Tonight we honor a sailor who lost his life in Afghanistan.
Since 2001, 1985 U.S. troops have lost their lives while serving in Afghanistan, and since 2003, 4486 U.S. troops have lost their lives 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 beloved family member, friend, or former classmate will not be coming home from war.
~ Photo Credit Timroff
The Department of Defense has announced the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Hospitalman Eric D. Warren, of Shawnee, Okla., died May 26 of wounds received in action due to an improvised explosive device blast in Sangin District, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6, 1st Marine Division (Forward), I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Please join me below for a remembrance of his life.
Hospitalman Eric D. Warren
Eric was born on 11-22-88 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. His grieving family has not spoken to the media, and little information is available about him.
A cousin set up a memorial site in his honor, and included this photo, which may be Eric with his mother:
One of Eric's friends, Ashly Gill, wrote:
There are not enough words to say how thankful i am of for your dedication to our country! It is hard to believe that youre gone. The funniest memory i have of you is when i made a cake for a project in your moms class and you came in and said it was the best cake and always came in to see if i brought another cake. It made your day to have a piece of that cake. RIP Eric! We know youre in a better place guardig the streets of heaven! Watch over Us now and protect us from above
Another friend, Richard Burtler, wrote:
Eric, you knew the risks when you enlisted, and you still enlisted, without fear or hesitation. You served your country well, fighting for the freedoms that make this the greatest country on Earth. The price you paid is the highest this country could ever ask of anyone, and you did so selflessly! And that deserves the highest honor. Thank you Eric for your service and patronage. We know God has a special place for His soldiers!!
~source~
Rest in peace, Hospitalman Eric D. Warren. You have served with honor.
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, SisTwo, SpamNunn, TrueBlueMajority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, maggiejean, Kestrel9000, TheFatLadySings, JaxDem, and me, Ekaterin. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for them.
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 site. 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, CalNM, TheFatLadySings, and me, Ekaterin. 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.
If you would like to contribute to the series, even once a month, please contact Sandy on Signal.
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.