There are four heroes to honor tonight. Each joined to serve our country, and, in return hoped for a better life. A Soldier from New Jersey, who hoped to be a doctor one day; and a Soldier from Washington, who wanted to be an architect. A Soldier from northern Georgia, who learned he would be a father soon; and, an Ohioan who leaves behind his grieving parents and a sister. All died in Iraq. All are missed and loved.
Since 2003, there have been 4308 American troops killed in Iraq and 695 American troops killed in Afghanistan. Please take a moment to honor and remember their sacrifice.
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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. Thomas E. Lee, III, 20, of Dalton, Ga., died May 29 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an explosive device struck his vehicle. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
Everyday, Billy Hobbs, would pray at 1:00, and his grandson, Thomas Lee, who was 7 hours ahead in Iraq, would join him in prayer. The two men were very close. Billy Hobbs helped with him because Pvt. Lee's father was out of the picture. Billy Hobbs told News Channel 9.com:
"Tommy's a good boy, a perfect example of a man, and the Army made a man out of him."
Billy Hobbs recalled his last visit with his grandson, just three weeks ago:
"The most I'll always remember is the last time I hugged him, he wasn't ashamed to hug me, he'd grab me up and hug me and tell me he loved me."
Shirley Lee, Thomas Lee's mother, shared her thoughts with the Chattanooga Times Free Press:
“He wasn’t just my son — he was my best friend,” Mrs. Lee said Tuesday. “He wanted to fight for his country. He wanted to make things better for me and his sisters.”
Sadly, Pvt. Lee doesn't just leave his family behind but also his girlfriend, Misti Beasley, who is pregnant with his baby. Lee's sister, Katy, told the Times Free Press:
“We hope it’s a boy because we don’t have anybody else to carry on the family name,” Katie said. “I feel like it will be a part of Tommy.”
Private Thomas Lee's funeral will be on Saturday with burial at Chattanooga's National Cemetery. His mother invited everyone to attend it. She wants her son remembered for proudly serving his country. She told the Times Free Press :
“He was our light, our rock,” she said. “He was just our man.”
My deepest sympathy to the Lee's, Billy Hobbs, Misti Beasley, and to the friends and unit of Private Thomas Lee.
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pvt. Bradley W. Iorio, 19, of Galloway, N.J., died May 29 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries suffered from a non-combat related incident May 27 in Tallil, Iraq. He was assigned to the Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.
Pvt. Iorio's family declined to comment to the press. Grief-stricken friends and teachers remember Pvt. Bradley Iorio as a smart, outgoing, dedicated young man who joined the Army for the benefits of education and a career. Iorio's soccer coach told the NJ.com how he remembered Bradley:
"He was looking for an avenue to become a doctor, and he thought he could serve his country and go into the medical field at the same time," said Librizzi, 56, a retired police detective who broke down in tears as he spoke of Iorio. "This kid was a perfect kid, and I don't know anybody who couldn't say he was a blessing to the world. It's just a tremendous loss."
Librizzi added "he was so smart". His high school drama teacher, Chip Garrison, told the news:
"He was quite a leader for our organization," Garrison said. "He was very talented in stage design. I was trying to push him into a career in stage design, but he had plans. He was going to join the military, and he believed that would help him pay for college."
Pvt. Iorio had great talent and ambition. His loss is deeply felt and expressed by friends on his guest book.
My deepest sympathy to all who loved Private Bradley Iorio.
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Samuel D. Stone, 20, of Port Orchard, Wash., died May 31 in Tallil, Iraq, of injuries suffered during a non-combat related vehicle roll-over. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 303rd Cavalry Regiment, Bremerton, Wash.
Spc. Samuel Stone joined the Army after high school, in order to go to college. His mother told the Seattle Times her son joined after the Job Corps program in high school:
"He wanted to go to school and be an architect," his mother said, holding back tears. "He wanted to fly helicopters ... . He was my baby."
Spc. Stone is remembered for his generosity and kindness. He was a smart, young man with a vivid imagination. He enjoyed telling stories, reading science fiction and playing Dungeons and Dragons. His sister, Sarah Sorensen, told the Seattle Times:
Her brother, she said, was knowledgeable, opinionated and, even at the age of 4, a gifted storyteller. "He would tell some of the funniest stories. We would just sit around and listen."
And as he spun his stories, they'd marvel to themselves: Where do you come up with this stuff? You are older than your age, little boy.
Spc. Samuel Stone is survived by his parents and three siblings, plus his girlfriend, Toni Shimek, and his dog, Ayla, whom he named after a character in the novel "The Clan of the Cave Bear."
My deepest condolences to the friends and family of Specialist Samuel Stone.
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Marko M. Samson, 30, of Columbus, Ohio, died May 31 in Tikrit, Iraq, of injuries suffered from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 277th Aviation Support Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.
There is very little information in the press other than his an online guest book from Legacy and bits from the news. His family flew to Dover to be there when he arrives back home. From the News-Herald:
U.S. Army Spc. Marko M. Samson, 30, is survived by his parents David and Jonja Samson, of Eastlake, and a sister, who lives in Columbus.
Neighbors reported that his parents left Monday morning when Army personnel had informed them of their son's death.
snip
Samson's awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal with Combat Service, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon. Samson was also a graduate of the Combat Life Savers Course.
Samson's remains were transported to Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Del., where his family was present.
Details about a funeral or memorial service were not available.
Deepest condolences to the family and friends of Spc. Marko Samson.
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.
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.
Click the IGTNT tags to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by monkeybiz, noweasels, greenies, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, a girl in MI, Spam Nunn, JeNoCo, Media Prof, 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.