was killed in Iraq after an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit, military officials said May 25.
Staff Sgt. Steve Butcher Jr., 27, of Penfield, N.Y. died May 23 in Ramadi.
He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
Butcher’s family and friends learned of his death May 23, according to Steve Butcher Sr.’s law firm. The soldier’s father declined to comment through his law firm.
Butcher was also survived by a six-year-old daughter.
He graduated from Penfield high school in 1997. He also attended Charles Finney School and McQuaid Jesuit High School.
Butcher’s sister, Angela told R-News that he prioritized his fellow soldiers.
“My brother wanted to do everything to ensure the safety of his men,” she said. “He felt personally responsible.”
Butcher last returned home for a visit in November, then returned for his third tour of duty in Iraq in January.
Army Staff Sgt. Steve Butcher Jr. was killed in action on 5/23/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Steve Butcher Jr., 27, of Rochester, N.Y.
SSgt Butcher was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died May 23, 2007 of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit in Ramadi, Iraq. Also killed was Pfc. Daniel P. Cagle.
Rochester area soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A soldier from suburban Rochester was killed in Iraq after an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit, military officials said May 25.
Staff Sgt. Steve Butcher Jr., 27, of Penfield, N.Y. died May 23 in Ramadi.
He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
Butcher’s family and friends learned of his death May 23, according to Steve Butcher Sr.’s law firm. The soldier’s father declined to comment through his law firm.
Butcher was also survived by a six-year-old daughter.
He graduated from Penfield high school in 1997. He also attended Charles Finney School and McQuaid Jesuit High School.
Butcher’s sister, Angela told R-News that he prioritized his fellow soldiers.
“My brother wanted to do everything to ensure the safety of his men,” she said. “He felt personally responsible.”
Butcher last returned home for a visit in November, then returned for his third tour of duty in Iraq in January.
Army Staff Sgt. Steve Butcher Jr. was killed in action on 5/23/07.
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