Since 2001, 1873 U.S. troops have lost their lives while serving in Afghanistan, and since 2003, 4484 U.S. troops have lost their lives while serving in Iraq.
The IGTNT (I Got The News Today) series is a reminder that nearly every day, somebody gets the heartbreaking news that a beloved family member, friend, or former classmate will not be coming home from war.
~ Photo Credit Timroff
The Department of Defense has announced the deaths of four soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died Jan. 6 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
Killed were:
Staff Sgt. Jonathan M. Metzger, 32, of Indianapolis, IN
Spc. Robert J. Tauteris Jr., 44, of Hamlet, IN
Spc. Christopher A. Patterson, 20, of Aurora, IL
Spc. Brian J. Leonhardt, 21, of Merrillville, IN
They were assigned to the 81st Troop Command, Indiana National Guard, Indianapolis, IN. The four soldiers' deaths were the greatest number of Indiana guards lost since March 2005, when four members of the Indianapolis-based 76th Infantry Brigade died when a land mine exploded under their military vehicle about 30 miles south of the Afghan capital of Kabul.
All of the men we honor tonight were combat engineers who specialized in the dangerous task of clearing major supply routes. As their vehicle traveled along a road scouting for signs of roadside bombs and other potential problems convoys might encounter, they came under small arms fire. The attack caused their vehicle to hit an IED; a second vehicle turned back to help and also hit an IED.
Senior Airman Matthew Siegle closes the door of the transfer vehicle containing the remains of Army Staff Sgt. Jonathan M. Metzger of Indianapolis, Army Spc. Brian J. Leonhardt of Merrillville, Army Spc. Christopher A. Patterson of Aurora, Ill. and Army Spc. Robert J. Tauteris Jr. of Hamlet, Ind., upon arrival at Dover Air Force Base, DE on Sunday.
The only survivor of the bombing, 29-year-old Pvt. Doug Rachowicz, is in a drug-induced coma in a Virginia hospital with multiple wounds. He faces a long and painful recovery; please hold him in your thoughts and prayers.
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Please join me below for a remembrance of the lives of the four fallen soldiers.
Staff Sgt. Jonathan Metzger
Staff Sgt. Metzger was the unit's commander. Military officials said robots had swept the southern Afghanistan road for bombs before the convoy came through.
According to Metzger's father-in-law, retired Indianapolis police Detective Patrick Lair:
"We were told that robots had been sent ahead of the convoy and they cleared the road. They didn't find anything. So, Jonathan took the lead. They rolled over it, and it blew up." ....
"Jonathan got on the air and said, 'I will take the lead,'" Lair told WTHR-TV. "It was his squad, and just as soon as he took the lead, that is when the IED went off. ...
It is just devastating. We all pray that none of us will ever get that knock at the door. My heart goes out to all the families of servicemen, all of them and the parents and the brothers and the sisters and the friends and the children."
Staff Sgt. Metzger was a career military man who spent eight years in the Marine Corps. He planned on a military career and was studying for the rank of master sergeant.
He was on his second deployment, six weeks into a nine-month tour in Afghanistan. He had also served a tour in Iraq.
Click here to see a video of Staff Sgt. Metzger as he was training for this deployment.
Metzger was due to return to Indiana on leave in a few weeks.
"Jonathan was a hero, a true hero, and he still is in our hearts, because he lived by the creed to protect this country," Lair told WTHR. "God bless him and God rest his soul."
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Rest in peace, Staff Sgt. Jonathan Metzger. You have served with honor.
Specialist Robert Tauteris Jr.
Specialist Robert "Bobby" Tauteris Jr. was on his second combat tour, along with his 21-year-old son Robert Tauteris III. According to their family, the father reenlisted in the National Guard after his 21-year-old son, Robert III joined up and was sent to Afghanistan. The father had hoped he could keep his son safe during their deployment.
The Tauteris' and their unit left for Afghanistan in October.
Specialist Robert Tauteris Jr. grew up in rural northwestern Indiana’s Starke County and graduated from North Judson High School in 1986. Before his deployment, he was employed by Ferro, a paint manufacturer. His uncle, Ed Tauteris, describes him as:
...."a loving, attentive father to his two sons, Robert Tauteris III and Matthew. He was great father who loved his kids, took very good care of them. He was a great provider. He’d work seven days a week, come home and take his kids fishing, hunting, to baseball, stuff like that.”
Robert Tauteris III, who was in Afghanistan when his father was killed, accompanied his father’s body back to the U.S.
Ed Tauteris said:
“He flew home with his dad. That poor kid. I feel so bad for him.”
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Rest in peace, Specialist Robert Tauteris Jr. You have served with honor.
Spc. Christopher A. Patterson
Spc. Patterson was a sophomore music major at Valparaiso University, planning to become a music teacher. When his National Guard unit was activated to leave for Afghanistan in November, Patterson had the option of not going with the unit. But as he told his mother, Mary Patterson:
"Mom, dad, that's not what I joined the Guard for. I joined to serve my country. I'm going with my unit."
His father, Robert Patterson, said of his young son:
"He was a man of God, full of life, he was a really good friend."
Patterson was a 2009 graduate of West Aurora High School and had played in the school band. At Valparaiso, he was a member of the University Chorale, VU’s premiere vocal ensemble, and was a participant in last spring's Chorale’s tour to Washington D.C., Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida.
Patterson also was a member of Phi Mu Alpha, a professional music fraternity; VuVox, a student a cappella group; and was enrolled in the ROTC program. The college is planning a memorial service for Christopher.
Patterson’s father, Robert Patterson, is retired from the Navy, and his mother is a Navy reservist, yeoman second class. Christopher's younger brother Carl has enlisted in the Marines.
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Rest in peace, Spc. Christopher A. Patterson. You have served with honor.
Spc. Brian J. Leonhardt
Spc. Leonhardt was in a second vehicle that turned back to help the vehicle that exploded; this second vehicle hit a roadside bomb which killed him.
Spc. Leonhardt was the youngest of four brothers to fight in Middle East. His three brothers returned safely from fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. After graduating from high school, Leonhardt followed his brothers into the military.
His father, Robert Leonhardt of Crown Point, IN, said that after Brian announced last September that he was shipping off to Afghanistan:
"I was worried that I was pushing my luck.....It was dangerous work, but you couldn't tell Brian."
Brian knew he was risking his life, but he still wanted to serve his country. Chuck Leonhardt, his older brother, said:
“He would have been a great man....He had so much more to give; he was an amazing person."
Brian's family was thrilled when they recently learned that Brian and his girlfriend Dianne had secretly gotten married before he left for Afghanistan.
Spc. Leonhardt was the sixth of eight children. A memorial service will take place at the family’s church, First Baptist Church of Hammond, and a funeral will take place at Memory Lane Memorial Chapel in Schererville. His funeral will include a presence by firefighters, the Patriot Guard Riders and the Lake County Sheriff's Department Bagpipe and Drum Brigade.
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Rest in peace, Spc. Brian J. Leonhardt. You have served with honor.
About the IGTNT series:
"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, SisTwo, SpamNunn, TrueBlueMajority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, maggiejean, Kestrel9000, TheFatLadySings, JaxDem, and me, Ekaterin. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for them.
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 site. 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, Wide Awake in Kentucky, Ms Wings, maggiejean, racheltracks, ccasas, JaxDem, CalNM, TheFatLadySings, and me, Ekaterin. 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.
If you would like to contribute to the series, even once a month, please contact Sandy on Signal.
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.