"The deep pain that is felt at the death of every friendly soul arises from the feeling that there is in every individual something which is inexpressible, peculiar to him alone, and is, therefore, absolutely and irretrievably lost."
~Arthur Schopenhauer
Too much pain
Too much sorrow
Too much loss
Two day we honour four soldiers who have fallen.
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Armando A. De La Paz, 21, of Riverside, Calif., died Nov. 13 in Baghdad, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
Spc. Armando A. De La Paz, jr.
"I pictured him being a college English professor," Scott Goodwin, a teacher at Arlington High School, remembered his student, Armando De La Paz, who was killed by injuries suffered during a vehicle rollover in Baghdad, Iraq, this week. Mr. Goodwin said that Spc. De La Paz was enjoyed reading great literature on his own, including "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker, "Rain of Gold" by Victor Villaseñor, "Native Son" by Richard Wright and "Kaffir Boy" by Mark Mathabane, but that he was reluctant to discuss them in class, for fear of making the other students feel badly. In 16 years as a teacher, "I've never met anybody that concerned about how other people might feel," Godwin said. "He was just the most gentle, intelligent kid."
Joining the Army in June of 2005, Spc. De La Paz was assigned to Fort Carson, Colorado, the 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, as a field artillery tactical data systems specialist.
He had been awarded the Purple Heart, two Army Commendation Medals, the Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, and the Combat Action Ribbon. Spc. De La Paz had been in Iraq since December 2007. This was his second deployment to Iraq, after deploying there from December 2005 to October 2006.
Spc. De La Paz leaves behind his father, Armando De La Paz senior, and his mother, Elizabeth, and a family who loves him. They have declined to comment publicly, at least until the investigation is into their son’s death is completed.
DoD Identifies Army Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died Nov. 12 in Mosul, Iraq, when an Iraqi Army soldier wearing a uniform approached them and opened fire.
Killed were:
Sgt. Jose Regalado, 23, of Los Angeles. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas.
Spc. Corey M. Shea, 21, of Mansfield, Mass. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
Sgt. Jose Regalado
A tiny photograph, of a precious daughter in the making ... On Sunday, March 30, 2008, Sgt. Jose Regalado’s wife sent him an ultrasound image of their unborn daughter. He carried it as a reminder of home, to, as he said, get through the next day. That tiny daughter will never meet her father, who was killed by a uniformed Iraqi officer this week.
Sgt. Regalado was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas, the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Division.
Sadly, that is the information about Sgt. Regalado that I could find at the moment, if more becomes available, I will thankfully add it to the diary.
Spc. Corey M. Shea
"His life had changed since 9/11 and he wanted to serve our country," Renee O’Neil said of her nephew, Spc. Corey M. Shea, who was killed by an Iraqi soldier this week. "And we just call him a hero right now."
"Corey Shea was a very outgoing person, he was someone that pretty much everyone got along with," Army buddy Nathan Mahle told the Herald in an electronic message. "He didn’t hesitate to do something if he wanted to do it."
A member of the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Regiment, based in Fort Hood, Texas, Spc. Shea had less than two months to go in his deployment, and had been home on leave three weeks ago, when he spoke to students at his alma mater, Mansfield High School, about the Army and Iraq. During his high school career, he had enjoyed playing football and hockey with the school teams.
While home on leave Spc. Shea had gotten a tattoo on his forearm in tribute to one of his fellow soldiers who had been killed in Iraq and had considered moving to Texas when he returned from his deployment, so that he could help the solder’s widow and son.
"He had a heart of gold, and it’s just tragic that something like this has hit home," she said.
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. James M. Clay, 25, of Mountain Home, Ark., died Nov. 13 in Anbar Province, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 153rd Infantry Regiment, 39th Brigade Combat Team, Arkansas Army National Guard, Little Rock, Ark.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
Spc. James M. Clay
A few months before he left for Iraq, Spc. James M. Clay married his high school sweetheart, Melissa Dewey, in November last year, now he leaves her a widow less than a month before he was to return.
Spc. Clay was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 153 Infantry Regiment, 39th Brigade Combat Team.
Sadly, that was the information about Spc. Clay that I could find at this moment. If more becomes available, I will thankfully add it to the diary.
About "I Got the News Today" (IGTNT) I Got the News Today 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.
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.