Army Sgt. Justin J. Duffy

Died June 2, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

31 year old Justin Duffy, of Cozad, Neb.; assigned the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died June 2 in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

Memorial service scheduled for Duffy

The Associated Press

COZAD, Neb. — More Nebraska memorial arrangements have been made by the family of an Army sergeant who was killed in Iraq.

The Defense Department says Sgt. Justin Duffy of Cozad died June 2 in Baghdad after a bomb exploded near his Humvee.

Duffy’s body was buried near Moline, Ill., where he grew up and started school. The family moved to Cozad when Justin was in sixth grade.

Duffy graduated from Cozad High School in 1995 and later from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. He joined the Army in June 2007.

Lt. Col. Bob Vrana of the Nebraska National Guard says a memorial service is set for 2 p.m. July 12 at the Cozad High School gymnasium.

Army Pfc. Matthew W. Wilson

Died June 1, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

19 year old Matthew Wilson, of Miller, Mo.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) Fort Drum, N.Y.; died June 1 in Nerkh, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Pfc. Matthew D. Ogden and Staff Sgt. Jeffrey A. Hall.

Army pays for father to attend son’s funeral

By Jaime Baranyai

Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader / Gannett News Service

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The father of a slain soldier will get his two wishes — to attend his son’s funeral in Washington, D.C. and meet his daughter-in-law and grandson for the first time.

When James “Jim” Wilson made a plea for financial help to get to his son’s funeral, he never imagined the response he would get from the military and even complete strangers.

“It means a lot,” Wilson said, wiping tears from his eyes. “I want to make sure everyone gets a thank you.”

Pfc. Matthew Wilson, 19, was killed June 1 in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb.

A funeral service with full military honors is set for Aug. 19 at Arlington National Cemetery.

Although others offered to help the father get to Washington, the Army has agreed to pay for his airfare and two nights of lodging. He couldn’t afford the trip because he lives on Social Security, and extra money is scarce.

Jerry Potter of Springfield was willing to help Jim Wilson.

He didn’t know the man but was so moved by a story in the News-Leader about Wilson’s desire to attend the funeral, he offered to pay for a round-trip bus ticket.

“I just feel sorry for him,” he said.

Calls poured into the Golden Living Center in Branson where Jim Wilson resides, inquiring about how to help.

The sentiment was not lost on Jim Wilson. Because the Army will be paying his way to the funeral, he’s directing that all other donations go to a trust fund being set up for his 6-month-old grandson, Matthew Gunnar Wilson.

“It means my grandson is going to have a bigger nest egg,” he said.

Matthew Wilson went into foster care at the age of 13. His mother died in 2003, and his father had a stroke and could no longer care for him.

“That just threw his whole world upside down,” said Jeff Wilson, of Mount Vernon, Matthew’s half-brother.

He joined the military Jan. 3, 2008.

Jeff Wilson said the fact that two of Matthew’s stepbrothers are in the Air Force likely had something to do with his wanting to join the military.

“That’s all he ever wanted to do [was join the military],” he said. “Even when he was young … it was just something he really wanted to do.”

Jim Wilson said he’s proud of his son’s military service.

“He died doing what he wanted to do,” he said.

Ashlynn Wilson of New York, Matthew Wilson’s wife, said that it was a desire to belong to a group that drew her husband to the ranks of the Army.

“He didn’t really grow up in the best setting and he wanted to be part of something, and he wanted to do something for his country,” she said.

Ashlynn Wilson recalled fond memories of her husband, who was a friend of her brother’s when the two met early last year. They were married Aug. 7, 2008.

She remembered the Chinese restaurant they went to the night they met and how he asked her father for her hand in marriage before he proposed. She said there’s a million reasons why her husband was so special, but struggled to find the words to speak.

Ashlynn Wilson said she is reminded of her husband every time she looks at her son.

“He has his nose,” she said. “He pretty much has everything from me, but he has his nose and his feet.”

Jim Wilson said he’s looking forward to meeting his daughter-in-law and grandson, who he didn’t even know existed until he learned of his son’s death. He and his son had lost touch after he joined the military.

He spoke lovingly of his son.

“He liked to fish and hunt just like me,” Jim Wilson said. “He was a good boy.”

Army 1st Lt. Kenneth Michael Ballard

Died May 30, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

26 year old Kenneth Ballard, of Mountain View, Calif.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment, 1st Armored Division, from Friedberg, Germany; killed May 30 during a firefight with insurgents in Najaf, Iraq.

Calif. mother remembers son killed in Iraq

Associated Press

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — A 26-year-old Army officer had been scheduled to return from Iraq eight days before he was killed by small arms fire, his single mother said of her only child.

Lt. Ken Ballard, a tank platoon leader, died May 30 in Najaf, where U.S. troops had halted offensive operations Thursday as peace talks continued with Shiite militia leaders, said Karen Meredith, Ballard’s mother.

In one of the last e-mails Meredith received from Iraq, her son wrote, “Don’t worry about us. We know what we’re doing.”

Ballard originally had been scheduled to return from a little more than a year in Iraq on May 22, but Meredith said she rescheduled his “welcome home” party to Labor Day weekend after his stay was extended. The timing of his death made the news even more painful, she said.

Mother and son chatted, online or over the telephone, almost every day. The pair last talked Thursday, “a bonus day” because Meredith received both a letter and a phone call from her son.

“He was an only child. I was a single mom. He knew how important it was for me to hear from him,” Meredith said.

In his absence, Meredith began posting his photos from Iraq on her Web site, to keep friends and family updated about his daily activities and to remind the world “there are real people over there.” Ballard’s favorite picture shows him pointing to the fist-sized hole left by the sixth rocket-propelled grenade to hit his tank.

“It was important that people see his smiling face and for people to know what was going on in Iraq, that it wasn’t just a news story,” she said.

Born in Mountain View, Ballard joined the Army after graduating from Mountain View High in 1995. He served in Bosnia and Macedonia before taking a leave to attend Middle Tennessee State University, where he earned a degree in international relations in 2002.

Ballard planned to serve in the Army for two more years, then to earn a master’s degree and work in Washington, D.C. Now, Meredith said, “it’s going to be a different kind of welcome home.”

Army Pfc. Chad M. Trimble

Died May 28, 2008 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

29 year old Chad Trimble, of West Covina, Calif.; assigned to the 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died May 28 near Gardez, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.

Army Pfc. Chad M. Trimble remembered

The Associated Press

Chad M. Trimble’s mother said that after the terrorist attacks on New York on Sept. 11, 2001, her son started to take an interest in joining the Army.

After several years of growing interest, he signed up in 2007.

“I think it was something he wanted to do since he was a little boy,” Nancy Trimble said.

Trimble, 29, of West Covina, Calif., was killed by a roadside bomb May 28 near Gardez, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Fort Campbell, Ky.

He was known as a social guy. “This home was where all the kids would come,” said Tim Trimble, his father. “It was incredible to see the energy of all those young people.”

“He was the smallest boy in the neighborhood,” said Gaye Wingfield, a neighbor. “He had the cutest giggle and would run around the neighborhood with a group of older boys.”

Trimble’s family and friends all said they were proud of the choices he made. “I hope all of America and the world will take a minute to pray for Chad,” said his father. “He paid the ultimate price for us.”

He also is survived by his wife, Rosanna, and two daughters, Steffani and Micaela.

Army Spc. Chad A. Edmundson

Died May 27, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

20 year old Chad Edmundson, of Williamsburg, Pa.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry, 56th Stryker Brigade, Pennsylvania Army National Guard; died May 27 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near unit while on a dismounted patrol.

Maj. Gen. tells of man of ‘enormous potential’

The Associated Press

Chad A. Edmundson helped build a foundation of teamwork and camaraderie by aggressively completing any mission without hesitation or complaint.

“Spc. Chad Edmundson was a builder. By the work of his hands and his winning spirit he built up those around him,” said Capt. Jason Hoffman. “He lifted up his squad and platoon with his high motivation.”

Edmundson, 20, of Williamsburg, Pa., died May 27 when a bomb went off while his squad was in Abu Ghraib, Iraq. He was a 2008 high school graduate and was assigned to Altoona, Pa.

“He was an outgoing, great, really good kid. He just liked to make everybody happy,” said his cousin, Justin Swartz.

Maj. Gen. Jessica L. Wright said: “Spc. Edmundson was a dynamic, young soldier who had enormous potential in the military or any other career field he would have chosen.”

His sister, Jessica Miller, said he loved “skateboarding, bowling, golfing, fishing, wrestling, being with friends and family, and making his own rules.”

He is survived by his mother, Karen Cornell; his father, Roy Edmundson; and his fiancée, Jessica Welch.

Army Staff Sgt. Conrad Robinson

Died May 24, 2018 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

36 year old Conrad Robinson, of Los Angeles, died May 24 from a non-combat related incident at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo. Robinson was assigned to the 155th Medical Detachment, 261st Medical Battalion, 44th Medical Brigade, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

A U.S. Army soldier supporting Operation Joint Guardian in eastern Kosovo died Thursday, the Department of Defense announced late Friday afternoon.

Staff Sgt. Conrad Robinson, 36, died at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, from a non-combat related incident, Pentagon officials said in a press statement.

Robinson was a preventive medicine specialist assigned to the 155th Medical Detachment, 261st Medical Battalion, 44th Medical Brigade, out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

His awards include 5 Army Commendation Medals, 6 Army Achievement Medals, 2 Meritorious Unit Citations, 1 Korean Defense Service Medal and the Nato Medal, according to the Army.

The incident is currently under investigation, according to the statement.

Robinson’s battalion commander, Lt. Col. Kevin Kelly, offered his condolences in a statement to Army Times.

“We’re extremely saddened by the death of Staff Sgt. Conrad Robinson,” Kelly said. “Staff Sgt. Robinson was known around the battalion for his infectious smile, humor and kind heart. He was the definition of selfless service and took the time every day to listen and mentor soldiers.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time,” Kelly added.

The mission Robinson was supporting — Operation Joint Guardian — is a NATO-led international peacekeeping force that is responsible for ensuring a secure environment in Kosovo. The mission began in 1999 and is ongoing today, though with a much smaller presence of U.S. forces.

Robinson’s death appears to be the second of a U.S. soldier in Kosovo this year. Spc. Robert Jones, a military police working dog handler, also died at Camp Bondsteel in January.

Army Master Sgt. Brian Naseman

Died May 22, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

36 year old Brian Naseman, of New Bremen, Ohio; assigned to the 108th Forward Support Company, attached to 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Sussex, Wis.; died May 22 in Taji, Iraq of a noncombat-related incident.

Wife remembers fallen husband

The Associated Press

CALEDONIA, Wis. — A Racine soldier who was killed in Iraq last week was always a comic, the life of the party whose two young sons adored and idolized him, his wife said.

Sgt. 1st Class Brian K. Naseman died May 22 of injuries described as noncombat-related, according to the Department of Defense.

Peggy Naseman said their boys, ages 9 and 7, wanted to be just like their father.

“They wanted to be career military just like their dad,” Naseman said Monday. “They knew that what he was doing was a good cause.”

Now they don’t understand why he won’t be coming home, she said.

Brian Naseman, 36, was assigned to the 108th Forward Support Company, attached to 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team out of Sussex.

He died in a rural region 20 miles north of Baghdad, where he was stationed with the Wisconsin Army National Guard. Military officials are still investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.

He was born to serve, Peggy Naseman said, always ready to give. He would help a friend or neighbor at any time, day or night.

“I can’t even tell you how many lives Brian has changed,” she said. “If you needed something, he was there.”

Friends and neighbors spent Memorial Day with Peggy Naseman, helping around the house and tying yellow ribbons around the trees in their yard.

Brian Naseman grew up in Ohio and met his future wife at a barn dance, where he taught her to line dance. Sparks didn’t immediately fly, but Peggy Naseman soon realized how funny he was.

When he moved from Ohio to Wisconsin, he transferred from the Ohio National Guard to the Wisconsin National Guard, with which he served one tour of duty in Kuwait before his stint in Iraq.

Peggy Naseman said she still doesn’t know when she can plan a funeral for her husband of 10 years. She was told his body might be returned to the U.S. as soon as this week.

The last time the Naseman family was together was in April when Peggy Naseman and the boys traveled to New Mexico to see Brian Naseman before he shipped off to Iraq.

They spent one of their final days together on a hot-air balloon.

“We got as close to heaven as we wanted to be at the time,” Peggy Naseman said.

Nasemen never turned his back on others

The Associated Press

Brian Naseman never explained to his wife exactly why he wanted to join the military. He just did. He was a born leader, Peggy Naseman said.

When he moved from Ohio to Wisconsin, he transferred from the Ohio National Guard to the Wisconsin National Guard, with which he served two tours of duty, once in Kuwait and most recently in Iraq.

Brian would help a friend or neighbor at any time, day or night.

“I can’t even tell you how many lives Brian has changed. If you needed something, he was there,” she said.

Naseman, 36, of Racine, Wis., died May 22 in a noncombat-related incident in a rural region about 20 miles north of Baghdad.

He also is survived by two sons, Cole, 9, and Carter, 7. Naseman grew up in Ohio and met his future wife at a barn dance, where he taught her to line dance.

The Naseman family was last together in April when Peggy and the boys traveled to Albuquerque, N.M., to say goodbye to Brian before he shipped off to Iraq.

They spent one of their final days together on a hot air balloon.

“We got as close to heaven as we wanted to be at the time,” Peggy Naseman said.

Army 1st Lt. Leevi K. Barnard

Died May 21, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

28 year old Leevi Barnard, of Mount Airy, N.C.; assigned to the 252nd Combined Arms Battalion, Fayetteville, N.C.; died May 21 near Baghdad of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Maj. Jason E. George and Sgt. Paul F. Brooks.

Interests spanned from philosophy to war

The Associated Press

Leevi K. Barnard’s family described him as a quiet man with a dry sense of humor, a very private but thoughtful person who liked to read Plato and “The Art of War.” He also enjoyed sports, particularly playing on the church softball team and fantasy football.

“To me, if there ever was a hero, he was a hero,” said Thomas Barnard, his grandfather.

Barnard, 28, of Mount Airy, N.C., died May 21 near Baghdad of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked. He was assigned to Fayetteville, N.C.

He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in Arabic studies.

“He knew how to make you laugh, and if he didn’t make you laugh, he knew how to make you smile,” said Dianne Orr, a friend.

He also is survived by his mother and stepfather, Pam B. and Larry Payne; his father, Geoffrey Gordon; and his stepmother, Gloria Gordon.

“It was a privilege to have Leevi as a friend,” said Sgt. 1st Class Michael Street. “All the things that made him a good officer made him an even better friend.”

Army Spc. Michael C. Campbell

Died May 19, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

34 year old Michael Campbell, of Marshfield, Mo.; assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany; killed May 19 when his convoy hit an improvised explosive device in Samarra, Iraq.

In the months after the 2001 terror attacks, Michael C. Campbell drove trucks hauling debris from what used to be the World Trade Center. “That really played hard on him,” said Donna Gann, who with her husband took in Campbell during his high school years in the mid-1980s. The lack of blood relation to the Ganns didn’t matter, said their daughter, Sherry Wilson, “He was our brother and my mom’s son,” she said.

A Navy and National Guard veteran from Marshfield, Mo., Spc. Campbell, 34, deployed to Iraq with the Army. He was killed May 19 by a roadside bomb in Samarra. The decision to serve in Iraq wasn’t easy for Campbell, Wilson said. “He made sure it was OK with the family and that everybody was all right with it,” she said. “We didn’t like it, but we supported him 100 percent.”

Campbell last spoke to his family after Mother’s Day and thanked Gann for sending packages with candies and cookies, which he shared with fellow soldiers and Iraqi children.

Army Spc. David A. Schaefer Jr.

Died May 16, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

27 year old David Schaefer, of Belleville, Ill.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade, Schweinfurt, Germany; died May 16 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit.

‘He was born to serve his country’

The Associated Press

David A. Schaefer Jr.’s aunt and uncle, Karen and Danny Schaefer, said their nephew visited them before he enlisted, and his excitement about joining the military was tangible.

“Like all young men, he got himself all ripped up and excited about going into the Army,” Karen Schaefer said. “I answered the door and didn’t recognize him. He said, ‘Aunt Karen, it’s Little Davey!’ and I gave him a big ol’ hug. He did good for himself.”

Schaefer, 27, of Belleville, Ill., died May 16 in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit. He was assigned to Schweinfurt, Germany.

“He was born to serve his country,” said his wife, Shelly. “He wanted to be a soldier — that’s all he talked about when he was younger — and that’s what he did.”

After getting his GED, he worked as a diesel mechanic.

“There was never a challenge David wouldn’t take on, and he always took the heavy end of the load. He was a soldier’s soldier, and he will be missed,” Maj. Gen. William Enyart said.

He also is survived by three children, Jason Phillips, 13, Logan Schaefer, 7, and Savanna Schaefer, 6.

Army Staff Sgt. Esau L. De la Pena-Hernandez

Died May 15, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

25 year old Esau Dela Pena-Hernandez, of La Puente, Calif.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died May 15 at Forward Operating Base Shank, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his patrol was attacked by enemy forces using small-arms fire in Chak, Afghanistan. Also killed was Sgt. Carlie M. Lee III.

Fort Drum soldier from California dies in combat

The Associated Press

FORT DRUM, N.Y. — The Army says a Fort Drum soldier from California has died from injuries suffered in a firefight last week in Afghanistan.

The Pentagon identified the soldier Monday as 25-year-old Staff Sgt. Esau Delapena Hernandez of La Puente, Calif.

Delapena Hernandez and Sgt. Charlie Lee III, 23, of Birmingham, Ala., died from their wounds on May 15 at Forward Operating Base Shank and were with the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment.

Delapena Hernandez joined the Marine Corps in 2002 and signed up for the Army in April 2006. He had previously served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is survived by his wife.

The 3rd Brigade was the first Army unit to deploy to the country as part of a surge of troops started by President Bush last fall.

Soldier never mentioned his honors

The Associated Press

Esau Ivan De La Pena-Hernandez poured his whole heart into his military service, family members said.

He was a fan of military-themed video games and movies and knew the film “Full Metal Jacket” word-for-word. His love for soccer was a close second.

“He used to always call me and ask ‘Are you proud of me?’ ” said his father, Mario De La Pena. “I told him ‘You are my hero.’ ”

De La Pena-Hernandez, 25, of La Puente, Calif., died May 15 after his patrol was attacked in Chak, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Fort Drum, N.Y.

The oldest of three children, he was born in Mexico and moved to America with his family when he was 11. Previously a legal resident, he had recently earned his citizenship.

Family members were shocked to discover after his death that he had earned nearly 20 decorations during his service.

“He wasn’t a flashy person,” said sister Denise. “We never knew he had all these medals.”

De La Pena-Hernandez previously deployed to the Philippines in 2002, to Kuwait in 2004, to Iraq from December 2004 to March 2005 and to Afghanistan from September 2006 to May 2007.

He also is survived by his wife.

Army Command Sgt. Maj. Edward C. Barnhill

Died May 14, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

50 year old Edward Barnhill of Shreveport, La.; assigned to the 431st Civil Affairs Battalion, Army Reserve, North Little Rock, Ark.; died of a heart attack May 14 in Baghdad.

Shreveport man, husband, father, grandfather, deacon and soldier dies in Baghdad

By Francis McCabe

Shreveport (la.) Times

Friends described Edward “Carl” Barnhill as a superman often disguised in Clark Kent clothes. His wife of 28 years says “he was just a good man.”

Barnhill, a command sergeant major with the Army Reserve’s 431 Civil Affairs Battalion based in North Little Rock, Ark., and serving in Iraq, died in Baghdad on Friday. He was 50.

Barnhill of Shreveport leaves behind his wife, Paula, two sons, Jason, 24, and Marcus, 26, two grandchildren, his mother, two sisters and two brothers.

Army officials told Paula Barnhill her husband had a heart attack and could not be resuscitated, she said.

Sunday, sitting in an arm chair in the living room of their home on Pebble Beach Drive, wearing a black dress and holding a blanket over her lap, Barnhill’s wife was having a hard time coming to terms with his death.

“It really doesn’t seem real. I know it is real, it just doesn’t feel real,” she said staring at a picture of her and her husband taken during a 21-day leave in March. “It still seems like he should be coming home anytime now.”

The last time Paula Barnhill spoke to her husband was on May 9. “He called and wished me a happy Mother’s Day,” she said.

Support has been constant in the form of visits from friends and neighbors, fellow Greenwood Acres Full Gospel Baptist Church members where Barnhill served as a deacon, said Paula Barnhill, who works at the Riverside Elementary School.

“Carl was a good friend and a good family man,” said Leo Davis, a friend of the family. “He was like Clark Kent. Mild-mannered.”

“He was a good example to follow. Anybody who knew him will tell you what a fantastic man he was. He will be missed by everybody,” said Davis’ wife, Peggy.

Barnhill, a 32-year veteran of the Army Reserves, was called to active duty in February 2003 and left for Iraq in March 2003.

He was very proud to serve the nation, Paula Barnhill said. Their 28th anniversary was Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day.

The couple met nearly 30 years ago at a church in Tennessee, where Barnhill was from. Paula Barnhill, originally from Illinois, had traveled down to Tennessee with her own church to visit. “He wrote me (letters) for a while,” she said, before they officially started dating.

They moved to Shreveport 14 years ago for a job Barnhill had gotten with Poulan Weed Eater.

“He always made time to come to my (football) games,” Barnhill’s son, Jason, said. “He was there at the right times. When I needed him.”

Barnhill was most recently employed as an engineer with the state Department of Transportation and Development and was a graduate of Western Kentucky University, Paula Barnhill said.

The U.S. Department of Defense listed Barnhill’s death as noncombat related and under investigation and would not give any further information when contacted Sunday.

Barnhill was awarded the Bronze Star in July 2003 while serving in Iraq, Paula Barnhill said.

Louisiana soldier dies of heart attack in Iraq

SHREVEPORT, La. — The last time Edward “Carl” Barnhill spoke with his wife of 28 years was during a phone call from Iraq on May 9.

“He called and wished me a happy Mother’s Day,” said Paula Barnhill, still struggling to accept the news she received of her husband’s death in Baghdad on Friday.

Barnhill, a 50-year-old father, grandfather, and deacon at his Shreveport church, had been awarded a Bronze Star — given for heroic or meritorious achievement — for his efforts in Iraq.

He died of a heart attack, not in combat, the U.S. Department of Defense told his wife.

“It really doesn’t seem real. I know it is real, it just doesn’t feel real,” she said staring at a picture of her husband and her taken during a 21-day leave in March. “It still seems like he should be coming home anytime now.”

Barnhill, a 32-year veteran of the Army Reserves, was called to active duty in February 2003 and left for Iraq in March 2003. He was a command sergeant major with the Army Reserve’s 431 Civil Affairs Battalion based in North Little Rock, Ark.

He was proud to serve, his wife said.

The couple met nearly 30 years ago at a church in Tennessee, Barnhill’s home state. Paula Barnhill, originally from Illinois, had traveled there with her own church group.

“He wrote me (letters) for a while,” she said, before they officially started dating. Their 28th anniversary was Valentine’s Day. They had two sons — Jason, 24, and Marcus, 26 — and two grandchildren.

“He always made time to come to my (football) games,” Barnhill’s son, Jason, said. “He was there at the right times. When I needed him.”

They moved to Shreveport 14 years ago for a job Barnhill had gotten with Poulan Weed Eater. Barnhill most recently worked as an engineer with the state transportation department and was a graduate of Western Kentucky University, his wife said.

Army Cpl. Ryan C. McGhee

Died May 13, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

21 year old Ryan McGhee, of Fredericksburg, Va.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.; died May 13 from wounds sustained when his unit came in contact with enemy forces while conducting combat operations in Balad.

McGhee made impact on classmates, friends

The Associated Press

Ryan C. McGhee, who was born in Pennsylvania, lived the majority of his life in Vermont. He was on his fourth tour of duty — his first three were in Afghanistan and his latest was in Iraq.

“I lost my soul mate. I don’t know what else to say. He was my one and only, so it’s been difficult for all of us,” said Ashleigh Mitchell, his fiancée.

McGhee, 21, of Fredericksburg, Va., died May 13 of wounds suffered during a firefight with enemy forces in central Iraq. He was a 2006 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Benning, Ga.

“He was an all-around great person and he loved what he did,” said McGhee’s brother, Zachary. “I talked to him two weeks ago. He called to wish me a happy birthday. He said he loved me and he missed me.”

He was chosen by his classmates for two senior superlatives — friendliest and most charming.

“He always had a lot of friends,” classmate Tim Putnam said.

He had planned on returning to Vermont this year, to introduce his Virginian fiancée to his childhood friends.

He also is survived by his father, Steven; stepmother, Kristie; and his mother, Sherrie Battle-McGhee.

Army Maj. Steven Hutchison

Died May 10, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

60 year old Steven Hutchison, of Scottsdale, Ariz.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died May 10 in Basra, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

Riley major, 60, is oldest soldier to die in Iraq

By Amanda Lee Myers

The Associated Press

PHOENIX — A 60-year-old Vietnam War veteran killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq has become the oldest Army soldier to die in that conflict, the military said Thursday.

Maj. Steven Hutchison, of Scottsdale, Ariz., served in Vietnam and wanted to re-enlist immediately after the 9/11 terror attacks, but his wife was against it, his brother said.

Richard Hutchison told The Associated Press on Thursday that when she died, “a part of him died” so he signed up in July 2007 at age 59.

“He was very devoted to the service and to his country,” Richard Hutchison said.

He described him as a great big brother and friend. “I didn’t want him to go,” he said through tears, adding that he loved his brother “so much.”

The Pentagon said Steven Hutchison was killed in Iraq on Sunday. Army spokesman Lt. Col. Nathan Banks said Thursday that Hutchison was the oldest Army soldier killed in Iraq.

An Associated Press database of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan shows that Hutchison is the oldest member of any service branch killed since the wars broke out.

Hutchison served in Afghanistan for a year before deploying to Iraq in October, heading a 12-soldier team that trained the Iraqi military, his brother said. Later, he was assigned to help secure Iraq’s southern border.

Hutchinson, who grew up in California, taught psychology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles on and off between 1988 and 1996, and lectured and taught at two other colleges, according to school records. He then worked at a health care corporation in Arizona before retiring and re-entering the service, his brother said.

He was part of the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kan.

Inspired to re-enlist by 9/11

The Associated Press

Steven Hutchison served in Vietnam and wanted to re-enlist immediately after the 9/11 terror attacks, but his wife was against it, his brother said.

Richard Hutchison said that when his sister-in-law died of breast cancer in 2006, “a part of him died” so Steven signed up in July 2007 at age 59.

“He was very devoted to the service and to his country,” Richard Hutchison said.

Hutchison, 60, of Scottsdale, Ariz., died May 10 of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Al Farr. He was assigned to Fort Riley, Kan. He became the oldest Army soldier to die in Iraq.

Hutchinson, who grew up in California, taught psychology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles on and off between 1988 and 1996, and lectured and taught at two other colleges. The Vietnam War veteran then worked at a health care corporation in Arizona before retiring and re-entering the service.

Army Spc. Omar M. Albrak

Died May 9, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

21 year old Omar Albrak, of Chicago; was an Individual Ready Reserve soldier assigned to the Headquarters, Multi-National Forces Iraq; died May 9 in Baghdad of injuries sustained during a motor vehicle accident.

Family meets soldier’s remains at Dover

The Associated Press

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. — Twenty-one years after Army Spc. Omar M. Albrak’s birth, his mother, aunt and uncle traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Tuesday to meet a flag-draped transfer case containing his body.

Albrak’s mother, Susan Atooli of Escondido, Calif., said she attended the ceremony Tuesday to be close to her son.

“It was a lot harder than I thought just to see somebody come back,” Atooli said. “You think you can handle it, but it hits you a lot harder than you think.

She was sorry that she was not able to see her son’s body during the trip to Dover, but officials told her his body would be released within 72 hours.

Atooli said she last talked to her son on Friday about a credit card problem.

“We were at Disneyland, and he didn’t want to keep us,” she said. “He said he’d call tomorrow, and that didn’t happen.”

Instead, she was met at her home Saturday by an officer who told her of her son’s death.

Atooli said military officials told her that Albrak was killed earlier that day in a crash at Camp Victory in Iraq and an investigation will take about six months. A spokeswoman at the Dover base said Tuesday that details of Albrak’s death had not be released, pending notification of some of his next of kin.

Albrak’s father, Omar Albrak, lives in New York.

Albrak, who is of Yemeni ancestry, worked as a translator, she said. Some Iraqis gave him a tough time because he was of Middle Eastern descent and fighting for the United States, she said. But Atooli said he but didn’t want to be an enemy to anyone despite his Yemeni ancestry.

Atooli’s sister Helen, of Maui, Hawaii, brought a sign wishing Albrak a happy birthday. She said she wanted to show it to the media covering the ceremony.

“We wanted people to know that he came home in a casket on his birthday,” Susan Atooli said.

For 18 years, media was not allowed to cover the return of overseas casualties to Dover Air Force Base. The mortuary there is the entry point for service personnel killed overseas.

Some critics saw the ban, imposed by President George H.W. Bush in 1991 during the Persian Gulf War, as an attempt to hide the human cost of war, but officials cast it as a way to protect grieving families’ privacy.

Since the ban was lifted last month, many families, like Albrak’s, have agreed to media coverage of their loved ones’ returns.

The remains of Spc. Lukasz Saczek of Lake in the Hills, Ill., who died in Afghanistan on Sunday, arrived during the same Tuesday morning ceremony as Albrak’s.

Translator wanted to build bridges with Iraqis

The Associated Press

When Omar M. Albrak’s body returned to America, his family brought a sign wishing him a happy birthday. They said they wanted to show it to the media covering the ceremony.

“We wanted people to know that he came home in a casket on his birthday,” said his mother, Susan Atooli.

Albrak, 21, of Chicago died May 9 in Baghdad in a motor vehicle accident. His mother was told he was driving in the rain near Camp Victory when his vehicle flipped.

Helen Atooli, Albrak’s aunt, would often chat with him online or by phone.

“He loved his job. I remember when he told me he was going to extend his contract. He said ‘Don’t tell my mom.’ He felt like he was accomplishing something. He was all about bettering himself,” Helen Atooli said.

His time in the Army seemed to help him appreciate family.

“He was very loving and liked spending time with family and playing with his cousins,” his aunt said.

Albrak, who is of Yemeni ancestry, worked as a translator. Some Iraqis gave him a tough time because he was fighting for the United States, but Atooli said he didn’t want to be an enemy to anyone.

He also is survived by his father, Omar Albrak.

Army Staff Sgt. Randy S. Agno

Died May 8, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

29 year old Randy Agno, of Pearl City, Hawaii; assigned to the 325th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died May 8 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington of wounds sustained April 27 from a noncombat-related incident at Forward Operating Base Olsen, Samarra, Iraq.

Schofield soldier, hurt in Iraq, dies

By William Cole

Honolulu Advertiser

A Schofield Barracks soldier from Pearl City died Friday at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington of a noncombat injury in Iraq, the Pentagon said yesterday.

Staff Sgt. Randy S. Agno, 29, died from wounds received April 27 at Forward Operating Base Olsen in Samarra, Iraq, the Pentagon said.

Agno was assigned to the 325th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation, the military said. It was the 3rd Brigade’s fourth noncombat death, and seventh overall, since the unit was deployed last fall.

Agno, a 1997 graduate of Pearl City High School, joined the Army in 1998 and was assigned to Hawaii in 2001.

He was a food service specialist. In 2006, Agno was named Junior Army Chef of the Year at the Army’s 31st Annual Culinary Arts Competition.

Agno earned numerous awards during his career, including the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with Arrowhead, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

Schofield’s 3rd Brigade, with 3,500 soldiers, has experienced a spate of noncombat deaths in Iraq since it deployed in October and November on a 12-month tour.

There have been four noncombat deaths compared to three deaths related to combat.

Noncombat deaths can be due to natural causes, a vehicle or other accident, friendly fire, homicide or suicide. Eight out of 11 deaths in a combat zone this year involving troops with Hawaii ties have been as a result of noncombat causes, which largely go unexplained.

A Schofield Barracks soldier was charged last month with involuntary man-slaughter in one of those deaths — the January shooting of a fellow Hawaii soldier in northern Iraq, the U.S. military said.

The death of Pfc. Sean P. McCune was the result of a “negligent discharge” of Sgt. Miguel A. Vegaquinones’ weapon, the military said.

McCune, 20, of Euless, Texas, died after allegedly being shot by Vegaquinones following the completion of their guard-shift duty in Samarra on Jan. 11, according to a Multi-National Corps-Iraq news release.

Father of 2 enjoyed serving as chef

The Associated Press

Randy S. Agno, a food specialist, was named Junior Army Chef of the Year at the Army’s 31st annual Culinary Arts Competition. He wanted one day to open his own restaurant.

Spc. Erika Rivera said Agno “was the type of person that would go out of his way to do something nice for somebody else, not asking for anything in return.”

Agno, 29, of Pearl City, Hawaii, died May 8 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center of wounds suffered April 27 from a noncombat incident in Samarra, Iraq. He was a 1997 high school graduate and was assigned to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

This was his second deployment to Iraq. He also spent a year in Afghanistan.

“It is hard to grasp the reality of losing someone who has had such a positive impact on the mission and so many of his fellow soldiers,” said Capt. Christopher Denton. “How he took such pride in his work, how he tried to do whatever he could do to better serve the soldiers around him, and how he did it all with a positive attitude and a smile on his face. He made an impact on everyone he came in contact with.”

He was the father of two children, ages 5 and 3.

Army Spc. Shawn D. Sykes

Died May 7, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

28 year old Shawn Sykes, of Portsmouth, Va.; assigned to 215th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 7 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds sustained from an accident that occurred May 5 at Combat Outpost Crazy Horse, Iraq.

Sykes promised to take care of family

The Associated Press

When Shawn D. Sykes came home in April for a two-week break from his second Iraq deployment, he and his family went out to eat and went bowling.

“We just had so much fun,” said his mother, Marion Cotton.

Sykes gave her $200 for groceries, $200 to go shopping for herself, bought her a freezer and gave gifts to his sisters. He told his two youngest sisters, ages 7 and 10, that he would start an allowance for them if they did well in school.

“That was the kind of person my son was,” Cotton said. “We have so much fun when we get together, and we love each other.”

Sykes, 28, of Portsmouth, Va., died May 7 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, of wounds suffered when a propane tank exploded in his face May 5 at Combat Outpost Crazy Horse. He was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas.

Sykes was in the Marine Corps before enlisting in the Army.

A family friend recently pointed Cotton to something on her son’s MySpace page that she hadn’t seen. His heroes, he wrote, were “My Momma and grandma.”

“He always had something encouraging to say to make me feel better,” she said.

Army Staff Sgt. Hesley Box Jr.

Died May 6, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

24 year old Hesley Box Jr., of Nashville, Ark.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 153rd Infantry, 39th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Arkansas National Guard, Texarkana, Ark.; killed May 6 when a car bomb detonated near his guard post in Baghdad.

Funeral set for Arkansas soldier killed in Iraq

Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Ark. — A funeral will be held May 15 in Camden for Staff Sgt. Hesley Box Jr., 24, of Nashville, who was killed in Iraq.

The funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the Camden High School gymnasium. Organizers expect a large crowd of mourners to be on hand to pay their respects to Box and his family.

Box died May 6 in a car bombing in Baghdad. He became the seventh Arkansas member of the 39th Infantry Brigade to be killed by Iraqi insurgents in the past month. An eighth member of the brigade who was killed was from Simsbury, Conn. Box’s unit was based in Texarkana.

Box is survived by his wife, Alexia Johnson Box; and two children, 5-year-old T’Darius and 20-month-old Zacheas, all of Nashville. His mother and father live in Chidester, near Camden.

Sherry Johnson, the sister of Box’s widow, said the fallen soldier was honorable in both the military and in civilian life.

“Hesley was a good person, period. He was always giving of his time, always honest with you, always willing to help you out, always willing to go the extra mile to help somebody out,” Johnson said.

“I was with her (Alexia) when they came to tell her that Hesley had been killed,” said Sherry Johnson, the oldest sister of five siblings including Alexia. “There were two men the Army sent to give her the news.”

There will be no viewing of Box’s body, but his remains were transported to Hicks Mortuary in Hope, said casualty assistance officer Sgt. 1st Class Joyce Truitt.

Soldier killed in Iraq remembered for attentiveness to younger soldiers

CAMDEN, Ark. — The mother of a soldier who served in the 39th Infantry Brigade with 24-year-old Staff Sgt. Hesley “Tank” Box Jr. said Box looked after younger members of the unit.

Among those Box kept his eye on, Sarah Green said Saturday, was her son, Spc. Charles Green.

“He placed him under his wings of care,” she said.

In doing so, Box was extending to his fellow soldiers the love he felt for his wife and children, others attending Box’s funeral said.

Killed on May 6 in a car bombing in Baghdad, Box is survived by his wife, Alexia Johnson Box, and two children, 5-year-old T’Darrius, and 20-month-old Zacheas. The family lived in Nashville, Ark., but after the funeral, his remains were returned to his hometown of Chidester for burial.

More than 500 people showed up for the funeral in the gym of Camden Fairview High School, where he graduated in 1998.

Box was the seventh Arkansas member of the 39th to be killed in Iraq in the past month. An eighth soldier who was killed was from Simsbury, Conn.

Box began his service in Iraq about seven weeks before he was killed. Maj. Gen. Don Morrow, adjutant general of the Arkansas National Guard, was among those attending the funeral.

“He was truly an outstanding soldier and I know his loss weighs so heavily on his family’s hearts,” Morrow said. “I can say to his family that he didn’t die in vain.”

Morrow said he had been told that, if Box hadn’t died in the bombing on a Baghdad street, others would have.

Darrell Marks, a member of the Roadside Church of God in Christ at Ozan that Box’s family attended, offered comfort to mourners. He compared Box’s passing to “slipping into a bedroom to rest.”

“He will join his friends and family later,” Marks said. “Just live your life so you will be able to see Brother Tank again.”

Earlier, Marks read excerpts from expressions of sympathy sent to the family by churches, officials and organizations.

Several in the audience shed tears when Box’s sister-in-law, Shalunda Johnson, sang the Mariah Carey song “Hero.” A woman walked among those seated in bleachers and folding chairs, handing out tissues.

Superintendent Theodore Marks of the Roadside Church said Box took advantage of opportunities the Army could provide and always retained his faith in God.

“He had insurance. If something happened, he was covered,” Marks said.

Box joined the National Guard in 1997. Before his deployment to Iraq, he had served in Saudi Arabia and Bosnia. As a civilian, he worked for the Potlatch Corp. sawmill in Prescott.

Box was buried at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Chidester.

Army Pfc. Jesse R. Buryj

Died May 5, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

21 year old Jesse Buryj, of Canton, Ohio; assigned to the 66th Military Police Company, Fort Lewis, Wash.; killed May 5 when his military vehicle was struck by a dump truck whose driver had been shot while trying to run through a control point in Karbala, Iraq.

Ohio soldier killed in attack at checkpoint in Iraq

Associated Press

CANTON, Ohio — An Ohio soldier killed in Iraq died while heroically trying to stop an attack on an Army checkpoint, family members said.

Jesse Buryj, 21, of Canton, fired more than 400 rounds at a dump truck trying to crash the checkpoint near Karbala. He shot the driver of the truck, which then crashed into the Humvee in which he was riding, an Army sergeant told his mother, Peggy Buryj, on Wednesday morning.

“Everyone was fine, but Jesse’s stomach was hurting him,” she was told. “They took him to a hospital where they found he had massive internal injuries, and he died on the operating table.”

His mother said Army representatives were expected to tell her more Thursday.

Buryj was a soldier with the 66th MP Company at Fort Lewis, Wash., in October when he married his high school sweetheart, Amber Tichenor.

“They were just married a few months and he had to leave,” she said.

Buryj was a member of the Canton City Police Youth Corps before he joined the Army during his senior year.

“He told the Army, ‘If I can’t be an MP (military police officer) and a paratrooper, I’m not going,”’ she recalled. “He went to jump school and he got his wings.”

His mother said he wanted to be a military police officer so he could become a Canton police officer.

“That’s all he wanted — to be a Canton police officer. But he couldn’t be a Canton police officer until he was 21. So he joined the Army,” she said, adding that to her, “My son was a police officer — always.”

Ohio soldier remembered for his bravery, compassion

CANTON, Ohio — Pfc. Jesse Buryj was remembered at his funeral Saturday for his life-saving bravery and friendly, caring personality.

Buryj, 21, of Canton, died May 5. He was credited with saving at least three lives when he fired more than 400 rounds at a dump truck trying to crash a checkpoint near Karbala, the military and family members have said.

An Army sergeant said Buryj shot the driver of the truck, which then crashed into his Humvee, said Peggy Buryj, the soldier’s mother. He later died of injuries from the crash.

Buryj was with the 66th Military Police Company at Fort Lewis, Wash., and was one of 24 Ohioans who have been killed in Iraq.

“He is a soldier. He is too young to be gone,” Gen. Dennis Moran told about 250 mourners inside Eleventh Street Church of God.

“As a military police officer, his first job was to serve and protect” fellow soldiers, Moran said. “He trusted his life to those soldiers as they trusted theirs to him.”

Moran presented Buryj’s family with his medals — the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.

Matthew Beadoin, who was best man at Buryj’s wedding, gave the eulogy and said Buryj was “the bravest person, friend and soldier” he had ever known.

The Canton McKinley High School graduate enlisted in the Army out of high school because he was too young to be a Canton police officer, which remained his career goal. Buryj married his high school sweetheart, Amber Tichenor, in October.

Outside the church, people waited in the rain with flags and signs to show their support for Buryj’s family. Among them were family and friends of Cpl. Andrew Brownfield, of nearby Akron, who was killed in Iraq on March 18.

“We’re here to support this family,” said Brownfield’s mother, Melody Roop. “They’re going through what we went through, and we’re here for them.”

A few minutes later, she and her family burst into tears when the song “You Raise Me Up” blared from the church’s loudspeakers across the street. The same song was played at her son’s funeral.

Army Spc. Jake R. Velloza

Died May 2, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

22 year old Jake Velloza, of Inverness, Calif.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 2 in Mosul, Iraq, after being shot by enemy forces. Also killed was Spc. Jeremiah P. McCleery.

Wanted to become special ops soldier

The Associated Press

Jake R. Velloza was a football and baseball standout in high school, where Leon Feliciano served as his football coach.

Feliciano remembers Velloza playing wingback, defensive back, kick returner and kicker on a team that won the 2002 North Coast Section Class B championship in California with an 8-4 record.

“I think he knew from the first day he got into high school that he was going into the military,” Feliciano said. “We talked about college, but he said, ‘No, Coach, I want to be a Ranger doing special ops.’ He was set on his goals.”

Velloza, 22, of Inverness, Calif., was shot and killed May 2 by enemy forces in Mosul, Iraq. He was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas.

Velloza worked briefly reading meters for the North Marin Water District — for which his grandfather worked for 21 years — before he joined the Army in 2006.

He completed his first overseas tour, mostly in Baghdad, and then spent about six months training in Texas. Earlier this year, he re-upped for a second tour after a short break at home in Marin.

He is survived by his mother and father, Bob and Susan, and his fiancée, Danielle Erwin.

Army Staff Sgt. William D. Vile

Died May 1, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

27 year old William Vile, of Philadelphia; assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using direct fire May 1 near the village of Nishagam, Konar province, Afghanistan. Also killed were Sgt. James D. Pirtle and Spc. Ryan C. King.

Army identifies remains of Riley soldier

By Gina Cavallaro

Staff writer

The remains of a Pennsylvania soldier previously listed by the Army as “duty status whereabouts unknown” have been positively identified by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, the Defense Department announced Tuesday in a press release.

Staff Sgt. William D. Vile, 27, of Philadelphia, who was assigned to a military transition team in Afghanistan, died of wounds suffered in an attack May 1 when insurgents attacked his unit using direct fire and rocket-propelled grenades, officials said.

The attack took place in the village of Nishagam, Konar province.

Sgt. James D. Pirtle, 21, of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Spc. Ryan C. King, 22, of Dallas, Ga. — both were assigned to Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, of Fort Hood, Texas — also died in the attack.

Vile was assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, from Fort Riley, Kan.

Soldiers and service members from other branches of the military are trained at Fort Riley in a 60-day course to advise, teach, mentor and coach their counterparts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Fiancée says Vile always was honest

The Associated Press

On his first tour in Iraq, William D. Vile was a gunner on a Humvee that was struck and turned over by a roadside bomb.

He told his fiancée, Heather Jackson, “I popped right back up,” but the Army thought his wound deserved a Purple Heart.

Then during his first tour in Afghanistan, he was watching as a helicopter landed with troops. As soon as it landed, the surrounding hills “lit up with enemy fire,” he told her.

He ran to get his flak vest out of his tent and took a bullet in the arm. He pretty much fought off the medics trying to attend to him.

“I need something to stop the bleeding,” he told them. “I have work to do here.”

Vile, 27, of Philadelphia died May 1 when insurgents attacked his unit in Konar province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Fort Riley, Kan., and was on his fourth tour of duty.

“I never met anybody who was so honest,” Jackson said. “He never put on a mask. He was never anyone but himself. Bill was larger than life.”

He enlisted in 1998 after graduating high school. He had two Purple Hearts for wounds in combat in both countries.

He also is survived by his mother, Donna.

Army 1st Lt. Salvatore S. Corma II

Died April 29, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

24 year old Salvatore Corma, of Wenonah, N.J.; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died April 29 at Forward Operating Base Bullard, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using improvised explosive devices.

Town stops to remember fallen O-2

By Shruti Mathur Desai

(Camden, N.J.) Courier-Post

WOODBURY HEIGHTS, N.J. — Friends and family of 1st Lt. Salvatore Corma gathered to pay their last respects to the fallen soldier during religious and military ceremonies May 12.

It was a day when faith and mission convened, where the “Ave Maria” was immediately followed by “The Star-Spangled Banner.” That’s because Corma loved the church and the military, friends and family said.

“He did what he loved and he loved what he did,” said his uncle, Martin Keeney, before reading Psalm 23. “He loved his brothers and sisters in arms.”

Corma died April 29 in Afghanistan, after waving aside 18 other soldiers to isolate an improvised explosive device. He was 24.

Before the start of Mass at Infant Jesus Parish at St. Margaret’s Church in Woodbury Heights, Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick, who serves as the commanding general of Fort Bragg where Corma served, held a private ceremony with the family.

He presented several posthumous medals, including the Purple Heart and a recommendation that Corma receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.

The bells of the church tolled as Corma’s coffin was escorted out. The American flag was carefully draped across as his parents watched.

The mile-long funeral procession that snaked between Infant Jesus Parish and the Gloucester County Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Monroe was watched by dozens of mourners.

Fire departments brought out their rigs and hung American flags across the roadway, while firefighters and emergency medical personnel stood at attention at the side of the road. Police cars blocked traffic, the officers standing respectfully.

One man, caught by surprise by the procession, swept his weathered brown cap off his head, and stood on the sidewalk in salute, his hat and hand over his heart.

The students of St. Margaret’s School, which Corma attended, lined the street holding small American flags as the hearse carrying Corma’s coffin went by. It was preceded by an honor guard of police and motorcycle riders.

Corma’s mother, Trudy, smiled and waved at the children as she went by. That smile stayed on her face throughout the day.

It was from his mother that Corma learned his optimism, said Rev. Paul Galetto, president of St. Augustine’s Preparatory School, where Corma graduated in 2004.

Galetto, who presided over Mass, advised mourners to banish such thoughts as “Why do the good die young and why did Salvatore die?” Instead he encouraged them to remember Corma’s endless optimism, a trait that kept him smiling from the moment he walked in the doors of the school until the day he left.

“Sal was irrepressively happy,” Galetto said. “Sal never knew how to do anything but his best.”

Galetto said Corma embodied the spirit of service and good deeds, not for his own sake, but to earn the honor of friends, family and “a grateful nation who gives thanks for men and women like Salvatore Corma.”

At the veterans’ cemetery, Corma, a 2008 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, was given military honors, with a 21-gun salute and a bugler playing “Taps.”

Corma would have appreciated the military pomp, said his best friend, Robert Cahall.

“There’s nothing he loved more than the military honors.”

Army Sgt. Keith A. Coe

Died April 27, 2010 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

30 year old Keith Coe, of Auburndale, Fla.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.; died April 27 in Khalis, Iraq, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an explosive device.

‘Coe Daddy’ served as the family prankster

The Associated Press

Keith Coe and his brother, Matt, had a rough childhood and didn’t always get along. But that didn’t keep them from being close friends later in life.

As kids, Matt would say, “Let’s go to Blockbuster and get a movie.” Keith would reply, “Let’s get on top of Blockbuster and make a movie.”

“He kicked the crap out of me for the first 11 years of my life. You know, big brother stuff,” Matt Coe said.

Keith Coe also was the family prankster, the man known to his soldiers as “Coe Daddy” who worked extra hard to make sure the men reporting to him couldn’t outdo him.

The 30-year-old from Auburndale, Fla., was killed April 27 in Khalis, Iraq. He was assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

Keith Coe got into some trouble with the law and spent time in jail, but made a complete turnaround when he was released, his family said. He met his wife at a restaurant the pair worked at, and they capped off their marriage with a Hawaiian-themed wedding, said his grandmother Dawn Jones. Of course, grass hula skirts had to be part of the deal.

Among those surviving Coe are his wife, Katrina; two sons, Killian and Keith Jr., and a daughter, Klover.

Army Staff Sgt. LeRoy O. Webster

Died April 25, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

28 year old LeRoy Webster, of Sioux Falls, S.D.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died April 25 near Kirkuk, Iraq, after being shot while on a dismounted patrol.

Webster wrestled, played golf and baseball in high school

By William Petroski

Des Moines (Iowa) Register

A soldier from northwest Iowa who was serving his third combat tour overseas has been killed in Iraq, the Department of Defense said April 27.

Army Sgt. LeRoy O. Webster, 28, of Hartley died April 25 after being shot near Kirkuk while on patrol, military officials said.

Webster was a 1999 graduate of Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School, where he wrestled and played on the golf and baseball teams.

He leaves behind a wife, Jessica, who was his high school sweetheart, and three young daughters, Natasha, Kaydence and Jadyn.

“He was a good guy. He had a lot of friends. He liked to have fun,” recalled Jim Thomas, a social studies teacher and the athletic director at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn.

The Webster family had recently moved to Hartley from Texas, where LeRoy Webster had been stationed prior to being deployed to Iraq. Both the fallen soldier and his wife are from families who are well-liked and have deep roots in the area, Thomas said. His parents, Donald and Crystal Webster, still reside in Hartley.

“In a close-knit community like this, it hits everybody pretty hard,” Thomas said.

Two of the Webster children attend Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn schools — one is in third grade, the other is in kindergarten — and the third is a preschooler, said Lynn Evans, the district’s superintendent. He said a counselor would be available for the district’s students.

Webster was born in June 1980 in Spencer and grew up in Hartley. He joined the military as a member of the Iowa Army National Guard, and in 2002 he was called to duty with an Algona-based National Guard unit that provided security at a Department of Defense installation in Newport, Ind.

In 2004 and 2005, Webster served in Afghanistan with a Council Bluffs-based National Guard unit of the 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry. After that deployment, he moved to Sioux Falls, S.D., and transferred to the active-duty U.S. Army in 2006, said Lt. Col. Gregory Hapgood Jr., the Iowa National Guard’s public affairs officer. From October 2006 to January 2008, he served with the Army in Baghdad.

Webster’s last deployment to Iraq began in January, Hapgood said. He was serving with Battery B, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, of Fort Hood, Texas.

Webster’s family issued a statement April 27:

“LeRoy was a wonderful husband and terrific dad to his three beautiful daughters. He was proud to serve in the United States Army. He will forever be deeply missed by his family and friends.”

Webster received about a dozen awards and decorations during his military career, including the Army Commendation Medal and the Army Achievement Medal.

Dedicated soldier from Hartley is praised during funeral

By William Petroski

Des Moines (Iowa) Register

HARTLEY, Iowa. — Army Staff Sgt. LeRoy Webster, who was killed during combat in Iraq, was remembered Saturday as a good father and husband and a dedicated soldier who never forgot his commitment to duty.

More than 700 people gathered for Webster’s funeral at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School. He was laid to rest in a cemetery on the edge of this northwest Iowa community on a gentle spring afternoon with a bright blue sky overhead.

A bagpiper played “Amazing Grace” and seven soldiers fired their rifles overhead three times before “Taps” was sounded.

“This is a loss for everyone here. This is a loss for many beyond here,” said the Rev. Tim Hogan, pastor of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Hartley, who officiated at Webster’s service.

Webster, 28, died April 25 after being shot near Kirkuk while on patrol with a unit from the Army’s 1st Cavalry Division. He leaves behind his wife, Jessica, who was his high school sweetheart, and three young daughters, Natasha, Kaydence and Jadyn.

This was the second time in four years that Hartley, an O’Brien County community of 1,733 people, has buried one of its native sons after he was killed during combat duty. Army Staff Sgt. Shane Koele, 25, of Hartley died in 2005 when his Humvee struck a land mine just a week after he arrived in western Afghanistan.

Webster, the son of Don and Crystal Webster, grew up in Hartley and was a 1999 graduate of the high school here, where he played football, baseball and golf. He joined the Iowa National Guard in August 2001 and enlisted in the regular U.S. Army in 2006. He had served a tour of Afghanistan with the National Guard and was on his second Army deployment to Iraq at the time of his death.

He was the 71st person with Iowa ties to die in Iraq or Afghanistan since March 2003.

Webster was saluted Saturday as a hero who sacrificed his life for the freedom of Americans.

More than 100 patriotic motorcyclists from Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska and Minnesota each stood with an American flag outside the funeral service. Dozens of northwest Iowa firetrucks, with their emergency lights flashing, formed a cordon along the streets of Hartley for the procession of the fallen soldier’s hearse to the cemetery.

A country song, “Life Ain’t Always Beautiful,” was played as his flag-draped casket was brought into the school’s gymnasium for the service. About 50 soldiers in Army uniforms attended, along with more than 100 area military veterans who were seated as a group.

Army Maj. Gen. Abraham Turner, who is chief of staff of the U.S. Strategic Command, expressed sympathy to Webster’s widow, his children and his parents. Turner said Webster was known among his fellow soldiers as fine person who embraced the Army’s values of putting his mission first and never accepting defeat.

“He was unwilling to live in a world where wrong rules over right,” Turner said.

Brig. Gen. Tim Orr, who recently was appointed adjutant general of the 9,400-member Iowa National Guard, was in Iraq a week ago visiting Iowa troops when Webster was killed. However, Orr was in a different area of Iraq and didn’t learn of the Iowa soldier’s death until he was flying back home.

Fellow soldiers described Webster as friendly and outgoing and someone who liked to make other people laugh. But when it came time to work, he was ready, Orr said. He said Webster was representative of the best that Iowa has to offer the nation.

“He loved being a soldier, and he was doing what he wanted to do,” Orr said.

Webster’s wife and children had recently moved back to Hartley from Fort Hood, Texas, where he had been stationed prior to his deployment. His oldest daughter, Natasha, a third-grader, wrote an essay that was placed near his casket prior to Saturday’s service.

Natasha told how her dad was there when she needed him, and how he loved to play basketball and board games and engage in other activities with her and her two sisters.

“We love you, Dad,” she wrote.

Wife says soldier loved golf

The Associated Press

After getting to know LeRoy O. Webster, his eventual wife knew she had to start playing golf.

“I soon realized if I wanted to see him in the summer, I was going to need to learn how to golf. Because if I didn’t know how to golf, I wasn’t going to see him in the summer. So I learned to golf,” Jessica Webster said.

Webster, 28, of Sioux Falls, S.D., was fatally shot April 25 near Kirkuk while on a dismounted patrol. He was assigned to Fort Hood.

Webster joined the Iowa National Guard in 2001 and enlisted in the Army in 2006. He had served a tour of Afghanistan with the National Guard and was on his second Army deployment to Iraq.

Jessica Webster described her husband as “Strong. Always there for you. He’d go out of his way to help anybody. Best father. Loved his kids. Love of my life.”

He also is survived by three young daughters, Natasha, Kaydence and Jaydn.

Natasha, a third-grader, wrote an essay that was placed near his casket. She told how her dad was there when she needed him, and how he loved to play basketball and board games and engage in other activities with her and her two sisters.

“We love you dad,” she wrote.

Army Command Sgt. Maj. Benjamin Moore Jr.

Died April 24, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

43 year old Benjamin Moore, of Waycross, Ga.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died April 24 at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a noncombat-related incident.

Schofield soldier known for wisdom

By William Cole

Honolulu Advertiser

Command Sgt. Maj. Benjamin Moore Jr. was the senior enlisted man in his battalion in Iraq, and he was the “lifeline” of his large family back in Georgia, his sister said.

Moore, 43, an Army veteran of 26 years with service in South Korea, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq, died Friday at Contingency Operating Base Speicher in northern Iraq of non combat related injuries, the Army said.

With Moore’s death, three Schofield Barracks soldiers with the 3rd Brigade have died from non combat causes since the 3,500-soldier unit deployed in October and November. Three other soldiers with the brigade have died in combat.

Moore was the “baby” of the family of 10 sisters and five brothers, said one of those sisters, Teresa Brakes.

“He’s the glue that held the family together when we used to go through crises and stuff,” said Brakes, who lives in Waycross, Ga. “He was the one that we went to and he would sit down and put it to us in a way we could understand, and just give us good advice. And the advice that he gave us, it was usually the right thing to do.”

Moore, known as “Benny” to Brakes, was the youngest of the siblings, but his maturity left others looking to him for guidance, Brakes said.

Her brother was married and has two sons and a daughter, Brakes told The Advertiser in a phone interview yesterday. One of those sons is in the military, she said. Moore’s wife, Mary, also is a Schofield Barracks soldier.

Moore was interested in photography, and he liked to give slide shows at family reunions in Georgia, Brakes said.

Accolades for Moore came in one after the other to http://www.legacy.com, which allows readers to offer condolences.

“I enjoyed all moments with you. Your wisdom and advice helped me more than once. May you rest in peace,” Schofield soldier Staff Sgt. Reag Wood wrote on the Web site.

“My prayers go out to the Moore family. CSM Moore inspired me to become a better (noncommissioned officer) and person. He will always be remembered,” added Staff Sgt. Dirrick Jennings, also a Schofield soldier.

Moore was with the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry “Wolfhounds.”

The circumstances surrounding his death are under investigation, the Army said.

Non combat deaths can be the result of natural causes, vehicle or other accidents, friendly fire, homicide or suicide.

Brakes said the Army hasn’t provided any information about what happened to her brother.

“They are not telling us anything,” she said. “They haven’t even released the body yet.”

Brakes said Moore was a “strong-willed” person who loved life and his family.

He loved the Army “and he recommended it to anyone,” his sister said. “His whole talk was the service.”

He had served in Operations Desert Storm in 1991, she said. Moore earned 55 medals over his 26-year career, including a Bronze Star with Valor, the Army said.

In the February edition of the Wolfhounds newsletter to families, Moore said his wife was receiving chemo-therapy for cancer, and he asked that those back home keep her in their hearts.

In addition to the three non combat deaths, Schofield’s 3rd Brigade also has had three deaths in combat.

The latest of those was Spc. Michael J. Anaya, 23, who also was a Wolfhound. Anaya died on April 12 when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle, the last in a convoy.

Battalion commander Lt. Col. Raul Gonzalez said in a letter back home that Pfc. Brendan Marracco sustained “grievous injuries” in that attack and was fighting for his life, and Sgt. Justin Minisall was seriously injured, but was expected to fully recover.

Moore was one of 18 children

The Associated Press

Even as a child, Benjamin Moore Jr. was the one his 17 siblings trusted and relied on for help no matter what the situation.

“Benny was the baby of the bunch of us,” said one of his sisters, Teresa Brakes. “But he was the one we all went to. He was our mediator, our peacemaker.”

Moore, 43, of Waycross, Ga., died April 24 of wounds suffered from non-combat incident in Salah ad Din province. He was assigned to Schofield Barracks.

An expert infantryman, Moore earned 55 medals, including a Bronze Star with Valor, during his nearly 26-year career, with overseas service in Korea, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq.

Brakes said her brother could be “outspoken and strong-willed” but he was never mean. His decision to enlist immediately after graduating from high school in 1983 exemplified that determination.

“The Army was his life. It was something he always wanted. His motto was: ‘Go Army, Stay Army.’ He would do programs and work with youth when he came home on leave, and that is what he would always tell them,” Brakes said.

He is survived by his wife, Mary; a daughter, Krystal; and two sons, Marcellus and Benjamin III.

Army Sgt. Ronald A. Kubik

Died April 23, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

21 year old Ronald Kubik, of Brielle, N.J.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.; died April 23 in Logar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained while conducting combat operations. Also killed was Sgt. Jason A. Santora.

Rangers, Green Berets, friends and family remember Kubik

By Jim McConville

Gannett New Jersey

Army Sgt. Ronald A. Kubik lived life as if already two steps ahead of everybody else.

Kubik also found out early in life his destiny was to be both soldier and leader.

That is how family members and fellow Army Rangers remembered him during a funeral service May 3 at St. Benedict Roman Catholic Church in Holmdel.

Kubik, 21, of Brielle was killed April 23 during combat operations by Company D, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, in eastern Afghanistan’s Logar province.

More than 300 people who also included members of the Holmdel police, New Jersey State Police and Green Berets turned out on an overcast and mildly windy morning to bid farewell to Kubik. Also in attendance was Kubik’s godfather, Alex Kubik III, a deacon who assisted at the celebration of the funeral Mass.

Motorcycle riders from American Legion Post 348 Patriot Guard in Brick provided the motorcade escort to the front steps of the church.

Sixteen Army Rangers served as an honor guard, flanking Kubik’s casket as it was wheeled into church for the standing-room-only funeral.

During the services, Kubik’s mother, Eileen Kubik, described her son as an “achiever” who developed a thirst for life and adventure at an early age.

An avid electric guitarist who was a part of a metal band, Ronald Kubik joined his high school football and wrestling teams, wrote a column for the school newspaper, took an acting class, and liked whitewater rafting and skydiving.

“In your short life you have shown energy, passion and courage,” Eileen Kubik said. “‘Rest peacefully, my brave Ranger; rest peacefully, my brave son.”

Lt. Col. Shawn L. Daniel, executive officer of the 75th Ranger Regiment, described Kubik as a soldier beyond his years.

“Ronny was his own man and lived life like he liked it,” Daniel said. “Ron, rest in peace knowing that your Ranger brothers are still pursuing the fight.”

Struggling to hold back tears, Kubik’s father, Ronald A. Kubik, praised his son’s short but eventful 21 year’s of life.

“He was my best friend,” the elder Kubik said. “I could not be more proud of him than I am now.”

The elder Kubik recalled that during his son’s first leave in three tours of duty, his son presented him with one his medals.

“Dad, you deserve it more than me,” the elder Kubik, holding the medal up, quoted his son as saying. “You made me what I now am.”

Sergeant Kubik’s older sister, Amy Kubik, 25, called her brother “by other half, my brother, my friend.”

Kubik is also survived by his sister, Mary Kubik, 28, of Farmingdale.

St. Benedict Pastor The Rev. Daniel F. Swift said in his eulogy that only those in the military can understand the shared bond between soldiers.

“It is a mystical power of working for something other than yourself,” Swift said. “They’re a band of brothers that cannot be understood unless you are part of that group.”

Swift said Kubik shared that kinship with a special group of men and women who dedicate themselves to the service of others.

“It’s duty, honor, courage and commitment to each other to the one on your right, and the one on your left, even if it means risking your life,” Swift said. “Our world is much safer because there are people like Ron willing to live this life.”

Kubik’s body was taken to the Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Veterans Cemetery in Wrightstown for burial.

Kubik was posthumously given the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star and the Meritorious Service Medal by Lt. Gen. John Mulholland on Sunday. He had also received the Combat Infantryman Badge.

Kubik, who enlisted in the Army in March 2007 after attending community college for a few months, served for more than two years as an assistant machine gunner and as a rifle team leader with Company D.

Kubik had transferred from Manchester Township High School to Manasquan High School, where he graduated in 2006.

School officials said Kubik also had a knack for adapting very quickly to new people and surroundings.

“He came into school his junior year,” Manasquan High School teacher John Driscoll said. “He fit in within a week; it was as if he had gone there his whole life.”

Successfully challenged school suspension

The Associated Press

Ronnie Kubik played electric guitar in a punk band during his high school days. He once came to school with a lime-green Mohawk, and a vice principal threatened to suspend him.

Using his own research, Kubik challenged the suspension all the way to the board of education — and won.

The next week, he cut off the Mohawk, having proved his point.

Kubik, of Brielle, N.J., was a 2006 graduate of Manasquan High School, where he wrote for the school newspaper, took acting classes, wrestled and played football. He learned to skydive, enjoyed whitewater rafting and was an avid fisherman.

Kubik was encouraged by his advanced placement teachers to attend law school, but he joined the Army instead. The 21-year-old died in combat April 23 in Logar province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Fort Benning, Ga.

“He accomplished a lot in a short period of time,” said his father, Ronald Kubik. “I am going to miss my little fishing buddy.”

He also is survived by his mother, Eileen Daly.

Army Sgt. Robert J. Barrett

Died April 19, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

21 year old Robert Barrett, of Fall River, Mass.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 101st Field Artillery Regiment, Massachusetts National Guard, Fall River, Mass.; died April 19 near Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan, from injuries sustained in the explosion of an improvised explosive device while on dismounted patrol.

Barrett’s body returning to hometown

The Associated Press

FALL RIVER, Mass. — The body of a soldier killed in Afghanistan is coming home.

The remains of Army Sgt. Robert Barrett of Fall River will be flown to Hanscom Air Force Base on April 29 for the start of three days of services, starting with a motorcade to his hometown.

A public wake is scheduled for April 30 at the city’s high school, B.M.C. Durfee High School. Barrett, 20, was a 2007 Durfee High graduate.

A funeral Mass is scheduled for early May 1 at St. Mary’s Cathedral, followed by burial at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.

Barrett, who was helping to train Afghan police, was killed by a suicide bomber in Kabul on April 19. He leaves behind a 2-year-old daughter.

Post office in hometown to be named for Barrett

The Associated Press

FALL RIVER, Mass. — The U.S. Senate has passed legislation honoring a 20-year-old Fall River native who was killed when a suicide bomber attacked his unit in Afghanistan.

Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., said Friday that legislation to rename the main post office in Fall River in memory of Sgt. Robert Barrett passed in the Senate on Thursday night.

Barrett was training Afghan police officers when the suicide bomber stole a uniform, infiltrated the group he and eight other U.S. soldiers were training and launched the attack in April.

The bill was introduced in the House by Frank and co-sponsored by all 11 members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation.

Sens. John Kerry and Scott Brown sponsored the bill in the Senate.

The bill is heading to President Obama for his signature. Barrett served at Obama’s inauguration.

Army Staff Sgt. James R. Patton

Died April 18, 2010 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

23 year old James Patton, of Fort Benning, Ga.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.; died April 18 in Tikrit, Iraq, of injuries sustained as the result of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crash.

Always was able to remain composed

The Associated Press

Jimmy Patton was known for his qualities as a soldier — for being “the life of his platoon.”

“He made the best of every situation regardless of circumstance, and he always exuded an easy confidence that it could be done,” said Col. Dan Walrath, Patton’s commander.

That was echoed by soldiers who remembered Patton in messages posted online.

Maj. Ken Rutka of Fort Leavenworth, Kan., said Patton was a “phenomenal Ranger.” He said Patton had a lasting impression on him while the two worked together on a 2008 deployment.

“He was hard, but fair and his Rangers were the most squared away in the battalion,” Rutka wrote in an online memorial.

Patton, 23, was killed in a helicopter crash April 18 in Tikrit, Iraq. He was assigned to Fort Benning, N.C. He was on his seventh deployment, having previously served twice in Iraq and four times in Afghanistan.

He enlisted in the Army in 2004.

Patton is survived by his wife, Beatriz; a daughter, Cecilia; and his parents.

Army Sgt. Michael K. Ingram Jr.

Died April 17, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

23 year old Michael Ingram, of Monroe, Mich.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died April 17 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his dismounted patrol.

Was nearing 1-year mark in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

FORT CARSON, Colo. — A 23-year-old Fort Carson soldier died when an improvised explosive device detonated near him while he was on patrol in Afghanistan.

Military officials say Sgt. Michael K. Ingram Jr. of Monroe, Mich., died April 17 in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Carson.

Ingram had been awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals. He was on his first deployment and had been in Afghanistan since last May.

Flags at half-staff for fallen soldier

The Associated Press

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

Flags are to be lowered April 30 for 23-year-old Army Cpl. Michael K. Ingram Jr. of Newport, Monroe County. He died April 17 in Kandahar of wounds suffered after an improvised explosive device detonated near him.

Funeral services are to be held April 30 at the Stewart Road Christian Ministries in Monroe. Burial will take place in St. Joseph Cemetery in Monroe.

Ingram was assigned to 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Army Pfc. Richard A. Dewater

Died April 15, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

21 year old Richard Dewater, of Topeka, Kan.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died April 15, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device, while on a dismounted patrol near Korengal Valley, Afghanistan.

Soldier lived in Ore., Kan.

The Associated Press

GRANTS PASS, Ore. — A soldier with strong ties to Oregon has been killed while on patrol in Afghanistan.

The Department of Defense said Army Pfc. Richard Dewater died April 15 from wounds caused by an improvised explosive device.

The 21-year-old had lived on and off in Grants Pass since he was a toddler, and his grandfather, Richard Sims, still lives in the city. Dewater attended Grants Pass High School in 2004 and 2005 before moving to Topeka, Kan., where his father lives.

The Grants Pass Daily Courier reported that Dewater leaves behind a wife, Valerie. They were married in June, a month before Dewater left for Afghanistan.

Tyler Clinton, 21, told the newspaper that Dewater was his best friend in high school. “We were really close. He was the first real friend I made when I moved up here,” Clinton said. “He loved going fishing, camping, paintballing. We did that stuff every weekend.”

Dewater was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas. A ceremony for Dewater is scheduled for 9 a.m. April 25 at Roseburg National Cemetery, his family told The Oregonian newspaper.

Flags in Oregon to be lowered for fallen soldier

The Associated Press

SALEM, Ore. — Flags at public institutions across Oregon will be lowered in memory of a 21-year-old soldier killed while on patrol in Afghanistan.

The Department of Defense said Army Pfc. Richard Dewater died April 15 from wounds caused by an improvised explosive device. Gov. Ted Kulongoski has ordered flags be flown at half-staff Saturday in Dewater’s honor.

Dewater attended Grants Pass High School in 2004 and 2005 before moving to Topeka, Kan., where his father lives.

Dewater was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division based at Fort Hood, Texas.

Had lifelong dream of joining military

The Associated Press

The last time Richard A. Dewater and his father spoke on the phone was right after April 10. Rick seemed “jazzed” about something, his father said.

“He said he couldn’t talk about it,” Bob Dewater said. “But he also said he was looking forward to coming home. Too many of them look forward to coming home, and they don’t.”

Dewater, 21, of Topeka, Kan., died April 15 of wounds suffered from an explosive near Korengal Valley. He was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas.

“He was amazing. He had a personality that would draw you in. He loved fishing. He loved guns. He loved what he was doing. He dedicated himself to it,” his father said.

Dewater moved to Topeka with his father in May 2007. He was born in San Diego. His father said his son was 4 when he first said he wanted to be in the military: “It lit a spark in him. It was a dream of his.”

Ryan Burge said he and several of Rick’s friends met at Echo Cliff, near Dover, to remember their friend. “He was a great guy,” Burge said. “He was always set on going into the military. It is a shock that he is gone.”

He and his wife, Valerie, were married in Topeka in June.