Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality. ~Emily Dickinson
I Got the News Today (IGTNT) is a diary series intended to honor service members who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one.
The beautiful forget-me-nots were created by llbear.
Since 2003 there have been 4486 US casualties in Iraq and since 2001 there have been 2141 US casualties in Afghanistan. Source.
Pfc. Shane G. Wilson
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Pfc. Shane G. Wilson, 20, of Kuna, Idaho, died Oct. 18, in Khost, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
The cause of death was not announced.
Wilson graduated from Kuna High School in 2011 and his family issued the following statement.
“Shane died in the service of his country, and this is a very sad day for our family. He wanted to be a military man from a very young age and was proud to be a soldier. Shane was a very humble young man and was indeed one of the best men we’ve ever known. We loved him for so many reasons, including his loyalty, and he knew how to keep a confidence. He was caring and compassionate, and he always placed others before himself. He will be missed by his entire family, including his mother, father, two sisters, grandparents and great-grandparents. We are very proud of him and we do not want him to be forgotten.”
His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation.
A facebook tribute can be found here.
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Click here to read the series as begun by i dunno, and maintained by Sandy on Signal, noweasels, Blue Jersey Mom, Chacounne, Twilight Falling, Sis Two, Spam Nunn, CalNM, Wide Awake in KY,
maggiejean, Jaxdem, Kestrel9000, TheFatLadySings, and Ekaterin
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.
The IGTNT logo was created by Timroff.
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.