Army Staff Sgt. Todd D. Olson

Died December 27, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

36 year old Todd Olson, of Loyal, Wis.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry Regiment, Wisconsin Army National Guard, Neillsville, Wis.; died Dec. 27 in the 67th Combat Support Hospital in Tikrit, Iraq, of wounds sustained on Dec. 26 when an improvised explosive device detonated in Samarra, Iraq.

Wisconsin soldier killed in Iraq

Associated Press

LOYAL, Wis. — A Wisconsin National Guardsman who had four children, served on a school board and coached youth football was killed in Iraq, friends said Monday.

Staff Sgt. Todd Olson, 36, of Loyal, died of injuries he suffered in Samarra, said his best friend, Dan Gluch.

His vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb Sunday, Loyal Mayor Arthur Olsen said.

Department of Defense and Wisconsin National Guard officials released no official information Monday and didn’t return messages left by The Associated Press.

Olson’s family was told he was injured, but around noon on Dec.26, they learned he had died, the mayor said. The Clark County community of about 1,300 people lowered its flags to half-staff Monday.

The mayor told The Associated Press he had known Olson since he was a baby.

“It couldn’t be any worse than at Christmas time,” the mayor said. “I feel for them. I didn’t go to war when I could have in World War II just for fear of my own life. Maybe that’s being greedy, I don’t know. Fortunately, we’re lucky to have people who are willing to serve and give up their lives. That’s why we have the freedom we do have.”

Thirty-two Wisconsin soldiers have died in Iraq since the war started. Olson was one of 35 soldiers with Detachment 1, Company C of the Wisconsin National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry.

Gluch, of Eau Claire, was at Olson’s home Monday. No one else there wanted to talk, he said.

“He deserves press, that’s for sure,” he said. “I don’t know how to even explain a guy like that. He was deeply devoted to his wife and family … I’m a better man for having him as a lifelong friend.”

He had known Olson since grade school, he said. They were roommates at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse where they both studied finance, he said.

Olson worked as a vice president and an agricultural loan officer at M&I Bank in Loyal. Bank president Al Nystrom described him as a leader who would volunteer to take on extra responsibilities. For example, Olson volunteered to serve as a temporary manager of the Neillsville branch and volunteered to become an agricultural lender.

He often worked with dairy farmers, Nystrom said.

“He was a leader,” Nystrom said. “He spread himself in a lot of directions. Lot of personal sacrifices to do what he did for the bank … he’ll be sorely missed.”

Olson was married and had three sons, ages 17, 16, and 14, as well as a 5-year-old daughter, Gluch said.

He served on the Loyal School Board and in the local Lions chapter. He also coached Pop Warner football. He loved to hunt and watch the Green Bay Packers, too, Gluch said.

Olson often told him how blessed he felt, Gluch said.

“We’re at peace knowing he’s in heaven,” he said.

Funeral held for Loyal soldier killed in Iraq

LOYAL, Wis. — Staff Sgt. Todd Olson, who was killed in Iraq last month, was the type of leader who watched out for his men, his former commander told more 1,000 mourners at the soldier’s funeral.

“It’s not normal for a commander to walk point, but knowing Todd, I know why he was walking point that night,” Lt. Col. Steven Bensend said Wednesday of when Olson was injured by a roadside bomb Dec. 26.

Bensend said during the gathering at the Loyal High School gymnasium that walking point on a foot patrol is “the most vulnerable and dangerous position. It’s the eyes and ears” of the squad.

Olson, 36, was serving in Detachment 1, Charley Company of the Wisconsin National Guard’s Eau Claire-based 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry Brigade, when he led his squad on the patrol in Samarra, about 60 miles north of Baghdad. He died the next day at a hospital in Tikrit.

He was the father of three boys — Trevor, 17, Jesse, 16, and Cody, 13 – and a 5-year-old daughter, Kasey.

Olson was an agriculture loans officer at M&I Bank in Neillsville and Loyal, and a member of the Loyal School Board.

A letter from his son Trevor read during the funeral recounted how his father was always there for his kids to coach their football teams, take them fishing and teach them how to find their way in the world.

“Dad was always my role model,” he said. “If I have half the qualities of him, I’ll be a good man,” the teenager said in the letter.

— Associated Press

Army Spc. Jason M. Johnston

Died December 26, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

24 year old Jason Johnston, of Albion, N.Y.; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Dec. 26 in Arghandab, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.

Family says he felt that he had to serve

The Associated Press

While serving in an explorers program at the volunteer fire department in Albion, N.Y., Jason Johnston earned a reputation as hardworking and responsible.

That reputation followed him when he joined the Army in 2006.

“Johnston was the type of guy that did the job with little complaint, comment or fanfare — but always did the job well,” said the soldier’s commander, Capt. Adam Armstrong.

Johnston’s second deployment to Afghanistan was delayed, but the infantry paratrooper was eager to rejoin his unit.

“He fought to get over here with us this time just so he could fight for his country again and to be with his brother in arms,” friend and fellow soldier Spc. Joshua Leeson wrote from Afghanistan.

Johnston, 24, died Dec. 26 in Arghandab after his unit was bombed. He was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C.

Johnston attended Albion High School but didn’t graduate. He earned his GED before joining the Army.

“Jason always wanted to be in the military,” his family said in a statement. “He said he felt a strong sense of duty to serve. He had been planning to apply to Syracuse University after his term in the Army.”

He leaves behind his parents, Bradley and Jeanine Johnston.

Army Staff Sgt. David H. Gutierrez

Died December 25, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

35 year old David Gutierrez, of San Francisco; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Dec. 25 at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his dismounted patrol with an improvised explosive device in Howz-e Madad.

* * * * *

Soldier died in Christmas Day ambush

The Associated Press

David Gutierrez tried to visit his wife, Patty, and three sons via webcam daily while in Afghanistan.

The last time the family connected online was Christmas Eve. The next day, Patty Gutierrez and her sons were eating Christmas breakfast when she learned her husband had been killed. Two Army chaplains knocked on her door.

“I woke up Christmas morning,” she said. “But when the knock came it wasn’t Christmas anymore.”

Gutierrez, 35, died Christmas Day at Kandahar Air Field of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his patrol with a bomb in Howz-e Madad. He was assigned to Fort Lewis, Wash.

Gutierrez graduated from Santa Teresa High School in San Jose, Calif., and attended San Jose City College. He met his wife while working as a bouncer at a club in San Jose. He enlisted in 1998, two years after he married his wife.

Gutierrez served in Iraq in 2004 and 2005, and he was deployed to Afghanistan in July 2009.

“He had his life in the uniform,” Patty Gutierrez said. “But when he came home, he was the patient one, my go-to guy.”

Gutierrez is survived by his wife; and sons Gabriel, 4, Jeremiah, 6, and Andrew, 12.

Army 1st Lt. Christopher W. Barnett

Died December 23, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

32 year old Christopher Barnett, of Baton Rouge, La.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 156th Armor Regiment, 256th Brigade Combat Team, Louisiana Army National Guard, Shreveport, La.; killed Dec. 23 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his military vehicle in Baghdad.

Louisiana Guardsman killed in Iraq

Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. — A Baton Rouge area man, 2nd Lt. Christopher W. Barnett, was killed by a roadside bomb that exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad last week, the Department of Defense said.

Barnett, 32, of Denham Springs, was killed early Thursday. He was assigned to the Army National Guard’a 1st Battalion, 156th Armor Regiment, 256th Brigade Combat team, based out of Shreveport.

“He believed in what he was doing,” his older brother, Jim Barnett, of Mobile, Ala., told The (Baton Rouge) Advocate. “He died doing what he wanted to do.”

Barnett had planned to join an active-duty unit again once his tour in Iraq ended, his brother said. “He loved being a soldier,” Jim Barnett said. “He loved his troops. He lived by duty, honor, bravery and sacrifice.”

But, Barnett added, Christopher also had a great sense of humor: “He’s about the funniest person I’ve known in my life.”

Barnett, who attended Glen Oaks High School before his family moved to Jacksonville, Fla., lived in Baton Rouge from seventh grade to 10th grade, his brother said. He later came back to the state to attend LSU, graduating a year ago.

He is survived by his wife, Amanda, in Denham Springs, and his parents, Bob and Judy, who live in the town of Baker near Baton Rouge.

Barnett’s was the second of two deaths involving Louisiana military personnel in Iraq last week. Pfc. Lionel Ayro, 22, of Jeanerette, was killed Tuesday when an explosion ripped through a mess tent at a base in Mosul. He was assigned to the 73rd Engineer Company, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, out of Fort Lewis, Wash.

Army Sgt. Albert D. Ware

Died December 18, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

27 year old Albert Ware, of Chicago; assigned to the 782nd Combat Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Dec. 18 in the Arghandab River Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

Died during 2nd tour of Afghanistan

The Associated Press

Albert D. Ware was no stranger to war. As a scrawny 12-year-old, he came to the United States to escape violence in Liberia, which is why his father, Thomas, got upset when he joined the Army in 2006.

He had played sports — soccer, football and wrestling — as an honors student at Corliss High School near Chicago, and the military made him even more athletic and disciplined.

In time, his family grew proud.

“He was a respectable man,” said his stepmother, Anna. “He didn’t throw a mean word to anyone. He did something with himself.”

The 27-year-old died Dec. 18 in the Arghandab River Valley of Afghhanistan of wounds from an explosive during his second tour there. He was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C.

He had attended Chicago State University and Kennedy-King College before joining the Army. A colleague, Sgt. Scott Wolfe, said Ware always put fellow soldiers first and worked extra night and weekend hours to make sure they were well equipped for missions.

At home, he enjoyed cooking fufu and other West African dishes.

He and his wife, Plichette, have three children, all younger than 6: T’John, Heaven and Musu. Ware is also survived by his mother and a sister, Ciatta.

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Anthony C. Campbell Jr.

Died December 15, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

35 year old Anthony Campbell Jr., of Florence, Ky.; assigned to the 932nd Civil Engineer Squadron, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.; died Dec. 15 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from the detonation of an improvised explosive device.

Flags to be lowered for Campbell

The Associated Press

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear has ordered that flags at all state office buildings be lowered to half-staff Dec. 22 in honor of an airman who died in Afghanistan.

The Pentagon says 35-year-old Tech Sgt. Anthony Campbell Jr. of Florence died Dec. 15 of wounds suffered when a bomb exploded in Helmand province. Campbell was assigned to the 932nd Civil Engineer Squadron based at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.

Services for Campbell were to be held in Williamstown on Dec. 22.

Campbell transferred to the Air Force Reserve in early 2008 after serving with the Kentucky Air National Guard.

Reservist served on Cincinnati police force

The Associated Press

Anthony “Tony” Campbell loved life, his wife and his children, friends and family said — and even got to hear his 2-year-old son, Ryker, count to 10 during their last conversation.

Campbell was an Air Force reservist serving in Afghanistan, but he fulfilled a dream by becoming a police officer back home in Cincinnati in 2008.

“He just always had in his mind that he wanted to be a police officer,” said longtime friend Chris Webster.

Campbell, 35, of Florence, Ky., was killed by a roadside bomb Dec. 15 in Helmand province. He was assigned to Scott Air Force Base, Ill. He went into active duty in the Air Force immediately after graduating from Boone County High School in 1992 and later became a reservist.

Webster told the crowd at Campbell’s funeral that the technical sergeant loved his wife, Emily, and was always telling his friends how proud he was of his children — Ryker, 7-year-old Jordan and his stepson, 11-year-old Devin Ruberg.

“I hadn’t seen him for a long time, but you could tell from his Facebook postings how he loved life and loved serving his country,” said Tracy Adkins, a former schoolmate who had recently reconnected with Campbell through the social networking Web site.

Army Staff Sgt. Dennis J. Hansen

Died December 5, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

31 year old Dennis Hansen, of Panama City, Fla.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Dec. 5, at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit on Dec. 3 with an improvised explosive device in Logar province, Afghanistan.

Served with Corps before joining Army

The Associated Press

Dennis Hansen was determined to dunk a basketball when he was a boy, so he plotted the perfect strategy: Set up a ladder to slam that ball through the hoop.

He made the shot, but there was just one problem: He didn’t plan for what would happen after the dunk, so his landing was a bit rough, Pastor Barry Baughman recalled at Hansen’s funeral. But that desire to excel is something Hansen carried throughout life, Baughman said.

Hansen, 31, of Panama City, Fla., died Dec. 7 at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, of wounds sustained from a roadside bomb four days earlier in Logar province, Afghanistan. He had served 8½ years in the Marine Corps before joining the Army and had previously served in Africa, Kosovo, Japan, Panama, Cuba and Iraq, as well as two tours in Afghanistan.

Hansen was assigned to Fort Drum, N.Y., and lived in Scottsville, N.Y., with his wife, Jennifer, and their infant son, Michael. Hansen had two other children who live in Texas: 10-year-old Alana and 7-year-old Gabriel.

His family said in his obituary that he enjoyed fishing, golfing, wrestling and woodworking, and noted he was an avoid Ohio State University football fan. He also loved animals, pumpkin pie and coffee, his family said.

“Michael says Hi Daddy!” his wife wrote on his MySpace page in July 2009. “… We think you’re the best and we cant [sic] wait to see your face again!”

Army Sgt. Cari Anne Gasiewicz

Died December 4, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

28 year old Cari Anne Gasiewicz, of Depew, N.Y.; assigned to the 202nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 513th Military Intelligence Brigade, Fort Gordon, Ga.; killed Dec. 4 when two improvised explosive devices detonated near her convoy in Baqubah, Iraq.

Military interpreter from upstate New York killed in Iraq

Associated Press

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — A military interpreter from western New York died Saturday in Iraq when a roadside bomb exploded on the convoy that was starting her on the journey home, church officials said Sunday.

Sgt. Cari Anne Gasiewicz, 28, of Cheektowaga, spoke fluent Arabic and served as an interpreter in a military intelligence unit of the Army. Military officials informed her family of her death Saturday, said her uncle, Marty Gasiewicz.

Gasiewicz died outside of Baghdad on Saturday afternoon while she was traveling to Kuwait, where she would have spent Christmas before being shipped home after the first of the year.

She graduated from Depew High School and attended Canisius College before enlisting in the Army eight years ago, according to Gwen Mysiak, a spokeswoman for the family’s church, St. Philip the Apostle in Depew. She was deployed to Iraq a year ago.

She is survived by her parents, Paul and Kathleen Gasiewicz of Cheektowaga, and her brother, Paul Gasiewicz Jr., 24.

“She loved the military, and she loved working as an interpreter,” said her uncle. “She thought she was making a difference over there. She thought she was helping people.”

Mourners remember soldier’s compassion

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — A military interpreter killed in Iraq was remembered Monday for the compassion she showed others, from stray pets to Iraqi children.

Sgt. Cari Anne Gasiewicz, 28, of Depew, died Dec. 4 when her convoy was struck outside Baghdad by two improvised explosive devices. The convoy was traveling to Kuwait, where Gasiewicz would have spent Christmas before being shipped back home in January after the yearlong assignment.

“No matter where Cari was, she always found time to help others,” the Rev. Joseph H. Penkaul told about 600 mourners Monday in St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church.

When she was stationed in Korea, Gasiewicz gave free English lessons and brought home a puppy named Sabre that she had rescued.

“It reminds us of Cari all the time,” said her father, Paul Gasiewicz. “That was her puppy, and she brought her home to us. She was always caring and looking out for everybody else.

“Cari wouldn’t want us to be mourning. She’s looking down on us and keeping an eye on all of us.”

Fluent in Arabic, Gasiewicz had been a soldier for more than eight years and hoped to work for the FBI or CIA after leaving the military. She was stationed at Fort Gordon, Ga., and was attached to the Army’s 202nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 513th Military Intelligence Brigade in Iraq.

Her family said Gasiewicz would take lunch to Iraqi contractors and teach them English if they would teach her another Arabic dialect.

“We will try to think of this as your last deployment,” her aunt, Barbara Funk, said in a eulogy. “One more place you wish to serve, one more group of people you want to know, an additional foreign language you desire to learn. And Sgt. Cari Anne Gasiewicz, when you do master the language of the angels, and I know you will, remember to teach the rest of us.”

Her body was taken to Pine Lawn Chapel, where her ashes will be entombed. She is survived by her parents and a brother.

— Associated Press

Army Sgt. Blair W. Emery

Died November 30, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

24 year old Blair Emery, of Lee, Maine; assigned to the 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Nov. 30 in Baqubah, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.

Maine soldier’s body is being returned to home town

The Associated Press

LEE, Maine — A soldier who was killed last week in Iraq was remembered Dec. 7 as a simple man who asked for little and gave more than he received.

Hundreds of people filled the Lee Academy gymnasium to pay their respects to Sgt. Blair Emery, who was killed Nov. 30 after a roadside bomb exploded next to his Humvee in Baqubah.

Gov. John Baldacci and state military officials presented medals to Emery’s widow, Chu Emery, who told the crowd that her husband was an “angel.”

Emery, 24, was the second soldier from this small town to die this year in Iraq. In June, Sgt. Joel House, who was 22, was killed in a roadside bomb attack in Taji, 12 miles north of Baghdad.

Both attended Lee Academy, graduating one year apart.

“This is very devastating for this small community to have two fine individuals taken like this before their time,” Baldacci said.

Veterans groups lined the motorcade route and members snapped to attention as a hearse brought Emery’s body home Dec. 6. The motorcade, led by the local police chief, included state, local and county police, along with fire departments and ambulances.

Carl Thompson of Ketchikan, Alaska, one of Emery’s uncles, was moved to tears.

“This community can be proud of its people as well as the people that serve,” Thompson said. “I just know that everywhere we looked there were people waving flags, people standing with their hands over their hearts, or pulling their cars over to wave. It just shows what this community is made out of real Americans.”

Emery was originally scheduled to return to the U.S. at the end of October, but his deployment was extended by another three months, his family said.

Army Cpl. Jason T. Lee

Died November 18, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

26 year old Jason Lee, of Fruitport, Mich.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Nov. 18 in Balad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated during a mounted patrol in Baqubah. Also killed were Pfc. Marius L. Ferrero and Cpl. Christopher J. Nelson.

Fruitport soldier dies in Iraq

The Associated Press

FRUITPORT, Mich. — A soldier from west Michigan has been killed while serving in Iraq.

Army Cpl. Jason Lee, 26, of Fruitport died Nov. 18 after an improvised explosive device detonated during a mounted patrol in Baqubah, northeast of Baghdad. Two other soldiers also were killed by the roadside bomb.

Thomas Lee said he spoke Nov. 15 with his son, who told him he believed the U.S. military was succeeding in its mission in Iraq.

“He said, ‘Dad, I’m making a difference,’ ” Thomas Lee told The Grand Rapids Press.

Jason Lee entered the military in May 2004 intending to join an airborne unit, but transferred to the infantry after he was injured, his father said.

“I said, ‘I don’t have a problem with you joining the military. But why the airborne, the infantry?’ ” Thomas Lee said. “ ‘He said: ‘I am big. I am strong. It’s my calling, Dad. If it’s not me, who else is it going to be?’ ”

Lee was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, of Fort Lewis, Wash. Besides his parents, Thomas and Susan Lee, he is survived by his wife, Lisa.

Army Spc. Joseph M. Lewis

Died November 17, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

26 year old Joseph Lewis, of Terrell, Texas; assigned to the 8th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Nov. 17 in Ezqabad, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

Texas soldier dies in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

FORT LEWIS, Wash. — The Defense Department says a Fort Lewis soldier was killed Tuesday by a roadside bomb in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Twenty-six-year-old Spc. Joseph M. Lewis of Terrell, Texas, was a member of the 5th Stryker brigade.

The News Tribune of Tacoma, Wash., reports he was the 29th member of the brigade to die since it deployed in July.

Lewis previously served a 12-month tour in Korea and was on his first deployment to Afghanistan.

Lewis leaves behind a wife, Theresa, and an infant daughter, Abigail, according to the Terrell Tribune.

Called Afghanistan experience ‘really awesome’

The Associated Press

In his elementary school days, Joseph M. Lewis was one of the restless kids battling in water gun fights on the streets of Bedford, Texas.

“I told a principal, I know he’s not going to be the next pope, but if he becomes a stand-up comedian or a senator, I’ll be happy,” said his mother, Pam.

Instead, young Joey lived up to his later nickname, “G.I. Joe,” and joined the Army in 2005 after graduating from L.D. Bell High School.

The 26-year-old from Terrell, Texas — where his family had moved when he was a teen — died Nov. 17 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds from an explosive. He was assigned to Fort Lewis, Wash.

His mother said Lewis’ experiences in Afghanistan included sharing tea with village elders who gave him fruit and figs.

“He said it was really awesome,” she said.

Back home, his wife, Teresa, awaited his return with their infant daughter. It was for them, relatives said, that Lewis had traded in his sporty Pontiac Trans Am for a more practical Chevrolet Tahoe.

“He was fun-loving and would do anything to help others,” his family said.

Other survivors include his father, Mike; and a sister, Amanda.

Marine Cpl. Aaron M. Allen

Died November 14, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

24 year old Aaron Allen, of Buellton, Calif.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Nov. 14 in Baghdad, Iraq, after being struck by an improvised explosive device while supporting combat operations.

Marine killed by bomb in Iraq

The Associated Press

BUELLTON, Calif. — Cpl. Aaron Allen and his childhood buddies had a special tattoo on their biceps: the Chinese symbol for “warrior.”

And despite his mother’s wishes, Allen, 24, had decided by 16 that he would join the Marines.

“I wanted nothing to do with it. There was no way I could talk him out of it,” Cathy Allen said. “At one point when he was going overseas, I told him I had the right — since he was my only son — to stop this. He begged me not to. He said he had trained for this, he wanted to do it.”

On Nov. 14 Allen was killed by an improvised bomb in Faris, about 10 miles south of Fallujah. It was his second tour of duty in Iraq. He had been scheduled to return to the United States in five weeks. After his enlistment ended next March he planned to attend a fire academy, his relatives said.

The Buellton native joined the Marines in March 2004 and served with the security forces of the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines.

“He was the most caring, loving person,” said his sister Amy, 27. “He opened his house, his arms and his heart to everybody. He was my everything. He was my brother, he was my best friend, he was my dad. He was my little big brother.”

He also was “probably the best dancer you’ve ever seen,” she said.

She, her mother and Allen’s girlfriend saw him off when he left Camp Pendleton in San Diego County to go overseas on Oct. 5.

“I always told him, ‘Remember, you are not invincible,”’ she said.

Allen was a 2002 graduate of Santa Ynez Valley High School, where he was on the football, baseball and wrestling teams.

He sent orange tulips to his girlfriend, Kelly Zajac, and they arrived the day before he died. He called that night to talk to her.

Had she realized it was her last call, “there are millions of things I would have said,” Zajac said.

Allen had planned to propose on her birthday in January.

Marine Iraqi veteran Brian Bull said he had been confident his lifelong friend would return.

“I never had to worry much about him,” Bull said. “He knew how to do his job. And he was good at it.”

Allen also is also survived by his father, Michael Allen of Highland, and his grandmother, Linda Fenton of Indio.

His friends have established the Aaron Allen YFL Scholarship Fund to help pay youth football registration fees for local children.

Army Cpl. Christopher J. Coffland

Died November 13, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

43 year old Christopher Coffland, of Baltimore; assigned to the 323rd Military Intelligence Battalion, Fort Meade, Md.; died Nov. 13 in Sayed Abad district, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.

Funeral set for fallen reservist

The Associated Press

BALTIMORE — A funeral Mass has been scheduled for an Army Reservist from Baltimore who was killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan.

The funeral for Spc. Christopher James Coffland will take place Nov. 20 at 11 a.m. at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen.

The 43-year-old Coffland died Nov. 13 when the vehicle he was in exploded in the Sayed Abud region.

Coffland signed up with the Army Reserves in December 2007, a month before he turned 42. He was killed 2½ weeks after arriving in Afghanistan.

Many adventures for intel man, world traveler

The Associated Press

Christopher Coffland had traveled the world, playing professional football in the cold of Finland and learning to evade elephants and leopards living with a tribe of Pygmy hunters in Africa.

He amassed an impressive collection of art and owned a restored 1968 Chevy Camaro. He grew up in a blue-collar home but later rubbed elbows with debutantes at parties. But it wasn’t enough. So he joined the Army, embracing his task of gathering intelligence from the locals in Afghanistan.

“I feel as comfortable talking to a head of state as I do a second-shift factory worker, and since I know both worlds, I am able to integrate into either without a trace of unfamiliarity,” he wrote in a letter to the Army, explaining why he was qualified for intelligence work.

Coffland, 43, of Baltimore was killed by a roadside bomb Nov. 13 in Wardak province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Fort Meade, Md.

He was closer to his sister Lynn than anyone else, often staying with her in between adventures. Friends and family often hoped he would settle down, but his constant desire to do something fulfilling is what kept him changing jobs — and what brought him to the Army.

“He respected his friends, adored them,” Lynn Coffland said. “But he could not settle for what was not in his heart.”

Coffland is also survived by his parents; a brother; and two other sisters.

Army Sgt. Angel De Jesus Lucio Ramirez

Died November 11, 2006 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

22 year old Angel De Jesus Lucio Ramirez, of Pacoima, Calif.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 16th Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Giessen, Germany; died Nov. 11 of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle during combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq. Also killed were: Staff Sgt. Misael Martinez and Staff Sgt. William S. Jackson II.

Army Sgt. Angel De Jesus Lucio, 22, was killed on Veterans Day when an improvised explosive device exploded near his military vehicle.

It was his second tour of duty in Iraq.

Lucio was remembered as a hero in the eyes of many.

His father said growing up, his son always wanted to be in the Army. Lucio joined shortly after high school graduation four years ago with his parents’ support.

When away from the battlefield, Lucio loved being with family: his parents Ignacio and Marina, and two brothers and sisters.

The young soldier was recently married to Daniela whom he met while stationed in Germany.

Lucio planned to get U.S. citizenship when he returned from Iraq in March.

Army Spc. Aaron S. Aamot

Died November 5, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

22 year old Aaron Aamot, of Custer, Wash.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Nov. 5 in Jelewar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

Rural upbringing led to appreciation for outdoors

The Associated Press

Aaron Aamot was fifth in a family of eight children and grew up in a small town called Custer — a place his father referred to as the “backside of the sticks.”

There, in north Washington state, Aamot was in the 4-H Club and Future Farmers of America program. He raised pheasants and bobwhite quail. He even had his own golden raspberry field on his parents’ small farm.

“Raising and showing chickens at the fair was a big deal for him,” said his older brother, Matt Aamot. “He kind of took after me.”

Aaron Aamot, 22, was killed by a roadside bomb Nov. 5 in Jelewar, Afghanistan. He was based at Fort Lewis, Wash., some 150 miles south of where he grew up.

“I still think of him as a kid, even though he’s 22,” his brother said. “He was a real fun kid. He was great with his nephews and nieces, just easygoing. He was a nice brother. I’m honored to have been his brother.”

Aamot graduated from Ferndale High School in 2006, the same year he enlisted. He deployed to Afghanistan for the first time in July.

“I’m pretty heartbroken, but I’m proud of his service,” Matt Aamot said.

Air Force Master Sgt. Thomas A. Crowell

Died November 1, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

36 year old Thomas Crowell, of Neosho, Mo.; Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Detachment 301, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.; died Nov. 1 near Balad Air Base, Iraq, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Staff Sgt. David A. Wieger.

Airman formerly from Neosho killed in Iraq

The Associated Press

NEOSHO, Mo. — An Air Force master sergeant who was killed Nov. 1 in Iraq is remembered for how he put the safety of others first.

Thomas Crowell, formerly of Neosho, died in an attack near Balad Air Base in Iraq. Crowell’s mother, Peggy Whipp, said her son did not have to be riding in the vehicle that was destroyed by a roadside bomb. She said Crowell had others serving under him and could have ordered one of them to do it.

Whipp, who still makes her home in Neosho, said her son always put his men before himself. That’s just the way he was, she said.

The mother said Crowell, 36, was “very, very proud” of his position as a special agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, which handles criminal investigations and counterintelligence services.

Two others were killed in the attack with Crowell: Staff Sgt. David A. Wieger, 28, of North Huntingdon, Pa., and Nathan J. Schuldheiss, 27, an Air Force civilian from Newport, R.I.

Crowell and the others were conducting law enforcement operations at the time of the attack, according to the Air Force.

Crowell had been in the Air Force for almost 18 years. He was hoping to retire in seven months and possibly get a corporate security job. His family said he also was close to finishing a college degree.

The airman, his wife and two children lived in O’Fallon, Ill., a suburb of St. Louis. He had left Neosho after graduating from high school in 1989.

Whipp described her son as being a man who spoke sparingly but always with authority. She said he was proud of his Air Force duties and took them seriously.

“When he said something, you listened,” the mother said. “He was the best at what he did.”

Crowell will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Whipp said. She and the rest of the family are still trying to grapple with what happened.

“It doesn’t make sense,” she said.

Army Pfc. Brian R. Bates Jr.

Died October 27, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

20 year old Brian Bates, of Gretna, La.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Oct. 27 in Loy Kariz, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

2 Louisiana soldiers among 18 honored by Obama

By Janet McConnaughey

The Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS — Two Louisiana soldiers killed in Afghanistan were among 18 fallen service members honored Thursday by President Barack Obama at the Delaware air force base where their bodies were returned home to the U.S.

The bodies of Sgt. Patrick Williamson, 24, of Broussard, and Pfc. Brian Bates, 20, of Gretna in suburban New Orleans, were on the plane met early Thursday by the president at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

“Brian met the president. And that’s all that matters. I know he would like that,” his wife, Enjolie Bates, said in a telephone interview from Lakewood, Wash. She said Bates loved his job and the Army.

“He liked the idea of fighting for his country. He thought that’s worth it. He believed in it,” she said.

He planned to make the Army his career, said his grandmother, Marlene O’Briant Tully of Gretna.

Both Bates and Williamson were in the Army’s 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry division and were killed Tuesday in Afghanistan, relatives said. Funeral arrangements were incomplete.

Bates drove a Stryker light-armored vehicle, “which he told me was the safest job they had. They hit a bomb. That’s all I know. All seven of them were killed,” Tully said.

Williamson’s father, Leon “Buddy” Williamson, said Thursday that his son recently was promoted to sergeant and was among soldiers in the brigade killed this week in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province.

Williamson said his son was the first member of his family to enlist.

“At the end of the day, he was doing what he wanted,” Williamson said. “He’s wanted to join the Army and be in the infantry since fifth grade.”

He said he didn’t know what had sparked Patrick Williamson’s interest in the Army.

“Patrick lays claim to a badge of honor that very few people can lay claim to: having served his country honorably and well,” he said. “The rest of us can thank him because while the rest of us enjoy the fruits of freedom, he paid the price for it.”

Enjolie Bates said her husband joined the Army to take care of her and their children, Brylie, a 2½-year-old girl, and Braiden, a 1½-year-old boy.

“Braiden, he just started saying ‘Dada,’“ she said.

Tully said her grandson, whom she raised along with his 17-year-old brother, called her weekly. He talked to her Saturday and to his wife on Monday, she said.

She said Jefferson Parish was honoring him by flying flags at half-staff, and she thought it was a “wonderful thing” that an assigned Army escort would be with him until he is buried.

About the president’s decision to meet the airplane, Tully said, “He ought to be there for every last one of them.” A bit later, she said, “Obama needs to do something. Our kids are just dying. For what? What kind of war is this? We’re not trying to win.”

Army Pfc. Devin J. Michel

Died October 24, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

19 year old Devin Michel, of Stockton, Ill.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Oct. 24 in Zhari district, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.

Carson service to remember 2 fallen soldiers

The Associated Press

FORT CARSON, Colo. — Fort Carson is holding a memorial service for two of its soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan in separate attacks.

The service Dec. 9 honors 24-year-old Sgt. Eduviges Guadalupe Wolf and 19-year-old Pfc. Devin J. Michel.

Wolf was assigned to the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. Michel was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Division, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.

Wolf died Oct. 25 after a rocket-propelled grenade hit her vehicle. She is survived by two children and a husband who also was serving in Afghanistan.

Michel died Oct. 24 from wounds he suffered when his unit was attacked with an improvised bomb in Zhari province.

Army Spc. Eric N. Lembke

Died October 23, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

25 year old Eric Lembke, of Tampa, Fla.; assigned to the 569th Mobility Augmentation Company, 4th Engineer Battalion, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Oct. 23 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. Also killed was Pfc. Kimble A. Han.

2 Carson soldiers die in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

FORT CARSON, Colo. — Two more soldiers based at Fort Carson have been killed in Afghanistan.

The Defense Department announced Monday that Pfc. Kimble A. Han of Lehi, Utah, and Spc. Eric N. Lembke of Tampa, Fla., died Oct. 23 of wounds suffered when their vehicle was attacked by an improvised explosive device.

The soldiers were attached to the 569th Mobility Augmentation Company, 4th Engineer Battalion.

Han, 30, entered the service in January 2008. He served a tour of duty in Iraq between February and May of this year and was transferred to Afghanistan.

Lembke, 25, also joined the Army in January 2008 and served similar tours of duty.

On Oct. 19, the Defense Department said four other soldiers with the same company had died in Afghanistan when their vehicle was attacked with an improvised explosive device. Killed were Staff Sgt. Glen H. Stivison Jr., 34, of Blairsville, Pa.; Spc. Jesus O. Flores, Jr., 28, of La Mirada, Calif.; Spc. Daniel C. Lawson, 33, of Deerfield Beach, Fla.; and Pfc. Brandon M. Styer, 19, of Lancaster, Pa.

At least 47 U.S. service members have been killed in October. Fourteen Americans were killed in helicopter crashes Monday.

On Oct. 3, eight soldiers based at Fort Carson were killed in an attack at a remote outpost in northeastern Afghanistan.

This has been the deadliest year for international and U.S. forces since the 2001 invasion to oust the Taliban. Fighting spiked around the presidential election in August, and 51 U.S. soldiers died that month — the deadliest for American forces in the eight-year war.

The latest deaths came as President Barack Obama prepared to meet his national security team for a sixth full-scale conference on the future of the troubled war.

Obama is debating whether to send tens of thousands more troops to the country, while the Afghan government is rushing to hold a Nov. 7 runoff election between President Hamid Karzai and challenger Abdullah Abdullah after it was determined that the August election depended on fraudulent votes.

Army Spc. Deon L. Taylor

Died October 22, 2008 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

30 year old Deon Taylor, of Bronx, N.Y.; assigned to the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, New York Army National Guard, Syracuse, N.Y.; died Oct. 22 in Bela Ba Luk, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.

Army Spc. Deon L. Taylor remembered

The Associated Press

Deon L. Taylor, of New York City, went to Maine as an 8-year-old participant in the Fresh Air Fund program, which brings city youths to rural towns.

“I could see things differently through his eyes. He had never seen stars like ours, never wild animals. He wanted to know who let them out of the zoo. I always missed him when he left and was glad to see him when he came back,” said to Rose Church, whose family hosted Taylor.

Taylor, 30, of New York City, died Oct. 22 in Bela Beluk, Afghanistan, of wounds from a roadside explosion. He was on his second deployment to Afghanistan and was assigned to Syracuse, N.Y.

He graduated from Old Westbury College in Long Island with a degree in sociology and criminology. He joined the NYPD in 2005 as a transit cop and then was promoted to the narcotics division in Brooklyn.

He is survived by his 8-year-old son, DaRue, and fiancée, Caitlin Casey.

He was a huge fan of the Yankees, the Knicks and the Giants.

“Deon was the apple of my eye,” said his grandmother, Shirley Taylor. “I’m going to miss that big smile and that big bear hug he used to give me. But no more, no more.”

Funeral for NYPD soldier killed in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — As a child, Deon Taylor loved to play GI Joe and stood ready to protect his friends from bullies.

On Thursday, dignitaries joined his grief-stricken family to honor “our GI Joe” for protecting his city, as a police officer, and his country, as a member of the Army National Guard. It was in the latter role, during his second tour of duty, that the 30-year-old sergeant was killed in Afghanistan.

“Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived is to have succeeded,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Thursday in a eulogy at Riverside Church. “By that token, Deon achieved the greatest possible success in life.”

Taylor grew up in the Bronx, but graduated from Carrabec High School in Portland, Maine. At age 18, he proudly enlisted in the Army.

“Deon’s family breathed a sigh of relief when his tour ended,” noted an obituary included in his funeral program.

He got his bachelor’s degree in sociology at the State University of New York College at Old Westbury on Long Island, graduated from the Police Academy and worked as an undercover narcotics officer. Then he broke the news to his family about his second tour.

His mother, the obituary noted, “was already worn out from praying during his first tour.”

“The American heroes aren’t always the ones who make history books, rather the ones who change lives,” Taylor’s brother, Damarr, said in a written remembrance.

On Oct. 22, the family’s worst fears came true. Among the hymns chosen to lend them comfort on Thursday: “We are tossed and driven on the restless sea of time. … We will understand it better by and by.”

He is the third NYPD officer to die overseas in recent years. The NYPD has 258 members currently on military leave, many of them serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.

Survivors include his parents, Pamela and Leon Taylor; Damarr Taylor; fiance Caitlin Casey; and his son, Da’Rue.

Taylor had planned to return home in December, and to marry Casey in August 2009. “The only way that I can make sense of this is by realizing that God needed you more than we do,” she wrote.

Another message came from 8-year-old Da’Rue:

“I love you Daddy and I will keep you in my heart forever.”

Army Spc. Kyle A. Coumas

Died October 21, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

22 year old Kyle Coumas, of Lockeford, Calif., assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Oct. 21 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

Spc. Kyle A. Coumas, 22, of Lockeford, California, was born on August 24, 1987 in Tracy, CA, the only child of Lori and Greg Coumas. Kyle was a graduate of St. Mary’s High School in Stockton class of 2005 where he was a member of the Chess Club and the Concert Band.

His earliest act of service began in 2003 when our family sponsored a platoon serving in Iraq. Kyle would pass out flyers in our neighborhood asking family, friends, neighbors and local businesses to help “support our troops”. He was a member of the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division in Ft. Lewis, WA. He received the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and the Army Service Ribbon. He deployed with his unit to Afghanistan in July of 2009. Kyle died October 21 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

Kyle was a man who believed that serving his country, being a part of a greater whole and being dedicated to preserving our nations freedom was the most honorable job a person could have. His selfless duty to his country came as little surprise to those who knew him. Kyle will always be remembered as a soldier who served with honor, dignity and pride. Kyle was the son of Lori and Greg Coumas of Lockeford; grandson of Robert and Doris Delarm of Manteca and Janet Coumas of Lodi; nephew of: Paul and Kathy Ackerman, Michael Delarm and John (Jerry) Delarm; cousin of: Jackie, Jamie, Michael, John, Robert and Rudy Delarm. Kyle’s funeral was held on November 2, 2009 and burial was in the Sandoz-Fuchs Family Cemetery in Wilseyville. Cherokee Memorial Funeral Home in Lodi served his family.

Kyle’s parents would like others to know this about their son:
“Kyle Coumas was a man who believed that serving his country, being a part of a greater whole and being dedicated to preserving our nations freedom was the most honorable job a person could have. His selfless duty to his country came as little surprise to those who knew him. His earliest act of service began in 2003 when our family sponsored a platoon serving in Iraq. Kyle would pass out flyers in our neighborhood asking family, friends, neighbors and local businesses to help support our troops. Kyle will always be remembered as a soldier who served with honor, dignity and pride. We are blessed to have been his parents for 22 years and will always love him; our only child, with all our hearts! We are especially thankful at this time that our son, Spc. Kyle Coumas, will be escorted home to his family by his life-long friend, Lance Corporal Joseph Gonzales.”

Marine Lance Cpl. David R. Baker

Died October 20, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

22 year old David Baker, of Painesville, Ohio; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 20 while supporting combat operations in Nawa district, Afghanistan.

Pendleton Marine dies in Afghanistan

Staff report

A California-based Marine was killed after a roadside-bomb blast Tuesday in Afghanistan, according to reports.

Lance Cpl. David R. Baker, 22, of Painesville, Ohio, died during a foot patrol in Helmand province. A mortarman, he was assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, out of Camp Pendleton.

Baker enlisted in August 2006, shortly after he graduated from Riverside High School in Painesville Township, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. His unit was scheduled to return to California in late November, the newspaper reported.

“He was fighting,” his father, Mark, told the Plain Dealer. “He was fighting every day. He was the guy who always volunteered to be point.”

Mark Baker told a Cleveland TV station that his son was planning to go to school after returning from his tour this fall.

“He had a very quiet demeanor very much in the background — kind of shy. He went from being a shy insecure homesick kid to, I mean, my son’s a hero,” his father told Fox 8.

Baker will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, his family said.

Army Staff Sgt. Bradley Espinoza

Died October 19, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

26 year old Bradley Espinoza, of Mission, Texas; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas, died Oct. 19 in Qwest, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

Texas soldier dies in attack in Iraq

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — A 26-year-old Fort Hood soldier from South Texas has died of wounds from the explosion of an improvised explosive device in Iraq.

The Pentagon says Staff Sgt. Bradley Espinoza of Mission died Monday in Qwest, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle was attacked by enemy forces.

His uncle, Ralph Solis, tells The Monitor of McAllen that Army representatives told the family that Espinoza died while trying to disarm the bomb.

Army Spc. Michael A. Dahl Jr.

Died October 17, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

23 year old Michael Dahl Jr., of Moreno Valley, Calif.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Oct. 17 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED.

Michael was a serious soldier who LOVED the Military and agreed with why our troops were fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was a part of the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

He loved his family and loved going to church.

Michael passed away October 17, 2009 while on patrol in his Stryker in Arghandab, Afghanistan. He is survived by his father Michael Sr., mother Patricia Dahl, brother Angel Dahl and his pitbull “Girl”.

Dahl’s father, mother and younger brother traveled Monday to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to attend the ceremonial transfer of the soldier’s body from the battlefield to his home country.

“I think my son’s a hero,” Michael Dahl Sr. said afterward. “He died for what he believed in.”

Prior to Afghanistan, Dahl spent a year in Iraq, according to his mother, Patricia Dahl. She described her son as a serious and driven soldier who left for war without hesitation.

Army Spc. Anthony G. Green

Died October 16, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

28 year old Anthony Green, of Matthews, N.C.; assigned to the 143rd Infantry Detachment, Austin, Texas; died Oct. 16 in Jaghato district, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. Also killed was Staff Sgt. Chris N. Staats.

He was many things to many people. He was a devout Christian, a fantastic father, a dedicated husband, a perfect son, a brother, uncle, farmer, a soldier and a warrior. Gabe was raised in Yorktown, Texas where he graduated from high school in 2000. He was a well liked student playing football, participating in the drama club and doing things that you do in a small town. He married the love of his life Lindsay Afflerbach on November 19, 2005. He followed his grandfather and father into the military, joining the Texas National Guard.

Gabe was deployed in Iraq in 2004 and 2005. His second tour to Iraq was with the First Infantry Division, “The Big Red One”. During this tour his humvee struck an IED and Gabe was able to walk away with minor injuries. He deployed to Afghanistan in February 2009, with Agricultural Development Team 2, 143rd Airborne Infantry Brigade of the Texas Thirty-Sixth “Arrowhead” Division. Gabe was the teams resident Veterinarian. Everyone in ADT 2 had a specialty. The was a Geologist, an Agriculture Engineer and other specialized trades. They were short a Veterinarian, but they had a farmer, Gabriel Green.

He earned certificates from Texas A&M and Purdue Universities to help him complete his mission. He loved working with the Afghani’s , teaching them how to irrigate from a windmill they erected increasing their yield three fold. Gabriel was also a soldier and it was his soldierly duties that required his ultimate sacrifice. He died with Staff Sergeant Chris Staats of Fredericksburg, TX. Gabe was awarded the Combat Assault Badge, the Bronze Star for Operation :Enduring Freedom” and the Purple Heart.

Gabe is survived by his wife Lindsay, daughter Kaydence and Madie; father-in-law Ronald Afflerbach, parents Patricia and A. Cornell Green, brothers Floyd Parrett, Thomas Parrett, Jacob Green, Jesse Green. He left his sisters Sarah Clark, Margaret Green and Kathleen Green. He also had 14 nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his grandfathers Milburn Cleveland and A.C. Green. Gabriel was a shining beacon and his light will be sorely missed. He was the 12th National Guard soldier to die in Afghanistan. He will forever be his father’s “Twelfth Man.” Gabe died at age 28 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

Army Staff Sgt. Glen H. Stivison Jr.

Died October 15, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

34 year old Glen Stivison Jr., of Blairsville, Pa.; assigned to the 569th Mobility Augmentation Company, 4th Engineer Battalion, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Oct. 15 at Arghandab River Bridge, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an IED. Also killed were Spc. Jesus O. Flores Jr., Spc. Daniel C. Lawson and Pfc. Brandon M. Styer.

Carson honors 15 killed in Afghanistan

By Dan Elliott

The Associated Press

FORT CARSON, Colo. — Fort Carson paid somber tribute Wednesday to 15 of its soldiers killed in Afghanistan last month, the worst single month for combat deaths the post has endured since the Vietnam War.

Eight soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division were killed in a single battle on Oct. 3, and seven soldiers from the 4th Engineer Battalion were killed in three separate incidents.

The 4th Infantry soldiers were honored at a service in the Soldiers’ Memorial Chapel at midday. A second service was scheduled later in the day for the others.

Chuckles rippled through the nearly full chapel as letters were read from soldiers still in Afghanistan recounting the fallen troops’ lives and praising their bravery and friendship.

“I would have followed that man straight to hell if he thought it was a good idea,” one letter said of Sgt. Joshua T. Kirk, 30, of South Portland, Maine.

Maj. Dan Chandler said each of the eight 4th Infantry soldiers enlisted after the terrorist Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. “They were helping to make a difference when they were taken from us,” he said.

The others killed in that battle were Staff Sgt. Justin T. Gallegos, 27, of Tucson, Ariz.; Staff Sgt. Vernon W. Martin, 25, Savannah, Ga.; Sgt. Joshua M. Hardt, 24, Applegate, Calif.; Sgt. Michael P. Scusa, 22, Villas, N.J.; Spc. Christopher T. Griffin, 24, Kincheloe, Mich.; Spc. Stephan L. Mace, 21, Lovettsville, Va.; and Pfc. Kevin C. Thomson, 22, Reno, Nev.

Across the front of the chapel, each fallen soldier was represented in the Army tradition with his portrait, a pair of boots and an M-4 rifle, standing muzzle-down with a helmet resting atop it and dog tags dangling from the pistol grip. The boots had spurs with black straps, signifying the eight were members of a cavalry regiment.

A soldier sobbed quietly at the back of the chapel as Sgt. Major Leslie Frye called the roll, pausing silently after he twice called out the name of each man killed.

Outside the chapel, seven riflemen fired three volleys in a 21-gun salute, and a bugle played taps.

Army Secretary John McHugh attended the service but didn’t speak. He was also scheduled to attend the second service and then hold a news conference.

The 4th Engineer Battalion soldiers were Staff Sgt. Glen H. Stivison Jr., 34, of Blairsville, Pa.; Spc. Kevin O. Hill, 23, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Spc. Jesus O. Flores, 28, La Mirada, Calif.; Spc. Daniel C. Lawson, 33, of Deerfield Beach, Fla.; Spc. Eric N. Lembke, 25, Tampa, Fla.; Spc. Kimble A. Han, 30, Lehi, Utah; and Pfc. Brandon M. Styer, 19, Lancaster, Pa.

Fort Carson says 32 soldiers from the post have been killed in Afghanistan and 255 have been killed in Iraq. Officials said they did not know the exact month and year when the post had more soldiers killed in combat but said it was in Vietnam.

Army Cpl. Scott G. Dimond

Died October 13, 2008 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

39 year old Scott Dimond, of Franklin, N.H.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain), New Hampshire Army National Guard, Milford, N.H.; died Oct. 13 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device and his patrol was engaged in a small arms fire attack.

Hundreds pay respects to fallen N.H. soldier

The Associated Press

FRANKLIN, N.H. — The line to get into the Franklin Middle School gym stretched down the hallways and along one side of the brick building as hundreds of people paid respects to a fallen soldier.

Army National Guard Cpl. Scott Dimond of Franklin was killed in a roadside bomb blast in Afghanistan last week. Hundreds of mourners attended calling hours Friday night, watching photos of Dimond flash on a big screen and sharing memories of the 20 years he spent as a police officer before joining the National Guard.

A funeral service will be held Saturday.

Army Pfc. Scott G. Dimond remembered

The Associated Press

Scott G. Dimond’s uncle, Jean Dimond, said his nephew was fearless and up for any challenge, such as being the only child in the neighborhood brave enough to ride a friend’s red wagon down a hill.

“He had such a wonderful outlook on life,” Jean Dimond said.

Dimond, 39, of Franklin, N.H., died in an ambush Oct. 13 in Kandahar, Afghanistan. He was a 1987 high school graduate and was assigned to Milford, N.H.

Initially, he had planned to enter the Marine Corps, but the Marines wouldn’t take him because of a football injury, so he took a job with the Franklin Police Department.

He started as a dispatcher, then moved up to special officer, then full-time officer, retiring as a sergeant after 18 years of service.

“He didn’t have a mean bone in his body,” said Bill Athanas, his old principal.

He had been taking pre-med courses, planning to earn a nursing degree and work alongside his mother caring for aged and injured veterans.

“I can’t say enough about him. I wish I had had five more just like him,” said former Franklin Police Chief Doug Boyd.

Dimond is survived by his wife, Jennifer, and his four children, Luke, Ashlee, Alexis and Madison.

Army Sgt. Reuben M. Fernandez III

Died October 11, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

22 year old Reuben Fernandez III, of Abilene, Texas; assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died on Oct. 11 of wounds sustained when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in Majar Al Kabir, Iraq.

Sgt. described as being ‘a man of stength’

The Associated Press

On leave and staying in Abilene, Texas, Reuben M. Fernandez III called his mother at work in San Angelo and asked if she had lunch plans.

“I said ‘I don’t know,’ and I look up, and there he is walking in the door,” said Aurora Fernandez. “He was funny like that. He drove all the way to San Angelo, and we had lunch.”

Fernandez, 22, of Abilene, died Oct. 11 after his vehicle struck a bomb in Majar Al Kabir. He was a 2004 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Hood.

“Marcus was all smiles and all heart. His eyes spoke to everyone. His laughter was infectious,” said cousin Ruben De La Garza.

Fernandez was well known for stealing the ball while playing basketball at Clack Middle School, so his friends took to calling him “Crook.”

He was deployed to Iraq in December 2005 and returned the following December.

At his funeral, pastor Brian Daniels said Fernandez was loving and respectful, “the most respectful man I have ever known.”

“Marcus was such a man of strength,” Daniels said. “Marcus worried more about us over here than we worried about him over there.”

Army Spc. George W. Cauley

Died October 10, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

24 year old George Cauley, of Walker, Minn.; assigned to the 114th Truck Company, Minnesota National Guard, Duluth, Minn.; died Oct. 10 in Bagram, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an IED on Oct. 7 in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

2 Minnesota service members killed in Afghanistan

By Steve Karnowski

The Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS — Two Minnesota servicemen killed in separate attacks in Afghanistan over the past week were being remembered Tuesday as young men who were proud to be serving their country.

Marine Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor, 27, was killed Friday by a homemade bomb while on foot patrol in Helmand province, said his father, Clifford Taylor, of rural Two Harbors.

Minnesota National Guard Spc. George W. Cauley, 24, of Walker, died Saturday after being wounded when insurgents attacked his vehicle with a homemade bomb on Oct. 7 in Helmand province, according to the Defense Department.

Cauley graduated from Northland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team. He got along with everybody and always had a smile on his face, Principal Joe Akre said Tuesday.

Standing about 5 feet 3 inches tall, Cauley “wasn’t exactly the biggest guy out there,” football coach Shem Daugherty said.

“But he had heart. He wasn’t afraid to go out and try to hit,” Daugherty said. “He was one of those likable young men you enjoyed having around because he was always there for the right reasons.”

Daugherty said that after graduation, Cauley came back in uniform and “was pretty darn proud. You could see it in his face.” Daugherty said Cauley also had served in Iraq.

Clifford Taylor said his son was born in Duluth, grew up in Bovey and graduated with honors in 2000 from Greenway High School in Coleraine, where he was a band member and manager of the hockey team.

Aaron Taylor had been in the Marines for eight years and had been in Afghanistan for about six weeks. He also had served a tour of duty in Iraq, his father said. They last spoke a week ago.

“He was telling me that they were doing good things over there,” Clifford Taylor said. “They had built some schools. He was new to the unit when he came on board, but they say that everybody just liked him and they were all glad to work with him. And he was very proud to be serving with this group of men. They all knew their jobs and they were professionals all the way.”

Aaron Taylor was based at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and recently bought a house in Temecula, Calif., near the base, his father said.

“He had spontaneous wit and was a very caring individual,” Clifford Taylor said of his son. “Very intelligent. His goal was to be promoted to gunnery sergeant before his third enlistment. I think he would have made it. It’s tough to do.”

Aaron Taylor’s body was flown to Dover Air Force base in Delaware on Monday. Funeral arrangements were pending.

Maj. Patricia Baker, a spokeswoman for the Guard, said few details about Cauley’s death were immediately available Monday evening. She said Cauley’s company mobilized for training June 16 and later arrived in Afghanistan to begin its tour based out of Helmand province.

Taylor and Cauley were the 86th and 87th people with strong Minnesota ties to have died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Army Sgt. Roberto D. Sanchez

Died October 1, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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