IGTNT 8/4/07: Three Killed in Their 14th Month in Iraq

Tonight I ask you to join me in paying tribute to three young soldiers whose lives were brutally cut short this week while serving their country. Tuesday morning, in Baghdad, soldiers of the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team were on patrol in a Stryker personnel carrier when they were hit by an improvised explosive device that pierced the 45,000-pound vehicle's armor. Spc. Zachariah J. Gonzalez, 23, of Indiana, Pfc. Charles T. Heinlein Jr., 23, of Hemlock, Michigan, and Pfc. Alfred H. Jairala, 29, of Hialeah, Florida were killed in the explosion.

Listen, children, to a story
That was written long ago,
'Bout a kingdom on a mountain
And the valley-folk below.

On the mountain was a treasure
Buried deep beneath the stone,
And the valley-people swore
They'd have it for their very own.

< snip >

Now the valley cried with anger,
"Mount your horses! Draw your sword!"
And they killed the mountain-people,
So they won their just reward.

Now they stood beside the treasure,
On the mountain, dark and red.
Turned the stone and looked beneath it...
"Peace on Earth" was all it said.

Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter - "One Tin Soldier"

Spc. Zachariah J. Gonzalez of Indiana was the 93rd Hoosier to die in the Iraq war. As reported in the
Indy Star:

Robert Croddy, a friend of the family who was the soldier's youth leader at St. Luke Catholic Church, said Gonzalez was well-liked.

"He had a great personality," Croddy said. "Out of 50 kids, he would be the one to stand out, most likeable."

...
"His stay had been extended six months," Croddy said. "If he wasn't extended, he'd be home by now. That's the sad part."
...
"Zach was an incredible young man and a hero. He should be remembered by our community and our country for his ultimate sacrifice to our country and freedom abroad."

A picture of Zach can be seen here.

Also from the Indy Star:

Gonzalez's body is expected to arrive Monday in Indianapolis. A cousin, Gino Maldanado, who also serves in the Army, will escort Gonzalez from Iraq.

Gonzalez said by phone that Maldanado, whose stay was extended last August, told his mother he now understood why.

"I now know why I was supposed to stay here," Gonzalez said, repeating what he was told by Maldanado's mother. "I had to stay here to bring Zach home."

After 14 months in Iraq, Army infantryman Zachariah Jared Gonzalez was looking forward to a September homecoming and his little sister's wedding.
His plans, and his life, were cut short this week in an attack by insurgents in Baghdad.

Now, his family is planning to celebrate his life -- and a hero's death -- in a funeral Mass at St. Monica Catholic Church next week.

"His service in the Army was but one step in a life that was full of promise," his uncle Manuel Gonzalez said during a gathering at the church Friday to honor the young soldier.

The 23-year-old Gonzalez graduated from Hamilton Southeastern High School in 2002 and enlisted in the Army Reserve soon after. He'd served as a military cook before his patriotism fueled his desire for a different role.

"He wanted to serve his country in a bigger way," his uncle said. "He wanted to there in the front, and that's the decision he made."

...

"He'd call home all the time and tell his family to pray for the wounded soldiers," Manuel Gonzalez said. "He hoped to return home and begin working with his father in his landscaping business."

On the day he died, the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the patron saint of warriors, the family shared Zach's strong faith as a Catholic and his convictions as a defender of freedom.

"This is a family of great faith," said St. Monica's pastor, the Rev. Paul Koetter.

They'll need their faith in the days to come, and as they prepare for the wedding of his sister that Zach will have to miss.

Pfc. Charles T. Heinlein Jr. of Michigan had received the Army Commendation, National Defense Service, Iraq Campaign, and Global War on Terrorism Service medals, and Combat Infantryman Badge. (source)

For Pfc. Charles T. Heinlein Jr., the U.S. Army was one of the most important things in his life.

"The only things more important were family and friends," his father, Thomas Heinlein said in a telephone interview Saturday.

"He was in his 14th month (of duty)," Heinlein's father said. "If they wouldn't have extended it, he would have been home by the end of June, beginning of July.

"He was tired, but he had no problem with them extending it. He thought he wanted to do his duty and wanted to do what was right. He thought what he was doing over there was good."

In April, the government announced active component Army units would serve 15 months instead of 12 months, Fort Lewis public affairs officer Joe Jimenez said.

"This unit had finished its 12 months," Jimenez said. "This battalion has had 40 casualties since they deployed from Fort Lewis in June of 2006."
(source)

A picture of Charles can be seen on his MySpace page.

Charles Heinlein enlisted on Sept. 28, 2005 and was assigned to the unit at Fort Lewis in February 2006.  He is survived by his wife, Jessica, in Washington state, and a sister, Jody.

No information beyond the DoD release has been found for Pfc. Alfred H. Jairala, the third young soldier killed in the IED attack on Tuesday. Anyone with additional information is asked to leave it in comments and I will update this diary.  

More Than Numbers

Iraq Coalition Casualties lists 3665 American military casualties, including 10 whose names have not yet been released.  That's not a number; it represents 3665 real people who had family, friends, hopes and dreams.  They left the comfort and safety of their homes, the companionship of their loved ones, because they believed in service to their country. Forget for a moment the politics of the day, the politics of the Iraq occupation, and think of the grandparents, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, friends and others whose lives are forever changed.

For More Information:

The DoD news releases are here.

See also Honor the Fallen and Spread the Word: Iraq-Nam, as well as the Iraq Veterans Memorial for a moving look at how a few of their survivors remember them.

If you want to do something more, please visit anysoldier.com, Operation Helmet, and/or Fisher House.

I Got the News Today is a diary series intended to honor, respect and remind. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by Monkeybiz, Sandy on Signal, silvercedes, noweasels, greenies, blue jersey mom, chacounne, Wee Mama, twilight falling, moneysmith, sheddhead, labwitchy, and me, MsWings.

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.

Now they stood beside the treasure,
On the mountain, dark and red.
Turned the stone and looked beneath it...
"Peace on Earth" was all it said.