Army Sgt. Daniel W. Wallace

Remember Our Heroes

Army Sgt. Daniel W. Wallace, 27, of Dry Ridge, Ky.

Sgt. Wallace was assigned to the 201st Engineer Battalion, Kentucky Army National Guard in Cynthiana, Ky.; died Oct. 31, 2008 in Badin Kheyl, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire.


Ky. National Guard soldier killed in Afghanistan
By Joe Biesk
The Associated Press

FRANKFORT, Ky. — A Kentucky National Guard soldier was killed in Afghanistan last week when his platoon was attacked by a group of Taliban fighters, military officials said Monday.

Sgt. Daniel Wallace, 27, was killed in action Friday in the West Paktika Province of Afghanistan, Kentucky Adjutant General Edward Tonini said.

Wallace, a gunner in a Mine-Resistant, Armor-Protected vehicle, was shot when he got out to handle a piece of equipment that had been knocked loose, Tonini said.

“Sgt. Daniel Wallace was a true patriot,” Tonini said at a news conference. “One who stood up and answered the call to serve his nation in a time of need.”

Wallace’s death marked the 17th member of the Kentucky National Guard to be killed in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001. Wallace, who was assigned to the Kentucky National Guard’s 201st Engineer Battalion, was the third to die in Afghanistan.

Wallace, of Dry Ridge, has been posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals, and has been promoted to the rank of sergeant. Wallace joined the National Guard in May 2006 and was on his first deployment.

Tonini said Wallace’s platoon was conducting a mission to find and remove improvised explosive devices when one of the vehicles got stuck. Wallace was shot and killed when he left the vehicle he was in to handle a piece of equipment that had been knocked loose, prompting a firefight that led to the deaths of up to 20 Taliban fighters, Tonini said.

“At the time, there were many villagers planting winter wheat in the fields, there were goat herders all around, children playing near the roadways,” Tonini said. “It was a typical example of what we expect to be a safe area — because typically we don’t see people when there are to be ambushes or any kind of instances like we had here at this point.”

Wallace’s brother, Spc. Alex Wallace, is a medic in the Kentucky Army National Guard’s 940th Military Police Company. Alex Wallace said he and his brother had decided to make the military their career.

“I am proud of my brother,” he said. “I’m going to keep carrying on. I know he wants me to serve my full time, which is what I’m going to do.”

His mother, Karen Wallace, said her son loved being in the military and was also very religious and helped his unit’s chaplain. A tearful Karen Wallace said her son had asked her to write to other soldiers who had not recently received letters of their own.

“Danny had a lot, a lot of sympathy for people,” she said. “Danny’s my fallen hero.”

Funeral services set for Kentucky soldier
The Associated Press

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The funeral for a Kentucky National Guard soldier killed in Afghanistan has been set for Saturday.

Guard spokesman Col. Phil Miller says the funeral for 27-year-old Sgt. Daniel Wallace of Dry Ridge will be held at 2 p.m. at the Grant County High School auditorium.

Wallace was killed last week when his platoon was attacked by a group of Taliban fighters. He was assigned to the Kentucky National Guard’s 201st Engineer Battalion.

Miller said visitation for Wallace will be Friday at the Eckler-McDaniel Funeral Home in Dry Ridge and continue Saturday at Grant County High School before the funeral.

Miller said burial with full military honors will be conducted at the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery North at Williamstown immediately after funeral services.

Army Sgt. Daniel W. Wallace was killed in action on 10/31/08.

Army Sgt. Scott J. Metcalf

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Army Sgt. Scott J. Metcalf, 36, of Framingham, Mass.

Sgt. Metcalf was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Oct. 29, 2008 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat-related incident.

Fort Campbell soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — The Department of Defense says a Fort Campbell soldier from Massachusetts has died from noncombat injuries in Iraq.

The military announced Friday that 36-year-old Sgt. Scott J. Metcalf, of Framingham, Mass., died Wednesday from injuries suffered in a noncombat related incident. The incident is under investigation.

Metcalf was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 32nd Calvary Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. He was a unit supply specialist assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop.

He joined the Army in July 1990 and arrived at Fort Campbell in January 2001.

He is survived by his wife, Betty, and daughter, Korrine, of Clarksville, Tenn., and mother, Paulette, of Northbridge, Mass.

Army Sgt. Scott J. Metcalf died from a non-combat related incident on 10/29/08.

Army Pfc. Bradley S. Coleman

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Army Pfc. Bradley S. Coleman, 24, of Martinsville, Va.

Pfc. Coleman was assigned to the 51st Transportation Company, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, Mannheim, Germany; died Oct. 29, 2008 at Qayyarah Airfield, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident.

Martinsville Bulletin -- The family of Pfc. Bradley Shane Coleman, a local soldier who was killed last week in Iraq, tentatively plans to hold his funeral Friday, according to the funeral home handling arrangements.

Coleman, who was 24, died Wednesday of a gunshot wound, his stepmother has said. The Army has told family members Coleman’s death is under investigation, Yolanda Coleman has said.

On Sunday, Kelly Ratcliff, director of Community Funeral Services, said the Coleman family tentatively plans to hold a visitation Thursday and the funeral Friday. Locations had not been chosen as of Sunday afternoon, Ratcliff said.

Shane Coleman and his wife of two years, Heather Coleman, have two children, Edward Shane, age 2 and a half, and Shyanna, 1. He and his wife had known each other since they were children and were married in May 2006, his stepmother said.

“His biggest thing was he liked spending time with his children and his wife,” Yolanda Coleman said.

“He loved his children. They were the whole world to him,” she added.

His father called him “a great son. ... He was a sweet, loving, kind person who was always a gentleman,” his stepmother said.

Coleman, a transportation specialist, enlisted in the Army in April 2007 and was sent to Iraq on his first tour in June. He was supposed to be home on leave in January 2009, his stepmother said.

“From the time he was a small child, that’s all he talked about: going in the Army,” Yolanda Coleman said.

He was in JROTC at Magna Vista High School but after graduating in 2003, he did not enlist immediately. Instead, he worked with his father, a brickmason, for a few years.

Coleman was first stationed in Germany before being sent to a base in Iraq that the Army called “Q-West,” his stepmother said. In Iraq, he was able to call his wife and talk “just about every day,” Yolanda Coleman said, and the family also communicated through e-mail.

“He really liked the Army itself, but once he got to Iraq ... it was hard on him,” she said. “He told his daddy that what you see on the news and what he saw over there were like two different worlds.”

A representative from the Army went to Coleman’s wife’s house to break the news around 10 p.m. Wednesday, but the family found out about his death about an hour before when a friend posted something on Coleman’s MySpace page, she said.

“Shane was the kind of person where everybody he met wanted to be his friend,” Yolanda Coleman said. “We probably had 50 to 60 of his friends come by the house in last 24 hours, talking about what a good person he was.”

“You think you’re prepared for something like this, knowing he’s in a hostile situation. But nothing prepares you,” she added.

His body has been returned to the United States for an autopsy, which Coleman said is standard procedure. It will be several days before it is released to the family, Coleman said.

Also surviving in addition to his stepmother are his father, Dale Bradley Coleman of Ridgeway; his mother, Dianne Vernon of Eden, N.C.; three sisters; two stepbrothers; and a stepsister.

Army Pfc. Bradley S. Coleman was killed in a non-combat incident on 10/29/08.

Army Sgt. Nicholas A. Casey

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Army Sgt. Nicholas A. Casey, 22, of Canton, Ohio

Sgt. Casey was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Oct. 27, 2008 in Baghlan, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when a suicide bomber detonated explosives as he was preparing to enter a building. Also killed was Sgt. Kevin D. Grieco.

Army Sgt. Nicholas A. Casey remembered
The Associated Press

By 10th grade, Nicholas A. Casey was starting to listen to service recruiters. Because of a lack of jobs in the area, Casey started to see the military as a way of life.

“That’s what he wanted to do,” said his father, Samuel. “He didn’t never give up on nothing that he started.”

Casey, 22, of Canton, Ohio, died Oct. 28 in Baghlan province, Afghanistan, of wounds from a suicide bomb attack. He was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C.

In high school, he played baseball and football. His son was no more than an average athlete, Samuel Casey said, but he played the games the best he could.

“When he was young, he was always in his own little world,” his father said. “He was a happy kid. We had a broken marriage, but whether he was at his mother’s or father’s, he was happy.”

He also is survived by his wife, Rachelle, and two sons, Nicholas II, 3, and Curtis, 2.

His grandmother, Audrey Wendling, said the boys dressed up as soldiers for Halloween.

“It was the cutest thing, and we were so proud of the two boys,” she said. “Their father was their hero, and he died a hero.

“Nick will always be their hero. Nothing can ever change that.”

Army Sgt. Nicholas A. Casey was killed in action on 10/27/08.

Army Sgt. Kevin D. Grieco

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Army Sgt. Kevin D. Grieco, 35, of Bartlett, Ill.

Sgt. Grieco was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 122nd Field Artillery, Illinois Army National Guard, Sycamore, Ill.; died Oct. 27, 2008 in in Baghlan, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when a suicide bomber detonated explosives as he was preparing to enter a building. Also killed was Sgt. Nicholas A. Casey.

Ill. soldier, a former sailor, dies in Afghanistan
The Associated Press

BARTLETT, Ill. — An Illinois Army National Guard soldier has been killed in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense said Tuesday.

Sgt. Kevin D. Grieco, 35, of Bartlett died Monday of wounds sustained when a suicide bomber detonated explosives as Grieco prepared to enter a building in Baghlan, Afghanistan, the defense department said.

Sgt. Nicholas A. Casey, 22, of Canton, Ohio, was killed in the same incident. Casey was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), in Fort Bragg, N.C.

Grieco was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 122nd Field Artillery with the Illinois Army National Guard in Sycamore. His unit deployed to Afghanistan about four months ago, according to the Illinois Army and Air National Guard.

“When we lose an Illinois National Guard Soldier, it’s like losing a brother or sister,” Maj. Gen. William Enyart, adjutant general of the Illinois National Guard, said in a statement. “On behalf of the men and women of the Illinois National Guard, we offer our deepest condolences to the Grieco family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.”

Grieco graduated from Waynesville High School in Missouri in 1992 and earned a bachelor’s degree at Aurora University in 2004. He enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard in December 2006 after 13 years in the Navy.

He was married with two children.

Grieco is the 19th casualty for the Illinois National Guard since operations in Afghanistan and Iraq began.

Army Sgt. Kevin D. Grieco remembered
The Associated Press

Kevin D. Grieco met his future wife in 2003 after returning from a deployment to Spain. They met while line dancing.

“As soon as he walked in, I said, ‘I’m going to dance with this man,’” said Rashmi Grieco. “I asked him to dance, and he said, ‘No, I don’t think so.’ And then he saw me dancing with his best friend, and he said, ‘OK, maybe I’ll try.’”

Grieco, 35, of Bartlett, Ill., died Oct. 28 in Baghlan, Afghanistan, of wounds from a suicide bomb attack. He was assigned to Sycamore, Ill.

“He was extremely dedicated to his military career,” his wife said. “He would keep telling me that even if he could die for his country, he would love to. And he would not hesitate to die twice, three times.”

He was a 13-year Navy veteran. Wanting to become an officer and see more action, he enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard in 2006.

Grieco was an avid outdoorsman and worked as a contractor for a lawn-mowing company. In 2004, he earned a degree in recreational park administration from Aurora University.

He also is survived by two children, Joshua, 4, and Angeli, 2.

Army Sgt. Kevin D. Grieco was killed in action on 10/27/08.

Army Sgt. Clint A. Sikorski

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Sgt. Clint Sikorski, a Wausau East grad, killed by vehicle at Fort Lewis Army base
East High graduate hit by vehicle while directing traffic
Wausau Daily Herald • October 22, 2008

FORT LEWIS, Wash. -- A 2005 Wausau East High School graduate and U.S. Army soldier was killed Friday when he was struck by a vehicle while stationed in the state of Washington.

Sgt. Clint Sikorski, 21, formerly of Wausau, was attempting to stop traffic at Fort Lewis when he was hit by a civilian vehicle driven by a soldier, according to a Fort Lewis public affairs statement. He was directing an Army truck to a nearby small-arms range when he was struck and killed.

He was stationed at the base since July 2007 as a member of the 1st Battalion, 377th Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade. He was a howitzer gunner.

"It was a nightmare. We're still in shock," his mother, Walline Sikorski of Wausau, said Tuesday from Washington, where she was joined by her brother from California and a daughter, with a second daughter preparing to join her today.

The incident occurred before 6 a.m. Friday, and Sikorski was taken to Madigan Army Medical Center, where he died later that day of his injuries, according to the statement.

Walline said her son became "gung ho" about the Army in high school and turned himself from "a roly-poly kid" into a man "with eight-pack, not six-pack abs," who led others with passion.

A soldier Walline Sikorski met in Washington since her son's death told her about a time when he had approached the higher ranking Sikorski about a marital problem. A few minutes later, Sikorski returned and had arranged a 10-day leave for the soldier.

"He wanted (the soldier) to fix his problem so he could be at his best when he returned," Walline said.

Sikorski married his wife, Wausau-area native Mandy Sikorski, in July 2007 after the two met in an Internet chat room while he was stationed in Korea.

Army Spc. Geoffrey G. Johnson

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Army Spc. Geoffrey G. Johnson, 28, of Lubbock, Texas

Spc. Johnson was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Division Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Oct. 12, 2008 of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident in Baghdad.

Spc. was ‘golden boy’ who could be relied on
The Associated Press

Spc. Geoffrey G. Johnson was a terrain data specialist who worked in geospatial intelligence. He helped commanders understand unknown areas into which they would lead troops.

But he wasn’t always behind a desk — he volunteered for special patrols, going out and helping to identify enemies.

“I think he thought he could do some good there,” said his father, Jim. “He saw some bad things happen to innocent people.”

Johnson, 28, of Lubbock, Texas, died Oct. 12 of a heart attack in Baghdad. He was a 1998 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Hood.

He was born in Provo, Utah, and moved to Lubbock in 1985. He graduated from South Plains College School of Vocational Nursing before joining the Army. He enjoyed playing games and reading with his children, and was an avid waterskier.

Sgt. Darren Tindall, Johnson’s supervisor, said he excelled in his job and was among the brightest he has led. When he needed the best job done quickly, he knew he could count on “the Golden Boy.”

He also is survived by his wife, Amy and children, Kelsi, 8, Parker, 5, Joel, 3, and Brayden, 1.

Army Spc. Geoffrey G. Johnson was killed in a non-combat related incident on 10/12/08.

Army Sgt. William P. Rudd

Remember Our Heroes

Army Sgt. William P. Rudd, 27, of Madisonville, Ky.

Sgt. Rudd was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.; died Oct. 5, 2008 of wounds sustained from enemy small arms fire while on a combat patrol in Mosul, Iraq.

Ky. Army Ranger dies in Iraq
The Associated Press

MADISONVILLE, Ky. — The father of a western Kentucky soldier killed in Iraq says the Madisonville community is “filling me up with love and prayers” since learning of his 27-year-old son’s death.

Sgt. William P. Rudd died Sunday after being hit by enemy small-arms fire while on combat patrol in Mosul, according to the Defense Department.

Rudd was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Ga.

“The community is filling me up with love and prayers,” the soldier’s father, Bill Rudd of Madisonville, told The Messenger newspaper of Madisonville. “They support what Patrick did for our cause, so we wouldn’t have terrorists back over here.”

Patrick Rudd is believed to be the first Hopkins County native killed in Iraq.

He graduated from Madisonville-North Hopkins High School in 1999, then went to work on the assembly line at White Hydraulics in Hopkinsville.

Patrick Rudd had previously been deployed twice to Afghanistan and five times to Iraq. He joined the Army on Oct. 2, 2003.

“He had spent two years thinking about it, knowing that he needed a different direction in his life and wanting to defend our country.”

Patrick Rudd served with the Army Rangers, which are elite special operations troops.

“He didn’t join for himself,” Bill Rudd said. “You might say he joined for everyone else over here.”

Patrick Rudd was a decorated soldier, receiving the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and many awards.

He is expected to posthumously receive the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal.

Bill Rudd last saw his son four months ago when he visited Fort Benning, Ga., where Patrick was stationed.

Other survivors include Patrick Rudd’s mother, Pamela Coakley of Nortonville; his stepmother, Barbara Rudd of Madisonville; and a sister and brother.

The family is waiting to hear when the body will be returned to the United States before making funeral arrangements.

Western Ky. soldier laid to rest, slain in Iraq
The Associated Press

MADISONVILLE, Ky. — The father of a western Ky. Army Ranger recently slain in Iraq said Wednesday that his son was slain during the attack that killed an alleged high-ranking leader of al-Qaida in Iraq.

The Messenger of Madisonville reported thousands stood by the roadside as more than a hundred cars followed the hearse carrying Sgt. William Patrick Rudd’s body the six miles to the cemetery. The 27-year-old soldier is the first from Hopkins County to die in the Iraq war.

Rudd’s father, Bill Rudd, stood at his son’s casket at First Baptist Church at the beginning of his funeral and told the congregation his son died in the same raid in which U.S. soldiers killed Abu Qaswarah, the alleged No. 2 leader of al-Qaida in Iraq.

The U.S. military announced Abu Qaswarah’s death Wednesday, saying he died Oct. 5 during a raid on a building in Mosul and that news of his death was withheld to allow for positive identification.

The military said Rudd died the same day of wounds suffered from enemy small-arms fire while on a combat patrol in Mosul. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga. Rudd served with the Army Rangers, which are elite special operations troops.

He graduated from Madisonville-North Hopkins High School in 1999, then went to work on the assembly line at White Hydraulics in Hopkinsville.

Rudd had previously been deployed twice to Afghanistan and five times to Iraq. He joined the Army on Oct. 2, 2003.

Members of Rudd’s unit shared memories of their friend during the funeral. A Bible verse was repeated often: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

“I didn’t understand the meaning of John 15:13 until Oct. 5,” Sgt. Mark Williams said. “The night he died, he was with his brothers, his friends.”

On Tuesday, three of Rudd’s comrades — Cpl. Kyle Lillard, Staff Sgt. Brett Krueger and Sgt. Dusty Harrell — shared memories of their friend, whom they called “Ricky.”

Lillard, 25, of Gallatin, Tenn., served with Rudd for three years.

“Outside of work, we’d hang out a lot,” he said. “He came from a place like mine, with the same kind of people.” The friends shared a love of country music and “outdoor stuff,” like fishing and hunting.

“We had pretty much everything in common,” said Krueger, 25, of Grand Junction, Colo. “He was a good-hearted person who loved life. You could never catch him on a bad day.”

Herrell, 29, of Monetta, Ark., recalled Rudd’s fear of snakes with a smile. He and Rudd did a lot of camping and canoeing together. On one occasion, they were on a fishing trip in Georgia when Harrell reeled in a water moccasin on his line.

“I turned around ... Ricky was already up the hill,” Harrell said, laughing. “I convinced him to take the pole. The snake was still on it. I dispatched the snake with a big rock to get it off the hook.”

Besides his father, Rudd is survived by his mother, Pamela Coakley of Nortonville; his stepmother, Barbara Rudd of Madisonville; and a sister and brother.

Hopkins County Sheriff Frankie Latham, whose department helped organize security detail for the funeral procession, told The Messenger that members of Rudd’s unit told him they had seen a negative reaction at another soldier’s funeral recently and asked him what to expect from the community.

“I said it would be just the opposite,” Latham said. “This community supports men and women in the military, but this surprised even me.”

Fallen Ranger known for ‘excellence’
The Associated Press

Sgt. Dusty Herrell recalled William P. Rudd’s fear of snakes with a smile. On one occasion, they were on a fishing trip in Georgia when Herrell reeled in a water moccasin on his line.

By the time Herrell turned around, “Ricky was already up the hill,” Herrell said, laughing. “I convinced him to take the pole.

The snake was still on it.”

Rudd, 27, of Madisonville, Ky., died Oct. 5 of wounds from small-arms fire in Mosul. He was a 1999 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Benning.

After school, he went to work on an assembly line at White Hydraulics and joined the Army in 2003. “He had spent two years thinking about it, knowing that he needed a different direction in his life and wanting to defend our country,” said his father, Bill Rudd.

He had done five deployments to Iraq and two to Afghanistan.

“Anything he did, he did with excellence,” said Sgt. Mark Williams, a fellow Ranger.

He also is survived by his mother, Pamela Coakley and his stepmother, Barbara Rudd.

“He was the best friend anyone could have asked for,” Herrell said. “And he didn’t have to be talking to you to cheer you up.”

Army Sgt. William P. Rudd was killed in action on 10/05/08.

Marine Col. Michael R. Stahlman

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Marine Col. Michael R. Stahlman, 45, of Chevy Chase, Md.

Col. Stahlman assigned to Headquarters Battalion, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; died Oct. 5, 2008 from injuries sustained in a July 31 nonhostile incident in Anbar province, Iraq.

Col. dies from July nonhostile incident in Iraq
Staff report

OCEANSIDE, Calif. — The Pentagon on Tuesday announced the death of Marine Col. Michael R. Stahlman, who died Sunday from injuries stemming from a nonhostile incident July 31 in Iraq.

Stahlman, 45, of Chevy Chase, Md., served as the staff judge advocate at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif., where he also was director of legal services, according to a statement released Wednesday by Jenny Haskamp, a Combat Center spokeswoman. The desert base is also home to the Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command.

No details were readily available about the incident, which officials said is under investigation.

Stahlman, a 1985 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, had completed naval flight officer training and training in the F-4 fighter program before he went to law school under the Corps’ Funded Law Program, according to the Combat Center. In 1993, he received his law degree from California Western School of Law. He later received a master’s degree from the Judge Advocate’s School in Charlottesville, Va., where he later served as an instructor and vice chair of the school’s Criminal Law Department.

His personal military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with gold star, Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal and Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal with gold star.

Last year, Stahlman served as an Article 32 investigation hearing officer at Camp Pendleton in one of the cases arising from the Nov. 19, 2005, deaths of Iraqi civilians in Hadithah.

Fallen colonel ‘excelled at everything’
The Associated Press

A Naval Academy classmate of Col. Michael R. Stahlman said he set tremendously high standards for himself.

“He excelled at everything — academics, athletics — and he made it look easy. Whatever we did, he was number one, and he didn’t even break a sweat,” Joe Matza said.

Stahlman, 45, of Chevy Chase, Md., died Oct. 5 of injuries from a non-hostile incident July 31 in Anbar province. He was assigned to Twentynine Palms.

“He had an outstanding reputation,” said Lt. Col. Steve Stewart at the U.S. Army Legal Center at the Judge Advocate General’s School.

Stahlman grew up around the world — his father worked for the U.S. Foreign Service — and admired the Marines who guarded U.S. embassies.

He was a 1985 graduate of the Naval Academy who majored in political science. In 1993, he got a law degree from the California Western School of Law.

“He was a very motivated, great student — very smart and very patriotic. He was someone you knew was going to devote his life to the military,” said Rick Camacho, 46, another academy classmate.

He is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and two daughters: Piper, 7, and MacKenna, 11.

Marine Col. Michael R. Stahlman died from a nonhostile incident on 10/5/08.

Army Pfc. Tavarus D. Setzler

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Army Pfc. Tavarus D. Setzler, 23, of Jacksonville, Fla.

Pfc. Setzler was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Oct. 2, 2008 of wounds sustained when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in Majar al Kabir, Iraq.

Soldier’s remains to arrive at Naval Air Station
The Associated Press

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Hundreds gathered at Jacksonville Naval Air Station to greet the flag-draped coffin of a Florida soldier killed in Iraq.

Pentagon officials say Pfc. Tavarus D. Setzler of Jacksonville died Oct. 2 when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Majar al-Kabir, Iraq.

Setzler was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood.

His family prayed over his coffin after it was taken out of a jet Friday. Police and veterans on motorcycles then escorted the family off the base, past hundreds of service members and civilian base employees.

Pfc. remembered as being motivated, dedicated
The Associated Press

Tavarus D. Setzler had been in the Army for less than a year and had been in Iraq for about six months. He proposed to his girlfriend after returning from boot camp in Texas.

“He was wearing a big old ring, and I said ‘Oh, that’s what happens now — you go to Texas and come back with a ring?’” his fiancee, Brittnie Jones, remembered saying. “‘Where’s my ring?”‘ Setzler gave it to her later that day, not long before heading off to Iraq.

Setzler, 23, of Jacksonville, Fla., was killed Oct. 2 when his vehicle struck an explosive in Majar al-Kabir. He was a 2005 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Hood.

“He was an outstanding student,” said Navy Lt. Dean Williams, a senior naval science instructor at his high school. “For ROTC, he was the kind of student you want. He was motivated and dedicated and very well disciplined.”

His brother Shawn Baker last heard from his brother on Sept. 29, three days before his death. It was the day before Baker’s birthday.

“It was an e-mail and it said he was coming home soon,” Baker said. “It said, ‘Happy birthday, old man. I’ll see you in November.’”

Army Pfc. Tavarus D. Setzler was killed in action on 10/2/08.

Army Spc. Jason E. von Zerneck

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Army Spc. Jason E. von Zerneck, 33, of Charlotte, N.C.

Spc. Von Zerneck was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry Regiment, New York Army National Guard, Jamestown, N.Y.; died Oct. 2,2008 of injuries sustained from a vehicle incident in Qara Bagh Karez, Afghanistan.

Army Spc. Jason E. von Zerneck remembered
The Associated Press

Before he left for Afghanistan in January, Jason E. von Zerneck told a newspaper that leaving his family behind was “definitely the hardest thing.”

“Some of the soldiers in this unit come from the poorest neighborhoods,” he said. “These are the people who are putting their lives on the line for the city and the country, and sometimes that is forgotten.”

Von Zerneck, 33, of New York City, died Oct. 2 after his vehicle overturned in Qara Bagh Karez, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Jamestown, N.Y.

Von Zerneck, a compliance officer with Bank of America, was a “die-hard Yankees fan” and loved watching New York Rangers games.

His mother, Barbara, said she hoped that her son would be remembered by Americans as a brave soldier. “I don’t think there’s enough attention paid to the sacrifices of our soldiers,” she said. “That’s something that angers me.”

He is survived by his wife, Stephanie, 30, and three children — daughter Raina, 9, and sons Joseph, 6, and Noah, 3.

His father, Richard, said his son recently e-mailed him to thank him for helping to plan Noah’s birthday party.

Army Spc. Jason E. von Zerneck was killed in action on 10/2/08.

Army Veteran Elijah Warren

Remember Our Heroes

Suicide of Army Veteran, Senior Shocks Family

By Zach Williams
Contributing Writer
Wednesday, October 8, 2008 | 8:49 pm

Elijah Warren, a UC Berkeley senior and a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, died from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head on Oct. 1 in his Oakland home. He was 26 years old.

Police found Warren at his residence on the 1900 block of 90th Street in Oakland at 3 p.m. on Oct. 1, said Oakland Police spokesperson Jeff Thomason. Warren did not leave a suicide note, Thomason said.

About 20 friends and family members came to Warren's wake in Oakland on Wednesday to bid farewell to a man who they said was intelligent, ambitious and articulate. His sudden passing shocked his loved ones, many of whom said there had been no indication that Warren would take his own life.

"No tell-tale signs," said Geoff Warren, his older brother. "A really cool, calm guy."

Elijah Warren, an Oakland native, leaves behind an ex-wife, Traci Lee-Warren, and a 10-year-old stepson, Jinho Warren. He would have graduated this spring from UC Berkeley with a degree in political science, family members said.

Before enrolling at UC Berkeley, Warren had dropped out of high school in ninth grade. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 17 and served in the Special Forces for eight years, during which time he learned Arabic and traveled through Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia.

Family members said they did not notice any signs of depression in Warren when he returned from overseas in 2005.

"Elijah was a good soldier, obeyed commands given to him," said Rev. Earl Hooker, assistant minister at Sweet Home Baptist Church in East Oakland. "We got to learn from Elijah how to be caring and helpful to one another."

Starting in 2005, Warren also took community college classes in Alameda.

"I don't come across a student like Elijah often, one in a million ... he was the younger brother I never had. It's hard, a void in my life, the pain is there," said Maurice Jones, Warren's English instructor at the community college.

After he transferred to UC Berkeley in 2007, Warren continued to pursue his passions for study and debate in the classroom.

"I was particularly impressed by his passion in class discussions," said Peter Ryan, Warren's Political Science 104 GSI, in an e-mail.

UC Berkeley senior Antonio Herrera, one of Warren's best friends, said that Warren possessed a unique intelligence.

"He was so smart, it didn't make sense," he said.

Warren, along with his brothers, also taught for a self-defense mentoring program at Berkeley Technology Academy. He trained high school students in a physically rigorous regimen and spoke to them about the importance of attending college, often drawing on his own personal experiences.

"They saw him at Berkeley, forcing them to sign up for college. And what could they say?" Geoff Warren said.

Another brother, Jinho Warren, said it is difficult to justly define Elijah's character.

"He was an activist, socialist, every adjective that you can think of (for) an intelligent black man," he said.

Warren's funeral will be held this Thursday at 11 a.m. at East Oakland Deliverance Center in Oakland.

Marine Sgt. Jan Pietrzak

Remember Our Heroes

US Marines charged with murdering colleague and wife
Four Marines, including one nicknamed "Psycho", have been charged with the execution-style murder of a fellow Marine and his wife at their home in California.

Last Updated: 7:11PM GMT 07 Nov 2008

Two of the men worked for the murdered marine, Sgt Jan Pietrzak, 24, a helicopter mechanic based in San Diego who served in Iraq from 2005 to 2006.

He and his wife, Quiana Jenkins-Pietrzak, 26, were found gagged, tied up and shot in the head at their ransacked home in Riverside County, southeast of Los Angeles, last month.

According to court documents, the four men, aged 18 to 21, confessed to investigators that they robbed and murdered Sgt Peitrzak and sexually assaulted and killed his wife after breaking-in in search of valuables last month.

Jewellery and other items were taken and a fire was set before they left, investigators said.

Sgt Pietrzak, who was born in Poland and raised in Brooklyn, New York, joined the Marines in 2003.

Murder charges were filed against Lance Cpl Emrys John, 18, of Maryland, and Lance Cpl Tyrone Miller, 20, of North Carolina – who both worked for Sgt Pietrzak – Pte. Kevin Cox, 20, of Tennessee, and Lance Cpl Kesaun Sykes, 21, of California.

Miller said he forced his way into the home by pointing a shotgun at Sgt Pietrzak, according to an affidavit, before tying him and his wife up and discussing with John whether to kill them.

Cox and Sykes, known as "Psycho," acknowledged they went to the home to rob Sgt Pietrzak. All four said his wife was sexually assaulted.

The men are being held in jail and due in court on November 20. Prosecutors said they had not decided whether to seek the death penalty.

Army Pfc. Christopher A. Bartkiewicz

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Army Pfc. Christopher A. Bartkiewicz, 25, of Dunfermline, Ill.


Pfc. Bartkiewicz was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany; died Sept. 30, 2008 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his dismounted patrol using small-arms fire.

Pfc. ‘wanted the best for his family’
The Associated Press

Pfc. Christopher A. Bartkiewicz had grown up near military bases in North Carolina and was lured to service.

“Being a part of the Army was something he’d always wanted to do,” said his mother-in-law, Carol Hubbard. “He was just a hardworking kid who wanted the best for his family. He knew when he went in that chances were great he’d go to Iraq.”

Bartkiewicz, 25, of Dunfermline, Ill., was killed Sept. 30 in Baghdad by small-arms fire. He was assigned to Baumholder, Germany.

“Bart was a great man and a loving father and husband. He was one of our brothers and will be missed,” Pfc. Eric Williams, a medic who treated Bartkiewicz’s injuries, wrote on his blog about his friend.

Bartkiewicz worked at a Morton factory and then at Coca-Cola in Bartonville before joining the Army about 1 1/2 years ago because he thought it would be a good way to support his family.

He also is survived by his wife, Emily, and two daughters, McKayla, 6, and Morgan, 2.

“He was a hero,” said Hubbard. “He gave his life for his country. What more can you ask for?”

Army Pfc. Christopher A. Bartkiewicz was killed in action on 9/30/08.

Army Pvt Dustin Tucker

Remember Our Heroes

Fort Hood soldier, 22, dies in California

FORT HOOD – Post officials released on Wednesday the name of a 4th Infantry Division soldier who died Saturday in Santa Rosa, Calif., of unknown causes.

Pvt. Dustin Mark Tucker, 22, of Kenwood, Calif., on Aug. 28 was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital after complaining about not feeling well. Tucker's kidneys failed on Aug. 29, and he died the next day.

Tucker joined the military in August 2007 as an indirect fire infantryman and was assigned to the 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, since January 2008. Tucker deployed to Iraq last March.

Tucker's military awards and decorations include the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.

Army Spc. Christopher T. Fox

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Army Spc. Christopher T. Fox, 21, of Memphis, Tenn.

Spc. Fox was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Sept. 29, 2008 in Adhamiyah, Iraq, of wounds sustained when he encountered small-arms fire while on patrol.

Spc. ‘loved the people he worked with’
The Associated Press

Spc. Christopher T. Fox was remembered as a laid-back guy who always wanted to be a soldier and fight for his country.

“He did what he loved and, for some reason, I feel like that’s what he wanted. If he had to leave he wanted to leave in combat,” said Fox’s brother Randal White.

Fox, 21, of Memphis, Tenn., was killed Sept. 29 by small-arms fire in the Adhamiyah neighborhood of Baghdad. He was assigned to Fort Carson.

Fox, who enlisted in the military in March 2005, was on his second tour, due to be discharged from the Army in July. He was in the service for three years and worked as a mortarman.

Fox, who played football in high school, splashed his social networking Web page orange with University of Tennessee logos. He wanted to enroll at the Knoxville campus next fall and maybe play football, maybe study criminal justice and become a police officer, not letting his military training go to waste, said Amy Frost, a friend.

“He loved the people he worked with, comrades in arms. He died over there fighting for something,” Frost said. He also is survived by his stepfather, Randal Hancock.

Army Spc. Christopher T. Fox was killed in action on 9/29/08.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Gary J. Vasquez

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Army Sgt. 1st Class Gary J. Vasquez, 33, of Round Lake, Ill.

SFC Vasquez was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Sept. 29, 2008 in Yakhchal, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device during mounted operations. Also killed were Capt. Richard J. Cliff and Sgt. 1st Class Jamie S. Nicholas.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Gary J. Vasquez
The Associated Press

People would tell Gary J. Vasquez that they were sorry each time he was sent back into a war zone.

“He would say, ‘What do you mean. I can’t wait,’” said his brother, Barry DuHasek.

Vasquez, 33, of Round Lake, Ill., was killed Sept. 29 in an explosion in Yakhchal. He was assigned to Fort Bragg and was on his third tour in Afghanistan.

He received a bachelor’s degree in drama from Illinois State in 1996. Theater professor Sandra Zielinski recalled Vasquez as “a delightful student” and “a very positive young man.”

“His personality was larger than life,” said DuHasek. “He was probably one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. He was my best friend and my brother.”

He enlisted about nine years and enjoyed reading and spending time with his dogs, Smash and Medea.

“He loved his job. He was happy to be doing what he was doing,” said DuHasek. “He basically indicated that he always wanted to be a soldier.”

He also is survived by his wife, Sarah, who with her husband would have celebrated their second anniversary on Oct. 14.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Gary J. Vasquez was killed in action on 9/29/08.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Jamie S. Nicholas

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Army Sgt. 1st Class Jamie S. Nicholas, 32, of Maysel, W.Va.

SFC Nicholas was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Sept. 29, 2008 in Yakhchal, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device during mounted operations. Also killed were Capt. Richard J. Cliff and Sgt. 1st Class Gary J. Vasquez.

W.Va. lowers flags to honor fallen soldier
The Associated Press

CLAY, W.Va. — Gov. Joe Manchin has ordered all U.S. and West Virginia flags lowered to half-staff to honor a Clay County soldier killed in Afghanistan.

Sgt. 1st Class Jamie Nicholas and two other soldiers died Sept. 29 when their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in Yakhchal. Nicholas was a 33-year-old resident of Maysel.

The governor’s order coincides with Nicholas’ funeral, set for Wednesday at Clay County High School.

The Department of Defense identified the other soldiers as 29-year-old Capt. Richard G. Cliff Jr. from Mount Pleasant, S.C., and 33-year-old Sgt. 1st Class Gary J. Vasquez from Round Lake, Ill.

The men were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group in Fort Bragg, N.C.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Jamie S. Nicholas remembered
The Associated Press

The signs in Jamie S. Nicholas’ hometown of Clay County, W.Va., said it all.

“In Our Prayers, the Nicholas Family, God Bless America,” said one at Maysel Missionary Baptist Church. “Jamie Nicholas, Our Fallen Hero,” read another at Go Mart.

Nicholas, 32, of Hope Mills, N.C., died Sept. 29 in an explosion in Yakhchal, Afghanistan. He was a 1994 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C.

Nicholas, a senior weapons sergeant, had been in Afghanistan since May. It was his second deployment to the country.

“Jamie died doing what he wanted to do. He wasn’t concerned about going over there this time, but I had asked him if he felt we should be there,” said his mother, Karen Nicholas.

“He was adamant,” she said. “He said if we are not there, they will be in America. That gives me comfort. We support America.”

Nicholas was the second of six children in his family. And he was not the only one to serve in the military. Another son served for 10 years, also stationed at Fort Bragg. His sister-in-law also serves.

He is survived by his wife, Michelle; his stepson, Brenton Troup, and his stepdaughter, Sharise Troup.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Jamie S. Nicholas was killed in action on 9/29/08.

Army Capt. Richard G. Cliff Jr.

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Army Capt. Richard G. Cliff Jr., 29, of Mount Pleasant, S.C.

Capt. Cliff was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Sept. 29, 2008 in Yakhchal, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device during mounted operations. Also killed were Sgt. 1st Class Jamie S. Nicholas and Sgt. 1st Class Gary J. Vasquez.

Army Capt. Richard G. Cliff Jr. remembered
The Associated Press

Richard G. Cliff Jr. spent as much time in the water as a dolphin, swimming and surfing with his brother. The two boys, born only 16 months apart, had a special bond.

“It was just him and me,” Eddie recalled. “He was my big brother, and I looked up to him.”

Cliff, 29, of Mount Pleasant, S.C., was killed Sept. 29 in an explosion in Yakhchal. He was a 2002 graduate of Appalachian State University and was assigned to Fort Bragg.

He wrestled in high school and college and did two tours in Iraq. Before his 2006 deployment ended, Cliff was called home and invited to take the Special Forces Qualification Course.

Cliff was so serious about his duty that he spent his time in Charleston at the family’s house on Folly, running up and down the beach with a 70-pound rucksack on to get ready for his training. He earned the Green Beret in July.

Cliff had come home for the Sept. 4 birth of his son and returned to Afghanistan a week later. “He was about as happy as I’d ever seen him,” said Eddie Cliff. “He was a very proud father.”

Cliff also is survived by his wife, Stacy, and son, Richard.

Army Capt. Richard G. Cliff Jr. was killed in action on 9/29/08.





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Army Staff Sgt. William E. Hasenflu

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Army Staff Sgt. William E. Hasenflu, 38, of Bradenton, Fla.

SSgt Hasenflu was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Sept. 28, 2008 in the Jaji District, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained when his unit was ambushed by enemy forces using small arms fire.

101st soldier killed in Afghan ambush
By Brian Dunn
The (Clarksville) Leaf-Chronicle

A Fort Campbell soldier died Sunday from wounds suffered in an ambush in Afghanistan, according to a Department of Defense news release.

Sgt. William E. Hasenflu, 38, of Bradenton, Fla., died in the Jaji District, Afghanistan, after enemy forces using small-arms fire ambushed his unit, according to the news release.

The unit was taking detainees into custody, according to a Fort Campbell news release.

Hasenflu was a cavalry scout assigned to the A Troop, 1st Battalion, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.

The incident is under investigation, according to the DoD news release.

Hasenflu is survived by his wife, Judith Corbeau-Hasenflu, and daughters, Savannah, Ashley and Veronica, of Cadiz, Ky.; mother, Jane Mann, of Bradenton, Fla.; father, Earl Hasenflu, of Sarasota, Fla.

Hasenflu entered the Army in May 2005 and arrived at Fort Campbell in October 2005, according to a Fort Campbell news release. He previously served in the United States Marine Corps.

Hasenflu’s awards and decorations include: Army Commendation Medal; Joint Meritorious Unit Award; Valorous Unit Award; Meritorious Unit Commendation; Army Good Conduct Medal; Navy Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Southwest Asia Service Medal with Bronze Service Star; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Iraqi Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; NCO Professional Development Ribbon; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; Navy/Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon; Coast Guard Special Operations Service Ribbon; Armed Forces Reserve Medal; Kuwait Liberation Medal; Combat Action Badge; Air Assault Badge and Weapons Qualification, 9 mm pistol, expert.

A memorial service will be held in Afghanistan. Fort Campbell will hold an Eagle Remembrance Ceremony on Oct. 15.

Fourteen soldiers from Fort Campbell have died in Afghanistan since the 4th BCT, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, and the division headquarters deployed in March.

About 7,500 men and women from Fort Campbell are deployed to Afghanistan, with another 12,700 in Iraq.

Army Sgt. William E. Hasenflu remembered
The Associated Press

Michael Mendoza said William E. Hasenflu stood “side-by-side” with him as he was rehabilitated from a traumatic head injury he sustained in a military training exercise in 1993.

Mendoza spent years relearning common activities and finding another way to put food on the table, and Hasenflu was there throughout to help, he said.

“Bill helped tutor me during my community re-entry programs and years of life coaching,” Mendoza said. “He always helped people focus on what they could do and not what they couldn’t do.”

Hasenflu, 38, of Bradenton, Fla., was killed Sept. 28 by small-arms fire in the Jaji district. He was assigned to Fort Campbell and his was on his fourth tour in Afghanistan.

Hasenflu enlisted in the Navy as soon as he graduated high school in Meadville, Pa., where he grew up, Mann said. He also served in the Navy Reserves and the National Guard before joining the Army in May 2005, his family said.

He is survived by his wife, Judith, and daughters Savannah, Ashley and Veronica. He and his wife home-schooled the girls, always vacationed as a family and loved singing old-time Christmas carols together.

Army Staff Sgt. William E. Hasenflu was killed in action on 9/28/08.





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Army Pfc. Jamel A. Bryant

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Army Pfc. Jamel A. Bryant, 22, of Belleville, Ill.

Pfc. Bryant was assigned to the 40th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany; died Sept. 27, 2008 in Baghdad of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident while on patrol in Wahida, Iraq.

Late Ill. soldier embraced music
The Associated Press

BELLEVILLE, Ill. — A 22-year-old soldier from southern Illinois who died in a vehicle accident in Iraq is being remembered as a music-loving, McGyver-type who joined the Army two years ago to be a better man.

The Defense Department says Pfc. Jamel Bryant of Belleville died Saturday while on patrol in Wahida, Iraq.

Bryant was part of the 40th Engineer Battalion in the 1st Armored Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team in Baumholder, Germany.

Bryant’s mother says her son taught himself to play the piano and joined the Army to change his life for the better. He recently promised to take her to “The Price is Right” and Paris if she lost 20 pounds, something she’s been trying to do.

‘He was better than gold’
The Associated Press

Once Army Pfc Jamel A. Bryant and his family were at an opera when Bryant saw a little boy making a fuss and decided to talk him out of it.

“He talked to the little boy and told him that he used to be like that,” Bryant’s grandmother, Barbara Eiland, said. “The little boy apologized and the mother turned around and thanked Jamel.”

Bryant, 22, of Belleville, Ill., died Sept. 27 of injuries from a vehicle accident in Wahida. He was assigned to Baumholder, Germany.

He joined the Army in 2006 because he wanted to change his life.

“He wanted to be a better man,” Bryant’s mom, Cecilia Eiland, said. “And he already was. He was very respectful to everyone. He didn’t care who they were or where they were from. He was better than gold.”

Bryant loved music and he loved children, and often passed candy out to children in Iraq, said his brother, Antonio: “He was always trying to be a mentor to another child.”

Bryant taught himself how to play the piano and recently produced a rap song about the troubles he had growing up in order to help other children.

He also is survived by his father, Antonio Bryant Sr., and his fiancee, Rochelle Jumper.

Army Pfc. Jamel A. Bryant was killed in action on 9/27/08.

Army Staff Sgt. Ronald Phillips Jr.

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Army Staff Sgt. Ronald Phillips Jr., 33, of Conway, S.C.

SSgt. Phillips was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died Sept. 25, 2008 in Bahbahani, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.

Army Staff Sgt. Ronald Phillips Jr. remembered
The Associated Press

Wanda Phillips said a moment with a South African pastor during her son’s high school days was his first nudge toward service.

“God said, ‘If you serve me, I’m going to take you places,’” she said, reading from the family’s written account of what Ronald Phillips Jr. was told that day. “You’re going to be able to run with young people and go with teams. You’re going to countries in the world.”

“All Ron heard out of that was he was going to lead teams,” said his father, Ronald Phillips Sr. “Well, he was a basketball player and said, ‘Oh, Daddy, I’m going overseas to play basketball.’ I said, ‘Boy, that ain’t what that means.’”

Phillips, 33, of Conway, S.C., died Sept. 25 in Bahbahani of wounds suffered when his vehicle struck an explosive. He was a 1994 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Stewart.

He was known for his love of R&B music and his ability to just draw people in, whether at football game as a child, or fishing with his three brothers as an adult.

He is survived by his wife and two young children.

“He’s my hero,” said Ronald Phillips Sr.

Army Staff Sgt. Ronald Phillips Jr. was killed in action on 9/25/08.





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Army Capt. Michael J. Medders

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Army Capt. Michael J. Medders, 25, of Avon Lake, Ohio

Capt. Medders was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas; died Sept. 24, 2008 in Jisr Naft, Iraq, of wounds sustained when a suicide bomber detonated a vest during operations.

Army Capt. Michael J. Medders remembered
The Associated Press

Michael J. Medders was a standout on his high school football squad. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound defensive lineman was All-Ohio and first-team All-Southwestern Conference.

His football coach, Dave Dlugosz, said Medders was equally impressive off the field. “He was kind and caring to the younger players. They could go to him. And he had an outstanding sense of humor,” Dlugosz said.

Medders, 25, of Elyria, Ohio, died Sept. 24 in Jisr Naft of wounds sustained in a suicide bombing. He graduated from Bowling Green State University in 2005 and was assigned to Fort Hood.

In May, he was hit by a roadside bomb near Baghdad and suffered a concussion. He was treated at a field hospital and returned to work. In July, he was promoted to captain.

“He was an awesome, awesome young man,” said Mari Beth Becker, a former neighbor. “He was very respectful and had a great sense of humor. I never heard him say an unkind word — it’s very heartbreaking.”

He also is survived by his parents, Michael and Lynn Medders, and fiancee, Stacey Hrvatin.

“He was always involved in such positive things,” said guidance counselor Linda Broadhurst.

Army Capt. Michael J. Medders was killed in action on 9/24/08.

Army 1st Lt. Thomas J. Brown

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Army 1st Lt. Thomas J. Brown, 26, of Burke, Va.

1st Lt. Brown was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany; died Sept. 23, 2008 in Salman Pak, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his patrol came under small arms fire during dismounted operations.

Conn. native killed in Iraq
The Associated Press

HARTFORD, Conn. — An Army lieutenant who grew up in Shelton died in Iraq after his patrol came under small-arms fire about 60 miles north of Baghdad, the Defense Department said.

Thomas J. Brown, 26, who lived Burke, Va., died Tuesday after the fighting in Salman Park, the military said. He was assigned to the Germany-based 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Armored Division.

He is the 41st member of the military from Connecticut to die in Iraq or Afghanistan since the wars started. Two civilians from the state have also died.

Brown was due to take a leave and come home in about three weeks to spend time with his family and girlfriend, relatives said.

“He just called me three days ago and said he couldn’t wait to get back,” his twin brother, Timothy Brown, said Thursday. “He wanted to make a difference. The Army was lucky to have him.”

After leaving Shelton, Thomas Brown graduated from George Mason University in 2004 with a degree in government and joined the Army in 2005. Timothy Brown said his brother went to Ranger school, Airborne school and officer’s candidate school.

“He took every opportunity that came his way,” Timothy Brown said.

Thomas Brown was a good moral person, his brother said. Everyone he met left with something from him, he said.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi ordered that all U.S. and state flags in Connecticut be flown at half-staff in honor of Brown.

“We must never lose sight of the sacrifices our military members make each and every day as they serve our great country,” Rell said in a statement. “We can best honor his selfless dedication to our freedoms by keeping Lieutenant Brown — and all our men and women overseas — in our thoughts and prayers.”

Lieutenant ‘led his life by example’
The Associated Press

While stationed at Fort Benning, 1st Lt. Thomas J. Brown found an abandoned cat that someone had apparently tossed out a window.

He adopted it as a pet, giving it a loving home, and named it Batman.

“That was Tom,” said his mother, Carol Brown. He always looked out for others, both people or animals. “He always seemed to be picking up abandoned animals,” she said.

Brown, 26, of Burke, Va., died Sept. 23 in Salman Pak of wounds from small-arms fire. He graduated from George Mason University in 2004 with degrees in government and international politics, and was assigned to Baumholder, Germany.

“He tried working, but he found life behind a desk was not for him,” Carol Brown said. So Brown applied for and was accepted to Army Officer Candidate School. In addition to earning an officer’s commission, he earned Airborne wings and a Ranger tab.

Brown wouldn’t ask his troops to do anything that he himself wouldn’t do, his brother Tim said. “He led his life by example and was always in front of the pack,” he said. “He always wanted to be the one with boots on the ground and in the front of the line.”

Army 1st Lt. Thomas J. Brown was killed in action on 9/23/08.

Air Force Maj. Rodolfo I. Rodriguez

Remember Our Heroes

Air Force Maj. Rodolfo I. Rodriguez, 34, of El Paso, Texas

Maj. Rodriguez was assigned to the 86th Construction & Training Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany; died Sept. 20, 2008 in the bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Major killed in Pakistan hotel blast remembered
By Bruce Rolfsen
Staff writer

The Air Force major killed by a terrorist bomb in Pakistan is remembered as an officer who led by example.

Maj. Rodolfo I. Rodriguez, 34, of Ramstein Air Base, Germany, was among the more than 50 people killed Saturday in an attack on the Marriott hotel in Islamabad. Rodriguez, a civil engineering officer, was in Pakistan to train the Pakistani military. His home unit was Ramstein’s 86th Construction and Training Squadron.

The other American service member lost in the bombing was Navy Cryptologic Technician 3rd Class Matthew J. O’Bryant, 22, of Duluth, Ga. He was assigned to the Navy Information Operations Command at Fort Meade, Md.

No one would say why the servicemen were in or near the hotel, although it is known as a popular meeting place for foreigners in the Pakistani capital. The bombing occurred just days after the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, visited Pakistan and confirmed reports that American military units had crossed from Afghanistan into Pakistan and targeted militants there.

At Ramstein, Maj. Andrew Sheehan met Rodriguez three years ago and the pair became friends.

“He was my sponsor when arrived at the base,” Sheehan recalled.

Together, the two civil engineers worked on several projects at Ramstein including airfield improvements, security upgrades and a gymnasium.

“He would handle the design and I’d do construction management,” Sheehan said.

Rodriguez was the son of immigrant parents and grew up in El Paso, Texas. He earned selection to the Air Force Academy and graduated from there in 1998.

Sheehan said Rodriguez was proud of going from a child who learned English as his second language to being commissioned an Air Force officer. The wide range of experiences meant Rodriguez could relate to airmen of any rank.

“He wasn’t afraid to get his boots dirty,” Sheehan said.

From the academy, Rodriguez went on to serve in civil engineer units, including a tour at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., before his assignment to Ramstein. He was promoted to major in December 2007, according to Air Force records.

The deployment to Pakistan was Rodriguez’s third lengthy Central Command assignment since 2001, including six months at Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq, in 2006, Sheehan said.

A memorial service is being held this week at Ramstein.

The major’s survivors include his wife, Caryn; mother, Minerva Rivas; and two brothers.

Air Force Maj. Rodolfo I. Rodriguez remembered
The Associated Press

Rodolfo I. Rodriguez was the son of immigrant parents and earned selection to the Air Force Academy. He was proud of going from a child who learned English as his second language to being commissioned an officer.

The wide range of experiences meant Rodriguez could relate to airmen of any rank. “He wasn’t afraid to get his boots dirty,” said Maj. Andrew Sheehan.

Rodriguez, 34, of El Paso, Texas, killed by a terrorist bomb in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Sept. 20. A civil engineering officer, he was assigned to Ramstein Air Base.

After graduating from the academy in 1998, Rodriguez went on to serve in civil engineer units, including a tour at Vandenberg Air Force Base. The deployment to Pakistan was Rodriguez’s third lengthy assignment since 2001, including six months at Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq, in 2006.

Repeatedly described as a quiet man, Rodriguez listened much more than he spoke. “For those of us who have a tendency to perhaps say a few too many words, we are quick to be quiet when Rod is speaking because there is wisdom in his words,” Sheehan said.

He is survived by his wife, Caryn.

Air Force Maj. Rodolfo I. Rodriguez was killed 9/20/08 in the Pakistan Marriott bombing.

Army Lt. Col. James L. Wiley

Remember Our Heroes

Army Lt. Col. James L. Wiley, 46, of North Bend, Ore.

Lt. Col Wiley was assigned to the 27th Brigade Combat Team, New York Army National Guard, Syracuse, N.Y.; died Sept. 18, 2008 at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident.

Army Lt. Col. James L. Wiley remembered
The Associated Press

About a year ago, James L. Wiley decided to don fatigues again and become a soldier for one final tour in Iraq.

“While he was there, he really became a humanitarian,” said his mother, Ruth Wiley. “He collected clothing for the children.

He told me, ‘Mom, we can fight as many wars as we want, but when we get the children believing in us, that’s when we will get the wars to stop.’”

Wiley, 46, of North Bend, Ore., died Sept. 18 at Bagram Airfield of injuries from a non-combat-related incident. He was a 1979 high school graduate and was assigned to Syracuse, N.Y.

He earned degrees in math and chemistry as well as marketing and management from the University of Oregon. He also was a member of the Oregon National Guard during college.

Wiley then earned a law degree from Willamette Law School and enlisted in the Army as a captain. His father, Jim Sr., pinned his bars on his son.

His law degree led to a posting with the government as a military attorney in Germany. When it was time to return home, the government asked him to stay as chief legal counsel.

He is survived by his wife, Theresa, and three daughters.

Army Lt. Col. James L. Wiley died in a non-combat related incident 9/18/08.

Army 1st Lt. Robert Vallejo II

Remember Our Heroes

Army 1st Lt. Robert Vallejo II, 28, of Richland Hills, Texas

1st Lt. Vallejo was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 149th Aviation Regiment, 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, Texas Army National Guard, Grand Prairie, Texas; died Sept. 18, 2008 when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter he was in went down in the vicinity of Tallil, Iraq. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 2 Corry A. Edwards, Sgt. Daniel M. Eshbaugh, Sgt. Anthony L. Mason, 1st Sgt. Julio C. Ordonez, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Brady J. Rudolf and Cpl. Michael E. Thompson.

Pentagon IDs 4 Texans killed in chopper crash
The Associated Press

DALLAS — Seven National Guardsmen — including four from Texas — were on their way from Kuwait to Balad to join their unit last week when their helicopter crashed in Iraq, the Texas National Guard said Monday.

The four Texans killed in Thursday’s crash were: Chief Warrant Officer Corry A. Edwards, 38, of Kennedale; Sgt. Anthony L. Mason, 37, of Springtown; 1st Sgt. Julio C. Ordonez, 54, of San Antonio; and 1st Lt. Robert Vallejo II, 28, of Richland Hills.

Three soldiers from the Oklahoma National Guard were also died.

“As we grieve with so many in our community over this extremely unfortunate news, our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of these citizen-soldiers,” said Lt. Gen. Charles G. Rodriguez, adjutant general of the Texas National Guard.

The soldiers had been called to active duty on June 5. After completing two-and-a-half months of training at Fort Sill, Okla., the soldiers were deployed to Kuwait on Aug. 24, the Texas National Guard said in a news release.

The CH-47 Chinook was flying in a four-helicopter formation from Kuwait to the U.S. military base at Balad when it crashed about 60 miles west of Basra. Military officials say they suspect a mechanical malfunction.

The soldiers were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 149th Aviation Regiment, Task Force 34, Texas Army National Guard in Grand Prairie.

Vallejo, a pilot who was posthumously promoted to captain, is survived by his wife Hillary Ann. He joined the National Guard in April 1999.

Edwards, posthumously promoted to chief warrant officer 2, is survived by his wife, Nanette, and sons, Killian Hunter and Logan Samuel. Edwards joined the military in December 1992. From June 2003 to April 2004, he served in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Mason, posthumously promoted to staff sergeant, is survived by his wife, Melanie Laree, and daughters, Ashley Nicole, Jamie Rosalee and Megan Irene.

Mason, who also served in Iraq from February 2003 to September 2003, joined the Texas Army National Guard last year. He attended basic training and advanced individual training to become a helicopter engineer.

Ordonez, posthumously promoted to sergeant major, is survived by his wife Leticia, sons Julio and Jacob, and daughters Joyce and Judith. Ordonez, born in Honduras, joined the military in April 1982. Before joining the Texas Army National Guard, he served with HHC, 6-112th in Arkansas as a helicopter engineer, the Texas National Guard said.

Army Capt. Robert Vallejo II remembered
The Associated Press

Robert Vallejo II was very disciplined. He would go jogging at 5 a.m. every morning, no matter the weather. But he melted when it came to family, visiting whenever he could.

“He was a happy person. I never saw him in a bad mood,” said his aunt, Sara Ramirez.

Vallejo, 28, of Richland Hills, Texas, was killed Sept. 18 when his helicopter went down near Tallil. He was assigned to Grand Prairie, Texas.

Vallejo graduated from Texas Christian University in 2005 with a bachelor’s in speech and communication. He was involved with Army ROTC and took many classes in military science.

Soon after graduating from high school, he joined the National Guard and was able to get his college education through the military.

“He enjoyed jumping out of airplanes and parachutes,” said Ramirez.

He and his wife, Hillary, who he met when they were in junior high school, are expecting their first child. They learned a short time before he left for Iraq in August that she was pregnant. The day after Vallejo died, she learned they were having a boy.

She will name the baby Robert.

Army 1st Lt. Robert Vallejo II was killed in action on 9/18/08.

Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Corry A. Edwards

Remember Our Heroes

Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Corry A. Edwards, 38, of Kennedale, Texas

CWO2 Edwards was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 149th Aviation Regiment, Task Force 34, Texas Army National Guard, Grand Prairie, Texas; died Sept. 18, 2008 when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter he was in went down in the vicinity of Tallil, Iraq. Also killed were Sgt. Daniel M. Eshbaugh, Sgt. Anthony L. Mason, 1st Sgt. Julio C. Ordonez, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Brady J. Rudolf, Cpl. Michael E. Thompson and 1st Lt. Robert Vallejo II.

Pentagon IDs 4 Texans killed in chopper crash
The Associated Press

DALLAS — Seven National Guardsmen — including four from Texas — were on their way from Kuwait to Balad to join their unit last week when their helicopter crashed in Iraq, the Texas National Guard said Monday.

The four Texans killed in Thursday’s crash were: Chief Warrant Officer Corry A. Edwards, 38, of Kennedale; Sgt. Anthony L. Mason, 37, of Springtown; 1st Sgt. Julio C. Ordonez, 54, of San Antonio; and 1st Lt. Robert Vallejo II, 28, of Richland Hills.

Three soldiers from the Oklahoma National Guard were also died.

“As we grieve with so many in our community over this extremely unfortunate news, our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of these citizen-soldiers,” said Lt. Gen. Charles G. Rodriguez, adjutant general of the Texas National Guard.

The soldiers had been called to active duty on June 5. After completing two-and-a-half months of training at Fort Sill, Okla. the soldiers were deployed to Kuwait on Aug. 24, the Texas National Guard said in a news release.

The CH-47 Chinook was flying in a four-helicopter formation from Kuwait to the U.S. military base at Balad when it crashed about 60 miles west of Basra. Military officials say they suspect a mechanical malfunction.

The soldiers were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 149th Aviation Regiment, Task Force 34, Texas Army National Guard in Grand Prairie.

Vallejo, a pilot