Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert W. Pharris, 48, of Seymour, Mo.
SFC Pharris was assigned to Missouri National Guard Agri-Business Development Team IV, Jefferson City, Mo.; died Jan. 5, 2011 of wounds suffered in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Army Spc. Christian J. Romig.
SEYMOUR, Mo. — Missouri National Guard officials say a soldier from Seymour, Missouri, has died in Afghanistan.
Sergeant First Class Robert Pharris was killed January 5 when he and some fellow soldiers were hit by a roadside bomb.
The 48-year-old was an agriculture specialist and the first casualty for the Missouri National Guard's Agri-Business Development Team. SFC Pharris helped teach Afghan farmers about growing crops other than poppies.
SFC Pharris was born in Mansfield. His father was a farmer and Marine who served in Korea and Vietnam. His grandfather was a farmer and World War II soldier. His great-grandfather was also a farmer and World War I soldier.
SFC Pharris was featured in a November, Military News article talking about his experience with the Afghan farmers:
"I see a chance here to really make a difference," SFC Pharris said. "It would be interesting to come back here in ten years and see a farmer with his crops, a green valley here again, and to have someone tell them they learned that from an Afghan who was taught by an American. How cool would that be?"
The November article can be found at www.moguard.com/Pharrisreunion.php.
Staff Sgt. Robert Pharris, 48, was serving in Afghanistan at the same time that his son, Benjamin, a Marine, was also there. Robert Pharris had previously served as an infantryman, drill sergeant and recruiter. He rejoined the Missouri Army National Guard in 2008.
"I surprised my son by having him show up at my re-enlistment ceremony," Pharris said last year in an interview with a military reporter. "He had no idea I was re-enlisting."
Benjamin Pharris declined to comment Saturday. Other family members and friends could not be reached.
Cpl. Benjamin Pharris recounts one of his childhood memories solidifying his decision to join, "When my mom received an award on the parade field, I knew that I would serve. The only question that was left unanswered for quite some time was which service I would join." Cpl. Pharris enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2007 after completing high school early.
Pamala Pharris, as wife and mom, maintains their Missouri household and tends to the family farm, where they raise sheep and South African Boer goats.
"She's very supportive and she's the queen when it comes to sending care packages," said Cpl. Benjamin Pharris.
Robert Pharris was raised in Mansfield. His father, grandfather and great-grandfather also served in the military and farmed.
Col. Michael Fortune, the commander of the agri-business development team Pharris was in, said in a news release from National Guard that Pharris had embraced the Afghan people.
"He drank tea with the Afghans daily and constantly strived to learn more about their language and culture," Fortune said. "While his death is a tragic loss, we must remember that he lived well and he died doing what he loved to do.
Spec. Christian Romig, 24, of Kenner, La., was also killed in the attack. He was from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) of Fort Campbell, Ky.
The mission of the agri-business team was to help improve agriculture. Pharris was the team's expert on sheep and goats.
Pharris told a military reporter last year that his farm in Seymour is a 36-acre plot on which sheep and goats graze. He said the team was trying to convince farmers to adopt more effective farming techniques such as using drip irrigation.
"You have to understand that these people are still using farming methods from the Middle Ages," Pharris said.
"That is because their whole lives depend on what they grow, and these are the methods used by their fathers, their father's fathers, and so on. If the new methods do not work, they will starve."
ADT Commander Col. Michael Fortune called Pharris the most energetic and enthusiastic soldier he'd ever met and was in many ways the perfect soldier.
"Among his many great qualities, he was passionate about his work, tenacious and always ready to take on a new challenge," said Fortune in a statement to news media. "He was an infantryman to the core, but at the same time he truly cared for and looked after his fellow Soldiers."
Sgt. 1st Class Pharris is the first member of one of Missouri’s Agri-business Development Teams to be killed in action. The group in Afghanistan now is the fourth team the Missouri Guard has sent to help Afghanistan’s farmers develop a more modern agricultural economy.
"Even as the Missouri National Guard's Agri-business Development Teams have led the way in helping the Afghan people become self-sustaining, as highly-trained soldiers and airmen they also have courageously faced the ever-present danger there," said Gov. Jay Nixon in the news release. "Sgt. 1st Class Pharris was part of this vital mission, and we greatly mourn the loss of this brave citizen-soldier."
“The loss of Sgt. 1st Class Pharris is a loss felt across the entire Missouri National Guard Family,” said Maj. Gen. Stephen L. Danner, adjutant general for the Missouri National Guard. “Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”
ADT IV has been mobilized since June 2010, with a mission to train and empower local agriculture extension agents; hire local laborers; work with the Director of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock to provide outreach programs and communicate with the villages; and emplace processes, procedures and controls to ensure gains in agricultural productivity can be sustained once the Agri-business Development Team mission is complete. Pharris served as a small ruminants (sheep and goat) expert on the team.
Pharris first enlisted in the Army in 1981, and later in the Army National Guard. Pharris had more than 14 years of service in a variety of assignments. Primarily serving as an infantryman, he has also served as a drill sergeant and recruiter. After leaving military service in 1997 and experiencing an 11-year break, he re-joined the Missouri Army National Guard in 2008 after he learned that an infantry unit was being formed.
Pharris deployed as a staff sergeant and was posthumously promoted to sergeant first class.
His military awards include: Army Achievement Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal, 3rd Award; Army of Occupation Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Mobilization Device; Non-commissioned Officer Proficiency Development Ribbon; Army Service Ribbon Overseas Service Ribbon 2nd Award; Air Assault Badge and Missouri Expeditionary Ribbon.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert W. Pharris was killed in action on 1/05/11.
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Army Spc. Christian J. Romig
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Christian J. Romig, 24, of Kenner, La.
Spc. Romig was assigned to 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Jan. 5, 2011 of wounds suffered in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert W. Pharris.
Army Spc. Christian J. Romig, 24, of Kenner, was killed in Afghanistan with another soldier Wednesday when insurgents attacked their unit with an IED, or improvised explosive device, the Department of Defense reported Saturday.
The department said Romig and Sgt. 1st Class Robert Pharris, 48, of Seymour, Mo., died from wounds suffered in Nangarhar Province.
Christian Romig joined the Army in May 2008, enlisting for three years, said his sister, Gabrielle Romig. She said his family last saw him when he visited in August, and he planned to visit again at the end of this month.
He was assigned to 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), in Fort Campbell, Ky.
Sgt. 1st Class Pharris was assigned to the Missouri National Guard Agri-Business Development Team IV based in Jefferson City, Mo.
A 2005 Grace King High School graduate, Chris Romig had loved “everything Army” since he was little, his sister said.
She said he was on the wrestling team in high school, and his little brother Phillip was following in his footsteps. “He was really looking forward to seeing Phillip take state” championship honors, Gabrielle Romig said.
His sister said Romig always wanted to make people laugh.
“One time Chris answered the door for the pizza man in his wrestling singlet that was way too small,” she said. “He made sure to do stretches and lunges in front of the poor guy before taking the pizza and handing the guy the money that he had stored in the singlet, God only knows where.”
In Afghanistan, Spc. Romig was a cavalry scout and worked as a gunner on ground vehicles, she said.
When she last spoke to him on the phone, “he was very proud to serve the Army, but he was ready to come home for a visit,” she said.
Spc. Romig won an Army achievement medal in Korea last year and recently won a combat action badge after coming under enemy fire in Afghanistan, Gabrielle Romig said.
Gabrielle said her parents were not able to make any statements about their loss at this time.
FRANKFORT, Ky.– Gov. Steve Beshear today recognized the sacrifice of a Fort Campbell soldier who died while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
According to the Department of Defense, Spc. Christian J. Romig, 24, of Kenner, La. died Jan. 5 of wounds suffered at Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Army Spc. Christian J. Romig was killed in action on 1/05/11.
Army Spc. Christian J. Romig, 24, of Kenner, La.
Spc. Romig was assigned to 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Jan. 5, 2011 of wounds suffered in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert W. Pharris.
Army Spc. Christian J. Romig, 24, of Kenner, was killed in Afghanistan with another soldier Wednesday when insurgents attacked their unit with an IED, or improvised explosive device, the Department of Defense reported Saturday.
The department said Romig and Sgt. 1st Class Robert Pharris, 48, of Seymour, Mo., died from wounds suffered in Nangarhar Province.
Christian Romig joined the Army in May 2008, enlisting for three years, said his sister, Gabrielle Romig. She said his family last saw him when he visited in August, and he planned to visit again at the end of this month.
He was assigned to 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), in Fort Campbell, Ky.
Sgt. 1st Class Pharris was assigned to the Missouri National Guard Agri-Business Development Team IV based in Jefferson City, Mo.
A 2005 Grace King High School graduate, Chris Romig had loved “everything Army” since he was little, his sister said.
She said he was on the wrestling team in high school, and his little brother Phillip was following in his footsteps. “He was really looking forward to seeing Phillip take state” championship honors, Gabrielle Romig said.
His sister said Romig always wanted to make people laugh.
“One time Chris answered the door for the pizza man in his wrestling singlet that was way too small,” she said. “He made sure to do stretches and lunges in front of the poor guy before taking the pizza and handing the guy the money that he had stored in the singlet, God only knows where.”
In Afghanistan, Spc. Romig was a cavalry scout and worked as a gunner on ground vehicles, she said.
When she last spoke to him on the phone, “he was very proud to serve the Army, but he was ready to come home for a visit,” she said.
Spc. Romig won an Army achievement medal in Korea last year and recently won a combat action badge after coming under enemy fire in Afghanistan, Gabrielle Romig said.
Gabrielle said her parents were not able to make any statements about their loss at this time.
FRANKFORT, Ky.– Gov. Steve Beshear today recognized the sacrifice of a Fort Campbell soldier who died while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
According to the Department of Defense, Spc. Christian J. Romig, 24, of Kenner, La. died Jan. 5 of wounds suffered at Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Army Spc. Christian J. Romig was killed in action on 1/05/11.
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Marine Cpl. Jacob A. Tate
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Cpl. Jacob A. Tate, 21, of Columbus, Ohio
Cpl. Tate was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Jan. 2, 2011 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Cpl. Jacob A. Tate enjoyed the challenge of being a Marine, but to those who knew him it's a picture of him in Iraq, smiling and holding a puppy, that captures his fun-loving spirit.
Tate, 21, of the North Side, died Sunday along with another Marine from Hagerstown, Md., while conducting combat operations in southern Afghanistan. They were based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., and assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division of the II Marine Expeditionary Force.
Ben Peer and Jeff Frisch are both North Side residents who knew Tate since they went to Columbus' Alpine Elementary School together. "We were in Pee Wee soccer at the Y together," said Peer, 22. "He was very vibrant. Always smiling and always cracking jokes."
Frisch, 21, said he remembers going to Tate's house to play computer games. Frisch said they'd shoot targets with pellet guns in his backyard. "He was into hunting with Dad," Frisch said. "Honestly, I don't know of anyone who couldn't get along with him."
At the start of his junior year, Tate transferred to Gahanna Christian Academy from Northland High School. There was a period of adjustment to a school with a few more rules, said Paul Hartje, an English teacher at Gahanna Christian. "He was just so buoyant," Hartje said.
Tate soon became popular at the school and a committed Christian, Hartje said. He played soccer, baseball and basketball.
During his senior year, Tate decided to enlist in the Marine Corps. Peer said he thought that Tate's ultimate goal was a law-enforcement career. "He always pushed himself real hard," Peer said.
Hartje said that there was no hesitation with Tate's commitment to the Marines.
"I think that he saw the value of the Marines," Hartje said. "He saw the discipline. It gave him a sense of purpose to defend the country. He saw the strength of brotherhood." As an adopted child, Tate had a "sense of family that was genuine," Hartje said.
The life of a Marine agreed with Tate. He already had been to Iraq before returning for his second overseas tour in Afghanistan this past summer.
There were times that Tate would return to Gahanna Christian and talk with students about life in the Marine Corps.
One time when Tate returned to the school, he met Hartje's wife, Karen, who thought she couldn't greet him because he was in full dress uniform. She said, "Oh my goodness, I can't give you a hug." Mr. Hartje recalls Tate replying, "That's really why I came to see you" - then he hugged her.
Tate leaves behind a wife, Amy, in North Carolina, and an infant son he'd never met. Friends say the child is about 3 months old. Tate was the son of James and Janice Tate.
Marine Cpl. Jacob A. Tate was killed in action on 1/02/11.
Marine Cpl. Jacob A. Tate, 21, of Columbus, Ohio
Cpl. Tate was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Jan. 2, 2011 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Cpl. Jacob A. Tate enjoyed the challenge of being a Marine, but to those who knew him it's a picture of him in Iraq, smiling and holding a puppy, that captures his fun-loving spirit.
Tate, 21, of the North Side, died Sunday along with another Marine from Hagerstown, Md., while conducting combat operations in southern Afghanistan. They were based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., and assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division of the II Marine Expeditionary Force.
Ben Peer and Jeff Frisch are both North Side residents who knew Tate since they went to Columbus' Alpine Elementary School together. "We were in Pee Wee soccer at the Y together," said Peer, 22. "He was very vibrant. Always smiling and always cracking jokes."
Frisch, 21, said he remembers going to Tate's house to play computer games. Frisch said they'd shoot targets with pellet guns in his backyard. "He was into hunting with Dad," Frisch said. "Honestly, I don't know of anyone who couldn't get along with him."
At the start of his junior year, Tate transferred to Gahanna Christian Academy from Northland High School. There was a period of adjustment to a school with a few more rules, said Paul Hartje, an English teacher at Gahanna Christian. "He was just so buoyant," Hartje said.
Tate soon became popular at the school and a committed Christian, Hartje said. He played soccer, baseball and basketball.
During his senior year, Tate decided to enlist in the Marine Corps. Peer said he thought that Tate's ultimate goal was a law-enforcement career. "He always pushed himself real hard," Peer said.
Hartje said that there was no hesitation with Tate's commitment to the Marines.
"I think that he saw the value of the Marines," Hartje said. "He saw the discipline. It gave him a sense of purpose to defend the country. He saw the strength of brotherhood." As an adopted child, Tate had a "sense of family that was genuine," Hartje said.
The life of a Marine agreed with Tate. He already had been to Iraq before returning for his second overseas tour in Afghanistan this past summer.
There were times that Tate would return to Gahanna Christian and talk with students about life in the Marine Corps.
One time when Tate returned to the school, he met Hartje's wife, Karen, who thought she couldn't greet him because he was in full dress uniform. She said, "Oh my goodness, I can't give you a hug." Mr. Hartje recalls Tate replying, "That's really why I came to see you" - then he hugged her.
Tate leaves behind a wife, Amy, in North Carolina, and an infant son he'd never met. Friends say the child is about 3 months old. Tate was the son of James and Janice Tate.
Marine Cpl. Jacob A. Tate was killed in action on 1/02/11.
Army Sgt. Jose M. Cintron Rosado
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Jose M. Cintron Rosado, 38, of Vega Alta, Puerto Rico
Sgt. Rosado was assigned to the 1013th Engineer (Sapper) Company of the Puerto Rico Army National Guard, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico; died Jan. 2, 2011 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Spc. Jose A. Delgado Arroyo.
Army Sgt. Jose M. Cintron Rosado was killed in action on 1/02/11.
Army Sgt. Jose M. Cintron Rosado, 38, of Vega Alta, Puerto Rico
Sgt. Rosado was assigned to the 1013th Engineer (Sapper) Company of the Puerto Rico Army National Guard, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico; died Jan. 2, 2011 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Spc. Jose A. Delgado Arroyo.
Army Sgt. Jose M. Cintron Rosado was killed in action on 1/02/11.
Army Spc. Jose A. Delgado Arroyo
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Jose A. Delgado Arroy, 41, of San Juan, Puerto Rico
Spc. Delgado Arroyo was assigned to the 1013th Engineer (Sapper) Company of the Puerto Rico Army National Guard, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico; died Jan. 2, 2011 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Sgt. Jose M. Cintron Rosado.
Army Spc. Jose A. Delgado Arroy was killed in action on 1/02/11.
Army Spc. Jose A. Delgado Arroy, 41, of San Juan, Puerto Rico
Spc. Delgado Arroyo was assigned to the 1013th Engineer (Sapper) Company of the Puerto Rico Army National Guard, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico; died Jan. 2, 2011 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Sgt. Jose M. Cintron Rosado.
Army Spc. Jose A. Delgado Arroy was killed in action on 1/02/11.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Marine Lance Cpl. Maung P. Htaik
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Maung P. Htaik, 20, of Hagerstown, Md.
LCpl Htaik was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Jan. 1, 2011 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
"From my understanding from talking to him, I see that he was inspired by the Marines to be brave and strong," Dan Yar wrote of his brother Tuesday in an e-mail. "I am more than sure that he did want to serve his country."
"He has never spoken of being afraid of death and was very quiet and calm," Yar wrote in the e-mail. "There are a lot of things, but I just want to say he was brave, real brave.
Yar said his brother was very quiet, and that he liked to play games on the computer and enjoyed drawing.
Htaik joined the Marines in February 2009, his brother said. He was promoted to lance corporal April 1, 2010, and deployed to Afghanistan in July, the Marine Corps said.
Htaik's family left Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, in 1998, and moved to Singapore, Yar said. The family came to the United States in 2002 because their father wanted them to be able to get a better education, Yar said. Htaik was a naturalized United States citizen, Yar said.
"He was interested in the military. I'm not sure why he chose the Marines," Grace Priest, the registrar at Smithsburg High School, said Tuesday. He was a student aide in the school's guidance office during his senior year, she said.
"He was a quiet young man. A nice young man," Priest said. "He would do anything you asked him to do," she said.
Htaik, who was known as Sam at school, transferred to Smithsburg from Frederick County during the second semester of his sophomore year, Priest said.
Htaik made the distinguished honor roll in his senior year at Smithsburg, according to Herald-Mail archives.
Among the photos Yar provided of his brother was one of Htaik shaking hands with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Htaik met Giuliani when the USS New York, an amphibious transport, was commissioned, Yar said.
Htaik's Marine Corps decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Marine Corps said.
His body was returned to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Monday, the Department of Defense said.
He was a young man who went to high school in Maryland and later took the trouble to get in touch with one of his teachers to let her know that things were going well.
A few months ago, the young man, Maung P. Htaik, sent an e-mail to Diana Price, who taught him world history. In it, he told her that he was a Marine and that he was going to Afghanistan.
Lance Cpl. Htaik, 20, of Hagerstown, Md., was killed Saturday while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, the Defense Department said.
"He was a nice kid," Price, his teacher at Smithsburg High School, said Monday night. "A delightful young man."
Other staff members at the high school in Washington County, near the Pennsylvania border, also remembered him as quiet, easygoing and well behaved, not one to call attention to himself.
People cited his good nature. At school, they recalled, his last name proved difficult for some to pronounce (like "tie"). When Price struggled with the name, she said, "he always just laughed at me." She said he told her: "Mrs. Price, just give up and call me Sam."
He was known at Smithsburg as Sam. "He was fine with that," said Grace Priest, secretary and registrar at Smithsburg.
One of his academic interests was psychology, Priest said. He was in an honors psychology class in his senior year, she said.
As he finished up at Smithsburg, he told school counselor Deborah Donoghue that he did not feel ready to go off to college. She said she tried to steer him toward the Air Force, in which she had served.
At school, he was interested in activities such as weight training, but he did not fit the image of the typical Marine, Donoghue said. But, she said, that was the branch of the service that he wanted.
His family had emigrated from Southeast Asia, she recalled, and "I just felt he wanted to do something to give back to this country."
Funeral services will be Saturday at Frederick Christian Fellowship Church, 10142 Hansonville Road, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the viewing from 10 to 11 a.m., Yar said. The family would like Htaik to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, but has not yet received burial information from the Department of Defense.
Like his parents, Hla and Florie Shwe of Hagerstown, Htaik was a devout Christian, his brother said. Htaik attended Gateway Ministries in Williamsport, Yar said.
Marine Lance Cpl. Maung P. Htaik was killed in action on 1/01/11.
Marine Lance Cpl. Maung P. Htaik, 20, of Hagerstown, Md.
LCpl Htaik was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Jan. 1, 2011 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
"From my understanding from talking to him, I see that he was inspired by the Marines to be brave and strong," Dan Yar wrote of his brother Tuesday in an e-mail. "I am more than sure that he did want to serve his country."
"He has never spoken of being afraid of death and was very quiet and calm," Yar wrote in the e-mail. "There are a lot of things, but I just want to say he was brave, real brave.
Yar said his brother was very quiet, and that he liked to play games on the computer and enjoyed drawing.
Htaik joined the Marines in February 2009, his brother said. He was promoted to lance corporal April 1, 2010, and deployed to Afghanistan in July, the Marine Corps said.
Htaik's family left Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, in 1998, and moved to Singapore, Yar said. The family came to the United States in 2002 because their father wanted them to be able to get a better education, Yar said. Htaik was a naturalized United States citizen, Yar said.
"He was interested in the military. I'm not sure why he chose the Marines," Grace Priest, the registrar at Smithsburg High School, said Tuesday. He was a student aide in the school's guidance office during his senior year, she said.
"He was a quiet young man. A nice young man," Priest said. "He would do anything you asked him to do," she said.
Htaik, who was known as Sam at school, transferred to Smithsburg from Frederick County during the second semester of his sophomore year, Priest said.
Htaik made the distinguished honor roll in his senior year at Smithsburg, according to Herald-Mail archives.
Among the photos Yar provided of his brother was one of Htaik shaking hands with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Htaik met Giuliani when the USS New York, an amphibious transport, was commissioned, Yar said.
Htaik's Marine Corps decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Marine Corps said.
His body was returned to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Monday, the Department of Defense said.
He was a young man who went to high school in Maryland and later took the trouble to get in touch with one of his teachers to let her know that things were going well.
A few months ago, the young man, Maung P. Htaik, sent an e-mail to Diana Price, who taught him world history. In it, he told her that he was a Marine and that he was going to Afghanistan.
Lance Cpl. Htaik, 20, of Hagerstown, Md., was killed Saturday while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, the Defense Department said.
"He was a nice kid," Price, his teacher at Smithsburg High School, said Monday night. "A delightful young man."
Other staff members at the high school in Washington County, near the Pennsylvania border, also remembered him as quiet, easygoing and well behaved, not one to call attention to himself.
People cited his good nature. At school, they recalled, his last name proved difficult for some to pronounce (like "tie"). When Price struggled with the name, she said, "he always just laughed at me." She said he told her: "Mrs. Price, just give up and call me Sam."
He was known at Smithsburg as Sam. "He was fine with that," said Grace Priest, secretary and registrar at Smithsburg.
One of his academic interests was psychology, Priest said. He was in an honors psychology class in his senior year, she said.
As he finished up at Smithsburg, he told school counselor Deborah Donoghue that he did not feel ready to go off to college. She said she tried to steer him toward the Air Force, in which she had served.
At school, he was interested in activities such as weight training, but he did not fit the image of the typical Marine, Donoghue said. But, she said, that was the branch of the service that he wanted.
His family had emigrated from Southeast Asia, she recalled, and "I just felt he wanted to do something to give back to this country."
Funeral services will be Saturday at Frederick Christian Fellowship Church, 10142 Hansonville Road, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the viewing from 10 to 11 a.m., Yar said. The family would like Htaik to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, but has not yet received burial information from the Department of Defense.
Like his parents, Hla and Florie Shwe of Hagerstown, Htaik was a devout Christian, his brother said. Htaik attended Gateway Ministries in Williamsport, Yar said.
Marine Lance Cpl. Maung P. Htaik was killed in action on 1/01/11.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Army Sgt. Michael J. Beckerman
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Michael J. Beckerman, 25, of Genevieve, Mo.
Sgt. Beckerman was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 31, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
Beckerman arrived at Fort Campbell in January last year and was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Support Troop Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.
"He was the type of person that you could look up to and respect. He loved his family. He loved his daughter. He loved his wife," said Rosie Weisbrod, a family friend. "He loved life," added her husband, Dan. "He lived it to its fullest."
Relatives tell NewsChannel 5 Sgt. Beckerman enlisted in the National Guard at age 18 after graduating from high school in Ste. Genevieve. He spent two years in the National Guard before enlisting in the Army.
Sgt. Beckerman completed tours of duty in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He was an explosives ordinance disposal specialist. Family says he loved his work and took great pride in his duties.
Beckerman joined the Army in September 2004. He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon and the Combat Action Badge.
He is survived by his wife, Spc Margaretta A. Beckerman and daughter, Brianna J. Beckerman of Tennessee and his parents Lisa and Steve Beckerman of Missouri.
Army Sgt. Michael J. Beckerman was killed in action on 12/31/10.
Army Sgt. Michael J. Beckerman, 25, of Genevieve, Mo.
Sgt. Beckerman was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 31, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
Beckerman arrived at Fort Campbell in January last year and was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Support Troop Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.
"He was the type of person that you could look up to and respect. He loved his family. He loved his daughter. He loved his wife," said Rosie Weisbrod, a family friend. "He loved life," added her husband, Dan. "He lived it to its fullest."
Relatives tell NewsChannel 5 Sgt. Beckerman enlisted in the National Guard at age 18 after graduating from high school in Ste. Genevieve. He spent two years in the National Guard before enlisting in the Army.
Sgt. Beckerman completed tours of duty in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He was an explosives ordinance disposal specialist. Family says he loved his work and took great pride in his duties.
Beckerman joined the Army in September 2004. He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon and the Combat Action Badge.
He is survived by his wife, Spc Margaretta A. Beckerman and daughter, Brianna J. Beckerman of Tennessee and his parents Lisa and Steve Beckerman of Missouri.
Army Sgt. Michael J. Beckerman was killed in action on 12/31/10.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
WO1 William J. "Billy/Cooter" McCotter
Remember Our Heroes
This was posted on September 30, 2010:
I received a call from Fort Rucker today with some news that kicked me in the gut. I don't know WO1 McCotter but the Soldier who called me does. Billy is a stand up guy and REALLY needs our prayers right now. Turn it on and turn it up folks!
Billy is my brother. He's 25. A newly-awarded black hawk pilot in the army. He just finished flight school in Alabama, and is on leave until mid-October, when he is supposed to report to Hawaii. He's been visiting friends, and had plans to stop and see several of you. As we all know, sometimes life doesn't go according to plans.
There are many details in this story. I will give the basics now, and share more in future posts.
Billy (or Cooter, as many of you know him), just spent the past weekend in the Florida Keys with friends. He was losing his appetite, and his stomach was hurting more and more.
Tyler and Melissa Haines went with him to the ER on Monday. They found lots of fluid in his abdomen, some sort of mass, and a bunch of "nodules." He had a CAT scan on Monday. They drained 2 liters of fluid from his abdomen on Tuesday, and did another CAT scan. They say a bunch of masses in the CAT scan, but weren't sure what all that meant because of the fluid. On Wednesday, they did an endoscopy. During all this time, he was on pain meds, and the frequency started increasing. But the pain meds are harsh, and they made him throw up. He's been throwing up since Monday night.
Billy was diagnosed with poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma on Thursday morning. In basic terms, that means stomach cancer. It's in stage IV (highly advanced). The doctors say it's incurable and inoperable. It's too big and too far spread to get it out.
This was posted today, December 28, 2010 (The blog can be found at http://billy-cooter-mccotter.blogspot.com/2010)
I still wake up some mornings and wonder how all of this could be happening. It still doesn't seem real.
Billy has been gone for just over 24 hours, and I still can't believe it. I miss him like crazy, and I can't imagine life without him! The whole journey seems too short...
Just after Billy was diagnosed on September 23, they told us that he probably had a year to live. A year! It seemed so short. None of us imagined we'd have even less time with him.
The past week or so was incredibly difficult for Billy. His pain level rose; breathing got more difficult; and Billy started to sleep a lot more as the doctors increased his pain medication. It was difficult to watch him struggle.
It feels premature to have to tell you all that Billy passed away the night after Christmas. I'd rather tell you other stories--like the story of Buddy's reunion with Billy, or Christmas Eve night as some of the family hung around Billy beside his bed. Those stories are rich and full. But Billy is gone now, and life feels a lot more empty. I miss my brother more than words could ever say.
On the day after Christmas, I woke up late. We had been up late the night before, and I hadn't slept through the night since Buddy had arrived on Christmas Eve. (He's my new room mate, and he likes to take charge of the bed real estate sometimes.) Also, I was just plain tired.
Around mid-day, I called my mom to check in on how Billy was doing. "Things seemed to change this morning," she said. "Billy started having trouble breathing, and he seems different now." I wasn't sure what different meant, but there was an urgency in her voice. "If I were you, I'd get over here as soon as possible." So I got off the phone and contacted my siblings. One by one, as soon as we were ready, we headed over to the hospital.
As we passed by the nurses' station on the way to Billy's room, the nurses were quieter than usual. It seemed like something was wrong.
When I got to Billy's room, I knew that something was different. His blood pressure was slowly dropping; he had a fever; and his breathing was strained. Instead of the oxygen tube, he had an oxygen mask. His eyes were open, but I don't know how alert he was. He wasn't really able to say anything.
As a family, we stayed by Billy's side all day. Our nurse--Ellie--was amazing. She watched Billy closely and attended to everything we needed. Billy's doctor--Dr. Klotz--was full of empathy. He did everything in his power to make Billy feel the best he possibly could. But Dr. Klotz and Ellie both knew that sometimes their all is not enough. Ellie frequently asked how I was doing; she knew it was tearing me apart inside. Dr. Klotz knew it was hard, and he was somehow both honest and compassionate as he shared his thoughts. The morning after Christmas, Dr. Klotz told Billy that God might be taking him home a bit sooner than he had expected, and he told us as a family that it would probably happen in the next 12-24 hours. For the rest of the day, family stayed by Billy's side.
As evening came, we called Sam--one of the army nurses who had become a family friend. Sam wasn't working that day, but he had asked that we call him if anything changed. Soon after we called him, he joined us around Billy's bed. Just after 7pm, the nurses changed shifts, and Roxanne--another amazing nurse--joined us. It wasn't until after 8pm, well after the shift change, that Ellie (the daytime nurse) left. It was an emotional goodbye. I think it's hard for nurses to care for patients well without their hearts becoming attached.
We took turns around Billy's bed. Occasionally, he'd make a sound, as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn't seem to form the words. We took turns holding his hand; once in a while, he'd give us a squeeze, and we'd squeeze back. It was the only way we knew to love him--to be there and to tell him how much we loved him. Knowing the time was short, we told him the remaining things we wanted to say.
Just after 9pm, his pulse started to drop. It had been just over 100bpm for much of the afternoon and evening. It quickly dropped to 90bpm, and then dropped even lower. Roxanne couldn't get the blood pressure machine to register, so she took his blood pressure manually. That, too, was falling.
His breathing became slower--more labored, less frequent. I knew it was coming. Time to let go. There was not a dry eye in the room. I'm not sure any of us could really believe it was happening. We had been told this day would come--and it seemed like it was coming much too soon.
Around 9:30, the doctors came in. As they turned to my mom, my heart broke. "I'm sorry for you loss," the doctor said. We had known it was coming, but her statement felt so final. They checked Billy's eyes and closed them. "Time of death," she said, "was 9:35pm." She turned again to us. "I'm so sorry. You may stay as long as you need." And she left the room. It came so soon. So suddenly. Too fast.
For now, I'll just say that Buddy did arrive in time, and the reunion between Buddy and Billy was one of the best Christmas gifts Billy could have received. I'll share the story of that reunion soon.
We also shared one more Christmas together as a family. It was a tough day for Billy--but we spent it with him. I have know doubt that he knew he was dearly and deeply loved.
Thank you to all of you for your gifts, cards, support, hugs, phone calls, text messages, prayers, jokes, wisdom, encouragement, and friendship. You mean a lot to us, and our lives are richer for having known you. We are honored that so many would join us on this difficult journey.
This was posted on September 30, 2010:
I received a call from Fort Rucker today with some news that kicked me in the gut. I don't know WO1 McCotter but the Soldier who called me does. Billy is a stand up guy and REALLY needs our prayers right now. Turn it on and turn it up folks!
Billy is my brother. He's 25. A newly-awarded black hawk pilot in the army. He just finished flight school in Alabama, and is on leave until mid-October, when he is supposed to report to Hawaii. He's been visiting friends, and had plans to stop and see several of you. As we all know, sometimes life doesn't go according to plans.
There are many details in this story. I will give the basics now, and share more in future posts.
Billy (or Cooter, as many of you know him), just spent the past weekend in the Florida Keys with friends. He was losing his appetite, and his stomach was hurting more and more.
Tyler and Melissa Haines went with him to the ER on Monday. They found lots of fluid in his abdomen, some sort of mass, and a bunch of "nodules." He had a CAT scan on Monday. They drained 2 liters of fluid from his abdomen on Tuesday, and did another CAT scan. They say a bunch of masses in the CAT scan, but weren't sure what all that meant because of the fluid. On Wednesday, they did an endoscopy. During all this time, he was on pain meds, and the frequency started increasing. But the pain meds are harsh, and they made him throw up. He's been throwing up since Monday night.
Billy was diagnosed with poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma on Thursday morning. In basic terms, that means stomach cancer. It's in stage IV (highly advanced). The doctors say it's incurable and inoperable. It's too big and too far spread to get it out.
This was posted today, December 28, 2010 (The blog can be found at http://billy-cooter-mccotter.blogspot.com/2010)
I still wake up some mornings and wonder how all of this could be happening. It still doesn't seem real.
Billy has been gone for just over 24 hours, and I still can't believe it. I miss him like crazy, and I can't imagine life without him! The whole journey seems too short...
Just after Billy was diagnosed on September 23, they told us that he probably had a year to live. A year! It seemed so short. None of us imagined we'd have even less time with him.
The past week or so was incredibly difficult for Billy. His pain level rose; breathing got more difficult; and Billy started to sleep a lot more as the doctors increased his pain medication. It was difficult to watch him struggle.
It feels premature to have to tell you all that Billy passed away the night after Christmas. I'd rather tell you other stories--like the story of Buddy's reunion with Billy, or Christmas Eve night as some of the family hung around Billy beside his bed. Those stories are rich and full. But Billy is gone now, and life feels a lot more empty. I miss my brother more than words could ever say.
On the day after Christmas, I woke up late. We had been up late the night before, and I hadn't slept through the night since Buddy had arrived on Christmas Eve. (He's my new room mate, and he likes to take charge of the bed real estate sometimes.) Also, I was just plain tired.
Around mid-day, I called my mom to check in on how Billy was doing. "Things seemed to change this morning," she said. "Billy started having trouble breathing, and he seems different now." I wasn't sure what different meant, but there was an urgency in her voice. "If I were you, I'd get over here as soon as possible." So I got off the phone and contacted my siblings. One by one, as soon as we were ready, we headed over to the hospital.
As we passed by the nurses' station on the way to Billy's room, the nurses were quieter than usual. It seemed like something was wrong.
When I got to Billy's room, I knew that something was different. His blood pressure was slowly dropping; he had a fever; and his breathing was strained. Instead of the oxygen tube, he had an oxygen mask. His eyes were open, but I don't know how alert he was. He wasn't really able to say anything.
As a family, we stayed by Billy's side all day. Our nurse--Ellie--was amazing. She watched Billy closely and attended to everything we needed. Billy's doctor--Dr. Klotz--was full of empathy. He did everything in his power to make Billy feel the best he possibly could. But Dr. Klotz and Ellie both knew that sometimes their all is not enough. Ellie frequently asked how I was doing; she knew it was tearing me apart inside. Dr. Klotz knew it was hard, and he was somehow both honest and compassionate as he shared his thoughts. The morning after Christmas, Dr. Klotz told Billy that God might be taking him home a bit sooner than he had expected, and he told us as a family that it would probably happen in the next 12-24 hours. For the rest of the day, family stayed by Billy's side.
As evening came, we called Sam--one of the army nurses who had become a family friend. Sam wasn't working that day, but he had asked that we call him if anything changed. Soon after we called him, he joined us around Billy's bed. Just after 7pm, the nurses changed shifts, and Roxanne--another amazing nurse--joined us. It wasn't until after 8pm, well after the shift change, that Ellie (the daytime nurse) left. It was an emotional goodbye. I think it's hard for nurses to care for patients well without their hearts becoming attached.
We took turns around Billy's bed. Occasionally, he'd make a sound, as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn't seem to form the words. We took turns holding his hand; once in a while, he'd give us a squeeze, and we'd squeeze back. It was the only way we knew to love him--to be there and to tell him how much we loved him. Knowing the time was short, we told him the remaining things we wanted to say.
Just after 9pm, his pulse started to drop. It had been just over 100bpm for much of the afternoon and evening. It quickly dropped to 90bpm, and then dropped even lower. Roxanne couldn't get the blood pressure machine to register, so she took his blood pressure manually. That, too, was falling.
His breathing became slower--more labored, less frequent. I knew it was coming. Time to let go. There was not a dry eye in the room. I'm not sure any of us could really believe it was happening. We had been told this day would come--and it seemed like it was coming much too soon.
Around 9:30, the doctors came in. As they turned to my mom, my heart broke. "I'm sorry for you loss," the doctor said. We had known it was coming, but her statement felt so final. They checked Billy's eyes and closed them. "Time of death," she said, "was 9:35pm." She turned again to us. "I'm so sorry. You may stay as long as you need." And she left the room. It came so soon. So suddenly. Too fast.
For now, I'll just say that Buddy did arrive in time, and the reunion between Buddy and Billy was one of the best Christmas gifts Billy could have received. I'll share the story of that reunion soon.
We also shared one more Christmas together as a family. It was a tough day for Billy--but we spent it with him. I have know doubt that he knew he was dearly and deeply loved.
Thank you to all of you for your gifts, cards, support, hugs, phone calls, text messages, prayers, jokes, wisdom, encouragement, and friendship. You mean a lot to us, and our lives are richer for having known you. We are honored that so many would join us on this difficult journey.
Marine Cpl. Tevan L. Nguyen
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Cpl. Tevan L. Nguyen, 21, of Hutto, Texas
Cpl. Nguyen was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Dec. 28, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.
The sign in the Hutto living room of the parents of Marine Cpl. Tevan L. Nguyen says "Welcome Home." It was hung there to celebrate when he finished his stint in the Marines in 2012, said Nguyen's girlfriend, Monique Stearns, who was sitting in the room Thursday holding the couple's 3-month-old son in her arms.
"He had an uncle he had looked up to who was in the Army, and he wanted to follow in his footsteps," said Mona Rivera, Nguyen's cousin, who was at the Nguyen home Thursday with her mother, Amparo Garcia, and Stearns.
Nguyen's parents, Tam and Amy Nguyen, had gone to Pennsylvania to identify their son's body and bring him back to Texas to be buried in a Brownwood cemetery near the grave of his grandmother, Lucia Salazar, Rivera said.
Stearns said Nguyen last saw their son, Tevan Nguyen Jr., when the baby was 9 days old in September. She last talked to Nguyen on Monday, when he said he was going out on patrol, Stearns said. He never talked to her about the war but always asked how his son was doing, she said. The couple met when they were both students at Hutto High School, Stearns said.
"You could never be mad at him," she said. "He always made you smile."
Nguyen ran track and was a member of the Hutto football team that reached the state championship in 2005 . His room at his parents' house is filled with sports medals. "He didn't drink, he never smoked, and he believed in prayer," Rivera said. Nguyen had a lot of courage and never thought anything could beat him, Rivera said.
"He used to call himself a ninja because he was part Asian and could do karate," Stearns said. Nguyen had wanted to go to school and work on cars when he got out of the Marines, she said.
He won several personal service awards, including the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, a spokesman for the Marines said Thursday.
Because Nguyen was based in California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement Wednesday about Nguyen's death:
"Corporal Tevan Nguyen was a brave Marine who gave his life in service to our country. Maria and I were deeply saddened to learn of his death, and we will forever be grateful for his sacrifice.
"On behalf of all Californians, we extend our sympathies to Tevan's friends and family during this difficult time. In honor of Cpl. Nguyen, Capitol flags will be flown at half-staff."
Marine Cpl. Tevan L. Nguyen was killed in action on 12/28/10.
Marine Cpl. Tevan L. Nguyen, 21, of Hutto, Texas
Cpl. Nguyen was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Dec. 28, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.
The sign in the Hutto living room of the parents of Marine Cpl. Tevan L. Nguyen says "Welcome Home." It was hung there to celebrate when he finished his stint in the Marines in 2012, said Nguyen's girlfriend, Monique Stearns, who was sitting in the room Thursday holding the couple's 3-month-old son in her arms.
"He had an uncle he had looked up to who was in the Army, and he wanted to follow in his footsteps," said Mona Rivera, Nguyen's cousin, who was at the Nguyen home Thursday with her mother, Amparo Garcia, and Stearns.
Nguyen's parents, Tam and Amy Nguyen, had gone to Pennsylvania to identify their son's body and bring him back to Texas to be buried in a Brownwood cemetery near the grave of his grandmother, Lucia Salazar, Rivera said.
Stearns said Nguyen last saw their son, Tevan Nguyen Jr., when the baby was 9 days old in September. She last talked to Nguyen on Monday, when he said he was going out on patrol, Stearns said. He never talked to her about the war but always asked how his son was doing, she said. The couple met when they were both students at Hutto High School, Stearns said.
"You could never be mad at him," she said. "He always made you smile."
Nguyen ran track and was a member of the Hutto football team that reached the state championship in 2005 . His room at his parents' house is filled with sports medals. "He didn't drink, he never smoked, and he believed in prayer," Rivera said. Nguyen had a lot of courage and never thought anything could beat him, Rivera said.
"He used to call himself a ninja because he was part Asian and could do karate," Stearns said. Nguyen had wanted to go to school and work on cars when he got out of the Marines, she said.
He won several personal service awards, including the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, a spokesman for the Marines said Thursday.
Because Nguyen was based in California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement Wednesday about Nguyen's death:
"Corporal Tevan Nguyen was a brave Marine who gave his life in service to our country. Maria and I were deeply saddened to learn of his death, and we will forever be grateful for his sacrifice.
"On behalf of all Californians, we extend our sympathies to Tevan's friends and family during this difficult time. In honor of Cpl. Nguyen, Capitol flags will be flown at half-staff."
Marine Cpl. Tevan L. Nguyen was killed in action on 12/28/10.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Marine Sgt. Garrett A. Misener
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Sgt. Garrett A. Misener, 25, of Cordova, Tenn.
Sgt. Misener was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Dec. 27, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.
Marine remembered by donating teddy bears for kids
Cindy Wolff
The Commercial Appeal via AP
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Marine Sgt. Garrett Misener came home under a sun so bright people squinted to see him.
If the measure of a man is counted after he dies, more than 125 friends and family members came to Wilson Air Center on Sunday to watch his flag-draped casket be lowered from the plane.
Six Marines marched 57 steps on the tarmac to claim him.
More than 50 American flags flicked in the wind, held by a motorcycle group called the Patriot Guard Riders.
The 25-year-old sergeant was killed early on Dec. 27 in Afghanistan, mortally wounded by an improvised explosive device. He survived five tours of duty: one in Africa, one on a ship in the Caribbean and three in Iraq. His funeral was held Monday.
“He felt like God called him to be in the military,” said his mother, Janne Zaccagnino. “It was important to him to serve his country.”
His mother sent him care packages about once a month. Socks, Little Debbie brownies, magazines, batteries, anything he needed was shipped thousands of miles away.
“The food he misses the most was Taco Bell,” Zaccagnino said.
He was flown to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
At Dover, his body was washed clean, embalmed and gently dressed in his finest uniform. The military typically sends their dead home ready to be buried. Bringing him to Memphis was the next step.
His best friend, Greg Luce, escorted Misener's body home. The two were baptized on the same day. They grew up down the street from each other in Cordova.
Misener’s mother sat on the front row of chairs placed just inside a hangar.
It helped the family and friends stay warm in the 40-degree temperature and 5-mph wind. Most wore winter coats over skirts, slacks and blue jeans. There’s no manual that tells what is appropriate attire to watch a Marine’s casket be taken from a plane and placed in a hearse.
His mother clutched a teddy bear.
“It started with GarBear,” his mother said, a nickname that rhymes with Care Bears, which were popular then. “Later we just called him Bear.”
The family asked that instead of flowers at the funeral people bring new teddy bears to be given to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. More information can be found on “Operation Bear Hug” on Facebook.
The family also suggested donations to the Gallaway Mission House.
Misner’s family watched the Marines march his casket to the hearse. Several of them walked to the casket. They clutched each other and cried. They moved away. The hearse driver strapped in the casket and closed the door.
After the funeral, Misener’s body was to be taken to Belen, N.M., for another service with relatives on his father’s side, with burial in a family plot next to his favorite uncle.
Marine Sgt. Garrett A. Misener was killed in action on 12/27/10.
Marine Sgt. Garrett A. Misener, 25, of Cordova, Tenn.
Sgt. Misener was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Dec. 27, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.
Marine remembered by donating teddy bears for kids
Cindy Wolff
The Commercial Appeal via AP
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Marine Sgt. Garrett Misener came home under a sun so bright people squinted to see him.
If the measure of a man is counted after he dies, more than 125 friends and family members came to Wilson Air Center on Sunday to watch his flag-draped casket be lowered from the plane.
Six Marines marched 57 steps on the tarmac to claim him.
More than 50 American flags flicked in the wind, held by a motorcycle group called the Patriot Guard Riders.
The 25-year-old sergeant was killed early on Dec. 27 in Afghanistan, mortally wounded by an improvised explosive device. He survived five tours of duty: one in Africa, one on a ship in the Caribbean and three in Iraq. His funeral was held Monday.
“He felt like God called him to be in the military,” said his mother, Janne Zaccagnino. “It was important to him to serve his country.”
His mother sent him care packages about once a month. Socks, Little Debbie brownies, magazines, batteries, anything he needed was shipped thousands of miles away.
“The food he misses the most was Taco Bell,” Zaccagnino said.
He was flown to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
At Dover, his body was washed clean, embalmed and gently dressed in his finest uniform. The military typically sends their dead home ready to be buried. Bringing him to Memphis was the next step.
His best friend, Greg Luce, escorted Misener's body home. The two were baptized on the same day. They grew up down the street from each other in Cordova.
Misener’s mother sat on the front row of chairs placed just inside a hangar.
It helped the family and friends stay warm in the 40-degree temperature and 5-mph wind. Most wore winter coats over skirts, slacks and blue jeans. There’s no manual that tells what is appropriate attire to watch a Marine’s casket be taken from a plane and placed in a hearse.
His mother clutched a teddy bear.
“It started with GarBear,” his mother said, a nickname that rhymes with Care Bears, which were popular then. “Later we just called him Bear.”
The family asked that instead of flowers at the funeral people bring new teddy bears to be given to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. More information can be found on “Operation Bear Hug” on Facebook.
The family also suggested donations to the Gallaway Mission House.
Misner’s family watched the Marines march his casket to the hearse. Several of them walked to the casket. They clutched each other and cried. They moved away. The hearse driver strapped in the casket and closed the door.
After the funeral, Misener’s body was to be taken to Belen, N.M., for another service with relatives on his father’s side, with burial in a family plot next to his favorite uncle.
Marine Sgt. Garrett A. Misener was killed in action on 12/27/10.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Marine Lance Cpl. Kenneth A. Corzine
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Kenneth A. Corzine, 23, of Bethalto, Ill.
LCpl. Corzine was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Dec. 24, 2010 of wounds sustained Dec. 5 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
December 15, 2010
Marine Lance Cpl. Kenny Corzine, who lost both legs last week in an IED explosion while serving in Afghanistan, returned to the United States and is in good spirits, his family says. "Kenny is in as good a shape as can be expected," said Jim Corzine of Roxana, Kenny's uncle. "He is pretty upbeat and has been making jokes."
Kenny Corzine, who had been serving overseas in Afghanistan for the last several months, was part of a nine-man patrol, consisting of eight soldiers and one medic, when an IED explosion on Dec. 5 abruptly changed his life.
"From what I understand, the patrol came under fire and took cover behind a rock," Jim Corzine said. "When they did, (insurgents) detonated the IED. I believe four in his unit were KIA (killed in action), and three others are in very serious condition, with one soldier losing his face.
"I am very grateful to the medic that was with them; he kept the Marines alive who were not killed. The medics that serve are amazing people."
Kenny was transported to a U.S. military hospital in Germany to recover. Along with losing both legs, his arm also was "degloved," or stripped of tissue. Jim Corzine says the latest update on the arm is a good one, and doctors are confident they will be able to save it. Last Thursday, Kenny was transported from Germany to Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. Most of his family from the local area, including his father, Kenny, his mother, Carla, his grandmother, Sharon, and Jim Corzine flew to Maryland to be by his side and show their support.
"I will be here through this week," Jim said. "I have to be home Friday to pick up my son, Blake. He does not know yet about Kenny." Blake Corzine, who grew up with Kenny, currently is in basic training for infantry in the U.S. Army at Fort Benning, Ga. Kenny's brother, Nick Corzine, also is a Marine and has flown to Maryland, as well, to be by his brother's side.
Betty Davis of Hartford, Kenny's grandmother, was not able to travel to Maryland but expressed her love and concern for her grandson. "He is a wonderful young man, as is his brother, Nick," Davis said. "We are grateful he is doing well. I got to spend some time with him before he left for Afghanistan. He had less than a year to go before his out date."
Davis said both of Kenny's parents, Kenny Corzine and Carla Corzine, have been in touch and are working together to support Kenny. "They are both glad to be able to be there for him," Davis said.
Kenny Corzine, 23, grew up in Bethalto and graduated from Civic Memorial High School. Wanting to be a Marine since he was a child, he left for boot camp in 2007 at the age of 20. He also has a 3-year-old daughter, Macy, with his girlfriend, Precious Hart.
The Patriot Guard already has contacted the family and plans to escort Kenny home to Bethalto from the hospital when he is released, a date that is unclear at this point. "We really want to express our gratitude to the Marine Corps, as well as the Patriot Guard, during this trying time for our family," Jim Corzine said.
December 27, 20101
A Metro East family is feeling the painful impact of the war in Afghanistan first hand. Marine Lance Corporal Kenny Corzine, 23, from Bethalto has died. Corzine had been hospitalized after losing both of his legs in an IED attack on December 5.
Corzine was on a walking patrol with other marines early on a Sunday morning when an IED went off. He lost both of his legs and suffered a serious arm injury. Corzine's uncle, Jim Corzine, says Kenny wanted to be a Marine ever since he was a kid.
We first told you about this big military family on December 7. Three other family members besides Kenny are currently serving. Jim's home in Roxanna is all about that military commitment. There are military pictures everywhere, a flag out front that's currently at half staff for Kenny and a space Jim calls the war room. It's a room Jim built for military members who need a place to stay or just relax.
After Kenny was injured, Jim showed us a picture of Kenny outside his home next to a sign asking for prayers. "I've never experienced anything harder than this in my life. And I've been through the ringer both as a police officer and as a father. I've seen about everything that can be done and I've never, ever experienced a hit like this."
Kenny's grandmother, Sharon Collins, added with tears in her eyes, "I have to believe that he's going to make it. I love him with all my heart."
Jim has a message for whoever attacked his nephew: "Our colors still fly. We will never strike our colors and we will never run." Along with the rest of his family, Kenny also has a three-year-old daughter who he and his girlfriend had together. Corzine was being treated at a hospital in Germany.
Marine Lance Cpl. Kenneth A. Corzine was killed in action on 12/24/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Kenneth A. Corzine, 23, of Bethalto, Ill.
LCpl. Corzine was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Dec. 24, 2010 of wounds sustained Dec. 5 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
December 15, 2010
Marine Lance Cpl. Kenny Corzine, who lost both legs last week in an IED explosion while serving in Afghanistan, returned to the United States and is in good spirits, his family says. "Kenny is in as good a shape as can be expected," said Jim Corzine of Roxana, Kenny's uncle. "He is pretty upbeat and has been making jokes."
Kenny Corzine, who had been serving overseas in Afghanistan for the last several months, was part of a nine-man patrol, consisting of eight soldiers and one medic, when an IED explosion on Dec. 5 abruptly changed his life.
"From what I understand, the patrol came under fire and took cover behind a rock," Jim Corzine said. "When they did, (insurgents) detonated the IED. I believe four in his unit were KIA (killed in action), and three others are in very serious condition, with one soldier losing his face.
"I am very grateful to the medic that was with them; he kept the Marines alive who were not killed. The medics that serve are amazing people."
Kenny was transported to a U.S. military hospital in Germany to recover. Along with losing both legs, his arm also was "degloved," or stripped of tissue. Jim Corzine says the latest update on the arm is a good one, and doctors are confident they will be able to save it. Last Thursday, Kenny was transported from Germany to Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. Most of his family from the local area, including his father, Kenny, his mother, Carla, his grandmother, Sharon, and Jim Corzine flew to Maryland to be by his side and show their support.
"I will be here through this week," Jim said. "I have to be home Friday to pick up my son, Blake. He does not know yet about Kenny." Blake Corzine, who grew up with Kenny, currently is in basic training for infantry in the U.S. Army at Fort Benning, Ga. Kenny's brother, Nick Corzine, also is a Marine and has flown to Maryland, as well, to be by his brother's side.
Betty Davis of Hartford, Kenny's grandmother, was not able to travel to Maryland but expressed her love and concern for her grandson. "He is a wonderful young man, as is his brother, Nick," Davis said. "We are grateful he is doing well. I got to spend some time with him before he left for Afghanistan. He had less than a year to go before his out date."
Davis said both of Kenny's parents, Kenny Corzine and Carla Corzine, have been in touch and are working together to support Kenny. "They are both glad to be able to be there for him," Davis said.
Kenny Corzine, 23, grew up in Bethalto and graduated from Civic Memorial High School. Wanting to be a Marine since he was a child, he left for boot camp in 2007 at the age of 20. He also has a 3-year-old daughter, Macy, with his girlfriend, Precious Hart.
The Patriot Guard already has contacted the family and plans to escort Kenny home to Bethalto from the hospital when he is released, a date that is unclear at this point. "We really want to express our gratitude to the Marine Corps, as well as the Patriot Guard, during this trying time for our family," Jim Corzine said.
December 27, 20101
A Metro East family is feeling the painful impact of the war in Afghanistan first hand. Marine Lance Corporal Kenny Corzine, 23, from Bethalto has died. Corzine had been hospitalized after losing both of his legs in an IED attack on December 5.
Corzine was on a walking patrol with other marines early on a Sunday morning when an IED went off. He lost both of his legs and suffered a serious arm injury. Corzine's uncle, Jim Corzine, says Kenny wanted to be a Marine ever since he was a kid.
We first told you about this big military family on December 7. Three other family members besides Kenny are currently serving. Jim's home in Roxanna is all about that military commitment. There are military pictures everywhere, a flag out front that's currently at half staff for Kenny and a space Jim calls the war room. It's a room Jim built for military members who need a place to stay or just relax.
After Kenny was injured, Jim showed us a picture of Kenny outside his home next to a sign asking for prayers. "I've never experienced anything harder than this in my life. And I've been through the ringer both as a police officer and as a father. I've seen about everything that can be done and I've never, ever experienced a hit like this."
Kenny's grandmother, Sharon Collins, added with tears in her eyes, "I have to believe that he's going to make it. I love him with all my heart."
Jim has a message for whoever attacked his nephew: "Our colors still fly. We will never strike our colors and we will never run." Along with the rest of his family, Kenny also has a three-year-old daughter who he and his girlfriend had together. Corzine was being treated at a hospital in Germany.
Marine Lance Cpl. Kenneth A. Corzine was killed in action on 12/24/10.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Marine Lance Cpl. William H. Crouse IV
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. William H. Crouse IV, 22, of Woodruff, S.C.
LCpl Crouse was assigned to 1st Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Dec. 21, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
A Fort Wayne marine died Tuesday in Afghanistan. Lance Corporal William “Billy” Crouse was 22. His family tells NewsChannel 15 that Crouse and his bomb-sniffing dog were patrolling in Afghanistan when they were hit by an improvised explosive device.
"He put himself in harm's way to save others, at least that's what we've been told. We're waiting on 100% confirmation on that," said Jennifer Chaffee, Crouse's sister. She said as he was being airlifted from the scene, he suffered a fatal heart attack. It was Crouse's first tour of duty and he had been in Afghanistan just six weeks.
"He wanted to make a difference and this was way his way of doing that," said Chaffee. "And without him being here - he can't speak for himself - it's our job to say, 'freedom isn't free.' It comes at a huge price and this is that price."
Crouse grew up in Angola and Fort Wayne and played football at Northrop High School before moving to South Carolina.
"He was a phenomenal human being," said longtime family friend Cindi Baker. "Billy loved life. Billy loved being a marine. Billy loved being proud to serve in the military so that we all could be free. He will always be my hero."
Though it's a sad time, Chaffee said their family is trying to remember to celebrate Crouse's life. "He constantly had a smile on his face. He wanted to make everybody happy. He was proud to be a marine."
As the holidays approach, the news of his death is still sinking in. "It's not real. You hope you're gonna wake up and and someone's gonna say, "It's a huge mistake, we found something we thought was his and we assume it was him.' But the more things that come in, the more it cements in your mind that this is real and it's time to deal with it," Chaffee said.
Cindi Baker, who's known Crouse since the day he was born, hopes his death serves as a reminder for all Americans. "We want to celebrate his life and let the people out there know that all these people overseas - at this time of year and all throughout the year - they're there to make a difference for us here in the United States."
Marine Lance Cpl. William H. Crouse IV was killed in action on 12/21/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. William H. Crouse IV, 22, of Woodruff, S.C.
LCpl Crouse was assigned to 1st Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Dec. 21, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
A Fort Wayne marine died Tuesday in Afghanistan. Lance Corporal William “Billy” Crouse was 22. His family tells NewsChannel 15 that Crouse and his bomb-sniffing dog were patrolling in Afghanistan when they were hit by an improvised explosive device.
"He put himself in harm's way to save others, at least that's what we've been told. We're waiting on 100% confirmation on that," said Jennifer Chaffee, Crouse's sister. She said as he was being airlifted from the scene, he suffered a fatal heart attack. It was Crouse's first tour of duty and he had been in Afghanistan just six weeks.
"He wanted to make a difference and this was way his way of doing that," said Chaffee. "And without him being here - he can't speak for himself - it's our job to say, 'freedom isn't free.' It comes at a huge price and this is that price."
Crouse grew up in Angola and Fort Wayne and played football at Northrop High School before moving to South Carolina.
"He was a phenomenal human being," said longtime family friend Cindi Baker. "Billy loved life. Billy loved being a marine. Billy loved being proud to serve in the military so that we all could be free. He will always be my hero."
Though it's a sad time, Chaffee said their family is trying to remember to celebrate Crouse's life. "He constantly had a smile on his face. He wanted to make everybody happy. He was proud to be a marine."
As the holidays approach, the news of his death is still sinking in. "It's not real. You hope you're gonna wake up and and someone's gonna say, "It's a huge mistake, we found something we thought was his and we assume it was him.' But the more things that come in, the more it cements in your mind that this is real and it's time to deal with it," Chaffee said.
Cindi Baker, who's known Crouse since the day he was born, hopes his death serves as a reminder for all Americans. "We want to celebrate his life and let the people out there know that all these people overseas - at this time of year and all throughout the year - they're there to make a difference for us here in the United States."
Marine Lance Cpl. William H. Crouse IV was killed in action on 12/21/10.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Army Pfc. Conrado D. Javier Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Conrado D. Javier Jr., 19, of Marina, Calif.
Pfc Javier was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany; died Dec. 19, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
A 19-year-old soldier from Marina died during the weekend in Afghanistan after his vehicle was attacked with an improvised explosive device used by the enemy, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
Pfc. Conrado D. Javier Jr., a 2009 graduate of Seaside High School, suffered fatal injuries in the Sunday attack in Kandahar province. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment in Vilseck, Germany.
"I still can't believe it," said Javier's 29-year-old sister, Araceli, in the doorway of the family's home on Crescent Avenue, where a car in the driveway carried a black and gold Army bumper sticker.
Javier, who was one of eight children, yearned to be in the military since he was 5 years old, his sister said.
At Seaside High, Javier was active in the ROTC program, was a member of the drill team and frequently volunteered to attend funerals and other occasions with the team, she said.
"He was real loyal and real compassionate," his sister said. Javier's parents, Julia and Conrado, traveled to Maryland to accompany their son's body home from Dover Air Force Base, she said. The family received word of his death Sunday and was still reeling, she said.
"We've had a rosary for him every night with close family members. We pray for him," his sister said.
Javier grew up in Seaside and longed to become an Army officer and an attorney, she said.
She said their mother told them that military service was part of the family's Mexican heritage, but she worried about Javier joining the service.
Her brother joined the Army months after graduating from high school. He came home on leave at Thanksgiving before deploying to Afghanistan, she said.
His parents worked as farmworkers when the family was younger, then shifted to hospitality industry jobs.
His father has been working at the Navy Lodge in Monterey for the past year after losing a job in the 2009 closure of Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley.
Ron Rickow, general manager at the Navy Lodge, recalled seeing the young soldier at Thanksgiving. "He was all excited about joining the Army and seeing the world," Rickow said.
His father is a popular member of the lodge staff, and news of his son's death was greeted somberly. "I didn't sleep too well last night," Rickow said. "We are like a family here."
Rickow said within an hour after he received the go-ahead, employees pooled their leave time to assure Javier's father that he won't lose any pay "until he's ready to return."
Javier is the fifth Monterey County service member to die in the nine-year war in Afghanistan known as Operation Enduring Freedom. Last week, a funeral was held at Fort Ord for Staff Sgt. Vincent Ashlock of Seaside, who died Dec. 4 in a non-combat incident in Afghanistan's Khost province.
Javier "just wanted to serve his country," his sister said, recalling how he loved the Fourth of July and fireworks.
After his Thanksgiving leave, she said, her brother "left happy" bound for Afghanistan, saying he would be back next summer for a family trip to Mexico.
Army Pfc. Conrado D. Javier Jr. was killed in action on 12/19/10.
Army Pfc. Conrado D. Javier Jr., 19, of Marina, Calif.
Pfc Javier was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany; died Dec. 19, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
A 19-year-old soldier from Marina died during the weekend in Afghanistan after his vehicle was attacked with an improvised explosive device used by the enemy, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
Pfc. Conrado D. Javier Jr., a 2009 graduate of Seaside High School, suffered fatal injuries in the Sunday attack in Kandahar province. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment in Vilseck, Germany.
"I still can't believe it," said Javier's 29-year-old sister, Araceli, in the doorway of the family's home on Crescent Avenue, where a car in the driveway carried a black and gold Army bumper sticker.
Javier, who was one of eight children, yearned to be in the military since he was 5 years old, his sister said.
At Seaside High, Javier was active in the ROTC program, was a member of the drill team and frequently volunteered to attend funerals and other occasions with the team, she said.
"He was real loyal and real compassionate," his sister said. Javier's parents, Julia and Conrado, traveled to Maryland to accompany their son's body home from Dover Air Force Base, she said. The family received word of his death Sunday and was still reeling, she said.
"We've had a rosary for him every night with close family members. We pray for him," his sister said.
Javier grew up in Seaside and longed to become an Army officer and an attorney, she said.
She said their mother told them that military service was part of the family's Mexican heritage, but she worried about Javier joining the service.
Her brother joined the Army months after graduating from high school. He came home on leave at Thanksgiving before deploying to Afghanistan, she said.
His parents worked as farmworkers when the family was younger, then shifted to hospitality industry jobs.
His father has been working at the Navy Lodge in Monterey for the past year after losing a job in the 2009 closure of Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley.
Ron Rickow, general manager at the Navy Lodge, recalled seeing the young soldier at Thanksgiving. "He was all excited about joining the Army and seeing the world," Rickow said.
His father is a popular member of the lodge staff, and news of his son's death was greeted somberly. "I didn't sleep too well last night," Rickow said. "We are like a family here."
Rickow said within an hour after he received the go-ahead, employees pooled their leave time to assure Javier's father that he won't lose any pay "until he's ready to return."
Javier is the fifth Monterey County service member to die in the nine-year war in Afghanistan known as Operation Enduring Freedom. Last week, a funeral was held at Fort Ord for Staff Sgt. Vincent Ashlock of Seaside, who died Dec. 4 in a non-combat incident in Afghanistan's Khost province.
Javier "just wanted to serve his country," his sister said, recalling how he loved the Fourth of July and fireworks.
After his Thanksgiving leave, she said, her brother "left happy" bound for Afghanistan, saying he would be back next summer for a family trip to Mexico.
Army Pfc. Conrado D. Javier Jr. was killed in action on 12/19/10.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Marine Cpl. Eric M. Torbert Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Cpl. Eric M. Torbert Jr., 25, of Lancaster, Pa.
Cpl Torbert was assigned to the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Dec. 18, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
A local Marine has died in Afghanistan. Cpl. Eric Torbert, 25, a 2003 graduate of Penn Manor High School, is the fallen Marine. Circumstances of his death were not immediately available.
Torbert was married in June to Marcelle Torbert. The couple lived in Vista California, near where he was stationed. Torbert's body was scheduled to be returned to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, according to a press release from the base.
Torbert, a combat engineer, left for Afghanistan in November, according to his Facebook page. "Heading to the other side of the world for a bit. ... Alright so I'll be back in a couple months, 7-10 maybe," he wrote.
Then in a post from early this month, he wrote, "I'm going to be out for a while. A bit long than last time, which was shorter than expected.
"I send my love to my friends and family."
Torbert's Facebook profile photo showed a different side: playing an electric guitar, with hair below his shoulders, sporting a denim vest with a Metallica patch and a Black Sabbath T-shirt.
On Sunday, his father posted an update to the death announcement: "I pray to God those of you with loved ones serving in the armed forces never see the Black GMC Cargo Van pull to the front of your home with 2 uniformed officers exiting the vehicle, knowing as they approach the front door what it is they are about to say."
Torbert's awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.
Phil Gale, the Penn Manor principal, said the school sent out an e-mail about Torbert's death this morning. Torbert's sister graduated last year and his brother is still a student at Penn Manor.
Gale said Torbert enlisted in the Marines soon after high school, and had an inclination for military service.
Marine Cpl. Eric M. Torbert Jr. was killed in action on 12/18/10.
Marine Cpl. Eric M. Torbert Jr., 25, of Lancaster, Pa.
Cpl Torbert was assigned to the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Dec. 18, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
A local Marine has died in Afghanistan. Cpl. Eric Torbert, 25, a 2003 graduate of Penn Manor High School, is the fallen Marine. Circumstances of his death were not immediately available.
Torbert was married in June to Marcelle Torbert. The couple lived in Vista California, near where he was stationed. Torbert's body was scheduled to be returned to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, according to a press release from the base.
Torbert, a combat engineer, left for Afghanistan in November, according to his Facebook page. "Heading to the other side of the world for a bit. ... Alright so I'll be back in a couple months, 7-10 maybe," he wrote.
Then in a post from early this month, he wrote, "I'm going to be out for a while. A bit long than last time, which was shorter than expected.
"I send my love to my friends and family."
Torbert's Facebook profile photo showed a different side: playing an electric guitar, with hair below his shoulders, sporting a denim vest with a Metallica patch and a Black Sabbath T-shirt.
On Sunday, his father posted an update to the death announcement: "I pray to God those of you with loved ones serving in the armed forces never see the Black GMC Cargo Van pull to the front of your home with 2 uniformed officers exiting the vehicle, knowing as they approach the front door what it is they are about to say."
Torbert's awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.
Phil Gale, the Penn Manor principal, said the school sent out an e-mail about Torbert's death this morning. Torbert's sister graduated last year and his brother is still a student at Penn Manor.
Gale said Torbert enlisted in the Marines soon after high school, and had an inclination for military service.
Marine Cpl. Eric M. Torbert Jr. was killed in action on 12/18/10.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Army Sgt. Eric C. Newman
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Eric C. Newman, 30, of Waynesboro, Miss.
Sgt Newman was assigned to 1st Squadron, 38th Cavalry Regiment, 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Oct. 14, 2010 in Akatzai Kalay, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.
‘The family will never recover from this loss’
By Therese Apel
The (Jackson, Miss.) Clarion-Ledger
WAYNESBORO, Miss. — They knew he was willing to die for his country, but the news of Sgt. Eric C. Newman’s death in Afghanistan still brought shock and sadness to his southeast Mississippi hometown of Waynesboro.
He was the third Mississippi soldier to die in Afghanistan since Sept. 20 and the 70th overall in the wars there and in Iraq.
“I thought the world of him. It hit me, it floored me,” Waynesboro Mayor Joe Taylor said. “I couldn’t believe what they were telling me when they said he’d gotten killed.”
Newman, 30, assigned to 1st Squadron, 38th Cavalry Regiment, 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C., died Oct. 14 in Akatzai Kalay, Afghanistan, of wounds he suffered when insurgents attacked his unit. He was on his second tour of duty, friends of the family said.
The people of Waynesboro, population 5,500, remember Newman as brave and laid-back. They said he wasn’t a big man, but he had a big heart, a positive attitude and good character.
“He was an outstanding individual,” Waynesboro Police Chief James Bunch said. “And it doesn’t surprise me at all that he would sacrifice himself for his country.”
Bunch said Newman worked for the Police Department several years ago before transitioning to the military.
“I know the family will never recover from this loss,” Bunch said, “and our hearts go out to them.”
Taylor said he’d known the sergeant all his life, as Newman’s grandmother lived a block from his house for many years. He said he often referred to Newman as his “little buddy.”
“He was a fine young man, I can tell you that,” Taylor said. “He was a really likeable person, and I thought the world of him.”
Friends of the family said Newman’s father died in a car accident when he was a child, leaving him, younger sister Kim, and his mother, Dianne. Their tight bond was evident to those who knew them.
Eric Newman was reared to be respectful, do right and follow orders, said Carole Dean, a family friend.
“I knew him as a young child, though I didn’t really know him as an adult. But he was raised to be a patriot, and to go and do anything anyone gave him to do,” said Dean.
Scott Bunch, a firefighter in Waynesboro, served in ROTC with Eric Newman at Wayne County High School, where Newman was a year ahead of him.
“You knew when he sets his mind to doing something, he goes all out,” Scott Bunch said. “This is a real tragedy, but I know he did it serving his country.”
Taylor and Dean said Dianne Newman had left town to retrieve her son’s remains at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
Eric Newman joined the Army in 2006 and was deployed to Iraq shortly thereafter. He returned and was one of the first soldiers assigned to the 1st Squadron, 38th Cavalry Regiment, in early 2009. According to the website freedomremembered.com, Newman’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal and nine other decorations.
Army Sgt. Eric C. Newman was killed in action on 10/14/10.
Army Sgt. Eric C. Newman, 30, of Waynesboro, Miss.
Sgt Newman was assigned to 1st Squadron, 38th Cavalry Regiment, 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Oct. 14, 2010 in Akatzai Kalay, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.
‘The family will never recover from this loss’
By Therese Apel
The (Jackson, Miss.) Clarion-Ledger
WAYNESBORO, Miss. — They knew he was willing to die for his country, but the news of Sgt. Eric C. Newman’s death in Afghanistan still brought shock and sadness to his southeast Mississippi hometown of Waynesboro.
He was the third Mississippi soldier to die in Afghanistan since Sept. 20 and the 70th overall in the wars there and in Iraq.
“I thought the world of him. It hit me, it floored me,” Waynesboro Mayor Joe Taylor said. “I couldn’t believe what they were telling me when they said he’d gotten killed.”
Newman, 30, assigned to 1st Squadron, 38th Cavalry Regiment, 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C., died Oct. 14 in Akatzai Kalay, Afghanistan, of wounds he suffered when insurgents attacked his unit. He was on his second tour of duty, friends of the family said.
The people of Waynesboro, population 5,500, remember Newman as brave and laid-back. They said he wasn’t a big man, but he had a big heart, a positive attitude and good character.
“He was an outstanding individual,” Waynesboro Police Chief James Bunch said. “And it doesn’t surprise me at all that he would sacrifice himself for his country.”
Bunch said Newman worked for the Police Department several years ago before transitioning to the military.
“I know the family will never recover from this loss,” Bunch said, “and our hearts go out to them.”
Taylor said he’d known the sergeant all his life, as Newman’s grandmother lived a block from his house for many years. He said he often referred to Newman as his “little buddy.”
“He was a fine young man, I can tell you that,” Taylor said. “He was a really likeable person, and I thought the world of him.”
Friends of the family said Newman’s father died in a car accident when he was a child, leaving him, younger sister Kim, and his mother, Dianne. Their tight bond was evident to those who knew them.
Eric Newman was reared to be respectful, do right and follow orders, said Carole Dean, a family friend.
“I knew him as a young child, though I didn’t really know him as an adult. But he was raised to be a patriot, and to go and do anything anyone gave him to do,” said Dean.
Scott Bunch, a firefighter in Waynesboro, served in ROTC with Eric Newman at Wayne County High School, where Newman was a year ahead of him.
“You knew when he sets his mind to doing something, he goes all out,” Scott Bunch said. “This is a real tragedy, but I know he did it serving his country.”
Taylor and Dean said Dianne Newman had left town to retrieve her son’s remains at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
Eric Newman joined the Army in 2006 and was deployed to Iraq shortly thereafter. He returned and was one of the first soldiers assigned to the 1st Squadron, 38th Cavalry Regiment, in early 2009. According to the website freedomremembered.com, Newman’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal and nine other decorations.
Army Sgt. Eric C. Newman was killed in action on 10/14/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Jose L. Maldonado
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Jose L. Maldonado, 21, of Mathis, Texas
LCpl Maldonado was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif., died Dec. 17, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
MATHIS, TEXAS
Word spread quickly in Mathis.
On Friday, friends and associates of former Mathis High School student athlete Jose L. Maldonado began receiving text messages and phone calls.
That same day, they were told, Maldonado, 21, died while serving in Afghanistan.
“I got a message at work,” said Victor Alvarado Jr., 21. “It just said ‘Jose' and I wasn't sure it was really him.”
The lance corporal, assigned to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force from Camp Pendleton, Calif., was conducting combat operations in Helmand province when he died, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. There was no information available on how long Maldonado had served or what caused his death.
Efforts to reach his family in Mathis were not successful, but in a KRIS-TV news report, Maldonado's family said he was killed in a landmine explosion. It was the second time he stepped on a landmine, according to the report. The first did not detonate fully and he was not seriously injured, the report said.
Two former coaches and several friends described an energetic, intelligent and respectful young man who grew into a quiet but effective leader.
“He was a really great kid,” said Chris Casarez, 37, who was the head football coach at Mathis when Maldonado was on the team as a senior in 2007. “He was such a hard worker. He never let anything bring him down. I was very proud of him.”
Maldonado began attending Mathis during his sophomore year after moving there from theHouston area to live with his aunt and uncle. And while he was quiet at first, it didn't take long for him to find his niche with the other baseball and football players.
Mathis baseball coach Ray Cardona, 40, said being the new kid in such a small town can be difficult for anyone but said other students gravitated toward Maldonado and soon he became a leader on both the baseball diamond and football field.
“He didn't just come straight out and try to take over things,” Cardona said. “He got to know everyone and if he spoke up they listened. Some people just have that. It's not something you can teach.”
Both coaches said they always saw Maldonado's aunt and cousins in the stands at his games.
Friends remembered a fun-loving, easy-going teen
“He was just a cool guy,” said his former baseball and football teammate Michael Cuellar, 22. “He got a long with everybody. He didn't grow up with us but as soon as he came to Mathis everybody got along with him.”
Maldonado joined the Marines in the fall of 2007, the same year he graduated, according to published news reports.
Maldonado began attending Mathis during his sophomore year after moving there from theHouston area to live with his aunt and uncle. And while he was quiet at first, it didn't take long for him to find his niche with the other baseball and football players.
Mathis baseball coach Ray Cardona, 40, said being the new kid in such a small town can be difficult for anyone but said other students gravitated toward Maldonado and soon he became a leader on both the baseball diamond and football field.
“He didn't just come straight out and try to take over things,” Cardona said. “He got to know everyone and if he spoke up they listened. Some people just have that. It's not something you can teach.”
Both coaches said they always saw Maldonado's aunt and cousins in the stands at his games.
Friends remembered a fun-loving, easy-going teen
“He was just a cool guy,” said his former baseball and football teammate Michael Cuellar, 22. “He got a long with everybody. He didn't grow up with us but as soon as he came to Mathis everybody got along with him.”
Maldonado joined the Marines in the fall of 2007, the same year he graduated, according to published news reports.
MATHIS -- A local marine was killed in Afghanistan. 21-year old Lance Corporal Jose Maldonado of Mathis, TX died Friday while conducting combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
"And he said, I stepped on a landmine. It didn't go off right. So when he stepped on it, it was a burst and it threw him but it just messed up his ankle and he had a concussion," said Jessica, Jose's cousin.
According to his family, Maldonado stepped on a mine last week, but was not seriously injured because it was a dud. He went back out on patrol the next day and stepped on another land mine that killed him.
Maldonado joined the Corps in 2007 and served as a rifleman with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
According to the U.S. Marine Corps Public Affairs Department, this was Maldonado's first deployment. He joined the Marines in September 2007 and received several awards including a Purple Heart.
George, Jose's Uncle said, "I am very very proud of him. Not just for the actions, for what he did, because he's always been a proud man. And I'm saying man because I saw him grow from a boy to a young man that served his country. And with all my heart, I am very very proud of him."
"This hits hard in our community, and our hearts go out to his family," the mayor said.
School district officials found out about Maldonado’s death on Friday, and the district plans to honor him after students return from holiday break in January, she said.
As mourners trickled by the house Sunday to offer condolences, George Williams made it a point to show them two items.
The first was a U.S. flag he strung in front of the house in honor of Lance Cpl. Jose Luis Maldonado, the nephew he calls son who was killed during combat in Afghanistan on Friday.
"I want the Taliban to know, they killed our son, but they’ll never kill the American spirit we have," he said.
The second was a sheet of construction paper adorned with a picture of a Christmas tree, signed and dated in careful print by Maldonado, who was then in the fourth grade.
After the 21-year-old Maldonado died in the volatile Helmand province, Williams retreated to a room with his guitar to write a song about his nephew. There, he found hanging on the wall the picture colored with markers and glitter glue and decided to hang it near the Christmas tree. Then he noticed the date on the picture: Dec. 17, 1998, exactly 12 years before Maldonado died.
"To me, it’s like an omen," Williams said. "He’s here with us. He’s here with us."
Williams and the rest of Maldonado’s relatives have spent the past few days trying to cope with the death of the Mathis Marine, known in his family for epic wrestling matches that rumbled throughout the house, his powerful throw during family baseball games, his insatiable appetite and, most importantly, his fierce, protective love for his family, friends and country.
"He really lived and breathed the idea that what he was doing was honorable," his cousin Jessica Williams, 34, said. "He loved it. That’s what he did. That’s what made him happy. That was his purpose in life — protection — whether it was family, friends or country."
George, Jose's Uncle said, "I am very very proud of him. Not just for the actions, for what he did, because he's always been a proud man. And I'm saying man because I saw him grow from a boy to a young man that served his country. And with all my heart, I am very very proud of him."
Marine Lance Cpl. Jose L. Maldonado was killed in action on 12/17/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Jose L. Maldonado, 21, of Mathis, Texas
LCpl Maldonado was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif., died Dec. 17, 2010 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
MATHIS, TEXAS
Word spread quickly in Mathis.
On Friday, friends and associates of former Mathis High School student athlete Jose L. Maldonado began receiving text messages and phone calls.
That same day, they were told, Maldonado, 21, died while serving in Afghanistan.
“I got a message at work,” said Victor Alvarado Jr., 21. “It just said ‘Jose' and I wasn't sure it was really him.”
The lance corporal, assigned to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force from Camp Pendleton, Calif., was conducting combat operations in Helmand province when he died, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. There was no information available on how long Maldonado had served or what caused his death.
Efforts to reach his family in Mathis were not successful, but in a KRIS-TV news report, Maldonado's family said he was killed in a landmine explosion. It was the second time he stepped on a landmine, according to the report. The first did not detonate fully and he was not seriously injured, the report said.
Two former coaches and several friends described an energetic, intelligent and respectful young man who grew into a quiet but effective leader.
“He was a really great kid,” said Chris Casarez, 37, who was the head football coach at Mathis when Maldonado was on the team as a senior in 2007. “He was such a hard worker. He never let anything bring him down. I was very proud of him.”
Maldonado began attending Mathis during his sophomore year after moving there from theHouston area to live with his aunt and uncle. And while he was quiet at first, it didn't take long for him to find his niche with the other baseball and football players.
Mathis baseball coach Ray Cardona, 40, said being the new kid in such a small town can be difficult for anyone but said other students gravitated toward Maldonado and soon he became a leader on both the baseball diamond and football field.
“He didn't just come straight out and try to take over things,” Cardona said. “He got to know everyone and if he spoke up they listened. Some people just have that. It's not something you can teach.”
Both coaches said they always saw Maldonado's aunt and cousins in the stands at his games.
Friends remembered a fun-loving, easy-going teen
“He was just a cool guy,” said his former baseball and football teammate Michael Cuellar, 22. “He got a long with everybody. He didn't grow up with us but as soon as he came to Mathis everybody got along with him.”
Maldonado joined the Marines in the fall of 2007, the same year he graduated, according to published news reports.
Maldonado began attending Mathis during his sophomore year after moving there from theHouston area to live with his aunt and uncle. And while he was quiet at first, it didn't take long for him to find his niche with the other baseball and football players.
Mathis baseball coach Ray Cardona, 40, said being the new kid in such a small town can be difficult for anyone but said other students gravitated toward Maldonado and soon he became a leader on both the baseball diamond and football field.
“He didn't just come straight out and try to take over things,” Cardona said. “He got to know everyone and if he spoke up they listened. Some people just have that. It's not something you can teach.”
Both coaches said they always saw Maldonado's aunt and cousins in the stands at his games.
Friends remembered a fun-loving, easy-going teen
“He was just a cool guy,” said his former baseball and football teammate Michael Cuellar, 22. “He got a long with everybody. He didn't grow up with us but as soon as he came to Mathis everybody got along with him.”
Maldonado joined the Marines in the fall of 2007, the same year he graduated, according to published news reports.
MATHIS -- A local marine was killed in Afghanistan. 21-year old Lance Corporal Jose Maldonado of Mathis, TX died Friday while conducting combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
"And he said, I stepped on a landmine. It didn't go off right. So when he stepped on it, it was a burst and it threw him but it just messed up his ankle and he had a concussion," said Jessica, Jose's cousin.
According to his family, Maldonado stepped on a mine last week, but was not seriously injured because it was a dud. He went back out on patrol the next day and stepped on another land mine that killed him.
Maldonado joined the Corps in 2007 and served as a rifleman with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
According to the U.S. Marine Corps Public Affairs Department, this was Maldonado's first deployment. He joined the Marines in September 2007 and received several awards including a Purple Heart.
George, Jose's Uncle said, "I am very very proud of him. Not just for the actions, for what he did, because he's always been a proud man. And I'm saying man because I saw him grow from a boy to a young man that served his country. And with all my heart, I am very very proud of him."
"This hits hard in our community, and our hearts go out to his family," the mayor said.
School district officials found out about Maldonado’s death on Friday, and the district plans to honor him after students return from holiday break in January, she said.
As mourners trickled by the house Sunday to offer condolences, George Williams made it a point to show them two items.
The first was a U.S. flag he strung in front of the house in honor of Lance Cpl. Jose Luis Maldonado, the nephew he calls son who was killed during combat in Afghanistan on Friday.
"I want the Taliban to know, they killed our son, but they’ll never kill the American spirit we have," he said.
The second was a sheet of construction paper adorned with a picture of a Christmas tree, signed and dated in careful print by Maldonado, who was then in the fourth grade.
After the 21-year-old Maldonado died in the volatile Helmand province, Williams retreated to a room with his guitar to write a song about his nephew. There, he found hanging on the wall the picture colored with markers and glitter glue and decided to hang it near the Christmas tree. Then he noticed the date on the picture: Dec. 17, 1998, exactly 12 years before Maldonado died.
"To me, it’s like an omen," Williams said. "He’s here with us. He’s here with us."
Williams and the rest of Maldonado’s relatives have spent the past few days trying to cope with the death of the Mathis Marine, known in his family for epic wrestling matches that rumbled throughout the house, his powerful throw during family baseball games, his insatiable appetite and, most importantly, his fierce, protective love for his family, friends and country.
"He really lived and breathed the idea that what he was doing was honorable," his cousin Jessica Williams, 34, said. "He loved it. That’s what he did. That’s what made him happy. That was his purpose in life — protection — whether it was family, friends or country."
George, Jose's Uncle said, "I am very very proud of him. Not just for the actions, for what he did, because he's always been a proud man. And I'm saying man because I saw him grow from a boy to a young man that served his country. And with all my heart, I am very very proud of him."
Marine Lance Cpl. Jose L. Maldonado was killed in action on 12/17/10.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Marine Cpl. Sean A. Osterman
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Cpl. Sean A. Osterman, 21, of Princeton, Minn.
Cpl. Osterman was assigned to the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C., died Dec. 16, 2010 from wounds received Dec. 14 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
After graduating from high school in 2007, Sean Osterman knew he was headed to the military, but took his time researching which branch might be best for him.
He chose the Marines, and it was not just because his father was a colonel.
Last week, during his second tour in Afghanistan, Osterman, 21, of Princeton, Minn., was mortally wounded while leading his platoon in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan. He was evacuated to Kandahar and then flown to Landstuhl Medical Center at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany, where he died Saturday.
He was assigned to the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C., and was part of what is known as a recon unit, which often conducts surveillance and intelligence gathering beyond the front lines. His unit had been in Afghanistan since about Thanksgiving.
According to a statement released by his family, he was born in La Crosse, Wis., and lived near there until age 9. The family moved to Princeton, where he attended Cambridge Elementary School, Cambridge Middle School and graduated from Technical High School in St. Cloud in 2007. He joined the Marine Corps at age 17 on the Delayed Entry Program and went on active duty after graduation. He had completed one tour in Afghanistan before his current deployment.
Although he had found his time in the Marines rewarding, he had indicated to friends and relatives that he would be leaving the military after completing his service and planned to attend college. During basic training and afterward, if fellow Marines had questions about the service, he would often send his father letters seeking advice for his colleagues.
His father, Marine Reserve Col. Anthony Osterman, was at one time responsible for training and equipping and manning the Afghan security forces, according to an earlier release from the U.S. military. He has since retired from the military.
His mother, Kelly Hugo, a guidance counselor at North Junior High School in St. Cloud, traveled to Germany to be with her son before he died and returned to Delaware with his body Monday night.
In addition to his parents, he is survived by sisters Katie and Olya Osterman, both of Virginia Beach, Va., and two other siblings, Elijah and Sarah Pruka, both of Princeton. Funeral services are planned at the Fort Myer Chapel with interment at Arlington Cemetery. A local memorial service will be planned in the near future.
Marine Cpl. Sean A. Osterman died 12/16/10 from wounds received in action on 12/14/10.
Marine Cpl. Sean A. Osterman, 21, of Princeton, Minn.
Cpl. Osterman was assigned to the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C., died Dec. 16, 2010 from wounds received Dec. 14 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
After graduating from high school in 2007, Sean Osterman knew he was headed to the military, but took his time researching which branch might be best for him.
He chose the Marines, and it was not just because his father was a colonel.
Last week, during his second tour in Afghanistan, Osterman, 21, of Princeton, Minn., was mortally wounded while leading his platoon in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan. He was evacuated to Kandahar and then flown to Landstuhl Medical Center at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany, where he died Saturday.
He was assigned to the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C., and was part of what is known as a recon unit, which often conducts surveillance and intelligence gathering beyond the front lines. His unit had been in Afghanistan since about Thanksgiving.
According to a statement released by his family, he was born in La Crosse, Wis., and lived near there until age 9. The family moved to Princeton, where he attended Cambridge Elementary School, Cambridge Middle School and graduated from Technical High School in St. Cloud in 2007. He joined the Marine Corps at age 17 on the Delayed Entry Program and went on active duty after graduation. He had completed one tour in Afghanistan before his current deployment.
Although he had found his time in the Marines rewarding, he had indicated to friends and relatives that he would be leaving the military after completing his service and planned to attend college. During basic training and afterward, if fellow Marines had questions about the service, he would often send his father letters seeking advice for his colleagues.
His father, Marine Reserve Col. Anthony Osterman, was at one time responsible for training and equipping and manning the Afghan security forces, according to an earlier release from the U.S. military. He has since retired from the military.
His mother, Kelly Hugo, a guidance counselor at North Junior High School in St. Cloud, traveled to Germany to be with her son before he died and returned to Delaware with his body Monday night.
In addition to his parents, he is survived by sisters Katie and Olya Osterman, both of Virginia Beach, Va., and two other siblings, Elijah and Sarah Pruka, both of Princeton. Funeral services are planned at the Fort Myer Chapel with interment at Arlington Cemetery. A local memorial service will be planned in the near future.
Marine Cpl. Sean A. Osterman died 12/16/10 from wounds received in action on 12/14/10.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Army Spc. Sean R. Cutsforth
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Sean R. Cutsforth, 22, of Radford, Va.
Spc. Cutsforth was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 15, 2010 at Ghazni province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms fire.
Sean Cutsforth grew up in Northern Virginia, entered college on a baseball scholarship and attended for three semesters, his wife said.
Then he joined the Army. "He just told me one day that he thought it was the right thing to do," said his wife, Ashley.
And so Sean R. Cutsforth, 22, the left-handed pitcher who had attended high school in Prince William County, became a soldier in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).
Spec. Cutsforth died Dec. 15 in Afghanistan's Ghazni province after he was struck by small-arms fire, according to a statement from Fort Campbell, where his division was based.
Cutsforth was born at Fort Belvoir and grew up in the Manassas and Gainesville areas of Prince William, his wife said. He went to Brentsville District High School.
An outgoing man, "he was one of those genuine all-around, would-do-anything-for-anybody type of persons," his wife said. "I don't think anybody ever had a negative memory of Sean."
Sports and outdoor activities always interested him, and he had been swimming since he was a small child.
A newspaper report on a meet held by the Prince William Swim League in summer 1999 listed him as a winner for the Ben Lomond team in three events, including freestyle and backstroke for boys ages 9 and 10.
Many such reports followed in swimming and other sports. As a sophomore at Brentsville in 2004, Cutsforth was listed as a member of a swim medley relay team that was to compete in the state championships. He was honored for his baseball skills at Brentsville in 2006.
His wife said he played football as well as baseball at Brentsville, and was also on a traveling youth baseball team.
She said Cutsforth received a scholarship to Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk and spent three semesters there. He studied recreation and leisure activities and acted as a swimming coach.
But, she said, he "thought it was his duty to serve his country."
On Sept. 23, 2008, she said, he enlisted in the Army. After basic training he was stationed at Fort Campbell, and this year was deployed to Afghanistan.
Cutsforth's family includes a brother, Ryan, who lives in Gainesville, and sisters Casey of Blacksburg and Kayla of Christiansburg, Va., according to his wife.
Ashley Cutsforth said she met her husband in early 2008 in Radford, Va., where his brother was living. They married in 2009, she said, on the Fourth of July.
She said she is expecting a child in April. It's a boy, she said.
MANASSAS, Va. - Sean Cutsforth, who grew up in Manassas, Va., was a very athletic kid. His mother showed off a photograph she snapped years ago showing her young son sleeping in bed wearing a catcher's mask.
"It was new equipment," laughed Vickie Cutsforth, remembering that night. "He just wanted to try it on. He'd fall asleep with his new bats, everything."
On Wednesday, Vickie Cutsforth was visited by representatives of the U.S. Army bearing terrible news. Her 22-year-old son had been killed by small arms fire while on patrol in Eastern Afghanistan.
Sean received a baseball scholarship to Virginia Wesleyan College, but after three semesters, he announced to his family that he wanted to leave school to join the Army.
"He looked at all the services, met with recruiters and such. [Sean's] was a well thought-out decision," recalled Sean's father, Robert Cutsforth.
"He wanted to serve his country," agreed Sean's mom. "That's what we had to let him do."
Sean was assigned to the 101st Airborne, based in Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. He deployed to Afghanistan in February and was scheduled to return to the U.S. early next year.
The Governor of Kentucky, Steve Beshear will order that flags at all state office buildings be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset on the day of Spc. Cutsforth’s interment.
Spc. Cutsforth is survived by his wife, Ashley L. Cutsforth and unborn son due in April of Clarksville, Tenn.; mother Vickie L. Cutsforth of Manassas, Va.; father, Robert H. Cutsforth, of Gainesville, Va.; brother Ryan of Gainesville, Va.; sister Casey of Blacksburg, Va. and a sister Kayla of Christiansburg, Va.
Family members say Sean loved the Army and was considering making it a career. His family has asked that Sean Cutsforth be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. The Army has agreed.
Army Spc. Sean R. Cutsforth was killed in action on 12/15/10.
Army Spc. Sean R. Cutsforth, 22, of Radford, Va.
Spc. Cutsforth was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 15, 2010 at Ghazni province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms fire.
Sean Cutsforth grew up in Northern Virginia, entered college on a baseball scholarship and attended for three semesters, his wife said.
Then he joined the Army. "He just told me one day that he thought it was the right thing to do," said his wife, Ashley.
And so Sean R. Cutsforth, 22, the left-handed pitcher who had attended high school in Prince William County, became a soldier in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).
Spec. Cutsforth died Dec. 15 in Afghanistan's Ghazni province after he was struck by small-arms fire, according to a statement from Fort Campbell, where his division was based.
Cutsforth was born at Fort Belvoir and grew up in the Manassas and Gainesville areas of Prince William, his wife said. He went to Brentsville District High School.
An outgoing man, "he was one of those genuine all-around, would-do-anything-for-anybody type of persons," his wife said. "I don't think anybody ever had a negative memory of Sean."
Sports and outdoor activities always interested him, and he had been swimming since he was a small child.
A newspaper report on a meet held by the Prince William Swim League in summer 1999 listed him as a winner for the Ben Lomond team in three events, including freestyle and backstroke for boys ages 9 and 10.
Many such reports followed in swimming and other sports. As a sophomore at Brentsville in 2004, Cutsforth was listed as a member of a swim medley relay team that was to compete in the state championships. He was honored for his baseball skills at Brentsville in 2006.
His wife said he played football as well as baseball at Brentsville, and was also on a traveling youth baseball team.
She said Cutsforth received a scholarship to Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk and spent three semesters there. He studied recreation and leisure activities and acted as a swimming coach.
But, she said, he "thought it was his duty to serve his country."
On Sept. 23, 2008, she said, he enlisted in the Army. After basic training he was stationed at Fort Campbell, and this year was deployed to Afghanistan.
Cutsforth's family includes a brother, Ryan, who lives in Gainesville, and sisters Casey of Blacksburg and Kayla of Christiansburg, Va., according to his wife.
Ashley Cutsforth said she met her husband in early 2008 in Radford, Va., where his brother was living. They married in 2009, she said, on the Fourth of July.
She said she is expecting a child in April. It's a boy, she said.
MANASSAS, Va. - Sean Cutsforth, who grew up in Manassas, Va., was a very athletic kid. His mother showed off a photograph she snapped years ago showing her young son sleeping in bed wearing a catcher's mask.
"It was new equipment," laughed Vickie Cutsforth, remembering that night. "He just wanted to try it on. He'd fall asleep with his new bats, everything."
On Wednesday, Vickie Cutsforth was visited by representatives of the U.S. Army bearing terrible news. Her 22-year-old son had been killed by small arms fire while on patrol in Eastern Afghanistan.
Sean received a baseball scholarship to Virginia Wesleyan College, but after three semesters, he announced to his family that he wanted to leave school to join the Army.
"He looked at all the services, met with recruiters and such. [Sean's] was a well thought-out decision," recalled Sean's father, Robert Cutsforth.
"He wanted to serve his country," agreed Sean's mom. "That's what we had to let him do."
Sean was assigned to the 101st Airborne, based in Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. He deployed to Afghanistan in February and was scheduled to return to the U.S. early next year.
The Governor of Kentucky, Steve Beshear will order that flags at all state office buildings be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset on the day of Spc. Cutsforth’s interment.
Spc. Cutsforth is survived by his wife, Ashley L. Cutsforth and unborn son due in April of Clarksville, Tenn.; mother Vickie L. Cutsforth of Manassas, Va.; father, Robert H. Cutsforth, of Gainesville, Va.; brother Ryan of Gainesville, Va.; sister Casey of Blacksburg, Va. and a sister Kayla of Christiansburg, Va.
Family members say Sean loved the Army and was considering making it a career. His family has asked that Sean Cutsforth be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. The Army has agreed.
Army Spc. Sean R. Cutsforth was killed in action on 12/15/10.
Marine Staff Sgt. Justin E. Schmalstieg
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Staff Sgt. Justin E. Schmalstieg, 28, of Pittsburgh
SSgt Schmalstieg was assigned to 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Dec. 15, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.
Marine bomb technician dies in Afghanistan
A veteran Marine bomb technician originally from Stanton Heights was killed in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb on Tuesday.
Sergeant Justin Schmalstieg, 28, a 2000 graduate of Peabody High School and the son of two Pittsburgh police detectives, served with the First Marine Logistics Group and was an expert at disarming explosives.
He had served two tours in Iraq and was finishing a third in Afghanistan, according to his former neighbors in Stanton Heights.
Mr. Schmalstieg got married last year and moved to Oceanside, Calif., outside of San Diego.
In April, he was included in a story in The Convoy, the official publication of the First Marine Logistics Group, which ran an image of him working on a buried bomb during a March training exercise at Deluz Combat Town at Camp Pendleton, Calif.
The Department of Defense has not yet released information about where and how Mr. Schmalstieg died.
Diane Richard, spokeswoman for the city police department, said his parents, Detectives John and Deborah Gilkey, are grieving and requested privacy.
Family members declined to comment Wednesday.
Renee Drummond-Brown, whose son, Specialist Cardell Nino Brown, was close friends with Mr. Schmalstieg, described him as "a very brilliant mind." She said Mr. Schmalstieg spent so much time at her house as a child that she considered him a son.
Even as a child he was unusually quiet and calm, she said, traits that would have served him well as a bomb technician.
"He was the one with the peaceful spirit," she said. "This is a great loss to all of us."
Frantz Pamphile, another childhood friend, echoed her characterization.
"He was always quiet, collected, smart, kind, willing to be there or listen. He was a good friend," he said.
He said that Mr. Schmalstieg joined the military in part because his parents are police officers and they instilled in him "a strong sense of duty."
Marine raised in Stanton Heights killed in Afghanistan
A Marine who grew up in Stanton Heights died in Afghanistan, his family confirmed Wednesday.
Staff Sgt. Justin E. Schmalstieg, 28, an explosive ordnance disposal technician, was in his first tour in Afghanistan. He had enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2001 and served three stints in Iraq, his family said.
"He loved what he was doing," said John Gilkey, a Pittsburgh police detective and Schmalstieg's father. "He was a good kid. What can you say? It hasn't hit us yet."
Gilkey said the family did not want to discuss the circumstances surrounding his son's death. He said they learned of Schmalstieg's death at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday when a Marine knocked on the front door of his Stanton Heights home and delivered the news.
"He loved his job. He loved his job, I'll tell you that," Gilkey said, standing on his front porch while family members gathered inside. "He was charismatic. He seemed to get along with everybody."
Schmalstieg's mother, Deborah Gilkey, also is a Pittsburgh police detective. He had a 15-year-old brother, John, John Gilkey said.
Schmalstieg graduated from Peabody High School, where he was on the ski club and ran cross country.
He married his high school sweetheart, Ann Schneider, in November 2009, Gilkey said. The couple moved to Oceanside, Calif., shortly after their wedding.
Barry Dunbar went to Arsenal Middle School with Schmalstieg. As kids, he recalled, Schmalstieg loved cartoons and video games, and the two would spend hours playing hockey in Morningside and rollerblading through Highland Park.
When they went to different high schools, they remained close, but eventually lost touch in the early 2000s, he said. They reconnected on Facebook when Dunbar, who joined the Army in 2008 and is stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas, considered enlisting.
"We both thought it was a path we'd never go into because as a kid I was totally into sports, and he was into video games," Dunbar said. "But he gave me some choice words. He said, 'You can make a good life out of it and get your life on track.' "
In the 2000 Peabody High yearbook, Schmalstieg's senior portrait appears next to his future wife's portrait. He also is featured on a page dedicated to the cross country team, in which he was listed as a "top runner" next to a photo showing a lanky Schmalstieg pulling away from two other runners.
His wife could not be reached for comment last night. On her Facebook page, her profile picture shows her and Schmalstieg cheek to cheek, smiling at the camera.
The sergeant was an expert at detonating bombs, according to a newsletter published by the 1st Marine Logistics Group. In an April edition of Convoy, Schmalstieg is pictured lying on the ground while working on a bomb during a training exercise at Camp Pendleton in California.
Funeral arrangements are pending. Gilkey said the family is in a "holding pattern" while they wait for the body to be returned to the United States.
The Department of Defense did not immediately announce Schmalstieg's death. City police issued an internal memo informing officers that the detectives' son had died.
Marine Staff Sgt. Justin E. Schmalstieg was killed in action on 12/15/10.
Marine Staff Sgt. Justin E. Schmalstieg, 28, of Pittsburgh
SSgt Schmalstieg was assigned to 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Dec. 15, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.
Marine bomb technician dies in Afghanistan
A veteran Marine bomb technician originally from Stanton Heights was killed in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb on Tuesday.
Sergeant Justin Schmalstieg, 28, a 2000 graduate of Peabody High School and the son of two Pittsburgh police detectives, served with the First Marine Logistics Group and was an expert at disarming explosives.
He had served two tours in Iraq and was finishing a third in Afghanistan, according to his former neighbors in Stanton Heights.
Mr. Schmalstieg got married last year and moved to Oceanside, Calif., outside of San Diego.
In April, he was included in a story in The Convoy, the official publication of the First Marine Logistics Group, which ran an image of him working on a buried bomb during a March training exercise at Deluz Combat Town at Camp Pendleton, Calif.
The Department of Defense has not yet released information about where and how Mr. Schmalstieg died.
Diane Richard, spokeswoman for the city police department, said his parents, Detectives John and Deborah Gilkey, are grieving and requested privacy.
Family members declined to comment Wednesday.
Renee Drummond-Brown, whose son, Specialist Cardell Nino Brown, was close friends with Mr. Schmalstieg, described him as "a very brilliant mind." She said Mr. Schmalstieg spent so much time at her house as a child that she considered him a son.
Even as a child he was unusually quiet and calm, she said, traits that would have served him well as a bomb technician.
"He was the one with the peaceful spirit," she said. "This is a great loss to all of us."
Frantz Pamphile, another childhood friend, echoed her characterization.
"He was always quiet, collected, smart, kind, willing to be there or listen. He was a good friend," he said.
He said that Mr. Schmalstieg joined the military in part because his parents are police officers and they instilled in him "a strong sense of duty."
Marine raised in Stanton Heights killed in Afghanistan
A Marine who grew up in Stanton Heights died in Afghanistan, his family confirmed Wednesday.
Staff Sgt. Justin E. Schmalstieg, 28, an explosive ordnance disposal technician, was in his first tour in Afghanistan. He had enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2001 and served three stints in Iraq, his family said.
"He loved what he was doing," said John Gilkey, a Pittsburgh police detective and Schmalstieg's father. "He was a good kid. What can you say? It hasn't hit us yet."
Gilkey said the family did not want to discuss the circumstances surrounding his son's death. He said they learned of Schmalstieg's death at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday when a Marine knocked on the front door of his Stanton Heights home and delivered the news.
"He loved his job. He loved his job, I'll tell you that," Gilkey said, standing on his front porch while family members gathered inside. "He was charismatic. He seemed to get along with everybody."
Schmalstieg's mother, Deborah Gilkey, also is a Pittsburgh police detective. He had a 15-year-old brother, John, John Gilkey said.
Schmalstieg graduated from Peabody High School, where he was on the ski club and ran cross country.
He married his high school sweetheart, Ann Schneider, in November 2009, Gilkey said. The couple moved to Oceanside, Calif., shortly after their wedding.
Barry Dunbar went to Arsenal Middle School with Schmalstieg. As kids, he recalled, Schmalstieg loved cartoons and video games, and the two would spend hours playing hockey in Morningside and rollerblading through Highland Park.
When they went to different high schools, they remained close, but eventually lost touch in the early 2000s, he said. They reconnected on Facebook when Dunbar, who joined the Army in 2008 and is stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas, considered enlisting.
"We both thought it was a path we'd never go into because as a kid I was totally into sports, and he was into video games," Dunbar said. "But he gave me some choice words. He said, 'You can make a good life out of it and get your life on track.' "
In the 2000 Peabody High yearbook, Schmalstieg's senior portrait appears next to his future wife's portrait. He also is featured on a page dedicated to the cross country team, in which he was listed as a "top runner" next to a photo showing a lanky Schmalstieg pulling away from two other runners.
His wife could not be reached for comment last night. On her Facebook page, her profile picture shows her and Schmalstieg cheek to cheek, smiling at the camera.
The sergeant was an expert at detonating bombs, according to a newsletter published by the 1st Marine Logistics Group. In an April edition of Convoy, Schmalstieg is pictured lying on the ground while working on a bomb during a training exercise at Camp Pendleton in California.
Funeral arrangements are pending. Gilkey said the family is in a "holding pattern" while they wait for the body to be returned to the United States.
The Department of Defense did not immediately announce Schmalstieg's death. City police issued an internal memo informing officers that the detectives' son had died.
Marine Staff Sgt. Justin E. Schmalstieg was killed in action on 12/15/10.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Marine Lance Cpl. Jose A. Hernandez
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Lance Cpl. Jose A. Hernandez, 19, of West Palm Beach, Fla.
LCpl Hernandez was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Dec. 14, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.
True hero: Lake Worth Marine steps on land mine, protects unit
The family of 19-year-old Lance Corporal Jose Hernandez was understandably grief stricken Wednesday night.
But they found some solace by his last moments alive when he committed an act of heroism.
Lance Cpl. Hernandez was on foot patrol with his unit Tuesday in the Helmand province in Afghanistan when all of the sudden he stepped on a land mine.
What this marine did next, his sisters say, is nothing short of heroism.
"He stepped on the mine and stood there until everyone evacuated. In other words, he sacrificed himself for everyone else," said sister Aronica Nava.
The shrapnel from the explosion killed Hernandez instantly. No one else in his unit was injured.
"He always wanted to make sure everybody was safe, so when we heard he did this it sounded just like him because that's what he always wanted to do," said sister Yollanda Morales.
Friends from Lake Worth High stopped by to console the family and light candles in his memory next to photos of Hernandez and his marine dress hat.
Ironically, Hernandez told his sisters that the thing he feared the most about war was stepping on a land mine.
LAKE WORTH, Fla. - Lance Cpl. Jose A. Hernandez sacrificed himself and that's where his big heart comes in because he would rather put himself first.
Wednesday night , his sisters, aunts, cousins and close friends gathered at his Greenacres home to remember the fallen hero.
"He used to live with us when he went to high school and he was like a brother to me," said his nephew Richard Nava.
Hernandez died after stepping on an IED while on patrol in Afghanistan. He had been in the Marines Corps for two years and would have come home in just four months.
Hernandez graduated from Lake Worth Community High School in 2009 and participated in the R.O.T.C. program there. Former R.O.T.C. members say being a Marine was a goal Hernandez always had and he died making that dream a reality.
"I would always ask him in high school what do you want to do when you grow up and it was always to be an infantry soldier in the Marines," said friend Jordan Foe.
Though they are saddened by his death, those who knew him best try to reflect on how he lived and not how he died.
"Great kid. Great kid. And not one bad bone in his body," said his aunt Marciela Madino.
"Always making people laugh even if you were so mad or if you were upset or even scared," added his sister Yolanda Morales.
Foe, who was in the R.O.T.C. with Hernandez, says his heroic act is something even he couldn't fathom. "Anybody can just easily say but when it comes time to do it takes a lot of guts.".
"The people who fight for us are doing it for a reason so that when we go outside we can do what we want without having to worry about stepping on something or getting hurt and these people, like my brother, sacrifice their lives for our freedom," Morales said.
Lance Cpl. Hernandez was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Jose Hernandez would have turned 20 next week.
Wednesday the flag at Lake Worth Community High School flew at half staff.
Family members say they are grateful his body remained intact and they will have an open casket funeral service. Hernandez will be buried in Colorado.
From the time Jose A. Hernandez was a child, he hoped someday to become a Marine, his family and friends said Wednesday.
"He just wanted to serve his country. He just wanted to be a Marine," Hernandez's cousin, Clara Rodriguez said.
Hernandez, 19, realized that dream, joining the Marines after graduating from Lake Worth High School in 2009. The dream ended this week, when he was killed on Tuesday in combat in Afghanistan.
According to Rodriguez, Hernandez was inspired by his older brother, Don, who also served in the Marines. Hernandez would have celebrated his 20th birthday on the day after Christmas, said his sister, Aronica Nava, of Greenacres.
"He was just a good person," Nava said. "Nobody had anything bad to say about him."
As a child he loved soccer, but "his main thing was joining the Marines," Nava said. He thought he might study aviation after completing his service, she said.
Brad "Scooter" Michael, 19, of West Palm Beach, said he met Hernandez when the two were both enrolled in the ROTC program at Lake Worth High. Michael said he learned of Hernandez's death Tuesday night.
"It was just one of those moments that stop time," Michael said.
Michael said he last saw Hernandez over the summer, when Hernandez was home on leave.
"When he was on leave, he came to my house," Michael said. "My step dad is a Vietnam veteran. When he left in his service blues, my step dad saluted him, my mom gave him a hug and that was the last time I saw him."
Michael described Hernandez as a devoted Marine."
"He was a hardcore Marine, through thick and through thin," Michael said. "He was definitely a jarhead. Definitely, it was hoo-rah all the way through."
Jessica Norris, a friend and fellow Lake Worth High graduate, said of Hernandez: "He was a great guy. Funny. If you were sad, he could absolutely make your day. I remember when he was up north in North Carolina, every night we'd talk on the phone and he'd always make my day.
"Before he left, we promised each other we'd write in our journal every day to each other and then when he came back, that we'd exchange our journals," Norris said. "Unfortunately, that won't happen."
Mario Pagan, a Lantana native stationed with the Marines in California, said he had classes with Hernandez before transferring in his senior year to complete his studies at Gateway High School in Boynton.
"I definitely cried," said Pagan, who arrived home on leave Wednesday night. "You can't stop tears for someone that you knew in person and shared life with. He's not going in vain."
Marine Lance Cpl. Jose A. Hernandez was killed in action on 12/14/10.
Marine Lance Cpl. Jose A. Hernandez, 19, of West Palm Beach, Fla.
LCpl Hernandez was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Dec. 14, 2010 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.
True hero: Lake Worth Marine steps on land mine, protects unit
The family of 19-year-old Lance Corporal Jose Hernandez was understandably grief stricken Wednesday night.
But they found some solace by his last moments alive when he committed an act of heroism.
Lance Cpl. Hernandez was on foot patrol with his unit Tuesday in the Helmand province in Afghanistan when all of the sudden he stepped on a land mine.
What this marine did next, his sisters say, is nothing short of heroism.
"He stepped on the mine and stood there until everyone evacuated. In other words, he sacrificed himself for everyone else," said sister Aronica Nava.
The shrapnel from the explosion killed Hernandez instantly. No one else in his unit was injured.
"He always wanted to make sure everybody was safe, so when we heard he did this it sounded just like him because that's what he always wanted to do," said sister Yollanda Morales.
Friends from Lake Worth High stopped by to console the family and light candles in his memory next to photos of Hernandez and his marine dress hat.
Ironically, Hernandez told his sisters that the thing he feared the most about war was stepping on a land mine.
LAKE WORTH, Fla. - Lance Cpl. Jose A. Hernandez sacrificed himself and that's where his big heart comes in because he would rather put himself first.
Wednesday night , his sisters, aunts, cousins and close friends gathered at his Greenacres home to remember the fallen hero.
"He used to live with us when he went to high school and he was like a brother to me," said his nephew Richard Nava.
Hernandez died after stepping on an IED while on patrol in Afghanistan. He had been in the Marines Corps for two years and would have come home in just four months.
Hernandez graduated from Lake Worth Community High School in 2009 and participated in the R.O.T.C. program there. Former R.O.T.C. members say being a Marine was a goal Hernandez always had and he died making that dream a reality.
"I would always ask him in high school what do you want to do when you grow up and it was always to be an infantry soldier in the Marines," said friend Jordan Foe.
Though they are saddened by his death, those who knew him best try to reflect on how he lived and not how he died.
"Great kid. Great kid. And not one bad bone in his body," said his aunt Marciela Madino.
"Always making people laugh even if you were so mad or if you were upset or even scared," added his sister Yolanda Morales.
Foe, who was in the R.O.T.C. with Hernandez, says his heroic act is something even he couldn't fathom. "Anybody can just easily say but when it comes time to do it takes a lot of guts.".
"The people who fight for us are doing it for a reason so that when we go outside we can do what we want without having to worry about stepping on something or getting hurt and these people, like my brother, sacrifice their lives for our freedom," Morales said.
Lance Cpl. Hernandez was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Jose Hernandez would have turned 20 next week.
Wednesday the flag at Lake Worth Community High School flew at half staff.
Family members say they are grateful his body remained intact and they will have an open casket funeral service. Hernandez will be buried in Colorado.
From the time Jose A. Hernandez was a child, he hoped someday to become a Marine, his family and friends said Wednesday.
"He just wanted to serve his country. He just wanted to be a Marine," Hernandez's cousin, Clara Rodriguez said.
Hernandez, 19, realized that dream, joining the Marines after graduating from Lake Worth High School in 2009. The dream ended this week, when he was killed on Tuesday in combat in Afghanistan.
According to Rodriguez, Hernandez was inspired by his older brother, Don, who also served in the Marines. Hernandez would have celebrated his 20th birthday on the day after Christmas, said his sister, Aronica Nava, of Greenacres.
"He was just a good person," Nava said. "Nobody had anything bad to say about him."
As a child he loved soccer, but "his main thing was joining the Marines," Nava said. He thought he might study aviation after completing his service, she said.
Brad "Scooter" Michael, 19, of West Palm Beach, said he met Hernandez when the two were both enrolled in the ROTC program at Lake Worth High. Michael said he learned of Hernandez's death Tuesday night.
"It was just one of those moments that stop time," Michael said.
Michael said he last saw Hernandez over the summer, when Hernandez was home on leave.
"When he was on leave, he came to my house," Michael said. "My step dad is a Vietnam veteran. When he left in his service blues, my step dad saluted him, my mom gave him a hug and that was the last time I saw him."
Michael described Hernandez as a devoted Marine."
"He was a hardcore Marine, through thick and through thin," Michael said. "He was definitely a jarhead. Definitely, it was hoo-rah all the way through."
Jessica Norris, a friend and fellow Lake Worth High graduate, said of Hernandez: "He was a great guy. Funny. If you were sad, he could absolutely make your day. I remember when he was up north in North Carolina, every night we'd talk on the phone and he'd always make my day.
"Before he left, we promised each other we'd write in our journal every day to each other and then when he came back, that we'd exchange our journals," Norris said. "Unfortunately, that won't happen."
Mario Pagan, a Lantana native stationed with the Marines in California, said he had classes with Hernandez before transferring in his senior year to complete his studies at Gateway High School in Boynton.
"I definitely cried," said Pagan, who arrived home on leave Wednesday night. "You can't stop tears for someone that you knew in person and shared life with. He's not going in vain."
Marine Lance Cpl. Jose A. Hernandez was killed in action on 12/14/10.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Army Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., 23, of Conway, N.C.
Cpl. McLawhorn was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Sean M. Collins, Spc. Patrick D. Deans, Kenneth E. Necochea Jr., Spc. Derek T. Simonetta and Spc. Jorge E. Villacis.
Willie Atlas “Will” McLawhorn was born in Whiteville, Columbus County North Carolina, on April 2, 1987 to Willie and Diane McLawhorn and to his sister Melanie. He lived in Whiteville until the family moved to Conway, North Carolina in 1998.
Will enjoyed sports as a boy playing baseball in the Dixie Youth League in Whiteville. He also participated in the RA basketball league of the Columbus Baptist Association. He was baptized into the Western Prong Baptist Church and enjoyed his associations with many friends there.
Upon coming to Conway, he continued his love of sports participating in Rec. league baseball and basketball. Will attended Northeast Academy of Lasker, North Carolina, graduating in 2005. While there he continued his love of basketball and baseball playing both sports on the junior varsity and varsity level. He was selected to the All-Roanoke-Chowan Baseball Team his senior year. Will also enjoyed hunting and killed an 8 point buck with his first shot.
From an early age, Will loved to play army, building forts and tossing pine cones pretending they were grenades. In November 2006 Will officially became an infantryman when he joined the United States Army. He did basic training and AIT at Fort Benning, Georgia. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division where he became a part of the Screaming Eagle family. Prior to deployment to Iraq in 2007, he graduated from Air Assault School earning his Air Assault Wings.
He served 15 months in Iraq and reenlisted for 5 years while there. During the next months he earned his Airborne Jump Wings as well as additional training for becoming an NCO. In June of 2010 he deployed with his unit to Afghanistan. Will grew to love his country and wanted to protect her…even if it meant giving his life. He loved his band of brothers who affectionately called him “Claw.”
Will loved life and had a great sense of humor often quipping out one-liners that could leave you in stitches. He was faithful to his friends and would stand with them through thick and thin. He knew that death was a possibility with what he did, but because of his faith, he saw death as simply “another great adventure.” A great soldier and a great man will be surely missed.
Preceding him in death are his maternal grandfather, Earl Barnes and his maternal grandmother and grandfather, Martha Smith McLawhorn and H.M. McLawhorn
Survivors include his mother and father, Diane and Willie McLawhorn of Conway, North Carolina, one sister, Melanie A. McLawhorn of Kelford, North Carolina and his maternal grandmother, Ellen Clark Barnes of Conway, North Carolina.
Army Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr. was killed in action on 12/12/10.
Army Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., 23, of Conway, N.C.
Cpl. McLawhorn was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Sean M. Collins, Spc. Patrick D. Deans, Kenneth E. Necochea Jr., Spc. Derek T. Simonetta and Spc. Jorge E. Villacis.
Willie Atlas “Will” McLawhorn was born in Whiteville, Columbus County North Carolina, on April 2, 1987 to Willie and Diane McLawhorn and to his sister Melanie. He lived in Whiteville until the family moved to Conway, North Carolina in 1998.
Will enjoyed sports as a boy playing baseball in the Dixie Youth League in Whiteville. He also participated in the RA basketball league of the Columbus Baptist Association. He was baptized into the Western Prong Baptist Church and enjoyed his associations with many friends there.
Upon coming to Conway, he continued his love of sports participating in Rec. league baseball and basketball. Will attended Northeast Academy of Lasker, North Carolina, graduating in 2005. While there he continued his love of basketball and baseball playing both sports on the junior varsity and varsity level. He was selected to the All-Roanoke-Chowan Baseball Team his senior year. Will also enjoyed hunting and killed an 8 point buck with his first shot.
From an early age, Will loved to play army, building forts and tossing pine cones pretending they were grenades. In November 2006 Will officially became an infantryman when he joined the United States Army. He did basic training and AIT at Fort Benning, Georgia. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division where he became a part of the Screaming Eagle family. Prior to deployment to Iraq in 2007, he graduated from Air Assault School earning his Air Assault Wings.
He served 15 months in Iraq and reenlisted for 5 years while there. During the next months he earned his Airborne Jump Wings as well as additional training for becoming an NCO. In June of 2010 he deployed with his unit to Afghanistan. Will grew to love his country and wanted to protect her…even if it meant giving his life. He loved his band of brothers who affectionately called him “Claw.”
Will loved life and had a great sense of humor often quipping out one-liners that could leave you in stitches. He was faithful to his friends and would stand with them through thick and thin. He knew that death was a possibility with what he did, but because of his faith, he saw death as simply “another great adventure.” A great soldier and a great man will be surely missed.
Preceding him in death are his maternal grandfather, Earl Barnes and his maternal grandmother and grandfather, Martha Smith McLawhorn and H.M. McLawhorn
Survivors include his mother and father, Diane and Willie McLawhorn of Conway, North Carolina, one sister, Melanie A. McLawhorn of Kelford, North Carolina and his maternal grandmother, Ellen Clark Barnes of Conway, North Carolina.
Army Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr. was killed in action on 12/12/10.
Army Cpl. Sean M. Collins
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Sean M. Collins, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Cpl. Collins was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., Spc. Patrick D. Deans, Kenneth E. Necochea Jr., Spc. Derek T. Simonetta and Spc. Jorge E. Villacis.
A 2004 Yelm High School graduate was among six soldiers killed Sunday in a suicide attack at a military base in southern Afghanistan.
Cpl. Sean M. Collins was killed in a massive blast at a military outpost in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, the Defense Department reported.
Collins, 25, died doing a job he loved, his mother said. “He always wanted to be in the Army since he was in kindergarten,” Linda Collins said Tuesday evening. “He wanted to be on the ground, up front.”
Collins was the first service member with ties to South Sound to die in Afghanistan in nearly five months.
The attack was carried out with 1,000 pounds of explosives loaded into a minibus that wouldn’t stop when Afghan guards tried to halt it, Maj. Gen. John Campbell reported in a video conference Tuesday.
The explosion took down a building and wounded 11 of Collins’ comrades in addition to the six who were killed. NATO has made arrests linked to the attack, NATO reported Monday.
The soldiers were assigned to the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Ky. Campbell said that 103 soldiers from his division have died on their current deployment.
His father, Patrick, said his son had been to Iraq twice -- most recently on a deployment last year. "He could have claimed his dwell time. He could have said, 'Look, I get a year (between deployments),'" Patrick Collins said. "In fact, he had to request a waiver to be able to deploy with his unit, but he was a team leader in an infantry platoon." But Sean Collins knew it was his duty and responsibility to go, his father said.
“Our sincere condolences go out to families and communities at Fort Campbell, and we will keep the families in our thoughts and prayers,” he said.
The attack came less than a month after six Fort Campbell solders were shot and killed by a lone gunman from the Afghan border police during a training mission.
Collins joined the Army in 2006 and had served two deployments in Iraq. His mother said she stayed in touch with him during his deployments and he usually showed an upbeat attitude because he enjoyed his work. She said he was planning to make a career out of the Army.
“I never worried about him in Iraq,” she said. “But for some reason in your heart there’s a hesitancy when he said he was going to Afghanistan.”
Linda Collins, a teacher at Yelm’s Ridgeline Middle School, said her house has been full of friends and family since news about her son made its way through the community over the past three days. “This town is close knit,” she said.
She learned of her son’s death Sunday morning when casualty assistance officers knocked on her door about 9:30 a.m. She had recently encouraged her son to keep up his spirits when he said some of his comrades were killed around Thanksgiving. “Now with what happened with him, it’s unbelievable,” she said.
“He was an awesome person. We are going to miss him,” his mother said.
Funeral services are pending.
According to the War on Terror News website, Collins' awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Valorous Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Support Medal, Army Service Medal and the NATO Medal.
He is survived by his mother, Linda G. Collins of Yelm, Wash., and father, Patrick B. Collins of Palolo Valley, Hawaii. he also has an older brother and two younger sisters.
Army Cpl. Sean M. Collins was killed in action on 12/12/10.
Army Cpl. Sean M. Collins, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Cpl. Collins was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., Spc. Patrick D. Deans, Kenneth E. Necochea Jr., Spc. Derek T. Simonetta and Spc. Jorge E. Villacis.
A 2004 Yelm High School graduate was among six soldiers killed Sunday in a suicide attack at a military base in southern Afghanistan.
Cpl. Sean M. Collins was killed in a massive blast at a military outpost in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, the Defense Department reported.
Collins, 25, died doing a job he loved, his mother said. “He always wanted to be in the Army since he was in kindergarten,” Linda Collins said Tuesday evening. “He wanted to be on the ground, up front.”
Collins was the first service member with ties to South Sound to die in Afghanistan in nearly five months.
The attack was carried out with 1,000 pounds of explosives loaded into a minibus that wouldn’t stop when Afghan guards tried to halt it, Maj. Gen. John Campbell reported in a video conference Tuesday.
The explosion took down a building and wounded 11 of Collins’ comrades in addition to the six who were killed. NATO has made arrests linked to the attack, NATO reported Monday.
The soldiers were assigned to the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Ky. Campbell said that 103 soldiers from his division have died on their current deployment.
His father, Patrick, said his son had been to Iraq twice -- most recently on a deployment last year. "He could have claimed his dwell time. He could have said, 'Look, I get a year (between deployments),'" Patrick Collins said. "In fact, he had to request a waiver to be able to deploy with his unit, but he was a team leader in an infantry platoon." But Sean Collins knew it was his duty and responsibility to go, his father said.
“Our sincere condolences go out to families and communities at Fort Campbell, and we will keep the families in our thoughts and prayers,” he said.
The attack came less than a month after six Fort Campbell solders were shot and killed by a lone gunman from the Afghan border police during a training mission.
Collins joined the Army in 2006 and had served two deployments in Iraq. His mother said she stayed in touch with him during his deployments and he usually showed an upbeat attitude because he enjoyed his work. She said he was planning to make a career out of the Army.
“I never worried about him in Iraq,” she said. “But for some reason in your heart there’s a hesitancy when he said he was going to Afghanistan.”
Linda Collins, a teacher at Yelm’s Ridgeline Middle School, said her house has been full of friends and family since news about her son made its way through the community over the past three days. “This town is close knit,” she said.
She learned of her son’s death Sunday morning when casualty assistance officers knocked on her door about 9:30 a.m. She had recently encouraged her son to keep up his spirits when he said some of his comrades were killed around Thanksgiving. “Now with what happened with him, it’s unbelievable,” she said.
“He was an awesome person. We are going to miss him,” his mother said.
Funeral services are pending.
According to the War on Terror News website, Collins' awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Valorous Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Support Medal, Army Service Medal and the NATO Medal.
He is survived by his mother, Linda G. Collins of Yelm, Wash., and father, Patrick B. Collins of Palolo Valley, Hawaii. he also has an older brother and two younger sisters.
Army Cpl. Sean M. Collins was killed in action on 12/12/10.
Army Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr., 21, of San Diego
Spc. Necochea was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Sean M. Collins, Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., Spc. Patrick D. Deans, Spc. Derek T. Simonetta and Spc. Jorge E. Villacis.
Family and friends of a fallen soldier, a 2007 Poway High School graduate, are mourning his loss this week.
Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr., 21, was among six Army soldiers killed Sunday in Afghanistan, according to the Pentagon.
The soldiers died when insurgents attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense.
Cara Brown, who loved being called “auntie” by her nephew, known to most as “Kenny,” said he was “a good Christian boy.
“He was always smiling and a joy to be with,” she said. “He was kind, and had character.”
Necochea attended junior college for a while, before deciding to enlist in the Army, she said. “It wasn’t just a whim with him,” Brown said. “In our eyes, he’s a hero.”
Remembering that smile of his and the many family stories they have to share about him will help to keep them going while everyone grieves, Brown said.
Meanwhile, Dave LeMaster, a Poway High School history teacher said Necochea liked that subject a lot. “He was genuine, never mean, kind and soft spoken,” LeMaster said. “I never knew he was going off to serve his country, but in class we discuss military service,” he added. “It’s sad that he died, but we’re really proud of him (for serving).”
Laura Dossett of Tennessee, met him when he was stationed at Fort Campbell and they quickly became close. “He was so shy (when they first met) but once we got to know each other, he opened up,” Dossett said. “He was such a gentle, sweet soul. He was a strong Christian. He was one of the only boys who ever willingly went to church with me.
Necochea’s awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Service Medal.
He is survived by his mother, Donna L. Wright of San Diego; and father, Kenneth E. Necochea of Poway; and several brothers and sisters, Amishka Necochea, Kyrnan Necochea, Natalie Nechochea, Evan Nechochea and Dylan Wright.
Army Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr. was killed in action on 12/12/10.
Army Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr., 21, of San Diego
Spc. Necochea was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Sean M. Collins, Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., Spc. Patrick D. Deans, Spc. Derek T. Simonetta and Spc. Jorge E. Villacis.
Family and friends of a fallen soldier, a 2007 Poway High School graduate, are mourning his loss this week.
Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr., 21, was among six Army soldiers killed Sunday in Afghanistan, according to the Pentagon.
The soldiers died when insurgents attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense.
Cara Brown, who loved being called “auntie” by her nephew, known to most as “Kenny,” said he was “a good Christian boy.
“He was always smiling and a joy to be with,” she said. “He was kind, and had character.”
Necochea attended junior college for a while, before deciding to enlist in the Army, she said. “It wasn’t just a whim with him,” Brown said. “In our eyes, he’s a hero.”
Remembering that smile of his and the many family stories they have to share about him will help to keep them going while everyone grieves, Brown said.
Meanwhile, Dave LeMaster, a Poway High School history teacher said Necochea liked that subject a lot. “He was genuine, never mean, kind and soft spoken,” LeMaster said. “I never knew he was going off to serve his country, but in class we discuss military service,” he added. “It’s sad that he died, but we’re really proud of him (for serving).”
Laura Dossett of Tennessee, met him when he was stationed at Fort Campbell and they quickly became close. “He was so shy (when they first met) but once we got to know each other, he opened up,” Dossett said. “He was such a gentle, sweet soul. He was a strong Christian. He was one of the only boys who ever willingly went to church with me.
Necochea’s awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Service Medal.
He is survived by his mother, Donna L. Wright of San Diego; and father, Kenneth E. Necochea of Poway; and several brothers and sisters, Amishka Necochea, Kyrnan Necochea, Natalie Nechochea, Evan Nechochea and Dylan Wright.
Army Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr. was killed in action on 12/12/10.
Army Spc. Patrick D. Deans
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Patrick D. Deans, 22 of Orlando, Fla.
Spc. Deans was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Sean M. Collins, Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr., Spc. Derek T. Simonetta and Spc. Jorge E. Villacis.
It's clear from Spc. Patrick D. Deans' Facebook page that he understood the danger inherent in becoming a soldier.
"A Veteran is someone, who at one point in their life, wrote a blank check payable to the United States of America for an amount up to, and including their life," Deans posted on his wall Nov. 10. "That is beyond honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer remember that fact."
A little more than a month later, Deans was one of six soldiers killed in Kandahar province, Afghanistan by a suicide bomber. He died Sunday, two days before his 23rd birthday.
Deans served in Iraq during his first tour of duty and was sent to Afghanistan after he reenlisted, said Butch Herdegen, 23, one of Deans' closest friends.
It was in Howz-e Madad that Deans and his fellow soldiers, including Spc. Jorge Villacis, 24, of Sunrise, died when an explosives-packed minibus blew up at the entrance to a joint NATO-Afghan base, the Department of Defense said.
He graduated from Timber Creek High School in Orlando and was a member of the JROTC.
Deans was an Infantryman, who joined the Army in June 2007 and arrived at Fort Campbell in November 2007. Deans’ award and decorations include: Army Commendation Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Medal and Overseas Service Ribbon.
He is survived by his mother, Robyn Deans, of Oviedo, and his father, Patrick of Orlando.
Army Spc. Patrick D. Deans was killed in action on 12/12/10
Army Spc. Patrick D. Deans, 22 of Orlando, Fla.
Spc. Deans was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Sean M. Collins, Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr., Spc. Derek T. Simonetta and Spc. Jorge E. Villacis.
It's clear from Spc. Patrick D. Deans' Facebook page that he understood the danger inherent in becoming a soldier.
"A Veteran is someone, who at one point in their life, wrote a blank check payable to the United States of America for an amount up to, and including their life," Deans posted on his wall Nov. 10. "That is beyond honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer remember that fact."
A little more than a month later, Deans was one of six soldiers killed in Kandahar province, Afghanistan by a suicide bomber. He died Sunday, two days before his 23rd birthday.
Deans served in Iraq during his first tour of duty and was sent to Afghanistan after he reenlisted, said Butch Herdegen, 23, one of Deans' closest friends.
It was in Howz-e Madad that Deans and his fellow soldiers, including Spc. Jorge Villacis, 24, of Sunrise, died when an explosives-packed minibus blew up at the entrance to a joint NATO-Afghan base, the Department of Defense said.
He graduated from Timber Creek High School in Orlando and was a member of the JROTC.
Deans was an Infantryman, who joined the Army in June 2007 and arrived at Fort Campbell in November 2007. Deans’ award and decorations include: Army Commendation Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Medal and Overseas Service Ribbon.
He is survived by his mother, Robyn Deans, of Oviedo, and his father, Patrick of Orlando.
Army Spc. Patrick D. Deans was killed in action on 12/12/10
Army Spc. Jorge E. Villacis
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Jorge E. Villacis, 24, of Sunrise, Fla.
Spc. Villacis was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Sean M. Collins, Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., Spc. Patrick D. Deans, Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr. and Spc. Derek T. Simonetta.
Before he returned to Afghanistan late last month after a 15-day leave, Army Spc. Jorge Villacis responded to his family's fears about his safety with a smiling reassurance.
"He just said, 'I have to go back and finish the job. And then I'll be home,'" said the soldier's sister, Jessica Geribon of Pembroke Pines. "He didn't like to stress."
The 24-year-old Sunrise man was among six Army soldiers killed Sunday in Afghanistan's Kandahar province when his unit was attacked by an insurgent using a vehicle rigged with an improvised bomb, the Defense Department announced Tuesday.
The suicide attack used enough explosives to bring down the building the soldiers were in, their commander, Maj. Gen. John Campbell, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Villacis' death came just less than a month after one of his closest friends, Staff Sgt. Juan Rivadeneira, 27, was killed in in a similar incident in Kandahar. Two other soldiers with the 502nd Infantry Regiment died in that attack.
Jessica Geribon, along with her husband Ricardo, her sister Jannina Salterini of Miramar, and Villacis' parents Jorge and Segunda Villacis, of Hollywood, were all at the South Florida VA National Cemetery, west of Lake Worth, on Nov. 30 for Rivadeneira's burial.
As she stood next to Rivadeneira's flag-draped casket, Jessica Geribon said she could not help thinking, "I don't want to be here again for my brother. I don't want to relive this."
Villacis and Rivadeneira met at Fort Campbell and became friends. Rivadeneira's heritage was Venezuelan. Villacis' parents are from Ecuador. Through the soldiers' friendship, their families became close. In November 2009, members of both families celebrated that most American of holidays, Thanksgiving, together at Fort Campbell.
The two soldiers deployed together in June, but served in different units in Afghanistan.
Melissa, Juan's widow, who lives in Miami, rushed to the Geribons' home Sunday when she got word of Villacis' death. "She told me, 'Now they are together again,'" said Jessica Geribon.
Born in New Jersey, Villacis graduated from American Senior High School in Hialeah. He worked as a mechanic before enlisting in the Army in September 2008. He also attended Broward College, and planned on returning to school.
At home, he liked to toss the football in the yard with his nieces and nephews, play Madden NFL video games, and root with passion for the New York Yankees.
Said Ricardo Geribon, "He is a hero. He was just a great kid, with a wonderful smile. He was never mad at anyone." At the time of his enlistment, he lived in Sunrise.
He is survived by his wife, Melissa Villacis; and children Zackert T. Devereaux (7), Julian E. Villacis (2) and Jocelyn E. Villacis (1), all of Fort Campbell; mother Segunda Villacis and father Jorge E. Villacis of Hollywood, Fla.
Army Spc. Jorge E. Villacis was killed in action on 12/12/10.
Army Spc. Jorge E. Villacis, 24, of Sunrise, Fla.
Spc. Villacis was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Sean M. Collins, Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., Spc. Patrick D. Deans, Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr. and Spc. Derek T. Simonetta.
Before he returned to Afghanistan late last month after a 15-day leave, Army Spc. Jorge Villacis responded to his family's fears about his safety with a smiling reassurance.
"He just said, 'I have to go back and finish the job. And then I'll be home,'" said the soldier's sister, Jessica Geribon of Pembroke Pines. "He didn't like to stress."
The 24-year-old Sunrise man was among six Army soldiers killed Sunday in Afghanistan's Kandahar province when his unit was attacked by an insurgent using a vehicle rigged with an improvised bomb, the Defense Department announced Tuesday.
The suicide attack used enough explosives to bring down the building the soldiers were in, their commander, Maj. Gen. John Campbell, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Villacis' death came just less than a month after one of his closest friends, Staff Sgt. Juan Rivadeneira, 27, was killed in in a similar incident in Kandahar. Two other soldiers with the 502nd Infantry Regiment died in that attack.
Jessica Geribon, along with her husband Ricardo, her sister Jannina Salterini of Miramar, and Villacis' parents Jorge and Segunda Villacis, of Hollywood, were all at the South Florida VA National Cemetery, west of Lake Worth, on Nov. 30 for Rivadeneira's burial.
As she stood next to Rivadeneira's flag-draped casket, Jessica Geribon said she could not help thinking, "I don't want to be here again for my brother. I don't want to relive this."
Villacis and Rivadeneira met at Fort Campbell and became friends. Rivadeneira's heritage was Venezuelan. Villacis' parents are from Ecuador. Through the soldiers' friendship, their families became close. In November 2009, members of both families celebrated that most American of holidays, Thanksgiving, together at Fort Campbell.
The two soldiers deployed together in June, but served in different units in Afghanistan.
Melissa, Juan's widow, who lives in Miami, rushed to the Geribons' home Sunday when she got word of Villacis' death. "She told me, 'Now they are together again,'" said Jessica Geribon.
Born in New Jersey, Villacis graduated from American Senior High School in Hialeah. He worked as a mechanic before enlisting in the Army in September 2008. He also attended Broward College, and planned on returning to school.
At home, he liked to toss the football in the yard with his nieces and nephews, play Madden NFL video games, and root with passion for the New York Yankees.
Said Ricardo Geribon, "He is a hero. He was just a great kid, with a wonderful smile. He was never mad at anyone." At the time of his enlistment, he lived in Sunrise.
He is survived by his wife, Melissa Villacis; and children Zackert T. Devereaux (7), Julian E. Villacis (2) and Jocelyn E. Villacis (1), all of Fort Campbell; mother Segunda Villacis and father Jorge E. Villacis of Hollywood, Fla.
Army Spc. Jorge E. Villacis was killed in action on 12/12/10.
Army Spc. Derek T. Simonetta
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Derek T. Simonetta, 21, of Redwood City, Calif.
Spc. Simonetta was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Sean M. Collins, Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., Spc. Patrick D. Deans, Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr. and Spc. Jorge E. Villacis.
U.S. Army Spc. Derek Simonetta celebrated his 21st birthday with his family in Redding and San Carlos two months ago before returning to Afghanistan to fight. He confessed he had some misgivings about going back. "We're going over there to die," one service member told him.
Simonetta returned because it was his job, his family said. On Sunday, he was one of six U.S. soldiers killed in a suicide bombing in Kandahar province. "He gave all he could, and he gave the maximum gift," Paul Simonetta, 62, said Tuesday of his grandson.
Born in San Francisco, Derek Simonetta attended Carlmont High School in Belmont, where he met his wife-to-be, Kimberly, when they were freshmen. He moved to Redding and transferred to a high school there but kept in touch with her.
Bonnie Simonetta, 60, said her grandson had shuttled between his parents while growing up. "He was a young man that overcame a lot of obstacles in his life and had absolutely become a man," she said. "He was bravely serving his country. He was a good boy. We really loved him."
He and Kimberly married in 2008. Almost exactly two years later, Derek Simonetta deployed to Afghanistan. In October, he came home for 16 days to celebrate his 21st birthday with his and his wife's family.
"He was so happy to be home," said Kimberly Simonetta, 20, of San Carlos. "It was the best feeling to see his face, his smile, his bright green eyes."
She added, "He is my world, my everything. He's not gone - he's always with us. I know he's always with me, watching me, guiding me."
Simonetta was planning to leave the Army in January 2012 and hoped to become a deputy sheriff and start a family, his wife said. He knew his time in the Army could be stressful and harrowing.
"I think he had some reservations because of the action he saw," his grandmother said. "One of the things that impressed me was that he was in a firefight the first week he was there. I told him, 'Oh my God, Derek, what did you do? I would be scared if somebody was shooting at me.'
"He just said, 'I just did my job.' To me, that just showed me so much about what he turned out to be, a man who was there to do a job."
He is survived by his wife, Kimberly A. Simonetta of San Carlos, Calif.; mother, Tanya Simonetta of Redding, Calif., and father, James E. Lemp of Redwood City.
Army Spc. Derek T. Simonetta was killed in action on 12/12/10.
Army Spc. Derek T. Simonetta, 21, of Redwood City, Calif.
Spc. Simonetta was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Sean M. Collins, Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., Spc. Patrick D. Deans, Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr. and Spc. Jorge E. Villacis.
U.S. Army Spc. Derek Simonetta celebrated his 21st birthday with his family in Redding and San Carlos two months ago before returning to Afghanistan to fight. He confessed he had some misgivings about going back. "We're going over there to die," one service member told him.
Simonetta returned because it was his job, his family said. On Sunday, he was one of six U.S. soldiers killed in a suicide bombing in Kandahar province. "He gave all he could, and he gave the maximum gift," Paul Simonetta, 62, said Tuesday of his grandson.
Born in San Francisco, Derek Simonetta attended Carlmont High School in Belmont, where he met his wife-to-be, Kimberly, when they were freshmen. He moved to Redding and transferred to a high school there but kept in touch with her.
Bonnie Simonetta, 60, said her grandson had shuttled between his parents while growing up. "He was a young man that overcame a lot of obstacles in his life and had absolutely become a man," she said. "He was bravely serving his country. He was a good boy. We really loved him."
He and Kimberly married in 2008. Almost exactly two years later, Derek Simonetta deployed to Afghanistan. In October, he came home for 16 days to celebrate his 21st birthday with his and his wife's family.
"He was so happy to be home," said Kimberly Simonetta, 20, of San Carlos. "It was the best feeling to see his face, his smile, his bright green eyes."
She added, "He is my world, my everything. He's not gone - he's always with us. I know he's always with me, watching me, guiding me."
Simonetta was planning to leave the Army in January 2012 and hoped to become a deputy sheriff and start a family, his wife said. He knew his time in the Army could be stressful and harrowing.
"I think he had some reservations because of the action he saw," his grandmother said. "One of the things that impressed me was that he was in a firefight the first week he was there. I told him, 'Oh my God, Derek, what did you do? I would be scared if somebody was shooting at me.'
"He just said, 'I just did my job.' To me, that just showed me so much about what he turned out to be, a man who was there to do a job."
He is survived by his wife, Kimberly A. Simonetta of San Carlos, Calif.; mother, Tanya Simonetta of Redding, Calif., and father, James E. Lemp of Redwood City.
Army Spc. Derek T. Simonetta was killed in action on 12/12/10.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)