Putting a face on the war Options

[aleman]

Paul Latourney sounds like he enjoyed life to the fullest and enjoyed many activities. He leaves behind a wife and son. Paul's sister, Anna, also joined the Army but was fortunate enough to leave the service uninjured I with I could have sampled some of Paul's beer, as he was a homebrewer among his many other activities.

Former Roselle man dies in Iraq
Chicago Tribune

By Ted Gregory

March 06, 2007

He enjoyed socializing with people who were more mature
His high school German teachers used to say Paul Latourney could speak more German than they wanted to hear.
The tall, slender young man with the affable manner also spoke Spanish fluently. His talent for language was the result of a childhood in Germany and a mother of Mexican descent.

Latourney received a partial college scholarship, but he wanted to be a soldier. On Friday, while patrolling in a perilous section of Baghdad, the Humvee he commanded was struck by a roadside bomb, killing the staff sergeant and Spc. Luis O. Rodriguez-Contrera, 22, of Allentown, Pa.

'There wasn't a more noble person,' his father, Paul, formerly of Roselle, said Monday night. 'He had the biggest heart you could imagine.'

Latourney, 28, was born in Atlanta and moved to Germany at age 3 when his father was transferred. He spent the next 13 years there before moving to Roselle in 1994 and enrolling at Lake Park High School.

He made the honor roll and was in the German club. His junior year he ran on the cross-country team. As a senior, he joined the ski club. Between his final two years of high school, he went through basic training in South Carolina, the elder Latourney said.

His parents reserved a college dorm room for him at the University of Illinois at Chicago, but Latourney never occupied it, his father said. Ten days after high school graduation, Latourney was in the Army, reporting to Ft. Bliss, near El Paso, to learn to drive Bradley tanks and Humvees, his father said.

'He just couldn't see himself in an academic environment or in an office,' his father. 'He came from a comfortable environment, and I think he wanted a little bit of a challenge.'

The Army provided him that challenge and more. Latourney was dispatched to Germany and then served in Tikrit, Iraq, in February 2004 until February 2005, when he returned to Germany for a few months. In about November 2005, Latourney was sent to Ft. Hood, Texas, then deployed to Iraq in December 2006, his father said.

'He was out all the time--night and day,' the elder Latourney said of his son's patrols. 'He loved it. He knew the risks. That's real bravery--when you know the risks and you control the fear and do what you've got to do.'

Latourney loved to snowboard, ski, hike and brew beer, his father said. He recalled a boy who 'would never argue with us' but do what he wanted. Three years ago, Latourney and his wife had a son, Isaiah, his father said.

In the Latourneys' former Roselle neighborhood, Steve Libera, who lived across the street, described Latourney as 'very intelligent, very sociable' and 'very polite.'

'He enjoyed socializing with people who were more mature,' Libera said. 'He was not one of those wild boys.

'I can't believe it. After you know somebody from childhood, a super person like that, and they die in that way, it's just terrible, terrible to hear.'

The elder Latourney struggled to explain exactly what drew his son to the Army. It might have been the stories his paternal grandfather, a World War II veteran, told him. Whatever the motivation, Latourney's younger sister, Anna, also was intrigued. She enlisted and rose to the rank of sergeant before leaving the Army to raise a family.

On Saturday, the family sent an e-mail to friends at St. Walter Catholic Church in Roselle, which they had attended, to inform them of the grim news.

'He was a brave and very proud soldier willing to face great danger everyday,' the e-mail stated. 'He was a wonderful son and the greatest of fathers. Those truths give us much comfort, and hopefully will help us get through this period of immense grief.'

The family plans to have Latourney buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

http://www.topix.net/content/trb/377042883...742770520115032

[aleman]

Dustin Gould's wife, parents, and siblings can certainly be proud of their son for what he apparently accomplished while in Iraq. He received commendations for the amounts of explosives that he dealt with successfully. In living such a dangerous profession in such a place as Iraq you just never know which will be the one that gets you. Ironically, he was scheduled to come home in two weeks and his half-brother died only two weeks previously while on duty in Iraq. My heart certainly reaches out to this family and the sacrifice that they have made.
Norman Marine dies in Iraq

The Norman Transcript

Hailed as hero for saving lives of everyone in his platoon

By Julianna Parker

Transcript Staff Writer

A Norman Marine died Friday when he attempted to disarm a bomb, but saved his comrades in the process.

Staff Sgt. Dustin Michael Gould, 28, a bomb technician, was on patrol when he came across an explosive device.

Gould analyzed it and thought it was safe. He was moving it to a vehicle when a second explosive that was part of the same device exploded.

"When he was placing it in the vehicle, it exploded," his father, David Gould, told the Longmont (Colo.) Daily Times-Call.

Dustin died a hero because he saved the lives of everyone in his platoon, family friend Kay Weyneth of Norman said.

Gould was on his fourth tour of duty in Iraq and was scheduled to return home in only 15 days, his father said.

The news was delivered in person to his mother, Karen Gould, of Norman, at her work Friday at Annie's Salon, 930 24th Ave. SW.

As soon as the two Marines showed up, she knew that something was wrong, salon owner Annie Rust said, because her son had told her they would send someone in person if he died.

Karen Gould flew out to Camp Pendleton, Calif., this past weekend, where she will wait with David Gould and her son's wife, Elizabeth, until his body arrives in about a week, said Weyneth, who has known the family for years.

Memorial services in Norman are pending, she said.

Gould was born in Norman Jan. 18, 1979, Weyneth said. He moved to Colorado with his father the next year after his parents divorced.

In high school, he began researching the military. His father said he chose to join the Marines because it is such an elite group.

"It was hard to let him go," David Gould said, but Dustin had made up his mind.

"He always had a good head on his shoulders."

Family friends in Norman said he was a strong, caring person.

"You have never met such an unselfish, outstanding young man," Weyneth said. "He never gave his mother trouble, he always excelled at whatever he did, he would give you the shirt off his back. No one could wish for a better son."

Gould received medals of commendation for recovering and safely disposing of "tons" of explosives, his father said.

"It was an astronomical amount," David Gould said. "I can't remember offhand."

His exemplary actions commanded the respect of all those around him, his father said.

"He was a true Marine," he said.

This is not the first time Gould's family has experienced the pain and loss of war: Gould's half-brother, who was in the Army, was killed by a sniper in Iraq only two weeks ago, Weyneth said.

Gould is survived by his mother, father, wife at Camp Pendleton, Calif., sister Bethany White of Van Buren, Ark., and grandparents Bobby and Inez Gould of Byng.

[quote]http://www.normantranscript.com/localnews/local_story_065001602?keyword=topstory

[aleman]

Andrew Perkins is another American who died in what is becoming a common thread. He was running toward a burning Humvee with a blanket to retrieve an injured comrade when a second bomb was detonated, killing them both. It seems more and more common to read of this circumstance in these stories. We are now up to 3218 dead Americans in Iraq, every one of whom I pray for.

Ex-Coloradan dies as hero in Iraq war
STORY TOOLS
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Mine oponents take appeal to U.S. Supreme Court
Soldier with Colorado ties dies in Iraq
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12-year-old wins spelling bee
Police kill baby bison in Lakewood
By John C. Ensslin, Rocky Mountain News
March 9, 2007
Andrew C. Perkins was running through flames with a blanket trying to rescue a fellow soldier in a burning Humvee Sunday when a second roadside bomb blast killed the 27-year-old Army paratrooper who once lived in Northglenn.
Army officials have told the family that Perkins' actions will likely result in his being nominated for a distinguished service medal, his father, Weldon Perkins, said Thursday from the family home in Belen, N.M.

"You should be proud of him too," Perkins said. "What he did was just absolutely incredible."

Andrew Perkins was one of five soldiers killed in Samara. They were members of the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, based in Fort Bragg, N.C..

They were on night patrol as they had been dozens of times before, Weldon Perkins said.

Perkins was inside the second Humvee when a roadside bomb hit the lead vehicle and it burst into flames.

"His staff sergeant told me Andrew was the first one to have boots on the ground as he ran to help the soldiers in the lead Humvee," the father said.

Three of them were already dead, but the driver was alive. Perkins ran back to his vehicle and grabbed a blanket and then ran through the flames a third time. He had just begun to pull the wounded driver out when the second blast detonated, killing them both.

Once or twice a week, at the end of his night missions, Perkins would call his dad at about 11 a.m. New Mexico time.

The last time they spoke was Friday. Perkins sounded tired but OK, his father said. He talked about a two-week leave he was getting in April. His tour of duty was scheduled to end in August.

It was not unusual for a few days to go by between calls. But then on Monday, Weldon Perkins had just returned home when he heard his wife Elizabeth in the kitchen saying "No. No. No."

There were four soldiers and a chaplain in dress uniform at the door. For one illogical moment, Perkins said he refused to let them in. If they couldn't come in, this couldn't be real, he reasoned.

"My wife and I, we just crumpled," he said.

Later, he let them in.

Andrew Perkins was born in Amarillo, Texas. He moved with his father to Tucson and later to Denver, where Weldon Perkins worked as an energy trader with Xcel Energy.

Andrew Perkins lived with his younger brother for a few months in Northglenn before enlisting. Weldon Perkins said his son loved skateboarding and just about any sport that had an edge to it. So it seemed natural that in the Army, he wanted to jump out of airplanes, the father said.

During a family outing water tubing in Winter Park, Weldon Perkins said it was Andrew who helped him start dating the woman he would eventually marry.

Andrew was sitting next to Elizabeth in a van as his father drove when he nudged her and asked, "Do you like my dad?"

"Maybe," she replied.

"Would you like to kiss him?"

The couple married about eight months later.

"He was a sweet, sweet kid," Weldon Perkins said. "Give him honor. I loved him so much. I'm going to miss him."

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/loca...5405879,00.html

[aleman]

Here are two very sad stories about two different soldiers who faced the same fate and whose wives will have a difficult row to hoe as they continue forward. William Davis and Luis Rodriguez-Contrera gave their all and their unborn children end up without fathers that they will know. Luis did not believe in the war but felt it was his duty to "protect his country". I wish people would stop using that phrase when referring to serving in Iraq because they are not protecting our country by serving there. I feel that they are serving the Iraqi people, but I will not go further down that road in order to preserve the dignity of this thread.

Pregnant wife says soldier had volunteered for patrol
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Article Launched: 03/07/2007 10:45:43 AM EST


ALLENTOWN -- A Pennsylvania soldier killed in Iraq had volunteered for patrol duty despite the fact it was his day off, according to his pregnant wife.
Spc. Luis O. Rodriguez-Contrera, 22, and Staff Sgt. Paul M. Latourney, 28, of Roselle, Ill., were killed Friday when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle, the Department of Defense said Monday.

Both were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas.

Monica Rodriguez said her husband joined the Army in August 2005 and arrived at Fort Hood for training in January 2006. Before leaving for Iraq in November, he promised that he would return safely, his wife said. He was a tank driver who "wanted to come back and go to college so he could drive the helicopters," she said.

Rodriguez, who has two older children, said her husband enlisted to make a better life for the family.

She said he wasn't in favor of the war. "There was no reason why we need to be over there," she recalled him saying.

"But he had his duty, and his duty was basically to protect his country," she said.
Rodriguez, who is five months pregnant with a boy, said she will name their son after her husband.

"I will let him know that his father was the most incredible man, that his father was looking forward to seeing him, that his father was a hero," she said.

http://www.yorkdispatch.com/pennsylvania/ci_5374396

Soldier dies less than a month before son's scheduled birth

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A 26-year-old soldier who was due back home in less than a month for the birth of his son has been killed in Iraq by a roadside bomb that exploded beneath the Humvee he was driving, his mother said.

Relatives of William Davis, of Grand Rapids, said they were notified Saturday that he had died late last week. They did not know where in Iraq he was killed.

"Billy was coming home. His wife was going to have induced labor. He was going to see the baby before he had to go back," a tearful June Davis told The Grand Rapids Press on Monday.

William Davis' father served in the military in the Vietnam War, and a grandfather was in the service during World War II. The Union High School graduate was employed by retailer Meijer Inc. and worked in landscaping jobs for a few years before deciding to join the Army about a year ago, his mother said.

"Billy always wanted to go in," June Davis said. "I didn't want my son to go, but he was determined."

He left for Iraq in November from Fort Bliss, Texas, and was supposed to return to Grand Rapids on April 14 to begin two weeks of leave to witness his son's birth. He and his wife had decided to name their unborn son Caden Andrew, his mother said.

The fallen soldier also is survived by a 3-year-old daughter.

"He was a very good husband and father," June Davis said. "He wanted to come out and be a policeman."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/4643092.html

[aleman]

Two reservists from Guam were killed and one injured in Etheopia, apparently in support of forces in Iraq. Their deaths and injuries were not the result of combat action, but I think Fejeran and Fernandez were counted as casualties of the Iraq war.

Families prepare for soldiers' return
Rosaries begin for Guam Guardsmen killed in Africa
By Steve Limtiaco
Pacific Daily News
slimtiaco@guampdn.com

Fejeran family: Spc. Gregory Fejeran's wife, Debra, and their children, Shirae, 12, left, and Keleko, 8, stand next to a portrait of the Guam Army National Guard member, who was killed Tuesday while serving in the Horn of Africa

Fernandez family: Marie Fernandez holds a photo of her son, Guam Army National Guard Spc. Christopher Fernandez, while surrounded by her husband, Joseph Fernandez, back center, children Stephanie and John, back left, and the guardsman's best friend, Rhandy Munoz.

Two families spent yesterday preparing for rosaries, hours after learning that their loved ones had been killed in a vehicle accident while serving with the Guam Army National Guard in the Horn of Africa.

Spc. Gregory D. Fejeran and Spc. Christopher Fernandez, both 28, of the Guam Army National Guard, were killed in Ethiopia after their vehicle flipped over, and Sgt. Robert J. Balajadia, 37, was injured in the same accident and evacuated to Landstuhl military hospital in Germany.

Fejeran is from Mangilao and Fernandez is originally from Yona, as is Balajadia.

Their vehicle overturned while they were traveling with a U.S. Army team between Dire Dawa and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, according to the Guam Army National Guard. The accident was unrelated to hostile action, according to the Guard.
The three soldiers are part of the 150-soldier Team Charlie, 1st Battalion, 294th Infantry, which deployed to the Horn of Africa in February 2006 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

"I only found out this morning," said Rhandy Munoz, 28, who has been friends with Fernandez since middle school.

Munoz left work yesterday to help Fernandez's family prepare their yard for the nightly rosaries that will be held for Fernandez.

Fernandez was friendly and liked to joke around, Munoz said. "He likes to take care of everything that he cares for."

While talking about his friend, Munoz remembered that he sent Fernandez an e-mail last week and he hasn't checked to see if Fernandez replied.

Fernandez joined the guard in 2004, according to his family.

He has a daughter, Kaenani, 5, who lives in Hawaii with her mother. Munoz said Fernandez spent his last break from military service in Hawaii, visiting his daughter.

Christopher Fernandez's father, Joseph Fernandez, said he last talked to Christopher a couple of months ago, but Christopher Fernandez recently sent letters and some coffee from Africa. "He told me he likes to be in the service," his father said, as workers from the village mayor's office set up a canopy outside his house.

Christopher Fernandez worked as a driver for Mr. Rubbishman before being deployed, his family said. Before that, he drove for MidPac and was a waiter and cook at the Outback Steakhouse. He graduated from Guam Community College adult high school in 2000.

Debra Fejeran, 29, said her husband, Greg, planned to take his family on vacation after returning from the Horn of Africa in a few months.

Debra Fejeran said her husband attended George Washington High School and graduated from Guam Community College in 1996.

He worked for the Guam Waterworks Authority as a wastewater operator, she said, and he joined the Guard in 2001.

Little is known about the accident, said Guam Army Guard spokesman Maj. John Guerrero, who said it could take a long time for an investigation to be completed.

Guerrero said there is no information about the types of injuries Balajadia sustained in the accident, but he said Balajadia was in stable condition at a military hospital in Germany.

Balajadia's brother, Rick Balajadia, yesterday said the family had received no word about his brother's condition.

Acting Gov. Mike Cruz yesterday ordered the U.S and Guam flags be flown at half-staff in honor of the two Guard members and until the final day of their burial. Cruz also ordered that the flags continue to be flown at half-staff for one week past their interment in honor of all Guam's sons who have lost their lives in the War on Terror. He also declared a state of mourning for the island until the final day of their burial.

[aleman]

Given the nature and location of Colville, it is not surprizing to hear Ryan's father say that "There's no regrets on this end." The small city is located in a heavily Republican section of Washington. You can bet that even though he makes this declaration publicly, his heart is broken. Nobody wants to bury a son, especially one who has the ability to become a doctor.

Colville paratrooper dreamed of becoming a doctor

Mar 9, 12:46 PM EST


COLVILLE, Wash. (AP) -- Spc. Ryan Bell joined the Army hoping to eventually become a doctor. That dream was cut short this week when a bomb exploded near the paratrooper's vehicle in Iraq, killing him and five other soldiers.

The 21-year-old from Colville attended the Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, Ga. He graduated in 2003 and had many college scholarship offers, said his father, Michael Bell of Colville. Instead, the younger Bell decided to join the Army, hoping his training and GI bill would help him become a doctor.

"There's no regrets at this end," Michael Bell said. "He was a responsible young man, he was sensible, he knew what he wanted to do with his life."

The young man joined the Army in 2004 and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne division at Fort Bragg in January 2005. He was a member of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team.

His father said he enjoyed outdoor recreation, singing, dancing and watching sports. "He was a walking sports encyclopedia," Michael Bell said.

The two last talked Saturday.

"I let him know how much he meant to us," Bell said. "How we were very proud of him and very pleased with what he was doing with his life."

Since his son's death Monday in Iraq's Salahuddin province, Michael Bell said he's heard from staff members at his son's military academy, been stopped on the street in town and even taken a call from Iraq from his son's commanding officer.

The officer told him "he had served alongside Ryan and that he could always count on him to do what he's supposed to be doing."

Bell is survived by his wife, Terri, of Fayetteville, N.C.; mother Sheryl Vickery, of Spokane; father, and stepmother Virginia Bell, of Colville.

A military-style funeral is planned later this month in Eastern Washington.

http://www.columbian.com/news/state/APStor...7news113611.cfm

[Chip]

Given the nature and location of Colville, it is not surprizing to hear Ryan's father say that "There's no regrets on this end." The small city is located in a heavily Republican section of Washington. You can bet that even though he makes this declaration publicly, his heart is broken. Nobody wants to bury a son, especially one who has the ability to become a doctor.http://www.columbian.com/news/state/APStor...7news113611.cfm

New levels of insensitivity and arrogance have been attained in the left's politicization of troop deaths.

Chip

[aleman]

Robert Carr was planning to have a second wedding ceremon when he returned home on leave in April, but that will never happen now. He had already served a previous tour in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. Robert had changed his mind about being a career soldier and wanted to become a police officer after completing his current enlistment. So many dreams, too many of which have not been given a chance to be fulfilled.

Local soldier killed in Iraq

By AMY McCULLOUGH and RAYMOND SMITH Tribune Chronicle

Army Sgt. Robert Carr poses with his wife at a military ball at Fort Carson, Colo., where he was stationed. Carr died in Iraq Tuesday after a vehicle he was driving hit an Improvised Explosive Device.

Special to the Tribune Chronicle
Army Sgt. Robert Carr poses with his wife at a military ball at Fort Carson, Colo., where he was stationed. Carr died in Iraq Tuesday after a vehicle he was driving hit an Improvised Explosive Device.
His dream was to become an ultimate fighter — he became an ultimate hero.

Army Sgt. Robert Carr, 22, a specialist with the 1506th Infantry Battalion stationed in Baghdad, was killed at 1:13 a.m. Iraq time Tuesday when a vehicle he was driving rolled over an Improvised Explosive Device, or booby trap.

Robbie, as his friends and family often called him, joined the military after 9/11, following in the footsteps of his older brother, Matthew. The soldier, who was described as fun and athletic, was serving his second tour in Iraq. Robert was expected home on leave in a couple weeks to celebrate his anniversary with his wife, Nina, which was April 10.

The two were planning a second wedding ceremony with local friends and family. Instead, his family is left planning a funeral.

‘‘I was here by myself, and two soldiers came in full dress uniform. As soon as I saw them in uniform, I knew. It was like my worst nightmare coming true,’’ Nina said, her voice cracking as she sat on her father’s-in-law tan couch where she spent hours each day sending instant e-mails to her husband overseas.

‘‘Every time he went out, I said, ‘Be safe,’ and he said ‘I will,’ and we always said I love you. Then he said he will call when he got back from his mission,’’ she said.

As loved ones gathered in the Fowler home, bringing dishes of food and offering their condolences Wednesday evening, Nina read through prayers and poems reflecting the type of life her husband led.

His stepmother, Cathy Carr, described Robbie as a typical brother who loved to pick on his sisters and was close to his family. She said he had ‘‘a very giving heart’’ and was looking forward to a chicken enchilida dinner when he returned.

His stepbrother, Tom Fabian, said he is ‘‘shocked and angry,’’ and still trying to grasp the fact that Robbie is not coming back.

Tom said Robbie talked of becoming a police officer after his enlistment was up in November 2008, and said he did not want to go back to Iraq.

In Champion, Christine Wortman held her son’s picture, unsuccessfully trying to hold back tears. She cried in short bursts. Her husband, Bill, held her.

Robert’s sisters, Rachel Carr and Brittany Wortman, sat on the floor reminiscing about how their brother always found ways to make them laugh.

He was always playing games with his sisters, wrestling with him and telling jokes.

‘‘He wanted to make us smile,’’ Rachel said. ‘‘He was the kind of person that you couldn’t stay mad at for a long time.’’

Brittany described Robert as a man with a big heart.

‘‘If he saw that he made any one of us upset, he would always find a way to apologize,’’ she said.

Robbie played multiple sports in high school — football, cross country, wrestling — and he practiced karate and was a powerlifter.

‘‘What he wanted most of all was to play football in his senior year, but he hurt his leg and couldn’t play,’’ Christine said. ‘‘It didn’t matter. He went to every game. He was the team’s best cheerleader.’’

‘‘He was always our hero,’’ Christine said. ‘‘Now he’s everyone’s hero.’’

Robert joined the Army in his junior year in high school with his best friend, Jeremy Jenkins. He wanted to follow his older brother, Matthew Carr, who had joined four years earlier. He also had an older sister, Jennifer Brady, who serves in the Air Force.

‘‘He wanted to be a career soldier,’’ Christine said. ‘‘He wanted to join for 20 years. I told him we should start at four years and go from there.’’

He graduated from Champion High School in May 2002. Two days later, he was leaving for basic training.

‘‘He wanted to serve his country,’’ she said.

Although Robbie initially wanted to make the military a career, after his marriage a year ago to Nina Villio, he began thinking of his life after the military.

‘‘My son really loved to be with his family,’’ Christine said. ‘‘He loved family outings and family get-togethers. Family time was very important to him.’’

‘‘At first, I was mad at him joining the Army,’’ Matthew said in a phone call from New York, where he is stationed. ‘‘I was just coming back from a tour in Iraq and didn’t want to see any of my relatives go and see what I had seen and experienced. But he was hard-headed and did what he wanted.’’

However, Matthew said he respected his younger brother.

‘‘I’ve always been proud of him.’’

Matthew was wounded while in Iraq by a rocket-propelled missile. He also was wounded while escorting a prisoner in Afghanistan.

The brothers e-mailed one another a week before Robert’s death.

‘‘He was looking forward to coming home,’’ Matt said. ‘‘He told me he was going on one of his last missions. I told him to be careful.’’

Now stationed in Fort Drum, N.Y., Matthew is trying to convince the military to allow him to be his brother’s special escort home.

As the special escort, Matthew would meet and identify his brother’s body when it arrives in the United States. And then he would arrange to get him in his dress uniform and escort him back to his home in Trumbull County.

The Wortmans learned of Robert’s death when they arrived home from a doctor’s appointment. A white van was in their driveway. As two soldiers stepped out of the vehicle, Christine knew something bad happened to her son.

‘‘When Matt was wounded in Afghanistan, he told us not to pay attention to anything we saw in the news about his unit,’’ Bill said. ‘‘He said they would know if something had happened to him if two soldiers came to their house.’’

Christine spoke to her son about a week before his death.

‘‘It was so good to hear his voice,’’ she said.

Cathy Carr, Robert’s stepmother, and his father, Jeff, prayed daily that all their children would return home safely.

‘‘He was a hero and he died doing a heroic job,’’ Nina said.

http://www.tribune-chronicle.com/News/arti...articleID=15744

[dArKeR]

A man past retirement age killed in the Butcher of Baghdad's Blood Bath

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Lt. Col. Peter E. Winston, 56, of Plant City, Fla., died Nov. 13, 2006, in Kaiserslautern, Germany, from a non-combat related incident while in Iraq. He was assigned to the 143rd Sustainment Command, Orlando, Fla.

The incident is under investigation.

For further information on this soldier, contact the 143rd Sustainment Command public affairs office at (407) 816-2657.

http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/releas...releaseid=10641

[aleman]

Yes another young soldier who leaves behind a wife and young daughter. Christopher also has a brother, Cory, in the Army who is currently serving in Iraq and I hope that the rest of his sentence will be commuted deployment will be cancelled.

Family mourns Iraq casualty

BAGHDAD: The 28-year-old Army staff sergeant and two others die in an explosion near their vehicle.

10:00 PM PDT on Monday, March 12, 2007

By STEVE FETBRANDT
The Press-Enterprise

When both of his grandsons left to fight in Iraq in October, 71-year-old Lawrence Hoffmann of Hemet had a gut feeling one of the U.S. Army soldiers wouldn't make it back alive.

Story continues below

On March 7, Staff Sgt. Christopher R. Webb was killed along with two others soldiers in Baghdad, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle during combat operations. They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, home-based at Fort Hood, Texas.

Webb, 28, a former West Valley High School student who grew up in Hemet and Winchester, left a wife and infant daughter among his survivors.

"He was an easygoing kid -- never any trouble," his grandfather said. "He was a God-loving young man."

Hoffmann said Webb went into the Army in search of a steady job.

"We weren't real close in recent years, but he'd come by the house sometimes," Hoffmann said. "He liked the outdoors and enjoyed camping and stuff like that. He'd go up to Joshua Tree Monument. I took him on a trip with me to San Luis on the Amtrak when he was 12, and he really liked that.

"He was just an all-American boy. I'm not handling this too good right now."

Webb's brother, Coy Bullock, had just finished chatting on the Internet with Webb minutes before he was killed, Hoffmann said, crying into the phone.

Webb's mother, Teresa Bullock, of Lake Elsinore, said her son loved the Army. She remembered watching him don Army attire as a child and play soldier with his fiends.

"He comes from a background of military. He was 11 months old when I went into the Army. I was in for a couple of years," she said. "His stepfather was also in the Army, and his grandfather was in the Marines. His other grandfather on his stepfather's side was in the Marines, too."

In October 1996, Webb left West Valley High School as a senior to attend Alessandro High, a continuation school, but did not complete the program. After enlisting in the Army National Guard, he earned his GED and transferred into the regular Army.

Bullock said that being a former soldier herself, she always understood the danger her sons faced.

"But we've tried to keep things positive and say we'd get through whatever we need to get through with the love and help of our friends and family," she said. "With our belief in and support of a higher power, we are getting through this."

Funeral arrangements are pending. Bullock said her son will be buried in Alturas, a town about 180 miles north of Reno, where his wife and infant daughter live. A memorial service will be held later for family and friends in the Hemet area.

"You have no idea how many hearts this man reached," Bullock said. "I've talked to so many people I didn't know he knew and people I hadn't heard from in 15 or 16 years."

Bullock said the rest of the family is holding up under the circumstances. She and her daughter flew to Alturas to be with Webb's wife, Shalan, and 6-month-old child, Mary. Her other son and husband were driving up.

"I told Chris' wife this morning that I finally felt at peace," Bullock said. "I had the best night's sleep since this whole thing started, because I knew Chris would want us all to be together and still does."

Bullock said her younger son, Coy, 20, a specialist, joined the Army two years ago. Both sons deployed to Iraq together in October, each on a one-year tour.

"They put everything in process for Coy to come home as soon as possible on emergency leave, and he got home Friday night," she said. "We don't know yet if he has to go back."

Bullock said her older son loved and was devoted to his wife of 5½ years and their daughter. His baby was almost two months old when he went overseas.

Larry Stroud, commander of Hemet's Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 12023, said the post will change its name to honor fallen soldiers from the community, particularly those from Hemet High School. The post will be renamed the Hemet High Veterans Memorial Post.

A Hemet High School assembly will take place May 25 to commemorate the change, Stroud said.

"This community has paid a heavy price in this war," said Stroud, who served in Vietnam. "We want to make sure the community and the high school never forget it."

Staff writer Joe Vargo contributed to this story.

http://www.pe.com/localnews/hemet/stories/...13.3fdce1d.html

[aleman]

This article says that not much is known about the death of James Arnold. I found this on the DOD site which gives little information. "The Department of Defense announced today the death of four soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died Mar. 15 in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their unit during combat operations. They were assigned to the 1st Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas." http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/releas...releaseid=10621 Other than that he seems to be yet another all-American kid who died doing what he thought best.

2nd Van Buren Co. native killed in Iraq

Updated: March 19, 2007 05:18 AM PDT



Jim Arnold

MATTAWAN -- An entire Van Buren County town is mourning the loss of a second native who has been killed while fighting the war in Iraq.

Pfc. Jim Arnold, 21, of Mattawan, a soldier with the US Army Infantry, died Thursday. There aren't many details yet about how he died.

He graduated from Mattawan High School in 2004 and was a member of the school's hockey team.

Many say Arnold was the kind of guy you would have been friends with in high school, no matter who you are. Everyone knew him.

"Jimmy" is remembered as an enthusiastic hockey player, with school spirit to spare. He helped start the "Blue Crew" to cheer at events. The school's principal calls Arnold a natural leader that other kids looked to for guidance.

Although he graduated when the current seniors were only freshmen, Arnold is well-remembered to students in a small town where everyone knows everyone else.

"When it comes down to it, we're all Wildcats, we're all part of Mattawan, and we all come together to support one another in difficult times," Colin Ripmaster told 24 Hour News 8. "And I've seen that today as students gather around tables, as they talk in the hallway, and this is about kids who graduated four years ago."

This is the second death of a Mattawan graduate in Iraq this year. Arnold's classmate, 20-year-old Marine Lance Cpl. Luis Castillo, was killed in January.

Some students are already asking about creating a tribute to honor Arnold. Hockey players want to retire his number - #3 - or begin an award in his name, much as wrestlers did in honor of Castillo.

http://www.woodtv.com/global/story.asp?s=6238226

[aleman]

Brian is another young American who was proud of what he was doing as a soldier and his service in Iraq. I wish his 5-year-old daughter and other surviving family members the best and will remember them in my prayers.

Family mourns soldier's death

Venice Buhain
The Olympian

Cpl. Brian L. Chevalier, 21, was a problem-solver and a father who loved serving in the Army and planned to re-enlist, his family in Ohio said.

Chevalier, stationed with the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), died March 14 in Iraq after an explosive device struck the armored Stryker vehicle he was in, the Department of Defense reported Friday. The nine others in the vehicle were injured.

"He was here in September and he was telling us that Iraq wasn't all bad things. He said there were good things happening in Iraq," his stepmother, April Pennington of Crooksville, Ohio, said Friday. She said she and her stepson were close even though "stepmoms aren't 'cool.' "

"He was an outgoing boy," she said. "A problem-solver. Never got in trouble."

Chevalier grew up in Athens, Ga., with his mother, Jane "Fonda" Segar, but the majority of his family is in Ohio, Pennington said. He had nine uncles from the state, and he was close to both of his parents, she said.

"He and his dad looked almost like twins," she said.

Chevalier, who was divorced, also had a 5-year-old daughter, Taylor, his stepmother said.

Chevalier enlisted in the Army in August 2005 and arrived at Fort Lewis in January 2006, said Fort Lewis spokesman Bob Reinert. The 3rd Brigade left for Iraq last summer.

The Associated Press reported from Baqouba, Iraq, that the armored Stryker vehicle that Chevalier was in had been struck by an improvised explosive device, and insurgents emerged from hiding to fire rocket-propelled grenades in unison at the wreckage. The nine other crew members in the vehicle were wounded; six later returned to duty, according to the AP.

Capt. Matt James, Chevalier's former company commander, said the young soldier showed uncommon maturity even when he arrived at the unit.

Chevalier enlisted in the Army after trying other jobs and loved it, Pennington said.

"He wanted more out of his life," she said. "He wanted to make everybody proud, and he did."

Along with his parents and daughter, Chevalier is survived by his brother, Dustin; three stepbrothers, Lake Pennington, Brandon Pennington and Justin Holmes; and his grandparents, Leonard and Joann Chevalier, and Hazel McCormick.

The family plans a memorial in Ohio; arrangements are not yet complete, Pennington said.

Venice Buhain can be reached at 360-754-5445 or vbuhain@theolympian.com.

Michael Gilbert of The News Tribune contributed to this report. Memorial service

A memorial ceremony for Cpl. Brian L. Chevalier is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Fort Lewis' Main Post Chapel.

Other casualties with local ties

Here's a list of other U.S. servicemembers with ties to South Sound killed in Iraq:

Army Sgt. Justin Norton, 21, a native of Rainier, was killed June 24 when an improvised explosive device exploded near Baghdad. He was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas.

Marine Cpl. Joseph Bier, 22, of Centralia, died Dec. 7, 2005, from an improvised explosive device in Ar Ramadi. He was assigned to the I Marine Expeditionary Force based at Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Navy Reserve Petty Officer 1st Class Regina Clark, 43, of Centralia, was killed June 23, 2005, when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device exploded near her vehicle in Fallujah. She was temporarily assigned to II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Air Force Master Sgt. Steven E. Auchman, 37, who was living in Lacey while stationed at Fort Lewis, was killed during a mortar attack in Mosul on Nov. 9, 2004. He was assigned to the 5th Air Support Operations Squadron at Fort Lewis.

Marine Corps Capt. Gregory Ratzlaff, 36, whose parents live in Olympia, died Aug. 3, 2004, from a noncombat-related incident in Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego.

Army Command Sgt. Maj. Cornell Gilmore, 45, formerly of Lacey, died Nov. 7, 2003, when his helicopter crashed in Iraq. At the time of his death, he was assigned to the Judge Advocate General Office at the Pentagon.

http://www.theolympian.com/112/story/70782.html

[aleman]

Here is another American who was wounded in Iraq and is still awaiting final disposition of his case. Although his injuries are severe and he has required multiple surgeries, he and his wife have following a long and winding strange road of missing and lost paperwork and other problems. Our wounded forces and their families deserve much better than this.

Two Years Later, Suffolk Soldier At Walter Reed Awaiting Surgery

March 23, 2007 05:06 AM PDT

Are American soldiers wounded in battle getting the treatment they deserve?

Your NewsChannel 3 spoke exclusively with a Suffolk woman who's husband has had three surgeries at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Nearly two-and-a-half years later, her family is still waiting for her husband to come home.

Staff Sergeant John Shannon nearly died in the streets of Iraq after he was shot in the face. Two days later, he was admitted to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. He's been there ever since. Shannon's wife says a sea of lost paperwork has made her husband's recovery even more difficult.

"The powers that be are letting the soldiers down," said Torrey Shannon.

And a soldier's family is moving on.

Torrey Shannon and her three sons have just moved into a rental home in Suffolk while staff Sergeant John Shannon awaits facial reconstruction surgery in Washington. It'll be his fourth surgery since Shannon, and Army sniper, was wounded in Ramadi in November 2004.

"John was shot through his eye and it came out through his temple," recalls Torrey.

Staff Sergeant Shannon's first surgery stabilized his skull after he lost that eye. A second surgery for a skull implant four months later actually came ahead of schedule. But then it took nine months for a third surgery to remove shrapnel from his shoulder. Torrey says that's because the staff at Walter Reed lost her husband's paperwork three times, meaning the Shannons had to start the process over again.

"They need more case workers. Desperately. They just added 100 case workers and it's not nearly enough," Torrey said.

Sgt. Shannon was awarded a Purple Heart, but he's still waiting for the military insurance money that will allow him to undergo facial reconstruction surgery.

There's no end to that wait within sight of Sgt. Shannon's one good eye. And that upsets Torrey, as they endure two years of uncertainty together, while living apart.

"We've always thought that when we are in need, the military and the system would support us," said Torrey.

"That has not happened to our satisfaction. If you ever want to support a soldier, use your voice."

Sgt. Shannon visits his family in Suffolk on weekends. It could be another six months before he gets his final surgery, and comes home for good.

There was no response from Walter Reed Thursday, but according to the Washington Post, the hospital acknowledges the outpatient care problems, and has taken steps over the past year to improve conditions.

Case workers who were in charge of 125 patients; are now down to managing 30.

And officials have increased the numbers of case managers and patient advocates to help with the disability benefit process.

http://www.wtkr.com/Global/story.asp?S=626...mp;nav=ZolHbyvj

[aleman]

As I have said before in this thread, many parents and neighbors voice the feeling that an American who died was doing just what he wanted to do. I know that this probably makes it easier to deal with their losses, and in many cases this sentiment was probably expressed by the one who has passed on. Ryan joined the service on 9/12/01 and was serving his second tour in Iraq. I wish his family and friends well as they progress through their own grieving process.

Conroe soldier dies from injuries suffered in Iraq

06:32 PM CDT on Tuesday, March 20, 2007

From 11 News Staff Reports

Sgt. Ryan Patrick Green was described as a patriot who enlisted in the military the day after the Sept. 11 attacks.

But over the weekend, his family in Conroe received the news that every soldier’s family dreads.

The 24-year-old died as a result of injuries he suffered in Iraq.

Sgt. Ryan Green
His family said that Sgt. Green, who belonged to the Army’s First Cavalry division, was on a combat foot patrol in Baghdad last Thursday when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit.

The flag in front of his family home flew at half staff Tuesday, and in the garage was a vintage Camaro, painstakingly restored by his stepfather and a neighbor so that Green could enjoy it during a visit home less than a month ago.

“You know, any time that they lose their lives over there, they’re doing what they think is right,” neighbor Jerry Young said.

“And he thought he was doing what was right because this was his second tour. He re-upped, you know. So he felt that he had a job to do, and that was to serve for the country … So … I gotta respect him for that,” he said.

The family said Green’s leg was amputated in Iraq, but after further surgeries in northern Iraq he stabilized. Unfortunately that situation changed, and he died during transport to a hospital in Germany.

Late this afternoon, his mother, Linda Kagan, issued this written statement about her son:

“My son, Sgt. Ryan Patrick Green, was an incredible gift, and he impacted many lives in his short time with us. He was the light of my life, but such an incredible joy. His greatest gift was his ability to touch those people who came in contact with him—somehow, being wiser than his years could’ve attested to. One Sept. 12, 2001, the day after 9/11, he showed up at my door and expressed his desire to immediately join the armed forces. But he needed my permission to do so … Not because he was too young to join, but because he wanted to make sure that I was OK with that. What he didn’t know was that when I heard about 9/11 (the day of), I knew that was exactly what he was going to do. I was blessed with the insight on that day, that all the guys in service are someone’s son, and that I didn’t have the right to hold him back if this was what he desired. Not once have I ever regretted his decision. My family was brought up believe that it was God, country and family – in that order. The Army made my already terrific son a better son … And over the years I have been proud to be able to step back and look at him with a pride that surpasses anything that I could have ever imagined. God Bless America and our fine people who volunteer so proudly to serve her.”

Sgt. Green was the 70th serviceperson from the area to give his life fighting the War on Terror.

http://www.khou.com/news/local/montgomery/...r.30cc1286.html

[aleman]

Another young American, thiis one only three weeks into his third tour in Iraq. His father and many in his family had a bad feeling before he deployed this time. You just never know when your time will be up, but one thing for sure is that you should keep your head down when you are in a tank in Iraq. My prayers go out to this family and his friends.

Family grapples with news of soldier son's death


By ERIC HANSON
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

RICHMOND — A little more than three weeks ago U.S. Army Spc. Forrest Waterbury returned to Iraq for his third deployment.

His father, Richmond Assistant Police Chief Steve Waterbury, said he and other family members had ominous thoughts about the young man's upcoming tour of duty.

"Everyone of us, my son, my wife and me, separately without ever talking about it, all had very bad feelings about this deployment," Waterbury said Thursday. "I just felt like he is not coming home this time."

Those fears turned real when Waterbury learned Wednesday evening that his son, a crewman on an M1A1 Abrams tank, had been killed in battle in Iraq.

Waterbury said he was always aware of the danger his 25-year-old son faced. But the reality of the death is still hard to comprehend.

"It's like you are still waiting for that phone call for somebody to say, 'Wait a minute, we made a mistake,' " he said.

Forrest John Waterbury was a graduate of Terry High School in Rosenberg. His father said the young man wandered around for a while after high school.

"He did different jobs," Waterbury said. "He worked at the movie theater in Sugar Land for a long time and just couldn't find exactly what he wanted to do. He talked to some people about the military and decided to give it a try."

The young man, who joined up at 19, thoroughly enjoyed Army life, his father said. He did two tours of duty in Iraq and was married in April and has a stepchild. Waterbury's unit, based in Fort Stewart, Ga., left for Iraq in mid-February.

"He did not like Iraq," Waterbury said. "I don't know anybody that has. But he liked the Army."

Waterbury said his son planned to stay in the service for 20 years and then retire.

"He would have been 39 and still young enough for another career and have that pension and benefits," he said.

Waterbury said he had been home from work for about 20 minutes when there was a knock on the door Wednesday. Two soldiers stood outside.

"I knew exactly what had happened," he said.

The details of his son's death were sketchy, but Waterbury said he did get some basic information.

Waterbury said his son's unit was involved in a battle Tuesday night.

"Apparently he came up out of the tank," Waterbury said. "I don't know what they were doing, and he took small-arms fire to the head."

Family members say they appreciate the support they have received from friends and the community.

"I've had officers who worked for me years ago calling the police department asking for my number," Waterbury said. "I have received numerous e-mails."

Waterbury said messages were found on his son's My- Space account Thursday.

"He has 50 or 60 messages," Waterbury said. "Some from people he doesn't even know. It's amazing."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headli...ro/4635535.html

[aleman]

This sounds like just another kid trying to find his way. Maybe he would have gone on to become a career soldier, maybe not. We will never know, but more importantly his parents will never know the love of their son as they age and his friends will be deprived of his friendship.

Fallen Lowell solider intrigued by military
By Jessica Fargen
Boston Herald Health & Medical Reporter

Tuesday, March 20, 2007 - Updated: 06:16 AM EST

John Landry Jr. was remembered yesterday as an “all-around good kid” and hardworking student whose fascination with the military led him to join the Army and deploy to Iraq, where he died this past weekend.

Pfc. Landry, 20, grew up in Lowell and graduated from Lowell Catholic High School in 2005 with a tight-knit class of only about 55 other students.

“John was just an all-around good kid,” said Donna Deveau, who works in alumni relations at Lowell Catholic, where Landry is remembered fondly. “He had a great sense of humor. He wanted to be friends with people. He worked hard at it.”



Landry, a 5-foot-10-inch tall, 240-pound linebacker in high school, was co-captain of the football team his senior year and played alongside Deveau’s son. He also played basketball and was an ambitious student who took honors courses, she said.

Landry’s parents, Pamela and John Landry Sr., received the news of their son’s death while vacationing in Florida.

William Landry, who lives in Billerica, said his nephew was killed in combat in Iraq on St. Patrick’s Day.

He said Landry was intrigued with the military growing up and passed up several college admission offers to join the Army, where he was a rifleman.

“Ever since he was a little kid, he always was fascinated with wars and generals, military strategies and history,” Landry’s uncle said. “You could ask him about any war and he knew everything.”

He said Landry, who was very close to his parents, was home on leave about 10 days ago and vacationed with his parents.

Deveau, who said Landry kept in contact with her after graduation, hopes the school can plan a memorial service in his honor.

A statement released yesterday by the school called Landry a “tenacious athlete, a hard-working student and a great citizen.”

“Overall, he was a well-rounded, happy-go-lucky kid who brought so much to Lowell Catholic High School,” the statement reads.

Landry served in the Army with Company C, 2nd Battalion, with the 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team in the 1st Cavalry Division.

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional...rticleid=189620

[Bernie The Union...]

What would catch the attention of the AFR listeners is if Big Ed presented some of these faces on his first hour broadcasts (when he is on Armed Forces Radio). Yes I know it would not be an easy task for many reasons... but I believe it would cement a kindred spirit with our troops.

[aleman]

Here is a Jamaican man who was deployed to Iraq last month and his mother just had a bad feeling so she sat down to write him a letter placing him in God's hands. Her strong faith will help her through this ordeal and my prayers are with her.

J'can soldier killed in Iraq
Jacqueline Hamilton-Carby never got to tell her only child that she had placed him in God's care
KERRY McCATTY, Observer staff reporter
Thursday, March 22, 2007



Stephen Ron Oneil Karl Richardson, a Jamaican in the US Army who died on duty in Iraq
ABOUT 4:00 am on Tuesday, Jacqueline Hamilton-Carby said her morning prayers, but could not return to sleep.

Her son Stephen Richardson, who had been living in the United States since 1999, was on her mind. She decided to write him a letter.

"It has been 43 days, that is 1,032 hours or 61,920 minutes better yet 3, 715,200 seconds since I heard your voice. That is a long, l-o-n-g time, but whereas I was worried before, I have placed you in the hand of God," Hamilton-Carby wrote.
Four hours after she put down her pen, 22-year-old Richardson, a member of the US Army who had been deployed to the war in Iraq, was dead.

"My, my, my, my son," Hamilton-Carby muttered, with a deep sigh yesterday afternoon.


Hamilton-Carby... I am not angry with Mr US President Geroge W Bush (Photo: Karl McLarty)
"I was hoping that maybe is a hand blow off or maybe a foot," Hamilton-Carby said of her state of mind when she first learnt later that day that something had happened to her son. When she finally got confirmation of his death, she just broke down.

Hamilton-Carby was not formally notified of her son's death until yesterday afternoon. A lieutenant based at the American Embassy in Kingston, gave her the news - although she had already spoken to her son's wife earlier in the day and had her worst fears confirmed.

Hamilton-Carby is not sure how her son died, but is satisfied that God took him at the appropriate time.

"I am not angry with the US Army, I am not angry with Mr [US President Geroge W Bush, I'm not angry with anyone. I refuse to be angry. He [Richardson] chose to go there...I just view it as the work of God," Hamilton-Carby said, clearly saddened. She told the Observer that she had cried so much the day before, she felt like she had no more tears left.

Hamilton-Carby said she last spoke to her son on February 5 - the day he was deployed to Iraq. In the letter she wrote to him early Tuesday morning, she called Richardson the "crowned one".

Yesterday, Lt Terry McFarlane, who is based at the United States Embassy in Kingston told the Observer that he was unable to comment on how Richardson, a Private First Class, died or where in Iraq he was based. Private First Class is the rank above Private and below Corporal in the US Army.

Hamilton-Carby said arrangements will be made for the funeral of her only child to be held in St Mary.

"I told them that he is a Jamaican and I want him here," she said.

Richardson died leaving behind one child and baby scheduled to arrive on July 7 - on the same day he would have celebrated his 23rd birthday had he lived.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/2...LED_IN_IRAQ.asp

[aleman]

Benjamin Sebban did what he loved to do and was supposed to do and died while doing it. I guess we should all be so fortunate. Being a combat medic is one of the toughest of all jobs in the military during wartime. That Benjamin wanted to do this job is a testament to his strength of character.

News
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S. Amboy soldier Sebban remembered as hero
Home News Tribune Online 03/21/07
By JOHN MAJESKI
STAFF WRITER
jmajeski@thnt.com
SOUTH AMBOY — Hearts "heavy with grief," the family of a South Amboy soldier killed in Iraq remembered Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin L. Sebban as a "hero" smitten with Army life.



"Benjamin was a very kind, thoughtful and courageous man who loved his family, loved the Army and loved being a soldier," relatives said in a U.S. Army news release and declined to speak further with reporters. "We are extremely proud of his bravery and his service to his country. He was a hero who will be sorely missed by all of us."

Sebban, 29, is survived by his mother, Barbara Walsh of Neshanic Station and by brothers Daniel of South Brunswick and David of Neshanic Station.

He died Saturday in Baqouba, Iraq, from wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit.

Mayor John T. O'Leary said Sebban was trying to warn troops when the device exploded, and he then treated the injured before dying, according to the soldier's brother.

"There was a vehicle with insurgents that ran into a ditch where the troops were. (Sebban) was getting out of a vehicle to warn the troops that were outside that they were getting ready to detonate the explosive. And in doing so, as he was warning them, the explosive went off, and I guess he got shrapnel to his body," O'Leary said, recounting the brother's tale.

"Then, he basically did his job and attended to the troops that were injured, thinking of them more than himself. From what I understand, he passed as he was attending to others."

The 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper was recalled Tuesday for his skills and passion as a medic.

"There wasn't anything asked of him that he didn't do to the best of his ability," said U.S. Army Capt. Phillip Kiniery, commander of headquarters and headquarters troop, 5th squadron, 73rd cavalry. "His positive and giving personality blended perfectly with his profession of saving the lives of the sons and daughters of our country."

Sebban was born in 1977 in Tunisia, North Africa, as a U.S. citizen and moved with his mother — a missionary — when he was 4 to South Amboy. He attended St. Mary's Elementary School in the city and was a 1996 graduate of the East Brunswick campus of the Middlesex County Vocational-Technical High School system. He also graduated from the Word of Life Bible College in Schroon Lake, N.Y., in 1998.

That same year he joined the U.S. Army as a combat medic, completing the basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Ga., in 2005.

Sebban was assigned to the well-known 82nd Airborne Division in January 2006. He had two previous deployments to Iraq, according to the Army, one in 2003 and another in 2004.

The Army said the late soldier received a number of awards and decorations, including the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart.

Arrangements for Sebban will be announced by The Gundrum Service Home for Funerals, 237 Bordentown Ave., South Amboy.

http://www.thnt.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007703210409

[aleman]

Another "average" American who died in Iraq. You can watch the video posted on the link site.

Remembering a Fallen Soldier



Story Published: Mar 18, 2007 at 10:14 PM MDT

Story Updated: Mar 19, 2007 at 1:04 AM MDT
By Rick Montanez Video As we reported Saturday, 29-year-old Emerson Brand of Rigby was killed in Iraq last Thursday.

He will likely be burried in Texas, but today his uncle, a pastor at the Apostolic Assembly in Idaho Falls, held special services to honor him.

The Apostolic Assembly was filled with people who came to pay their tributes to Sergeant Emerson Noah Brand. His grandparents Mary and Gabriel Mendez live in Idaho Falls, and they say Emerson requested a unit transfer so he could serve another term in Iraq.

"She told me yesterday that Emerson knew what he was going to," said Mary.

Emerson spent the last nine years of his life in the Army, serving once in Kosovo and this was his second deployment to Iraq.

"Suddenly he decided to go to the army, personal matters I guess," said Gabriel.

"He was a brave boy," added Mary.

His bravery took him into his second term in Iraq, but it was tragically cut short when an IED struck his unit, killing Emerson and three other soldiers. Gabriel says he heard about the deaths, but was hoping it wasn't Emerson.

"I just felt a feeling, but I never thought it was my grandson," he said.

Word hit the Mendez family Thursday when Emerson's parents, who live in Oklahoma, called to break the news about his death.

"She said, Mom you need to sit down, and Daddy too, and I said what happened? She says Emerson is with the Lord," said Mary.

As tragic as this has been for Gabriel and Mary, they say they know emerson is in a better place.

"We had prayed for him, he was my little boy," said Mary.

http://www.kidk.com/news/6566547.html