Image credit to llbear, with gratitude
I Got The News Today (IGTNT) , which began in April of 2004, is one of the oldest continuous series on Daily Kos and provides members of this community a venue to pay their respects to those who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The IGTNT title is a reminder that nearly every day the family of an active duty service member receives the terrible news that their beloved has died.
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Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of Heaven,
Blossom the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels.
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in Evangeline
Since 2001 we have lost 2099 American troops in Afghanistan and a total of 3153 American and coalition forces.
Tonight, we honor and remember the life and the sacrifice of one more:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Eric S. Holman, 39, of Evans City, Penn., died Aug. 15, in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when he encountered an enemy improvised explosive device.
Holman was assigned to 192nd Ordnance Battalion, 52nd Ordnance Group, 20th Support Command, Fort Bragg, N.C. ~ DoD News Release
Amazing Grace and Taps
Performed at Arlington National Cemetery
Day is done...Gone the sun
From the lake...
From the hills...
From the sky.
All is well...Safely rest
God is nigh.
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Staff Sgt Eric S. Holman, 39, Evans City, Pennsylvania
Eric Holman grew up in the Mt. Nebo area of Ohio Township, PA and was a 1990 Avonworth High School graduate. Eric graduated from Penn State in 1995 with a degree in criminal justice. Afterward, he went to work for his father’s trucking company and started his own limousine service as well as spending time as a construction worker.
Holman was compelled, at the age of 29, to join the Army after the 9-11 attacks.
Friends and family agree that Staff Sgt Holman loved being in the Army and planned to make it a career. He was always willing, they say, to tackle the most dangerous jobs for his country and fellow soldiers.
SSgt Holman performed one of the most dangerous jobs in the Army when he chose to be an explosive ordnance disposal soldier.
They are warriors who are properly trained, equipped and integrated to attack, defeat and exploit unexploded ordnance, improvised explosive devices and weapons of mass destruction.
He had a passion for parachuting and taught others how to parachute according to his step-mother, Jan Holman.
He joined the military about nine years ago because he wanted to learn how to fly.
Staff Sgt Holman joined
The Golden Knights, the Army's parachute team. The team acknowledged his passing on their
Facebook page:
The entire family of the Golden Knights offer our deepest regrets and gratitude to our family member Eric Holman. Thank You and you will be missed.
Staff Sgt Eric S. Holman and his then wife, Terri, adopted a Russian boy five years ago. His family said Eric was a great father to Misha.
Staff Sgt. Holman is survived by his son, Misha; his mother, Carol; father, David; step-mother, Jan; brother, Kevin and sister, Lisa.
No funeral arrangements have been announced.
~ Source ~ Source ~ Source
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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, Ekaterin and me, JaxDem.
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.
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Any Soldier – (Marine, Sailor, Airman or CoastGuardsman) Provides detailed information on sending care packages or cards and letters to deployed service members.
Books For Soldiers - View requests for and send troops books, DVDs, games and relief supplies.
Fisher House – Provides a “home away from home” for military families to be close to a loved one during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury.
Helmets to Hardhats - Connects veterans into promising careers in construction.
Homes For Our Troops – Building specially adapted homes for our severely injured veterans at no cost to the veterans.
The Landstuhl Hospital Care Project (LHCP) - a non-profit organization that provides comfort and relief items for military members who become sick, injured, or wounded from service in Afghanistan.
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans – The VA estimates 107,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. There are ways to get involved or donate at the link.
Netroots for the Troops (NFTT) – This non-profit raises money for the assembly, mailing and delivery of care packages to American military in war zones.
Special Operations Warrior Foundation - Provides full scholarship grants and educational and family counseling to the surviving children of special operations personnel who die in operational or training missions and immediate financial assistance to severely wounded special operations personnel and their families.
Veterans Green Jobs - Helps transition veterans into their communities and find career opportunities in environment sustainable sectors of our economy.
Welcome Back Veterans - Committed to providing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) treatment to our veterans and their families in a public/private partnership
Wounded Warrior Project - Their vision is to foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded warriors in this nation's history.
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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.