Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality. ~Emily Dickinson
I Got the News Today (IGTNT) is a diary series intended to honor service members who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one.
The beautiful forget-me-nots were created by llbear.
Since 2003 there have been 4486 US casualties in Iraq and since 2001 there have been 2061 US casualties in Afghanistan. Source.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael J. Brodsky, 33, of Tamarac, Fla., died July 21 in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, from injuries related to a dismounted improvised explosive device blast. He was assigned to Navy Region Southwest Security Detachment, San Diego.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael J. Brodsky, 33, died from the injuries caused by a blast from a dismounted improvised explosive device in Kandahar Province, the Department of Defense announced Tuesday.
Family members said he had lost both legs and was struggling to stay alive.
"He died a true hero," said his grandfather, Stanley Brodsky, of Pembroke Pines.
Brodsky's parents, Steven and Debra, and his brother Corey were in Germany when the sailor died. The grandfather said the parents were asking for privacy.
According to family and friends, Brodsky was on patrol in an undisclosed area when his unit came under fire on July 7. Brodsky reportedly rushed to a nearby truck to shelter his K9 partner, Jackson.
As he returned to the fire fight, Brodsky stepped on a mine, his grandfather said.
"I can picture him doing this. Going back to fight is something he would definitely do," Stanley Brodsky said.
Brodsky served as a military dog handler.
Funeral services are pending.
Source
Facebook memorial page for Michael Brodsky.
The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
They died July 22 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from an enemy improvised explosive device. They were assigned to the 508th Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Killed were:
Pfc. Julian L. Colvin, 21, of Birmingham, Ala.,
Staff Sgt. Richard L. Berry, 27, of Scottsdale, Ariz.
Pfc Julian L. Colvin was a young, energetic Paratrooper and engineer," said Lt. Col. Peter Levola, commander of the 508th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, in a press release. "He is a shining example of the inspiration and promise of our young, remarkable Paratroopers -- a selfless hero who willingly took on one of the most difficult jobs in the Brigade by leading patrols with a mine detector."
Colvin's awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the
Overseas Ribbon, the Combat Action Badge and the Basic Parachutist Badge.
Source
This was the third deployment for Staff Sgt. Richard L. Berry, who joined the army in February 2006. He previously deployed to Afghanistan in August 2009 and Iraq in September 2006.
His awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart with one oak leaf cluster and the Army Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters, among others.
Lt. Col. Peter S. Levola, commander of the 508th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, remembered Berry as a talented paratrooper, combat engineer and husband, and commended his strength to overcome an injury from a previous deployment.
"He is an unforgettable hero," Levola said in a statement.
Berry leaves behind a wife.
Source
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. Eric E. Williams, 27, of Murrieta, Calif., died July 23, in Pul-E Alam, Afghanistan.
Williams was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Williams, a paratrooper and special forces operative was deployed with the 3rd Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division based out of Fort Bragg, N.C.
A flight medic for the Army, Williams kept up a blog that he started in 2008. According to his last blog post dated July 17, he was to be heading home soon.
"This deployment is coming to an end, in a few days we will be on a plane back to the United States to rejoin our family and friends and to try to readjust to a certain semblance of what we think life should be," Williams wrote. "...cannot begin to describe the things we’ve seen, felt, or heard. We have lost brothers and colleagues..."
According to a close friend, Williams was married to his wife, Wendi.
Source
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If you would like to contribute to the series, even once a month, please contact Sandy on Signal or noweasels.
To see what these tributes mean to those who have lost a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan, please read Sandy on Signal’s story about meeting the father of a soldier at NN10.
The IGTNT logo was created by Timroff.
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.