Since 2001, 1829 U.S. troops have died while serving in Afghanistan, and since 2003, 4482 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 another soldier who died far from home:
Sgt. 1st Class David G. Robinson, 28, of Winthrop Harbor, Illinois
Please take a moment below to remember him,
and all those who have lost their lives in these wars.
Last week, military families and Americans everywhere were heartened by the President's announcement of bringing the troops home from Iraq by the holidays.
Sadly, the announcement of the end of the war will always come too late for families and friends who lost loved ones serving overseas. Tonight we remember two gone too soon.
.
Sgt. 1st Class David G. Robinson, 28, of Winthrop Harbor, Illinois
Sgt. Robinson died in a noncombat incident October 25 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, while deployed in support of the Iraq war. He was assigned to the U.S. Army Support Activity, based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Source
David Robinson's friends describe him as fun-loving family man who was dedicated to his kids and Army career. He had grown up north of Chicago in Winthrop Harbor, and attended St. Joseph Catholic Academy in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He liked to play golf, and was a Bears and Cubs fan.
David met his wife Emily while they were both in high school in separate towns. They met one summer when they happened to work together at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. The couple married on Valentine's Day in 2003 and have two sons Matthew, 7, and Jackson, 4. The family lived together in El Paso, Texas, where Sgt. Robinson had been stationed.
His father Dennis said David loved the Army but was looking toward his future and pursuing a college degree online. David had enlisted in 2003 to serve his country.
"It was a period of time when most young men were feeling patriotic about 9/11 and the war that was going on in Baghdad," Dennis Robinson said.
Sgt. Robinson deployed as part of a Security Assistance Organization, assigned to “United States Military Training Mission to Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,” according to an Army Central Command spokesman.
"It's very anguishing here. We appreciate everybody's thoughts and prayers," said Robinson's father-in-law, Chris Rode.
Among those Sgt. Robinson leaves behind are his wife and sons, his parents and brothers, and friends in the Army.
Sgt. David Robinson is missed. May he rest in peace.
Source Source Source
Two years ago today I got the news my friend from work and town,
Sgt. Joey Gallegos of Questa, New Mexico
died in Iraq where he was deployed as part of a NM Army National Guard unit.
I wrote my first IGTNT diary for Joey and another soldier, Small Towns, Huge Losses.
In the Sangre de Cristos north of Questa, near the village of El Rito, NM is a rock dome we call "Sleeping Bear Mountain" because the cliffs and rocks look like a bear curled up, asleep. Whenever I see it, I think of Joey sleeping deeply and peacefully, like a bear in hibernation.
I miss you, Joey. Your memory is always in my heart. Rest in Peace, my friend.
* * * + + + * * *
* * *
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.
+ * * * + * * * + * * * + * * * + * * * + * * * +
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, Ekaterin, TheFatLadySings, 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.