Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality. ~Emily Dickinson
I Got the News Today (IGTNT) is a diary series intended to honor service members who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one.
The beautiful forget me nots created by llbear.
Since 2003 there have been 4429 US casualties in Iraq and since 2001 there have been 1404 US casualties in Afghanistan. Source.
Tonight we honor
Lance Cpl. Ardenjoseph A. Buenagua, 19, of San Jose, California
Lt. William J. Donnelly IV, 27, of Picayune, Miss.
From CalNM
The Department of Defense announced the combat death of a Marine from Camp Pendleton.
Lance Cpl. Ardenjoseph A. Buenagua, 19,
of San Jose, California
Lance Cpl. Buenagua, known to his family and friends as "Arden," was killed in action on November 24 in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was an engineer assigned to 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Camp Pendleton, California.
Arden Buenagua attended Independence high school in San Jose, California, and graduated from Piedmont Hills High School in 2009. He enlisted in the Marines that July and was assigned to the First Marine Division's First Combat Battalion at Camp Pendleton.
The Marines and his family did not provide additional details, but Buenagua's decorations included a Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon and other honors.
Lance Cpl. Buenagua kept in contact with his family and friends from high school and home on his facebook page. He seemed to be a gregarious young man who liked to make friends, and updated his status with his iphone.
Lance Cpl. Buenagua's last post on September 30 came the day he arrived in Afghanistan. The 19-year-old Marine from San Jose lost his life less than two months after arriving in the country for his first combat deployment.
Lance Cpl. Buenagua is missed by those he leaves behind, including his mother and family,
friends from home, and his fellow Marines.
May He Rest in Peace.
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Lt. William J. Donnelly IV died in Afghanistan on Thanksgiving day.
Donnelly, a 27-year-old infantry officer, died while conducting operations in Helmand Province, a statement from the defense department said.
Donnelly was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Friends and family said Marine Corps 1st Lt. William J. Donnelly IV always wanted to go into the military and fight for his country.
He ended up giving his life in combat in Afghanistan on Thanksgiving Day for that ideal.
"He lived to serve his country, and he refused to just sit on the sidelines," said his sister, Melissa Donnelly Weed.
Weed said the loss was not just to the Marines, nor to Donnelly's immediate family, but to everyone he knew.
"Will was the best husband, son, brother, uncle and friend anyone had," said Weed. "He was totally committed to his wife Linsey, his family, his friends and his Marine Corps."
Weed said her brother was proud to be a Marine and was known by all for his professionalism and caring spirit.
"He was respected by all who knew him and loved by everyone," she said. "He was always there for his family and friends, no matter what time or place. He will be missed by so many." Source.
Lt. Donnelly's personal service awards include The Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Defense Serive Medal, and Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
May He Rest in Peace
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Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and is currently maintained by Sandy on Signal, noweasels, monkeybiz, 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, CalNM, Wide Awake in KY, maggiejean, racheltracks, kestrel 9000, JaxDem, and Cathy.
If you would like to contribute to the series, even once a month, please contact Sandy on Signal or noweasels.
To see what these tributes mean to those who have lost a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan, please read Sandy on Signal’s story about meeting the father of a soldier at NN10.
The IGTNT logo was created by Timroff.
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 you wish to assist our military and their families, consider Operation Helmet, or Fisher House. Donating to Netroots for the Troops provides 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..
Want to send your support to a Soldier in harm's way, but have no idea of what to send, who to send it to, or how to send it?click here.
Our recently returned veterans need jobs, and Veterans Green Jobs is now hiring for positions and filling training sessions. VGJ corps retrains veterans as leaders in natural resource conservation, green construction, and energy efficient upgrades of homes in rural areas.
Also, look at the programs of The Kinship Project. This has been of help to our veterans and Kossacks In need.