Sons of the Dark and Bloody Ground
Ye must not slumber there,
Where stranger steps and tongues resound
Along the heedless air.
Your own proud land's heroic soil
Shall be your fitter grave;
She claims from war his richest spoil --
The ashes of her brave.
--From Theodore O'Hara's "The Bivouac of the Dead"
Three more service members -- Lance Cpl. Nicholas J. Hand, 20, of Kansas City, Mo.; Staff Sgt. John J. Cleaver, 36, of Marysville, Wash.; and Sgt. Daniel A. Frazier, 25, of Saint Joseph, Mich. --have come home, three caskets borne on white-gloved hands, three flags respectfully folded and given into the hands of loved ones. In this week of giving thanks, please take a few moments to remember just how much these three men sacrificed for their nation.
They gave all.
Lance Cpl. Nicholas J. Hand, 20, of Kansas City, Mo. and of the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. The Department of Defense says that he died Nov. 22 "while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan."
"It's tough to think he hasn't even lived his life and he gave it up for the country," said his father, Don Hand. (Source)
Nicholas Hand was a big brother, the second-oldest of 10 brothers and sisters in the Hand family of Kansas City, Mo. But he has a second and bigger family, his mother, Dawn Hand, told the Kansas City Star:
"When it came down to it, he had two families. He had his biological family, and he had his Marine family... You watched his face light up, and you knew that in your heart he was with his family there."
Nicholas's drive to join the military started early. His brother, Brandon Hand, told the Star his brother had made a habit of writing "a quote from one of the Founding Fathers or a military leader on a whiteboard." A student at Kansas City's Oak Park High School, Nicholas graduated early because he couldn't wait to join his beloved Marine Corps.
"He was only 17, but his parents agreed to sign him up if he could 'prove to us he really wanted to go,' (Dawn) Hand told KMBC's Martin Augustine. 'When he was ready, in February, we signed for him. And he went to California.'"
According to the Marine Corps Times, "Hand joined the Corps in July 2007.
His family waited half a world away as their Marine served his first tour, in Iraq. He left in April, 2008 and returned home seven months later. His second deployment, to Afghanistan, began last month. He spoke with his mother just a few days ago. "Promise me you’re coming home," she told him, "’I promise Mom, I love you’."
Then Dawn Hand got the news. An officer knocked at the door. "I just looked at him," Dawn (Hand) said. "He asked if I was Dawn Hand. I said, 'I don't believe this,' and just turned and walked." Nicholas Hand had been killed by small-arms fire during combat operations.
Now, she and the rest of the family are left with memories of their sociable son and dedicated Marine. The Hands were to fly to Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Del. last night to meet Nicholas's casket. "I’m not going to tell you it doesn’t hurt, but at the same time, I stand proud for him," Dawn Hand said. "... Instead of grieving for him, we’re celebrating for him because we were lucky enough to have him in our lives."
The Patriot Guard plans to stand in honor at his funeral. He will be buried at Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Godspeed, Lance Cpl. Nicholas J. Hand. Semper Fi.
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Staff Sgt. John J. Cleaver, 36, of Marysville, Wash. and of the 782d Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. The Department of Defense says that he died, along with Sgt. Daniel A. Frazier, 25, of Saint Joseph, Mich., on Nov. 19 "in Zabul province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when a suicide car-bomber attacked their unit."
"He gave his all." --Teresa Cleaver, his mother (Source)
The nation has lost a devoted service member with the death of Staff Sgt. John J. Cleaver. At 36, this son of Joplin, Missouri had already been a volunteer firefighter; been certified as an emergency medical technician while attending Crowder College in Neosho, Mo.; served ten years in the Navy (with service in Kosovo and Iraq, and on the U.S.S. Inchon, and as a as a fire-fighting instructor, and as one who helped set up a fire training school); joined the Army in June, 2006 and deployed to Afghanistan, where he was a convoy commander as well as a medic; and received his Paratrooper wings. While other soldiers had thoughts of going home for the holidays, Cleaver didn't. "He felt he needed to be there for his men," said his mother, Teresa Cleaver.
She told the HeraldNet that his service was part of a family tradition: "His grandfather, John Harold Poole, lost a leg during the Battle of the Bulge, a critical victory with heavy casualties during World War II. 'He was so proud when he went into the Army,' his mother said. 'He was wearing the same uniform as his grandfather.'"
Cleaver's devotion to his service ended only with his life. The Joplin (Mo.) Globe writes that "Cleaver died Thursday when a truck bomb exploded in Zabul Province. He and Staff Sgt. Daniel Frazier, of St. Joseph, Mich., were delivering supplies to a forward operating base when they died." According to several reports, Cleaver and Frazier intercepted the bomb-laden vehicle. The fRazier family was told that this act saved about 40 lives. With sorrow and respect: Thank you, John Cleaver.
His obituary lists his awards and decorations, which included "Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with gold star for 2nd award, Navy Battle "E" with silver wreath for 4 or more awards, Kosovo Liberation Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, NATO Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Navy Good Conduct Medal with two bronze stars for 2nd and 3rd award, Iraq Campaign Medal, Naval Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with bronze stars for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th award, NATO Kosovo Medal, Navy Unit Commendation with bronze star for 2nd award, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Naval Reserve Sea Service Medal, Navy Pistol Medal with silver E for expert." He will posthumously receive the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.
But he was also more than his service. He was a daddy to two young sons. He had a good heart. I read this remembrance from his mother and cried:
She said when her son had time to call home, he called his sons first. He asked his mother to send him some Harry Potter books during his last deployment so he could read them and talk to his sons about them, she said.
"John had a very kind heart," she said. "Sometimes, there was a John I saw, and he was really, really sweet, and he didn’t want mom to see how sweet he was."
At high school dances, she said her son would often dance with girls who wouldn’t have otherwise been asked. He and a friend spent one New Year’s Eve with a convenience store employee who had to work the evening shift alone, she said.
Others. He was always mindful of how he could help others. "He was good about (thinking), ‘What can I do for other people?’" she said. "If a friend needed something, he would do it." He also "collected pens for Afghani children and salvaged parts to reassemble wheelchairs for disabled Iraqis," writes the HeraldNet. Care for others was one of this man's guiding principles.
They remember him too. From the Globe's comments section:
Samuel Reynolds writes:
I served with Cleaver on the USS Rodney M Davis. I took an EMT class with him, that he organized and got for us to be able to take for free. He was a funny guy, super competitive, and loved winning. He would get up and dance in my face when he would beat me in video games. God Bless him and his family. Im sad that hes gone.
Sharon Hendricks Moravits writes:
My heart is breaking as are the hearts of so many others who love John. He was one of my "child-by-choice" kids and his name was as prominent on my refrigerator as my own kids'. He was such a source of life and humor to all of us. I'll never forget one of the times he went camping with us when his arm was in the cast. Somehow ants crawled in the cast during the night and he was going crazy trying to scratch them with a stick. We were dying laughing! That was so typical of John. He was going nuts but was still able to find the humor in any situation. To this day, the only wreck I have ever had was when I backed in to his car in our driveway. That story has be re-told so many times and always makes people laugh. He provided us with so many happy moments and memories we will cherish forever. Teresa, Ron, Rhonda, Ronnie and boys, John was VERY loved and will NEVER be forgotten.
Andrea writes:
John is a true hero! Such a witty guy and true friend. I am proud that I knew him (he was my classmate) and will never forget what he has sacrificed for our freedom. He will never be forgotten, may God bless him and comfort his family in their time of loss. My heart goes out to them.
The Patriot Guard forum thread about John Cleaver includes this post from dmdauto:
About John: He rode too, so your presence will be that much more heartfelt. A guy that couldn't say no to anyone. He did anything for anyone, regardless of the inconvenience to himself and never asked anything of anyone. He was a hero, both at home and abroad. My girlfriend and I lost our best friend. We plan on riding to the service, one last ride with my bud, we'll be riding our red Ducati Superbike, much like the black one he rode. We'll be coming from Fayetteville NC. I'll make sure his mother and father, after life settles down, get a link to this post so they may see all the goodwishes. In the meantime, allow Danielle and I to express our most heartfelt gratitude, on behalf of his family and other friends, in our time of mourning.
Cleaver's casket arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Del. on Saturday.
The Globe says that he is survived by "two sons, Collin Cleaver and Aidan Cleaver and their mother, Kim Cleaver, Raleigh, N.C.; his father and mother, Ronald and Teresa Cleaver, Joplin; one brother, Ron Cleaver, Topeka; one sister, Rhonda Cleaver, Salida, Colo.; a great-uncle, Ben Frie, Kansas City; and two aunts, Joan Cleaver, Joplin, and Candy Lewis, Smithville, Va. He is also survived by five cousins, Travis Schuler, Perry, Kan., Cassandra Ryder, Carrollton, Va., and Jason Schuler, Marie Price and Allison West of DeSoto, Kan." The newspaper also notes that funeral arrangements are still being made, although a funeral with full military honors is planned.
The Patriot Guard will stand in honor of Cleaver.
Godspeed, Staff Sgt. John J. Cleaver.
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Sgt. Daniel A. Frazier, 25, of Saint Joseph, Mich. and of the 782d Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. The Department of Defense says that he died, along with Staff Sgt. John J. Cleaver, 36, of Marysville, Wash., on Nov. 19 "in Zabul province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when a suicide car-bomber attacked their unit."
"I just can't speak how much pride I have," said David Frazier, Daniel's father, as he fought back tears. "He was always giving back to everyone around him." (Source)
Sgt. Daniel A. Frazier's father, David Frazier, remembers how selfless his son was. "He was quiet, but he was big hearted. He was always a caring and fun guy to be around. He would always put other people before himself."
On Nov. 19, the 25-year-old son of St. Joseph, Mich. and Staff Sgt. John J. Cleaver, 36, of Marysville, Wash. were delivering supplies when a truck bomb went off, killing both soldiers. According to several reports, Cleaver and Frazier intercepted the bomb-laden vehicle. Frazier died while putting himself between danger and his fellow soldiers.
Students at Frazier's former high school, St. Joseph High School, had a moment of silence for the 2003 graduate, says the South Bend Tribune. They honored one of their own who, at 22 and in his third year of Army service, was on his second deployment in Afghanistan. Jim Berry, Frazier's drafting teacher at St. Joseph, remembered his former student as someone who came to class with a smile on his face every day. "'I can't thank him enough for his service to our country,' Berry said, adding that Frazier was a joy to be around."
He was also a newlywed, having married only eight months before he was killed. "He loved the Army," (his stepmother) Sheri said. "He loved it. It was very good for him. Everything was in place for him. He loved his life and he loved his wife so much. They were just so new in love."
The news came in the night.
"When someone knocks on your door at 10 o'clock at night, you think it's a neighbor. And, when there's two Army gentlemen there, you think it can't be right," David Frazier said. "You think, it's got to be a bad dream."
But, knowing that his son's final act in service to his country helped save so many other lives did help bring a sense of purpose.
"It's still very difficult, but it makes me feel better that he wasn't there in vain," David Frazier said.
(snip)
"I have to focus on the wonderful time we had," David Frazier said. "That's all I got."
The Frazier family was told that their son's final act saved 40 lives. His stepmother told the Tribune that "it meant a lot that he had the heart to do his job and save the people he saved." With sorrow and respect: Thank you, Daniel Frazier.
In the course of his service, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terror Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon and the Combat Action Badge. He was posthumously promoted from specialist to sergeant.
Capt. Burton Furlow, commander of Company E, remembered him this way: ""Sgt. Frazier always started and finished his days the same way, with a smile on his face... He earned the respect of subordinates, peers and superiors alike. He is truly one of our American Heroes and will be missed very dearly."
His casket arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Del. on Saturday night. His father flew across the country for this sad homecoming. In addition to his father, he is survived by his mother, Roxana, and his wife, Brittany.
According to the Michigan News, "Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Monday, November 30, at Michiana Christian Embassy in Niles, Michigan, with burial in Arlington National Cemetery." The Patriot Guard will stand in his honor in Michigan. In addition, says the Michigan News, flags throughout the state of Michigan will be flown at half-staff on Nov. 30 in Frazier's honor, by order of Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm.
Godspeed, Sgt. Daniel A. Frazier.
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You can help.
This list is from noweasels and I reprint it here with thanks to her and to you. Here's what you can do:
You can send a care package. Please consider brightening the day of a soldier with a care package.
You can write letters.
You can send a cup of organic coffee.
You can find other ways to give at anysoldier.com or Fisher House. If you have frequent flyer miles you would like to donate to hospitalized veterans or their families, please see Fisher House’s Hero Miles program.
You can help the left-behind animal companions of our troops. See how here.
And don’t forget them when they get home! Read welcomebackveterans.org to learn what you can do. Visit VoteVets and IAVA.
You can also participate in Netroots for the Troops. Here's how.
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.
Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, blue jersey mom, twilight falling, joyful, roses, Chacounne, JeNoCo, SisTwo, SpamNunn, a girl in MI, JanosNation, Proud Mom and Grandma and True Blue Majority. Timroff created the IGTNT logo.
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.