IGTNT: A Final Salute

6/18/08 UPDATE: The family of Kamisha Block has learned that she was murdered by SSGT Paul Norris. This information was not released by the military at the time of their deaths.


Tonight we honor the memory of a Yellow Butterfly from Texas, an Alabama son and a veterinarian from North Carolina. All died in Iraq last week in what are being termed non-combat incidents.

We pray and hope that their families get the answers they need as they search for some measure of closure in the days, weeks, months and years to come.

We mourn alongside the families and friends of Spc. Kamisha J. Block, Staff Sgt. Paul B. Norris and Capt. Michael S. Fielder, their respective communities of Vidor, Texas; Cullman, Alabama and Holly Springs, North Carolina, as well as their Fort Hood and Fort Bragg units.

From the DoD:

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.  They died Aug. 16 of injuries suffered from a non-combat related incident.  They were assigned to the 401st Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas.  

Killed were:

Staff Sgt. Paul B. Norris, 30, of Cullman, Ala., who died in Balad, Iraq.

Spc. Kamisha J. Block, 20, of Vidor, Texas, who died in Baghdad, Iraq.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.

They had each other’s backs.



According to Southeast Texas Live, Army Spc. Kamisha Block was going to be returning from Iraq next month. That’s when she and her lifelong friend Amanda Buck were going to get matching tattoos.

They were going to be yellow butterflies - a symbol of Block's military service - on the center of their upper backs, Buck said.

"Every time I see my wings, I was going to think of her, and every time she saw her wings, she was going to think of me," Buck said. "We had each other's back."

But it was no "coinky-dink" that Buck and Block's sister, Shonta, counted dozens of small, yellow butterflies fluttering in front of their truck while driving around town since then, including the two that floated nearby while the women painted a tribute to Kamisha on the windows of the Waffle House where she and Buck worked during high school.

It also was no coincidence that their truck's radio kept switching to Kamisha Block's favorite rock and heavy metal stations all day Monday, the two said.
They are convinced the occurrences are ways Block reaches out to them.

And the Waffle House is where Spc. Block’s friends and former co-workers gathered to remember her this past week. Again from Southeast Texas Live:

"Not a customer that ever walked through this door ever saw her with a frown," Arnette Buck, Block's former coworker and Amanda Buck's mother, said through emerging tears during a work break Monday.

The Waffle House had great significance in the lives of Block and her friends. It’s where they made all their plans and hung out while she was home on leave:

"We were supposed to be the old hags that come and drink coffee and (gripe) about young people," Buck joked of the future they planned.

It's where Block asked Debbie Strother - who watched her evolve from a playful little girl into a working teen and soldier - to pray for her before she left for Iraq.

It's where loyal customer Glen Payne said he advised Block to become a military policewoman to train for civilian law enforcement.

"I'm so proud of that girl," Payne said. "It's just sad that I'm not going to look up and see her anymore."

That Waffle House was where many in this city of 11,000 either met her or knew of her.

There's no telling how many visitors pulled off Interstate 10 to eat there and had their piping-hot plates of waffles, eggs, crunchy toast and steaming bowls of grits served up with Block's trademark bright eyes and endearing smile.

We learn from the Orange Leader that Spc. Block was a graduate of the Academic Individual Mastery (AIM) Center High School, an academic alternative educational program within the Vidor Independent School District. You can see a picture of her and two of her classmates (and a furry friend) here.

According to Allie Callahan, AIM High School Center counselor, she remembers Block as an excellent student.

"She was well liked by the other students," Callahan said. "She was never a discipline problem, so we never really saw her here in the office. She definitely liked to play and have fun, but she was very mature, too. She seemed to always have a goal."

One of Callahan’s most vivid memories about Block is when the military recruiters would come to the campus to visit students.

"She knew what she wanted to do, and that was join the military," Callahan said. "She was so excited to join the Army. She had considered a career in law enforcement, and was going to use her military time to help get her there.

Again from Southeast Texas Live:

Block came to AIM on a mission: to study, graduate and get to the military, Callahan said.

She was intent on finishing and not doing it alone. Ever the focused motivator, Block encouraged friends and classmates to move toward the same goal, school registrar LaDonna Clark said.

"She was their fire," Clark said. "She said 'I'm not going to graduate until you do,' and pushed them hard."

Spc. Block’s cousin, Hollie Stinnett of Houston, remembered her cousin to the Orange Leader.

"She was so funny," Stinnett, 27, said. "People who didn’t really know did not know how to take her, especially with her hair. She was just an awesome person."
Stinnett said Block "loved church" and was a very goal-oriented person.

"Whatever she set her mind to, she could accomplish," Stinnett said. "I saw her the day before she left to go to Iraq earlier this year, and she still talked about how she wanted to get into law enforcement once she finished her term in the Army. Everyone in the family is just really devastated right now."

Stinnett said the family knows little more than Block was reportedly killed by friendly fire.

"They said her death is still under investigation," Stinnett said. "That’s all we know. It could take a while to get more information, or we may never know more than that. We’re just kind of waiting."

She was also well loved at her church:

"She would always attend church every time she was on leave and had come back into town," Callaway said. "One morning she came in, and everyone just stood up and applauded. We all thought so much of her and what she was doing to serve her country."

Yesterday Spc. Kamisha Block completed her final mission. You can see a video of her arrival and the proud citizens of Vidor welcoming her home here. Hundreds of people came out to show their support, according to KFDM.

There was only silence as police officers saluted Spc. Block and the military escorted her body to the hearse.

"The least we can do is stand beside the family and salute her as she goes by," said supporter David Humberson.

--snip--

"We do this to honor the dead, encourage the living and let the world know we are thankful of these veterans," said James Taylor.

--snip--

Onlookers stood with their hands over their hearts thanking Block for her service and reflecting on her mission.

Spc. Block – you are now free to fly in eternal peace. We salute you and thank you for your service. Our deepest condolences to all whose hearts are broken tonight for your loss.

6/18/08 Update: The family of Kamisha Block has been informed by the Army that Staff Sgt. Paul Norris murdered Kamisha and then killed himself. Her family did not find this out until 6 months after her death, which is why this diary, as published in August 2007, did not reflect that information.


From the DoD:

Capt. Michael S. Fielder, 35, of Holly Springs, N.C., died Aug. 19 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries suffered from a non-combat related incident.  He was assigned to the 248th Medical Detachment, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 44th Medical Command, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N.C.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.

Dog’s best friend.

We learn about the kind of man Capt. Michael Fielder was from Tonya Hinkle, who was speaking on behalf of Capt. Fielder’s wife Mary to the News Observer:

"Michael, first and foremost, was a husband, and a wonderful and devoted friend," said Tonya Hinkle, speaking on behalf of Mary Fielder. "He was a vet that absolutely loved his job and was quite a wonderful father to the soldiers he had."
Hinkle said Michael Fielder could make anybody feel welcome and always had a joke handy when needed -- or not.

--snip--

On Monday night, family and friends were still reeling from his death.

"We feel at any time this is going to end and we're going to wake up," Hinkle said. "Everybody's numb. Numb and speechless."

Capt. Fielder was in the Navy from 1990-1994, then joined the Army in 2000 to take advantage of scholarship opportunities. He earned a bachelor of science in zoology and a doctorate in veterinary medicine from N.C. State University in 2004. After graduation, Fielder began Army training. This is according to the News Observer.
He had been in Iraq since last September and was due to be discharged from the Army in November.

The News Record learned from Capt. Fielder’s mother Janet King, that as a U.S. Army veterinarian, he took care of bomb-sniffing dogs in Iraq. You can see a photo of Capt. Fielder with one of his military patients here.

He spent his days caring for dogs on the compound in Baghdad and he had it better than the other troops in the field, he told his mother. But on Sunday, King and her family got the call.  Her 35-year-old son had died of natural causes.

"It's hard to process," King, of Lexington, said.

Fielder, of Holly Springs, had called his wife, Mary, late Saturday. It was early in the morning in Iraq and he told her he was headed to the shower after a run. He was found dead later that morning in his quarters.

Fielder, a health-conscious runner, had no history of medical problems, King said.

A military autopsy is expected to be performed at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware within the next few days.

Capt. Michael Fielder was an active runner. You can see him running here.

Capt. Fielder’s wife and the rest of his family said they were organizing a vet school scholarship in his honor. What a wonderful tribute.

Besides his wife, Fielder leaves behind three "furry" friends -- a pit bull-Rottweiler mix named Buckethead, a Rottweiler named Haley and a domestic long-haired cat named Frankie.

"They were the apple of his eye," Hinkle said.

You can see a Photo of Capt. Fielder, his wife Mary, and his beloved dogs Buckethead and Haley here.

Capt. Fielder - may you have found your way to the Rainbow Bridge where you’ll be reunited with all the animals you helped in your too short life. Our deepest condolences to Capt. Fielder’s wife Mary, his mom Janet King, Buckethead, Haley and Frankie, and all who knew and loved him.

Please take a moment to honor the memories of Spc. Kamisha J. Block, Staff Sgt. Paul B. Norris and Capt. Michael S. Fielder, as well as too many others who have passed through this world much too quickly in service to their country.

You can do that by viewing the stories and remembrances of these heroes at sites such as Iraq Veterans Memorial, Honor the Fallen and Spread the Word: Iraq-Nam



Regarding Iraq, the Department of Defense has confirmed 3,706 deaths and the announcement of 16 more deaths is expected, including the 14 victims of that horrific helicopter crash, pending notification of the next of kin, according to Iraq Coalition Casualty Count.428 American troops have died in Afghanistan since 2001.

To support our military service members and veterans, please visit AnySoldier.com and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

they will always be young
they will always be beautiful
they will be in our hearts
they have become part of our souls
we will carry them with us always
and meet in the fullness of time.

(thank you labwitchy)

About the IGTNT series:

IGTNT stands for "I Got the News Today."  The phrase most likely refers to the Beatles song, and it is meant to symbolize that terrible knock on the door that any number of families got today, bringing with it the news that a loved one has died. IGTNT is a diary series intended to honor, respect and remind.

Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and is maintained by Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, silvercedes, MsWings, blue jersey mom, chacounne, Worried Dem, twilight falling, Wee Mama, sheddhead, moneysmith,  labwitchy and me, greenies.

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.

If you would like to help out with IGTNT -- even once a month -- please get in touch with silvercedes, Sandy on Signal, noweasels or monkeybiz.