I Got the News Today: Feb. 2, 2008
This diary was written by greenies, noweasels, monkeybiz and SisTwo, with research assistance from twilight falling.
On Wednesday, the Department of Defense announced the deaths of five soldiers who died of "wounds suffered when their unit encountered an improvised explosive device during convoy operations Jan. 28 in Mosul, Iraq." They were all members of the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
The Colorado Springs Gazette writes that the soldiers were on a joint U.S.-Iraqi patrol when their convoy came under gunfire from a nearby mosque. A bomb by the side of the road went off, killing Sgt. Craig, Staff Sgt. Jeffries, Spc. Marshall, Pfc. Meyer and Pvt. Young. Then there was more shooting. An Iraqi journalist, 29-year-old Alaa Abdulkareem Fartusi, was also killed, as was a driver.
Fort Carson has been hit hard by casualties; they’ve lost 232 soldiers to the war in Iraq. Tonight, we remember five of them.
Sgt. James E. Craig, 26, of Hollywood, S.C.
Ed. Note: This tribute was written by greenies.
"Romantic Soldier Seeks Proverbs 31 Woman" said Sgt. James E. Craig on his old MySpace page. And in 2006, while stationed in Iraq, he found his perfect woman and soulmate in Natalie. Their first encounter was right out of the movies, as we learn from his father Joel Craig:
Craig met his wife, Natalie, on the Internet while he was on active duty. It was an "amazing coincidence" because she was a member of his Spokane church, Fourth Memorial Church, Joel Craig said.
"When we found out, we invited her to come to the airport with us to meet him (in person)," his father said. "It was like the movies – a wonderful romance."
~Source
You can see a photo of Sgt. And Natalie Craig on their wedding day on his current MySpace.com page.
Sgt. Craig grew up in the Spokane, Washington area, though he and his family later moved to the east coast. He graduated in 2000 from Academic Magnet High School, near Hollywood, S.C., where he excelled at everything, from academics to sports.
While in school, Craig earned top scores, was an accomplished musician and a star football player and wrestler, his father said.
"Coaches asked me if I had any others like him at home," Joel Craig said.
He remembered his son as a "thrill seeker" who loved action, even as a 12-year-old.
"He once flew my dirt bike over the barn roof," Joel Craig said. "I saw the motorcycle flying through the air with him on it."
~Source
Sgt. Craig joined the Army in 2000, training at Ft. Benning, Ga. and then in Alaska, where he became a sniper. After the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Sgt. Craig requested to be transferred to a unit that would see action overseas — the 4th Infantry at Fort Carson, Colo. ~Source
Highly decorated, he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal (2), the Army Achievement Medal (4), the Army Good Conduct Medal (2), the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terror Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Expert Infantryman Badge, and posthumously, the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
Sgt. Craig was deeply religious and always put his men first. We learn this and so much more about this amazing man through blogger Flag Gazer, aka Cynthia Heeren of Oregon. We learn from Charleston.net that Heeren had been communicating with Sgt. Craig, initially as a pen pal, then as much more, for more than two years:
Heeren never got the chance to meet Craig in person, but she knew the details of his life from long letters he would send from the battlefield. They occasionally spoke by phone. "He was just a terrific kid. He had this great smile and it came through in his letters. His spirit came through."
Craig, 26, often wrote about his love for his family and his Christian faith. He felt fortunate to have a support system back home and would ask Heeren to round up pen pals for his buddies, so they could receive mail, too.
Heeren remembers when Craig called her with exciting news. He'd met a girl, the one he would marry. Her name was Natalie. "It was love at first sight," she said.
"She is the kind of woman that God would want me to have," Craig wrote in a 2006 letter. "So we are going to take things slowly and keep our relationship pure. I am very excited about her."
They married in July 2007. A wedding photo shows Craig decked out in his Army dress blues, his Infantry blue cord worn proudly over his right shoulder. In her silky white dress, Natalie held her husband tight and beamed at the camera.
A few months later, Craig shipped out for what Heeren said was his third deployment to Iraq. "He loved the Army. He loved what he was doing."
~Source
I can’t encourage you enough to go to Flag Gazer’s blog and read the beautiful, sweet, sad, loving tribute she has written about Sgt. Craig. It is a treasure, as is she – she has been a pen pal to hundreds of service men and women over the years.
In addition to his wife Natalie and his parents, Joel and Phyllis, Sgt. Craig is survived by four sisters: Lola Hanson, Menesia Spade, Kelly Inman and Rachael Putman, all of the Spokane area.
His father has invited all veterans and church members to attend a memorial service for Sgt. James Craig at 10 a.m. Feb. 9 at Fourth Memorial Church, 2000 N. Standard St., Spokane. The Patriot Guard Riders will be supporting the family during services.
Godspeed, Sgt. James E. Craig.
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Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries, 37, of Roscoe, Texas.
Ed. Note: This tribute was written by noweasels.
Gary Wayne Jeffries was a quiet, determined, good man who had always dreamed of a career in the military.
Gary Wayne Jeffries was a quiet teenager who showed an interest in the military at a young age, according to people who remember the slain soldier from his years at Roscoe High School.
(snip)
He graduated in 1990 from the high school in Roscoe, a town of 1,380 people 50 miles west of Abilene.
In the school yearbook, Jeffries jokingly "willed" to underclassmen his camouflage jacket, his intelligence, ability to fix a carburetor and change oil, and his cowboy boots.
Former classmate Chas McGlothlin of Sweetwater said Jeffries was a quiet kid who was "always in the weight room." He remembers Jeffries showing an interest in the military in high school and frequently wearing camouflage.
Roscoe High School Principal Frank Young was a football coach for the Plowboys when Jeffries was a student-athlete. Young remembers him as a "really quiet kid who did what he was supposed to." He said Jeffries was a good person and hard worker who was part of a good class.
Source ~ Abilene Reporter-News
A high school friend found Staff Sgt. Jeffries’ Guestbook online and left this kind note:
I went to high school with Gary in Roscoe. It's unfortunate that we had lost contact over the years. He will be deeply missed. May GOD comfort his family and friends.
Guestbook.
Staff Sgt. Jeffries had been in the Army for nearly eleven years before his death, and had served in Korea prior to this last and final of his three deployments to Iraq.
Staff Sgt. Jeffries had received numerous awards and commendations during his service, including: Army Commendation Medal with "V" device; Army Commendation Medal (2); Army Achievement Medal (5); Army Good Conduct Medal (3); National Defense Service Medal; Korea Defense Service Medal; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; Iraqi Campaign Medal; Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terror Service Medal; Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon (2); Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; Combat Infantryman Badge.
Godspeed, Staff Sgt. Gary W. Jeffries.
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Spc. Evan A. Marshall, 21, of Athens, Ga.
Ed. Note: This tribute was written by monkeybiz.
The photo that accompanies the Athens Banner-Herald article on the life and death of Spc. Evan A. Marshall just broke my heart: Marshall’s father, Drew Marshall, kneels down in prayer before a photograph of his son during a service at Athens First Presbyterian Church. It reminded me of lines from poet Anne Porter: "To take the place of the child/Issac there was a ram/But for all those others/There was no ram." Their sacrifice has been very great indeed, and my heart goes out to the Marshall family.
"We are completely devastated by our loss, but we are filled with pride over Evan's loyal service," Alice Marshall told the Athens Banner-Herald. "He is and always has been my hero." You can see a picture of them together here.
Drew Marshall echoed his daughter’s sentiment to the Savannah Morning News, adding, "We're very proud of him, and I consider him and all the other people who are volunteering to serve over there as heroes."
The military was evidently formative for Marshall. Sara Oelke, a close friend, told the Banner-Herald that she was amazed by how Marshall had changed during his time in the Army. "I do believe that probably had partly to do with his role in the military. He had just grown into such a man in that amount of time between high school and when I last saw (him)," she said. Tom Granum, the music director at Athens First Presbyterian Church, where Marshall was a member of the church’s youth group, thought so too. As he told the Morning News, "It gave him a direction in life that he was looking for... It was in the Army that he really seemed to blossom."
His parents were surprised by their son’s decision to join the military after his 2004 graduation from Cedar Shoals High School. In those days, he enjoyed ski trips, singing in the choir and playing Halo with his buddies. But, as his father said, "his motives were that he wanted to serve his country, and he wanted to do something that was hard and challenging."
According to the Department of Defense and the Colorado Springs Gazette, "Marshall joined the 3rd Brigade Combat Team in October 2004. He had served in Iraq from December 2005 to November 2006 and had returned for his second tour in December. He had received the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal (3), the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terror Service Medal, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Drivers/Mechanics Badge."
"We're just extremely proud of (Evan)," said Marshall’s friend Wesley Reed. "It's a great tragedy, but we're glad that he was able to serve our country in such an honorable way."
Godspeed, Spc. Evan A. Marshall.
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Pfc. Brandon A. Meyer, 20, of Orange, Calif.
Ed. Note: This tribute was written by monkeybiz.
Brandon Abbot Meyer would have turned 21 tomorrow.
Instead of celebrating his birth, his friends and family are mourning his death, just weeks into his first deployment.
There he is with his wife, Caitlin, on her myspace page, the two of them smiling; the two of them dancing at their wedding. "RIP Brandon Meyer – I will always love you!" she writes. "Life isn’t about the amount of breaths you take, it’s about the moments that take your breath away." I hope – I hope – that their relationship had many breathtaking moments.
Though he was born a Nebraskan, he was a 2005 graduate of Canyon (Texas) High School, according to the O.C. Register. You can see him in his Canyon H.S. baseball uniform here; #19, standing tall and proud. He attended Concordia University in Irvine, Calif. for a time and enlisted in the Army on Jan. 18, 2007, according to the Greater Orange News Service. He and his wife then moved to Colorado, where he was stationed. He joined the 3rd Brigade Combat Team last June.
His father, Terry Meyer, watched his son’s enlistment with pride. As he wrote in in this heartbreaking comment:
Dear Son
Son, I don't know of a father more proud of his son. I was so proud of you at graduation from basic, and so proud to watch you mature in your skill and determination as a soldier for our beloved country. You were so much more than a father ever deserved. I wish I could take back every moment we ever shared and live it over again. But I know you are with your Lord and Savior. But I miss you far too much to ever express. I thank God that you and Desiree were His special gifts to me. I will take good care of your mom, sister, dog Koda, the bronco we didn't get finished, and your Yamaha Warrior atv. God bless you, my son...dad.
— Terry Meyer, Canyon
Danielle Polk, a friend from high school, remembered Meyer "as being very fun to be around and always being so goofy. He was a great guy and a good friend. He will be greatly missed and never forgotten."
Michelle, posting at Gazing at the Flag, knew Meyer when he was just a child:
I have known Brandon since he was a baby, my son, now a United States Marine, was born 7 months after Brandon. I saw him learn to walk, we celebrated birthdays together as families, the passing of seasons, church services and lots of fun. We have shared memories in Wisconsin, New York, Missouri, and Tennessee. My David is still in Iraq, serving not far from where Brandon fought his last battle.
I pray God guards the hearts of Brandon's family as they work through this un-bearable grief, this un-fathomable tragedy.
But in the midst of our grief we salute Brandon and the work he and his comrades do.
Brandon is now safe in the arms of Jesus and worshipping Him in heaven. We love you Brandon, Terry, Genia and Desiree. May God give you the Peace that passes all understanding.
From Valeda Woehr, of Hazelwood, Mo., who taught Brandon Meyer and knows the family:
Brandon was a fun boy, full of love for his family and his friends.
The world is a much better place because Brandon walked, talked, laughed, and ministered to others.
And our country is the poorer for his loss.
The Patriot Guard Riders will accompany Meyer’s casket from the tarmac to the funeral home, and from there to Pacific View Memorial Park, where he will be buried with military honors. California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has decreed that the capitol’s flags will fly at half-staff in memory of Meyer. He has been posthumously promoted to the rank of specialist, according to his wife.
Godspeed, Spc. Brandon A. Meyer.
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Pfc. Joshua A. R. Young, 21, of Riddle, Ore.
Ed. Note: This tribute was written by SisTwo.
There are a few small towns in the U.S. that haven’t had to suffer through the death of one of their young people to the current wars. Riddle, a tiny community in southwestern Oregon’s Douglas County, used to be such a town. The population of Riddle was 1,014 in the 2000 census; it might have gained a few residents since then, but is still a really small town. It is in a great location. A drive of only an hour or two could get you to the incredibly beautiful Crater Lake, to the Oregon Shakespearean Festival, or to a breathtakingly lovely section of the Pacific coastline.
Joshua Young, from Riddle, joined the Army in May of 2007. His 21st birthday was just 3 months later. He was assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team in September and then shipped out to Iraq in December. His family was looking forward to seeing him during his scheduled leave in a few weeks.
On January 28th of 2008 Private First Class Joshua Young was killed in an explosion in Mosul, Iraq.
This is what the News Review, a small newspaper from the neighboring town of Roseburg, had to say about Joshua's death:
RIDDLE — For the fifth time in five years, Douglas County residents are grieving the loss of a local soldier fighting in Iraq.
...No dates have been set for funeral services, a Fort Carson spokeswoman said this morning. A memorial service will eventually be held for Young and the other soldiers at Fort Carson (Ed. Note: A memorial service is set at Fort Carson on February 13th at 1:00 p.m.), with the soldiers’ families deciding whether to hold services elsewhere.
...Young is the fifth soldier from Douglas County to perish in Iraq since the war began in March 2003. The others include Army Spc. Daniel A. Leckel of Glendale, Army Pfc. Dean R. Bright of Sutherlin, Army Spc. Rickey W. Rockholt Jr. of Roseburg and Marine Cpl. James L. Moore of Roseburg.
Joshua was born in Whittier, California and this is what the Whittier Daily News said in an article about him:
WHITTIER - A young man born in Whittier and who spent summers here with his father's family was killed Monday in Iraq. Joshua A.R. Young, 21, whose dad, Anthony, and stepmom, Mary, live in Whittier, died from wounds suffered when his unit encountered an improvised explosive device during convoy operations in Mosul, Iraq. "We are in shock," Mary said Friday.
...The last time the couple had seen the youngest of six children in their mixed family was last August at Joshua's graduation in Fort Benning, Ga. "We got to spend two days with him," his stepmom said. "We had a great time."
Joshua's father said the family kept in touch with his son via the Internet. "His sisters sent e-mail back and forth to him," Anthony said. In fact, Joshua, who joined the Army last May, had sent an e-mail to one of his sisters a couple of days before he died, saying he was all right after being shot last Saturday. "It was no big deal; we get into a lot of firefights," he wrote in his last e-mail home.
... "You can't ever prepare yourself for something like this," said Anthony Young, who will travel to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to accompany his son's body.
Our country has lost another small-town boy and we are all poorer because of that fact.
Joshua Young, who had recently been promoted to Private First Class, is survived by his father and stepmom, Anthony and Mary; by his mother, Dawnya Fouts; and by several older siblings. Many of the members of his large extended family are preparing to go to the funeral in Oregon. The Patriot Guard Riders have been asked to attend the funeral. According to their site:
Pvt. Joshua Young will be flown in to Roseburg and escorted to The Chapel of the Roses. Possibly Sunday or Monday. Funeral services will follow.
Godspeed, Private First Class Joshua A. R. Young.
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Fort Carson Commanding General Mark Graham has the last word tonight:
"One soldier lost is hard enough, but when you get a crew of soldiers together, working together everyday inside the same vehicle, it just compounds the loss. Every one of us, it just rips your guts out. It's like losing part of the family."
Our condolences go out to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
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May the memories of all 3,943 of our fallen continue to shine brightly for all those they leave behind.
We also remember those coalition service members who have given their lives, as well as the many Iraqi citizens who have lost theirs.
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What You Can Do
More than 30,000 service members have been wounded and soldier suicides are at a record level. Those currently serving in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan would also be grateful for support, even if it's only a letter or a small care package.
Go visit:
* Anysoldier.com and Ninepatch’s diary on sending care packages
* Operation Helmet
* Fisher House
* Greenies’ diary, "Random Acts of Remembrance and Other Ways to Support the Troops"
* Noweasels’ diary, "Top Comments: In Honor of Major Edition"
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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. 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 Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, noweasels, MsWings, greenies, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, moneysmith, labwitchy, joyful, roses, SisTwo and SpamNunn.
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.
