Please also visit twilight falling's diary, IGTNT: Footprints on the Sands of Time. Thanks to all who bear witness with us so faithfully!
From King Henry V by William Shakespeare:
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother..."
Brothers for eternity, then:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died June 25 in Mosul, Iraq, from wounds suffered when their vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device on June 24. They were assigned to the 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas.
Killed were:
Sgt. Alejandro A. Dominguez, 24, of San Diego, Calif.
Spc. Joel A. Taylor, 20, of Pinetown, N.C.
Pfc. James M. Yohn, 25, of Highspire, Pa.
For Sgt. Alejandro A. Dominguez, this was his second tour in Iraq. According to a story by the San Diego Union Tribune about serving in the Army he "just felt he wanted to do this."
The Union-Tribune article describes the moment Sgt. Dominguez's father received the call. At first, he thought it was the Marine Corps looking for some information about something. Upon hanging up, he told his wife about the call and she told him as long as it wasn't the Army, it was alright. A few minutes later, however, the Army arrived at their door with the news that their son had died in Iraq.
Sgt. Dominguez was due to leave Iraq in a few days for his mid-tour visit home. He and his wife Brenda were planning on looking into buying a house while he was home.
A 2002 graduate of Southwest High School in San Diego, the Army was the second love of Sgt. Dominguez's life. First in his heart were his wife, Brenda and their year old daughter, Alexa, about whom he stated on his MySpace page, "...without my wife or my daughter all I do would be for nothing."
In addition to his wife and daughter, Sgt. Dominguez is survived by his three year old son, Isiah (from a previous relationship), parents Antonio and Elia and sister, Alejandra.
Rest in peace, Sgt. Alejandro A. Dominguez.
Spc. Joel A. Taylor, age 20, was on his first deployment to Iraq.
A 2006 graduate of Northside High School, messages left by friends and family on the WITN.com website mentions his participation in the JROTC program at school and of running cross country while a student. Numerous messages left on the site indicate that Spec. Taylor was a well-liked young man and many people left notes of love and support. One message described how proud his father was when he enlisted in the Army.
Rest in peace, Spc. Joel A. Taylor. Your mission is complete.
Note from JeNoCo: My sincere gratitude to monkeybiz for her assistance on this diary. Her contribution on Pfc. James M. Yohn follows.
Pfc. James M. Yohn, 25, of Highspire, Pa. and of the 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas.
Judy Yohn got the news about her son first thing in the morning, says the (Harrisburg) Patriot-News:
"I was getting ready to go to work at 6:08 a.m. when I heard a knock at my door," Judy Yohn said. "An Army chaplain and an officer were standing there and introduced themselves to me. I knew as soon as I saw them it would not be good. My daughter-in-law, who lives with me, came out. They told us that Jimmy was killed. He was my baby."
Her baby, 25-year-old James M. Yohn, died on Tuesday in Mosul, Iraq after his vehicle hit an IED a day earlier, according to the Department of Defense. Sgt. Alejandro A. Dominguez, 24, of San Diego, Calif. and Spc. Joel A. Taylor, 20, of Pinetown, N.C. also died as a result of the incident.
And James Yohn Jr., due to be born in a few weeks, will never know his father.
Jimmy Yohn gave his hometown as Killeen, Texas, but he was a Pennsylvania boy and a proud member of the brotherhood of firefighters. He started volunteering with his local fire company at 19. Now, six years later, his comrades at the Highspire Fire Company display his gear and mourn his loss. "Jimmy was a great guy. He was a hero, both in this country and in other countries now. Fun to be around, always smiling," as Michael Ondeckof the Highspire Fire Company told a reporter for WNEP. "He was actually great on the scene, too. He'd jump right in. He was somebody you wanted behind you," as he told WGAL. The fire company's flag is at half-staff and a sign outside reads "You'll be missed, Jimmy Yohn. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of PFC James Yohn."
He told the guys at the firehouse that he thought about joining the military, which he did shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks."Jimmy went over there because he loved America and because he wanted Americans to be free and safe, and he died doing that," as his father, Robert Fisher Jr., told the (Shamokin, Pa.) News Item. "He went to fight for his country and his family, to protect them, and wanted to take care of his family... and he won’t be home now."
In addition to his parents, Jimmy Yohn leaves behind a widow, Amber Yohn, 20, and his soon-to-be-born son. Sadly, Amber got the news just 16 hours after her last conversation with her husband. This, fromWHPTV, is what they talked about: "They spoke about the baby and used a webcam so Jimmy could see her belly button. "Mine doesn't stick out like other people's. He was like, ‘that's how you know it's done.’ He's such a goof, such a goof," says Amber. In happier times, she wrote this on her myspace page: " I'm going to give birth to our adorable baby boy soon....my due date is July 19th and his name will be James Yohn Jr! Jimmy might be coming home for the birth, which would be the greatest thing ever!...I will be so excited and happy if he gets to come home again and be there with me for this big event and get to see his baby boy for the first time with me! I LOVE YOU BABY and I MISS YOU!!"
Jimmy met Amber while he was training in Texas. "He liked to go out and have fun," she told the Patriot-News. "He was so lively, just fun to be around. ... He could make you laugh, you know?" They married in February, while he was home on leave from Iraq. The saddest note on her myspace page reads "i wish he would call, but i know he's not going to....so i listen to my voice mail for his voice." (According to the Patriot-News, it says "You're the most beautiful girl in the world. I miss you so much. I can't wait to come home.") One of his most recent messages to her on the page: "baby i miss you so much and im so tired but every day u give me strength to drive on and get through this come home to u and jr. and do what i gotta do for you and him any thing babe anything i love you have a great day."
Yohn's father told WNEP that he is proud of his son: "Hefought for his country. He was going to get out, come home and take care of family. He won't be home now," said Fisher. "He was a believing man too, in something good, somewhere. And I'm sure he's okay."
The Yohn and Fisher families are still waiting to receive Jimmy's remains and funeral arrangements are pending. My heartfelt condolences go out to the families, to his fellow unit members and firefighters--and especially to Amber Yohn and Jimmy Michael Yohn, Jr. God bless the child.
Godspeed, Pfc. James M. Yohn.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. Bryan M. Thomas, 22, of Lake Charles, La., died June 23 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered in Salman Pak, Iraq, when his patrol encountered small arms fire during combat operations. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.
The Department of Defense announced June 25 the death of Capt. Gregory T. Dalessio, who was killed in the same incident. Capt. Dalessio was previously written about here.
Pfc. Bryan M. Thomas told his mother, Diana Thomas, that he was serving in Kuwait so as not to worry her, according to a story in the American Press.
"He would not lie to put a burden on you. When the officers came to my house Monday and said Bryan had been killed in Iraq, I told them they had the wrong parent," said his mother.
The American-Press article goes on to say that Pfc. Thomas joined the Army in his junior year of high school without telling anyone because he did not want to be talked out of it. He completed basic training the summer before his senior year and entered the Army upon receiving his diploma in 2006 from Lake Charles Boston High School.
Diana Thomas told the American-Press she believes her son's death is senseless:
When I pull up to a gas pump, just like any parent who's lost a child in this war, we pay the same gas price as people who haven't lost anybody. I'm sorry, I just don't think it was worth it." However, she continues, "...I have no regrets. Bryan knows he was loved. He was well-raised. He died happy--that's my Bryan."
Besides his mother, Pfc. Thomas leaves his 13 month old daughter, Brenasia Thomas, and three siblings, Donovan Thomas, Nateisha Gradney and Kortney Thomas.
Thank you for your sacrifice Pfc. Bryan M. Thomas. Rest in peace.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Joshua L. Plocica, 20, of Clarksville, Tenn., died June 25 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
Spc. Joshua L. Plocica joined the Army in August 2006, a few months after graduating from Rossview High School. He arrived in Iraq on March 9, 2008. The Leaf-Chronicle reports that while he was a student at Rossview, he participated in a project with his art teacher, Mary Bryant. They projected a picture of him on the wall next to the art room and painted his portrait on the wall. Mrs. Bryant has told the family the portrait will remain as a permanent memorial to Josh.
Spc. Plocica's grandmother, Georgie True is quoted in the Leaf-Chronicle: "He was one of the most loving people I knew in my life. He truly was an angel sent here for a little while."
According to a message posted by his mother, Lisa Thompson, on the Leaf-Chronicle website:
"Please remember Joshua for the wonderful young man he had become and celebrate his life as he would want us to do."
In addition to his mother and grandmother, Spc. Plocica is survived by his step-father, Keith Thompson, father, David Corbin, and sister, Brenna.
You have joined your band of brothers Spc. Joshua L. Plocica. Rest in peace.