Two more names. Two more widows. And dozens of broken hearts.
Please join me tonight in remembering two young soldiers -- Spc. Chad D. Groepper, 21, of Kingsley, Iowa and Spc. Luke S. Runyan, 21, of Spring Grove, Pa. -- friends and brothers in arms who died so far from home and who are so very much missed.
The news follows.
I Got the News Today: Feb. 21, 2008
According to the Department of Defense, Spc. Chad D. Groepper, 21, of Kingsley, Iowa and Spc. Luke S. Runyan, 21, of Spring Grove, Pa. were on dismounted patrol when they were ambushed and came under small-arms fire. They died of their wounds.
Both were based out of Fort Lewis, Wash., and were assigned to 2nd Battalion 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. The News Tribune notes that the brigade has been in Iraq for almost a year, working mostly in Baghdad and north of the city; more recently, they’ve been in Diyala Province.
Fort Lewis has lost 178 soldiers in Iraq, according to a Fort Lewis spokesperson. The News Tribune notes that this brigade has suffered heavily, losing 36 soldiers. As you read tonight’s tributes, please keep in mind the unit members who miss their buddies so much.
Spc. Chad D. Groepper, 21, of Kingsley, Iowa
Fearless. Funloving. Father. Fighter. These are four things you should know about Spc. Chad D. Groepper, who died so far from home and whose death leaves so many hearts breaking tonight.
Older siblings tend to have a storehouse of tales about their younger brothers and sisters, and Denae Groepper is no exception. She told the Sioux City Journal that her little brother was "‘a natural daredevil... A dirt bike, a four-wheeler, it didn't matter,’ she said. ‘Chad loved them all.’"
"He'd be helping landscape or do the flower gardens, or building model farms in the garage attic, fishing, woodworking, and cars, cars, cars," his mom (Darcy Groepper) told the Le Mars (Iowa) Daily Sentinel. "And extreme sports: snowboarding, dirt biking, four-wheeling, scuba diving, anything he could get his hands on."
The biggest adventure of them all? The Army, where he enlisted just 12 days after his 2004 graduation from Kingsley-Pierson Community High School. "He wasn’t scared of anything," Dave Groepper, the soldier’s father, told the Associated Press. "That’s why he was in the infantry."
He did his basic and advanced infantry training at Fort Benning, Ga. Before arriving at Fort Lewis in 2005, says the News Tribune. While in Washington, he went on a blind date that would change his life – he met his future wife, Stephanie. They would go on to have a daughter, Clarissa; he met her a month after her birth, while he was home on leave from Iraq, where he had been since Easter weekend, 2007. (There is a wonderful photo of Groepper and his wife on Deployment Day here.)
Groepper didn’t talk about the difficult sights and sounds of war. He told his family about the off-hours fun – the horsing around, the buddy stuff, says the York Daily Record. But he was serious about his job.
"One of his big goals was to be in the Army," as retired Kingsley-Pierson principal Randy Wiese told the Des Moines Register. "I know he served his country well. We feel a lot of remorse for the family, but I know that is what he always wanted to do."
While at Fort Lewis, he became friends with Luke Runyan, and the Groeppers and Runyans often socialized together. And last Sunday, these two men died together.
The town of Kingsley is taking the death hard. "That's all people were talking about today," the mayor said Monday. "Kingsley's a pretty close-knit community, and we all feel we've lost a member of our family."
The Fort Lewis community has also lost a family member. From Stryker News:
Dear Stephanie,
Paul and I both feel that he was lucky to have had Chad in the Platoon. He was forever putting a smile on the guys face. He was their very own "Gomer Pyle" and was very loved. He is a hero and his sacrafice will not be forgotten.
God Bless you ,
Amanda & Paul Huston
He is survived by his wife, Stephanie; their 4-month-old daughter, Clarissa; his father, David Groepper; his mother, Darcy Groepper; and sisters Denae and Abbie. Funeral arrangements, for Arlington National Cemetery, are pending.
A memorial fund has been established at American National Bank of Kingsley and Moville. Memorial donations may also be mailed to P.O. Box 521 at Kingsley, 51028.
Godspeed, Spc. Chad D. Groepper.
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Spc. Luke S. Runyan, 21, of Spring Grove, Pa.
This was the picture that broke my heart:
That’s Luke Runyan and his daughter, Brynn, in a quiet, wonderful family moment. His friend, Badkarma26, posted this and other photos from Runyan’s myspace page at militaryphotos.net and every one is a testament to a man who loved his life, his family and his chosen profession.
As his brother, who serves in the Pennsylvania National Guard, told the Harrisburg (Pa.) Patriot-News,
"You couldn't hold Luke back," said his brother, Christopher, 25. "Luke was the life of the party, but he had his serious side, too. He enlisted in the Army right out of high school, knowing we were involved in the war in Iraq, and he extended his enlistment because he didn't want to leave his buddies, his Army family, who were still facing danger there."
Michelle Mummert, a guidance counselor at Spring Grove Area High School, told the Patriot-News that Runyan couldn’t wait to enlist. "He wanted to serve his country, and he wanted to help people. He joined the military to do that," she said. Less than four months after his 2004 graduation from Spring Grove Area H.S., he was in the Army.
His father, Marc Runyan, told the York Daily Record that he recognized how good the Army was for his son even as he worried about enlistment in wartime. "My heart sank (but) at the same time I was extremely proud of my son," Runyan told the York Dispatch. "I knew on a daily basis his life was on the line. He had lost a lot of friends."
Like Chad Groepper, he did his basic and advanced infantry training at Fort Benning, Ga. His Ranger training was derailed by injury, but Runyan did well with marksmanship and medic work. (His medical training paid off – he told his father about seeing an Iraqi child in the line of fire, pulling him to safety and bandaging the child’s bullet wound.)
March 2005 found him at Fort Lewis, Washington, which is where he met his wife, Courtney. (As he wrote on his myspace page, "Who I'd like to meet: NO ONE I'VE ALREADY MET THE ONE IN MY DREAMS.... AND NOW, SHE'S MINE FOREVER!") The picture of them kissing in an airport concourse is just so sad to look at. And the pictures of them with their lovely little girl... Go get a tissue. He loved them so much.
From the Daily Record:
Courtney Runyan said her husband adored Brynn. Sometimes she would suggest that he write Brynn a letter, as a memento should he ever die in combat. He just told her not to worry about it, because it was never going to happen.
That's OK. Courtney Runyan already knows what she'll tell Brynn, once her daughter is old enough to understand.
"I'm going to do my best raising her to know that he's the most amazing man I've ever met in my life," she said. "As far as I'm concerned, he's a true hero."
He loved his guys, too, and recently re-upped for another three year hitch. The Dispatch notes that Runyan had been promoted to squad leader a few months ago. Marc Runyan, "last saw his son at Christmas time in Washington state. Luke had been on leave, but was concerned about being away from his squad. ‘Even though he desperately wanted to get home to see his wife and baby and family, it was very difficult for him to leave his men,’ Marc Runyan said."
"The thing that he really liked was the camaraderie," as the elder Runyan told the newspaper. "His war buddies, they were his family, his new family."
He knew the risks. He knew a few of the fallen. And yet he went out there, day after day, and did his job. "He had no fear of combat and I guess that was part of his training," his father told the Dispatch. "He once told me you go out on a mission and if you get hit, you get hit, if you don't, you don't. It's as simple as that. He did feel very strongly they were doing an excellent job freeing the Iraqi people from al-Qaida."
He got the news when his daughter-in-law called from Washington: "I literally dropped to my knees and started hyperventilating," he said.
I’ll let Amanda and Paul Huston, over at Stryker News, have the last word:
Dear Courtney there are no words that can express how much we will all miss Luke. Paul enjoyed every second of working with him and having him in the Recon Platoon. We hope you know that you will forever be in our hearts and prayers. He died serving his country and protecting his brothers. God Bless you and Kepp you,
Amanda & Paul Huston
In addition to his father, he is survived by his brother, Christopher; wife, Courtney; and his baby daughter, Brynn.
The York Daily Record notes that he was posthumously awarded the rank of corporal and was given the Bronze Star. Although a date has not been set, burial with full military honors is planned for Arlington National Cemetery.
Godspeed, Spc. Luke S. Runyan.
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May the memories of all 3,968 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. May their families and friends find healing and peace.
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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, SpamNunn and AGirlinMI.
If you would like to comment on this tribute, but don't have an account at Daily Kos, contact monkeybiz here (address at top of page).
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.