I Got The News Today (IGTNT) is one of the oldest continuous series on Daily Kos. It is a way for our community to pay respect to those who have died as a result of war.
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We gather again to join with our neighbors in California in mourning for another native son lost to war. His hometown of Merced is filled with sadness for the loss of
Army Specialist Terry J. Hurne.
Army Specialist Terry J. Hurne
As a young man, Terry Hurne was involved in the culinary club, Sierra Nevada club and choir at his school in Merced County in California. He graduated in 1998 from Atwater High School.
Terry and his wife, Natalie, were married at Saint Anthony’s Catholic Church in Atwater, California. Hurne joined the Army in July 2009. He was assigned to the 710th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, which is based at Fort Drum in New York.
Army Specialist Hurne was scheduled to return home on July 4th, when he would have completed his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. He was tasked with assisting to clean out and tear down barracks in the Logar province. Cheryl Hurne, one of Terry's sisters, was quoted by a local news station as saying:
He worked on vehicles and air conditioning units.
He was good at carpentry, too, and even helped build barracks.
Fellow soldiers had singled him out just two weeks ago as the “epitome of a swiss army knife.”
Even with the tough skillset, “He was the sweetest, kindest person that you could ever meet. He never had a bad word to say about anybody. He was always smiling, ready to have fun.”
On June 9th, the 34-year-old died in the Logar province of Afghanistan. It was reported by the DOD as due to a "non-combat related incident," and details have not been released.
After hearing of Hurne's death, many gathered at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Atwater for remembrances and prayers. It was the same church where Hurne married his wife eight years ago.
In a story in his hometown newspaper, the
Merced Sun-Star, Terry's father, Norman Hurne, is quoted:
Hurne said his son was stationed at Fort Drum in New York with his wife, who had recently bought him a new car to drive back to their home in Merced County.
“It was going to be a present for him; he didn’t even know about it,” he said. “They were going to come back (to Merced) the weekend of July 4.”
Though he hadn’t seen his son in nine months, Hurne said he spoke to him on the telephone last month. On Tuesday, Hurne said he had received a flood of calls from people in the community, remembering his son and sharing heartfelt condolences.
The flag at Atwater High was flown at half-staff last week in memory of Hurne. There was a ceremony at Hurne's base in New York. A funeral service is also planned in Merced, California.
Specialist Hurne's awards and decorations include two Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, two Afghanistan Campaign Medals, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, and the Driver and Mechanic Badge with Mechanic.
Army Specialist Terry J. Hurne is survived by his wife, and also leaves behind his father, brother and two sisters.
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About the IGTNT series:
”I Got the News Today” is a diary series intended to honor, respect, and remember the fallen, and to remind us that each casualty has family and friends who received the terrible news that their loved one has died. US service members whose names have been released by the US Department of Defense will usually be diarized 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. Click the IGTNT tag below to see previous diaries in the series, which was begun by i dunno, and is maintained by i dunno, Sandy on Signal, Monkeybiz, Noweasels, Blue Jersey Mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, SisTwo, Spam Nunn, True Blue Majority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, maggiejean, Jax Dem, The Fat Lady Sings, Ekaterin, & Joy of Fishes. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but show our community’s respect for those who have died.
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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.