~Logo Credit to Timroff with gratitude
I Got The News Today (IGTNT) , which is the oldest continuous series on Daily Kos, provides members of this community a forum to pay their respects to those who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The IGTNT title is a reminder that nearly every day the family of an active duty service member receives the terrible news that their beloved has died.
Please join me in honoring these two Marines:
Cpl Stephen C. Sockalosky, 21 of Cordele, Georgia
and
Lance Cpl Scott A. Lynch, 22 of Greenwood Lake, NY
Semper Fi
Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members mentioned here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.
Faith
You will not see me, so you must have faith. I wait for the time when we can soar together again, both aware of each other. Until then, live your life to its fullest and when you need me, just whisper my name in your heart...I will be there.
~ Emily Dickinson
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Cpl. Stephen Coty Sockalosky "Coty" just after he completed his basic training.
Coty was born in Bartow, Florida and grew up in Cordele, GA which is the Crisp County seat and has a population of under 12,000. This community has been deeply saddened since learning that this 2007 graduate of Crisp County High School and JROTC member had been injured on October 3rd by an improvised explosive device in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan.
Coty was transferred to a hospital near Frankfurt, Germany where on Tuesday his wife, mother and grandmother flew in to be at his bedside. On Wednesday morning Coty succumbed to the injuries he sustained.
Coty's friends said that he'd always talked about becoming a Marine and serving his country.
"There is so much I could say about him, but I just can’t right now," said Sockalosky’s grandfather, Roy Porter Wednesday.
~Source
His friends have been leaving tributes to him on his facebook page. One reads:
"You will always be in our hearts. You have done so many amazing things in your life, not just for yourself but everyone you came upon and it will never be forgotten.. Love you"
One of his teachers signed his guest book:
Knew Coty as a middle school student...bright, charming, cute, and a joy to know...fast forward to a stong, Marine who raised his hand and promised to protect and defend his country. Now he has given his life for all of us...God welcomed in a new hero, and said "welcome home job well done"...RIP Coty Sockalosky.. It was an honor to have known you.
Coty is survived by his wife Brittany Barton Sockalosky; his mother and step father Carolyn and Mark Adsit; his father and step mother William Stephen and Traci Sockalosky; two brothers, Zachary Sockalosky and Trace Sockalosky; three sisters, Kimberlee Adsit, Caitlin Sockalosky and Samantha Sockalosky; maternal grandparents, Pauline and Roy Porter and Harold and Norma Mosley; paternal grandmother Sharon Sockalosky; numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. He was preceded in death by his paternal grandfather, Edward D. Sockalosky.
No funeral arrangements have been finalized at this time.
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Lance Cpl. Scott A. Lynch and wife Tanya married in May 2010.
The village of Greenwood Lake, NY with a population of under 3,500 is in a state of shock says the Mayor, Barbara Moore as Scott Lynch was the village's first service member to die in either Iraq or Afghanistan.
Residents and merchants are displaying flags and banners to support the family, she said. Lynch was married in June just before he deployed, and his wife lives in the village. His parents were on their way up from Kentucky, she said.
"He is a young boy, brought up here, went through the Greenwood Lake schools, and graduated George F. Baker High School" in Tuxedo Park, she said.
~ Source
John Sterling, Scott's father--in--law said:
"He was just such a great guy," he said. "They were madly in love and it was just meant to be. I was proud that he married my daughter"
Lynch was a good person with an "angelic" aura, Sterling said.
~ Source
Lynch is survived by his wife Tanya, his parents, Tammy and Jim Lynch, of Kentucky, formerly of Greenwood Lake, and two brothers, Jimmy and Jerry.
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About the IGTNT series:
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"I Got the News Today" is a diary series intended to honor, respect, and remind us of the sacrifice of our US troops. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by Sandy on Signal, noweasels, monkeybiz, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, SpamNunn, a girl in MI, JeNoCo, Mediaprof, TrueBlueMajority, JanosNation, Proud Mom and Grandma, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, Ms Wings, maggiejean, racheltracks, JaxDem, ccasas and kestrel9000. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for them.
Fallen service members whose names have been released by the US Department of Defense will usually be diarized two days after the official announcement on the DoD website. This allows the IGTNT team to cover each person more fully, but still in a timely manner.
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POW/MIA: Afghanistan & Iraq
Two U.S. soldiers are currently listed as captured or Duty Status -- Whereabouts Unknown as of December 1, 2009.
Spc. Ahmed K. Altaie 41
and
Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl 23
Never forgotten - please keep good thoughts and prayers for these two men.
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Helping Our Troops
There would be no finer way to honor the fallen than to contribute to programs that assist our active duty military. Here are a few suggestions:
Fisher House - Provides a "home away from home" for military families to be close to a loved one during hospitilization for an illness, disease or injury.
Netroots For The Troops - raises money for the assembly, mailing and delivery of care packages to American military in war zones, and to provide assistance to military families in the United States.
Welcome Back Veterans - created to inspire Americans to give back to our returning veterans and their families and assist in particular with PTSD.
Books for Soldiers - purchases and ships books to our troops deployed in war zones.
Any Soldier - provides "contacts" for you to send greetings, care packages, etc. to any Soldier, Airman, Marine, Sailor or Coast Guardman.
Guardian Angels for Soldiers' Pets - establishing a network of foster families providing a loving and healthy home environment for the pet(s)of deployed military personnel until they can be reunited with their owner.
UPDATE: I failed to add the link to the Retroactive Stop Loss Pay which has been extended to December 3rd.