I Got The News Today (IGTNT) , which began in April of 2004 making it one of the oldest continuous series on Daily Kos, provides members of this community a venue to pay their respects to those who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The IGTNT title is a reminder that nearly every day the family of an active duty service member receives the terrible news that their beloved has died.
~ Image Credit to llbear with gratitude
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Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of Heaven,
Blossom the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in Evangeline
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Honoring and Remembering:
Sgt Adam D. Craig
Since 2003 we have suffered the loss of 4452 American lives and a total of 4770 Coalition Forces in Iraq.
Since 2001 we have suffered the loss of 1570 American lives and a total of 2443 Coalition Forces in Afghanistan.
The Department of Defense announced today (May 3, 2011) the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. Adam D. Craig, 23, of Cherokee, Iowa, died March 4 at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., of a non-combat related illness. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Sioux City, Iowa.
~ DoD News Release
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Sgt. Adam D. Craig, 23, of Cherokee, Iowa
Sgt Adam Daniel Craig, a courageous soldier to the end, lost his final battle on March 4th at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland (formally the Bethesda Naval Hospital). With his family by his side, Adam died from an incurable form of cancer that had been diagnosed only a few months earlier.
Adam graduated from Washington High School in 2006, but had enlisted in 2004 with the Iowa Army National Guard's Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry in Le Mars, Iowa.
Sgt Craig's 20 year old sister, Abby is also enlisted with the Iowa National Guard. She is with the 334th Brigade Support Battalion of Storm Lake, Iowa, attached to the 1-134th Cavalry Squadron, Nebraska Army National Guard.
On the same day last November both brother and sister deployed to Afghanistan and their father Daniel Craig was praying they would finish their jobs and return home safely. Instead, Adam came back stateside in December.
Sgt Craig was out in the field when a medic thought Craig had appendicitis. On December 5th Adam was rushed to the base hospital where a white blood cell count showed something was wrong. He was sent to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany on the 9th and on the 12th transferred to Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, DC. From there Adam was moved to Bethesda because of its cancer center.
Once at Bethesda Adam's family was told of the desmoplastic small round cell tumors which were in his pelvis, on both sides of his diaphragm and in his kidneys. The doctors told the family that the cancer was incurable and his prognosis was one to three years.
Adam's family released this statement:
"Your life was a blessing, your memory a treasure. You are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure. He was a loving and caring son, brother, husband, soldier, grandson, nephew, cousin, son-in-law and all-around friend. Adam's unique sense of humor and caring smile will be missed by all. His love for children and life in general will leave an impact on all who knew him."
Adam is survived by his mother, Pam (Kolpin) Craig of Cherokee; father, Dan Craig of Fremont, Neb.; a sister, Abigail Craig of Cherokee; his wife, Hailey B. (Wynia) Craig of Sioux City; half sisters, Brianna and Madison Craig of Fremont; mother-in-law, Shari Parker of Sioux City; brother-in-law, Jestin Van Maanen of Sioux City; his grandfather, Ronald Craig and stepgrandmother, Garnet (Adams) Craig of Storm Lake, Iowa; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his grandmother, Janet (Wieland) Kolpin of Cherokee; grandfather, Harlan Kolpin of Newton, Iowa; and grandmother, Virginia (Dykes) Craig of Loveland, Colorado.
Sgt. Adam Daniel Craig was buried on March 12th at the Oak Hill Cemetery in Cherokee, Iowa.
~ Source ~ Source
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About the IGTNT series:
"I Got the News Today" is a diary series intended to honor, respect, and remind us of the sacrifice of our US troops. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by Sandy on Signal, noweasels, monkeybiz, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, SpamNunn, TrueBlueMajority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, maggiejean, racheltracks, Kestrel9000 and me, JaxDem. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for them.
Fallen service members whose names have been released by the US Department of Defense will usually be diarized two days after the official announcement on the DoD website. This allows the IGTNT team to cover each person more fully, but still in a timely manner.
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POW/MIA: Afghanistan & Iraq
Two U.S. soldiers are currently listed as captured or Duty Status -- Whereabouts Unknown as of December 1, 2009.
Spc. Ahmed K. Altaie 41
and
Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl 23
Never forgotten - please keep good thoughts and prayers for these two men.
On December 8th new photos were published of Pfc Bowe R. Bergdahl in captivity. The article and images can be seen here.