Army Pfc. Eric W. Hario

Died August 29, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

19 year old Eric Hario, of Monroe, Mich.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.; died Aug. 29 in Sharana, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when he was shot by enemy forces Aug. 28 while conducting combat operations.

Flags lowered in memory of Hario

The Associated Press

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

Granholm’s office says flags should be lowered Sept. 9 for 19-year-old Army Pfc. Eric W. Hario. He died Aug. 28 from injuries sustained from small arms fire in Paktika province, Afghanistan.

Hario was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.

Army Spc. Abraham S. Wheeler III

Died August 28, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

22 year old Abraham Wheeler, of Columbia, S.C.; assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Aug. 28 in Charkh, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

Was looking forward to restoring Olds when he returned

The Associated Press

Abraham S. Wheeler III, whom friends called “Rod,” couldn’t wait to get home and finish restoring his 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme.

His father, Abraham Wheeler Jr., was hoping to have it repainted by the time his son came home. But he won’t have that chance.

“I’ve never had a feeling like that ever,” the elder Wheeler said of the moment he learned of his son’s death. “My heart, it felt like it had fallen down to my foot.”

Wheeler joined the Army in 2007, two years after graduating from Ridge View High School, where he was a 6-foot-2, 260-pound defensive end on the football team. He was assigned to Fort Drum, N.Y.

The 22-year-old from Columbia, S.C., was killed by a roadside bomb Aug. 28 in Logar province, Afghanistan.

His father said when he last spoke to his son on the phone, the soldier said “things were getting a little hectic, but he told me not to worry because he would be all right.”

However, the younger Wheeler knew the risks, according to posts on his online Facebook page.

“Man, so many soldiers fallin all over this … country,” he wrote. “My heart goes out to them.”

Wheeler is also survived by a brother.

Army Pfc. Matthew E. Wildes

Died August 27, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

18 year old Matthew Wildes, of Hammond, La.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Aug. 27 in Maywand, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

Soldier’s body returns to U.S.

The Associated Press

HAMMOND, La. — The body of an 18-year-old soldier killed in Afghanistan has been returned to his family.

On Sept. 1, Pfc. Matthew Wildes’ flag-draped casket arrived at Top Gun Aviation at the Hammond Airport as a large turnout of friends and family stood by to receive him. Troops carried the coffin to a hearse, which took the body to an area funeral home.

Wildes was killed Aug. 27 when a roadside bomb struck a convoy in Afghanistan. The Pentagon says Wildes was with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, part of Fort Carson’s 4th Infantry Division. The brigade went to Afghanistan in May to patrol a four-province area along the Pakistan border.

On Sept. 3, a graveside service with full military honors will be held at Westchurch Church of Christ in Hammond.

Remembered by colleagues for humorous ticks

The Associated Press

Matthew E. Wildes was known for his sense of humor and carefree attitude.

“Wildes always tried to make everyone laugh with his corny raps and his famous ‘Blue Steel’ look he had mastered,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Nares, referring to the pose struck by Ben Stiller as a model caricature in “Zoolander.”

“You were a great soldier, but an even better friend.”

Wildes, 18, of Hammond, La., was killed Aug. 27 by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan.

The teen’s parents tried to talk him out of joining, but he was determined. Wildes earned his GED to join up as soon as possible, in April 2008, said his mother, Mary.

Halfway through basic training, he was sent home with stress fractures — and couldn’t wait to get back with his fellow soldiers.

“He was a sweet kid,” she said. “He didn’t like me saying that, but he was a kid. I treated him like a baby. But he was my baby.”

Mary Wildes talked to him on MySpace the day before he died and told him she loved him — but let him go so he didn’t spend all his allotted 30 minutes on the computer talking to her.

He is survived by his mother; his father, Clint; a brother, also named Clint; and a sister, Jamie Ackan.

Army Staff Sgt. Kurt R. Curtiss

Died August 26, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

27 year old Kurt Curtiss, of Murray, Utah; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska; died Aug. 26 in Sar Howzeh, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when he was shot while his unit was supporting Afghan security forces during an enemy attack.

‘He felt we were in danger’

The Associated Press

SOUTH OGDEN, Utah — A candlelight vigil has been scheduled for Aug. 31 for a Utah soldier killed in Afghanistan.

Army Staff Sgt. Kurt Curtiss, 27, of Murray was fatally shot Aug. 25 in a firefight as his unit tried to clear a group of insurgents out of a hospital in Paktika province, Army spokesman Nathan Banks said.

Curtiss is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, a 9-year-old son and a 6-year-old daughter.

Curtiss had two prior tours of duty in Iraq and told his mother that the situation he found in his most recent deployment in Afghanistan was “brutal.”

“He didn’t say much more than that,” his mother, Ruth Serrano of South Ogden, told the Salt Lake Tribune. “I don’t know if he wasn’t allowed to, or if he just didn’t want to worry people. I don’t know.”

Forty-seven U.S. service members died in August in Afghanistan, the most since the start of the eight-year war.

Curtiss, who enlisted in the Army the day after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

“He felt we were in danger and he wanted to do something to help,” said his sister, Lynn Burr of Arizona.

Vigil for Utah soldier killed in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

SOUTH OGDEN, Utah — Friends and family of a Utah soldier killed in Afghanistan held a vigil to remember him on the lawn of his mother’s home.

Kurt Curtiss, 27, died Aug. 26 in Paktika Province in Afghanistan. He was shot while his unit was supporting Afghan security forces during an enemy attack.

Ruth Serrano on Sept. 1 recalled seeing her son at Christmas. She said he was handsome and well-mannered but that something was wrong and he wouldn’t talk about it.

Curtiss, of Murray, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska. He left behind had a wife and two young children.

Curtiss went to Afghanistan in December. He had already served two tours in Iraq.

Army Capt. John L. Hallett III

Died August 25, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

30 year old John Hallett III, of California; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 25 in Sha Wali Kot, Afghanistan of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Capt. Cory J. Jenkins, Sgt. 1st Class Ronald W. Sawyer and Pfc. Dennis M. Williams.

Army Spc. Justin B. Shoecraft

Died August 24, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

28 year old Justin Shoecraft, of Elkhart, Ind.; assigned to 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany; died Aug. 24 at Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device at Kakarak, Afghanistan.

Army Spc. recalled as hard worker, generous

The Associated Press

Justin Shoecraft was known among his relatives as a hard worker and generous guy, the type who wouldn’t hesitate to offer to give folks a hand in times of need.

“If you said, ‘Hey, I need help with something,’ he was there to help you,” Blue Shoecraft said of his son.

The 28-year-old from Elkhart, Ind., enjoyed stock car racing, playing games with his younger cousin and working on old cars and old bicycles with his dad.

The younger Shoecraft died Aug. 24 at Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device at Kakarak. He was about five weeks into his deployment.

Back at Elkhart Memorial High School, where he graduated in 2000, he was a quiet leader who once persuaded a bully to stop picking on another student during a weightlifting class, former classmate Adam Meyers said.

Shoecraft worked for the postal service before joining the Army about two years ago. He was based in Vilseck, Germany.

Survivors include his mother, Donna, and two siblings. He also leaves behind his wife, Jessica, whom he married just before leaving for basic training.

Army 2nd Lt. Joseph D. Fortin

Died August 23, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

22 year old Joseph Fortin, of St. Johnsbury, Vt..; assigned to the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Aug. 23 in Muhallah, Iraq, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

Friends, family remember his desire to be a ‘superhero’

By Wilson Ring

The Associated Press

ST. JOHNSBURY, Vt. — A Vermont soldier killed in Iraq chose military service as a way to further a childhood desire to be a superhero and protect those around him, friends and family said Aug. 31.

Family, friends, and colleagues, gathered in the gymnasium of St. Johnsbury Academy for the funeral for 22-year-old 2nd Lt. Joseph Fortin, who was killed Aug. 23 in Iraq. Gov. Jim Douglas and Maj. Gen. Michael Dubie, the head of the Vermont National Guard, and Fortin’s fellow soldiers were among the mourners.

Martin Fortin said he once asked his son why he wasn’t afraid to die.

“He said ‘Dad, because there’s one thing worse than that. I know I’m going to have a unit underneath me … if I gave the wrong order or did the wrong thing and one man got maimed for life or died, I would never, never be able to live with myself,’ ” the elder Fortin said. “And it’s amazing, then he smiled and made me at peace with that.”

The St. Johnsbury native was killed by an improvised explosive device while riding in a vehicle in Muhallah, near Baghdad.

By The Associated Press’ count, Fortin was the 27th serviceman with ties to Vermont to die in Iraq. Another Vermont soldier was killed in Afghanistan, and one died of natural causes in Kuwait.

About 700 people attended the service in the gym of the high school where Fortin graduated in 2004. Over the weekend, thousands of mourners lined the roads of Vermont as the soldier’s body was returned to St. Johnsbury from Burlington International Airport.

On Aug. 30, hundreds more gathered for calling hours. After the funeral, Fortin’s family and friends gathered for a public reception.

During the funeral, some recounted how Fortin never outgrew the desire to be a superhero.

“Superheroes can’t stay in high school forever,” said Larry Golden, who teaches high school art and had Fortin in class. “So Joey moved on and took his superhero powers off to college, and while he was in college he heard the call. And being a superhero, he had to answer that call; his country needed him. So Joey joined the military.

“But life is different than a superhero movie, it doesn’t always have the ending we planned,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion. “Joey was a standup guy, and Joey always cared about his men. And Joey always led by example and sometimes superhero powers can’t protect you.

“Joey has come home and his spirit has gone to wherever superheroes go.”

Fortin left a wife, Nicquelle; his parents; and his siblings.

Remembering 2nd Lt. Joseph D. Fortin

The Associated Press

Joey Fortin was a competitive, outgoing guy who enjoyed sports and just having fun.

But the 22-year-old graduate of a private New England academy also could make those around him feel comfortable.

It was that part of his personality that made him a good fit when he helped with a summer baseball camp for young children five years ago, and when he befriended fellow students at the St. Johnsbury Academy in Vermont.

The St. Johnsbury native and 2004 academy graduate was very approachable, classmate Sara Davidson recalled in a recent post to a newspaper Web site.

“He was a good person to everyone in high school,” she wrote. “There are not many people that can pull that off through all of the awkwardness and insecurities most high schoolers (like me) experience.”

Tom Lovett, headmaster of the academy, said Fortin liked to have fun, but also was “caring and responsible.”

Fortin, an Army lieutenant assigned to Fort Hood was killed Aug. 23 when an explosive device hit the vehicle he was riding in near Baghdad. His funeral was held on the campus of St. Johnsbury Academy.

He leaves behind his, wife, Nicquelle, also a graduate of the academy.

Army Staff Sgt. Andrew T. Lobosco

Died August 22, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

29 year old Andrew Lobosco, of Somerville, N.J.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 22 in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit.

Friends, family remember Somerville native killed in Afghanistan

By Martin C. Bricketto

(East Brunswick, N.J.) Home News Tribune

Staff Sgt. Andrew T. Lobosco, 29, was a dedicated soldier with a big heart and someone who just stood out as special, according to those who knew him.

Lobosco, a Somerville native and Immaculata High School graduate, was killed Aug. 22 in Yakhchal, Afghanistan while on patrol in support of combat operations, according to U.S. Army Special Forces Command. A member of the Green Berets, Lobosco was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Fort Bragg, N.C.

Lobosco is survived by his mother, Bonnie Lobosco, father Robert Lobosco and sister, Lisa Lobosco. They could not be reached for comment.

Lobosco graduated from Immaculata in 1998. Kristen Kostes, a fellow member of that graduating class, said Lobosco “was not a person you easily forget” and “had such a big heart.”

“He was big on honor. Even in high school he was very disciplined. He was all about mind, body and soul,” Kostes said.

Kostes, a Bedminster resident, said she kept in touch with Lobosco via Facebook and other means, and talked to him just before he visited his twin sister in Minnesota last month and before he was deployed to Afghanistan.

“He was just having so much fun, and he was so excited about going back too, he said it was going to be like his vacation,” Kostes said. “The army was his life. He loved everything about it.”

Lobosco participated in collection drives known as “missions” in each of his four years at Immaculata. He was also a member of the art club, Students Against Destructive Decisions and a group known as the Antioch Team that led a mentoring retreat. He participated in the spring musical during his senior year.

“He was a well-respected student and an outstanding young man, and certainly our community is grieving, but at the same time, we’re very proud of him for his service to the country,” said Pierce Frauenheim, the athletic director, head football coach, and an assistant principal at Immaculata.

Vivian Gleeson, the school’s director of crisis management and plant security, said Lobosco was one of her counselees as a sophomore just when Gleeson was transitioning to the guidance department after several years in the art department.

“I remember him being spirited and alert, kids could rally around him,” Gleeson said. “In his sophomore year, which is when I had him, he was just beginning to awake into his own abilities.”

Both Frauenheim and Gleeson recalled Lobosco’s talent for art and drawing. Gleeson said “some kids just stand out.”

“When you see his picture, it just brings a smile because you remember he was just that kind of kid, a happy kid,” Gleeson said.

Lobosco — a Special Forces medical sergeant — enlisted in the Army in January 2004 as a Special Forces candidate. He earned the distinction of being a Green Beret in January 2007. He was in his second deployment in the war on terror, and his awards and decorations include the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

“The Army was his life,” Kostes said.

Lobosco’s profile on the social networking Web site MySpace shows his personal side. His interests include “anything that gets my heart racing and adrenaline flowing.” Lobosco’s favorite music ranged from alternative rock to hip hop. He didn’t waste time on television and professed that “you can never read too much!” He liked “any and all horror movies, even the really corny b-rated ones.”

According to Kostes, Lobosco updated his Facebook page on Aug. 20 with a post that stated “what you are is what you have been, and what you will be is what you do now.”

Kostes said Lobosco had been living outside of Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N. C. Kostes also remembered Lobosco living in Bridgewater during high school.

Somerville Mayor Brian Gallagher said borough flags would fly at half staff in honor of Lobosco.

Army Sgt. Matthew L. Ingram

Died August 21, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

25 year old Matthew Ingram, of Pearl, Miss.; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Aug. 21 in Chapa Dara, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle and his unit came under small fire from enemy forces.

Slain Miss. soldier known as leader

By Jerry Mitchell

(Jackson, Miss.) Clarion Ledger

Army Sgt. Matthew Ingram, killed in an apparent ambush in Afghanistan, is being remembered as a leader who loved his country, a father who loved his family and a small-town Mississippian who wanted to see the world.

The 25-year-old Newton County native already had a Purple Heart for injuries he suffered in his second tour of duty in Iraq before being sent to Afghanistan in May.

His mother, Patricia, said Army officials called with the news of his death. “It’s the worst news that anybody had ever told me,” she said, “but this is what he wanted to do.”

No date has been set for funeral services in Newton County, where he grew up. He is survived by his wife, Holly, and their 10-month-old daughter, Chloe, who lived with him near Fort Carson, Colo, where he was stationed.

Ingram was killed Friday in Afghanistan, where fighting is so fierce that Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, described the situation as “serious and deteriorating.”

With 44 killed, July was the deadliest month for American forces in Afghanistan since the conflict began.

Ingram died from wounds he suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. According to the Department of Defense, his unit was under small arms fire from enemy forces when the blast occurred.

Ingram was a member of the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson.

His mother said the initial report military officials gave was enemy forces had ambushed her son and other soldiers who had been called out at 3 a.m.

“Matthew was the first one hit,” she said.

She said Army officials said they are going to continue to investigate what happened but that it wasn’t the first time soldiers had been ambushed there.

“They told me I should be very proud, that he went down as a hero,” she said.

Even as a child, Matthew was the one giving the orders, she said. “He’s always been a leader, not a follower.”

He would tell his brother, five years older, what to do, she said.

And he was bright. When he was in kindergarten, his classroom had a plastic replica of a human body. He was able to remove the organs and return them to the right locations, naming each one, she said. “The teacher told me Matthew might be a doctor one day.”

When he got older, he found he could miss a few days of school and still keep up, she said. “He was very smart.”

Eventually, those misses became more permanent, and he dropped out during his senior year at Newton County High School, where he was a member of the Future Farmers of America.

Principal Ken Stringer said Matthew was never loud or a troublemaker. “The ones who made the racket I knew,” he said.

Although he dropped out of school, Ingram was filled with ambitions and dreams beyond the discount store where he worked, his mother said. “He didn’t want to be mediocre.”

He saw the Army as a way to pay for his college, she said.

He saw other advantages to military service, too, she said. “He wanted to see the world. He said, ‘When I get older, I want to go to a big town and live in a big town.’“

He may have been influenced, too, by his mother’s fiance, Harry Hastings, who retired as a full colonel in the Army medical service corps.

“He talked about how happy he was when he joined,” Hastings said.

Matthew joined the Army the summer of 2003 and did basic training at Fort Benning. His mother and Hastings visited him there on parents’ day, and at Matthew’s request, Hastings wore his uniform.

Ingram was reassigned to South Korea, where he spent 10 months before his entire brigade was deployed to Iraq, where he spent a year.

While visiting back home, Matthew enjoyed the hobbies of paintball and riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, his mother said.

Stationed later in Colorado, he met his future wife, Holly, in Colorado Springs. They married in 2006.

He became a sergeant before returning for a second tour in Iraq. He didn’t get back home until early 2007.

Hastings remembers he and Matthew’s mother visiting the young couple after he returned, and Matthew pushing a medal out onto the table.

It was a Purple Heart, he said. “That was his most prized possession.”

Matthew never discussed what happened beyond an explosion inside a Humvee that injured his foot and ankle, he said. “Most likely it was a roadside bomb or a grenade.”

In May, Matthew had to leave for Afghanistan, and this time he didn’t want to go “because of his little baby,” his mother said. “He said, ‘You know, Mama, I might not come back this time.’ “

He worried about not seeing his daughter again.

Though grieved by his death, his mother said she’s comforted by a Native American saying that people “never die as long as you mention their name. Their spirit lives on forever.”

Services set for Ingram

The Associated Press

HICKORY, Miss. — Services are scheduled Aug. 29 for a 25-year-old soldier from Mississippi who was killed Aug. 21 during combat in Afghanistan.

Services for Army Sgt. Matthew Ingram are 2 p.m. Aug. 29 at Antioch Christian Church, three miles south of Hickory on Mississippi Highway 503.

The Department of Defense says Ingram died from wounds suffered Aug. 20 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. The blast occurred while his unit was under small-arms fire from enemy forces.

Ingram was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Ingram is survived by his wife, Holly, and their 10-month-old baby.

Post office named in soldier’s memory

The Associated Press

HICKORY, Miss. — The post office in Hickory was named Aug. 13 for a Newton County native who died while serving in Afghanistan.

The facility will be called the Sgt. Matthew L. Ingram Post Office.

Ingram, 25, died in August 2009 after an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He was survived by his wife and a child.

Ingram received a Purple Heart after being injured in Iraq, where he served August 2004 to July 2005.

Mississippi’s congressional delegation co-sponsored a bill to name the post office in the soldier’s honor. Republican Rep. Gregg Harper hosted the dedication ceremony.

Army Spc. Justin R. Pellerin

Died August 20, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

21 year old Justin Pellerin, of Boscawen, N.H.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Aug. 20 in FOB Shank, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

Concord-area man killed in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

CONCORD, N.H. — A 21-year-old soldier from Boscawen was killed in Afghanistan when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle, the Pentagon said Saturday.

Pentagon officials say Spc. Justin R. Pellerin, 21, died Thursday in Wardak Province from wounds suffered in the attack.

He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.

The Concord Monitor reports that Pellerin, a 2006 Concord High School graduate, left for his first tour in Afghanistan in January.

Josh Bisson, a childhood friend and the best man at Pellerin’s wedding, said Pellerin was scheduled to return to the United States on Dec. 15.

He said Pellerin married 21-year-old Chelsey Pellerin, his high school sweetheart and “the love of his life,” in July 2008, adding that the two hoped to move to New York when Pellerin returned.

Bisson described his friend as a funny man who loved American muscle cars and had decided to join the military in hopes of “doing something good” for other people.

“He’d give the shirt off his back for anyone,” Bisson said. “Everyone he met he was friends with. He had no rough edges, everybody loved him.”

Louis Chouinard of Littleton, Pellerin’s grandfather, said the young soldier “had it in his mind that he wanted to make a difference, so that’s why he did what he did,” Chouinard said. “He was just a great kid.”

Funeral held for Pellerin

The Associated Press

PEMBROKE, N.H. — Family and friends paid tribute this weekend to a soldier killed in Afghanistan.

A private funeral was held Saturday for Army infantryman Spc. Justin R. Pellerin of Concord, N.H., who died last week from wounds suffered when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle. He was 21.

Close friends remember him as a dedicated soldier with a sense of humor.

Friend Geordan Rule told WMUR-TV that Pellerin was fearless, always ready for any challenge.

The service was held at the Grace Capital Church in Pembroke.

Pellerin will be buried Tuesday at the state Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen.

Army Sgt. Troy O. Tom

Died August 19, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

21 year old Troy Tom, of Shiprock, N.M.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 18 in Arghandab, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit. Also killed was Pfc. Jonathan C. Yanney.

21-year-old Navajo soldier dies in Afghanistan

By Sue Major Holmes

The Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A 21-year-old Navajo soldier killed in Afghanistan was described by his mother as someone who made everyone smile and his father remembered him as an outgoing man with an interest in the outdoors and art.

Navajo Nation Council Delegate David Tom of Beclabito-Cudii and his wife, Carolyn Tom, flew to Dover Air Force Base, Del., for a brief ceremony Aug. 20 when the body of their son, Spc. Troy Orion Tom, was brought back to the United States.

“Right now he’s just our hero,” David Tom said Aug. 21. “His family is all proud of him that he was out there, serving his country.”

His son was killed Aug. 17 in the Kandahar province, Afghanistan. David Tom said the family was told he stepped on a roadside bomb when his unit was setting up camp after a fight with Taliban insurgents.

Tom joined the Army in June 2006 after graduating from Aztec High School and was based in Fort Lewis, Wash. His father said he joined the military because he wanted to physically and mentally challenge himself.

“He was the nicest, the kindest, son. He made everybody smile. He always had a smile on his face — never, ever did he get mad. We’re going to miss him very much,” Carolyn Tom said before breaking down in tears.

David Tom said his son liked to hunt, fish and sketch, and enjoyed herding sheep when he was back on the reservation.

George Hardeen, spokesman for Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr., said Tom is the ninth Navajo member of the military to die in either Afghanistan or Iraq since 2004.

Shirley will order flags lowered to half-staff before the funeral, Hardeen said.

Begged parents to let him join Army before he turned 18

The Associated Press

Before he was 18, Troy Tom begged his family to let him join the Army, saying he wanted the challenges and experiences time in the service would bring and he wanted to attend college on the GI Bill.

The high school honor roll student didn’t want to burden his family with tuition for school and other expenses, said his aunt Lena Dorme.

“He was a smart boy,” his father, David Tom, added. “He begged us to let him go into the Army early, before he even turned 18.”

Troy Tom, 21, of Shiprock, N.M., was one of two soldiers killed Aug. 18 when a roadside bomb exploded near them in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on the Pakistani border. He was based at Fort Lewis, Wash., and was posthumously promoted to sergeant.

Tom joined the Army in June 2006 after graduating from Aztec High School in Aztec, N.M. He was a member of the Navajo Nation. His family said they will remember him as someone who could make people around him smile.

“He was the nicest, the kindest, son. He made everybody smile. He always had a smile on his face — never, ever did he get mad. We’re going to miss him very much,” his mother Carolyn Tom said before breaking down in tears.

Army Cpl. Nicholas R. Roush

Died August 16, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

22 year old Nicholas Roush, of Middleville, Mich.; assigned to the 1st Psychological Operations Battalion, 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 16 in Herat, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

Father calls son’s death ‘devastating’

The Associated Press

MIDDLEVILLE, Mich. — The father of a Middleville soldier killed in Afghanistan says dealing with his son’s death has been “devastating.”

The Department of Defense announced Aug. 17 that 22-year-old Cpl. Nicholas R. Roush died Aug 16 in Herat, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Roush was a Thornapple-Kellogg High School graduate.

Bob Roush tells The Grand Rapids Press his son “wanted to serve” and “do something significant,” he and believes he “has done that and more.”

He says the family is “counting on seeing Nick in heaven.”

Nicholas Roush was assigned to the 1st Psychological Operations Battalion, 4th Psychological Operations Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Middleville is about 125 miles west-northwest of Detroit.

Flags at half-staff for fallen soldier

The Associated Press

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

Flags should be lowered Aug. 25 for Army Cpl. Nicholas R. Roush of Middleville. The 22-year-old died Aug. 16 from injuries sustained in Herat when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

Roush was assigned to the 1st Psychological Operations Battalion, 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.

Army Sgt. Jamal M. Rhett

Died August 15, 2010 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

24 year old Jamal Rhett, of Palmyra, N.J.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Aug. 15 in Baqubah, Iraq, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his vehicle with grenades.

Medic remembered as ‘knight in shining armor’

The Associated Press

During Spc. Jamal Rhett’s deployments in Iraq, the care packages from home came frequently and full of Tastykakes and wet wipes.

“The ones with the chocolate icing with vanilla stripes were his favorite,” said his aunt, Sonya Winters. The wipes were to keep clean in the desert.

“He was a very clean person,” Miller said.

Rhett, 24, of Palmyra, N.J., died Aug. 15 in Baqubah, Iraq, when his vehicle came under an insurgent grenade attack. He was a combat medic assigned to Schofield Barracks.

Rhett graduated from the Burlington County Institute of Technology in 2003 and spent a year at Bloomfield College before enlisting in the Army. He had intended to attend medical school.

“He was a good citizen, a positive member of our school community,” said BCIT superintendent Dolores Szymanski. “He participated in freshman basketball and was a very respectful young man with a really positive attitude.”

“He was my knight in shining armor,” said his mother, Michelle Watson. “I not only loved him as a son, but I liked him.”

During their last conversation, Rhett told his mother that he was close to earning a promotion to sergeant.

Army Capt. John Tinsley

Died August 12, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

28 year old John Tinsley, of Tallahassee, Fla.; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 12 at Firebase Cobra, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

La. soldier killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

HOUMA, La. — An Army Green Beret killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan was from Houma.

Capt. John Tinsley, 28, died Aug. 12 in Oruzgan province in central Afghanistan, after a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle, according to an Army spokesman.

Tinsley, a graduate of Vandebilt High School and Florida State University, was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, commonly called the Green Berets, based in Fort Bragg, N.C.

A former teacher and classmate recalled him as a quiet, considerate and confident student committed to others.

“He was one of my model students, that’s why I remember him so well,” said Margie Duplantis, who taught Tinsley religion his senior year and worked with him in the campus ministry. “One that had a heart of gold.”

Duplantis, who teaches 130 students a year, said Tinsley stood out.

“He always went against the flow,” said Duplantis, who has taught at Vandebilt for 20 years. “He didn’t follow his peers. He always did what he felt was morally right. If someone was doing something wrong and they wanted him to be a part of it, he wouldn’t be a part of it. Even if it meant him standing up alone.”

Duplantis said Tinsley took charge of his class Christmas project, raising money for needy families.

“If he could do anything to help anyone out, he did,” she said. “He challenged his friends to be better.”

Rodney Burns Jr., 28, a Houma building contractor, graduated from Vandebilt with Tinsley.

“He was a good kid, and from what I was told, he became a great man,” Burns said.

Burns said Tinsley left behind a wife and young daughter.

“I always thought there’d be a time when I’d get to talk to him again,” he said.

Tinsley remembered as caring friend

By Matt Gilmour and Julia Thompson

Tallahassee (Fla.) Democrat via Gannett News Service

Before becoming a highly decorated captain in the Army, John Tinsley had already made his mark as a caring friend who was dedicated to the service of others.

Eric Lundblom, who knew Tinsley when they were members of the National Guard with the 124th Infantry Alpha Company in Tallahassee, recalled watching this “quiet kid” blossom from a cadet with Florida State University’s Army ROTC program to an officer who paid the “ultimate sacrifice” for his country.

“He turned into a leader of men,” Lundblom said of Tinsley, a Green Beret and recipient of the Purple Heart, among numerous other awards and decorations.

Tinsley, 28, was killed Aug. 12 by an improvised explosive device strike to his vehicle during a routine patrol in the Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan while serving with company B of 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group. He is survived by his wife, Emily Tinsley, and daughter, Isabella, of Fayetteville, N.C., and parents Debra and John Tinsley of Jacksonville.

Tinsley graduated from Vanderbilt Catholic High School in Houma, La., in 1998. Lisa Vegas, director of public relations at the school and Tinsley’s eighth-grade language-arts teacher, said she remembers Tinsley being relatively quiet but that he stepped up to take charge of a service project his senior year.

“He wanted to serve others, and that’s what he’s done since then,” she said.

Members of his high-school class have been talking about ways to honor him and will likely make a contribution to the high-school’s endowment fund in Tinsley’s memory.

“It’s affected everyone in his class,” Vegas said.

Tinsley began attending FSU in 1998 and graduated with a degree in criminology. On Aug. 15, FSU President T.K. Wetherell said “The Florida State University community joins Capt. Tinsley’s family, friends and colleagues in mourning his loss.

“[Tinsley’s] courage in choosing to defend his country stands as an example for all of us,” Wetherell said. “We owe so much to the heroism of Capt. Tinsley, Capt. Scott Speicher and all of the many Florida State men and women who have sacrificed and served this nation.”

Tallahassee resident Jason White, who was in the Chi Phi fraternity with Tinsley, remembered him as a “genuine person.” White said he and Tinsley bonded over a mutual interest in martial arts, sometimes spending nights on the back deck of the fraternity house messing around and teaching each other what they knew.

“He was a great guy,” White said. “Some people thought he was a little rough around the edges, but once you got to know him he was one of the best guys you could ever be around. He cared for all of the brothers.”

White said one time he and Tinsley went to Potbelly’s and stayed out late the night before they had to go on an early-morning 5K run. Tinsley insisted that White stayed at his place so he could make sure White would wake up on time.

“That’s just the kind of the guy he was,” White said. “He would do whatever he could do to help you out.”

Green Beret loved martial arts

The Associated Press

John Tinsley and his buddy used to hang out on the back deck of their fraternity house, the two martial arts lovers teaching each other different moves.

“Some people thought he was a little rough around the edges,” said Jason White, who was in the Chi Phi fraternity with Tinsley at Florida State University. “But once you got to know him, he was one of the best guys you could ever be around. He cared for all of the brothers.”

Tinsley 28, of Tallahassee, Fla., was killed by a roadside bomb Aug. 12 in Oruzgan province, Afghanistan. He was a Green Beret assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C. He was in FSU’s ROTC program before becoming a full-time soldier.

A former teacher said he was also a serious student who never backed down from doing what was morally correct.

“He always went against the flow,” said Margie Duplantis, who taught Tinsley religion at Vandebilt High School in Houma, La., and worked with him in the campus ministry.

“If someone was doing something wrong and they wanted him to be a part of it, he wouldn’t be a part of it, even if it meant him standing up alone.”

Tinsley is survived by his wife, Emily; daughter, Isabella; and parents, Debra and John Tinsley.

Tinsley gets Arlington burial

The Associated Press

HOUMA, La. — An Army Special Forces officer from Houma who was killed in Afghanistan this month will be laid to rest Sept. 3 in Arlington National Cemetery.

The Army said Capt. John Tinsley, 28, died Aug. 12 in central Afghanistan after a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle.

Tinsley was a 1998 graduate of Vandebilt High School and went on to Florida State University. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, commonly called the Green Berets, Fort Bragg, N.C.

A memorial fund at a Cincinnati bank was set up for his daughter, Isabella.

Donations can be mailed to the attention of Nick Konernan at PNC Bank, 5916 Cheviot Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45247.

Army Sgt. Christopher N. Karch

Died August 11, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

23 year old Christopher Karch, of Indianapolis, Ind.; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 11 in Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with small-arms fire.

Dad recalls soldier son killed in Afghanistan

By Richard Gootee

Indianapolis Star

The father of the 2005 Lawrence Central High School graduate killed this week in Afghanistan said he guided his son into the Army to get “a good start in life.”

“He loved it, he was gung-ho over there,” said Patrick Karch, who served in the Army himself for three years.

Sgt. Christopher Karch, 23, who joined the Army about two months after his high school graduation, was about a month away from coming home from his second tour from Afghanistan. He was killed Wednesday in a firefight in the Arghandab Valley when insurgents attacked Karch’s unit with small-arms fire, according to the Department of Defense website. He was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division, which is based in Fort Bragg, N.C.

He was only 20 days from coming back home.

Patrick Karch was in Dover, Del, to receive his son’s body today at 2 p.m. He said he planned to bring the body back to Indianapolis for the funeral, but didn’t think his son’s body would be released until sometime next week.

He could hardly talk about his son, saying he called a good kid and said always had a smile on his face.

“I really thought he was just going to come back and nothing (would happen),” he said.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Tara J. Smith

Died August 8, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

33 year old Tara Smith, of Nashville, N.C.; assigned to the 50th Signal Battalion, 35th Signal Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 8 in Bagram, Afghanistan, from a non-combat-related incident that occurred Aug. 4 at Camp Phoenix, Afghanistan.

Smith juggled motherhood, service

The Associated Press

From the time Tara J. Smith was a child, she was energetic as a wasp: “She’d sting, hit you and keep going,” recalled her brother, Earl Coley.

Friends and family remembered that energy as key to her ability to juggled so many roles — sergeant, wife, mother. And she always made sure her sons, 6-year-old Jordan and 8-year-old David, were taken care of.

“Her kids were her No. 1 priority,” said Sgt. 1st Class Yolonda Chaney, who served with Smith.

Smith died Aug. 8 at Bagram Air Base of a noncombat-related medical condition. She had complained of fatigue a few days earlier, and was taken to a clinic at the airfield after being told to rest.

Chaney also said Smith’s appearance and work were impeccable.

“She was always squared away,” Chaney said. “It was always everyone else before her.”

Smith enlisted in 1997 and was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C. She deployed to Camp Phoenix outside Kabul in January, and had previously served overseas in Kuwait and South Korea.

She was not only an outstanding leader, but also “a bright and charming young woman who will be missed by all,” said her battalion commander, Lt. Col. Brian Foley.

She is survived by her husband, Army Sgt. Deron Smith; her sons; her mother; and a sister and brother.

Army Spc. Jonathan D. Menke

Died August 4, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

22 year old Jonathan Menke, of Madison, Ind.; assigned to the 38th Military Police Company, 38th Infantry Division, Indiana Army National Guard, Danville, Ind.; died Aug. 4 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when debris from an improvised explosive device that was detonated on an overpass fell onto his vehicle. Also killed was Sgt. Gary M. Henry.

3 Hoosier guardsmen die, 1 hurt in Iraq

By Will Higgins

Indianapolis Star

Three Indiana National Guard soldiers were killed and a fourth was seriously injured in Iraq in the past week, making this the bloodiest stretch for Hoosiers in three years.

On Saturday, Sgt. Brian K. Miller, 37, Pendleton, died from injuries in a vehicle rollover during combat operations in Abd Allah, a town south of Baghdad. He was a member of the Guard’s 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, which deployed to Iraq in March.

On Monday, two Hoosier guardsmen died when a roadside bomb detonated under the Humvee they were riding in near Baghdad. The dead, Sgt. Gary Henry, 34, Indianapolis, and Spc. Jonathan Menke, 22, Madison, were members of the Danville-based 38th Military Police Company, which arrived in Iraq in May to train Iraqi police officers.

Spc. John Blickenstaff, 25, Twelve Mile, also a member of the 38th, was riding in the vehicle and was seriously injured.

All four soldiers were serving their first tours in Iraq. Miller was scheduled to return home late this year. The others were scheduled to return home early next year.

Since post-9/11 fighting began, only once have Indiana soldiers suffered more casualties over such a short period. In March 2005, four Indiana Guard soldiers patrolling in Afghanistan were killed when a roadside bomb obliterated their vehicle.

Miller — a member of the 76th’s Company D, 1st Battalion, 293rd Infantry Regiment, headquartered in Huntington — was a 19-year veteran of the Guard, according to Staff Sgt. Jeff Lowry, a Guard spokesman. Most recently, Miller was a mechanic and metal worker.

Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Wilkey, who served with Miller for 18 months in a Seymour-based maintenance company, described him as a go-getter who always was willing to help out a fellow soldier.

“He always looked out for the younger soldiers — that is very unique anymore,” Wilkey said. “He was never afraid to take on a task. People looked up to him.”

Miller was the second member of the 76th to die in Iraq. His vehicle, a wrecker, swerved to avoid an object in the road and rolled, Lowry said. The other member of the 76th to die, Sgt. Joseph A. Ford, was killed in a similar accident in May when his armored security vehicle rolled.

Henry, a 12-year veteran of the Indianapolis Fire Department, joined the Guard in 1991 while still in high school. He had retired from the Guard about 12 years ago but joined again last fall.

“Gary said that since 9/11, he had this drive in him,” said his sister Jenny Clark.

He leaves a wife and three children, ages 8 to 14.

Menke joined the Guard in 2004.

He graduated in 2005 from Madison Consolidated High School, where teachers said he joined the Guard in his junior year. They praised his athletic and musical theater ability and called him a leader who attracted other students to the school stage.

“He was what everyone would think of as the perfect high school jock,” said teacher Aaron Kelsey. “But then I think he injured his hand one year in football, so then he decided to try out theater. … He really made it cool.”

The injured Blickenstaff joined the Guard in 2004. His wife, Misty, 23, who is expecting their third child, said she has talked to him on the phone. “I was worried and scared, but it helped hearing his voice.”

Toy drive honors slain Indiana soldier’s wish

The Associated Press

MADISON, Ind. — Friends of an Indiana soldier killed in Iraq this month are helping fulfill his wish of bringing toys to impoverished children in Iraq.

While serving in Iraq, 22-year-old Spc. Jonathan Menke asked his family send him Beanie Babies and Matchbox cars so he could hand them out to Iraqi children as gifts.

The Indiana National Guard soldier from Madison died Aug. 4 in a roadside bombing near Baghdad.

Over the weekend volunteers collected toys at the front gates of the Ribberfest festival in downtown Madison to send to Iraq.

Barbara Walburn, who works with Menke’s sister, came up with the idea of collecting the toys. She says she was impressed by his wishes and wants to continue that in his memory.

Army Spc. Ronald A. Schmidt

Died August 3, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

18 year old Ronald Schmidt, of Newton, Kan.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery, Kansas Army National Guard, Kingman, Kan.; died Aug. 3 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries sustained Aug. 2 in a vehicle accident in Balad.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Specialist Ronald Andrew Schmidt,” said Governor Kathleen Sebelius. “He made the ultimate sacrifice for his country and his loved ones and fellow soldiers need our prayers through this very difficult time.”

“It’s a tragic day for our Kansas National Guard family,” Bunting said. “Our hearts go out to the family of Spc. Schmidt, and we will do everything we possibly can to support them through this time. We ask so much of our soldiers, hoping and praying they never have to give their life as Spc. Schmidt did. We are honored to have known him and will remember him accordingly.”

Schmidt enlisted in the Kansas Army National Guard on Jan. 27, 2007 during his senior year at Newton High School. He began his military career with Battery C, 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery and was trained as a cannon crewman upon graduation from Newton High in May 2007. He was promoted to Private First Class (Pfc.) on Nov. 28, 2007 and then to Specialist (Spc.)
Schmidt is survived by his mother, Andrea Maria Schmidt, of Newton, and his uncle Paul Schmidt, of Goddard.
Funeral arrangements are pending.

Schmidt is the tenth Kansas Army Guardsmen to have died in the Global War on Terror since the war began.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Severin W. Summers III

Died August 2, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

43 year old Severin Summers III, of Bentonia, Miss.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Mississippi Army National Guard, Jackson, Miss.; died Aug. 2 in Qole Gerdsar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Capt. Ronald G. Luce Jr. and Sgt. 1st Class Alejandro Granado III.

Summers loved the outdoors

The Associated Press

Severin W. Summers loved entertaining people, especially children — a trait that served “Sev” well during his second tour of duty in Afghanistan.

“He was everybody’s favorite uncle,” said his father, Severin Summers II.

The younger Summers was an outdoorsman who loved to hunt, fish and explore in the woods.

“I will never forget our canoe trip in the tornado,” Rob Savage of Phoenix wrote in an online bulletin board. “He was a darn keen woodsman.”

Summers, 43, of Bentonia, Miss., was killed Aug. 2 by a roadside bomb in Qole Gerdsar, Afghanistan. The Mississippi National Guardsman graduated from Christian Life Academy in 1984 and attended Louisiana State University. He was in the military for 20 years.

Many remembered his sense of humor and ability to make people laugh.

“His corny Arnold Schwarzenegger impressions always made me crack up,” Michael Stampley wrote on an online bulletin board.

Another friend remembered Summers’ days cutting up in high school classes.

“We were on the teacher’s bad boys list pretty much every day,” Scott Bice wrote online.

Summers is survived by his wife, Tammy; parents, Severin and Charlene Summers; and three daughters, Jessica, Shelby and Sara.

Army Sgt. Jonathan M. Walls

Died August 1, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

27 year old Jonathan Walls, of West Lawn, Pa.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Aug. 1 in Mushan village, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his patrol with improvised explosive devices and rocket-propelled grenades. Also killed were Army Pfc. Richard K. Jones and Army Pvt. Patrick S. Fitzgibbon.

‘His kids were his life’

The Associated Press

As a kid, Jonathan Walls spent a lot of time playing “shoot-em-up” video games.

As it turned out, it was good training for his military career, said his father, Steven.

Walls, 27, of West Lawn, Pa., was once assigned to maneuver the high-tech armored combat vehicle called the Stryker, which has sophisticated sensors and communications systems.

“He loved it,” Steven Walls told the Reading Eagle. “He said, ‘Dad, it’s just like the video games.’ ”

Walls was one of three Army soldiers killed Aug. 1 when their patrol was attacked with explosives in Mushan Village, Afghanistan. All were assigned to Fort Carson, Colo.

Walls, a 2001 graduate of Wilson High School, wanted to do work that helped people. Beyond his military work, becoming a family man allowed him to do that, his father said. He left behind a wife, Meghan; son, Hayden; and daughters, Lily and Allahna.

“He was a good dad, a good son, a good soldier and a good man,” his father said.

“His kids were his life. He lived for them.”

Army Spc. Alexander J. Miller

Died July 31, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

21 year old Alexander Miller, of Clermont, Fla.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died July 31 in Barge Matal, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire.

Soldiers and retired veterans joined Clermont police, city officials and friends who gathered Aug. 9 to honor a young infantryman killed in action. Spc. Alexander J. Miller, 21, died July 31 from wounds suffered in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan, when his unit came under fire from rocket-propelled grenades and small arms.

As Clermont Mayor Hal Turville said, following the funeral at First United Methodist Church-Clermont, “Until today, that war was far, far away.”

Miller was a graduate of East Ridge High School. His funeral was attended by about 500, including an honor guard from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and 97 members of the Patriot Guard Riders, who rode in on 66 bikes from Panama City, Sarasota, DeLand and numerous other points in the state.

“This is our third ride in two weeks,” ride captain Carl Swofford said, “and we have another one in the works for Homestead.”

The military presence at the funeral included Army Maj. Gen. Robert E. Livingston, Jr., who is attached to CENTCOM at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. Miller had been awarded two medals posthumously, the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. During the funeral, the Livingston presented the medals to Miller’s mother, Sue Miller of Clermont.

At various points in the ceremony and in conversation during the reception that followed, Miller was consistently portrayed as a young man who was bright, dependable and always smiling, with a talent for making the people around him smile.

Earl Shaver was Miller’s roller hockey coach and delivered the eulogy. Speaking afterward, Shaver said “I was Alex and Rich’s coach for a good three years. (Rich is Alex’s brother). I’d do it all again. They made me feel special as a coach … (Alex) was a bright kid. He always had a smile. After a game, win or lose, he’d take his shirt off and skate around the rink, waving it in the air. That was Alex. He was a good kid. I’m going to miss him dearly.

Miller’s funeral included full military honors, held outside in the church courtyard, complete with a flag-folding ceremony, a 21-gun salute and taps by a live trumpeter. As the air rose from the courtyard, heated by the midday sun, it formed the beginnings of a little cloud overhead. As reported by one guest at the funeral, Charlene Forth of Clermont, a white bird climbed with the air, even as Miller’s mother was receiving the flag that had draped her son’s casket.

Miller was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), based in Fort Drum, N.Y.

Specialist Miller was laid to rest with full military honors in the Columbarium at Arlington National Cemetery.

Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Douglas M. Vose III

Died July 29, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

38 year old Douglas Vose, of Concrete, Wash.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group, Stuttgart, Germany; died July 29 in Bagram, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire.

‘He was a soldier first’

The Associated Press

Doug Vose was described as a courageous Green Beret who was both confident on the battlefield and relaxed while enjoying a glass of fine red wine.

“That’s what made Doug so unique,” said Dave Takaki, a retired master sergeant who served with Vose.

Vose, 38, of Concrete, Wash., was based in Stuttgart, Germany. He spoke fluent German.

He was killed July 29 after insurgents attacked his unit in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Vose is survived by his wife, Nicole, two sons, two daughters and mother, Paulette.

His late father was a Marine who instilled a strong work ethic in him, said Vicki Frank, the mother of one of Vose’s best friends.

“He was the best citizen and had the sweetest temperament,” she said.

As a youth, Vose would split wood each day with his brother. Then, he would work a shift at Red Apple, a local market, Frank said.

After graduating from high school in 1988, Vose joined the Army. A decade later, he joined the Special Forces, and began rising through the ranks.

“The whole family is military, and that’s all Doug wanted to do,” Frank said. “He was a soldier first.”

Army Spc. John O. Tollefson

Died July 27, 2005 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

22 year old John Tollefson, of Fond du Lac, Wis.; assigned to the 411th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas; killed July 27 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during a patrol in Ashraf, Iraq. Also killed was Army Spc. Adrian J. Butler.

Fond du Lac soldier killed in Iraq

Associated Press

FOND DU LAC, Wis. — A soldier from Fond du Lac has been killed in the war in Iraq, friends of the family say.

Ed Hammer confirmed Thursday evening that Spc. John O. Tollefson, 22, was one of two soldiers killed Wednesday by an improvised explosive device while on patrol, but the Department of Defense did not immediately release any information about the death.

Tollefson, the son of Walter Tollefson of Fond du Lac and Mary Steinman of Rosendale, was a 2001 graduate of Goodrich High School, where his football coach, Mike Dressler, had fond memories of him.

“He had two concussions within a week apart. The doctor said he shouldn’t play anymore,” Dressler said. “He was a starter at the outside linebacker spot. John did not play football his senior year, but he stayed with the program and helped us with duties on the field. He loved the game so much he began the process to become came an official and began to officiate youth football programs.

“It tells you the kind of heart the young man has. Too many times today people find excuses on why not to do something. John found a way to do it.”

Dressler said Tollefson’s death and those of other soldiers touched communities as a whole.

“They all touch the lives of people in the community, not just immediate family circle,” he said. “They were the kind and caring people.”

Fond du Lac City Councilman Sal Curcurio, a friend of the family, said the young man who was the 41st Wisconsin service member reported killed in Iraq was interested in cars and motors as well as football.

“It seems like it’s always the good kids that get killed, and this time it really, really was,” Curcurio said.

Curcurio said Tollefson had regular contact with his family while in Iraq and was proud to be a soldier.

“Parents should never have to bury their son,” Curcurio said. “But at least we can rest knowing that he was doing what he wanted to be doing.”

Parents of fallen soldier ask for prayers for troops

Associated Press

FOND DU LAC, Wis. — The parents of a Fond du Lac soldier killed in Iraq called for prayers for U.S. troops after their son’s funeral Tuesday.

Their son, Spc. John Oliver Tollefson, 22, was killed July 27 by an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Iraq.

“John was a very caring son, a loving son, a companion and a friend. He’s surely going to be missed and never forgotten,” Wally Tollefson said at a brief press conference at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

“Please pray for all our troops. They need our prayers,” he added.

His mother, Mary Steinman, said that since John’s death, she’s been overwhelmed with support from people she never knew before who have loved ones in the military.

“Please don’t forget John,” she said. “He’s a great kid and he’s going to be very, very missed.”

Tollefson, was one of two Wisconsin soldiers killed in Iraq that day. The other was Army Capt. Benjamin D. Jansky, 28, of Oshkosh, who died after his vehicle was accidentally struck by another military vehicle.

Army Sgt. William R. Howdeshell

Died July 26, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

37 year old William Howdeshell, of Norfolk, Va.; assigned to the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died July 26 in Saqlawiyah, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Spc. Charles E. Bilbrey Jr. and Spc. Jaime Rodriguez Jr.

From arlingtoncemetery.net:

They called him Sergeant Howdy, as in Howdy Doody, the 1950s television character with a perpetual smile. That was Sgt. William Howdeshell.

“They always come up with names for everyone,” Howdeshell’s wife Kimberly recalled. “He was a big joker. They did a lot of that over there. They keep their sanity by playing jokes.”

Howdeshell never graduated from high school, but he wasn’t just another kid from Illinois with an ear for Metallica and Slayer. He was sharp, smart enough to ace his ASVAB exams when he enlisted in the Navy two years before meeting his future bride. He was 26 when he signed up.

“He qualified for anything,” Kimberly said. “He had many, many choices when he joined.”

Back then, Howdeshell was living in Springfield, where he was born. He became an aviation electrician and set out to see the world. He’d always wanted to be a soldier, but an allergy to ants forced him to pick another branch.

Less than a month after the two met, Kimberly married Howdeshell in a simple civil ceremony in Virginia, while a hurricane brewed. They picked Aug. 26 — after all, her birthday is June 26, and he was born on Feb. 26.

“We were soul mates,” she said. “He just looked at me and said, ‘Let’s get married now.’ I said, ‘OK.’ “

Howdeshell was also married to the military. On Oct. 26, 2005, he realized his dream and joined the Army via a program that allows service members to transfer to different branches, allergies to ants notwithstanding.

“He loved the service, but he liked the Army a lot better,” Kimberly said. “He didn’t want a 9-to-5 job. He wanted to be out in the middle of everything. I was worried, but I supported him 110 percent.”

Howdeshell became a cavalry scout. The man who’d always loved shooting pretend guns on computers was soon riding in Humvees and shooting guns for real.
He went to Iraq in January 2007. Kimberly last saw him in June of that year, when he came home for a two-week leave.

“We were trying to see all of the family,” Kimberly said. “We spent a couple of days by ourselves. It was too fast.”

By month’s end, Howdeshell was back in harm’s way.

“I talked to him online the day before it happened,” Kimberly said. “He told me they were going on a dangerous mission. He wasn’t allowed to give me any more information.”

Army officials have filled in some blanks.

“His vehicle was first in line,” Kimberly said. “They hit an IED. I don’t know how to spell or pronounce the name of the town. He was killed immediately. He didn’t know anything. He felt nothing.”

Two other soldiers, Charles E. Bilbrey, 21, and Jaime Rodriguez, 19, died in the blast. Howdeshell, 37, was commanding the Humvee.

Kimberly says she and her husband knew his military career could end in tragedy. Nonetheless, he had just re-enlisted for six years, she said.

“He was in complete support of … the war and what we’re doing,” Kimberly said. “He loved what we were doing. The military was his life.”

Howdeshell was cremated and interred at Arlington National Cemetery after a funeral in St. Petersburg, Fla., where his wife and son live.

Army Spc. Herbeth A. Berrios-Campos

Died July 24, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

21 year old Herbeth Berrios-Campos, of Bealton, Va., assigned to the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died July 24 in Salman Pak, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat-related incident.

Quiet, confident described Berrios-Campos

The Associated Press

Herberth Berrios-Campos was an energetic and determined soldier before he even formally joined the military.

“He told me that he was going to join the program and be my highest-ranked cadet, and he was a man of his word, because that next term, he joined up and he stayed,” said Warren Fountain, who was Berrios-Campos’ Junior ROTC instructor in high school.

“If you asked him a question, he said he could do it. He never doubted himself. That’s one thing about Campos.”

Berrios-Campos, 21, of Bealeton, Va., died July 24 in Salman Park, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a noncombat incident. He was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C.

Fountain remembered Berrios-Campos as a quiet but confident young man who enjoyed playing soccer and running cross-country. He said as a teen, Berrios-Campos often wore his uniform on days it wasn’t necessary so he could represent the military.

Capt. Joel Graves, his company commander, remembered Berrios-Campos for his “energetic youthfulness and humorous personality.”

Berrios-Campos is survived by his mother, Armida Carballos, and his father, Jose Campos.

Army Sgt. Joshua J. Rimer

Died July 22, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

24 year old Joshua Rimer, of Rochester, Pa.; assigned to the 4th Engineer Battalion, Fort Carson, Colo.; died July 22 in Zabul Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

Received Purple Heart in Iraq tour

The Associated Press

Joshua J. Rimer read to his new wife every night and took care of her when she was sick. When it snowed, he always drove his mother-in-law to and from work.

“He is amazing. I mean he was amazing,” said his widow, Annalisa. “People just love Joshua.”

Rimer, 24, of Rochester, Pa., was killed July 22 by an improvised explosive in Zabul province, Afghanistan. He was a 2003 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Carson, Colo.

Rimer, who played the trumpet and was in band and chorus, joined the military right after graduation and spent three years in Iraq on his first tour. He received a Purple Heart after receiving shrapnel wounds to the neck.

“Everyone was saying, ‘You got the Purple Heart, you can come home now,’ ” said Amy Nichols, his cousin. “But he said, ‘This is what I do. This is me.’ ”

His family said Rimer was a good leader who constantly drilled his men and was respected for his knowledge and loved for his outgoing personality.

“I remember my brother as being a fun-loving person who had the best personality you’d ever meet,” Shannon Rimer said. “He was always the center of attention. That’s who Joshua was.”

Army Sgt. Raymundo P. Morales

Died July 21, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

34 year old Raymundo Morales, of Dalton, Ga.; assigned to the 148th Brigade Support Battalion, Cedartown, Ga.; died July 21 in Methar Lam, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained during a vehicle rollover.

Believed in protecting his country

The Associated Press

Everyone knew Raymundo P. Morales’ smile.

“As soon as you seen him, whether he was down or not, he always had that smile no matter what,” said his aunt, Maria Vicencio, adding that the man known as “Ray” had an infectious laugh and sense of humor.

Morales, 34, of Dalton, Ga., was killed July 21 when the Humvee he was riding in rolled over in Methar Lam, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Cedartown, Ga.

The sergeant graduated from Murray County High School in 1992. He had only been in Afghanistan for about a month, but his family says he was doing what he enjoyed most.

“He was always trying to help people. He says he loved the Army, that’s why he joined,” said his uncle, Jorge Vicencio.

The Georgia National Guardsman planned to be in the military for the rest of his career, said his brother, Tommy.

“He said, ‘Daddy, if I don’t, who will? You know, who will protect us and our country?’ So that’s what he did,” Morales said.

Morales is survived by four children, his parents and a brother and sister.

Army Sgt. Gregory Owens Jr.

Died July 20, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

24 year old Gregory Owens, of Garland, Texas; assigned to the 4th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery (Strike), 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died July 20 in Maydan Shahr, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle followed by an attack from enemy forces using small arms and rocket-propelled grenades. Also killed were Spc. Anthony M. Lightfoot, Spc. Andrew J. Roughton and Pfc. Dennis J. Pratt.

Followed dad’s footsteps by joining military

The Associated Press

Gregory Owens Jr. had an attitude of thinking of others first. When his sister had her appendix removed one summer, he kept her company for an entire week.

And instead of taking his scheduled leave from duty in Afghanistan in July, he swapped shifts with another soldier so that he’d be home in mid-October as a surprise for his father’s 50th birthday.

Owens, 24, of Garland, Texas, died July 20 in Wardak province, Afghanistan when his vehicle was hit with a roadside bomb and enemy fire. He was based in Fort Drum, N.Y.

“He always put others before himself,” said his mother, LaDonna. “He made time to spend with other people and to listen to them.”

He was born in Germany during his father’s military service and had followed in those footsteps by joining the Army in 2007. He had graduated with honors in 2002 from Hillcrest High School, where he kept a full schedule but still managed to find time to roughhouse with his younger brothers and play sports with them.

“He did everything to keep my mom busy 24/7: band, Boy Scouts, church,” said his sister, Shelena.

Owens is survived by his parents, sister and younger brothers, Lamar and Jonathan.

Army Spc. Daniel P. Drevnick

Died July 17, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

22 year old daniel Drevnick, of Woodbury, Minn., assigned to the 34th Military Police Company, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard, Stillwater, Minn.; died July 17 in Basra, Iraq, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using indirect fire. Also killed were Spc. James D. Wertish and Spc. Carlos E. Wilcox IV.

Minnesota mourns guardsmen killed in Iraq

The Associated Press

STILLWATER, Minn. — Condolences poured in from across the state Saturday after three soldiers with the Minnesota National Guard were killed in Iraq.

The Pentagon on Saturday confirmed the slain soldiers were 22-year-old Spc. Daniel P. Drevnick, of Woodbury; 20-year-old Spc. James D. Wertish, of Olivia; and 27-year-old Spc. Carlos E. Wilcox IV, of Cottage Grove.

All three were assigned to Stillwater-based 34th Military Police Company, 34th “Red Bull” Infantry Division.

“We mourn the loss of these three soldiers,” said Maj. Gen. Larry Shellito, the Minnesota National Guard’s adjutant general, in a statement. “They were truly part of our National Guard family.”

The soldiers were killed Thursday evening when insurgents attacked their Basra position with mortars, rockets and artillery.

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said in a statement Saturday that she was “deeply saddened” by the soldiers’ deaths.

“They made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, and for that we are forever grateful,” she said.

Funeral details were not immediately provided. But an organization that supports military families and troops returning from duty planned a silent vigil to honor the three soldiers and their families.

The Yellow Ribbon Network of Washington County said the vigil, to be held Sunday at 6 p.m. at the Stillwater Veterans Memorial, would also honor all deployed service members and their families.

Iraqi authorities said Saturday that they arrested a member of an Iranian-backed militia suspected in an attack that killed three U.S. soldiers in southern Iraq. It wasn’t immediately clear whether those three soldiers were the Minnesota guardsmen.

Maj. Gen. Adil Daham, chief of the Basra provincial police, said the militiaman confessed early Saturday to the attack on a U.S. base near the airport. The rocket attack was a rare assault on troops in the comparatively quiet south, the U.S. military said.

The last time three Minnesota soldiers were killed on the same day in Iraq was Feb. 21, 2005, when three National Guard troops were killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad.

Wilcox, who wanted to become a doctor, had been on his first deployment to Iraq since May, his mother told The Associated Press on Friday.

“He was a very proud young man, just very proud to serve his country,” said Charlene Wilcox.

Carlos Wilcox grew up in Minnesota and graduated from Tartan High School in Oakdale, his mother said. He studied at Arizona State University and in Granada, Spain. He then returned to Minnesota and graduated from Metropolitan State University with a biology degree.

Drevnick had hoped to become a state trooper, said his father, who recently retired from the Minnesota State Patrol.

Ken Drevnick remembered his son’s work ethic in the way he was restoring his muscle car after graduating from Woodbury High School. Dan Drevnick worked two jobs while attending school full time to help pay for the car.

“That’s what type of person he was,” his father said. “To get someplace, he knew he had to make it happen.”

Rev. George Schmit, the Wertish family’s pastor, told the West Central Tribune of Willmar that David and Kim Wertish were in mourning. Their son joined the Guard before graduating from Bold High School in 2007, Schmit said.

The pastor told the newspaper that James Wertish was a “friendly young man” who helped on the family farm. He enjoyed riding snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles in his spare time, Schmit said.

State Rep. Phil Sterner, DFL-Rosemount, where the Red Bull division has its headquarters, said in a statement that the three guardsmen “exemplify the best of our state and of public service.”

Flags lowered to remember fallen soldiers

The Associated Press

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Gov. Tim Pawlenty is ordering flags at the state Capitol complex lowered to half-staff to honor two Minnesota soldiers killed in Iraq.

Pawlenty ordered flags lowered July 25 to remember Spc. Daniel Drevnick of Woodbury. Drevnick’s funeral is July 25 in Woodbury, with burial at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

The governor also ordered flags lowered July 27. That’s the day a funeral Mass will be held in Bird Island for Spc. James Wertish of rural Olivia.

Wertish and Drevnick were among three Minnesota National Guardsmen killed by an insurgent attack July 16 in Basra.

‘Wild child’ came from long line of service members

The Associated Press

Dan Drevnick’s affinity with speed began early. He followed his father’s interest in drag racing and even started restoring his own muscle car after graduating from Woodbury (Minn.) High School in 2005.

He worked two jobs to pay for it, said his father, Ken.

“That’s what type of person he was,” he said. “To get someplace he knew he had to make it happen.”

Dan Drevnick, 22, of Woodbury, was one of three Minnesota National Guard soldiers killed July 16 during an insurgent attack in Iraq, a week after he returned from a visit home. He was assigned to the 34th Military Police Company, Stillwater, Minn.

His father said Drevnick was part of a military police unit and hoped to become a state trooper. He was his family’s sixth generation in the military.

His family spoke of “rebellious years” in high school when he pierced his ears and grew out his hair. He was energetic — “our wild child,” his stepfather said — loved learning, skateboarded and raced cars. He also was fond of duct tape and once used it to mummify a friend.

“He was never afraid of anything,” said his stepfather, Charles Freese.

Army Spc. Carlos E. Wilcox IV

Died July 16, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

27 year old Carlos Wilcox IV, of Cottage Grove, Minn., assigned to the 34th Military Police Company, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard, Stillwater, Minn.; died July 16 in Basra, Iraq, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using indirect fire. Also killed were Spc. James D. Wertish and Spc. Daniel P. Drevnick.