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 4447 US casualties in Iraq and since 2001 there have been 1915 US casualties in Afghanistan. Source.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spc. Dennis P. Weichel Jr., 29, of Providence, R.I., died March 22 in Laghman province, Afghanistan, from injuries suffered in a noncombat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment, 56th Troop Command, Rhode Island National Guard, East Greenwich, R.I.
Governor Lincoln Chafee has ordered the flags lowered to half staff in honor of Spc. Weichel, the father of three.
Chafe said of Specialist Dennis Weichel that his life was marked by bravery, selflessness, and commitment to others – and unfortunately it was in demonstrating these remarkable characteristics that it was lost. Specialist Weichel will be remembered by his fellow soldiers and commanding officers as a dedicated member of the Rhode Island National Guard."
Chafee continued, "He will be remembered by friends and family as a devoted father to Nicholas, Hope, and Madison and a beloved son to Linda and Dennis. And he will be remembered, and mourned, by people across our state as a great Rhode Islander. Specialist Weichel will be deeply missed, and his loved ones are in my thoughts during this difficult time. I hope that they are able to find some comfort in their many fine memories of him.
Source Source Source
Tribute
From Sandy on Signal:
DoD Announces Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. Jamie D. Jarboe, 27, of Frankfort, Ind., died March 21 in Topeka, Kan., from wounds suffered on April 10, 2011 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms fire. He was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
A year ago on April 10th, Sgt. Jamie Jarboe was wounded by sniper fire. The injury left him paralyzed below the chest. Sgt. Jamie Jarboe and his family never lost faith in his valiant struggle to survive and thrive. He lost his fight and succumbed to his injury on Wednesday, March 21, 2012.
The family set up a Facebook Prayers for Sgt. Jamie Jarboe page. His wife, Melissa, daughters and Army buddies have filled the site with beautiful memories of an amazing husband, father and soldier. From his wife:
Good morning loved ones.. When I think of my husband, I smile instantly, Jamie fought for his country, fought to come home to the girls and I the day he was shot, he fought to stay alive and not leave the family he always wanted. We had hoped to have our wedding vows renewed this spring, instead we will lay my courageous husband to rest. His funeral to be held in the grand ballroom where we would have shared our first dance... Accepting and understanding life doesn't mean you like it.. I give thanks to God for what I'm blessed with in life, not what I want..
Sgt. Jamie Jarboe was born at Fort Bragg, North Carolina on April 27, 1984. He was destined to follow his father's path and become a soldier.
Sgt. Jarboe was on his third deployment, when on April 10, 2011, a sniper shot him in the neck. He would spend the next ten months in the hospital with his family by his side. In February, 2012, he left Walter Reed Veterans Hospital and went back home to Topeka, Kansas. Hospice was brought in to give him comfort and care during his final weeks at home. He was able to be at peace in his home surrounded by his friends and family. He and his wife discussed the final arrangements. Everyone is invited to attend his funeral. The Patriot Guard Riders will provide escort. Although, it isn't possible for everyone here to attend, it would be kind of all to like his Facebook page - Prayers for Sgt. Jarboe. Please pay it a visit. Sgt. Jarboe impacted many lives and is dearly missed.
Army Strong! Tribute to the Jarboes.
Click here to read the series as begun by i dunno, and maintained by Sandy on Signal, noweasels, Blue Jersey Mom, Chacounne, Twilight Falling, Sis Two, Spam Nunn, CalNM, Wide Awake in KY,
maggiejean, Jaxdem, Kestrel9000, TheFatLadySings, and Ekaterin
If you would like to contribute to the series, even once a month, please contact Sandy on Signal or noweasels.
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.