Today, the Department of Defense announced the names of 1 soldier and 5 marines killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. According to the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count the number of names released by the DoD is now 3105 and there are 19 more names of the deceased awaiting notification of the next of kin before being publicly released.
DoD identifies Marine Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the death of five Marines who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.Capt. Jennifer J. Harris, 28, of Swampscott, Mass.
1st Lt. Jared M. Landaker, 25, of Big Bear City, Calif.
Sgt. Travis D. Pfister, 27, of Richland, Wash.
Cpl. Thomas E. Saba, 30, of Toms River, N.J.
Sgt. James R. Tijerina, 26, of Beasley, Texas
All five Marines died Feb. 7 when the helicopter they were flying in crashed while supporting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq.
Captain Jennifer Harris is being remembered fondly in the Swampscott community. She is being remembered for being a dynamic, over acheiver. The Boston Herald interviewed some of the towns folk about Captain Harris:
An overachiever who graduated Swampscott High School bound for the Naval Academy, Jennifer Harris signed up for the most grueling program available: She wanted to be a Marine, according to the town’s veteran agent.
Harris, 27, a Marine Corps captain, was killed yesterday while piloting her CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter north of Baghdad.
“She was a great kid,” said Swampscott town veterans agent Jim Schultz. “This was her third tour. She was scheduled to come home next week.
...
“The police department sent her a care package, and she just sent one back,” he said.
He said in exchange for the baby wipes, soap, lip balm and regular essentials desert-stationed Marines request, Harris returned the favor by sending the police department a package with her squadron’s T-shirts, a flag that flew over a post in Iraq, and squadron patches. The package arrived about a week and a half ago, he said.
Washington community remembers Travis Pfister, story here
Many in Pfister's family gathered Wednesday at his mother's house in Kennewick.
They laughed and told stories of his childhood antics with his older brother, Josh Pfister, 29.
They also talked about how he loved to fish, hunt and ski, and how he lived life to the fullest.
"He carried himself with confidence and pride, and without (bravado)," said Hulse.
"Travis was a tough little nut," added his former Hanford High football coach, Greg Sevigny, in a phone interview. "He always had a smile on his face. And he was tenacious. He was a tough kid, but he always had a smile on his face."
Katy Marine dies in Iraq Copter Crash
"I saw two Marines drive up and park," he said. "And I knew they were coming to see me. I knew they were looking for me."Peter Tijerina said he told the two staff sergeants he wanted few details of the crash that killed his son and six others aboard the helicopter.
"I don't want to know how he died or how he suffered," he said.
Detroit Marine killed in Iraq, wanted to be a Chemical Engineer
He joined the Marines to pay for college, where he wanted to study engineering, said his grandfather, George Hill, whom Tarryl Hill referred to as his father.
``He was proud to be a Marine,'' he said.
After entering the military as a cook in April 2006, he started to develop an interest in culinary arts.
``He was interested in a lot of things. He was smart,'' Felicia Hill said. ``He never expected to be out on the front lines, and he liked to do everything he could.''
His family said Tarryl Hill was very athletic, and loved to play all sports from basketball to darts and regularly assisted with the youth program at his church.
His grandfather last spoke to Tarryl Hill by phone Jan. 31.
``He said, `I'm praying seven times a day, and I'm reading my Bible 10 times a day,''' George Hill said.
Sgt. Randy J. Matheny, 20, of McCook, Neb., died Feb. 4 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He was assigned to the 1074th Transportation Company, Sidney, Neb.
According to the McCook Gazette in southern Nebraska, friends and family recall Sgt. Matheny as a focused young man who 'gave his all to the army". His sister, who is also serving in Iraq, reflects upon her brother:
Dressed in their desert camouflage fatigues, Randy's sister, 27-year-old Karen, a National Guard staff sergeant, and his brother, 24-year-old Paul, a private first class in the regular Army, stood at ease, quietly ... proudly as reporters asked them about their little brother.
Karen is serving her second tour of duty in Iraq, and Paul is preparing now to deploy. Alert to topics that could cause tears to fall, Bowers answered most questions. Bowers described Randy as "a quiet man ... liked by everyone .. didn't do much damage to the community." "He wanted to be the best," Bowers said, and he wanted, particularly, to keep up with or, in a good-natured way, even outdo his big sister. "Randy looked up to his sister," she said.
All over the nation, families and friends are grieving. Please take a moment to remember them.
All of the U.S. fatalities can be seen here. They all had loved ones, families and friends. The DoD news releases are here.
I Got the News Today is a diary series intended to honor, respect and remind. I Got the News Today is maintained by i-dunno. Monkey biz, Silvercedes, and I help with it.
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