The number of US military deaths in Afghanistan is mounting while the deaths in Iraq have lessened greatly. When talking of war, is all too easy to forget that the tallies represent real people.
Tonight we are celebrating the lives of some of those lost to the war. Among the most recent US fallen are:
- Army Sergeant David Alexander Holmes who was from Georgia
- Army Private First Class Bryant J. Haynes who was from Louisianna
- Army Sergeant John M. Rogers who was from Arizona
- Army Staff Sergeant Eric B. Shaw who was from Tennessee
- Army Specialist David W. Thomas who was from Kentucky
Sergeant David Alexander Holmes
David Alexander Holmes was originally from Mississippi. His family now lives in Tennille, Georgia. Holmes, a former US Marine, had worked for the past six years at the Washington State Prison in Georgia. David joined the National Guard and was assigned to the 810th Engineer Company of Swainsboro, Georgia.
According to the 13WMAZ News site:
Holmes youngest sister, Tina Holmes, says "he was just a sweet, caring, didn't hurt anyone, he was just a good person, just overall he was a wonderful person."
She says being in the military seemed to fit his personality, and he was proud to fight for his country and provide for his family.
She says, "he would always say 'you want me to do this? I bet you don't think I can do this.' He was a daring person, so I feel like that took a part in him joining the army, fighting for his country."
During this tough time, she says, the whole family came together, and it's no surprise many were gathered in the kitchen. She says David Holmes loved to eat and loved to cook.
Sergeant David Alexander Holmes died June 26th in Afghanistan. He was killed after his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device (IED) on a routine clearance patrol in Sayed Abad. He was 34 years old.
Holmes leaves behind his wife, LaTonya, and their two young sons, one-year-old Davion and ten-year-old Tejuan.
Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue, in a statement, asked Georgians this holiday weekend to say a prayer for the thousands who are serving overseas:
The loss of Sgt. David Holmes is a stern reminder of the dangers our military men and women face each and every day. As America prepares to celebrate its independence this weekend, we must never lose sight of the fact that we, as one nation, stand on the shoulders of the young men and women who have lost their lives in the line of duty and of those who are on the front lines today.
No funeral plans for Sergeant David Alexander Holmes have been announced yet.
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Private First Class Bryant J. Haynes
Bryant Haynes was a native of Monroe, Louisianna and attended Ouachita Parish High School in Louisiana. He left high school during the 2007-08 school year to join the military. The Defense Department listed his hometown as Epps, Lousianna.
Haynes was assigned to the 199th Brigade Support Battalion, Louisiana Army National Guard, based in Alexandria. The battalion is a unit in the 256th Brigade Combat Team, whose 3,000 soldiers were deployed overseas earlier this year and are spread across Iraq on an array of vital missions, from providing security to convoys to guarding and running military installations.
Private First Class Bryant J. Haynes died June 26th in Al Diwaniyah, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. Few details have been released about the incident. He was 21 years old at the time of his death.
"BJ" Haynes leaves behind his mother, Linda Toney Collins of Monroe; his father, Fredrick Nichols of Delhi; a fiancé, Lakeidra Taylor; his grandparents; nine brothers; and four sisters.
Haynes' funeral will be held Saturday at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Monroe, Louisiana. The Patriot Guard Riders are planning to attend the ceremony and the visitation scheduled for the previous day. One of the comments on the Riders' site has this verse:
Those we love remain with us
For love itself lives on...
Cherished memories never fade
Because one loved is gone.
Those we love can never be
More than a thought apart...
For as long as there is memory,
They live on in our hearts.
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Sergeant John M. Rogers
John M. Rogers was born in Phoenix and spent most of his life in Arizona, Rogers attended Greenway Middle School and North Canyon High School in Phoenix. Before joining the Army, Rogers worked in construction and was a resident of Scottsdale, Arizona. He entered the Army in June 2004 and arrived at Fort Campbell in April 2009.
According to an article by The Arizona Republic:
"He joined (the Army) because he had always wanted to be a police officer, since he was a little boy," Freyre Rogers said. "He wanted to have the training and experience for it. Eventually he learned to really love it."...
"He was very distinguished, very decorated," Reynold said. "He was really getting there. He loved what he did. He was the most amazing person I ever met. ... He had the ability to make anybody laugh, even when they were in the middle of crying."
Reynolds added that Rogers was planning to make the military his career. "He felt that his military family were his brothers," she said.
He completed basic training in Fort Benning, Ga., and served two tours of duty in Korea and one in Iraq. More recently, he had a post in Afghanistan as an infantryman. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
On June 27th Rogers was at Forward Operating Base Blessing, Afghanistan. He died there from injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was 26 years old. An investigation is underway about the incident. Investigations can take months, but Casualty Assistance Officers are assigned keep the family members updated as new information comes out.
Awards and decorations earned by Rogers include: Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Korean Defense Service Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Noncommissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; Combat Infantry Badge; Parachutists Badge; and Weapons Qualification, M4, expert.
Survivors of John M. Rogers include his wife, Zuleika F. Rogers of Scottsdale; father, John H. Rogers of Kansas City, Mo.; and mother, Pamela S. Bryan, of Pawtucket, R.I., sisters Sally and Kayla, and brother Jimmy.
A memorial service will be held in Afghanistan. Fort Campbell holds a monthly Eagle Remembrance Ceremony. The next ceremony will be held July 21st at 4:00pm and McAuliffe Hall. The funeral for Sergeant John M. Rogers will be at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona. A date has not been announced.
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Staff Sergeant Eric B. Shaw
Eric B. Shaw was born in Massachusetts and raised in Exeter, Maine, by his father and grandmother, both of whom are now deceased.
Shaw entered the Army in October 2004 and arrived at Fort Campbell in March 2005. He was an infantryman assigned to Company A, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team based at Fort Campbell in Kentucky.
Staff Sergeant Eric Shaw was killed June 27th by enemy gunfire in the Konar province of Afghanistan on his third combat tour. He was 31 years old. Specialist David Thomas was killed in the same attack. Although Shaw's family lives in Tennessee, they were visiting relatives in Maine when the news of the Staff Sergeant's death came.
Maine's Governor Baldacci said he placed a call to the family and plans to order flags flown at half-staff on the day of Shaw's funeral. He also issued a statement:
"All soldiers in combat pay a deep price for their service. For some, they make the ultimate sacrifice,"
"Staff Sgt. Shaw was a dedicated soldier with a young family. We will keep his wife and his children in our prayers. Our entire state mourns with them."
Staff Sergeant Eric B. Shaw's awards and decorations include: Army Commendation Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Combat Infantry Badge; Overseas Service Ribbon; Expert Infantry Badge; Air Assault Badge and Weapons Qualification: M4 (expert).
Shaw is survived by his wife, Audrey R. Shaw; and three children, ages 5, 2 and six weeks, all from Clarksville, Tenn.; and mother, Michelle S. Campbell of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. A touching family photo of Eric Shaw and his children can be seen at this site.
Funeral plans have yet to be released.
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Specialist David W. Thomas
David W. Thomas was born in New York and his family moved to Georgia and then to South Carolina. In 1988, after graduating from high school in Estill, South Carolina, he joined the Navy, where he served until 1991.
Thomas signed up with the Marines in 1997. He was with the Marine Corps for eight years, and served in Iraq three times. Toward the end of his tour, he worked as a recruiter, and often heard from families after their loved ones he had recruited died in Iraq.
When he left the Marines, he moved to St. Petersburg to be with his wife and their children. He went from job to job, usually in security, and decided to sign up with the Army. He arrived at Fort Campbell, Kentucky last August, and his family also moved there.
Thomas was serving in Afghanistan as an infantryman assigned to Company A, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team based at Fort Campbell in Kentucky.
According to the St. Petersburg Times site:
While in Afghanistan, Spc. Thomas spoke frequently with family members, e-mailing often and calling when possible. Not knowing if he could call home Monday on his mother's 66th birthday, he asked his wife to wish her a happy birthday for him.
"He doesn't ever miss me on my birthday," Mary Thomas said.
Army specialist Thomas was killed on June 27th when enemy forces attacked his unit with small-arms fire in Konar province. Staff Sergeant Eric Shaw also was killed in the attack.
According to the Tampa Bay Online site:
About a week ago, David W. Thomas called his wife from Afghanistan to tell her he had been in an ambush that left two comrades dead. He sounded distraught, and told her not to watch television coverage of the incident, said his sister, Donna Butler.
Butler sent him a message on Facebook, telling him to come home, to forget about re-enlisting to reach the 20-year retirement mark, that it wasn't worth it anymore.
"I got nervous," said Butler, 33, of Sarasota. "He's never shown a sign of weakness."
Thomas responded, "I'm OK, sis. I'm OK."
Less than a week later, Thomas, 40, was dead.
His awards and decorations include: National Defense Service Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Navy and Marine Achievement Medal; Presidential Unit Citation; Navy Unit Commendation; Navy and Marine Unit Commendation; Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal; and Weapons Qualification: M4 (expert).
Thomas is survived by his wife, Latoya Thomas; son Jayden and daughter Imani and step-son, Basheer H. Cross, all of Fort Campbell; a daughter, Jachardonae Thomas of Kathleen, Fla., and son, David W. Thomas, Jr., of Springfield, Ohio; and mother, Mary Thomas of Allendale, S.C.
David Thomas will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are still being made. His remains were returned Tuesday to Philadelphia, where his wife, Latoya, children and brother paid their respects.
Sergeant John M. Rogers, Specialist Thomas, and Staff Sergeant Shaw will be honored at a memorial service at Fort Campbell on July 21th.
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Helping our troops:
If you wish to assist our military and their families, consider Operation Helmet, or Fisher House. Sponsoring a deployed service member at US Troop Care Package can provide letters or care packages that make a real difference in a military person's life. To assist the animal companions of our deployed military, information is available here. Also, you could visit:
When our veterans come back home, they need jobs. Look at the programs of Hire Heroes USA and Welcome Back Veterans to see if you can help out. The new KINship Project has also been of help to our veterans and other Kossacks In Need.
About the IGTNT series:
"I Got the News Today" is a diary series intended to honor, respect, and remind us of the sacrifice of our US troops. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, noweasels, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, SpamNunn, a girl in MI, JeNoCo, Mediaprof, TrueBlueMajority, JanosNation, Proud Mom and Grandma, Ministry of Truth, CalNM, and Wide Awake in KY. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for them.
Fallen service members whose names have been released by the US Department of Defense will usually be diaried two days after the official announcement on the DoD website. This allows the IGTNT team to cover each person more fully, but still in a timely manner
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Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members mentioned here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.