Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Army Cpl. Brad A. Davis

Remember Our Heroes

Army Cpl. Brad A. Davis, 21, of Garfield Heights, Ohio

Cpl. Davis was assigned to the 82nd Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died April 22, 2009 near Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

Sister recalls soldier’s sense of humor
The Associated Press

CLEVELAND — Family members say they’ve learned that an Ohio soldier was killed by a roadside bomb this week while on his second tour in Iraq.

Relatives of 21-year-old Spc. Brad Davis says officers came to the family’s home in the Cleveland suburb of Garfield Heights Wednesday night to say Davis had died earlier that day.

His sister, Jennifer Gardner, says Davis planned to leave the military when his current deployment ended in December.

Davis was a 2006 graduate of Garfield Heights High School. Gardner says he was the type who was always there for you but he also had a prankster side.

The military had not made an official announcement of the death as of Friday. An Army spokesman said the practice was to wait 24 hours after all next of kin had been contacted.

Davis was examining post-military careers
The Associated Press

Brad A. Davis had been scheduled to come home for a two-week leave in June. As he did on other leaves, Davis’ family expected he would be organizing cornhole and sports tournaments with a large group of high school and military friends.

“He was a kid everybody liked, just a great kid,” said his former football coach, Chuck Reisland. “The news really upset a lot of us. He was just the sort of young man you want to have on your team.”

Davis, 21, of Garfield Heights, Ohio, died April 22 of injuries suffered when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle near Baghdad. He was a 2006 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Bragg.

One of his sisters, Jennifer Gardner, said her brother “had seen a lot” in his first deployment and was looking forward to leaving the military when his current one-year tour in Iraq ended in December. She said he planned to go back to school for a career in pharmacy or law enforcement.

“He was very friendly, like I would always see him in the hallways and he was always smiling, laughing and joking,” said Christie Irey, a former classmate.

He also is survived by his parents, Bob and Terri.

Army Cpl. Brad A. Davis was killed in action on 4/22/09.

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