Army Staff Sgt. Alex French IV

Died September 30, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Enlisted in Navy before joining National Guard

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

“He was a rock,” she said.

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

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

Street named for fallen guardsman

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

Army Staff Sgt. Jack M. Martin III

Died September 29, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Wanted to work in schools

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

Martin’s survivors include his wife, Ashley.

Army Spc. Francisco Briseno-Alvarez

Died September 25, 2011 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

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

Army Pfc. William L. Meredith

Died September 21, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Soldier’s enlistment surprised father

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army 1st Lt. Eric Yates

Died September 18, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

ROTC grad dies in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Burial set for fallen Campbell soldier

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

Yates wanted to be a teacher

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army Pfc. Jeremiah J. Monroe

Died September 17, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

‘We were together as one,’ brother says

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army Sgt. 1st Class Bradley S. Bohle

Died September 16, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Was married, had three daughters

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army Sgt. Andrew H. McConnell

Died September 14, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Followed dad’s footsteps

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army Staff Sgt. Nekl B. Allen

Died September 12, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Relatives mourn soldier killed in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

Spent most of his free time with his children

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army Pfc. Matthew M. Martinek

Died September 11, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

‘One of those clowns’

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army 1st Lt. Todd W. Weaver

Died September 9, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Lt. leaves behind new wife, young daughter

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Died September 8, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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

Airman killed in Iraq IED attack

Staff report

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

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

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

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

Air Force Academy graduate cared about family

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army 2nd Lt. Darryn D. Andrews

Died September 4, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

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

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Andrews also is survived by his father.

Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Benjamin P. Castiglione

Died September 3, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Corpsman with 2nd LAR killed in Afghanistan

Staff report

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

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

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

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

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

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

Flags lowered in memory of Michigan sailor

The Associated Press

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

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

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

Corpsman joined Navy out of high school

The Associated Press

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

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

Instead, they lost him in Afghanistan.

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

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

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

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

Castiglione is also survived by three stepbrothers.

Army Pfc. Jordan M. Brochu

Died August 31, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

20 year old Jordan Brochu, of Cumberland, Maine; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Aug. 31 in Shuyene Sufia, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Spc. Jonathan D. Welch and Spc. Tyler R. Walshe.

Flags lowered in memory of Brochu

The Associated Press

OAKLAND, Maine — Flags in Maine are flying at half-staff Sept. 10 in honor of a soldier from the state who was killed in combat in Afghanistan. Pfc. Jordan Brochu is also being honored with a memorial service in celebration of his life.

Brochu died Aug. 31 from wounds suffered in an improvised explosive device attack. Brochu moved to Maine while he was in high school, and his parents live in Oakland, outside of Waterville.

A memorial service will be held at Faith Evangelical Free Church in Waterville. A service with military honors for family and close friends will follow at the Maine Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Augusta.

Gov. John Baldacci has ordered U.S. and Maine flags flown at half staff from sunrise to sunset.

Brochu was serving with an infantry battalion out of Fort Lewis, Wash.

Pfc. excelled putting shot, in the kitchen

The Associated Press

OAKLAND, Maine — A soldier from Maine who was killed in Afghanistan was remembered as an outgoing high school student who excelled as an athlete and who loved to cook.

Pfc. Jordan Brochu was killed Aug. 31 in Afghanistan, according to Gov. John Baldacci’s office.

Brochu’s family moved to Maine for his senior year in high school. His coaches at Lake Region High School, where he graduated in 2008, told the Morning Sentinel of Waterville that Brochu played football and qualified for the state track meet as a discus thrower. He also was involved in culinary arts with a fondness for baking cookies.

In one season, Brochu went from not knowing how to throw a discus to having the best form of anyone that Lake Region track coach Chip Morton had coached.

“He was very dedicated and determined to succeed,” Morton said. “It’s hard to look at so short of a life as a success, but he lived life with a passion and he was loved by those who knew him.”

Brochu had been through some tough times in his life, but he was involved in school and fit in well, principal Roger Lowell said.

“To have a kid who goes through that and gets back into school and back on track and has a good senior year isn’t all that common,” Lowell said.

Brochu, 20, was serving with Company C, 1-17th Infantry Battalion of Fort Lewis, Wash. Additional details about his death were not available.

His parents live in Oakland, but they weren’t at their rural farmhouse Tuesday afternoon.

‘Jordan lived a lifetime in 20 years’

The Associated Press

Jordan Brochu got a rough start in life. He was abused and neglected until age 3, said his adoptive mother, Suzanne Brochu.

Overcoming his early childhood horrors was hard, with many setbacks, she said.

As he got older, he poured himself into a variety of activities — fishing, video games, sports, cooking, reading J.R.R. Tolkien books, even poetry writing.

“It was very real,” his former high school guidance counselor, Nancy McClean, said of his writings. “He was very, very good and expressing life, expressing hope.”

Brochu, 20, of Cumberland, Maine, died Aug. 31 in Shuyene Sufia, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered after his Army unit was attacked with an explosive device. He was assigned to Fort Lewis, Wash.

Brochu wrote on his MySpace page that “my life has been hell and no one thought or cared if i would make it.” But he added, “for once my head is held high.”

Brochu, a 2008 graduate of Lake Region Vocational Center, was popular student and athlete. He joined the Army as a way to do some good, McClean said.

His mother and his father, Daniel Brochu, believe he succeeded.

“Jordan lived a lifetime in 20 years,” Suzanne Brochu said. “He started with us broken but he has finished complete. A hero.”

Army Staff Sgt. Casey J. Grochowiak

Died August 30, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

34 year old Casey Grochowiak, of Lompoc, Calif.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Aug. 30 in Malajat, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.

2 Carson soldiers identified as IED victims

The Associated Press

The Defense Department on Sept. 2 identified two soldiers who were killed in a bomb blast in Afghanistan on Aug. 30.

Second Lt. Mark Noziska, 24, of Papillion, Neb., and Staff Sgt. Casey Grochowiak, 34, of Lompoc, Calif., died in Malajat, Afghanistan, after an improvised explosive device went off, officials said.

Noziska’s father, Phil Noziska, said his son had planned to make a career out of the Army and had been in Afganistan less than a month.

His mother, Dee Noziska, said she is proud Mark Noziska wanted to serve his country, but he will be missed.

Noziska and Grochowiak were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, out of Fort Carson, Colo.

Army Spc. Abraham S. Wheeler III

Died August 28, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Was looking forward to restoring Olds when he returned

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wheeler is also survived by a brother.

Army Pfc. Matthew E. Wildes

Died August 27, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Soldier’s body returns to U.S.

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

Remembered by colleagues for humorous ticks

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army Capt. John L. Hallett III

Died August 25, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Army Spc. Justin B. Shoecraft

Died August 24, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Army Spc. recalled as hard worker, generous

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army 2nd Lt. Joseph D. Fortin

Died August 23, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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

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

By Wilson Ring

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Remembering 2nd Lt. Joseph D. Fortin

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army Sgt. Matthew L. Ingram

Died August 21, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Slain Miss. soldier known as leader

By Jerry Mitchell

(Jackson, Miss.) Clarion Ledger

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He worried about not seeing his daughter again.

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

Services set for Ingram

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

Post office named in soldier’s memory

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

Army Spc. Justin R. Pellerin

Died August 20, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Concord-area man killed in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Funeral held for Pellerin

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army Sgt. Troy O. Tom

Died August 19, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

21-year-old Navajo soldier dies in Afghanistan

By Sue Major Holmes

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Begged parents to let him join Army before he turned 18

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army Cpl. Nicholas R. Roush

Died August 16, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Father calls son’s death ‘devastating’

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

Middleville is about 125 miles west-northwest of Detroit.

Flags at half-staff for fallen soldier

The Associated Press

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

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

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

Army Capt. John Tinsley

Died August 12, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

La. soldier killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Burns said Tinsley left behind a wife and young daughter.

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

Tinsley remembered as caring friend

By Matt Gilmour and Julia Thompson

Tallahassee (Fla.) Democrat via Gannett News Service

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Green Beret loved martial arts

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tinsley gets Arlington burial

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

Army Spc. Jonathan D. Menke

Died August 4, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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

3 Hoosier guardsmen die, 1 hurt in Iraq

By Will Higgins

Indianapolis Star

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Menke joined the Guard in 2004.

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

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

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

Toy drive honors slain Indiana soldier’s wish

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

Army Sgt. 1st Class Severin W. Summers III

Died August 2, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Summers loved the outdoors

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army Sgt. Jonathan M. Walls

Died August 1, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

‘His kids were his life’

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army Spc. John O. Tollefson

Died July 27, 2005 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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

Fond du Lac soldier killed in Iraq

Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Parents of fallen soldier ask for prayers for troops

Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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