NATO's International Security Assistance Force recently announced the first US fatalities from hostile action in Afghanistan for this new year. A roadside bombing killed four US service members. It was also announced Monday that a British soldier died during a foot patrol in the volatile southern part of Afghanistan.
Those we honor tonight are:
- Army Sergeant Joshua A. Lengstorf who was from Oregon
- Army Specialist Brian R. Bowman who was from Indiana
- Army Private John P. Dion who was from Oklahoma
- USAF Senior Airman Bradley R. Smith who was from Illinois
The remains of the four US military members killed in southern Afghanistan were transferred at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware during a ceremony on Monday night.
Updated to add a personal picture of each man in happier times
Sergeant Joshua A. Lengstorf
Joshua Lengstorf was from the tiny town of Yoncalla, Oregon. He graduated from Oregon’s Elkton High School in 2004. The small-town boy joined the Army in August of 2006 and deployed to Iraq the following year. While in Iraq, he communicated with a former high school friend, Jesse, online. The two got married when Joshua returned from Iraq. They were stationed at the Army base at Fort Carson.
Lengstorf joined the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division out of Fort Collins in 2008 and was deployed to Afghanistan last May. After Lengstorf deployed to Afghanistan, his wife and baby daughter moved to Idaho to be near Jesse's dad.
There are several quotes about Lengstorf at the NRtoday News site:
According to a blog written by Jesse Lengstorf, her husband loved playing computer games and liked rock music. She and her husband both liked working cattle, riding horses, camping and visiting the coast, she wrote.
Collins' mother, Violet, said Josh Lengstorf "had a good sense of humor. When it was time to be serious, he was serious. When it was time to have fun, he had fun with the family."
"He loved life," Chuck Collins reminisced. "The last couple of years he was living in the military and he started loving that. ... The way he talked, everybody that was in his squadron were like brothers. That was what he was happy about.
The soldier was able to travel to Idaho to celebrate his daughter's first birthday in September. About a month ago, Jesse and little Kadence moved to Roseburg, Oregon to be near Jesse’s mom and members of the Lengstorf family. Lengstorf was expected to be back to Oregon in about 4 months. He and his wife would have had their 2nd wedding anniversary next month.
On January 3rd, just one month after his 24th birthday, Lengstorf was killed in an insurgent attack in southern Afghanistan. Lengstorf was among three soldiers killed in the attack on their Army unit with multiple improvised explosives devices and small arms fire in Ashoque, Afghanistan, according to a Department of Defense news release.
Lengstorf is survived by his wife, Jesse, a daughter, Kadence, his parents, and two brothers, Brian and Corey, who live in Yoncalla, Oregon.
The Army promoted Lengstorf posthumously to the rank of sergeant. Funeral arrangements have not been released as of yet.
*************************
Army Specialist Brian R. Bowman
Brian R. Bowman was a native of Indiana. Although his hometown is listed by the Army as Crawfordsville, he was originally from Waveland, a tiny town in Montgomery County, Indiana. He graduated in 2004 from Southmont High School.
Bowman joined the Army in August 24, 2006. He was trained as a medic and assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado. He and his wife, Casie, were living in the Colorado Springs area.
According to WLFI News:
Brian Bowman's family said he loved what he did in the military and was looking forward to a medical career once his deployment was over.
"He joined the army a few years ago and became a medic and wanted to... I don't know if he was going to become a doctor, but a nurse practitioner is was what he was going to do," said Simpson.
Montgomery County Veterans Service Officer Claude Johnson said Brian Bowman is the first Montgomery County soldier killed in war since Vietnam. He said Brian Bowman's death is a loss for the entire community.
Specialist Bowman started his first deployment overseas in May when he was sent to Afghanistan. He'd been home to celebrate Thanksgiving with his family. On January 3rd, he was in Ashoque, Afghanistan when insurgents attacked with multiple improvised explosives devices and small arms fire. The 24-year-old was killed in the attack.
Specialist Bowman's funeral will be at Woodland Heights Church in Crawfordsville, Indiana. It is the church where he and his wife were married. The Patriot Guard Riders will be attending.
*************************
Army Private John P. Dion
John Dion had moved to Shattuck, a small town in northwestern Oklahoma, from California. He enlisted in the Army during his senior year at Shattuck High School. Dion's brother had died fighting in Afghanistan, and that might have been a factor in his determination to start military service at an early age. Dion graduated in June of 2009, and went into basic training.
He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado. He was given his first deployment, to Afghanistan, in November of 2009.
Dion's girlfriend had gotten an email from him on New Year's Day. According to a story on KRDO, she could not believe his was killed:
She describes him as the kind of person who always found a silver lining, and saw the good in others. She says they hit it off from the moment they met several months ago. Vielma was working at the mall, and Dion was a customer.
"I asked to see his ID because he paid with a credit card," she remembers. " I saw his birthday and I told him, 'oh my gosh that's my birthday too!'"
She says she'll celebrate her time with Dion on every birthday from here out.
"I can feel his presence around me sometimes, and I've had dreams about him since he's been gone," she says. "I know he'll always be with me forever, he's my guardian angel now."
Army Private John P. Dion lost his life in Afghanistan on January 3rd, when a Humvee he was riding in struck a roadside bomb. The 19-year-old Private was one of three US soldiers killed during a battle in Ashoque, Afghanistan.
During his service, Dion earned decorations including the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.
Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced, but are expected to be held in Georgia, since Dion's parents live there.
*************************
USAF Senior Airman Bradley R. Smith
Bradley Smith was from Troy, Illinois. He was an active member in the youth ministry of the Bethel Baptist Church in Troy. Smith graduated from Triad High School in 2004, and joined the US Air Force in November 2006.
He was assigned to the 10th Air Support Operations Squadron out of Fort Riley, Kansas. He was deployed to Afghanistan last month. He served as a tactical air command and control journeyman.
Smith's pastor was quoted in an article in BND.com where he was talking about Brad Smith and his brother:
"He believed it was a good cause and worthwhile to do," Wiens said. "Both of those guys are solid supporters of the need to fight these wars. In spite of the risk, he was willing to be involved in that."
Smith followed in his brother's footsteps, and joined the Air Force in November 2006, Wiens said.
He was deployed to Afghanistan last month. He served as a tactical air command and control journeyman.
"Brad was just this real likable, friendly, respectable kid," Wiens said. "He liked to have fun, but he took his responsibilities very seriously. He grew up really hard, strong: When he grew into a man, he was a man."
Twenty-four-year-old Senior Airman Bradley Smith was killed when a road side bomb went off near his vehicle in Afghanistan. His family was told that he was killed instantly. The incident happened on January 3rd near Kandahar Airfield. Smith's buddy, Senior Airman Michael J. Malarsie was seriously injured in the blast, but was transferred to Germany in stable condition.
He is survived by his parents, Gary and Paula Smith; his wife, Tiffany, and their daughter, Chloe Lynn, who was born in October; and an older brother, Ryan Smith, an airman based in Texas who was scheduled to be deployed to Iraq this month.
The funeral of USAF Senior Airman Bradley R. Smith is planned to be at the Bethel Baptist Church in Troy, Illinois on January 10th.
******************************************************************
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 TroopCarePackage.com 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, and CalNM. 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
|
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.