Sometimes, we allow ourselves to forget how closely entwined life and death are. In tonight's entry into this series, please meet four young men--Jason Reeves, Nicholas Aleman, Derek Wyatt, and Colton Rusk--whose stories will remind you.
The Department of Defense has announced the losses of Staff Sgt. Jason A Reeves, 32, of Odessa, TX, Sgt. Nicholas J. Aleman, 24, of Brooklyn, NY, Cpl. Derek A. Wyatt, 25, of Akron, OH, and Pfc. Colton W. Rusk, 20, of Orange Grove, TX.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Derek Wyatt
As the October sun set over the Pacific, the words in the sand said:
Derek + Kait = Michael
Derek meant Derek Wyatt, a young man from Akron, Ohio. A former high school baseball star. A kind and inspiring friend.
A Marine.
Kait meant Kait McGlauphlin Wyatt, the love of Derek's life. When they met in Okinawa, she was also a Marine. They married a year later.
Michael meant the future Michael Everett Wyatt. In July, Derek and Kait learned that they would become parents to a son before the year ended.
"Their love was an example of what true love and devotion is,"
said Kait's sister BreAnn, herself the wife of a soldier stationed in northern New York.
Derek planned, after the current assignment, to return to civilian life. He planned to return to Ohio with his young family. In October, he deployed to Afghanistan with his unit. Before going, Derek took Kait to the beach, where they wrote their names, and the name of their son, in the sand.
On December 6th, Derek was killed in Afghanistan.
On December 7th, Michael was born in California. He is 7 pounds, 11 ounces, and sports a full head of hair and his father's nose.
"You couldn't ask for a more perfect baby,"
said BreAnn.
Merciful and compassionate God,
we bring you our grief in the loss of Derek Wyatt
and ask for courage to bear it.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Colton Rusk
"Don't be afraid to go after your hopes and dreams, but don't be afraid to be willing to pay the price,"
was the senior quote in Colton Rusk's high school yearbook.
The Orange Grove High School Class of 2009 had gotten to know Colton. He was a celebrated football and baseball player, and runner-up for homecoming king. The Senior Class elected him "Mr. OGHS," choosing him as their best and brightest.
He dreamed of being a Marine.
"Listen to the guys who have been there the longest, work hard, and come home."
Those were the words of Colton's good friend Justin Rokohl. Justin was himself a Marine, and he had lost his legs in Afghanistan.
Colton became a bomb dog handler. Accompanied by his faithful companion, the black lab Eli, he sought the hidden destruction that have taken so many.
Last weekend, he called his parents to say that he was well. Two days later he was gone, lost in a firefight in Helmland Province.
Merciful and compassionate God,
we bring you our grief in the loss of Colton Rusk
and ask for courage to bear it.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jason Reeves
Jason left a lasting impact on Odessa, but he was a child of the world. A son of a serviceman, his Air Force father's career took him to places from Okinawa to Phoenix. The Army listed his place of residence as Odessa, Texas, because he enlisted from there. He left Phoenix for Texas to live with his granparents, where he finished his high school diploma while working with them in their cabinet shop.
His granmother said of him:
"He had a real dry sense of humor, he would say things that would crack you up."
In Texas he met with a recruiter, and decided that the Army suited him. As his father observed:
"He found a career and excelled."
That career took him from California to Korea to Iraq. He served twelve years in intelligence, and was serving in Germany when his unit was deployed to Afghanistan. It was there, as he worked near the border with Pakistan, that a suicide bomber disguised as a member of the Afghan Army attacked a base, killing nineteen people from different nations. Jason was one of them.
Two days after he died, a child was born. His sister gave birth to Jason's first nephew, a young man who will carry his uncle's memory in his middle name.
Jason's family has asked that any donations in Jason's honor be made to American Gold Star Mothers.
Merciful and compassionate God,
we bring you our grief in the loss of Jason Reeves
and ask for courage to bear it.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Nicholas Aleman
Nicholas's mother and father were Americans by choice. They came originally from Honduras, and their children grew up in Brooklyn. Although Nicholas was was thin, his Aunt Lourdes remembers his big appetite, especially for pork chops and fried plantains.
Aunt Evonne recalls:
"He was just a normal kid, a great boy...very intelligent."
Nicholas had a big appetite for life, and was willing to share his joy. Neighbors recall that he adopted a stray dog, a terrier he called Blackjack, and that:
"He loved him."
He had always wanted to serve in the military, and in 2004, Nicholas joined the Marine Corps, as an intelligence specialist. Military service seems to run strong in some families. One of Nicholas's sisters is in the Army, the other in the Marine Corps. His cousin Alex, who was in the Navy, said of him
"He wanted to become a officer. The guy was very smart. He liked what he was doing."
Only two years ago, he served in dangerous conditions in Iraq. This year, he was called to Afghanistan.
He was lost in the same attack in Paktia Province that took the life of Jason Reeves.
Next month, his sister will have a baby.
Merciful and compassionate God,
we bring you our grief in the loss of Nicholas Aleman
and ask for courage to bear it.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Material for these memorials from, among others, The Akron Beacon-Journal, WKSU, The Corpus Christie Caller, CBS 7, The Victorville Daily Press, New York Daily News, New York Post.
Helping Our Troops
If you wish to assist our military and their families, please considerFisher House, which provides a place to stay for families near the treatment centers for our wounded veterans, or the Evan Ashcraft foundation, which helps returning veterans with brain injuries and PTSD.
When our veterans come home, many will need jobs. Please look at the programs of Veterans Green Jobs 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 U.S. troops. Click here to see 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, CalNM, Ms. Wings, Maggie Jean, and Wide Awake in KY. 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 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.
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.