As of today, 2,107 US military personnel have been killed in or near Afghanistan. Sgt. David V. Williams and Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class Coater B. Debose were two of the most recent casualties.
I Got The News Today (IGTNT) , which is among the oldest continuous series on Daily Kos, 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.
Sgt. David V. Williams
Sgt. David Vincent Williams, 24, died Saturday, August 18, 2012 near Kandahar, Afghanistan. He was 24 years old.
Sgt. Williams, of Frederick Md., came from a military family. His father, retired Col. David W. Williams, currently works at at Fort Detrick, where he formerly commanded the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency. He was presented the neatly folded flag that draped his son's coffin after he was laid to rest, according to military custom. He was interred beneath a tree a few feet from his mother, Deborah, who passed away in 2006 after a battle with breast cancer.
Sgt. Williams graduated from Urbana High School, also in 2006. He was remembered by his teachers for a senior project honoring veterans. He enlisted in the army in 2008. The cause of his death remains under investigation.
Sgt. Williams was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state and had been assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Team, 2nd Infantry Division. He was serving his first deployment. He is survived by Col. David W. Williams, U.S. Army (Retired), also of Frederick; his sister, Emma Williams Dockery, her husband Derrick and their children Madison, Mackenzie, and Derrick.
Sgt. David Vincent Williams will be deeply missed by his family and friends.
People wishing to express condolences may donate to www.yellowribbonsunited.org. The organization brings together professional sports, corporations and fans to provide support to military families and veterans, according to its website. Yellow Ribbons United was founded by David V. Williams’ sister and her husband.
Source:
The Frederick News Post
Source: The Frederick News Post
Master Sgt. Coater Debose
Master Sgt. Coater Debose, 55, of State Line, MI, was an incredibly fit father and grandfather before he was gunned down by men he was training in Spin Boldak, Afghanistan, on August 19th, when two Afghan policemen reportedly opened fire on a group of coalition and Afghan troops.
His childhood friend, Kayla Bevill, expressed her deep regret and frustration with "green on blue" attacks in the Hattiesgurg American.
"He's not just another dead soldier," she said. "He wasn't killed by 'the enemy.' He was killed by someone that was supposed to be helping him guard, and that's what hurts the most."
Debose joined the Alabama National Guard in 1983, and served a total of 27 years in the armed forces including time in the Army Reserve and Coast Guard. He trained Guard and Reserve forces for mobilization at Camp Shelby for four years.
He is survived by his wife, Juanita; and children Latravis Debose of Moss Point, Caronica Jackson of Hattiesburg, Christopher Debose of Parris Island, S.C., Nekeshia Raybon of Wright Patterson Air Force Base Dayton, Ohio, and Broderick Debose of Petal.
Christopher Debose's wife, Ana Debose, said Tuesday that Coater Debose's love for his family and passion for military service overlapped, resulting in a military family. His son Broderick entered the Army, while Latravis joined the Air Force Reserves.
"He enjoyed serving in the military, he enjoyed serving his country," she said. "He loved his kids - he loved his grandkids."
Dignified Transfer of the remains of Master Sgt Coater Debose
Over 40 Green on Blue attacks have taken the lives of American service men and women in Afghanistan.
Source: The Hattiesburg American