Tonight, there are two more casualties announced by the DoD. One was 19 years old and had spent his lifetime in the foster care system. The other was a father and a twenty two year Veteran who looked forward to retiring and living in Tennessee.
According to the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count the number of names released by the DoD is now 4100 and there is 1 more name of the deceased awaiting notification of the next of kin before being publicly released. In Afghanistan, there are 521 U.S. deaths from Operation Enduring Freedom.
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DoD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pvt. Eugene D. M. Kanakaole, 19, of Maui, Hawaii, died June 11 in Balad Iraq, of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 87th Engineer Company, 8th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas.
Eugene Kanakaole graduated last summer in 2007 and eagerly joined the Army. His life had been full of woe for he grew up in the foster care system and regularly moved from foster home to foster home. The Maui News said he was adopted for a short while but the couple returned him to the state.
Although, he had an unhappy home life situation, Eugene was well loved and remembered. The Maui News said many friends described him as "resilient".
“I’m proud of him and sad at the same time,” said Donna Vida, program director of the Maui Farm, where Kanakaole lived for about a year after moving to Maui from Honolulu, where he was born.
Vida said Kanakaole was funny and well-liked at the Maui Farm, and was caring toward others in spite of the challenges faced growing up. Kanakaole “bounced from one foster home to the next” for most of his life, and at one point was adopted by a Hawaiian family, who later gave him back up to the state, she said.
“This boy had a magnitude of disappointment and loss in his life,” Vida said.
Kanakaole transferred to many schools during junior and senior high. He played and excelled at many sports even after learning them for only a short period of time. His teammates, coaches and teachers remember him well. Here is an excerpt from his football coach:
Dennis Diaz, who coached Kanakaole in football at King Kekaulike High School, said Kanakaole was an “all-around good kid” who seemed to be “thriving” in spite of his difficult youth.
“He was a nice kid. I’m saddened to hear about his death,” he said.
Kennedy was having a hard time receiving the news after learning of Kanakaole’s death from a reporter Tuesday afternoon.
“I’m deeply saddened that I’m not going to see Eugene again,” he said. “I still haven’t had time to digest this.”
For years, Eugene wanted to be in the military. The military offers hope for a better future, job training and camaraderie, and the allure of this is why so many from poor and broken homes are eager to join. Unfortunately, he died in Balad in a non-combat related incident and at the young age of only 19.
Here is a photo of Eugene D. M. Kanakaole
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. 1st Class Gerard M. Reed, 40, of Jacksonville Beach, Fla., died June 11 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 86th Combat Support Hospital, Fort Campbell, Ky.
This incident is under investigation.
Sgt. 1st Class Gerard Reed was patriotic and deeply religious. His brother stated to Jacksonville. com :
"He loved the military because he could reach souls," Ramsey said. "Gerard was a God-fearing man."
snip
The DoD has classified his death as a non-combat related casualty; however, his widow said he died from being shot. No other details are known.
Gerard Reed leaves behind a wife and son, a mother, five brothers and many aunts and uncles. Here are the comments from his family to the Jacksonville.com :
Reed's mother, Bobbie Lee Ramsey, recalled her son as a wise man who taught her many lessons in life. She said she last saw him in August at Fort Campbell, Ky.
"In my mind, I will always have my son with me," Ramsey, 69, said.
An aunt, Alberta Donaldson, shared the same feelings of love and wondered why Reed had to die. "What they are fighting for? Do you know?" said Donaldson, 77, who also lives in Jacksonville Beach. "Somebody tell me."
Jimmy Ramsey said he was overcome with grief after learning of his brother's death, but the next day felt some relief.
"I knew he was in God's hands," Ramsey said.
My deepest condolences to the Reed family.
Sgt. 1st Class Gerard Reed
About "I Got the News Today" (IGTNT)
All of the U.S. fatalities can be seen here and here. They all had loved ones, families and friends. The DoD news releases are here. I Got the News Today is intended to honor, respect and remind. Click the IGTNT tags below for previous diaries.
I Got the News Today is a diary series intended to honor, respect and remind.; its title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one. 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.
Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by monkeybiz, noweasels, MsWings, greenies, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, moneysmith, labwitchy, joyful, roses, SisTwo, a girl in MI, Spam Nunn, JeNoCo and me, Sandy on Signal. .
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.