Would you be willing to sit with grief for that long, and listen to the families and friends of those killed in Iraq talk about their dead?
I made it about six minutes into the Iraq Veterans Memorial project when my toddler looked at me and said, "Don’t cry, Mama. I will kiss you one time and you will feel better." That’s when I started weeping in earnest, thinking about all of the families out there and what they would give for one more kiss, one more hug, one more phone call, from their soldier, sailor or Marine.
Six more families got the worst news, and the Department of Defense announced the names of four soldiers and two Marines killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Iraq Coalition Casualty Count says that the DoD has released 3,204 names and that there are six names of the deceased awaiting notification of the next of kin before being publicly released. Every name has a family and friends. Every one is mourned every day by someone.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Lance Cpl. Steven M. Chavez, 20, of Hondo, N.M., died March 14 from a non-hostile incident in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Chavez’s death is currently under investigation.
Chavez was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
See Lance Cpl. Steven M. Chavez here; according to kobtv.com, he graduated from high school in 2005, and then joined the Marines. A longer story from the AP notes that Chavez was due to come home in a few days:
Eddie Chavez, the Marine’s father, told the Albuquerque Journal, that he had talked to his son about 15 hours before learning of his death. He said the younger Chavez had just another week in the field and he was coming home.
"He said, ‘Dad, do you have my fishing rod ready?’ " Eddie Chavez recalled of the March 14 phone call. "I said, ‘I’ll get it ready, and we’ll go.’ "
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Adam J. Rosema, 27, of Pasadena, Calif., died Mar. 14 south of Baqubah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during recovery operations. Rosema was assigned to the 215th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Cpl. Brian L. Chevalier, 21, of Athens, Ga., died Mar. 14 in Mufrek, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near him. Chevalier was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
Cpl. Brian L. Chevalier once lived in Zanesville, Ohio. His father still lives there and told the local newspaper the following:
"He lived with his mom his whole life, but I remember him as a good kid; kind-hearted, fun-spirited and smart as a whip," Chevalier said. "He joined the Army on his own as something he wanted to do. He defended his country, and it’s too bad it had to happen this way."
Brian’s uncle, Tom Chevalier, also praised his actions. "He was a good kid," he said. "He tried to make something out of his life."
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Stephen M. Kowalczyk, 32, of San Diego, died Mar. 14 in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire. Kowalczyk was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. Robert M. Carr, 22, of Warren, Ohio, died Mar. 13 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Carr was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
His wife, Nina, spoke about their last communication:
Nina said she and her husband instant-messaged each other daily while he was in Iraq, and when he knew he was going on a mission, she always said, "Be safe," and he replied, "I will."
His last message was "I love you and goodnight," she said.
"I was very proud of him. He was such a good soldier and so responsible. The reason he was driving the day he was killed was because his first sergeant had asked him to be his permanent driver," Nina said.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Lance Cpl. Raymond J. Holzhauer, 19, of Dwight, Ill., died March 15 from a non-hostile incident in Al Anbar province, Iraq. His death is currently under investigation.
Holzhauer was assigned to 2nd Maintenance Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. Alberto Garcia Jr., 23, of Bakersfield, Calif., died Mar. 13 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire and an improvised explosive device. Garcia was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.
A local news station added this about Pfc. Alberto Garcia Jr.:
ABC23 spoke with several family friends off-camera who told us the private was a very religious young man who loved his family very much.
Garcia was an active member of Valley Bible Fellowship in south Bakersfield. There's no word yet on when memorial services will be held for Garcia.
All of the U.S. fatalities can be seen here. They all had loved ones, families and friends. The DoD news releases are here.
I Got the News Today is a diary series intended to honor, respect and remind. Click here for the previous diary in this series, and here to see the series.
This series is maintained by i dunno; Sandy on Signal, silvercedes, and I are helping out for a while. Please leave a comment below to honor these men on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the war.
