Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality. ~Emily Dickinson
"IGTNT" stands for "I Got the News Today." The phrase refers to the Beatles song, and it is meant to symbolize that terrible knock on the door that any number of families got today, bringing with it the news that a loved one has died. IGTNT is a diary series intended to honor, respect and remind.
The Department of Defense announced the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died Aug. 28 in Babur, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device. Killed were:
Sgt. Patrick K. Durham, 24, of Chattanooga, Tenn.
Spc. Andrew J. Castro, 20, of Westlake Village, Calif.
and
Staff Sgt. James R. Ide V, 32, of Festus, Mo. He died August 29 at Hyderabad, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire.
According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press Sgt. Patrick K. Durham is lovingly remembered in the close-knit Suck Creek community where he grew up.
“He was about one of the best people you’d ever meet,” said Jeremy Massengale, 26, who said he spent countless summers swimming with Durham in the Tennessee River. “I don’t think there’s many times I haven’t seen him with a smile on his face. ... The last thing I said to him was, ‘I love you and be safe, and I’ll see you in a little bit.’”
“He was like a little brother to me,” said Amy Waite, who is 25. “He was a big goofball. He was always a class clown. Patrick was very loved. He had so many people who cared about him. He was an avid guitar player.
On Sunday, the congregation at Grandview Church of God remembered Sgt. Durham. According to congregation members, he made a point to visit his church whenever he was on leave.
Durham was a cannon crewmember assigned to Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) who enlisted in the Army in August, 2006. Sgt. Durham, in order to support his family which includes 3 small children, signed up for 6 years after completing his tour in Iraq.
Durham's awards included the Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Iraqi Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Medal; Overseas Service Medal and Weapons Qualification: M4 rifle (expert).
Durham is survived by his wife, Christina A. Durham and son, Alijah K. Durham of Fort Campbell; a son, Jordan G. Allison of Dunlap, Tennessee; daughter, Cheyenne A. N. Fox of Chattanooga, Tennessee; and father, Sammy K. Durham also of Chattanooga. His mother, Tammy F. Henderson, is deceased.
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Spc. Andrew J. Castro, 20, of Westlake Village, California, was a human intelligence collector assigned to Company B, 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. He entered the Army in June 2008 and arrived at Fort Campbell in February 2009. He had been in Afghanistan for less than a month.
Castro, more commonly known as AJ to his family and friends, played linebacker for the Westlake High School football team.
"I did everything I could to convince him not to join, but like his brother, he wanted to do it,” Hector Castro, Andrew's father said in a phone interview from Philadelphia.
Hector Castro said the one thing that gave him solace was a Facebook message he received from his son about five days ago. “He said, ‘Dad, I love what I’m doing,’” Hector Castro said. “I can’t ask for anything more than that.”
AJ's basketball coach Jim Benkert remembers A.J. Castro as someone who always did the right thing. He was the first to sign onto a voluntary drug program that left other students hesitant.
“We had a motto: ‘Stand up for what is right even if you’re standing alone,’” Benkert said. “He was the epitome of that motto.”
Hector Castro remembers him as the muscled, nearly 6-foot tall son who, at 20, still liked to sit on the bed with his dad on Saturday morning while the two ate cereal and watched cartoons.
“He always called me ‘Daddy,’” Hector said. “Right up until the day he died, he called me ‘Daddy.’”
His awards and decorations include: Meritorious Unit Citation; National Defense Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon and Weapons Qualification: M249 machine gun (expert).
Castro is survived by his father, Hector Castro of Winnetka, California, and his mother, Carmen Roman of Westlake Village, California and his brothers Ryan and Steven.
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From joyful
Staff Sgt. James R. Ide V
The Facebook post was brief, but it was just what James Ide asked for:
"I do not know what to say, but this is the way Jimmy asked me to tell his friends. Jimmy passed away this morning. He died in combat in Afghanistan. Jimmy loved his job and if he could choose a way to go this would be it."
With those words, Mandy Ide let her friends know of her husband's death.
32 year-old Staff Sgt. James R. Ide V died August 29 at Hyderabad, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire. SSgt. Hyde was a certified military working dog handler, who was partnered with a Belgian Malinois named Daphne at the time of his death. (As I understand it, as of this writing, Daphne survived the insurgent attack). SSgt. Ide's aunt, Carol Kline, told reporters that James "loved animals" and that service dogs drew his interest, thanks to a cousin who trained them.
Jimmy Ide joined the Army in 1997 after graduating from De Soto High School near his hometown of Festus, Missouri. SSgt. Ide met his wife Mandy when he was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. SSgt. Ide served one tour of duty in Korea, and two in Iraq. Ms. Kline said that her nephew was due to return home from this current deployment in October.
Mandy Ide lived with their two children, 7 year-old Trinity and 16 month-old Jas, in Germany while her husband was in Afghanistan. SSgt. Ide was assigned to the 230th Military Police Company, 95th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade, 21st Theater Sustainment Command out of Sembach, Germany.
Ms. Kline said James' Christian beliefs were a large part of his life and that the young man often wove Bible references through his conversations. The family attended Calvary Chapel in Germany. SSgt. Ide also enjoyed "writing poetry and riding motorcycles," and he was "endlessly curious about the world."
The magnificent Patriot Guard Riders have Confirmed a Mission (details pending) to escort SSgt. Ide on his final journey. The Riders are leaving messages of love and support for the Ide family at their forum.
Staff Sargent James R. Ide is survived by his wife Mandy; son James R. Ide VI and daughter Trinity Ide; parents James R. (IV) and Colleen Ide of Festus, Missouri; brother Jason Ide of Festus; sister Christine Gil of New Jersey; grandparents Melvin and Dahlia Ide of St Louis; and his dog, Daphne.
Our hearts are with all who knew and loved Jimmy Ide. Please know that we stand beside you at this terrible time of loss.
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The purpose of the I Got the News Today series is 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. It is one of the oldest continuous series on Daily Kos.
Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and is currently maintained by Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, 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, CalNM, Wide Awake in KY, maggiejean and noweasels.
If you would like to contribute to the series, even once a month, please contact Sandy on Signal or noweasels
To see what these tributes mean to those who have lost a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan, please read Sandy on Signal’s story about meeting the father of a soldier at NN10.
Since 2003 there have been 4416 US casualties in Iraq and since 2001 there have been 1273 US casualties in Afghanistan. Source.
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.