Our military personnel work in conditions that most of us can only imagine. Sadly, we don't often hear much about their lives until they are gone from us. However, those that we honor night after night should abide in our memories as some of our nation's cherished sons and daughters.
Tonight those who are present in memory only are:
- Marine Lance Corporal John T. Sparks who was from Illinois
- Marine Sergeant Frank R. Zaehringer III who was from Nevada
- Army Specialist David A. Hess who was from Florida
- Army Staff Sergeant Dave J. Weigle who was from Pennsylvania
He who has gone,
So we but cherish his memory,
Abides with us, more potent,
Nay, more present,
Than the living man.
~Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Lance Corporal John T. Sparks
John T. Sparks was from Chicago, Illinois. He enlisted in the US Marine Corps in February of 2008.
Lance Corporal John T. Sparks was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, which is based at Camp Pendleton in California.
The Helmand province of Afghanistan, a Taliban stronghold, was the location of the Lance Corporal’s first combat deployment. Lance Corporal John T. Sparks died there from small arms fire, while conducting combat operations on October 8thof this year. He was 23 years old.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement expressing appreciation for Sparks' service, and according to the North County Times, the military issued a statementexpressing condolences:
"The Marines and sailors of the 1st Marine Division mourn the loss of Lance Cpl. Sparks," the statement read. "Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family."
About 10,000 locally based Marines, most from Camp Pendleton, are among the 20,000 Marines deployed in the war, now in its 10th year.
Last week, the man who leads those troops, Maj. Gen. Richard Mills, said during a ceremony at the base that he believes his forces are winning the Helmand province, where most Marines are stationed.
Mills' statement came amid increasing concerns about the stability of the Afghan government. Its president, Hamid Karzai, recently established a 68-member council to take part in peace talks with the anti-government Taliban that U.S. forces ousted from power shortly after the invasion.
Sparks was a highly decorated Marine, who had earned a number of honors, including the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. He has been posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and Combat Action Ribbon.
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Sergeant Frank R. Zaehringer III
Frank R. Zaehringer III, was the son of Sharon and Frank Zaehringer Jr. He was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. "Frankie" graduated from Wooster High School in 2005. Two years later, he joined the US Marines.
He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, and was based in North Carolina. Last year, he was deployed to Iraq. in July, he was deployed to Afghanistan as a Sergeant.
On October 11th, Sergeant Frank R. Zaehringer was on foot patrol in the Helmand province of Afhanistan. He died there after he was hit by an IED. He was 23 years old. According to the Reno Gazette-Journal site:
Frankie, as he was called by the family, had wanted to become a Marine since he was a teenager, Claudia Zaehringer said.
"Nobody could talk him out of it," his aunt said. "He would run around with a backpack filled with rocks just to get in shape for boot camp."
..."It was a seven-month tour so he was due to come back in February," his aunt said. "He already had re-upped for four more years in Afghanistan."
His parents were traveling Tuesday to Dover, Md., to bring home their son’s remains, she said.
Frank Zaehringer III leaves behind his wife, Cassie, and two step daughters, his parents, his sister, and her family, as well as his aunt and uncle, and other extended family members.
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Specialist David A. Hess
David A. Hess was from Ruskin, Florida. He joined the Army in April of 2009. David was a devoted husband and father. His wife is quoted by Tampa Bay Online:
Hess said the two got together on Jan. 7, 2005, her 23rd birthday. Eleven months later, on Nov. 23, their son Bryor was born.
The man who loved the outdoors, loved to hunt deer and fish with his dad, stuck with the woman he would wed Dec. 6, 2008, said Hess.
"He never missed a doctor's appointment," she said. "He was there for the birth."
Diane told in the article how her husband decided to join the military when he kept getting laid off. He wanted to make sure his family was taken care of.
Specialist Hess was assigned to the 526th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), and arrived at his base at Fort Campbell in November of 2009. Hess was trained as a Land Combat Electronic Missile System Repairer. Four months ago, he was deployed to Afghanistan.
Specialist David A. Hess was involved with combat operations in the Zhari province of Afghanistan. On October 10th, insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device (IED). Specialist David A. Hess died from his wounds. He was 25 years old. Also killed in the bombing, was Staff Sergeant Dave J. Weigle.
Awards and decorations earned by Specialist David A. Hess include: National Defense Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; and Combat Action Badge.
Hess is survived by his wife, Diane M. Hess, and son, Bryor A. Hess both of Fort Campbell; his mother, Kathryn Dowler of Petroleum, W.Va.; and father, Jeffery A. Hess of Ruskin, Florida.
Before leaving for Afghanistan, David Hess told his loved ones he wanted to be buried in West Virginia. A service will be held there later this month.
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Staff Sergeant Dave J. Weigle
Dave J. Weigle was from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was reported to be a Phillies fan. He joined the Army in March of 2002.
Weigle was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Weigle arrived at Fort Campbell in December 2004 and was trained as a Cavalry Scout.
Weigle moved his family to Clarksville, Tennesse to be near his base at Fort Campbell. He was deployed to Afghanistan earlier this year.
On October 10th, insurgents attacked his unit, in Zhari Province, Afghanistan, with an improvised explosive device (IED). Staff Sergeant Dave J. Weigle was one of the two 101st Airborne Division soldiers with 2nd Brigade Combat Team who were killed in the blast. He was 29 years old. Also killed, was Spc. David A. Hess, when their vehicle was struck by an IED.
Awards and decorations given to Staff Sergeant Dave J. Weigle include: Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; and Air Assault Badge.
Weigle is survived by his wife, Miccaela P. Smith-Kanze and son, Tristan J. Weigle of Oakland, Calif.; and father, Raymond F. Weigle of North Salem, New York.
While the Patriot Guard Riders have not been informed of any services planned for Staff Sergeant Dave J. Weigle, they have him on their Watch List and will be ready to attend. In the meantime, they have been posting comments in support of the fallen soldier's family. One contains these verses:
Those we love remain with us
For love itself lives on...
Cherished memories never fade
Because one loved is gone.
Those we love can never be
More than a thought apart...
For as long as there is memory,
They live on in our hearts.
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Helping our troops:
If you wish to assist our military and their families, consider Operation Helmet, or Fisher House. Donating to Netroots for the Troops provides care packages that make a real difference in a military person's life. To assist the animal companions of our deployed military, information is available here. Also, you could visit:
When our veterans come back home, they need jobs. Look at the programs of Hire Heroes USA and Welcome Back Veterans to see if you can help out. The KINship Project has also been of help to our veterans and other Kossacks In Need.
Stop-loss pay is available for veterans. The deadline for this program is December 3rd. The compensation is also available to survivors.
About the IGTNT series:
"I Got the News Today" is a diary series intended to honor, respect, and remind us of the sacrifice of our US troops. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, noweasels, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, SpamNunn, a girl in MI, JeNoCo, Mediaprof, TrueBlueMajority, JanosNation, Proud Mom and Grandma, Ministry of Truth, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, Ms Wings, maggiejean, racheltracks, JaxDem, and kestrel9000. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for them.
Fallen service members whose names have been released by the US Department of Defense will usually be diarized two days after the official announcement on the DoD website. This allows the IGTNT team to cover each person more fully, but still in a timely manner
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Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members mentioned here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.