Tonight, we remember a Special Forces Soldier out of Fort Bragg. Staff Sgt. Girard D. Gass, aka "Jerry", was on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, when he died, while on patrol in the Nangarhar Province. His death is under investigation, but the Army has ruled it to be a non-combat fatality.
Since 2001, there have been 2339 American troops killed in Operation Enduring Freedom. Since 2010, there have been 66 casualties in Operation New Dawn.
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.
Do Announces Army Casualty
Staff Sgt. Girard D. Gass Jr., of Lumber Bridge, North Carolina, died Aug. 3, in Jalalabad Air Field Hospital, Afghanistan, from a non-combat related incident while on patrol that occurred in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Staff Sgt. Girard D. Gass
Staff Sgt. Girard Gass loved his family, country, unit and job. Lt. Col. Patrick O'Hara, Gass's commanding officer said:
"He made the ultimate sacrifice for what he loved, and we are all proud, honored and humbled to have known him, and will always cherish the time we all served together," O'Hara said. "He will never be forgotten."
Gass enlisted in the Army in 2008; and, in 2011, he entered the 3rd Special Forces Group training and Special Forces Qualification Course at Fort Bragg. He was posthumously awarded a 2nd Bronze Star Medal and Meritorious Service Medal. In addition, Gass served as a Special Forces medical sergeant and his awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medal with valor device, Army Achievement Medal, two Army Good Conduct Medals and National Defense Service Medal. He also was awarded the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one campaign star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon (numeral 2), Parachutist Badge, Combat Infantryman Badge and the Special Forces Tab.
Before Gass went into the Army, he graduated from Gardner - Webb University, where he played football for the Running Bulldogs. He was an offensive lineman. From GWU Sports:
Gass played football at Gardner-Webb during one of the program's most successful stretches. After a redshirt season in 1999 he played as a redshirt freshman on GWU's first Division I team and was a part of 30 wins over his four seasons with the Runnin' Bulldogs.
That success included back-to-back Big South Conference championships in 2002 and 2003, with a combined 17-5 overall record and an unblemished league mark. As a starter at left guard in 2003, Gass helped Gardner-Webb to an 8-4 record and helped pave the way for an offense that averaged 27.8 points per game and 414.9 yards of total offense per game. He was a preseason All-Big South Conference selection heading into his senior season.
Gass graduated from Gardner-Webb in 2003 with a degree in business administration. He was born on November 3rd, 1980 and was from Hanahan, South Carolina. The family will receive visitors at Anderson Funeral Home in Beaufort, South Carolina on August 15, 2014. Burial will be on August 16, 2014 in Beaufort National Cemetery with full-military honors.
Rest in Peace, Staff Sgt. Girard "Jerry" Gass.
Source: Fayetteville Observer,GWU sports. com, Anderson Funeral Home
In Flanders Fields
by Lt. Col. John McRae, MD, (1872-1918)
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row
That mark our place, and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved,
and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
I Got the News Today is a diary series intended to honor, respect and remind. Its title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one. 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.
All of the U.S. fatalities can be seen here and here. They all had loved ones, families and friends. The DoD news releases are here. I Got the News Today is intended to honor, respect and remind. Click the IGTNT tags below for previous diaries.
Click the IGTNT tags to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by i dunno, Monkeybiz, Noweasels, Blue Jersey Mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, SisTwo, Spam Nunn, True Blue Majority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, Maggie Jean, Jax Dem, The Fat Lady Sings, Ekaterina, Joy of Fishes, and me, Sandy on Signal.
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.