I Got The News Today (IGTNT) is one of the oldest continuous series on Daily Kos. It is a way for our community to pay their respects to those who have died as a result of war.
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There is much sadness this evening as we again gather here to remember two more of our nation's children who were lost to war. Two US soldiers were killed in combat over this past weekend in separate incidents in Afghanistan. Many in their hometowns are now deciding how best to honor the memories of these two young men:
- Private First Class Nathan T. Davis, known as Tyler, who was from California
- Corporal Bryant J. Luxmore, known as BJ, who was from Illinois
Private First Class Nathan T. Davis
Nathan "Tyler" Davis was the youngest of three boys, and son to Kirk and Desiree Davis who live in Yucaipa, California. Yucaipa is located about 10 miles east of San Bernardino. Tyler graduated from Yuciapa's Green Valley High School in 2010, and joined the US Army immediately after graduation.
Davis graduated from basic training in Fort Benning, Georgia, before arriving in Alaska in February 2011. The paratrooper was assigned to the "Spartan" brigade; 1st Battalion (Airborne), 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
The Spartan brigade deployed to Afghanistan last December. It was the first deployment for Davis. Back in Yucaipa, the townspeople proudly hung a "Hometown Hero" banner for Army PFC Nathan "Tyler" in mid-May.
Not quite a month later, PFC Davis was in Tore Obeh, Afghanistan. On June 9th, his convoy struck a roadside bomb and the mine-resistant vehicle he was driving was attacked by enemy forces. Davis died from injuries suffered during the ambush. He was 20 years old. Three other soldiers were wounded in the incident.
The hometown reaction to Tyler's death is detailed at the Redlands Daily News site:
According to Jill Castanon, coordinator of Yucaipa's Hometown Heroes Military Banner Program, Tyler Davis is the first Yucaipa soldier lost since Vietnam.
"We want to give Tyler the honor and recognition he deserves," Castanon said.
Tyler Davis' Hometown Hero Military Banner at Fifth and Wildwood Canyon in Yucaipa will be replaced with a Memorial Banner in a service at 6 p.m. Sunday.
The
Patriot Guard Riders will be present at the funeral ceremonies for
Private First Class Nathan T. Davis to help honor his memory.
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Corporal Bryant J. Luxmore
Bryant "BJ" Luxmore was born in November of 1986 and lived in New Windsor, a small "village" in western Illinois. He was a 2005 graduate of Sherrard High School and attended Monmouth College for two years, where he played baseball in 2006 and 2007. In the spring of 2008, Luxmore transferred to Illinois College and played baseball there also. He graduated from Illinois College in Jacksonville in 2010 and joined the Army.
Last March, Luxmore was sent on his first deployment, a nine-month assignment with Bravo Company, the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, which is based at Fort Stewart, Georgia.
Luxmore and his fellow soldiers were on a dismounted patrol on June 10th, with Afghan National Security Forces near Panjwai in southern Afghanistan. They came under enemy fire and Specialist Luxmore sustained a fatal gunshot wound. He was 25 years old.
An editorial on the
Quad-Cities News site says:
Bryant "B.J." Luxmore is coming home…
His death came just days after our Viewpoint's pages featured a son's loving Memorial Day tribute to the World War II military service of his dad, William Johnson of New Windsor.
Bruce Johnson wrote movingly, to "my dad and hundreds of thousands of other dads, both living and those now at peace, we offer our sincere thanks -- for our lives, our liberty and our pursuit of happiness. "
That quiet hero is B.J. Luxmore's grandfather. His grandson, too, deserves our sincerest thanks for following the Greatest Generation's example of selfless service
Luxmore, an infantryman, is survived by his wife of less than a year, Jaimie, and son, Lane. His parents are Leonard and Brenda Luxmore of New Windsor. He is also survived by a brother, Brock.
Funeral arrangements, at Dennison Funeral Home in Viola, Illinois, are still being finalized. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to the Bryant J. Luxmore Memorial Fund. Coach Jay Eckhouse from Illinois College also plans to create an award, in Luxmore’s honor, to hand out at the end of each baseball season to commemorate his former player.
Luxmore was posthumously promoted to corporal and awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Combat Infantryman Badge.
The
Patriot Guard Riders will also be at the services for
Corporal Bryant J. Luxmore to help honor his memory.
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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:
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About the IGTNT series:
”I Got the News Today” is a diary series 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. US 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.Click the IGTNT tags below to see previous diaries in the series, which was begun by i dunno, and is maintained by Sandy on Signal, Monkeybiz, Noweasels, Blue Jersey Mom, Chacounne, Twilight Falling, Joyful, Roses, SisTwo, a girl in MI, Spam Nunn, JeNoCo, True Blue Majority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, Maggiejean, JaxDem, TheFatLadySings & Ekaterin. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but show our community’s respect for those who have died.
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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.