Tonight we gather again to honor members of our military family who have died. We join together with the US Marine Corps and their loved ones to mourn for two Marines who left this world all too soon.
- Captain Joshua C. Pairsh who was from Illinois
- Corporal Christopher G. Singer who was from California
Captain Joshua C. Pairsh ~ tribute by SisTwo
Joshua Pairsh was from the small village of Equality in southeastern Illinois. A 2004 Cum Laude graduate of Murray State University in Kentucky, Pairsh earned a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He had been deployed to Iraq in 2007-2008.
Pairsh was assigned to the Marine Forces Reserve. He was a ground supply officer with 4th Civil Affairs Group, based out of Washington, D.C. He had been promoted to a Marine Corps captain in the fall of 2010.
Captain Joshua C. Pairsh died January 22nd after returning to the US from Afghanistan on January 3rd. He was 29 years old and had come down with what was reported to be a “non-combat related illness.” According to the Evansville Courier & Press site:
Capt. Joshua C. Pairsh, 29, of Equality died Sunday at a hospital in Washington, D.C.
Family members said Pairsh contracted pneumonia while serving in Afghanistan and was transferred to a hospital in Germany where he was diagnosed with lymphoma and was later transferred to the Washington, D.C., hospital…
His remains were cremated, according to a spokesperson with the Vickery Funeral Home in Equality, and will be interred in Arlington National Cemetery with a graveside service set for 3 p.m. Feb. 15. A local memorial service is also planned.
Captain Pairsh is survived by his wife, Tanya, and two children, Avery and Lawson.
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Corporal Christopher G. Singer ~ tribute by Sandy on Signal
DoD Announces Marine Casualty
Cpl. Christopher G. Singer, 23, of Temecula, Calif., died Jan. 21 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.
Cpl. Singer's uncle, Steve Welty, spoke to the the Temecula Times. Welty relayed to the paper of how just before his nephew's deployment he told his wife:
"He said, 'If I die, I don't want people to mourn me. I want people to know I did everything I wanted to do in life and died doing what I loved,'" Welty said.
Ever since he was a young boy, Cpl. Christopher Singer wanted to serve his country. He dressed up in camouflage and would play soldier. His uncle told the paper:
"From the time he was the littlest guy, he always wanted to be a Marine," Welty said.
After graduation from Chaparral High School in 2007, Singer joined the Marine Corps. Singer deployed to Afghanistan in September. He leaves behind his wife, Brooke, and a two year old daughter. Funeral arrangements are pending.
Governor Jerry Brown issued the following statement:
“On behalf of all Californians, Governor Brown and First Lady Anne Gust Brown honor Cpl. Christopher G. Singer, who bravely gave his life in service to our state and nation. The Governor and First Lady extend their deepest condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time.”
Cpl. Singer's awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Marine Corps Good Conduct medal, Afghanistan Campaign medal, Global War on Terrorism Service medal and the National Defense Service medal.
Semper fi, Cpl. Christopher Singer.
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Helping our troops:
If you wish to assist our military and their families, consider contributing to Fisher House. Donating to Netroots for the Troops provides 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 here. Also, you could visit:
When our veterans come back home, they need jobs. Look at the programs of Hire Heroes USA and Welcome Back Veterans to see if you can help out.
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 is maintained by Sandy on Signal, Monkeybiz, Noweasels, Blue Jersey Mom, Chacounne, Twilight Falling, Joyful, SisTwo, Spam Nunn, True Blue Majority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, Maggie Jean, Jax Dem, Kestrel 9000, & TheFatLadySings. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but show our community’s respect for those who have died.
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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Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members mentioned here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.