Tonight, we light a candle of memory against the darkness of grief and loss. We remember.
This retrospective, the first of two, is a compilation of 2009's "I Got the News Today" diaries, tributes to American service members who died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. When you click on the links, you'll find their stories--the details that their friends remember, the last calls home to parents, their MySpace messages to loved ones. These are not numbers. They were husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, parents, children, friends, colleagues, brothers and sisters in arms.
If you are new to the series, please click on a date and read about a few of these lives. If you have been with us this year, please know how much your presence has meant. To the families and friends who may read this--we have not forgotten your loved one.
As in other years, we have chosen "We Remember Them," by Rabbis Sylvan Kamens and Jack Riemer, to help us reflect on these losses. Thank you for being here tonight to remember.
Please also visit Part 2 of this diary.
Note: This list also includes service members from the war in Vietnam whose remains were identified and returned home in 2009.
| | At the rising of the sun and at its going down We remember them. |
January
3 Spc. Tony J. ("T.J.") Gonzales, 20, of Newman, Calif. ; Lance Cpl. Robert L. Johnson, 21, of Central Point, Ore.
4 Pvt. Benjamin B. Tollefson, 22, of Concord, Calif.
7 Pfc. Christopher W. Lotter, 20, of Chester Heights, Pa.; Lance Cpl. Alberto Francesconi, 21, of Bronx, N.Y.
9 Lance Cpl. Jessie A. Cassada, 19, of Hendersonville, N.C.; Staff Sgt. Anthony D. Davis, 29, of Daytona Beach, Fla.
15 Pvt. Sean P. McCune, 20, of Euless, Texas; Lance Cpl. Daniel R. Bennett, 23, of Clifton, Va.
16 Maj. Brian M. Mescall, 33, of Hopkinton, Mass.; Spc. Joseph M. Hernandez, 24, of Hammond, Ind.; Cpl. Jason R. Parsons, 24, of Lenoir, N.C.; Staff Sgt. Joshua L. Rath, 22, of Decatur, Alabama; Spc. Keith Eric Essary, 20, of Dyersburg, Tennessee; Staff Sgt. Justin L. Bauer, 24, of Loveland, Colo.
19 Sgt. Marquis R. Porter, 28, of Brighton, Mass.
21 Spc. Alexander Rosa Jr., 22, of Orlando, Fla.
22 Staff Sgt. Joshua R. Townsend, 30, of Solvang , Calif.; Senior Airman Omar J. McKnight, 22, of Marrero, La.; Staff Sgt. Carlo M. Robinson, 33, of Lawton, Okla.
23 Lance Cpl. Chadwick A. Gilliam, 29, of Mayking, Ky.
25 Spc. Ezra Dawson, 31, of Las Vegas, Nev.; Pfc. Matthew M. Pollini, 21, of Rockland Mass.
26 Pfc. Ricky L. Turner, 20, of Athens, Ala.
28 Sgt. Kyle J. Harrington, 24, of Swansea, Mass.; Lance Cpl. Julian T. Brennan, 25, of Brooklyn, N.Y.
29 Pvt. Grant A. Cotting, 19, of Corona, Calif.
30 Sgt. David W. Wallace III, 25, of Sharpsville, Pa.; Sgt. Trevor J. Johnson, 23, of Forsyth, Mont.
"He was, in my opinion, the perfect Marine," (family friend Terry) Taylor told the Flathead Beacon. "He had the chiseled good looks, he had the athletic ability, he had the intelligence, he had the courage and he had the heart to do it ... But he was still Trevor Johnson, a country boy from Rosebud County."
| | At the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter We remember them. |
February
4 Chief Warrant Officer Philip E. Windorski, Jr., 35, of Bovey, Minnesota; Chief Warrant Officer Joshua M. Tillery, 31, of Beaverton, Oregon; Chief Warrant Officer Benjamin H. Todd, 29, of Colville, Washingto; Chief Warrant Officer Milton E. Suggs, 51, of Lockport, Louisiana
6 Spc. Darrell L. Fernandez, 25, of Truth or Consequences, N.M.
12 Spc. Christopher P. Sweet, 28, of Kahului, Hawaii; Staff Sgt. Jason E. Burkholder, 27, of Elida, Ohio; 1st Lt. Jared W. Southworth, 26, of Oakland, Ill.; Lance Cpl. Kevin T. Preach, 21, of Bridgewater, Mass.
14 US Army Specialist Peter J. Courcy from Texas; Private First Class Jason R. Watson from Louisiana
15 Lt. Col. Garnet R. Derby, 44, of Missoula, MT; Sgt. Joshua A. Ward, 30, of Scottsville, KY; Pfc. Albert R. Jex, 23, of Phoenix, AZ; Pfc. Jonathan R. Roberge, 22, of Leominster, MA
19 Sgt. James M. Dorsey, 23, of Beardstown, Ill.; Cpl. Stephen S. Thompson, 23, of Tulsa, Okla.; Staff Sgt. Sean D. Diamond, 41, of Dublin, Calif.
22 Marine Sgt. Daniel L. Hansen 24, of Tracy, Calif.; Sgt. 1st Class Raymond J. Munden, 35, of Mesquite, Texas; Staff Sgt. Roberto Andrade Jr., 26, of Chicago, Ill.
24 Staff Sgt. Jeremy E. Bessa, 26, of Woodridge IL; Master Sgt. David L. Hurt, 36, of Tucson, AZ
25 Staff Sgt. Mark C. Baum, 32, of Telford, Pa.
26 Cpl. Michael L. Mayne, 21, of Burlington Flats, N.Y.; Cpl. Micheal B. Alleman, 31, of Logan, Utah; Cpl. Zachary R. Nordmeyer, 21, of Indianapolis, Ind.
27 1st Lt. William E. Emmert, 36, of Lincoln, Tenn.
He wanted to make a difference. He said "Dad, I want to do something that will make a difference in this world and help people." ~snip~ Although he was a soldier, I think being a peacemaker was a great part of his character.
| | At the opening of the buds and in the rebirth of spring We remember them. |
March
1 Capt. Brian M. Bunting, 29, of Potomac, Maryland; Sgt. Schuyler B. Patch, 25, of Owasso, Oklahoma and Kewanee, Illinois; Sgt. Schuyler B. Patch, 25, of Owasso, Oklahoma and Kewanee, Illinois; Sgt. Daniel J. Thompson, 24, of Madison, Wisconsin
3 Spc. Brian M. Connelly, 26, of Union Beach, N.J.
Spc. Brian Connolly had been working as an appretice electrician in New York until he was laid off. He joined the army in the fall of 2007. He married a woman he had know since his high school days, and he wanted to come home and start a family. He died in Iraq when his vehicle was stuck by an explosive device.
5 Sgt. Simone A. Robinson, 21, of Dixmoor, Ill.
9 Pfc. Jessica Y. Sarandrea, 22, of Miami, Fla.; Sgt. Jeffrey A. Reed, 23, of Chesterfield, Va.
12 1st Lt. Daniel B. Hyde, 24, of Modesto, Calif.; Pfc. Patrick A. Devoe, II, 27, of Auburn, N.Y.
14 Lance Cpl. Patrick A. Malone, 21, of Ocala, Fla.
16 Petty Officer 1st Class Theophilus Kwaku Ansong, 34, of Bristow, Va.
19 Staff Sgt. Archie A. Taylor, 37, of Tomball, Texas; Staff Sgt. Timothy L. Bowles, 24, of Tucson, Ariz.; Sgt. Christopher P. Abeyta, 23, of Midlothian, Ill.; Sgt. Robert M. Weinger, 24, of Round Lake Beach, Ill.; Spc. Norman L. Cain III, 22, of Oregon, Ill.
25 Lance Cpl. Daniel J. Geary, 22, of Rome, N.Y.; Pfc. Adam J. Hardt, 19, of Avondale, Ariz.
26 Corporals Anthony L. Williams, 21, of Oxford, Pa.; Michael W. Ouellette, 28, of Manchester, N.H.; Master Corporal Scott Francis Vernelli * Corporal Tyler Crooks * Trooper Jack Bouthillier * Trooper Corey Joseph Hayes
28 Sgt. Jose R. Escobedo Jr., 32, of Albuquerque, N.M.
29 Staff Sgt. Raphael A. Futrell, 26, of Anderson, S.C
30 Lt. Florence B. Choe, 35, of El Cajon, Calif.; Lt. j.g. Francis L. Toner IV, 26, of Narragansett, R.I.
26 Trooper, Karine Blais, 21,
26 Cpl. Brad A. Davis, 21, of Garfield Heights, Ohio
30 Sgt. Leroy O. Webster, 28, of Sioux Falls, S.D.
| | At the blueness of the skies and in the warmth of summer We remember them. |
April
9 Staff Sgt. Phillip A. Myers, 30, of Hopewell Va.
10 Sgt. Daniel J. Beard, 24, of Buffalo, New York; Spc. Israel Candelaria Mejias, 28, of San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico; Spc. Adam M. Kuligowski, 21, of Arlington, Virginia and Derry, New Hampshire
11 Lance Cpl. Nelson M. Lantigua, 20, of Miami, Florida;Sgt. Devin C. Poche, 25, of Jacksonville, North Carolina; Lance Cpl. Stephan F. Dearmon, 21, of Crossville, Tennessee
14 Staff Sgt. Gary L. Woods Jr., 24, of Lebanon Junction, Ky.; Sgt. 1st Class Bryan E. Hall, 32, of Elk Grove, Calif.; Sgt. Edward W. Forrest Jr., 25, of St. Louis, Mo.; Cpl. Jason G. Pautsch, 20, of Davenport, Iowa; Pfc. Bryce E. Gautier, 22, of Cypress, Calif.
Jason's siblings thought the world of him. "He's just an all-around great guy," Jacob said. "I could go talk to him and be in a bad mood and 10 minutes later be laughing and on the floor." Sister Jenna remembered, "He was kind of the one who kept us all together. He was always more concerned with other people than himself. He was so devoted. He'd take on a task and do more than anyone ever expected."
15 Airman 1st Class Jacob I. Ramsey, 20, of Hesperia, Calif.; Spc. Michael J. Anaya, 23, of Crestview, Fla.
17 Sergeant Raul Moncada from Madera, California died on April 13th, 2009 ; Cpl. Francisco X. Aguila, 35, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico
22 On April 15, PFC Richard A. Dewater, 21, of Topeka, Kansas
25 Lance Cpl. Ray A. Spencer II, 20, of Ridgecrest, California; Cpl. William C. Comstock, 21, of Van Buren, Arkansas;
26 Trooper Karine Blais, 21
26 Cpl. Brad A. Davis, 21, of Garfield Heights, Ohio
30 Sgt. Leroy O. Webster, 28, of Sioux Falls, S.D.
| | At the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of autumn We remember them. |
May
1 CSM Benjamin Moore, Jr., 43, of Waycross, Ga.
5 Sgt. Christopher D. Loza, 24, of Abilene, Texas; Petty Officer 2nd Class Tyler J. Trahan, 22, of East Freetown, Massachusetts; Sgt. James R. "Mac" McIlvaine, 26, of Olney, Maryland; and Staff Sgt. Mark A. "Tony Wojo" Wojciechowski, 25, of Cincinnati, Ohio
7 Sgt. James D. Pirtle, 21, of Colorado Springs, Colo.; Spec. Ryan C. King, 22, of Dallas, Ga.; Staff Sgt. William D. Vile, 27, of Philadelphia, Pa. ; Spc. Jeremiah P. McCleery, 24, of Portola, Calif.; Spc. Jake R. Velloza, 22, of Inverness, Calif.
13 Pvt. Justin P. Hartford, 21, of Elmira, N.Y.; Staff Sgt. Randy S. Agno, 29, of Pearl City, Hawaii
14 Spc. Omar M. Albrak, 21, of Chicago, Ill.; Spc. Lukasz D. Saczek, 23, of Lake in the Hills, Ill.
15 Commander Charles K. Springle, 52, of Wilmington, North Carolina; Major Dr. Matthew P. Houseal, 54, of Amarillo, Texas; Staff Sgt. Christian E. Bueno-Galdos, 25, of Paterson, New Jersey; Spc. Jacob D. Barton, 20, of Lenox, Missouri; Pfc. Michael E. Yates Jr., 19, of Federalsburg, Maryland; Major Steven Hutchison, 60, of Scottsdale, Arizona
16 Cpl. Ryan C. McGhee, 21, of Fredericksburg, Virginia
21 Spc. David A. Schaefer Jr., 27, of Belleville, Ill.; Staff Sgt. Esau I. De la Pena-Hernandez, 25, of La Puente, Calif.; Sgt. Carlie M. Lee, III, 23, of Birmingham, Ala.
24 1st Lt. Roslyn L. Schulte, 25, of St. Louis, Missouri
1st Lt. Roslyn L. Schulte, 25, of St. Louis, Missouri gave up the Ivy League to attend the United States Air Force Academy, because she had always dreamed of flying. Her service "was an example of her moral conviction," said her brother, Todd Schulte, 28, who graduated from Harvard University and is now chief of staff to Rep. Scott Murphy, D-N.Y. "Roz worked 14 hours a day and spent three more hours organizing a charity for Afghan refugees," Todd Schulte said. "It’s a small solace that she was truly an inspiration. She was an incredibly impressive person, a brave soul and leader. She was the most fundamentally generous and kind person I knew."
26 Major Jason E. George of Tehachapi, California; First Lieutenant Leevi K. Barnard of Mount Airy, North Carolina; Sgt. Paul F. Brooks of Joplin, Missouri; Chief Warrant Officer III Brent S. Cole of Reedsville, West Virginia; Sgt. 1st Class Brian Naseman of New Bremen, Ohio
29 Lt. Col. Mark E. Stratton II, 39, of Houston; Senior Airman Ashton L. M. Goodman, 21, of Indianapolis; Cmdr. Duane G. Wolfe, 54, of Port Hueneme, Calif.; AM1 (AW) Joseph Wayne Richardson, USN
31 Army 1st Sgt. Blue C. Rowe, 33, of Summers, Arkansas; Spc. Chad A. Edmundson, 20, of Williamsburg, Pennsylvania
| | At the beginning of the year and when it ends We remember them. |
June
4 Pvt. Thomas E. Lee, III, 20, of Dalton, Ga.; Pvt. Bradley W. Iorio, 19, of Galloway, N.J.; Spc. Samuel D. Stone, 20, of Port Orchard, Wash.; Spc. Marko M. Samson, 30, of Columbus, Ohio
6 Sgt. Justin J. Duffy, 31, of Cozad, Neb.; Lance Cpl. Matthew G. Reza, 27, of Austin, Texas; Staff Sgt. Jeffrey A. Hall, 28, of Huntsville, Ala.; Pfc. Matthew D. Ogden, 33, of Corpus Christi, Texas; Pfc. Matthew W. Wilson, 19, of Miller, Mo.
8 Spc. Roberto A. Hernandez, 21, of Far Rockaway, New York; Spc. Christopher M. Kurth, 23, of Alamogordo, N.M.; Lance Cpl. Robert D. Ulmer, 22, of Landisville, Pa.
10 Spc. Charles D. Parrish, 23, of Jasper, Ala.; Spc. Jarrett P. Griemel, 20, of La Porte, Texas; Sgt. Jasper K. Obakrairur, 26, of Hilo, Hawaii; Maj. Kevin M. Jenrette, 37, of Lula, Ga.; Sgt. 1st ClassJohn C. Beale, 39, of Riverdale, Ga.; Spc. Jeffrey W. Jordan, 21, of Rome, Ga.
11 Lance Cpl. Joshua R. Whittle, 20, of Downey, Calif.; Maj. Rocco M. Barnes, 50, of Los Angeles; PFC Cwislyn K. Walter, 19, of Honolulu
12 Staff Sgt. Marc J. Small, 29, of Collegeville, Pennsylvania; Staff Sgt. Timothy P. Davis, 28, of Aberdeen, Washington; Cpl. Donte J. Whitworth, 21, of Noblesville, Indiana; Spc. Gary L. Moore, 25, of Del City, Oklahoma; Lance Cpl. Blaise A. Oleski, 22, of Holland Patent, New York; Spc. Eduardo S. Silva, 25, of Greenfield, California
15 Specialist Shawn Dante Sykes; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ricky L. Richardson Jr., 33, of Franklin, Missouri
18 Staff Sgt. Edmond L. Lo, 23, of Salem, N.H.
19 Spc. Jonathan C. O’Neill, 22, of Zephyrhills, Fla.; Capt. Kafele H. Sims, 32, of Los Angeles
20 Sgt. 1st Class Kevin A. Dupont, 52, of Templeton, Massachusetts
Mark Dupont says his brother had a tough three months since his injuries, "He took a beating in Afghanistan, as reported he was totally engulfed in flames."
Mark Dupont says even though he was badly burned, his brother was thinking of his fellow soldiers who were also injured, "I honestly believe knowing Kevin, I honestly believe Kevin tried to save the soldier before he saved himself."
(snip)
"Life wasn't about Kevin, it was about everyone but Kevin."
Mark Dupont says his brother was fiercely independent and a private person with a big heart, "He's my brother, Semper Fi brother, happy trails, I love you forever."
21 Sgt. Joshua W. Soto, 25, of San Angelo, Texas
23 Staff Sgt. Paul G. Smith, 43, of East Peoria, Ill.; Staff Sgt. Joshua A. Melton, 26, of Carlyle, Ill.; Spc. Chancellor A. Keesling, 25, of Indianapolis, Ind.; Command Master Chief Petty Officer Jeffrey J. Garber, 43, of Hemingford, Neb.
24 Chaplain (Major) Henry Timothy Vakoc
25 1st Sgt. John D. Blair, 38, of Calhoun, Ga.; Sgt. Ricky D. Jones, 26, of Plantersville, Ala.; Spc. Rodrigo A. Munguia Rivas, 27, of Germantown, Md.
29 Spc. Casey L. Hills, 23, of Salem, Illinois; Spc. Joshua L. Hazlewood, 22, of Manvel, Texas; 1st Lt. Brian N. Bradshaw, 24, of Steilacoom, Wash.
| | Remember them. |
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, blue jersey mom, twilight falling, joyful, roses, Chacounne, JeNoCo, SisTwo, SpamNunn, a girl in MI, JanosNation, Proud Mom and Grandma and True Blue Majority. Timroff created the IGTNT logo.
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.