Since 2001, 1482 U.S. troops have lost their lives while serving in Afghanistan, and since 2003, 4451 U.S. troops have died while serving in Iraq.
The IGTNT (I Got The News Today) series is a reminder that nearly every day, somebody gets the heartbreaking news that a friend, former classmate, or beloved family member will not be coming home from war.
Tonight we remember a Marine and a Guardsman who died far from home:
Corporal Adam D. Jones, 29, of Germantown, Ohio
Specialist Andrew E. Lara, 25, of Albany, Oregon
Please take a moment below to remember these two,
and all those who have lost their lives in these wars.
Cpl. Adam D. Jones, 29, of Germantown, Ohio
Cpl. Jones was killed in action April 27 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on his second tour of duty to the country. Cpl. Jones was a mortarman assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
Adam Jones was from Germantown, near Dayton, Ohio. He was a married, five-year veteran of the Marines. Cpl. Jones was away from home for most of the time since he joined the Marines in the fall of 2006. He served two tours in Iraq, and last year he deployed to Afghanistan. Jones was promoted to Corporal in February 2010.
In January 2010, Cpl. Jones traveled Haiti with the 2nd Marines, where he served a 3 month tour assisting in earthquake relief efforts.
Jones is the 13th member of Camp Lejeune's 2nd Marine Division to die in fighting in Helmand province this year. More than 20,000 North Carolina-based Marines and sailors took over operations in Afghanistan in February.
Cpl. Jones awards include the National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal and the Humanitarian Service Medal.
Among those Cpl. Jones leaves behind are his wife and fellow marines.
Cpl. Adam Jones is missed. May He Rest In Peace.
AP Photo by Luis Magana
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* Special thanks to SisTwo for writing this tribute to Specialist Lara:
Specialist Andrew E. Lara, 25, from Albany, Oregon
Specialist Andrew E. Lara loved music and sports. He built log homes while at home in Oregon. He died while on base in Iraq during his assignment with the Oregon National Guard.
Andrew E. Lara was born December 7, 1985, in Albany, Oregon. He was a 2004 graduate of South Albany High School and was known there for his love of baseball, football and wrestling. He also had a love of music.
According to the Albany Democrat-Herald News site (which also has a video):
He played all three sports, mostly at the junior varsity level, his freshman and sophomore years. Principal Brent Belveal, who was among Lara’s coaches in those days, remembers him as “a kid who worked very hard and really put his mind to being successful at that level. There’s some pretty good maturity involved in that, a 14-year-old boy.”
Lara enlisted in the Oregon National Guard in June of 2009. Upon his return from basic training, he reported for duty in Woodburn. He was assigned to Fox Company, 145th Brigade Support Battalion attached to 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment.
The 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team is made up of soldiers from the Idaho, Oregon, and Montana National Guards. It is headquartered at Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho. The specialist was deployed last September. His company is expected to return to the United States this September.
Lara was a driver for one of the convoy escort teams, driving a mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicle meant to ensure that needed supplies arrive safely at their destination.
Specialist Andrew E. Lara died April 27th in a non-combat related incident on base in Iraq. He was 25 years old. Details of the death have not been announced. An investigation about the incident is under way.
Lara had spoken with his family a few days ago and was looking forward to returning home on leave, which was scheduled to begin in early May.
Specialist Andrew E. Lara is survived by his daughter, Kay Lynn, 18 months, his parents, Ramiro and Lynn Lara, and brother Joshua, who is also in the military.
Specialist Andrew Lara is missed. May he rest in peace
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Thanks to Timroff for our faithfully lighted candle IGTNT logo;
Other Photos by CalNM and linked Sources
Helping our troops: If you wish to assist our military and their families, consider Operation Helmet, or sponsoring a deployed service member at TroopCarePackage.com. Fisher House provides housing for families of injured troops and veterans who are recovering in hospitals, and Guardian angels for soldierspet assists the animal companions of our deployed military.
When our veterans come back home, they can find support at Welcome Back Veterans. 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 forest and resource conservation, green construction, and energy efficient upgrades of homes in rural areas. Encourage a Veteran, 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, ccasas, 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.