On the Fourth of July our country celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. On that July 4th, the colonies declared their independence from Great Britian and the king’s rule, resulting in a modern-era world war on land that would become the eastern part of the United States.
The soldiers and marines who join in peacetime and in wartime, often join the military out of that sense of honor in protecting American liberties and freedoms. We remember these patriots especially on the 4th of July. Tonight we add two more to the list of remembrances:
Spc. Matthew R. Hennigan, 20, of Las Vegas, Nevada
Cpl. Larry D. Harris Jr., 24, of Thornton, Colorado
Please take a moment below to remember them.
Tonight we honor two more patriotic young Americans who died at war far from home.
* * * A special "Thank You" to my friend noweasels, who wrote tonight's tributes
to this fallen soldier and fallen marine. * * *
Spc. Matthew R. Hennigan, 20, of Las Vegas, Nevada Spc. Hennigan died June 30 at Forward Operating Base Shank, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered earlier in Tangi Valley, Afghanistan when enemy forces attacked his unit with machine gun fire. He was assigned to 173rd Special Troops Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Bamberg, Germany.
He was known as Matt. Three weeks ago, he updated his Facebook page, writing: "I just wanna live my life."
On Hennigan’s Facebook page, friends and family have left messages of love and prayers. But it’s Hennigan’s own posting from earlier this month that is most heartbreaking. On June 13th he wrote the following: I just wanna live my life. He lost his life just a few weeks later. (snip) His best friend, Ashley Schofield, graduated with him from Silverado High School in 2007. "I couldn’t even respond to my friend that called me... I was in utter shock. It was just hard for me because he was a really good friend of mine. I have other friends in the military, too. That’s the last thing you think of – something happening to them – so I never thought anything like that would happen. When I got the news... I really can’t believe it’s real. I’m waiting for him to call me or text me he’s coming back home already."
Source ~ My News 3 Video ~ My News 3 Many of Spc. Hennigan’s fellow soldiers and friends also posted tributes and remembrances on Facebook:
Wow, my mom showed me the paper and my heart just sank. Ill probably miss your funeral because ill be gone for some army training, but my wishes go out to your family.
RIP Matt Hennigan... you were a close friend and a great battle buddy. God bless you and look after your family.
you were a great soldier and an even better friend...still cant believe your gone lifes not gonna be the same without you
Spc. Hennigan is survived by his parents and by a brother, Eddie. Funeral arrangements are pending. On June 4, Spc. Hennigan wrote: "not anxious to die, just anxious to matter." Thank you, Spc. Hennigan. Godspeed. Your mission is done. ************
Cpl. Larry D. Harris, Jr., 24, of Thornton, Colorado Cpl. Harris died July 1 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Cpl. Harris was "always the shortest – and always the biggest."
A couple years ago, he and his hip-hop group, 2 Real 4 Da Mind, pulled an all-nighter in Las Vegas. As his friends were getting ready to fall asleep around 7 a.m., Harris started jumping on the bed doing a spot-on imitation of a gorilla. Jimmy Macias and others can't help but look back at the funny memories of Harris, even as they mourn the 24-year-old Marine corporal's death.
(snip)
"He was happy-go-lucky," said Seth Hetherington, who played high school football with Harris. "He was always happy, always smiling." Harris served as a defensive lineman for the (Boulder High School) Panthers, ran track and field and served in various campus clubs. "If there was an assembly, he was in front of it," said former Boulder High football coach Bob Carskie . . . (In every aspect of his life he) was "committed to being successful." (snip) As a hip-hop artist with his friends, he was able to perform locally with Macias and Anthony Romero, who had all been friends since the sixth grade at Casey Middle School. (snip) "The energy he provided was phenomenal," Romero said.
(snip)
Still, he had his fair share of obstacles. As a black kid growing up in a predominately white area, Harris had to deal with racism, Macias said. "He was always the only black kid in class," Macias said. (snip) Following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Macias said that Harris originally wanted to join the Air Force and did several patrol ride-alongs with local law enforcement.
He joined the Marines in May 2006, in part because of the influence from his stepfather, who was also Marine. (snip) His friends said they will never forgot his devotion -- and his ability to light up a room. "He was the shortest," Macias said, "but always the biggest."
Source ~ Boulder Daily Camera Cpl. Harris graduated from Boulder High School in 2003, and joined the Marines Corps in 2006. This was his second deployment. He also served in Iraq in 2007. Among Cpl. Harris’s awards and decorations were the Purple Heart, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Medal and the sea Service Deployment Ribbon. In Cpl. Harris’s honor, the flags on the State Capitol were lowered to half-staff yesterday. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued the following statement:
"Maria and I were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Corporal Larry Harris Junior. He gave his life to defend our nation’s freedom, and his sacrifice will never be forgotten. On behalf of all Californians, we extend our condolences to the family and loved ones of Corporal Harris during this difficult time."
Cpl. Harris is survived by his wife. Funeral arrangements are pending. Photo of Cpl. Harris and his wife. Thank you, Cpl. Harris. Godspeed. Your mission is done.
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(Other Photos by CalNM; Thanks to Timroff for our faithfully lighted candle IGTNT logo;
and Thanks to llbear for our beautiful forget-me-nots IGTNT logo.)
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 at guardian angels for soldierspet.
When our veterans come back home, they need jobs. Look at the programs of Veterans Green Jobs and Welcome Back Veterans. Encourage a Vet, and see if you can help out.
About the IGTNT series: I Got the News Today is intended to honor, respect, and remember the fallen, and to remind us that each casualty has family and friends who received the terrible news that their loved one has died at war.
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 US Department of Defense news releases are found at defense gov/releases. Icasualties lists the names of those killed, and shows the number of wounded. Published AP photos of the returning war fatalities are found on the Dover AFB page.
Click the IGTNT tags below for previous diaries in the series which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by 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, Sandy on Signal, Wide Awake in Kentucky, and me, CalNM. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for our fallen brothers and sisters.
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.