Army Sgt. William R. Howdeshell

Died July 26, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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

From arlingtoncemetery.net:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army officials have filled in some blanks.

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

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

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

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

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

Army Sgt. Joshua J. Rimer

Died July 22, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Received Purple Heart in Iraq tour

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army Sgt. Gregory Owens Jr.

Died July 20, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Followed dad’s footsteps by joining military

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army Spc. Christopher M. Talbert

Died July 7, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

24 year old Christopher Talbert, of Galesburg, Ill.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment, Marion, Ill.; died July 7 in Shindad, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

Worked as medic in civilian life, too

The Associated Press

Christopher M. Talbert enjoyed his work with the Illinois Army National Guard, so much that he volunteered outside of his home unit to deploy overseas.

“He loved Afghanistan,” said friend Ashley Lamb.

Talbert, 24, of Galesburg, Ill., died July 7 in Shindad, Afghanistan, of wounds caused when a bomb detonated. He was based in Marion, Ill.

He graduated from Galesburg Christian School in 2003 and joined the National Guard four years later as a combat medic. He had worked at Galesburg Cottage Hospital and completed training as an emergency medical technician.

It was serious work, but he found ways to laugh.

“He had a great sense of humor and enjoyed practical jokes and working on automobiles with his friends,” said Elisa Cecil, a family friend.

Another friend, Susan Powell, said he loved children and was “Uncle Chris” to her young daughter. She said Talbert didn’t answer when she asked why he wanted to join the Army, but believed he did it to “show everyone that he could do it. He wanted to turn his life around, and make his parents proud.”

He is survived by his parents, Terry and Amanda, and two brothers.

Army 1st Lt. Derwin I. Williams

Died July 6, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

41 year old Derwin Williams, of Glenwood, Ill.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 106th Cavalry Regiment, Illinois National Guard, Dixon, Ill.; died July 6 in Khanabad, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

Williams served for 16 years

The Associated Press

GLENWOOD, Ill. — A 16-year veteran of the Illinois Army National Guard has been killed while serving in Afghanistan.

Derwin Williams, 41, of Glenwood was killed July 6 when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Konduz. His wife, Felicia Williams, says the military informed her of his death that evening.

Williams worked as a correctional officer with the Cook County sheriff’s office. His wife says he’d served in Iraq for one year in 2004 and was slated to return from his tour in Afghanistan in August.

In addition to his wife, Williams is survived by three daughters, aged 22, 18 and 9.

Drill instructor had a soft spot for his men

The Associated Press

Derwin Williams was a correctional officer and worked as a drill instructor in the Cook County (Ill.) Sheriff’s Boot Camp, a strict detention program based on military discipline in Chicago.

But he had a soft spot, not only for his own children but for some of the men in the program.

The boot camp’s executive director, John Harrington, said Williams often became a father figure for the inmates, some of whom never had relationships with their own fathers.

“His kindness and soft-spoken manner had a great impact on everyone here,” Sheriff Thomas Dart said. “He will be greatly missed.”

Williams, 41, of Glenwood, Ill., died July 6 when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. A member of the Illinois Army National Guard based in Dixon, Williams had served a yearlong tour in Iraq in 2004 and was slated to return from Afghanistan in August, his wife said.

Felicia Williams said her husband would often take three of his girls paintball shooting and to amusement parks. He also was nearby when homework help was needed.

“They talked to him a lot, they went to him for anything, they could talk to him about anything,” his wife said. “They were very close.”

Along with his wife, Williams is survived by two stepdaughters, ages 18 and 22; two daughters, who are 9 and 19; and an 8-year-old son.

Army Staff Sgt. Christopher F. Cabacoy

Died July 5, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

30 year old Christopher Cabacoy, of Virginia Beach, Va.; assigned to 1st Squadron, 71st Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died July 5 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. Also killed in the attack was Army Pfc. Edwin C. Wood.

Staff sergeant remembered for his sense of humor

The Associated Press

Christopher Cabacoy was distraught when he and his high school sweetheart, Tamara, broke up.

But he did everything he could to get her back — and he did. “And they’ve been a great family ever since,” said his friend, Eddie Las Marias, who grew up with Cabacoy.

The couple had a son together, Aidan.

Cabacoy, 30, of Virginia Beach, Va. was killed July 5 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, when a homemade bomb exploded near his vehicle. He was assigned to Fort Drum. He graduated from Tallwood High School in 1997 and studied engineering at Old Dominion University before joining the Army in 2000.

Cabacoy was known as a jokester who had a great sense of humor. His friend Jacki Harris said she named her son after him — except it was spelled “Kristopher.” When Cabacoy found out, he had a joking, smart-alecky response. Which was exactly what she expected.

“He said, ‘What, you couldn’t think of a more original name?’” she said.

In his final posting on Facebook before he was killed, Cabacoy was optimistic despite what he said was a “hard month.”

“… to my love tami … i love you and can’t wait to see you … aidan, keep growing and be good!”

Army Pfc. Jonathan M. Rossi

Died July 1, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

20 year old Jonathan Rossi, of Safety Harbor, Fla.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, Texas; died July 1 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire.

Jonathan M. Rossi was quiet and creative. An artist, he used pencils to sketch Asian-style pieces. As an adult, Jonathan was covered in tattoos of his own creation, including dragons and other designs, said his stepmother, Kathleen Rossi. “One of his tattoos, when he folded his arms in front of him, it said, ”To win is to be prepared to die,”” she said. “What he said it meant to him was that to do his job and be in the Army, he had to be prepared to die in order to win for his country.”

Rossi, 20, of Safety Harbor, Fla., died July 1 in Baghdad of wounds from an explosive and small-arms fire. He was a 2005 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Bliss. Rossi loved martial arts and hoped to become a Ranger. But a knee injury during jump school sidetracked that goal. Rossi found another military specialty, working with explosive devices. He ultimately hoped to work for the CIA.

“He was a loving, caring young man. He loved his family, loved his friends and would do anything for anybody. He had a big heart. He was a great son, a great friend to everybody,” said his father, Michael.

Army Spc. Robert L. Bittiker

Died June 29, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

39 year old Robert Bittiker, of Jacksonville, N.C.; assigned to the 120th Combined Arms Battalion, North Carolina National Guard, Wilmington, N.C.; died from wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle June 29 in Baghdad. Also killed were Sgt. 1st Class Edward C. Kramer, Sgt. Juan C. Baldeosingh and Sgt. Roger L. Adams Jr.

Funerals scheduled for 2 guardsmen killed in Iraq

The Associated Press

WILMINGTON, N.C. — Funeral arrangements are set for two of the four North Carolina National Guard soldiers killed in the unit’s largest single combat loss since World War II.

A funeral will be held for Spc. Robert Bittiker on Wednesday at the Jones Funeral Home in Jacksonville. He will be buried at the Coastal State Veterans Cemetery. Mourners are invited to line the roads from the funeral home to the cemetery.

Sgt. 1st Class Edward Kramer’s memorial service will be held Thursday at St. Mark Catholic Church in Wilmington. Mourners are also invited to line the roads from the church to the Wilmington National Cemetery.

Kramer’s family requested donations be made to Step Up for Soldiers and St. Mark Catholic School instead of flowers.

Working on cars was Bittiker’s passion

The Associated Press

Robert L. Bittiker was a hardworking National Guardsman who kept busy as a trucking company foreman, but he always made time for his sons.

“He loved his sons very much — followed them through all their sports,” said Brian Wheat, Bittiker’s stepfather. Bittiker, who worked for Elijah Morton Trucking Inc. and owned a taxi cab in Jacksonville, N.C., also was an avid sportsman who enjoyed fishing.

Bittiker, 39, of Jacksonville, N.C., was killed June 29 when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle in Baghdad.

The Wilmington, N.C.-based National Guardsman enjoyed cheering on the Washington Redskins and working on a beat-up truck and Ford Mustang, said his mother, Mary Wheat.

“They were pretty rough and unfixable,” she said. “But you probably couldn’t convince him of that.”

Bittiker enlisted in the North Carolina Army National Guard in 1990. This was his third combat deployment, having served in Bosnia and then Iraq in 2004. Bittiker’s family has a history of service. His father served in the Marines and his mother worked for the Department of Defense.

He is survived by his wife, Tami; two sons, Cameron, 14, and Ronnie, 18; and a stepson, Robert Jenkins.

Army Staff Sgt. Travis K. Hunsberger

Died June 27, 2008 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

24 year old Travis Hunsberger, of Goshen, Ind.; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died on June 27 of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device while on combat patrol near Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan.

Fort Bragg-based soldier killed in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

GOSHEN, Ind. — A North Carolina-based Special Forces soldier was killed when he stepped on a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, the military said.

Army Staff Sgt. Travis K. Hunsberger, 24, of Goshen, died Friday near Tarin Kowt, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command said. Hunsberger was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, N.C., and left on his second deployment to Afghanistan in May.

He is survived by his wife, Hannah Hunsberger, of Fort Bragg; his parents, Steve and Ronda Hunsberger; a brother, Kyle Hunsberger, and a sister Kelsey Hunsberger, all of Goshen.

“He loved his family with his whole heart,” Ronda Hunsberger said.

The 2002 Northwood High School graduate enlisted just over four years ago after two years at Ball State University, his mother said. She said he had been injured twice during his deployments.

Hunsberger joined the Army in 2004 and entered Special Forces two years later.

Hunsberger had been married for less than two years. He had his wife invited his parents to Fort Bragg last Christmas to witness a re-enactment of their wedding. Travis and Hannah Hunsberger had a small private wedding before his first deployment.

Hunsberger was remembered Sunday during services at Wakarusa Missionary Church.

Army 1st Lt. Brian N. Bradshaw

Died June 25, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

24 year old Brian Bradshaw, of Steilacoom, Wash.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska; died June 25 in Kheyl, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

Army 1st Lt. Bradshaw was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska. He had been on patrol in Kheyl, Afghanistan when his vehicle struck an improvised bomb. Bradshaw and the other soldiers escaped without injury, but with the soldiers out of their vehicle, a passing civilian truck detonated a second roadside bomb which killed him.

Brian was born at Madigan Army Medical Center to military parents. He graduated from Bellarmine High School in Tacoma, Washington and then graduated from Pacific Lutheran University in 2007. While in high school, Brian served as a member of Pierce County Search and Rescue and was a counselor during summers at Camp Don Bosco where he had once been a camper himself. By the time he went to the university, he decided to join their ROTC program.

After graduation, Brian joined the Army and was deployed to Afghanistan in March. He didn’t go to win a war – he went to try and help the people there to have a better life. While on deployment, he would talk with his father about his fear for the safety of all his men – not himself. He would be tired but always upbeat and was especially happy when he received packages from home. In the packages, he had asked for items to give away to the local children. While on patrol, Brian and his men would take crayons, colored pencils, books and toys to give away to the kids.

He was considering making the Army a career but he had also talked about teaching history and he had started taking helicopters for back country skiing and possibly becoming a guide for back country skiing. Brian was very athletic and action-oriented. He bicycled, did back country skiing and climbed mountains. But most of all, Brian was a kind, caring person with a great sense of humor.

Army Staff Sgt. Joshua A. Melton

Died June 19, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

26 year old Joshua Melton, of Carlyle, Ill.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment, Illinois National Guard, Marion, Ill.; died June 19 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Sgt. Paul G. Smith.

Ill. soldier killed months before tour was to end

The Associated Press

GERMANTOWN, Ill. — The brother of a southern Illinois soldier killed in Afghanistan says his sibling was expected to return home in September to his wife and 16-month-old daughter.

Twenty-six-year-old Staff Sgt. Joshua Melton was from Germantown in Clinton County. He died along with 43-year-old Sgt. Paul Smith of East Peoria on Friday.

The Illinois National Guard says their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in Kandahar.

Melton enlisted in the National Guard in 2000 while still in high school in Breese.

Dustin Melton says his late brother knew from the time he was a boy that he wanted to be a soldier.

Joshua Melton’s widow, Larissa Melton, says her husband died as something he always wanted to be — a hero.

Army Master Sgt. Kevin A. Dupont

Died June 17, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

52 year old Kevin Dupont, of Templeton, Mass.; assigned to the 79th Troop Command, Rehoboth, Mass.; died June 17 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, of wounds suffered March 8 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

Died with wife by his side

The Associated Press

CHICOPEE, Mass. — A soldier has died from injuries he suffered when a military vehicle he was riding in ran over an improvised explosive in Afghanistan three months ago.

Kelli Dupont says her brother, Army Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Dupont, died early June 17 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where he was being treated for third-degree burns.

Dupont, 52, was injured March 8. He graduated from Chicopee High School in 1976 and most recently lived in Templeton. He was a member of the Massachusetts Army National Guard.

Kelli Dupont says her brother’s wife was at his side when he died.

Dupont is survived by elderly parents, two brothers and two sisters.

Army Sgt. Joshua W. Soto

Died June 16, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

25 year old Joshua Soto, of San Angelo, Texas; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas; died June 16 in COB Adder, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

A Fort Bliss infantryman wounded in combat on a previous tour died Tuesday when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Iraq, Army officials said Friday.
Sgt. Joshua W. Soto, 25, from California, led an elite Bradley fighting vehicle crew with the 1st Battalion, 77th Armored Regiment, known as the “Steel Tigers.” He went to Iraq for the third time this spring with about 4,000 other members of Fort Bliss’ 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division.

“He was the type of (noncommissioned officer) soldiers love to follow, and he was the type of leader commanders strive to have in their unit,” said Lt. Col. Jay Gallivan, Soto’s battalion commander, in an e-mail from Iraq. “Brave, disciplined, and always putting the needs of his troops before his own, Sergeant Soto will be missed. He was our very best.”
The Fort Bliss soldiers are working in southern Iraq. Although they are not leading combat patrols as in previous deployments, they are traveling with Iraqi security forces as advisers and face the same dangers, Col. Peter Newell, the brigade commander, said when the unit deployed. The unit is assisting in the transfer of authority to Iraqi forces.
Soto is survived by his wife, Thelma, and 9-month-old-son, Jayden.

Soto joined the Army in November 2003. After completing training at Fort Benning, Ga., he was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division in Germany and was deployed for the invasion of
Iraq, which began in 2003.
During his second deployment, Soto was leading a squad on a foot patrol when it came under attack, according to information provided by his brigade in Iraq. Soto was shot in the right ankle and received a Purple Heart. When he returned to duty soon afterward, he took the gunner position on one of his platoon’s trucks.
Soto then left the Army but rejoined in October 2006. He was assigned to a long-range surveillance team with a Fort Hood military intelligence battalion. In March 2008, he was assigned to the Fort Bliss battalion. During training for deployment, Soto’s soldiers were recognized as the battalion’s “Top Bradley Crew.”

He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.
Soto also received two Army Commendation medals, the National Defense Service Medal, three Iraq Campaign medals, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, three Overseas Service ribbons, the Army Service Ribbon, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
Soto also was trained as a combat lifesaver.

Army Spc. Jonathan C. O’Neill

Died June 15, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

22 year old Jonathan O’Neill, of Zephyr Hills, Fla.; assigned to the 549th Military Police Company, 385th Military Police Battalion, 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne) at Fort Stewart, Ga.; died June 15 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, of wounds sustained June 2 in Paktya, Afghanistan, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

Funeral held for decorated soldier

The Associated Press

LEBANON, Tenn. — A decorated Army soldier who died from injuries suffered in Afghanistan was remembered Tuesday by friends and family in Tennessee.

Spc. Jonathan Charles O’Neill died June 15 at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, nearly two weeks after he was wounded in Afghanistan. The Army said the 22-year-old was injured when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle and he was subsequently attacked by small arms fire.

The Lebanon Democrat reported his funeral was Tuesday morning at St. Frances Cabrini Church with full military honors following. He is survived by his parents, Bob and Jackie O’Neill, brothers, Brian and Matthew O’Neill; sister, Kaitlyn O’Neill, all of Watertown.

The Zephyrhills, Fla.,-native served in the Army since January 2007 with the 549th Military Police Company of Fort Stewart, Ga. President Barack Obama presented him with a Purple Heart and Presidential Coin this month in Landstuhl, Germany, while he was being treated for his injuries.

His mother kept all of his friends updated on the progress of his medical treatment through the soldier’s Facebook page, said Brandyn Errickson, a friend of O’Neill’s.

Errickson said O’Neill joined the Army to get experience in law enforcement.

“(He) was looking to get into being a policeman or into crime scene type work. He figured the best way to do this would be to get into the Army in the Military Police unit.

O’Neill was awarded the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Army Commendation Medal and the Bronze Star posthumously.

Army Staff Sgt. Edmond L. Lo

Died June 13, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

23 year old Edmond Lo, of Salem, N.H.; assigned to the 797th Ordnance Company, 79th Ordnance Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas; died June 13 in Samarra City, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device that his explosive ordnance disposal team was acting to neutralize detonated.

Staff sergeant was determined to serve country

The Associated Press

SALEM, N.H. — Bright and hardworking like his immigrant parents, Edmond Lo’s future grew even more promising when he was offered a full scholarship to a prominent engineering school. But he turned it down, choosing instead to disarm bombs for the Army.

It was a job intended to save lives, but one that cost Lo his. The 23-year-old staff sergeant was six months into his second tour of duty in Iraq when a roadside bomb he was working on exploded June 13 in Samarra City, his family said.

“I told him to be careful, and he said, ‘I know, I know,’ ” his mother, Rosa Lo, told the New Hampshire Union Leader.

Lo graduated from Salem High School in 2004, where he was a member of the Air Force Junior ROTC program. He was commander of the drill team, color guard and operations squadron, said Thomas Puzzo, a retired Air Force chief master sergeant who helps lead the group.

“We called him Mr. Dependable,” Puzzo told the newspaper. “Every time we needed something, he was there.

Lo was in the second half of his senior year when he started talking about enlisting, Puzzo said. He already had begun getting college acceptance letters.

Lo’s mother said she wanted her son to go to college. The Rochester Institute of Technology accepted him, offered a full three-year scholarship and kept calling, even after he had left for boot camp, she said.

“He had a very strong will,” she said. “He wanted to serve the Army.”

Gene Clark, director of veterans enrollment services at the Rochester Institute of Technology, said the offer almost certainly came from ROTC, perhaps supplemented by the school. He expressed condolences to the family.

“Those of us who are involved in working with veterans often say it’s that 1 percent who are paying the price for the other 99 percent of us to be free,” Clark said.

Lo was the youngest of six children born to parents who emigrated from Hong Kong, became U.S. citizens and started a family. The family runs a computer repair service in Salem.

Lo was assigned to the 797th Ordnance Company, 79th Ordnance Battalion based in Fort Hood, Texas.

After his first tour in Iraq, Lo visited Salem High, sharing photos and stories of Iraq. He didn’t give a lot of details, but said he found the Iraqis gracious, Puzzo recalled.

Lo laid to rest

The Associated Press

SALEM, N.H. — Family, classmates and comrades in arms came together in Salem to remember Army Staff Sgt. Edmond Lo, a young man who turned down a college scholarship to serve his nation.

Lo, a 23-year-old Salem High graduate, was killed June 13 when a roadside bomb he was trying to disarm exploded in Iraq. He was buried Saturday after a funeral service at Mary Queen of Peace Church in Salem.

Retired Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Thomas Puzzo recalled Lo as a quiet and competent leader during his high school’s Junior ROTC program. According to the New Hampshire Sunday News, Lo was the third serviceman from Salem killed in Iraq since 2006.

Family donates sign to fallen hero’s high school

The Associated Press

SALEM, N.H. — The family of a New Hampshire solider who was killed in Iraq while trying to disarm a roadside bomb has donated a 6-foot-high message board in front of his high school.

The $20,000 board was installed in late December 2011 at Salem High School in memory of Army Staff Sgt. Edmond Lo, who was killed in June 2009.

Lo graduated from Salem High School in 2004, one of four graduates of the school to die while serving in Iraq. Rosa Lo said her son enjoyed his time at Salem High and especially loved the school’s Junior ROTC program.

A computer can display several different messages within seconds of each other on the board, according to The (Lawrence, Mass.) Eagle-Tribune. One message says “In memory of Staff Sgt. Edmond Lo.”

Army Sgt. John D. Aragon

Died June 12, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

22 year old John Aragon, of Antioch, Calif.; assigned to the 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died June 12 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.

Antioch soldier killed by roadside bomb in Iraq

The Associated Press

ANTIOCH, Calif. — When John Aragon told his mother during his senior year of high school that he wanted to join the Army, she urged him to wait at least a year before making the decision.

Aragon completed a year at a community college, but the delay did nothing to diminish his passion for the military, his mother said. He called his parents once he reached Fort Campbell, Ky., to tell them all about it.

“He said, ‘I love the Army and the Army loves me,”’ Denise Aragon said. “The two just clicked.”

Aragon served for just over two years before he was killed Thursday by a roadside bomb in Iraq, the Department of Defense announced Friday. Officials said the 22-year-old died of wounds suffered when his Humvee struck the bomb in Kadamiyah, just northwest of Baghdad.

Aragon’s father, John Aragon Sr., said his son wanted to be near the action: “He would say, ‘A true soldier is a fighting foot soldier.”’

But, the elder Aragon said, his son never harbored any romantic notions of war.

“He’d tell us it was pure hell,” he said. “Those were his words: ‘pure hell.”’

Both parents said they are proud of what he accomplished, including the rank of sergeant in two years with the 101st Airborne Division.

The Antioch High School graduate, a die-hard Oakland Raiders fan with the team’s name tattooed above his heart, always kept close ties to home, calling his parents once a week and looking forward to care packages they would send filled with his favorite snacks. Denise Aragon said she had planned to send one more round of snacks before he was due home for a break next month.

“We never got to send them,” Denise Aragon said.

Army Staff Sgt. Tyler E. Pickett

Died June 8, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

28 year old Tyler Pickett, of Saratoga, Wyo.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died June 8 of wounds sustained when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using improvised explosive devices.

Wyoming soldier killed in Iraq

The Associated Press

SARATOGA, Wyo. — A soldier from Saratoga who died in Iraq this weekend was remembered by his mother as a dedicated serviceman who looked forward one day to retiring to the Wyoming mountains.

The Department of Defense announced Wednesday that Staff Sgt. Tyler E. Pickett died Sunday in Kirkuk Province. He was killed by enemy forces using an improvised explosive device.

Pickett was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y.

Pickett’s mother, Saratoga resident Sheri Peterson, said her 28-year-old son was killed in a suicide bombing that also injured 18 other people. Pickett was on his second tour in Iraq and had also served in Afghanistan.

Pickett is survived by his wife, Kristy, of Antwerp, N.Y., and her two children, Peterson said. The couple celebrated their second anniversary in February.

Pickett was born in Rice Lake, Wis., and moved to Saratoga, in south-central Wyoming, at the age of 14.

“When you move to a small town, sometimes it’s hard to acclimate,” Peterson said. “That didn’t happen here. He was friends with everyone. It didn’t matter where he was, he always touched someone’s life.”

Pickett graduated from Saratoga High School in 1999 and enlisted in the military about a year later, Peterson said. She said serving in the military was always a part of Pickett’s plan.

“He knew what he wanted long before most kids do,” she said.

Peterson said her son came from a family with a history of military service.

“My son’s job was to protect his country, and when you protect your country, you put your life on the line every day; just like a police officer does, just like a fireman does,” Peterson said.

Pickett’s survivors include his father, Ed Pickett, of Rice Lake, and other family members in Wyoming. Peterson said funeral services are planned in Saratoga, Antwerp, N.Y., and Minnesota.

Soldier killed in Iraq given hero’s funeral

The Associated Press

ANTWERP, N.Y. — Family and friends gathered at an upstate New York church for the funeral of a fallen soldier.

Staff Sgt. Tyler Pickett was killed June 8 in Iraq’s Kirkuk Province when his unit was attacked with an improvised explosive device.

Pickett’s commanders remembered him Wednesday during services at St. Michael’s Catholic Church as “not just a soldier. He was a leader of soldiers.”

Pickett was from Wyoming and lived in Antwerp for only a few years. But he was a well-known and well-liked member of the tight-knit community just outside the U.S. Army’s Fort Drum, the home of the 10th Mountain Division, in which Pickett served.

Pickett was supposed to be home on leave when he died, but his homecoming was delayed until June 30.

He is survived by his wife and two stepchildren.

Saratoga mourns fallen soldier

The Associated Press

SARATOGA, Wyo. — Mourners gathered in Saratoga on Monday to honor Staff Sgt. Tyler E. Pickett, a former Saratoga resident who was killed in action in Iraq earlier this month.

The 28-year-old was remembered as a dedicated soldier who made a big impression on the southern Wyoming town during his years there.

Pickett was killed in a suicide bombing on June 8 during his second tour in Iraq, the military said. He had also served in Afghanistan.

“Tyler died doing what he hired up to do and that’s the way he looked at it,” said Pickett’s grandfather, Jim Peterson, who traveled from Elysian, Minn.

Pickett was assigned to the Army’s 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y. He was buried at a formal military service in New York earlier this month.

Pickett, who most recently lived in Antwerp, N.Y. with his wife Kristy and her two children, planned to retire to Wyoming, Kristy Pickett said.

She said being a soldier was more than a career to her husband.

“It was something he was passionate about,” Kristy Pickett said in a story in Tuesday editions of the Rawlins Daily Times. “He made a choice to help people and he did a good job. You just have to honor that decision of his.”

Nancy Vargas, Pickett’s English teacher at Saratoga High School, said she felt a mixture of sadness and pride about her former student’s death.

“If you didn’t like Tyler, well, you just didn’t like people,” Vargas said. “He left his footprints all over this valley and all over our hearts.”

U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., also attended the event. Barrasso said he’d never met the fallen soldier, but “just in visiting with both his wife and his mother today, I know the great love that he had for this state.”

The Platte Valley community did much of the organizing for Monday’s memorial service, said Sheri Peterson, Tyler Pickett’s mother.

“Tyler’s military motto is deeds not words,” she said. “That motto would be appropriate for the valley.”

Air Force Senior Airman William N. Newman

Died June 7, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

23 year old William Newman, of Kingston Springs, Tenn.; assigned to the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team of the 15th Civil Engineer Squadron, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii; died June 7 south of Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device.

Family remembers airman killed in Iraq

The Associated Press

On his first date, Senior Airman William N. Newman took his wife-to-be, Soyong, to a “Spider-Man” movie and gave her a portrait sketch of herself he had drawn.

The couple shared much in the less than 2 years they were married — he learned enough Korean to be able to write to her and she, trying to stay one step ahead, had been studying Japanese.

“We never ever had a fight,” she said.

Newman, 23, of Kingston Springs, Tenn., died June 7 from an explosive south of Balad, Iraq. He was a 2001 high school graduate and was assigned to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

“He was a strong-headed, incredible guy who always thought of others before himself, and died trying to change the world,” said his sister, Emily Swaggerty.

Newman had many interests, including break dancing, ultimate Frisbee and working out. His wife sent him Korean snack packages from home.

Soyong Newman last spoke to her husband at noon the day before he was killed. Her husband had passed his college-level equivalence test for an associate degree and “was so excited,” she said.

“I would tell him now: ‘You’re a hero, my hero always,’ ” she said.

Army Sgt. Justin J. Duffy

Died June 2, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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

Memorial service scheduled for Duffy

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

Army Pfc. Matthew W. Wilson

Died June 1, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Army pays for father to attend son’s funeral

By Jaime Baranyai

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jerry Potter of Springfield was willing to help Jim Wilson.

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

“I just feel sorry for him,” he said.

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

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

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

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

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

He joined the military Jan. 3, 2008.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He spoke lovingly of his son.

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

Army Pfc. Chad M. Trimble

Died May 28, 2008 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Army Pfc. Chad M. Trimble remembered

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army Spc. Chad A. Edmundson

Died May 27, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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

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

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Air Force Senior Airman Ashton L.M. Goodman

Died May 26, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

21 year old Aston Goodman, of Indianapolis; assigned to the 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, N.C.; died May 26 near Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Lt. Col. Mark E. Stratton II.

Roadside bomb kills PRT commander, airman

By Bruce Rolfsen

Staff writer

Senior Airman Ashton L. M. Goodman was 21 years old and in the Air Force for less than three years; Lt. Col. Mark E. Stratton came up through the ranks as a navigator and left his Pentagon desk job for a year in Afghanistan.

On Tuesday, both died when a roadside bomb exploded as they drove in Afghanistan near Bagram Airfield.

A third person also died in the attack, but as of Wednesday afternoon had not been identified by the Pentagon.

Goodman, a vehicle operator dispatcher, was assigned to the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team and deployed from the 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron at Pope Air Force Base, N.C. She grew up in Indianapolis.

Stratton, 39, commanded the PRT. He was deployed from the Joint Staff’s plans and program office at the Pentagon, an Air Force spokesman said.

Provincial reconstruction teams specialize in helping Afghan communities with development projects such as building roads and schools, expanding medical services and providing electrical power. Panjshir Province is located in the mountains north of Bagram Airfield.

A Pope spokesman said Goodman enlisted in July 2006 and arrived at the base in October 2006. She had already been on one deployment prior to joining the Panjshir team in June 2008 for a yearlong stay in Afghanistan.

“We will all feel sorrow as a result of her death, but should celebrate in how she chose to live her life, her commitment and dedication,” said Col. John McDonald, 43rd Airlift Wing commander.

Before starting the Pentagon staff post, Stratton flew as a senior navigator onboard RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft. On the Joint Staff, he served as an executive assistant for the deputy director for politico-military affairs-Asia.

Stratton’s Air Force career began in 1992 after receiving his commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps and graduating from Texas A&M University in 1991.

He was raised in Foley, Ala.

Stratton’s survivors include a wife and three children in the Washington area.

“Mark was just an all around wonderful person,” Stratton’s step-father, Buddy York, told WKRG-TV. “The three things that were more important to him were God, his family and the military.”

Goodman served as role model for Afghan women

The Associated Press

If Ashton L.M. Goodman had a choice of driving a sedan or a 40-foot tractor-trailer, she’d pick the tractor-trailer.

“She was a work-hard, play-hard girl,” said a friend, Airman 1st Class Vrajhi Brisby. “She didn’t care if she broke a nail, got greasy, got sweaty. If she messed up her hair, she didn’t care. Even if you were sitting in the truck, she got dirty.”

Goodman, 21, of Indianapolis died May 27 near Bagram Air Field of wounds from a roadside bomb. She was a 2006 high school graduate and was assigned to Pope Air Force Base, N.C.

She mentored Panjshir’s female Afghan leadership, advancing the economic and social development of women in the province. On May 18, she helped deliver much-needed food and house supplies to more than 100 poor women.

“Her vivacious spirit, zest of life, and eagerness to experience it all will forever be remembered by our team,” said Capt. Stacie N. Shafran.

In high school, she was member of the Japan Club and participated in the Zoo Teen Club, in which she volunteered at the Indianapolis Zoo. She was training to become a biologist.

She is survived by her parents, Vicki and Mark, and stepmother, Chasity.

Navy Cmdr. Duane G. Wolfe

Died May 25, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

54 year old Duane Wolfe, of Port Hueneme, Calif.; assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division, Baghdad; died May 25 southeast of Taqaddum, Iraq, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device.

IA commander killed by bomb in Fallujah

By Andrew Scutro

Staff writer

A Navy Reserve officer serving in Iraq as an individual augmentee died Monday after his convoy was hit by a roadside bomb outside Fallujah, the Defense Department announced Wednesday.

Cmdr. Duane G. Wolfe was 54. According to a spokeswoman at Naval Base Ventura County, Wolfe worked in civilian life at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., as the civilian deputy commander at the 30th Space Wing Mission Support Group. In Iraq, he was attached to the Army Corps of Engineers.

Two others were killed and two were wounded in the attack, although they were not identified in the news release.

Wolfe was the officer-in-charge of the Anbar area office, overseeing $300 million worth of construction projects in the formerly volatile province. Most projects were for local Iraqis, including “the first ever waste treatment facility for Fallujah,” according to the news release.

A former Seabee chief who signed up in 1972, Wolfe was commissioned in 1990 and was assigned to several California-based units in his career, as well as Naval Engineering Force, Korea.

Wolfe joins six other Navy personnel who have been killed in the war zone on IA tours. Other recent IA deaths:

* On May 11, Cmdr. Charles Springle, 52, was shot and killed with four other service members at stress control clinic on Camp Liberty in Iraq, allegedly gunned down, by a U.S. soldier who is now in custody.

* On March 27, Lt. Florence Choe and Lt. j.g. Francis Toner were shot and killed in Afghanistan, reportedly by an insurgent posing as a soldier. They were assigned to Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan at Camp Shaheen, Mazar-E-Sharif.

Jovial nature made Wolfe stand out

The Associated Press

Duane G. Wolfe was described as having an incredible sense of humor, despite being very soft-spoken in many situations.

“He was a real jovial, fun-loving kind of guy. He loved to laugh and even play jokes on people. He was just a person the kids were really drawn to because of his personality,” the Rev. Brent Willey said.

Wolfe, 54, of Port Hueneme, Calif., died May 25 after his convoy hit an improvised explosive device southeast of Fallujah, Iraq.

Wolfe worked as a civilian at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., for 24 years. He was in the reserve for 31 years after five years of active duty.

He was working at Vandenberg as the civilian Deputy Commander of the 30th Space Wing Mission Support Group.

Wolfe and his staff were responsible for overseeing nearly $300 million in construction projects that included a wastewater treatment facility for Fallujah.

“Duane’s death will leave a hole in the Mission Support Group that can never be filled,” said Col. Rick Wright. “He was a great team member and an even greater friend.”

He is survived by his wife, Cindi, and three children — daughters Carrie and Katie, and son Evan.

Army 1st Lt. Leevi K. Barnard

Died May 21, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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

Interests spanned from philosophy to war

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Air Force 1st Lt. Roslyn L. Schulte

Died May 20, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

25 year old Roslyn Schulte, of St. Louis; assigned to the Headquarters, Pacific Air Forces Command, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii; died May 20 near Kabul, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device.

Mo. town says farewell on Memorial Day

The Associated Press

CREVE COEUR, Mo. — On the day America honored its fallen war heroes, one of the latest of those heroes was remembered at a funeral service in suburban St. Louis.

Air Force 1st Lt. Roslyn Schulte, who was stationed at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, was buried May 25, five days after she was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. She was 25.

“Memorial Day will never be the same,” Rabbi Mark Shook told the hundreds who filled Congregation Temple Israel. “No one in this place will ever take Memorial Day for granted again.”

Officials say Schulte was the Air Force Academy’s 10th graduate — and first female graduate — killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Schulte grew up in Ladue. She captained a state championship lacrosse team at John Burroughs School in a wealthy area of St. Louis County. Friends described her as smart, compassionate and determined.

“It’s totally going to change our community,” said a friend, 27-year-old Elise Berger. “When someone that close to you dies, you have a new appreciation.”

Schulte dreamed of being a fighter pilot since age 12. At the academy, she was among the top in her class.

In her third year, she decided to pursue military intelligence instead of aviation, believing she could do more for her country in that role, said her brother, Todd, 28.

She was sent to Afghanistan in February. There, her parents said, she helped teach Afghan military officials how to gather and interpret intelligence. She was traveling in a convoy from Camp Eggers, Kabul, to Bagram Airfield when she was killed.

Schulte met her boyfriend, Air Force Capt. Bruce Cohen, at Hickam, where both were stationed. At the funeral, he tearfully revealed how he planned to propose when she returned to the United States in August.

Leadership was where Schulte excelled

The Associated Press

Robert Schulte remembers how his daughter, as a young girl, organized a group of her peers on the first day of summer camp to perform a play. In high school, Roslyn L. Schulte also captained the lacrosse team and became an all-American lacrosse player.

“She wanted to be in charge. And she was,” he said.

Schulte, 25, of St. Louis died May 20 near Kabul of wounds suffered from an explosive. She was assigned to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

Friends remembered how some had questioned her about the idea of working in a group made up mostly of men. “Do you think they are going to bully me?” she would defiantly respond.

At the Air Force Academy, Roslyn Schulte majored in political science, interned for former Sen. Alan Allard, R-Colo., became a group commander — one of the academy’s highest positions — and captained the lacrosse team, said her mother, Suzie.

Schulte graduated in 2006 and went into military intelligence instead of aviation. She went to Afghanistan in February.

“She knew how to talk to chiefs of staff, to generals, to privates, and they listened,” Robert Schulte said. “And that’s what we needed, a great leader of people.”

Army Spc. Michael C. Campbell

Died May 19, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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

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

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

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

Army Spc. David A. Schaefer Jr.

Died May 16, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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

‘He was born to serve his country’

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army Maj. Steven Hutchison

Died May 10, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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

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

By Amanda Lee Myers

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Inspired to re-enlist by 9/11

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

Army 1st Lt. Salvatore S. Corma II

Died April 29, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Town stops to remember fallen O-2

By Shruti Mathur Desai

(Camden, N.J.) Courier-Post

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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