Army Pfc. Devin J. Michel

Died October 24, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Carson service to remember 2 fallen soldiers

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

Army Spc. Eric N. Lembke

Died October 23, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

2 Carson soldiers die in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army Spc. Deon L. Taylor

Died October 22, 2008 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Army Spc. Deon L. Taylor remembered

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Funeral for NYPD soldier killed in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army Spc. Kyle A. Coumas

Died October 21, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

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

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

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

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

Marine Lance Cpl. David R. Baker

Died October 20, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Pendleton Marine dies in Afghanistan

Staff report

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army Staff Sgt. Bradley Espinoza

Died October 19, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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

Texas soldier dies in attack in Iraq

The Associated Press

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

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

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

Army Pfc. Daniel J. Rivera

Died October 18, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

22 year old Daniel Rivera, of Rochester, N.Y.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Oct. 18 in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident.

Daniel had a large extended family and wanted to be a role model for his younger niece and cousins. That”s one reason he decided to enter the military as several of his older relatives had.

Family members say the 22-year-old from Rochester, New York, also was not afraid of anything – even death. “He wanted to serve his county, and he was really proud of what he was doing. … He just wanted to make the most of his life,” said his mother, Myrian Rivera. Daniel, a 2005 graduate of Victor High School, enjoyed playing soccer and baseball.

Army Spc. Michael A. Dahl Jr.

Died October 17, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

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

He loved his family and loved going to church.

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

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

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

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

Army Spc. Anthony G. Green

Died October 16, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

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

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

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

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

Army Staff Sgt. Glen H. Stivison Jr.

Died October 15, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Carson honors 15 killed in Afghanistan

By Dan Elliott

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army Pfc. Christopher A. McCraw

Died October 14, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

23 year old Christopher McCraw, of Columbia, Miss.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; died Oct. 14 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when he encountered small arms fire while on dismounted patrol.

Slain soldier known for humor

By Nicklaus Lovelady

The (Jackson) Clarion-Ledger

Avon McCraw clearly remembers the last time he talked with his son, Pfc. Christopher McCraw.

“I was talking with him on the cell phone, and he was laughing when it cut out,” said Avon, of Marion County. “That was the last time I got to hear his voice, his laughter.”

Christopher McCraw, 23, died Tuesday in Baghdad from wounds suffered when he encountered small-arms fire while on patrol, according to the Department of Defense.

At least 67 people from Mississippi or with strong ties to the state have died in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Christopher McCraw is the third soldier from Marion County to be killed in Iraq.

“We all knew the danger was there, but I didn’t expect this to happen,” Avon McCraw said. “I’ll probably never get over it, but I don’t want to because he was my child.”

Christopher McCraw comes from a family of soldiers, with Avon’s brothers, Jerry and Monroe, both having served in the Army. Christopher McCraw’s brother also served in Iraq and came home two years ago with post-traumatic stress disorder, a family member said.

Christopher McCraw was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii and was looking forward to coming home from Iraq and marrying the mother of his young son.

There was no mistaking Christopher’s sweet sense of humor, friends said.

“Chris was just a charmer, an all around, happy-go-lucky kid,” said Wendy Bracey, his Sunday school teacher at Woodlawn Pentecostal Church in Columbia. “He was a prankster with a sweet smile. I remember he would always sneak up behind me, then tap me on my shoulder trying to scare me.”

Christopher McCraw called Columbia home until his parents separated as he entered high school. He moved with his mother to North Carolina, where he eventually graduated.

Jerron Carney, 28, of Columbia said Christopher was always loyal to his friends in Mississippi and would always stop by to say hello when he was in town.

On Oct. 1, Christopher McCraw sent Carney a message on MySpace checking in on Carney and his family.

“He was a favorite of mine. He will be missed by a lot of people, and I know I’m one of them,” he said.

A message Christopher McCraw wrote before his death on his MySpace.com page said: “For man hath no greater love than that he would lay down his own life for his friends.”

Avon McCraw said he supported his son’s decision to join the military.

“He loved his job. He was a true soldier,” he said. “He never mentioned anything about being scared, which is why I say he was a soldier.”

‘Happy-go-lucky’ soldier led by example

The Associated Press

From Pfc. Christopher A. McCraw’s childhood to his adult years, those who knew him couldn’t help but be touched by his jovial personality.

“Chris was just a charm an all around happy-go-lucky kid,” said Wendy Bracey, his Sunday school teacher. “He was a prankster with a sweet smile. I remember he would always sneak up behind me then tap me on my shoulder trying to scare me.”

McCraw, 23, of Columbia, Miss., died Oct. 14 of injuries from small-arms fire in Nasar Wa Salam. He was assigned to Schofield Barracks.

“In his unit, he was very respected,” Brig. Gen. Genaro Dellarocco said. “He never accepted defeat. Never left a comrade behind. He set the example for many others in his platoon.”

The Rev. Jerron Carney characterized McCraw as a food aficionado — his favorite dishes being shepherd’s pie, banana pudding and Swiss cake rolls — and a prankster. “If he wasn’t telling a joke, he was pulling a joke.”

He is survived by his 15-month-old son, Issac, and fiancee Brianna Bell.

“He was always a happy kid, a bursting-with-energy-type kid, I guess what you would call a perfect soldier,” said uncle Jerry McCraw.

Army Cpl. Scott G. Dimond

Died October 13, 2008 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

Hundreds pay respects to fallen N.H. soldier

The Associated Press

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

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

A funeral service will be held Saturday.

Army Pfc. Scott G. Dimond remembered

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army Sgt. Reuben M. Fernandez III

Died October 11, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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

Sgt. described as being ‘a man of stength’

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Marine Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor

Died October 9, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

27 year old Aaron Taylor, of Bovey, Minn.; assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 372, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 9 at Camp Dwyer, Afghanistan, while supporting combat operations in Helmand province.

2 Minnesota service members killed in Afghanistan

By Steve Karnowski

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Airfield named in memory of Taylor

The Associated Press

DULUTH, Minn. — An airfield in southern Afghanistan has been named in honor of a fallen Marine from the Iron Range.

Staff Sgt. Aaron Taylor was killed by an improvised explosive device Oct. 9 while on foot patrol in the Helmand province.

Lt. Col. Matt Puglisi said Taylor had a special quality — he was smart, articulate and the type of leader other Marines wanted to be around.

Puglisi told the Duluth News Tribune that for security reasons, the exact location of “Taylor Expeditionary Airfield” is classified. A bronze placard with details of Taylor’s service are posted at the airfield.

The 27-year-old Taylor graduated from Greenway High School in Coleraine.

Marine Lance Cpl. Jeremy W. Burris

Died October 8, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

22 year old Jeremy Burris, of Tacoma, Wash.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 8 while conducting combat operations in Qaim, Iraq.

Marine from southeast Texas killed in Iraq

The Associated Press

LIBERTY, Texas — A Marine from southeast Texas who was killed in Iraq was remembered by family members and friends as a man of great faith who leaves behind six younger siblings.

Lance Cpl. Jeremy W. Burris, 22, was killed Monday while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, the Department of Defense said.

Brent Burris said Tuesday that his son was driving a patrol vehicle, accompanied by two other Marines, when they hit an explosive device hidden in the road.

He survived the initial blast and helped get the wounded Marines out of the damaged vehicle, his father said. But when he returned to the vehicle to get some equipment, a second explosive detonated and he was killed instantly, Brent Burris said.

Brent Burris said his son had lived in Liberty, about 40 miles northeast of Houston, since he was 12. After he finished home-schooling, Jeremy Burris moved to Tacoma, Wash., to participate in a Christian discipleship program. The military listed his hometown as Tacoma.

Jeremy Burris attended the non-denominational Cornerstone Church in Liberty, where he led praise and worship sessions for the youth group and was a guitar player during the main services.

“He was a precious young man who touched many lives,” pastor Mike Glazener said.

Burris stayed in Washington for almost two years before enlisting in the Marine Corps about 1 1/2 years ago, his family said.

Burris was assigned to 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth W. Westbrook

Died October 7, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

41 year old Kenneth Westbrook, of Shiprock, N.M.; assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died Oct. 7 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., of wounds suffered Sept. 8 when insurgents attacked his unit in Ganjigal Valley, Afghanistan, using small arms and indirect fire.

Navajo Nation honors fallen soldier

The Associated Press

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. has ordered flags on the reservation to be flown at half-staff from Oct. 14 to Oct. 17 to honor a fallen soldier from New Mexico.

The Department of Defense says Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth W. Westbrook died Oct. 7 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.

Westbrook, 41, was injured Sept. 8 when insurgents attacked his unit in Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.

Westbook grew up in Shiprock, N.M., and joined the Army after graduating from Shiprock High School in 1987.

He lived with his wife and three sons in Fountain, Colo., and his family says he planned to retire from the service in November after a 22-year career.

Westbrook’s funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m. Oct. 16 in New Mexico at the Farmington Civic Center.

Army Sgt. William P. Rudd

Died October 5, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

27 year old William Rudd, of Madisonville, Ky.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.; died Oct. 5 of wounds sustained from enemy small arms fire while on a combat patrol in Mosul, Iraq.

Ky. Army Ranger dies in Iraq

The Associated Press

MADISONVILLE, Ky. — The father of a western Kentucky soldier killed in Iraq says the Madisonville community is “filling me up with love and prayers” since learning of his 27-year-old son’s death.

Sgt. William P. Rudd died Sunday after being hit by enemy small-arms fire while on combat patrol in Mosul, according to the Defense Department.

Rudd was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Ga.

“The community is filling me up with love and prayers,” the soldier’s father, Bill Rudd of Madisonville, told The Messenger newspaper of Madisonville. “They support what Patrick did for our cause, so we wouldn’t have terrorists back over here.”

Patrick Rudd is believed to be the first Hopkins County native killed in Iraq.

He graduated from Madisonville-North Hopkins High School in 1999, then went to work on the assembly line at White Hydraulics in Hopkinsville.

Patrick Rudd had previously been deployed twice to Afghanistan and five times to Iraq. He joined the Army on Oct. 2, 2003.

“He had spent two years thinking about it, knowing that he needed a different direction in his life and wanting to defend our country.”

Patrick Rudd served with the Army Rangers, which are elite special operations troops.

“He didn’t join for himself,” Bill Rudd said. “You might say he joined for everyone else over here.”

Patrick Rudd was a decorated soldier, receiving the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and many awards.

He is expected to posthumously receive the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal.

Bill Rudd last saw his son four months ago when he visited Fort Benning, Ga., where Patrick was stationed.

Other survivors include Patrick Rudd’s mother, Pamela Coakley of Nortonville; his stepmother, Barbara Rudd of Madisonville; and a sister and brother.

The family is waiting to hear when the body will be returned to the United States before making funeral arrangements.

Western Ky. soldier laid to rest, slain in Iraq

The Associated Press

MADISONVILLE, Ky. — The father of a western Ky. Army Ranger recently slain in Iraq said Wednesday that his son was slain during the attack that killed an alleged high-ranking leader of al-Qaida in Iraq.

The Messenger of Madisonville reported thousands stood by the roadside as more than a hundred cars followed the hearse carrying Sgt. William Patrick Rudd’s body the six miles to the cemetery. The 27-year-old soldier is the first from Hopkins County to die in the Iraq war.

Rudd’s father, Bill Rudd, stood at his son’s casket at First Baptist Church at the beginning of his funeral and told the congregation his son died in the same raid in which U.S. soldiers killed Abu Qaswarah, the alleged No. 2 leader of al-Qaida in Iraq.

The U.S. military announced Abu Qaswarah’s death Wednesday, saying he died Oct. 5 during a raid on a building in Mosul and that news of his death was withheld to allow for positive identification.

The military said Rudd died the same day of wounds suffered from enemy small-arms fire while on a combat patrol in Mosul. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga. Rudd served with the Army Rangers, which are elite special operations troops.

He graduated from Madisonville-North Hopkins High School in 1999, then went to work on the assembly line at White Hydraulics in Hopkinsville.

Rudd had previously been deployed twice to Afghanistan and five times to Iraq. He joined the Army on Oct. 2, 2003.

Members of Rudd’s unit shared memories of their friend during the funeral. A Bible verse was repeated often: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

“I didn’t understand the meaning of John 15:13 until Oct. 5,” Sgt. Mark Williams said. “The night he died, he was with his brothers, his friends.”

On Tuesday, three of Rudd’s comrades — Cpl. Kyle Lillard, Staff Sgt. Brett Krueger and Sgt. Dusty Harrell — shared memories of their friend, whom they called “Ricky.”

Lillard, 25, of Gallatin, Tenn., served with Rudd for three years.

“Outside of work, we’d hang out a lot,” he said. “He came from a place like mine, with the same kind of people.” The friends shared a love of country music and “outdoor stuff,” like fishing and hunting.

“We had pretty much everything in common,” said Krueger, 25, of Grand Junction, Colo. “He was a good-hearted person who loved life. You could never catch him on a bad day.”

Herrell, 29, of Monetta, Ark., recalled Rudd’s fear of snakes with a smile. He and Rudd did a lot of camping and canoeing together. On one occasion, they were on a fishing trip in Georgia when Harrell reeled in a water moccasin on his line.

“I turned around … Ricky was already up the hill,” Harrell said, laughing. “I convinced him to take the pole. The snake was still on it. I dispatched the snake with a big rock to get it off the hook.”

Besides his father, Rudd is survived by his mother, Pamela Coakley of Nortonville; his stepmother, Barbara Rudd of Madisonville; and a sister and brother.

Hopkins County Sheriff Frankie Latham, whose department helped organize security detail for the funeral procession, told The Messenger that members of Rudd’s unit told him they had seen a negative reaction at another soldier’s funeral recently and asked him what to expect from the community.

“I said it would be just the opposite,” Latham said. “This community supports men and women in the military, but this surprised even me.”

Fallen Ranger known for ‘excellence’

The Associated Press

Sgt. Dusty Herrell recalled William P. Rudd’s fear of snakes with a smile. On one occasion, they were on a fishing trip in Georgia when Herrell reeled in a water moccasin on his line.

By the time Herrell turned around, “Ricky was already up the hill,” Herrell said, laughing. “I convinced him to take the pole.

The snake was still on it.”

Rudd, 27, of Madisonville, Ky., died Oct. 5 of wounds from small-arms fire in Mosul. He was a 1999 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Benning.

After school, he went to work on an assembly line at White Hydraulics and joined the Army in 2003. “He had spent two years thinking about it, knowing that he needed a different direction in his life and wanting to defend our country,” said his father, Bill Rudd.

He had done five deployments to Iraq and two to Afghanistan.

“Anything he did, he did with excellence,” said Sgt. Mark Williams, a fellow Ranger.

He also is survived by his mother, Pamela Coakley and his stepmother, Barbara Rudd.

“He was the best friend anyone could have asked for,” Herrell said. “And he didn’t have to be talking to you to cheer you up.”

Army Spc. Kevin O. Hill

Died October 4, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

23 year old Kevin Hill, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; assigned to the 576th Mobility Augmentation Company, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Oct. 4 at Contingency Outpost Dehanna, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms and indirect fires.

Carson honors 15 killed in Afghanistan

By Dan Elliott

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army Staff Sgt. Justin T. Gallegos

Died October 3, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

27 year old Justin Gallegos, of Tucson, Ariz.; assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Oct. 3 in Kamdesh, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his contingency outpost with small arms, rocket-propelled grenade and indirect fires. Also killed were Spc. Christopher T. Griffin, Sgt. Joshua M. Hardt, Sgt. Joshua J. Kirk, Spc. Stephan L. Mace, Staff Sgt. Vernon W. Martin, Sgt. Michael P. Scusa and Pfc. Kevin C. Thomson.

Funeral services for Gallegos

The Associated Press

TUCSON, Ariz. — A Tucson soldier killed in action earlier this month in Afghanistan will be buried with military honors Oct. 15.

Services for Sgt. Justin Gallegos are scheduled set for 10 a.m. at Evergreen Cemetery.

The Department of Defense says the 27-year-old Gallegos was one of eight U.S. soldiers killed Oct. 3 when hundreds of insurgents stormed their outpost near the Pakistan border.

Gallegos attended Tucson High Magnet School before joining the Army.

Carson honors 15 killed in Afghanistan

By Dan Elliott

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Army Capt. Benjamin A. Sklaver

Died October 2, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

32 year old Benjamin Sklaver, of Medford, Mass.; assigned to the 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve, Greensboro, N.C.; died Oct. 2 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained when he was attacked by a suicide bomber. Also killed was Pfc. Alan H. Newton Jr.

Dad: Soldier wanted to win hearts of Afghans

By Pat Eaton-Robb

The Associated Press

HARTFORD, Conn. — Army Capt. Benjamin Sklaver was a humanitarian who lived and died trying to fix whatever he found broken in the world, his friends and family said Monday.

The 32-year-old reservist had worked on refugee issues in Africa and started a nonprofit organization that brought clean drinking water to thousands. He was killed Friday in southeastern Afghanistan when his civil affairs unit was ambushed by a suicide attacker.

“Ben was a patriot, loved his country and loved serving,” said friend Jake Herrle. “But he also saw his job in the Army to be a combatant for peace. He saw the Army as a way to do greater good.”

Sklaver, a Hamden native, was almost finished with his reserve commitment and was engaged to be married when he was recalled to duty this spring and sent to Afghanistan.

His job there was to help the military establish better relationships with the Pashtun people, so fewer would join the Taliban, said his father, Gary Sklaver. He would meet with village elders to find out if they needed schools, a hospital or clean water, and then he would help them get it. Often, he would not know whether the people he was working with were sympathetic to the enemy.

“The people who are there doing good, such as my son, are the biggest threat to the Taliban, because if they win over the hearts and minds of the population, then the Taliban doesn’t have the recruiting points they would have if the soldiers just came in, knocked on doors and killed people,” his father said.

Ben Sklaver had a history of winning people’s hearts and minds, Gary Sklaver said.

After graduating with a master’s degree in international relations from Tufts University, he went to work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and traveled to Malawi in Africa to work on international hunger and refugee relief issues.

In 2006, his reserve unit was sent to the Horn of Africa. He ended up in northern Uganda, where his mission was to help refugees re-establish communities after 20 years of civil war. Most of his work involved finding new sources of clean water, helping dig wells or creating protected springs, his father said.

He was so moved by the suffering he saw that he founded the nonprofit Clearwater Initiative when he got home, recruiting friends to help him continue the work in Uganda.

“It was totally volunteer. He had a full-time job with the CDC and spent about 30 hours a week of his own time working on this,” his father said.

The organization allows donors to contribute to specific projects, such as repairing a well at a school. They can then follow online as the project they funded is completed.

Since it began, the Clearwater Initiative has provided access to clean water for more than 6,500 people, said Herrle, who volunteers and serves on the charity’s board. Sklaver’s goal was to increase that to 250,000 within 10 years.

“He was a tremendously bright and caring person,” Herrle said. “He could have very easily just coasted along on his talent, looking out for himself. But because of the way he saw the world and saw his place in it, he always tried to improve it.”

Sklaver had just begun a job in New York with the Federal Emergency Management Agency when he was called back to active duty in the spring.

At the time of his death, his friends were preparing a giant care package to send to him for Thanksgiving. Everyone who donated to the package also made a donation to his nonprofit.

His family is requesting that mourners contribute to the charity instead of sending flowers.

Sklaver’s funeral is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Congregation Mishkan Israel in Hamden.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell has ordered state flags to remain at half-staff until Sklaver has been interred.

Army Sgt. Roberto D. Sanchez

Died October 1, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Marine Lance Cpl. Ralph J. Fabbri

Died September 28, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

20 year old Ralph Fabbri, of Gallitzin, Pa.; assigned to Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Sept. 28 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

Central Pennsylvania park named for Marine killed overseas

The Associated Press

GALLITZIN, Pa. — A Marine killed in Afghanistan last year has been honored by hometown officials who renamed a park after him.

Portage Street Park in Gallitzin was renamed Fabbri Park on Wednesday, the one-year anniversary of Lance Cpl. Ralph Fabbri’s death. Fabbri was a combat photographer stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif., when he was killed in combat.

The park now has a new sign featuring Fabbri’s name, a picture of an American flag, the Marine Corps logo and a picture of Fabbri holding his camera.

Gallitzin is about 65 miles east of Pittsburgh. Fabbri was a 2008 graduate of nearby Penn Cambria High School.

Fabbri’s father says he was “proud of him being a Marine.”

Army Staff Sgt. Jason A. Benford

Died September 27, 2005 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

30 year old Jason Benford, of Toledo, Ohio; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.; killed Sept. 27 when his patrol was attacked by enemy forces using small-arms fire in Ramadi, Iraq.

* * * * *

Soldier’s wife remembers him as “even-toned”

Associated Press

There were two things that Jason A. Benford loved: his wife and Ohio State football. On Jan. 3, 2003 — his wedding anniversary and the night of OSU’s championship game against Miami — he had to choose.

Luckily, his wife ate quickly and the game went into overtime.

“He took me out to dinner, but he was looking at his watch the whole time,” Kim Benford said. “He lived in Georgia, but he was always a Buckeye.”

Benford, 30, of Toledo, Ohio, was killed Sept. 27 by small-arms fire in Ramadi. He was assigned to Fort Benning.

“He’s always been a special, special person, so even-toned. He’d handle all types of situations and not even break a sweat,” his wife said.

Benford, who graduated high school in 1993, took classes at the University of Toledo but decided he wasn’t quite ready for school and joined the Army in 1994, staying for 11 years.

He met his wife while stationed at Fort Benning, near her hometown. They were married in January 1998. “My mother had told me not to date soldiers,” she said, laughing.

“But I did and married him.”

He also is survived by 10-year-old Lane and 4-year-old Jacob.

* * * * *

Fort Benning soldier killed by sniper in Iraq

Associated Press

ATLANTA — A Fort Benning soldier was killed in Iraq when a sniper shot him while he was on patrol, family members said.

Staff Sgt. Jason Benford, 30, of Fort Benning’s 2nd Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, was killed in Ramadi, Iraq, said his wife, Kimberly Benford.

Benford said military officials notified her that he husband was killed on Tuesday.

Benford, a native of Toledo, Ohio, had been with the Army 11 years and was on his second tour in Iraq.

“He’d told me it was absolutely a different ball game out there compared to Baqouba,” Kimberly Benford said. Her husband’s unit was sent to Ramadi from Baqouba in late July.

Funeral services are pending. His battalion plans a memorial service next week.

Survivors include his two children, Lane and Jacob; his mother, Mary Benford of Sarasota, Fla; and his brother, John Benford of Pensacola, Fla.

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.

Marine Lance Cpl. Anthony J. Rosa

Died September 23, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

20 year old Anthony Rosa, of Swanton, Vt.; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Sept. 23 at Camp Dwyer, Afghanistan, of injuries received while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

‘He was shot’ on patrol, family spokesman said

By John Briggs

The Burlington (Vt.) Free Press

Marine Lance Cpl. Anthony “Chuckie” Rosa, 20, of Swanton, Vt., was killed Sept. 23 in Afghanistan, the Defense Department confirmed late Sept. 24.

His death was confirmed earlier Sept. 24 by family friend Bill Rowell, who spoke from the family’s home. Rowell said a Marine, a Vermont state trooper and a city police officer went to the family’s home late Sept. 23 with news of Rosa’s death.

According to the Pentagon, Rosa died of wounds received while supporting combat operations in Helmand province. Rowell, the family friend, said Rosa was killed while on patrol. “He was shot,” Rowell said.

Rosa was assigned to G Company, 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C. He left the Marine training facility at Lejeune for Afghanistan several months ago, Rowell said.

Rosa graduated in 2008 from Missisquoi Valley Union High School. Franklin Northwest Supervisory Union Superintendent Jack McCarthy said the school was waiting to learn the family’s wishes before planning a memorial ceremony.

Rosa’s body arrived Sept. 25 at Dover Air Force Base, Del. Rosa said it then would fly on to Vermont in a National Guard plane.

“The Marine delegation will be here this evening to go through the paperwork with us,” Rowell said Sept. 24. “Anthony’s mother asked me to field the calls.”

Rosa is the 39th U.S. service member either from Vermont or with close ties to the state who has died in support of the wars in Iraq and in Afghanistan since March 2003.

This year, three other soldiers have died in Afghanistan, all Vermont guardsmen. Spc. Ryan J. Grady, 25, of West Burke was killed July 2; Sgts. Tristan H. Southworth, 21, of Walden and Steven J. Deluzio, 25, of South Glastonbury, Conn., were killed Aug. 22.

Rosa remembered as a gentleman

The Associated Press

Anthony Rosa, a lance corporal in the Marines, recently asked his mom to send care packages to him in Afghanistan. He wanted to give them to soldiers who had never received anything from their families.

Such kindness is what made Rosa, nicknamed Chuckie, so popular among friends and neighbors in Swanton, Vt., where he grew up.

“He was a perfectly mannered gentleman,” said Bill Rowell, a close friend of Rosa’s family. “He wasn’t perfect,” Rowell added, “but he came closer to it than most.”

Rosa, 20, also was known as an excellent golfer, an avid fisherman and a good student.

He joined the Marines a few months after graduating from Missisquoi Valley Union High School in 2008. He was serving in Afghanistan’s Helmand province when he was killed Sept. 23 while on patrol. He was assigned to Camp Lejeune.

“It’s a real big loss for the community,” said Chris Ste. Marie, owner of Ste. Marie’s Deli & Quick Stop, where Rosa worked in high school. “Chuckie was the type of kid that … would have done something with his life, he would have done well for himself.”

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.

Air Force Senior Airman Matthew R. Courtois

Died September 20, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

22 year old Matthew Courtois, of Lucas, Texas; assigned to the 366th Security Forces Squadron, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho; died Sept. 20 as a result of a nonhostile incident on Abdullah Al Mubarak Airbase, Kuwait.

Remembered as a family man

The Associated Press

Matthew R. Courtois was a family man, whether he was chasing his two stepchildren, Shaundra and Kaden, or just hanging out with relatives and friends.

“He always carried a smile and determined to get the job done,” colleague Johannes Dias wrote in an online memorial, adding that the two had deployed together to Iraq.

Courtois, of Lucas, Texas, died Sept. 20 — a week before his three-month wedding anniversary — after a nonhostile incident at Abdullah Al Mubarak Airbase, Kuwait. The military was investigating his death and didn’t release details. The 22-year-old was assigned to Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.

The son of Steve and Sue Courtois, he was born in Arizona and grew up in Lucas. He attended Allen High School in Allen, Texas, and joined the Air Force in January 2006.

Courtois, an Eagle Scout, loved being outdoors, building fires and shooting or playing paintball. He also enjoyed singing karaoke and playing video games on an Xbox. He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Courtois is also survived by his wife, Cheyenne; a brother, John; and two sisters, Carrie and Amy.

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.