But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate...we can not consecrate...we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government: of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. - Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address
Tonight we gather to honor the lives of four soldiers who died in service to our country.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of four soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died July 20 in Wardak Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle followed by an attack from enemy forces using small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fires. They were assigned to the 4th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery (STRIKE), 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.
Killed were:
Sgt. Gregory Owens Jr., 24, of Garland, Texas.
Spc. Anthony M. Lightfoot, 20, of Riverdale, Ga.
Spc. Andrew J. Roughton, 21, of Houston, Texas.
Pfc. Dennis J. Pratt, 34, of Duncan, Okla.
Unfortunately, there was no information available regarding Sgt. Owens as this IGTNT diary was prepared for publication. We will include information about this brave soldier in a future diary.
Spc. Anthony Lightfoot, 20
He was my hero, he made the ultimate sacrifice," said Levon Lightfoot.
He joined the army in 2007 after high school graduation. Anthony's mom was a 22-year military veteran.
Lightfoot's body is still at Dover Air Force Base, awaiting details on burial at Arlington National Cemetery.
Lightfoot's niece Alianna Hager told Fox 5 Atlanta that Lightfoot was a "people person."
"He would do fun stuff, he would take us everywhere that he would go," she said.
Pfc. Dennis J. Pratt, 34
Pratt, a native of Duncan, Okla., was scheduled for 2 weeks of rest and relaxation this Wednesday. Instead, he went to an eternal rest in the roadside bomb attack.
Pratt's mother, Sinnamon, told the Tulsa World that Dennis had joined the army two years ago and enjoyed the Army.
"He told us he finally found his niche. He was going to make a career out of it," she said. "He got in kind of late. They called him pops because he was the oldest."
In addition to his mother and father, Jim, Pratt is survived by his wife, Michelle, a daughter and two sons.
Spc. Andrew Roughton, 21
A high school football player with a dream to play in the college game, Roughton joined the army after an unexpected pregnancy drew him to the stability of the military.
An "easy-going kid," Roughton decided that the Army was going to be a career.
He had decided this year that he wanted to make it a career," Mark Roughton told the Houston Chronicle. "He was supposed to be promoted to corporal soon and then when his tour was over get up to sergeant. Everybody I talked to about it said he loved the military. I'm not exactly sure why, but he did."
Roughton had been awarded the Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon.
Roughton is survived by his father, Mark, his wife, Heather; stepbrother Marcus Carpenter of Lake Jackson; uncle Curtis Roughton Jr. of Houston; grandfather Curtis Roughton of Rowlett; and grandmother Billie Berecky of Robstown. Funeral plans are pending.
Spc. Raymundo P. Morales, 34
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spc. Raymundo P. Morales, 34, of Dalton, Ga., died July 21 in Methar Lam, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. He was assigned to the 148th Brigade Support Battalion, Cedartown, Ga.
Morales' family remembered the 34-year-old, who was only a month into his tour in Afghanistan.
His family says ... he was doing what he loved most, helping others.
"Everything, his laugh, his pranks, his smile," said Maria Vicencio, Ray's Aunt.
Vicencio says her nephew will always be remembered especially for his smile.
"As soon as you seen him, whether he was down or not he always had that smile no matter what," said Maria Vicencio.
Morales' body has not returned to Georgia yet, and military officials
are still investigating the cause of the rollover. Funeral services
will be held July 30, and the Patriot Riders will stand in honor of his memory.
Helping our troops:
If you wish to assist our military and their families, consider Operation Helmet, or Fisher House. If you have frequent flyer miles, they can be donated to hospitalized veterans or their families. See Fisher House’s Hero Miles program for details. Consider sponsoring a deployed service member at TroopCarePackage.com. Letters or care packages can 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.
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 troops. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, noweasels, greenies, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, SpamNunn, a girl in MI, JeNoCo, Mediaprof, and rb137. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those Americans who have died and show our community’s respect for them.
Fallen service members whose names have been released by the Department of Defense will usually be diaried 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