"I didn't want to let them in. I knew why they were here. You see it on the movies, but you never know the emptiness that it brings until you see them for yourself." |
TRAVIS S. BACHMAN, died August 1, 2007, aged 30
A pale woman stares at the broad expanse of sky and braces for the moment when she will at last have proof her husband is dead.
She clutches her 8-month-old daughter, Kaleigh. In her hand, she holds a wad of tissue.
"The plane is here," crackles a two-way radio, breaking a silence that stretches along the tarmac at Garden City Regional Airport and hangs over the 100 people watching Amber Bachman face her greatest fear.
The whine of engines cuts through the crowd on the runway as a small white jet taxies. The cargo door opens, and the flag-draped coffin of Sgt. 1st Class Travis Bachman emerges.
That's when the sobbing begins.
Eight days earlier, Amber sits in a conference room at the Finney County District Attorney's office where she works and wonders if she's going to be fired.
It's mid-morning, and out of the blue her supervisor Shelly Pfenninger has said they need to meet privately for a six-month review.
Pfenninger doesn't seem herself, though, and Amber notices tears in her eyes.
Then, she sees them. Two uniformed men.
They walk into the room to give her unbearable, impossible news. And she doesn't want to hear it.
She flings her glasses from her face, and they skid along the table.
"No, don't tell me. This can't be happening," she screams. "No. No. No."
Now, the two soldiers wait patiently to give Amber time to accept the news.
"You need to listen to what they have to say," Pfenninger tells her.
But Amber knows she won't remember their words, and she asks Pfenninger to listen for her.
They last spoke two days before he was killed. Travis was excited their replacements had arrived.
After a year overseas, he was due home in two weeks.
Later, as the house fills to brimming, Amber is both glad she doesn't have to be alone and yearning for sanctuary.
She slips away to Travis' room for a respite. Her 4-year-old son, Tyler, comes in. He points to a drawing of a soldier on the wallpaper border and announces, "That's my dad."
For Tyler, dad and soldier are one and the same.
He sits down on the soft leather couch and as he swallows his first mouthful of homemade ice cream, and softly asks, as if he needs reminding, "Who died?"
Like the adults around him, Tyler still can't grasp the news he was given Wednesday from a military chaplain, who knelt at his level, looked him in the eye, and said, "Some bad guys killed your dad in Iraq."
Nelson comes in and shares some much-needed news. "The body is viewable," he says.
"I want it to look like him," Amber says. "I want it to be the Travis I remember."
What if she can't see his dimples, she wonders.
"I fell in love with those dimples."
Travis S. Bachman reported killed in Iraq
Travis Bachman remembered by wife
Travis Bachman laid to rest
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"I keep thinking that maybe it was a mistake. That maybe he was just kidnapped or something and that they'll bring him back." |
JULIAN INGLES RIOS, died August 2, 2007, aged 52
ERIC D. SALINAS, died August 2, 2007, aged 25
FERNANDO SANTOS, died August 2, 2007, aged 29
CHRISTIAN VASQUEZ, died August 2, 2007, aged 20
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"He was the best out of everyone I knew for telling a story. He used to stay up all night reading books." |
CRISTIAN ROJAS-GALLEGO, died August 2, 2007, aged 24
It was a choice he made for his family. Army specialist Cristian Rojas-Gallego learned his wife Megan was pregnant. Older brother Eduardo Rojas-Gallego said Cristian made a difficult decision.
"He made the decision to go back to the Army. He wanted to provide a better life for them and for the new born baby," said Eduardo. "He knew the consequences of his decision, but he did it for them."
The former Marine had already served three tours in Iraq. But Cristian re-enlisted, this time with the Army. And this time, his family said he didn't have a choice financially. Cristian's family said the military was the only place he found an opportunity to work again.
"As a family we did not want that for him to go back over there because we know it was really hard...for him and for us to know where he was," said Eduardo.
The 24-year-old veteran was killed in Baghdad last Thursday when a bomb exploded near his vehicle.
Eduardo says it was his brother's last mission. Cristian was supposed to come home this month. His mother Beatrice Felis-Rojas said that thought makes her heart ache.
"Mujerde mucho. It hurts a lot," said Beatrice.
Cristian Rojas-Gallego dies 'of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle'
Cristian Rojas-Gallego remembered
Cristian Rojas-Gallego laid to rest
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"He looked like this big macho guy, but he was so sensitive." |
MATTHEW M. MURCHISON, died August 4, 2007, aged 21
BRADEN J. LONG, died August 4, 2007, aged 19
JARON D. HOLLIDAY, died August 4, 2007, aged 21
JASON K. LaFLEUR, died August 4, 2007, aged 28
DUSTIN S. WAKEMAN, died August 4, 2007, aged 25
CHARLES E. LEONARD JR., died August 5, 2007, aged 29
JUSTIN R. BLACKWELL, died August 5, 2007, aged 27
JEREMY S. BOHANNON, died August 5, 2007, aged 18
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"We both really liked 'Romeo and Juliet,' and in one of our classes, we had to memorize 15 lines. We decided to memorize 150 lines. He was really hard-working and always wanted to go above and beyond what you had to do." |
JUAN M. ALCANTARA, died August 6, 2007, aged 22
Born in the Dominican Republic, Juan Alcantara moved to Washington Heights with his family at age 5.
After graduating from Edward A. Reynolds West Side High School in 2004, he enlisted in the Army, hoping to earn money to enroll in college after his service, his family said.
His tour of duty in Iraq was extended four months past the date he was to return, June 28 - the day before his daughter, Jaylani Marie, was born.
"It's an injustice that they didn't let him see his daughter," said Maria Alcantara, his mother. "He had finished his service. There was no reason for him to be there."
"They told him that because I didn't have complications from the pregnancy, there was no need for him to be here," said his fiancee, Sayonara Lopez. "I started to cry. He was upset."
Said his mother, "He was supposed to come home in June but because of Bush, they extended his stay. Because of Bush's persistence in taking over Iraq, my son is dead. This is a war that has no meaning."
At the burial in Long Island National Cemetery, Pinelawn, only the sobs of the deceased soldier's mother broke the silence in the graveyard as grieving onlookers watched six Army soldiers fold the American flag over the coffin.
"My only son, Mariel," María cried, calling her son by his middle name, as a soldier began to play "Taps" on his trumpet.
Family members placed white spider mums on Alcantara's coffin and said their final goodbyes. As Sayonara Lopez, his fiancee, neared the coffin with the couple's 6-week-old daughter cradled in her arms, the baby began to cry. Lopez handed the baby to another mourner, then draped herself over the silver coffin, pounding fists on it, screaming "No!" before relatives pulled her away.
Juan M. Alcantara dies 'of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device'
Juan Alcantara remembered at wake
Juan Alcantara laid to rest
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"He wanted to see the world, see different people and different cultures. It was something he always wanted to do." |
KAREEM R. KHAN, died August 6, 2007, aged 20
NICHOLAS A. GUMMERSALL, died August 6, 2007, aged 23
CHRISTOPHER T. NEIBERGER, died August 6, 2007, aged 22
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"He said, 'Don't worry, I'm fine. Everything's fine'. But his voice sounded different." |
JACOB M. THOMPSON, died August 6, 2007, aged 26
With solemn military pageantry, and many stories of honor, dedication -- and fishing -- Staff Sgt. Jacob Thompson was eulogized and laid to rest Saturday in Mankato.
Monroe Elementary teacher Steve Miller -- Thompson's fifth-grade teacher -- said he remembered trying different approaches to reach the youngster in school. "When I talked about reading, he talked about hunting with his brother. When I talked about math, he talked about fishing," Miller said.
But Thompson was engrossed when the studies turned to American history, hard-fought freedoms and bravery. Miller said at the end of the year, many students give him a coffee cup or cards of thanks. Thompson gave him fishing lures he'd made -- lures that since that day have stayed on Miller's classroom desk.
They stayed in touch as Thompson went through middle and high school, talking about fishing and, later, Thompson's joining the Army and his deployment to Iraq.
"In the fall, three years ago, I was teaching and we looked out the window and there was a soldier in full fatigues saluting," Miller said. "Jacob came in the class and we talked, and he told the class what he did. One girl raised her hand and said, 'My mom says you're a hero.'"
"Jacob looked at her and said, 'No, I'm a soldier'."
Jacob Thompson reported killed in Iraq
Jacob Thompson remembered by family
Jacob Thompson laid to rest
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"He could take the most stressful situation and turn it into a comedy." |
J.J. (JON E.) BONNELL JR., died August 7, 2007, aged 22
REYNOLD ARMAND, died August 7, 2007, aged 21
DONALD M. YOUNG, died August 8, 2007, aged 19
MICHAEL E. TAYAOTAO, died August 9, 2007, aged 27
JOAN J. DURAN, died August 10, 2007, aged 24
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"He loved music and had the potential to be a concert pianist. He made beautiful music." |
ALICIA A. BIRCHETT, died August 8, 2007, aged 21
The fires have been burning for a week straight. The smudging ceremony for the burial robes is complete. On Saturday, "Little Brown Bee" will have flown home for good.
In Mashpee, more than a dozen of her family and friends have kept watch at Laverne Jackson's house. Jackson, Birchett's aunt, said that it is a tribal custom to keep a fire lit continuously from the time someone dies until they are buried.
Although the feeling of loss was palpable at Jackson's home last night, an overwhelming sense of pride and a celebration of Birchett's life shone as bright as the flames flickering in remembrance of their loved one in a small outdoor fireplace behind the house. The smell of burning sage wafted through the summer evening air, mingling with the American Indian music playing in the background, while relatives gathered around the fire recalled an adventurous woman who was dedicated to her country and family, and proud of her heritage.
"Joining the Army was her way of contributing to the world and seeing the world," her cousin said.
Her death has devastated the family, Beatrice Jackson said.
More than a dozen relatives were present last night at Laverne Jackson's house, which would've pleased Birchett, said uncle Wayne Jackson.
Growing up, Wayne said there were often more than a dozen family members living together in the house, including Birchett, which suited this close-knit family just fine. "Christmas was always crazy," he said.
That strong sense of family will be honored when Birchett is brought to the Old Indian Cemetery, where she will be buried in a traditional Wampanoag ceremony instead of receiving a military funeral.
Birchett's burial robes have been marked with soot from a fire in a smudging ceremony conducted by her Aunt June. Saturday she will be sent to join her ancestors with drums, prayers and tobacco, which are all part of Wampanoag tradition.
Alicia A. Birchett dies 'of injuries suffered from a non-combat related accident'
Alicia Birchett remembered
Alicia Birchett laid to rest
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"He always joked when I asked him what the war was like. I asked him, 'Have you seen any action over there?' He said, 'Nope, they all wear veils'. " |
WILLIAM L. EDWARDS, died August 11, 2007, aged 23
ANDREW W. LANCASTER, died August 11, 2007, aged 23
SCOTT L. KIRKPATRICK, died August 11, 2007, aged 26
DANIEL (WILLIAM D.) SCATES, died August 11, 2007, aged 31
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"I'm sure the biggest way he'd want to be remembered, first and foremost as far as the type of person he was, is how much he cared about his family and loved his family. He was really great with his little brothers and sister." |
JUSTIN O. PENROD, died August 11, 2007, aged 24
In between his service in the Army National Guard and his enlistment in the regular Army, Spc. Penrod had a job fixing air-conditioners for PP Service Center in Mahomet.
In 2004, a customer introduced Spc. Penrod to the customer's daughter, Christina Whittington; within a couple of months, they were married, just in time for Spc. Penrod to head off to Iraq. The couple have an 8-month-old son, Colin.
Spc. Penrod crammed a lot of life and a little mischief into his 24 years, before he was killed Saturday when a bomb in Baghdad went off as he and his infantry buddies chased after a sniper.
It was the second tour in Iraq for Spc. Penrod, who friends say had a lifelong interest in the military, helping the less fortunate and "getting into trouble."
His mother, Tina Tuttle of Danville, said that as a young boy, Spc. Penrod helped a disabled neighbor up and down the stairs.
"He always wanted to help people that need help," she said, adding that he could be "ornery" as well.
Spc. Penrod spent most of his formative years with his father and stepmother, George and Diane Penrod of Danville.
Diane Penrod said that he treated her as his mother and his stepbrother, Rick Reavis, as a true brother.
"Rick was a quadriplegic, and Justin, as a teenager, put his whole life on hold to take care of him. Justin would put him in a wheelchair and they'd go to the mall or movies. He wanted to make sure Rick wasn't lonely," she said.
Rick Reavis died in 2002 at age 26.
His cousin, Angie Andis of Paoli, suggested Americans have become accustomed to learning about the deaths of soldiers, but having it happen to a family member changes one's perspective.
She said she went to her mother's home after learning of Penrod's death. "We went through pictures of him when he was small, when he had come here," she said.
"This was his second deployment to Iraq," Andis said. But, she said something different had happened this time before he left.
"When I talked to my grandmother and my aunt," Andis said, "both of them made it sound like they felt like he wasn't coming back this time. He kept telling them he loved them. ... He had made plans with his wife this time for what he wanted done at his funeral. ... He felt the need to make plans this time."
Justin O. Penrod dies 'of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device'
Justin Penrod remembered by family
Justin Penrod remembered at candlelight vigil
Justin Penrod laid to rest
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"He was the best thing that ever happened to me." |
PAULO MARKO PACIFICADOR, died August 13, 2007, aged 24
JUAN M. LOPEZ JR., died August 13, 2007, aged 23
ERIC D. COTTRELL, died August 13, 2007, aged 39
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"I got to speak to him on the Web cam six hours before he was killed. And just before I got off the phone I was crying and he told me I needed to be strong and he would be home soon." |
ALUN R. HOWELLS, died August 13, 2007, aged 20
An American soldier killed in Iraq will have his ashes scattered in a "wild but beautiful place" in Wales.
Alun Howells, who was a Private First Class in the US Army, had stated that, should he die, he wanted his final resting place to be in Wales.
The rugby fan will have a full military funeral in the town of Menomonie in Wisconsin on Sunday, but his ashes will later be brought to North Wales.
His Welsh-speaking father Gwyn now lives in Wisconsin but grew up in Porthmadog. Alun's ashes will be scattered near the Gwynedd town.
Writing on his MySpace page, Spc Howells said, "I have a lot of plans for the future. I want to travel and see new things and eventually move back to the UK, but that isn't till the distant future.
"As of short term, I am going to finish my time in the army and get out. I may join the air force reserve but that's all up in the air.
"What I do know for sure is that I want to go to finish up college after the army, maybe play rugby with my little brother, and get a degree in physical therapy, leaning more towards sports medicine."
He added, "I would like to meet all my family and friends again in a nice pub that's NOT IN IRAQ and sit down and have a beer and some fish'n'chips with them and be grateful for their presence and humour and all the other things I took for granted before I left. I miss you all! I hope you all know you're loved, and I can't wait to see you all again."
In addition to his parents, Howells is survived by three siblings.
He was 20 years old.
Alun R. Howells dies 'of wounds suffered from enemy direct fire'
Alun Howells remembered
Alun Howells remembered by teacher
Alun Howells' final wishes to be honored
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"I hate the war. I hate what it's doing. I feel a lot of hatred. I'm very angry at the war. Angry that there has to be one. Angry because I know there's no end to it and they're just killing our kids." |
SHAWN D. HENSEL, died August 14, 2007, aged 20
STEVEN R. JEWELL, died August 14, 2007, aged 26
STANLEY B. REYNOLDS, died August 14, 2007, aged 37
SEAN P. FISHER, died August 14, 2007, aged 29
JACKIE L. McFARLANE JR., died August 14, 2007, aged 30
CHRISTOPHER C. JOHNSON, died August 14, 2007, aged 31
PRINCESS C. SAMUELS, died August 15, 2007, aged 22
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"That was the best gift I could have gotten was for him to come home and spend time with his family for two weeks. But now looking back at it, I feel like it was his good bye." |
ZANDRA T. WALKER, died August 15, 2007, aged 28
The country church is small, two sets of 12 rows on either side of a central aisle with room for eight on each pew if you sit close enough to count teeth.
So people who had sent men, and now daughters, to wars for a century, had to stand in the back of Mount Hopewell Baptist Church, founded in 1880 by former slaves. They stood on the sides, and overflow waited outside.
Because on Friday afternoon in the far southwestern corner of York County, a mile or so from where she was raised in northwest Chester County, a community called Thompson Quarters held a funeral for one of its own. A soldier who was killed by enemy fire in Iraq nine days before.
So the church ladies fried chicken and baked coconut cake marble cake, chocolate cake and cream cheese cake. They made macaroni and cheese and banana pudding and peach cobbler, and corn and green beans and potato salad. They made at least seven sweet potato pies.
Behind the church a solitary man covered in sweat hustled to get the grave ready for the service. Luke Fuller. The grave was exactly 8 feet long by 35 inches wide, and it sat next to the grave of Katrina Worthy, Zandra's youngest sister. She died in June at age 22, from a brain tumor.
Fuller set up a concrete box called a Houston Vault, painted silver, to hold the casket. The vault would be winched down into the ground. On its top read: "Spc. Zandra Worthy-Walker," and there was a picture of her.
She was smiling, beautiful, and now, at 28 years old, she was dead in a war.
I asked Fuller if he knew who the grave was for and he said no, so I told him it was a lady soldier who grew up a mile from where we stood.
"Oh, my," he said. "I buried soldiers in other places, too. I'll make it perfect."
And he did.
An Army sergeant named Lescott Roberts strode to the altar. He is from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, and he spoke with an accent. He came from Taji, Iraq, where Zandra died, to this country place because it mattered to him to be there.
Zandra served under Roberts. She volunteered for missions when he needed someone, he said. She did noncommissioned officer duties, although she wasn't one, when there wasn't an officer to be had. She was a leader.
Zandra's accent, that upbringing that showed where she came from, was in that church Friday. Generations of men from this area who went to wars sat or they stood, and some cried.
The funeral ended. The family and all those soldiers filed through the biker guards with the American flags. Fuller sat on a grader in a field nearby. He had finished on time.
And the family buried Zandra in that awful, perfect grave.
Zandra T. Walker dies 'when the enemy attacked using indirect fire'
Zandra 'Nicey' Walker laid to rest
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ROBERT R. PIRELLI, died August 15, 2007, aged 29
The following is taken from a letter written by Shawn Pirelli, brother of Army Staff Sgt. Robert Pirelli of Franklin. The letter was released by the Army on the family's behalf.
William Shakespeare once wrote "All the world's a stage, And all the men and women are merely players; They have their exits and entrances ..."
All things die, but some never live. Each individual is offered an opportunity to excel, yet many a person relinquishes this gift, never to comprehend with certainty his or her true potential. Others, like the burning of one thousand blazing suns, live among the stars. This is to one whom has sacrificed his own breath so that others can breathe.
Robert Ryan Pirelli, 29-years-young, a brother, son, friend, confidant, and soldier, died on Wednesday after being struck in the head with a bullet. On a mission in Iraq, Rob was killed by a rogue bullet and died sometime on Wednesday, August 15.
As a beloved solder, his wisdom rivaled no other; his devotion to family and friends radiated from the depths of his soul to the horizon of infinity. Like a star which cannot be extinguished by the darkness around it, Robert Pirelli left a footprint on this speck of dust we call existence.
Plastered against the cream-colored wall, above his bed, resides a map of the United States. Scattered throughout the map are sticky-stars to all of the locations he has trained and been based. The room, which gives the feeling of twilight, projects only a silhouette of the window shade onto the floor where pictures are scattered - removed from the safety of leather-bound books and plastic. The room is sullen, but the knowledge of him lives on.
I remember the last words he spoke to me on Christmas Day of 2006. He had me convinced that he was bulletproof. I have known him for 23 years, and for the duration of my life, I will never believe he was scared for a second. He was the beacon of fearlessness and strength. In a strange way, I am still convinced he is bulletproof.
Some things are hard to forget. Three soldiers from Rob's team had come to Massachusetts to be with the family. On Friday, we all sat and told stories of the times when Rob was with us. Somewhere, in that room, Rob was immortalized. He existed, if only for a second, in the majesty of our words, the passion of our tears, and the hammers in our hearts.
Robert R. Pirelli dies 'of wounds sustained from enemy small arms fire'
Robert Pirelli remembered by brother
Robert Pirelli laid to rest
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He was very, very romantic. For our first date he took me at night to a hill which overlooks Boston and the whole city was lit up. That's when we had our first kiss. |
WILL (WILLARD M.) POWELL-KERCHIEF, died August 16, 2007, aged 21
KAMISHA J. BLOCK, died August 16, 2007, aged 20
PAUL B. NORRIS, died August 16, 2007, aged 30
JONATHAN W. EDDS, died August 17, 2007, aged 24
MICHAEL S. FIELDER, died August 19, 2007, aged 35
DONOVAN D. WITHAM, died August 21, 2007, aged 20
SANDY R. BRITT, died August 21, 2007, aged 30
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"He was always there to catch me if I fell." |
JOSHUA S. HARMON, died August 22, 2007, aged 20
Cpl. Joshua Scott Harmon
Funeral Mass for Cpl. Joshua Scott Harmon, 20, of Mentor-on-the-Lake, will be 10 a.m. Friday at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 7575 Bellflower Road, Mentor.
Joshua died Aug. 22, 2007, in Multaka, Iraq.
He was born Nov. 25, 1986, in Euclid.
Joshua was a U.S. Army Veteran Specialist E/4, assigned to the 25th Light Infantry Division, (nicknamed "Tropic Lightning") 35th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion. He served as a Combat Medic attached to the Scouts Sniper Platoon and received the Army Medal of Commendation of Valor for performing extraordinary life-saving measures. Additionally, Joshua was awarded the Combat Medical Badge. Joshua was deployed to Iraq Aug. 5, 2006, serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom, stationed in Kirkuk, Iraq.
When returning from a mission Aug. 22, 2007, Joshua Harmon lost his life when the UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter that was transporting him crashed in Multaka, outside of Kirkuk. Thirteen fellow soldiers also lost their lives as a result of the Black Hawk crash.
Joshua joined the Army in August 2005, and served his country as a Combat Medic. He was promoted posthumously to Corporal Aug. 22, 2007, and was awarded the Bronze Star. In a recent letter to family and friends Joshua said, "I just stay focused on my job as platoon medic to make sure my soldiers are taken care of night and day. Sometimes it is a tiring job, but I have found great pride and satisfaction in performing."
Joshua married Kristin Rathjen May 10, 2007. Kristin was the love of his life and he could not wait to get back into her arms.
Joshua was a 2005 graduate of Mentor High School and an accomplished musician on the guitar and drums. He enjoyed many sports, including bowling, soccer, Kenpo karate, and working on cars.
Joshua loved animals, especially the family dogs, Mercedes and Ginger. He adored his little black cat, Sheila. His face lit up every time he saw Sheila. Joshua always had a smile and was a very giving and caring person. He was a good friend, wonderful son, devoted husband, and good citizen.
Survivors are his wife, Kristin N. (Rathjen) Harmon; mother, Donna (nee Kriz) Harmon; father, Richard (Leslie) Harmon; brother, Jason Harmon/Kriz; grandmothers, Mildred Kriz and Dolores Harmon; aunts and uncles, Frank (Ann) Kriz, Jim (Robin) Kriz, Kenneth (Linda) Kriz, Chris (Carol) Harmon, Kevin (Dorleen) Harmon, Kim Harmon, Patricia Kidd and Donna Stock; parents-in-law, Susan (Timothy) Collins and Jon Rathjen; brother-in-law, John Rathjen; many very loving cousins too numerous to list; lifelong friends, Eric Lemr and Brandon "Norm" Alexander; good friends, Jayme Vines, Scott Walland, Nate Damm and Kyle Fisher; and those who made a significant difference in Joshua's life, Jeff and Marie Lemr, Ron Vines and Jana Abplanalp.
The family suggests contributions be made in Joshua's name to his favorite charities. They are the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675-8517, or the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, Gift Processing Center, P.O. Box 29119, Phoenix, AZ 85038-9119.
Joshua S. Harmon dies 'of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed'
Joshua Harmon remembered by family
Joshua Harmon remembered
Joshua Harmon laid to rest
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"He said he was keeping me in his dreams. He was picking out our house he was going to buy in Alaska." |
NATHAN C. HUBBARD, died August 22, 2007, aged 21
MICHAEL A. HOOK, died August 22, 2007, aged 25
PHILLIP J. BRODNICK, died August 22, 2007, aged 25
JESSY G. POLLARD, died August 22, 2007, aged 22
GARRETT I. McLEAD, died August 22, 2007, aged 23
JASON L. PATON, died August 22, 2007, aged 25
DEREK A. DOBOGAI, died August 22, 2007, aged 26
TYLER R. SEIDEMAN, died August 22, 2007, aged 20
JEREMY P. BOUFFARD, died August 22, 2007, aged 21
RICKEY L. BELL, died August 22, 2007, aged 21
CORRY P. TYLER, died August 22, 2007, aged 29
MATTHEW L. TALLMAN, died August 22, 2007, aged 30
OMAR E. TORRES, died August 22, 2007, aged 20
EDGAR E. CARDENAS, died August 22, 2007, aged 34
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"He had all these dreams." |
JOSH (PAUL J.) FLYNN, died August 22, 2007, aged 28
One month before they left for Iraq, chief warrant officers Josh Flynn and Tom Montijo made a promise to each other.
This week, Montijo kept it.
"The pact was to bring each other home safe," Montijo said. "It never crossed my mind that it would be this way. But I brought him home."
Montijo landed in Raleigh on Wednesday, he and his wife Lauren mourning alongside the Flynn family.
Flynn was the first person Montijo met at his first duty station on July 5, 2004. They were friends instantly.
"We were inseparable after that," Montijo said. "He was just that easy of a guy to be friends with."
Flynn, 28, often stayed with Montijo, 25, and wife Lauren when they were stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington. Flynn was a member of their wedding party.
"He was there 24-7," Montijo said. "These last two years, he practically lived with us. We looked through our pictures and he's in all of them. We went on all of our snowboarding and skiing trips together."
In a quiet moment, after the crowds cleared away from the graveside Friday, the Montijos knelt and wept at the casket.
Even in mourning, there is no respite for soldiers like Montijo.
Next week, he will return to Iraq and the danger of war.
And for the first time, he will be there without his best friend, who he promised to bring home safe.
Josh (Paul J.) Flynn dies 'of injuries suffered when his helicopter crashed'
Josh Flynn remembered
Josh Flynn laid to rest
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"You just can't believe it. One month in Iraq and he's gone." |
ADRIAN M. ELIZALDE, died August 23, 2007, aged 30
MICHAEL J. TULLY, died August 23, 2007, aged 33
DAVID A. HERINGES, died August 24, 2007, aged 36
MATTHEW S. MEDLICOTT, died August 25, 2007, aged 21
TRACY C. WILLIS, died August 26, 2007, aged 21
ROGELIO A. RAMIREZ, died August 26, 2007, aged 21
JOSHUA L. MORLEY, died August 26, 2007, aged 22
JAMES S. COLLINS JR., died August 28, 2007, aged 35
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"I just feel like we should be doing their weddings, not their funerals." |
EDWARD L. BROOKS, died August 29, 2007, aged 25
A small buffalo patch on retired Army Sgt. First Class Stanley Andrews' uniform caught the curious eye of then-Junior ROTC student Edward Brooks.
He asked his ROTC instructor at Colonel White School for the Arts what it meant.
"If you want to know, look it up," Stanley told him, recalling the exchange Friday as he remembered Brooks, a 25-year-old Army soldier who died in Iraq last week.
The high school student did look it up and came back two days later with a five-page report on the history of the 9th and 10th Cavalry units.
Before that, the crest had never held much meaning for Andrews. But Brooks' report sparked his own curiosity in wanting to learn more about the Buffalo Soldiers, black U.S. army regiments commissioned by Congress to patrol the American West after the Civil War.
Andrews told mourners gathered at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church that Brooks has joined thousands of American soldiers who have given their lives in defense of their country and will be remembered by those "who have had the great honor to have passed their trail in history."
The former JROTC instructor at Colonel White, since renamed Thurgood Marshall High School, was among several people who spoke in tribute to the young soldier, including Joseph Duverglas, who said his grandson had served three tours of duty and was wounded three times.
His brother, Darryl Duverglas Jr., himself an Army soldier, said after the funeral that his brother was first injured in a tank explosion in 2003. On a second tour, he nearly lost his arm, he said.
On Aug. 29, he died after being wounded by an improvised explosive device. On Friday, Army Brig. Gen. Patricia McQuistion presented the family with a second Purple Heart.
Edward L. Brooks dies 'of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device'
Edward Brooks laid to rest
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"I taught him how to swim." |
ERICK M. FOSTER, died August 29, 2007, aged 29
JOHN C. TANNER, died August 29, 2007, aged 21
ANDREW P. NELSON, died August 29, 2007, aged 22
TROY (JUSTIN T.) SANDERS, died August 29, 2007, aged 22
JASON M. BUTKUS, died August 30, 2007, aged 34
DANIEL E. SCHEIBNER, died August 30, 2007, aged 40
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"He told me people were getting stupid over there. He told me he was scared and worried. He was so close to coming home and things were getting tough." |
GILMOE (KEVIN A.) GILBERTSON, died August 31, 2007, aged 24
Cedar Rapids native Sgt. Kevin Allan Gilbertson died on Friday in a hospital in Germany.
The soldier, known as an upbeat, rabble-rousing, ball of fire nicknamed Gilmoe, was shot in Ramadi, Iraq, last week and died two days later. He was on his second tour in the country, military officials said.
"He was always go-go-go," said his former stepmother Diane Gilbertson, who married Gilbertson's father when Kevin was 4 years old. "It hit me. It hit me hard."
Kevin Gilbertson, 25, was a newly minted family man. His son was born 8 months ago to his wife. The couple lived in Scheweinfurt, Germany, where Gilbertson served with the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division.
"He joined the Army right out of high school to get a college education when he got out," said Don Gilbertson, the soldier's father. "His dream was getting a degree and supporting his family.
"He was the greatest kid in the world."
A 2001 graduate of Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School, Kevin Gilbertson's MySpace page told much of his story.
The postings ranged from expletive-laced tough-guy messages left by his buddies to pink-and-purple "Happy Easter" cards that prominently display bunny rabbits.
The soldier's aunt, Amy Gilbertson of Austin, Texas, said that Kevin "was kind of like my little brother. He's always been very proud. He loved his country. He really embraced being a soldier."
Diane Gilbertson said Kevin made family a priority. He immediately befriended her twin sons, now 21 years old, and would visit her 12-year-old boy when he was on leave from Iraq. "He looks up to Kevin," Gilbertson said. "He was a huge influence."
Many posts on Kevin Gilbertson's Web page related to his service or to his son. One, left on New Year's Eve 2006, included a prayer for soldiers.
Please God ... Grant them courage, when times seem bleak.
Grant them strength, when they seem weak.
Grant them comfort, when they feel all alone, and most of all,
God, please bring them all home.
Family members say they are beginning to learn more about how Gilbertson died in combat. Aunt Amy Gilbertson said "I just talked to his father. He did die with his best friend over there, his name was Sergeant Edward Brooks... but he died on the spot."
Gilmoe (Kevin A.) Gilbertson dies 'Aug. 31 in Germany, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit during combat operations Aug. 29'
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TRAVIS M. VIRGADAMO, died August 30, 2007, aged 19
During a visit to his family in Pahrump in July, Army Pfc. Travis Virgadamo of Las Vegas shared his recent combat experience in Iraq.
He told of being ordered into houses without knowing what was behind strangers' doors. He talked of walking along roadsides fearing the next step could trigger lethal explosives.
Virgadamo told them he had been so frightened, he had sought and received psychiatric counseling from the military in Iraq. He received additional counseling during a trip home in late July, his family said.
"When he came home on leave in July he told me he had only recently been switched from Zoloft to Prozac," said family friend Marcy Kallick, who also takes Prozac in the same dosage Virgadamo did . "I was constantly reminding him every day to take his Prozac."
"He did not want to go back," Kallick said.
After leaving Las Vegas in late July, Virgadamo returned to Georgia and then to Kuwait before reentering Iraq in August, his family said. While he was stationed in Georgia and Kuwait, military officials placed him on suicide watch,
"They took his gun away from him," she said, not knowing exactly when he got it back.
Kallick said that in one of her final phone conversations with Virgadamo from Iraq he lamented that the chaplain he had been seeing prior to his coming home was not available to talk with him.
Virgadamo's family thinks he was granted military leave this summer specifically to help him briefly escape the problems he was having dealing with the war, including a rollover accident in which he was involved in May.
On his My Space page, Virgadamo described that ordeal, writing on May 13:
"After driving all day coming back to the base in a little SUV I was told to make my way up from a long-ass convoy and to pass them on the right side. Long story short, I hit a decent sized rock doing 60 mph, blew my rear tire, fish-tailed across both lanes of traffic, missing both my own convoy and on-coming traffic. I'm happy to say I had a lot of luck that night."
On Thursday crisply dressed soldiers appeared at his family's door in Pahrump to report that the 19-year-old had died that day of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at a forward post just outside of Baghdad.
The family says he was in no emotional shape to be assigned to combat. The Army knew he was suicidal, the soldier's grandmother, Katie O'Brien, said Friday.
His aunt, Rebecca McHugh, summed it up: "They gave him Prozac and sent him back to Iraq."
Travis M. Virgadamo dies 'in a non-combat related incident'
Travis Virgadamo remembered
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"He thought that indifference is everything that is wrong with humanity." |