From For the Fallen by Laurence Binyon
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
~source
Tonight we honor the lives and memories of two young soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq this week. Staff Sgt. James R. Patton lost his life as the result of a helicopter crash. Pfc. Charlie C. Antonio died of injuries suffered in a non-combat-related incident. Please follow me below the fold to learn more about the lives of these two young soldiers who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
On Wednesday the Department of Defense made the following announcement:
Staff Sgt. James R. Patton, 23, of Fort Benning, Ga., died April 18 in Tikrit, Iraq, of injuries sustained as the result of a helicopter crash. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.
Staff Sgt. Patton joined the army in 2004. After completing training as an army ranger, he was assigned to Company B of the 3rd Ranger Battalion at Fort Benning. During his time in the army, Patton served as a a grenadier, a fire team leader, and a rifle squad leader. He was on his 7th deployment to the Middle East at the time of his death. He had completed two previous deployments to Iraq and four to Afghanistan.
Col Michael E. Kunilla, the 75th ranger commander, described Patton as:
Staff Sergeant James Patton was the epitome of the American Ranger — warrior, patriot, and dedicated to mission accomplishment. ~source
Col. Dan Walrath, the 3rd Battalion Ranger Regiment commander, said:
Staff Sergeant Jimmy Patton was the life of his platoon and the epitome of a selfless servant....He made the best of every situation regardless of circumstance and he always exuded an easy confidence that ‘it could be done.'
Jimmy Patton is survived by his wife, Beatriz, and his daughter, Cecilia, both of Columbus, Ga. His is also survived by his parents, Command Sgt. Major Gregory and Sheila Patton of Indian Mound, Tennessee, as well as a brother and a sister.
Thank you, staff Sgt. James R. Patton, for your selfless service to our country. May the community provide comfort and support for your wife and child.
***************************************************************
On Wednesday the DoD also announced the following:
Pfc. Charlie C. Antonio, 28, of Kahului, Hawaii, died April 18 in Annassar, Iraq, of injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Pfc. Antonio graduated from high school in the Philippines. For the past few years he had worked at several hotels at Maui, often working two jobs at once. In April of 2009, he decided to join the army for the opportunities it provided. Three months later he was assigned to the 3rd Brigade as an infantryman.
Pfc. Antonio was on his first tour of duty in Iraq. His unit had been deployed to Iraq on March 18th of this year, and he had only been in country for one month at the time of his death.
Charlie Antonio's brother, Mario, said that the family did not want to discuss the details of his death.
Bless you Pfc. Antonio for your service to our country. May your family find the strength to deal with this tragic loss.
******************************************************************
Poppies are the universal symbols of remembrance. May we always honor and remember the sacrifices of Staff Sgt. James Patton and Pfc. Charlie Antonio. We will keep your families in our thoughts and prayers.
********************************************************************
The purpose of the I Got the News Today series is 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.
Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and is currently 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.