Since 2001, there have been 1279 American troops killed in Afghanistan, and since 2003, 4418 American troops killed in Iraq.
The IGTNT (I Got The News Today) title is a reminder that nearly everyday, somebody gets the news that a friend, former classmate, or beloved family member will not be coming home from war.
Tonight's memorial is dedicated to a young Marine who was one of
twelve troops killed in Afghanistan in the first week of September.
Cpl. Philip G. E. Charte, 22, of Goffstown, New Hampshire
Please take a moment below to remember him.
The US Department of Defense confirmed the death of a Marine killed in action while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Cpl. Philip G. E. Charte, 22 of Goffstown, N.H.
Cpl. Charte died on September 7 during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Charte worked as a rifleman assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
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Casualty officers were sent to the village of Salem late Tuesday to inform family members of the marine’s death from a bullet wound. According to reports, Charte’s sister and father, also named Philip, remain in the Salem area. His mother died about five years ago.
Philip Charte also lived in Washington County, New York in his youth, where he was a student at Cambridge Central Schools through his freshman year. He moved to New Hampshire to live with relatives in Goffstown, located near Manchester, after his mother passed away.
Phil Charte's old friends and teachers said that he was dedicated to physical fitness and shined as a New Hampshire state wrestling champ. Charte was a member of the wrestling teams at both schools, and helped the Goffstown High School Grizzlies win a Division II state title in 2006.
They painted a picture of a dedicated and strong young man -- a 5'8'' "pit bull" -- who conquered New Hampshire's wrestling championship in the 135-pound division as a high school junior. Charte gravitated to wrestling because it allowed him an outlet in lieu of academics, which didn't come easily for him, said his wrestling coach at Goffstown.
The sport and the military fulfilled Charte's competitive spirit and allowed him to develop skills that furthered his life and career, school officials said.
"He worked hard for what he had, and was a very passionate, purposeful and physical human being," the coach said. "Those were his strengths."
Philip Charte joined the Marine Corps in June 2007, on the same day he graduated from high school. He was promoted to corporal three years later. He was previously deployed to Iraq from August 2008 through March 2009. Cpl. Charte was deployed on his second tour with the Marines, in Afghanistan since June 2010, when he died at the age of 22.
New Hampshire Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter gave her condolences in a statement.
"I was saddened to hear about the death of Corporal Philip Gerald Eichner Charte of Goffstown. I will not forget his sacrifice, and I will keep him and his family in my prayers," her statement read.
Among those that Cpl. Charte leaves behind are his father and sister, and his old friends from both hometowns.
Cpl. Philip Charte is missed. REST IN PEACE
story and photo ources used: Bennington Banner, Times Union, FR
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Photos Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Thanks to Timroff for our faithfully lighted candle IGTNT logo;
and Thanks to llbear for our beautiful forget-me-nots IGTNT logo.
(Other Photos by CalNM)
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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.
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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, Ms Wings, maggiejean, racheltracks, JaxDem, 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.