The United States has lost four more men to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We gather tonight to mourn the loss of these soldiers and for the tragedy of the great losses the world has suffered due to war.
- Private First Class David Jefferson
- Sergeant Jordan E. Tuttle
- Specialist Clayton D. McGarrah
- Specialist Louis R. Fastuca
Private First Class David Jefferson
David Jefferson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He moved with his father around the country from base to base, and from coast to coast. He went back to Philadelphia as a teen to attend Lankenau High School and later got a G.E.D. He entered the Army in July 2008.
He was married to Darniece T. Melton-Jackson of West Philadelphia. With his background as a combat medic, he was considering medical school after his service.
Private First Class David Jefferson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). The division is based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky and Jefferson arrived at Fort Campbell in February 2009. An experienced combat medic, he was deployed to Afghanistan in May.
Private First Class David A. Jefferson was killed July 2th when his dismounted patrol encountered an improvised explosive device (IED) in Kandahar, Afghanistan. He was 23 years old.
From an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer:
The body of Army Pfc. David A. Jefferson arrived Sunday evening at Dover Air Force Base, where his father was waiting with another family of a fallen soldier.
"It's a very beautiful ceremony," said James M. Lyles, Jefferson's father. "I really believe everyone should see it. Things don't actually hit you until you actually see it."
Nearby, other families were waiting for the next plane landing later that night.
Jefferson's awards and decorations include: National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; and Weapons Qualification: M4, expert.
Jefferson is survived by his wife, Darniece T. Melton-Jefferson, his young son, Ian and father, James M. Lyles of Columbia, South Carolina. Jefferson's brother, William, served in the Air Force. His mother, Annette Jefferson, had died in February from lung cancer.
A memorial ceremony will be held in Afghanistan.
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Sergeant Jordan E. Tuttle
Jordan E. Tuttle was from West Monroe, Louisiana. He was a 2006 graduate of Ouachita Parish High School. As a student at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, he was majoring in entrepreneurship.
He was a member of the 156th Army Band in Bossier City, Louisiana, and was with the 1st Battalion, 141st Field Artillery Regiment, 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, part of the 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The team, known as "The Tiger Brigade" is based at New Orleans, Louisiana. The unit also is known as the "Washington Artillery".
Tuttle had recently arrived at Forward Operating Base Prosperity inside the heavily fortified US stronghold in Iraq known as the Green Zone.
Sergeant Jordan E. Tuttle died July 2nd at Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident. He was 22 years old.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Mulhearn Funeral Home of West Monroe. Nothing further is known at this time, because the incident is still under investigation and Tuttle's family is requesting privacy.
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Specialist Clayton D. McGarrah
Clayton D. McGarrah was a native of Harrison, a small town in northwest Arkansas. Before joining the service, McGarrah had taken college classes and did some roofing work with his father and brother.
McGarrah joined the Army in September 2009 and attended One Station Unit Training at Fort Benning, Georgia. Upon completing OSUT he attended Airborne School at Fort Benning. Specialist Clayton D. McGarrah reported to Fort Bragg in April where he was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Clayton had been dating his longtime sweetheart, Emily, since he was in the ninth grade. On May 7th, they were married. According to the Fayette Observer News site:
"He was definitely about his family," said Elizabeth Hansen, the eldest of four McGarrah children. "He had a big heart. Anybody that knew him loved him. He was all about his wife. He wanted to spend the rest of his life being a family man with her after being in the Army."
Specialist McGarrah joined his unit in Afghanistan in June. He was on patrol in the Arghandab River Valley of Afghanistan on July 4th. Insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device and rocket-propelled grenade fire. McGarrah was killed in the attack. He was 20 years old.
These are quotes from Specialist McGarrah's commander at WRAL News site:
"Clayton D. McGarrah was a bright young man with a promising future in the Army," said Capt. David Christmas, McGarrah's commander. "He had not been with us more than a week, but was already stepping up as a rifleman to the demanding task in a harsh combat environment."
"McGarrah will be truly missed by the Soldiers of Charlie Company," Christmas said.
McGarrah's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terror Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal and the Parachutist's badge.
He is survived by his wife, Emily McGarrah, and his parents Michele and Orville "Bo" McGarrah; siblings Elizabeth Hansen, and James and Emilie McGarrah.
A memorial in his honor will be held in Afghanistan.
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Specialist Louis R. Fastuca
Louis R. Fastuca was from West Chester, Pennsylvania. In 2004, he graduated from Malvern Preparatory School in Pennsylvania. After high school, he attended Temple University for a year and then did construction work.
The Delaware County Daily Times quotes a classmate:
"He was so talented on so many levels," Shaw said. "I don't think he realized his abilities, but the Army helped him realize what he had. He was the type of person you wanted to be around because he was a good man."
Shaw said that he and Fastuca ate lunch together every day at Malvern Prep and served together in the school's liturgical music group.
Shaw said that Fastuca was engaged to Ashley Wilcox.
"Lou made Ashley's eyes smile," Shaw said. "When she would talk about him while he was away, she would perk up and her eyes would smile. He made her happy, and she made him happy."
Fastuca joined the Army in 2006 and was assigned to 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Camp Ederle, Italy.
Fastuca went to Afghanistan with his unit in mid-December. He went home to Pennsylvania on a two-week leave in May. He left to go back to his base in Italy on June 4th. His family was unaware he'd gone to Afghanistan until they were given news of his death.
Specialist Louis R. Fastuca was on a patrol in Abdulhamid Kalev, Afghanistan on July 5th. He died when an insurgent’s improvised explosive device (IED) exploded. He was 24 years old.
Fastuca's awards and decorations include: National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; and Weapons Qualification and Weapons Qualification.
Funeral arrangements for Specialist Louis R. Fastuca have not been announced. He is survived by his parents, Robert and Monette Fastuca, and his two younger brothers, Joseph, 14, and Anthony, 13.
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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 US Troop Care Package 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. 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. The new KINship Project has also been of help to our veterans and other Kossacks In Need.
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 US troops. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by Sandy on Signal, monkeybiz, noweasels, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, SpamNunn, a girl in MI, JeNoCo, Mediaprof, TrueBlueMajority, JanosNation, Proud Mom and Grandma, Ministry of Truth, CalNM, 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
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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.