Please join me and the IGTNT team as we honor two soldiers who lost their lives on foreign soil:
1st Lt. Brandon A. Barrett, of Marion, Indiana, who died May 5 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan; and
Master Sgt. Mark W. Coleman, of Centerville, Washington, who died May 2 at Khakrez, Afghanistan, when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
Our lovely forget-me-nots were a gift from dear llbear.
Will you dear Kossacks kindly take a moment to send a warm thought or prayer to the hundreds of thousands of forgotten or unnoticed souls who have suffered, and continue to suffer, from the insanity of war? This is not their diary but still, we all feel and grieve the pain of a broken human spirit.
Blessings and Light to all who share our world.
1st Lt. Brandon A. Barrett, 27
(AP Photo/Courtesy Ashley Barrett)
To Ashley Barrett, her brother is a hero.
"He was not only an amazing big brother, but he's always been a hero to all of us," the 21-year-old said. "Not only was he born a hero, but he died a hero. He died doing what he loved to do."
His first platoon team must feel the same way. High school classmate Kristin Marcuccilli found a letter that Barrett sent to the parents of every member of the team he led, promising them that he would watch out for their sons. "The first thing out of his mouth when we went out to dinner is 'Everyone's safe,'" Kristin remembered. "You never heard a person more passionate about the responsibilities of leading these young men."
Other friends remember him just as warmly.
"Brandon was a well-liked person, and I always admired the fact that he was a proud military guy," high school class mate Brett Nichols shared in an e-mail. "He's someone that didn't take our freedoms and liberty here in the United States for granted, as some young adults like us do."
Brandon Barrett graduated from Marion High School in 2001, and from the US Naval Academy in 2006. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Brandon's mother, herself the daughter of an Army captain, remembers his excitement upon learning he had been accepted into the Academy and then, in 2006, that he'd made the Marine Corps infantry as he'd hoped, which would lead to active duty overseas. Barrett was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant on May 26, 2008.
"I took a big gulp, told him I was excited (but) when I hung up I probably cried for two hours," Cindy Barrett said.
This photo came from Facebook; I found it at Channel 6 news HD and I thank them for using it here.
1st Lt. Barrett's many awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and the NATO International Security Assistance Force Medal. 1LT Barrett's first tour of duty was from March to October 2008. He arrived back in Afghanistan in December 2009.
Brandon Barrett left a letter with friends, detailing his desired funeral arrangements in the event of his death. As Cindy Barrett waited for her son at Dover Air Force Base, she said it gave her some comfort to know that, "He was passionate about his platoon and what he was doing and what his mission was in this world."
The magnificent Patriot Guard Riders have been asked to escort 1st Lt. Barrett on his final journey. Messages of love and support have been left for the family at their forum.
A U.S. Marine carry team prays respectfully over the transfer case containing the remains of Marine 1st Lt. Brandon A. Barrett at Dover Air Force Base on Friday, May 7, 2010 in Dover, Delaware. (AP Photo credit: Cliff Owen)
His memory will live on. Classmate Jason Stambaugh wrote, "Last time we hung out he told me and a few others we are the older brothers he never had. I get to keep that memory. My hero thought of me as family. How special is that?"
Our thoughts are with the Barrett family, and all who knew and loved 1st Lt. Brandon A. Barrett. Please know that we stand beside you at this terrible time of loss.
Master Sgt. Mark W. Coleman, 40
Barbie Coleman's long marriage had a charming beginning: her husband used to steal her pencils from her when they were classmates at Goldendale High School - only to give them back later, points neatly sharpened.
Their long, twenty-plus year relationship ended when her high school sweetheart lost his life to an IED (improvised explosive device) while commanding a foot patrol team out in a rural, rugged area of Kandahar Province in Afghanistan.
"There's so many people that loved him," Barbie Coleman told reporters from the home she shared with the Master Sargent in Yelm, Thurston County, Washington. They had lived in Yelm for the past two years, along with their two children: 15-year-old Jessica and Brett, a twenty-year-old who also is in the Army, stationed up at Fort Richardson in Alaska.
Mark Coleman had a rich and colorful military career. From beginning his life on a farm in Centerville, young Mark dreamed of joining the special forces. He jumped into basic training immediately after graduating from Goldendale High School in 1988. Barbie and Mark were married in February of 1989, one week before Mark left for a tour of duty in Germany. His career took them to South Korea, Australia, the Philippines, Thailand, Fort Bragg, NC and most recently, to Fort Lewis.
Mrs. Coleman said that her husband joined the Army's special forces in 1999, receiving his specialized training at Fort Bragg where he learned to speak the Thai language. Master Sargent Coleman was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. Master Sgt. Coleman had been eligible for full retirement back in 2008 but he re-enlisted for an additional five years and was considering extending those even further.
This was the Master Sargent's third tour of duty in Afghanistan; his fifth one in support of foreign "Freedom" operations. Mark Coleman left for Afghanistan back in December 2009 and was due to return home in August.
Some of Master Sgt. Coleman's many awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Army Achievement Medal. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, and the Purple Heart.
The magnificent Patriot Guard Riders have Master Sgt. Coleman on their Watch List, where messages of love and support are being posted for the Coleman family.
Mrs. Coleman embraces the knowing that, "He loved his job and he believed in what he was doing."
Our thoughts are with the Coleman family, and all who knew and loved Master Sargent Mark W. Coleman. Please know that we stand beside you at this terrible time of loss.
Our thanks to dear Timroff for our IGTNT logo.
I can't think of a better way to honor the fallen than to contribute to the well-being of their fellow soldiers still on active duty.
The following fine organizations could sure use your support and your donations: AnySoldier.com, Books for Soldiers, Fisher House, the Military Pets Foster Project, Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pets, Operation Baghdad Pups, Operation Enduring Christmas, an organization that sends holiday presents to the children of our fallen troops, and Helping Udders, an organization that sends cooling vests to the Military Working Dogs stationed with their handlers in Iraq.
I Got the News Today is a diary series intended to honor, respect and remind. Click here to see other IGTNT diaries, a series which was begun by i dunno and which is currently maintained by Sandy on Signal, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, noweasels, roses, SisTwo, SpamNunn, a girl in MI, TrueBlueMajority, CalNM, and Wide Awake in Kentucky.
These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but, we believe, an important service to those Americans who have died, and to our community's respect for and remembrance of them. Fallen soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and National Guard whose names have been released by the 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 fallen service member more fully, but still in a timely manner
As you read this diary, please consider that the families and friends of those profiled here also may read it and that many members of our community have served in Iraq or Afghanistan or have loved ones currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. I hope that the comments tonight will demonstrate our respect for the sacrifices of our fallen military and our compassion for their families, whatever our personal feelings about the war and occupation happen to be. (Comment credit and my thanks to dear noweasels.)
PEACE AND BLESSINGS.