Special thanks for this tribute to Lance Cpl. Noah Miles Pier from Blue Jersey Mom.
On Wednesday the Department of Defense Made the following announcement:
Lance Cpl. Noah M. Pier, 25, of Charlotte, N.C., died Feb. 16 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
Lance Cpl. Pier joined the Marines in 2007. He had already served a tour of duty in Iraq. His unit has been deployed to Afghanistan last November. At the time of his death, Noah Pier was serving as a machine gunner. His unit has been conducting counter-insurgency operations, providing security for the Afghan people, and promoting development in the region. ~source
On Thursday night, Pier's family issued the following statement:
Lance Cpl. Noah Miles Pier was our son, brother, grandson, uncle and cousin. He believed in what he was fighting for and he died for your freedom. Noah proudly served his country in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. The oldest of 10 siblings and the first grandson on both sides of the family, Noah always wanted to be a Marine. Noah was such a happy man and he loved to laugh. He greatly anticipated coming home from Afghanistan to marry his childhood sweetheart, Rachel Black. His laughter and love of life will be sorely missed. Noah will be escorted home to Charlotte by family member GySgt. Michael L. Kiernan, U.S.M.C. Noah will be laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. Charlotte services are pending. We truly appreciate the outpouring of support from our friends and neighbors in the Charlotte-area. Lance Cpl. Noah Miles Pier, our hero.
Rest in peace, Lance Cpl. Pier. May your family and friends find comfort in your memory.
DoD Announces Marine Casualty
Lance Cpl. Joshua H. Birchfield, 24, of Westville, Ind., died Feb. 19 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.
LaPorte Herald Argus
“
He was a selfless human being,” said Wesley Bane, Joshua’s cousin, who said Joshua was also his close friend. “The reason he joined the Marines in the first place is because he saw a family that couldn’t be together for a holiday.”
Birchfield joined the Marines on April 14, 2008. Afghanistan was his first deployment. Birchfield earned the following awards: Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, and the NATO Medal.
HIs family was unavailable for comment. Birchfield's body will arrive in South Bend, Indiana on Thursday. Burial is set for Saturday at Westville High School. Patriot Guard Riders will escort the family.
Semper Fi, Lance Corporal Joshua Birchfield.
DoD Announces Marine Casualty
Cpl. Gregory S. Stultz, 22, of Brazil, Ind., died Feb. 19 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan.
"Within an hour of his death, they were notifying us," Stultz's mother, Kim, told the Brazil Times. She also added it was Greg's brother, Zach's birthday, and this will always serve as a reminder of him. Kim told how Greg loved kids and worked at the YMCA Clay County Day Camp for a summer. Greg's father, Bill, told the Brazil Times:
"I always instilled in him, 'you're the example,'" Bill said. "He was tough as nails, but he loved kids."
Greg's true desire was to join the Marines. His father recalled how as a little boy, Greg, would play with action figures. By the time Greg was in high school, Marine recruiters already knew of Greg's ambition. At 17, Greg and a Marine talked with his parents about letting him sign up early, but the parents told him to wait.
Greg graduated high school and attended a community college for a while. College life did not suit him and soon he enlisted in the Marines. He excelled with the Marines and received several awards: Sea Service Deployment Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, National Defense Medal, Meritorious Mast, and Letter of Appreciation.
Semper Fi, Cpl. Gregory Stultz
DoD Announces Army Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died Feb. 21 in Qayyarah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when their OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter had a hard landing. The soldiers were assigned to the 1st Squadron, 230th Cavalry Regiment, Louisville, Tenn.
Killed were:
Capt. Marcus R. Alford, 28, of Knoxville, Tenn.
Chief Warrant Officer Billie J. Grinder, 25, of Gallatin, Tenn.
Photo from Lt. Col. Bill Woodcock to Knox News Sentinel. Capt. Alford with his South Doyle High School teacher Missy Ballenger.
Lt. Col. Bill Woodcock, an ROTC instructor at South Doyle High School, told the Knoxville News Sentinel:
"You never get used to it," said Lt. Col. Bill Woodcock, the school's senior ROTC instructor. "Any loss is a real loss, but Marcus was a special person. You couldn't ask for a better role model, and he was everything you'd want in a son."
Alford spent four years in high school ROTC, then continued ROTC at Carson-Newman College. He graduated Carson-Newman in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in computer information systems. He is remembered for his great sense of humor and kindness. He loved his country and was proud to serve in the military. Alford was due home in a couple of months and planned on attending the South Doyle High School's 10th reunion.
Captain Alford leaves behind two children: a son- Marcus, jr. and a daughter- Mya. Funeral arrangements are pending and will be in Knoxville, TN.
Deepest condolences to his family.
Photo from the Tennessean.
Only two weeks away from being home, Billie Grinder is now being mourned by friends and family. She was the first woman in the Tennessee National Guard killed in Iraq. The fearless, fun loving, Pilot is being remembered mostly for her beautiful smile and warm personality. Her longtime friend and schoolmate, Brandi Gibson , told the Tennessean:
“She had a truly genuine heart and her smile could instantly make you smile with her.”
Billie's sister, Melissa Smith, seconded it:
“She was also the sweetest, kindest person you could ever hope to meet.”
Grinder had been in Iraq since June, 2009. She was looking forward to helping Melissa with her sister's upcoming wedding.
Smith said she and her family were still in shock but said she was comforted knowing her father, an aviation mechanic with the Tennessee Army National Guard, was stationed with her sister at Camp Speicher in Iraq when the accident happened on Sunday.
Grinder's comes from a military family. The 25 year old woman enlisted in the Tennessee Army National Guard right after graduation from high school in 2002.
Major General Max Haston, Tennessee's Adjutant General made the following statement concerning Alford and Grinder:
"Words cannot express my extreme sorrow at the loss of these outstanding soldiers, and my heartfelt sympathy goes out to the families and friends of these valiant warriors,"
"Tennessee has lost two brave volunteers who truly believed in what they were doing
to ensure a free Iraq,”
I Got the News Today is a diary series intended to honor, respect and remind. Its title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one. 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.
All of the U.S. fatalities can be seen here and here. They all had loved ones, families and friends. The DoD news releases are here. I Got the News Today is intended to honor, respect and remind. Click the IGTNT tags below for previous diaries.
Click the IGTNT tags 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, CalNM, and me, Sandy on Signal.
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.
Comments are closed on this story.