Near the snow, near the sun, in the highest fields
See how those names are feted by the waving grass,
And by the streamers of white cloud,
And whispers of wind in the listening sky;
The names of those who in their lives fought for life,
Who wore at their hearts the fire’s centre,
Born of the sun they traveled a short while towards the sun,
And left the vivid air signed with their honour.
From "I Think Continually of Those Who Were Truly Great" by Stephen Spender
Tonight we remember two young soldiers whose courage and dedication inspired them to serve their country, and ultimately to give their lives in that service. Although their personalities were very different, both were admired and respected by family and friends alike. Please join me below the fold as we pay last respects to these remarkable individuals.
Pfc. Timothy R. Hanson: A great kid
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. Timothy R. Hanson, 23, of Kenosha, Wis., died Jan. 7 in Salmon Pak, Iraq, of wounds suffered from small arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.
The incident is under investigation.
Quiet, conscientious, a devoted history and movie buff – those are the words Timothy Hanson’s family and friends use to describe him. Timothy grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He attended Roosevelt Elementary School, then went on to McKinley Middle School and graduated from Indian Trail Academy high school in 2003. History was his favorite subject, his mother, Susan Hanson, told the Associated Press:
"He was into history. He loved World War II. He was interested in the Civil War when he was younger and then switched to World War II," she said. "He read anything and everything about it."
Timothy’s instructors also described him as a quiet, dedicated student who loved history. According to his high school teacher, Che Kearby:
"He always seemed to seek out adult companionship. In high school probably some of the people he was closest to was some of his teachers," Kearby said. "Behaviorwise, great kid."
"He was very cerebral, and often talked, especially when it came to history, above most of his classmates. He definitely had a passion for it."
SOURCE
After studying history for a year at Northern Michigan University, Timothy transferred to University of Wisconsin-Parkside, and continued his history studies. But doubts about his career path led him to enlist in the Army, where he hoped to gain the experience that would help him choose a career.
Before he could join the Army, though, Timothy had to lose 35 pounds. But he was so determined to enlist that he achieved his goal in only four months. As his mother, Susan Hanson, told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel(where you can see a photograph of the young soldier):
"He was determined to make weight," Susan Hanson said Tuesday, the day after her son became the second Wisconsin soldier in three days to die in Iraq. "And he was very proud when he did."
In April, 2006, Timothy enlisted and was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Benning, Georgia. His first tour of duty in Iraq began in March, 2007, when he was among 4,000 Fort Benning soldiers who were deployed to Iraq for a 15 month tour.
A devoted movie fan, Timothy's mother says he took the better part of his 300 DVD film collection and a portable DVD player with him when he left for Iraq.
"He loved everything from foreign films to romantic comedies," his mother said during a telephone interview. "He was definitely a movie buff."
SOURCE
Susan Hanson said her son had few complaints about being in Iraq.
"He felt secure where he was and was getting bored. ... About the only negative I heard lately was, 'I wish the military had two sets of clothes. I get sick of wearing the same thing, day in and day out."'
SOURCE
Timothy’s last call home was on Saturday, and his mother was expecting to hear from him again on Monday. The call never came. Instead, two Army officers appeared at her front door with the terrible news.
Timothy is survived by his parents, Susan and Robert Hanson, his sister, Jennifer Clope, and brother, Andrew Hanson. His death marks the 84th for Wisconsin service members.
Spc. James D. Gudridge: "If he didn’t live life to the fullest, life didn’t matter"
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. James D. Gudridge, 20, of Carthage, N.Y., died Jan. 6 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
Becoming a soldier was something James Gudridge dream about ever since he was a little boy. So no one was surprised when the Carthage, New York, native enlisted in the Army while he was still enrolled in high school. Shortly after graduation, James began basic training. While stationed at Georgia’s Fort Stewart, he became a specialist in chemical operations, trained to recognize nuclear, biological and chemical attacks.
His father, Daniel Gudridge Sr., says his son was well aware that he would probably end up in Iraq, but that was fine with him. In fact, James was excited when his unit was deployed in November.
"He wanted to be in the action," [Daniel] Gudridge said.
SOURCE
An easygoing young man who always had a smile on his face, James was known to his family and friends as a risk taker with a genuine enthusiasm for experiencing life. It was her son’s attitude that convinced Judy Hoffman to keep her concerns about her son’s enlistment to herself.
"I wanted them to do whatever they wanted to do," she said.
(snip)
"If he didn't live to the fullest, life didn't matter," she said.
SOURCE
James’s family saw him only months ago, right before he left for Iraq. One of the last things he told them was that he felt he might not come home.
"He wanted us to know that he loved us and he was happy doing what he was doing and that was the most important thing to him," said [his stepfather] Jerry Hoffman.
Family members say their grief is eased a bit by knowing that James was doing something that mattered to him and that he chose to do.
"We just kept on praying everyday you know that he would return safely and we were looking forward to March for him coming home and he's just coming home a little sooner," said Jerry Hoffman
(snip)
"I'm proud of him and I hope the United States is proud of him. He gave his life so I hope people understand that," said his father, Danny Gudridge.
SOURCE (with a video of his mother speaking to the reporter)
James is survived by his parents, and siblings, including two brothers, a sister, a half brother and two stepsisters. His younger brother, Pfc. Michael Gudridge, 19, is a Marine stationed at Camp LeJeune in North Carolina.
The Iraq Coalition Casualty Countreports that total number of US casualties confirmed by the Department of Defense is now 3912 in Iraq, with 9 additional deaths pending notification of relatives, and 478 in Afghanistan. The DoD news releases can be found here.
All these service people had friends and loved ones. Please visit the Iraq Veterans Memorial for a moving look at how a few of their survivors remember them. If you'd like to help our soldiers, consider sponsoring a soldier at TroopCarePackage.com or anysoldier.com. Operation Helmetand Fisher Houseare also wonderful organizations that offer additional opportunity to help out American soldiers.
Finally, if you would like to assist the animal companions of our deployed military, information is available here. Animal companions can provide such joy and comfort.
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, noweasels, blue jersey mom, chacounne, twilight falling, Wee Mama, greenies, labwitchy, roses, joyful, sistwo, Avila and me, moneysmith.
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.
Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members chronicled here. We ask that your remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics or personal opinions about the war.