Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality. ~Emily Dickinson
I Got the News Today (IGTNT) is a diary series intended to honor service members who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one.
The beautiful forget-me-nots were created by llbear.
Since 2003 there have been 4477 US casualties in Iraq and since 2001 there have been 1805 US casualties in Afghanistan. Source.
Tonight we honor a Marine and a soldier.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Lance Cpl. Benjamin W. Schmidt, 24, of San Antonio, Texas, died Oct. 6 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Camp Pendleton Marine killed in Afghansitan
Schmidt's death had not been formally announced by the Pentagon as of Friday afternoon, but his mother confirmed the death in an interview with a Texas newspaper.
The Marine's mother, Becky Whetstone, told the San Antonio Express-News newspaper in Texas that he was a special young man who had been looking forward to leaving the Marine Corps and pursuing a career in education or politics.
"The sky was the limit for this man," Whetstone, a former advice columnist for the newspaper, was quoted as saying.
She went on to say his enthusiasm was waning after four years in the service.
Schmidt's father is Dr. David Schmidt, the team physician for the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs.
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The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spc. Ricardo Cerros Jr., 24, of Salinas, Calif., died Oct. 8 in Logar Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
Army Ranger from Salinas dies in Afghanistan firefight
A Fort Ord native and Salinas resident serving as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan was killed Saturday during a firefight in Logar Province.
Cerros was born Nov. 2, 1986, at Fort Ord, and graduated from Everett Alvarez High School in Salinas and UC Irvine. He enlisted in the Army in July 2010, completed one-station unit infantry training at Fort Benning, Ga., graduated from the basic airborne course for paratroopers, and joined the 75th Ranger Regiment in March after completing Ranger selection and training.
"Spec. Ricardo Cerros was incredibly talented and a well respected member of this battalion," said Lt. Col. David Hodne, Cerros' battalion commander.
"He was a warrior who lost his life while fighting courageously alongside his fellow Rangers. We will honor his service to our country and never forget his sacrifice. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Cerros family."
Cerros "could have been anything he wanted in life," said Col. Mark W. Odom, regimental commander. "Yet, he decided to become a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment and do our nation's bidding. We were blessed to have him in our ranks."
Cerros is survived by his father Ricardo Cerros Sr. and stepmother Deborah A. Cerros of Salinas, and his mother Maqueirte D. Cuevas of Gary, Ind.; a brother, Nicholas Cerros; a sister, Theresa Cerros, and a stepbrother, Marko Cerros, all of Salinas.
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To see what these tributes mean to those who have lost a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan, please read Sandy on Signal’s story about meeting the father of a soldier at NN10.
The IGTNT logo was created by Timroff.
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.