Two 101st Airborne Division Soldiers died on February 11, 2009 from wounds suffered when their Humvee was involved in an explosion in Salerno, Afghanistan.
Killed were:
* US Army Specialist Peter J. Courcy from Texas
* Private First Class Jason R. Watson from Louisiana
A memorial service for the two will be held in Afghanistan. Fort Campbell holds a monthly Eagle Remembrance Ceremony the second Wednesday of each month and they will be recognized there too.
Private First Class Jason R. Watson
Jason Watson joined the Army in September 2007. He arrived at Fort Campbell in February 2008, and was assigned to D Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team.
The infantryman was killed on February 11, 2009. He was in a Humvee which was leading a convoy in Afghanistan. A car packed with explosives plowed into the Humvee near the American base at Salerno. Private First Class Watson was 19 years old at the time.
The State had an article about the death:
The son of a Walterboro woman was killed when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, the Army reported Friday.
Pfc. Jason Watson, 19, died of injuries suffered Tuesday in the blast near Camp Salerno, in eastern Khost province.
Among survivors is his mother, Cynthia, who lives in Walterboro, the Army said.
Watson is the 15th service member with S.C. ties to be killed in Afghanistan.
He is survived by his mother, Cynthia, of Walterboro, South Carolina, and father, Robert, of Converse, Louisiana.
His awards and decorations include: National Defense Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Sharpshooter Badge; and Weapons Qualification, M4, expert.
A memorial service for Private Watson will be held in Afghanistan, and at Fort Campbell.
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US Army Specialist Peter J. Courcy
Courcy joined the Army in July 2006. The infantryman arrived at Fort Campbell in March 2007. Specialist Peter J. Courcy, from was assigned to D Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team.
The Specialist was home on leave in September. He got to spend time with his wife, Mara, and his newborn son, Anthony. The proud father was due to end his one-year Afghanistan tour in two weeks and come home. He was signing up for another five years of service, hoping to join the Special Forces.
Specialist Peter J. Courcy was killed on February 11, 2009. He was 22 years old.
The Dallas-Fort Worth NBC station put out this story:
Courcy's mother recently gave birth to a little brother he was planning to meet when his tour ended in March.
His family said his brother and son will both learn of his sacrafice through stories and the memories of his loved ones.
"He was proud to be a soldier, proud to be in Afghanistan, and we're proud that he went," Christopher Bush said.
Courcy was honored Thursday night at a Frisco hockey game with a moment of silence.
This morning the readers of the Dallas Morning News came across the sad news of Courcy's death:
On the ice hockey rink and wrestling mat, Peter John Courcy battled for Frisco High School with power and authority.
He joined the fight last year on the sands and in the mountains of Afghanistan, living a lifelong dream of military service...
"I lost a piece of my soul that day," his squad leader, Sgt. Bruce Hunter, said Friday, recalling the midmorning attack and remembering a friend who always wanted to man the lead .50-caliber machine gun on patrols.
His awards and decorations include: Army Achievement Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Air Assault Badge; Parachutist Badge; and Weapons Qualification, M4, expert.
Courcy is survived by his wife, Mara, of The Colony, Texas; son, Anthony Luke, of Frisco, Texas; mother and step-father, Mary and Christopher Bush, of Frisco, Texas; and father, Jon Mitchell, and an infant brother, Luke Bush.
A memorial service for the fallen Soldiers will be held in Afghanistan. Fort Campbell holds a monthly Eagle Remembrance Ceremony the second Wednesday of each month. The family plans to have a memorial service in Texas with burial at Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery in Dallas. The Patriot Guard Riders will be attending the services.
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