Since 2001, there have been 1360 American troops killed while serving in Afghanistan,
and since 2003, 4430 American troops killed while serving in Iraq.
The IGTNT (I Got The News Today) title is a reminder that nearly everyday, somebody gets the news that a friend, former classmate, or beloved family member will not be coming home from war.
Tonight we remember two more Marines killed in action,
lost to all who love them:
Staff Sgt. Justin E. Schmalstieg, 28, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Lance Cpl. Jose A. Hernandez, 19, of West Palm Beach, Florida
Please take a moment below to remember them.
The Department of Defense confirmed the death of a veteran Marine from Camp Pendleton.
Staff Sgt. Justin E. Schmalstieg, 28,
of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Staff Sgt. Justin Schmalstieg died December 15 from injuries from a bomb explosion in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Staff Sgt. Schmalstieg was an explosives disposal expert assigned to the 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Camp Pendleton, California.
Justin Schmalstieg was raised in the Stanton Heights neighborhood of east Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His childhood friend recalled he used to love playing hockey in Morningside and rollerblading through Highland Park with friends.
As a teenager, Justin graduated from Peabody High School in 2000, where he met Ann, his high school sweet heart and future wife. Justin was on the ski club and ran cross country at Peabody. His classmates gave him an award as one of the school's top runners.
Justin's 15 year-old brother still lives at the family home with his parents, who are both career Pittsburgh police detectives.
Shortly after 911, Justin enlisted in the Marine Corps. A friend said Justin joined the military in part because his parents instilled in him "a strong sense of duty."
Staff Sgt. Schmalstieg's critical job as an explosives disposal specialist would take him on multiple combat tours over his nine year career, first to Iraq, and then to Afghanistan. He also served his fellow Marines by appearing in training videos, demonstrating how to defuse buried explosives.
His best friend's mother remembers Justin as unusually quiet and calm even as a child, traits that would have served him well as a bomb technician.
"He was the one with the peaceful spirit," she said. "This is a great loss to all of us."
Another childhood friend, echoed her characterization.
"He was always quiet, collected, smart, kind, willing to be there or listen. He was a good friend," he said.
Before his last deployment, Justin and Ann married in November 2009. The couple moved to Oceanside, California, where Staff Sgt. Schmalstieg was stationed at Camp Pendleton.
The family learned of Staff Sgt. Schmalstieg's death at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday when a Marine knocked on the front door of his Stanton Heights home and delivered the heartbreaking news.
Among those Staff Sgt. Schmalstieg leaves behind are his wife, his parents, and his younger brother, and his fellow Marines.
Staff Sgt. Justin Schmalstieg is missed. May He Rest In Peace.
Source; Source; Source
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RIP Marine (TAPS)
written by Horace Lorenzo Trim
Fading light dims the sight
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright
From afar drawing nigh,
Falls the night.
Day is done, gone the sun
From the lakes, from the hills, from the run
All is well, safely rest;
God is nigh.
Then goodnight, peaceful night;
Till the light of the dawn shineth bright.
God is near, do not fear,
Friend, goodnight.
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The Department of Defense announced the death of a Marine from Camp Lejeune.
Lance Cpl. Jose A. Hernandez, 19,
of West Palm Beach, Florida
Lance Cpl. Hernandez died December 14 from wounds suffered by a roadside bomb in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Hernandez was a rifleman assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
From the time Jose Hernandez was a child, he always wanted to become Marine, recalled his family and friends.
"He just wanted to serve his country. He just wanted to be a Marine," Jose's cousin said.
She said Jose was also inspired by his older brother, Don, who was discharged earlier this year after serving four years in the Marines.
The brothers were very close, and proud to be serving together, Jose's sister-in-law said.
She said he thought about studying aviation after completing his service.
"He was just a good person," she said. "Nobody had anything bad to say about him."
As a young child, Jose lived in Pueblo, Colorado with his mother and father. The family moved to West Palm Beach Florida, where Jose stayed to live with his aunt's family in the suburb of Greenacres. He attended Lake Worth Community High School in West Palm Beach, and participated in the R.O.T.C. program, working toward his goal of becoming a Marine.
In June 2009, Jose realized his childhood dream, joining the Marines after graduating from high school. His former R.O.T.C. members say being a Marine was a goal Hernandez always had and he died making that dream a reality.
Lance Cpl. Hernandez had come home to visit family and friends on leave from Camp Lejeune during the summer. Then he deployed with the Marines to Afghanistan in September 2010 on his first combat tour. Hernandez was scheduled to return home from his tour in four months.
Lance Cpl. Hernandez was on a foot patrol when he stepped on an IED, and died from his injuries. Jose Hernandez would have celebrated his 20th birthday on the day after Christmas.
Don accompanied his parents to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to meet the returning body of his younger brother, who will be buried in Colorado.
Among those Lance Cpl. Hernandez leaves behind are his parents, aunts, brother, sisters, cousins, nephew, and other close family and friends.
Lance Cpl. Jose Hernandez is missed. May He Rest In Peace.
Source; Source; Source; Source
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Photos Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Thanks to Timroff for our faithfully lighted candle IGTNT logo;
and Thanks to llbear for our beautiful forget-me-nots IGTNT logo.
(Other Photos by CalNM)
Helping our troops:
If you wish to assist our military and their families, consider Operation Helmet, or sponsoring a deployed service member at TroopCarePackage.com.
Fisher House provides housing for families of injured troops and veterans who are recovering in hospitals, and Guardian angels for soldierspet assists the animal companions of our deployed military.
When our veterans come back home, they can find support at Welcome Back Veterans.
Our recently returned veterans need jobs, and Veterans Green Jobs is now hiring for positions and filling training sessions. VGJ corps retrains veterans as leaders in forest and resource conservation, green construction, and energy efficient upgrades of homes in rural areas. Encourage a Veteran, and see if you can help out.
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About the IGTNT series: I Got the News Today is intended to honor, respect, and remember the fallen, and to remind us that each casualty has family and friends who received the terrible news that their loved one has died at war.
Diaries about the fallen usually appear two days after their names are officially released, which allows time for the IGTNT team to find and tell their stories. The US Department of Defense news releases are found at defense gov/releases. Icasualties lists the names of those killed, and shows the number of wounded. Published AP photos of the returning war fatalities are found on the Dover AFB page.
Click the IGTNT tags below for previous diaries in the series which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by monkeybiz, noweasels, 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, Sandy on Signal, Wide Awake in Kentucky, Ms Wings, maggiejean, racheltracks, ccasas, JaxDem, and me, CalNM. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for our fallen brothers and sisters.
Please bear in mind that these memorial 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.