Once again bereaved families have gotten the horrifying news that their sons, boyfriends, brothers, and husbands will not be returning home from war. Tonight we learn the stories a marine and two soldiers killed in Afghanistan. Three men who gave everything; gone too young, too soon.
Sgt. David J. Smith, 25, of Frederick, MD
Capt. Daniel Whitten, 28, of Grimes, Iowa
Pfc. Zachary G. Lovejoy, 20, of Albuquerque, NM
Since the wars started, there have been 984 US service members killed in Afghanistan, and 4375 killed in Iraq.
Please take a moment below to remember them and reflect upon their sacrifice.
*Special Thanks to Sandy on Signal who wrote the following tribute to Sgt. David Smith*
DoD Announces Marine Casualty.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. David J. Smith, 25, of Frederick, Md., died Jan. 26 from wounds received Jan. 23 while supporting combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Teachers, coaches and friends recall Sgt. Smith as a kind, respectful, and courageous young student. He was proud to protect and serve our country. His former soccer coach told the local television station WUSA-9 News:
"His attitude and his effort and his heart is really what won respect of his teammates," said Bodnar, Smith's former soccer coach.
"He was just somebody who was real proud to be a part of the Marine Corps. He was excited. He was the kind of kid who wanted to do the right thing. He wanted to make a difference," said John Bodnar, Frederick High School.
Sgt. Smith was on his fifth tour of duty with the Marines. He fought in some of the worst battles during the Iraq war, including Fallujah. He also served tours in Haiti and Lebanon.
Sgt. Smith was mortally injured by a suicide bomber on January 26 in the Helmand Province. Two other service men were killed in the attack. Smith was put on life support and flown to Landstuhl, Germany where his parents flew from Maryland to be with him. Smith's organs were donated, as per his wishes; thus, he saved more lives even after he left this world.
Family photos of Sgt. David Smith are available at the Frederick Post slideshow.
Semper fi, Sgt. David Smith. He will be missed. REST IN PEACE
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The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Capt. Daniel Whitten, 28, of Grimes, Iowa, and
Pfc. Zachary G. Lovejoy, 20, of Albuquerque, N.M.
They died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device Feb. 2 in Zabul province, Afghanistan. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
"Capt. Whitten and Pfc. Lovejoy were beloved members of the task force," said Lt. Col. David I. Oclander, commander of the 1-508th PIR. "They lived their lives to the fullest extent possible in everything they did. Their lives inspired us and their memories will drive us to honor them."
"Dan and Zachary will be missed by all of C Company," said 1st Lt. Scott Haran, a platoon leader in Company C. "We will all dedicate ourselves fully to their memory and to their legacy."(source)
Capt. Daniel Whitten was a 1999 graduate of Johnston High School and a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, following his father. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Infantry in May 2004, and went through ranger school and airborne training to be a paratrooper. In March 2005 he was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment and served four months in Iraq. In January 2007, Whitten deployed for 15 months in Afghanistan.
Last August, Whitten became the commander of Company C, 1-508th PIR, and deployed for his third time. He was considered a terrific mentor and leader to his troops. In high scool, Whitten played football and worked on the student newspaper.
"He always stood by his values, and was true to his family and himself," Jerry Stratton, associate principal at Johnston High School, said. "He was the kind of young man who you hoped your own kids would grow up to represent." (source)
Capt. Whitten was on his third deployment in the four years he had been married to wife, Starr. His sister is also an Army Captain currently deployed. Whitten's family and friends created a tribute on facebook, where there are many touching photos of Capt. Whitten.
Capt. Whitten's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Commendation Medal with two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Air Assault Badge, the Senior Parachutist's Badge, and the Ranger Tab.
(source)
Capt. Daniel Whitten is survived by his wife, sister, and his parents. He will be missed. REST IN PEACE
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Pfc. Zachary G. Lovejoy graduated from Albuquerque's La Cueva High School in 2008, where he wrestled, and played football and ran track during his freshman and sophomore years. According to friends, Lovejoy was motivated and wanted to do something with his life.
Lovejoy participated in Junior ROTC in high school, and enlisted in the Army right after graduating, fulfilling his dream of becoming an infantryman. He attended airborne training, reported to Fort Bragg and was assigned to 1-508th PIR where he served as an assistant machine gunner.
Pfc. Lovejoy deployed in August 2009 with the unit for a year-long deployment in Afghanistan. This was Lovejoy's first deployment. He had recently gotten engaged and planned to marry soon, proclaiming on his facebook page, "I'm the luckiest man in the world!"
"There's no greater individual than that person that's willing to sacrifice their life for our nation. Zach is just a great individual and we're truly going to miss him," said his ROTC instructor First Sgt. Alberto Griego.
(source)
Lovejoy took this, his favorite picture, after completing his first parachute jump. Zachary Lovejoy's friends remember him on this video.
PFC. Lovejoy's awards and decorations include the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Basic Parachutist's Badge.
Pfc. Zachary Lovejoy is survived by his fiancee, parents, and his sister. He will be missed. REST IN PEACE
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(photo by CalNM; Thanks to Timroff for our IGTNT logo.)
Helping our troops: If you wish to assist our military and their families, consider Operation Helmet, or Fisher House. Sponsoring a deployed service member at TroopCarePackage.com can provide letters or care packages that make a real difference in a military person's life. To assist the animal companions of our deployed military, information is available here.
When our veterans come back home, they need jobs. Look at the programs of Veterans Green Jobs and Welcome Back Veterans. Encourage a Vet, and see if you can help out.
About the IGTNT series: I Got the News Today is 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. All of the U.S. casualties can be seen here. The DoD news releases are found here. Published photos of the returning fatalities are found on the Dover AFB page. 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. Since 2001, there have been 984 American troops killed in Afghanistan. Since 2003, there have been over 4375 American troops killed in Iraq. They all had loved ones, families and friends.
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, 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 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.