Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Army Sgt. Arnold Duplantier II

Remember Our Heroes

Army Sgt. Arnold Duplantier II, 26, of Sacramento, California.

Sgt Duplantier died in Baghdad, Iraq, where he was providing cordon security, and was attacked by enemy forces using small arms fire. He was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment, Auburn, California.

Arnold Duplantier II had just celebrated his 26th birthday and returned to Iraq when he was killed while guarding the hotel where members of the international media stay, the California National Guard said Friday.

Sgt Duplantier had been a full-time Guardsman, providing security at the Guard’s Sacramento headquarters before he volunteered. A casualty report released Friday said he was recently promoted to sergeant.

He served six months of a yearlong deployment before returning to Sacramento recently for a two-week leave. He returned to Iraq 10 days before his death for his second six-month stint after a shopping trip to buy presents to hand to Iraqi children, his widow said. He also is survived by a 5-year-old daughter.

“He already had this sense of what he’s got to do in life,” his father said while holding a watch with “United we stand” highlighted against an American flag, a gift from his son.

Army Sgt Arnold Duplantier II was killed in action on 06/22/05.

No comments: