I hope that all of you have a chance to see Glacial Erratic's beautiful tribute to Sgt. Bill Cahir here. Sandy on Signal will be writing a diary about him on Wednesday. I wanted to let you know about his memorial fund. Here are the details:
The Bill Cahir Memorial Fund has been established for the education and wellbeing of Rene and Bill’s children, family spokesman David Price said. Checks should be made payable to the "Bill Cahir Memorial Fund" at this address: Burke and Herbert Bank c/o Mark Ragland P.O. Box 268 Alexandria, VA 22313
Tonight's IGTNT diary honors Capt. John Tinsley of Tallahassee, Florida who died in Afghanistan on August 12th and Spc. Richard A. Walters Jr. of Cleveland, Ohio who lost his life in Kuwait on August 10th (diaried by Monkeybiz). Please follow me below the fold to learn more about the lives and sacrifices of these two brave men.
Last Friday, the Department of Defense made the following announcement:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Capt. John Tinsley, 28, of Tallahassee, Fla., died Aug. 12 in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.
John Tinsley is a New Jersey native son. Capt. Tinsley graduated from Vanderbuilt Catholic High School in Houma, LA in 1998. Members of Tinsley's high school class plan to contribute to the school's endowment fund in his memory. After high school graduation John Tinsley enrolled in Florida State University in Tallahassee, where he was a member of the ROTC. He received his degree in criminology from FSU in 2002, and he was commissioned in August of that year.
According to his military biography, he was
assigned to the 1st Bn., 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colo. He was then later assigned to the 1st Bn., 3rd Infantry Regiment at Fort Myer, Va. as a member of the “Old Guard” in 2004; before beginning the Special Forces Qualification Course Sept. 2007 and earning the coveted “Green Beret” in March 2009.
Bill White, a Chi Phi fraternity brother at FSU, described Tinsley as:
a great guy...Some people thought he was a little rough around the edges, but once you got to know him he was one of the best guys you could ever be around. He cared for all of the brothers. ~source
One of his colleagues in the Florida National Guard, Erik Lundblom, watched Tinsley develop from an ROTC cadet to a military officer and said:
He turned into a leader of men. ~source
One of Capt. Tinsley's High school teachers said:
"He was one of my model students, that's why I remember him so well," said Margie Duplantis, who taught Tinsley religion his senior year and worked with him in the campus ministry. "One that had a heart of gold."
Duplantis, who teaches 130 students a year, said Tinsley stood out.
"He always went against the flow," said Duplantis, who has taught at Vandebilt for 20 years. "He didn't follow his peers. He always did what he felt was morally right. If someone was doing something wrong and they wanted him to be a part of it, he wouldn't be a part of it. Even if it meant him standing up alone." ~source
Tinsley was deployed to Afghanistan in July of 2009. It was his second tour of duty in the Middle East; he had previously served in Iraq.
He was a talented and heavily decorated soldier. His awards and military honors include:
two Bronze Star Medals, Purple Heart Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Medal, NATO Medal Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab and the Special Forces Tab. ~source
Capt. Tinsley leaves behind a wife, Emily, and a daughter, Isabella, both of Fayetteville, NC. His is also survived by his parents, Debra and John Tinsley of Jacksonville, FL.
Bless you for your service to our country, Capt. Tinsley. Rest in eternal peace.
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Monkeybiz has provided the following tribute:
Sadly, there is little information available about Spc. Richard A. Walters Jr. of Cleveland, Ohio and of the 14th Combat Support Hospital, Fort Benning, Ga. The 41-year-old Walters died Aug. 10 in Ali Al Salem, Kuwait, "of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident," says the Department of Defense, adding that the circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
According to the Ledger-Enquirer, Walters
joined the 14th Combat Support Hospital in May 2009, said Fort Benning spokeswoman Elsie Jackson. He had a history of prior service, possibly in the Navy, she said.
Walters' record shows he enlisted in the Army in September 2006 and that he served seven years of active duty in the military.
Walters was a licensed practicing nurse who spent time at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington before he was assigned to Fort Benning, Jackson said.
Walters' awards include the Navy Fleet Marine Force Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal with Bronze Star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon and the Kuwait Liberation Medal.
The Patriot Guard will escort Walters' casket from the Cleveland/Hopkins Airport to the funeral home in Parma, Ohio.
James Graley left these words in memory of Walters:
"I have wonderful memories of a friend that I will never see again.
They are memories of you, which are treasures I will carry wherever I go.
They are bits and pieces of a great friendship. They give me comfort when I am alone.
Yes, I will carry the precious memories of my good friend Allyn for the rest of my life till we meet again."
To all who mourn this man, may peace and comfort find you, even in these dark hours.
Godspeed, Spc. Richard A. Walters Jr.
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Poppies are the universal symbols of remembrance. May we never forget the sacrifices made by Spc. Walters and Capt. Tinsley. Bless you both for your service to our country.
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, greenies, blue jersey mom, chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, SpamNunn, a girl in MI, JeNoCo, MediaProf, and rb137.
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.