On this weekend when we remember lost loved ones through All Souls Day and Day of the Dead vigils, we honor and remember two soldiers who died far from home while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan:
Sgt. Joseph L. Gallegos of Questa, NM
Spc. Robert K. Charlton of Malden, MO
Both men come from small American communities that now mourn the huge loss of one of their own warriors, gone too young, too soon. As the days of holiday celebrations fast approach, we think of the families and friends who have received the terrible news that their loved ones will not be coming home from war. Let their memories be a light through the sorrow. Together we pray for peace and solace. Below we will remember and honor them.
10/30/2009 DOD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sgt. Joseph L. Gallegos, 39, of Questa, N.M., died Oct. 28 in Tallil, Iraq, in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 720th Transportation Company, New Mexico Army National Guard, in Las Vegas, N.M.
Oh, No, Joey! My brother, why did you have to leave us so soon?
I got the news last week that my buddy from work and town, Joey Gallegos, died in Iraq where he was deployed with the New Mexico National Guard. Everybody is so shocked and sad; Oh, his poor Father and Mother. Joey had telephoned to the office not a week earlier to say he was coming home for Thanksgiving and he would visit all of us. He had stories to tell. He called my house a couple of times too, and talked with my husband, a Vietnam War veteran. Joey was always good about calling; everyone will miss his spontaneous call from out of the blue.
Joey comes from the small Village of Questa, NM, which has less than 2,000 in population. The Gallegos family has lived in this part of Northern New Mexico for generations, since the early days of Spain and Mexico, the Jicarilla Apache, Ute, and Taos and Picuris Indians, before New Mexico became part of the USA. The small towns around here have long been represented in military and wartime service, and the town proudly honors all its veterans with memorials and ceremonies. Joey's father and brother are highly decorated war veterans: his father as a Marine in WWII, and his brother with the NMNG in Iraq.
According to the Taos News, Joey and about 130 other members of the 720th Transportation Company left New Mexico on May 14. They underwent several weeks of additional training before arriving in Iraq in July. Before joining the NM National Guard, Joey served in the US ARMY with the 4th Infantry Division, 204th Forward Support Battalion as a track vehicle repairer. In Operation Iraqi Freedom, he was assigned as a light-wheel vehicle mechanic. But Joey's actual duty in Iraq with the 720th 2-6, was to provide Convoy Security as a machine-gunner, manning the turret.
Our community depended on Joey as an EMT first responder with Questa Volunteer Fire Department, where he was training to become a paramedic. Our community and the Forest Service, Carson National Forest, Questa Ranger District depended on Joey as a first responder, wildland firefighter, and member of Engine 7, where he completed hundreds of assignments with a professional command far above his GS ranking.
Two years ago, Joey was honored with a US Marshall escort into Washington, DC, where he received one of the highest awards in the Forest Service, the Chief's Honor Award, for Emergency Response. With true warrior spirit and being a hero, Joey Gallegos dashed in and pulled a man from a burning vehicle right before it exploded, and tended to the man's injuries while Engine 7 quickly extinguished the fire that started in the PJ. Joey suffered burns and scars on his hands and face, risking his own life to save a stranger in need.
Joey was also a great reader, a writer/poet, and was working on an advanced degree in literature. And he was an uncommitted reader of Daily Kos. Ee-eeee. But most of all, Joey was a lot of fun to work with. Even when he had his own struggles, he always showed his concern for others, and always had something to laugh about, and make people smile. Joey was the kind of person who would say to friends, "I don't like you. I LOVE you." With a big laugh, because he meant it.
Sgt. Joseph L. Gallegos is survived by his father and mother, brothers, sisters, primos, tios, tias, nephews, nieces and many, many friends. We miss you, Joey, Rest in Peace.
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10/30/2009 DOD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Spc. Robert K. Charlton, 22, of Malden, Mo., died Oct. 27 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident Oct. 23 in Wardak, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.
Robert Charlton comes from a small town in Missouri called
Malden, which used to be home of an Air Force Base from 1932-1960. Malden, a town of less than 5,000, still has a large general aviation airport. The town also has a Veteran's Memorial. Sadly, another small American town mourns the loss of a young man who had his whole life ahead of him.
According to the Fort Drum website, Robert joined the army in July of 2007, and arrived in Fort Drum in November 2007. He deployed with the 10th Mountain Division, 3rd Combat Infantry Brigade to eastern Afghanistan in January 2009. The 10th Mountain Division has been deployed more than any other division in the Army due to its flexibility to conduct operations ranging from combat to humanitarian relief. The 10th Mountain Division has been to Afghanistan four times since 2001 and twice to Iraq. Spc. Robert Charlton's unit, a mountain warfare infantry brigade called the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, was activated in 2005. The unit was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for Service In Afghanistan, for the year 2006-2007. They had been originally planned to deploy to Iraq in 2009, but were rerouted back to eastern Afghanistan for a second tour where they are responsible for expanding forward operating bases.
This was Robert's first deployment. His unit, the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), conducted patrols in Wardack Province, Afghanistan. Sgt. Teddy Wade created a photo gallery of Robert's unit in action, and a NY news site wrote a story with the photos, here: Fort Drum Forces Patrol Nerkh District. The photos were taken last week in late October, around the time Robert suffered his mortal injuries. His name does not appear in the photo captions.
Spc. Robert K. Charlton is survived by his mother and father. Robert is missed, Rest in Peace.
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"If the people we love are taken from us -
the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them."
(The photos herein are from DOVER AFB site, Timroff (logo), CalNM, Joey's facebook, and (R.C. photo credit). The beautiful memorial collage was made by Joey's friend Alyssa, with photo contributions by his friends at work.)
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Helping our troops: If you wish to assist our military and their families, consider Operation Helmet, or Fisher House. Sponsoring a deployed service member at TroopCarePackage.com can provide letters or care packages that make a real difference in a military person's life. To assist the animal companions of our deployed military, information is available at guardian angels for soldierspet.
When our veterans come back home, they need jobs. Look at the programs of Veterans Green Jobs and Welcome Back Veterans. Encourage a Vet, and see if you can help out.
About the IGTNT series: I Got the News Today is intended to honor, respect, and remember the fallen, and to remind us that each casualty has family and friends who received the terrible news that their loved one has died at war.
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 US Department of Defense news releases are found at defense gov/releases. Icasualties lists the names of those killed, and shows the number of wounded. Published AP photos of the returning war fatalities are found on the Dover AFB page.
Since 2001, there have been 911 American troops killed in Afghanistan. Since 2003, there have been over 4355 American troops killed in Iraq.
Click the IGTNT tags below for previous diaries in the series which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by monkeybiz, noweasels, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, a girl in MI, Spam Nunn, JeNoCo, Janos Nation, True Blue Majority, Proud Mom and Grandma, Sandy on Signal, and me, CalNM. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for our fallen brothers and sisters.
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.