On this Father's Day, two more fathers are mourning the losses of their sons: Sgt. Steve McCoy and Sgt. John Aragon, who passed away this week from injuries sustained in service to their country in Iraq.
Although the poems, meditations, songs, or readings in IGTNT diaries are intended to honor the fallen, my heart is sick with grief over the loss of such fine men...and particularly over the suffering of their families on a day that should have been a happy one, but which will never again be one to celebrate.
So today, in honor of Sgt. McCoy—himself a father of two young children—and of Sgt. Aragon, and of their love for their families, I offer a special poem for their grieving families on this special day intended to celebrate families. (Join me over the flip for it and to remember these two men.)
When despair grows in me
and I wake in the middle of the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting for their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
~ Wendell Berry, "The Peace of Wild Things"
On this Father's Day, may the fathers of Sgt. McCoy and Sgt. Aragon--and of all the children whose lives have ended too soon in Iraq or Afghanistan--be granted some time to rest in the grace of the world and be free.
Sgt. Steve McCoy, 23, of Moultrie, GA
The DoD reports:
Sgt. Steve A. McCoy, 23, of Moultrie, Ga., died June 10 at Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, of wounds suffered on March 23 in Baghdad, Iraq, when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
He was the sole survivor of an IED that killed the other four soldiers in his vehicle in an incident on Easter Sunday that claimed the 4000th American life in Iraq. The explosion left him badly burned over about 90% of his body. But Steve McCoy was always a fighter. He battled hard for his life for nearly three months, facing pain and numerous complications, certain he would beat his injuries. Sadly, it wasn’t to be. A few days ago, Steve McCoy’s heart gave out and he passed away, the 4098th American to perish as a result of injuries sustained in Iraq.
There is little consolation to be found when a determined, dedicated, loyal young man dies at just 23—a man who had a wife and two young children he loved, a career he loved, family and friends and fellow countrymen he loved, and a bright future ahead of him. But if there is any consolation, it is that this man "died doing what he wanted to do. He was proud to be a soldier and proud to serve his country." (Source: Moultrie Observer)
Steve had figured out early that he wanted to serve his country in the Army. He and his brother, Eric, were both inspired by their late grandfather, Roland McCoy, who served his country during World War II. During Steve’s entire time at Colquitt County High School—from which he graduated in 2003—he participated in the Junior ROTC program to help prepare him for the career he wanted. And he excelled at it:
Lt. Col. Paul Nagy, director of the Colquitt County High School Junior ROTC program, said he remembered McCoy as a really good student and a really good kid. He served as a platoon guide in ROTC, winning two or three drill meets as platoon guide, and he was a member of the marksmanship team. Nagy said he could tell McCoy wanted to be a soldier.
"He was one of the best students I’ve ever had," Nagy said.
~ Moultrie Observer
After graduating from high school, Steve eventually enlisted in the Army in 2004. His leadership abilities were quickly recognized, and he started making his way up the promotion ladder. He was deployed to Iraq in January 2005, reenlisted later that year, and then was sent on his second tour of duty in Iraq in late 2007. He and his family were very proud when he was promoted to Sergeant in April, after he was injured. And his wife, Tabitha, told The Moultrie Observer:
"We've been together since the 10th grade, and I've known from Day One that he would join," said Tabitha McCoy, adding that the Sept. 11 attacks only cemented his resolve to serve. "This was something he was born to do, and he was going to do it."
<snip>
"He was going to enlist again," Mrs. McCoy said with some difficulty. "He made sure that it was a family decision, that he involved me. That’s what he was born to do. Some people were born to do certain things, and this was for him. He’s a great leader."
Steve is survived by his wife, Tabitha; their twin children, son Landen and daughter Ryley; his parents, Sam and Pam McCoy; and his brother, Eric, who is also serving his country in Iraq.
Rest in peace, Steve McCoy. May your brave and determined spirit roam free and be at peace forever, and may your memory be a blessing and an inspiration for all those who remember you.
Sgt. John Aragon, 22, from Antioch, CA
The DoD reports:
Sgt. John D. Aragon, 22, of Antioch, Calif., died June 12 in Kadamiyah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
They called him "Raider," because he was such a huge Oakland Raiders fan—he even had the team emblem tattooed on his chest. But from the sound of it, "Rescuer" might have been more appropriate. His MySpace page is private, but the one part he showed to the world contains Raider’s fierce assertion that what matters to him is to get "my guys" home safely from Iraq. His friends and family all talked about the number of people—friends, family, anyone who needed help—whose lives he turned around by helping them get off drugs, away from gangs, back into school, into the Army...whatever he thought they needed. This man was born to lead, with great strength of character and determination. And he knew what he wanted to do with his life.
"Being a soldier, being in the army that is all he talked about. That's all I can remember. That's all he ever talked about, wanted to be a soldier in the army," said Aragon. "He was funny but he was serious. He was a born leader, everyone would follow him right through when he was a little boy. Everyone took to him right away."
~ KTVU
And John was serious about wanting to join the Army. During his senior year in high school, he visited a local Army recruiting office. When his mother found out, she refused to let him join until he had explored other options at a local college.
But John wouldn’t be deterred. In 2006, he enlisted in the Army. His mother, Denise, told Mercury News that John called from basic training at Fort Campbell and "He said, 'I love the Army and the Army loves me.' The two just clicked."
And the Army did love him and recognized his innate leadership abilities. Within just two years, John Aragon had been promoted all the way up to Sergeant.
In October 2007, John was deployed to Iraq. Although he had wanted to go, and although his loyalty to, and his love for, the Army and his country never wavered, he found the situation in Iraq to be "pure hell":
Aragon...purchased an Iraqi cell phone and a long-distance calling card and phoned home once a week. Although proud to serve in the military, he did not harbor any romantic notions of war.
"He'd tell us it was pure hell," John Aragon Sr. said. "Those were his words: 'pure hell.'"
His family did what they could to provide him the comforts of home, sending care packages with brown sugar Poptarts (one of his favorites), granola bars and canned oysters. During his last conversation with his mother on June 4, he said he'd be home next month for 18 days and asked for a packet of Flaming Hot Cheetos.
"We never got to send them," Denise Aragon said.
~ Mercury News
Some of John's family and friends were interviewed the other day by a local CBS station. Watch the video--it will break your heart, but his friends and family draw such a beautiful picture of him that it should not be missed.
John is survived by his parents, John and Denise, and by the many friends who credit him with having saved their lives or helped them turn their lives around.
Rest in peace, John Aragon. May your brave and determined spirit roam free and be at peace forever, and may your memory be a blessing and an inspiration for all those who remember you.
To date, 4099 members of the United States military have lost their lives in Iraq. 521 Americans have died in Afghanistan. Approximately 40,000 men and women have been wounded, and an unknown number have taken their own lives while on active duty or after they returned home from psychological injuries received in service to their country. All of the fatalities can be seen here. The Department of Defense Press Releases can be seen here. The death toll among Iraqis and Afghanis is unknown, but conservative estimates place it at least in the tens of thousands.
You can help our military men and women. Please consider sponsoring a deployed service member at TroopCarePackage.com. It doesn’t take much time or money. Just send letters or care packages to your soldier, sailor, Airman, Marine, or Guardsman. One of my "adopted" soldiers told me that "mail is gold" for a deployed soldier. A few minutes of your time and one airmail stamp can make a real difference in a military person's life.
If you can, please consider donating to Netroots for the Troops here.
All donations will go toward putting together 101 care packages full of needed items for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Read more here.
If you can’t afford to donate, you can still help every bit as much by writing letters. It matters!
And don’t forget them when they get home! Read welcomebackveterans.org to learn what you can do.
(Thank you, noweasels!)
(Our beautiful logo was created by kossack Timroff. Thank you, Timroff.)
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; its title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and is currently maintained by Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, noweasels, MsWings, greenies, blue jersey mom, twilight falling, labwitchy, moneysmith, joyful, roses, SisTwo, SpamNunn, a girl in MI, and JeNoCo.
These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but, we believe, an important service to those Americans who have died, and to our community’s respect for and remembrance of them. If you would like to volunteer, even once a month, please contact Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, or noweasels.
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.
Many thanks to noweasels for research assistance.