2009
Chief Warrant Officer Philip E. Windorski, Jr.
Hometown: Bovey, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 35 years old
Died: January 26, 2009 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort
Drum, N.Y.
Incident: Died from wounds suffered when two OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters crashed in Kirkuk, Iraq.
As a father, Philip E. Windorski Jr. spent time with his children and helped coach football and
baseball. His wife said that he was famous for his home-brewed beer and it was his hope to open a
microbrewery after retiring from the military. "My husband was proud to be in the military, but he
loved being an aviator," Karin Windorski said. "But once he was out of that uniform, he was all about
his family. He loved us and he was a devoted husband and my best friend." Windorski, 35, of Bovey,
Minn., was killed Jan. 26 when two OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters crashed in Kirkuk. He was a
1991 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Drum. He was on his third tour of duty in Iraq
and had also deployed to Bosnia for five months following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. His
mother, Ruth Windorski, said that being in the Army "was all he ever he wanted to do, and he died
doing what he truly loved." He married his wife, a fellow soldier stationed at Fort Hood, on July 4,
1998. He also is survived by his two children, Austin, 9, and Emmalyn, 6; and stepdaughter, Miranda,
14.
Grand Rapids soldier killed in Iraq laid to rest
Posted: Monday, February 9, 2009 12:00 am | Updated: 5:10 pm, Wed Nov 25, 2009.
By Lisa Rosemore
Grand Rapids Herald-Review
After offering up the ultimate sacrifice of his life for his country, a funeral for a Grand Rapids native was held at Zion Lutheran
Church in Grand Rapids Saturday afternoon.
Chief Warrant Officer Philip E. Windorski, Jr., 35, was killed near Kirkuk, Iraq on Jan. 26 when the helicopter he was in collided with
another. He was one of four soldiers killed in the crash.
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Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Philip E. Windorski
Died January 26, 2009 serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom
35, of Bovey, Minn.; assigned to the 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade,
10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Jan. 26 in Kirkuk, Iraq, from wounds sustained when two OH58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters crashed. Also killed were Chief Warrant Officer 2 Matthew G. Kelley, Chief
Warrant Officer 2 Joshua M. Tillery and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Benjamin H. Todd.
Soldier was close to retirement
The Associated Press
GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. — A Minnesota woman says her son was among four Americans killed when two
U.S. helicopters crashed in northern Iraq.
Ruth Windorski of Grand Rapids says she learned Monday that her 36-year-old son, Philip Windorski Jr.,
was among those killed in the single deadliest incident for U.S. troops in four months.
Philip Windorski grew up in Grand Rapids, in northern Minnesota, and was recently stationed out of Fort
Drum, N.Y.
His mother says Windorski was a couple of years away from retirement, but planned to re-up. She says he
was on his third tour of Iraq. He leaves behind a wife and three children.
His mother says Windorski “was a great pilot, and he loved the Army more than anything.”
A U.S. military statement says the crash did not appear to be a result of hostile fire.
His death brings to 75 the number of people with strong Minnesota ties who have died in connection with
the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Army Chief Warrant Officer Philip E. Windorski Jr. remembered
Birth:
Aug. 16, 1973
Hennepin County
Minnesota, USA
Death:
Jan. 26, 2009, Iraq
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Philip E. Windorski, 35, of Bovey, Minn.; assigned to the 6th Squadron, 6th
Cavalry Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Jan.
26 in Kirkuk, Iraq, from wounds sustained when two OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters crashed. Also
killed were Chief Warrant Officer 2 Matthew G. Kelley, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua M. Tillery and
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Benjamin H. Todd.
Family links:
Parents:
Philip Eugene Windorski (1946 - 2008)
Burial:
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington
Arlington County
Virginia, USA
Plot: Sec 60 Site 9065
Created by: Bernadette
Record added: Jan 26, 2009
Find A Grave Memorial# 33292636
Philip E Windorski Jr
Bovey, Minnesota
January 26, 2009
Age Military
35
Army
Rank
CWO
Unit/Location
6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 10th
Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain
Division
Fort Drum, New York
Died from wounds suffered when two OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters
crashed Jan. 26 in Kirkuk, Iraq.
From Watertown Daily Times watertowndailytimes.com 01/30/09:
Army names all four pilots killed in copter crash
By SARAH M. RIVETTE
TIMES STAFF WRITER
FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009
The Army has identified the four soldiers who died in a helicopter crash in
northern Iraq on Monday as 10th Mountain Division helicopter pilots.
All four pilots are being awarded the Bronze Star posthumously for acts of
valor in combat.
The families of Chief Warrant Officer Philip E. Windorski Jr. and Chief
Warrant Officer Matthew G. Kelley came forward to the news media earlier
this week. The Army identified the other two pilots Thursday as Chief
Warrant Officer Joshua M. Tillery, 31, from Beaverton, Ore., and Chief
Warrant Officer Benjamin H. Todd, 29, from Colville, Wash.
All four pilots were with the 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 10th
Combat Aviation Brigade. They flew OH-58D Kiowa Warriors, two-seat,
armed reconnaissance helicopters. They deployed in October with the 10th
Combat Aviation Brigade.
The crash happened at 2:15 a.m. Baghdad time Monday about 20 miles south
of Kirkuk, Iraq. An investigation into the cause is ongoing, but military
officials have discounted the possibility of an enemy attack.
Chief Warrant Officer Tillery joined the Army in 1995 and became a
helicopter pilot in 2003. He came to Fort Drum in 2004 to fly the Kiowa
Warriors and deployed with the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade to Iraq for 11
months in 2005 and 2006. Among his awards are two Army Commendation
Medals, six Army Achievement Medals, the Air Medal, the Air Assault
Badge and the Army Aviator Badge. He is survived by his wife and three
children.
Chief Warrant Officer Todd joined the Army in 2000 and became a pilot in
2005. He arrived at Fort Drum in 2007. This was his first deployment to Iraq
and he had not been deployed to Afghanistan. His awards include the
National Defense Service Medal, the Parachutist Badge and the Expert
Infantry Badge. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Chief Warrant Officer Windorski, known as “Ski,” joined the Army in 1991
and became a Kiowa Warrior pilot in 1999. He deployed for an extended 16month tour to Iraq from 2003 to 2004 and was assigned to Fort Drum in 2007.
He also deployed to Bosnia for five months following the terrorist attacks of
Sept. 11, 2001. His awards include two Air Medals, five Army
Commendation Medals, two Presidential Unit Citations and the Senior Army
Aviator Badge.
He is survived by his wife, Karin. J., and three children, Miranda, 14, Austin,
9 and Emmalyn, 6, who live in the area.
“My husband was proud to be in the military, but he loved being an aviator,”
Mrs. Windorski said Thursday. “But once he was out of that uniform, he was
all about his family. He loved us and he was a devoted husband and my best
friend.”
As a father, he spent time with his children and helped coach football and
baseball. His wife said that he was famous for his home-brewed beer and it
was his hope to open a microbrewery after retiring from the military.
His mother, Ruth Windorski, said that being in the Army “was all he ever he
wanted to do, and he died doing what he truly loved.”
Chief Warrant Officer Kelley joined the Army in March 2003 and became a
pilot in 2005. He came to Fort Drum in 2007 to fly the Kiowa Warrior. He
had one previous deployment to Iraq from 2003 to 2004. His awards include
the Global War on Terror Service Medal, the Army Service Medal and the
Parachutist Badge. He is survived by his wife, DaLana and two children,
Megan, 6, and Tyler, 4.
His father, retired Col. Stephen H. Kelley, said that his son was born to be a
helicopter pilot and all he wanted to do was fly. He made the decision not to
go to college, which would have made him a commissioned officer, and
instead trained as a warrant officer so he could get more flight time, his father
said.
“I think he really found his niche, and it was the right place for him to be,”
Mr. Kelley said. “He was doing what he wanted to do, and when he died he
died doing what he loved. He was protecting our freedoms and fulfilling a
lifelong dream.”
The four pilots are the first 10th Mountain Division soldiers to die in Iraq
since Sept. 2, when Pfc. Patrick W. May, 22, died of non-combat-related
injuries.
The crash is the largest loss of American life in Iraq since a helicopter crash
in September that killed seven soldiers. That crash was not caused by enemy
activity.
ChiefChief Warrant Officer 3 Philip E. “Ski” Windorski Jr., 35, most recently of Watertown, NY., died
Monday, Jan. 26, 2009. He was serving his country in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, when the
helicopter he was piloting was involved in an accident just outside of Kirkuk, Iraq. He was assigned to 6th
Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division based out of Fort
Drum, NY.
He will be escorted home by his best friend and fellow Army Aviator, CW3 Christopher Ashe. The full
military honors funeral will be held at 1 p.m., on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009, at Zion Lutheran Church at 2901
South Highway 169, Grand Rapids. Visitation at Rowe Funeral Home will be provided from 4-7 p.m. on the
preceding day, Friday, Feb. 6.
Warrant Officer 3 Philip E. “Ski” Windorski Jr
http://www.philwindorski.com/index-2.html
CW3 Philip “Ski” Windorski, Jr.
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Philip E. Windorski, Jr., 35, most recently of Watertown, NY, died Monday,
January 26, 2009. He was serving his country in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, when the helicopter
he was piloting was involved in an accident just outside of Kirkuk, Iraq. He was assigned to 6th Squadron,
6th Cavalry Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division based out of Fort Drum, NY.
Born on August 16, 1973, in Minneapolis, MN to Philip Windorski, Sr. and Ruth (Seavey) Windorski. He
was the first of their three children, all sons. He attended Grand Rapids High School, graduating with
Honors in 1991. Immediately after graduation, he enlisted in the United States Army.
He met and married Karin (Clark), a fellow soldier stationed at Fort Hood, TX, on July 4, 1998. Phil and
Karin have two children, Austin (9) and Emmalyn (6). Phil was also a devoted step-father to Karin’s oldest
daughter, Miranda (14).
During high school, Phil was an employee of Forest Lake Restaurant in Grand Rapids, MN. After enlisting
in the U.S. Army, Phil was an OH-58 A/C crewchief assigned to 1-227th AVN in Fort Hood, TX. In 1998, he
was selected for entry to the Warrant Officer Corps as a Rotary Wing Aviator. He completed his aviation
training as a Honor Graduate at Fort Rucker, AL in 1999. His next assignment, at Fort Polk, LA, was his
first as an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior pilot. He was deployed to Bosnia from 2001-2002 and then to Baghdad,
Iraq from 2003-2004 with 4/2 ACR. Following his return from Iraq, Phil was selected to become an
Instructor Pilot for the U.S. Army. He was instrumental in teaching and mentoring the next generation of
OH-58D Kiowa Warrior pilots at Fort Rucker, AL. Following his teaching assignment, he moved on to 6/6
CAV, Fort Drum, NY, where he was assigned as the Standardization Pilot and was the senior aviator for
Bravo Troop.
He was an avid history buff with a passion for the Early American and Civil War eras, as well as Roman
history. He also loved his involvement with his local little league and recreation department football teams.
He had a thirst for life, and good beer, which led him to study and master the art of homebrewing. In his
own opinion, he was a great golfer and sharpshooting hunter as well. His passion was flying helicopters,
but his true joy was found in time spent with his wife and children.
CW3 Windorski’s awards and achievements include 2 Air Medals, 5 Army Commendation Medals, 5 Army
Achievement Medals, 2 Presidential Unit Citations, 2 Army Good Conduct Medals, National Defense
Service Medal w/ Bronze Service Star, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terror
Expeditionary Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal with bronze service star, the Global War on Terrorism
Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service
Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Senior Army Aviator Badge, Overseas Service Ribbon, Combat Action Badge
and posthumously, the Bronze Star Medal.
Surviving besides his wife, Karin, are his children, a son, Austin; a daughter, Emmalyn; a step-daughter,
Miranda; his mother, Ruth of Grand Rapids, MN; two brothers and a sister-in-law, Bruce of Shawano, WI
and Scott and Patty (Dowling) of Grand Rapids, MN. He was also uncle to Bruce’s children, Kyra and
Logan, and Scott’s son, Owen. He is also survived by numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. He also leaves
behind his beloved dog, Maximus Moose.
He was preceded in death by his father, Philip Windorski, Sr., a United States Navy veteran, and his
grandparents William Windorski, Muriel (Cartie) Windorski, Joseph Seavey, Ethel (Anderson) Thompson,
and his step-grandmother Marilyn Seavey.
He will be escorted home by his best friend and fellow Army Aviator, CW3 Christopher Ashe. The full
military honors funeral will be held at 1:00 p.m., on Saturday, February 7th, 2009, at Zion Lutheran Church
at 2901 South Highway 169, Grand Rapids. Visitation at Rowe Funeral Home will be provided from 4-7
p.m. on the preceding day, Friday, February 6th.
Services also provided by Rowe Funeral Home & Crematory, 510 NW First Avenue, Grand Rapids, MN.
Please contact for more information. 218-326-6505 or 1-800-557-5502
Donations may be made to the Philip Windorski, Jr. Memorial Fund, c/o First National Bank of
Deerwood, 516 S. Pokegama Ave., Grand Rapids, MN 55744. (218) 327-4833.
Philip E Windorski, Jr.
Chief Warrant Officer, United States Army
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release
IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 066-09
January 29, 2009
DoD Identifies Army Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the death of four soldiers who were supporting
Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died from wounds suffered when two OH-58D Kiowa Warrior
helicopters crashed January 26, 2009, in Kirkuk, Iraq. They were assigned to the 6th Squadron, 6th
Cavalry Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York.
Killed were:
Chief Warrant Officer Philip E. Windorski, Jr., 35, of Bovey, Minnesota
Chief Warrant Officer Matthew G. Kelley, 30, of Cameron, Missouri
Chief Warrant Officer Joshua M. Tillery, 31, of Beaverton, Oregon
Chief Warrant Officer Benjamin H. Todd, 29, of Colville, Washington
The incident is under investigation.
For further information contact the Fort Drum public affairs office at (315) 772-8286.
26 January 2009:
A Minnesota woman says her son was among four Americans killed when two U.S. helicopters
crashed in northern Iraq.
Ruth Windorski of Grand Rapids says she learned Monday that her 36-year-old son, Philip Windorski
Jr., was among those killed in the single deadliest incident for U.S. troops in four months.
Philip Windorski grew up in Grand Rapids, in northern Minnesota, and was recently stationed out of
Fort Drum, New York.
His mother says Windorski was a couple of years away from retirement, but planned to re-up. She
says he was on his third tour of Iraq. He leaves behind a wife and three children.
His mother says Windorski "was a great pilot, and he loved the Army more than anything."
A U.S. military statement says the crash did not appear to be a result of hostile fire.
Crash that killed Grand Rapids soldier caused by enemy fire
By Lisa Rosemore
Courtesy of The Grand Rapids Herald-Review
Saturday, March 7, 2009
The helicopter crash which killed Grand Rapids native Chief Warrant Officer Philip Windorski near
Kirkuk, Iraq in late January was found to be a result of enemy fire, according to an Army
investigation.
“ The two OH-58D helicopters were engaged and struck by hostile fire while conducting a
reconnaissance mission,” said Julie Cupernall, deputy public affairs officer for Fort Drum, New
York, via a phone interview.
Two Kiowa Warrior helicopters collided with each other on January 26, 2009, killing Windorski along
with three other soldiers. Both helicopters were also destroyed. Initial reports from the Army said the
crash was not caused by enemy fire. Cupernall said this information was not issued to mislead, that
preliminary investigation did not show enemy fire was involved. She said the U.S. Army Aircraft
Shootdown Assessment Team performed the investigation.
Cupernall added that the families of the soldiers were notified before the new information was
released to the public. Also killed in the crash were Joshua Tillery, 31, of Beaverton, Oregon; Matthew
Kelley, 30, of Cameron, Missouri.; and Benjamin Todd, 29, of Colville, Washington. All four were
warrant officers in the 10th Mountain Division's 10th Combat Aviation Brigade.
Karin Windorski, Philip’ s wife, said the news was a relief for her family.
“ We knew, without any doubt, how well-trained and highly professional my husband and Chief
Warrant Officer Twos Tillery, Kelley and Todd were,” she said. “ Having the status changed from
accident to hostile fire - combat related was, in a way, a relief for us. We know that because of their
training, had they been able to change the outcome of that night, they would have done so.”
Karin Windorski said that her husband was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star from the Army,
and on Friday she was notified he was being posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and a third Air
Medal.
She said that he loved Grand Rapids and had planned on moving back after he retired from the Army.
Because he loved the community so much, the family plans on giving back through a memorial fund
which was set up after his death. The family is looking at a possible scholarship fund and ways to give
back to area youth sports.
“ He loved to coach,” said Karin. “ He coached both peewee football and Little League baseball for
several years.”
"As a representative of Grand Rapids, my husband was willing to lay his life down for his country if it
was asked of him,” she added. “ That willingness is what made him a hero to myself, his children and
his family.”
Windorski joined the Army after he graduated from Grand Rapids High School with honors in 1991.
At the time of his death, he was on his second tour of duty in Iraq.
Donations to the fund may be made to the Philip Windorski, Jr. Memorial Fund, c/o First National
Bank of Deerwood, 516 S. Pokegama Ave., Grand Rapids, MN 55744.
An emotional tribute, to the ultimate sacrifice made by a Grand Rapids soldier.
It was full military honors for Chief Warrant Officer Philip Windorski Jr.
The 35-year-old helicopter pilot died in Iraq two weeks ago.
His casket was marched into the Zion Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids, past dozens of flags flowing
in the wind. Members of the Patriot Guard turned out in force.
Then it was time for a special military roll call. Several comrades' names were read first. They
responded with "Here, sir." Then Windorski's name was called. One of the soldiers then said, "Sir,
he's no longer with us, he's gone ahead of us."
Reverend Lynn Ronsberg gave the 200+crowd a comforting sermon, emphasizing that Windorski will
remain alive with memories and stories.
His commitment to his family and the service, was front and center. He leaves behind a wife, Karin,
and three children.
"His wife Karin told me that he said he serves because hopefully my son won't have to," Ronsberg
said.
A musical group played the popular country song "American Soldier," which moved some of the
mourners to tears.
Then, the ceremony moved outside, for the traditional 21-gun salute, taps, and then the flag folding.
And finally, a special military honor for Windorski. Two helicopters made a fly-over.
Windorski's ashes will return with his wife and children to New York.
Chief Warrant Office Windorski will be laid to rest with full military honors on 18 March 2010.
NOTE: See United States Army Air Crew: 29 January 2009
Webmaster: Michael Robert Patterson
Posted: 30 October 2009 Updated: 18 March 2010
Spc. Chester W. Hosford
Hometown: Hastings, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 35 years old
Died: July 6, 2009 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit: Army, 2nd Battalion, 106th Cavalry Regiment, Dixon, Ill.
Incident: Killed when makeshift bomb detonated near his vehicle.
Ottawa soldier dies in Afghanistan
07/08/2009, 4:08 pm
A man last listed as an Ottawa resident was killed in action Monday in
Afghanistan.
Spc. Chester Hosford, 35, deployed with Troop B, 2nd Battalion, 106th Cavalry
based in Dixon, and 1st Lt. Derwin Williams, 41, of Glenwood, were killed when
their vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device near Konduz,
Afghanistan.
Hosford enlisted with the U.S. Marine Corps in 1993 and joined the Minnesota
Army National Guard as a cavalry scout in June 2006. He transferred to the
Illinois Army National Guard in April 2008 as part of the Illinois Training Site
Detachment in Marseilles.
He lived in Ottawa just a few months before being deployed to Afghanistan in
August 2008 as part of the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team to provide police
mentor teams to train and mentor the Afghan National Police. It was one of the
approximate 30 units with the 33rd IBCT and two units from the 404th Chemical
Brigade that deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to form Task
Force Phoenix VIII.
Hosford graduated from Sage Creek High School in Peyton, Colo., in 1993. He was
single. This was his first deployment.
Williams graduated from Morgan Park High School, in Chicago, in 1986. He
enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard in July 1993. This was his second
deployment. His first deployment was in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from
January 2004 to March 2005 with the 3625th Maintenance Company based in
North Riverside. Williams deployed with the Dixon unit but was assigned to
Company A, 33rd Brigade Support Troop Battalion in Marseilles. He was married
with two stepdaughters, ages 18 and 22; two daughters, ages 9 and 19; and one
son, age 8.
"It is with a heavy heart that we have to say farewell to two more fallen heroes of
the Illinois Army National Guard," said Maj. Gen. William Enyart, Adjutant General
of the Illinois National Guard, in a press release. "The deployment of the 33rd
Infantry Brigade Combat Team has been tough on all of us, especially on the
families of these heroes. As we get through this difficult time, we have to
remember the honor and bravery of 1st Lt. Williams and Spc. Hosford. I am
saddened by this loss, yet so proud of the soldiers they were and the service they
provided to this country."
Williams and Hosford are the 15th and 16th casualties from the Illinois Army
National Guard"s 33rd IBCT since their deployment to Afghanistan and are the
31st and 32nd casualties the Illinois National Guard has suffered since operations
in Afghanistan and Iraq began.
No information on funeral arrangements has been determined at this time.
Hastings soldier's body returned to U.S.
by Jessica Mador, Minnesota Public Radio July 9, 2009
St. Paul, Minn. — The body of Spc. Chester Hosford, a National Guard soldier who used to live in Hastings,
Minnesota, has been returned to the United States. Hosford was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.
Hosford -- whose friends called him Wayne -- was one of two soldiers killed in Northeastern Afghanistan
Monday, when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device.
Hosford was 35 years old.
First Lt. Derwin Williams, 41, of Glenwood, Illinois, was also killed in the blast.
Both men were part of the Dixon, Illinois-based 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, which was in
Afghanistan to train Afghan police.
Their unit has suffered more than a dozen casualties on this deployment, part of a stepped-up offensive
against the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The unit was due to come home soon.
Hosford was a career military man. He served in the Marine Corps before joining the Minnesota National
Guard in 2006, and then transferring to the Illinois National guard last year.
"He loved it," said longtime friend Brendee Roberts. Roberts said Hosford was excited about going to
Afghanistan.
"He was the kind of guy that he loved to travel and loved to meet new people and loved to see all kinds of
different stuff," she said. "He was just excited about his job and what he did."
During his deployment, Roberts said they kept in touch over the Internet and last spoke a few months ago.
Roberts was concerned and asked him to promise to return safely, but he refused, given his devotion to his
dangerous job.
Roberts said that Hosford told her he would never make any promises that he was going to come home.
She said he felt it was his duty to serve overseas. She said he was very patriotic and dedicated to his country,
his family and his fellow soldiers.
"He was a great guy," she said. "He never promised to come back; I didn't think he would. I honestly thought
that that was where he was going to stay, because he was the type of guy that when he was sent to do
something, honestly, he was not going to stop until it was done."
On his Myspace page, Hosford wrote that he had decided not to take his scheduled leave.
"Be back in America in no time," it read.
Roberts said it's because he hoped it would get him home two weeks earlier.
No funeral arrangements have been released.
An Army carry team carries a transfer case containing the remains of Spc. Chester W. Hosford of Hastings,
Minn. Wednesday July 8, 2009 at Dover Air Force Base, Del. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark)
Spec. Carlos E. Wilcox IV
Hometown: Cottage Grove, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 27 years old
Died: July 16, 2009 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 34th Military Police Company, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard, Stillwater,
Minn.
Incident: Killed when insurgents attacked their unit using indirect fire.
Carlos Wilcox had his sights on medicine. He earned a biology degree from Metro State University,
returning to Minnesota after spending time studying at Arizona State University and in Granada,
Spain. Even when deployed to Iraq, he found time to study while helping his comrades as a health
care specialist. "He wanted to become a doctor," his mother, Charlene Wilcox said. "I had just sent
him books to study for the MCAT (entrance exam) so he could apply for medical school." Wilcox, 27,
of Collage Grove, Minn., died July 16 alongside two other Minnesota Army National Guard soldiers
during an insurgent attack in Iraq. His mother said Wilcox was on his first deployment, and had been
in Iraq since May. His unit was based in Stillwater, Minn. Comrades said they had fun joking around
with Wilcox but were always a bit amazed by how professional and astute he was while deployed.
"Wilcox always took care of us," one of his fellow soldiers said. "If anyone was hurting or had a
medical issue, he took care of it." Wilcox grew up in Minnesota and graduated from Tartan High
School in Oakdale. He enlisted in the National Guard in 2006, after a short break from service with
the Army Reserve. He is survived by his mother. "He was a very proud young man, just very proud to
serve his country," she said.
Carlos E. Wilcox IV
Wilcox, Spc. Carlos E. IV April 29, 1982 July 16, 2009 He gave all for his country. Preceded in
death by his father Charles Wilcox, Jr. Survived by his mother Charlene Nash Wilcox; brother
Charles III; sisters Ona Wilcox, Bianca Wilcox; and many other family and friends. Hero's Escort
will start 9:30 AM Friday July 24, 2009 at Kok Funeral Home 7676 80th St. and travel along 80th
St. heading east to Jamaica Ave. northbound to Light the Way Church in Cottage Grove, MN.
Funeral Service at LIGHT THE WAY CHURCH 7000 Jamaica Ave. Cottage Grove, MN 55016 at
11:00 AM. Visitation at the church one hour prior to services from 10:00 -11:00 AM. Interment
Tuesday July 28, 2009 at New Al-bany National Cemetery, IN. In lieu of flowers, memorials
preferred. 651-459-2875 KOK FUNERAL HOME Published in Pioneer Press on July 23, 2009
Army Spc. Carlos E. Wilcox IV
Died July 16, 2009 serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom
27, of Cottage Grove, Minn., assigned to the 34th Military Police Company, 34th Infantry Division,
Minnesota Army National Guard, Stillwater, Minn.; died July 16 in Basra, Iraq, of wounds sustained when
insurgents attacked his unit using indirect fire. Also killed were Spc. James D. Wertish and Spc. Daniel P.
Drevnick.
Minnesota mourns guardsmen killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
STILLWATER, Minn. — Condolences poured in from across the state Saturday after three soldiers with the
Minnesota National Guard were killed in Iraq.
The Pentagon on Saturday confirmed the slain soldiers were 22-year-old Spc. Daniel P. Drevnick, of
Woodbury; 20-year-old Spc. James D. Wertish, of Olivia; and 27-year-old Spc. Carlos E. Wilcox IV, of
Cottage Grove.
All three were assigned to Stillwater-based 34th Military Police Company, 34th “Red Bull” Infantry Division.
“We mourn the loss of these three soldiers,” said Maj. Gen. Larry Shellito, the Minnesota National Guard’s
adjutant general, in a statement. “They were truly part of our National Guard family.”
The soldiers were killed Thursday evening when insurgents attacked their Basra position with mortars,
rockets and artillery.
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said in a statement Saturday that she was “deeply saddened” by the
soldiers’ deaths.
“They made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, and for that we are forever grateful,” she said.
Funeral details were not immediately provided. But an organization that supports military families and troops
returning from duty planned a silent vigil to honor the three soldiers and their families.
The Yellow Ribbon Network of Washington County said the vigil, to be held Sunday at 6 p.m. at the
Stillwater Veterans Memorial, would also honor all deployed service members and their families.
Iraqi authorities said Saturday that they arrested a member of an Iranian-backed militia suspected in an
attack that killed three U.S. soldiers in southern Iraq. It wasn’t immediately clear whether those three
soldiers were the Minnesota guardsmen.
Maj. Gen. Adil Daham, chief of the Basra provincial police, said the militiaman confessed early Saturday to
the attack on a U.S. base near the airport. The rocket attack was a rare assault on troops in the
comparatively quiet south, the U.S. military said.
The last time three Minnesota soldiers were killed on the same day in Iraq was Feb. 21, 2005, when three
National Guard troops were killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad.
Wilcox, who wanted to become a doctor, had been on his first deployment to Iraq since May, his mother told
The Associated Press on Friday.
“He was a very proud young man, just very proud to serve his country,” said Charlene Wilcox.
Carlos Wilcox grew up in Minnesota and graduated from Tartan High School in Oakdale, his mother said.
He studied at Arizona State University and in Granada, Spain. He then returned to Minnesota and
graduated from Metropolitan State University with a biology degree.
Drevnick had hoped to become a state trooper, said his father, who recently retired from the Minnesota
State Patrol.
Ken Drevnick remembered his son’s work ethic in the way he was restoring his muscle car after graduating
from Woodbury High School. Dan Drevnick worked two jobs while attending school full time to help pay for
the car.
“That’s what type of person he was,” his father said. “To get someplace, he knew he had to make it
happen.”
Rev. George Schmit, the Wertish family’s pastor, told the West Central Tribune of Willmar that David and
Kim Wertish were in mourning. Their son joined the Guard before graduating from Bold High School in
2007, Schmit said.
The pastor told the newspaper that James Wertish was a “friendly young man” who helped on the family
farm. He enjoyed riding snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles in his spare time, Schmit said.
State Rep. Phil Sterner, DFL-Rosemount, where the Red Bull division has its headquarters, said in a
statement that the three guardsmen “exemplify the best of our state and of public service.”
Medical school was in his future
The Associated Press
Carlos Wilcox had his sights on medicine. He earned a biology degree from Metro State University,
returning to Minnesota after spending time studying at Arizona State University and in Granada, Spain.
Even when deployed to Iraq, he found time to study while helping his comrades as a health care specialist.
“He wanted to become a doctor,” said his mother, Charlene Wilcox. “I had just sent him books to study for
the MCAT [entrance exam] so he could apply for medical school.”
Wilcox, 27, of Collage Grove, Minn., died July 16 along side two other Minnesota Army National Guard
soldiers during an insurgent attack in Iraq. His mother said Wilcox was on his first deployment and had been
in Iraq since May. His unit was based in Stillwater, Minn.
Comrades said they had fun joking around with Wilcox but were always a bit amazed by how professional
and astute he was while deployed.
“Wilcox always took care of us,” one of his fellow soldiers said. “If anyone was hurting or had a medical
issue, he took care of it.”
Wilcox grew up in Minnesota and graduated from Tartan High School in Oakdale. He enlisted in the
National Guard in 2006, after a short break from service with the Army Reserve.
He is survived by his mother.
“He was a very proud young man, just very proud to serve his country,” she said.
Lines traveled around the church and through the parking lot of Light the Way Church Friday at the wake
preceding the memorial service for Carlos Wilcox.(Bulletin photo by Patricia Drey Busse)
Supporters wrote notes of sympathy to the families of fallen soldiers at a vigil Sunday evening in Stillwater.
(Bulletin photo by Hank Long)
Services announced for three MN troops killed last week
by Elizabeth Baier, Minnesota Public Radio July 23, 2009
St. Paul, Minn. — Services for three Minnesota troops killed in the line of duty last week have been
announced.
Spc. James Wertish, 20, of rural Olivia, Spc. Carlos Wilcox IV, 27, of Cottage Grove, and Spc. Daniel
Drevnick, 22, of Woodbury were killed July 16 after insurgents attacked their unit near Basra in southern
Iraq.
A "Hero's Welcome" is planned on Friday morning in Cottage Grove for Wilcox. Family and friends will
line the streets as the funeral procession makes its way from the Kok Funeral Home to the Light The Way
Church. The procession is set to begin at 9:30 a.m. Friday, and the wake will begin at 10 a.m., with a service
to follow.
A wake for Drevnick will take place from 3 to 8 p.m. on Friday, at the Wulff Woodbury Funeral Home in
Woodbury.
Drevnick's funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at King of Kings Lutheran Church in Woodbury.
Family, Patriot Guard motorcyclists and fellow soldiers are escorting Wertish's body back home to Olivia
today. His funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Bird Island, with burial in
the Olivia cemetery.
The soldiers were assigned to the Stillwater-based 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Unit. More than 1,000 members
of the division are serving in Iraq. The unit is responsible for assisting the Iraqi Army, police and border
security as they prepare to assume control of the country.
Spc. Carlos E. Wilcox IV, 27, of Cottage Grove, died Thursday in Basra, Iraq, after an insurgent attack. He
was assigned to the Stillwater-based 34th Military Police Company, part of the National Guard's 34th Red
Bull Infantry Division. (Photo courtesy of the Minnesota National Guard)
COB Basra 'quieter' as Soldiers mourn the loss of 3 comrades
By Multi-National Division - South PAO
Jul 22, 2009 - 7:43:40 PM
l this a
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Shar
Blackanthem Military News
CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq - Contingency
Operating Base Basra was quieter than usual July 18. There was indeed
activity. There was activity in the motor pool and the Division Main
Headquarters Building. There was construction, KBR workers disembarking
buses into the dining facilities, the security guards manned the gates and
Soldiers did their usual choking through the dust while marching from point
A to point B. But the base was quieter.
News on the base had spread from Soldier to Soldier that during the
indirect fire attack the night before - the indirect fire that had every Soldier
on base donning their protective gear; the indirect fire that had medics
scrambling with the instinctive sense of urgency drilled into them through
years of training; the indirect fire that had every unit demanding to see
"eyes-on" all of their Soldiers to account for them -, we had lost men.
As 34th Red Bull Infantry Soldiers filtered to their duty stations, the
information filtered with them, passing from Soldier to Soldier until all the
combinations of stories started to sound alike and started to make sense.
Once it all made sense, everything got quieter.
We lost three men. We lost three Soldiers. We lost three Red Bulls.
Spc. Daniel Paul Drevnick, 22,
of Woodbury, Minn. (U.S.
Army photo courtesy of 34th
Infantry Division Public Affairs)
Minnesota National Guardsmen Spc. Daniel Paul Drevnick, 22, Spc. James David Wertish,20, and Spc.
Carlos E. Wilcox, 27, were killed when COB Basra was attacked by rocket fire July 16.
By the next morning, an official "ramp ceremony," in which Soldiers saluted their fallen comrades as their
remains were placed on the ramp of a plane to take them back to their loved ones, had already taken place.
Every Soldier on base found out and, in their own way, mourned and gave respect to their fallen comrades,
while at the same time continuing their mission. No one did it exactly the same way. A combat zone doesn't
afford the luxury of dramatic, mournful acts. But whether Soldiers were simply hanging their heads in
mourning or choking back tears while their noses stung and their eyes welled up, they all were quieter.
Specialist Daniel Paul Drevnick
Drevnick was born in April 1987, in St. Paul, Minn. He graduated from Woodbury High School and enlisted
in the Minnesota Army National Guard March 28, 2005. He graduated from One Station Unit Training as a
military police officer at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. On March 2, 2009, Drevnick deployed to Basra with the
34th Military Police Company in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Drevnick, who planned to earn a degree in law enforcement, was attending Century College in White Bear
Lake, Minn,. before deployment. He was a drag racing partner with his dad and raced his Mitsubishi Lancer
Evolution at tracks all over the Midwest.
Drevnick felt his unit was part of his family and when he returned from his leave, he said he was happy to
be back with family.
"Drevnick was one of a kind," said a fellow Soldier from 1st Platoon, 34th Military Police Company. "Even
when you're down and having a bad day, one glance from him and his sense humor was enough to bring a
chuckle."
Another Soldier agreed about Drevnick's positive spirit.
"Drevnick was a great Soldier, but an even greater friend. Dan always had an excellent attitude and an
ability to bring people out of bad moods."
One way Dan tried to lift people's spirits was through attempting to grow some grass in Iraq. His parents
sent him soil and seeds. Because Drevnick was happy to interact and lift the spirits of his friends, it was
characteristic of him to show up three hours early to his shift just to hang out with his friends. Drevnick is
survived by his mother and father.
Specialist James David Wertish
Wertish was born in January 1989, in Redwood Falls, Minn., and is a graduate of B.O.L.D. High School in
Olivia, Minn. He enlisted into the Minnesota Army National Guard on February 28, 2006. He graduated
from One-Station Unit Training as a military police officer at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. On April 15, 2009,
Wertish deployed to Basra with the 34th Military Police Company in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Soldiers in 1st Platoon said Wertish brought laughter to his friends and would literally give you the shirt off
his back. "He loved snowmobiles and playing Rock Band II. He could always make us laugh with his humor.
We could count on him to improve our day."
Improving fellow Soldiers' days by making them laugh and playing Rock Band II seemed to go hand-in-hand
with Wertish. It wasn't so much that he was good at the game, but more that he was entertaining, said one
Soldier about playing with him. "Playing Rock Band II was an experience to behold. It wasn't about the
music, rather the experience."
James loved working on his family farm and snowmobiling. He broke his collarbone while snowmobiling and
deployed late because of his injury. After healing, he was glad to get back to his unit and his buddies were
happy to have him.
Wertish is survived by his parents David and Kim Wertish, two sisters and a brother.
Specialist Carlos Eduardo Wilcox IV
Wilcox was born in April 1982 in Golden Valley, Minn. He graduated from Tartan High School in Oakdale,
Minn. He enlisted in the Minnesota Army National Guard March 15, 2006 after a short break in service from
the United States Army Reserve. He graduated from the Health Care Specialist Course at Fort Sam
Houston, Texas in November 2006 and was assigned as a health care specialist to the 204th Medical
Company in Cottage Grove, Minn. He transferred to the 34th Military Police Company June 1, 2008. On
March 2, 2009, he deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Carlos' friends in the 1st Platoon, 34th Military Police Company described him as a good friend and a good
Soldier.
"Wilcox always hassled us about the White Sox beating the Twins in baseball. He was a big White Sox fan,"
said one Soldier.
As much as his friends in the unit found it fun to joke around with him, they were always somewhat amazed
by how professional Wilcox was.
"Wilcox always took care of us," said one 1st Platoon Soldier. "If anyone was hurting or had a medical
issue, he took care of it."
"Wilcox was planning all sorts of training to better prepare our Soldiers in the event of a medical
emergency," said another 1st Platoon Soldier. "He could answer any medical question you had."
Carlos, who graduated from Metropolitan State University with a bachelor's degree in biology, had
aspirations of going to medical school and becoming a doctor. He was on track to achieving his goal,
working as a military healthcare specialist with the 34th MP Co. and looking forward to taking the medical
school entrance exam after his deployment. He had asked his mother, Charlene, to mail him books so he
could study for the exam during his down time in Iraq. "He knew that God had called him to be a Soldier and
a doctor," she said.
He also loved to travel and spent a semester studying in Granada, Spain. He was fluent in Spanish.
Carlos' friends and family said he worked as a security officer at The Ugly Mug in downtown Minneapolis.
Friends gathered at the bar July 17 to remember him. The gathering drew people "out of the woodwork,"
bartender Rob Gregg said, "which I think is kind of a testament to the kind of guy (Wilcox) was." Gregg
described Wilcox as "just the nicest guy," very calm, very laid-back.
"A lot of times, with security staff downtown, those guys get a lot of attitude. Carlos was the opposite of
that," Gregg said. "He was always very professional."
"My son loved his country, and he died an honorable death," said Charlene Wilcox. He was "a man of God
and loved his family." He attended Light the Way Church in Cottage Grove.
Spc. David Wertish, 20, of Olivia,
Minn. (U.S. Army photo courtesy of
34th Infantry Division Public
Affairs)
Spc. Carlos E. Wilcox, 27, of
Cottage Grove (U.S. Army photo
courtesy of 34th Infantry Division
Public Affairs)
COB Basra runs in memory of Red Bull MP’s
Written by Spc. J. Princeville Lawrence Tuesday, 19 January 2010 16:03
From COB Basra runs in memory of Red Bull MP’s
COB BASRA, Iraq – Seven deep and three abreast, Soldiers of the 34th Military Police Company ran down
the streets of Contingency Operating Base Basra in step with one another and singing cadence Jan. 10.
They were running not for the body or the mind, but for the memories of their battle brothers: Spc. Daniel
Paul Drevnick, Spc. James David Wertish and Spc. Carlos Eduardo Wilcox IV.
On the night of July 16, a rocket attack struck Contingency Operating Base Basra and killed Drevnick,
Wertish and Wilcox. The loss of those three Soldiers created a ripple effect, changing the lives of Soldiers
and civilians from all over.
Over 400 Service members, contractors and civilians participated in a memorial 5k run in honor of the three
Soldiers.
“If you every met them, you’d know they’re full of life. They loved every day,” said Spc. Jacob Benson, who
was also injured that day. The overwhelming vividness of the three Soldiers’ lives was much the reason why
so many came out.“I don’t think anyone who’s ever met Wilcox, even for a second, [would] forget his smile,
Benson said.”
“Drevnick - he had the biggest heart in the world,” Benson said. “He made everybody laugh. That was like
his goal, to make everybody happy around him. No matter what situation, or whatever affected him, his
worry was his fellow Soldiers.”
“Wertish, he came in late, but he grew. He grew like roots on a tree. I think – I know – he became
everybody’s little brother and especially mine, ”Benson said. “He always said the right comments at the right
time and he was really the life of the party.”
The timing of the race, as the 34th Infantry Division heads home, was to make certain all who wanted to
could be a part of the event.
“We had three guys who were killed in really, an unfortunate incident,” said Sgt. 1st Class Brian Thole. “It
was a really hard day, and I wanted to [have the run] before everyone left, so we could celebrate their lives.”
The race helped raise money for a memorial at the MP headquarters in Stillwater, Minn. In addition to
donations, Thole raised money by selling memorial t-shirts and commemorative coins. All in all, Thole said,
they raised over $4,000.
“We’re going to send all this stuff back to their families,” Thole said. “We’re going to have a memorial back
at Stillwater so that everybody back in Minnesota knows what they gave up as well.”
The turnout of military and civilian runners from all over the COB sent a strong message, Thole said.
“It’s great, because these Soldiers, they were MPs, but they were also part of the Red Bull Division, but they
were also part of the Army,” Thole said. “It’s great because it doesn’t matter who you were, everybody
wanted to come out and participate.”
Spec. Daniel P. Drevnick
Hometown: Woodbury, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 22 years old
Died: July 16, 2009 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 34th Military Police Company, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard, Stillwater,
Minn.
Incident: Killed when insurgents attacked their unit using indirect fire.
Dan Drevnick's affinity with speed began early. He followed his father's interest in drag racing and
even started restoring his own muscle car after graduating from Woodbury High School in 2005. He
worked two jobs to pay for it, said his father, Ken Drevnick. "That's what type of person he was," he
said. "To get someplace he knew he had to make it happen." Dan Drevnick, 22, of Woodbury, Minn.,
was one of three Minnesota National Guard soldiers killed July 16 during an insurgent attack in Iraq, a
week after he returned from a visit home. He was assigned to the 34th Military Police Company in
Stillwater, Minn. His father said Drevnick was part of a military police unit and hoped to become a
state trooper. He was his family's sixth generation in the military. His family spoke of "rebellious
years" in high school when he pierced his ears and grew out his hair. He was energetic _ "our wild
child," his stepfather said _ loved learning, skateboarded and raced cars. He also was fond of duct
tape and once used it to mummify a friend. "He was never afraid of anything," said his stepfather,
Charles Freese.
Daniel Paul Drevnick
Drevnick, Daniel Paul Specialist in the Minnesota Army National Guard Loving Son, Brother,
Grandson, Friend Age 22 of Woodbury killed in combat action while serving in Iraq (Operation
Iraqi Freedom) on July 16, 2009. Preceded in death by grandparents, Robert and Audrey Ryder,
George Drevnick; uncle, David. Survived by mother, Roberta (Major Charles) Freese; father,
Retired Sgt. Kenneth J. (Julie) Drevnick; grandparents, Charles and Nancy Freese, Josephine
Drevnick, Sharon and Donald Fleming, Charles Elg; brothers and sisters, Robert Joseph (Brenda)
Drevnick, Rebecca Ann (Casey) Buckles, Shelby Marie Freese; uncles, David, Bernie (Michele),
James, Jon (Linda); many cousins and friends. Funeral service 10AM Saturday, 7/25/09, at KING OF KINGS LUTHERAN
CHURCH, 1583 Radio Drive, Woodbury. Visitation 3-8PM Friday at WULFF WOODBURY FUNERAL HOME, 2195
Woodlane Drive, Woodbury and 1 hour prior to services at church Saturday. Interment at Fort Snelling National
Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorials preferred to Minnesota Military Family Foundation. WULFF WOODBURY 651738-9615
Spc. Daniel P. Drevnick, 22, of Woodbury, died Thursday in Basra, Iraq, after an insurgent attack. He was
assigned to the Stillwater-based 34th Military Police Company, part of the National Guard's 34th Red Bull
Infantry Division. (Photo courtesy of the Minnesota National Guard)
Funeral Held for Specialist Dan Drevnick
(ABC 6 NEWS) -- Friends and family of Specialist Daniel Drevnick laid him to rest today.
Drevnick died last week in a missile strike while stationed in Iraq with the 34th Military Police
Company.
A mother and father buried their son.
Friends reached for one last touch of his casket, as comrades mourned a soldier.
Some people put on a tough face, but behind the circle of flags on a windy day, you could feel
the pain.
"We've been to too many and one is too many, but it's the price of freedom and freedom's not
free,” said Doug Bley, a Minnesota Patriot Guard Member.
Specialist Daniel Drevnick died in Iraq.
"As long as there is a military member anywhere in the world who's willing to put themselves
on the line in harms way and make the ultimate sacrifice, we will stand,” said Bley.
And more than 200 of Minnesota's Patriot Guard stood.
Along with hundreds of people, many who only saw his picture and felt a connection.
"Felt it was my duty to pay the last respects to a fallen comrade,” said David Pederson.
Drevnick will never get to see how many lives he touched.
From the state troopers his father worked with everyday for decades - now here to escort his
casket.
"Just brings tingles through my spine to think about what he's given for our freedom,” said
Minnesota State Patrol Captain Cheri Frandrup.
To the neighbors that lived 2 doors down.
"Our hearts just ache for the family,” said Denise Minea.
And the soldiers.
"We take any fallen soldier's loss very hard,” said Minnesota National Guard Captain Paul
Rickert.
Specialist Drevnick's casket has been escorted by the State Patrol since it arrived in
Minnesota.
Those close to Drevnick say, he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps.
http://kaaltv.com/article/stories/S1049301.shtml?cat=10151
Spec Daniel Paul Drevnick July 18th, 2009
Born April 13, 1987 in St. Paul, MN Died July 16, 2009 in Basra, Iraq
Daniel Drevnick of Woodbury, Minnesota graduated from Woodbury High School and worked at Tires Plus while
attending school. He even took on a second job at Fed Ex. Dan worked hard so that he could have extra money to
finance his hobby. Like his father, he took an interest in drag racing and had started restoring his own muscle car.
Dan enjoyed snowboarding and playing hockey in his leisure time. A bit of a “wild child” growing up, Dan was a
goofball, outgoing and lived his life to the fullest. During high school he became somewhat of a rebel and grew out
his hair and had his ears pierced. He was never afraid of anything and loved to learn and experience life with his own
special spirit. He enlisted in the Minnesota Army National Guard March 28, 2005, the sixth generation of his family to
serve. He graduated from One Station Unit Training as a 31B, Military Police at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Dan
joined the military in a time of war, knowing that he would be deployed. He never once complained. When he
returned home from basic training he had been transformed from a teenager to an adult. He deployed in March
2009, assigned to the 34th Military Police Company, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard,
Stillwater, Minnesota, and was home for a short break early in the summer of 2009 before heading back to Iraq on
July 8. He was a hard worker who planned to become a State Trooper. He was one of three National Guard soldiers
who were killed at a military base near Basra in southern Iraq. Dan’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star
Medal, Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal,
Army Service Ribbon and the Combat Action Badge. Survived by mother, Roberta (Major Charles) Freese; father,
Retired Sgt. Kenneth J. (Julie) Drevnick; grandparents, Charles and Nancy Freese, Josephine Drevnick, Sharon and
Donald Fleming, Charles Elg; brothers and sisters, Robert Joseph (Brenda) Drevnick, Rebecca Ann (Casey) Buckles,
Shelby Marie Freese; uncles, David, Bernie (Michele), James, Jon (Linda); many cousins and friends. He was preceded
in death by grandparents, Robert and Audrey Ryder, George Drevnick; uncle, David. He was buried at Fort Snelling
National Cemetery in Minnesota.
Spec. James D. Wertish
Hometown: Olivia, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 20 years old
Died: July 16, 2009 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 34th Military Police Company, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard, Stillwater,
Minn.
Incident: Killed when insurgents attacked their unit using indirect fire.
James D. Wertish helped out on his family's farm in rural Minnesota, but he also may have helped quicken his father's
hair loss. The Rev. George Schmit said Wertish was a friendly young man who loved to ride snow mobiles and allterrain vehicles, but also "raised a little hell now and then." The pastor said Wertish's teenage years likely caused
some of his father's hair loss, but "deep down in his heart were the values and virtues that guided his life." Wertish,
20, of Olivia, Minn., was among three Minnesota soldiers killed July 16 in an insurgent attack near Basra, Iraq. His unit
was based in Stillwater, Minn. Wertish joined the Guard before graduating from BOLD High School in 2007, said
Schmit, pastor at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Bird Island where his family attended. Fellow soldiers said he loved
playing Rock Band II, a video game that challenges players to play the drums and guitar, and sing to popular rock
songs. They said he could always make them laugh, "we could count on him to improve our day." Wertish is survived
by his parents, David and Kim Wertish, sisters Amber and Carolyn and brother Tony.
Fallen MN soldier honored by hometown
By Janel Klein
BIRD ISLAND, Minn. - Just two years ago James Wertish was a high school senior, an avid outdoorsman already in the National
Guard. Honored Monday by the tiny town that raised him, classmates recall him as shy, quiet, and loyal to those he loved.
"James really values his friendships a lot," said Ashley Dahl, who was friends with Wertish at BOLD High School. "He's really close
with his guy friends, and he just likes to hang out with them a lot."
Wertish was with his friends when he was killed, one of three in his company struck down July 16th by insurgent missiles near
Basra, Iraq. Two other young men from this town are also at war, and everyone here feels the loss.
"If we were ever in that situation, we would want them to be there for us, too," Dahl said. "I can't imagine everything that they're
going through right now."
But Greg and Kim Schmit know they can. "We feel a big connection," the Schmits said. Two years ago, their son, Josh, was also
killed, a newlywed with just 10 days left in Iraq. His own funeral in Willmar packed the rink where Josh played hockey, a day Greg
and Kim recall with sadness, but also with gratitude to all who were there.
"It's our little boy," said Kim. "You think of it as just your child. But it's much more. And it just brings great pride."
The Schmits were in Bird Island with hundreds of others, some who never knew James, hoping his family feels that same support,
and that seeing both flags and friends will help James' family as it helped their own.
"Tremendously, tremendously, it does when you see the red white and blue," Kim said. "And we want the Wertishs to know that it
goes on."
(Copyright 2009 by KARE. All Rights Reserved.)
http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=820742&catid=391
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfe8WN3zUVc&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5XNY1wX2QY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcFW5_ICLPE&feature=related
U.S. Army soldiers pay final respects during a memorial service yesterday honoring three fallen comrades
killed in action from a rocket attack on Contingency Operating Base Basra, Iraq last Thursday. Killed were
Spec. Daniel P. Drevnick, 22, of Woodbury, Minn., Spec. James D. Wertish, 20, of Olivia, Minn., and Spec.
Carlos E. Wilcox IV, 27, of Cottage Grove, Minn. They were assigned to the 34th Military Police Company,
34th Infantry Division of the Minnesota Army National Guard. (U.S. Army Photo by Spec. Tyler Maulding)
JULY 21, 2009 4:48 PM NO COMMENTS
Soldiers Honor Fallen Comrades in Basra »
BY STEPHANIE GASKELL
READ MORE: HTTP://WWW.NYDAILYNEWS.COM/BLOGS/WARZONE/2009/07/SOLDIERS-HONOR-FALLENCOMRADES.HTML#IXZZ0R3VQI4TP
Spec James David Wertish
July 18th, 2009
Born January 18, 1989 in Rewood Falls, MN
Died July 16, 2009 in Basra, Afghanistan
Spc. James D. Wertish of rural Olivia, Minnesota, loved working on his family farm. He raised a little hell now and
again, and it is said that some of his father’s hair loss was the result of raising the teenage James, who enjoyed
snowmobiling and playing Rock Band II. James graduated from Bold High School in 2007 and had joined the
Minnesota Army National Guard on February 28, 2006. . He graduated from One Station Unit Training as a 31B,
Military Police at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. James deployed to Iraq in April of 2009, assigned to the 34th Military
Police Company, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard, based at Stillwater, Minn. He was one of
three National Guard soldiers who were killed at a military base near Basra in southern Iraq. Fellow Soldiers in 1st
Platoon said James would literally give you the shirt off his back. He could always make us laugh with his humor; we
could count on him to improve our day.” His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart,
National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal (with Bronze Star Service), Global War on Terrorism Service
Medal, Army Service Ribbon and the Combat Action Badge. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal,
the Purple Heart, Army Good Conduct Medal and Combat Action Badge. James is survived by his parents, David and
Kim (Rathman) Wertish; two sisters, Amber (husband Josh Weber) and Carolyn; a brother Tony; a niece and nephew;
paternal grandmother Delores Wertish; maternal grandparents Audrey and LeRoy Goelz; and numerous other
relatives and friends. His grandfathers Miloyd Wertish and Ed Rathman preceded him in death. When James was
confirmed, the class was required to write their own creed. James wrote “I believe God loves each one of us; he
created each one of us for a reason.” James was trying to make the world a better place, and had his own dream of
becoming a police officer. He was buried at St. Aloysius Cemetery in Oliva, MN.
Capt. Thomas J. Gramith
Hometown: Eagan, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 27 years old
Died: July 17, 2009 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit: Air Force, 336th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.
Incident: Died in a F-15E crash near Ghazni Province, Afghanistan.
Capt. Thomas J. (O'Kane) Gramith
Gramith (O'Kane), CAPT Thomas J. Died July 17, 2009 while Serving in Afghanistan Survived by
his loving wife Angie; twin daughters Stella and Eva; father Frederick (Cynthia) Gramith, MD;
mother Dr. Patricia (Robert) O'Kane-Trombley; grandfather Dr. Thomas O'Kane; sisters Kathryn
(Don) Stevens, Liesl O'Kane; brother Patrick Gramith; step-sisters Roberta (Jeremy) Perrone,
SK2 Karrin Trombley, Brionna, Rebekah, and Amber West; step-brothers Michael Trombley and
Matthew West; father and mother-in-law Joseph and Betty Rybarczyk; brothers and sisters-inlaw Victoria Rybarczyk, Anne (Earl) Gray, Michael (Mary) Rybarczyk, Kevin (Charlene)
Rybarczyk, Theresa (Ron) Engstrand, and Jennifer (John) Selenske; and many other loving relatives and friends.
Preceded in death by grandparents Helen O'Kane, Clifford and LuVern Gramith. Graduated from St. Thomas Academy
in 2000 and North Dakota State University in 2005. Visitation 5-8PM Friday, July 31 at Willwerscheid Funeral Home,
1167 Grand Ave., St. Paul, 55105, 651-228-1006. Mass of Christian Burial 10AM Saturday, August 1 at The Cathedral
of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul, 55102. Full Military Honors at Resurrection Cemetery.
Published in Pioneer Press on July 30, 2009
Airmen honored: Forever in flight
By News-Argus Staff Published in News on July 28, 2009 1:46 PM
By KENNETH FINE
News-Argus Staff Writer
Some came in uniforms, others in black suits and dresses, to remember, to honor two men
who gave their lives for their country.
But those who gathered this morning at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base's Heritage Park were
not just there to go through the formal military honors due Capt. Mark McDowell and Capt.
Thomas Gramith -- the pilot and weapon systems officer who were lost last week while
serving in Afghanistan.
They were there to recount some of the memories of the men they knew as Mark and Tom -the sons, the fathers, the best friends, the husbands.
So as they listened to the words of 4th Fighter Wing Commander Col. Mark Kelly -- and
watched him posthumously award each the Bronze Star -- they remembered -- and shared -with the family gathered around them -- a community, a base and a wing in mourning, yet
determined to make sure that the mission "Pitbull" and "Lag" started would continue without
them, and in honor of them.
Air Force Photo Courtesy of Master Sgt. Brandt Smith
McDowell and Gramith died July 18 when their F-15E Strike Eagle crashed during a close-airsupport mission near Afghanistan's Ghazni Province.
McDowell's father, Stan, choked up when he relived the early morning phone call that
delivered the news.
He had hoped at first, he said, that the news that his son's plane had gone down in
Afghanistan would yield a different result -- news that Mark was coming home.
"I prayed for a miracle," he said, as his eyes filled with tears. "The miracle God delivered was
everlasting life."
So he will remember the last football game, the last golf match and the flagstone path he
helped his son build at the home Mark shared with his wife.
And he will marvel at the example his son set -- as a man, as a son and as a warrior.
Those will be the memories, his father said, that he will keep with him always.
But Capt. McDowell was more than just a pilot -- a hero remembered and honored for how he
died and what he sacrificed to serve.
He was a man of faith -- a man who knew that there was a life beyond the oath he swore to
uphold and a true purpose in the path he chose. Mark was a young man, his father said, with
a sense of self and spirit that was much more developed than it should be for his years.
It was that faith that guided him in life and will comfort his family now that he is gone.
Capt. McDowell's mother, Barbara Thomas, remembers, too.
But instead of sharing her initial reaction to the news -- or stories about the last week and the
grief it has brought her -- she told the crowd about a "confident, determined young man ...
who will truly be missed."
"I could talk about Mark for hours and hours," she said.
She told her son's family and friends about a young man whose faith and determination to
care for others distinguished his life -- and left a mark that will not soon be erased, not just
for those who loved him, but those who will continue to serve without him.
Capt. Thomas Gramith's family had memories to share, too.
His mother, Dr. Patricia O'Kane-Trombley, remembers a young man whose eyes were fixed to
the sky -- she called him "the eagle," a clue to the life he would later choose as a U.S. Air
Force F-15E weapon systems officer.
But heroism was not all that Thomas Gramith's mother wanted those gathered to remember.
She told stories of the Tom she treasured -- the man who adored his wife and twin daughters,
the man whose antics always brought a smile, a friend and a son dedicated to taking care of
others.
It is that Tom, she said, she will remember -- along with the hero who served his country with
dedication and valor.
She asked those gathered to carry on, to stay safe. They were so much a part of her son's
life, she added -- his family away from home.
And then she looked skyward, ever so slightly, and sent a message to her son.
"Keep watch over us as we live under your blue skies," she said.
Tears were falling for the duration of the hour-long service -- not only when bagpipes blared
"Amazing Grace" while an American flag was folded, not only when "Taps" began and a fourship of Strike Eagles performed a missing man formation in the skies overhead.
They fell when Kelly thanked the two men for the service they gave their country and the
honor with which they did their jobs.
"We are forever in their debt," he said. "And they are with us yet, as we remember them."
And the tears did not stop either when a voice was heard from Afghanistan -- from the leader
of the squadron with which the two men served -- a tribute from those who must go on now,
even with heavy hearts.
"Make no mistake, they are heroes in every sense of the word," said 336th Fighter Squadron
Commander Lt. Col. Neil Allen, through his wife. "Right now, F-15Es from (Seymour Johnson)
are flying combat sorties in Afghanistan. They represent the dreams of Pitbull and Lag."
-- Editor Renee Carey contributed to this report.
Library > Biographies > CAPTAIN THOMAS J. "LAG" GRAMITH
CAPTAIN THOMAS J. "LAG" GRAMITH Died July 18, 2009
Captain Thomas J. Gramith is a Weapon SystemS Officer, (WSO) 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Operations
Group, 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Goldsboro, North Carolina. The 4th is the
largest F-15E wing in the U.S. Air Force and is home to the multi-role all-weather, F-15E Strike Eagle
aircraft. The 336th and 335th Fighter Squadrons make up the two operational fighter squadrons on
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
Captain Gramith entered the Air Force in 2005 through the Air Force ROTC program at North Dakota State
University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering. He completed Joint
Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training (JSUNT) at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. In 2008 he
was sent to the 334th Fighter Squadron to begin F-15E training at Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina.
Captain Gramith completed the Basic Qualification Course - F-15E in November of 2008 and was assigned
to the 336th Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina.
EDUCATION
2005 Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2005 - November 2007, student, joint specialized undergraduate navigator training, NAS Pensacola, FL
2. February 2008 - November 2008, student WSO - F-15E FTU, 334 FS, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC
3. November 2008 - Present, Training Officer/WSO, 336 FS, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Navigator
Flight hours: Approx. 500 hours
Combat hours: 180
Aircraft flown: T-6, T-39, T-38, F-15E
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star
Air Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
National Defense Service Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border
Air Force Longevity Service
Air Force Training Ribbon
NATO Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant 2 Jun 2005
First Lieutenant 2 Jun 2007
Captain 2 Jun 2009
Monday, July 20 2009 @ 04:11 AM MDT
Pioneer Press -- An Air Force captain from Eagan has been killed in a fighter jet
crash in eastern Afghanistan, the Department of Defense announced today.
Capt. Thomas J. Gramith, 27, of Eagan, died Friday when his F-15E Strike Eagle crashed near
Ghazni Province.
Also killed was Capt. Mark R. McDowell, 26, of Colorado Springs, Colo.
Both men were assigned to the 336th Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.
A military spokesman at the base said the crash was not caused by enemy fire.
"Right now, there's an investigation going on to determine the crash, however, we know the enemy didn't
do it," Staff Sgt. Shawn Jones said. "We just don't know yet the specific cause of the incident."
The crash happened about 3:15 a.m. while Gramith and McDowell were providing air support to ground
troops, Jones said.
News of Gramith's death comes just three days after three Minnesota soldiers were killed in a missile attack
near Basra, Iraq.
The three members of the Minnesota National Guard 34th Red Bull Infantry Division were Spc. Carlos
Wilcox, 27, of Cottage Grove; Spc. Daniel Drevnick, 22, of Woodbury; and Spc. James Wertish, 20, of
Olivia. They were killed Thursday.
Their deaths bring the death toll of Minnesota military in Iraq to 63.
There will be a vigil for the guardsmen at 6 tonight at the Stillwater Veterans Memorial, located at Third
and Pine Streets in downtown Stillwater. It is being organized by the Yellow Ribbon Network of Washington
County and is open to the public.
Posted: July 19, 2009
Updated: July 20, 2009
Military IDs N.C.-based airmen killed in Afghan crash
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. — A Charlotte native was among two Seymour
Johnson Air Force Base-based officers killed when an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet crashed in
Afghanistan Friday.
Capt. Thomas J. Gramith, 27, of Eagan, Minn., and Capt. Mark R. McDowell, 26, of Colorado
Springs, Colo., died in the crash, military officials said. They had been flying for several hours,
providing air support to ground troops in the Ghazni Province when their plane went down around
3:15 a.m. in Kabul, Afghanistan. Both men were assigned to the 336th Fighter Squadron, which
deployed in April for a four-month tour of duty.
“This is a very deep personal loss that we've taken. These are our neighbors, our friends, our
coworkers,” said Col. Mark Kelly, 4th Fighter Wing commander, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
McDowell is a native of Charlotte and attended the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. He
leaves behind his father in Adamsville, mother in Clemson, S.C., and grandparents in Sanford.
His wife is also in the Air Force, serving on a deployment to Iraq. The couple would have been
married for two years this Thanksgiving.
Gilbert McDowell, a pastor in Sanford, said he was proud of his grandson, because everywhere he
was stationed, he joined a church and taught Sunday school. Kelly said thousands of N.C.-based
soldiers were among the ground troops McDowell and Gramith were supporting.
“We have literally thousands of Marines from Camp Lejeune just down the road that are dispersed
across the Helman province, down south. We have thousands and thousands of soldiers from Fort
Bragg that are operating in the east, so this is a very deep North Carolina protection event,” Kelly
said.
The cause of the crash hasn't been released, but military officials have said it was from non-hostile
action. F-15s fly in pairs, so another jet was alongside the plane during the crash.
A board of officers in Afghanistan is investigating the crash, military officials said. A safety
investigation normally takes 30 to 45 days, but since this crash happened in a combat zone, the
investigation is expected to take longer.
The U.S. military hasn't released more information about the crash, but Afghan authorities told The
Associated Press that the plane went down in the Nawur district of Ghazni province in central
Afghanistan, a peaceful area populated by the ethnic Hazara minority.
Mohammed Qasim Naziri, the deputy district chief, said the crash site was between two villages in a
desert surrounded by mountains about 20 miles south of the town of Nawur. Kelly described the
terrain as unforgiving.
He said local people notified police of the crash, but by the time authorities reached the site, U.S.
troops had surrounded the area and barred Afghan authorities from approaching the wreckage.
The last similar accident involving Seymour Johnson aircraft was on April 7, 2003. The bodies of
Gramith and McDowell were flown to Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Del., Sunday. Their deaths
brought to 50 the number of international service members killed in Afghanistan in July, already the
deadliest month of the war for NATO forces.
July 20, 2009 American Forces Press Service
American Heroes: Air Force Capt. Thomas J. Gramith and Air Force Capt. Mark R. McDowell,
WASHINGTON, July 20, 2009 - The commander of U.S. Air Forces Central expressed condolences to the
families and friends of two Air Force officers killed early July 18 in the crash of an F-15E Strike Eagle
fighter jet that was flying in support of coalition operations in eastern Afghanistan.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families and loved ones ... and to the airmen and the joint and
coalition team members who called them friends and will miss their fellow warriors," Air Force Lt. Gen.
Gary North said.
Air Force Capt. Thomas J. Gramith, 27, of Eagan, Minn., and Air Force Capt. Mark R. McDowell, 26, of
Colorado Springs, Colo., were killed in the crash. They were assigned to the 336th Fighter Squadron at
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.
The airmen's bodies will be returned to their families through a dignified transfer from Afghanistan to the
United States, officials said.
The crash was not due to hostile fire, officials said, and a board of officers will investigate the crash.
Meanwhile, an Army helicopter made an emergency landing in Afghanistan's Kunar province yesterday.
The aircraft landed near a military base, and the site was immediately secured upon landing, officials said.
No enemy activity was reported in the area at the time. Personnel on the aircraft were treated on site and
evacuated to the nearest medical facility for further treatment.
The incident is under investigation.
General Mourns Airmen Killed in F-15E Crash
American Forces Press Service ^
Posted on Monday, July 20, 2009 7:07:17 PM by SandRat
WASHINGTON, July 20, 2009 – The commander of U.S. Air Forces Central expressed condolences to the
families and friends of two Air Force officers killed early July 18 in the crash of an F-15E Strike Eagle
fighter jet that was flying in support of coalition operations in eastern Afghanistan.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families and loved ones … and to the airmen and the joint and
coalition team members who called them friends and will miss their fellow warriors," Air Force Lt. Gen.
Gary North said.
Air Force Capt. Thomas J. Gramith, 27, of Eagan, Minn., and Air Force Capt. Mark R. McDowell, 26, of
Colorado Springs, Colo., were killed in the crash. They were assigned to the 336th Fighter Squadron at
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.
The airmen’s bodies will be returned to their families through a dignified transfer from Afghanistan to the
United States, officials said.
The crash was not due to hostile fire, officials said, and a board of officers will investigate the crash.
Meanwhile, an Army helicopter made an emergency landing in Afghanistan’s Kunar province yesterday.
The aircraft landed near a military base, and the site was immediately secured upon landing, officials said.
No enemy activity was reported in the area at the time. Personnel on the aircraft were treated on site and
evacuated to the nearest medical facility for further treatment.
The incident is under investigation.
(Compiled from U.S. Air Forces Central and U.S. Forces Afghanistan news releases.)
Fighter Wing Commander Col. Mark Kelly is currently at Dover Air Force Base, Del. with the families of
Capt. Mark R. McDowell and Capt. Thomas J. Gramith – the air crew who died when their F-15E Strike
Eagle crashed in Afghanistan — and is overseeing the dignified transfer of his airmen.
Heroes come home
By Kenneth Fine
Published in News on July 20, 2009 1:46 PM
A little more than a day after the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base community -- and those
outside its gates -- began mourning the loss of two local airmen killed in Afghanistan, the
names of the fallen were released by the Department of Defense.
Fourth Fighter Wing officials confirmed Sunday that 336th Fighter Squadron Capt. Mark R.
McDowell, a 26-year-old fighter pilot from Colorado Springs, Colo., and Capt. Thomas J.
Gramith, a 27-year-old weapons system officer from Eagan, Minn., died early Saturday
morning when their F-15E Strike Eagle crashed in the vicinity of the country's Ghazni
Province.
Their deaths mark the first combat-related losses suffered by the wing since Operation Iraqi
Freedom, when, on April 7, 2003, an F-15E crash claimed the lives of Maj. William R. Watkins
III and Capt. Eric B. Das.
Hours after the names were confirmed, 4th Commander Col. Mark Kelly flew to Dover Air
Force Base, Del., to meet with the mens' families and oversee the dignified transfer of his
airmen. Whether or not they will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery has yet to be
determined, officials said.
Members of the 336th deployed from Seymour Johnson to Bagram Air Base in April where,
since that time, air crews have provided a 24/7 air power presence over the desert in support
of troops on the ground -- escorting convoys, responding to troops-in-contact calls with shows
of force, and, when necessary, eliminating enemy threats.
Saturday's crash occurred while McDowell and Gramith were flying such a close-air-support
mission.
Local reaction to the loss has been noticeable.
Military Affairs Commission Chairman Dr. Mike Gooden said he was "completely shocked and
saddened" by the news.
And Mayor Al King characterized the phone call he received from Kelly as the worst kind one
can get.
"When you read about (a troop being killed), it's always bad," said King, a retired Air Force
colonel. "But when they are family, that's even more devastating."
Some flags already are flying at half-mast, and the fallen and their families have been the
topic of many discussions inside restaurants and chapels since the news broke this weekend.
A local organization has even opened up a fund for Gramith's family.
The Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association, a group established to "provide a dynamic
association of like-minded aerial combat veterans who avow patriotism and the defense of the
Constitution of the United States of America as its guiding principles," will start raising money
for the family now, its members said Monday morning.
The mission of the RRVFP includes, among other things, providing aid and comfort to the
families of military POWs and providing aid and comfort to the surviving spouse and children
of those killed or missing in action.
No memorials have been planned to date, as base and city officials both wait for guidance on
how best to honor the crew from the families the crash left behind.
http://www.newsargus.com/news/archives/2009/07/20/heroes
_come_home/
Class of '05 grad killed in F-15 crash
Barbara Thomas speaks on behalf of her son, Capt. Mark McDowell, during a memorial service at Seymour-Johnson Air Force
Base, N.C., July 28, 2009. Captain McDowell, 26, and Capt. Thomas Gramith, 27, were killed July 18 when their F-15 crashed in
eastern Afghanistan. The pilots were assigned to the 336th Fighter Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Gino Reyes)
Capt. Mark R. McDowell, seen here in his senior year cadet photo, was killed in an F-15 crash in eastern Afghanistan July 18.
Captain McDowell graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., in 2005. (U.S. Air Force photo)
Posted 7/24/2009 Updated 9/1/2009
7/24/2009 - U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Two Air Force officers, one an Academy graduate, were
killed July 18 in the crash of an F-15E Strike Eagle over eastern Afghanistan.
The aircraft, assigned to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., was flying in support of coalition
operations. The crash occurred at approximately 3:15 A.M. Kabul time.
Killed were Capt. Thomas J. Gramith, 27, of Eagan, Minn., and Capt. Mark R. McDowell, 26, of Charlotte,
N.C. Both officers were assigned to the 336th Fighter Squadron at Seymour-Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.
Captain McDowell is a member of the Academy graduating Class of 2005.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families and loved ones ... and to the Airmen and the joint and
coalition team members who called them friends and will miss their fellow warriors," said Lt. Gen. Gary
North, U.S. Air Forces Central commander.
A team of U.S. and coalition forces immediately responded to the crash site, secured it and recovered the
Airmen. The Airmen have been returned to their families through a dignified transfer from Afghanistan to the
United States.
The crash was not due to hostile fire. A board of officers will be convened to conduct an investigation of the
incident. (Information compiled from Armed Forces News Service and staff reports.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arSu9hAMOI0
Jul 19, 2009 9:11 pm US/Central
Eagan Soldier Killed In Afghanistan Jet Crash
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. (AP) ―
Capt. Thomas J. Gramith of Eagan, Minn., 27, was killed when his North Carolina-based Air Force
fighter jet crashed in eastern Afghanistan on July 17, 2009. He was assigned to the 336th Fighter
Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
Military officials have identified the two crew members killed when their North Carolina-based Air Force
fighter jet crashed in eastern Afghanistan.
A Department of Defense statement released Sunday identified the two as 27-year-old Capt. Thomas J.
Gramith of Eagan, Minn., and 26-year-old Capt. Mark R. McDowell of Colorado Springs, Colo. Both were
assigned to the 336th Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
The military said an F-15E Strike Eagle crashed around 6:15 p.m. EDT Friday evening in Kabul.
The 336th Fighter Squadron's F-15E Strike Eagle jets and about 300 personnel, including air and ground
crews, deployed from the Goldsboro base in April for a four-month tour of duty.
This news comes just after three soldiers with the Minnesota National Guard were killed in Iraq.
Thomas J. Gramith
Captain, United States Air Force
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release
IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 527-09
July 19, 2009
DoD Identifies Air Force Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two airmen who
were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died July 17, 2009, in a F15E crash near Ghazni Province, Afghanistan.
Killed were:
Captain Thomas J. Gramith, 27, of Eagan, Minnesota. He was assigned to the
336th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina.
Captain Mark R. McDowell, 26, of Colorado Springs, Colorado. He was
assigned to the 336th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base,
North Carolina.
For further information, please contact Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Public
Affairs office at (919) 722-0027.
20 July 2009:
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, NORTH CAROLINA — A
Charlotte native was among two Seymour Johnson Air Force Base-based
officers killed when an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet crashed in Afghanistan
Friday.
Captain Thomas J. Gramith, 27, of Eagan, Minnesota, and Captain Mark R.
McDowell, 26, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, died in the crash, military
officials said. They had been flying for several hours, providing air support to
ground troops in the Ghazni Province when their plane went down around 3:15
a.m. in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Both men were assigned to the 336th Fighter Squadron, which deployed in April
for a four-month tour of duty.
“This is a very deep personal loss that we've taken. These are our neighbors, our
friends, our coworkers,” said Colonel Mark Kelly, 4th Fighter Wing
commander, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
McDowell is a native of Charlotte and attended the Air Force Academy in
Colorado Springs. He leaves behind his father in Adamsville, mother in
Clemson, South Carolina, and grandparents in Sanford.
His wife is also in the Air Force, serving on a deployment to Iraq. The couple
would have been married for two years this Thanksgiving.
Gilbert McDowell, a pastor in Sanford, said he was proud of his grandson,
because everywhere he was stationed, he joined a church and taught Sunday
school.
Kelly said thousands of North Carolina-based soldiers were among the ground
troops McDowell and Gramith were supporting.
“We have literally thousands of Marines from Camp Lejeune just down the
road that are dispersed across the Helman province, down south. We have
thousands and thousands of soldiers from Fort Bragg that are operating in the
east, so this is a very deep North Carolina protection event,” Kelly said.
The cause of the crash hasn't been released, but military officials have said it
was from non-hostile action. F-15s fly in pairs, so another jet was alongside the
plane during the crash.
A board of officers in Afghanistan is investigating the crash, military officials
said. A safety investigation normally takes 30 to 45 days, but since this crash
happened in a combat zone, the investigation is expected to take longer.
The U.S. military hasn't released more information about the crash, but Afghan
authorities told The Associated Press that the plane went down in the Nawur
district of Ghazni province in central Afghanistan, a peaceful area populated by
the ethnic Hazara minority.
Mohammed Qasim Naziri, the deputy district chief, said the crash site was
between two villages in a desert surrounded by mountains about 20 miles south
of the town of Nawur. Kelly described the terrain as unforgiving.
He said local people notified police of the crash, but by the time authorities
reached the site, U.S. troops had surrounded the area and barred Afghan
authorities from approaching the wreckage.
The last similar accident involving Seymour Johnson aircraft was on April 7,
2003.
The bodies of Gramith and McDowell were flown to Dover Air Force Base in
Dover, Delaware, Sunday.
Governor Tim Pawlenty has ordered that all U.S. flags and Minnesota flags be
flown at half-staff at the Capitol Complex, including state buildings,
monuments, and grounds in proximity to and including the Minnesota State
Capitol, from sunrise until sunset on Saturday, August 1, 2009, in honor and
remembrance of Captain Thomas J. Gramith.
The following is the text of the Governor's official proclamation:
Whereas: Captain Thomas J. Gramith was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on
October 8, 1981; and
Whereas: Captain Thomas J. Gramith graduated from St. Thomas Academy,
Mendota Heights, Minnesota, in 2000; and
Whereas: Captain Thomas J. Gramith graduated with a degree in aeronautical
engineering from North Dakota State University (NDSU) in 2005; and
Whereas: Captain Thomas J. Gramith was part of the NDSU Army Reserve
Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and went directly into the United States Air
Force following graduation; and
Whereas: Captain Thomas J. Gramith was a member of the 336th Fighter
Squadron, United States Air Force, based out of Seymour Johnson Air Force
Base, North Carolina; and
Whereas: Captain Thomas J. Gramith was a devoted soldier and selfless leader.
He loved serving his country and did so with great pride; and
Whereas: Captain Thomas J. Gramith died a hero fighting for freedom on
Friday, July 17, 2009, near Ghazni Province, Afghanistan, while serving in
support of Operation Enduring Freedom; and
Whereas: Captain Thomas J. Gramith is survived by his wife, Angie; daughters,
Stella and Eva; father and step-mother, Frederick and Cynthia; mother and
step-father, Patricia and Robert; grandfather, Thomas; sister and brother-inlaw, Kathryn and Don; sister and brother, Liesl and Patrick; step-sister and
brother-in-law, Roberta and Jeremy; step-sisters, Karrin, Brionna, Rebekah,
and Amber; step-brothers, Michael and Matthew; father and mother-in-law,
Joseph and Betty; and other loving family and friends; and
Whereas: Captain Thomas J. Gramith was preceded in death by his
grandparents, Helen, Clifford, and LuVerne; and
Whereas: Visitation for Captain Thomas J. Gramith will be held Friday, July
31, 2009, from 5:00 p.m. to
8:00 p.m. at Willwerscheid Funeral Home, Saint Paul, Minnesota; and
Whereas: A Mass of Christian Burial for Captain Thomas J. Gramith will be
held Saturday, August 1, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Paul,
Saint Paul, Minnesota; and
Whereas: A ceremony with full military honors will be held Saturday, August 1,
2009, at Resurrection Cemetery, Mendota Heights, Minnesota; and
Whereas: The State of Minnesota recognizes Captain Thomas J. Gramith for
his dedicated service to and sacrifice for the people of this country with our
deepest gratitude, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends,
and community.
Now, Therefore, I, Tim Pawlenty, Governor of Minnesota, do hereby order all
U.S. flags and Minnesota flags be flown at half-staff at the Capitol Complex,
including state buildings, monuments, and grounds in proximity to and
including the Minnesota State Capitol, from sunrise until sunset on Saturday,
August 1, 2009, in honor and remembrance of Captain Thomas J. Gramith.
NOTE: Co-mingled remains of Captain Gramith and Captain McDowell were
buried in a joint burial service at Arlington National Cemetery on 13 November
2009. Webmaster: Michael Robert Patterson
Posted: 15 November 2009 Updated: 7 December 2009 April 2010
Photo Courtesy of Eileen Horan, April 2010
Cpl. Benjamin S. Kopp
Hometown: Rosemount, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 21 years old
Died: July 18, 2009 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit: Army, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.
Incident: Killed when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire.
Benjamin Stephen Kopp
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Benjamin Stephen Kopp July 18, 2009 ROSEMOUNT, MN— Corporal Benjamin Stephen Kopp of
Rosemount died July 18, 2009 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C. from
wounds suffered on July 10, 2009 in Afghanistan. Ben had a deep love of country and was
proud to serve and defend the freedoms of our beautiful America. Ben was a true friend to all
who knew him and honored his compassion for people by being an organ donor. He had a
great sense of humor, an infectious smile and loved life. He was a shining example of
patriotism and selflessness and will be sorely missed. His proud and giving spirit will live on in
all who knew him and in those who have received his organs. He is survived by his mother Jill
Stephenson, father Duane Kopp, maternal grandfather Jon Burud, maternal grandmother Mary
(Ray) Barnes, paternal grandmother Donna (and the late Paul) Kopp, special great-grandmother Marian Rogers,
Brothers-In-Arms of the 75th Ranger Regiment of the United States Army, numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and
many loving friends. Ben graduated Rosemount High School in 2006 and left for Ft. Benning one month later. He was
assigned to Company C, 3rd Bn., 75th Ranger Regiment where he served as a Rifleman. He distinguished himself with
the Army Achievement Medal with two awards, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq
Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the army Service Ribbon, Parachutist Badge and the
Ranger Tab. Posthumously, Ben has been awarded the Bronze Star with Valor, The Meritorious Service Medal and a
Purple Heart. Funeral services are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Saturday, August 1, 2009 at Rosemount High School,
3335 142nd Street West. Visitation and reviewal is Friday, July 31, 2009 from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at the Henry W.
Anderson Mortuary, 14850 Garrett Avenue, Apple Valley, MN. Interment with full military honors will take place at
Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. Memorials are requested to the Lead The Way Fund,
www.leadthewayfund.org , CaringBridge, www.caringbridge.org and The Ben Kopp Memorial Fund in care of Wells
Fargo Bank. Henry W. Anderson Mortuary, Apple Valley. (952) 432-2331. www.obit.henrywanderson.com.
Family, friends remember Minn. Army Ranger
by Tim Pugmire, Minnesota Public Radio July 20, 2009
St. Paul, Minn. — The past few days have been some of the toughest in years for Minnesota families with
loved ones at war.
Three Minnesotans were killed in Iraq Thursday. A Minnesota pilot died in Afghanistan over the weekend,
and there is now word that a 21-year-old Army Ranger from Rosemount has died from wounds he got in
combat earlier this month in Afghanistan.
The Defense department confirmed Monday that Cpl. Benjamin Kopp died Saturday at Walter Reed Army
Medical Center.
Ben Kopp was a 2006 graduate of Rosemount High School and was serving his first tour in Afghanistan after
completing two tours in Iraq. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, based at Fort
Benning, Georgia.
Kopp's mother, Jill Stephenson, said Ben's decision to join the Army out of high school was influenced by
his great-grandfather, who served in World War II.
"He took a liking to history, of our country, and had a lot of interest in the stories that he had to tell about
where he went and what he did," Stephenson said. "Great-grandpa had a lot of medals that were on display in
the house, and Ben was interested in those and where they came from. It was really his great, I think, respect
and admiration for him that turned him on and gave him an interest in serving his country."
Stephenson announced her son's death Saturday with a message on the CaringBridge Web page set up to
monitor his progress. She wrote that Ben was injured July 10, and the loss of blood caused him to go into
cardiac arrest at the battalion surgical center. He never regained consciousness. Kopp was transported to
Germany and then to Washington, D.C., where he died one week later.
In an e-mail to MPR News, a member of Kopp's unit said his good friend was shot twice in the leg while
they were both on a special operations mission.
The Army news release says insurgents attacked the unit with small arms fire in Helmand Province,
Afghanistan.
Kopp had no brothers or sisters. But he had many friends who are now mourning his death. Brianna
Robinson of Rosemount knew Ben Kopp since the 9th grade. Her boyfriend was one of his best friends and
Robinson describes Kopp as an amazing person.
"One of the funniest guys I knew," Robinson said. "The sweetest person, caring, very outgoing, polite,
dedicated to anything he did. Very strong."
Robinson said she last saw Kopp in the spring when he was home on leave. She said many of his old friends
made sure he had a good time before he left. Robinson said Kopp he liked talking about his military service.
"Of course he was proud of it. He loved doing it," she said. "That's what he'd always wanted to do. He talked
about it a lot. He talked about all of his friends in Georgia, and how he wanted to stay down south when he
was done. He really loved it."
At Rosemount High School, assistant principal Tom Conboy said news of Ben Kopp's death has left anyone
who knew him feeling sad. Conboy remembers Kopp as someone he used to see at school as well as his own
house.
"Ben was a friend of my son Andrew, and Ben has been to my house many times, and Andrew has been to
Ben's house many times," Conboy said. "So, it's been particularly difficult for our family."
Conboy said Kopp played football and lifted weights and that Kopp approached most activities with intensity
and a strong work ethic. Conboy said he wasn't surprised to hear that Kopp had become an Army Ranger.
"I know he was very excited about serving his country," Conboy said. "Had a really great sense of right and
wrong, in terms of, I think he would be considered to be very patriotic and want to be that guy to defend his
country."
Words of sympathy and remembrance are coming in to two Web sites dedicated to Kopp's memory. Jill
Stephenson said she's been reading the messages and is taking comfort in the way her son touched others.
"He made me more proud than I really ever thought was possible in life," she said. "And now in his passing,
in the conditions in which he died and being an organ donor, words can't express how elated I am and how
proud I am to be his mother."
Stephenson said her son had requested to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. She said plans are also
being made for local services, but no decisions have been made.
Rosemount soldier was 'hard-wired' for heroism
Kyndell Harkness, Star Tribune
Pins were made for family and friends to help remember Corporal Benjamin Kopp during his funeral held at
Rosemount High School.
Hundreds celebrated the life of 21-year-old Benjamin Kopp, an Army Ranger who died of wounds suffered in
Afghanistan. But his heart beats on.
Hundreds celebrated the life of 21-year-old Benjamin Kopp, an Army Ranger who died of wounds suffered in
Afghanistan. But his heart beats on.
More than 700 people gathered at Rosemount High School on Saturday to honor the memory and heroism of
Army Ranger Cpl. Ben Kopp, who graduated from the school in 2006.
"We continually find men like Ben who rise to the occasion," Ranger Chaplain Jeff Struecker told the
mourners for Kopp, a 21-year-old special operations soldier who died July 18 from wounds suffered during a
gun battle with Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. "They come from communities like this one. Ben was a hero
because he had no choice. It was hard-wired into him."
Also honored at services Saturday was Air Force Capt. Thomas J. Gramith, 27, of Eagan who was killed
when the fighter jet in which he was a navigator crashed in Afghanistan on July 17. Gramith, whose funeral
was held at the Cathedral of St. Paul, was a 2000 graduate of St. Thomas Academy and 2005 graduate of
North Dakota State University in Fargo.
Kopp, who will be buried Friday at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C., was a popular
student at Rosemount High, where he played on special teams and the offensive line for the football team
and did a lot of work in the weight room. Jill Stephenson, his mother, said she decided to hold the memorial
at the high school. "I wanted to make sure everyone could be inside and part of the service," she said.
Her son told her when he was age 12 that he wanted to join the Army. "He admired his great grandfather
who served in World War II," she said. Before being deployed to Afghanistan, Kopp served two tours in
Iraq.
Tracy Bailey, a public affairs officer for the 75th Ranger Regiment, said Rangers are elite soldiers who train
and go into combat together. "These men have a bond a lot of people don't understand," she said. About 25
members of the Regiment, which is based at Fort Benning, Ga., came to Rosemount for the memorial
Saturday. Also attending the memorial service were Gov. Tim Pawlenty and U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and
Al Franken.
According to a Ranger news release, Kopp's unit "attacked a Taliban safe haven where they fought a
determined enemy from multiple directions for several hours, resulting in the killing of more than 10 Taliban
fighters."
The combat took place in the early morning hours. Struecker said Kopp was leading a machine gun unit that
was providing cover for a reconnaissance team that was attempting to make a safe withdrawal. During the
exchange of gunfire, Kopp had to emerge from cover and was shot in the leg.
"The gunshot wound to the leg was a little overwhelming," said Pat Vos of St. Paul, Stephenson's boyfriend.
"They got a tourniquet on him. He was conscious and they got him on a table and he went into cardiac
arrest" from the loss of blood. Kopp was flown on to Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C., but
did not regain consciousness and died eight days later.
In a living will, Kopp asked that his organs be donated, which Stephenson noted on a website. Maria Burud
of Chicago, a cousin of Stephenson, posted a note that she had a friend who needed a heart transplant.
Stephenson responded, there was a match, and Judy Miekle, 57, of Chicago, received Kopp's transplanted
heart July 19. "She is doing wonderfully," Burud said.
"To experience that joy along with the sorrow, it is a miracle," Stephenson said after the memorial.
During the memorial, Spc. Chase Vanderhule, a close friend, described Kopp as a "headstrong" man who
"lived in the moment" and enjoyed their "good time" trips to Florida, where he hoped to eventually attend
college.
Vanderhule told of a trip the two took down a river in a little boat. They saw an alligator in the water, but
nonetheless Kopp dived in, swam to the shore then returned to the boat. They saw more alligators and
Vanderhule said, "He told me that was the stupidest thing that he'd ever done."
Chaplain Strueker said he has presided at nearly 40 funerals of U.S. soldiers since 2001.
"I'm a former infantryman," he said. "I realize this is part of war. Men die in war. I try to give them the
honors they should receive."
Randy Furst • 612-673-7382
By Kyndell Harkness, Star Tribune
Winnetka woman gets fallen soldier's heart Monday, August 03, 2009
Sarah Schulte
August 2, 2009 (WINNETKA, Ill.) (WLS) -- A woman from Winnetka has received a life-saving transplant,
thanks to a fallen soldier's family. It's a story of dual sacrifice.
Judy Meikle was recovering at home Sunday, just a few days after a heart transplant she had less than two
weeks ago. The very active 57-year-old says she feels like the luckiest person in the world.
"I have a heart of a 22-year-old Army Ranger who was a bonafide hero in me. It is so amazing," she told
ABC7 Chicago in an exclusive interview.
The heart now beating strongly inside Meikel is that of Ben Kopp, an Army ranger from Minnesota. While
serving in Afghanistan, Kopp was involved in a firefight with the Taliban on July 10. After saving the lives
of six of his comrades, Kopp was shot. Days later, he died.
However, Kopp's heroism on the battlefield continued in death. He wanted to be an organ donor, and his
mother made sure it happened.
"It's absolutely amazing that she, in the darkest hours of life, put other people first," Meikle said.
After being diagnosed with a heart condition she never knew she had, Meikel was placed on a transplant list
a few months ago. Two weeks ago, she got a phone call from her close friend, Maria Burud, saying that her
cousin, Ben Kopp, had died and was donating his organs.
"I just didn't think it was going to happen," said Meikle. "This is one shot in a million. Forget about it."
Despite the doubts, Ben's heart was a match. Meikel was in and out of surgery in less than five hours, and
now, she's home with friends, thankful for her second chance and grateful for a soldier who was a true hero.
"Ben's life was fighting for his country. He died with honor saving lives, but then to add this-- it's icing on
the cake," Maria Burud said.
"I never exercised. I keep saying when I jog on the street, they know it is Ben and not me," Meikle said.
Ben Kopp's funeral was held Saturday, and he will be buried Friday in Arlington National Cemetery.
Kopp enlisted in the Army three years ago. He served several tours of duty in the Mideast and eventually
joined the Army's Elite Light Infrantry Corps., the Rangers. His unit was assigned to Afghanistan in May.
So far, Kopp's mother, Jill Stephenson, and Judy Meikel have communicated via email only, but they plan to
meet sometime this year. Stephenson says she wants to spend the holidays in Chicago where her son's heart
is.
(Copyright ©2010 WLS-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6945131
THE HEART OF A RANGER - GODSPEED CORPORAL BENJAMIN
KOPP
Posted By Blackfive
"Ben's life was fighting for his country. He died with honor saving lives, but then to add this-- it's
icing on the cake." - Maria Burud, Ben's cousin
Corporal Benjamin Kopp, USASOC Photo
Recognizing that I volunteered as a Ranger, fully knowing the hazards of my chosen profession, I will
always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor, and high “esprit de corps” of my Ranger Regiment... FIRST STANZA OF THE RANGER CREED
Corporal Benjamin S. Kopp, was a rifleman assigned to 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort
Benning, Ga. He was born on Jan. 20, 1988 in Minneapolis, Minn.
Kopp was seriously wounded during a combat operation in southern Afghanistan, July 10. Kopp was
medically evacuated through Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany to Walter Reed Medical Center,
Washington, D.C., where he died as a result of his wounds July 18. His unit had attacked into a Taliban safe
haven where they fought a determined enemy from multiple directions for several hours, resulting in the
killing of more than 10 Taliban fighters.
Kopp was on his third deployment in support of the War on Terror with two previous deployments to Iraq.
After graduating from Rosemount High School, Kopp enlisted in the U.S. Army from his hometown of
Rosemont, Minn., July 2006. He completed One Station Unit Training at Fort Benning Ga., as an
infantryman. After graduating from the Basic Airborne Course there, he was assigned to the Ranger
Indoctrination Program also at Fort Benning.
He graduated from the Ranger Indoctrination Program and was then assigned to Company C, 3rd Bn., 75th
Ranger Regiment June 2007 where he served as a Rifleman.
His military education includes the Basic Airborne Course, Ranger Indoctrination Program, and the U.S.
Army Ranger Course.
His awards and decorations include Army Achievement Medal with two awards, Army Good Conduct Medal,
National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army
Service Ribbon, Parachutist Badge and the Ranger Tab. Kopp was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star
Medal for Valor, Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal.
Kopp is survived by his mother Jill Stephenson of Rosemont, Minn., and his father Duane Kopp of
Minnetonka, Minn
As a Ranger, Corporal Benjamin S. Kopp distinguished himself as a member of the Army’s premier lightinfantry unit, traveled to all corners of the world in support of the Global War on Terrorism, and fought
valiantly to “uphold the prestige, honor, and high ‘esprit de corps’” of the Ranger Regiment.
- RANGERS LEAD THE WAY!
ROSEMOUNT, Minn. - Army Ranger Benjamin Kopp died last month after being wounded in Afghanistan,
but a part of the Minnesota soldier lives on.
His family agreed to donate his organs, and now a 57-year-old Chicago woman feels privileged to have
received the Rosemount soldier's heart.
Judy Meikle says she got a call about Kopp's death two weeks ago from the soldier's cousin, who's her close
friend. His heart was a perfect match for Meikle.
She says she now has the heart of an Army Ranger who's a bona fide hero.
Kopp served two tours in Iraq before his tour in Afghanistan as a member of the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger
Regiment based in Fort Benning, Ga. He will be buried Friday at Arlington National Cemetery.
The 21-year-old died July 18 after being wounded in battle.
Monday, July 20 2009 @ 07:41 AM MDT
Rosemount Town Pages -- Ben Kopp, the 2006 Rosemount
High School graduate injured July 10 while serving in
Afghanistan, has died.
Jill Stephenson, Ben's mother, announced her son's death in a
message Saturday on CaringBridge.org site she set up to allow
people to track her son's condition.
Kopp spent much of the last week in an induced coma this week in Washington, D.C.’s Walter
Reed Medical Center as doctors tried to reduce swelling in his brain, the result of a gunshot
wound he received July 10 while serving in Afghanistan.
Kopp received treatment immediately in the field, Stephenson said. But according to
information she posted on the CaringBridge sitea bullet had hit her son’s secondary femoral
artery. The loss of blood caused him to go into cardiac arrest on the operating table at a
battalion surgical center. Doctors cut open his chest to perform CPR.
Kopp never woke up.
There will be services for Kopp in Minnesota, though details are not yet available. He has
requested to be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.
nation and world
GI's heart saves family friend
Killed in Afghanistan, Cpl. Benjamin Kopp was an organ donor
By Mark Berman
The Washington Post
Posted: 08/09/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT
Army soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Regiment carry the casket of Cpl. Benjamin Kopp at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia
on Friday. (Paul J. Richards, AFP/Getty Images )
WASHINGTON — Cpl. Benjamin Kopp gave his life. And then he saved one.
An Army Ranger who had been on his third tour of duty, Kopp was buried Friday at Arlington National
Cemetery. Sadly, it's a familiar story: a young man dead before his time, shot by enemies on the other side of
the world.
But this time, there was a renewed life too. Kopp wanted to be an organ donor.
And after he died, his heart was transplanted into a family member's friend who had a rare form of congenital
heart disease.
"How can you have a better heart?" said a grateful Judy Meikle, 57, of Winnetka, Ill., who is still recovering from the
surgery. "I have the heart of a 21-year-old Army Ranger war hero beating in me." Kopp's mother, Jill Stephenson, of
Rosemount, Minn., said that in addition to her son's heart, doctors removed his kidneys, pancreas and liver
for transplant.
Kopp had served two tours of duty in Iraq when he left this spring for Afghanistan. On July 10, his unit
attacked a Taliban haven in Helmand province, according to the 75th Ranger Regiment. The fight lasted
several hours, resulting in the deaths of more than 10 Taliban fighters, but Kopp was shot in the leg.
He was eventually transferred to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.
"Initially, it was really comforting to have him be there" on U.S. soil, Stephenson said. "And then it was
tough to see him in that condition. . . . He looked like a big, strong guy. But he was full of tubes and cords
and wires."
On July 18, Stephenson posted an online journal entry telling family and friends about Kopp's passing and
said they would donate his organs.
Maria Burud, Stephenson's first cousin in Chicago, had been following Kopp's condition on the website.
What occurred next was happenstance.
Burud and Meikle are friends who had worked together in the 1980s. Burud knew that Meikle needed a heart
transplant, and Stephenson happened to see her cousin's message in time.
Meikle knew it might not work out, that Kopp's heart might not be a match.
"It's a million-to-one shot," she said.
It had taken her seven months to get on the eligibility list because she needed to build up a tolerance for
heparin, a drug used to prevent blood clots during heart surgery.
But she got a call later that day from Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
In the early hours of July 20 — two days after Kopp died — Meikle had her transplant surgery at
Northwestern.
"Ben and Jill were so courageous that something good came out of something that was the worst thing that
could happen to someone," Meikle said.
"I'm just the luckiest woman alive."
Aug 4, 2009 11:56 am US/Central
Fallen Soldier Gives Heart To Winnetka Woman
Cpl. Benjamin Kopp Mourned As Hero
ROSEMOUNT, Minn. (CBS) ― A fallen soldier from Minnesota is being remembered as a hero. Army Cpl.
Benjamin Kopp was wounded in battle in Afghanistan last month, and died eight days later. But now, his
heart lives on in a woman from north suburban Winnetka.
During a memorial, soldiers who fought beside Kopp talked about their final moments with a man who
forever changed lives.
"I told him I was proud of him, and that he was my hero, and that I loved him," Spc. Ryan Lundeby of the
75th Ranger Regiment said at the service.
"I know now I will always have someone watching my life," added Spc. Chase Vanderhule, who said Kopp
would be his "ranger in the sky."
Officers who spoke at the funeral said Kopp's leadership under direct fire from Taliban fighters, saved the
lives of six of his fellow Rangers.
But they weren't the only lives he saved.
Cpl. Kopp wanted to donate his organs, and he did – to a woman from Winnetka. Judy Meikle, 57, received
his heart.
"She has not had warm hands in months; in years. Her hands are now warm. Her color is much better."
It's the type of news that makes the grieving process a little easier for Kopp's mom, Jill Stephenson. She
says her son put his family and friends above everything.
To get the news that his heart lives on in someone else makes this a little easier.
"She has not had warm hands in months or even years," said Meikle's friend, Paul Weatherhead. "Now she
has warm hands and her color is better."
It's the type of news that makes the grieving process a little easier for Kopp's mom, Jill Stephenson. She
says her son put his family and friends above everything- to get the news that his heart lives on in someone
else makes this a little easier.
"It stopped me in my tracks, I couldn't walk. I kind of go back there now just thinking about it," Stephenson
said. "To experience that joy along with my sorrow, that's got to be what a miracle feels like. It's wonderful.
It's wonderful."
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Cpl. Benjamin Kopp died in Afghanistan, but Judy
Meikle of Winnetka received his heart. CBS
Corporal Benjamin Kopp: The Heart of a Ranger
By Robbie Cooper ⋅ August 9, 2009
Filed Under Military
My admiration and respect for the men and women who serve in our military is no secret.
My favorite quote has long been:
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic
feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is
willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature, and
has no chance of being free unless made or kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
And I make no pretense about it — the men and women who serve to keep us free are — as a whole —
better men than those who have not borne the burden of keeping us free and safe.
Men like Corp. Benjamin Kopp (via BlackFive and also posted by Michelle Malkin), a US Army Ranger.
From the Ranger Creed:
Recognizing that I volunteered as a Ranger, fully knowing the hazards of my chosen profession, I will
always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor, and high “esprit de corps” of my Ranger Regiment..
Corp. Kopp definitely lived up to the Ranger Creed. And so much more:
Kopp was seriously wounded during a combat operation in southern Afghanistan, July 10. Kopp was
medically evacuated through Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany to Walter Reed Medical
Center, Washington, D.C., where he died as a result of his wounds July 18. His unit had attacked into a
Taliban safe haven where they fought a determined enemy from multiple directions for several hours,
resulting in the killing of more than 10 Taliban fighters.
Kopp was on his third deployment in support of the War on Terror with two previous deployments to Iraq.
But the story does not end there:
ROSEMOUNT, Minn. – Army Ranger Benjamin Kopp died last month after being wounded in Afghanistan,
but a part of the Minnesota soldier lives on.
His family agreed to donate his organs, and now a 57-year-old Chicago woman feels privileged to have
received the Rosemount soldier’s heart.
Judy Meikle says she got a call about Kopp’s death two weeks ago from the soldier’s cousin, who’s her close
friend. His heart was a perfect match for Meikle.
She says she now has the heart of an Army Ranger who’s a bona fide hero.
I can’t tell you how thankful I am for Corp. Kopp’s sacrifice. But I’m also exceptionally thankful that Mrs.
Meikle knows and understands the honor of that particular heart now beating in her chest.
The Heart of a Hero Beats On
'The Worst Thing That Could Happen' Becomes Another's Chance to Live
By Mark Berman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Cpl. Benjamin Kopp gave his life. And then he saved one.
An Army Ranger who had been on his third tour of duty, Kopp was buried Friday at Arlington National
Cemetery. Sadly, it's a familiar story: a young man dead before his time, shot by unnamed enemies on the
other side of the world.
But this time, there was a renewed life, too. Kopp wanted to be an organ donor. And after he died, his heart
was transplanted into a family member's friend who had a rare form of congenital heart disease.
"How can you have a better heart?" said a grateful Judy Meikle, 57, of Winnetka, Ill., who is still recovering
from the surgery. "I have the heart of a 21-year-old Army Ranger war hero beating in me."
Kopp's mother, Jill Stephenson of Rosemount, Minn., said that in addition to her son's heart, doctors
removed his kidneys, pancreas and liver for transplant.
"It helps my sorrow; it eases my pain. It really does," Stephenson said. "I know that Ben wanted to help save
lives . . . and it really prolongs Ben's life and honors his memory so much and honors me in that we could
save other lives."
Kopp had served two tours of duty in Iraq when he left this spring for Afghanistan. On July 10, his unit
attacked a Taliban safe haven in Helmand province, according to the 75th Ranger Regiment. The fight lasted
several hours, resulting in the deaths of more than 10 Taliban fighters, but Kopp was shot in the leg.
He was flown to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany before being transferred to Walter Reed
Army Medical Center in the District.
"Initially, it was really comforting to have him be there" on U.S. soil, Stephenson said. "And then it was
tough to see him in that condition. . . . He looked like a big strong guy. But he was full of tubes and cords
and wires."
The doctors at Walter Reed raised the possibility of organ donation with Stephenson, but she said there was
never much question that it would happen. Kopp had talked about it and indicated his preference both on his
driver's license and in his living will with the Rangers. And organ donation wasn't something new for the
family.
"I lost a brother 27 years ago. He was only 11, and our family donated his organs," Stephenson said. "And I
had that sitting in my heart all these years."
On July 18, Stephenson posted an online journal entry telling family and friends about Kopp's passing and
said that they were going to donate his organs.
Maria Burud, Stephenson's first cousin in Chicago, had been following Kopp's condition on the Web site.
What occurred next was happenstance.
Burud and Meikle are friends who had worked together in the 1980s. Burud knew that Meikle needed a heart
transplant, and Stephenson happened to see her cousin's message in time.
Stephenson had been told that the family could designate an organ recipient if the person was eligible for a
transplant. At the time, Stephenson didn't think she knew anyone on the eligibility list.
"It's a pretty unusual coincidence that somebody knows somebody who needs a heart," said Dr. Michael
Shapiro, chair of the Organ Transplantation Network/United Network for Organ Sharing ethics committee.
Meikle knew it might not work out, that Kopp's heart might not be a match. "It's a million-to-one shot," she
said. It had taken her seven months to get on the eligibility list because she needed to build up a tolerance for
heparin, a drug used to prevent blood clots during heart surgery. But she got a call later that day from
Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
In the early hours of July 20 -- two days after Kopp died -- Meikle had her transplant surgery at
Northwestern. She is resting at home in Winnetka, a Chicago suburb. She was on the heart transplant waiting
list for 77 days, less than a third of the national average time. (Across the country there were 2,861
candidates on the waiting list for a heart transplant as of July 31, the latest data available from the Organ
Procurement and Transplantation Network.)
"Ben and Jill were so courageous that something good came out of something that was the worst thing that
could happen to someone," Meikle said. "I'm just the luckiest woman alive."
At Arlington on Friday, Kopp's friends and family gathered on the southern side of Section 60, where many
of the fallen from Iraq and Afghanistan are buried. Among the mourners were Secretary of Defense Robert
M. Gates, Secretary of the Army Pete Geren and Minnesota Sen. Al Franken (D), who is from St. Louis
Park, the same town as Kopp's mother.
Kopp's mother and father, Duane Kopp, were handed folded flags. Stephenson clutched her flag as her
boyfriend, Pat Vos, tried to console her. Kopp's father slowly ran his hands over the blue material dotted
with white stars.
Several Rangers from Kopp's unit had come up from Fort Benning on Thursday. "They're Ben's brothers.
Those are his brothers-in-arms, and those guys are all very shook up about losing Ben," Stephenson said.
"They've all sworn that I've gained them as sons now."
As the funeral ended, they lined up to greet their comrade's parents, a series of uniformed men in tan berets,
bowing as they offered hands and hugs from aching hearts.
Cpl Benjamin Stephen Kopp
July 23rd, 2009
Born: January 20, 1988
Died: July 18, 2009 in Washington, D.C.
Cpl Benjamin S. Kopp of Rosemount, Minnesota attended Rosemount High School graduating
in 2006 where he played football and lifted weights. Ben was an only child and he had a great
sense of right and wrong. He developed an interest in history, partly due to one of his greatgrandfathers’ who had a lot of medals that were on display in his home. Ben was curious
about them and where they came from. He would listen to the stories that the elder veteran
had to tell about where he went and what he did. That curiosity became respect and
admiration. After graduating, Ben enlisted in the Army in July 2006. He began his Army
Ranger career when he was assigned to Company C, 3rd Battalion., where he served as a
rifleman. Ben was serving his first tour in Afghanistan after already serving two tours in Iraq.
Ben was injured July 10 while serving in Afghanistan. He received treatment immediately in
the field, but a loss of blood caused him to go into cardiac arrest on the operating table at the
battalion surgical center. Ben was transported to Landstuhl, Germany and then to Walter
Reed Medical Center where he died one week later. He is survived by his mother Jill
Stephenson and his father Duane Kopp. Ben continued to be a hero even after death. In his
desire to be an organ donor, his mother made sure that his wish was fulfilled. His heart went
to a woman diagnosed with a heart condition who was placed on a transplant list. Benjamin
gave his life for his country, and even in death he continued to give.
Army
3rd Battalion
75th Ranger Regiment
Fort Benning, Georgia
Burial is at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia – Sec 60 Site 9088
Benjamin Stephen Kopp
Corporal, United States Army
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release
IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 535-09
July 20, 2009
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was
supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Corporal Benjamin S. Kopp, 21, of Rosemount, Minnesota, died July 18, 2009,
at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington of wounds suffered July
10, 2009, in Helmand province, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his unit
using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger
Regiment, Fort Benning, Georia.
For more information, contact the U.S. Army Special Operations Command
public affairs office at (910) 432-6005.
16 July 2006:
Ben Kopp has been a fighter since the day he was born. Right now he’s in a
fight for his life.
The 2006 Rosemount High School graduate is in an induced coma this week in
Washington, D.C.’s Walter Reed Medical Center. Doctors are trying to reduce
swelling in his brain, the result of a gunshot wound he received July 10 while
serving in Afghanistan.
This was Kopp’s first tour in Afghanistan after two in Iraq.
Kopp’s mother, Jill Stephenson, doesn’t know much about the details of how
her son was injured. Because he’s an Army Ranger much of what he does is
classified. But she knows a bullet hit the area around her son’s knee. And she
knows what happened next. And that’s what’s important to her right now.
Jill Stephenson and her son, Benjamin S. Kopp - Family Photo
Kopp received treatment immediately in the field, Stephenson said. But
according to information she posted on the web site caringbridge.com a bullet
had hit her son’s secondary femoral artery. The loss of blood caused him to go
into cardiac arrest on the operating table at a battalion surgical center. Doctors
cut open his chest to perform CPR.
Kopp still hasn’t woken up.
From Afghanistan Kopp was transported to Landstuhl, Germany and then to
Walter Reed. Stephenson joined him there June 14 and she’s stayed by his side
ever since. She hasn’t seen any reaction from him since she arrived. But she
continues to pray.
It’s her faith, she said, that kept her from worrying while her son was deployed.
“I believe that God takes care of us all,” she said. “It’s not my job to worry. It’s
his job to worry.”
Stephenson found out about her son’s injury in a phone call the afternoon of
June 10.
“It was shocking,” she said. “It instantly made me feel sick. It’s the phone call
that every soldier’s mother doesn’t want to get.”
According to a journal Stephenson posted July 15 on the CaringBridge site,
Kopp is currently in the intensive care unit at Walter Reed. He’s been
diagnosed with cerebral hypoxia, defined as a lack of oxygen to the outer part of
the brain. The condition is the result of the blood loss Kopp suffered and it is
causing his brain to swell. Treating it requires keeping Kopp in a medicallyinduced coma.
“He is full of tubes and wires and cords and bags and bandages and tape and
everything you can imagine the most critical person to look like,” Stephenson
wrote online. “We have to wait and see what happens over the next day or two.
We still need a miracle.”
There are plenty of people praying for that miracle. More than 3,400 people
have visited the CaringBridge site since Stephenson created it Sunday. A
guestbook on the site includes 241 messages from friends, family, fellow soldiers
and complete strangers.
This isn’t the first time Kopp has had to fight for life. That started the day he
was born.
Stephenson had a difficult labor, and after 72 hours doctors decided to deliver
by cesarean section. They gave Stephenson morphine to stop the labor, but that
caused Kopp’s heart rate to drop. He wasn’t breathing when he was born, and
Stephenson said the fact he recovered amazed his doctors.
“Ben has always been up for a challenge,” Stephenson said. “He came into the
world a fighter.”
This just might be his biggest fight yet.
July 20 2009:
Minnesotan injured in Afghanistan dies
Army Ranger Ben Kopp of Rosemount died Saturday at Walter Reed Medical
Center in Washington. He was wounded in battle on July 10 in Afghanistan.
By: Nathan Hansen
Courtesy of Rosemount (Minnesota) Townpages
Army Ranger Ben Kopp was born a fighter, but late last week he found a fight
he couldn’t win.
The 2006 Rosemount (Minnesota) High School graduate died Saturday, just
over a week after he was injured during fighting in Afghanistan.
Jill Stephenson, Kopp's mother, announced her son's death in a message
Saturday on a CaringBridge.org site she set up to allow people to track her
son's condition.
Kopp, 21, spent much of the last week in an induced coma in Washington,
D.C.’s Walter Reed Medical Center as doctors tried to reduce swelling in his
brain, the result of a gunshot wound he received July 10 while serving in
Afghanistan.
Kopp received treatment immediately in the field, Stephenson said. But
according to information she posted on the CaringBridge site a bullet had hit
her son’s secondary femoral artery. The loss of blood caused him to go into
cardiac arrest on the operating table at a battalion surgical center. Doctors cut
open his chest to perform CPR.
Kopp never woke up.
Stephenson found out about her son’s injury in a phone call the afternoon of
July 10.
“It was shocking,” she said. “It instantly made me feel sick. It’s the phone call
that every soldier’s mother doesn’t want to get.”
This was Kopp’s first tour in Afghanistan after two in Iraq.
According to a journal Stephenson posted July 15 on the CaringBridge site,
Kopp was diagnosed with cerebral hypoxia, defined as a lack of oxygen to the
outer part of the brain. The condition was the result of the blood loss Kopp
suffered and caused his brain to swell. Treating it required keeping Kopp in a
medically induced coma.
“He is full of tubes and wires and cords and bags and bandages and tape and
everything you can imagine the most critical person to look like,” Stephenson
wrote online. “We have to wait and see what happens over the next day or two.
We still need a miracle.”
That miracle didn’t come despite prayers and positive thoughts from thousands
of visitors to the CaringBridge site and to a tribute site set up in Kopp’s honor
on the social networking site Facebook.
As of this morning nearly 8,000 people had visited the CaringBridge site.
Stephenson said reading the messages from those visitors reminded her of the
people left fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“Please continue to say prayers for all of the men and women who so proudly
serve our country,” Stephenson wrote online. “Ben had a deep love of country
and has just left a legacy of heroism for all of us to cherish. Be as proud of him
as I was as his mother.”
There will be services for Kopp in Minnesota, though details are not yet
available. He has requested to be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.
This wasn’t the first time Kopp has had to fight for life. That started the day he
was born.
Stephenson had a difficult labor, and after 72 hours doctors decided to deliver
by cesarean section. They gave Stephenson morphine to stop the labor, but that
caused Kopp’s heart rate to drop. He wasn’t breathing when he was born, and
Stephenson said the fact he recovered amazed his doctors.
Kopp played special teams on the Rosemount football team and he enjoyed
lifting weights. But he had to fight to graduate from high school, too. He was
short of credits in his senior year, and he finished his high school career at an
area learning center — an alternative for students who struggle in traditional
schools. He was still short one credit near the end of his senior year, so he
returned to Rosemount Middle School, where he’d once done some service to
make amends for a scale he’d broken. He asked principal Mary Thompson if he
could get one credit for that work, and she agreed. Credits made up, Kopp got
his diploma.
Stephenson said her son’s decision to join the Army was inspired by his great
grandfather, who’d served in World War II. He liked the idea of serving his
country, Stephenson said. He joined the Rangers because he knew they were
tough.
“Ben has always been up for a challenge,” Stephenson said. “He came into the
world a fighter.”
This last fight was just one he couldn’t win.
20 July 2009:
An Army Ranger from Rosemount, Minnesota, died from injuries he suffered
in a battle in Afghanistan earlier this month. Ben Kopp is the fifth Minnesota
troop member to die in recent days.
Kopp was shot in the leg during combat July 10. He had been undergoing
treatment at Walter Reed Medical Center. But over the weekend, his mother,
Jill Stephenson, posted news of his death on his CaringBridge web site.
She said that he had not regained consciousness since going into cardiac arrest
after being treated for heavy bleeding.
Kopp's friends were surprised to hear of his passing.
Carly Jauman said, "When I heard the news it was really, really shocking. I
really thought he would be ok."
His friends said he had a big personality and an even bigger heart and he only
wanted to serve. That giving spirit continued in his death. His mother said his
organs were donated.
Kopp served two tours in Iraq before his tour in Afghanistan.
Rosemount soldier dies after sustaining injury in Afghanistan
By Katie Mintz Courtesy of the Minnesota Sun Newspapers
Monday, July 20, 2009
A Rosemount soldier has passed away after sustaining injuries while fighting in
Afghanistan.
Army Ranger Benjamin Kopp, a 2006 Rosemount High School graduate, was
removed from life support Saturday, July 18, 2009, at Walter Reed Army
Medical Center in Washington, D.C., according to a CaringBridge website
maintained by his mother, Jill Stephenson of Rosemount.
Kopp, 21, was shot in the leg Friday, July 10, 2009, during a combat operation,
according to a journal entry on CaringBridge. The bullet severed an artery,
causing excessive blood lost. Kopp went into cardiac arrest while undergoing
surgery at the battalion surgical center. He was transferred to Germany July 13
and arrived at Walter Reed July 14, where he was in an induced coma.
"Ben had a deep love of country and has just left a legacy of heroism for all of
us to cherish," Stephenson wrote Saturday. "Be as proud of him as I was as his
mother. I have been blessed for 21 years with a beautiful young man who came
to be loved by thousands. I thank God for sharing him with me and for allowing
him to die proud."
His organs will be donated. Kopp requested to be buried at Arlington National
Cemetery.
Benjamin Kopp, 21, died Saturday at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington,
according to family.
Kopp's mother, Jill Stephenson, announced her son's death Saturday night on a
CaringBridge.org Web site.
Stephenson wrote in a journal entry that Kopp died at Walter Reed Army
Medical Center in Washington D.C., where he had been in an induced coma
and on a ventilator.
Kopp had been hit in the popliteal artery behind the knee. He went into surgery
in a battalion surgical center, Stephenson wrote, and then went into cardiac
arrest due to excessive blood loss. Doctors performed CPR, and he was revived,
she said.
He was kept sedated and on ventilator during surgery to repair the damage to
the artery and popliteal vein, she said, but he never woke up. Stephenson said as
her son's condition grew worse, doctors "began preparing us to make a
decision."
"In their best medical opinion, Ben's brain could not sustain itself to any level
of normalcy and if he survived, his quality of life would be poor, at best," she
wrote. "We came to terms with the reality of his fate and began talking about
organ donation."
A service will be held in Minnesota, Stephenson said, and that Kopp has
requested to be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.
"Ben had a deep love of country and has just left a legacy of heroism for all of
us to cherish," she wrote.
"Be as proud of him as I was as his mother. I have been blessed for 21 years
with a beautiful young man who came to be loved by thousands. I thank God
for sharing him with me and for allowing him to die proud."
Obituary: Corporal Benjamin Kopp
Monday, 27 July 2009
Corporal Benjamin Stephen Kopp of Rosemount died July 18, 2009, at Walter
Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., from wounds suffered on July
10, 2009, in Afghanistan.
Ben had a deep love of country and was proud to serve and defend the freedoms
of our beautiful America. Ben was a true friend to all who knew him and
honored his compassion for people by being an organ donor. He had a great
sense of humor, an infectious smile and loved life. He was a shining example of
patriotism and selflessness and will be sorely missed. His proud and giving
spirit will live on in all who knew him and in those who have received his
organs.
Ben graduated from Rosemount High School in 2006 and left for Fort Benning
one month later. He was assigned to Company C, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger
Regiment, where he served as a rifleman.
He distinguished himself with the Army Achievement Medal with two awards,
Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign
Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the army Service Ribbon,
Parachutist Badge and the Ranger Tab.
Posthumously, Ben has been awarded the Bronze Star with Valor, The
Meritorious Service Medal and a Purple Heart.
He is survived by mother, Jill Stephenson; father, Duane Kopp; maternal
grandfather, John Burud; maternal grandmother, Mary (Ray) Barnes; paternal
grandmother, Donna (and the late Paul) Kopp; special great-grandmother,
Marian Rogers; brothers-in-arms of the 75th Ranger Regiment of the United
States Army; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
Funeral services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, August 1, 2009, at
Rosemount High School, 3335 142nd Street West. Visitation and reviewal is
Friday, July 31, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Henry W. Anderson Mortuary, 14850
Garrett Ave., Apple Valley. Interment with full military honors will take place
at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.
Memorials are requested to the Lead The Way Fund, www.leadthewayfund.org
, Caring Bridge, www.caringbridge.org and The Ben Kopp Memorial Fund in
care of Wells Fargo Bank.
2 August 2009:
A woman from Winnetka has received a life-saving transplant, thanks to a
fallen soldier's family. It's a story of dual sacrifice.
Judy Meikle was recovering at home Sunday, just a few days after a heart
transplant she had less than two weeks ago. The very active 57-year-old says she
feels like the luckiest person in the world.
"I have a heart of a 22-year-old Army Ranger who was a bonafide hero in me.
It is so amazing," she told ABC7 Chicago in an exclusive interview.
The heart now beating strongly inside Meikel is that of Ben Kopp, an Army
ranger from Minnesota. While serving in Afghanistan, Kopp was involved in a
firefight with the Taliban on July 10. After saving the lives of six of his
comrades, Kopp was shot. Days later, he died.
However, Kopp's heroism on the battlefield continued in death. He wanted to be
an organ donor, and his mother made sure it happened.
"It's absolutely amazing that she, in the darkest hours of life, put other people
first," Meikle said.
After being diagnosed with a heart condition she never knew she had, Meikel
was placed on a transplant list a few months ago. Two weeks ago, she got a
phone call from her close friend, Maria Burud, saying that her cousin, Ben
Kopp, had died and was donating his organs.
"I just didn't think it was going to happen," said Meikle. "This is one shot in a
million. Forget about it."
Despite the doubts, Ben's heart was a match. Meikel was in and out of surgery
in less than five hours, and now, she's home with friends, thankful for her
second chance and grateful for a soldier who was a true hero.
"Ben's life was fighting for his country. He died with honor saving lives, but
then to add this-- it's icing on the cake," Maria Burud said.
"I never exercised. I keep saying when I jog on the street, they know it is Ben
and not me," Meikle said.
Ben Kopp's funeral was held Saturday, and he will be buried Friday in
Arlington National Cemetery.
Kopp enlisted in the Army three years ago. He served several tours of duty in
the Mideast and eventually joined the Army's Elite Light Infrantry Corps., the
Rangers. His unit was assigned to Afghanistan in May.
So far, Kopp's mother, Jill Stephenson, and Judy Meikel have communicated
via email only, but they plan to meet sometime this year. Stephenson says she
wants to spend the holidays in Chicago where her son's heart is.
The Heart of a Hero Beats On
'The Worst Thing That Could Happen' Becomes Another's Chance to Live
By Mark Berman
Courtesy of The Washington Post
Saturday, August 8, 2009
An Army Ranger who had been on his third tour of duty, Kopp was buried
Friday at Arlington National Cemetery. Sadly, it's a familiar story: a young
man dead before his time, shot by unnamed enemies on the other side of the
world.
But this time, there was a renewed life, too. Kopp wanted to be an organ donor.
And after he died, his heart was transplanted into a family member's friend
who had a rare form of congenital heart disease.
"How can you have a better heart?" said a grateful Judy Meikle, 57, of
Winnetka, Illinois, who is still recovering from the surgery. "I have the heart of
a 21-year-old Army Ranger war hero beating in me."
Kopp's mother, Jill Stephenson of Rosemount, Minnesota, said that in addition
to her son's heart, doctors removed his kidneys, pancreas and liver for
transplant.
"It helps my sorrow; it eases my pain. It really does," Stephenson said. "I know
that Ben wanted to help save lives . . . and it really prolongs Ben's life and
honors his memory so much and honors me in that we could save other lives."
Kopp had served two tours of duty in Iraq when he left this spring for
Afghanistan. On July 10, 2009, his unit attacked a Taliban safe haven in
Helmand province, according to the 75th Ranger Regiment. The fight lasted
several hours, resulting in the deaths of more than 10 Taliban fighters, but
Kopp was shot in the leg.
He was flown to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany before being
transferred to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in the District.
"Initially, it was really comforting to have him be there" on U.S. soil,
Stephenson said. "And then it was tough to see him in that condition. . . . He
looked like a big strong guy. But he was full of tubes and cords and wires."
The doctors at Walter Reed raised the possibility of organ donation with
Stephenson, but she said there was never much question that it would happen.
Kopp had talked about it and indicated his preference both on his driver's
license and in his living will with the Rangers. And organ donation wasn't
something new for the family.
"I lost a brother 27 years ago. He was only 11, and our family donated his
organs," Stephenson said. "And I had that sitting in my heart all these years."
On July 18, Stephenson posted an online journal entry telling family and
friends about Kopp's passing and said that they were going to donate his
organs.
Maria Burud, Stephenson's first cousin in Chicago, had been following Kopp's
condition on the Web site. What occurred next was happenstance.
Burud and Meikle are friends who had worked together in the 1980s. Burud
knew that Meikle needed a heart transplant, and Stephenson happened to see
her cousin's message in time.
Stephenson had been told that the family could designate an organ recipient if
the person was eligible for a transplant. At the time, Stephenson didn't think
she knew anyone on the eligibility list.
"It's a pretty unusual coincidence that somebody knows somebody who needs a
heart," said Dr. Michael Shapiro, chair of the Organ Transplantation
Network/United Network for Organ Sharing ethics committee.
Meikle knew it might not work out, that Kopp's heart might not be a match.
"It's a million-to-one shot," she said. It had taken her seven months to get on
the eligibility list because she needed to build up a tolerance for heparin, a drug
used to prevent blood clots during heart surgery. But she got a call later that
day from Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
In the early hours of July 20 -- two days after Kopp died -- Meikle had her
transplant surgery at Northwestern. She is resting at home in Winnetka, a
Chicago suburb. She was on the heart transplant waiting list for 77 days, less
than a third of the national average time. (Across the country there were 2,861
candidates on the waiting list for a heart transplant as of July 31, the latest data
available from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.)
"Ben and Jill were so courageous that something good came out of something
that was the worst thing that could happen to someone," Meikle said. "I'm just
the luckiest woman alive."
At Arlington on Friday, Kopp's friends and family gathered on the southern
side of Section 60, where many of the fallen from Iraq and Afghanistan are
buried. Among the mourners were Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates,
Secretary of the Army Pete Geren and Minnesota Senator Al Franken (D), who
is from St. Louis Park, the same town as Kopp's mother.
Kopp's mother and father, Duane Kopp, were handed folded flags. Stephenson
clutched her flag as her boyfriend, Pat Vos, tried to console her. Kopp's father
slowly ran his hands over the blue material dotted with white stars.
Several Rangers from Kopp's unit had come up from Fort Benning on
Thursday. "They're Ben's brothers. Those are his brothers-in-arms, and those
guys are all very shook up about losing Ben," Stephenson said. "They've all
sworn that I've gained them as sons now."
As the funeral ended, they lined up to greet their comrade's parents, a series of
uniformed men in tan berets, bowing as they offered hands and hugs from
aching hearts.
NOTE: With regard to the following story, the Webmaster has
learned that what the family saw on the day of Corporal Kopp's
funeral was not a caisson platoon practicing, but rather a
caisson platoon returning to the barn at Fort Myer after taking
part in a funeral at the Columbarium near Section 60 in
Arlington National Cemetery. The reason that they saw a blackcovered casket on the caisson is that when cremated remains
are transported to the Columbarium, they are contained in an
empty casket covered with the American Flag. The burial flag
is removed at the Columbarium with the urn containing the
individual's remains and the caisson then returns the Fort Myer
with the empty casket which is then covered only in black
mourning cloth.
Senators seek answers
By Bob Baird
Courtesy of LoHud.Com
August 13, 2009
There was no horse-drawn caisson for Army Ranger Ben Kopp, who gave his
life to save several members of his unit during a firefight in Afghanistan.
When he was buried Friday in Arlington National Cemetery, a hearse carried
his casket to his grave, followed by a long procession.
His mother, Jill Stephenson, had wanted a full honor funeral for her son, in
view of his sacrifice for his country. But despite her wishes and the efforts of
many to see that happen, she was forced amid her grief to settle for less.
She had been advised that the full honor funeral was not possible because there
simply wasn't a horse and caisson available unless she was prepared to delay
her son's burial for as long as six to eight weeks.
Kopp, who grew up in Minnesota, was shot through his leg and lost so much
blood that his heart stopped. Brought back to life on the battlefield, he was
taken to Germany, then to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.
His mom was at his side, joined by Greg Tobin, a retired Clarkstown police
officer and Nanuet Fire Department Volunteer. Tobin had met Kopp and other
Rangers when visiting his Ranger son, now on his third deployment in the war
zone.
Tobin took up the cause of getting a horse and caisson elements of a full honor
funeral — for a young man who called him Pops. Not succeeding, even after
contacting anyone he could think of, including Rep. Eliot Engel and Sen.
Charles Schumer, he says, is perhaps one of the biggest failures of my life.”
But Stephenson has been appreciative of his efforts, telling him in an e-mail,
“I'm giving you an A+++, a blue ribbon, a gold medal and anything else that
rewards tenacious efforts.” She had never, she wrote, had anything in her life
brought to the attention of senators and congressmen.
“I can only hope that my full story will bring the issue to light, she wrote to him.
“It makes me wonder why our national cemetery has only two caissons
available for use with full honor funerals, forcing families to wait a ridiculous
amount of time to have their loved one's service.”
She just couldn't wait.
And Friday there was more reason for pain a reason that registered even with
the newest senator, Al Franken of Minnesota, Ben Kopp's home state.
He attended the funeral and became aware of the caisson issue from Greg
Tobin in the family waiting area at Arlington. Franken had no idea of the
injustice, Tobin says, and promised to do what he could to correct it.
Of course, that couldn't come in time for Ben Kopp or his mother, but what
happened on the way to his grave only worsened matters.
As the procession moved toward Arlington's Section 60, Tobin says, they saw a
horse-drawn caisson about 100 yards away on a training detail.
What they saw wasn’t lost on Franken. On Tuesday, Franken wrote to John C.
Metzler, superintendent of Arlington Cemetery.
Kopp’s mother had been told he would receive a full honor funeral, Franken
wrote, only to be informed later that there would be no horse and caisson
available until October and so received a standard honor burial.”
“But on Friday,” Franken's letter goes on, and to their dismay, the family
viewed the horse and caisson unit practicing their procedural routine on the
periphery of Corporal Kopp's funeral.”
That was, he went on, “an intolerable and undue burden on a family that is
already mourning the loss of a loved one, and the perception left by this incident
is unbecoming and unacceptable.” Franken asked why the same, or similar,
horse and caisson unit that was unavailable for Corporal Kopp's funeral was
practicing near his funeral procession.”
He further wants steps taken to significantly reduce the unacceptably long wait
for a full honor procession for those who have given so much to our country.”
Schumer, whose office had been working with Greg Tobin, also wrote Metzler,
noting a policy change early this year. “As I understand it, there was a change
in policy effective January 1, 2009 where all soldiers killed in action (KIA)
would receive full military honors at Arlington. To provide these honors
requires the availability of horse and caisson, band, colors team and escort
platoon. Since the change in policy, has there been any increase in resources
available to provide full military honors at funerals? If not, what are your
estimates for resources you would require to expedite the too-long wait for full
military honor interments?”
Schumer went on: “I know you share my belief that our military families
deserve the best, especially during what is usually the most agonizing time of
their lives. But drawing out this period with extensive wait times to properly
honor an American hero ... is unacceptable.”
He offered to work with Metzler to identify resources that could address what
he described as this unfortunate situation.”
He concluded: Families should never need to choose between full military
honors and a timely funeral.”
Jill Stephenson hopes their interest and pressure will prevent other parents
having to wait in line for weeks, maybe months.
“If Ben's passing changes this, then I will add it to the list of prayers he gave
away to help others.”
And help others he did, in life and death.
There are those buddies, the ones wounded in the firefight where he suffered
what would prove to be mortal wounds.
And there's Judy Meikle, who lives in the suburbs of Chicago. Meikle was a
robust, active woman until about a year ago, when her health took a turn as a
result of what proved to be a congenital heart problem. Before long, it became
clear she would need a heart transplant, and soon.
Last month, in Ben Kopp's final hours, one of Stephenson's relatives told her
about her friend, Judy Meikle.
When the time came to fulfill her son's wish to donate his organs to benefit
others, Stephenson made his heart available to Meikle through the transplant
protocol.
On Monday, the two women met each other when they were interviewed by
Harry Smith on the CBS Early Show. Meikle was thankful for her gift of life
and Stephenson was honored that part of her son was living, making Meikle
healthy again.
Members of the U.S. Army 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment march during the funeral of U.S.
Army
Corporal Benjamin S. Kopp at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, August 7, 2009
The casket of Corporal Benjamin Stephen Kopp of the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger
Regiment, is carried during
funeral services, Friday, August 7, 2009, at Arlington National Cemetery
Defense Secretary Robert Gates, center, left, and Army Secretary Pete Geren, center,
attend funeral services
for Corporal Benjamin Stephen Kopp of the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment,
Friday, August 7, 2009, at Arlington National Cemetery
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (C) places his hand on his heart as members
of the U.S. Army 3rd U.S. Infantry
Regiment carry the casket containing U.S. Army Corporal Benjamin S. Kopp during
his funeral
at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, August 7, 2009
Members of the U.S. Army 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment carry the casket containing U.S.
Army Corporal Benjamin S. Kopp
during his funeral at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, August 7, 2009
Members of the U.S. Army 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment fold the flag draping the casket
containing U.S. Army
Corporal Benjamin S. Kopp during his funeral at Arlington National Cemetery in
Virginia, August 7, 2009
Members of the U.S. Army 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment fold the flag draping the casket
containing U.S. Army
Corporal Benjamin S. Kopp during s funeral at Arlington National Cemetery in
Virginia, August 7, 2009
Jill Stephenson, (2nd R), mother of U.S. Army Corporal Benjamin S. Kopp, shakes
hands with U.S. Secretary of Defense
Robert Gates (R) while Kopp's father, Duane Kopp, (L), sits during his funeral at
Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, August 7, 2009
Defense Secretary Robert Gates talks with Duane Kopp, father of Corporal Benjamin
Stephen Kopp of the 3rd Battalion, 75th
Ranger Regiment, during funeral services, Friday, August 7, 2009, at Arlington
National Cemetery
Specialist Ryan Lundeby, gives Duane Kopp, father of Corp. Benjamin Stephen Kopp
of the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger
Regiment, a hug during funeral services, Friday, August 7, 2009, at Arlington National
Cemetery
Specialist Ryan Lundeby, right, gives Jill Stephenson, hidden, mother of Corporal
Benjamin Stephen Kopp
of the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, a hug during funeral services, Friday,
August 7, 2009, at Arlington National Cemetery
Members of the 75th Ranger Regiment, right, greet Jill Stephenson, mother of
Corporal Benjamin Stephen Kopp of the
3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, during funeral services, Friday, August 7, 2009,
at Arlington National Cemetery
KOPP, BENJAMIN STEPHEN
CPL US ARMY
DATE OF BIRTH: 01/20/1988
DATE OF DEATH: 07/18/2009
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 9088
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
Webmaster: Michael Robert Patterson
Posted: 20 July 2009 Updated: 23 July 2009 Updated: 27 July 2009 Updated: 3 August 2009 Updated: 7 August 2009 Updted: 13 August
2009 Updated: 26 September 2009 Updated: 30 April 2010
2010 Rose Event Photo By M. R. Patterson
Pfc. Jonathan C. Yanney
Hometown: Litchfield, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 20 years old
Died: August 18, 2009 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit: Army, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort
Lewis, Wash.
Incident: Died in Arghandab, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when a makeshift bomb detonated near his unit.
Mother asks that sacrifice of soldier from Norwood not be
forgotten
Story Published: Aug 24, 2009 at 6:11 PM CDT
Story Updated: Aug 24, 2009 at 6:15 PM CDT
NORWOOD, Mo. -- This Wright County town is mourning the loss of a young hero. A roadside bomb killed
Pfc. Jonathan Yanney in Afghanistan last week.
The quiet hum of life in Norwood is about as far as you can get from the fields of Afghanistan.
"This has been the worst week of my life,” said Jane Yanney, the soldier’s mother.
The pain of that war has made the journey halfway around the world.
"Jonathan wasn't supposed to die,” she said.
Yanney was 20 years old and doing a job he loved when an explosive took his life on Aug. 18. He was one
month into his first tour of duty.
"He was afraid of going to Afghanistan to begin with. He had all kinds of mixed emotions but he was ready,”
said Jane Yanney.
Yanney's determination was a trait earned early. Yanney's teachers and coaches say they saw it in his
assignments, and on the baseball diamond. His friend Mike Gunter drove an hour to talk about it.
“I goofed off in school; I said, ‘You should goof off in school.’ He said, ‘No, there's a time and a place for
that.’ I learned that from him. I grew up when we became friends,” said Gunter.
Yanney's old soul may have been the reason he decided to serve.
“He didn't like the fighting. He never did. He was the peacekeeper. He really was,” his mother said.
For that reason, the mother of this soldier asks one thing: that people never forget his sacrifice.
"Just remember that he gave his life. It was something he wanted to do. And I hope people remember that,”
she said as her tears flowed.
Jane Yanney plans a local memorial for him in Norwood, but he will be buried at the Arkansas State
Veterans Cemetery.
http://www.ky3.com/news/local/54620587.html
Soldier with state ties killed in action
Slain soldier will be remembered for "his smile and desire to help and learn."
By STAFF and WIRE REPORTS, Star Tribune Last update: August 24, 2009 - 11:31 PM
Jonathan Yanney once described himself as a "pretty active" person -- "I don't like just sitting around doing
nothing."
Not long after he graduated from high school in Missouri, Yanney, who briefly lived in Litchfield, Minn.,
before enlisting, joined an Army Stryker brigade deployed to southern Afghanistan. The 20-year-old was on
his way to help another unit under fire last week when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle. The
explosion killed him and Specialist Troy O. Tom, 21, of Shiprock, N.M.
"Extremely driven," was how his high school principal, Marcella Swatosh, described Yanney. She is
principal of Norwood High School in southern Missouri, which Yanney attended for three years.
Yanney enlisted in the Army in March 2008 and reported to Fort Lewis, Wash., six months later. He was
sent to Kandahar province, one of the most dangerous regions of Afghanistan.
On Yanney's MySpace page, his father, Russell Yanney, wrote, "Sadly, Jonathan was killed in Afghanistan
on August 18, 2009. His unit was enroute to assist another unit under fire, and his vehicle struck an IED. He
was my first-born son. I loved him very much and he will be greatly missed. His smile and desire to help and
learn will always be remembered."
Russell Yanney could not be reached for further comment. On that same MySpace page, the younger Yanney
described himself as "honest, hard-working, and a nice guy."
After high school, Yanney moved to Tennessee for a short time. Samantha Lynn Fedele worked with him at
a Wendy's in Johnson City and stayed in touch after he moved to Minnesota and then deployed abroad.
She remembered him as outgoing and friendly. "He just had this big, bright smile," she said. "His smile
would be the very first thing you noticed."
Staff writer Paul Walsh and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Fellow soldiers remember Tom, Yanney
Posted By Scott Fontaine on September 2, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Sgt. Troy O. Tom was the life of the party who didn’t hesitate at doing almost anything to show off in front of
friends – legendary feats that earned him the nickname "Crazy Bear."
Pfc. Jonathan C Yanney was a quiet guy who loved playing Xbox and had a great sense of humor.
Both were determined soldiers. Tom, an infantryman, once broke his hand but still lugged around his 22pound machine gun. Yanney, a forward observer, loved to be on the front lines alongside his buddies.
"Though their deaths were premature, they were able to leave their marks on many of us," chaplain Capt.
Ronaldo Silva told about 450 people at Fort Lewis’ North Fort Chapel on Wednesday for a memorial service
for Tom and Yanney, who were killed Aug. 18 when a bomb exploded near their unit in Arghandab in
Kandahar province.
Tom, 21, and Yanney, 20, were the first deaths 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division suffered since it deployed
to southeastern Afghanistan in July. Wedesday’s service was the first of its kind at Fort Lewis since
February for a soldier killed in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Seven others – all from Troy and Yanney's 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment – have since died,
including three on Monday.
Having doubts in the midst of such losses is natural, the battalion commander told his troops during a
memorial service in Afghanistan last week.
"Our training tells us not to question our nation’s mission, but somehow that isn’t quite enough," Lt. Col.
Jonathan Newman said five days after the country’s Aug. 18 presidential vote. "As we helped ensure the
country could vote this week, we saw something very positive, an accomplishment to be proud of.
Somehow democracy in Afghanistan still isn’t enough to justify these losing these two soldiers."
But, Newman said in a speech repeated Wednesday by Capt. Franky Kim, the troops much view the longterm mission and soldier on.
Wednesday’s eulogies focused on a pair of soldiers who died just weeks into their first deployment. The
chapel was at capacity as soldiers from units across the post filled the pews alongside family members to
pay their final respects.
Bagpipers played "Amazing Grace." A benediction followed the eulogies, and then a final roll call was
performed. An honor guard from the brigade fired a rifle salute, and the sound of "Taps" filled the chapel.
Spc. Kennith Cloud read a speech from Sgt. Jacob Travis, a friend of Yanney’s serving in Afghanistan.
Travis remembers Yanney as someone who preferred to play video games; the realistic war game "Call of
Duty" was a favorite.
Tom, a native of New Mexico, went by two nicknames: Tom Tom and Crazy Bear. The latter sprang in part
from experience playing with samurai swords at a friend’s house just to make his buddies laugh, Spc.
Benjamin Simmons said.
Another Crazy Bear moment involved Tom jumping on a skateboard in front of a large group to show off his
skills.
"He was a friend and a leader who inspired a calm and lighthearted mood among his soldiers," said Kim,
the battalion’s rear detachment commander. "Regardless of the situation, no matter how bad things would
get, he would always be smiling."
Two Stryker soldiers killed in Afghanistan
Posted By Scott Fontaine on August 23, 2009 at 6:42 pm
A roadside bomb explosion Tuesday killed two soldiers of a Fort Lewis Stryker brigade sent to southern
Afghanistan to battle the Taliban, the Pentagon announced Sunday.
Pfc. Jonathan C. Yanney of Litchfield, Minn., and Spc. Troy O. Tom of Shiprock, N.M., became the first
members of 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division killed since it deployed in June.
The soldiers were killed near Arghandab in Kandahar province. Tom's parents told the Associated Press
last week their 21-year-old son was killed when he stepped on a roadside bomb. His unit of the brigade's
1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, was setting up camp after a fight with Taliban insurgents earlier that
day, his parents told the news service.
The 3,900-member unit is the first Stryker brigade to deploy to Afghanistan and is a crucial part of the
Pentagon's buildup of 17,000 troops to counter the simmering insurgency in the country's south. The 5th
Brigade has troops serving in Kandahar and Zabul provinces.
They are the 318th and 319th service members with Washington ties – either from the state or assigned to
one of its military installations – to die during American military operations since 2001.
Tom, an infantryman on his first deployment, enlisted on Feb. 11, 2006 and arrived at Fort Lewis nine
months later. He received the National Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Expert
Infantryman Badge and the Parachutist Badge.
Yanney, a 20-year-old fire support specialist also on his first deployment, enlisted on March 25, 2008, and
arrived at Fort Lewis on Sept. 6, 2008. His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service
Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
Tuesday was a particularly deadly day for Washington's troops. 1st Sgt. Jose San Nicholas Crisostomo, a
long-time Spanaway resident, was killed in Kabul when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb. The last time three
or more Washington service members were killed on the same day was Nov. 18, 2007, when three soldiers
from 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division were killed on a patrol in Baqouba, Iraq.
Soldier laid to rest near grandfather’s hometown
The Associated Press
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A Minnesota soldier with Arkansas ties has been laid to rest in
North Little Rock’s Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery.
A small ceremony was held Aug. 31 for Pfc. Jonathan Yanney, 20, who died Aug. 18 in
Afghanistan after his team was hit with an improvised explosive device.
Yanney’s hometown is listed on military records as Litchfield, Minn., the same town where he
enlisted in the Army in March 2008. He attended Norwood High School in Missouri and was buried
in Arkansas at the request of his family.
His father, Russell Yanney, lives in Grapevine.
Yanney was a member of the 1st Battalion, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry
Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
Pfc. remembered as respectful, outgoing
The Associated Press
Jonathan C. Yanney once described himself on a social networking Web site as a “pretty active”
person who didn’t like “just sitting around doing nothing.”
He was a driven kid with a dry sense of humor, said Principal Marcella Swatosh of Norwood High
School in Norwood, Mo., where Yanney attended for three years.
“He was always very focused on wanting to help people, and it sounds like that’s what he was
doing,” she said.
Yanney, 20, of Litchfield, Minn., died Aug. 18 in Arghandab, Afghanistan, when an improvised
explosive detonated near his unit. He was based in Fort Lewis, Wash.
His former baseball coach, Kevin Drake, said Yanney joined the team even though he hadn’t
previously played. He said even as a slugger on the junior varsity team, Yanney had at least one
trait that’s characteristic of the military.
“Very respectful, always, ‘Yes sir, Mr. Drake,’ ” Drake said.
He was also outgoing and friendly, said Samantha Lynn Fedele, who worked with Yanney at a fast
food restaurant.
“His smile would be the very first thing you noticed,” she said.
Yanney is survived by his mother, Jane Kuhn Yanney; his father, Russ Yanney; and his brother,
Josh.
In this May 20, 2010 photo, U.S. Arm Spc. Christopher Sheffield, of Boise, Idaho, rests his head on the butt of his rifle
while riding in a Stryker on his way to a patrol with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment of the 5th
Stryker Brigade, in Afghanistan's Kandahar province. Sheffield wears a rememberance bracelet bearing the name of
his friend, Pfc. Jonathan C. Yanney, who was killed last August when he stepped on an IED while on patrol with Bravo
Company in the Arghandab valley. Yanney was of the first of 22 who were killed during the Battalion's 12-month
deployment which ends this summer.
In this May 23, 2010 photo, small tributes lie alongside a memorial photograph of U.S. Army Pfc. Jonathan C. Yanney, 20, of
Litchfield, Minn., in a tent at Frontenac base in Afghanistan. Yanney died last year in fighting in the Arghandab River Valley near
Kandahar city.Twenty-two men in the U.S. Army's 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment of 800, including Yanney, died in a yearlong
Afghan tour ending this summer. Most were killed last year in the Arghandab, a gateway to the southern city of Kandahar. About 70
were injured, all but two in bomb blasts.
August 23, 2009
Two Lewis soldiers killed in Afghanistan
MICHAEL SWAN: TWO STRYKER SOLDIERS KILLED TUESDAY >>>
The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation
Enduring Freedom. They died Aug. 18 in Arghandab, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised
explosive device detonated near their unit. The soldiers were assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry
Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, at Fort Lewis.
The Fort Lewis PAO released a statement:
FORT LEWIS, Wash. — According to the Dept. of Defense, Spc. Troy Orion Tom, 21, of Shiprock, N.M., and Pfc.
Jonathan C. Yanney, 20, of Litchfield, Minn., died Aug. 18, of wounds suffered when their vehicle encountered an
improvised explosive device in Arghandab, Afghanistan. Both Soldiers were assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry
Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.
According to unit records, Tom enlisted on Feb. 11, 2006, in Albuquerque, N.M. He entered active duty on June 14,
2006 and reported to Fort Benning, Ga., where he completed initial entry training and airborne training. He reported
to Fort Lewis on Nov. 11, 2006, and was assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment; 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry
Division. This was his first deployment.
Tom’s civilian and military education includes a high school diploma (2006), the Military Occupational Specialty 11B:
Infantryman qualification course (2006), Airborne training (2006), HAZMAT Familiarization and Safety course (2007),
and the Combatives Level I course (2007).
His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Expert Infantryman
Badge, and Parachutist Badge.
According to unit records, Yanney enlisted on March 25, 2008, in Minneapolis, Minn. He reported to Fort Knox, Ky.
for basic training on April 10, 2008, and reported to Fort Sill, Okla. for Advanced Individual Training on July 2, 2008.
He reported to Fort Lewis on Sept. 6, 2008, and was assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment; 5th Brigade,
2nd Infantry Division. This was his first deployment.
Yanney’s civilian and military education includes a high school diploma (2006), and the Military Occupational
Specialty 13F: Fire Support Specialist Qualification course (2008).
His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and
Army Service Ribbon.
On behalf of the entire Fort Lewis military and civilian community, we extend our sincere condolences to the family
and friends of Spc. Tom and Pfc. Yanney.
DREW PERINE THE NEWS TRIBUNE
Mourners file out of the North Fort Chapel following a ceremony Wednesday at Fort Lewis honoring the lives of Sgt.
Troy O. Tom and Pfc. Jonathan C. Yanney, who died Aug. 18 when their vehicle encountered an IED in Afghanistan
SCOTT FONTAINE; THE NEWS TRIBUNE
Published: 09/02/09 5:08 pm | Updated: 09/03/0910:56 am
Sgt. Troy O. Tom was the life of the party who didn’t hesitate at doing almost anything to show off in front of
friends – legendary feats that earned him the nickname “Crazy Bear.”
Pfc. Jonathan C. Yanney was a quiet guy who loved playing Xbox and had a great sense of humor.
Both were determined soldiers. Tom, an infantryman, once broke his hand but still lugged around his 22pound machine gun. Yanney, a forward observer, loved to be on the front lines alongside his buddies.
“Though their deaths were premature, they were able to leave their marks on many of us,” chaplain Capt.
Ronaldo Silva told about 450 people at Fort Lewis’ North Fort Chapel on Wednesday for a memorial service
for Tom and Yanney, who were killed Aug. 18 when a bomb exploded near their unit in Arghandab in
Kandahar province.
Tom, 21, and Yanney, 20, were the first deaths 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division suffered since it deployed
to southeastern Afghanistan in July. Wednesday’s service was the first of its kind at Fort Lewis since
February for a soldier killed in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Seven others – all from Troy and Yanney’s 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment – have since died,
including three on Monday.
Having doubts in the midst of such losses is natural, the battalion commander told his troops during a
memorial service in Afghanistan last week.
“Our training tells us not to question our nation’s mission, but somehow that isn’t quite enough,” Lt. Col.
Jonathan Newman said five days after the country’s Aug. 18 presidential vote. “As we helped ensure the
country could vote this week, we saw something very positive, an accomplishment to be proud of.
Somehow democracy in Afghanistan still isn’t enough to justify losing these two soldiers.”
But, Newman said in a speech repeated Wednesday by Capt. Franky Kim, the troops must view the longterm mission and soldier on. Wednesday’s eulogies focused on a pair of soldiers who died just weeks into
their first deployment. The chapel was at capacity as soldiers from units across the post filled the pews
alongside family members to pay their final respects.
Bagpipers played “Amazing Grace.” A benediction followed the eulogies, and then a final roll call was
performed. An honor guard from the brigade fired a rifle salute, and the sound of taps filled the chapel.
Spc. Kennith Cloud read a speech from Sgt. Jacob Travis, a friend of Yanney’s serving in Afghanistan.
Travis remembers Yanney as someone who preferred to play video games; the realistic war game “Call of
Duty” was a favorite.
Tom, a native of New Mexico, went by two nicknames: Tom Tom and Crazy Bear. The latter sprang in part
from experience playing with samurai swords at a friend’s house just to make his buddies laugh, said Spc.
Benjamin Simmons.
Another Crazy Bear moment involved Tom jumping on a skateboard in front of a large group to show off his
skills.
“He was a friend and a leader who inspired a calm and lighthearted mood among his soldiers,” said Kim, the
battalion’s rear detachment commander. “Regardless of the situation, no matter how bad things would get,
he would always be smiling.”
Scott Fontaine: 253-320-4758 scott.fontaine@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/military
Staff Sgt. Todd W. Selge
Hometown: Burnsville, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 25 years old
Died: September 3, 2009 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort
Lewis, Wash.
Incident: Died in Baqubah, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over.
Soldier's loved ones mourn Burnsville's 'Captain America'
Associated
Press - Ap
Dellona Selge speaks
of her husband, Army Staff Sgt. Todd Selge, during his funeral
service at Hosanna Lutheran Church in Lakeville.
A Burnsville soldier killed in Iraq was remembered for his tenacious spirit and devotion to family.
By MARK BRUNSWICK, Star Tribune Last update: September 16, 2009 - 8:11 PM
Any doubts that Todd Selge was a patriot were quickly dispelled at Burnsville High School shortly after the
9/11 attacks.
A senior, Selge expressed his love for country by donning a Captain America red, white and blue costume
complete with a U.S. flag as a cape. It was not long before school administrators ordered him to remove the
flag. It was a distraction, he was told.
He complied until he reached the parking lot at lunch, when the flag/cape came out again. He was spotted
and suspended for three days.
"Todd was a patriot, even then," his sister, Tracy, remembered Tuesday at his flag-draped funeral service.
Selge, 25, an Army staff sergeant serving in Iraq with a Fort Lewis, Wash.-based Stryker unit, was killed
Sept. 3 with another soldier after their vehicle rolled over in Baqubah. Having enlisted in 2004, he was on his
second deployment to Iraq, and his unit was patrolling the same area where he was shot twice in March
2007. He received the Purple Heart for his injuries and rejoined his unit three months after being wounded.
Selge's older brother, Brent, who also is serving in the Army, said his brother's compassion for his family
and tenacity as a soldier made their sibling roles reversed. Todd Selge was married to his high school
sweetheart, Dellona, and the couple had two boys, Dallas and Austin.
"I was looking up to him now, whether it was his family or how squared away a soldier he was, and he just
made me want to be a better person," Brent Selge recalled. "I've asked myself a thousand times why God
would take Todd out of us all and find comfort in knowing that Todd's faith was as strong as I've ever seen
and that if anybody was ready to go home it was him."
Lt. Michael Beliales, his platoon leader for 18 months, recalled Selge as a feisty debater but also as someone
who loved being a soldier who "loved his men to his left and to his right."
"He always demanded more from his men and always gave more to his men. That is the Todd I know,"
Beliales said.
A former platoon member, still serving in Iraq, wrote a message recounting the day Selge was wounded.
"How ya doin', Selge?" he remembered asking. Selge, mostly calm, told him: "It hurts pretty bad." Said his
colleague: "I know, man, but we're taking care of you, and nobody's going to get around that corner." Despite
the wounds, when the medivac unit arrived, Selge walked to the helicopter.
During the service, his sister had an epilogue to the Captain America incident in high school. At his
graduation ceremony, her little brother waited until his diploma was safely in hand. He then quickly pulled
out an American flag he had hidden under his gown.
"Out of a class of 900 students Todd had the courage to stand out among his peers," she said.
Mark Brunswick • 651-222-1636
September 11, 2009
Soldier with Valley ties dies in Iraq
By Howard Greninger
TERRE HAUTE — U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Todd W. Selge, 25, of Burnsville, Minn., the grandson of Paul and
Myrtle Selge and Harold and Doris Patterson, both of Terre Haute, died Sept. 3 in Baqubah, Iraq in a noncombat accident.
The U.S. Department of Defense announced the death of Selge, and Spc. Jordan M. Shay, 22, of Salisbury,
Mass., from injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. The two soldiers were assigned to the 5th Battalion,
20th Army Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
Dellona Selge, of Tacoma, Wash., Selge’s wife of nearly five years, told the Pioneer Press of St. Paul, Minn.,
that the two men were in an armed combat vehicle that fell 60 feet off of a bridge. Selge was thrown and
crushed under the vehicle, along with fellow infantryman Shay.
“He was definitely gung-ho about the military,” Dellona Selge, told the Pioneer Press, adding that her
husband planned to stay in the military until 2012 before returning to Burnsville.
Paul Selge said his son, Paul Selge III, is the father of Staff Sgt. Selge, whose older brother, Brent, is on
active duty with the Army National Guard.
“We didn’t have a chance to see him very often. We were so far apart,” Paul Selge said of his grandson
living in Tacoma, Wash.
He said his grandson’s body is to be flown back to Minnesota on Sunday, with a visitation planned for
Monday. Staff Sgt. Selge is to be buried Tuesday at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis.
“You never know. He was shot during his first tour, which was quite an experience for him. He was quite
loyal to his troops and wanted to be with them,” Paul Selge said.
Staff Sgt. Selge, in March 2007, was shot in the leg and the back about nine months into his first
deployment. He returned home for three months to heal, then rejoined his battalion. The Sept. 3 accident
happened days into his second deployment to Iraq.
Harold and Doris Patterson did not immediately respond to telephone messages left Friday at their Terre
Haute home seeking comment.
A military release states Selge enlisted July 12, 2004 at Burnsville, Minn. He reported to Fort Lewis, Wash.
on Jan. 5, 2005. He was first deployed to Iraq in June 2006. He was awarded the Purple Heart, plus several
medals including the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal (six awards) and others.
Todd and Dellona Selge met as seniors at Burnsville Senior High School, where they graduated in 2002.
After two years of college, Selge joined the military and the two were married in December 2004.
In a family statement, released from Fort Lewis, Wash., Dellona Selge said, “Todd was an awesome soldier,
a loving husband, and great father, and an unforgettable friend.
“This was his second tour to Iraq. [He] was awarded the Purple Heart during his first tour and refused to stay
stateside. ‘I need to be with my brothers’ he told me. I understood and supported him in his decision,”
Dellona Selge said.
The couple have two sons, Dallas, 6, and Austin, 2.
“Our boys loved their father and saw him as a true hero. They want to grow up and be just like him,” she
said.
His wife said Staff Sgt. Selge wrote an essay on his perspective of a soldier’s day-to-day life in Iraq. He
wrote, “‘What does the average soldier think on a daily basis? He wants to accomplish the mission. He wants
to see the smiles of the Iraqi people endure. He is grateful for everything he has back at home and wishes the
very same freedom he is fighting for, upon the country of Iraq.’”
Howard Greninger can be reached at (812) 231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com.
Army Staff Sgt. Todd W. Selge
Died September 03, 2009 serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom
25, of Burnsville, Minn.; assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat
Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.; died Sept. 3 in Baqubah, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a
vehicle rollover. Also killed was Army Spc. Jordan M. Shay.
Burnsville native dies in Iraq
By Nomaan Merchant
The Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS — Just about everyone at Burnsville High School knew what Todd Selge would do after
graduation.
“You hear things about different seniors that are going to be graduating,” said associate principal Bruce
Morrissette. “It was very apparent that Todd had a desire to serve his country and felt a duty to do so.”
The 25-year-old staff sergeant was killed Thursday along with another soldier, Spc. Jordan M. Shay, of
Salisbury, Mass. The two were injured in a vehicle rollover, according to a release from Fort Lewis, Wash.
Selge’s wife told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he was killed less than a month into his second
deployment.
“He was definitely gung-ho about the military,” said Dellona Selge, adding that her husband hoped to return
to Minnesota after finishing his service in 2012. “He was going to get out. He wanted to finish up school and
move back home and have a regular life.”
The couple has two sons, ages 6 and 2.
Selge enlisted in the Army in 2004, two years after he graduated from high school. He was deployed to Iraq
once before and received a Purple Heart.
Before and during his service, Selge made it clear he joined the Army to help others achieve freedom.
“We’ve heard that a lot of insurgents have moved here from Baghdad,” he told the Associated Press in
March 2007 while posted in Diyala province, northeast of the Iraqi capital. “The Iraqi army is supposed to be
OK here, so we’re coming to help them stand up.”
The following month, he wrote an essay for an internal Army newsletter describing his experiences —
carrying out attacks on insurgents, getting to know other soldiers, and handing out candy to children.
“What does the average soldier think on a daily basis?” he wrote. “He wants to accomplish the mission. He
wants to see the smiles of the Iraqi people endure. He is grateful for everything he has back home, and he
wishes the very same freedom he is fighting for, upon the country of Iraq.”
Though he also played football for three years, Selge stood out in high school due to his commitment to
serving in the military one day, according to associate principal Bruce Morrissette.
“A lot of students come and go, but I do remember Todd,” Morrissette said.
The team will hold a moment of silence at its game next Friday for him.
‘Felt a duty’ to serve his country
The Associated Press
Todd W. Selge was a straight-talker who didn’t shy from discussing controversial topics.
“He loved a good political debate, and he loved talking about religion,” said his wife, Dellona. “He loved
talking about the real sensitive subjects that a lot of people steer away from.”
The two met when they were seniors at Burnsville (Minn.) High School. Most everyone there knew what
Selge would do after graduation in 2002.
“It was very apparent that Todd had a desire to serve his country and felt a duty to do so,” associate
principal Bruce Morrissette said.
Selge enlisted in 2004, months before his wedding, and deployed in 2006 to Iraq, where he was shot twice
and earned a Purple Heart.
The 25-year-old from Burnsville, Minn., returned for a second tour and died Sept. 3 in Baqubah, Iraq, from
injuries sustained in a vehicle rollover the previous day. He was assigned to Fort Lewis, Wash.
The former high school football player hoped to return to Minnesota after finishing his service in 2012, his
wife said.
“He was going to get out,” she said. “He wanted to finish up school and move back home and have a
regular life.”
Selge is also survived by two sons, ages 6 and 2.
Burnsville soldier dies in Iraq on second tour
By SARAH LEMAGIE, Star Tribune Last update: September 4, 2009 - 10:57 PM
A Burnsville soldier who died Thursday in Iraq was just days into his second tour in the country where he
had been shot two years ago.
Staff Sgt. Todd W. Selge, 25, was killed in a vehicle rollover in Baqubah, 30 miles northeast of Baghdad, the
Defense Department confirmed Friday.
His wife, Dellona, said she was told that he was returning from a mission when his eight-wheeled armored
combat vehicle dropped 60 feet from a bridge. He was thrown from the vehicle, and it landed on him, she
said.
Specialist Jordan Shay, 22, of Salisbury, Mass., also died in the rollover.
Both men were assigned to the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 2nd Infantry Division, based at Fort
Lewis, Wash. They were deployed to Iraq on Aug. 4 but had stopped in Kuwait and had been in Iraq for
perhaps 10 days, Dellona Selge said.
It was Todd Selge's second deployment to Iraq, she said. In March 2007, nine months into his first tour,
Selge was shipped home with injuries after he was shot twice, in the leg and lower back. Three months later,
he headed back to his comrades. "His commander at the time did not want him to go back to Iraq, but he's a
very devoted man," she said. "When he sets his mind to something, he's going to do it regardless."
Selge and his wife began dating near the end of their senior year at Burnsville High School. The couple has
two sons, ages 6 and 2.
Selge had planned to move back to Minnesota when he finished his duties as a soldier and had talked about
working for the military as a civilian employee, his wife said.
Sarah Lemagie • 952-882-9016
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Staff%20Sgt.%20Todd%20W.%20Selge%20
Friends, families mourn fallen 3/2 soldiers
Posted By Scott Fontaine on September 24, 2009 at 5:35 pm
The true toll of a Stryker rollover in Iraq earlier this month was two lives ended, but countless others
impacted.
Staff Sgt. Todd W. Selge and Sgt. Jordan M. Shay died in the accident on Sept. 3. Selge leaves behind a
widow and two sons; Shay, a fiancée whom he planned to marry when he returned from Iraq next year.
And the death shook many members of Fort Lewis' 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, which avoided losing
any of its soldiers through the first month of its yearlong deployment to Iraq. Many of them gathered
Thursday afternoon at the Main Post Chapel on Fort Lewis for a memorial ceremony honoring the lives of
Selge and Shay.
"I feel the world is a little bit darker today with the passing of Staff Sgt. Selge and Sgt. Shay," said Lt.
Michael Baliles, in whose platoon Shay and Selge served for 18 months before they deployed. "However,
when I think of what they did, who they were and how they lived, I am honored and privileged that I had time
to spend in their presence."
The soldiers, members of the brigade's 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, served at Forward Operating
Base Warhorse outside Baqouba. Selge and Shay's unit was conducting night operations when their Stryker
rolled and fell off a bridge, according to several published reports.
The deaths were the first for the brigade, which lost 48 soldiers died on its first Iraq deployment and 20 on
its second. This time, though, a major drop in violence across Iraq and a lower level of American
participation in combat operations means the troops should face less danger.
Maj. Matthew Holly, the battalion operations officer, told The News Tribune earlier this week the battalion
has come under two attacks in the past 30 days.
"Last time we were here," he said, "we'd be attacked five times just in the morning."
Shay and Selge deployed with 3rd Brigade in 2006-07, when the unit spent much of its time trying to calm
Diyala province, when the insurgency there was at its fiercest.
Selge, a 25-year-old Minnesotan, was shot twice by enemy fire in Baqouba in 2007. He spent three months
recovering at Fort Lewis and volunteered to rejoin his unit in Iraq to finish the deployment.
"We have lost brothers and friends and mentors," chaplain Capt. David Curlin said. "I am so sad a
generation of soldiers will not grow up under the strong, wise hand of these men. Character and confidence
are an all-true-rare commodity in our service. The loss of these two men is a loss indeed."
Curlin then quoted Gen. George S. Patton: "It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died," he said.
"Rather we should thank God that such men lived."
Staff Sgt. Todd W. Selge
Selge, 25, of Burnville, Minn., spent his last few days in the United States working for his soldiers. Many
were having problems ending their apartment leases ahead of their deployment, and he was working to get
them a waiver that would allow them to break the contract without penalty.
Most soldiers, Lt. Michael Baliles said, would have been trying to relax and spend time with family. But
Baliles said that's just the kind of guy Selge was.
"In the past few days, I've heard Staff Sgt. Selge referred to as a superman by some and a father figure by
others," company commander Capt. Joel Ellison said in a speech to his troops in Iraq, which Baliles read
Thursday. "All these are true."
Selge, a squad leader, loved to debate – whether the topic veered towards politics, religion or conspiracy
theories, his colleagues remember. He was also a tireless worker.
"From wakeup to sundown, he was always trying to accomplish something," said Spc. Jonathan Williams,
reading a statement on behalf of one of Selge's squadmates still serving in Iraq.
Selge is survived by his wife, Dellona, and his sons, Dallas and Austin.
Sgt. Jordan M. Shay
Shay, 22, of Amesbury, Mass., stood out as a unique character even amid the usual variety of personalities
in an Army unit.
He carried around a tattered Boston Red Sox hat whenever he traveled. He was on the receiving end – and
made a few jokes himself – of losing much of his hair in his early 20s. Shay liked to spend time outdoors
hiking, climbing and sailing.
He was also a big Jimmy Buffett fan, and the laid-back attitude Parrothead lifestyle had a calming affect on
others, friends remembered.
"He was the kind of guy everyone wanted to be friends with," Williams said. "He was just so laid-back and
took life one day at a time. He was one of those people everyone wanted to be around all the time."
Shay was buried Sept. 12. in Amesbury. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Sen. John Kerry were at
the funeral for Shay, the first war death from Amesbury since the Vietnam War, according to the Boston
Globe.
He is survived by his mother, Holly, and his fiancée, Kelsey Chandonnet.
Wife: 'Staff Sgt. Todd Selge was a true hero'
MICHAEL SWAN:
SELGE FAMILY RELEASES STATEMENT >>>
Dellona Selge, wife of Staff Sergeant Todd Selge, who was killed last week in Iraq, released the following
statement through the Fort Lewis PAO:
"Todd was an awesome Soldier, a loving husband, a great father, and an unforgettable friend. Staff Sgt. Todd
W. Selge was tragically killed while returning from a mission in the Diyala Province (Iraq), early
Wednesday morning, September 3, 2009.
"Staff Sgt. Selge never backed down from a challenge or a good debate. He had a positive outlook on
everything; even in times of sorrow, he saw good.
"This was his second tour to Iraq. Staff Sgt. Selge was awarded the Purple Heart during his first tour and
refused to stay stateside. 'I need to be with my brothers' he told me. I understood and supported him in his
decision. Todd has two beautiful boys, Dallas, 6, and Austin, 2. Our boys loved their father and saw him as a
true hero. They want to grow up to be just like him.
"Todd devoted himself to the military. Always trying his hardest to the best at what he did. Many of his
fellow Soldiers looked up to him and valued his opinions.
"Staff Sgt. Selge wrote an essay on his perspective of a Soldier's day to day life in Iraq. He stated, 'What
does the average Soldier think on a daily basis? He wants to accomplish the mission. He wants to see the
smiles of the Iraqi people endure. He is grateful for everything he has back at home and wishes the very
same freedom he is fighting for, upon the country of Iraq'
"Staff Sgt. Todd Selge was a true hero and has made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. We ask at this
time to please respect our privacy so we can properly mourn as a family. I also ask to continue to pray for
our fellow brothers who are still fighting overseas. We will forever love and miss him dearly."
Todd Willis Selge
Selge, Todd Willis Staff Sergeant, Todd Willis Selge, A Company, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry
Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, United States Army, died September 3,
2009 in Diyala Province, thirty miles northwest of Baghdad near Baquba, Iraq. He died of
injuries sustained when his vehicle rolled over during night operations. This was his second
tour to Iraq. On March 17, 2007 he was wounded in action by hostile fire and received a Purple
Heart medal. In June of 2007 he volunteered to return to his unit to complete his tour of duty.
Todd's second tour began August 5, 2009. Staff Sgt. Selge was a true hero and made the
ultimate sacrifice for his country. Todd was born June 22, 1984 in Anchorage, Alaska. In 1989 his family moved to
Burnsville, Minnesota. He graduated from Burnsville High School in 2002. Todd is survived by his loving wife,
Dellonamarie McMahon Selge and two beautiful sons, Dallas Trey Selge and Austin David Selge; his parents, Paul E.
and Barbara J. Selge (Paul is a U.S. Army Veteran); a brother, U.S. Army Specialist Brent P. Selge; and two sisters,
Tracy Ann Selge and Kara Lyn Lewandowski. He is also survived by his grandparents, Paul and Myrtle Selge (each U.S.
Navy veterans) and Harold and Doris Patterson. (Harold is also a U.S. Navy veteran). Numerous other relatives and
friends will mourn his loss, and miss his engaging smile. Todd's life was focused on his family, serving his country and
our Lord, Jesus Christ. We will forever love and miss Todd dearly. We ask that you continue to pray for all of our
soldiers and their families. Funeral Service 12 Noon Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at HOSANNA LUTHERAN CHURCH,
9600 163rd St. W., Lakeville. Visitation 3-8 PM., Monday, September 14 at J.S. KLECATSKY & SONS FUNERAL HOME
(651-454-9488), 1580 Century Pt., Eagan and also from 10-12 Noon before the service at church. Interment Fort
Snelling National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family would ask that a memorial contribution be made for his
children's future education. Contributions may be sent to: TCF Bank, C/O Staff Sgt. Todd W. Selge, 801 Marquette
Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55402.
Published in Star Tribune from September 11 to September 13, 2009
Staff Sgt Todd Willis Selge
September 11th, 2009
Born: June 22, 1984 in Anchorage, Alaska
Died: September 2, 2009 in Baqubah, Iraq
Staff Sgt. Todd W. Selge of Burnsville, Minnesota attended Burnsville High School where he
played football for three years before graduating in 2002. It was also widely known by his
peers and the staff at Burnsville that someday, Todd, would serve his country to help others
achieve freedom. During his senior year, and after the events of September 11 2001, he
expressed his love for country by donning a Captain America red, white and blue costume
complete with a United States flag as a cape. He took courses at Normandale Community
College before enlisting in 2004 and planned to serve until the year 2012, then move back to
Burnsville, continue his education and raise his family. Todd’s first first deployment to Iraq
was in 2006, and on March 17, 2007 he was wounded in action by hostile fire and received a
Purple Heart medal and sent home. He had been hit, twice, by hostile fire, while in combat.
One comrade wrote he had refused a stretcher, even though he’d been shot in the backside.
In June of 2007 he volunteered to return to his unit to complete his tour of duty. Todd’s
second tour began August 5, 2009. Todd was killed at age 25 in a vehicle rollover accident in
Diyala province in northern Iraq. His father is a United States Army Veteran. Todd is survived
by his wife, Dellonamarie and two beautiful sons, Dallas and Austin, his parents Paul E. and
Barbara J. Selge, a brother, U.S. Army Specialist Brent P. Selge, and two sisters, Tracy and
Kara. He is also survived by his grandparents, Paul and Myrtle Selge, both are U.S. Navy
veterans, and Harold, a U.S. Navy veteran and Doris Patterson. Todd’s life was focused on his
family, serving his country and Jesus Christ.
Army
5th Battalion
20th Infantry Regiment
3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team
2nd Infantry Division
Fort Lewis, Washington
Burial is at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota – Sec 21 Site 341
Maj. Tad T. Hervas
Hometown: Coon Rapids, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 48 years old
Died: October 6, 2009 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 34th Infantry Division, Rosemont, Minn.
Incident: Died at Contingency Operating Base Basra, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related
incident.
Major Tad T. Hervas
January 16, 1961-October 6, 2009 Coon Rapids, MN Beloved son, brother, grandson, uncle,
cousin, and friend died too soon as a casualty of war. Major Hervas began his military career at
the University of Minnesota-Duluth when he joined the Air Force ROTC. After college he
became a lieutenant in the Air Force as a navigation office and served in the First Gulf War.
When his commission ended he returned to civilian life, working at Fireside Hearth & Home.
After the 9/11 attacks Tad felt compelled to join the Minnesota National Guard out of love of
country. He was deployed in 2004 to Iraq as Commander of the 216th Air Defense Artillery Echo Battery. In 2009 he
was redeployed as a member of the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division as a military intelligence officer. A well decorated
officer, Maj. Hervas received the Bronze Star medal in 2005, as well as the Air Medal, Air Force Commendation
Medal, AF Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Global War on
Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserved Medal with M Device, and Iraq Campaign Medal. Known for his
smile, sense of humor, and the ability to make anyone laugh-Tad would offer the shirt of his back and expect nothing
in return. He was well respected as an officer by his troops for his ability to put his rank aside and relate to all soldiers
at all levels. It was his honor to serve in the military to protect his country and secure our freedoms. Tad's passions
were family, friends, cooking, making others happy, sports, his dogs and standing in a river fly fishing. He always said
it's never a bad day when you're on the river. Preceded in death by grandfathers Melvin Melby, Leonard Hervas, and
beloved dog Rocky. Survived by grandmothers Bertha Melby and Clara Hervas, loving parents Ned and Barb Hervas,
brothers Todd (Lynn), Kurt, Cory, and Kevin and sister Julie (Brian) Steege; nieces and nephews Tanya (Joe) Del
Vecchio, Tara, Tyler, Nick, Caleb, Brock and CJ and beloved dog Peanut. Also survived by his fly fishing team, which
included his brother Kurt, Roger Funk, Bob Kiner and Todd Guelle. Best friends Paul Guelle and Dan Sjoquist and his
fraternal brothers (and Shelly Martin) of the UMD Dirty Dozen. Visitation Friday, Oct. 16, 4-8 pm at WashburnMcReavy (Coon Rapids Chapel, 763-767-1000), 1827 Coon Rapids Blvd. Celebration of life service Saturday, Oct. 17,
at 10:00 am, with visitation prior to service from 9-10 am, at Zion Lutheran Church, 1601 4th Ave S, Anoka. Following
a luncheon, interment at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to MN Military
Family Foundation; Trout Unlimited; or Petfinder.com Foundation. Salute Major Hervas Salute.
Guardsman who died in noncombat incident was shot
MINNEAPOLIS. (AP) — A Minnesota National Guard soldier who died of noncombat injuries in Iraq last week was found with a
gunshot wound to the head, the military said Tuesday in a statement that did little to clear up the mystery surrounding his death.
By: STEVE KARNOWSKI, Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS. (AP) — A Minnesota National Guard soldier who died of noncombat injuries in Iraq last week
was found with a gunshot wound to the head, the military said Tuesday in a statement that did little to clear up
the mystery surrounding his death.
Maj. Tad Hervas, 48, of Coon Rapids, died Oct. 6 at a base in Basra, where he was serving with the 34th Infantry
Division, known as the Red Bulls.
In its statement Tuesday evening, the division provided few other details on the circumstances of his death.
"An investigation is being conducted by the Army's Criminal Investigation Command on the cause of death," the
statement said. "A thorough investigation — which will include forensics, weapons testing, and an analysis of
circumstances prior to his death — will determine a conclusion after all factors have been considered."
The major's father, Ned Hervas, said that was more information than the National Guard had shared with him as
of Tuesday evening. He said an investigator had called him earlier Tuesday and told him he had nothing new to
report.
"We think nothing will come out until after the funeral (on Saturday)," Ned Hervas said.
Capt. Paul Rickert, a spokesman for the Rosemount-based 34th Infantry Division, said he had no further
information beyond the statement, citing the ongoing investigation.
Ned Hervas said the wait for answers has been tough for his family.
"We lost a son, and they're going to do a very proper military funeral," he said. "That's what we're concerned
about. After that's over, then we'll find out."
Tad Hervas, a military intelligence officer, died just a few days after returning to Basra from a trip home. It was
his second tour of duty in Iraq with the National Guard. He also served in the Air Force during the first Gulf War.
The major was not married and had no children.
Visitation is scheduled for 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Washburn-McReavey Funeral Chapel in Coon Rapids and one
hour before his 10 a.m. funeral Saturday at Zion Lutheran Church in Anoka, with burial afterward at Fort Snelling
National Cemetery.
Minnesota soldier dies of non-combat injuries in Iraq
Major Tad Hervas of Coon Rapids
U.S. military authorities are investigating the death of a Minnesota soldier from injuries suffered in a
noncombat related incident in Iraq.
The Department of Defense announced Wednesday that 48-year-old Maj. Tad T. Hervas of Coon Rapids
died Tuesday at Contingency Operating Base in Basra. Officials released little detail, saying he died of
"injuries sustained from a noncombat related incident."
Major Hervas' father Ned tells KARE that his son was just home for a two-week visit and left last Thursday
to return to Basra. He had just been fly fishing in Wisconsin with one of his brothers last week.
"He was an outstanding young man," Ned Hervas told KARE 11's John Croman. "We are in total shock
about this."
Tad's parents received the word Monday afternoon when two U.S. Army officers arrived at the front door.
They're expecting their son's remains will be back in 2 to 3 days, but the inquiry into his death is awaiting
the outcome of an autopsy at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
"He loved the life in the military. He sent us an e-mail three weeks ago saying he ran for six miles in 114degree heat," Hervas quipped, "But he enjoyed the nice weather we had here the two weeks he was back."
The elder Hervas said his son will be remembered as someone who was generous with his time and
talents, but never an attention seeker.
"He would do anything for anybody," Hervas remarked, "He would give you the shirt off his back, literally,
but he wouldn't want you to know anything about him."
Tad Hervas was single and had no children. He did have five siblings in Minnesota, Ohio and California he
kept in close contact with throughout his tours of duty.
According to Ned Hervas, his son was doing military intelligence work in Basra at the time of his death.
"They were watching the bad guys with those cameras on the Predator flying drones. If they saw a potential
target they could get a a go-ahead from Washington to pull the trigger in three minutes!"
Major Hervas graduated from Coon Rapids High in 1979. As quarterback he led the Cardinals to the state
tournament his senior year.
He joined the Air Force R.O.T.C. at University of Minnesota Duluth and entered the Air Force after
graduating. He served as an navigator on refueling tanker planes in Iraq during the first Gulf War, known as
Operation Desert Storm.
"On his birthday, January 16th, the war began and he was in the air all night refueling fighter jets and 111's,"
he father recalled.
Tad Hervas returned to civilian life in 1991 where he worked in the gas fireplace industry, in sales and
installation.
After 9-11 he decided to return to the military. When the Air Force told him he was too old to re-enlist he
found a way to join the Army National Guard. This was the second deployment to Iraq with the Red Bull
Division.
During the first mission his group patrolled a volatile 12-square-mile section of Baghdad, where they
captured one of Saddam Hussein's top intelligence officers.
"It was an extremely dangerous situation almost daily and yet he returned to Minnesota with all the men in
his unit still alive," his father said.
Hervas was re-deployed in February of 2009, one of more than 1,000 members of Minnesota's Red Bulls.
Four months before that deployment he joined the full-time staff at the Rosemount Armory, and hoped to
stay in the guard full-time when the Basra mission ended.
At his parents' home in Coon Rapids Wednesday, the same place Tad Hervas grew up, a blue star hung in
the front picture window. The family expects it will be replaced with a gold one soon.
In Iraq, the 34th Infantry Division provides command and control of a 16,000 member multinational force in
nine of Iraq's eighteen provinces, an area roughly the size of Minnesota.
Lt. John Hobot, with the Minnesota National Guard, says authorities are relying on military reports and the
details are still under investigation. Hobot says officials won't speculate on the circumstances surrounding
Hervas' death.
(Copyright 2009 by KARE and the Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=826048&catid=391
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/Maj_Tad_Hervas_Coo
n_Rapids_Minnesopta_Death_Iraq_Oct_7_2009
Jun 3, 2010 8:51 pm US/Central
Military Says Minn. Soldier's Death Was Suicide
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) ― A Minnesota National Guard soldier whose death in Iraq has been under
investigation since last fall died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a military spokesman said Thursday.
Maj. Tad Hervas, 48, of Coon Rapids, was found dead on Oct. 6 at a military base in Basra. At the time,
authorities said Hervas was found with a gunshot wound to the head, but they did not say how he was shot
or whether they were looking for suspects.
In an e-mail sent Thursday to The Associated Press, a spokesman with the U.S. Army's Criminal
Investigation Command said the investigation was completed in April, and the CID ruled Hervas died of a
self-inflicted gunshot wound. Spokesman Chris Grey did not elaborate.
Lt. Col. Kevin Olson, spokesman for the Minnesota National Guard, said the Army's investigation included
forensics and weapons testing, along with an analysis of the circumstances before Hervas' death.
The AP does not routinely report on suicides, but Hervas' death and the mystery surrounding it were highly
publicized at the time and the results of the investigation were pending.
Hervas' father, Ned, said shortly after his son died that he was waiting for answers. Ned Hervas, 70, died
May 30 and funeral services for him were held Thursday morning, according to local obituaries.
Grey said Ned Hervas had been notified of the results of the investigation.
"It is with a heavy heart that I ask the citizens of Minnesota to remember this Soldier and his family in their
prayers," Maj. Gen. Larry Shellito, Minnesota's adjutant general, said in a statement.
Tad Hervas was serving in Iraq with the 34th Infantry Division, known as the Red Bulls. He was a military
intelligence officer and died just a few days after returning to Basra from a trip home. It was his second tour
of duty in Iraq with the National Guard. He served in the Air Force during the Gulf War.
The major was not married and had no children.
In 2009, the Army reported 163 active-duty suicides, the most since 1980, when it started recording those
deaths. So far this year, there have been fewer suicides among active duty personnel but more among
those not on active duty, according to the Army.
Several studies have linked multiple tours of duty to stress, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The circumstances of Hervas' case are not known.
But Dr. Judith Broder, a psychiatrist and founder of The Soldiers Project, which provides free, confidential
counseling to returning troops and their families, said suicides are a growing problem among military
personnel, even though the Department of Defense is working to prevent them.
"There is so much stigma attached to getting help for depression or post-traumatic stress disorder ...
servicemen and servicewomen are loathe to do so and become increasingly depressed and increasingly
hopeless," Broder said.
Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor
Hometown: Bovey, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 27 years old
Died: October 9, 2009 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit: Marines, Marine Wing Support Squadron 372, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I
Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Incident: Died while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Aaron J. Taylor was the type to dive into an interest headfirst, and that's what he did with the
Marines.
"He had spontaneous wit and was a very caring individual," said his father, Clifford. "Very intelligent.
His goal was to be promoted to gunnery sergeant before his third enlistment. I think he would have
made it. It's tough to do."
Taylor, 27, of Bovey, Minn., was killed Oct. 9 by an explosive while on patrol in Helmand province. He
was assigned to Camp Pendleton and had previously served in Iraq.
He graduated in 2000 from Greenway High School in Coleraine, Minn., where he played trumpet in a
band, wrestled and was a manager for the hockey team. He studied law enforcement at Hibbing
Community College before joining the Marines in 2002.
His military work sent him globe-trotting from Spain to Japan and even Vietnam, where he assisted
anthropologists recovering soldiers' remains.
"He was just a likable, personable guy. Everyone who knew him just loved him," his father said. "If
the Taliban had met him, I'm sure they would have liked him."
Taylor's survivors include his mother; stepfather; brother; half-sister; and his dog, Walnut.
Updated at: 10/12/2009 10:58 PM
By: Katie Nordeen
KNordeen@wdio.com
Print Story
Email to a Friend
A Family Remembers their Fallen Soldier
Aaron Taylor was only 19 years-- a fresh graduate from Greenway High School in Coleraine-- when he
decided he would become a Marine. "AAaron just decided that's what he wanted to do, and he just
went for it," said Clifford Taylor, Aaron's father who lives in Two Harbors.
And like anything else in his life his parents say Aaron gave it his all. "He enjoyed every minute of it. he
was really dedicated," said Clifford. "He was really confident that they were going to do good over there
and they were doing good."
Aaron made Staff Sergeant during his first tour to Iraq and had high hopes of another promotion. In
fact, he enlisted with the Marines for a second time, serving in Afghanistan for the past six weeks.
Then on Friday, all of those dreams were shattered.
"Once i recognized their uniforms I knew just knew," Clifford said with his wife Cindy, and son Kyle at
his side. "I almost went down."
Three marines showed up the Taylor household on Friday night, baring news no parent wants to hear.
Clifford was told his son was killed while serving in the line of duty. He was 27.
Staff Sgt. Aaron Taylor was on foot patrol expecting a bridge for explosives, when he stepped on an
IED.
The Taylors' says they find comfort sharing memories and stories of Aaron and feel a true sense of
pride-- knowing he served his country to the fullest. They describe the last few days as a nightmare but
say they are getting through it, with the support of each other and their friends.
"Everyone that met him loved him. You couldn't help it-- it was just who he was," Clifford said. "He was
just a great guy. a good son, and a fine soldier."
A family friend says Aaron's mom, Brianna Anderson, lives in Grand Rapids.
Funeral plans for Staff Sgt. Aaron Taylor are tentative.
Marine Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor of Two Harbors died Friday while on foot patrol in Helmand province,
Afghanistan. (Submitted photo)
Two Harbors Marine remembered
by Tim Nelson, Minnesota Public Radio
October 13, 2009
St. Paul, Minn. — A Marine from Two Harbors, Minn., who was killed last week in Afghanistan, is being
remembered as a warm and dedicated soldier and friend.
Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor, 27, was killed Friday by a homemade bomb while on foot patrol in Helmand
province, said his father, Clifford Taylor, of rural Two Harbors.
"Everybody that knew him just loved him," said Taylor's father, Clifford. "He just connected with
everybody. I think if the Taliban met him, they'd have liked him, too."
Clifford Taylor said the Marine Corps told him Aaron had been checking out a bridge when he apparently
stepped on a hidden explosive.
Taylor had been in the country about six weeks, and had done a six-month tour of duty in Iraq earlier. Taylor
had joined a veteran unit as an ordnance disposal specialist.
"We were really worried about him," Clifford Taylor said in an interview on Monday night. He said he'd last
talked to his son about a week ago.
"He said he was going to be fine, that this unit he joined was really good, that they really knew how to watch
out for themselves."
Aaron Taylor had been in the Marines since shortly after graduating from Greenway High School in
Coleraine in 2000. After a year of studying for a law enforcement degree in Hibbing, Taylor joined the
Marines.
"When he joined up, I told him it was kind of dangerous," his father recalled. "And he said 'No, Dad, I want
to be the best.'"
The elder Taylor said his son served in a counterterrorism unit in Europe, and a unit that recovered the
remains of missing airmen in Vietnam. He served several years in Okinawa, as well.
Aaron Taylor was based at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and recently bought a house in Temecula, Calif., near the
base, his father said.
Taylor's body was flown to Dover Air Force base in Delaware on Monday. He is survived by his father and
stepmother, Cindy, as well as a brother Kyle. Funeral arrangements are pending.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report)
Staff Sgt. Aaron Taylor, Northland Marine, killed in Afghanistan
Mon, 10/12/2009 - 9:00pm
By Julie Moravchik & photojournalist Carrie Kohlmeier, FOX 21 News
DULUTH - Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Aaron Taylor, 27, was killed in Afghanistan while on foot patrol.
"I can't believe it yet, I still feel like I’m going to wake up and find out it was a dream," said his grandmother,
Adeline Taylor of Duluth. She still cannot believe that her oldest grandson is gone; the pain is too difficult to
bear. "His whole life in front of him, it just isn't fair," said Taylor.
"He stepped on one of those roadside bombs, he was out on foot patrol and stepped on this bomb and that
was it," said Adeline Taylor. The family received the news Friday night, when Marines showed up at their
door.
Adeline says her grandson was only in Afghanistan for about six weeks when he died. She says he had
just bought a house and was planning on getting married once he returned home. "I was hoping to see him
married and have children and now, knowing that he won't, it's just, it's just hard. It’s tough," said Adeline
Taylor.
Aaron Taylor was a 2000 graduate of Greenway High School in Coleraine. Adeline says one of her fondest
memories was the day Aaron surprised her at her Duluth home, in his dress blues. He was there along with
his father Clifford of Two Harbors and his younger brother Kyle.
"He was special; he was one of those people that just stand out. I mean, just by looking at him you can tell
he was sure of himself but now he's gone," said Adeline Taylor.
It’s the news no parent or grandparent should ever have to hear, that their child is gone. Adeline says it's
left a huge hole in their hearts that will never be filled. She says what she'll miss most is that smile, the one
that lit up the entire room.
"I have my moments, it's just, it's hard. You keep thinking you're dreaming and you want to wake up and
find out it was just a nightmare," said Adeline Taylor.
The funeral for Staff Sergeant Aaron Taylor will be held at Sunset Memorial in Hermantown. Arrangements
are still being made.
http://www.fox21online.com/news/northland-serviceman-killedafghanistan
Marine from Camp Pendleton killed by roadside bomb in
Afghanistan
October 13, 2009 | 3:14 pm
A Marine staff sergeant from Camp Pendleton was killed in combat Friday in Helmand Province, Afghanistan,
the Pentagon announced today.
Aaron J. Taylor, 27, of Two Harbors, Minn., was assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 372, Marine Wing
Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, part of the Camp Pendleton-based 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.
Taylor, an explosive ordnance technician, was killed when he stepped on a buried bomb while checking a bridge
for explosive devices, his father, Clifford Taylor, told Minnesota Public Radio.
Taylor had been in Afghanistan for six weeks, assigned to a province known as a Taliban stronghold. He
deployed in 2008 to Iraq. Among his citations is the Navy/Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon.
Taylor's father said he talked to his son a week before his death.
"We were really worried about him," Taylor told the MPR reporter. "He said he was going to be fine, that this unit
he joined was really good, that they knew how to watch out for themselves."
Two Harbors (pop. 3,600) is located on the shore of Lake Superior, north of Duluth.
After graduating from high school in 2000, Taylor studied law enforcement and enlisted in 2002. He was initially
trained as a rifleman but switched to the explosive ordnance detail.
In high school, Taylor was on the wrestling team and participated in drama and the jazz band.
"He just connected with everybody," his father said. "I think if the Taliban had met him, they'd have liked him
too."
-- Tony Perry in San Diego
Photo: Aaron Taylor and his grandmother Adeline Taylor
Marine Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor
Died October 09, 2009 serving during Operation Enduring Freedom
27, of Bovey, Minn.; assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 372, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd
Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Oct. 9 at Camp Dwyer,
Afghanistan, while supporting combat operations in Helmand province.
2 Minnesota service members killed in Afghanistan
By Steve Karnowski
The Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS — Two Minnesota servicemen killed in separate attacks in Afghanistan over the past week
were being remembered Tuesday as young men who were proud to be serving their country.
Marine Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor, 27, was killed Friday by a homemade bomb while on foot patrol in
Helmand province, said his father, Clifford Taylor, of rural Two Harbors.
Minnesota National Guard Spc. George W. Cauley, 24, of Walker, died Saturday after being wounded when
insurgents attacked his vehicle with a homemade bomb on Oct. 7 in Helmand province, according to the
Defense Department.
Cauley graduated from Northland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team. He got
along with everybody and always had a smile on his face, Principal Joe Akre said Tuesday.
Standing about 5 feet 3 inches tall, Cauley “wasn’t exactly the biggest guy out there,” football coach Shem
Daugherty said.
“But he had heart. He wasn’t afraid to go out and try to hit,” Daugherty said. “He was one of those likable
young men you enjoyed having around because he was always there for the right reasons.”
Daugherty said that after graduation, Cauley came back in uniform and “was pretty darn proud. You could
see it in his face.” Daugherty said Cauley also had served in Iraq.
Clifford Taylor said his son was born in Duluth, grew up in Bovey and graduated with honors in 2000 from
Greenway High School in Coleraine, where he was a band member and manager of the hockey team.
Aaron Taylor had been in the Marines for eight years and had been in Afghanistan for about six weeks. He
also had served a tour of duty in Iraq, his father said. They last spoke a week ago.
“He was telling me that they were doing good things over there,” Clifford Taylor said. “They had built some
schools. He was new to the unit when he came on board, but they say that everybody just liked him and
they were all glad to work with him. And he was very proud to be serving with this group of men. They all
knew their jobs and they were professionals all the way.”
Aaron Taylor was based at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and recently bought a house in Temecula, Calif., near
the base, his father said.
“He had spontaneous wit and was a very caring individual,” Clifford Taylor said of his son. “Very intelligent.
His goal was to be promoted to gunnery sergeant before his third enlistment. I think he would have made it.
It’s tough to do.”
Aaron Taylor’s body was flown to Dover Air Force base in Delaware on Monday. Funeral arrangements
were pending.
Maj. Patricia Baker, a spokeswoman for the Guard, said few details about Cauley’s death were immediately
available Monday evening. She said Cauley’s company mobilized for training June 16 and later arrived in
Afghanistan to begin its tour based out of Helmand province.
Taylor and Cauley were the 86th and 87th people with strong Minnesota ties to have died in the wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan.
Airfield named in memory of Taylor
The Associated Press
DULUTH, Minn. — An airfield in southern Afghanistan has been named in honor of a fallen Marine from the
Iron Range.
Staff Sgt. Aaron Taylor was killed by an improvised explosive device Oct. 9 while on foot patrol in the
Helmand province.
Lt. Col. Matt Puglisi said Taylor had a special quality — he was smart, articulate and the type of leader other
Marines wanted to be around.
Puglisi told the Duluth News Tribune that for security reasons, the exact location of “Taylor Expeditionary
Airfield” is classified. A bronze placard with details of Taylor’s service are posted at the airfield.
The 27-year-old Taylor graduated from Greenway High School in Coleraine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Akw-WB5XgdU
Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor
Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor, 27, of Bovey, Minn., died Oct. 9 while supporting combat operations in
Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 372, Marine
Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton,
Calif.
Aaron was born in Duluth, March 26, 1982 and raised in Bovey, Minn. He graduated with honors in
2000 from Greenway High School and was active in numerous school activities including Pep Band,
Jazz Band, Drama, manager of the Greenway Hockey Team, wrestling team, winner of the Louis
Armstrong Jazz Award for his trumpet playing. He also attended Hibbing Community College in 2001
studying law enforcement. Aaron enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in February 2002 and completed
basic training at Camp Pendleton, California. He served in Rota, Spain for two years with the fleet
anti-terrorism support team. He spent time in Viet Nam to assist with forensic anthropologists in
recovery of American soldier remains. Aaron's next assignment was at Eglund Air Force Base, Florida
for training in Explosive Ordinance Disposal or E.O.D and then transferred to Okinawa Japan and
stationed at Kadena Air Force Base. While in Okinawa he was deployed to Iraq and stationed at
Alasad Air Base. Aaron also trained with the FBI and Secret Service in E.O.D. while stationed
stateside and met his significant other Stephanie Jacobowitz during that time. This past February
Aaron was assigned to assist the Secret Service security detail during President Obama's visit to
Chicago. While stationed again in Camp Pendleton he was deployed in September 2009 to Camp
Bastion, Afghanistan where he was serving in Operation Enduring Freedom with the Marine Wing
Support Squadron 372 E.O.D. Aaron could light up a room with his smile and spontaneous wit. He
was artistic, musically talented and excelled in anything mechanical or electronic. He was a warrior
with a gentle soul.
Published October 14 2009
STAFF SGT. AARON JAMES "AGE" TAYLOR
Staff Sgt.
Staff Sgt. Aaron James "AGE" Taylor, 27, died from combat injuries while serving his country in Afghanistan
Friday Oct. 9, 2009.
Aaron was born in Duluth, March 26, 1982 and raised in Bovey, Minn.
He graduated with honors in 2000 from Greenway High School and was active in numerous school activities
including Pep Band, Jazz Band, Drama, manager of the Greenway Hockey Team, wrestling team, winner of the
Louis Armstrong Jazz Award for his trumpet playing. He also attended Hibbing Community College in 2001
studying law enforcement.
Aaron enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in February 2002 and completed basic training at Camp Pendleton,
California. He served in Rota, Spain for two years with the fleet anti-terrorism support team. He spent time in Viet
Nam to assist with forensic anthropologists in recovery of American soldier remains. Aaron's next assignment
was at Eglund Air Force Base, Florida for training in Explosive Ordinance Disposal or E.O.D and then transferred
to Okinawa Japan and stationed at Kadena Air Force Base. While in Okinawa he was deployed to Iraq and
stationed at Alasad Air Base. Aaron also trained with the FBI and Secret Service in E.O.D. while stationed
stateside and met his significant other Stephanie Jacobowitz during that time. This past February Aaron was
assigned to assist the Secret Service security detail during President Obama's visit to Chicago. While stationed
again in Camp Pendleton he was deployed in September 2009 to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan where he was
serving in Operation Enduring Freedom with the Marine Wing Support Squadron 372 E.O.D.
Aaron could light up a room with his smile and spontaneous wit. He was artistic, musically talented and excelled
in anything mechanical or electronic. He was a warrior with a gentle soul.
Aaron was preceded in death by his paternal grandfather, Douglas Taylor and maternal grandmother, Barbara
Wood.
Survivors include his father, Clifford (Cindy); brother, Kyle; paternal grandmother, Adeline Taylor; significant
other, Stephanie Jacobowitz; step father, Dick (Lynn) Anderson; special friend, Shannon Zidarich and her
parents, Mike and Ella and sister, Becky; step grandparents, Ray and Ida Quimby; mother, Briana Anderson and
half sister Bailey Mason; maternal great grandmother, Irene Youderin, maternal step grandfather, William Wood
and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins and his dog, Walnut.
FUNERAL SERVICE: 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009 in Sunrise Funeral Home, 4798 Miller Trunk Highway in
Hermantown, MN with pastor Todd Block of Triumphant Life Church of Bovey, Minn., officiating. Visitation is
Friday, Oct. 16, 2009 from 5 to 7 p.m. in Sunrise Funeral Home. Aaron is accompanied by the active Marine
Honor Guard who will provide grave side military honors. Burial will be at the veterans section of Sunrise
Memorial Cemetery.
Camp Pendleton Service Honors Staff Sgt. Killed In Afghanistan
A Marine pays his respects during a memorial service for Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor in the Chapel at Camp
Pendleton on October 28, 2009 in Oceanside, California. Staff Sgt. Taylor was killed while supporting combat
operations in Afghanistan.
(October 27, 2009 - Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images North America)
Marines pay their respects during a memorial service for Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor
in the Chapel at Camp Pendleton on October 28, 2009 in Oceanside, California. Staff
Sgt. Taylor was killed while supporting combat operations in Afghanistan.
(October 27, 2009 - Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images North America)
Marines pay their respects during a memorial service for Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor in the Chapel at Camp
Pendleton on October 28, 2009 in Oceanside, California. Staff Sgt. Taylor was killed while supporting combat
operations in Afghanistan.
(October 27, 2009 - Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images North America)
Marines break down podium area following the memorial service for Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor in the Chapel at
Camp Pendleton on October 28, 2009 in Oceanside, California. Staff Sgt. Taylor was killed while supporting
combat operations in Afghanistan.
(October 27, 2009 - Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images North America)
Marines pay their respects to Clifford Taylor during a memorial service for his son, Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor in
the Chapel at Camp Pendleton on October 28, 2009 in Oceanside, California. Staff Sgt. Taylor was killed while
supporting combat operations in Afghanistan.
(October 27, 2009 - Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images North America)
Marines pay their respects during a memorial service for Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor in the Chapel at Camp
Pendleton on October 28, 2009 in Oceanside, California. Staff Sgt. Taylor was killed while supporting combat
operations in Afghanistan.
(October 27, 2009 - Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images North America)
7 of 16
Email Me Stephanie Jacobs Pictures
Stephanie Jacobs pays her respects to her fiancée, Staff Sgt Aaron J. Taylor during a memorial service in the
Chapel at Camp Pendleton on October 28, 2009 in Oceanside, California. Staff Sgt. Taylor was killed while
supporting combat operations in Afghanistan.
(October 27, 2009 - Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images North America)
Marines pay their respects during a memorial service for Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor in the Chapel at Camp
Pendleton on October 28, 2009 in Oceanside, California. Staff Sgt. Taylor was killed while supporting combat
operations in Afghanistan.
(October 27, 2009 - Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images North America)
Camp Pendleton Service Honors Staff Sgt.
Killed In Afghanistan
9 of 16
Dog tags are displayed during a memorial service for Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor in the Chapel at Camp Pendleton
on October 28, 2009 in Oceanside, California. Staff Sgt. Taylor was killed while supporting combat operations in
Afghanistan.
(October 27, 2009 - Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images North America)
A Marine pays his respects during a memorial service for Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor in the Chapel at Camp
Pendleton on October 28, 2009 in Oceanside, California. Staff Sgt. Taylor was killed while supporting combat
operations in Afghanistan.
(October 27, 2009 - Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images North America)
Marine Staff Sgt. Bryce Cannon (R) weeps during a memorial service for Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor in the Chapel
at Camp Pendleton on October 28, 2009 in Oceanside, California. Staff Sgt. Taylor was killed while supporting
combat operations in Afghanistan.
(October 27, 2009 - Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images North America)
Marines pay their respects during a memorial service for Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor in the Chapel at Camp
Pendleton on October 28, 2009 in Oceanside, California. Staff Sgt. Taylor was killed while supporting combat
operations in Afghanistan.
(October 27, 2009 - Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images North America)
Marines pay their respects during a memorial service for Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor in the Chapel at Camp
Pendleton on October 28, 2009 in Oceanside, California. Staff Sgt. Taylor was killed while supporting combat
operations in Afghanistan.
(October 27, 2009 - Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images North America)
Marines pay their respects during a memorial service for Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor in the Chapel at Camp
Pendleton on October 28, 2009 in Oceanside, California. Staff Sgt. Taylor was killed while supporting combat
operations in Afghanistan.
(October 27, 2009 - Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images North America)
A Marine pays his respects during a memorial service for Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor in the Chapel at Camp
Pendleton on October 28, 2009 in Oceanside, California. Staff Sgt. Taylor was killed while supporting combat
operations in Afghanistan.
(October 27, 2009 - Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images North America)
Marine Staff Sgt. Bryce Cannon pays his respects during a memorial service for Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor in the
Chapel at Camp Pendleton on October 28, 2009 in Oceanside, California. Staff Sgt. Taylor was killed while
supporting combat operations in Afghanistan.
(October 27, 2009 - Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images North America)
Fallen Marine remembered for his compassion, valor
10/28/2009 By Cpl. Melissa Tugwell, Marine Wing Support Squadron 372
More than 300 Marines, family and friends filled the pews of the base chapel to remember Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor at a
memorial service Oct. 28.
Taylor, a 27-year-old native of Bovey, Minn., was killed in action Oct. 9 while supporting combat operations in
Afghanistan. He served as an explosive ordnance technician with Marine Wing Support Squadron 372, Marine Wing
Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force.
“His mission was not to find and defeat IEDs -- his job was to save lives,” said Lt. Col. Matthew Puglisi, the commanding
officer of MWSS-372.
Taylor is remembered for his great sense of humor, and as a dedicated leader who was compassionate for his Marines
and family.
“I will love him and miss him every minute of everyday and I’m a better man because of him,” said his father, Clifford
Taylor.
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — Taylor’s personal awards include a Bronze Star with Combat V
(posthumously),a Purple Heart (posthumously), a Combat Action Ribbon, a Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal
with a bronze star, a National Defense Service Medal, a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with two bronze stars,
a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, an Iraqi Campaign Medal, an Afghanistan Campaign Med al, an
International Security Assistance Force NATO Medal, a Humanitarian Service Medal with a bronze start and a
Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon.
Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor, an ordnance technician with Marine Wing Support Squadron 372, Marine Wing Support Group
37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, was killed in action during operations in Afghanistan, Oct. 9.,
Courtsey Photo, 11/5/2009 7:00 PM
Spec. George W. Cauley
Hometown: Walker, Minnesota, U.S.
Age: 24 years old
Died: October 10, 2009 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit: Army, 114th Truck Company of the Minnesota Army National Guard in Duluth, Minn.
Incident: Died Oct. 10 in Bagram, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his vehicle with a
makeshift bomb on Oct. 7 in Helmand province.
George Walter Cauley
GEORGE WALTER CAULEY
Walker, Minnesota
SPC George Walter Cauley, 24, of Walker, Minnesota died Saturday,
October 10, 2009 at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan from injuries
received during active duty in the Army National Guard. George was
born March 13, 1985 in Crosby, Minnesota to Richard and Gloria (Welbourne) Cauley. He
grew up in the Longville, Minnesota area, and graduated from Remer High School in 2003. Influenced by
the military legacy in his family, George enlisted in the Army National Guard at the age of 17 and was a
member of the 114th Transportation Company. He was currently on his first overseas tour of duty to
Afghanistan. Music was a big part of George's life and he had a great interest in playing guitar, piano, and
drums, as well as listening to music. He was also mechanical and enjoyed working on small sports cars,
preferably if the speed could be increased. Playing basketball with friends, and spending time on the
computer were other favorite pastimes. George was a perfectionist and always determined to do things well.
He always treated people with respect, was patient, giving, and stood up for others. He had a smile that will
never be forgotten, and took pride in wearing the uniform of the United States Army. George is survived by
his parents, Richard and Gloria Cauley, uncles and aunts; Jerry (Ethel) Cauley, Charles (Ann) Cauley, Gary
W. (Pat) Cauley, Mark Welbourne, Bruce (Kay) Welbourne, Alice (Jack) Palmer, Charlotte Neukam, Phyllis
(Bill) Kretz, Vicki Manns-Cauley, Mary (Darrell) Hall, and numerous cousins. George was preceded in
death by his paternal grandparents, Lou and George W. Keilman, maternal grandparents, Delores and Wayne
Welbourne, two uncles; Patrick Cauley, and Gary Welbourne, and a cousin John D. Palmer. Funeral services
will be held Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at 2:00 P.M. at the Camp Ripley Chapel, Little Falls, Minnesota with
visitation one hour prior to services at the Chapel .Visitation will also be on Monday, October 19 from 4-8
P.M. at the Dennis Funeral Home in Walker, Minnesota .Interment will follow services at the Minnesota
State Veterans Cemetery, Little Falls. The Dennis Funeral Home of Walker handled funeral arrangements.
Submit on-line condolences at www.dennisfuneralhome.com
Guardsman 'gave his all' from early age
George Cauley, who died last week after an attack by Afghan insurgents, was proud to join the National
Guard.
By PAUL WALSH, Star Tribune Last update: October 13, 2009 - 11:22 PM
George Cauley answered when his northern Minnesota high school football team called on him as a 5-foot-3
senior, and he answered the call again when patriotism inspired him to wear a military uniform.
Cauley, 24, was killed while serving with the Minnesota National Guard in Afghanistan last week.
Insurgents in Helmand Province attacked the National Guard specialist's vehicle with an improvised
explosive device last Wednesday, the Pentagon said. He died of his injuries three days later in Bagram.
"I talked him and one of the other kids into coming out for football as seniors," Northland High School
football coach Shem Daugherty recalled Tuesday.
In that 2002 season, Daughtery said, Cauley "gave his all when he was out there," despite his unfootball-like
stature. The coach said Cauley reminded him of the famed "Rudy" from Notre Dame in the 1970s, the "small
guy with a big heart" who earned a spot on the team and was later immortalized in a movie.
"Since George's passing, when you think of him coming out [for football], most definitely," Daugherty said
of the "Rudy" analogy.
After graduation from the school in Remer, Minn., Cauley returned to the school in his military uniform to
tell his coach that he had enlisted.
"He was always asking questions about the military," Daugherty said. "He was pretty proud to tell me that he
enlisted in the Natonal Guard. It was pretty neat to see that excitement."
Cauley was a member of the Guard's 114th Truck Company, based in Duluth. The company had 187 soldiers
mobilized in June, said Maj. Patricia Ba- ker, a public affairs officer for the Minnesota Guard. The one-year
deployment included training in Indiana before leaving for Afghanistan, Baker said.
Principal Joseph Akre said many kids from his school choose a future in the military, and Northland honors
them by posting a photo in the school along with information about their military background.
Akre lamented that Northland hadn't yet arranged such a salute to Cauley.
"We are trying to work on that now," Akre said, adding that the school has had in the past some of its
graduates "get banged up" while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"To the best of my knowledge,'' he said, "George is our first fatality."
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482