Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality. ~Emily Dickinson
I Got the News Today (IGTNT) is a diary series intended to honor service members who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one.
The beautiful forget me nots created by llbear.
Since 2003 there have been 4424 US casualties in Iraq and since 2001 there have been 1321 US casualties in Afghanistan. Source.
Tonight we honor the lives of:
Spc. Joseph T. Prentler, 20, of Fenwick, Mich.
Sgt. Brian J. Pedro, 27, of Rosamond, Calif.
Spc. Joseph T. Prentler decided when he was 8 years old that he wanted to join the Army.
"Going from when you're 8 and making that decision and sticking with it, that's really honorable," Prentler's cousin, Sonya Jakeway, told The Daily News of Greenville. "It was always an interest for him."
Prentler, commonly referred to as "Joey," attended Carson City-Crystal High School and graduated in 2008.
On Tuesday, Prentler's mother Tammy Prentler told The Grand Rapids Press that many in the small community offered condolences.
"He's just an all-around sweet person, just concerned about everybody and anybody," Tammy Prentler said. "He's just a good kid, friendly. He tried to make everybody laugh. Everybody loved him."
Prentler is survived by his parents, Joseph and Tammy Prentler, and a 13-year-old brother, Dakota.
He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment based in Vilseck, Germany.
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Sgt. Brian J. Pedro was on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan and according to the Army, he repaired utilities equipment and came on active duty with the Army in Los Angeles in April 2006. According to his MySpace page, Pedro attended Twentynine Palms High School and graduated in 2002 from El Camino High in Oceanside.
Pedro was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon and the NATO Medal.
He will receive the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge.
In a news release, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said:
Sergeant Brian Pedro was a brave soldier who gave his life in the line of duty"Maria and I are grateful for his service and deeply saddened by his death. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of Brian's friends, family and fellow service members as they remember and mourn the passing of this courageous soldier.
Pedro is survived by a wife, parents, and a younger brother.
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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..
Want to send your support to a Soldier in harm's way, but have no idea of what to send, who to send it to, or how to send it?click here.
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.
Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and is currently maintained by Sandy on Signal, noweasels, monkeybiz, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, a girl in MI, Spam Nunn, JeNoCo, Janos Nation, True Blue Majority, Proud Mom and Grandma, CalNM, Wide Awake in KY, maggiejean, racheltracks, kestrel 9000, JaxDem, and Cathy.
If you would like to contribute to the series, even once a month, please contact Sandy on Signal or noweasels.
To see what these tributes mean to those who have lost a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan, please read Sandy on Signal’s story about meeting the father of a soldier at NN10.
The IGTNT logo was created by Timroff.
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.