Tonight we honor the memories of two servicemen who were killed on combat on January 6th. Lance Cpl. Jessie Cassada was a 19-year-old Marine who was on his first tour of duty in Afghanistan at the time of his death. Staff Sgt. Anthony D. Davis was an Army Ranger who was on his 6th deployment to the Middle East when he was killed in action.
Please follow me below the fold to learn more about the lives of these two Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice.
On Wednesday, the Department of Defense made the following announcement:
Lance Cpl. Jessie A. Cassada, 19, of Hendersonville, N.C., died Jan. 6 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Jesse Adam Cassada was a 2007 graduate of East Henderson High School in North Carolina. He worked hard to graduate because he always wanted to follow his family members into the Marine Corps. His High School ROTC teacher, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Robert Clark, remembered his determination to become a Marine.
No other branch of service was going to satisfy him. ~snip~ It was hard for him to finish his education, but he did it because he was determined to get in the Marine Corps. ~source
Jessie's best friend, Cameron Sproles, described him as:
a very strong guy, morally and physically. He told me when he did go on to a better place, he wanted to be remembered as living with no regrets. ~source
Jessie Cassada joined the Marines on August 20th, 2007. He was on his first tour of duty in Afghanistan at the time of his death. Lance Cpl. Cassada's military honors include the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal. ~source
Lance Cpl. Cassada is the most recent of the 551 servicemembers who have lost their lives in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan since 2001. Jessie is survived by his mother, Patricia Cassasa, his stepfather, Caroll London, and two sisters, Lisa and Crystal.
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On January 7th, the Department of Defense also announced the following:
Staff Sgt. Anthony D. Davis, 29, of Daytona Beach, Fla., died Jan. 6 in Northern Iraq, of wounds suffered when he was shot by enemy forces. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia.
Anthony Davis graduated from Seabreeze High School in Daytona Beach, Fla., and enlisted in the army in October of 2000. He graduated from the Ranger Indoctrination program in 2001, and he was then assigned to Company C, 1st Bn., 75th Ranger Regiment at Hunter Army Airfield where he served as a team leader and a fire team leader.
Staff Sgt. Davis's military education included:
the Basic Airborne Course, Ranger Indoctrination Program, Warrior Leader Course, Combat Life Savers Course and the U.S. Army Ranger Course where he earned his Ranger Tab in 2002. ~source
At the time of his death, Staff Sgt. Davis was on his 6th deployment to the Middle East. He had already completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan, and he was on his fouth tour of duty in Iraq when he was killed in action.
Davis was a heavily decorated soldier. His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, two Army Achievement Medals, two Army Good Conduct Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and many others.
Lt. Col. Brian Mennes, commander of the 1st Bn., 75th Ranger Regiment described Staff Sgt. Davis as:
A man who selflessly chose to serve his country during this tumultuous period in our nation’s history in a manner that is both honorable and respected. Staff Sergeant Davis died defending his nation fighting alongside his buddies, leaving behind hundreds of Rangers who called him their friend. ~source
Anthony Davis leaves behind his mother, Ellen Davis, his stepfather, Nelson Buckwald, a sister, Staff Sgt. Nakischa Davis, and a niece.
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May Lance Cpl. Cassada and Staff Sgt. Davis rest in eternal peace. My prayers are for their families and friends. May we always hold these two men in the light.
About "I Got the News Today" (IGTNT)
I Got the News Today is a diary series intended to honor service members who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; its title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one. Diaries about the fallen usually appear two days after their names are officially released, which allows time for the IGTNT team to find and tell their stories.
The series was begun by i dunno and is maintained by Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, noweasels, MsWings, greenies, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, moneysmith, labwitchy, joyful, roses, SisTwo, SpamNunn, a girl in MI, JeNoCo, and mediaprof.
Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members chronicled here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.