Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael J. Gray

Died March 5, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

32 year old Michael Gray, of Richmond, Va.; assigned to Navy Detachment Kuwait Navy Base; killed March 5 while traveling to Kuwait Navy Base when his vehicle was struck in the rear by a civilian vehicle in Kuwait.

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael J. Gray expressed his faith in an untraditional way — with rhyme. “He was known as ‘Mikey G, Rapper for Jesus,’” the Rev. Jeff Mickle said.

The 32-year-old was killed March 5 in Kuwait when a civilian vehicle hit the car he was driving. He was from Richmond, Va., where his Navy Reserve unit was based. In Kuwait, he was providing base security.

In one of Gray’s raps he said he was ready for death, and he spoke of his vision of heaven: “Won’t be no guns/ won’t be no knives/ Hear the best preaching that/ you ever heard in your lives.”

Survivors include his wife, Tisha, and four daughters, the oldest of whom is 7.

— Associated Press

Air Force Staff Sgt. Christopher S. Frost

Died March 4, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

24 year old Christopher Frost, of Waukesha, Wis.; assigned to 377th Air Base Wing, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.; killed March 4 near Bayji, Iraq, in an Iraqi Army Mi-17 helicopter crash. The circumstances surrounding the crash are under investigation.

Wisconsin airman killed in helicopter crash in Iraq

The Associated Press

WAUKESHA, Wis. — An airman from Wisconsin who was deployed to support security forces in Iraq died along with seven Iraqi air force members in a helicopter crash, military officials said March 5.

Staff Sgt. Christopher S. Frost, 24, of Waukesha, died March 4 near Bayji, Iraq, when the Iraqi army Mi-17 helicopter crashed, the Department of Defense said.

Frost was assigned to the 377th Air Base Wing out of Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. He worked with the base’s public affairs office.

The other seven people on board were members of the Iraqi air force, according to a statement issued by Kirtland. There were no survivors.

The circumstances surrounding the accident remained under investigation, but the statement said the crash occurred in a dust storm.

Frost had been deployed in Iraq since September. His role was to support a command team responsible for organizing and training Iraqi security forces.

A six-year veteran of the Air Force, Frost had been stationed at the Kirtland base since July 2005.

Frost’s grandmother, reached by telephone at home March 5, told The Associated Press it was too early for her to discuss her grandson’s death.

“It’s just too difficult,” Mary Frost said. “It just makes me feel worse than I already do.”

An uncle of Christopher Frost also said the family would have no immediate comment.

Officials at Kirtland said Frost will be missed, and they are planning a memorial service for him.

“Staff Sergeant Frost was motivated by the work he was doing in Iraq. He was excited about the opportunity he had to cover the story of the Iraqi air force,” said Kirtland installation commander Col. Robert Suminbsy.

Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder

Died March 3, 2006 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

20 year old Matthew Snyder, of Finksburg, Md.; assigned to Combat Service Support Group 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; died March 3 from a non-combat-related vehicle accident in Anbar province, Iraq.

Md. Marine dies in Iraq Humvee accident

WESTMINSTER, Md. — A Marine from Maryland was killed last week in Iraq in an accident while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Defense Department said Monday.

Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder, of Westminster, died March 3 after an accident in the Anbar province of Iraq. The accident did not involve combat, the Defense Department said.

Snyder, 20, was assigned to Combat Service Support Group-1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, in Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Family members are still reeling from the news of his death.

Julie Snyder, Matthew’s mother, was too saddened to talk, but she allowed her sister, Cathy Menefee, to speak for the family. She told The (Baltimore) Sun of his keen sense of humor and an unwavering sense of responsibility, which culminated in his decision to join the military.

“It’s sounds so cliche, but he died doing what he wanted to do,” Menefee said. “He always wanted to be a Marine.”

Snyder enlisted on Oct. 14, 2003. He had been based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., before being assigned to Twentynine Palms in August 2004 as a generator mechanic.

He was the middle of three children, with sisters Sarah Snyder, 22, of Hanover, Pa., and Tracie Snyder, 18, who lives with their father in York, Pa.

Reached by telephone at his home Monday night, Albert Snyder wept.

“I just want it to be over,” the father told the newspaper. “And I want answers. They said he was the gunnery on top of the Humvee and the Humvee rolled. When is this senseless war going to end?”

Matthew Snyder, who family members said had an exuberant personality, enjoyed fishing and playing intramural soccer as a teenager.

David Brown, an assistant principal at Westminster High School where Matthew graduated in 2003, said he was “devastated” upon hearing of Snyder’s death. Brown said he had coached Snyder in an intramural basketball league, from kindergarten through second grade.

“The first image that clicked back in my head was that 6-year-old boy, in the team picture, with the big green shirt that said ‘Terrors,’ kneeling in the front row. I can still see the photograph,” Brown said. “I’ve known him as a much younger child, and as a high school student, so it’s difficult. You see faces and you hear on TV, but it’s always kind of distant until it comes home. And now it’s home.”

Army Spc. Wai P. Lwin

Died March 2, 2005 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

27 year old Wai Lwin, of Queens, N.Y.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, New York Army National Guard, Manhattan, New York; killed March 2 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his military vehicle in Baghdad. Also killed was Army Spc. Azhar Ali.

* * * * *

U.S. loses first Burmese-American in Iraq war

Radio Free Asia

WASHINGTON —Wei Pyoe Lwin has become the first Burmese-American soldier killed in Iraq, just two weeks after he refused an offer of home leave to attend the funeral of his well-known Burmese grandfather.

Army Spec. Wai Pyoe Lwin, a naturalized American and member of the Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, died with another soldier, Pakistani-American Azhar Ali, on March 2 when an improvised bomb tore apart their Humvee near Baghdad International Airport, the Pentagon said

“Many sons have died in wars,” his father, New York businessman Thein Zaw Lwin, said in an interview.

“I feel as any parent feels after losing a son in a war. Many wars have taken many sons away, and I don’t want to say anything about wars. I just want to say that I take pride in the fact that my son, as a Burmese, gave up his life in war.”

Famous grandfather in Burma

Wai Pyoe Lwin’s mother, May Thi Kha, works for UNICEF in New York. His grandfather, Professor Maung Maung Kha, was well-known in Burma as former president of the Rangoon Arts and Science University and died in Rangoon two weeks before his grandson.

May Thi Kha returned home from her father’s funeral in Rangoon on the same day that U.S. military officials came to tell her that her son had been killed in Iraq, Thein Zaw Lwin said, adding that his son had declined an offer for funeral leave because he was scheduled to come home on March 29.

“Our son had always been interested in the military, since he was very young,” his father said in an interview broadcast March 9.

“He always talked about joining the military before we came to the United States in 1991. He attended Benjamin Cardozo High School and after that he didn’t want to go to college. He said he wanted to join the Army.”

Funeral with full honors

“His mother and I wanted him to continue his education. He listened to us and worked for three years in the jewelry trade, at the American Gem Trade Association Laboratory (AGTA) in New York. But one afternoon he just came home, said he had left work and enlisted with the military,” he said.

“I told my wife that since he was so interested, so intense, we should let him do as he wanted, and she conceded,” Thein Zaw Lwin said.

Wai Pyoe Lwin rang home the day before he died, Thein Zaw Lwin said, but the family was on their way home from Burma so he left a message.

The Army offered the family a burial at Arlington National Cemetery, Thein Zaw Lwin said, but they declined.

“We have given our son to the military, and our son did his duty and gave his life to the military. Whatever memories we have of him, we wanted him to be near us, in our hometown, New York. The U.S. military was good enough to accede to our wishes and agreed,” he said.

Wai Pyoe Lwin will be buried with full military honors at Pine Lawn National Cemetery

Army Spc. Christopher S. Merchant

Died March 1, 2006 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

32 year old Christopher Merchant, of Hardwick, Vt.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment, Vermont Army National Guard, Jericho, Vt.; killed March 1 when his Humvee came under attack by enemy forces using a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device and rocket-propelled grenade in Ramadi, Iraq.

Guardsman honored at funeral at alma mater

By David Gram

Associated Press

MORRISVILLE, Vt. — Christopher Merchant graduated from Peoples Academy in 1991, later returned to work there as a custodian and dreamed of being a teacher someday.

But there was something else he had to do first. He did a stint in the Army and returned to civilian life. When the Vermont National Guard’s Task Force Saber was deployed to Iraq, he signed up to serve again.

And when the 32-year-old Merchant arrived back at Peoples Academy on Saturday, he was in a casket. More than 200 family and friends gathered there Saturday to recall the fallen soldier as a man of honor and integrity who put others before himself.

Merchant was killed March 1 in Ramadi, Iraq, when the observation post where he was stationed came under attack by insurgents.

“May you rest in peace. You deserve it,” his weeping widow Monica said during brief remarks at the beginning of a Catholic funeral mass.

Rev. John Hamilton of St. Norbert’s Church in Hardwick said Merchant’s selflessness was evident even during childhood, when he would step forward to take the blame for his siblings’ mischief.

He urged those in the audience, a number of whom wept openly, to look for strength from faith in God. “We can feel the full weight of our loss and yet not be crushed by sorrow like those who have no hope,” the priest said.

He asked those who felt angry to “channel that anger into doing something positive in honor of Chris.”

And he had specific words for several of Merchant’s close relatives, telling his son and three daughters, ages 9 to 14, that their father “loved you more than you can even imagine.”

Gov. James Douglas said Merchant was a man who wanted peace, and thought that by going to war now, he might help provide it for his children. Merchant was “humble in his service but strong in his heart,” and possessed “a quiet but generous power” shared by many Vermonters, the governor said.

Gen. Martha Rainville, adjutant general of the Vermont National Guard, called Merchant “a fine example of what it means to be a citizen soldier.”

She relayed a message from Merchant’s commanding officer, Lt. Col. Mark Lovejoy, who praised the Vermonter or “his sense of humor, his wit and his dedication to his family” among other qualities.

The ceremonies began and ended outside the school, with a 21-gun salute and the playing of “Taps” before the service and a bagpiper playing afterward as the casket was loaded into a hearse. A Guard spokeswoman said Merchant’s remains were to be cremated.

Marine Cpl. Donte J. Whitworth

Died February 28, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

21 year old Donte Whitworth, of Noblesville, Ind.; assigned to Combat Logistics Regiment 15, 1st Marine Logistics Group, Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz.; died Feb. 28 in Taqaddum, Iraq, in a non-hostile vehicle accident.

* * * * *

Family members remember fallen Marine

The timing of Cpl. Donte J. Whitworth’s death was particularly cruel: He was to come home soon and had sent ahead his duffel bag.

“I’ll go through it later, when I’m ready,” said his mother, Carla Plowden, who retired after 20 years with the Marines shortly before her son enlisted.

Whitworth, 21, of Noblesville, Ind., died Feb. 28 after a vehicle accident near Al Taquddum Air Base. He was a 2005 high school graduate and was assigned to Yuma, Ariz.

Whitworth commanded supply convoys hauling a variety of goods between U.S. military bases in Iraq. He was long familiar with heavy equipment, having grown up on a farm outside Noblesville.

Whitworth lavished attention on his three pre-adolescent nephews, and they adored him for it. He could be the contrarian, too.

“If I was for the Colts, he’d be for the next team,” said Bob Williams, his grandfather. “If I’d be for the Democrat, he’d be for the Republican. He liked to argue. I’m sure he didn’t really feel that way, but he just liked to argue and make you take time to figure out what you were thinking and why.”

He also is survived by his father, Daniel Whitworth and stepfather, Kerry McGee.

Army Staff Sgt. Dwayne P.R. Lewis

Died February 27, 2006 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

26 year old Dwayne Lewis, of New York City; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.; killed Feb. 27 when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using small-arms fire during a dismounted patrol in Baghdad.

* * * * *

Infantryman laid to rest in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Mobile Register / Associated Press

MOBILE, Ala. — The funeral of a Mobile soldier killed in Iraq will be held in New York, where he grew up.

Army Staff Sgt. Dwayne Peter Lewis, 26, was killed Feb. 27 while on patrol with his unit in Baghdad.

His wife, Sgt. April Foster Lewis, also a veteran of the Iraq war, had initially said her husband’s funeral would be held in her hometown of Mobile. But the family decided to hold services at the St. Pascal Baylon Church in St. Albans, N.Y., about 10 miles east of Brooklyn, on Sunday.

The burial will follow at Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale, N.Y., with full military honors.

Lewis was born on the Caribbean island of Grenada, but moved to Brooklyn with his mother when he was a small child. He later became a naturalized U.S. citizen. The couple married Jan. 5, 2003.

Lewis was a member of the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, based at Fort Drum, N.Y.

* * * * *

Grenada native dies on patrol in Baghdad

MOBILE, Ala. — Army Staff Sgt. Dwayne Peter Lewis was killed while on patrol with his unit in Baghdad, his wife said.

Sgt. April Foster Lewis of Mobile said her husband, a native of Grenada who grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., was killed Monday.

Military officials confirmed the death but did not immediately release details. He was a member of the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, based at Fort Drum, N.Y.

April Foster Lewis, also an Iraq war veteran, said two soldiers came to her parents’ home at about 11 a.m. Tuesday to report his death.

Lewis, 23, said her husband was born on the Caribbean island of Grenada but moved to Brooklyn with his mother when he was a small child. She said he later became a naturalized U.S. citizen.

After their marriage on Jan. 5, 2003, she said, “he started calling Mobile his ‘home”’ because he was no longer in contact with his own family, instead visiting her family in Mobile.

His wife, who had returned to her base at Fort Bragg, N.C., to make funeral arrangements, told the Mobile Register that the funeral will be in Mobile but that arrangements were incomplete.

She said her husband had been in Iraq since August.

— Associated Press

Army Cpl. Brian M. Connelly

Died February 26, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

26 year old Brian Connelly, of Union Beach, N.J.; assigned to the 40th Engineer Battalion, Task Force 1-6, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany; died Feb. 26 in Baghdad, of wounds sustained when his vehicle was struck by an explosive device.

Funeral services held for newlywed N.J. soldier

The Associated Press

KEYPORT, N.J. — Hundreds of people attend funeral services for a fallen soldier from New Jersey, who was killed in Iraq just five months after being married.

Spc. Brian M. Connelly of Union Beach died Feb. 26, after his vehicle was struck by an explosive device. The 26-year-old was assigned to the 40th Engineer Battalion, Task Force 1-6, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division based in Germany.

Connelly had married his wife, Kara, last September.

While speaking with her via webcam just four hours before he was killed, he told her his tour in Iraq had been shortened by three months and that he would be heading back to Germany in May.

At Saturday’s service, Connelly’s younger brother, Kevin, said “it’s up to all of us to finish what he’s left undone and to take his lessons with a humble heart.”

Soldier ‘was everything’ to those who loved him

The Associated Press

Once, when Brian M. Connelly was mad at his mother, he put itching power all over her clothes.

“He loved practical jokes, anything to keep people laughing and smiling,” said his wife, Kara. “He never tried anything with me. He knew better.”

Connelly, 26, of Union Beach, N.J., died Feb. 26 in Adhamiya of wounds suffered when his vehicle was struck by an explosive device.

He was assigned to Baumholder, Germany. His brother, Kevin Connelly, recalled him as rowdy, loyal and protective. He loved being on the water, raucous music, mosh pits and once saved his younger sibling from a rip tide.

After graduating from high school in 2000, Connelly enrolled in Brookdale Community College, where he studied computer technology for about 18 months. He joined an electricians’ union, then was laid off.

After finishing his Army stint, Connelly hoped to land a construction job to help pay for his wife’s college. They talked about moving south, to someplace warm and affordable, and starting a family.

“He was just awesome,” said his wife. “He was good hearted. He was funny. He was everything.”

Army Cpl. Kevin S. Mowl

Died February 25, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

22 year old Kevin Mowl, of Pittsford, N.Y.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Feb. 25 at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., of wounds sustained in Baghdad, Iraq, on Aug. 2, 2007, when the vehicle he was in encountered an improvised explosive device.

Soldier dies 6 months after being hurt in Iraq

The Associated Press

PITTSFORD, N.Y. — A western New York soldier wounded six months ago in an explosion in Iraq has died in a military hospital in Maryland.

Army Cpl. Kevin Mowl of the Rochester suburb of Pittsford was 22 when he died Monday at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda.

Mowl suffered multiple broken bones and a head injury Aug. 2 when a roadside bomb flipped his vehicle in Baghdad. Three others died, and 11 soldiers and an interpreter were injured.

President Bush presented Mowl with a Purple Heart and a Presidential Medallion at the hospital in December.

Mowl recently suffered a serious infection after part of his feeding tube broke and perforated his intestines.

Since Mowl was injured, his family has kept a Web page chronicling his recovery. The page, which received more than 70,000 visits in six months, will include funeral plans once they are made.

Mowl was sent to Iraq in June 2006 and patrolled with Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team based at Fort Lewis, Wash.

Soldier wanted to work in conflict resolution

The Associated Press

Last year while on leave, Army Spc. Kevin S. Mowl visited the Rochester School for the Deaf, where his father was superintendent. He told the students about Iraq, his sense of purpose, and how he handed out candy to children.

Some students were thrilled to meet him in person and impressed with his sign language. “We don’t know a lot of soldiers here,” said Derrick Behm, a senior. “We are all deaf, and we can’t be soldiers. We don’t get to meet those kind of people very often.”

Mowl, 22, of Pittsford, N.Y., died Feb. 25 at the National Naval Medical Center of wounds he suffered in Baghdad on Aug. 2, 2007, when his vehicle was struck by an explosive. He was assigned to Fort Lewis.

Mowl loved to drive around in the family’s yellow Toyota Celica.

He started karate as a youngster and earned a black belt in his teens.

He wanted to become a teacher, but had picked up some Arabic and thought he could build a career out of conflict resolution, said his father, Harold Mowl Jr. “I often hear that when boys go into the Army, they come out as men. Kevin was a perfect example of that.”

He also is survived by his mother, Mary.

Army Capt. Brian M. Bunting

Died February 24, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

29 year old Brian Bunting, of Potomac, Md.; assigned to the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, New York National Guard, Syracuse, N.Y.; died Feb. 24 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Sgt. Schuyler B. Patch, Sgt. Scott B. Stream and Sgt. Daniel J. Thompson.

Captain remembered for dedication, personality

Tim Simpson, director of admissions at Brian “Bubba” Bunting’s high school, described him as a man dedicated to three things — family, friends and country.

“You see pictures of him with a big, goofy smile on his face, and that was Bubba 99 percent of the time,” Simpson said. “Whoever came in contact with him felt that positive energy and what a unique and special individual he was.”

Bunting, 29, of Potomac, Md., was killed Feb. 24 by a roadside bomb in Kandahar. He was a 1998 high school graduate and was assigned to Syracuse, N.Y.

Bunting graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point with a degree in civil engineering in 2002, and also played lacrosse and intramural football.

Bunting, who was on his first combat tour as a ready reservist, was stationed in Korea for two and a half years and was later stationed at Fort Knox, serving as a company executive officer and commander.

“He’s just a great guy,” said his sister-in-law, Sue Bunting. “He just made everyone feel welcome and at ease.”

He is survived by his wife, Nicki, and his son Connor, 1.

Md. lowers flags to honor soldier

The Associated Press

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Gov. Martin O’Malley has ordered that the United States and state flags be flown at half staff in memory of a Montgomery County soldier killed in Afghanistan.

O’Malley ordered the flags be lowered March 16 in memory of Army Capt. Brian M. Bunting, who grew up in Potomac.

Bunting, 29, died Feb. 24 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

The Department of Defense says Bunting was killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

Bunting was a member of the Individual Ready Reserve, assigned to the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Syracuse, N.Y.

Army Cpl. Zachary R. Nordmeyer

Died February 23, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

21 year old Zachary Nordmeyer, of Indianapolis; assigned to the 5th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; died Feb. 23 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire. Also killed were Cpl. Michael L. Mayne and Cpl. Micheal B. Alleman.

Soldier remembered for his leadership

By Will Higgins

Indianapolis Star

Pfc. Zachary R. Nordmeyer, who died Monday in a firefight with insurgents in Iraq, was remembered as a quiet person with the makings of a leader.

A graduate of Ben Davis High School, Nordmeyer, 21, was killed while patrolling on foot near the town of Balad, about 70 miles north of Baghdad. He and other soldiers came under attack from small-arms fire.

He was the second graduate of the Ben Davis High School JROTC program to be killed in combat in Iraq.

“He was a very goal-oriented young man,” recalled Ben Davis Principal Joel McKinney, “and wanted to be in the armed forces and wanted to develop his leadership skills.”

Two other soldiers were killed in Monday’s attack: Cpl. Michael L. Mayne, 21, Burlington Flats, N.Y., and Spc. Michael B. Alleman, 31, Logan, Utah. The Pentagon released no further details about the incident.

Lt. Col. Dave Thompson, a retired Marine who runs Ben Davis’ JROTC program, taught Nordmeyer for three years and recalled his student’s transformation from follower to leader.

“There’s quiet leadership, and he was pretty strong at that early,” Thompson said. “But by his senior year, he kind of came out of his shell. He wasn’t afraid to encourage younger students to develop as cadets and do their best.”

Jim Sheads, who coached Nordmeyer in baseball one summer, recalled a boy who craved action.

“He played second base for me,” Sheads said. “He was just suited for second base — not a real strong arm, and he loved the busyness of the infield.”

Nordmeyer joined the Army in July 2007, two months out of high school, and was sent to Iraq in September for a 12-month tour.

He is the 132nd soldier, sailor or Marine with Indiana ties to die in Iraq or Afghanistan and the 12th from Indianapolis. Overall, the fighting has claimed more than 4,800 U.S. troops.

The other Ben Davis grad, 19-year-old Army Pvt. Jesse Halling, died June 7, 2003, in an attack on a military police station in Tikrit.

About 150 students at Ben Davis are in the JROTC program; about 15 a year join the military upon graduation.

Thompson, who has taught JROTC at the high school since 1999, said the deaths of Nordmeyer and Halling bring the risks of service into focus.

“It doesn’t make me question our mission, but it definitely gives me a different perspective in talking to the kids about what they’re getting into. You don’t want them going into the military without understanding the ramifications.”

Nordmeyer’s death came a day before administration officials announced U.S. combat troops would be withdrawn from Iraq by August 2010.

Violence has fallen dramatically in Iraq, and this month Nordmeyer’s brigade commander reported that troops were encountering little combat.

“They came here expecting it to be more of a fight,” Col. Burt Thompson said in a conference call from Iraq on Feb. 9.

Nordmeyer was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division from Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Among its soldiers is Pfc. Track Palin, son of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. * * * * *

Memorial held at Wainwright for fallen soldiers

The Associated Press

FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska — Soldiers from Indiana, New York and Utah who were killed in Iraq were remembered at a memorial service.

The memorial at Fort Wainwright Tuesday was for Pfc. Zachary R. Nordmeyer, Cpl. Michael L. Mayne and Spc. Micheal B. Alleman. The three were killed Feb. 23 by small arms fire during an attack in Balad.

The 21-year-old Nordmeyer was from Indianapolis. He was an infantryman, as was Alleman, a 31-year-old from Logan, Utah. The 21-year-old Mayne was a cavalry scout from Burlington Flats, N.Y.

The three were assigned to Fort Wainwright’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry.

Speakers at the memorial included Staff Sgt. Matthew Burns, the rear detachment commander of the 5-1 Cavalry Squadron. He knew the men well.

“They were truly heroes in every sense of the word,” he said.

Several hundred people attended the ceremony, including Lt. Hans Rohr, who was in the same gun fight that claimed the lives of his three friends. Rohr wore a cast on his left hand.

“No matter how bad we have it, there are family members who lost husbands, brothers and sons,” he said. “We’ll stick together. We’ll hold up.”

Chaplain David Neetz said Alleman, a former teacher, had a special connection with Iraqi children, often giving them candy and pens to learn to write English.

“He had a very unique ability to connect with kids not only in the classroom, but in combat,” Neetz said.

Nordmeyer was remembered for his intense devotion to those closest to him. The chaplain said that when Nordmeyer’s former fiancée broke up with him in high school, Nordmeyer showered her with poetry, flowers and cards until she came back to him.

Mayne was known for having a disarming sense of humor. Burns said Mayne would often sing random songs such as “Eye of the Tiger” or Britney Spears hits to bring humor to a mundane situation.

“That was Mike Mayne in a nutshell,” he said. “But at the same time as a total professional soldier.”

Army Cpl. Zachary R. Nordmeyer remembered

The Associated Press

Lt. Col. Dave Thompson, who runs an JROTC program, taught Zachary R. Nordmeyer for three years and recalled his student’s transformation from follower to leader.

Nordmeyer, 21, of Indianapolis, was killed Feb. 23 in Balad when insurgents attacked his unit with small-arms fire. He was assigned to Fort Wainwright.

“Zach was such a good person. Zach loved me more than anything, and he would have given the shirt off his back to anyone who needed it,” said Nordmeyer’s fiancée, Christina Purdy.

Nordmeyer joined the Army in July 2007, two months out of high school, and was sent to Iraq in September for a 12-month tour.

Jim Sheads, who coached Nordmeyer in baseball one summer, recalled a boy who craved action. “He played second base for me,” Sheads said. “He was just suited for second base — not a real strong arm, and he loved the busyness of the infield.”

He is survived by his father, Michael.

Army Spc. Keisha M. Morgan

Died February 22, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

25 year old Keisha Morgan, of Washington, D.C.; assigned to the Division Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Feb. 22 in Baghdad, Iraq, of a non-combat-related cause.

Soldier who died in Iraq had just re-enlisted

The Associated Press

Diana Morgan described her daughter, Army Spc. Keisha M. Morgan, as a “very wonderful person” who liked to draw and to write poetry and planned to fulfill an ambition to become a nurse.

She had wanted to be a nurse “since she was very, very young,” her mother said.

Morgan, 25, of Washington, D.C., died Feb. 22 in Baghdad of a non-combat-related cause. Her mother said she suffered two seizures in her barracks.

She was born in Texas, where her father, Michael Morgan, was in the Army, and was raised in the District. Morgan was “very good in school,” and “teachers adored her,” her mother said. She was tall and slender, her mother said, and did some photo and runway modeling.

The Saturday before her death, she phoned her mother, saying: “Guess what I just did. I re-enlisted.” She was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas, and was on her second tour in Iraq.

Keisha Morgan “just wanted to do what she wanted to do,” and “she’d always tell me, I’m going to be OK,” her mother said. “I feel like my heart’s been broken since she’s been gone.”

Marine Lance Cpl. Drew W. Weaver

Died February 21, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

20 year old Drew Weaver, of St. Charles, Mo.; assigned to the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; died Feb. 21 in Asad, Iraq, while conducting combat operations.

Family, friends recall slain Marine

The Associated Press

Prior to joining the Marines, Drew W. Weaver worked at Jiffy Lube with April Meierotto. She said she felt grateful to have known him.

“He was the best kid anyone could ever want,” Meierotto said. “He was always there for anybody, and he made the shop a lot of fun.”

Weaver, 20, of St. Charles, Mo., died Feb. 21 during combat in Anbar province, Iraq. He was a 2005 high school graduate and was assigned to Twentynine Palms, Calif.

“Drew is a true hero. He was very well liked by so many people throughout our community,” Mayor Patti York said. “He volunteered his time for our country and gave the ultimate sacrifice for his community. I’m very proud of him.”

Ken Mayer, a school resource officer said Weaver decided to join the Marines while a student. “When he came back from basic training, I asked him if this was what he wanted to do. He said ‘absolutely.’ I’m proud of him. He’s a hero to me,” Mayer said.

He is survived by his parents, Brian Weaver and Diane Spaulding.

“He tried to find the best in whatever situation he was in,” said Scott Voelkl, an assistant principal. “He didn’t let things get to him.”

Army Cpl. Albert Bitton

Died February 20, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

20 year old Albert Bitton, of Chicago; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Feb. 20 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device on Feb. 19. Also killed were Sgt. Conrad Alvarez and Spc. Micheal B. Matlock Jr.

3 Campbell soldiers killed in IED attack

The (Clarksville) Leaf-Chronicle

Three 101st Airborne Division soldiers died Wednesday of wounds suffered when their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device in Baghdad, Iraq, on Tuesday.

Killed were Sgt. Conrad Alvarez, 22, of Big Spring, Texas; Cpl. Albert Bitton, 20, of Chicago; and Spc. Micheal B. Matlock Jr., 21, of Glen Burnie, Md.

All three were with 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, according to a news release from Fort Campbell.

Alvarez was an infantryman assigned to A Company. He entered the Army in March 2005 and arrived at Fort Campbell in August 2005, according to the news release.

He is survived by his wife, Maria, of Oak Grove, Ky.; daughters, Celeste and Alyssa, of Sweetwater, Texas; father, Arthur; and mother, Belinda Alcala, of Big Spring, Texas.

Alvarez’s awards and decorations include Army Commendation Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Iraqi Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Combat Infantry Badge; and Weapons Qualification, M4, expert.

Bitton was a medic assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company. He entered the Army in November 2005 and arrived at Fort Campbell in June 2006, according to the news release.

He is survived by his wife, Melissa Handelman, of Buffalo Grove, Ill.; and parents, Elie and Sylvia, of Chicago.

Bitton’s awards and decorations include National Defense Service Medal; Iraqi Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; and Weapons Qualification, M4, expert.

Matlock was an infantryman assigned to A Company. He entered the Army in August 2006 and arrived at Fort Campbell in December 2006, according to the news release.

He is survived by his wife, Breon, and son, Byron, of Severna Park, Md.; father, Micheal Matlock Sr., of Vansboro, N.C.; and mother, Sheena Douglas, of Glen Burnie, Md.

Matlock’s awards and decorations include National Defense Service Medal; Iraqi Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; and Weapons Qualification, M4, expert.

A memorial service will be held in Iraq. Fort Campbell holds a monthly Eagle Remembrance Ceremony on the second Wednesday of each month.

Mourners remember soldier’s humor, smile

The Associated Press

Max Saltzman, one of Albert Bitton’s high school friends, remembered Bitton as a kid who was scrawny but tough, after having to deal with anti-Semitism in the public school system.

“He dealt with grief for being Jewish. But he was proud,” Saltzman said. “He was really tough inside and out.”

Bitton, 20, of Chicago, was killed Feb. 20 by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. He was assigned to Fort Campbell, Ky.

“Albert’s smile was infectious,” said Rabbi Leonard Matanky, who officiated at Albert’s bar mitzvah. “His interactions with others drew them in. In recent months when he began to understand the reality of the dangers in Iraq, it was his smile that convinced his parents he was OK.”

Bitton graduated in 2005 from Ida Crown Jewish Academy, where he was on the school wrestling team and enjoyed painting, drawing and video games.

“He was an amazing artist. He was a funny boy,” said his wife, Melissa Handelman, who married Bitton in August. “He was nice to everyone. Everyone in his high school remembered him as being one of the sweetest boys there.”

“He always had a very sweet smile,” echoed Rabbi Leonard Matanky.

Army Sgt. Christina M. Schoenecker

Died February 19, 2018 Serving During Operation Inherent Resolve

26 year old Christina Schoenecker, of Arlington, Kansas, died Feb. 19 in Baghdad, from a non-combat related incident. Schoenecker was assigned to the Army 89th Sustainment Brigade, Wichita, Kansas. The incident is under investigation.

US soldier dies in non-combat incident in Baghdad

A soldier supporting Operation Inherent Resolve died this week in a non-combat related incident, the Department of Defense announced Tuesday.

Sgt. Christina Marie Schoenecker of Arlington, Kansas, died Monday in Baghdad, Iraq.

The 26-year-old was an Army Reserve soldier assigned to the 89th Sustainment Brigade, out of Wichita, Kansas.

The incident is under investigation, which is typical for non-combat deaths. According to her service verification documents, provided to Military Times by her command, Schoenecker enlisted in May 2009 and served as a human resources specialist. She made the rank of sergeant in January 2015.

“We express our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Sgt. Christina Marie Schoenecker,” Frankie Murphy, the command executive officer for the 451st Expeditionary Sustainment Command, said in an accompanying statement.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they mourn the loss of a loved one. We’ve lost a valuable member of our team, and she will be sorely missed,” Murphy added.

Schoenecker‘s assignment to Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve was her first deployment, according to the documents. She had been in-country since June.

She was a recipient of the Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Service Ribbon, and the National Defense Service Medal.

The 89th Sustainment Brigade has a logistical mission to provide support to combat and combat support forces deployed in support of contingency operations within the designated combatant commander’s area of responsibility, according to the unit’s website.

The brigade falls under the 451st Expeditionary Sustainment Command.

Schoenecker‘s death is the third casualty of the year for the Inherent Resolve mission. Another American service member supporting the mission died Jan. 8, and a soldier from the United Kingdom died Jan. 31, both of which were also non-combat related incidents, according to DoD announcements.

Air Force Senior Airman Julian S. Scholten

Died February 18, 2012 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

26 year old, of Upper Marlboro, Md.; assigned to 25th Intelligence Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.; died Feb. 18 near Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, when his U-28 aircraft was involved in an accident. Also killed were Capt. Ryan P. Hall, Capt. Nicholas S. Whitlock and 1st Lt. Justin J. Wilkens.

4 spec ops airmen killed in Djibouti crash

Staff and wire reports

Four Florida-based airmen were killed Saturday during an aircraft accident in Djibouti, the Defense Department announced Monday.

The airmen were aboard a U-28 at the time of the accident, which occurred near Camp Lemonnier, according to the Pentagon.

The killed airmen include:

* Capt. Ryan P. Hall, 30, of Colorado Springs, Colo. He was assigned to the 319th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla.

* Capt. Nicholas S. Whitlock, 29, of Newnan, Ga. He was assigned to the 34th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt.

* 1st Lt. Justin J. Wilkens, 26, of Bend, Ore. He was assigned to the 34th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt.

* Senior Airman Julian S. Scholten, 26, of Upper Marlboro, Md. He was assigned to the 25th Intelligence Squadron at Hurlburt.

The crash does not appear to be the result of hostile fire, Staff Sgt. Ryan Whitney of the 1st Special Operations Wing said Monday. “But that won’t be completely determined until there is a thorough investigation.”

Whitney said there is no way to know at this point how long an investigation will take.

According to Whitney, Hall was a U-28A pilot on his seventh deployment. He was commissioned through ROTC at The Citadel in 2004. He had been assigned to the 319th SOS since 2007 and had 1,300 combat flight hours.

Whitlock was also a U-28A pilot, Whitney said. He was commissioned in 2006 through the Officer Training School. Whitlock had been with the 319th since 2008 and had logged 800 combat flight hours.

Wilkens, a combat systems operator assigned to the 34th Special Operations Squadron, was on his third deployment. He joined the Air Force in 2009 after graduating from the Air Force Academy. He had 400 combat hours.

Scholten was a missions system operator assigned to the 25th Intelligence Squadron. He enlisted in 2007 and had more than 900 combat hours, Whitney said. This was his third deployment.

The airmen were the only people aboard the aircraft when it crashed at about 8 p.m. local time during a routine flight, according to a statement from U.S. Africa Command. More details on what caused the accident were not immediately available.

The accident is under investigation.

Army Cpl. Chad D. Groepper

Died February 17, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

21 year old Chad Groepper, of Kingsley, Iowa; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Feb. 17 in Baqubah, Iraq, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his dismounted patrol using small arms fire. Also killed was Cpl. Luke S. Runyan.

Army identifies 2 Fort Lewis soldiers killed in Iraq

The Associated Press

FORT LEWIS, Wash. — The Army has identified two Fort Lewis soldiers who were killed Feb. 17 in the Diyala province of Iraq when their patrol was attacked by small-arms fire.

Spc. Chad D. Groepper of Kingsley, Iowa, and Spc. Luke S. Runyan of Spring Grove, Pa., were both 21.

Both were members of the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, and deployed in April 2007.

The Army released the identifications Feb. 19, a day after notifying families.

Families say that Groepper leaves behind a wife and 4-month-old daughter; Runyan leaves behind a wife and a 1-year-old daughter.

Family remember soldier’s sense of adventure

The Associated Press

Army Spc. Chad D. Groepper’s sister, Denae Erickson, laughed at the memory of how her baby brother once installed speakers in her car.

She had asked him to change the oil.

“Yeah, but doesn’t it sound great?” Groepper had asked her in return.

Groepper, 21, of Kingsley, Iowa, was killed Feb. 17 by small-arms fire in Diyala province, Iraq. He was 2004 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Lewis, Wash.

“Chad taught us many things, but probably the most important was to never stop making things better,” said his sister.

Groepper was known to be adventurous. At his funeral, a tiny pair of his first cowboy boots were displayed. His casket was painted with racer’s flames.

“Chad was always the first one to step up and try something new,” said the Rev. John Battern. “But he had a quiet side to him, too — contemplative. He liked to think about things.”

Groepper’s family described him as having a warm personality.

“He loved working on cars, snowboarding, riding four-wheelers, anything that was high energy,” recalled his sister.

He also is survived by his wife, Stephanie, and their infant daughter, Clarissa.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Raymond J. Munden

Died February 16, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

35 year old Raymond Munden, of Mesquite, Texas; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Feb. 16 at Forward Operating Base Tillman in Orgun-E, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using indirect fire.

Longtime soldier was looking forward to final assignment, retirement

The Associated Press

Raymond J. Munden joined the Army in August 1991, only three months after graduating from high school. Growing up in a military family, he and his brother, Brad, both set their sights on serving their country at a young age.

Raymond joined the Army, and Brad joined the Navy.

“We both knew growing up that that’s what we wanted to do,” said Brad Munden. “He’s always had that passion.”

Munden, 35, of Mesquite, Texas, died Feb. 16 in Paktika province after insurgents attacked his unit. He was assigned to Fort Campbell.

His second tour in Afghanistan was his sixth overall, and he was hoping to work as an instructor at West Point until retirement after returning home. He also served in Somalia and Haiti.

“We were thinking he would never have to go back to war again,” said Dwaine Clark, the soldier’s stepfather.

Munden loved to play sports and participated on football and softball teams. He enjoyed spending time outdoors, especially with his family.

Munden is survived by his wife, Kelly their daughters, Sydney, 6, and Kailey, 2 and two sons from a previous marriage, Gaven, 13, and Garrett, 12.

Marine Master Sgt. Aaron C. Torian

Died February 15, 2014 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

36 year old Aaron Torian, of Paducah, Ky.; assigned to 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Special Operations Regiment, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Feb. 15 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, of wounds caused by enemy action.

MARSOC Marine killed in Afghanistan IED blast

By James K. Sanborn

Staff writer

A member of Marine Corps Special Operations Command has died on his sixth combat deployment, according to Kentucky media.

Master Sgt. Aaron Torian, 36, assigned to 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, was killed by an improvised explosive device that detonated Saturday in Afghanistan, his family told a hometown television station.

Although the Defense Department has not yet officially announced his death, a Facebook post by his mother’s church, the Heartland Worship Center in Paducah, Ky., said he was critically wounded Saturday.

Later that day, however, other online communities began posting news of his death. Among them was Crossfit Wilmington, a North Carolina gym that calls Torian one of its original members.

The announcement of his death was quickly followed by an outpouring of condolences and praise for the Marine, remembered by those who knew the husband and father of three as diligent, dedicated and caring.

“He felt strongly about what we, the USA, were doing and we backed him 100 percent,” his mother Esta Smith told TV station WPSD 6 in Paducah. She told the station that her son will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

In 2006, the former Reconnaissance Marine was named 2nd Marine Division’s 2005 noncommissioned officer of the year following what his commanders called a stellar performance during Operation Phantom Fury — the brutal 2004 fight to wrest control of Fallujah, Iraq, from insurgent control.

“This distinction recognizes Marines who excel in job performance, physical fitness and leadership skills, all traits Torian exhibited while participating in Operation Phantom Fury, the push through Fallujah, Iraq, in late 2004,” reads a 2006 Marine news release announcing the award. “Then a lance corporal, he said he worked around the clock, learning every weapon system to effectively lead his five-man unit through the insurgent-riddled streets.”

He was promoted from lance corporal to sergeant in just four months, according to the 2006 release.

Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew R. Barnes

Died February 14, 2006 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

20 year old Matthew Barnes, of West Monroe, La.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed Feb. 14 when a suicide car bomber attacked his vehicle near Qa’im, Iraq. Also killed was Cpl. Rusty L. Washam.

* * * * *

Two N.C.-based Marines killed in suicide attack

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — Two North Carolina-based Marines died this week when their vehicle was attacked by a suicide car bomber, the Defense Department said Thursday.

Lance Cpl. Matthew R. Barnes, 20, of West Monroe, La., and Cpl. Rusty L. Washam, 21, of Huntsville, Tenn., were killed Tuesday near Qa’im, Iraq. Each was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune.

Barnes, who was due to come home next month after being deployed since August, was killed when a bomber rammed his Humvee, said Rick Barnes, his brother.

Matthew Barnes was a student at the University of Louisiana at Monroe until he joined the Marines in May 2004, said his aunt, Rita Dispenza.

Washam had turned 21 Saturday, when he spoke to his mother on the phone, she told The Knoxville News Sentinel on Wednesday.

“It was a real clear line that day,” Beverly Washam said. “I have talked to him before and it was real fuzzy. But that day, his voice was real clear.” She said his last words were, “I love you, mom.” Washam graduated from Scott County High School in 2003 and joined the Marines shortly after graduation. His father was a retired Army veteran and two of his brothers serve in the Army and Air Force.

Washam is survived by two sons, Ryan 4, and Andrew, 2.

—Associated Press

Marine Cpl. Jacob H. Turbett

Died February 13, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

21 year old Jacob Turbett, of Canton, Mich.; assigned to 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Feb. 13 while supporting combat operations in Marjah, Afghanistan.

Family says Marine dies in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

CANTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A Marine from Michigan who would have turned 22 on St. Patrick’s Day has been killed in Afghanistan, his family said.

The remains of Cpl. Jacob H. Turbett were returned Feb. 15 to Dover Air Force Base, Del.

His wife, Crystal, said her husband grew up in Canton Township in Wayne County, west of Detroit. She said the military told her that Turbett died Feb. 13.

Other details were not immediately available, and his wife said funeral arrangements were incomplete.

Turbett wrote on his Facebook page that he was a 2007 graduate of Canton High School and was serving as a combat engineer. His unit was based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Combat engineer, rifleman killed in Helmand

Staff report

Two Marines died in Helmand province, Afghanistan, this week as the result of separate hostile incidents, according to II Marine Expeditionary Force press releases.

Cpl. Jacob H. Turbett, 21, of Canton, Mich., died Feb. 13 while supporting combat operations in the southern province, which has been the focus of Marine operations in Afghanistan since early 2008. Turbett was a combat engineer assigned to 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion. He joined the Marine Corps in January 2007 and deployed to Iraq from September 2008 to March 2009. He deployed to Afghanistan in December 2009.

Pfc. Jason H. Estopinal, 21, of Dallas, Ga., died Feb. 15, also while supporting combat operations. He was a rifleman assigned to 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines. He joined the Marines in February 2009 and deployed to Afghanistan in December 2009.

It was not immediately clear if the two were killed during the assault on the city of Marjah, which began early Feb. 13. Marjah has for years been a Taliban stronghold and drug trafficking hotspot beyond control of Afghanistan’s central government.

Flags lowered for Mich. Marine

The Associated Press

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

Flags were lowered March 8 for 21-year-old Cpl. Jacob Turbett of Canton Township, Wayne County.

The Defense Department says Turbett died Feb. 13 during an offensive against the Taliban in Helmand province.

Turbett wrote on his Facebook page that he was a 2007 graduate of Canton High School and was serving as a combat engineer. He was assigned to the 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Sheila Turbett says her son is to be buried March 9 at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

Navy Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Nicholas Wilson

Died February 12, 2006 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

25 year old Nicholas Wilson, of Newark Valley, N.Y.; assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 3, based in San Diego; killed Feb. 12 by an improvised explosive device in Anbar province, Iraq.

Newark Valley sailor killed in Iraq

NEWARK VALLEY, N.Y. — A 25-year-old sailor from the Southern Tier has been killed in Iraq, the Department of Defense reported Tuesday.

Navy Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Nicholas Wilson of Newark Valley died Sunday from an improvised explosive device in Anbar Province, Iraq. He was assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Three, based in San Diego, Calif.

Wilson is a 1998 graduate of Newark Valley High School.

— Associated Press

Army Staff Sgt. Javares J. Washington

Died February 11, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

27 year old Javares Washington, of Pensacola, Fla.; assigned to the 6th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Feb. 11 at Camp Buehring, Kuwait City, Kuwait, of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident.

Fort Campbell-based soldier dies in Kuwait

The Associated Press

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — A member of Fort Campbell’s 101st Airborne Division has died in Kuwait, the Army said.

Staff Sgt. Javares J. Washington, 27, of Pensacola, Fla., died Feb. 11 at Camp Buehring in Kuwait City, Kuwait, from injuries sustained in a vehicle accident, the Army said Feb. 14.

Washington was assigned to the 6th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. He joined the Army in 2001 and arrived at Fort Campbell in April 2007.

Washington is survived by wife Letrica Nixon-Washington, daughter Tristyne Washington and stepson Mekhi Nixon, all of Fort Campbell, Ky. He is also survived by son Jayden Washington of Americus, Ga.; mother Felicia Smith and father Willie Matthews of Pensacola, Fla.

Washington earned several honors during his career, including the Army Good Conduct Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.

The military said the incident is under investigation.

Mourners remember soldier who died in Kuwait

The Associated Press

Bridgette Smith, one of Javares J. Washington’s cousins, told mourners about the man she described as a best friend, confidant and playmate.

Inseparable as children, they shared a fondness for superhero Underoos. “He was Batman. I was Batgirl,” she remembered. As they grew older, Washington became her real-life protector.

“He would tell me which guys to stay away from,” she said. “When I got married, Jay told me he trusted my husband to take care of me. That meant so much to me to have his blessing.”

Washington, 27, of Pensacola, Fla., was killed Feb. 11 in a vehicle accident in Kuwait. He was a 1999 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Campbell, Ky.

The former running back and track star in high school left Pensacola to play football on a full scholarship at Northern Arizona University.

He also is survived by a 6-year-old son, Jayden; his wife, Letrica; a 9-month-old child, Tristyne; and a 7-year-old stepson, Mekhi.

“He loved me,” Jayden said. “He hugged me every time he saw me, and I was just happy to see him. I just remember I’m going to see him back in heaven.”

Marine Lance Cpl. Richard A. Perez Jr.

Died February 10, 2005 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

19 year old Richard Perez, of Las Vegas; assigned to the 6th Motor Transport Battalion, 4th Force Service Support Group, Marine Forces Reserve, Las Vegas; killed Feb. 10 in a non-hostile vehicle incident in Anbar province, Iraq.

Las Vegas Marine killed in Iraq

Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — Lance Cpl. Richard Perez Jr. had just 10 more days left in Iraq.

The 19-year-old Marine reservist already had shipped his personal belongings back to Las Vegas, and he told his family on Super Bowl Sunday he couldn’t wait to end his six-month stint overseas.

But the young Marine didn’t make it. He was killed last week when a truck accidentally rolled over him near Ramadi, his father said Saturday.

Perez had been in Iraq since mid-August, driving supply trucks. He enlisted with the Marine reserves shortly after he graduated from Coronado High School in 2003.

When Perez returned home, he had hoped to play baseball for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Perez played baseball at Foothill High School after the family moved to Las Vegas from Denver in 2000. He transferred to the newly opened Coronado in 2001.

Henderson Marine killed in Iraq remembered

HENDERSON, Nev. — A Henderson Marine reservist, who had just 10 days left in Iraq when he was killed, was remembered at a memorial service for his desire to serve.

More than 150 people, including Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, attended Saturday’s service for Lance Cpl. Richard Perez Jr.

“His destiny was to go to Iraq, to help all those people, to do all those great things,” his father, Richard Perez Sr., said at the memorial at St. Thomas More Catholic church in Henderson.

The 19-year-old, who was killed in a Feb. 11 truck accident near Ramadi, was buried the previous weekend in Los Angeles.

After the service, Perez said he’s not satisfied with the explanations of his son’s death and is determined to find out the truth. The accident remains under investigation by the military.

The younger Perez volunteered to serve in Iraq last year and did not fire his gun during his six months there, his father said.

During the memorial, Perez recalled the day his son left for Iraq from March Air Force Base in Southern California.

“He said, ‘Dad, if I do not come back, I want you to tell everyone I’m doing what I want to do,”’ the elder Perez said.

The younger Perez enlisted in the Marine reserves shortly after his 2003 graduation from Coronado High School in Henderson.

Coronado Principal Monte Bay had to compose himself several times at the podium as he remembered Perez for his infectious smile and positive attitude.

Perez was extremely proud of becoming a Marine and being the first one from the new school, Bay said.

Perez’s father said he tried to convince his son not to join the Marines, but he soon learned his son’s mind could not be changed.

“He’s a hero to Iraq,” Perez said. “He’s a hero to the USA … We didn’t realize we were raising a hero, but we did.”

— Associated Press

Army Pfc. Jonathan R. Roberge

Died February 9, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

22 year old Jonathan Roberge, of Leominster, Mass.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Feb. 9 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds s sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed was Lt. Col. Garnet R. Derby, Sgt. Joshua A. Ward and Pfc. Albert R. Jex.

Hundreds pay homage to fallen Hood soldier

The Associated Press

LEOMINSTER, Mass. — Hundreds of mourners have paid homage to a soldier who was killed Feb. 9 in Iraq.

More than 1,200 people attended the funeral of Army Pfc. Jonathan Roberge on Feb. 19, including children home from school who waved American flags as the hearse carrying the casket drove past to St. Cecilia’s Church.

The 22-year-old was killed by a suicide car bomber near Mosul, Iraq, while on patrol in a Humvee. The family said he went to Iraq in December.

Monsignor James Moroney said Roberge wanted to make people safe and make a difference in the world.

Roberge was a 2005 graduate of Leominster High School’s Center for Technical Education. The soldier has two younger sisters and a younger brother.

Army Pfc. Jonathan R. Roberge remembered

The Associated Press

Rita Sheridan, Roberge’s godmother, felt a special connection with her nephew and godson, Jonathan R. Roberge.

“As his godmother, I always felt like we had a special bond between us. We were both kind of rebels in our own way. He was a larger-than-life person who just lit up the room when he walked in,” Sheridan said.

Roberge, 22, of Leominster, Mass., was killed Feb. 9 in an attack near Mosul. He was a 2005 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Hood Jonathan’s uncle Fran Richard coached him as a boy in Little League. “I remember getting agitated as his coach, because it’s so hard to coach somebody who is just smiling all the time,” Richard said.

At 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, Jonathan was always lean, but following boot camp Richard said his nephew was “absolutely ripped.”

After a stint as an auto mechanic at a local dealership, he enlisted in the Army and was sent to basic training at Fort Knox.

“He was a magnet. He just drew people towards him with that smile of his,” said Sheridan. “How could you ever forget a kid like that?” He also is survived by his parents, John and Pauline.

Army Cpl. Michael T. Manibog

Died February 8, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

31 year old Michael Manibog, of Alameda, Calif.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Feb. 8 in Taji, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Sgt. Timothy P. Martin, Sgt. 1st Class Jerald A. Whisenhunt and Sgt. Gary D. Willett.

Four Hawaii-based soldiers killed in Iraq

The Associated Press

HONOLULU — The Army says four soldiers in the Stryker brigade based at Schofield Barracks died in Iraq after a roadside bomb hit their vehicle.

The soldiers died in the town of Taji on Feb. 8.

Two of the soldiers were from California: Spc. Michael T. Manibog, 31, of Alameda, and Sgt. Timothy P. Martin, 27, of Pixley.

Manibog and Marting both joined the Army three years ago.

Staff Sgt. Jerald A. Whisenhunt, 32, of Orrick, Mo., and Sgt. Gary D. Willett, 34, of Alamogordo, N.M., also died. Whisenhunt joined the Army in 2000 and Willett joined in 1995.

The four were assigned to the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team in the 25th Infantry Division.

Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, issued a statement saying the soldiers were part of “our island ohana,” or family.

“I salute these four brave soldiers for their service and sacrifice in a dangerous place far from home,” Inouye said. “We owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid.”

The fatal attack was the second involving Hawaii’s Stryker brigade, which deployed in November and December with 4,000 soldiers and over 300 Stryker vehicles.

The first unit’s first combat fatality occurred Jan. 19 when Spc. Jon Michael Schoolcraft III, 26, of Wapakoneta, Ohio, died from wounds received when his Stryker vehicle struck an improvised explosive device.

The death, also in Taji, came four days after the brigade officially took over responsibility for that area of Iraq, which is northwest of Baghdad.

Soldier killed by roadside bomb remembered as a joker

The Associated Press

Erwin Rodrillo owes Michael T. Manibog for introducing him to his wife.

Rodrillo had just returned from Iraq in 2004 after his second tour, and the two went to a restaurant and bar. Rodrillo saw a pretty woman but was drunk, so he asked Manibog to forward a note to her on his behalf.

“I gave it to Mike and said, ‘Hey, Mike, I’d really appreciate it if you gave this piece of paper to the lady,’ and now we’re married,” Rodrillo said.

Manibog, 31, of Alameda, Calif., was killed Feb. 8 by a roadside bomb in Taji, Iraq. He was a 1996 high school graduate and was assigned to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Carla Dorotheo, a friend, recalled a man whose voice carried across the room and someone always joking around: “I will always remember him as being the comedian of the group. He made people smile, and he cared genuinely about his friends.”

Before enlisting, he worked at a Round Table Pizza and drove RVs part-time. He is survived by a 9-year-old son, Terrell.

“He had been through hard times in life, and he wanted to make a good living for his son,” said Brenda Reyes, Manibog’s former girlfriend and the mother of his son.

Marine Sgt. Maj. Joseph J. Ellis

Died February 7, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

40 year old Joseph Ellis, of Ashland, Ohio; assigned to Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Feb. 7 while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.

Marine volunteered for 3 tours in Iraq until he was killed

The Associated Press

ASHLAND, Ohio — A Marine killed by a suicide bomber last week was a perfectionist who volunteered for three tours in Iraq, his daughter said.

Sgt. Maj. Joseph J. Ellis, 40, of Ashland, died Feb. 7 in Iraq’s Anbar province west of Baghdad.

He was assigned to the Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), I Marine Expeditionary Force, at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

“I always thought he wouldn’t be one of those people who wouldn’t come home,” said Rachael Ellis, 20, on Monday. “In my eyes, he was Superman.”

Ellis enlisted in the Marines at age 17 after graduating from Ashland High School, devoting himself to advancement in the military. He was set to return to the United States this month and planned to retire in May and move to North Carolina, said his daughter, a nursing student who lives in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

He also is survived by his wife, Deborah, and her three children, of Camp Pendleton; his former wife of 17 years, Traci, of Perrysville; his parents and five siblings. Ellis will be buried Feb. 21 at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. No services in Ohio are planned.

Ellis served with the Marines in Ohio, Hawaii, California and North Carolina. He was deployed to Saudia Arabia in 1990 in the first Gulf War.

The military told Traci and Rachael Ellis that he was doing a routine checkpoint search when he approached a suspicious man who detonated a suicide bomb, killing him and injuring another Marine. A message seeking comment was sent to Camp Pendleton.

“He just wanted to make a difference,” Rachael Ellis said. “Anytime he was asked to go somewhere, even times when he didn’t have to, he would. He wanted to be there for his troops.”

2/4 sergeant major killed in Iraq

By Gidget Fuentes

Staff writer

OCEANSIDE, Calif. — Sgt. Maj. Joseph J. Ellis, the top enlisted man with a Camp Pendleton, Calif.-based infantry battalion, was killed Wednesday during combat operations in Iraq.

Ellis, 40, was the sergeant major for Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, which is operating in Iraq as the ground combat force for the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), Pentagon officials announced Friday.

Ellis, of Ashland, Ohio, graduated from boot camp in 1984 and trained as a radio operator. He served with 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion and deployed in 1990 to Saudi Arabia with 1st Force Reconnaissance Company for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, according to his biography posted on the 15th MEU’s Web site. Over his 22-year career, he did several tours at the School of Infantry, was the battalion radio chief for 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment in Hawaii and worked as a canvassing recruiter in Cleveland, Ohio.

Ellis joined 2/4 in late 2003 and deployed to Iraq as the Headquarters and Service Company first sergeant. He became the battalion sergeant major Dec. 17, 2004.

Among his personal awards and decorations are the Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal with combat “V” and two gold stars and two awards of the Combat Action Ribbon.

Army Staff Sgt. Zachary R. Wobler

Died February 6, 2005 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

24 year old Zachary Wobler, of Ottowa, Ohio; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; killed Feb. 6 when his dismounted patrol encountered enemy forces using small-arms fire in Mosul, Iraq.

Soldier killed in Iraq during second tour of duty

Associated Press

GATE CITY, Va. — A Scott County woman is mourning the death of her son who was killed in Iraq on Feb. 6 during his second tour of duty.

Staff Sgt. Zachary Wobler, 24, was killed by insurgent fire in Mosul, Iraq, on Sunday morning. He was a member of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division based in Fort Bragg, N.C.

Jeanette Poston said her son still called the southwest Virginia town of Snowflake home, although he had moved with his father to Ottawa, Ohio, before entering high school.

“He told people he was a southern boy from Virginia,” Poston said.

While the Army provided no official details on the circumstances surrounding Wobler’s death, the soldiers under his command told the family he was shot three times during a firefight with insurgents. Medics had to sedate an angry Wobler, who demanded he be taken back to his troops while he was being transported for surgery.

“He was just so mad they had got him,” Wobler’s stepfather, Tim Poston, said. “He was wanting to get back out there. Now, if the U.S. doesn’t understand the kind of men they’ve got, that’s it right there. That’s a hero.”

Wobler had served an 11-month tour of duty in 2003, when he injured his knee. Jeanette Poston said doctors told her son in November he needed knee surgery, but he refused, opting instead to return to Iraq the next month.

Wobler had joined the Army full time in 2000 after serving in Ohio’s National Guard. In 2002, he was selected as the 82nd Airborne’s paratrooper of the year.

In an interview in May 2002 with The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer about his selection, Zachary Wobler discussed his feelings about deployment.

“Nobody knows ‘til it comes down to it whether you are ready or not,” he said.

He attributed his success in the Army to his father.

“My father was big on honesty when I was young,” he said in 2002. “That’s one thing that was drilled into our family when I was young.”

Wobler had been legally separated from his wife, Corissa, for about two years. They have a 3-year-old daughter, Trinity.

His family said Wobler will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Marine Lance Cpl. Travis M. Wichlacz

Died February 5, 2005 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

22 year old Travis Wichlacz, of West Bend, Wis.; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, Milwaukee, Wis.; killed Feb. 5 by enemy action in Babil province, Iraq.

West Bend Marine killed in Iraq

Associated Press

WEST BEND, Wis. — A 22-year-old Marine from West Bend who was killed in Iraq during the weekend had been excited about going there, his high school wrestling coach said.

“He was pretty proud of it. He took his job pretty seriously over there,” Bob Kopecky said of Lance Cpl. Travis M. Wichlacz, a 2002 graduate of West Bend West High School.

“He was a pretty tough person. He was competitive. He wasn’t afraid of anyone.”

The rifleman died Saturday in a bomb explosion in Babil province, the U.S. Defense Department said.

He was assigned to the Milwaukee-based Fox Company of the Marine Reserves’ 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, of Chicago, and he had been serving in Iraq since June 2004, the agency said.

Several other Marines were injured in the attack, said Sgt. Cecil Goodloe, a spokesman for Wichlacz’s unit.

Goodloe said Wichlacz had “helped support getting the region stabilized for elections.”

The 33rd death of a Wisconsin soldier in Iraq came barely nine months after Wichlacz was married to Angela Coakley, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Coakley, a former West Bend resident, left Wisconsin for active duty with the Army in Norfolk, Va., four days after their wedding in May, said Wichlacz’s stepmother, Virginia Wichlacz.

Travis Wichlacz, a Marine reservist, reported for Marine Corps infantry training in San Diego two weeks later.

“They hardly had any time together,” Virginia Wichlacz said Monday.

Travis’ father, Dennis Wichlacz, said his son loved being a Marine and had considered a military career

“He always tried so hard to make everyone proud of him,” Dennis Wichlacz. “He was nothing but good. He just tried so hard to follow the rules.”

Virginia Wichlacz remembered her stepson as being extraordinarily brave.

“He was kicking down doors. They were going into the houses and finding weapons caches and dismantling the bombs,” she said.

West principal Pat Gardon said Wichlacz, who had participated in football and track as well as wrestling at the school, returned several times after joining the Marines to visit with teachers and other staff members.

“He was very, very proud of the uniform that he wore,” the principal said.

“He was a committed, loyal and hardworking man. He always had this radiant smile and this twinkle in his eye that would light up any room he walked into.”

Family mourns Marine killed in Iraq

WEST BEND, Wis. — Lance Cpl. Travis M. Wichlacz was remembered as a newlywed who had boundless energy and passion during his weekend funeral.

“It was as if love spontaneously spilled from his heart,” Father Jeffrey Haines said before a crowd of hundreds packed inside St. Mary’s Immaculate Conception Church for the Saturday service.

The 22-year-old West Bend native died Feb. 5 while on patrol in Babil province, a region of Iraq known for its lawlessness and violence.

Wichlacz married Angela Coakley, a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student, nine months ago. The two parted just four days after their wedding so Coakley, also in the military, could report for active duty with the Army in Norfolk, Va.

Wichlacz’s energy could be overwhelming, Haines said. Some people refused to compete against him in judo classes, for instance, fearful that he might hurt them unintentionally.

But “there was more to Travis than mere action or enthusiasm. There was a reason behind his passion: love for people,” Haines said.

Wichlacz, a 2002 graduate of West Bend West High School, was a wrestling, football and track star. He joined the U.S. Marine Reserves in April 2002. He always sought the most action-packed assignments, Haines said.

“He wanted to be active, not sitting behind a desk or ensconced in a hangar somewhere,” Haines said.

Before Jan. 30, Wichlacz and other Marines in the 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, helped to stabilize the region for elections. Wichlacz was a member of the Milwaukee-based Fox Company and is the fifth Wisconsin Marine from the company to die in action in Iraq. He is the 33rd member of the military from Wisconsin to die in Iraq.

Sheena Wichlacz, the 20-year-old sister of Travis, represented the family during the service. With her red hair tied back in braids, she read aloud two poems written in memory of him. The first hours after the news of his death were spent in shock, “waiting for you to reappear,” Sheena said.

“I need to face one of my biggest fears: your absence,” she read. “I would give you the world, my life . . . if it would bring you home. But since it won’t, I give you my words.”

Later, Sheena Wichlacz and Coakley embraced and wept. After the service, family members released red, white and blue balloons, which floated up into a clear, sunny sky.

— Associated Press

Navy Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Nathan H. Hardy

Died February 4, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

29 year old Nathan Hardy, of Durham, N.H.; assigned to East Coast-based SEAL team; died Feb. 4, from wounds sustained from small-arms fire during combat operations in Balad, Iraq. Also killed was Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Michael E. Koch.

Navy son of UNH professor dies in Iraq

The Associated Press

NORFOLK, Va. — The Navy son of a University of New Hampshire professor and administrative assistant has been killed in action in Iraq.

Navy SEAL Nathan Hardy and fellow SEAL Michael Koch of State College, Pa., died Feb. 4 after being wounded by small-arms fire, the Defense Department said. Both men were stationed in Norfolk, Va.

It was Hardy’s fourth deployment in Iraq, according to his father, Stephen Hardy, a professor of kinesiology. His mother, Donna Hardy, is an administrative assistant in UNH’s psychology department.

Nathan Hardy grew up in Durham and was a 1997 graduate of Oyster River High School. He joined the Navy after graduation.

Other family members include his wife, Mindy, and their 7-month-old son, Parker; and a brother, Ben, of Middlebury, Vt.

Another brother, Josh, died in 1993 while a senior at Oyster River High School.

“Our hearts go out to Steve and Donna Hardy, and their son, Ben, at this incredibly difficult time,” UNH President Mark Huddleston said in a statement. “We know it was Nate’s dream to become a U.S. Navy SEAL when he graduated from high school, and he pursued that dream and excelled at it. His death has stunned all who knew him, and all who know his parents, who both are so much a part of the UNH community.”

Koch leaves behind his parents and a fiancee. He enlisted in July 1998 and entered SEAL training in January 1999, according to The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk. He received the Bronze Star, Joint Service Commendation Medal and three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.

Family, friends remember sailor’s dedication, kindness

The Associated Press

Math teacher Ginny Tagliaferro said Nathan H. Hardy was defined by his kindness.

“As a student, classmate and teammate, Nate was honest, committed and kind to those around him. He was a caring individual who supported his friends, his teachers and his community.”

Hardy, 29, of Durham, N.H., died Feb. 4 from wounds suffered from small-arms fire. He was a 1997 high school graduate and was assigned to Virginia Beach, Va.

It was Hardy’s fourth deployment in Iraq, according to his father, Stephen Hardy, a professor at the University of New Hampshire. His mother, Donna Hardy, is an administrative assistant at UNH.

Martin Brewer, his former English teacher and soccer coach, said: “Nate was a great player who relished physical challenges. Whether defending like a lion in the heart of our defense or being part of my backup plan to attack the opposing goal, he always came through.”

Brewer added: “If he tackled any endeavor, you had better believe it was with every fiber of his being — Nate attacked life with vigor.”

He is survived by his wife, Mindy, and their 7-month-old son, Parker.

Navy SEAL remembered in N.H. hometown

The Associated Press

DURHAM, N.H. — Nearly 1,000 people packed into a University of New Hampshire gym to remember a Navy SEAL who died in Iraq.

Navy Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Nathan Hardy, who grew up in Durham, died February 4 at age 29. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery later that month but his family did not have a local memorial service for him until Saturday.

Members of Hardy’s SEAL team who just returned from Iraq two weeks ago were among the mourners, as was Gov. John Lynch.

“We owe his family a debut we can never repay,” Lynch said.

Friends said Hardy’s short life must be measured not in years but accomplishments. He was married to the love of his life, had a beautiful baby son, loved his job and was the “elite of the elite” in his profession, said Amos Goss, Hardy’s childhood friend.

“Never has a life so short been so complete,” he said.

Others recalled Hardy’s passion for his job, his commitment to serving his country, his immense love for his family and his penchant for practical jokes.

Hardy enlisted in the Navy after graduating from high school in 1997. He was deployed to the Persian Gulf and Kosovo and was killed in Iraq during his fourth deployment.

His brother, Ben, said his Hardy’s last moments were spent trying to drag a fellow SEAL to safety.

“Nate’s death was a good death. It was an honorable death. It was a warrior’s death,” he said.