Army Capt. Benjamin A. Sklaver

Died October 2, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

32 year old Benjamin Sklaver, of Medford, Mass.; assigned to the 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve, Greensboro, N.C.; died Oct. 2 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained when he was attacked by a suicide bomber. Also killed was Pfc. Alan H. Newton Jr.

Dad: Soldier wanted to win hearts of Afghans

By Pat Eaton-Robb

The Associated Press

HARTFORD, Conn. — Army Capt. Benjamin Sklaver was a humanitarian who lived and died trying to fix whatever he found broken in the world, his friends and family said Monday.

The 32-year-old reservist had worked on refugee issues in Africa and started a nonprofit organization that brought clean drinking water to thousands. He was killed Friday in southeastern Afghanistan when his civil affairs unit was ambushed by a suicide attacker.

“Ben was a patriot, loved his country and loved serving,” said friend Jake Herrle. “But he also saw his job in the Army to be a combatant for peace. He saw the Army as a way to do greater good.”

Sklaver, a Hamden native, was almost finished with his reserve commitment and was engaged to be married when he was recalled to duty this spring and sent to Afghanistan.

His job there was to help the military establish better relationships with the Pashtun people, so fewer would join the Taliban, said his father, Gary Sklaver. He would meet with village elders to find out if they needed schools, a hospital or clean water, and then he would help them get it. Often, he would not know whether the people he was working with were sympathetic to the enemy.

“The people who are there doing good, such as my son, are the biggest threat to the Taliban, because if they win over the hearts and minds of the population, then the Taliban doesn’t have the recruiting points they would have if the soldiers just came in, knocked on doors and killed people,” his father said.

Ben Sklaver had a history of winning people’s hearts and minds, Gary Sklaver said.

After graduating with a master’s degree in international relations from Tufts University, he went to work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and traveled to Malawi in Africa to work on international hunger and refugee relief issues.

In 2006, his reserve unit was sent to the Horn of Africa. He ended up in northern Uganda, where his mission was to help refugees re-establish communities after 20 years of civil war. Most of his work involved finding new sources of clean water, helping dig wells or creating protected springs, his father said.

He was so moved by the suffering he saw that he founded the nonprofit Clearwater Initiative when he got home, recruiting friends to help him continue the work in Uganda.

“It was totally volunteer. He had a full-time job with the CDC and spent about 30 hours a week of his own time working on this,” his father said.

The organization allows donors to contribute to specific projects, such as repairing a well at a school. They can then follow online as the project they funded is completed.

Since it began, the Clearwater Initiative has provided access to clean water for more than 6,500 people, said Herrle, who volunteers and serves on the charity’s board. Sklaver’s goal was to increase that to 250,000 within 10 years.

“He was a tremendously bright and caring person,” Herrle said. “He could have very easily just coasted along on his talent, looking out for himself. But because of the way he saw the world and saw his place in it, he always tried to improve it.”

Sklaver had just begun a job in New York with the Federal Emergency Management Agency when he was called back to active duty in the spring.

At the time of his death, his friends were preparing a giant care package to send to him for Thanksgiving. Everyone who donated to the package also made a donation to his nonprofit.

His family is requesting that mourners contribute to the charity instead of sending flowers.

Sklaver’s funeral is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Congregation Mishkan Israel in Hamden.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell has ordered state flags to remain at half-staff until Sklaver has been interred.

Army Sgt. Roberto D. Sanchez

Died October 1, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

24 year old Roberto Sanchez, of Satellite Beach, Fla.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Hunter Army Airfield Ga.; died Oct. 1 in Zharay district, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an IED.

An Army Ranger died Oct.1 from wounds received during combat operations in Afghanistan while serving with Company B, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment based at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.

Sgt. Roberto Daniel Sanchez, 24, was killed in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan during a combat operation involving multiple enemy contacts that killed nine enemy combatants and destroyed a large weapons cache. During the operation Sanchez was mortally wounded by an enemy improvised explosive device.

“Sgt. Sanchez epitomized the spirit and ethos of the Ranger Regiment,” said Col. Michael E. Kurilla, commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment. “He is a hero to our Nation, our Army and his family.”

“Sgt. Sanchez was the quintessential Ranger, enthusiastic, smart, loyal to his mission, his country and his friends,” said Col. Brian Mennes, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment Battalion commander. “He led with distinction and would want us to continue supporting the efforts for which he so humbly and selflessly dedicated his life.”

After graduating from Satellite Senior High School, Satellite Beach, Fla., Sanchez enlisted in the U.S. Army from his hometown of Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., July 2004. He began his Army Ranger career when he was assigned to Company B, 1st Bn., where he served as an automatic rifleman and team leader.

Sanchez was on his fifth deployment in support of the War on Terror with three previous deployments to Iraq and one to Afghanistan.

He is survived by his parents 1st Sgt. Will and Wendy Holland and brothers Jacob Goldberg and Logan Holland of Hendersonville, Tenn., and maternal grandparents James and Mary Wilson of Ocala, Fla.

Sgt. Roberto Daniel Sanchez, 24, was a team leader assigned to 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga. He was born on July 19, 1985 in Ocala, Florida.

Sgt. Sanchez was killed during a combat operation in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan Oct.1. He was on his fifth deployment in support of the War on Terror with three previous deployments to Iraq and one to Afghanistan.

After graduating from Satellite Senior High School in Satellite Beach, Fla., Sgt. Sanchez enlisted in the U.S. Army from his hometown of Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., July 2004. He completed One Station Unit Training at Fort Benning Ga., as an infantryman. After graduating from the Basic Airborne Course there, he was assigned to the Ranger Indoctrination Program also at Fort Benning.

He graduated from the Ranger Indoctrination Program and was then assigned to Company B, 1st Bn., 75th Ranger Regiment February 2005 where he served as an automatic rifleman and team leader.

His military education includes the Basic Airborne Course, Ranger Indoctrination Program, U.S. Army Ranger Course, Emergency Medic Technician Basic Course and Jumpmaster Course.

His awards and decorations include the Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Parachutist Badge, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with combat star, Iraq Campaign Medal with combat star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Army Service Ribbon.

He is survived by his parents 1st Sgt. Will and Wendy Holland and brothers Jacob Goldberg and Logan Holland of Hendersonville, Tenn., and maternal grandparents James and Mary Wilson of Ocala, Fla.

Army Staff Sgt. Alex French IV

Died September 30, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

31 year old Alex French IV, of Milledgeville, Ga.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, Lawrenceville, Ga.; died Sept. 30 in Khowst, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.

Enlisted in Navy before joining National Guard

The Associated Press

Alex French had a thing for the spinach-gobbling Popeye as a child and followed his own dream of being a sailor, joining the Navy.

French was honorably discharged in 2000 and continued his career in public service, becoming a sheriff’s deputy. But he wanted to keep serving his country and later joined the National Guard.

“It was in him to do that,” said his sister Latoya French. “When you’d see him, you’d think he belonged in uniform.”

French, 31, of Milledgeville, Ga., died Sept. 30 in Khost, Afghanistan, when enemy forces bombed his unit. He was assigned to Lawrenceville, Ga.

Another sister, Laquitta French Basley, said she often talked to her brother online while he was deployed. He always asked to make sure things were OK back in Georgia, rarely talking about himself.

French was always close to his family, Basley said, and always protective of his sisters.

“He was a rock,” she said.

Bibb County Sheriff Jerry Modena said French was an intelligent sergeant in the booking division who worked hard to rise through the ranks.

“He had a good career ahead of him,” Modena said. “To have it terminated so early, it’s a waste.”

Street named for fallen guardsman

The Associated Press

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — A Georgia community has renamed one of its streets for a hometown hero — a National Guard soldier who was killed two years ago in Afghanistan.

Family and friends of Staff Sgt. Alex French gathered Jan. 6 for a ceremony to dedicate Alex French Drive, the street where the citizen-soldier grew up in a neighborhood on the outskirts of Milledgeville.

French, 31, was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. He had deployed overseas with the 48th Infantry Brigade of the Georgia National Guard.

David Neal, who served with French in Afghanistan, told The (Macon) Telegraph he was glad to see the community do something to memorialize his friend.

Army Staff Sgt. Jack M. Martin III

Died September 29, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

26 year old Jack Martin III, of Bethany, Okla.; assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Sept. 29 in Jolo Island, Philippines, from the detonation of an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Sgt. 1st Class Christopher D. Shaw.

Wanted to work in schools

The Associated Press

Jack M. Martin III dreamed of working as an educator or finding another way to help people when his time in the military ended, his family said.

The 26-year-old from Bethany, Okla., was helping to resupply a school construction project in the Philippines when he was killed Sept. 29 by a bomb buried beneath a road on Jolo Island. Military officials said he was part of a task force deployed to help quell militants there.

Martin, the youngest of five children, was born in Iowa and grew up there and in Oklahoma. He played football and was an honors student at Bethany High School, graduating in 2001.

He started out in the Army Reserve before studying at the University of Central Oklahoma, said his father, Jack Martin Jr., adding that his son was in basic training during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The younger Martin had volunteered to go to Iraq, and when that deployment was canceled, he met with a recruiter looking for special forces volunteers and became a Green Beret. He was assigned to Fort Lewis.

“He was a very kind and loving person that was very intelligent with numbers,” his father said.

Martin’s survivors include his wife, Ashley.

Marine Lance Cpl. Ralph J. Fabbri

Died September 28, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

20 year old Ralph Fabbri, of Gallitzin, Pa.; assigned to Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Sept. 28 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

Central Pennsylvania park named for Marine killed overseas

The Associated Press

GALLITZIN, Pa. — A Marine killed in Afghanistan last year has been honored by hometown officials who renamed a park after him.

Portage Street Park in Gallitzin was renamed Fabbri Park on Wednesday, the one-year anniversary of Lance Cpl. Ralph Fabbri’s death. Fabbri was a combat photographer stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif., when he was killed in combat.

The park now has a new sign featuring Fabbri’s name, a picture of an American flag, the Marine Corps logo and a picture of Fabbri holding his camera.

Gallitzin is about 65 miles east of Pittsburgh. Fabbri was a 2008 graduate of nearby Penn Cambria High School.

Fabbri’s father says he was “proud of him being a Marine.”

Army Staff Sgt. Jason A. Benford

Died September 27, 2005 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

30 year old Jason Benford, of Toledo, Ohio; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.; killed Sept. 27 when his patrol was attacked by enemy forces using small-arms fire in Ramadi, Iraq.

* * * * *

Soldier’s wife remembers him as “even-toned”

Associated Press

There were two things that Jason A. Benford loved: his wife and Ohio State football. On Jan. 3, 2003 — his wedding anniversary and the night of OSU’s championship game against Miami — he had to choose.

Luckily, his wife ate quickly and the game went into overtime.

“He took me out to dinner, but he was looking at his watch the whole time,” Kim Benford said. “He lived in Georgia, but he was always a Buckeye.”

Benford, 30, of Toledo, Ohio, was killed Sept. 27 by small-arms fire in Ramadi. He was assigned to Fort Benning.

“He’s always been a special, special person, so even-toned. He’d handle all types of situations and not even break a sweat,” his wife said.

Benford, who graduated high school in 1993, took classes at the University of Toledo but decided he wasn’t quite ready for school and joined the Army in 1994, staying for 11 years.

He met his wife while stationed at Fort Benning, near her hometown. They were married in January 1998. “My mother had told me not to date soldiers,” she said, laughing.

“But I did and married him.”

He also is survived by 10-year-old Lane and 4-year-old Jacob.

* * * * *

Fort Benning soldier killed by sniper in Iraq

Associated Press

ATLANTA — A Fort Benning soldier was killed in Iraq when a sniper shot him while he was on patrol, family members said.

Staff Sgt. Jason Benford, 30, of Fort Benning’s 2nd Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, was killed in Ramadi, Iraq, said his wife, Kimberly Benford.

Benford said military officials notified her that he husband was killed on Tuesday.

Benford, a native of Toledo, Ohio, had been with the Army 11 years and was on his second tour in Iraq.

“He’d told me it was absolutely a different ball game out there compared to Baqouba,” Kimberly Benford said. Her husband’s unit was sent to Ramadi from Baqouba in late July.

Funeral services are pending. His battalion plans a memorial service next week.

Survivors include his two children, Lane and Jacob; his mother, Mary Benford of Sarasota, Fla; and his brother, John Benford of Pensacola, Fla.

Marine Lance Cpl. Jordan L. Chrobot

Died September 26, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

24 year old Jordan Chrobot, of Frederick, Md.; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Sept. 26 while supporting combat operations at Camp Dwyer, Afghanistan.

A good neighbor, a good Marine

The Associated Press

Jordan Chrobot’s wedding in his grandparents’ back yard was a long time coming.

“I immediately fell in love with him. I was about 11 years old,” said his wife, Amber. “One day he told me he loved me, and that was it.”

She spoke with him for about a half-hour before he went out on a mission, and the whole time he was “being silly and joking” as he thanked her for packages from home, said Chrobot’s mother, Kandy Poole Johns. It was the last mission he’d head out for.

Chrobot, 24, of Frederick, Md., died Sept. 26 in combat in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Camp Lejeune, N.C. He graduated from New Life Christian School in 2003.

Friends and family said he was proud to be a Marine and help other Marines. An unnamed neighbor said Chrobot came home from a deployment before he did and spent extra time helping the neighbor’s wife do chores around the house.

Justin Coffey, a friend from New Life, recalled the last time he saw Chrobot before he deployed to Afghanistan.

“He opened the trunk and pulled out his helmet and just said, ‘Look at my helmet.’ He was just so proud to be a Marine,” Coffey said.

He is also survived by his stepfather; his father and stepmother; three siblings; and numerous other relatives.

Army Spc. Francisco Briseno-Alvarez

Died September 25, 2011 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

27 year old Francisco Briseno-Alvarez, of Oklahoma City, Okla.; died Sept. 25 in Laghman province, Afghanistan, of injuries caused by an improvised explosive device; assigned to 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma National Guard, Stillwater, Okla.

Oklahoma City soldier killed in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY — Another Oklahoma soldier has died in combat in Afghanistan.
Spc. Francisco J. Briseno-Alvarez Jr. died Sunday of injuries he suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device in Laghman province, the Defense Department announced Monday.
Briseno-Alvarez, 27, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Brigade Combat team based in Stillwater.
The Oklahoma City resident is the 12th Oklahoma National Guard soldier to die in Afghanistan since July 29.
Oklahoma Army National Guard officials say Briseno-Alvarez graduated from U.S. Grant High School in south Oklahoma City in 2003, and joined the Army National Guard on Sept. 11, 2010.

Marine Lance Cpl. John J. Malone

Died September 24, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

24 year old John Malone, of Yonkers, N.Y.; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Fore, based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay; died Sept. 24 while supporting combat operations in Delaram, Afghanistan.

Local Marine killed in Afghanistan

By Hannan Adely and Hoa Nguyen

The (Westchester, N.Y.) Journal News

A 24-year-old Marine killed in action in Afghanistan on Thursday was a Gorton High School graduate and former Mahopac resident who “would light up the room,” family and friends said.

Lance Cpl. John J. Malone, who grew up in Mahopac before moving to Yonkers to attend high school, died of gunshot wounds while on patrol in Afghanistan, according to family and friends who said they were notified late Thursday. The Pentagon said he died in Farah province, Afghanistan.

Malone, a young man who loved music, often wore a smile on his face and was committed to his family and serving his country, had a way about him that earned many friends.

“John is a great guy,” said Zahara Majeed, 21, of Yonkers, a friend who knew Malone when he and his sister attended Gorton. “You would never have a bad day because he would always make you smile.”

Malone, who after graduation worked at the Pathmark store on Central Avenue and later enlisted, was proud of his military service and the opportunities that came with being in the Marines, friends said.

“He loved it,” Majeed said. “It changed him. He got to see the world, something that he was never going to do if he never got into the military.”

But most of all, Malone, who last year served in Iraq, wanted to help protect his country and family, friends said.

“He had family in the Marines, so what he said was, ‘Basically, they’re trying to kill my family,’ and he wanted to go and protect people he loved and what not — the country and everything,” said Josh Blumenstetter, 24, a friend who knew Malone when he lived in Mahopac.

Malone had come to Mahopac to live with his grandmother, and, despite being new to the area, he fit in easily, said Charles Blumenstetter, Josh’s father.

“He was one of the most popular guys in town. Everybody loved him,” Charles Blumenstetter said. “He was just a polite young man and very friendly, and all I can say is I was talking to one of the kids this morning and they’re all very upset. They said John would just light up the room.”

On Tuesday, Josh Blumenstetter got an e-mail from Malone saying he had had a lot of close calls while serving in Afghanistan and was anxious to come home. He was due to come home in several weeks.

“When he was in Iraq, it seemed like he felt a lot more safe and everything seemed better,” he said.

Then, Blumenstetter got a text message from Malone’s brother Darryl at 5:15 p.m. Thursday saying, “John’s gone.”

Malone was a member of the 2nd Battalion , 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, based at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay.

Marco Kilcawley, 22, of Columbia, S.C., served in the same company as Malone in Afghanistan but was sent back to Hawaii a couple of months ago for medical reasons.

“We went to Iraq together. We went to Afghanistan together,” Kilcawley said. “He was an all-around good Marine. He made everyone happy, even when we were around the field cold and miserable.”

During his free time, Malone would listen to songs that he had written and produced, and enjoyed hanging out with his friends, Kilcawley said. Like his friends in the company, he was torn over whether to quit the military or sign up for another tour, Kilcawley said. This last tour in Afghanistan was more difficult than their other assignments, Kilcawley said, adding that he did not know the circumstances surrounding Malone’s death.

“Afghanistan is more dangerous,” he said. “The Taliban over there are a little more braver in trying to attack us.”

Enjoyed writing, producing music

The Associated Press

John Malone liked to see his friends smiling.

So if they weren’t, he’d try to change that.

“You would never have a bad day because he would always make you smile,” a friend, Zahara Majeed, told the Journal News of Westchester, N.Y.

He was friendly and polite and could light up a room.

“He was an all-around good Marine,” said Marco Kilcawley, who served with Malone in Iraq and Afghanistan. “He made everyone happy, even when we were around the field cold and miserable.”

Malone, 24, of Yonkers, N.Y., was killed Sept. 24 during fighting in Farah province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay.

Malone, a graduate of Charles E. Gorton High School, had looked forward to serving in the military, friends and family members said.

“It was a dream that he always wanted to do,” said his mother, Maria Pacheco. “It was something he had always talked about.”

Malone joined the Marines in February 2007 and was deployed to Iraq a year later. His Afghanistan deployment was in May.

Malone also had a passion for music, and he had written and produced some songs.

Marine Lance Cpl. Anthony J. Rosa

Died September 23, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

20 year old Anthony Rosa, of Swanton, Vt.; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Sept. 23 at Camp Dwyer, Afghanistan, of injuries received while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

‘He was shot’ on patrol, family spokesman said

By John Briggs

The Burlington (Vt.) Free Press

Marine Lance Cpl. Anthony “Chuckie” Rosa, 20, of Swanton, Vt., was killed Sept. 23 in Afghanistan, the Defense Department confirmed late Sept. 24.

His death was confirmed earlier Sept. 24 by family friend Bill Rowell, who spoke from the family’s home. Rowell said a Marine, a Vermont state trooper and a city police officer went to the family’s home late Sept. 23 with news of Rosa’s death.

According to the Pentagon, Rosa died of wounds received while supporting combat operations in Helmand province. Rowell, the family friend, said Rosa was killed while on patrol. “He was shot,” Rowell said.

Rosa was assigned to G Company, 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C. He left the Marine training facility at Lejeune for Afghanistan several months ago, Rowell said.

Rosa graduated in 2008 from Missisquoi Valley Union High School. Franklin Northwest Supervisory Union Superintendent Jack McCarthy said the school was waiting to learn the family’s wishes before planning a memorial ceremony.

Rosa’s body arrived Sept. 25 at Dover Air Force Base, Del. Rosa said it then would fly on to Vermont in a National Guard plane.

“The Marine delegation will be here this evening to go through the paperwork with us,” Rowell said Sept. 24. “Anthony’s mother asked me to field the calls.”

Rosa is the 39th U.S. service member either from Vermont or with close ties to the state who has died in support of the wars in Iraq and in Afghanistan since March 2003.

This year, three other soldiers have died in Afghanistan, all Vermont guardsmen. Spc. Ryan J. Grady, 25, of West Burke was killed July 2; Sgts. Tristan H. Southworth, 21, of Walden and Steven J. Deluzio, 25, of South Glastonbury, Conn., were killed Aug. 22.

Rosa remembered as a gentleman

The Associated Press

Anthony Rosa, a lance corporal in the Marines, recently asked his mom to send care packages to him in Afghanistan. He wanted to give them to soldiers who had never received anything from their families.

Such kindness is what made Rosa, nicknamed Chuckie, so popular among friends and neighbors in Swanton, Vt., where he grew up.

“He was a perfectly mannered gentleman,” said Bill Rowell, a close friend of Rosa’s family. “He wasn’t perfect,” Rowell added, “but he came closer to it than most.”

Rosa, 20, also was known as an excellent golfer, an avid fisherman and a good student.

He joined the Marines a few months after graduating from Missisquoi Valley Union High School in 2008. He was serving in Afghanistan’s Helmand province when he was killed Sept. 23 while on patrol. He was assigned to Camp Lejeune.

“It’s a real big loss for the community,” said Chris Ste. Marie, owner of Ste. Marie’s Deli & Quick Stop, where Rosa worked in high school. “Chuckie was the type of kid that … would have done something with his life, he would have done well for himself.”

Army Sgt. Andy Morales

Died September 22, 2011 Serving During Operation New Dawn

32 year old Andy Morales, of Longwood, Fla.; assigned to 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), Orlando, Fla.; died Sept. 22 in Baghdad.

Longwood soldier who died in Iraq laid to rest
October 3, 2011|By Arelis R. Hernández, Orlando Sentinel
The body of U.S. Army Sgt. Andy C. Morales was buried today after a funeral service at River of Life Church in Oviedo.

Morales was killed in Iraq Sept. 22, the 2-month-anniversary of the birth of his daughter.

The 32-year-old soldier, who was killed in Baghdad, was assigned to the 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) of Orlando and was serving in Operation New Dawn, according to the Department of Defense.

When Army officials delivered the news to his wife, Mariela Caraballo-Morales, she could hardly believe it, said sister-in-law Mercian Lesser said from her Sarasota home.

Just five months before, the best friends were married in a celebration that brought together a family that had seen its share of hardships. The young soldier spent just nine days with his newborn, Naiara Morales, before he was deployed, his wife said.

Morales was the second of five children born to a single mother from Puerto Rico who struggled to keep her family safe and secure in Brooklyn, N.Y., family members said.

The close-knit siblings — each born just a year apart — celebrated all their November birthdays together in one party more out of necessity than novelty. Their tightness kept each other out of trouble in the inner city despite the enormous obstacles they faced as a family, they said.

‘We were always la familia,” she said. “We had to stick together.”

Sgt. Morales was the warrior of the clan, always fighting to protect his family and work toward their collective success, his brother and sisters said.

“We were always just skating by,” Lesser said. “He always felt the need to fight for us.”

He was also the family comic, transforming the most heartbreaking occasions into laughing marathons.

“Andy didn’t believe in being angry. He hated it when people were angry with him,” said older brother Robert Morales. “He loved seeing people smile, and that’s probably the one thing I’m going to miss the most — his smile.”

Morales recalled a time when his brother took off his shoes and walked home barefoot with a friend who had had his shoes stolen. “That’s the kind of person Andy was,” he said.

Younger sister Glorian Morales said her brother was not only her dance partner and a cheating board games opponent, but he also was the father figure of the dad she never had. He was everything to his little sisters, twins Mercian and Glorian, and the youngest Jeannie.

“I am angry at the world, at the military, at myself. I’m angry at the things we had to live through and the constant struggle we faced,” she said. “Even though he’s gone, we all have a part of him that comes out in us. Sometimes it’s his funny jokes or his temper … He’s a hero and an awesome brother.”

Morales joined the Marines in 2002 but left as a sergeant after four years of active duty at bases in Japan and California.

The family drifted apart as they lived their lives separately in other states, but Sgt. Morales’ near-fatal car accident in North Carolina in 2009 helped draw them back together, family said.

Through all of Morales’ carefree adventures in life, his relationship with then-friend and now wife Mariela was constant. They kept in touch throughout the years and made their union official when he relocated to Central Florida where she lived.

After his wife became pregnant and several unsuccessful attempts to find work, he rejoined the military — this time with the Army in October 2010. They married April 25 during a small, intimate ceremony.

When his daughter was born, Andy Morales’ world changed and he was determined to take care of her and his wife’s 11-year-old daughter, Nyobi, said Robert Morales.

On the day he deployed, Glorian Morales said her brother promised to come back. In turn, she made a promise to take care of his family if anything happened.

She has vowed to keep her end of the bargain even if Sgt. Morales didn’t, she said.

The family was told the 32-year-old soldier was on a mission when he was shot and killed, but the incident is under investigation, they said.

“Last thing he said was he couldn’t wait to see his children,” his wife, Mariela, said. “Let the world know he died for his children.”

Army Pfc. William L. Meredith

Died September 21, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

26 year old William Meredith, of Virginia Beach, Va.; assigned to the 569th Engineer Company, 4th Engineer Battalion, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Sept. 21 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

Soldier’s enlistment surprised father

The Associated Press

Master Sgt. Lloyd Lee Meredith was a bit surprised when his son, William “Lee” Meredith, called to say he had joined the military.

“Lee is the kindest, gentlest soul I have ever met in my life,” the elder Meredith said. “He never had a hard word for anybody. Would never fight anybody. He was not a fighter. He was very passive.”

It was even more surprising that Lee had chosen a combat specialty. Sandy Mahoney, the mother of Lee Meredith’s best friend Chris, said the timid boy had blossomed after the Army.

“I never saw him stand so tall and proud as in his uniform,” Mahoney said.

Meredith, 26, of Virginia Beach, Va., was killed Sept. 21 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, after enemy forces attacked the vehicle in which he was riding. He was assigned to Fort Carson, Colo.

Mahoney fondly remembered all the times her son spent with Meredith, including the time Meredith lived with her and her son. Chris Mahoney had a bunk bed, and the two would argue over who would get the top bunk.

Now, Meredith was a guy who loved music and playing video games, and had hoped to propose soon to his longtime girlfriend.

“He took life day by day just trying to get by,” Chris Mahoney said of his friend.

Air Force Senior Airman Matthew R. Courtois

Died September 20, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

22 year old Matthew Courtois, of Lucas, Texas; assigned to the 366th Security Forces Squadron, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho; died Sept. 20 as a result of a nonhostile incident on Abdullah Al Mubarak Airbase, Kuwait.

Remembered as a family man

The Associated Press

Matthew R. Courtois was a family man, whether he was chasing his two stepchildren, Shaundra and Kaden, or just hanging out with relatives and friends.

“He always carried a smile and determined to get the job done,” colleague Johannes Dias wrote in an online memorial, adding that the two had deployed together to Iraq.

Courtois, of Lucas, Texas, died Sept. 20 — a week before his three-month wedding anniversary — after a nonhostile incident at Abdullah Al Mubarak Airbase, Kuwait. The military was investigating his death and didn’t release details. The 22-year-old was assigned to Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.

The son of Steve and Sue Courtois, he was born in Arizona and grew up in Lucas. He attended Allen High School in Allen, Texas, and joined the Air Force in January 2006.

Courtois, an Eagle Scout, loved being outdoors, building fires and shooting or playing paintball. He also enjoyed singing karaoke and playing video games on an Xbox. He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Courtois is also survived by his wife, Cheyenne; a brother, John; and two sisters, Carrie and Amy.

Army Spc. Michael S. Cote Jr.

Died September 19, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

20 year old Michael Cote, of Denham Springs, La.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; died Sept. 19 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed.

* * * * *

Met his wife during basic training

The Associated Press

Michael Cote wasn’t supposed to be focused on romance during basic training.

But he and the woman who would eventually become his wife, Ashlee — a fellow soldier — found a way around that policy. The two would secretly pass notes to each other and set dates for Sunday church services.

They married just days after finishing basic training. Their daughter, Brooke, was born in March.

“Every time he talked about Brooke, his face would light up,” said Chief Warrant Officer Pat Azan. “I asked him what he did when he was home on leave, and he told me all he did was hang around the house with his wife and daughter.”

Cote, 20, of Denham Springs, La., died Sept. 19 in Balad, Iraq, when the Black Hawk helicopter in which he was riding crashed. He was assigned to Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

A career in flight seemed fitting for Cote, who could always identify whatever aircraft was buzzing overhead, said his sister, Heather Cote. Whether it was an F-16 fighter jet or a Black Hawk like the one he served as a crew chief on, Michael Cote just knew.

“Mikey never, never, never had a doubt in his mind what he wanted to become, how he wanted to spend his life or how he would achieve that,” Heather Cote said.

Army 1st Lt. Eric Yates

Died September 18, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

26 year old Eric Yates, of Rineyville, Ky.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Sept. 18 in Maquan, Zhari district, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.

ROTC grad dies in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. — A campus memorial service has been scheduled for Sept. 23 at Western Kentucky University for a Rineyville native and graduate of the school’s ROTC program who died in Afghanistan.

1st Lt. Eric D. Yates died Sept. 18 from injuries received when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device in the Zhari district in Kandahar province, according to the Army.

Yates was assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), at Fort Campbell.

“It’s a sad day here,” Lt. Col. Jason T. Caldwell, head of WKU’s Department of Military Science and Leadership, told The News-Enterprise of Elizabethtown. “It reminds us about what our WKU ROTC graduates can experience when they become officers in the military and defend our country.”

Yates graduated from Western Kentucky University in 2008 and was a double major in social studies and history. He received his commission through WKU’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program.

Another Fort Campbell soldier was also killed in the attack. The Army said Staff Sgt. Jamie C. Newman of Richmond, Va., died Sept. 17.

“It’s tough to lose a member of the family even if your family is 21,000 students, 2,200 employees and 100,000 alumni,” WKU President Gary Ransdell said, adding Yates was the first ROTC cadet he knew as a student to be killed in action. “We suffered a loss last weekend that brings world events close to home.”

Yates had arrived at Fort Campbell in October 2009, according to the Army. His awards and decorations included the National Defense Service Medal; the Afghanistan Campaign Medal; the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; the Army Service Ribbon; the Overseas Service Ribbon and the Combat Action Badge.

He is survived by his father, David L. Yates, and mother, Kathy Yates, both of Rineyville.

A 2003 graduate of John Hardin High School in Elizabethtown, Yates is the second graduate of that school to die in Afghanistan in the last two months. Spc. Nathaniel Garvin, a Radcliff native also based at Ford Campbell, died in July in Afghanistan.

Michael Leasor, who graduated with Yates from John Hardin in 2003 and attended elementary school with him in Rineyville, told The News-Enterprise of Elizabethtown that Yates wanted to join the military at a young age. He said he talked with Yates about a month ago, shortly before he deployed.

“He was just his usual self,” Leasor said. “He was always kind of quiet … He looked at it as just doing his job.”

Burial set for fallen Campbell soldier

The Associated Press

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. — A Kentucky soldier killed by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan will be buried in his hometown, Rineyville.

Services for 1st Lt. Eric Yates are set for 10 a.m. Sept. 27 at St. James Catholic Church in Elizabethtown with burial at St. John Cemetery in Rineyville.

Yates was killed Sept. 18 when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device in the Zhari district of Kandahar province, according to the Army.

Yates was assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell.

Yates wanted to be a teacher

The Associated Press

Eric Yates was a quiet soldier who took a no-frills approach to his job and let his work do the talking.

“He looked at it as just doing his job,” said Michael Leasor, who graduated from Kentucky’s John Hardin High School with Yates in 2003.

Former school principal Brent Holsclaw said Yates didn’t talk much but was a good student who did all that was expected of him.

Yates, 26, of Rineyville, Ky., died Sept. 18 in the Zahri district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Fort Campbell, Ky.

Yates graduated from Western Kentucky University in 2008 with a degree in social studies and history. He was in the school’s ROTC program.

Jessica Forrest, a social studies teacher at Hardin High School, said Yates “was a real sensible and likable young man” who couldn’t wait to one day begin a career as a teacher.

Lt. Col. Jason Caldwell, who leads the ROTC program at WKU, said he always heard only good things about Yates.

“He was kind of a quiet, soft-spoken young man, but always got the job done, was always true to his word,” Caldwell said.

Army Pfc. Jeremiah J. Monroe

Died September 17, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

31 year old Jeremiah Monroe, of Niskayuna, N.Y.; assigned to the 7th Engineer Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Sept. 17 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

‘We were together as one,’ brother says

The Associated Press

Jeremiah Monroe liked to build and fix things, and his brother said he was a master tradesman.

“You name a blue-collar trade, he could do it,” Robert Monroe said of his older brother. Robert Monroe said he had a strong relationship with Jeremiah, forged through the family’s hard times.

“We haven’t had the easiest life. There wasn’t any little brother, big brother,” said Robert Monroe, who also is in the military. “We were together as one.”

Jeremiah Monroe, 31, of Niskayuna, N.Y., was killed Sept. 17 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, when the vehicle in which he was riding hit a roadside bomb. He was a combat engineer assigned to Fort Drum, N.Y. He joined the Army in March 2008 and was on his first deployment to Afghanistan, Army officials said.

Monroe enjoyed drawing motorcycles and cars, and served as a mentor in the Big Brothers-Big Sisters program, his family said in his obituary.

Monroe’s great-aunt, Netty Manning, said he was well-liked and was happy to use his skills in the military.

“It made him grow up a little bit more,” she said. “He was happy to be there and protecting us and doing what he could protecting his country.”

Monroe is also survived by his daughter, mother and grandmother.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Bradley S. Bohle

Died September 16, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

29 year old Bradley Bohle, of Glen Burnie, Md.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Sept. 16 in Ghur Ghuri, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle Sept. 15 with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Army Sgt. 1st Class Shawn P. McCloskey, 33, of Peachtree, Ga., and Army Staff Sgt. Joshua M. Mills, 24, of El Paso, Texas.

Was married, had three daughters

The Associated Press

As a child, Bradley S. Bohle could often be found woodworking with his grandfather. When the pair finished their work, “Pops” would shave the ice for a couple of refreshing milkshakes.

Those grandfather-grandson days are one of Ethel Bohle’s fondest memories of Bohle and her husband, Edward, who died three years ago.

Not too long ago, Brad Bohle’s father came to tell Ethel Bohle that her grandson had died.

“He said, ‘I guess Brad and Pop are having a milkshake,’ ” Ethel Bohle said.

Bohle, 29, of Glen Burnie, Md., died Sept. 16 when the Humvee he was riding in hit a roadside bomb in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C., and had been in the military since graduating from North County High School in 1998.

His aunt Shirley Bohle recalled the last time she spoke to him, remembering Bradley Bohle as an “all-American kid” who loved playing with his children.

“We were eating crabs and talking about whether we liked them spicy or not and what beer goes well with them,” she said.

His sister, April Clark, said her brother was her hero.

“When I was upset he’d always hug me, and even if I wasn’t he would,” she said.

Bohle is also survived by his wife, three daughters and parents.

Army Sgt. Demetrius L. Void

Died September 15, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

20 year old Demetrius Void, of Orangeburg, S.C.; assigned to the 57th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, 11th Signal Brigade, III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas; died Sept. 15 at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when a military vehicle struck him while conducting physical training.

Took part in family tradition of military service

The Associated Press

Demetrius Void was always focused on academics in high school: Teachers said he never shied away from asking for help and had a competitive nature.

“He kept at it until he figured out that calculus,” said math teacher Sharlene Foster.

But Void also always wanted to be different. He decided not to apply for college and instead chose to follow his family’s tradition of military service.

“He said he was tired of school,” said his uncle Keith Void. “He said he was tired of being smart.”

Void, 20, of Orangeburg, S.C., died Sept. 15 at Kandahar Air Field of injuries sustained when a military vehicle struck him while he was jogging. He was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas. The military has said it is investigating the hit-and-run accident.

Void was disciplined before he joined the Army, being active in the JROTC at Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School.

“He greeted students at the front desk and said, ‘You can’t go in there until you get your pants up. … This is an order,’ ” recalled Angelia Fersner, the school’s guidance counselor, who called Void her “acting secretary.”

Void is survived by his mother and two brothers.

Army Sgt. Andrew H. McConnell

Died September 14, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

24 year old Andrew McConnell, of Carlisle, Pa.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Sept. 14 in Kandahar, Afghanistan of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. Also killed was 1st Lt. David T. Wright.

Followed dad’s footsteps

The Associated Press

Andrew McConnell’s fellow soldiers remembered him as a walking encyclopedia, able to recite random trivia at any moment and a man with an intense personality.

“He was 100 mph, 100 percent of the time,” Staff Sgt. Philip McIlroy said during McConnell’s eulogy.

McConnell, 24, of Carlisle, Pa., died Sept. 14 in southern Afghanistan when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb. He was assigned to Fort Lewis, Wash., and although he listed Carlisle as his hometown, he considered the northwest home.

He was the son of a military man and moved around a lot he was born in California, went to high school in Italy and attended Georgia Military College. His sister Ashlee said Washington was his true home. It was where he met his wife, Sarah, who is expecting the couple’s first child.

Ashlee McConnell said her brother was married for only seven months before his death, but said “they were seven months that made Andrew the happiest man in the world, and they were seven months that I know Andrew is thanking God for right now in Heaven.”

McConnell enlisted in 2005 and was on his first deployment. His father, Col. Gregory “Scott” McConnell, previously was deployed to Iraq.

In addition to his wife, father and sister, McConnell is survived by his mother and three other sisters.

Army Master Sgt. Danial R. Adams

Died September 13, 2011 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

35 year old Danial Adams, of Portland, Ore., assigned to 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Stuttgart, Germany; died Sept. 13 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using mortar, machine-gun and small-arms fires.

Master Sgt. Danial R. Adams, assigned to 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Stuttgart, Germany, was killed in action in Afghanistan, Sept. 13.

Adams, a native of Oregon, joined the Army in 1995 as an infantryman, where he served with distinction while assigned to 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Ga., followed by exemplary service with 1st Bn., 501st Infantry and 1st Bn., 23rd Infantry at Fort Lewis, Wash.

After his assignment at Fort Lewis, Adams earned the Green Beret in 2005. His first Special Forces assignment was as a senior medical sergeant with the 3rd SFG (A) at Fort Bragg, N.C. In 2009, he joined 1st Bn., 10th SFG (A), where he served on a Special Forces team. He was killed in action while conducting combat operations with his team in Afghanistan.

Adam’s military education includes Airborne School, Jungle Warfare School, Ranger School, Jumpmaster School, Air Assault School, and the Special Forces Qualification Course.

His awards and decorations include two Bronze Star Medals, three Army Commendation Medals, four Army Achievement Medals, five Army Good Conduct Medals, two National Defense Service Medals, two Afghanistan Campaign Medals, two Iraq Campaign Medals, the Global War on Terror Service Medal, three Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbons, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, the Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge, Combat Infantryman’s Badge and Expert Infantryman’s Badge.

He is survived by his wife Melany, his two sons Jeffrey and John, and his daughter Skye.

Army Staff Sgt. Nekl B. Allen

Died September 12, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

29 year old Nekl Allen, of Rochester N.Y.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Sept. 12 in Shahr District, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised-explosive device and small arms fire. Also killed was Spc. Daniel L. Cox.

Relatives mourn soldier killed in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

SPENCERPORT, N.Y. — Mourners gathered Sept. 22 in a Rochester suburb for the funeral of a soldier killed in combat in Afghanistan after two tours in Iraq.

The parents, widow and three young children of Staff Sgt. Nekl Allen bid farewell to the soldier, who died Sept. 12 when his vehicle was hit by small-arms fire and an improvised explosive device in Wardak province.

Allen, 29, graduated in 1999 from Churchville-Chili High School, where he was a wrestler and played football. He joined the Army in 2002.

He was killed along with Spc. Daniel Cox, a 23-year-old from Parsons, Kan. Stationed with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y., they were deployed to Afghanistan in January.

Spent most of his free time with his children

The Associated Press

When Nekl Allen was home from the Army, he always found time to interact with his daughter and two sons.

Riding dirt bikes with 10-year-old Christopher. Roughhousing in the living room with 7-year-old Michael. Helping 5-year-old Grace learn to count.

“He was the most lovable person I know,” said his sister, Rana.

Allen, 29, of Rochester, N.Y., died Sept. 12 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, when he and a fellow soldier were attacked with an explosive and small weapons. Both were assigned to Fort Drum, N.Y.

Allen, known also as Nick or Nicky, loved the outdoors. He enjoyed fishing, bow-hunting and playing paintball. He was a 1999 graduate of Churchville-Chili High School, where he was a wrestler and played fullback and linebacker for the football team.

“He showed the signs of courage by taking on big tasks, even when he was young,” said his high school coach, Paul Dick.

Allen joined the Army in May 2002, prompted by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He was deployed twice to Iraq before being sent to Afghanistan.

“He stepped up to serve his country because he knew it was the right thing to do,” said his father-in-law, Mike Meehan.

Allen also is survived by his wife, Amy Meehan-Allen.

Army Pfc. Matthew M. Martinek

Died September 11, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

20 year old Matthew Martinek, of DeKalb, Ill.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska; died Sept. 11 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, of wounds sustained in Paktika province, Afghanistan, Sept. 4 when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised-explosive device followed by a rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire.

‘One of those clowns’

The Associated Press

Friends and family say Matthew M. Martinek had a sparkle in his eyes, maybe the seed of the smile he drew out of others.

“If you were in a bad mood, he always did something to cheer you up y’know, one of those clowns,” said Ryne Jones, who worked with him at a car care center in Martinek’s hometown of DeKalb, Ill.

Martinek, 20, died Sept. 11 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, of wounds suffered earlier in a roadside ambush in Paktika province.

“He tried not to talk too much about what he was doing, but he said he liked helping people,” said his brother, Travis Wright.

The Bartlett High School football player graduated in 2007 and joined the Army the next year, following a family tradition that included his grandfather, uncle and two older brothers.

His stepmother, Char DeGand, said he loved the outdoors snowboarding, camping, all-terrain vehicles and had an impressive tan for someone stationed at Fort Richardson, Alaska.

She said he was an organ donor, helping to save other soldiers even after his death.

Martinek also is survived by his father, Michael; mother, Cheryl Brandes Ferguson; and brothers Frank and Michael Jr.

Army 1st Lt. Tyler E. Parten

Died September 10, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

24, of Jonesboro, Ark.; assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Sept. 10 in Glehazi District, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire.

Ark. soldier killed by insurgents in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

MARIANNA, Ark — The father of an Arkansas soldier who was killed in Afghanistan said Sept. 12 his son was a gifted leader who was dedicated to serving his country.

“He was one of the most incredible individuals a man could ever be,” Dave Parten told The Associated Press of his son, 24-year-old 1st Lt. Tyler E. Parten.

The Defense Department said Tyler Parten was killed in Afghanistan on Sept. 10 after insurgents attacked his unit. The department said he died in Konar province after being wounded when insurgents attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire.

He had been stationed in Afghanistan since May and was a scout platoon leader on the mission in which he died. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Parten grew up in Marianna and graduated from Marianna Lee High School.

Dave Parten, 53, said his son was a 2007 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. “The top 10 percent of his class or something like that,” he said.

A second son, Daniel, is in his fourth year at West Point, he said.

Tyler Parten studied Arabic and wanted to be involved in conflicts targeting terror groups overseas, his father said.

“That was his reason for wanting to serve, to face the challenge and to serve others, serve his country,” Dave Parten said. “He wanted to lead other men.”

Tyler Parten’s mother, Lona Parten, told television station KAIT of Jonesboro, Ark., that her son loved the military and his country.

“He’s not just a U.S. soldier, he’s a man that took care of his troops,” she said.

Dave Parten said his son worked to excel in everything he attempted.

“He wrote music,” the father said. “He could pick up and play anything he wanted. He was just incredibly gifted.”

Tyler Parten, who was not married, also had a strong religious foundation and was a “wonderful Christian man,” his father said.

“He had a wonderful relationship with God,” Dave Parten said. “He affected everyone who ever shook hands with him.”

Tyler Parten’s body is expected to be returned to the U.S. over the weekend.

Mourners remember dedicated soldier

The Associated Press

MARIANNA, Ark. — Mourners remembered an Arkansas soldier Sept. 17 who killed in Afghanistan as a brave, dedicated man who knew what he was getting into when he enlisted in the Army.

Family and friends gathered in Marianna to honor 1st Lt. Tyler Parten, who was killed Sept. 10 in Kunbar province after insurgents attacked his unit with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire, according to the Department of Defense.

“My brother died a hero,” his brother, Daniel, told mourners attending Parten’s funeral in downtown Marianna. “Tyler earned his military honors and he knew what he was doing. He knew exactly what he was doing when he signed up for the job he signed up for.”

Parten had been stationed in Afghanistan since May and was a scout platoon leader on the mission in which he died. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

He grew up in Marianna and graduated from Marianna Lee High School. He was 2007 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and his brother, Daniel, is now in his fourth year there.

Parten’s family remembered their son as a bright man who traveled the world and spoke Arabic fluently.

Parten’s service awards included a National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and the Combat Action Badge, according to his mother, Lona Parten of Jonesboro.

“Ty right now is having the greatest adventure of his life. … I don’t grieve for Tyler, I grieve for us, because a nation has lost a great man,” she told mourners.

‘Tough days make the good days that much better,’ he wrote

The Associated Press

Tyler E. Parten entertained the “kiddos” in Afghanistan with his harmonica, built a chicken coop and wrote warmly of the look on a man’s face “when you show his child a little compassion.”

Those are some of the war zone experiences he documented through photos and messages on Facebook.

“Tough days make the good days that much better,” Parten said in a mid-August posting.

The 2007 graduate of West Point was assigned to Fort Carson, Colo., and studied Arabic because he wanted to help target terrorist groups overseas.

“That was his reason for wanting to serve, to face the challenge and to serve others, serve his country,” said his father, Dave Parten. “He wanted to lead other men.”

The 24-year-old from Marianna, Ark., was doing just that when he died during an ambush Sept. 10 in Konar province.

His father said Parten’s talents went beyond those of a good soldier.

“He wrote music,” Dave Parten said. “He could pick up and play anything he wanted. He was just incredibly gifted.”

The Marianna Lee High School graduate is also survived by his mother, Lona; and a brother, Daniel.

Army 1st Lt. Todd W. Weaver

Died September 9, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

26 year old Todd Weaver, of Hampton, Va.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky; died Sept. 9 at COP Stout, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.

Lt. leaves behind new wife, young daughter

The Associated Press

Todd Weaver’s idea of a romantic gift wasn’t jewelry. When his wife, Emma, celebrated her 21st birthday, he skipped the glittery stuff and took her skydiving.

“My husband was an amazing person who left this world too soon,” Emma said while eulogizing her husband. The couple’s daughter, Kiley, was born just nine months before Weaver left for his second deployment to Afghanistan.

He couldn’t see his daughter every day, but the Internet made it possible: His family sent video of the little girl walking around more than he’d ever seen.

Weaver, 26, of Hampton, Va., was killed Sept. 9 at COP Stout, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Fort Campbell, Ky. Weaver had attended the College of William and Mary, where he was a member of the ROTC. He had served in the National Guard, doing a tour in Iraq, before enrolling at the college.

Todd and Emma Weaver both attended Bruton High School in Virginia, but Emma told The Washington Post that she didn’t fall for the baseball and football star — who was always “the most popular guy” — right away.

Right before he left for Iraq, though, they were at a party together. It was raining. He ran outside in his socks, despite the rain, and gave her a kiss. When he came back, they were together every day.

Air Force 1st Lt. Joseph D. Helton Jr.

Died September 8, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

24 year old Joseph Helton, of Monroe Ga.; assigned to the 6th Security Forces Squadron, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.; died Sept. 8 near Baghdad of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

Airman killed in Iraq IED attack

Staff report

An Air Force security forces officer died Tuesday near Baghdad when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

The victim was 1st Lt. Joseph D. Helton Kr., 24, of Monroe, Ga., the Defense Department announced Wednesday.

Helton was deployed from the 6th Security Forces Squadron at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. He was stationed there in 2007 after graduating from the Air Force Academy, reports said.

“We’d like to express our deepest sympathy to family, friends and comrades of Lieutenant Joe Helton for their recent loss,” said Col. Lawrence Martin, commander of MacDill’s 6th Air Mobility Wing. “Joe was an amazing airman and defender who volunteered to lead our best in Iraq. We are deeply saddened by his loss and very proud of his service.”

Air Force Academy graduate cared about family

The Associated Press

If someone had a question, Joseph D. Helton was the man to go to for the answer.

“He just looked like he knew the answers,” said his mother, Jiffy. He was comfortable cooking his signature treat, baklava, and cleaning, but he also had a “quiet, commanding presence,” she said.

Helton, 24, of Monroe, Ga., died Sept. 8 near Baghdad when the vehicle he was in hit a roadside bomb. He admired his family’s service — his parents, grandparents and three uncles all had been in the armed forces — and doodled battleships and fighter jets as a child.

The daydreaming was not in vain: He went to the Air Force Academy, graduating in 2007. He then was assigned to MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. He didn’t want to leave his sisters behind, but his mother insisted he follow his dream.

“He felt like he had to stay around home and take care of the girls and me,” Jiffy Helton said. “He felt like he was the man of the house.”

Helton also wrote a blog while in Iraq, writing that the people he met were “just like us on a basic, human level.”

He is survived by his mother; father, Joseph; and his sisters.

Marine Cpl. Philip E. Charte

Died September 7, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

22 year old Philip Charte, of Goffstown, N.H.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Sept. 7 at Camp Dwyer, Afghanistan, of injuries received while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

Flags flown at half-staff to honor fallen Marine

The Associated Press

CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch has ordered flags on state buildings lowered to half-staff to honor a Goffstown Marine killed in Afghanistan earlier this month.

Marine Cpl. Philip Charte, 22, will be buried Thursday with full military honors at the New Hampshire Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen, after funeral services in Cambridge, N.Y.

Charte died Sept. 7 of wounds received during combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Charte, a 2007 graduate of Goffstown High School, was part of a Marine battalion out of Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Army Staff Sgt. Randy M. Haney

Died September 6, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

27 year old Randy Haney, of Orlando, Fla.; was assigned to 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Sept. 6 in Nangarhar, Afghanistan of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms and rocket-propelled grenades.

* * * * *

Enjoyed working on his Honda Civic

The Associated Press

When Randy M. Haney got a care package filled with candy while serving in Afghanistan, he wasn’t the one who ate it. He gave it to Afghan children, his mother said.

“He was very proud of the fact that he helped people and that he was serving his country,” added his mother-in-law, Cindy Alexopoulos. “He cared a lot about the kids and trying to help people who were there.”

Haney, 27, of Orlando, Fla., was killed Sept. 6 when enemy forces attacked his unit. He joined the military in search of a stable job after he earned his GED and had trouble finding jobs. He was a military police officer assigned to Fort Carson, Colo.

Haney had served a tour in Afghanistan from 2005-06, and in Iraq from 2007-08. But he was ready to come back to civilian life with his wife and two young children. And he was especially excited to work on his speedy Honda Civic, which he was always taking apart and putting back together.

His family said he was also a jokester who decided he would be in charge of boosting morale in his military unit.

Haney is survived by his wife, Katie, and two children, 5-year-old Aubry and 18-month-old Austin.

Marine Capt. Joshua S. Meadows

Died September 5, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

30 year old Joshua Meadows, of Bastrop, Texas; assigned to 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Sept. 5 while supporting combat operations in Koshan, Afghanistan.

MarSOC officer killed in Afghanistan

Staff report

A California-based Marine was killed Saturday in Afghanistan’s Farah province, the Pentagon reported Wednesday.

Capt. Joshua S. Meadows, 30, of Bastrop, Texas, died from wounds sustained during a firefight, friends told the Elgin Courier, his hometown newspaper. A UH-1N Huey pilot, he was assigned to 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Corps Forces-Special Operations Command, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.

He had joined MarSOC in May, Marine officials said in a statement.

Meadows enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1996, and he served as a reservist while studying at Texas Tech University, the Courier reported. He and his wife were expecting the birth of their first child.

His military awards and decorations included the Purple Heart, Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal and Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal, officials said.

Meadows approached Marine service ‘like it was his destiny’

The Associated Press

Joshua S. Meadows was about to become a father. He was only two weeks away from coming home where his wife was waiting to reveal whether they’d have a boy or girl when he died Sept. 5 while supporting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan.

The 30-year-old from Bastrop, Texas, was assigned to Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Friends said Meadows was a devout Christian and Eagle Scout who always had a sincere smile. He joined the Marines before graduating from Elgin High School in 1997 and earned a business degree from Texas Tech University before he was commissioned as an officer.

“He was just a very polite young man, very ‘Yes, sir, No, sir,’ ” said family friend Jeff Carter. “Some people join the military, and it’s just a job. But he approached it like it was his destiny.”

Local library director Sandy Ott said she remembered watching Meadows as a boy, riding in a green pickup and wrestling with his late father, Robert Meadows, also a Marine.

“Joshua and Robert are probably up in heaven now knocking each other in the head and playing,” she said.

Meadows is survived by his wife in Carlsbad, Calif.; his mother, Jan; and his sister, Erin.

Army 2nd Lt. Darryn D. Andrews

Died September 4, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

34 year old Darryn Andrews, of Dallas; was assigned to 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska; was killed Sept. 4 in Yahya Khail District, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device and a rocket-propelled grenade.

‘If he knew you, it was always a bear hug’

The Associated Press

Darryn D. Andrews wasn’t one for shaking hands.

“If he knew you, it was always a bear hug. It didn’t make any difference,” said his mother, Sondra.

She said he loved life, especially with his wife, Julie, and their 2-year-old son. The couple was expecting their second child when Andrews died Sept. 4 of wounds from a rocket-propelled grenade in Paktika province, Afghanistan.

The 34-year-old from Dallas was assigned to Fort Richardson, Alaska.

His mother said he was lighthearted, energetic and “could put a fun spin on any situation.” He enjoyed scuba and sky diving, fishing and hunting, and he immersed himself in athletics, theater productions and church youth group while growing up in the Texas panhandle.

He and his twin brother, Jarrett, attended Texas Tech University, and he earned a master’s degree from Texas State University in 2008. But his sense of duty led him to the military six years ago, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.

“We grew up with an enormous amount of pride for our nation,” she said. “We passed it on to our children, never thinking we would pay the ultimate sacrifice.”

Andrews also is survived by his father.

Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Benjamin P. Castiglione

Died September 3, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

21 year old Benjamin Castiglione, of Howell, Mich.; was assigned to the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Sept. 3 while supporting combat operations in Qal Yeh Now, Afghanistan. Also killed was Marine Lance Cpl. Christopher S. Baltazar Jr.

Corpsman with 2nd LAR killed in Afghanistan

Staff report

A Navy corpsman was killed Sept. 3 while supporting Marines in southern Afghanistan, according to the Defense Department.

Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Benjamin P. Castiglione, 21, of Howell, Mich., died after being struck by an improvised explosive in Helmand province, his family told local media. Units from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade have been operating in Helmand and neighboring provinces since the spring. He was assigned to 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion out of Camp Lejeune.

Castiglione was the subject of a February feature story in the Daily Press & Argus, his hometown newspaper. At the time, his father described the corpsman as a “gung-ho, John Wayne type of guy.”

Just a few months before that article was published, Castiglione had received a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for actions in Iraq. His commander, Col. R.E. Smith, singled out the sailor’s quick actions after one Marine in the unit had been stung by a scorpion and, again, in the wake of a car wreck involving Iraqi civilians near Combat Outpost Rio Lobo.

“The military life is not easy,” Castiglione told the newspaper last winter, “but I believe that I am a stronger person for it. The hardships I have dealt with were worth what I have learned and the bonds I have with the Marines in my platoon. When my platoon and I have downtime and talk and mess around with each other, it’s like one big hilarious, dysfunctional family — and it’s a blast. We take care of each other.”

Castiglione joined the Navy in 2006. He aspired to be a physician’s assistant.

Flags lowered in memory of Michigan sailor

The Associated Press

LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Jennifer Granholm has ordered that U.S. flags in Michigan be flown at half-staff to honor a sailor from Howell who was killed in Afghanistan.

Granholm says flags should be lowered Sept. 21 for Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Benjamin P. Castiglione, 21. He served as a hospitalman, the Navy equivalent of an Army medic.

Castiglione died Sept. 3 from injuries sustained while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Battalion.

Corpsman joined Navy out of high school

The Associated Press

Benjamin P. Castiglione was unfazed even by a scorpion. He helped civilians and comrades in the Afghan and Iraqi war zones as a medic in the Navy, once treating an unconscious Marine having breathing and heart problems after being stung by the desert-dwelling creature.

“Those Marines meant the world to him,” said his mother, Carrie Castiglione. “I talked to him before he went to Iraq about preparing himself for losing one if he had to. He said, ‘Mom, I’m bringing all those guys home.’ ”

Instead, they lost him in Afghanistan.

Castiglione, 21, of Howell, Mich., was killed Sept. 3 by an improvised explosive in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Camp Lejeune, N.C.

He graduated from Howell High School in 2006 and joined the Navy that November. He served in Iraq for eight months last year and deployed to Afghanistan in June.

He wanted to continue medical work and planned to become a physician’s assistant. He also was looking forward to going to Germany or Hawaii when his deployment ended in November, his parents said.

He died one day after talking about those plans with his family.

Castiglione is also survived by three stepbrothers.