Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, 21, of Clovis, Calif.
Cpl. Hubbard was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Spc. Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Spc. Michael A. Hook, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
Clovis soldier among 14 killed in Iraq helicopter crash
The Associated Press
CLOVIS, Calif. — A Central California soldier was among 14 killed when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed in northern Iraq — the second tragedy for his family, who lost another son to the war three years ago, family friends said.
The family of Spc. Nathan Hubbard, 21, was taking his death Aug. 22 “very, very hard,” said Clovis police spokeswoman Janet Stoll-Lee, who spoke on behalf of the Hubbards. The soldier’s father, Jeff Hubbard, is a retired 30-year veteran of the police department.
The Hubbards lost Nathan’s older brother, Marine Lance Cpl. Jared Hubbard, to a roadside bomb in downtown Ramadi in 2004. A third brother, Jason, will be returning home from Iraq to be with his family, Stoll-Lee said.
The UH-60 helicopter went down during a nighttime mission in the Tamim province that surrounds Kirkuk, an oil-rich city 180 miles north of Baghdad, said Lt. Col. Michael Donnelly, a military spokesman in northern Iraq.
He said facts gathered indicated it was almost certainly due to a mechanical problem and not hostile fire, although the final cause remained under investigation. The military did not immediately release the soldiers’ identities pending notification of relatives.
Nathan Hubbard was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii, where officials said 10 of the soldiers killed in the crash were based.
Keith Butterfield, a family friend, said the Hubbards were worried for their sons but proud because they knew they were committed to going on behalf of their fallen brother.
“There is nothing anyone can say to make it better, but it’s good to know that there are other families that can help you cope,” said Butterfield, who became close to the Hubbards after his own son died in Iraq last year. “It’s bringing up the feelings of everyone else’s loss, but we will be there for them.”
Nathan and Jason Hubbard joined the Army together in 2005, shortly after their brother was killed. Their mother, Peggy, told the Fresno Bee in a 2005 interview that she believed Jason joined in part to protect Nathan after not being there to help Jared.
The brothers said at the time that they didn’t worry about dying in the war.
“People are going to be hurt, and people are going to be killed,” Nathan Hubbard told the Bee. “That is a reality you have to accept, but not dwell on.”
Army Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Army Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, 20, of Mentor, Ohio
Cpl. Harmon was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Spc. Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
Fallen Soldier Looked Forward to New Life in Hawaii
Ramsay Wharton
They are trained in combat, but they're there to save lives. Twenty-year-old Army Specialist, Josh Harmon of Willoughby, Ohio, was the medic on board the Black Hawk helicopter that crashed Wednesday in northern Iraq.
The Schofield Barracks soldier met his wife, Kristin, last year when she was on vacation in Hawaii.
Harmon's mother, Donna, is devastated by news of his death.
"He loved it out there. He and Kristin, they had an apartment. It was all set up and they were going to be moving in October 4," she said.
The newlyweds, who were legally wed by proxy marriage while Harmon was deployed, were planning to live at the Moanalua Hillside Apartments. They were going to have their wedding ceremony when Harmon returned.
Family friend, Erix Lemr, said Josh couldn't wait to be with his wife.
"He had put a deposit down on an apartment. He had bought a car for her," said Lemr. "She was moving back out there in two weeks."
"He was so looking forward to coming home. He had everything set up," said Donna Harmon. "He had a countdown on his my space account. She was the love of his life."
Harmon's mom said she wasn't happy when he joined the Army two years ago, but supported her son's decision to serve his country.
And Harmon did that well, saving the life of fellow soldier, Freddy Ray Meyers, who was shot in the head by an enemy sniper.
"When they got him back to the hospital, the doctors singled Josh out and basically said that the reason that soldier survived was due to Josh's treatment of that soldier in the field," said Lt. Tim Serazin, a firefighter who works with Harmon's dad in Willoughby, Ohio.
Serazin said Josh's father, Richard, the Willoughby fire chief, is extremely proud of his son.
"A doting father that Rich was, he would show off the fact that his son was learning stuff that basically you don't learn unless you're in medical school," Serazin said.
And though Josh wanted to be a career soldier, he decided he could do more by going to medical school when his tour was up.
"He told us of stories where he'd be on patrol and he'd see wounded people down streets but due to the danger of the situation, weren't able to stop and that kind of frustrated him," Serazin said.
Childhood friend, Kyle Fisher, said Harmon told him that regardless of the difficulties, he enjoyed being an Army medic.
"It's a very hard place to be. A very difficult position to be in. But he wouldn't have it any other way, helping people," Fisher said.
Army Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, 20, of Mentor, Ohio
Cpl. Harmon was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Spc. Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
Fallen Soldier Looked Forward to New Life in Hawaii
Ramsay Wharton
They are trained in combat, but they're there to save lives. Twenty-year-old Army Specialist, Josh Harmon of Willoughby, Ohio, was the medic on board the Black Hawk helicopter that crashed Wednesday in northern Iraq.
The Schofield Barracks soldier met his wife, Kristin, last year when she was on vacation in Hawaii.
Harmon's mother, Donna, is devastated by news of his death.
"He loved it out there. He and Kristin, they had an apartment. It was all set up and they were going to be moving in October 4," she said.
The newlyweds, who were legally wed by proxy marriage while Harmon was deployed, were planning to live at the Moanalua Hillside Apartments. They were going to have their wedding ceremony when Harmon returned.
Family friend, Erix Lemr, said Josh couldn't wait to be with his wife.
"He had put a deposit down on an apartment. He had bought a car for her," said Lemr. "She was moving back out there in two weeks."
"He was so looking forward to coming home. He had everything set up," said Donna Harmon. "He had a countdown on his my space account. She was the love of his life."
Harmon's mom said she wasn't happy when he joined the Army two years ago, but supported her son's decision to serve his country.
And Harmon did that well, saving the life of fellow soldier, Freddy Ray Meyers, who was shot in the head by an enemy sniper.
"When they got him back to the hospital, the doctors singled Josh out and basically said that the reason that soldier survived was due to Josh's treatment of that soldier in the field," said Lt. Tim Serazin, a firefighter who works with Harmon's dad in Willoughby, Ohio.
Serazin said Josh's father, Richard, the Willoughby fire chief, is extremely proud of his son.
"A doting father that Rich was, he would show off the fact that his son was learning stuff that basically you don't learn unless you're in medical school," Serazin said.
And though Josh wanted to be a career soldier, he decided he could do more by going to medical school when his tour was up.
"He told us of stories where he'd be on patrol and he'd see wounded people down streets but due to the danger of the situation, weren't able to stop and that kind of frustrated him," Serazin said.
Childhood friend, Kyle Fisher, said Harmon told him that regardless of the difficulties, he enjoyed being an Army medic.
"It's a very hard place to be. A very difficult position to be in. But he wouldn't have it any other way, helping people," Fisher said.
Army Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, 25, of New Lenox, Ill.
Cpl. Brodnick was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Spc. Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
Family mourns soldier who died in helicopter crash in Iraq
By Duaa Eldeib Staff writer
Even in his death, Phillip J. Brodnick made his family smile.
As they sat somber and grief-stricken after learning the 25-year-old was among the 14 U.S. soldiers killed Wednesday in a Black Hawk helicopter crash in northern Iraq, an unexpected package arrived.
"It was my birthday present," said Brodnick's mother, Marian Stockhausen.
Wrapped inside was a chess set to commemorate many an online game and a note that read "Sorry it was late, but I was playing it."
The gift that arrived at his mother's Warrenville home more than a month after her birthday turned tears to laughter -- if only for a moment
"It was kind of him saying he's OK. He's with God," Stockhausen said.
Although the family tries to take solace in the symbolic goodbye that now sits in a glass china cabinet in the living room, dealing with losing a loved one so young is devastating.
"It's like a roller coaster, a black hole," Stockhausen said, wiping away tear after tear.
The recently promoted Army corporal who was deployed to Iraq last August was supposed to be home in June, but his tour was extended to October. His mother realizes those four months were the difference between life and death, but she doesn't dwell on it.
"He accepted it," she said.
So does she.
As tears streamed down her face, her two daughters Kimber Larson and Lisa Brodnick held her hand and searched for their own strength.
"He just always wanted to make sure I was taken care of," 20-year-old Lisa Brodnick said.
When he e-mailed them, he wrote about family vacations every summer and promised his mother he'd go to church with her.
"That was a big deal," Larson, 27, joked.
Dedicated and deserving
As a way to serve his country and "find himself," Brodnick enlisted in the Army when he was 18, Stockhausen said. After a tour in Kosovo, he was back home in 2003, only to re-enlist in 2005.
"He knew that our country needed him, so he went back," Stockhausen said. "He was a dedicated soldier."
Dedicated and deserving of the utmost respect, his father, James Brodnick, said as he grappled with the "unbearable loss."
"I take comfort in knowing that my son did not die alone, but died in the company of other brave men who also gave their lives for our country. My deepest condolences go out to the families of these brave men. I will say a prayer for your sons while I pray for mine," he said in a statement.
Brodnick was of the nine of those killed who were based at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, Sen. Daniel Inouye, (D-Hawaii) said. His body will return home Tuesday, and once arrangements are made, Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn will speak at his funeral, officials said.
Father and son were very close, James Brodnick said as he fought back tears.
During Brodnick's time home, he lived in Chicago and applied to police departments in hopes of following in the footsteps of his father, a 25-year Burbank police veteran.
'Very likeable and always smiling'
Brodnick was born in Mokena and became his grandfather's namesake after sharing his grandfather's birthday. He lived in Burbank until he was 8, then moved to Frankfort, said Stockhausen, who is the principal of Richard E. Byrd Elementary School in Burbank. In 2000, Brodnick graduated from then-Lincoln-Way High School.
Lincoln-Way Central principal Monica Schmitt remembers Brodnick's smile and upbeat attitude.
"He was very social, very likeable and always smiling," Schmitt said.
Students at Lincoln-Way schools were greeted with flags at half-staff for their third day of classes Thursday. They paused for a moment of silence.
At East's home football game tonight, another moment of silence likely will greet a stadium full of mothers, fathers and teens not much younger than Brodnick.
Brodnick is the second soldier lost from Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 in three months. Spc. Jacob M. Lowell, who graduated from Lincoln-Way Central in 2003, was killed June 2 in Afghanistan.
"We have very patriotic students," Schmitt said. "They understand service to country."
When Brodnick wasn't training Iraqi police or serving as an infantry scout, he was instant messaging his family and friends, updating his MySpace.com account and sending home presents.
The morning after his death, someone left this message for him on his MySpace.com page: "You touched my life in a special way....you will always have a special place in my heart....thanks to you I will live every day to the fullest....you are a TRUE American Hero....you won't be forgotten."
A tan stuffed camel with a camouflage cap sits in his mother's living room. He sent the same present -- along with treats, balls and toys -- to his German Shepherd Dozy, the object of his affection.
And though Phillip was famous for his love of animals, Lisa Brodnick didn't send him a picture of one to help get him through the days. She sent a poster of Marilyn Monroe.
"He was the quintessential guy's guy and ladies man," Larson said.
His girlfriends would tell him how lucky they were that his sisters taught him the importance of bringing a girl flowers.
With a little brother like Brodnick, it's hard for Larson to pinpoint what she'll most about him.
"Just him -- so much," she said.
Army Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, 25, of New Lenox, Ill.
Cpl. Brodnick was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Spc. Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
Family mourns soldier who died in helicopter crash in Iraq
By Duaa Eldeib Staff writer
Even in his death, Phillip J. Brodnick made his family smile.
As they sat somber and grief-stricken after learning the 25-year-old was among the 14 U.S. soldiers killed Wednesday in a Black Hawk helicopter crash in northern Iraq, an unexpected package arrived.
"It was my birthday present," said Brodnick's mother, Marian Stockhausen.
Wrapped inside was a chess set to commemorate many an online game and a note that read "Sorry it was late, but I was playing it."
The gift that arrived at his mother's Warrenville home more than a month after her birthday turned tears to laughter -- if only for a moment
"It was kind of him saying he's OK. He's with God," Stockhausen said.
Although the family tries to take solace in the symbolic goodbye that now sits in a glass china cabinet in the living room, dealing with losing a loved one so young is devastating.
"It's like a roller coaster, a black hole," Stockhausen said, wiping away tear after tear.
The recently promoted Army corporal who was deployed to Iraq last August was supposed to be home in June, but his tour was extended to October. His mother realizes those four months were the difference between life and death, but she doesn't dwell on it.
"He accepted it," she said.
So does she.
As tears streamed down her face, her two daughters Kimber Larson and Lisa Brodnick held her hand and searched for their own strength.
"He just always wanted to make sure I was taken care of," 20-year-old Lisa Brodnick said.
When he e-mailed them, he wrote about family vacations every summer and promised his mother he'd go to church with her.
"That was a big deal," Larson, 27, joked.
Dedicated and deserving
As a way to serve his country and "find himself," Brodnick enlisted in the Army when he was 18, Stockhausen said. After a tour in Kosovo, he was back home in 2003, only to re-enlist in 2005.
"He knew that our country needed him, so he went back," Stockhausen said. "He was a dedicated soldier."
Dedicated and deserving of the utmost respect, his father, James Brodnick, said as he grappled with the "unbearable loss."
"I take comfort in knowing that my son did not die alone, but died in the company of other brave men who also gave their lives for our country. My deepest condolences go out to the families of these brave men. I will say a prayer for your sons while I pray for mine," he said in a statement.
Brodnick was of the nine of those killed who were based at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, Sen. Daniel Inouye, (D-Hawaii) said. His body will return home Tuesday, and once arrangements are made, Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn will speak at his funeral, officials said.
Father and son were very close, James Brodnick said as he fought back tears.
During Brodnick's time home, he lived in Chicago and applied to police departments in hopes of following in the footsteps of his father, a 25-year Burbank police veteran.
'Very likeable and always smiling'
Brodnick was born in Mokena and became his grandfather's namesake after sharing his grandfather's birthday. He lived in Burbank until he was 8, then moved to Frankfort, said Stockhausen, who is the principal of Richard E. Byrd Elementary School in Burbank. In 2000, Brodnick graduated from then-Lincoln-Way High School.
Lincoln-Way Central principal Monica Schmitt remembers Brodnick's smile and upbeat attitude.
"He was very social, very likeable and always smiling," Schmitt said.
Students at Lincoln-Way schools were greeted with flags at half-staff for their third day of classes Thursday. They paused for a moment of silence.
At East's home football game tonight, another moment of silence likely will greet a stadium full of mothers, fathers and teens not much younger than Brodnick.
Brodnick is the second soldier lost from Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 in three months. Spc. Jacob M. Lowell, who graduated from Lincoln-Way Central in 2003, was killed June 2 in Afghanistan.
"We have very patriotic students," Schmitt said. "They understand service to country."
When Brodnick wasn't training Iraqi police or serving as an infantry scout, he was instant messaging his family and friends, updating his MySpace.com account and sending home presents.
The morning after his death, someone left this message for him on his MySpace.com page: "You touched my life in a special way....you will always have a special place in my heart....thanks to you I will live every day to the fullest....you are a TRUE American Hero....you won't be forgotten."
A tan stuffed camel with a camouflage cap sits in his mother's living room. He sent the same present -- along with treats, balls and toys -- to his German Shepherd Dozy, the object of his affection.
And though Phillip was famous for his love of animals, Lisa Brodnick didn't send him a picture of one to help get him through the days. She sent a poster of Marilyn Monroe.
"He was the quintessential guy's guy and ladies man," Larson said.
His girlfriends would tell him how lucky they were that his sisters taught him the importance of bringing a girl flowers.
With a little brother like Brodnick, it's hard for Larson to pinpoint what she'll most about him.
"Just him -- so much," she said.
Army Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, 21, of Middlefield, Mass.
Cpl. Bouffard was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Spc. Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
Middlefield man dies in Iraq helicopter crash
The Associated Press
MIDDLEFIELD, Mass. — As flags in his hometown were lowered in his honor Aug. 23, Jeremy Bouffard’s family recalled the soldier killed in Iraq as an aspiring officer and a happy family man.
Bouffard died Aug. 22 when his Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a nighttime mission in northern Iraq. The 13 other U.S. soldiers on board also died. It was the highest single-day death toll in Iraq since January.
Military officials blamed the crash on mechanical problems, not hostile fire.
“His job was difficult, but he was content with himself, his family and his life,” read a statement issued Aug. 23 by the Bouffard family. “He was clear-headed and positive about his future. We celebrate his life even as we mourn his loss.”
Bouffard, whose parents, Paula and Stephen, live in Middlefield, was married and had a son. He is also survived by three sisters.
Flags were flown at to half-staff at Town Hall and at Gateway Regional High School, where Bouffard had been a student.
Bouffard’s helicopter went down before dawn in the Tamim province that surrounds Kirkuk, an oil-rich city 180 miles north of Baghdad.
The Black Hawk was one of two helicopters and had just picked up troops after a mission when it crashed, military officials said. The four crew members and 10 passengers aboard were assigned to Task Force Lightning.
Bouffard was an infantry scout in the 25th Infantry Division. He was applying for warrant officer school and helicopter pilot training, his family said.
“He chose to serve out of a sense of honor and commitment to the ideals of our nation,” the family statement said.
Army Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, 21, of Middlefield, Mass.
Cpl. Bouffard was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Spc. Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
Middlefield man dies in Iraq helicopter crash
The Associated Press
MIDDLEFIELD, Mass. — As flags in his hometown were lowered in his honor Aug. 23, Jeremy Bouffard’s family recalled the soldier killed in Iraq as an aspiring officer and a happy family man.
Bouffard died Aug. 22 when his Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a nighttime mission in northern Iraq. The 13 other U.S. soldiers on board also died. It was the highest single-day death toll in Iraq since January.
Military officials blamed the crash on mechanical problems, not hostile fire.
“His job was difficult, but he was content with himself, his family and his life,” read a statement issued Aug. 23 by the Bouffard family. “He was clear-headed and positive about his future. We celebrate his life even as we mourn his loss.”
Bouffard, whose parents, Paula and Stephen, live in Middlefield, was married and had a son. He is also survived by three sisters.
Flags were flown at to half-staff at Town Hall and at Gateway Regional High School, where Bouffard had been a student.
Bouffard’s helicopter went down before dawn in the Tamim province that surrounds Kirkuk, an oil-rich city 180 miles north of Baghdad.
The Black Hawk was one of two helicopters and had just picked up troops after a mission when it crashed, military officials said. The four crew members and 10 passengers aboard were assigned to Task Force Lightning.
Bouffard was an infantry scout in the 25th Infantry Division. He was applying for warrant officer school and helicopter pilot training, his family said.
“He chose to serve out of a sense of honor and commitment to the ideals of our nation,” the family statement said.
Army Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Sgt. Garrett I. McLead
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, 23, of Rockport, Texas
Sgt. McLead was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Spc. Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
Soldier was drawn to military
Fallen Rockport man had once wanted to be an actor
ROCKPORT -- Hollywood good looks might have gotten him a modeling or acting gig, but ultimately it was the battlefield that called to 23-year-old soldier Garrett McLead, who died Wednesday in Iraq.
McLead, a sergeant in the Army's 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry based at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, was one of 14 soldiers who died in a Black Hawk helicopter crash during a night mission 180 miles north of Baghdad, near the city of Kirkuk.
After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, McLead, who was a senior at Rockport-Fulton High School at the time, was drawn to the military, friends and family said.
"He wanted to be an actor, but after 9/11 he changed his plans and went for God and country," McLead's uncle Paul Emmons said Thursday. "We thought he was going to California for modeling and to try his hand at acting."
Before he enlisted, McLead talked over his decision with Walter Knight, his pastor at First Baptist Church in Rockport.
Knight had known McLead, who he described as "one of those Ralph Lauren-type kids," for nearly a decade. McLead always had a tan and nice hair and he was always dressed sharply. But there was depth with the kid's image.
"He joined the Army during the time everyone was feeling real patriotic," Knight said. "He had a real spiritual side and felt it was supposed to be part of his life."
The clock was ticking on McLead's second tour of the Middle East. He rotated through Afghanistan during his first tour, and his second tour, in Iraq, was due to end the first part of August when the Army extended it, Emmons said. McLead, a sniper who also did Army reconnaissance work, was 52 days from completing his time in Iraq when he was killed, Emmons said.
After the military notified McLead's parents, Patrick and Patty, around noon Wednesday, the news spread quickly through this town of about 7,000. The family, who moved to Aransas Pass within the last couple of years, remains active in the church and gospel singing and owns a hair salon in Rockport.
The flags at the city, county and school district were lowered to half-staff Wednesday, where they will remain until after a memorial service, which is not yet scheduled, according to Police Chief Tim Jayroe and Aransas County Judge Burt Mills' office.
Patrick and Patty McLead met with Army representatives Thursday afternoon but did not get new information about when their son's body would be returned, Emmons said.
McLead was well known when he was in high school. He played soccer, tennis and the saxophone in the high school band and had a tight-knit crew of friends.
"A good, all-American kid that you like to have around you," said Aransas County Independent School District superintendent Wayne Johnson, who was principal of the high school when McLead attended. "We have not done anything yet in his memory, but once it is appropriate we will dedicate a tree with a marker."
In 2005, McLead's former classmate and fellow soccer player at Rockport-Fulton High School, Matthew Holloway, was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq.
"This is our second one in Iraq," Johnson said. "The impact in small town? It actually makes our community bind together. We begin to respect how fragile life really is and it makes us appreciate one another and take time to say thank you, hello and how are you doing."
McLead's friends and family will remember most his sense of humor, his prankster nature and his sense of adventure.
"The way he laughs," his cousin and best friend Greg Emmons said, before shakily correcting himself. "The way he laughed. He had an intoxicating laugh."
Because of McLead's adventurous nature, he signed up for some pretty risky things in the Army, including sniper school and mountain survival training, Knight said.
Knight figured time in the Army would cure him of that wanderlust. Instead, he was surprised when he learned McLead had re-enlisted and was headed for a second tour in the Middle East.
"Well, because he had always been such a free spirit," Knight said. "I thought that little stint in the military was all he needed, but I guess not. He grew up and he stayed."
Growing up, McLead hung out at lot at his buddy Ted Little's house.
When McLead went to the Army, Little, who is about to be deployed to Qatar, went to the Air Force, Little's father Rusty said Thursday.
On leave from the Army recently, McLead visited Rusty Little.
"I have known the kid since he was little," Little said. "He was proud to be over there, doing what he was doing. Garrett was always a pretty fun kid, but he was pretty serious about what he was doing over there."
Army Sgt. Garrett I. McLead was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, 23, of Rockport, Texas
Sgt. McLead was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Spc. Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
Soldier was drawn to military
Fallen Rockport man had once wanted to be an actor
ROCKPORT -- Hollywood good looks might have gotten him a modeling or acting gig, but ultimately it was the battlefield that called to 23-year-old soldier Garrett McLead, who died Wednesday in Iraq.
McLead, a sergeant in the Army's 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry based at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, was one of 14 soldiers who died in a Black Hawk helicopter crash during a night mission 180 miles north of Baghdad, near the city of Kirkuk.
After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, McLead, who was a senior at Rockport-Fulton High School at the time, was drawn to the military, friends and family said.
"He wanted to be an actor, but after 9/11 he changed his plans and went for God and country," McLead's uncle Paul Emmons said Thursday. "We thought he was going to California for modeling and to try his hand at acting."
Before he enlisted, McLead talked over his decision with Walter Knight, his pastor at First Baptist Church in Rockport.
Knight had known McLead, who he described as "one of those Ralph Lauren-type kids," for nearly a decade. McLead always had a tan and nice hair and he was always dressed sharply. But there was depth with the kid's image.
"He joined the Army during the time everyone was feeling real patriotic," Knight said. "He had a real spiritual side and felt it was supposed to be part of his life."
The clock was ticking on McLead's second tour of the Middle East. He rotated through Afghanistan during his first tour, and his second tour, in Iraq, was due to end the first part of August when the Army extended it, Emmons said. McLead, a sniper who also did Army reconnaissance work, was 52 days from completing his time in Iraq when he was killed, Emmons said.
After the military notified McLead's parents, Patrick and Patty, around noon Wednesday, the news spread quickly through this town of about 7,000. The family, who moved to Aransas Pass within the last couple of years, remains active in the church and gospel singing and owns a hair salon in Rockport.
The flags at the city, county and school district were lowered to half-staff Wednesday, where they will remain until after a memorial service, which is not yet scheduled, according to Police Chief Tim Jayroe and Aransas County Judge Burt Mills' office.
Patrick and Patty McLead met with Army representatives Thursday afternoon but did not get new information about when their son's body would be returned, Emmons said.
McLead was well known when he was in high school. He played soccer, tennis and the saxophone in the high school band and had a tight-knit crew of friends.
"A good, all-American kid that you like to have around you," said Aransas County Independent School District superintendent Wayne Johnson, who was principal of the high school when McLead attended. "We have not done anything yet in his memory, but once it is appropriate we will dedicate a tree with a marker."
In 2005, McLead's former classmate and fellow soccer player at Rockport-Fulton High School, Matthew Holloway, was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq.
"This is our second one in Iraq," Johnson said. "The impact in small town? It actually makes our community bind together. We begin to respect how fragile life really is and it makes us appreciate one another and take time to say thank you, hello and how are you doing."
McLead's friends and family will remember most his sense of humor, his prankster nature and his sense of adventure.
"The way he laughs," his cousin and best friend Greg Emmons said, before shakily correcting himself. "The way he laughed. He had an intoxicating laugh."
Because of McLead's adventurous nature, he signed up for some pretty risky things in the Army, including sniper school and mountain survival training, Knight said.
Knight figured time in the Army would cure him of that wanderlust. Instead, he was surprised when he learned McLead had re-enlisted and was headed for a second tour in the Middle East.
"Well, because he had always been such a free spirit," Knight said. "I thought that little stint in the military was all he needed, but I guess not. He grew up and he stayed."
Growing up, McLead hung out at lot at his buddy Ted Little's house.
When McLead went to the Army, Little, who is about to be deployed to Qatar, went to the Air Force, Little's father Rusty said Thursday.
On leave from the Army recently, McLead visited Rusty Little.
"I have known the kid since he was little," Little said. "He was proud to be over there, doing what he was doing. Garrett was always a pretty fun kid, but he was pretty serious about what he was doing over there."
Army Sgt. Garrett I. McLead was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, 25, of Poway, Calif.
SSgt. Paton was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries sustained when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
Soldier was devoted to family, his men
By Rick Rogers
STAFF WRITER
Staff Sgt. Jason Paton never let the war interfere with his dreams. Despite tours in Iraq and Afghanistan – and the prospect of more to come – he planned to marry in November.
There also was that old Mustang to rebuild and plenty of waves at Black's Beach to catch.
Maybe the only thing stronger than Paton's love of life and family was the duty he felt toward the men in his Army unit. It was with his men that the charismatic soldier from Poway died Wednesday in a helicopter crash in Iraq.
Paton, 25, was a member of the Army's 25th Infantry Division based in Hawaii. He was traveling with 13 other soldiers aboard a Black Hawk helicopter when it crashed west of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.
Shortly after liftoff, the pilot reported handling problems. Before he could set the helicopter down, the aircraft went into a wild spin and crashed, according to a CBS news report. There were no survivors.
Families of the fallen were told that a broken tail rotor caused the accident, although officially the crash remains under investigation.
Paton is the 3,717th service member, and the 43rd from San Diego County, to die in Iraq since the start of the war in March 2003.
The 14 killed were a four-man helicopter crew from Fort Lewis, Wash., and 10 passengers from the 25th Infantry Division.
Paton's mother, Kim Bilbrey of Poway, spoke briefly to her son on Monday and, as usual, he was talking about what he would do when he got home.
“He said he was very excited about getting married,” Bilbrey said.
She had made reservations for him and his fiancee, Nikki Palmer of Temecula, for a three-night stay at the Crystal Pier hotel in Pacific Beach. Palmer was a catcher last season on the University of California San Diego softball team. Palmer and Paton were to be married Nov. 18.
“He had a 1968 Mustang, and he told me he wanted to speak to the mechanic about it,” Bilbrey said.
Her only son was to have been back in Hawaii last month, but that was delayed when President Bush extended U.S. deployments as part of the troop surge that began early this year.
Paton's decision to enlist in the Army after graduating from Poway High School in 2000 surprised his mother, but his decision to stick with his men did not.
“He was surfing one day at Black's and he just decided to join the Army,” Bilbrey said.
Once in the Army, Paton thrived, graduating from Airborne School and Ranger training and making rank quickly.
“You could see in Jason's personality a sense of duty to country,” said Wayne Branstetter, Paton's high school wrestling coach.
“He was a very hard worker. He loved training,” Branstetter said. “He just fit in and had a great personality. He had a serving attitude. It was not all about him.
“It just hits you in the gut when something like this happens.”
Despite the cachet of elite schools and the combat tours, Paton never changed when he can home to Poway.
“Everyone wanted to be around him. He was just so much fun. His laughter was contagious,” said Liz Reese, 25, who had known Paton since they were both 11.
Arrangements are being made to bury Paton at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in Point Loma.
“I want people to remember his strength, his devotion. How everyone was drawn to him,” Bilbrey said. “He was a happy person. He would do anything for people. He was a tough kid who had done a lot.”
Army Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, 25, of Poway, Calif.
SSgt. Paton was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries sustained when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
Soldier was devoted to family, his men
By Rick Rogers
STAFF WRITER
Staff Sgt. Jason Paton never let the war interfere with his dreams. Despite tours in Iraq and Afghanistan – and the prospect of more to come – he planned to marry in November.
There also was that old Mustang to rebuild and plenty of waves at Black's Beach to catch.
Maybe the only thing stronger than Paton's love of life and family was the duty he felt toward the men in his Army unit. It was with his men that the charismatic soldier from Poway died Wednesday in a helicopter crash in Iraq.
Paton, 25, was a member of the Army's 25th Infantry Division based in Hawaii. He was traveling with 13 other soldiers aboard a Black Hawk helicopter when it crashed west of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.
Shortly after liftoff, the pilot reported handling problems. Before he could set the helicopter down, the aircraft went into a wild spin and crashed, according to a CBS news report. There were no survivors.
Families of the fallen were told that a broken tail rotor caused the accident, although officially the crash remains under investigation.
Paton is the 3,717th service member, and the 43rd from San Diego County, to die in Iraq since the start of the war in March 2003.
The 14 killed were a four-man helicopter crew from Fort Lewis, Wash., and 10 passengers from the 25th Infantry Division.
Paton's mother, Kim Bilbrey of Poway, spoke briefly to her son on Monday and, as usual, he was talking about what he would do when he got home.
“He said he was very excited about getting married,” Bilbrey said.
She had made reservations for him and his fiancee, Nikki Palmer of Temecula, for a three-night stay at the Crystal Pier hotel in Pacific Beach. Palmer was a catcher last season on the University of California San Diego softball team. Palmer and Paton were to be married Nov. 18.
“He had a 1968 Mustang, and he told me he wanted to speak to the mechanic about it,” Bilbrey said.
Her only son was to have been back in Hawaii last month, but that was delayed when President Bush extended U.S. deployments as part of the troop surge that began early this year.
Paton's decision to enlist in the Army after graduating from Poway High School in 2000 surprised his mother, but his decision to stick with his men did not.
“He was surfing one day at Black's and he just decided to join the Army,” Bilbrey said.
Once in the Army, Paton thrived, graduating from Airborne School and Ranger training and making rank quickly.
“You could see in Jason's personality a sense of duty to country,” said Wayne Branstetter, Paton's high school wrestling coach.
“He was a very hard worker. He loved training,” Branstetter said. “He just fit in and had a great personality. He had a serving attitude. It was not all about him.
“It just hits you in the gut when something like this happens.”
Despite the cachet of elite schools and the combat tours, Paton never changed when he can home to Poway.
“Everyone wanted to be around him. He was just so much fun. His laughter was contagious,” said Liz Reese, 25, who had known Paton since they were both 11.
Arrangements are being made to bury Paton at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in Point Loma.
“I want people to remember his strength, his devotion. How everyone was drawn to him,” Bilbrey said. “He was a happy person. He would do anything for people. He was a tough kid who had done a lot.”
Army Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Capt. Derek A. Dobogai
Remember Our Heroes
Army Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, 26, of Fond du Lac, Wis.
Capt. Dobogai was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Spc. Rickey L. Bell, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
Soldier from Fond du Lac was among chopper crash victims
The Associated Press
FOND DU LAC, Wis. — A soldier from Fond du Lac who was one of the top students in his high school class was among 14 U.S. troops killed when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed in northern Iraq.
Justin Gregorius, principal of Winnebago Lutheran Academy, said an announcement posted during student orientation Aug. 23 informed faculty members that Army Capt. Derek Dobogai, 26, who graduated from the academy in 1999, was among those killed in the crash.
“The word came right at the end of orientation,” Gregorius said. “Kids were leaving class. It was just kind of filtering through.”
The Department of Defense announced the death Aug. 23. Dobogai was among 10 of the soldiers who were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, out of Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
Military officials said the 14 soldiers were on the helicopter when it crashed Aug. 22 in northern Iraq. The military said it appeared the aircraft was lost due to mechanical problems. There were no survivors.
Gregorius wasn’t at Winnebago Lutheran when Dobogai attended, but chemistry and physics teacher Riley Westphal remembered him as a good student who had two brothers who also attended the school.
“I know Derek was a fine student in chemistry,” Westphal said. “All the Dobogai boys did a real nice job in chemistry.”
The Rev. Rick Zahn, who is on the academy faculty, remembered Dobogai as a track and cross country athlete, as well as a student who was recognized as an academic letter winner for good grades in each of his four years.
As one of the top 10 students in his senior year, he told in the yearbook of his plans for college and gave this quote:
“What I have learned at WLA is that God is the one who is in charge of everything. All I need to do is trust in Him and He will lead me where I need to go.”
No listing for Dobogai’s parents, David and Lisa Dobogai, could be found when The Associated Press tried to reach them.
A person at the Dobogai residence told the Fond du Lac Reporter the family had no comment at this time.
“It is in the hands of the Lord,” Zahn said. “We will do all that we can for the family.”
Army Capt. Derek A. Dobogai was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, 26, of Fond du Lac, Wis.
Capt. Dobogai was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Spc. Rickey L. Bell, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
Soldier from Fond du Lac was among chopper crash victims
The Associated Press
FOND DU LAC, Wis. — A soldier from Fond du Lac who was one of the top students in his high school class was among 14 U.S. troops killed when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed in northern Iraq.
Justin Gregorius, principal of Winnebago Lutheran Academy, said an announcement posted during student orientation Aug. 23 informed faculty members that Army Capt. Derek Dobogai, 26, who graduated from the academy in 1999, was among those killed in the crash.
“The word came right at the end of orientation,” Gregorius said. “Kids were leaving class. It was just kind of filtering through.”
The Department of Defense announced the death Aug. 23. Dobogai was among 10 of the soldiers who were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, out of Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
Military officials said the 14 soldiers were on the helicopter when it crashed Aug. 22 in northern Iraq. The military said it appeared the aircraft was lost due to mechanical problems. There were no survivors.
Gregorius wasn’t at Winnebago Lutheran when Dobogai attended, but chemistry and physics teacher Riley Westphal remembered him as a good student who had two brothers who also attended the school.
“I know Derek was a fine student in chemistry,” Westphal said. “All the Dobogai boys did a real nice job in chemistry.”
The Rev. Rick Zahn, who is on the academy faculty, remembered Dobogai as a track and cross country athlete, as well as a student who was recognized as an academic letter winner for good grades in each of his four years.
As one of the top 10 students in his senior year, he told in the yearbook of his plans for college and gave this quote:
“What I have learned at WLA is that God is the one who is in charge of everything. All I need to do is trust in Him and He will lead me where I need to go.”
No listing for Dobogai’s parents, David and Lisa Dobogai, could be found when The Associated Press tried to reach them.
A person at the Dobogai residence told the Fond du Lac Reporter the family had no comment at this time.
“It is in the hands of the Lord,” Zahn said. “We will do all that we can for the family.”
Army Capt. Derek A. Dobogai was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Spc. Rickey L. Bell
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Rickey L. Bell, 21, of Caruthersville, Mo.
Spc. Bell was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 6th U.S. Air Cavalry Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
CARUTHERSVILLE, MO - A tragedy tonight in Region 8 as word spreads that a soldier was among 14 killed Wednesday when a Black Hawk helicopter went down in northern Iraq.
Specialist E-4 Rickey Bell was a gunner on the Black Hawk that the military says went down because of mechanical problems and not hostile fire.
"He used to like to change seats on me a lot, he would always change seats in class," said Cathy Montgomery, Bell's sixth grade teacher.
"We always used to go mudding together on the island and we used to see who could get their truck stuck first and we used to see who had the baddest truck or whatever. We had a lot of memories together; we went riding 4-wheelers. We did everything together," said Bell's lifelong best friend Thomas Guest.
A 2005 graduate of Caruthersville High School, Bell had just turned 21 years old.
"I was listening to the news and I heard the tragedy of the helicopter crash and I thought, oh how sad, all those families loosing their loved ones. Not even knowing that it was actually a former student and a friend of the family," said family friend and freshman teacher Dona Clark.
The Pentagon says the Black Hawk helicopter was one of two taking part in a night-time operation. The crash is the worst single-day death toll in Iraq since January and the worst helicopter crash for Americans in the last two years.
"I think it will bring the people together. It's always bad when a young person loses their life and you never think it will happen here," said Montgomery.
"There's been a lot of people die and now we have somebody from Caruthersville who have died and he's a really good friend to a lot of people here and everybody knows him, so it's really sad," said Guest.
Flags fly at half staff as a community comes together to mourn the loss of Specialist Bell.
"It makes me real proud that he was serving his country and doing what he loved to do. You know it's sad but it makes it a little bit better knowing that he wasn't over there wanting to come home or anything, he was really loving it," said Guest.
Rickey Bell was scheduled to come home from Iraq for furlough on September 15th. No word yet on funeral arraignments.
Army Spc. Rickey L. Bell was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Spc. Rickey L. Bell, 21, of Caruthersville, Mo.
Spc. Bell was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 6th U.S. Air Cavalry Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
CARUTHERSVILLE, MO - A tragedy tonight in Region 8 as word spreads that a soldier was among 14 killed Wednesday when a Black Hawk helicopter went down in northern Iraq.
Specialist E-4 Rickey Bell was a gunner on the Black Hawk that the military says went down because of mechanical problems and not hostile fire.
"He used to like to change seats on me a lot, he would always change seats in class," said Cathy Montgomery, Bell's sixth grade teacher.
"We always used to go mudding together on the island and we used to see who could get their truck stuck first and we used to see who had the baddest truck or whatever. We had a lot of memories together; we went riding 4-wheelers. We did everything together," said Bell's lifelong best friend Thomas Guest.
A 2005 graduate of Caruthersville High School, Bell had just turned 21 years old.
"I was listening to the news and I heard the tragedy of the helicopter crash and I thought, oh how sad, all those families loosing their loved ones. Not even knowing that it was actually a former student and a friend of the family," said family friend and freshman teacher Dona Clark.
The Pentagon says the Black Hawk helicopter was one of two taking part in a night-time operation. The crash is the worst single-day death toll in Iraq since January and the worst helicopter crash for Americans in the last two years.
"I think it will bring the people together. It's always bad when a young person loses their life and you never think it will happen here," said Montgomery.
"There's been a lot of people die and now we have somebody from Caruthersville who have died and he's a really good friend to a lot of people here and everybody knows him, so it's really sad," said Guest.
Flags fly at half staff as a community comes together to mourn the loss of Specialist Bell.
"It makes me real proud that he was serving his country and doing what he loved to do. You know it's sad but it makes it a little bit better knowing that he wasn't over there wanting to come home or anything, he was really loving it," said Guest.
Rickey Bell was scheduled to come home from Iraq for furlough on September 15th. No word yet on funeral arraignments.
Army Spc. Rickey L. Bell was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, 30, of Groveland, Calif.
Sgt. Tallman was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 6th U.S. Air Cavalry Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Spc. Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
Tallman’s mother-in-law, Vicki Whiting of Norton Shores, Mich., told the Muskegon (Mich.) Chronicle that her daughter Nicci met and married him in 2000 while both were in the Army at Fort Eustis, Va. The couple have a year-old son, Ryley, and a daughter, Sandie, 6, at Fort Lewis.
“He was a good father, good husband and good human being,” Whiting told the paper. “He was delighted to have his little princess and his little ‘bubba boy.’”
“There was a whole little family destroyed. He wasn’t just a number. I want people to know Matthew Tallman existed,” she said.
Fort Lewis officials said Tallman was posthumously promoted to sergeant. He joined the Army in 2000 and was stationed at Fort Polk, La., and Wheeler Army Airfield in Hawaii before he was assigned to Fort Lewis in 2005.
Whiting said Tallman was deployed previously to Afghanistan.
Army Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, 30, of Groveland, Calif.
Sgt. Tallman was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 6th U.S. Air Cavalry Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Spc. Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
Tallman’s mother-in-law, Vicki Whiting of Norton Shores, Mich., told the Muskegon (Mich.) Chronicle that her daughter Nicci met and married him in 2000 while both were in the Army at Fort Eustis, Va. The couple have a year-old son, Ryley, and a daughter, Sandie, 6, at Fort Lewis.
“He was a good father, good husband and good human being,” Whiting told the paper. “He was delighted to have his little princess and his little ‘bubba boy.’”
“There was a whole little family destroyed. He wasn’t just a number. I want people to know Matthew Tallman existed,” she said.
Fort Lewis officials said Tallman was posthumously promoted to sergeant. He joined the Army in 2000 and was stationed at Fort Polk, La., and Wheeler Army Airfield in Hawaii before he was assigned to Fort Lewis in 2005.
Whiting said Tallman was deployed previously to Afghanistan.
Army Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn
Remember Our Heroes
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, 28, of Whitsett, N.C.
CWO Flynn was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 6th U.S. Air Cavalry Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Spc. Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, 28, a Black Hawk pilot from Fort Lewis, Wash., formerly stationed at Fort Campbell., died Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2007, at in Multaka, Iraq, when the helicopter he was piloting went down on a retrieval mission due to mechanical failure.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Amy Painter is in charge of arrangements.
Josh was born on June 13, 1979, in Whitsett, N.C.
He is survived by loving parents, Deleno and Patsy Flynn of Whitsett, N.C.; his adoring son, Morgan Flynn; and mother of son and best friend, Dustin Chester Flynn Jackson of Clarksville.
Gibsonville native Josh Flynn was among 14 U.S. soldiers killed Wednesday when a Black Hawk helicopter they were riding in went down in northern Iraq.
His father, Gibsonville Town Manager Deleno Flynn, confirmed the death of his 28-year-old son.
“[Casualty officers] came to work and notified me,” he said Thursday. “Besides that, all I know is what I’ve seen on TV.”
Flynn, a chief warrant officer, leaves behind a 6-year-old son and an ex-wife, both of whom live in Clarksville, Tenn.
Flynn was on his first tour in Iraq. He had been in the Army 10 years, and had been piloting helicopters for the past few years, his father said.
When the helicopter crashed his son was either the pilot or co-pilot, his father added.
Mechanical failure led to the downing of the aircraft, initial reports from the U.S. Central Command show.
“The whole town is devastated,” said Gibsonville Mayor Lenny Williams.
Williams sought and received permission from Gov. Mike Easley’s office to lower the town’s flag to half staff.
Tim Riggs, a science teacher at Eastern Guilford High School, said he has fond memories of when Josh was a student of his in the mid-’90s.
“He taught me how to laugh as a teacher, how to have a good sense of humor,” Riggs recalled.
Flynn would often stop by to say hello to Riggs whenever he was in town. “It hit me real hard,” he said.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, 28, of Whitsett, N.C.
CWO Flynn was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 6th U.S. Air Cavalry Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Capt. Corry P. Tyler, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Spc. Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, 28, a Black Hawk pilot from Fort Lewis, Wash., formerly stationed at Fort Campbell., died Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2007, at in Multaka, Iraq, when the helicopter he was piloting went down on a retrieval mission due to mechanical failure.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Amy Painter is in charge of arrangements.
Josh was born on June 13, 1979, in Whitsett, N.C.
He is survived by loving parents, Deleno and Patsy Flynn of Whitsett, N.C.; his adoring son, Morgan Flynn; and mother of son and best friend, Dustin Chester Flynn Jackson of Clarksville.
Gibsonville native Josh Flynn was among 14 U.S. soldiers killed Wednesday when a Black Hawk helicopter they were riding in went down in northern Iraq.
His father, Gibsonville Town Manager Deleno Flynn, confirmed the death of his 28-year-old son.
“[Casualty officers] came to work and notified me,” he said Thursday. “Besides that, all I know is what I’ve seen on TV.”
Flynn, a chief warrant officer, leaves behind a 6-year-old son and an ex-wife, both of whom live in Clarksville, Tenn.
Flynn was on his first tour in Iraq. He had been in the Army 10 years, and had been piloting helicopters for the past few years, his father said.
When the helicopter crashed his son was either the pilot or co-pilot, his father added.
Mechanical failure led to the downing of the aircraft, initial reports from the U.S. Central Command show.
“The whole town is devastated,” said Gibsonville Mayor Lenny Williams.
Williams sought and received permission from Gov. Mike Easley’s office to lower the town’s flag to half staff.
Tim Riggs, a science teacher at Eastern Guilford High School, said he has fond memories of when Josh was a student of his in the mid-’90s.
“He taught me how to laugh as a teacher, how to have a good sense of humor,” Riggs recalled.
Flynn would often stop by to say hello to Riggs whenever he was in town. “It hit me real hard,” he said.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Capt. Corry P. Tyler
Remember Our Heroes
Army Capt. Corry P. Tyler, 29, of Georgia
Capt. Tyler was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 6th U.S. Air Cavalry Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Spc. Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
WOODBINE, Ga. -- A Georgia man was among 14 U.S. soldiers killed Wednesday when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a nighttime mission in northern Iraq.
Army Capt. Corry Paul Tyler was one of those killed in the crash.
Tyler was described by those who knew him as an extraordinary man. A close family friend told Channel 4 Tyler graduated at the top of his class at Camden County High School.
In 1999 he graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at Westpoint.
"They were very, very proud of Corry. That's all Terry talked about," said pastor Dr. William Warnock.
Warnock is the pastor at First United Methodist Church in Woodbine. Warnock said he knows the Tyler family, and as their pastor he spent some time with them Wednesday.
"Mrs. Tyler is broken," Warnock said.
Tyler's father passed away last year and Warnock said Wednesday's news was especially hard on Tyler's mom.
Tyler was the sole male survivor in his family and for that reason was not required to return to Iraq. However, the West Point graduate volunteered for his third tour of duty.
"It speaks highly of his integrity. I served in the service, and any person who volunteers -- they're just special, just absolutely special people," said Warnock.
Tyler is survived by his wife Kathy and three small children who live in Washington.
The military said it appeared the aircraft Tyler and 13 others were in was lost by mechanical problems and not from hostile fire.
Army Capt. Corry P. Tyler was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Army Capt. Corry P. Tyler, 29, of Georgia
Capt. Tyler was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 6th U.S. Air Cavalry Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 22, 2007 in Multaka, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, Spc. Rickey L. Bell, Capt. Derek A. Dobogai, Staff Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook, Spc. Jessy G. Pollard and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman.
WOODBINE, Ga. -- A Georgia man was among 14 U.S. soldiers killed Wednesday when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a nighttime mission in northern Iraq.
Army Capt. Corry Paul Tyler was one of those killed in the crash.
Tyler was described by those who knew him as an extraordinary man. A close family friend told Channel 4 Tyler graduated at the top of his class at Camden County High School.
In 1999 he graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at Westpoint.
"They were very, very proud of Corry. That's all Terry talked about," said pastor Dr. William Warnock.
Warnock is the pastor at First United Methodist Church in Woodbine. Warnock said he knows the Tyler family, and as their pastor he spent some time with them Wednesday.
"Mrs. Tyler is broken," Warnock said.
Tyler's father passed away last year and Warnock said Wednesday's news was especially hard on Tyler's mom.
Tyler was the sole male survivor in his family and for that reason was not required to return to Iraq. However, the West Point graduate volunteered for his third tour of duty.
"It speaks highly of his integrity. I served in the service, and any person who volunteers -- they're just special, just absolutely special people," said Warnock.
Tyler is survived by his wife Kathy and three small children who live in Washington.
The military said it appeared the aircraft Tyler and 13 others were in was lost by mechanical problems and not from hostile fire.
Army Capt. Corry P. Tyler was killed in action on 8/22/07.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Army Pfc. Donovan D. Witham
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Donovan D. Witham, 20, of Malvern, Ark.
Pfc. Witham died Aug. 21, 2007 near Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Donovan D. Witham loved hunting, fishing and football, and was a friend to everyone he met in his hometown of 12,000, his family said.
Witham's mother said her son had planned to propose to his girlfriend, Julie DeBoer, in December. "I couldn't ask for a better son," Martha Launius said.
Witham, 20, of Malvern, Ark., was killed by a roadside bomb Aug. 21 near Baghdad. He was a 2005 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Bragg.
"He was one of the most favorite people ever," said his sister, Virginia Bennett.
He played football, ran track and was a member of the choir, Drama Club and Student Council. Witham worked at the Ouachita River Correctional Unit and joined the Army in November 2005.
"Specialist Donovan Witham represented everything good about our paratroopers," said Maj. Mark Lastoria, Witham's troop commander. "He was a volunteer amongst volunteers by not only becoming a military police officer in the Army, but also a paratrooper."
Witham also is survived by his stepfather, Richard Launius.
"He always strived to be the best at everything he did," Lastoria said
Army Pfc. Donovan D. Witham was killed in action on 8/21/07.
Army Pfc. Donovan D. Witham, 20, of Malvern, Ark.
Pfc. Witham died Aug. 21, 2007 near Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Donovan D. Witham loved hunting, fishing and football, and was a friend to everyone he met in his hometown of 12,000, his family said.
Witham's mother said her son had planned to propose to his girlfriend, Julie DeBoer, in December. "I couldn't ask for a better son," Martha Launius said.
Witham, 20, of Malvern, Ark., was killed by a roadside bomb Aug. 21 near Baghdad. He was a 2005 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Bragg.
"He was one of the most favorite people ever," said his sister, Virginia Bennett.
He played football, ran track and was a member of the choir, Drama Club and Student Council. Witham worked at the Ouachita River Correctional Unit and joined the Army in November 2005.
"Specialist Donovan Witham represented everything good about our paratroopers," said Maj. Mark Lastoria, Witham's troop commander. "He was a volunteer amongst volunteers by not only becoming a military police officer in the Army, but also a paratrooper."
Witham also is survived by his stepfather, Richard Launius.
"He always strived to be the best at everything he did," Lastoria said
Army Pfc. Donovan D. Witham was killed in action on 8/21/07.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Army Spc. George V. Libby
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. George V. Libby, 23, of Aberdeen, N.C.
Spc. Libby died Aug. 20, 2007 near Khowst, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained in a non-combat-related incident. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash.
Army Ranger from N.C. dies in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
ABERDEEN, N.C. — An Army Ranger from Aberdeen has died in Afghanistan of non-combat-related injuries, the military said.
Spc. George V. Libby, 23, died Aug. 20 near Khowst. The Army said his death is being investigated.
Libby, a Pine Crest High School graduate, was an automatic rifleman assigned to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, at Fort Lewis, Wash. This was his second deployment.
“George joined the Army because of Sept. 11,” his wife, Valorie Avent Libby, said in a statement released by the Army. “He believed in this mission, and I believed in him. My husband was a good and loving person.”
Libby was assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment after he completed Ranger Indoctrination Program training at Fort Benning, Ga., in September 2005.
His wife lives in Tacoma, Wash. Libby also is survived by his mother, Nell E. Allen, and brother, Ira Allen Libby, who live in Aberdeen. His father, Thomas M. Libby Jr., also lives in North Carolina.
Army Spc. George V. Libby died of a non-combat related incident on 8/20/07
Army Spc. George V. Libby, 23, of Aberdeen, N.C.
Spc. Libby died Aug. 20, 2007 near Khowst, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained in a non-combat-related incident. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash.
Army Ranger from N.C. dies in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
ABERDEEN, N.C. — An Army Ranger from Aberdeen has died in Afghanistan of non-combat-related injuries, the military said.
Spc. George V. Libby, 23, died Aug. 20 near Khowst. The Army said his death is being investigated.
Libby, a Pine Crest High School graduate, was an automatic rifleman assigned to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, at Fort Lewis, Wash. This was his second deployment.
“George joined the Army because of Sept. 11,” his wife, Valorie Avent Libby, said in a statement released by the Army. “He believed in this mission, and I believed in him. My husband was a good and loving person.”
Libby was assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment after he completed Ranger Indoctrination Program training at Fort Benning, Ga., in September 2005.
His wife lives in Tacoma, Wash. Libby also is survived by his mother, Nell E. Allen, and brother, Ira Allen Libby, who live in Aberdeen. His father, Thomas M. Libby Jr., also lives in North Carolina.
Army Spc. George V. Libby died of a non-combat related incident on 8/20/07
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Army Capt. Michael S. Fielder
Remember Our Heroes
Army Capt. Michael S. Fielder, 35, of Holly Springs, N.C.
Capt. Fielder was assigned to the 248th Medical Detachment, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 44th Medical Command, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 19, 2007 in Baghdad of injuries sustained in a non-combat-related incident.
Janet King wasn't expecting the call.
Her son, Capt. Michael Fielder, was an Army veterinarian who took care of bomb-sniffing dogs in Iraq.
He spent his days caring for dogs on the compound in Baghdad and he had it better than the other troops in the field, he told his mother.
But on Sunday, King and her family got the call.
Her 35-year-old son had died of natural causes.
"It's hard to process," King, of Lexington, said.
Fielder, of Holly Springs, had called his wife, Mary, late Saturday. It was early in the morning in Iraq and he told her he was headed to the shower after a run.
He was found dead in his quarters later that morning.
Fielder, a health-conscious runner, had no history of medical problems, King said.
A military autopsy is expected to be performed at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware within the next few days.
Fielder lived in Texas until he was 13, when he moved to North Carolina. He considered North Carolina his home, King said.
He spent his high school years in Rockingham and then joined the Navy. After four years in the Navy, he attended N.C. State to obtain his bachelor's degree and attend veterinary school.
An Army scholarship paid for veterinary school, as long as he served three years with the Army's Veterinary Corps, his mother said.
Fielder always had a love of animals, King said. Stray animals always seemed to follow him home, she said with a laugh. His gentle and compassionate nature made becoming a vet a perfect fit, she said.
"He knew from the time he was 8 years old he wanted to be a vet," she said.
He was dedicated to his work and his fellow soldiers in Iraq, where he had been for a year.
"He and his men were proud of what they were doing," King said.
Based at Fort Bragg, his tour of duty in Iraq was due to end in November. After that, Fielder and his wife were moving to Boone, where he already had a job lined up with a private practice.
"He's the kind of son you just feel honored you were a part of his life," King said. "He will be missed."
Army Capt. Michael S. Fielder died of natural causes on 8/19/07.
Army Capt. Michael S. Fielder, 35, of Holly Springs, N.C.
Capt. Fielder was assigned to the 248th Medical Detachment, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 44th Medical Command, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 19, 2007 in Baghdad of injuries sustained in a non-combat-related incident.
Janet King wasn't expecting the call.
Her son, Capt. Michael Fielder, was an Army veterinarian who took care of bomb-sniffing dogs in Iraq.
He spent his days caring for dogs on the compound in Baghdad and he had it better than the other troops in the field, he told his mother.
But on Sunday, King and her family got the call.
Her 35-year-old son had died of natural causes.
"It's hard to process," King, of Lexington, said.
Fielder, of Holly Springs, had called his wife, Mary, late Saturday. It was early in the morning in Iraq and he told her he was headed to the shower after a run.
He was found dead in his quarters later that morning.
Fielder, a health-conscious runner, had no history of medical problems, King said.
A military autopsy is expected to be performed at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware within the next few days.
Fielder lived in Texas until he was 13, when he moved to North Carolina. He considered North Carolina his home, King said.
He spent his high school years in Rockingham and then joined the Navy. After four years in the Navy, he attended N.C. State to obtain his bachelor's degree and attend veterinary school.
An Army scholarship paid for veterinary school, as long as he served three years with the Army's Veterinary Corps, his mother said.
Fielder always had a love of animals, King said. Stray animals always seemed to follow him home, she said with a laugh. His gentle and compassionate nature made becoming a vet a perfect fit, she said.
"He knew from the time he was 8 years old he wanted to be a vet," she said.
He was dedicated to his work and his fellow soldiers in Iraq, where he had been for a year.
"He and his men were proud of what they were doing," King said.
Based at Fort Bragg, his tour of duty in Iraq was due to end in November. After that, Fielder and his wife were moving to Boone, where he already had a job lined up with a private practice.
"He's the kind of son you just feel honored you were a part of his life," King said. "He will be missed."
Army Capt. Michael S. Fielder died of natural causes on 8/19/07.
Army Pfc Travis Schlueter
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Travis Schlueter died August 19, 2007 after being hit by a drunk driver.
Police say S.A. soldier was killed by drunken driver
Deborah Knapp
KENS 5 Eyewitness News
A San Antonio family is grieving the loss of their son, a soldier who was not killed in combat as they had feared, but in an accident. Police say 21-year-old Travis Schlueter was killed by a drunken hit-and-run driver.
By all accounts, Travis was an exceptional young man. He came home from Fort Hood last weekend to be with his family and to celebrate his best friend's return from Iraq. Both men had always wanted to be soldiers.
"He went to his first air show with a friend of his, a friend of mine, out at Kelly Field when he was about 5 (years old)," Travis' father, Scott Schlueter, said. "From that point on, he always wanted to be in the military."
Travis pursued that goal in ROTC at MacArthur High School and a year at Texas A&M University. Then he joined the Army.
"He found his dreams and found the road to get there," Scott said.
But it was on Nacogdoches that police say a drunken 17-year-old driver took that dream away. Travis had just finished a family dinner Sunday night celebrating his best friend's return from Iraq. He was stopped at a red light on his motorcycle, when police say he was hit from behind by a car going 70 mph.
"Then (the other driver) fled the accident by hit and run, and left my son to die," Scott said.
The Schlueters knew they may face the worst news possible, a combat death, when their son joined the military.
"I had those fears, but (Travis) was strong in his faith, and he said, 'Dad, if God wants me, he's gonna take me,'" Scott said.
That is where they believe their son is now.
"I know he's safe, and I know, I know he's with God," Travis' mother, Kelli Schlueter, said.
Travis will be buried Saturday at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Police have charged 17-year-old Gerardo Uvalde with intoxication manslaughter and failure to stop and render aid.
Soldier Killed in Deadly Wreck
A San Antonio family is mourning the loss of their son. Travis Schlueter, 21, was a soldier, but he wasn't killed in combat. Instead, he was the victim in a deadly wreck and police say the driver who hit him was drunk.
"I would give anything just to have Travis back," said his mom, Kelli. "Just anything."
Travis was visiting here in San Antonio this weekend from Fort Hood when he was hit and killed. Police say Travis was on his motorcycle making a turn at Nacogdoches and Starcrest when he was hit from behind by a drunk driver. Police say that teen ran a red light and also left the accident scene. The driver was eventually caught. He's now in jail, facing intoxication manslaughter charges.
Schlueter will now receive a full military funeral.
Pfc. Travis Schlueter was killed 8/19/07
Army Pfc. Travis Schlueter died August 19, 2007 after being hit by a drunk driver.
Police say S.A. soldier was killed by drunken driver
Deborah Knapp
KENS 5 Eyewitness News
A San Antonio family is grieving the loss of their son, a soldier who was not killed in combat as they had feared, but in an accident. Police say 21-year-old Travis Schlueter was killed by a drunken hit-and-run driver.
By all accounts, Travis was an exceptional young man. He came home from Fort Hood last weekend to be with his family and to celebrate his best friend's return from Iraq. Both men had always wanted to be soldiers.
"He went to his first air show with a friend of his, a friend of mine, out at Kelly Field when he was about 5 (years old)," Travis' father, Scott Schlueter, said. "From that point on, he always wanted to be in the military."
Travis pursued that goal in ROTC at MacArthur High School and a year at Texas A&M University. Then he joined the Army.
"He found his dreams and found the road to get there," Scott said.
But it was on Nacogdoches that police say a drunken 17-year-old driver took that dream away. Travis had just finished a family dinner Sunday night celebrating his best friend's return from Iraq. He was stopped at a red light on his motorcycle, when police say he was hit from behind by a car going 70 mph.
"Then (the other driver) fled the accident by hit and run, and left my son to die," Scott said.
The Schlueters knew they may face the worst news possible, a combat death, when their son joined the military.
"I had those fears, but (Travis) was strong in his faith, and he said, 'Dad, if God wants me, he's gonna take me,'" Scott said.
That is where they believe their son is now.
"I know he's safe, and I know, I know he's with God," Travis' mother, Kelli Schlueter, said.
Travis will be buried Saturday at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Police have charged 17-year-old Gerardo Uvalde with intoxication manslaughter and failure to stop and render aid.
Soldier Killed in Deadly Wreck
A San Antonio family is mourning the loss of their son. Travis Schlueter, 21, was a soldier, but he wasn't killed in combat. Instead, he was the victim in a deadly wreck and police say the driver who hit him was drunk.
"I would give anything just to have Travis back," said his mom, Kelli. "Just anything."
Travis was visiting here in San Antonio this weekend from Fort Hood when he was hit and killed. Police say Travis was on his motorcycle making a turn at Nacogdoches and Starcrest when he was hit from behind by a drunk driver. Police say that teen ran a red light and also left the accident scene. The driver was eventually caught. He's now in jail, facing intoxication manslaughter charges.
Schlueter will now receive a full military funeral.
Pfc. Travis Schlueter was killed 8/19/07
Friday, August 17, 2007
Army 1st Lt. Jonathan W. Edds
Remember Our Heroes
Army 1st Lt. Jonathan W. Edds, 24, of White Pigeon, Mich.
Lt. Edds was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.; died Aug. 17, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his vehicle using an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire.
Insurgent attack in Baghdad leaves Auburn student a widow
The Associated Press
AUBURN, Ala. — Laura Edds, an Auburn University pharmacy student whose husband was five months into a 15-month deployment to Iraq, knew something horrible had happened as soon as the car pulled up to her home.
“When the chaplain and an Army officer approached the front door, I knew that there was no other reason for them to be there,” she said.
Eads learned her husband, 1st Lt. Jonathan W. Edds, 24, was killed in Baghdad on Aug. 17 when the platoon he was leading was attacked by insurgents with an improvised explosive and gunfire.
“Jon is gone and my life is completely altered,” Edds told the Opelika-Auburn News in a story Sept. 4. “Some days it’s difficult to even make yourself get out of bed, but I trust in God and that he knows that there is more in life for me in the future.”
Jonathan Edds, a native of White Pigeon, Mich., and the middle of three brothers, graduated from West Point in 2005 and married Laura that summer. They had dated long-distance for a couple of years.
“When you think about military guys, most people stereotypically think of a very tense, serious individual. But Jon was laid-back and fun to be around, yet he was very good at his job,” said Laura Edds, a native of North Carolina. “That was something I admired about him.”
The couple moved to Phenix City after Edds was transferred to Fort Benning, Ga., and Laura Edds enrolled at Auburn.
Her husband shipped out in March to a city south of Baghdad, where he served as a leader for a tank platoon.
“Any time we ever spoke to him on the phone, the last thing I’d always tell him was to stay in that tank,” said Ray Russell, his father-in-law.
Edds was soon transferred to a scout platoon in Baghdad where he patrolled in a Humvee, which offers less protection than a tank. He kept in touch with his wife through regular e-mails and phone calls until the August day when she learned he had been killed.
“Wednesday [Aug. 15] was the last day we talked,” she recalled.
Killed Aug. 17, Edds was laid to rest at West Point Cemetery in New York last month beside one of his classmates.
“He always did his job and he loved what he was doing,” his wife said.
Army 1st Lt. Jonathan W. Edds was killed in action on 8/17/07.
Army 1st Lt. Jonathan W. Edds, 24, of White Pigeon, Mich.
Lt. Edds was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.; died Aug. 17, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his vehicle using an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire.
Insurgent attack in Baghdad leaves Auburn student a widow
The Associated Press
AUBURN, Ala. — Laura Edds, an Auburn University pharmacy student whose husband was five months into a 15-month deployment to Iraq, knew something horrible had happened as soon as the car pulled up to her home.
“When the chaplain and an Army officer approached the front door, I knew that there was no other reason for them to be there,” she said.
Eads learned her husband, 1st Lt. Jonathan W. Edds, 24, was killed in Baghdad on Aug. 17 when the platoon he was leading was attacked by insurgents with an improvised explosive and gunfire.
“Jon is gone and my life is completely altered,” Edds told the Opelika-Auburn News in a story Sept. 4. “Some days it’s difficult to even make yourself get out of bed, but I trust in God and that he knows that there is more in life for me in the future.”
Jonathan Edds, a native of White Pigeon, Mich., and the middle of three brothers, graduated from West Point in 2005 and married Laura that summer. They had dated long-distance for a couple of years.
“When you think about military guys, most people stereotypically think of a very tense, serious individual. But Jon was laid-back and fun to be around, yet he was very good at his job,” said Laura Edds, a native of North Carolina. “That was something I admired about him.”
The couple moved to Phenix City after Edds was transferred to Fort Benning, Ga., and Laura Edds enrolled at Auburn.
Her husband shipped out in March to a city south of Baghdad, where he served as a leader for a tank platoon.
“Any time we ever spoke to him on the phone, the last thing I’d always tell him was to stay in that tank,” said Ray Russell, his father-in-law.
Edds was soon transferred to a scout platoon in Baghdad where he patrolled in a Humvee, which offers less protection than a tank. He kept in touch with his wife through regular e-mails and phone calls until the August day when she learned he had been killed.
“Wednesday [Aug. 15] was the last day we talked,” she recalled.
Killed Aug. 17, Edds was laid to rest at West Point Cemetery in New York last month beside one of his classmates.
“He always did his job and he loved what he was doing,” his wife said.
Army 1st Lt. Jonathan W. Edds was killed in action on 8/17/07.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Army Cpl. Willard M. Powell
Remember Our Heroes
Army Cpl. Willard M. Powell, 21, of Evansville, Ind.
Cpl Powell was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Wash. He died Aug. 16, 2007 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when the enemy attacked using small arms fire during combat operations in Taramiyah, Iraq.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — A soldier killed in Iraq was remembered Saturday for his unswerving friendship.
Hundreds of people turned out to pay their respects to Cpl. Will Powell, 21, at Crossroads Christian Church on Evansville’s east side.
Powell was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) at Fort Lewis, Wash. and died in Balad on Aug. 16 after being hit with enemy small arms fire in Taramiyah, the Department of Defense said.
A half-dozen friends spoke from the stage near Powell’s flag-draped casket, where a portrait of Powell in camoflage fatigues stood.
“Once you became his friend, he loved you no matter what,” said Bryce Pitlick. “He sacrificed himself for his friends, no matter what it was — and now he’s paid the ultimate sacrifice.”
A former youth pastor at the church, Matt Clark, recalled how Powell stubbornly found a way to visit a friend in Kentucky after his car broke down en route.
“He wanted you to know he could be the best, that he could do it, that he could prove it to you,” Clark said, adding that that drive showed in Powell’s military service.
The 2005 Reitz High School graduate joined the Army on in February 2006 and had been in Iraq since April.
Powell is survived by mother and stepfather Sunny and Mark Powell, and father and stepmother Willard and Linda Kerchief.
Following the funeral, Powell was buried with full military honors at Sunset Memorial Park.
He was posthumously awarded the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal and Good Conduct Medal.
Army Cpl. Willard M. Powell was killed in action on 8/16/07.
Army Cpl. Willard M. Powell, 21, of Evansville, Ind.
Cpl Powell was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Wash. He died Aug. 16, 2007 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when the enemy attacked using small arms fire during combat operations in Taramiyah, Iraq.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — A soldier killed in Iraq was remembered Saturday for his unswerving friendship.
Hundreds of people turned out to pay their respects to Cpl. Will Powell, 21, at Crossroads Christian Church on Evansville’s east side.
Powell was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) at Fort Lewis, Wash. and died in Balad on Aug. 16 after being hit with enemy small arms fire in Taramiyah, the Department of Defense said.
A half-dozen friends spoke from the stage near Powell’s flag-draped casket, where a portrait of Powell in camoflage fatigues stood.
“Once you became his friend, he loved you no matter what,” said Bryce Pitlick. “He sacrificed himself for his friends, no matter what it was — and now he’s paid the ultimate sacrifice.”
A former youth pastor at the church, Matt Clark, recalled how Powell stubbornly found a way to visit a friend in Kentucky after his car broke down en route.
“He wanted you to know he could be the best, that he could do it, that he could prove it to you,” Clark said, adding that that drive showed in Powell’s military service.
The 2005 Reitz High School graduate joined the Army on in February 2006 and had been in Iraq since April.
Powell is survived by mother and stepfather Sunny and Mark Powell, and father and stepmother Willard and Linda Kerchief.
Following the funeral, Powell was buried with full military honors at Sunset Memorial Park.
He was posthumously awarded the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal and Good Conduct Medal.
Army Cpl. Willard M. Powell was killed in action on 8/16/07.
Army Spc. Kamisha J. Block
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Kamisha J. Block, 20, of Vidor, Texas
Spc. Block was assigned to the 401st Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas; died Aug. 16, 2007 in Baghdad of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Paul B. Norris.
Southeast Texas soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
VIDOR, Texas — A Southeast Texas soldier has died in Iraq, the Department of Defense announced Aug. 21.
Spc. Kamisha Jane Block, 20, died Aug. 16 in what military officials called “a non-combat-related incident.” But her family told the Beaumont Enterprise that she died in a friendly fire incident.
“She was shot in the chest by friendly fire,” Block’s aunt, Kathy Byerley, told the newspaper. “They haven’t told us anything else — the rest is under investigation. We just want to know the truth about it.”
When asked whether Block had died in a friendly fire incident, Paul Prince, a spokesman for the U.S. Army III Corps and Fort Hood, would only say there was an ongoing investigation into her death.
Block, a Vidor native, joined the military in July 2005 as a military police officer and was assigned to the 401st Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, since January 2007. She was deployed to Iraq in May.
Block’s military awards and decorations included the National Defense Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal Global War on Terrorism (Service) Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.
Block was described by family members an outgoing person who always wanted to help.
“She loved people,” said Block’s uncle, John Stuckey. “She was out to help people with whatever she could.”
Block had plans to pursue a career in law enforcement, her relatives said.
Army Spc. Kamisha J. Block was killed in Iraq on 8/16/07.
Army Spc. Kamisha J. Block, 20, of Vidor, Texas
Spc. Block was assigned to the 401st Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas; died Aug. 16, 2007 in Baghdad of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Paul B. Norris.
Southeast Texas soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
VIDOR, Texas — A Southeast Texas soldier has died in Iraq, the Department of Defense announced Aug. 21.
Spc. Kamisha Jane Block, 20, died Aug. 16 in what military officials called “a non-combat-related incident.” But her family told the Beaumont Enterprise that she died in a friendly fire incident.
“She was shot in the chest by friendly fire,” Block’s aunt, Kathy Byerley, told the newspaper. “They haven’t told us anything else — the rest is under investigation. We just want to know the truth about it.”
When asked whether Block had died in a friendly fire incident, Paul Prince, a spokesman for the U.S. Army III Corps and Fort Hood, would only say there was an ongoing investigation into her death.
Block, a Vidor native, joined the military in July 2005 as a military police officer and was assigned to the 401st Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, since January 2007. She was deployed to Iraq in May.
Block’s military awards and decorations included the National Defense Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal Global War on Terrorism (Service) Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.
Block was described by family members an outgoing person who always wanted to help.
“She loved people,” said Block’s uncle, John Stuckey. “She was out to help people with whatever she could.”
Block had plans to pursue a career in law enforcement, her relatives said.
Army Spc. Kamisha J. Block was killed in Iraq on 8/16/07.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Army Spc. Zandra T. Walker
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Zandra T. Walker, 28, of Greenville, S.C.
Spc. Walker was assigned to 4th Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Aviation Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Aug. 15, 2007 in Taji, Iraq, when the enemy attacked using indirect fire. Also killed was Sgt. Princess C. Samuels.
Family mourns sister, daughter, wife, soldier
Army specialist killed Aug. 15 in Iraq
By Eric Connor
STAFF WRITER
Connie Worthy had heard that two men in military uniforms were looking for her, and she knew it was only a matter of time before they came knocking at the right door.
When the doorbell rang, only the sparest of words were needed: "I just said, 'Kuwait or Iraq?'"
The answer was "Iraq," and with that the Greenville mother knew that one of her 28-year-old twin daughters, Zandra Terneice Walker, had perished while serving her country.
Today, family and friends -- including Zandra's twin sister, Yolanda Worthy-Weathersby -- gathered at the family's home in the Belle Meade community to mourn the loss of a daughter, sister, wife and soldier.
Zandra, an Army specialist who refueled aircraft, was killed Aug. 15 in Taji, Iraq, along with another soldier as a result of "indirect enemy fire," according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
The incident is under military investigation, a defense department spokeswoman said. The family said they were told she died in a random mortar strike while she was off-duty.
Yolanda arrived from her station in Kuwait a couple of days ago. Zandra's husband, Kenneth Walker, flew into Greenville from Kuwait, where he's been working as a civilian air-traffic controller.
This is the second tragic reunion this summer for the family. In June, the twins' baby sister, 22-year-old Katrina, died of cancer. Zandra had returned home from Iraq for her funeral.
Yolanda flashed a muted smile as she looked over the pictures of her twin sister's life sprawled across her mother's dining room table Monday, as well-wishers came and went.
There was always a way to tell a difference between the two in photographs, Yolanda said.
Somehow -- from childhood Christmas pictures to Woodmont High graduation to a photo of the two dressed in their camoflauge Army uniforms -- Zandra always seemed to end up on the right side of the picture.
The twins were inseparable growing up, Yolanda said, split apart only during their deployments.
Zandra (nicknamed "Neicy," derived from her middle name) was the outspoken one, Yolanda ("Tricey") more reserved.
The two were competitive. Both ran track for Woodmont High. Yolanda said that Zandra was always first -- save only for when Yolanda was born two minutes before her sister.
"She was always two steps ahead, but never two minutes," Yolanda said. "She didn't like that two minutes. As long as we finished first and second, though, it was OK."
The two entered the Army together, in January 2000, just to see if it was something they might like, Yolanda said. They found that they liked it. In April 2005, Zandra's tour of duty was finished, but she re-signed in April 2006.
It was difficult, Yolanda said, being split from a twin in a war zone. "It was hard, but you get used to it," she said. "We always found a way to communicate with each other."
The pair stayed connected through email and instant messaging. Yolanda called back home to Greenville at least every other day. It was during one of those calls home that she got word of her twin sister's death.
Still, there's hope, Yolanda said. While she's split from a bond that only a few in this world know, she says she's certain that Zandra is there to comfort another sister.
"I know she's in a better place now," Yolanda said, "and at least our baby sister has one of her older sisters with her now."
Army Spc. Zandra T. Walker was killed in action on 8/15/07.
Army Spc. Zandra T. Walker, 28, of Greenville, S.C.
Spc. Walker was assigned to 4th Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Aviation Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Aug. 15, 2007 in Taji, Iraq, when the enemy attacked using indirect fire. Also killed was Sgt. Princess C. Samuels.
Family mourns sister, daughter, wife, soldier
Army specialist killed Aug. 15 in Iraq
By Eric Connor
STAFF WRITER
Connie Worthy had heard that two men in military uniforms were looking for her, and she knew it was only a matter of time before they came knocking at the right door.
When the doorbell rang, only the sparest of words were needed: "I just said, 'Kuwait or Iraq?'"
The answer was "Iraq," and with that the Greenville mother knew that one of her 28-year-old twin daughters, Zandra Terneice Walker, had perished while serving her country.
Today, family and friends -- including Zandra's twin sister, Yolanda Worthy-Weathersby -- gathered at the family's home in the Belle Meade community to mourn the loss of a daughter, sister, wife and soldier.
Zandra, an Army specialist who refueled aircraft, was killed Aug. 15 in Taji, Iraq, along with another soldier as a result of "indirect enemy fire," according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
The incident is under military investigation, a defense department spokeswoman said. The family said they were told she died in a random mortar strike while she was off-duty.
Yolanda arrived from her station in Kuwait a couple of days ago. Zandra's husband, Kenneth Walker, flew into Greenville from Kuwait, where he's been working as a civilian air-traffic controller.
This is the second tragic reunion this summer for the family. In June, the twins' baby sister, 22-year-old Katrina, died of cancer. Zandra had returned home from Iraq for her funeral.
Yolanda flashed a muted smile as she looked over the pictures of her twin sister's life sprawled across her mother's dining room table Monday, as well-wishers came and went.
There was always a way to tell a difference between the two in photographs, Yolanda said.
Somehow -- from childhood Christmas pictures to Woodmont High graduation to a photo of the two dressed in their camoflauge Army uniforms -- Zandra always seemed to end up on the right side of the picture.
The twins were inseparable growing up, Yolanda said, split apart only during their deployments.
Zandra (nicknamed "Neicy," derived from her middle name) was the outspoken one, Yolanda ("Tricey") more reserved.
The two were competitive. Both ran track for Woodmont High. Yolanda said that Zandra was always first -- save only for when Yolanda was born two minutes before her sister.
"She was always two steps ahead, but never two minutes," Yolanda said. "She didn't like that two minutes. As long as we finished first and second, though, it was OK."
The two entered the Army together, in January 2000, just to see if it was something they might like, Yolanda said. They found that they liked it. In April 2005, Zandra's tour of duty was finished, but she re-signed in April 2006.
It was difficult, Yolanda said, being split from a twin in a war zone. "It was hard, but you get used to it," she said. "We always found a way to communicate with each other."
The pair stayed connected through email and instant messaging. Yolanda called back home to Greenville at least every other day. It was during one of those calls home that she got word of her twin sister's death.
Still, there's hope, Yolanda said. While she's split from a bond that only a few in this world know, she says she's certain that Zandra is there to comfort another sister.
"I know she's in a better place now," Yolanda said, "and at least our baby sister has one of her older sisters with her now."
Army Spc. Zandra T. Walker was killed in action on 8/15/07.
Army Sgt. Princess C. Samuels
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Princess C. Samuels, 22, of Mitchellville, Md.
Sgt. Samuels was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Aug. 15, 2007 in Taji, Iraq, when the enemy attacked using indirect fire. Also killed was Spc. Zandra T. Walker.
4th female soldier from Md. killed in Iraq by enemy fire
The Associated Press
MITCHELLVILLE, Md. — A 22-year-old soldier from Mitchellville was killed Aug. 15 by indirect enemy fire, the Department of Defense said.
Sgt. Princess C. Samuels was the fourth Maryland woman killed in the war, according to an Associated Press database of casualty records released by the military.
Samuels was killed in Taji, Iraq, according to a news release from the Defense Department. Zandra T. Walker, 28, of Greenville, S.C., was killed in the same attack.
Samuels was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.
Family members did not return calls seeking comment Aug. 20.
Early Monday afternoon, Samuels’ MySpace.com page had 42 messages offering love and prayers for her family and friends dating back to August 16. Several of the messages called her “Noodle” and “Lady P.”
One message remembered her as a woman with a beautiful spirit and a strong personality who “always made me see the good side of things [and] laugh at stuff that I didn’t think I could laugh at.”
Samuels graduated from Charles Herbert Flowers High School in Springdale, Md., in 2003, Prince George’s County schools spokesman John White said.
Army Sgt. Princess C. Samuels was killed in action on 8/15/07.
Army Sgt. Princess C. Samuels, 22, of Mitchellville, Md.
Sgt. Samuels was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Aug. 15, 2007 in Taji, Iraq, when the enemy attacked using indirect fire. Also killed was Spc. Zandra T. Walker.
4th female soldier from Md. killed in Iraq by enemy fire
The Associated Press
MITCHELLVILLE, Md. — A 22-year-old soldier from Mitchellville was killed Aug. 15 by indirect enemy fire, the Department of Defense said.
Sgt. Princess C. Samuels was the fourth Maryland woman killed in the war, according to an Associated Press database of casualty records released by the military.
Samuels was killed in Taji, Iraq, according to a news release from the Defense Department. Zandra T. Walker, 28, of Greenville, S.C., was killed in the same attack.
Samuels was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.
Family members did not return calls seeking comment Aug. 20.
Early Monday afternoon, Samuels’ MySpace.com page had 42 messages offering love and prayers for her family and friends dating back to August 16. Several of the messages called her “Noodle” and “Lady P.”
One message remembered her as a woman with a beautiful spirit and a strong personality who “always made me see the good side of things [and] laugh at stuff that I didn’t think I could laugh at.”
Samuels graduated from Charles Herbert Flowers High School in Springdale, Md., in 2003, Prince George’s County schools spokesman John White said.
Army Sgt. Princess C. Samuels was killed in action on 8/15/07.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Army Spc. Steven R. Jewell
Remember Our Heroes
Army Spc. Steven R. Jewell, 26, of Bridgeton, N.C.
Spc. Jewell was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; died Aug. 14, 2007 in Taqaddum, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer Christopher C. Johnson, Chief Warrant Officer Jackie L. McFarlane, Staff Sgt. Sean P. Fisher and Staff Sgt. Stanley B. Reynolds.
North Carolina man killed in Iraq crash
The Associated Press
FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska — A soldier from North Carolina was among five killed when the group's helicopter crashed during a routine post-maintenance test flight in Iraq, the military said Thursday.
Spc. Steven R. Jewell, 26, of Bridgeton, N.C., died when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed near Anbar province on Tuesday, the Department of Defense said.
The Defense Department identified the others as Chief Warrant Officer Christopher C. Johnson, 31, of Michigan; Chief Warrant Officer Jackie L. McFarlane Jr., 30, Virginia Beach, Va.; Staff Sgt. Sean P. Fisher, 29, of Santee, Calif.; and Staff Sgt. Stanley B. Reynolds, 37, of Rock, W.Va.
They were part of the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, based in Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
The incident remains under investigation.
Jewell's father, Billy Jewell, said his son had been in Iraq for one month.
“He was planning to make the Army a career,” his father said in a written statement to the Sun Journal of New Bern, N.C. “There is not a way to reason out why he died but to say that it was in God's plan but I know he was doing what he thought was right and his duty to do.”
Steven Jewell joined the Army in late 2004. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and spending time with his family, Billy Jewell said. He also loved his country, his father said.
“Before he left, Steven told me many times to make sure if something happened they all knew that he was aware of what could happen and he accepted that fact,” he told the newspaper.
Army Spc. Steven R. Jewell was killed in action on 8/14/07.
Army Spc. Steven R. Jewell, 26, of Bridgeton, N.C.
Spc. Jewell was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; died Aug. 14, 2007 in Taqaddum, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer Christopher C. Johnson, Chief Warrant Officer Jackie L. McFarlane, Staff Sgt. Sean P. Fisher and Staff Sgt. Stanley B. Reynolds.
North Carolina man killed in Iraq crash
The Associated Press
FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska — A soldier from North Carolina was among five killed when the group's helicopter crashed during a routine post-maintenance test flight in Iraq, the military said Thursday.
Spc. Steven R. Jewell, 26, of Bridgeton, N.C., died when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed near Anbar province on Tuesday, the Department of Defense said.
The Defense Department identified the others as Chief Warrant Officer Christopher C. Johnson, 31, of Michigan; Chief Warrant Officer Jackie L. McFarlane Jr., 30, Virginia Beach, Va.; Staff Sgt. Sean P. Fisher, 29, of Santee, Calif.; and Staff Sgt. Stanley B. Reynolds, 37, of Rock, W.Va.
They were part of the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, based in Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
The incident remains under investigation.
Jewell's father, Billy Jewell, said his son had been in Iraq for one month.
“He was planning to make the Army a career,” his father said in a written statement to the Sun Journal of New Bern, N.C. “There is not a way to reason out why he died but to say that it was in God's plan but I know he was doing what he thought was right and his duty to do.”
Steven Jewell joined the Army in late 2004. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and spending time with his family, Billy Jewell said. He also loved his country, his father said.
“Before he left, Steven told me many times to make sure if something happened they all knew that he was aware of what could happen and he accepted that fact,” he told the newspaper.
Army Spc. Steven R. Jewell was killed in action on 8/14/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Stanley B. Reynolds
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Stanley B. Reynolds, 37, of Rock, W.Va.
SSgt Reynolds was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; died Aug. 14, 2007 in Taqaddum, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer Christopher C. Johnson, Jackie L. McFarlane, Staff Sgt. Sean P. Fisher and Spc. Steven R. Jewell.
Daily Mail - Charleston -- A Mercer County man was among five U.S. service members killed when their helicopter crashed during a routine post-maintenance test flight in Iraq, the Department of Defense said.
The CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed near Taqaddum air base on Tuesday. Among the victims was Staff Sgt. Stanley B. Reynolds, 37, of Lashmeet.
Reynolds was a truck driver before enlisting in the military more than five years ago. His late father was a Marine who served in Vietnam.
"He wanted to serve his country the way his father did,'' Anthony Masters, a family spokesman, said Thursday night.
Reynolds, who was married with three children ages 8, 6 and 4, left for Iraq in early July for a 15-month deployment, his second overseas, Masters said.
The Defense Department identified the other victims as Chief Warrant Officer Christopher C. Johnson, 31, of Michigan; Chief Warrant Officer Jackie L. McFarlane Jr, 30, Virginia Beach, Va.; Staff Sgt. Sean P. Fisher, 29, of Santee, Calif.; and Spc. Steven R. Jewell, 26, of Bridgeton, N.C.
They were part of the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, based in Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
Army Staff Sgt. Stanley B. Reynolds was killed in action on 8/14/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Stanley B. Reynolds, 37, of Rock, W.Va.
SSgt Reynolds was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; died Aug. 14, 2007 in Taqaddum, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer Christopher C. Johnson, Jackie L. McFarlane, Staff Sgt. Sean P. Fisher and Spc. Steven R. Jewell.
Daily Mail - Charleston -- A Mercer County man was among five U.S. service members killed when their helicopter crashed during a routine post-maintenance test flight in Iraq, the Department of Defense said.
The CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed near Taqaddum air base on Tuesday. Among the victims was Staff Sgt. Stanley B. Reynolds, 37, of Lashmeet.
Reynolds was a truck driver before enlisting in the military more than five years ago. His late father was a Marine who served in Vietnam.
"He wanted to serve his country the way his father did,'' Anthony Masters, a family spokesman, said Thursday night.
Reynolds, who was married with three children ages 8, 6 and 4, left for Iraq in early July for a 15-month deployment, his second overseas, Masters said.
The Defense Department identified the other victims as Chief Warrant Officer Christopher C. Johnson, 31, of Michigan; Chief Warrant Officer Jackie L. McFarlane Jr, 30, Virginia Beach, Va.; Staff Sgt. Sean P. Fisher, 29, of Santee, Calif.; and Spc. Steven R. Jewell, 26, of Bridgeton, N.C.
They were part of the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, based in Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
Army Staff Sgt. Stanley B. Reynolds was killed in action on 8/14/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Sean P. Fisher
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Sean P. Fisher, 29, of Santee, Calif.
SSgt Fisher was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; died Aug. 14, 2007 in Taqaddum, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer Christopher C. Johnson, Chief Warrant Officer Jackie L. McFarlane, Staff Sgt. Stanley B. Reynolds and Spc. Steven R. Jewell.
NBC San Diego -- SAN DIEGO -- An East County mother has some strong words for President George W. Bush after the death of her soldier son in Iraq.
Staff Sgt. Sean P. Fisher, 29, was one of five soldiers who was killed Tuesday in helicopter crash in Al Taqqadum, Iraq. Military officials said the incident is still under investigation.
On Thursday, Maria Fisher showed NBC 7/39 a photograph of the last time she danced with her son Sean.
"These are his dancing shoes," Fisher said, "and now I'm keeping them as a memory of dancing with him."
Fisher said that she was having a hard time accepting her loss. "I haven't woken up from that nightmare yet," she told NBC 7/39. "My boy is gone. "
Fisher said she didn't want any more mothers to have to go through what she is.
"I feel a lot of anger right now. Mr. Bush is making a mistake leaving our boys over there. We're fighting a useless war…. Unfortunately, mine has gone to heaven, but there are others out there that are still in danger."
Fisher was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, Fort Wainwright, Ala. In addition to his mother, Sean is survived by a daughter, Bailey, 6, and five brothers and sisters.
Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer Christopher C. Johnson, 31, of Michigan; Chief Warrant Officer Jackie L. McFarlane Jr, 30, Virginia Beach, Va.; Staff Sgt. Stanley B. Reynolds, 37, of Rock, W. Va.; and Spc. Steven R. Jewell, 26, of Bridgeton, N.C.
Fisher's family plans on setting up an account under Sean's name on Friday. Anybody who would like to make a donation will be able to do so by going to any Washington Mutual bank branch.
Army Staff Sgt. Sean P. Fisher was killed in action on 8/14/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Sean P. Fisher, 29, of Santee, Calif.
SSgt Fisher was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; died Aug. 14, 2007 in Taqaddum, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer Christopher C. Johnson, Chief Warrant Officer Jackie L. McFarlane, Staff Sgt. Stanley B. Reynolds and Spc. Steven R. Jewell.
NBC San Diego -- SAN DIEGO -- An East County mother has some strong words for President George W. Bush after the death of her soldier son in Iraq.
Staff Sgt. Sean P. Fisher, 29, was one of five soldiers who was killed Tuesday in helicopter crash in Al Taqqadum, Iraq. Military officials said the incident is still under investigation.
On Thursday, Maria Fisher showed NBC 7/39 a photograph of the last time she danced with her son Sean.
"These are his dancing shoes," Fisher said, "and now I'm keeping them as a memory of dancing with him."
Fisher said that she was having a hard time accepting her loss. "I haven't woken up from that nightmare yet," she told NBC 7/39. "My boy is gone. "
Fisher said she didn't want any more mothers to have to go through what she is.
"I feel a lot of anger right now. Mr. Bush is making a mistake leaving our boys over there. We're fighting a useless war…. Unfortunately, mine has gone to heaven, but there are others out there that are still in danger."
Fisher was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, Fort Wainwright, Ala. In addition to his mother, Sean is survived by a daughter, Bailey, 6, and five brothers and sisters.
Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer Christopher C. Johnson, 31, of Michigan; Chief Warrant Officer Jackie L. McFarlane Jr, 30, Virginia Beach, Va.; Staff Sgt. Stanley B. Reynolds, 37, of Rock, W. Va.; and Spc. Steven R. Jewell, 26, of Bridgeton, N.C.
Fisher's family plans on setting up an account under Sean's name on Friday. Anybody who would like to make a donation will be able to do so by going to any Washington Mutual bank branch.
Army Staff Sgt. Sean P. Fisher was killed in action on 8/14/07.
Army Chief Warrant Officer Christopher C. Johnson
Remember Our Heroes
Army Chief Warrant Officer Christopher C. Johnson, 31, of Michigan
CWO Johnson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; died Aug. 14, 2007 in Taqaddum, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer Jackie L. McFarlane, Staff Sgt. Sean P. Fisher, Staff Sgt. Stanley B. Reynolds and Spc. Steven R. Jewell.
New Mexico family mourns pilot killed in Iraq
By Susan Montoya Bryan
The Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Christopher Johnson looked danger in the eye many times before as a Green Beret, but it was his dream of flying for the armed services that led him to train to become part of a helicopter crew.
The 31-year-old pilot accomplished his goal and was doing what he loved when he was killed Aug. 14 near Anbar province in Iraq. His CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed during a routine post-maintenance test flight, killing all five on board.
Charles and Mary Johnson, of Gallup, N.M., were informed of their son’s death the next morning.
“I found out a helicopter crashed yesterday when I was on the computer and saw a news flash. I clicked on it and saw that it was a Chinook and it was about the area that we knew he was in,” Mary Johnson said in a telephone interview Aug. 15.
“He always promised to call or e-mail when there was a crash so that we knew he was safe,” she said. “After a whole night of not hearing from him, we knew something was wrong.”
Johnson, a member of Task Force Dragon, had been in Iraq for less than a month, his mother said.
The Army said the helicopter was conducting a test flight when it went down near Taqaddum air base. The Army did not immediately identify the victims, but Army officials in Alaska said the five were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49 based at Fort Wainwright.
Johnson’s family has been told the crash was an accident. The military said the incident remains under investigation.
Johnson, a husband and father of three, had joined the military in 1994 and went on to become a Green Beret. After being part of covert operations around the world, he decided to pursue his dream of flying.
He had assured his mother it would be safer to fly a Chinook.
“He always told me, ‘Mom, don’t be afraid because it’s the fastest, the biggest and the safest.’ And he told me he wouldn’t have to kill anybody, that he would be transporting things and helping people. He always wanted to help people,” Mary Johnson said.
Family friend Elaine Stam, of Albuquerque, said she didn’t know Christopher Johnson but she heard a lot about him from his parents.
“His dad was just so proud of him,” she said. “He just lived for Chris’ telephone calls or e-mails. He just loved it. He was so proud.”
Stam said she was devastated after hearing the news Aug. 15.
“You just can’t believe it. One month in Iraq and he’s gone,” she said.
Johnson grew up in Grand Rapids, Mich., and graduated from Tri-Unity Christian School before his parents moved to Gallup.
His dream of flying included coming home and earning a pilot’s license for fixed-wing aircraft, his mother said.
Before deploying to Iraq this summer, Johnson took his children — ages 4, 7 and 10 — to Grand Rapids and Chicago to share with them the special places where his father had taken him when he was young.
Mary Johnson said the children “just adored their daddy.” In fact, he was working on adopting them since they were his wife’s children from a previous marriage. His wife and children were living in Huntsville, Ala., during Johnson’s deployment.
The pilot had plans to return to Gallup with his family to surprise his parents for Christmas. Instead, the family was dealing with questions of why as they began to prepare for a funeral.
Mary Johnson said her son will be buried in Rehoboth, just east of Gallup. She said he loved the area.
Army Chief Warrant Officer Christopher C. Johnson was killed in action on 8/14/07.
Army Chief Warrant Officer Christopher C. Johnson, 31, of Michigan
CWO Johnson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; died Aug. 14, 2007 in Taqaddum, Iraq, of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer Jackie L. McFarlane, Staff Sgt. Sean P. Fisher, Staff Sgt. Stanley B. Reynolds and Spc. Steven R. Jewell.
New Mexico family mourns pilot killed in Iraq
By Susan Montoya Bryan
The Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Christopher Johnson looked danger in the eye many times before as a Green Beret, but it was his dream of flying for the armed services that led him to train to become part of a helicopter crew.
The 31-year-old pilot accomplished his goal and was doing what he loved when he was killed Aug. 14 near Anbar province in Iraq. His CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed during a routine post-maintenance test flight, killing all five on board.
Charles and Mary Johnson, of Gallup, N.M., were informed of their son’s death the next morning.
“I found out a helicopter crashed yesterday when I was on the computer and saw a news flash. I clicked on it and saw that it was a Chinook and it was about the area that we knew he was in,” Mary Johnson said in a telephone interview Aug. 15.
“He always promised to call or e-mail when there was a crash so that we knew he was safe,” she said. “After a whole night of not hearing from him, we knew something was wrong.”
Johnson, a member of Task Force Dragon, had been in Iraq for less than a month, his mother said.
The Army said the helicopter was conducting a test flight when it went down near Taqaddum air base. The Army did not immediately identify the victims, but Army officials in Alaska said the five were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49 based at Fort Wainwright.
Johnson’s family has been told the crash was an accident. The military said the incident remains under investigation.
Johnson, a husband and father of three, had joined the military in 1994 and went on to become a Green Beret. After being part of covert operations around the world, he decided to pursue his dream of flying.
He had assured his mother it would be safer to fly a Chinook.
“He always told me, ‘Mom, don’t be afraid because it’s the fastest, the biggest and the safest.’ And he told me he wouldn’t have to kill anybody, that he would be transporting things and helping people. He always wanted to help people,” Mary Johnson said.
Family friend Elaine Stam, of Albuquerque, said she didn’t know Christopher Johnson but she heard a lot about him from his parents.
“His dad was just so proud of him,” she said. “He just lived for Chris’ telephone calls or e-mails. He just loved it. He was so proud.”
Stam said she was devastated after hearing the news Aug. 15.
“You just can’t believe it. One month in Iraq and he’s gone,” she said.
Johnson grew up in Grand Rapids, Mich., and graduated from Tri-Unity Christian School before his parents moved to Gallup.
His dream of flying included coming home and earning a pilot’s license for fixed-wing aircraft, his mother said.
Before deploying to Iraq this summer, Johnson took his children — ages 4, 7 and 10 — to Grand Rapids and Chicago to share with them the special places where his father had taken him when he was young.
Mary Johnson said the children “just adored their daddy.” In fact, he was working on adopting them since they were his wife’s children from a previous marriage. His wife and children were living in Huntsville, Ala., during Johnson’s deployment.
The pilot had plans to return to Gallup with his family to surprise his parents for Christmas. Instead, the family was dealing with questions of why as they began to prepare for a funeral.
Mary Johnson said her son will be buried in Rehoboth, just east of Gallup. She said he loved the area.
Army Chief Warrant Officer Christopher C. Johnson was killed in action on 8/14/07.
Army Chief Warrant Officer Jackie L. McFarlane
Remember Our Heroes
Army Chief Warrant Officer Jackie L. McFarlane, 30, of Virginia Beach, Va.
CWO McFarlane was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; died Aug. 14, 2007 in Taqaddum, Iraq, of injuries suffered during a helicopter crash. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer Christopher C. Johnson, Staff Sgt. Sean P. Fisher, Staff Sgt. Stanley B. Reynolds and Spc. Steven R. Jewell.
Virginia Pilot -- An Army helicopter pilot from Norfolk was killed in Iraq this week when the chopper he was flying crashed during a routine post-maintenance flight.
Chief Warrant Officer Jackie L. McFarlane, 30, was one of five soldiers who died when a CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed Tuesday near an air base outside Fallujah. The Department of Defense released the names of the victims Thursday.
The men were members of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, out of Fort Wainwright, Ala.
The unit had been in Iraq for about a month.
McFarlane was a 1994 graduate of Lake Taylor High School, family friend Kim Johnson said in a phone interview from the McFarlanes' home in Alaska.
He is survived by his wife, Shanaye, a 7 -year-old daughter and a 2 -year-old son.
Shanaye McFarlane, who also attended Lake Taylor, described her husband as high-spirited, supportive and a joy to be around. The couple married as teenagers and celebrated their 13th anniversary last month.
McFarlane joined the Army a few months after graduating from Lake Taylor, where he was a member of the track and field team. Army assignments took them to Germany and then to Fort Bragg, N.C. The family moved to Alaska last summer.
Johnson said McFarlane was a church elder.
"I think he would want you to know that he was a child of God, and then a father, and then a soldier," Johnson said. "His family was utmost to him. His family was his life."
The soldier jealously guarded time with his wife.
"We used to say to him, 'Can Shanaye come out and play?' " Johnson remembered, laughing.
"They were best friends, inseparable best friends."
The crash is under investigation.
"Indications at this point are that it was an unfortunate accident," said Lt. Col. Jonathan Allen, a public affairs officer for the Army's Alaska command.
McFarlane's funeral will be held in Virginia, Johnson said. Arrangements are pending.
Army Chief Warrant Officer Jackie L. McFarlane was killed in action on 8/14/07.
Army Chief Warrant Officer Jackie L. McFarlane, 30, of Virginia Beach, Va.
CWO McFarlane was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; died Aug. 14, 2007 in Taqaddum, Iraq, of injuries suffered during a helicopter crash. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer Christopher C. Johnson, Staff Sgt. Sean P. Fisher, Staff Sgt. Stanley B. Reynolds and Spc. Steven R. Jewell.
Virginia Pilot -- An Army helicopter pilot from Norfolk was killed in Iraq this week when the chopper he was flying crashed during a routine post-maintenance flight.
Chief Warrant Officer Jackie L. McFarlane, 30, was one of five soldiers who died when a CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed Tuesday near an air base outside Fallujah. The Department of Defense released the names of the victims Thursday.
The men were members of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, out of Fort Wainwright, Ala.
The unit had been in Iraq for about a month.
McFarlane was a 1994 graduate of Lake Taylor High School, family friend Kim Johnson said in a phone interview from the McFarlanes' home in Alaska.
He is survived by his wife, Shanaye, a 7 -year-old daughter and a 2 -year-old son.
Shanaye McFarlane, who also attended Lake Taylor, described her husband as high-spirited, supportive and a joy to be around. The couple married as teenagers and celebrated their 13th anniversary last month.
McFarlane joined the Army a few months after graduating from Lake Taylor, where he was a member of the track and field team. Army assignments took them to Germany and then to Fort Bragg, N.C. The family moved to Alaska last summer.
Johnson said McFarlane was a church elder.
"I think he would want you to know that he was a child of God, and then a father, and then a soldier," Johnson said. "His family was utmost to him. His family was his life."
The soldier jealously guarded time with his wife.
"We used to say to him, 'Can Shanaye come out and play?' " Johnson remembered, laughing.
"They were best friends, inseparable best friends."
The crash is under investigation.
"Indications at this point are that it was an unfortunate accident," said Lt. Col. Jonathan Allen, a public affairs officer for the Army's Alaska command.
McFarlane's funeral will be held in Virginia, Johnson said. Arrangements are pending.
Army Chief Warrant Officer Jackie L. McFarlane was killed in action on 8/14/07.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Army Sgt. Jonathan M. Forde
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Jonathan M. Forde, 26, of Vienna, VA.
Family, Guard Mourn Soldier
Sgt. Jonathan Forde of Vienna died last week from meningitis at training in Wisconsin.
By Scott J. Krischke
Services and Memorial Fund
Jonathan Forde will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, Aug. 24. Funeral services will be held at the Money & King Funeral Home in Vienna on Thursday, Aug. 23. The Forde family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the Jonathan Forde Scholarship Fund at Gonzaga College High School, 19 Eye St. NW, Washington, DC, 20001.
While in Iraq, Sgt. Jonathan Forde was the soldier who liked to take care of stray cats.
"He loved the cats, loved feeding them," said 1st Sgt. Nathan Rigney, who served as Forde's supervisor in Iraq from Feb. 2004 to early 2005. The two Virginia National Guardsmen were stationed together in the 237th Engineer Company during a 12-month tour throughout the country.
But it wasn't just his love for Iraq's stray cats that set him apart from other soldiers, Rigney added. Forde would regularly volunteer to lay down cover for Rigney on missions as his gunner.
"He was salt of the earth, very knowledgeable, very kind, very disciplined, he was honorable and never afraid to go on a mission," Rigney said. "His word was his bond ... you knew he would never let you down."
While training with his unit at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin in advance of a second tour of duty in Iraq, Forde fell ill with meningcoccal meningitis. He died on Aug. 13. The decorated combat veteran and lifetime Vienna resident was 26 years old.
FORDE IS BEST remembered growing up by his mother Kathryn Forde-Cosby as a creative and artistic child, and one who loved to play sports. A graduate of the Jesuit Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., Forde was a starting mid fielder on the school's lacrosse team.
"He was the best son that anyone could ever hope for," said his mother, Kathryn Forde-Cosby. "He is a hero as far as we are concerned."
But the events of Sept. 11, 2001 struck particularly close to home when a close family friend was killed in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
"That had a profound effect on him," said Kathryn Forde-Cosby. "I suppose patriotism after 9/11 really prompted his joining and wanting to serve his country."
Forde enlisted in the beginning of 2002 to the Virginia National Guard Reserves while a student in college at James Madison University. The first-generation American son of British naturalized immigrants to the United States, felt that it was his duty to do what he could to protect his country, according to his mother.
In a little more than two years, the 23-year-old was serving on combat duty in Iraq.
"He matured a lot faster than he had at any given time before that," said his stepfather of 21 years, Taylor Cosby. "In a situation like that, when you say that you're going to do something you have to do exactly that."
"After he came back he was much older. You could sense that."
THE MODEL SOLDIER, Forde was always the man to depend on in tense situations, according to Rigney.
"They say that you don't know how you'll act in a foxhole until you're in one," he said. "But I always wanted him in my foxhole."
And his devotion to his mission and skill as a soldier and a leader did not go unnoticed by the Virginia National Guard. When Forde underwent training to advance to the level of Sergeant upon his return from Iraq, he finished in the top five percent of his class.
"It was such a proud event, because it's almost like your own son accomplishing that," Rigney said. "He wasn't just a performer at that point, people looked up to him, he was a leader. You could count on him without question."
HIS DEATH was felt throughout the company in the midst of training for Iraq, according to his supervisor, Capt. Beau Mason, stationed at Fort McCoy.
"He was one of our brothers and we take it hard when we lose any member of our family," he said in a phone interview. "In a combat zone, you're fighting the enemy, but when you're dealing with a bacteria, you're only fighting frustration."
Mason said that Forde's fellow soldiers remembered him as an "outstanding leader" during a memorial service held at the base last weekend.
And Forde's legacy of public service will not go unrequited. His family has set up a memorial scholarship fund at Gonzaga College High School.
Forde, who is one of at least two graduates of Gonzaga to die while in service since 9/11, embodies many of the values the school looks to impart to students, according to Steve Langevin, Gonzaga public relations director.
"They provide an excellent example of service to others and service to the community that our students learn here," he said. "We would hope that current and former students can take these men as an example for their selfless service."
That drive to support his fellow soldiers, his community and to volunteer during a time of war is one of the main characteristics that set Forde apart from others, according to Cosby.
"He did things that most people never would have done," he said. "In a world where 98 percent of people would have stayed back and taken advantage of the comforts of our country and watch TV, he was out there volunteering to serve his country overseas.
"I think that, more than anything, says what type of person he was."
Army Sgt. Jonathan M. Forde died on 8/13/07.
Army Sgt. Jonathan M. Forde, 26, of Vienna, VA.
Family, Guard Mourn Soldier
Sgt. Jonathan Forde of Vienna died last week from meningitis at training in Wisconsin.
By Scott J. Krischke
Services and Memorial Fund
Jonathan Forde will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, Aug. 24. Funeral services will be held at the Money & King Funeral Home in Vienna on Thursday, Aug. 23. The Forde family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the Jonathan Forde Scholarship Fund at Gonzaga College High School, 19 Eye St. NW, Washington, DC, 20001.
While in Iraq, Sgt. Jonathan Forde was the soldier who liked to take care of stray cats.
"He loved the cats, loved feeding them," said 1st Sgt. Nathan Rigney, who served as Forde's supervisor in Iraq from Feb. 2004 to early 2005. The two Virginia National Guardsmen were stationed together in the 237th Engineer Company during a 12-month tour throughout the country.
But it wasn't just his love for Iraq's stray cats that set him apart from other soldiers, Rigney added. Forde would regularly volunteer to lay down cover for Rigney on missions as his gunner.
"He was salt of the earth, very knowledgeable, very kind, very disciplined, he was honorable and never afraid to go on a mission," Rigney said. "His word was his bond ... you knew he would never let you down."
While training with his unit at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin in advance of a second tour of duty in Iraq, Forde fell ill with meningcoccal meningitis. He died on Aug. 13. The decorated combat veteran and lifetime Vienna resident was 26 years old.
FORDE IS BEST remembered growing up by his mother Kathryn Forde-Cosby as a creative and artistic child, and one who loved to play sports. A graduate of the Jesuit Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., Forde was a starting mid fielder on the school's lacrosse team.
"He was the best son that anyone could ever hope for," said his mother, Kathryn Forde-Cosby. "He is a hero as far as we are concerned."
But the events of Sept. 11, 2001 struck particularly close to home when a close family friend was killed in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
"That had a profound effect on him," said Kathryn Forde-Cosby. "I suppose patriotism after 9/11 really prompted his joining and wanting to serve his country."
Forde enlisted in the beginning of 2002 to the Virginia National Guard Reserves while a student in college at James Madison University. The first-generation American son of British naturalized immigrants to the United States, felt that it was his duty to do what he could to protect his country, according to his mother.
In a little more than two years, the 23-year-old was serving on combat duty in Iraq.
"He matured a lot faster than he had at any given time before that," said his stepfather of 21 years, Taylor Cosby. "In a situation like that, when you say that you're going to do something you have to do exactly that."
"After he came back he was much older. You could sense that."
THE MODEL SOLDIER, Forde was always the man to depend on in tense situations, according to Rigney.
"They say that you don't know how you'll act in a foxhole until you're in one," he said. "But I always wanted him in my foxhole."
And his devotion to his mission and skill as a soldier and a leader did not go unnoticed by the Virginia National Guard. When Forde underwent training to advance to the level of Sergeant upon his return from Iraq, he finished in the top five percent of his class.
"It was such a proud event, because it's almost like your own son accomplishing that," Rigney said. "He wasn't just a performer at that point, people looked up to him, he was a leader. You could count on him without question."
HIS DEATH was felt throughout the company in the midst of training for Iraq, according to his supervisor, Capt. Beau Mason, stationed at Fort McCoy.
"He was one of our brothers and we take it hard when we lose any member of our family," he said in a phone interview. "In a combat zone, you're fighting the enemy, but when you're dealing with a bacteria, you're only fighting frustration."
Mason said that Forde's fellow soldiers remembered him as an "outstanding leader" during a memorial service held at the base last weekend.
And Forde's legacy of public service will not go unrequited. His family has set up a memorial scholarship fund at Gonzaga College High School.
Forde, who is one of at least two graduates of Gonzaga to die while in service since 9/11, embodies many of the values the school looks to impart to students, according to Steve Langevin, Gonzaga public relations director.
"They provide an excellent example of service to others and service to the community that our students learn here," he said. "We would hope that current and former students can take these men as an example for their selfless service."
That drive to support his fellow soldiers, his community and to volunteer during a time of war is one of the main characteristics that set Forde apart from others, according to Cosby.
"He did things that most people never would have done," he said. "In a world where 98 percent of people would have stayed back and taken advantage of the comforts of our country and watch TV, he was out there volunteering to serve his country overseas.
"I think that, more than anything, says what type of person he was."
Army Sgt. Jonathan M. Forde died on 8/13/07.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey D. Kettle
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey D. Kettle, 31, of Madill, Okla.
SFC Kettle was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 12, 2007 in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Jesse G. Clowers Jr. and Sgt. Charles B. Kitowski III.
Soldier from Oklahoma killed in Afghanistan
A soldier with ties to Oklahoma has been killed in Afghanistan, the Defense Department said Monday evening.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey D. Kettle, 31, whose hometown was listed as Madill, was killed Sunday in Nangarhar province, northeast of Forward Operating Base Khogyani in eastern Afghanistan, the Defense Department said. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.
He and two other soldiers were killed after a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle, the department said.
Also killed were Army Staff Sgt. Jesse G. Clowers Jr., 27, of Herndon, Va., and Army Sgt. Charles B. Kitowski III, 31, of Farmers Branch, Texas.
Nangarhar province borders Pakistan. U.S. forces recently have been battling elements of the Taliban and insurgents in the area, according to reports.
Madill, with a population of about 3,400, is in Marshall County near Lake Texoma, 170 miles south of Tulsa.
It wasn't immediately clear Monday night when or how long Kettle had lived in Madill, and the town's only funeral home, Watts Funeral Home, had not been contacted by family members.
Kettle, who was born in Texas City, Texas, and enlisted in the Army in November 1993, is survived by his wife, Brandi Kettle, and two sons, Jeffrey and Logan Kettle of Raeford, N.C.; and his parents, Ronald and Cynthia Kettle of League City, Texas, according to a news release from the Army Special Operations Command.
Kettle is the eighth member of the military with Oklahoma ties who has been killed in Operation Enduring Freedom since it began in 2001, according to the Defense Department.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey D. Kettle was killed in action on 8/12/07.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey D. Kettle, 31, of Madill, Okla.
SFC Kettle was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 12, 2007 in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Jesse G. Clowers Jr. and Sgt. Charles B. Kitowski III.
Soldier from Oklahoma killed in Afghanistan
A soldier with ties to Oklahoma has been killed in Afghanistan, the Defense Department said Monday evening.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey D. Kettle, 31, whose hometown was listed as Madill, was killed Sunday in Nangarhar province, northeast of Forward Operating Base Khogyani in eastern Afghanistan, the Defense Department said. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.
He and two other soldiers were killed after a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle, the department said.
Also killed were Army Staff Sgt. Jesse G. Clowers Jr., 27, of Herndon, Va., and Army Sgt. Charles B. Kitowski III, 31, of Farmers Branch, Texas.
Nangarhar province borders Pakistan. U.S. forces recently have been battling elements of the Taliban and insurgents in the area, according to reports.
Madill, with a population of about 3,400, is in Marshall County near Lake Texoma, 170 miles south of Tulsa.
It wasn't immediately clear Monday night when or how long Kettle had lived in Madill, and the town's only funeral home, Watts Funeral Home, had not been contacted by family members.
Kettle, who was born in Texas City, Texas, and enlisted in the Army in November 1993, is survived by his wife, Brandi Kettle, and two sons, Jeffrey and Logan Kettle of Raeford, N.C.; and his parents, Ronald and Cynthia Kettle of League City, Texas, according to a news release from the Army Special Operations Command.
Kettle is the eighth member of the military with Oklahoma ties who has been killed in Operation Enduring Freedom since it began in 2001, according to the Defense Department.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey D. Kettle was killed in action on 8/12/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Jesse G. Clowers Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Jesse G. Clowers Jr., 27, of Herndon, Va.
SSgt Clowers was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 12, 2007 in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Sgt. Charles B. Kitowski III and Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey D. Kettle.
Clowers was sent overseas in March, when his wife, Kaytie, was seven months pregnant with their second child, Clowers’ sister Nikki told the Roanoke Times. His homecoming in September would be his first chance to meet his newborn daughter, Danielle.
“He was definitely counting down the days,” Nikki Clowers said. “Almost every e-mail he sent us, he was talking about how much he was looking forward to hugging his wife and playing with his son and meeting his baby girl.
Army Staff Sgt. Jesse G. Clowers Jr. was killed in action on 8/12/07.
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Army Staff Sgt. Jesse G. Clowers Jr., 27, of Herndon, Va.
SSgt Clowers was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 12, 2007 in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Sgt. Charles B. Kitowski III and Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey D. Kettle.
Clowers was sent overseas in March, when his wife, Kaytie, was seven months pregnant with their second child, Clowers’ sister Nikki told the Roanoke Times. His homecoming in September would be his first chance to meet his newborn daughter, Danielle.
“He was definitely counting down the days,” Nikki Clowers said. “Almost every e-mail he sent us, he was talking about how much he was looking forward to hugging his wife and playing with his son and meeting his baby girl.
Army Staff Sgt. Jesse G. Clowers Jr. was killed in action on 8/12/07.
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Army Sgt. Charles B. Kitowski III
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Charles B. Kitowski III, 31, of Farmers Branch, Texas
Sgt. Kitowski was assigned to the 345th Psychological Operations Company, 2nd Psychological Operations Group, U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 12, 2007 in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Jesse G. Clowers Jr. and Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey D. Kettle.
NBC5 -- A Dallas-area soldier died Sunday of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit’s vehicle in the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan.
The victim was 31-year-old Sgt. Charles B. Kitowski III of Farmers Branch.
Kitowski was assigned to the 345th Psychological Operations Company, 2nd Psychological Operations Group, U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) out of Fort Bragg, N.C.
His family resides in Katy, near Houston.
They released this statement:
"There is no good time for a tragedy, and when the world loses a young person, our hearts and souls weep more intensely. The Kitowski family is sincerely touched by the concern and interest all have taken in Charles' life. We are proud of our son's life, his accomplishments and his career.
"We would like to thank his friends, work colleagues, and his fellow soldiers at the 345th Psychological Operations Company, for their sincere expressions of sympathy during this very difficult time.
"Your support is appreciated as we mourn the loss of our son who was a caring son and a selfless soldier.
"Charles died doing what he felt duty-bound to do. Please remember his life, his happy memories, his favorite expressions or advice he ever offered.
"Keep our family and friends close in your heart and prayers. Thank you."
Army Sgt. Charles B. Kitowski III was killed in action on 8/12/07.
Army Sgt. Charles B. Kitowski III, 31, of Farmers Branch, Texas
Sgt. Kitowski was assigned to the 345th Psychological Operations Company, 2nd Psychological Operations Group, U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 12, 2007 in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Jesse G. Clowers Jr. and Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey D. Kettle.
NBC5 -- A Dallas-area soldier died Sunday of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit’s vehicle in the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan.
The victim was 31-year-old Sgt. Charles B. Kitowski III of Farmers Branch.
Kitowski was assigned to the 345th Psychological Operations Company, 2nd Psychological Operations Group, U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) out of Fort Bragg, N.C.
His family resides in Katy, near Houston.
They released this statement:
"There is no good time for a tragedy, and when the world loses a young person, our hearts and souls weep more intensely. The Kitowski family is sincerely touched by the concern and interest all have taken in Charles' life. We are proud of our son's life, his accomplishments and his career.
"We would like to thank his friends, work colleagues, and his fellow soldiers at the 345th Psychological Operations Company, for their sincere expressions of sympathy during this very difficult time.
"Your support is appreciated as we mourn the loss of our son who was a caring son and a selfless soldier.
"Charles died doing what he felt duty-bound to do. Please remember his life, his happy memories, his favorite expressions or advice he ever offered.
"Keep our family and friends close in your heart and prayers. Thank you."
Army Sgt. Charles B. Kitowski III was killed in action on 8/12/07.
Army Pvt. Alan J. Austin
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pvt. Alan J. Austin, 21, of Houston
Pvt. Austin was assigned to the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 12, 2007 near Forward Operating Base Sharana, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from a non-combat-related accident.
3 Texas soldiers die in Afghanistan, Iraq
The Associated Press
HOUSTON — Three Texas soldiers have died overseas in recent days, the Defense Department said Monday.
Pvt. Alan J. Austin, 21, and Pfc. William L. Edwards, 23, were both from Houston, and Sgt. Charles B. Kitowski III, 31, was from the Dallas suburb of Farmers Branch, the military said.
Also killed with Kitowski were Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey D. Kettle, 31, of Madill, Okla., and Staff Sgt. Jesse G. Clowers Jr., 27, of Herndon, Va. They were both part of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg.
“He was a fun-loving kid growing up,” said Joel Kettle, adding that his nephew grew up in Texas City, Texas. “It really surprised me and made me feel proud when he joined the Army and excelled.”
Austin died Sunday of injuries sustained in a non-combat accident in Afghanistan, the department said. Austin was assigned to the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg.
His mother, Rhonda Austin, said her son loved cooking, dancing, parades and mariachi music, and was a devoted son and brother.
“Alan was a courageous man of God. My comfort lies in my faith and knowing that he is with God,” she said in a statement.
Army Pvt. Alan J. Austin was killed in the line of duty on 8/12/07.
Army Pvt. Alan J. Austin, 21, of Houston
Pvt. Austin was assigned to the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 12, 2007 near Forward Operating Base Sharana, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from a non-combat-related accident.
3 Texas soldiers die in Afghanistan, Iraq
The Associated Press
HOUSTON — Three Texas soldiers have died overseas in recent days, the Defense Department said Monday.
Pvt. Alan J. Austin, 21, and Pfc. William L. Edwards, 23, were both from Houston, and Sgt. Charles B. Kitowski III, 31, was from the Dallas suburb of Farmers Branch, the military said.
Also killed with Kitowski were Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey D. Kettle, 31, of Madill, Okla., and Staff Sgt. Jesse G. Clowers Jr., 27, of Herndon, Va. They were both part of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg.
“He was a fun-loving kid growing up,” said Joel Kettle, adding that his nephew grew up in Texas City, Texas. “It really surprised me and made me feel proud when he joined the Army and excelled.”
Austin died Sunday of injuries sustained in a non-combat accident in Afghanistan, the department said. Austin was assigned to the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg.
His mother, Rhonda Austin, said her son loved cooking, dancing, parades and mariachi music, and was a devoted son and brother.
“Alan was a courageous man of God. My comfort lies in my faith and knowing that he is with God,” she said in a statement.
Army Pvt. Alan J. Austin was killed in the line of duty on 8/12/07.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Army Pfc. Jordan E. Goode
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Jordan E. Goode, 21, of Kalamazoo, Mich.
Pfc. Goode was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 11, 2007 in Zormont, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device.
Roadside bomb in Afghanistan kills soldier from Kalamazoo
By Corey Williams
The Associated Press
DETROIT — Jordan Goode enjoyed doing things on the edge — whether skateboarding, snowboarding or jumping from military planes.
“He loved the thrill. That’s why he went Airborne,” his mother, Sheri Goode told The Associated Press Monday. “Once when Jordan snowboarded, he went down the end of a slope and there was no snow at the bottom. He had a concussion.”
Pfc. Jordan Goode, 21, is the latest soldier from Michigan killed in Afghanistan. He was lead driver in a five-truck convoy when a roadside bomb exploded Saturday beneath his vehicle, his mother said.
The Department of Defense said Monday that Jordan Goode was wounded in Zormont. He was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C.
“He was a great kid and he loved his family,” Sheri Goode said. “He believed in what he was doing and he was doing the right thing.”
He and his family spoke often through a Web cam they bought him, his mother said.
“I talked to him [last] Monday for about 15 minutes online,” Sheri Goode said. “I asked if he was ready to come home and he said, ‘Yeah.’
“He wanted to be out of his boots. Jordan said he was so tired of being in his boots.”
Jordan Goode was due to come home on leave in October and was planning to take his wife, Aubrey, to Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Sheri Goode said her son was concerned after his unit recently was moved to a new camp in Afghanistan.
“This past week, he said something to his wife that he might not come back. That was something he had never said before,” Sheri Goode said.
Jordan Goode spent two years at Kalamazoo Central High School and graduated in 2004 from New City High School. He enlisted in the Army shortly after graduating and was shipped to Afghanistan in January.
Aubrey Goode said she was introduced to her future husband by a friend while in middle school.
“The first time I saw him skateboarding, I had a crush on him,” she said.
They continued as friends for several years and became a couple as seniors in high school.
They were married nearly two years ago, when she was expecting the couple’s daughter, Amirah.
Sheri Goode said her son surprised everyone by joining the Army.
“We were trying to get him into art school. He was an absolutely phenomenal artist,” she said. “But his girlfriend was pregnant at the time. He decided to step up to the plate, do the right thing and provide for his family.”
That was typical of Jordan, said close friend Brian Gallagher.
“He was very independent — he was always sure of what he was doing,” Gallagher said. “He did everything 100 percent.”
Funeral services were pending.
Jordan Goode also is survived by his father, Tony; and brothers, Dominique and Kelsey.
Army Pfc. Jordan E. Goode was killed in action on 8/11/07.
Army Pfc. Jordan E. Goode, 21, of Kalamazoo, Mich.
Pfc. Goode was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 11, 2007 in Zormont, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device.
Roadside bomb in Afghanistan kills soldier from Kalamazoo
By Corey Williams
The Associated Press
DETROIT — Jordan Goode enjoyed doing things on the edge — whether skateboarding, snowboarding or jumping from military planes.
“He loved the thrill. That’s why he went Airborne,” his mother, Sheri Goode told The Associated Press Monday. “Once when Jordan snowboarded, he went down the end of a slope and there was no snow at the bottom. He had a concussion.”
Pfc. Jordan Goode, 21, is the latest soldier from Michigan killed in Afghanistan. He was lead driver in a five-truck convoy when a roadside bomb exploded Saturday beneath his vehicle, his mother said.
The Department of Defense said Monday that Jordan Goode was wounded in Zormont. He was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C.
“He was a great kid and he loved his family,” Sheri Goode said. “He believed in what he was doing and he was doing the right thing.”
He and his family spoke often through a Web cam they bought him, his mother said.
“I talked to him [last] Monday for about 15 minutes online,” Sheri Goode said. “I asked if he was ready to come home and he said, ‘Yeah.’
“He wanted to be out of his boots. Jordan said he was so tired of being in his boots.”
Jordan Goode was due to come home on leave in October and was planning to take his wife, Aubrey, to Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Sheri Goode said her son was concerned after his unit recently was moved to a new camp in Afghanistan.
“This past week, he said something to his wife that he might not come back. That was something he had never said before,” Sheri Goode said.
Jordan Goode spent two years at Kalamazoo Central High School and graduated in 2004 from New City High School. He enlisted in the Army shortly after graduating and was shipped to Afghanistan in January.
Aubrey Goode said she was introduced to her future husband by a friend while in middle school.
“The first time I saw him skateboarding, I had a crush on him,” she said.
They continued as friends for several years and became a couple as seniors in high school.
They were married nearly two years ago, when she was expecting the couple’s daughter, Amirah.
Sheri Goode said her son surprised everyone by joining the Army.
“We were trying to get him into art school. He was an absolutely phenomenal artist,” she said. “But his girlfriend was pregnant at the time. He decided to step up to the plate, do the right thing and provide for his family.”
That was typical of Jordan, said close friend Brian Gallagher.
“He was very independent — he was always sure of what he was doing,” Gallagher said. “He did everything 100 percent.”
Funeral services were pending.
Jordan Goode also is survived by his father, Tony; and brothers, Dominique and Kelsey.
Army Pfc. Jordan E. Goode was killed in action on 8/11/07.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Army Staff Sgt. Joan J. Duran
Remember Our Heroes
Army Staff Sgt. Joan J. Duran, 24, of Roxbury, Mass.
SSgt. Duran was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died August 10, 2007 in Iraq of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident.
Boston soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
BOSTON — A Boston man is killed while on tour in Iraq.
The Department of Defense says 24-year-old Army Sgt. Joan Duran died Friday in a non-combat related incident.
Duran was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, N.C.
His friends told The Boston Globe he was in his second Iraq tour and planned to become a college math teacher.
Duran was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to the Boston area as a toddler. He was due to return to Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood in November after four years of service in the Army.
A 2003 graduate of Boston Latin Academy, Duran’s friends said he was a straight-A student who won honors for football and track.
“He was a hero. He always had passion for everything he did,” his childhood friend, 26-year-old Remy Pena, told the Globe. “Whether it was tennis, carpentry, or cooking, he was always the best.”
After his tour, Duran planned to buy a house and marry his fiancée, Andrea Silva, 17, of Woburn, Pena said.
“He was very loving and we were perfect for each other,” Silva told the newspaper.
Friends said Duran discussed the possibility of his death, and asked that his casket be adorned with symbols of the Dominican Republic and the United States to match tattoos on his shoulders.
Army Staff Sgt. Joan J. Duran was killed in Iraq on 8/10/07.
Army Staff Sgt. Joan J. Duran, 24, of Roxbury, Mass.
SSgt. Duran was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died August 10, 2007 in Iraq of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident.
Boston soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
BOSTON — A Boston man is killed while on tour in Iraq.
The Department of Defense says 24-year-old Army Sgt. Joan Duran died Friday in a non-combat related incident.
Duran was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, N.C.
His friends told The Boston Globe he was in his second Iraq tour and planned to become a college math teacher.
Duran was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to the Boston area as a toddler. He was due to return to Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood in November after four years of service in the Army.
A 2003 graduate of Boston Latin Academy, Duran’s friends said he was a straight-A student who won honors for football and track.
“He was a hero. He always had passion for everything he did,” his childhood friend, 26-year-old Remy Pena, told the Globe. “Whether it was tennis, carpentry, or cooking, he was always the best.”
After his tour, Duran planned to buy a house and marry his fiancée, Andrea Silva, 17, of Woburn, Pena said.
“He was very loving and we were perfect for each other,” Silva told the newspaper.
Friends said Duran discussed the possibility of his death, and asked that his casket be adorned with symbols of the Dominican Republic and the United States to match tattoos on his shoulders.
Army Staff Sgt. Joan J. Duran was killed in Iraq on 8/10/07.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Marine Sgt. Jon E. Bonnell Jr.
Remember Our Heroes
Marine Sgt. Jon E. Bonnell Jr., 22, of Fort Dodge, Iowa
Sgt. Bonnell was assigned to 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Aug. 7, 2007 of wounds sustained while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.
Marine Sgt. Jon E. Bonnell Jr., Fort Dodge Marine dies in Iraq
The Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa — A Marine from Fort Dodge was killed in an explosion August 7 in Iraq, the Department of Defense said.
Sgt. Jon Bonnell Jr., 22, died in the Anbar province during his second stint in Iraq, family members said.
“Anything he did he put everything he had into it,” said Jon Bonnell Sr., the Marine’s father. “That’s why he chose to become a Marine in high school.”
Bonnell Jr. was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Camp Pendleton, Calif. His father said the unit specialized in security and bomb detection.
The Marine arrived in Iraq in May and was scheduled to leave in October or November, his father said.
Bonnell Jr. graduated from Fort Dodge High School in 2003 and two years later served six months in Iraq. Afterward, the Marine assisted victims of the 2005 tsunami in southeast Asia, his father said.
Bonnell Jr. left for more bomb detection duty in Iraq in the spring, prompting renewed worry from the elder Bonnell.
“I figured he had done it one time already,” Bonnell Sr. said.
“He had made it through doing the one job I wouldn’t want him to do. It scared me on the second time, but I’m a proud father knowing he was doing the job he was trained to do — be a good Marine.”
Bonnell Jr. re-enlisted in the Marines earlier this year, his father said, and despite the violence and rising death toll, “he was ready. He wanted to do it.”
The father said he spoke with his son around Father’s Day, but was not home when the Marine called three weeks ago. Instead, the Marine’s grandmother took the call. Donna Bonnell said she asked him what he was doing in Iraq.
“He said his job was looking for bombs, and I said that’s very dangerous,” Donna Bonnell said. “He said, ‘Grandma, that’s my job.’ I said, ‘Watch your back,’ and he said, ‘We all watch everybody’s back.’ ”
When asked whether her grandson would think himself a hero, she said: “I doubt that. I imagine he thought they were all heroes.”
Funeral services will likely be held at First Christian Church in Fort Dodge, the grandmother said.
Marine Sgt. Jon E. Bonnell Jr. was killed in action on 8/7/07.
Marine Sgt. Jon E. Bonnell Jr., 22, of Fort Dodge, Iowa
Sgt. Bonnell was assigned to 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Aug. 7, 2007 of wounds sustained while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.
Marine Sgt. Jon E. Bonnell Jr., Fort Dodge Marine dies in Iraq
The Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa — A Marine from Fort Dodge was killed in an explosion August 7 in Iraq, the Department of Defense said.
Sgt. Jon Bonnell Jr., 22, died in the Anbar province during his second stint in Iraq, family members said.
“Anything he did he put everything he had into it,” said Jon Bonnell Sr., the Marine’s father. “That’s why he chose to become a Marine in high school.”
Bonnell Jr. was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Camp Pendleton, Calif. His father said the unit specialized in security and bomb detection.
The Marine arrived in Iraq in May and was scheduled to leave in October or November, his father said.
Bonnell Jr. graduated from Fort Dodge High School in 2003 and two years later served six months in Iraq. Afterward, the Marine assisted victims of the 2005 tsunami in southeast Asia, his father said.
Bonnell Jr. left for more bomb detection duty in Iraq in the spring, prompting renewed worry from the elder Bonnell.
“I figured he had done it one time already,” Bonnell Sr. said.
“He had made it through doing the one job I wouldn’t want him to do. It scared me on the second time, but I’m a proud father knowing he was doing the job he was trained to do — be a good Marine.”
Bonnell Jr. re-enlisted in the Marines earlier this year, his father said, and despite the violence and rising death toll, “he was ready. He wanted to do it.”
The father said he spoke with his son around Father’s Day, but was not home when the Marine called three weeks ago. Instead, the Marine’s grandmother took the call. Donna Bonnell said she asked him what he was doing in Iraq.
“He said his job was looking for bombs, and I said that’s very dangerous,” Donna Bonnell said. “He said, ‘Grandma, that’s my job.’ I said, ‘Watch your back,’ and he said, ‘We all watch everybody’s back.’ ”
When asked whether her grandson would think himself a hero, she said: “I doubt that. I imagine he thought they were all heroes.”
Funeral services will likely be held at First Christian Church in Fort Dodge, the grandmother said.
Marine Sgt. Jon E. Bonnell Jr. was killed in action on 8/7/07.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Army Pfc. Jaron D. Holliday
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Jaron D. Holliday, 21, of Tulsa, Okla.
Pfc. Jared Holliday was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska; died Aug, 4, 2007 in Hawr Rajab, Iraq, when the vehicle he was in struck an improvised explosive device during combat operations. Also killed were Sgt. Dustin S. Wakeman and Cpl. Jason K. Lafleur.
Tulsa soldier dies in Iraq
The Associated Press
TULSA, Okla. — An Oklahoma soldier and two others died in combat in Iraq, the Department of Defense announced August 6.
Pfc. Jaron D. Holliday, of Tulsa, and two other soldiers died when the vehicle in which they were riding hit an explosive device near Hawr Rajab during combat operations, defense officials said.
Also killed were Sgt. Dustin S. Wakeman, 25, of Fort Worth, Texas, and Cpl. Jason K. Lafleur, 28, of Ignacio, Colo. Department of Defense officials didn’t say when the explosion occurred.
Holliday and the others were members of the Army’s 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, based in Fort Richardson, Alaska, according to defense officials.
The 21-year-old always wanted to be in the armed forces and began researching which branch he wanted to go into when he was 11, his mother, Kelly Holliday, said. He joined the Army in 2005, when he was 19.
“That was always his desire — to go into the military and serve,” Holliday said. “When 9/11 happened, he was 15, and he said, ‘If I were old enough to serve, I would.’ ”
The oldest of eight siblings — seven boys and one girl — Holliday was home-schooled and graduated through the Christian Home Education Fellowship of Oklahoma in 2004, his mother said. At his graduation, he played the piano and received a standing ovation, said his mother.
“He was a people-watcher,” she said. “He loved people. He was the kind of person who, if he saw someone sitting by themselves looking depressed or upset, he made it his mission to make them smile before he left, and usually accomplished that goal.”
Army Pfc. Jaron D. Holliday was killed in action on 8/4/07.
Army Pfc. Jaron D. Holliday, 21, of Tulsa, Okla.
Pfc. Jared Holliday was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska; died Aug, 4, 2007 in Hawr Rajab, Iraq, when the vehicle he was in struck an improvised explosive device during combat operations. Also killed were Sgt. Dustin S. Wakeman and Cpl. Jason K. Lafleur.
Tulsa soldier dies in Iraq
The Associated Press
TULSA, Okla. — An Oklahoma soldier and two others died in combat in Iraq, the Department of Defense announced August 6.
Pfc. Jaron D. Holliday, of Tulsa, and two other soldiers died when the vehicle in which they were riding hit an explosive device near Hawr Rajab during combat operations, defense officials said.
Also killed were Sgt. Dustin S. Wakeman, 25, of Fort Worth, Texas, and Cpl. Jason K. Lafleur, 28, of Ignacio, Colo. Department of Defense officials didn’t say when the explosion occurred.
Holliday and the others were members of the Army’s 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, based in Fort Richardson, Alaska, according to defense officials.
The 21-year-old always wanted to be in the armed forces and began researching which branch he wanted to go into when he was 11, his mother, Kelly Holliday, said. He joined the Army in 2005, when he was 19.
“That was always his desire — to go into the military and serve,” Holliday said. “When 9/11 happened, he was 15, and he said, ‘If I were old enough to serve, I would.’ ”
The oldest of eight siblings — seven boys and one girl — Holliday was home-schooled and graduated through the Christian Home Education Fellowship of Oklahoma in 2004, his mother said. At his graduation, he played the piano and received a standing ovation, said his mother.
“He was a people-watcher,” she said. “He loved people. He was the kind of person who, if he saw someone sitting by themselves looking depressed or upset, he made it his mission to make them smile before he left, and usually accomplished that goal.”
Army Pfc. Jaron D. Holliday was killed in action on 8/4/07.
Army Pfc. Matthew M. Murchison
Remember Our Heroes
Army Pfc. Matthew M. Murchison, 21, of Independence, Mo.
Pfc. Murchison was assigned to the 127th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Hanau, Germany; died Aug. 4, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when the vehicle he was in struck an improvised explosive device.
Army Pfc. Matthew M. Murchison was killed in action on 8/4/07.
Army Pfc. Matthew M. Murchison, 21, of Independence, Mo.
Pfc. Murchison was assigned to the 127th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Hanau, Germany; died Aug. 4, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when the vehicle he was in struck an improvised explosive device.
Army Pfc. Matthew M. Murchison was killed in action on 8/4/07.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Army Specialist Cristian Rojas-Gallego
Remember Our Heroes
Army Specialist Cristian Rojas-Gallego, 24, of Loganville, Ga.
Spc. Rojas-Gallego was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 2, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Fernando Santos and Spc. Eric D. Salinas.
Getting it right about Cristian Rojas-GallegoPosted by Mike Gilbert @ 05:30:30 pm
Megan Rojas-Gallego called me Tuesday afternoon to take issue with information that I printed in this morning's story about her husband, Spc. Cristian Rojas-Gallego, 24, one of three Stryker soldiers killed in a bombing Thursday in Baghdad.
I reported that the soldier's brother had told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that after serving a hitch in the Marine Corps and then trying life as a civilian, he rejoined the military – the Army this time – because he hadn't been able to make ends meet and Megan was expecting their third child.
That's not how it was at all, Megan told me.
"My husband was a patriot, OK?" she said. "He joined the Army because I wanted to join. He told me, 'No, honey. You're too beautiful. Let me go.' He was the bread winner. He didn't want me to do it."
What's more, she said they didn't learn she was pregnant until after they arrived at Fort Lewis. And he was doing just fine income-wise in the work he'd found after the Marines.
Megan Rojas-Gallego said readers should not draw the conclusion that they were desperate or poor or lacking in options. Her husband served three combat tours in Iraq as a Marine and willingly returned as a soldier, she said.
"He was a perfect husband. A wonderful man. A wonderful father."
Army Specialist Cristian Rojas-Gallego was killed in action on 8/2/07.
Army Specialist Cristian Rojas-Gallego, 24, of Loganville, Ga.
Spc. Rojas-Gallego was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 2, 2007 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Fernando Santos and Spc. Eric D. Salinas.
Getting it right about Cristian Rojas-GallegoPosted by Mike Gilbert @ 05:30:30 pm
Megan Rojas-Gallego called me Tuesday afternoon to take issue with information that I printed in this morning's story about her husband, Spc. Cristian Rojas-Gallego, 24, one of three Stryker soldiers killed in a bombing Thursday in Baghdad.
I reported that the soldier's brother had told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that after serving a hitch in the Marine Corps and then trying life as a civilian, he rejoined the military – the Army this time – because he hadn't been able to make ends meet and Megan was expecting their third child.
That's not how it was at all, Megan told me.
"My husband was a patriot, OK?" she said. "He joined the Army because I wanted to join. He told me, 'No, honey. You're too beautiful. Let me go.' He was the bread winner. He didn't want me to do it."
What's more, she said they didn't learn she was pregnant until after they arrived at Fort Lewis. And he was doing just fine income-wise in the work he'd found after the Marines.
Megan Rojas-Gallego said readers should not draw the conclusion that they were desperate or poor or lacking in options. Her husband served three combat tours in Iraq as a Marine and willingly returned as a soldier, she said.
"He was a perfect husband. A wonderful man. A wonderful father."
Army Specialist Cristian Rojas-Gallego was killed in action on 8/2/07.
Army Sgt. Taurean T. Harris
Remember Our Heroes
Army Sgt. Taurean T. Harris, 22, of Liberty, Miss.
Sgt Harris was assigned to the 202nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 513th Military Intelligence Brigade, Fort Gordon, Ga.; died Aug. 2, 2007 in Kala Gush, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device.
Liberty soldier’s funeral set for August 11
The Associated Press
GLOSTER, Miss. — Funeral services for Army Sgt. Taurean T. Harris have been scheduled for 11 a.m. August 11 at Homochitto Baptist Association in Gloster.
The body of Harris, 22, a Liberty soldier who died in Afghanistan last week, arrived August 9 at the McComb airport and was taken to a McComb funeral home.
Harris died from injuries suffered from a roadside bomb on Aug. 2 in Kala Gush. He was assigned to the 202nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 513th Military Intelligence Brigade, based at Fort Gordon, Ga.
Visitation will be from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. August 10 at Craft Funeral Home in McComb and from 4 p.m.-9 p.m. at West Jerusalem Baptist Church in Liberty. Burial will be in West Jerusalem Baptist Church cemetery.
Harris was an honor roll student and member of the Junior ROTC at Amite County High School before joining the Army shortly after graduating.
He had been in Afghanistan since December and had visited his family for a brief period in April. He was due to return home again around Christmas, according to a http://www.enterprise-journal.com article.
Army Sgt. Taurean T. Harris was killed in action on 8/2/07.
Army Sgt. Taurean T. Harris, 22, of Liberty, Miss.
Sgt Harris was assigned to the 202nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 513th Military Intelligence Brigade, Fort Gordon, Ga.; died Aug. 2, 2007 in Kala Gush, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device.
Liberty soldier’s funeral set for August 11
The Associated Press
GLOSTER, Miss. — Funeral services for Army Sgt. Taurean T. Harris have been scheduled for 11 a.m. August 11 at Homochitto Baptist Association in Gloster.
The body of Harris, 22, a Liberty soldier who died in Afghanistan last week, arrived August 9 at the McComb airport and was taken to a McComb funeral home.
Harris died from injuries suffered from a roadside bomb on Aug. 2 in Kala Gush. He was assigned to the 202nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 513th Military Intelligence Brigade, based at Fort Gordon, Ga.
Visitation will be from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. August 10 at Craft Funeral Home in McComb and from 4 p.m.-9 p.m. at West Jerusalem Baptist Church in Liberty. Burial will be in West Jerusalem Baptist Church cemetery.
Harris was an honor roll student and member of the Junior ROTC at Amite County High School before joining the Army shortly after graduating.
He had been in Afghanistan since December and had visited his family for a brief period in April. He was due to return home again around Christmas, according to a http://www.enterprise-journal.com article.
Army Sgt. Taurean T. Harris was killed in action on 8/2/07.
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