Army Spc. Gregory J. Missman

Died July 9, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

36 year old Gregory Missman, of Batavia, Ohio; assigned to the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died July 9 at Bagram, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained elsewhere in Afghanistan, when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms fire.

Missman was based at Carson

The Associated Press

DENVER — Spc. Gregory Missman of Batavia, Ohio, has died of wounds sustained while fighting in Afghanistan.

Defense officials say the 36-year-old soldier based at Fort Carson, south of Colorado Springs, died July 9 at Bagram. They say he was wounded when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms fire.

Missman was assigned to the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson.

Volunteered his time to make community better

The Associated Press

Gregory J. Missman’s 4-year-old son, Jack, doesn’t quite understand the significance of his dad’s death.

Yet his words are mature: “Dad was a strong soldier,” Jack said as he ran into the arms of his mother, Brooke. “He loved us. We loved him.”

Missman was wounded by a roadside bomb and was awarded the Purple Heart before he died of his injuries July 9. He enlisted in the Army after graduating from Amelia High School in 1993, serving for more than three years. He then worked as a computer consultant before re-enlisting. He was assigned to Fort Carson, Colo.

“I don’t know who I’m going to get to fix my computer,” said his father, Jim.

The soldier was a hero to his family long before his death.

“He’s always been a hero of our family,” said his sister, Dawn. “I remember several Thanksgivings we spent together where he was down volunteering in homeless shelters, feeding people who had no place to go or eat.”

He is survived by his father, Jim; his mother, Donna Missman Turner; his son; a brother, Michael Missman; and a sister, Dawn.

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. Justin A. Casillas

Died July 4, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

19 year old Justin Casillas, of Dunnigan, Calif.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska; died July 4 at Combat Outpost Zerok, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked the outpost using small arms and indirect fires. Also killed was Pfc. Aaron E. Fairbairn.

Calif. soldier killed by bomb in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

DUNNIGAN, Calif. — Pentagon officials say a soldier from Yolo County was killed on July 4 during an insurgent attack in Afghanistan.

Nineteen-year-old Pfc. Justin Aaron Casillas was one of two soldiers killed when a truck bomb exploded at Combat Outpost Zerok. Also killed was 20-year-old Pfc. Aaron Fairbairn of Aberdeen, Wash.

The attack also injured seven other U.S. soldiers.

Casillas and Fairbairn were assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) of the 25th Infantry Division based at Fort Richardson, Alaska.

Casillas, of Dunnigan, was a paratrooper who had been deployed only four months. He graduated from Pierce High School in Arbuckle last year.

Army Staff Sgt. Robb L. Rolfing

Died June 30, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

29 year old Robb Rolfing, of Sioux Falls, S.D.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Carson, Colo.; died June 30 in Baghdad of wounds sustained from enemy small-arms fire.

* * * * *

Vassar graduate dies in Iraq

By Dennis Gale

The Associated Press

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Robb Rolfing had wanted to be a soldier since he was a little kid. And when the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, spurred the Vassar graduate to join the Army, he aimed for the top.

“He had wanted to be a soldier and specifically a Green Beret, Special Forces guy, for a long time,” said his father, Rex Rolfing of Sioux Falls.

“That was his dream. That’s what he wanted to become. The elite of the elite. And that’s what he was.”

Staff Sgt. Robb Rolfing died early June 30, Iraq time, after being hit by a round of enemy fire in a southern Baghdad neighborhood. He was 29.

He was in the Special Forces, assigned to Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group Airborne, out of Fort Carson, Colo., the Defense Department said July 2.

Five other Fort Carson soldiers died in Iraq this past week when their patrol was ambushed by insurgents, marking the post’s largest death toll in a single incident. Rolfing was the 213th soldier from the post to die in the war, but only the third in the 10th Special Forces Group.

After joining the Army, Rolfing was allowed to try out for Special Forces school. He was accepted but then was sent to Iraq for his first tour of duty.

“And then when he came back, he went through the intense year and a half of school that they [Special Forces] have,” his father said.

Only about 3 percent of those allowed to try out eventually graduate, Rex Rolfing said.

His son had been in Iraq on his second tour of duty since March.

He was training Iraqi police to clear insurgents. “They came under fire in clearing a neighborhood in southern Baghdad,” his father said. “He came under fire and he caught a round that went through his arm and into his chest.”

His body is being brought home and is under 24-hour guard, accompanied by a Special Forces member from his unit. “We do not know where it is and when it will be here,” Rex Rolfing said.

When a service is held in Sioux Falls “it’ll be a celebration of Robb’s life,” his father said.

Asked to describe how he and his wife, Margie, were notified, Rolfing said it was “kind of like the movies. They just show up with a chaplain and a guy from the service. Two guys in uniform show up at your front door and ring your doorbell. So it’s difficult.”

“You can’t imagine” the emotions, Rolfing said. “We didn’t even open the door, Margie and I. We knew right away … when we saw the two soldiers standing there, we knew right away. We just started bawling and hugging each other. And it was probably a full minute before we could garner enough strength to open the door.”

Robb was the oldest of Rex and Margie’s three children. Brother T.J is 26 and sister Tiffany is 20.

Robb Rolfing played soccer, football and hockey and was the kicker for the Sioux Falls O’Gorman football squad in high school.

He got an academic scholarship and played soccer at Vassar College in New York.

“He was a very bright, bright young man,” Rex Rolfing said.

Rex and Margie Rolfing have been married for 35 years.

Their wedding anniversary was Sunday.

* * * * *

Governor requests flags at half-staff for fallen soldier

The Associated Press

PIERRE, S.D. — Gov. Mike Rounds has requested that all flags in the state be flown at half-staff July 10 in honor of Army Staff Sgt. Robb Rolfing of Sioux Falls, who died last week in Iraq.

Rolfing’s funeral will be held July 10 at the Sioux Falls Arena.

The 29-year-old Special Forces engineer died of wounds from enemy small-arms fire last June 30 in Baghdad.

“Staff Sgt. Rolfing paid the ultimate price in defending our nation,” Rounds said in a release. “He represents what is best about the brave men and women who wear the uniform of the United States and put their lives on the line so we can enjoy freedom. This is a tragic reminder of the sacrifice that comes with that freedom. Our hearts go out to his friends and family, and I ask that you keep them in your thoughts and prayers.”

* * * * *

Community honors Staff Sgt. Robb Rolfing

By Charles Pulliam

The Associated Press

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Staff Sgt. Robb L. Rolfing of Sioux Falls, shot and killed late last month while leading his unit into an insurgent compound in Iraq, was laid to rest in his hometown on July 10.

Rolfing, 29, was in the U.S. Army Special Forces out of Fort Carson, Colo., and was deployed in March on his second tour of duty in Iraq.

He died June 30 in al-Dora, a neighborhood in southern Iraq from wounds sustained from small-arms fire while leading his unit into an insurgent compound.

“This young man answered the call,” Gov. Mike Rounds said July 10 during Rolfing’s funeral service at the Sioux Falls Arena. “He answered it for all of us.”

Sen. John Thune also spoke at the service. He said Rolfing was living a life of purpose and was the “best of the best.”

Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin also spoke. Former Rep. Bill Janklow, Mayor Dave Munson and more than 1,000 others attended.

Army Lt. Col. Rick Steiner, deputy commander of Rolfing’s 10th Special Forces Group, relayed a message from Rolfing’s supervisor, Master Sgt. Tommy Myers, saying Rolfing “was a warrior, was a hero and an exemplary Green Beret. He was one of us.”

His parents, Rex and Margie Rolfing, were presented with the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star during the service.

Nearly 100 motorcycles with the Patriot Guard Riders escorted Rolfing’s body and the members of his Special Forces unit served as pallbearers. He was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery with full military honors.

Rolfing had wanted to join the Army since childhood. Following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he was driven to enlist. He completed his basic training at Fort Benning, Ga., and was deployed on his first tour in Iraq with 101st Airborne. After returning, he went to Special Forces school, undergoing an intense year and a half of training to became a member of the elite Green Berets.

Rolfing graduated from O’Gorman High School in Sioux Falls and played soccer at Vassar College in New York.

In 1999, Rolfing led the Vassar Brewers soccer team to its first NCAA postseason tournament berth in school history — a first in any sport at Vassar.

“His transformation as a player and a person over the next three years was amazing,” said Chris Parsons, Rolfing’s soccer coach. “A skinny, long-haired Robb grew up into a man with a chiseled body and clean, shaven head.”

“Robb was utterly, completely committed to the cause” in everything he did, Parsons said.

Rolfing graduated from Vassar with a bachelor’s degree in astronomy and physics in 2000.

His cousin, Ryan Flohrs, called Rolfing a “goofball extraordinaire.” Rolfing was passionate in all that he did, though, Flohrs added.

“Robb loved karaoke, but boy, was he a terrible singer,” he said. “Now that’s passion.”

“He was the brother that I never had,” he said. “Just being with Robb was the memorable part.”

Rolfing family’s was out for dinner June 29 at a Sioux Falls restaurant and passed by a sculpture of an angel holding a fallen soldier. Looking back, family members said, with the time difference, it was at that moment Robb Rolfing died.

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 Pfc. Peter K. Cross

Died June 26, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

20 year old Peter Cross, of Saginaw, Texas; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died June 26 at FOB Shank, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over.

Army Pfc Cross was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York. He died at Combat Outpost Carwile, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. Cross had gone to get “chow” for his unit, which was on patrol. He was returning with the food when he rounded a corner on a mountainous road, saw children herding sheep, swerved to avoid them and rolled down the mountain. The crash killed Cross but no one else was hurt.

Peter was a 2007 graduate of Boswell High School in Saginaw, Texas. He had wanted to be a missionary and had traveled on mission trips to Fiji, Finland, Cameroon and Zambia while in middle school and high school. He attended Moody Bible Institute in Spokane, Washington for a year before deciding to join the Army – he decided he needed to mature a little.

In August 2008, Peter joined the Army and arrived at Fort Drum just as his brigade was deploying to Afghanistan in February. His awards include the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Army Service Ribbon and the NATO Medal. Peter loved kids and was always thinking of others. While in Afghanistan, he used to hand out candy, pens, paper and anything else he could spare for the kids when they would come around.

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 Cpl. Casey L. Hills

Died June 24, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

23 year old Casey Hills, of Salem, Illinois; assigned to the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry Regiment, Pago Pago, American Samoa; died June 24 at Camp Virginia, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over.

Cpl. Casey L. Hills of Salem, Illinois is the son of Tami and Mark Hills of Salem. He originally served in the Illinois Army National Guard before he transferred to the Army Reserve and was assigned to the 100th Battalion’s Charlie Company after it was activated in August. Casey was hard working, quiet, and unassuming. The Ready Reserve soldier worked very hard and was well liked by his buddies. He never complained about being called back to duty and always carried his fair share.

Casey had been assigned to Kuwait since October 2008 and had been scheduled to return home in late July 2009. His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” Device, Army Service Ribbon, and Overseas Service Ribbon. Casey was part of a mission into Iraq from their base in Kuwait.

He died at age 23 in a humvee accident in Iraq. He was killed in a multi-vehicle crash in the southern part of the country during convoy operations. Casey is survived by his parents, Mark and Tammy Hills, grandparents, Billy and Violet Hills, brother, Blake Hills, sister: Danielle Hills, niece, Lorelei and nephew, Briar.

Army Sgt. Michael J. Montpetit

Died June 22, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

31 year old Michael Montpetit, of Honolulu; assigned to the 15th Forward Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died June 22 in Baghdad of injuries sustained from a non-combat-related incident.

Family remember soldier who died in Iraq

The Associated Press

Army Sgt. Michael J. Montpetit grew up in Hawaii, dropped out of high school and got a job at a Pizza Hut, where he met and fell in love with Christina when they were both 18.

Christina, the daughter of a career sailor, moved to Hawaii after graduating from high school in Kansas. She persuaded Montpetit to go back and obtain his GED.

“School wasn’t for him,” Christina said. “He’s very smart, but sitting in class just wasn’t his thing.”

Montpetit then turned to the Army, where he had his choice of assignments in New York, Texas or Germany.

“We were so young,” Christina said. “We weren’t sure if he should go to another country and we weren’t sure how populated the New York area would be. So we picked Texas, where they have the largest Army base.”

Montpetit, 31, of Honolulu, was electrocuted while working on a generator outside of Baghdad on June 22. He was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas.

Montpetit was sent to Korea and served two tours in Kuwait and two more in Iraq, and worked as a mechanic fixing generators and trucks with his company.

He also is survived by a 12-year-old son, Christian, and 8-year-old daughter, Courtney.

Army Sgt. Ricky D. Jones

Died June 21, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

26 year old Ricky Jones, of Plantersville, Ala.; assigned to the 1st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Fort Polk, La.; died June 21 in Bagram, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his unit was attacked by indirect fire. Also killed was Spc. Rodrigo A. Munguia Rivas.

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan — On the morning of June 26, friends and fellow warriors of U.S. Army Sgt. Ricky DeWayne Jones gathered at the Enduring Faith Chapel on Bagram Air Field to honor his life and service.

Jones, 26, a native of Plantersville, Ala., served as range control and reenlistment NCO for Fort Polk’s 1st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade and deployed with Headquarters and Headquarters Company on June 12, 2008, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He was killed June 21 in an early morning indirect fire attack on Bagram Air Field.

“Sergeant Jones has done his duty, and he has given his last breath to the U.S. Army and the United States of America; an honor many Soldiers have endured throughout history,” said 1st MEB HHC Commander, Capt. Paul Escobar.

Remembered for his Christian faith, devotion to God and love for his parents, wife and children, Jones stood out in Task Force Warrior as a kind-hearted family man with a thick Alabama accent, a funny story to share, and a willingness to lend a hand to those in need.

“I didn’t really know him that long, but in the short time we shared, we formed an unbreakable bond,” said Spc. De’Ontay Winchester, Task Force Warrior S6 web master.

During his tribute, Winchester recited a poem he’d written about his special friendship with Jones, which included this line: “Things you never told to anyone, you said those things to me.”

Sgt. Willie Givens of 337th Signal Company also paid tribute to his friend, recalling his final moments with Jones shortly before the attack.
“He gave me his vehicle and told me to drop him off at billeting so he could check in with Mrs. Jones before getting some rest,” Givens said, referring to billeting NCO, Cpl. Fredda Jones, also of Task Force Warrior and Jones’ widow.

Sgt. 1st Class Revon Spain, brigade equal opportunity NCO, had also spoken to Jones about seeing him Sunday morning in church.
“Sergeant Jones would always talk about motorcycles and four wheelers, and how his four-year-old son just loved to ride a four wheeler,” Spain recalled, explaining how Jones would try convincing him to ride a motorcycle.

Spain said Jones would always encourage him, “Man, Fredda rides them.” Spain said he would always reply, “Yeah, because Fredda is crazy just like you are.”
Members of Task Force Warrior, civilian contractors and friends of Jones paid their final respects during the ceremony.

“Let us make Jones proud by not allowing this tragic event to demoralize our unit’s morale,” Escobar said, challenging the 1st MEB to honor Jones by a deepening commitment to the Task Force Warrior mission.

Navy Command Master Chief Petty Officer Jeffrey J. Garber

Died June 20, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

43 year old Jeffrey Garber, of Hemingford, Neb.; assigned to the Dwight D. Eisenhower in the North Arabian Sea; died June 20 of non-hostile causes.

The command master chief for Carrier Air Wing 7, now deployed aboard the carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower, was found dead Saturday in his stateroom, apparently of natural causes, the Navy announced.

Command Master Chief (AW/SW) Jeffrey Garber, 43, was unresponsive when sailors discovered him at 8:15 a.m. local time Saturday; medical teams responded quickly but he was declared dead eight minutes later, the Navy said.

“Master Chief Garber was one of the finest individuals I have ever had the pleasure of knowing,” said Capt. Calvin Craig, commanding officer of CVW 7. “He was the epitome of what a command master chief should be — at every turn selflessly taking care of the men and women of the air wing and the entire Ike strike group team. To say that he will be sorely missed is an understatement. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to the Garber family.”

Garber, of Hemingford, Neb., enlisted in the Navy in 1983 and his assignments included time aboard the cruiser Worden; the carrier Nimitz; the dock landing ship Portland; and service as the command master chief of Strike Fighter Squadron 34, the “Blue Blasters.”

A Navy announcement included fond remembrances from several of Garber’s shipmates, including Rear Adm. Kurt W. Tidd, the Eisenhower strike group’s commander; and the carrier’s top enlisted man, Command Master Chief Bryan Exum.

“The impact master chief Garber has had on the Navy is immeasurable,” Exum said. “Our last conversation was about the importance of CPO history and heritage, and it ended with a firm handshake and smile. I will never forget our last handshake. He was the embodiment of a great CMC. He will be missed by the men and women of team Ike.”

The crew of the Eisenhower planned an underway memorial service for Garber on Saturday. The carrier is in the north Arabian Sea as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

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.

Marine Lance Cpl. Layton Bradly Crass

Died June 14, 2008 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

22 year old Layton Crass, of Richmond, Ind.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; died June 14 in Farah province, Afghanistan, while supporting combat operations. Also killed were Sgt. Michael Toussiant-Hyle Washington, Pfc. Dawid Pietrek and Pfc. Michael Robert Patton.

Marine returns home today

By Michelle Manchir

(Richmond, Ind.) Palladium-Item

The body of Lance Cpl. Layton Crass is expected to be returned to Richmond this afternoon.

Local officials encourage community members to line the streets about 2 p.m. today and honor his three years of military service.

Funeral service arrangements for the Marine who died Saturday in Afghanistan are still pending. Funeral Director Gil Alford of Doan & Mills Funeral Home said he would publicize details as soon as the family secured plans.

The 22-year-old Marine’s body is expected to arrive at Dayton’s Wright-Patterson Air Force Base around 12:30 p.m. today. His family, including parents Donald and Lynne Crass, brother Devin, and sister Dusty Throop, will ride along with his hearse, a police escort and Cincinnati’s Patriot Riders into Richmond on U.S. 40, Alford said.

The 2005 Richmond High School graduate was conducting combat operations in southwestern Afghanistan’s Farah Province when a bomb exploded near a vehicle in which he and three other Marines in the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines were riding. All four were killed.

The military processional, like that of Cpl. Johnathan Lahmann of Richmond, who died in Iraq on Dec. 10, 2007, will enter Richmond via U.S. 40 East and move down Main Street. It will end at Doan & Mills Funeral Home across from Earlham College.

Local law enforcement supplements his escort, said Richmond Mayor Sally Hutton, who called the convoy a “community event.”

“We need to make sure the family has as much support as we can give them,” she said.

Locals are asked to carry American flags and perch along Main Street as the hearse passes.

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels’ office notified county officials to fly flags at half-staff until Crass’ funeral.

The Department of Defense released information Wednesday that gives a deeper look into Crass’ military service.

He was trained as a Rifleman and he was contracted to end his term in June 2009.

In early 2006, the Marine completed 12 weeks of basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego.

Crass also earned at least seven awards and decorations since his service entry date in June 2005.

Peter Werle, a high school classmate and fellow RHS Computer Club member, recalled Crass’ fervor toward Marine Corps.

“I remember how proud Layton was to get into the Marines,” Werle wrote in an e-mail. “ … He saw the Marines as a real shot to do something exciting and important.”

Lynne Crass, the Marine’s mother, said Tuesday night her son had aspirations for law enforcement. He was active in the Richmond Police Youth Cadet Program.

Diane Whitehead, Neighborhood Resource coordinator for Richmond Police, said she remembers Crass’ impeccable attendance in the program in 2006.

“He always showed up. He was very loyal,” she said Wednesday. “ … He was just really a good morale booster.”

‘Delight in life’; honor in death

By Michelle Manchir

(Richmond, Ind.) Palladium-Item

Family, friends and acquaintances of Richmond’s fallen Marine gathered Tuesday afternoon at Tiernan Center to celebrate his 22 years of life.

Lance Cpl. Layton Bradly Crass, a Richmond High School graduate, was killed by a roadside bomb June 14 in Afghanistan.

He was a Rifleman in the Marine Corps based in Twentynine Palms, Calif., who loved rollerblading, sports and video games.

He left six months ago to assist in training Afghan police, his second deployment with the Marines. He completed a tour in Iraq last year.

On Tuesday, American flags that poked out of wreaths, armfuls of red roses and Bible verse-laden knit blankets — gifts from friends — flooded around Crass’ flag-draped, closed casket on Tiernan Center’s gym floor at RHS.

The Rev. Ray Armstrong of Hagerstown led the 45-minute service, at which he and Rep. Mike Pence spoke on a stage in front of about 300 seated guests.

Crass’ mother, Lynne, found support in his father Donald’s arms throughout the service.

His brother, Devin Crass, also a Marine, wore his dress uniform. His sister, Dusty Throop of Richmond, attended with husband Nicholas and their 3-year-old son, Brenton.

Dusty Throop approached the casket with the blond toddler, who lurched toward Crass’ Marine photograph nearby, before ceremonies began.

Friends in black suits, military uniforms and blue jeans swatted away sudden tears with their hands and tissues as Armstrong spoke of their late loved one whom Armstrong described as finding “delight in life.”

In his eulogy, Armstrong, who is close with Crass’ family and mourned with them at grandmother Darlene Crass’ Richmond home last week, spoke of the Marine’s great commitment to freedom.

“Layton Crass acted on his convictions … the conviction that evil dare not prevail,” Armstrong said. “He gave his life in service to that conviction in the belief that people everywhere have a God-given right to freedom, to peace and to self-determination.”

Pence, who attended the funeral with wife Karen, spoke of the Marine’s inspiring dedication to military service, calling him a “son of Richmond.”

He told Crass’ family he was there as a congressional representative and as a dad.

“Know that this nation and this state and this father owes you a debt of gratitude that we will never be able to repay but we will never stop trying,” Pence told the crowd, “and we will honor the memory of your son because he most assuredly is an American hero.”

After the ceremony, dozens of Patriot Guard riders, veterans on motorcycles with dangling patriotic flags, led Crass’ black hearse down Hub Etchison Parkway and U.S. 40 West.

A procession that went on for about 15 minutes followed it to Crown Hill Cemetery in Centerville, where the Richmond son was laid to rest.

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 Pvt. Eugene M. Kanakaole

Died June 11, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

19 year old Eugene Kanakaole, of Maui, Hawaii; assigned to the 87th Engineer Company, 8th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas; died June 11 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a non-combat-related incident.

Maui soldier dies in Iraq

The Honolulu Advertiser

A 19-year-old Kihei, Maui, man serving with the Army in Balad, Iraq, died of injuries suffered in a noncombat-related incident on June 11, the Department of Defense reported yesterday.

Pvt. Eugene D.M. Kanakaole, a graduate of Maui High School, was assigned to the 87th Engineer Company, 8th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas.

The incident is under investigation, the military said. Balad is about 50 miles north of Baghdad.

Geraldine Serrao, his paternal grandmother, described Kanakaole as “a real cool guy” who “never got into trouble.”

On his own MySpace page, Kanakaole gave himself the moniker “hawaiiansoljah” and inserted as his quote, “id rather die on my feet then live life on my knees.”

Kanakaole last signed on to his MySpace page on May 31. He last listed his mood as “mischievous.”

A group of 104 soldiers from the 87th Engineer Company was sent to Iraq in early May on a 15-month deployment. Their job is primarily to detect and clear roadside bombs, or improvised explosive devices, 1st Lt. Benjamin Washkowiak, the company’s executive officer, told the Killeen (Texas) Daily Herald last month.

The 87th’s engineers trained for this mission at Fort Hood and at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., the newspaper reported. In Iraq, the 87th is working in tandem with the 5th Engineer Battalion out of Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

Kanakaole is the first service member whose hometown is in Hawaii to die in Iraq since Dec. 31, when Sgt. Reno S. Lacerna, 44, of Waipahu died of a noncombat-related illness in Al Qayyarah, Iraq.

Lacerna was assigned to the 87th Corps Support Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Ga.

Army Spc. Thomas F. Duncan III

Died June 9, 2008 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

21 year old Thomas Duncan III, of Rowlett, Texas; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died June 9 in Sinjar, Iraq, of wounds sustained during combat operations.

Spc. Thomas F. Duncan III, age 21, was assigned to 2 nd Battalion, 75 th Ranger Regiment at Fort Lewis, Wash. He was born on April 13, 1987. He died June 9, 2008 as a result of gunshot wounds received during combat operations in Iraq.

After graduating from high school, Duncan enlisted in the Army from his hometown of Rowlett, Texas in February 2006. 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 in August 2006.

He was assigned to 2 nd Bn., 75 th Ranger Regiment in September 2006.

He served as an assistant machine gunner, M240B machine gunner and as a grenadier.

Duncan’s awards and decorations include the Air Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Parachutist Badge and the Ranger Tab.

Duncan is survived by his wife Megan Duncan of Louisa, Ky., his mother Amanda Duncan of Bedias, Texas and his father Thomas F. Duncan II of Oakwood, Ga.

Ranger Duncan distinguished himself as a member of the Army’s premier lightinfantry unit, traveled to all corners of the world in support of the Global War on Terrorism, and fought valiantly to “uphold the prestige, honor, and high ‘esprit de corps’” of the Ranger Regiment.

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.

Marine Lance Cpl. Joshua R. Whittle

Died June 6, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

20 year old Joshua Whittle, of Downey, Calif.; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; died June 6 while supporting combat operations in Now Zad, Afghanistan.

Marine Lance Cpl. Whittle was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. He died while supporting combat operations in Now Zad, Afghanistan after stepping on a landmine. At the age of 12, the attacks of 9/11 put into motion what course Joshua’s life would take. He didn’t want anyone messing with his country so by the time he was in high school; he announced he was going to be a Marine because they were the toughest branch. He graduated from Columbus High School in Downey and enlisted. Joshua was a tough young man, but also classy and respectful. He always liked adventure and as a teenager he enjoyed skateboarding and bungee jumping, was an UFC fan and threw himself into the center of mosh pits at concerts. But at the same time, he didn’t smoke or drink and grew up to be a respectful young man who took up for the underdog. Joshua would have made the Marine Corps his career but he was killed just three weeks after arriving in Afghanistan.

Army Spc. Charles Parrish

Died June 4, 2009 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

23 year old Charles Parrish, of Jasper, Ala.; assigned to the 5th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.; died June 4 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered earlier that day in Jalula, Iraq, when his vehicle was struck by an anti-tank grenade.

Was 1 month short of returning home

The Associated Press

JASPER, Ala. — A 23-year-old soldier from Jasper died in rocket-propelled grenade attack in northern Iraq, just about a month shy of his expected return from Iraq next month, his mother said.

Spc. Charles ‘Dusty’ Parrish died June 4 during a reconnaissance mission to clear land mines, said his mother, Tina Rigsby.

Rigsby said her son was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and had recently re-enlisted. She said he had been in Iraq for 14 months and was to be stationed in Columbus, Ga., after his expected return from Iraq on July 15.

His homecoming was eagerly anticipated by his wife, Ashley, and his 4-year-old son Caden, Rigsby said.

An Army medic, Parrish trained many of the medics who assisted in his surgery after the attack, his mother said.

“They said he gave a good fight,” she said.

Parrish graduated from Walker County High School in 2003 and had been in the Army three years. He enjoyed weightlifting and won some bodybuilding competitions while in the Army, Rigsby said.

“He was very athletic,” she said. “He couldn’t wait to get home because this is his son’s first year to play T-ball. He was going to come home and tell him how to bat.”

Most of all, Rigsby said, her son was always there to cheer her up.

“Dusty was the type of person who would make you laugh,” she said. “He had an innate ability to make you happy when you were sad.”

On Friday afternoon, the family was still struggling with how to tell Caden his dad wouldn’t be coming home.

“I hate that we have to tell his son,” Rigsby said.

Marine Lance Cpl. Dustin L. Sides

Died May 31, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

22 year old Dustin Sides, of Yakima, Wash.; assigned to 9th Communications Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; killed May 31 by hostile fire in Anbar province, Iraq.

Dustin L. Sides joined the Marines following an older brother and a cousin. “He was proud to be there, proud to be a Marine _ and we are proud of him,” said Nancy Sides, his stepmother. Sides, 22, of Yakima, Wash., was killed May 31 in an ambush near Fallujah, Iraq. He was based at Camp Pendleton. He graduated from a Yakima high school in 2001.

His father, John Sides, said he spoke with his son by phone just two hours before his death. Dustin told his father he had just completed a mission and was on his way back to base. Friend Amie Wakefield said she last spoke to Sides a few weeks before he died, when he telephoned from Iraq. “He wanted to be there, and he wanted people to be proud of him,” she said.

Sides is also survived by his mother. He had intended to marry a girlfriend in California when his duty in Iraq ended, relatives said.

Army 1st Lt. Kenneth Michael Ballard

Died May 30, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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

Calif. mother remembers son killed in Iraq

Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Navy Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class (SEAL) Brian J. Ouellette

Died May 29, 2004 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

37 year old Brian Ouellette, of Needham, Mass.; assigned to Navy Special Warfare Group Two, Little Creek, Va.; killed May 29 while on mounted patrol near Jahak and Seleh, Afghanistan.

SEAL among those killed in explosion

Associated Press

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A Navy SEAL based in Virginia Beach was one of four U.S. special forces members killed in an explosion in Afghanistan, Navy officials said.

Petty Officer 1st Class Brian Ouellette and three other service members traveling in a Humvee were killed in Zabul province, about 240 miles southwest of Kabul, the nation’s capital. The four were members of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Afghanistan.

Ouellette, 37, was a member of Navy Special Warfare Group Two at Little Creek Amphibious Base and is the fifth SEAL from Virginia Beach to die in Afghanistan.

Naval Special Warfare spokesman Chief Petty Officer Tom Jones said that Ouelette was on a mounted patrol near the cities of Jahak and Seleh.

A native of Needham, Mass., Ouellette enlisted in the Navy in 1990 and became a SEAL in 1991, the Navy said.

Ouellette grew up in Waltham, Mass., and graduated from Waltham High School, but his mother now lives in Maynard, Mass..

He was remembered at Memorial Day ceremonies in both communities.

“It’s devastating,” the Rev. Kenneth Quinn said at a small ceremony at St. Bridget’s cemetery in Maynard. “This brings home what’s going on.”

In Waltham, Ouellette was remembered as a dedicated member of the SEALs, an elite fighting force that undergoes some of the toughest military training in the world.

“Once he got in there and got a taste of it, he wouldn’t be denied,” Jim Stanley, a friend and former roommate told WBZ-TV. “That’s really what he wanted to do.”

Ouellette was one of eight children and the family remained in seclusion over the weekend. His mother, Peg, said she was too distraught to talk when contacted by The Associated Press on Sunday and would only say “I loved him dearly.”

The other Special Forces soldiers who died in the incident, according to the Pentagon, were Army Capt. Daniel W. Eggers, 28, of Cape Coral, Fla.; Staff Sgt. Robert J. Mogensen, 26, of Leesville, La.; and Pfc. Joseph A. Jeffries, 21, of Beaverton, Ore.

At least 89 American service personnel have died in and around Afghanistan since the start of the U.S. war on terrorism following the Sept. 11 attacks, including 55 killed in action.

Navy SEAL from Massachusetts killed in Afghanistan

WALTHAM, Mass. — Memorial Day services in two Massachusetts communities were made even more somber on Monday with news that a Navy SEAL with ties to those towns had died fighting the war of terror in Afghanistan.

Petty Officer 1st Class Brian J. Ouellette, 37, a 15-year Navy veteran, was one of four servicemen who died when the Humvee he was in ran over a mine.

Ouellette grew up in Waltham and graduated from Waltham High School, but his mother now lives in Maynard.

He was remembered at ceremonies in both communities.

“It’s devastating,” the Rev. Kenneth Quinn said at a small ceremony at St. Bridget’s cemetery in Maynard. “This brings home what’s going on.”

In Waltham, Ouellette was remembered as a dedicated member of the SEALs, an elite fighting force that undergoes some of the toughest military training in the world.

“Once he got in there and got a taste of it, he wouldn’t be denied,” Jim Stanley, a friend and former roommate told WBZ-TV. “That’s really what he wanted to do.”

Steve Duffy, head lacrosse coach and assistant football coach at Waltham High, played football with Ouellette in the mid-1980s.

“He was a great teammate, a year older, and always good to the younger guys,” Duffy told The MetroWest Daily News of Framingham. “He was just a tough, no-nonsense type of guy who would smack you in the mouth between the whistles. A tough guy.”

Ouellette was assigned to the Naval Special Warfare Group Two based in Little Creek, Va., according to the Navy, which announced the death on Monday.

The Special Forces soldiers who died in the incident, according to the Pentagon, were Army Capt. Daniel W. Eggers, 28, whose home town was listed as Cape Coral, Fla., but who was originally from New Hampshire; Staff Sgt. Robert J. Mogensen, 26, of Leesville, La.; and Pfc. Joseph A. Jeffries, 21, of Beaverton, Ore.

At least 89 American service personnel have died in and around Afghanistan since the start of the U.S. war on terrorism following the Sept. 11 attacks, including 55 killed in action.

Ouellette is the third Massachusetts resident to die in Afghanistan. Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Petithory, 32, of Cheshire, was killed on Dec. 5, 2001 along with two other soldiers when a U.S. bomb landed about 100 yards from their position. Pfc. Evan W. O’Neill, 19, of Haverhill died Sept. 29.

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.