The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
Tonight, we gather to honor four combat engineers of the elite 618th Company of the 27th Combat Engineers Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade, members of a special brotherhood of pathfinders and path clearers who gave their last full measure for their country this week while clearing the way in Afghanistan for the efforts of their brothers and sisters in arms, Spc. Chase Stanley, 21, of Napa, CA, Spc. Jesse D. Reed, 26, of Orefield, PA, Spc. Matthew J. Johnson, 21, of Maplewood, MN and Sgt. Zachary M. Fisher, 24, of Ballwin, MO.
[Bedtime. Will answer all comments in the a.m. God bless you and good night]
http://www.defense.gov/...
Essayons ("Let Us Try")
Our brothers fighting on the battle field
look to us to point the way.
We get there first and then we take the risks
to build the roads and airstrips
and bridge the mighty river streams.
We don’t care who gets the glory
we’re sure of one thing this we know
somewhere out there an engineer soldier
designed the plan for the whole darn show.
Essayons, whether in war or peace
we will bear our red and our white.
Essayons. We serve America
and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Essayons.
Essayons.
Here, in the States, we take safe roads for granted. In Afghanistan, there are very few paved roads, and those that are paved have turned into treacherous shooting galleries and booby trap laden corridors. Trucks traveling those roads make easy targets for improvised explosive devices (IED's).
Most of what passes for roads in Afghanistan are little more than winding, dusty and rock strewn pathways. Only the relentless and life threatening daily efforts of our combat engineers makes those roads safer. Explosive ordinance specialists (EOD's) are the second group of soldiers who deal with IED's. The combat engineers, however, have to find them first, using a combination of wits and ever changing technologies to address the changing tactics of a crafty enemy. Tonight, we honor four combat engineers who gave their lives, clearing the way.
Sgt. Zachary Fisher
Sgt. Zachary M. Fisher, 24, of Ballwin, Mo., enlisted in the Army in 2006 and was assigned to the 618th Engineer Support Company. He served as an engineer equipment operator and team leader during route clearance operations. He had previously deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Capt. Steven Holmberg, commander for the 618th Eng. Co., said Fisher had all the qualities of a true leader. "He shared the knowledge from his last deployment with his soldiers and made sure the right thing was being done, no matter how difficult," said Holmberg.
http://www.wral.com/...
A family from the Ballwin, Missouri area is grieving as the parents of Sgt. Zachary Fisher travel to Dover Air Force base to bring home the body of their son. Fisher's sister says the 25-year-old soldier was killed Wednesday by a road side bomb in Afghanistan. Emily Fisher says as long as she can remember, her older brother wanted to serve in the military. But she also says he was ready to come home to be with Jessica, his wife of two years.
Sgt. Fisher had already spent a year in Iraq and in Afghanistan he worked to disarm IEDs. Fisher was a 2004 graduate of Marquette High School where a history teacher remembers him as a kind, patriotic young man. "And he said that even in that class he saw this enthusiasm and interest in how our country developed and recognized a sense of patriotism in Zach," said Kim Cranston with the Rockwood School District, relaying what Fisher's history teacher remembers. "He was not surprised that he had gone on to serve his country."
http://www.ksdk.com/...
Spc. Matthew Johnson
Spc. Matthew J. Johnson, 21 of Maplewood, Minn., enlisted in the Army in 2008 and was assigned to the 618th Eng. Spt. Co. He served as an engineer equipment operator and mine-resistant, ambush-protected operator during route-clearance operations. He served on one deployment to Afghanistan.
Johnson’s family issued the following statement:
"Matthew James Johnson was born and raised in Maplewood, Minnesota. He attended North High School in St. Paul and had a keen interest in hunting, fishing, snowboarding, skateboarding and basketball. Matthew joined the Army in 2008 and was very proud to serve in the military. He will be deeply missed by his mother, father, older brother and special friend Katie Burns."
Additionally, Capt. Steven Holmberg, commander for the 618th Engineer Company, said Johnson was truly a critical part of the team.
"He had a vibrant personality that brightened everyone’s day, and he always worked to be the best at his job," Holmberg said.
http://www.wral.com/...
Spc. Johnson's has requested that the media honor their privacy during this difficult time, making the following statement on Matthew:
"Matthew James Johnson was born and raised in Maplewood, Minnesota. He attended North High School in St. Paul and had a keen interest in hunting, fishing, snowboarding, skateboarding and basketball. Matthew joined the Army in 2008 and was very proud to serve in the military. He will be deeply missed by his mother, father, older brother and special friend Katie Burns. Thanks to all of our family and friends for keeping Matthew in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time."
http://www.reviewmessenger.com/...
Spc. Jesse Reed
Spc. Jesse D. Reed, 26, of Orefield, Penn., enlisted in the Army in 2008 and was assigned to the 618th Eng. Spt. Co. He served as an engineer equipment operator and MRAP operator during route clearance operations. He served on one deployment to Afghanistan.
"His aggressiveness and intelligence showed what it meant to be an airborne soldier," said Capt. Steven Holmberg, commander of the 618th Engineer Company. "Spc. Reed could be counted on to succeed when it counted and under the hardest conditions."
http://www.wral.com/...
Jesse Reed and family, in happier times
Spc. Chase Stanley
Spc. Chase B. Stanley, 21, of Napa, Calif., enlisted in the Army in 2006 and was assigned to the 618th Eng. Spt. Co. He served as an engineer equipment operator and demolitions expert during route clearance operations. He had previously deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"He showed the promise to be an excellent senior leader," said Capt. Steven Holmberg, commander of the 618th Engineer Company. "He brought a wealth of experience to the fight, and he played a significant role in preparing the company for its job."
http://www.wral.com/...
Chase Stanley is the son of Nylind and Debbie Stanley, residents of Lake Berryessa, and brother to Britney Stanley, 23, and Ryan Stanley, 26. Chase Stanley graduated from Napa High School in 2006, and enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 17, alongside his two good friends Matt Fuller and Max Wilhite, Britney Stanley said. "I think he felt like that was his skill set," she said. "It was what he wanted to do, he was supposed to be there. He spent his whole life getting ready for it, always hunting. Outdoors was his lifestyle."
"That’s one thing that I can say about Chase," childhood friend Lance Bubak said. "He always came back and it was like old times. Even if something did bother him, he wouldn’t complain." In December 2009, Stanley was ordered to serve in Afghanistan with his unit, but not before returning home to Lake Berryessa to spend time with his friends and family.
Chase Stanley also took the time to get together with friends and his brother, Dane, who also grew up in the Lake Berryessa area alongside Stanley. Bubak said Stanley was the type of guy who would always make everyone laugh, offering funny quotes from one of his favorite movies "Joe Dirt" and donning a pair of goggles while sitting around a campfire, giving everyone nicknames. He was also fiercely dedicated to his friends, family and country, Bubak said. In December 2009, Stanley, Bubak and Fuller attended a friend’s barbecue in Davis. The childhood friends ate, drank and swapped stories of the past and present, Bubak said. "I never once heard him say ‘I hate it out there,’" Bubak said. "He was just a guy who would say ‘This is my job.’ I remember giving him a big hug and saying ‘Hey man, take care of yourself. We have some more things to do in the future.’"
http://napavalleyregister.com/...
What is excellent,
as God lives, is permanent.
Hearts turn to dust,
hearts love remains.
Hearts love will meet the again.
- Emerson
God Bless these pathfinders, and those loved ones they leave behind.
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. The series, which was begun by i dunno, is maintained by Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, noweasels, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, a girl in MI, Spam Nunn, JeNoCo, Janos Nation, True Blue Majority, Proud Mom and Grandma and CalNM.
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.
If that's not clear, read this: http://www.dailykos.com/...