2007
Sgt. Gregroy A. Wright
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Age: 28 years old
Died: January 13, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his vehicle during combat operations in
Muqdadiyah, Iraq.
Gregroy Anthony Wright
Born on March 28, 1978 in Jamaica. He died on Jan 13, 2007 in Balad, Iraq. He
enlisted in the MA Army National Guard on July 15, 1999. SGT Wright transitioned
to active duty on May 3, 2004 and was assigned to Fort Riley, Kansas. Survived by
his father Conroy Wright of Boston, mother Ruby Watson of Jamaica; stepmother
Joyce Wright; grandmother Faye Wright of Jamaica; & daughter Tiaja Wright. A
Memorial Mass will be held at Concord Baptist Church, 190 Warren Ave, Boston,
MA on Saturday, Feb 3 at 6 PM. All are invited to attend.
Published in The Boston Globe on February 1, 2007
Gregroy Anthony Wright
Sergeant, United States Army
NEWS RELEASES from the United States Department of Defense
No. 058-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was
supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sergeant Gregroy A. Wright, 28, of Boston, Massachusetts, died January 13,
2007, in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive
device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations.Wright was
assigned to the 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort
Riley, Kansas.
For further information in regard to this relelase the media can contact the Fort
Riley public affairs office at (785) 239-3410.
South End soldier killed in Iraq
By Michele McPhee
Courtesy of the Boston Herald
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Twice a week, Army Sereant Gregroy A. Wright would call his little girl from
Iraq and whisper these words to her: “Daddy loves you.”
But 3-year-old Tiaja Wright received her last call from her father this past
week. On January, 2007, 13, the 28-year-old father from the South End was
killed when a bomb detonated near his vehicle during combat operations in
Muqdadiya, 60 miles north of Baghdad.
Wright was carrying pictures of his daughter in his battle gear when he died,
the soldier’s father, Conroy Wright, said last night from the Tremont Street
apartment he shared with his son.
“She is too young to understand that her father can’t call her anymore,” he
said. “I know my son loved her more than anything in the world. He had
hundreds of pictures of her with him in Iraq, and had some with him that day
he died.
“She will be heartbroken to know her father is not here with us.”
Gregroy Wright had immigrated to Boston from Jamaica in 1997 when he was
19 years old. Two years later, “to give something back to the country he loved,”
his father said, Wright enlisted in the Army National Guard. In 2004, he went
on active duty with the Army.
Wright was assigned to the 1st Engineering Battalion, 1st Brigade of the 1st
Infantry Division based out of Fort Riley in Kansas, U.S. Department of Defense
officials said yesterday.
“He loved America. He wanted to give something back. He saw the achievement
he could make here in the country, and he joined the Army as a career,” Conroy
Wright said. “My son was going to be something big in this world. After he
finished his service, he wanted to become a state trooper. He loved Boston and
wanted to stay here for good.
“I’m very sad to lose my son, but I am very proud of my son.”
Wright said his son will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. His fellow
soldiers also held a memorial service in his honor at Fort Riley.
He is one of 47 soldiers from Massachusetts to die in Iraq, according to a
Department of Defense Web site.
20 January 2007:
A 28-year-old Boston man, raised in Jamaica and the father of a 3-year-old
child, became the latest local soldier to die in Iraq on Saturday.
NewsCenter 5's Sean Kelly reported that Sergeant Gregroy A. Wright died in
Muqdadiyah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device
detonated near his vehicle during combat operations.
Wright was assigned to the 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry
Division in Fort Riley, Kansas.
Wright enlisted in the National Guard in 1999 and joined the Army two years
ago.
Wright's family said the soldier was a man who believed in serving his country.
His father said his son died doing what he loved.
Conroy Wright remembers phone conversations with his son in Iraq about the
improvised explosive devises that he'd seen and the local children.
"He'd give them candy, and they would tell them if something going on,"
Conroy Wright said.
Conroy Wright said he warned his son, too.
"I was mostly trying to tell him to stay safe. Don't be hero. Do your job. If you
can hide, hide. Don't be the one who's always in the front. We talked about
things like that," he said.
The Army sent a messenger to tell his father on Saturday.
"My mind is numb and my mind, there's so much going through it right now,"
Conroy Wright said. "I knew he'd be something great, and this is a proud
moment."
Wright will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Soldier Was Loyal To Adopted Country
By Arianne Aryanpur
Courtesy of the Washington Post
Saturday, January 27, 2007
The sun had started to set at Arlington National Cemetery yesterday by the time
a silver hearse carrying the body of Army Sergeant Gregroy A. Wright pulled
into Section 60.
A coffin bearing the 28-year-old father was draped in an American flag, and
mourners followed as uniformed soldiers carried it to the grave site, where it
was placed among the rows of white headstones.
Members of the Army Honor Guard conduct funeral services for Sergean t
Gregroy A. Wright at Arlington National Cemetery, 26 January 2007
Wright, of Boston, was killed January 13, 2006, in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, when a
roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle during combat operations, according
to the Defense Department. He was assigned to the 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st
Brigade, 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas, and was the 298th person
killed in the Iraq war to be buried at Arlington, cemetery officials said.
A chaplain delivered a brief Protestant service to the 100 or so mourners
assembled, and in military tradition, a three-shot volley was fired in salute and a
bugler played taps. As the soldiers stood at attention, their coats flapped in the
cold winter wind.
Wright's father, Conroy Wright, and his mother, Rubena Watson, received
folded American flags. His grandmother, Fay Wright, accepted a flag as well
and nodded when the presenter offered his condolences.
Shortly after his son's death, Conroy Wright told reporters that his son wanted
nothing more than to serve his country. Wright immigrated to the United States
from Jamaica when he was 19, but he had a strong desire to show his
appreciation for his adopted country by joining the military, according to the
Boston Globe. Wright applied to Boston College but decided to join the Army
National Guard instead. In 2004, he joined the Army full time.
"I knew he'd be something great, and this is a proud moment," his father told a
Boston television station.
Wright's heroes included Bob Marley, Nelson Mandela and "all men and
women who serve in this country's military," he wrote on his MySpace page. In
the weeks since his death, the Web site has become a place for friends to share
their grief.
A friend from Salem, Massachusetts, posted pictures of Wright wearing an
Army beanie and a Livestrong bracelet. In each photo, he is holding an infant.
"Greg, I don't want to believe it right now that you're gone," she wrote.
"You're too good to be gone this soon."
Wright, who listed himself as divorced, left behind a 3-year-old daughter, Tiaja,
his father said.
In another posting, "Cuff" echoed feelings of loss: "God bless you so much
brother for sacrificing yourself for friends, family and country. I'm gonna miss
the laugh, the smile and the way you made us feel when we were in your
presence. I cry because we all lost a very special person."
The Jamaican-born Boston soldier who gave his life serving in Iraq for the nation he loved
was laid to rest yesterday in Arlington National Cemetery, a full citizen of the United
States.
Army Sergeant Gregroy A. Wright, 28, father of a 3-year-old girl, was killed
January 13, 2007, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his
vehicle in Muqdadiyah, Iraq.
The combat engineer was assigned to the 1st Engineer Battalion out of Fort
Riley, Kansas. The fort is home to the “Big Red One,” the Army’s 1st Infantry
Division, of which Wright was a proud member, said his father, Conroy Wright.
The office of U.S. Immigrations and Citizenship Services said Wright was
posthumously awarded full citizenship before his burial, said Shawn Saucier, a
spokesman for the agency.
Conroy Wright said his son joined the Army as a way to repay the country he
loved. Wright came to the United States from Jamaica in 1997, then entered the
Massachusetts National Guard in 1999. He was pulled into active duty in 2004.
While deployed in Iraq, Gregroy Wright called his daughter twice a week,
whispering, “Daddy loves you” in the earpiece before hanging up.
Conroy Wright said his son died with pictures of his daughter tucked in his
battle gear.
During yesterday’s funeral at Arlington National Cemetery, Brigadier General
Robert M. Radin kneeled before Conroy Wright and presented him with the
flag that draped his son’s coffin before it was lowered in the ground.
Members of the honor guard carry the remains of Sergeant. Gregroy A. Wright during burial services
at Arlington National Cemetery, Friday, January 26, 2007
Brigadier General Robert M. Radin, left, presents a U.S. Flag to Conroy Wright, father of Sergeant
Gregroy A. Wright
at burial services at Arlington National Cemetery, Friday, January 26, 2007
WRIGHT, GREGROY ANTHONY
SGT US ARMY
DATE OF BIRTH: 03/28/1978
DATE OF DEATH: 01/13/2007
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 8505
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
Posted: 20 January 2007 Updated: 27 January 2007 Updated: 4 February 2007 Updated: 12 March 2007
Updated: 2 July 2007
Photo Courtesy of Holly, March 2007
Army Sgt. Gregroy A. Wright
28, of Boston, assigned to the 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley,
Kan.; died Jan. 13 in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device
detonated near his vehicle during combat operations.
Mass. soldier dies in Iraq
The Associated Press
BOSTON — A Boston soldier was killed by an improvised bomb last week in Iraq, the U.S. Department of Defense
said Jan. 19.
Army Sgt. Gregroy A. Wright died Jan. 13 of wounds he suffered when the device detonated near his
vehicle during combat operations in Muqdadiyah, 60 miles north of Baghdad.
The 28-year-old combat engineer was assigned to the 1st Engineering Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry
Division, based at Fort Riley, Kan.
Wright was originally from Jamaica and later lived in Boston, the Army said. He joined the Massachusetts
National Guard in 1999 and went on active duty in the Army in 2004.
His father, Conroy Wright, said he often warned his son to play it safe in Iraq.
He recalled telling him: “Don’t try to be a hero, and just do your job, and if you can hide behind somebody,
go ahead and hide — don’t be the one who’d be always in front,” he told WCVB-TV in Boston.
He also is survived by a daughter and an ex-wife, the Army said.
Fort Riley said a service was held at the post chapel Jan. 18 in Wright’s honor.
Boston Soldier Killed In Iraq
Wright Was 28
POSTED: 2:22 pm EST January 19, 2007
UPDATED: 6:44 pm EST January 19, 2007
BOSTON --
A 28-year-old Boston man, raised in Jamaica and the father of a 3-year-old child, became the latest
local soldier to die in Iraq on Saturday.
NewsCenter 5's Sean Kelly reported that Sgt. Gregroy A. Wright died in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, of wounds
suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations.
Wright was assigned to the 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division in Fort Riley, Kan.
Wright enlisted in the National Guard in 1999 and joined the Army two years ago.
Wright's family said the soldier was a man who believed in serving his country. His father said his son died
doing what he loved.
Conroy Wright remembers phone conversations with his son in Iraq about the improvised explosive devises
that he'd seen and the local children.
"He'd give them candy, and they would tell them if something going on," Conroy Wright said.
Conroy Wright said he warned his son, too.
"I was mostly trying to tell him to stay safe. Don't be hero. Do your job. If you can hide, hide. Don't be the
one who's always in the front. We talked about things like that," he said.
The Army sent a messenger to tell his father on Saturday.
"My mind is numb and my mind, there's so much going through it right now," Conroy Wright said. "I knew
he'd be something great, and this is a proud moment."
Wright will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Copyright 2007 by TheBostonChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast
Boston soldier killed in Iraq
Immigrant joined service to support his new country
By Megan Tench, Globe Staff | January 20, 2007
Gregroy A. Wright came to Boston from Jamaica at 19, wanting to be closer to his father and to seize all the
opportunities America had to offer.
After settling down on Tremont Street, making friends, and even applying for college, the young man
decided that he wanted to show how grateful he was to be an American by enlisting in the National Guard
for six years and later joining the Army full time.
On Sunday, Jan. 13, the combat engineer was killed in Muqdadiyah, 60 miles from Baghdad, when a bomb
exploded near his vehicle during combat operations.
Assigned to the First Engineer Battalion, First Brigade, First Infantry Division in Fort Riley, Kan., Sergeant
Wright, 28, leaves a 3-year-old daughter, Tiaja, his father, Conroy Wright , 51, said through tears yesterday.
"She was his heart," Wright said of his granddaughter, as he greeted relatives and friends who streamed
through his door to offer their condolences.
"I keep wiping my eyes; I haven't slept," said Wright, a maintenance worker at the Boston YWCA. "My son,
he walked proudly. He was so smart as a child in Jamaica. He took part in all his church services.
Full of ambition, Gregroy Wright was eager to make a positive life for himself, make a good living, and be a
strong provider, his father said.
"I had such high expectations for him," Wright said. "He applied for Boston College, but then he changed his
mind and said he wanted to join the Army National Guard."
Gregroy Wright signed up for six years, and he enjoyed military service so much that he joined the Army full
time, said his father and friends.
"His mates, in the Army, they had a loyal soldier in Gregroy," said Doyen Dunkley, owner of a barber shop
on Massachusetts Avenue and a family friend. "I was very close to Gregroy Wright. He was so laid back and
easygoing. He saw how coming to America helped his father, so he decided he wanted to come here, too."
Army life became his true calling, Dunkley said.
"He was very proud to wear the uniform," he reminisced with a chuckle. "Even when he came back home
from training, he didn't take it off for a couple of hours. I guess he liked the whole soldier thing. After
coming here, he felt like a lot of immigrants from Jamaica do. He wanted to try and support America. He felt
like he came here to get opportunities, and he knew that if he worked hard, he'll get what he wants."
Sadly, Gregroy Wright's dreams of life in America was cut short.
Last Saturday, Army officers, accompanied by a chaplain, knocked on Conroy Wright's door, and he has not
stopped crying since, he said. "I've trying to hold up the best I can," the father said in a whisper.
Word of the death spread quickly.
"All kinds of people have called and come here since Sunday," he said. "My son, he got along with
everybody, but I didn't know just how many people loved him until now."
A memorial service was held Thursday at Fort Riley in Gregroy Wright's honor, said a spokesman.
Megan Tench can be reached at mtench@globe.com.
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
written or redistributed.
Sgt. Alexander H. Fuller
Hometown: Centerville, Massachusetts, U.S.
Age: 21 years old
Died: January 25, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry
Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his vehicle during combat operations in
Baghdad.
A pregnant Anastacia Fuller talked to her husband, Alexander, a few days before his death. "I sent him
pictures of my stomach, like really big, and he called and was like, 'Oh my God, you are so beautiful. Your
stomach's so cute.'" Fuller, 21, of Centerville, Mass., was killed Jan. 25 when his vehicle struck an explosive
in Baghdad. He was assigned to Fort Carson. His daughter, whom he planned to call Alicia, is due in April.
"He was fearless," Anastacia Fuller said. He recently turned down a desk job to remain in the field, she said.
"He said, 'I appreciate it, but I've trained these men and I can't leave them,'" she said. Fuller dropped out of
high school and worked at a car dealership owned by the family of his wife, whom he met at a dance when
she was 13 and he was 15. A skilled boxer, he also played football briefly in high school. A Patriots fan who
loved writing rap lyrics, he wanted to be a police officer when he got out of the Army. Fuller worked at the
local A&P before earning his GED and enlisting in the Army in June 2004. He was married Oct. 16, 2004,
between boot camp and his first deployment to South Korea.
Iraq war comes to Cape Cod
By Joe Burns and Jessica Van Sack
Wed Jan 31, 2007, 12:22 PM EST
Fuller family photo
Alex and Stacey Fuller on their wedding day.
Barnstable - A memorial fund has been set up for Army Sgt. Alexander Henry Fuller, who became the
second Cape Codder to die in Iraq when he was killed last Thursday while leading a convoy outside
Baghdad.
Born in New Bedford and raised in Centerville, Fuller, 21, married Stacey Fuller in October 2004.
His 19-year-old widow said she met her husband at a party when they were just 13 and they knew
immediately they would be together. Alexander Fuller wanted nothing more than to be a hero and a husband,
and he died as both, his pregnant wife said.
Fuller was sitting in the passenger seat of a Humvee when it was hit by an improvised explosive device.
“He was fearless,” said his wife. She said he recently turned down a safer desk job as a radio operator.
“He said, ‘I appreciate it, but I’ve trained these men and I can’t leave them,’” she said.
His mother-in-law, Irena Zinov, said she begged him to take the desk job, but his loyalty to his soldiers
wouldn’t allow him to leave them.
“He loved the soldiers he trained. That’s why he was leading them,” she said,
Speaking of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Stacey Fuller’s grandfather Leo Khaskin, said Fuller
wanted to make sure “there wouldn’t be any more like what happened in New York.”
Fuller’s family described him as a quick wit who loved to write and record rap music, a physically and
mentally strong man whose innate courage and sense of duty spurred him to enlist in June 2004.
Fuller’s mother lives in Florida. Fuller has three sibling — Katie, 25, and brothers Christopher, 22, and Sean,
33. His father is deceased.
Fuller is the second Cape Codder to die in the Iraq war. Army Staff Sgt. Mark Vecchione of Eastham, died
last summer.
Fuller left high school and went to work at the Zinov family’s used car dealership in Hyannis and the A&P
supermarket before getting his GED and joining the Army.
“He was a hard worker. He wanted more in life. He wanted to study and go higher,” Khaskin said.
“Truly, he was like a son to us. It’s impossible to describe him as a person — how big a heart he had,” Irena
Zinov said.
“If you just met him he seemed to be a very quiet guy, but we had lots of fun with him. He enjoyed going
fishing with his father-in-law.”
Stacey spoke with her husband for the last time two days before he died. He had just received photos of her
that showed her being pregnant.
“He was like, ‘Oh my God, you’re so beautiful ... your stomach’s so big,” she said. “He was really happy.
We talked about what the plans were for when he got home.”
The couple lived with Stacey’s parents in Centerville. They planned to buy a house and had a future career
trajectory plotted out. He would become a police officer. Stacey wanted to become a registered nurse, but
now doubts she’ll even finish the semester at Cape Cod Community College. Their daughter is due in April.
Zinov wept remembering how Fuller would call her daughter every day
“She kept the phone right near her because Alex called every morning. She can’t accept that there won’t be
any phone calls anymore.”
“He never asked for much,” Stacey said. “He wanted to be in leadership and to be a hero. I want him to be
glorified.”
Help for soldier’s daughter
Memorial donations may be sent to the Alexander H. Fuller Memorial Fund, Rockland Trust, 1195 Falmouth
Road, Centerville, MA 02632.
Donations will be used for the benefit of Fuller’s daughter, due to be born in April.
Soon to be a father, now gone too young
Mourners remember 21-year-old Iraq casualty
By Megan Tench, Globe Staff | February 7, 2007
HYANNIS -- More than 100 mourners stood, heads bowed for final prayers, as the funeral Mass for Army
Sergeant Alexander Fuller came to a formal close yesterday. Then Zack Hallet, 24, cleared his throat, quietly
straightened his black suit, and pulled a piece of paper from his inside pocket.
He got up from his crowded pew in St. Francis Xavier Church and stood beside the ivory-draped coffin.
"Al was the funniest guy I knew," he said, his body shaking and his voice cracking. "He could make the
worst situation funny."
Sobs from the pews grew louder.
"I can't tell you the number of bad days I had when Al would say, 'Need a hug?' " Hallet said, his face soaked
with tears. "Well, Al, I could use one now."
Many of the mourners, including Governor Deval Patrick, were visibly pained.
Fuller, 21, was sitting in the passenger seat of a Humvee in Baghdad on Jan. 25 when a bomb exploded and
killed him.
He died two days after he had called his wife, Anastacia, 19, to tell her how beautiful she looked pregnant.
He planned to name his first child Alice when she is born in April, relatives said.
Yesterday, Anastacia Fuller walked slowly behind the coffin carrying the body of the man she married two
years ago, as the ceremony began.
Prayers were read and hymns sung as mourners prayed for understanding.
"By the way we live our lives, we say something," said the Rev. Thomas Frechette from the pulpit.
Alexander Fuller, he said, loved so deeply that he wanted to give the world something back.
"He was not going to be talked out of putting himself at risk," Frechette said. "Recognizing what he thought
was valuable, his family, his friends, his country, he chose to defend them. To protect them. . . . I am
humbled that he decided that we are worth the price of his life."
As a teenager, Fuller, who was born in New Bedford and raised in Centerville, bounced around before
earning his GED and joining the Army in June 2004 with hope of one day becoming a police officer, family
members said.
Hallet recalled the five necklaces, the gold teeth, and the hottest rap CDs that Fuller, a boxer and lover of
hip-hop, adored.
"He loved his bling," Hallet said, describing Fuller as his best friend and as close as a brother.
When Fuller was 15 and met Anastacia at a dance, he was convinced that she was the one he would marry,
Hallet said.
"He loved his Stacey," said Hallet. "She was going to be his forever."
Fuller was buried in Bourne National Cemetery.
Megan Tench can be reached at mtench@globe.com.
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
http://turbine.legacy.com/Legacy/MT/Tribute.aspx?TributePersonID=86236525&down
load=&TributeDownload=&Cobrand=LEGACY
Army Sgt. Alexander H. Fuller
21, of Centerville, Mass.; assigned to 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat
Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died Jan 25 of wounds sustained when an
improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations in Baghdad. Also
killed was Army Pfc. Michael C. Balsley.
IED kills Fort Carson soldier in Baghdad
The Associated Press
BARNSTABLE, Mass. — An Army sergeant assigned to Fort Carson, Colo., was killed Jan. 25 when the
Humvee he was riding in struck an improvised bomb in Baghdad, the Defense Department said Jan. 29.
Sgt. Alexander Fuller, 21, of Centerville, Mass., died two days after he called his wife, Anastacia Fuller, to
tell her how beautiful she looked while she was pregnant. His daughter, whom he planned to call Alicia, is
due in April.
“He was fearless,” Anastacia Fuller, 19, said. He recently turned down a desk job to remain in the field, she
said.
“He said, ‘I appreciate it, but I’ve trained these men and I can’t leave them,’ ” she said.
The military said the bomb also killed Pfc. Michael C. Balsley, 23, of Hayward, Calif. Balsley’s family had
announced his death earlier.
Both were assigned to Fort Carson’s 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team,
2nd Infantry Division.
The deaths bring to 186 the number of Fort Carson soldiers who have died in Iraq as of Jan. 25.
Alexander Fuller was born in New Bedford and raised in Centerville. He had two brothers, Sean, 33, and
Christopher, 22, and a 25-year-old sister, Katie. He was predeceased by his father; his mother lives in Lake
Worth, Fla.
Fuller dropped out of high school and worked at a car dealership owned by the family of his wife, whom he
met at a Hyannis dance when she was 13 and he was 15. A skilled boxer, he also played football briefly in
high school.
Fuller worked at a grocery store before earning his GED and enlisting in the Army in June 2004. He was
married Oct. 16, 2004, between boot camp and his first deployment to South Korea.
“He was just the toughest, most fearless kid,” said Zach Hallett, 24, of Osterville. Fuller once lived with
Hallett’s family. “He wasn’t afraid of anything.”
Fuller also enjoyed writing and recording rap music.
Family members said they were told he was sitting in the Humvee’s passenger seat leading a convoy when
the bomb exploded.
New Bedford native killed by bomb in Iraq
By The Cape Cod Times
CENTERVILLE — A New Bedford-born Marine expecting his first child in April was killed in Iraq last week when a
bomb exploded near his convoy, his family confirmed yesterday.
Anastacia Fuller, 19, of Centerville, learned that her husband, Army Sgt. Alexander Henry Fuller, 21, was killed
when two military men arrived at her home at 10:30 p.m. Thursday.
The Fullers were sweethearts since their early teens, married two years ago and expecting their first child in April.
"He was the best damn soldier, I think, in the whole Army," Mrs. Fuller said yesterday, recalling her husband's
quick rise to a military leadership position.
She sat in the kitchen yesterday surrounded by family, with plates of food wrapped in aluminum foil and a
pamphlet about grieving on the counter. A bulky navy sweatshirt hid her pregnancy. Her face was wan and her eyes
red.
"He was the best soldier," she repeated. "He tried to make a difference."
Sgt. Fuller, who was born in New Bedford, had hoped to be a police officer when he got out of the Army — even
though he was also very interested in recording and writing rap music, his wife said. He met Anastacia, who at age 3
immigrated with her family from Russia, when she was 13 at a teen dance in Hyannis. They quickly decided they
belonged together.
Sgt. Fuller joined the Army in 2004 after some bouncing around in his youth from Florida to Cape Cod, living with a
friend at times and with Anastacia's family.
The couple was married Oct. 16, 2004, in South Yarmouth, between Army boot camp and Alex's first assignment in
South Korea. He and Anastacia also spent a year in Colorado during his second assignment. He had been in Iraq since
October and had recently seen his first photo of Anastacia's expanding stomach.
In a recent telephone conversation, Sgt. Fuller told his young bride he was ready to come home, Anastacia said.
"He was like a son to me," said Anastacia's mother, Irena Zinov. "Every time he could, he tried to help with
something around the house. ... I can't really count the ways, why he was so important.
He was just like a son and it's an unimaginable loss that no mother should experience."
Date of Publication: January 28, 2007 on Page A07
Capt. Jennifer J. Harris
Hometown: Swampscott, Massachusetts, U.S.
Age: 28 years old
Died: February 7, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Marines, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine
Aircraft Wing, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Incident: Killed when the helicopter she was flying in crashed while supporting combat operations in
Anbar Province.
Lt. Rosie Goscinski remembers the day her Naval Academy roommate Jennifer J. Harris learned she had been
accepted into aviation in the Marine Corps. "The first thing she did was offer me all of her Navy dress uniforms
because she wouldn''t need them and I wouldn''t have to spend the money to buy them," Goscinski said. "She was
the epitome of today''s leader." Harris, 28, of Swampscott, Mass., died Feb. 7 in a helicopter crash in Anbar province.
He was a 2000 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and was assigned to Camp Pendleton. One of a handful of female
Marine chopper pilots, it was Harris'' job to get the wounded out quickly. "When it was dark, Capt. Harris would fly.
She''d fly so that others could live," said Col. Michael Hudson. After her third Iraq tour, Harris was to have started in
the Youth Senate Mentoring Program in Washington, D.C., and was named an instructor for the ROTC program at
George Washington University. Her cousin, Chrissy Ahern, said she never settled for second best. "She motivated
those around her to always do better," she recalled Harris saying. She is survived by her parents, Raymond and
Rosalie, and Maj. Christopher Aaby, her fiancé.
Jennifer Harris
A Marine captain from Swampscott, who tackled the rigors of the US Naval Academy and became a helicopter pilot,
died Wednesday in a crash during her third tour in Iraq, according to a town veteran official. Captain Jennifer Harris,
28, was the second Swampscott native to die in the war. This morning, firefighters hung black and purple memorial
bunting on the sides of their station on Burrill Street. Flags also flew at half-staff at the police station next door.
James Schultz, the veteran's agent in town and a Swampscott police detective, said he had known Harris since she
was senior at Swampscott High School in 1996. He said he visited her family shortly after the military notified them
about her death.
A CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter crashed on Wednesday in a field in Anbar province, about 20 miles from Baghdad. All
seven people onboard died, according to the Associated Press.
Harris went to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., where she graduated in 2000. Schultz said she chose the
most difficult path at the academy when she decided to be trained as a Marine officer.
"She liked to take on the challenges," Schultz said.
This morning a steady parade of cars stopped by her family's greenish ranch-style home on Elwin Street in
Swampscott. A flag in the backyard flew at half-staff. A note on the door asked that the media: "Please respect our
privacy. Thanks."
Harris was an only child. Her father "was incredibly proud of his daughter," Schultz said.
During Harris' first tour, her father remained relatively calm, Schultz said. He grew a little more apprehensive during
her second, and by the third tour, "He seemed to be a little more pensive," Schultz said. The family was devastated
by her death.
US Army Specialist Jared J. Raymond, who graduated from Swampscott High School in 2004, died last September
when an improvised explosive device detonated near the tank he was driving in Iraq. Raymond, 20, was the first
Swampscott resident to die in combat since the Vietnam War.
Published in The Boston Globe on February 8, 2007
Swampscott Marine captain dies in helicopter crash
By the Boston Globe City & Region Desk
February 8, 07 11:42 AM
(Janet Knott/Globe Staff)
Marine Captain Jennifer J. Harris, 28, was the second Swampscott native killed in the Iraq
war.
By John R. Ellement and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff
A Marine captain from Swampscott, who tackled the rigors of the US Naval Academy and
became a helicopter pilot, died Wednesday in a crash during her third tour in Iraq, according to
a town veteran official.
Captain Jennifer J. Harris, 28, was the second Swampscott native to die in the war. This
morning, firefighters hung black and purple memorial bunting on the sides of their station on
Burrill Street. Flags also flew at half-staff at the police station next door.
James Schultz, the veteran's agent in town and a Swampscott police detective, said he had
known Harris since she was senior at Swampscott High School in 1996. He said he visited her
family shortly after the military notified them about her death.
A CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter crashed on Wednesday in a field in Anbar province, about 20
miles from Baghdad. All seven people onboard died, according to the Associated Press.
Harris went to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., where she graduated in 2000. Schultz
said she chose the most difficult path at the academy when she decided to be trained as a
Marine officer.
"She liked to take on the challenges," Schultz said.
This morning a steady parade of cars stopped by her family's greenish ranch-style home on
Elwin Street in Swampscott. A flag in the backyard flew at half-staff. A note on the door asked
that the media: "Please respect our privacy. Thanks."
"Jennifer Harris exemplified the best of what this country has to offer," her family said in
statement read to the media at the Swampscott VFW hall. "She was proud to be a Marine and
proud to serve her country."
Harris was an only child. Her father "was incredibly proud of his daughter," Schultz said.
During Harris' first tour, her father remained relatively calm, Schultz said. He grew a little
more apprehensive during her second, and by the third tour, "He seemed to be a little more
pensive," Schultz said. The family was devastated by her death.
US Army Specialist Jared J. Raymond, who graduated from Swampscott High School in 2004,
died last September when an improvised explosive device detonated near the tank he was
driving in Iraq. Raymond, 20, was the first Swampscott resident to die in combat since the
Vietnam War.
Swampscott pilot lived her dream
By Michael Levenson and John R. Ellement, Globe Staff | February 9, 2007
SWAMPSCOTT -- She was a skinny flute player in the band at Swampscott High School who set herself a goal: to
attend the US Naval Academy and make it in one of the toughest branches of the military where women can fly
directly into combat, the air wing of the Marines.
And so she did. Jennifer J. Harris ran long hours to whip herself into shape. She hit the books and graduated fifth in her
class at Swampscott High. She made it into the Naval Academy and stuck with it, even as some of her fellow cadets
quit, unable to stomach the physical rigors and demanding curriculum. And when she left Annapolis, she joined the
Purple Foxes, a storied Marine helicopter squadron, and, after three years of training, headed for Iraq, where she flew
big CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters into danger to rescue fellow military personnel.
Harris, 28, was aboard one of those giant choppers Wednesday when it crashed in flames in a field northwest of
Baghdad, killing her and six other service members.
She was the first Massachusetts servicewoman killed in Iraq, and her death resonated deep and wide in Swampscott
and beyond. Harris, who had served three tours in the war, was due to return to Swampscott next week and take a
position as a Marine instructor for the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps at The George Washington University in
Washington, D.C. Last week, she sent friends an e-mail from Iraq, gushing about her return home: "Two more weeks!"
she wrote.
Yesterday, her friends and loved ones, as well as town officials who knew her, were in mourning.
"This really hurts," said Matthew Malone, the superintendent of schools and a Marine veteran of the first Gulf War.
"This is a woman who is a giant among Marines. The folks that get to fly combat aviation are the smartest, the most
highly trained people committed to excellence in the entire Marine Corps. It's a huge accomplishment what she has
been able to do in her career. And this is a horrible, horrible tragedy."
It was the second combat death of a Swampscott native since the Vietnam War. The first was Jared J. Raymond, a 20year-old US Army specialist killed Sept. 19, when an improvised explosive device detonated near the tank he was
driving in Iraq.
Yesterday, town firefighters draped their station in black and purple bunting. Police officers lowered the flag outside
their headquarters to half-staff. Neighbors paid their respects at the Harris home. Across the country, friends circulated
e-mails sharing memories of Harris, sailing off Nahant, playing softball, taking dance lessons.
"Captain Jennifer Harris exemplified the best of what this country has to offer," Anthony Macone, a family
spokesman, said at the VFW Post. "She was proud to be a Marine, and she was proud to serve her country. . . . She had
a passion for life and was a compassionate human being. Her family and friends will miss her very much."
Those who knew Harris recalled her transformation from a quiet page at the town library into a disciplined warrior.
The only daughter of Raymond, a former General Electric worker, and Rosalie, a teacher, Harris had talked about
becoming a pilot as a young girl, friends said. But it was not until she was a high school junior in 1995 that she set her
sights on the Naval Academy.
"That's all she talked about, that she wanted to go the Academy," said Alyce Deveau, director of the library where
Harris shelved books after school for three years. "It wasn't just a fluke. It was a dream of hers."
On evenings after school and work, Harris went for long runs, steeling herself for Annapolis. Former US representative
Peter G. Torkildsen, in whose Salem office Harris interned in 1996, sponsored Harris's application, and Deveau helped
her polish the wording.
In 1996, Harris entered the academy as one of about 170 women in a class of 1,000. Friends were proud of Harris, who
had been a member of the Student Council at Swampscott High and a volunteer at the Swampscott senior citizens'
dance and the American Heart Association.
"She could have done anything with her life," said Jill Murtagh, 28, Harris's friend and high school classmate. "She
was brilliant, one of the smartest, hardest-working women I've ever known, academically and personally. She could
have chosen any path, and I think it was a great honor for her to serve the country."
Harris graduated in 2000 and seized an opportunity to join the Marines as a helicopter pilot. Only about 6 percent of
Marines are women.
"She always wanted to fly," said James Schwartz, a friend from high school. "She was always up for a challenge. Any
one of those challenges -- the Naval Academy, the Marine Corps, becoming a helicopter pilot -- one is enough for the
average person. She chose three. And the flying in a combat zone is four."
In 2003, Harris was sent to Iraq, where she evacuated wounded from Fallujah, a Sunni insurgent hotbed, according to
an interview she gave to the Lynn Daily Item. She returned home later that year and spent time with her family. In
2005, she served in Iraq a second time and was serving her third tour this year.
Murtagh said Harris never missed e-mailing her a birthday card, no matter where she was, and added that Harris liked
to forward jokes about the rivalry between the North Shore and the South Shore.
Virginia Lubrano, a neighbor of the Harris family, said that last year she asked Harris whether she feared returning to
war. "If I have to go, I have to go," Lubriano quoted her as saying. "Hopefully, this will be the last time."
Levenson can be reached at mlevenson@globe.com; Ellement at ellement@globe.com.
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
Swampscott pilot’s family clings to memories
By Peter Gelzinis/Boston Herald
Mon Feb 12, 2007, 09:37 AM EST
Family photo
Capt. Jennifer Jean Harris of Swampscott.
Swampscott - Flying her fellow Marines in and out of hell did not prevent Capt. Jennifer Jean Harris from
making the time to send presents back to each member of her large and loving family.
They fill the Swampscott bedroom where Ray and Rosalie Harris’ only child once dreamed of attending
Annapolis and becoming a Marine aviator.
Each gift is still wrapped and waiting to be opened.
“The family planned on having a delayed Christmas this week,” Harris’ uncle, Anthony Macone, explained
yesterday. “We said we’ll wait ’till Jen gets home and then have ourselves a kind of all-in-one celebration Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries . . . that way, Jen wouldn’t miss anything.”
Today, Jen Harris, 28, was supposed to touch down in California after completing her third combat tour as
the lone female pilot of the Marines’ legendary Purple Foxes helicopter squadron.
Last Wednesday, while transporting blood between Baghdad and Fallujah, Harris, her co-pilot and a crew of
five perished. An insurgent group with links to al-Qaeda has claimed credit for downing the CH-46 Sea
Knight chopper, though there’s been no official U.S. confirmation.
For the family huddled in the sanctuary of a small living room yesterday, confirmation hardly seemed
relevant. The pain has already burned its way beyond their eyes and deep into their hearts.
“I want to die today, right now,” said Gina Macone, 82, “if it will bring my granddaughter back.”
And yet, tears have been tempered by the greatest gift Jen Harris left her family - memories.
“In her squadron, Jen was known as ‘The Dove,’ ” her aunt, Linda Macone said with a radiant smile.
“Despite all that was going on, Jen was quiet, peaceful and serene. In her e-mails and letters, she took great
care to protect us from what she was seeing over there. She didn’t want Rosalie or her grandmother to worry.
”
Two months ago, Jen Harris sent home a new squadron patch that her family now sees as both poignant and
hauntingly prophetic.
“It’s a casualty evacuation insignia that shows an angel holding up a helicopter,” Linda said. “The angel has
blond hair, just like Jen. We don’t know for sure if Jen was the inspiration. But obviously we think she was.”
Not long after Jen Harris was born, her mother, Rosalie, a teacher, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Anthony and Linda Macone embraced the role of “extra parents.” Indeed, it was Anthony who drove his
gifted niece first to West Point, where she was accepted, and then to Annapolis.
When the honor student they described as “our Barbie doll girl, angelic but strong” told the family that she
would become a Marine because the Marines were “the best of the best,” her grandmother cringed. “I said to
her, ‘Jen, the Marines are always the first to fight.’ She tells me, ‘That’s why I want to be a Marine.’ ”
And yet, she managed to tailor her compassion to her mission. Jen Harris chose to fly a support craft rather
than an attack chopper. “She didn’t want to be alone up there,” her uncle said. “She wanted to assist, to take
care of the wounded. And it didn’t matter if they were fellow Marines or wounded Iraqis. Jen was always
looking to help people.”
When her time in hell was done, Harris was looking forward to teaching Marine NROTC officers at George
Washington University. She was also one of three officers chosen for an elite U.S. Senate mentoring
program.
Last week, when Harris’ aunt, Maureen Corton, heard reports of the latest helicopter crash, she instinctively
whispered, “Oh, Jen, please, please get home.” An hour later Ray Harris was on the phone: “Maureen,” he
cried, “Jen’s gone.”
Ray Harris remembered that last Wednesday had been a “good day.”
“Everyone was excited because Jen was coming home. Then, as I was about to fix supper for Rose, I caught
sight of the three uniforms walking to the door. I just screamed, ‘Oh, no...no...no!”’
Soon, he will repeat the tender ritual he shared with his daughter. “I loved picking her up at the airport when
she’d come home,” Ray said. “I had this special pillow so she could rest her head. Picking her up was always
so much better than taking her back.”
In a few days, Ray Harris will proudly drive to Logan Airport to meet “my lovely girl” when she arrives for
the last time. “I told the funeral director that I want the hearse to come straight here. This is Jen’s home. This
is where her mother and I and all her family and friends will be waiting to welcome her home.”
Contributions can be made to the Capt. Jennifer J. Harris scholarship fund c/o care of Eastern Bank.
Marine Capt. Jennifer J. Harris
28, of Swampscott, Mass.; assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364, Marine Aircraft
Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Feb.
7 when the helicopter she was flying in crashed while supporting combat operations in Anbar
province, Iraq. Also killed were 1st Lt. Jared M. Landaker, Sgt. Travis D. Pfister, Cpl. Thomas E.
Saba, Sgt. James R. Tijerina, Navy Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Gilbert Minjares Jr. and Navy
Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Manuel A. Ruiz.
Swampscott, Mass., Marine killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
SWAMPSCOTT, Mass. — Marine Capt. Jennifer Harris, a Swampscott woman and Naval Academy
graduate, died when the helicopter she was piloting crashed Feb. 7 in a field northwest of Baghdad, killing
all seven people on board.
Harris, 28, a graduate of Swampscott High School, was on her third tour and was scheduled to be home
next week, said Jim Schultz, the town veterans’ agent.
“She was a great kid,” he said.
Harris was the second Swampscott resident to die in Iraq in the last six months and is believed to be the
first woman from Massachusetts to die in the war. Army Spc. Jared Raymond, 20, of Swampscott, died
when the tank he was driving was hit by a roadside bomb Sept. 19 in Taji, Iraq.
“Jennifer Harris exemplified the best of what this country has to offer,” a statement released by family
spokesman Anthony Macone said. “She had a passion for life and was a compassionate human being.”
Macone declined to comment further when contacted by The Associated Press.
Harris graduated from the Naval Academy in 2000, after choosing the difficult path of training as a Marine
officer, Schultz said.
“She liked to take on the challenges,” Schultz said.
The crash that killed Harris remains under investigation, with conflicting reports of what caused the transport
helicopter to go down. A U.S. military statement gave no reason for the crash of the CH-46 Sea Knight,
which went down near Fallujah in Anbar province, about 20 miles from Baghdad. Marine Corps officials at
the Pentagon said the aircraft was in flames when it went down, but there was no sign that it involved
hostile fire.
An Iraqi air force officer, however, said the helicopter was downed by an anti-aircraft missile. An al-Qaidalinked group, the Islamic State in Iraq, claimed on its Web site that it shot down the helicopter.
Marine pilot killed in Iraq buried in Swampscott
The Associated Press
SWAMPSCOTT, Mass. — The first servicewoman from Massachusetts to be killed in the Iraq war was
buried with full military honors Monday, less than two weeks after the helicopter she was piloting in Iraq was
shot down.
Marine Capt. Jennifer Harris, 28, was taken by horse-drawn hearse to a funeral service at St. John the
Evangelist Church. Bagpipes played as Marines in full uniform carried her casket inside.
The eulogy was delivered by Lt. Rose Gascinski, who roomed with Harris at the Naval Academy before
Harris, of Swampscott, graduated in 2000. Harris then choose the difficult path of training as a Marine
officer.
Speaking before the service, Gascinski said Harris earned the nickname “Dove” at the Naval Academy for
her calm demeanor in the face of adversity. Gascinski said those qualities would have served Harris well
when the Marine CH-46 troop transport she was piloting went down northwest of Baghdad on Feb. 7.
“I was thinking that if I wanted anybody to be my pilot in that moment, I would want it to be her,” Gascinski
said.
All seven people on board the helicopter were killed. An al-Qaida-linked Sunni group claimed responsibility
for shooting down the helicopter, and aired a video.
Harris’ body arrived home Thursday, accompanied by a Marine escort, Maj. Christopher Aaby, her fiance.
Harris, a graduate of Swampscott High School, had been on her third tour in Iraq. She was scheduled to
return home the week after she was killed.
Harris was the second Swampscott resident to be killed in Iraq in the last six months. Army Spc. Jared
Raymond, 20, of Swampscott, was killed when the tank he was driving was hit by a roadside bomb on Sept.
19 in Taji, Iraq.
A sad homecoming for Marine
Swampscott pilot killed in Iraq war
The hearse carrying the body of Marine Captain Jennifer J. Harris passed her family's home in Swampscott yesterday.
(Aram Boghosian for The Boston Globe)
By Steven Rosenberg, Globe Staff | February 16, 2007
SWAMPSCOTT - The blue lights from the police cruisers flashed as the 14-car procession, which included
a black hearse, turned slowly onto Elwin Street. Marine Captain Jennifer J. Harris, had been scheduled to
return from her third tour of Iraq on Wednesday. Her homecoming was a day later and infinitely sadder than
planned.
Harris, 28, was killed Feb. 7 along with six other service members after insurgents shot down the helicopter
she was piloting in Anbar Province . She was the first servicewoman from Massachusetts to die in combat
in the Iraq war.
The procession, which started at Hanscom Field, came to a halt in front of the modest green Cape Codstyle home of Harris's parents . Several neighbors, their faces etched with sadness, looked on in the frigid
weather. Some held American flags, others offered salutes.
Then Raymond Harris walked from a limousine that was part of the procession to the back of the hearse.
Once there, he opened the door and stood silently , looking at his daughter's flag-covered casket. A minute
later, he gently closed the door and returned to the limo. The procession proceeded . The Marine captain's
neighbors were still trying to sort out their feelings.
"This is so sad ," said Jimmy Connors, who played with Harris as a child in the neighborhood. "I remember
her parents used to pick her up at the airport when she'd come home, and now she's coming home this
way."
Connors had spent the morning buying as many small American flags as he could. An hour before Harris's
procession made its way down Elwin Street. Connors and other neighbors placed the flags in snow banks
throughout the neighborhood.
A neighbor, Julie Faulkner, stood with her children, Mackenzie, 9, and Liam, 7. Faulkner dismissed her
children from school so they could honor Harris . The three clutched flags.
Faulkner said she would tell her children that Harris did "a great job" for the country. "I'll remember her with
great dignity, pride, and love of her country, and love of her family," she said.
Andrew Roland, who lives two doors away, went to school with Harris and also served in the Marines. He
called his friend, a National Honor Society member who ranked fifth in her 1996 Swampscott High
graduating class, brilliant. "As an officer, she could basically write her own ticket, and she volunteered to go
over there. She was very brave," he said of the Naval Academy graduate.
Funeral services for Harris will be held Monday . Harris will be buried in Swampscott Cemetery. © Copyright
2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
Pfc. John F. Landry Jr.
Hometown: Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S.
Age: 20 years old
Died: March 17, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division,
Fort Bliss, Tex.
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his vehicle during combat operations in
Baghdad.
On the football field, John F. Landry Jr. was an intimidating force as a lineman, standing 5-foot-10
and weighing 240 pounds. But off the field, he was a gentle giant. "He was a big teddy bear of a boy
who just saw the good in everybody," said Donna Deveau, whose children played on the football
team with Landry. Landry, 20, of Lowell, Mass., was killed March 17 by a roadside bomb in
Baghdad. He was a 2005 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Bliss. Landry was intrigued
with the military growing up and passed up several college admission offers to join the Army,
where he was a rifleman. "Ever since he was a little kid, he always was fascinated with wars and
generals, military strategies and history," said Landry''s uncle, William Landry. "You could ask him
about any war and he knew everything." Principal Maryellen DeMarco recalled one of her last
conversations with Landry at a school football game last fall, soon after he learned of his
assignment. "He said, ''I''m going to make you proud. I''m going to serve my country.''" He is
survived by his parents, Pamela and John.
John Francis Landry Jr.
LOWELL -- Pfc. John Francis Landry, Jr., of Lowell, a standout high-school student and athlete, was killed in action on
Saturday, March 17, while serving with the Army in Baghdad, Iraq. He was 20.
He was born on Christmas Day, 1986, in Malden, the beloved son of John F. Landry Sr. and Pamela A.
(Morse) Landry of Lowell, formerly of Wilmington. His first appearance to his parents was in a Christmas
stocking, and it was love at first sight, they recalled. He attended Lowell Public Schools in his early years,
and then graduated with cum laude honors from Lowell Catholic High School in 2005.
Mr. Landry was an accomplished football player all four years at Lowell Catholic. Known as #57, he played
on both the offensive and defensive teams. He was also a scholar and strived to be a straight "A" student. His
favorite subject was history.
Mr. Landry's other interests included music and movies, and he enjoyed spending time with his many
friends. He has been described by many as a good kid, very respectful, and a great son.
When his nephew Donovan John was born, he was so proud to be his uncle and he loved doting on him,
family members said.
Mr. Landry was also very proud to be an American and wanted to serve his country, family members
recalled. He joined the Army shortly after his graduation and went into active duty on Sept. 26, 2005.
Mr. Landry was able to spend time with his parents recently in Florida, a special time they will forever
treasure. He returned to Iraq on March 7 and gave his life on March 17, in Baghdad during Operation Iraqi
Freedom.
He will be remembered and missed greatly, including by many in the nation grateful for his service to the
country, family members said.
Besides his parents, he was also the dear brother of Britney L. Landry of Lowell; special uncle of Donovan
John Landry; grandson of Robert and Barbara (Duggan) Morse of Florida; and great-grandson of Violet M.
Duggan of Wilmington.
He is also survived by many aunts, uncles, cousins.
He also leaves many friends.
Published in Lowell Sun on March 24, 2007
Army Pfc. John F. Landry Jr.
20, of Lowell, Mass.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat
Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, Texas; died March 17 in Baghdad when an improvised
explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations. Also killed were Army Sgt.
John E. Allen, Army Sgt. Ed Santini and Army Pfc. William N. Davis.
Massachusetts soldier dies in Iraq
The Associated Press
LOWELL, Mass. — An Army private who died in Iraq is the first Lowell resident to lose his life in the war,
officials said March 19.
Pfc. John Landry Jr., 20, died over the weekend, said Joseph Dussault, the city’s veteran’s services
director. Other details of Landry’s death had not been released March 19.
Pamela Landry, the soldier’s mother, told The Boston Globe that he said goodbye to his parents on March 7
after spending time in Florida with them while home on leave. She told the newspaper he died March 17.
She recalled a line from a letter that her son had written recently as he recounted scoring a perfect 6-for-6
on a marksmanship test.
“ ‘Don’t worry about me, mom,’ ” Pamela Landry said, quoting from the letter. “ ‘I’ll be OK.’ ”
“It’s terribly sad to lose someone so young with his entire life ahead of him,” Mayor William Martin said.
“Private Landry was a true hero who gave his life for his country and we are all grateful for his sacrifice. The
entire city’s thoughts and prayers are with Private Landry and his family.”
The flag outside city hall was lowered to half-staff.
Landry is the son of John and Pamela Landry and was a graduate of Lowell Catholic High School. He
served as a rifleman with the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, in the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the
1st Cavalry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas.
“John was a patriot, who answered his country’s call to duty and made the ultimate sacrifice,” U.S. Rep.
Martin Meehan said in a statement.
Pfc. John F. Landry Jr., 20, of Lowell, Mass. died Mar. 17 2007 in Baghdad,
Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during
combat operations
ef02f255e38f2e7
0
0
John Landry Jr. picture in his senior portrait - (2005)
Courtesy: Lowell Catholic High School
John F. Landry Jr
Wednesday, March 21 2007 @ 06:02 AM EDT
Boston Herald -- John F. Landry Jr. was remembered yesterday as an "all-around good kid" and
hardworking student whose fascination with the military led him to join the Army and deploy to Iraq,
where he died this past weekend.
Pfc. Landry, 20, grew up in Lowell and graduated from Lowell Catholic High School in 2005 with a tightknit class of only about 55 other students.
"John was just an all-around good kid," said Donna Deveau, who works in alumni relations at Lowell
Catholic, where Landry is remembered fondly. "He had a great sense of humor. He wanted to be friends
with people. He worked hard at it."
Landry, a 5-foot-10-inch tall, 240-pound linebacker in high school, was co-captain of the football team his
senior year and played alongside Deveau’s son. He also played basketball and was an ambitious student
who took honors courses, she said.
Landry’s parents, Pamela and John Landry Sr., received the news of their son’s death while vacationing in
Florida.
William Landry, who lives in Billerica, said his nephew was killed in combat in Iraq on St. Patrick’s Day.
He said Landry was intrigued with the military growing up and passed up several college admission offers
to join the Army, where he was a rifleman.
"Ever since he was a little kid, he always was fascinated with wars and generals, military strategies and
history," Landry’s uncle said. "You could ask him about any war and he knew everything."
He said Landry, who was very close to his parents, was home on leave about 10 days ago and vacationed
with his parents.
Deveau, who said Landry kept in contact with her after graduation, hopes the school can plan a memorial
service in his honor.
A statement released yesterday by the school called Landry a "tenacious athlete, a hard-working student
and a great citizen."
"Overall, he was a well-rounded, happy-go-lucky kid who brought so much to Lowell Catholic High School,"
the statement reads.
Landry served in the Army with Company C, 2nd Battalion, with the 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade
Combat Team in the 1st Cavalry Division.
Capt. Anthony . Palermo
Hometown: Brockton, Massachusetts, U.S.
Age: 26 years old
Died: April 6, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division,
Schweinfurt, Germany
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his vehicle during combat operations in
Baghdad.
Norwich 2004 grad killed in Iraq Sunday
Second from school to die in past week
Army Sgt. Adam Kennedy
Norwich University
Associated Press - Published: April 10, 2007
NORFOLK — Army Sgt. Adam Kennedy, a rock climbing enthusiast and Norwich University graduate who
began his first tour of duty in Iraq last fall, was killed by a blast from an improvised explosive device south of
Baghdad, his family said Monday.
He was the second Norwich University student to die in Iraq in the past few days. Army Capt. Anthony
Palermo Jr. was reported killed last Friday when an improvised exposive device hit his Humvee.
Family members didn't immediately know any additional details of the circumstances of Sunday's attack, his
father, David Kennedy, and mother, Nancy Smyth, said by telephone from the family home in Norfolk.
Kennedy, 25, served in a 4th Brigade infantry division based in Fort Richardson, Alaska, and was sent to his
first tour in Iraq in October.
"His lifelong ambition was to be in the military," his father said. "He really loved the discipline, and the
physical conditioning."
Kennedy's unit provided security for an Army colonel, clearing hidden explosives and otherwise ensuring
safe passage for convoys. The work frequently put Kennedy's unit in danger — a reality that became clear
to his family when he returned for a 10-day leave late last year.
"He was obviously subdued, and changed by the danger," his father said.
David Kennedy said his son telephoned him last Thursday, and told him he would be on special duty
requiring him to be out of contact for about a month.
Despite the risks, in December Kennedy made a commitment to remain with the Army for another six years,
his father said.
Kennedy, who was single, graduated from Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood in 2000. He
graduated from Norwich University in 2004, majoring in computer science, according to a statement from
the university.
At Norwich, he spent time away from his studies rock-climbing in the Green Mountains, and participated in
the university's cold weather rescue team, his parents said.
Although he had little background as a runner, last year he finished a marathon during a break from military
training in Alaska.
"He ran a respectable time his first time out," his father said.
Arrangements for a funeral in Norfolk were pending.
Norwich grad dies in Iraq
The Associated Press - Published: April 10, 2007
NORFOLK, Mass. — Army Sgt. Adam Kennedy, a rock-climbing enthusiast and Norwich University
graduate who began his first tour of duty in Iraq last fall, was killed by a blast from an improvised explosive
device south of Baghdad, his family said Monday.
Family members didn't immediately know any additional details of the circumstances of Sunday's attack, his
father, David Kennedy, and mother, Nancy Smyth, said by telephone from the family home in Norfolk.
Kennedy, 25, served in a 4th Brigade infantry division based in Fort Richardson, Alaska, and was sent to his
first tour in Iraq in October.
"His lifelong ambition was to be in the military," his father said. "He really loved the discipline and the
physical conditioning."
Kennedy's unit provided security for an Army colonel, clearing hidden explosives and otherwise ensuring
safe passage for convoys. The work frequently put Kennedy's unit in danger — a reality that became clear
to his family when he returned for a 10-day leave late last year.
"He was obviously subdued and changed by the danger," his father said.
David Kennedy said his son telephoned him last Thursday and told him he would be on special duty
requiring him to be out of contact for about a month.
Despite the risks, Kennedy made a commitment in December to remain with the Army for another six years,
his father said.
Kennedy, who was single, graduated from Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood in 2000. He
graduated from Norwich University, a private military college in Northfield, in 2004, majoring in computer
science, according to a statement from the university.
At Norwich, he spent time away from his studies rock climbing in the Green Mountains and participated in a
cold weather rescue team, his parents said.
Although he had little background as a runner, last year he finished a marathon during a break from military
training in Alaska.
"He ran a respectable time his first time out," his father said.
Arrangements for a funeral in Norfolk were pending.
Kennedy is the second Norwich graduate to be killed in Iraq in the past week. Army Capt. Anthony Palermo,
also from Massachusetts, was killed in Iraq Friday when an improvised explosive device detonated near his
Humvee,
Brockton family mourns slain soldier
Captain killed in Iraq was awaiting first child
By Tracy Jan, Globe Staff | April 8, 2007
BROCKTON -- Family members gathered to pray yesterday afternoon in the living room of a gray-shingled
duplex, mourning the death of Anthony Palermo Jr., a 26-year-old Army captain who was killed Friday in
Iraq.
Palermo, who grew up in Brockton playing war games and GI Joe with his cousins, had dreamed of
becoming a soldier since he was 7 years old. He was a mischievous child who was drawn to the discipline
of the military, family members said.
"He just had this immense pride in the country," said Meredith Griffin, one of Palermo's 16 cousins. "He saw
[a soldier] as someone who's brave and fearless and fights for what they believe in."
A Department of Defense spokeswoman said she could not confirm Palermo's death, but the family said
they had been notified of his death.
Palermo was preparing for a two-week leave so he could witness the birth of his son in Germany. His wife,
Kristen Pine, also an Army captain, is stationed at a base there.
The baby is due April 30, and the couple had already named him Marcus Anthony . His new son was all
Palermo could talk about recently, said family members who communicated with him via e-mail, instant
messaging, and 2 a.m. phone calls.
Palermo, who was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq, and two of his soldiers were killed early Friday in
Iraq when their Humvee drove over an improvised explosive device, family members said.
In phone calls to his mother, he would beg her not to worry and urge her to be strong, assuring her that he
would be fine, said Griffin, 29, of Raynham.
"He would tell her that he was fighting for freedom, and it was really hard for her to understand," Griffin said
during an interview at Palermo's boyhood home on Hillberg Avenue yesterday. "All he wanted to do was to
bring all his soldiers home safely. He worried more for them and their families."
Palermo's mother, Maria Melendez , was too upset to talk yesterday. After learning of his death Friday, she
felt compelled to clean the house, preparing for her son even though he will never return, family members
said.
Several years ago, Palermo had persuaded his mother to learn how to use a computer and set up a
webcam for them to stay in contact. Melendez composed several e-mails to him in the past two days, and
asked her husband repeatedly why she had not heard back from "Mimo," Palermo's nickname.
Palermo, the eldest of three, was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Brockton by his mother and stepfather.
He attended Brockton High, where he was a member of the Army JROTC, and he earned a full scholarship
to Norwich University in Vermont, where he majored in criminal justice. He graduated from Bridgewater
State College in 2003.
His stepfather, Johnny Melendez Sr., remembered visiting Palermo in college and watching him run uphill
with a block of marble in his backpack to stay in military shape.
Palermo met Pine when both were students at Norwich. His family initially thought he was crazy when he
proposed marriage two months later, Griffin said. They have been married four years.
Palermo was supposed to return home from Iraq in November. His parents plan to move to Florida, where
his wife grew up, so the two families can be closer to help raise the baby. Palermo and his wife were trying
to get stationed in Fort Benning, Ga.
Yesterday, a framed photo of the couple on a Caribbean cruise sat alongside candles and flowers on
Palermo's parents' dining table as a memorial to the soldier. A package of Sour Patch Kids candy,
Palermo's favorite, lay next to the photo.
Palermo used to torture his younger half-brother by putting the sour candy in his mouth and holding him
down to the ground, forbidding him from chewing it, said Johnny Melendez Jr., 15, who adored the
attention.
Melendez said his brother's influence compelled him to join JROTC at Brockton High, where he is a
sophomore.
"He pushes me. He motivates me," Melendez said. "I wanted to enlist right after high school but he told me
to go to college."
Melendez said that he, too, wants to be a military officer someday.
"Look, he's 15," said Griffin, motioning to the teenager hunched at the bottom of the stairs with his head in
his arms. "He just lost his brother. And he still wants to go and fight for us."
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
BSC Graduate Killed in Iraq
Issue date: 4/12/07 Section: Campus News
Army Captain Anthony Palermo, a former Brockton resident, was killed in action in Iraq Friday, March 6 when an IED
exploded near his Humvee. Anthony was a four year cadet at Norwich University (Sept. 1998 - Feb. 2002), active in
ARMY ROTC, and a member of the Mountain Cold Weather Rescue team.
Anthony graduated from Bridgewater State College in May 2003 with a degree in Criminal Justice, and was
commissioned as an infantry officer. Palermo was married to Army Captain Kristin (Kristy) Pine, Norwich University
Class of 2003. Kristin serves as a military police officer in Wurzburg, Germany.
Anthony was also stationed in Wurzburg prior to being deployed on his second tour of duty to Iraq. He was 26.
Relatives, including Vivian Irizarry (center) and Sergeant Angel Ortiz, gathered around the urn
containing the ashes of Army Captain Anthony Palermo Jr. at St. Patrick's Church in Brockton. (For
The Boston Globe Photo / Jodi Hilton)
Slain Army captain 'was everything'
400 mourn his death in Iraq
By Brian R. Ballou, Globe Staff | May 20, 2007
BROCKTON -- Dozens of soldiers and Marines stood at attention yesterday morning inside St. Patrick's Church in
Brockton as a brigadier general wearing white gloves handed a folded American flag to the wife of Anthony Palermo
Jr., a 26-year-old Army captain who was killed in Iraq last month.
The general also handed flags to the soldier's mother, father, and the uncle who helped raise Palermo. About 400
people sat in silence and watched the solemn ceremony. Marcus Anthony Palermo, born two weeks after his father's
death, slept through it all, snug in a relative's arms.
Palermo, a Brockton native, had a two-week leave and was planning to join his wife, Kristy Pine , also an Army
captain, in Germany for the delivery of their first child. But Palermo and two of his soldiers were killed when their
Humvee drove over an improvised explosive device April 6.
"When you look at that boy, he's like Tony born again," said Angel Ortiz, the uncle, moments after the hourlong
memorial service ended. "Anthony, he was special. He was everything a father could ask for," he said, tears welling in
his eyes.
A gold-colored box on a table at the front of the church contained Palermo's ashes. On both sides of the table stood
large photographs of the soldier. In one, he wore his dress uniform and bore no expression. In the other, he wore
camouflage fatigues and smiled broadly. About a dozen bouquets of flowers were placed on the floor around the
pictures and the table.
"That picture, that says it all because the smile is pure Tony," said Robert Tripp, director of the Army JROTC program
at Brockton High School, which Palermo attended. "Tony was in the program since he was a freshman. I really saw
him develop into a leader. By the time he was a senior, there was no question where he was going," he said, referring
to Palermo's long-held dream of entering the Army.
Palermo, a 2003 graduate of Bridgewater State College, was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq.
The services was one of three in the past eight days for military personnel from Massachusetts who were recently
killed in Iraq. On May 12, a funeral was held in Gardner for Army First Lieutenant Ryan Patrick Jones, 23, of
Westminster. Last Tuesday, Marine Lance Corporal Walter K. O'Haire, 20, of Rockland, was laid to rest in his
hometown. Governor Deval Patrick attended all three services.
Palermo was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Iraq Campaign Medal, and the Army
Service Ribbon.
Ortiz, who is a sergeant in the Army himself, placed the box containing his nephew's ashes into a larger wooden box,
and then placed Palermo's black beret on top of the box. He then handed the box to Palermo's brother-in law Jeff
Boots, also in uniform, and the two marched in unison out the front door, where two other soldiers snapped to attention
and saluted under drizzly skies.
Palermo's ashes will be scattered in Maine, in an area he and his wife once enjoyed visiting, family members said.
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
Army Capt. Anthony Palermo
26, of Brockton, Mass.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat
Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany; died April 6 in Baghdad when an improvised
explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations. Also killed were Spc. Ryan
S. Dallam and Pvt. Damian Lopez Rodriguez.
Family mourns loss of Brockton soldier in Iraq attack
The Associated Press
BOSTON — An Army captain from Brockton who had hoped to see the birth of his first child in two weeks
was killed in Iraq on April 6, his family said.
Army Capt. Anthony Palermo Jr., 27, died when an improvised explosive device exploded near his Humvee.
He was due to fly to Germany on April 24 to be with his wife, Kristin Pine, for the birth of the couple’s first
child. She is also an Army captain, stationed in Wurzburg, Germany.
The couple had already decided on a name for the child, Marcus Anthony.
“I couldn’t believe it when I heard the news. His wife called to tell me. He was such a nice person, this sort
of thing isn’t supposed to happen to nice people,” Palermo’s cousin, Meredith Griffin, 29, told The Enterprise
of Brockton.
“We always worried about him but he always called his mother to say he was doing it for us, for our
freedom,” she said.
Palermo attended Huntington Elementary and South Junior High in Brockton, and graduated from Brockton
High School in 1998.
“He always knew what he was going to be. I remember when we were kids. He was always playing student,
a mastermind. He was a born G.I.,” Palermo’s stepfather Johnny Melendez, 48, said.
Palermo was a four-year cadet at Norwich University in Vermont, attending the school between September
1998 and February 2002. He was active in ROTC and was a member of the university’s Mountain Cold
Weather Rescue program.
Palermo graduated from Bridgewater State College in May 2003 with a degree in criminal justice, and was
commissioned as an infantry officer.
Norwich University remembers two former students who fell in Iraq
By Wilson Ring
The Associated Press
NORTHFIELD, Vt. — Norwich University paused May 3 to remember two former students who were killed in
Iraq within two days of each other last month.
In separate memorial services, Army Capt. Anthony Palermo and Sgt. Adam Kennedy were held up as the
latest in a long line of Norwich heroes who gave their lives to their country.
“We don’t forget our heroes,” Norwich President Richard Schneider said during Palermo’s service. “Anthony
was a hero.”
Kennedy’s father, David Kennedy, of Norfolk, Mass., said his son faced mortal danger every day he was in
Iraq.
“To go and do his duty in the face of this danger took a courage I am incapable of,” David Kennedy said.
“Was he afraid? Hell yes, yet his honor demanded he continue his mission.”
Norwich, founded in 1819, is the nation’s oldest private military college. The school remembers its
graduates and former students who give their lives for their country. Every name is noted somewhere in the
college chapel, Schneider said.
In addition to the daytime memorials, Norwich’s Corps of Cadets was due to assemble the night of May 3
for a schoolwide remembrance ritual called “Echo Taps.”
Palermo and Kennedy were the fourth and fifth former Norwich students to die in Iraq. A sixth former
student died in a training accident in Texas while preparing to go to Iraq.
Palermo, who attended Norwich from 1998-2002 but graduated elsewhere, was on his second tour in Iraq
when he was killed April 6 by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. Kennedy died April 8 when his unit came under
attack in Diwaniyah, Iraq.
Palermo, 26, of Brockton, Mass., was revered by the soldiers he commanded, yet he still had a lighter side,
said friend Gene Enriquez, of Chicago, a Norwich senior due to graduate next month who attended school
with Palermo, but left Norwich to serve in the Army, including a tour in Iraq.
“Tony was the true embodiment of a warrior,” said Enriquez.
Palermo had been due to leave Iraq later in April so he could be with his wife for the birth of their first child.
That child, a son named Marcus Anthony, was born April 21, Enriquez said after the first service.
Some of the upperclassmen at Norwich remember Kennedy from when they first arrived. He helped prepare
many of the young students for life as a member of Norwich’s Corps of Cadets. Many of them attended
Kennedy’s funeral service in Massachusetts.
“Adam lives on in the hearts of those who loved him,” Schneider said.
David Kennedy said his son lived with a code of honor.
“Adam had a personal code of honor that I still do not understand. He would disclose information about
himself when it was clearly not in his best interest because his sense of honor required him to do so,”
Kennedy said. “It was this exquisite sense that enabled him to fully live up to the [Norwich] motto ‘I will try.’ ”
Sgt. Adam P. Kennedy
Hometown: Norfolk, Massachusetts, U.S.
Age: 25 years old
Died: April 8, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry
Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska
Incident: Killed when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using indirect fire in Diwaniyah.
Adam P. Kennedy
Age 25, of Norfolk, passed away April 8th, while serving in the Army in Iraq. Beloved son of J. David & Nancy A.
(Smyth) Kennedy of Norfolk. Brother of John D. & his wife Kori of Nashua, N.H., Jane Kennedy of Winthrop, Maureen
Daley & her husband John of Roslindale & Colin M. of Norfolk. Uncle of Eric Daley & Dean & Aren Kennedy. Also
survived by many aunts, uncles & cousins. Relatives & friends invited to attend a Funeral Mass at St. Jude's Church,
Norfolk, Tuesday morning at 10. Visiting hours at St. Jude's Church, 86 Main St., Norfolk, Sunday (7-9) & Monday (2-4)
& (7-9). Interment Knollwood Memorial Park, Canton.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Sgt. Adam P. Kennedy Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box
100, Norfolk, MA 02056. Dockray & Thomas Funeral Home (781) 828-0811
Published in The Boston Globe from April 14 to April 15, 2007
Colin Kennedy kissed the casket of his brother Army Sergeant Adam Kennedy (below) at Knollwood
Memorial Park in Canton. (Globe Staff Photo / Bill Greene)
'Adam was my best friend . . . my hero'
By Brian MacQuarrie, Globe Staff | April 18, 2007
NORFOLK -- Honor, courage, determination, humor, friendship, and faith.
Those are the attributes that Army Sergeant Adam P. Kennedy represented to his brother Colin and six of the
soldier's friends, who eulogized the Iraq casualty yesterday before several hundred mourners at St. Jude's
Church.
"Adam was my best friend and also my hero," Colin Kennedy said from the pulpit. "He went out and lived
his childhood dream."
When Colin Kennedy was finished and when all the tributes and consolations were over, Kennedy's
relatives, friends, comrades, and neighbors stood at their pews and filled the overflowing church with the
sound of a long, standing ovation.
Kennedy, 25, was killed April 8 when a roadside bomb ripped apart his Humvee about 25 miles southeast of
Baghdad. A graduate of Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood and Norwich University in Vermont,
Kennedy had been in Iraq since October with the Fourth Brigade Combat Team of the 25th Infantry
Division.
Kennedy is the 51st member of the armed forces from Massachusetts to be killed in Iraq. Thirteen from the
state have died in Afghanistan.
A football linebacker at Xaverian Brothers and a star weight lifter, Kennedy graduated first in his class from
Army basic training after he was rejected by the Marines because of concussions he suffered while playing
football.
Kennedy oversaw the security detail for the colonel commanding his brigade. Although the unit faced daily
danger, including mortar attacks and roadside explosions, Kennedy kept his thoughts on Iraq even when he
visited home on leave in December, his brother said.
"He felt the need and responsibility to get back to his troops," Colin Kennedy said.
Monsignor Peter Conley, who was principal celebrant for the funeral Mass, reminded the gathering of that
sacrifice.
"Adam's death comes from our human freedom, which can be a blessing or a curse," Conley said. "Let it not
be whispered that Adam Kennedy died in vain.
"This is a man who kept his promise, and it was a promise made to us," Conley said of Kennedy. "He did it
unto death."
The mourners included Governor Deval Patrick, members of the military, and officers from local and State
Police. A broadcast feed from the service was relayed to the church basement, which was used to
accommodate part of the crowd on a cold, wet morning.
Jim Kennedy, the victim's uncle, urged the congregation to remember the soldier's special qualities and
incorporate them into everyday life. "If you're not moved and you're not inspired by that kind of thing, then
I'm not sure you're really breathing," he said.
David Errico, a family friend from Cocoa, Fla., who had introduced Kennedy's parents to one another,
recalled the "beautiful little boy" he had watched grow into "the man he turned out to be."
"We knew that Adam was doing what he loved, but that doesn't make it right and it doesn't make it fair,"
Errico said in a tribute that focused on snatches of happy memories accumulated over 25 years.
After the Mass, to the sounds of "America the Beautiful," a military honor guard rolled the casket to the
doors of the church, where the coffin was draped with an American flag.
Then, as a color guard faced the church in the rain, the casket was carried to a waiting hearse while bagpipers
played "The Minstrel Boy," an old Irish lament for a young soldier who dies in battle.
Kennedy was buried at Knollwood Memorial Park in Canton. The funeral procession was escorted by police
and the Patriot Guard Riders, veterans on motorcycles who attend the funerals of all US service members
killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
Army Sgt. Adam P. Kennedy
25, of Norfolk, Mass.; assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Brigade
Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska; died April 8 in Diwaniyah, Iraq, of
wounds suffered with his unit came in contact with enemy forces using indirect fire.
Mass. soldier killed by explosive in Iraq
The Associated Press
NORFOLK, Mass. — Army Sgt. Adam Kennedy, a rock climbing enthusiast and Norwich University
graduate who began his first tour of duty in Iraq last fall, was killed by a blast from an improvised explosive
device south of Baghdad, the Defense Department said April 9.
Kennedy, 25, of Norfolk, was killed April 8 when his unit was hit with indirect fire while conducting combat
control near Diwaniyah, Iraq, said Army Alaska spokesman Capt. Richard C. Hyde.
Kennedy, a paratrooper, was assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Brigade
Combat Team of the 25th Infantry Division, based at Fort Richardson, Alaska, and was sent to his first tour
in Iraq in October. He joined the Army in August 2004 and was assigned to Fort Richardson in January
2005.
Kennedy’s family members did not immediately know any additional details of the circumstances of the April
8 attack, his father, David Kennedy, and mother, Nancy Smyth, said by telephone from the family home in
Norfolk.
“His lifelong ambition was to be in the military,” his father said. “He really loved the discipline, and the
physical conditioning.” Kennedy’s unit provided security for an Army colonel, clearing hidden explosives and
otherwise ensuring safe passage for convoys. The work frequently put Kennedy’s unit in danger — a reality
that became clear to his family when he returned for a 10-day leave late last year.
“He was obviously subdued, and changed by the danger,” his father said.
David Kennedy said his son telephoned him April 5 and told him he would be on special duty requiring him
to be out of contact for about a month.
Despite the risks, Kennedy in December made a commitment to remain with the Army for another six years,
his father said.
Kennedy, who was single, graduated from Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood in 2000. He
graduated from Norwich University, a private military college in Northfield, Vt., in 2004, majoring in computer
science, according to a statement from the university.
At Norwich, he spent time away from his studies rock-climbing in the Green Mountains, and participated in a
cold-weather rescue team, his parents said.
Although he had little background as a runner, he last year finished a marathon during a break from military
training in Alaska.
“He ran a respectable time his first time out,” his father said.
Arrangements for a funeral in Norfolk were pending.
Norwich University remembers two former students who fell in Iraq
By Wilson Ring
The Associated Press
NORTHFIELD, Vt. — Norwich University paused May 3 to remember two former students who were killed in
Iraq within two days of each other last month.
In separate memorial services, Army Capt. Anthony Palermo and Sgt. Adam Kennedy were held up as the
latest in a long line of Norwich heroes who gave their lives to their country.
“We don’t forget our heroes,” Norwich President Richard Schneider said during Palermo’s service. “Anthony
was a hero.”
Kennedy’s father, David Kennedy, of Norfolk, Mass., said his son faced mortal danger every day he was in
Iraq.
“To go and do his duty in the face of this danger took a courage I am incapable of,” David Kennedy said.
“Was he afraid? Hell yes, yet his honor demanded he continue his mission.”
Norwich, founded in 1819, is the nation’s oldest private military college. The school remembers its
graduates and former students who give their lives for their country. Every name is noted somewhere in the
college chapel, Schneider said.
In addition to the daytime memorials, Norwich’s Corps of Cadets was due to assemble the night of May 3
for a schoolwide remembrance ritual called “Echo Taps.”
Palermo and Kennedy were the fourth and fifth former Norwich students to die in Iraq. A sixth former
student died in a training accident in Texas while preparing to go to Iraq.
Palermo, who attended Norwich from 1998-2002 but graduated elsewhere, was on his second tour in Iraq
when he was killed April 6 by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. Kennedy died April 8 when his unit came under
attack in Diwaniyah, Iraq.
Palermo, 26, of Brockton, Mass., was revered by the soldiers he commanded, yet he still had a lighter side,
said friend Gene Enriquez, of Chicago, a Norwich senior due to graduate next month who attended school
with Palermo, but left Norwich to serve in the Army, including a tour in Iraq.
“Tony was the true embodiment of a warrior,” said Enriquez.
Palermo had been due to leave Iraq later in April so he could be with his wife for the birth of their first child.
That child, a son named Marcus Anthony, was born April 21, Enriquez said after the first service.
Some of the upperclassmen at Norwich remember Kennedy from when they first arrived. He helped prepare
many of the young students for life as a member of Norwich’s Corps of Cadets. Many of them attended
Kennedy’s funeral service in Massachusetts.
“Adam lives on in the hearts of those who loved him,” Schneider said.
David Kennedy said his son lived with a code of honor.
“Adam had a personal code of honor that I still do not understand. He would disclose information about
himself when it was clearly not in his best interest because his sense of honor required him to do so,”
Kennedy said. “It was this exquisite sense that enabled him to fully live up to the [Norwich] motto ‘I will try.’ ”
Sgt. William J. Callahan
Hometown: South Easton, Massachusetts, U.S.
Age: 28 years old
Died: April 27, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Marines, 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, 2nd Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Incident: Killed while conducting combat operations in Anbar Province.
William Callahan "Bill"
Of Jacksonville, NC, formerly of Hanson died during combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq on April 27, 2007,
age 28. Loving husband of Amy (Simonson) Callahan of Jacksonville, NC. Devoted father of Daniel A. Callahan of
Jacksonville, NC. Beloved son of Joseph F. Callahan III of Norwell, and Mary Ellen (Toomey) Callahan of Hanson.
Brother of Marissa A. Callahan of Hanson. Also survived by his grandparents and several aunts, uncles, & cousins.
Funeral from the Copeland-MacKinnon Funeral Home, 38 Center St., EASTON on Tuesday, May 8, at 9 AM, followed
by a Funeral Mass at 10 AM in Immaculate Conception Church, Main St., Easton. Calling hours on Sunday 4-8 PM and
Monday 4-8 PM. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Interment with full Military Honors will take
place on Thursday, May 10, in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made in William's memory to the Daniel A. Callahan Education Fund, C/O North
Easton Savings Bank, c/o Courtney Palm, 679 Depot St., South Easton, MA 02375. For directions or to send an online
condolence visit www.copelandmackinnon.com.
Published in The Boston Globe on May 5, 2007
William Joseph Callahan
Staff Sergeant, United States Marine Corps
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release
April 30, 2007
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was
supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sergeant William J. Callahan, 28, of South Easton, Masschusetts, died April 27,
2007, while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq.
Callahan was assigned to 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics
Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the 2nd
Marine Logistics Group public affairs office at (910) 451-3538.
7 May 2007:
Hero’s funeral: Flags to line route of procession
By SUE SCHEIBLE
Courtesy of the The Patriot Ledger
There will be a sea of red, white and blue American flags along the procession
route for the funeral of Marine Sergeant William J. Callahan.
‘‘We plan to pass them out to schoolchildren and others we hope will come and
line the route,’’ Easton Veterans Agent Stephen Nolan said yesterday.
Callahan, 28, a Hanson native, was killed April 27, 2007, in Al Anbar province
in Iraq.
A funeral Mass for Callahan, the husband of Amy Callahan of Easton and the
father of a 3-week-old son he never met, will be celebrated at 10 a.m. tomorrow
in Immaculate Conception Church, Easton. Callahan’s burial is tentatively set
for Thursday at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
The funeral procession will pass along Center Street from the the CopelandMacKinnon Funeral Home and go west on Main Street to the church.
Nolan said he has purchased 700 small American flags to be handed out along
the half-mile funeral procession route.
Nolan plans to ask Easton School Superintendent William Simmons if students
might be allowed to leave school at 9:30 or 9:45 a.m. tomorrow so they can join
the 200 Marines and approximately 200 veterans expected to be along the
procession route.
A contingent from the Marine Corps League will distribute the flags to people
along the route. Nolan said the League’s Metro South Detachment, of which he
is a member, will be on hand.
‘‘We are requesting that people will show up to honor this Marine, his wife and
child,’’ Nolan said.
On Saturday afternoon, the Sons of the American Legion of Hanson, Post 226,
sponsored a raising of the U.S. and Marine Corps flags on a 20-foot flagpole
erected Friday on the front lawn of the home of Sgt. Callahan’s mother, Mary
Ellen Callahan, in Hanson. Town police, Hanson Veterans Agent Robert
Arsenault, clergy and community members also attended the ceremony.
Callahan’s uncle, Jeffrey Sullivan of Marshfield, requested the flagpole tribute
and the Sons of the American Legion post hurried to arrange it, according to
Ray Scott, a member, and John Gurry, the post commander. Tony Roderick,
the Sons of American Legion chaplain, said a prayer at the ceremony.
‘‘The family was very, very touched,’’ said Brian Crowley, a close friend of the
family who lives with Mary Ellen Callahan. More than 30 people attended.
‘‘We’ve never done anything like that before, but this is the first person from
Hanson we’ve lost in Iraq,’’ Gurry said. ‘‘Our organization is about doing
things for others, and we just wish we could do more for someone who gave the
ultimate sacrifice.’’
Mary Ellen Callahan and her family held the first of two wakes yesterday at
Copeland-MacKinnon Funeral Home. The second wake will take place from 4
to 8 p.m. today.
Mary Ellen Callahan and Amy Callahan are coping as well as can be expected,
Crowley said.
Callahan enlisted in the active Marines after the attacks of September 11, 2001,
Crowley said.
‘‘He had been in the Reserve, and he signed up because he felt this country was
worth fighting for - and then he re-enlisted and went back to Iraq a second
time,’’ Crowley said.
Crowley met Callahan when he was 16 or 17 and said that even as a teenager,
Callahan was firmly set in his values.
‘‘You knew Bill was on his way. He had all the strength of his mother, as far as
believing in God, doing the right thing. He had his own barometer of what was
right and wrong, and it was global,’’ Crowley said.
Born in Weymouth, Callahan was a 1997 graduate of Whitman-Hanson
Regional High School. He joined the Marine Corps Reserve in September 1997
and was trained as an ordnance disposal technician for the 2nd Marine
Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C. The Marine Corps Engineer
Association named Callahan its explosive ordnance technician of the year in
2006.
On November 1, 2005, he had disposed of a bomb in Ramadi when a second
bomb detonated beneath his team’s vehicle, killing Marine Sergeant Daniel
Tsue and Navy Petty Officer Allan Cundanga Espiritu. Callahan’s son, Daniel
Allan Callahan, is named for Tsue and Espiritu.
Callahan had never seen his son, who was born April 10, 2007.
Friends and relatives attend wake of Marine Sergeant William J. Callahan
By Mike Underwood
Hundreds of mourners gathered Sunday to pay their respects to the family of
the late Marine Sergeant William Callahan, who was killed in Iraq.
The 28-year-old from Easton was killed on April 27,2007, during combat
operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq.
He leaves behind Daniel, the 3-week-old son he will never hold, and his wife,
Amy, 29.
“To hear of any death is horrible but when I heard about Billy it was awful,”
said Sergeant Rory Thornton, 25, who served eight years in the Marines with
Callahan in South America and Japan.
“In the most miserable times and conditions, you would look at him and he
would have this big, goofy smile and that always helped you get through it,”
Thornton said. “He was a really good friend, a really good Marine and we miss
him dearly.”
Thornton was one of a dozen Marines who gathered in full uniform at the
Copeland-MacKinnon Funeral Home on Center Street for the wake.
“He was the kind of guy that had no enemies. He was a towering guy with a
magnetic personality. No one who ever met Billy disliked him,” said Sergeant
Justin Cuellar, 32, who served with Callahan for five years in South America.
“Before I was due to go out to Iraq, I phoned him and he drove from here to
Rhode Island to come and have a beer with me. That was the way he was.”
Easton police closed Center Street as family, friends, townspeople, servicemen
and women and war veterans made their way to the wake.
“He was a solid guy with a great heart — an outstanding person,” said 26-yearold Matt Nelson of Holbrook, a close friend of the fallen soldier.
One mourner buried her head in her hands and sobbed as a lone bagpiper,
Chris Spitaleri, 13, of Wyndham, New Hampshire, played poignantly beneath a
half-staff Stars and Stripes outside the funeral home.
The Patriot Guard Riders, a national group of motorcycle enthusiasts who
honor fallen soldiers, their families and their communities, rode by carrying
flags as a mark of respect.
Callahan was a 1997 graduate of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School and
entered the Marines as a member of the explosive ordinance disposal company,
8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine
Expeditionary Force in Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
Callahan was awarded the Purple Heart, posthumously; Navy and Marine
Corps Commendation Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device; Navy and
Marine Corps Achievement Medal; Combat Action Ribbon; Selected Marine
Corps Reserve Medal, with one Bronze Star in lieu of second award; National
Defense Service Medal; Armed Forces Reserve Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal;
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism
Service Medal; Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, with three Bronze stars in lieu
of fourth award.
He volunteered for Toys For Tots in the South Shore area, and also enjoyed
Harley-Davidson motorcycles, going to the beach and working in his yard and
around his home.
While Sgt. Callahan grew up in Rockland and Hanson, his wife is a native of
Easton. After their wedding 10 years ago, the couple rented an apartment on
Dongary Road in South Easton.
Family members respectfully asked to be left alone to mourn in peace.
A funeral will be held at 9 a.m. Tuesday from Copeland-MacKinnon Funeral
Home, followed by a funeral Mass at 10 a.m. in Immaculate Conception
Church, Main Street, Easton.
Burial with full military honors will take place Thursday in Arlington National
Cemetery in Virginia.
9 May 2007:
Marine Sergeant William J. Callahan came home yesterday, home from Iraq in
a dark-wood casket to a church overflowing with 500 relatives, friends,
townspeople, and fellow Marines.
And there was another family member, honored by a kilted bagpiper who
played "Danny Boy." Cradled in a blanket in Immaculate Conception Church
was Daniel A. Callahan, 28 days old, an only child that his father never saw.
But Callahan had heard his baby, the newborn's tiny voice carried by 21stcentury technology to the Iraqi desert 6,000 miles away. In her eulogy, Mary
Ellen Callahan recalled her son's awestruck reaction: " 'I never heard anything
more beautiful in my whole life until . . . I heard him cry.' "
"His ultimate goal was to become a daddy," Callahan said.
But he was more, she added -- a devoted husband to Amy, his "soul mate" of a
decade; a son wise beyond his years; a loving brother to his sister; and the glue
that held the small family together.
Hanson firefighters salute Sergeant William J. Callahan's casket as it goes by on Main Streeet in Easton
Tuesday. Sergeant Callahan was killed April 27 in Anbar province, Iraq.
Funeral for a Marine who never met his newborn
Townspeople pay their respects as Sergeant William J. Callahan's casket passes by on Main Street in
Easton during funeral services Tuesday.
Marine Staff Sergeant William J. Callahan's widow Amy holds their 4 week-old infant as she stands next
to his sister, Marissa, while Marines carry the casket into the Immaculate Conception Church during his
funeral services in Easton.
A U.S. Marines honor guard salutes the casket of Staff Sergeant William J. Callahan as his wife Amy
looks on after his funeral service at Immaculate Conception Church in Easton Tuesday.
A U.S. Marine honor guard carries the casket of Staff Sergeant William J. Callahan into the
Immaculate Conception Church in Easton while his wife Amy holds onto their 4-week old infant. Standing
next to Amy is Sergeant Callahan's sister Marissa.
Marines tend the casket of Staff Sergeant William J. Callahan following his funeral service while his wife
Amy looks on and his sister Marissa holds their 4 week-old infant.
"You're my brightest, shining star," Callahan said, her voice breaking with
emotion. "I love you."
Soft, muffled cries punctuated the silence between readings during the funeral
Mass, where Governor Deval Patrick and other dignitaries mixed with William
Callahan's boyhood friends who had watched him play basketball at WhitmanHanson Regional High School.
The scene before the funeral could have been a Fourth of July parade on a
beautiful, warm, sun-splashed morning. American flags, large and small, hung
from windows above dozens of onlookers who lined the sidewalks of hushed,
quaint Main Street.
Marines in dress-blue uniforms marched past, followed by dozens of veterans
from wars present and past. An open trailer filled with flowers moved slowly
under a huge American flag suspended above the street.
As the entourage passed, State Police and local officers snapped their arms in
salute. So did members of the Patriot Guard Riders, a national group of
motorcycle enthusiasts who rode to Easton to honor and escort a fellow veteran.
Then came a carriage pulled by a motorcycle bearing Callahan's body. Finally,
hundreds of mourners walked silently and solemnly to the church.
Callahan, 28, died in combat April 27, 2007, in Anbar Province during his
second tour of dangerous duty as a bomb-disposal expert. Callahan, who joined
the Marines in 2002, will be buried with full military honors tomorrow at
Arlington National Cemetery. He is one of 53 service members from
Massachusetts killed in Iraq since the war started four years ago.
Monsignor John A. Perry , the vicar general of the Diocese of Fall River,
described Callahan: "He believed in Jesus. He believed in God. He believed in
his family. And he believed in his country."
Indeed, Callahan had managed to find a place for his spiritual beliefs amid the
dust and danger of Iraq. Family and friends described him as a devout Catholic
who set up an informal ministry for other Marines, who shared their concerns
and worries with him.
He also was courageous. In 2005, on his first tour in Iraq, Callahan braved
small-arms fire from insurgents to tend to Marines who had been wounded,
some mortally, when a bomb exploded under their vehicle.
"My brother was born to be a Marine," Marissa Callahan said in her eulogy.
Her only sibling, he would throw her over his shoulder and run around the
house, Marissa said. "Everybody here knows how great Bill was," she said.
An aunt, Donna Sullivan of Quincy, said that when she saw her nephew over
Christmas, he was upbeat.
"How wouldn't he have been? Amy was pregnant," Sullivan said after the
service. "He would have made one heck of a dad."
Roberta Bullock, another aunt, described Callahan "as an American hero, a
real true-blue GI Joe," who would have been proud of his mother's dignity at
the service.
"He had gone to a [military] funeral before, and he was very saddened that
there wasn't a big turnout," Bullock said. "He would have loved this."
After the Mass, after the Marine guard draped the casket with an American
flag, the church bell tolled and 18 rifle shots cracked the air.
The mourners also heard the bagpipe play "Danny Boy," the Irish ballad in
which a father, who dies before his son, pledges to wait for him in the afterlife.
"If you'll not fail to tell me that you love me," the song ends. "And I shall sleep
in peace until you come to me."
10 May 2007:
U.S. Marine Staff Sergeant William J. Callahan, a Whitman-Hanson Regional
High School graduate who lived in Hanson much of his life, is being
remembered this week by those who knew him as a courageous man with a
sense of duty.
“He was full of life,” said Kevin Black, his former gym teacher at the Hanson
Middle School. “He loved gym, and he loved having a good time with his
friends.”
Callahan, 28, was killed April 27, 2007, in Al Anbar province, Iraq. The Marine
reportedly was trying to disarm a roadside bomb that was detonated by a
nearby terrorist.
He leaves behind his wife, Amy, and a son, Daniel Allen, born last month. The
baby is named for two members of Callahan’s unit, who perished during
maneuvers November 1, 2005.
Callahan, stationed in his first tour with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines,
received a letter of commendation from his commanding officer for his heroic
efforts during the night his friends perished. Callahan is credited with saving
the lives of many by putting himself in harm’s way to ensure the safety of his
unit.
Randy Gould, who lived in Hanson for 30 years and now lives in Hull,
remembers Callahan because he was one of the tallest kids in town, and played
with his son, Ron, in youth basketball teams He said his son also was extremely
tall, so the boys often had to play on different teams.
“When you have only two tall kids in the town, you have to split them up,” he
said.
He remembers driving by Callahan’s house, and seeing him outside all day long,
shooting hoops. He also remembers that Callahan loved dirt bikes and
motorcycles.
“He would drive his dirt bike around and around the house, so many times that
there was a groove in the lawn,” he said.
Ron remembers Callahan as someone who always was a good friend and a
devoted brother to his little sister.
“I remember he was always looking out for her,” he said.
Gould added that he always was smiling.
“He was always happy, always laughing and joking around,” he said.
Whitman-Hanson basketball coach William Sweeney, the director of pupil
services at Whitman-Hanson, remembers Callahan as a “really nice kid.
Everyone wanted him to succeed.”
Callahan, who graduated Whitman-Hanson in 1997, played for the team during
part of his high school career.
Sweeney said Callahan would do anything to help out the team, and was not
concerned with his individual achievements.
“He just enjoyed playing,” Sweeney said. “He didn’t have any grandiose goals.
He was just a team player.”
Callahan, who started his high school career at Cardinal Spellman before
transferring to Whitman-Hanson, also enjoyed being around other people. He
had a lot of friends while attending school, according to those who are
remembering him.
After graduating and joining the Marines in 2002, he came back several times to
visit the school in uniform.
“He was extremely proud of what he accomplished,” Sweeney said.
Callahan joined the Marines in 2002, and was assigned to the Eighth Engineer
Support Battalion, Second Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary
Force, based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He was trained as an explosive
ordinance disposal technician.
Sweeney said that when he visited the school, he didn’t display any worries or
fears about his dangerous position in the Marines.
“He never brought that up,” he said.
Both teachers said that they felt a tremendous sense of loss when they heard the
news.
“I consider it a tragedy to lose a young vibrant person,” Black said. “We say our
prayers for Bill and his family.”
CALLAHAN, WILLIAM JOSEPH
SSGT US MARINE CORPS
DATE OF BIRTH: 08/15/1978
DATE OF DEATH: 04/28/2007
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 8620
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
Webmaster: Michael Robert Patterson
Posted: 7 May 2007 Updated: 10 May 2007 Updated: 18 May 2007 Updated: 7 June 2007 Updated: 2 July 2007
Photo Courtesy of Holly, June 2007
1st Lt. Ryan P. Jones
Hometown: Westminster, Massachusetts, U.S.
Age: 23 years old
Died: May 2, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb hit his vehicle in Baghdad.
Ryan Patrick Jones
WESTMINSTER -- 1st Lieutenant Ryan Patrick Jones, 23, beloved son of Kevin M. and Elaine (Skorko) Jones of 127
State Road West, was killed in action by enemy fire on May 2 in Iraq while leading a mission. Ryan was born on Sept.
13, 1983, in Worcester. He attended Westminster Elementary School, Overlook Middle School and was a 2001
graduate of Montachusett Regional Technical High School.
He was a co-captain of the football team, the president of the National Honors Society, and a recipient of the
Purple and Gold Award for most outstanding male student. Ryan was also the recipient of the U.S. Army
ROTC Scholarship Award and seven other local scholarships.
Ryan was employed at the Westminster Country Club, the Wachusett Ski Area and McNally’s Restaurant
throughout high school and college.
He loved movies, his Simpsons’ collection, cooking, golf and snowboarding. He excelled in all of his
passions.
Ryan was a 2005 graduate with honors of Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester. He received a
bachelor of science degree in engineering. Ryan was the recipient of the WPI 1879 Award for most
outstanding sufficiency in 2004. He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on May 2, 2005, and received the
Army Medal of Achievement in 2005. Ryan was commissioned 1st Lieutenant in November 2006. He was
stationed at Fort Riley, Kan., until being deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, on Feb. 4, where he was a Platoon
Leader. He was loved and respected by all of his men.
He leaves behind and is so missed by his loving and devoted parents, Kevin M. Jones and Elaine (Skorko)
Jones; his great-aunts, Helen Skorko of Winchendon and Evelyn Chicoine of Manchester, N.H.; his
godmother, Lois Progen of Fitchburg; his adopted grandmother, Germaine Savoie of Gardner; second
cousins and close family members Eileen and John Goguen of Westminster and Janice LeClair of
Westminster; and adopted aunts and uncle, Joan and Norman Gates of Orange, Gail Moynihan of Leominster
and Helen Metcalf of Lunenburg, all who loved and supported him throughout his life. He is also survived
by the love of his life for six years, whom he met his first year at WPI, Katie Christopher, daughter of Bill
and Sharon Christopher of Aurora, Colo.; and his best friends, Brian Wuoti of Westminster, whom he called
his brother, and Nick Fortune of Leominster, his high school friend and football co-captain at Monty Tech.
Ryan touched the hearts of everyone he met. His warm smile and shining personality made him the special
person he was. His memory will live forever in the hearts of all who knew him. He was truly our American
hero!
JONES -- A funeral with full military honors will be held on Saturday, May 12, with a Mass at 11 a.m. in the
Holy Spirit Church, 50 Lovewell St., Gardner, MA 01440. Interment will follow in the Mt. Pleasant
Cemetery, Ellis and Knower roads, Westminster, MA 01473. Calling Hours will be on Friday, May 11, from
4 to 8 p.m. in the Westminster Chapel of the Sawyer-Miller-Masciarelli Funeral Homes,
(www.masciarellifamilyfuneralhomes.net), 123 Main St., Westminster, MA 01473.
Ryan’s family requests that no flowers be sent, and memorial contributions be made to the Lt. Ryan Patrick
Jones ROTC Memorial Fund, c/o Monty Tech, 1050 Westminster St., Fitchburg, MA 01420.
Published in Sentinel & Enterprise from May 5 to May 8, 2007
A life lost
Generous, devoted, proud to serve
By David Greenslit and Mary Jo Hill TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
mhill@telegram.com
WESTMINSTER — First Lt. Ryan P. Jones was the type of soldier who told his mother to
send care packages to the men in his unit in Iraq, rather than just to him.
And when one of those packages arrived with a bar of soap wrapped in a note from a gradeschool boy, Lt. Jones wrote back.
The boy has carried the letter from the Westminster soldier for two weeks now, said family
friend Denise L. MacAloney.
It’s the kind of story friends and acquaintances tell about Lt. Jones, as they remember a man
with a generous heart, a degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a devotion to the
military.
The 23-year-old combat engineer died Wednesday, in Baghdad, of wounds received when his
vehicle hit a roadside bomb, also known as an improvised explosive device, according to the
U.S. Department of Defense. Lt. Jones had been assigned to the 4th Brigade Special Troops
Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Riley, Kan.
Also in the vehicle and killed in the incident was Spc. Astor A. Sunsin-Pineda, 20, of Long
Beach, Calif., the Defense Department said.
Lt. Jones entered the Army in May 2005 and began serving with the 1st Infantry Division in
December 2005. He went to Iraq in February.
A church secretary and a WPI professor were in tears yesterday as they talked about him.
“He was nice to everyone,” said Aline Consentino, a secretary at Holy Spirit Church in Gardner
who had Lt. Jones in a First Communion class.
With his smile, energy and happy disposition, the WPI student would brighten up a room, said
Frederick L. Hart, head of WPI’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Lt. Jones graduated from Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School in 2001 and
went on to get a degree in civil engineering from WPI, graduating in 2005.
“I knew Ryan. He was a great kid,” Monty Tech Superintendent-Director James R. Culkeen
said yesterday morning. “He certainly exemplified what we want a Monty Tech graduate to
be.”
When Lt. Jones was a student in the program, Mr. Culkeen taught house carpentry, but didn’t
have him in his class.
“If you worked here then, you knew who this kid was,” Mr. Culkeen said. “Some staff
members have taken the news quite hard.”
Lt. Jones had been corresponding with the students in the school’s Junior ROTC program, and
the students just received a letter from him Monday. Mr. Culkeen fought to keep his emotions
in check as he read from the letter while sitting on a couch in his office.
In the neatly handwritten letter, the lieutenant describes his unit’s work clearing explosive
devices. After calling IEDs the most dangerous weapon in the insurgents’ arsenal, he wrote:
“There have been a few times the IEDs have found us before we found them, but don’t worry,
our trucks have enough armor on them to survive most blasts.”
Mr. Culkeen said a scholarship would be set up in Lt. Jones’ name, as the soldier had wanted
should something happen to him.
Adam Epstein attended WPI with Lt. Jones, and both were orientation leaders, helping
freshmen get acclimated at the school. Mr. Epstein, now assistant director of alumni relations
at WPI, said when he initially met his friend, he seemed quiet, but once they got to know each
other he really opened up. And he was one of students’ favorite orientation leaders to hang
out with, Mr. Epstein said.
Along with serving in the ROTC at WPI, the soldier was a member of the Phi Kappa Theta
fraternity, and a movie buff who had rated about 1,500 movies on Netflix, an online DVD
rental site, Mr. Epstein said.
“His knowledge of movies was unbelievable,” his friend said.
Mrs. MacAloney, a family friend and the Westminster town clerk, remembers him as an altar
boy at Holy Spirit Church.
“He just grew up into such a wonderful person,” she said.
His parents, Kevin and Elaine Jones, weren’t available for comment yesterday. An American
flag flew at half-staff in the family’s driveway.
When the soldier’s mother wanted to send him a care package in Iraq, he told her he wanted
“my guys” to have the packages, Mrs. MacAloney said.
Mrs. Jones went to work organizing a drive to collect donations for 24 packages for his unit
that were packed up at the end of March and sent out.
“She used her worried energies for something really positive,” Mrs. MacAloney said.
His mother already had received some thank-you notes from the soldiers with greetings like,
“Dear Lieutenant’s Mom” and messages like, “Now we know why your son’s so nice and
generous,” Mrs. MacAloney said.
Lt. Col. Normand Gauthier, the department head of military science at WPI, didn’t know Lt.
Jones, but he has served in Iraq, and said that the combat engineer’s work was to go out on
the road to clear IEDs.
To accomplish the task, soldiers rely both on what they see — signs of digging or of
something unusual — and on equipment, including sensors to detect explosives, Lt. Col.
Gauthier said. The work is serious because a lot of people depend on it being done properly,
he said.
Rajib Mallick, an associate professor at WPI, served as Lt. Jones’ project adviser and wrote in
an e-mail: “Ryan was always willing to help others, and he would help you in such a way that
you didn’t know you were being helped. … As I’m saying this, I’m wondering, ‘Why did this
happen?’ Ryan was (a) good person and a good student, and he would have helped a lot more
people if he were still alive.
“Words seem to be meaningless,” Mr. Mallick wrote. “Ryan was a student you would
remember forever for his kind and gentle nature, and his ever willingness to help others.”
Army 1st Lt. Ryan P. Jones
23, of Westminster, Mass.; assigned to the 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade
Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.; died May 2 in Baghdad of wounds suffered
when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Spc. Astor A. SunsinPineda.
Massachusetts officer dies in Iraq
By Mark Pratt
The Associated Press
BOSTON — An Army officer from Westminster who served with the famed “Big Red One” 1st Infantry
Division was killed in Iraq this week when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb, the Pentagon announced
May 4.
Army 1st Lt. Ryan P. Jones, 23, and Spc. Astor Sunsin-Pineda, 20, of Long Beach, Calif., died of wounds
suffered in the attack May 2 in Baghdad. Both soldiers were combat engineers, who are typically
responsible for clearing routes of roadside bombs or other explosive devices.
Eleven days before he died, Jones described the perils of his mission in a letter to members of the Junior
ROTC program at the Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School, where he graduated in 2001.
“The enemy’s most dangerous weapon is the improvised explosive device, or IED,” Jones said. “Each day,
my platoon and I patrol the streets of Baghdad looking for these IEDs. Once we find one, we either blow it
up or disarm it. Never a dull moment!
“There has been a few times the IEDs have found us before we found them, but don’t worry, our trucks
have enough armor on them to survive most blasts,” Jones said.
Jones joined the Army in May 2005 and began serving with the 1st Infantry that December. He deployed to
Iraq in February for his first tour there.
“Ryan was a great person, really smart, who always had a smile,” said Westminster Town Clerk Denise
MacAloney, a family friend. “The thing I remember about him is that he was always such a soft and kind
person. When you talked to him he always looked you in the eye and you always felt like he was paying
attention to you.”
Jones, the son of Kevin and Elaine Jones, was an only child, MacAloney said.
“His parents are devastated,” she said.
The Jones and MacAloney families both attended Holy Spirit Church in Gardner, while Elaine Jones and
Denise MacAloney went to Blue Star Mothers meetings together. MacAloney’s son, Clayton, is in the
Marine Corps.
The Jones’ phone number in Westminster, the small town of just over 6,000 residents about 50 miles west
of Boston, was unlisted.
“A lot of kids go through high school. For the teachers and administrators, there are some who fall through
the cracks, some you don’t know, some you know — but everybody knew this kid,” said Montachusett
Superintendent-Director James Culkeen, who taught Jones in a class. “It’s a really tragic loss.”
Jones graduated from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 2005 with a degree in civil engineering. He was
involved in ROTC in high school and college, MacAloney said.
“I am really finding it very difficult to say anything,” said associate professor Rajib Mallick, who had served
as Jones’ project adviser at WPI. “It is a terrible loss of human life, youth, energy and education.”
“Ryan was always willing to help others, and he would help you in such a way that you didn’t know you were
being helped,” Mallick said.
Jones seemed to enjoy life and its challenges, said Frederick Hart, professor and head of the civil and
environmental engineering department.
“The biggest thing that made him stand out was just his pleasant nature ... that’s what we remember about
him,” Hart said. “He always worked very well with his fellow students.”
Jones often urged his mother to send packages to his entire unit, MacAloney said.
“His mother has received thank-you notes in the last few days from his men saying what a great platoon
leader he was and how lucky they were to have him,” she said.
More than 50 service members from Massachusetts have died in the Iraq war, part of the at least 3,356
members of the U.S. military who have died as of May 3 since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003,
according to an Associated Press count.
Jones and Sunsin-Pineda were assigned to the 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat
Team, 1st Infantry Division, based at Fort Riley, Kan. Ninety-seven Fort Riley soldiers have died in Iraq.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
2006-2007
In Memoriam: Ryan Patrick Jones '05, Victim of Roadside Bomb in Iraq
Ryan Patrick Jones, 23, died on Tuesday, May 2, 2007, in Baghdad of wounds he suffered when his
vehicle struck a roadside bomb. First Lt. Jones was assigned to the 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion,
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, from Fort Riley, Kansas.
Born on Sept. 13, 1983, Jones was the only child of Kevin and Elaine Jones. He grew up in Westminster
and graduated in 2001 from Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School. At Monty Tech, he was
co-captain of the football team, a member of the school’s National Honor Society chapter, and a
Fitchburg Rotary Club student of the month. In his senior year, Jones received the Monty Tech Purple and
Gold Award for being the school’s most positive role model.
In 2005, Jones received a bachelor of science degree in civil and environmental engineering from
WPI, where he distinguished himself as a student and community member. A member of Phi Kappa Theta
fraternity, he received the Class of 1879 Prize for excellence in his Humanities and Arts project,
“Ministry: A Screenplay.” For his Major Qualifying Project (MQP), "Use of Non-Destructive Testing and
Evaluation for Structural Design of Pavements," Jones and his classmates evaluated the pavement at
Moore Army Airfield and designed new pavement suitable for aircraft use.
"It is a terrible loss of human life, youth, energy and education," said Rajib Mallick, associate professor of
civil and environmental engineering and advisor of Jones’s MQP. "Ryan was always willing to help others,
and he would help you in such a way that you didn't know you were being helped."
As a freshman at WPI, Jones joined the Army ROTC program on an Army Scholarship. He played a
leadership role in many ROTC activities and events, including the Color Guard, Ranger Challenge, and
Pershing Rifles. Following graduation, he continued to serve ROTC as a Gold Bar recruiter before
reporting in August 2005 to his Engineer Officer Basic Course in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
Spec. Kyle A. Little
Hometown: West Boylston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Age: 20 years old
Died: May 8, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry
Division, Fort Benning, Ga.
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb detonated near their vehicle in Salman Pak.
For Kyle A. Little, joining the Army was a life-changing decision that transformed him from highschool dropout to sturdy husband and father-to-be. "He was a skinny little kid," Michael Little said.
"But he was very strong-minded. Very strong-willed." Little, 20, of West Boylston, Mass., was killed
May 8 by a roadside bomb in Salman Pak. He was assigned to Fort Benning and was on his second
tour. Little loved music _ especially rock _ and could "eat, breath and sleep baseball" _ especially
the Red Sox. Little pitched on youth and school teams growing up, and sported a Boston Red Sox
tattoo on his arm. He could spend hours alone working on his pitching. He earned a GED and
entered the Army while he was only 17. "He really did love the Army," said his father. "It''s
something that he had a passion for. He loved it from the minute he went to boot camp." "He was a
relatively quiet kid," he said. "Joining the Army put him out there more. We respected his decision
to be there," he added. He also is survived by his wife, Tiffany. The couple''s first child is due in
November.
Kyle A. Little
SPC. Kyle A. Little, 20, of Ft. Benning, Georgia, formerly of West Boylston, was killed in action in
Iraq, May 8th when an IED exploded next to the vehicle he was in.
Kyle is survived by his beloved wife, Tiffany Little of Ft. Benning, GA, who is expecting their first
child; his mother, Shelley A. Smith; a brother, Dakota and a sister Shyanne all of West Boylston;
his father, Michael Little; and stepmother, Katrina Little; two sisters, Kayla and Karly Little all in
Maine. His maternal grandmother, Lucille A. (Cook) Smith; an aunt and uncle, Sandra and
Steven Silverman; and cousins, Jess and Matt all of Holden; his paternal grandparents, Patricia
Oliver and Paul Little; many other aunts, uncles and cousins.
He was born in Worcester; his grandfather was the late Raymond J. Smith who died in 1991.
Kyle grew up and lived in West Boylston for most of his life before enlisting in the U.S. Army.
Kyle was an avid fan of the Boston Red Sox and loved to play baseball. He also enjoyed music, playing guitar and
spending time with friends and family.
Kyle's funeral with full military honors will be held Friday, May 18th at 10:00 a.m. in the West Boylston First
Congregational Church, 26 Central St. Burial will be in Mt. Vernon Cemetery. Friends and relatives are invited to visit
with the family from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 17th in the MERCADANTE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL, 370
Plantation St.
Memorial contributions in Kyle's memory may be made to the Kyle Little Memorial Fund, Care of Sovereign Bank, 240
West Boylston St. West Boylston, 01583.
Published in Worcester Telegram & Gazette on May 14, 2007
Army Spc. Kyle A. Little
20, of West Boylston, Mass.; assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade
Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.; died May 8 in Salman Pak, Iraq, of wounds
suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed was Sgt. Blake
C. Stephens.
Two Massachusetts servicemen killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
BOSTON — Two servicemen from Massachusetts — a Rockland Marine and a West Boylston soldier
known for his love of baseball and military life — have been killed in Iraq, family members said May 10.
Army Spc. Kyle A. Little, 20, was killed by a roadside bomb May 8 north of Baghdad during his second tour
in Iraq, according to his father, Michael Little of North Berwick, Maine.
On May 9, the Marines notified the family of Walter O’Haire that he had been killed in Iraq, according to his
brother, Matthew O’Haire. He declined further comment, and there were no additional details about
O’Haire’s death.
Little’s wife, Tiffany, is expecting a child in November.
“That’s a blessing, that there’s some part of Kyle that’s still here,” Michael Little said.
Little was a baseball fanatic who pitched on youth and school teams growing up, and sported a Boston Red
Sox tattoo on his arm.
Little dropped out of high school, feeling it wasn’t the place for him, and joined the Army at age 17, a few
months before he would have graduated, his mother, Shelly Smith, told the Telegram & Gazette of
Worcester.
Little seemed to mature in the service, which he intended to make his career, his father said. He was
working as a bodyguard during his second tour, Michael Little said.
“He was there because he wanted to be there, and he did what he liked to do,” he said.
Kyle Little was the oldest of five brothers and sisters.
O’Haire attended South Shore Vocational-Technical High School in Hanover.
Family friend Donna Ward-Milord told The Patriot Ledger of Quincy that O’Haire was likable and enjoyed
helping others.
“He wanted to serve in Iraq,” she said. “He was excited about going into the Marines and helping his
country.”
Lance Cpl. Walter K. O’Haire
Hometown: Lynn, Massachusetts, U.S.
Age: 20 years old
Died: May 9, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Marines, 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary
Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Incident: Killed while conducting combat operations in Anbar Province.
Walter K. "Gator" O'Haire
O HAIRE��" Walter K. "Gator", of Rockland, formerly of South Boston, May 9, 2007, age 20, while serving
his country as a LCPL, U. S. Marine in Iraq. Beloved son of Maureen (Mansfield) and the late Thomas R.
O'Haire. Devoted brother of William, Matthew, Amy, Margaret, Thomas Jr., Kevin, Patrick, Kaylea-Rose,
Lynasha and the late Shyheim. Dear grandson of Helen Mansfield and Mary O'Haire. Dear brother-in-law of
Kellie. Cherished uncle of Ashleigh, Thomas, Gabriel, Juan and Diamante. Loving godson of Jack "Rippa"
Mansfield, Jeanne Morgan and his dear friend DeDe and the late Paul and Lorraine Cavanaugh. Also
lovingly survived by numerous aunts, unlcles, cousins and friends. Family and friends are invited to attend
visiting hours at the Casper Funeral Home, 187 Dorchester St., SOUTH BOSTON, Monday 1-4 and 6-9
p.m., followed by a Funeral Mass in Holy Family Church, 403 Union St., Rockland, Tuesday, May 15 at 11
a.m. The funeral procession will leave the Casper Funeral Home, South Boston at 10 a.m. Interment
Services at the Duxbury Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Gator's memory to the Thomas R. O'Haire Trust Fund, 430
West Broadway, South Boston, MA 02127.
Walter K. O'Haire
Friday, May 11 2007 @ 03:31 PM EDT
The Patriot Ledger -- When her 20-year-old son called from Iraq on Monday, Maureen O’Haire
ended the conversation with her usual admonition: ‘‘I love you. Watch your back, keep your head down,
protect yourself.’’
He replied with his usual answer: ‘‘Always.’’
Two days later Marine Lance Cpl. Walter O’Haire of Rockland died in Al Anbar province when he came
under enemy fire as he patrolled on foot with his platoon.
It was six days before his 21st birthday.
O’Haire was the second serviceman with Rockland ties to die in Iraq. Marine Sgt. William J. Callahan, 28,
of Easton, who grew up in Hanson and Rockland, was killed on April 28.
Another 20-year-old soldier from Massachusetts, Army Spc. Kyle A. Little of West Boylston, was killed by a
roadside bomb Tuesday north of Baghdad during his second tour in Iraq. His wife, Tiffany, is expecting a
child in November.
The deaths of O’Haire and Little bring the number of Massachusetts residents killed in Iraq to 56. Total
U.S. deaths in the war are now 3,390.
O’Haire had been in Iraq a little more than two months when he died.
‘‘Wally wanted to go,’’ his mother said yesterday. ‘‘He was for it.’’
‘‘He’s a hero. He really did what he wanted to do.’’
Maureen O’Haire sat on the couch in a living room filled with photos of her nine children and five
grandchildren.
She and her late husband, Thomas O’Haire, had five children and adopted four more. They cared for more
than 50 foster children, she said.
Walter, the youngest of her biological children, treasured his close-knit family, his mother said. He had five
brothers, William 31, Matthew, 30, Thomas, 22, Kevin, 14, and Patrick, 13; and three sisters, Amy, 30,
Margaret, 29, and Kaylia-Rose, 8.
O’Haire served in the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary
Force, the Marine Corps said.
During training at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, he drove 12 hours to Rockland almost every weekend.
‘‘He’d get up here on Saturday and drive back Sunday. He wanted to sleep in his own bed,’’ his mother
said.
Often he came with two or three buddies from the base, she said. Sometimes they would also stay in the
two-story home filled with children.
Walter, nicknamed Gator, moved with his family from South Boston to Rockland about 10 years ago. He
attended Rogers Middle School, then enrolled in South Shore Vocational-Technical High School in Hanover.
‘‘He was going to be a carpenter and then he decided he was going to go into the service,’’ Maureen
O’Haire said. He left for training on Dec. 27, 2005.
Two older brothers tried to dissuade him, but ‘‘he was going to do it no matter what,’’ she said. His
parents did not object.
‘‘My husband and I support our children as long as it’s not lawbreaking,’’ she said.
Derek Mariani was O’Haire’s carpentry instructor and his favorite teacher. O’Haire dropped out of high
school a month before graduation in 2004 because he could not pass one of his required courses, Mariani
said.
He watched his student mature from a mischievous teenager to a responsible adult during his four years of
high school, Mariani said.
And O’Haire set his sights on joining the military.
He obtained a GED so he could enlist. He returned to the campus about a year ago with his Marine
recruiter. He wanted to tell Mariani that he had just finished basic training.
‘‘He was really proud of what he accomplished,’’ Mariani said.
‘‘I don’t know why kids today, what possesses them to join the service,’’ the teacher said. ‘‘It’s a tough
thing for a family. I hope it’s not all for naught. You have to tip your hat to these kids.’’
Maureen O’Hare said her son was easygoing and friendly and he had an iron will. ‘‘He was one of the guys
and he appreciated your opinions,’’ she said. Then he went his own way, she said.
O’Haire’s death was the second blow to the family in two years. His father died on June 19, 2005, at 53.
Maureen O’Haire established a memorial Web site for her husband earlier this year. In one message to
Thomas posted on the site, she reported that ‘‘our son Gator’’ was serving in Iraq and ‘‘being a Marine
makes him happy and proud.’’
‘‘Watch over Walter,’’ the message said.
Memorial Park Elementary School students held flags as they waited for the funeral procession for
Lance Corporal Walter K. O'Haire to pass on Union Street in Rockland. The Marine, who would have
turned 21 this week, was killed a week ago during a firefight with insurgents in Iraq's volatile Anbar
Province. He had been in Iraq for about two months.
Rockland weeps for Marine
About 4,000 bid farewell to serviceman killed in Iraq
By Brian R. Ballou, Globe Staff | May 16, 2007
ROCKLAND -- With her brother's wooden casket placed an arm's length from her by Marine pallbearers, 8year-old Kaylea-Rose leaned into her mother's embrace and cried.
"We can only guess the depths of your sorrow," said Bishop John Dooher, standing in front of Holy Family
Catholic Church on Union Street, his eyes locked on the third-grader and her mother, Maureen O'Haire.
"A nation really mourns with you today," he said.
Lance Corporal Walter K. O'Haire, who would have turned 21 yesterday, was killed a week ago during a
firefight with insurgents in Iraq's volatile Anbar Province. He had been in Iraq for about two months.
O'Haire's death marked the second time that a service man with ties to Rockland was killed in Iraq. Last
month, Marine Sergeant William J. Callahan, 28, was killed there.
A half-mile section of Union Street had the appearance of a parade route yesterday morning, with residents
chatting, parents toting toddlers in red wagons, and police blocking side streets.
But as a police motorcade led a gray hearse onto the street, about 4,000 residents, including Kaylea-Rose's
classmates, stood in somber silence. They dipped small American flags or placed their right hands against
their chests.
Karen Nee, a fourth-grade teacher at Memorial Park Elementary School, monitored a line of her students as
they awaited the procession.
"We told the students last week that one of our third-graders lost her older brother during the war in Iraq,"
Nee said. "They were sad, and then they started wondering, asking if they could come to this."
Bob Baker, a truck driver with the Rockland Highway Department, stood in the middle of Union Street and
surveyed the half-mile route leading to the church.
"There's been nothing like this, not in 40 years," he said. "This shows the support of the people for a hero."
Office workers and restaurant staff stepped out of businesses lining the street and joined the crowd, and
firefighters stood at attention in front of their station, the lights from several firetrucks flashing in the
background.
Governor Deval Patrick gazed stoically upon the pallbearers as they lifted O'Haire's flag-draped coffin in
synchronized precision and carried it into the church. A single bagpiper played a solemn melody as mourners
walked up the steps to the church.
Although he had baptized O'Haire, Dooher told the congregation he didn't know much about him as he grew
into adulthood. But Dooher recounted stories from other clergy that suggested O'Haire was full of
enthusiasm and stubbornness.
"Tell the stories over and over, the stories that make you laugh, the stories that make you cry, the stories that
make you shake your head and wonder what it's all about," he told the family and friends.
Dooher then invited O'Haire's uncle, Jack Mansfield, to say a few words. Dressed in a gray suit, Mansfield
got up, walked to the casket, and kissed it, before walking to the lectern.
"He fought and died for the love of this country, not for war or politics," he said. "I tried to be his hero, but
he was mine."
O' Haire was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, and he would travel back to Rockland almost
every weekend to visit his family.
"He came home any chance he could to see us all," Mansfield said. "Just to see us all he would drive through
the night."
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
Remembrance, celebration during St. Patty’s Day
3/28/2008 By Cpl. Aaron Rock, 26th MEU
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — This was the best weekend of my life.”
That is not what you would normally hear from a Marine after a weekend spent honoring a fallen comrade.
But for the Marines of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 6th
Marine Regiment, Company G, something special happened in Boston during St. Patrick’s Day weekend that
proved a fitting ending to a long saga.
It began when 2/6 deployed to Iraq in 2007. The unit saw fighting almost immediately after entering the
country and continued to see action from then on.
On March 9, 2007, Lance Cpl. Walter “Gator” O’Haire manned an overwatch position on the roof of a
building in Fallujah, Iraq, when a sniper round took his life and took away a man loved by all who knew
him.
O’Haire was the only Marine killed during 2/6’s deployment, and when the unit returned to Camp Lejeune,
they held a memorial service for him. O’Haire’s family was invited to attend the service, but for his friends
and family, the loss was too deep to be filled from a brief ceremony.
“In November, at the memorial; it wasn’t enough,” said Maureen O’Haire, Walter’s mother. “The guys didn’t
get a chance to have closure.”
Lance Cpl. Jeremy L. Shepherd, a rifleman in G Company, agreed.
“We didn’t have a lot of time at the memorial service,” he said, adding they had to work and didn’t get to
interact with the O’Haire family like they might have wanted to.
Often, that would have been the end of the story. In this case it was not.
Ms. O’Haire, a widowed mother of nine biological and adopted children, was about to absorb 22 more into
her Boston brood.
She arranged to have the Marines who were in “Wally’s” platoon, as well as his closest buddies in other
platoons, fly up to join her family in Boston for a weekend of remembrance, healing and celebration.
She did this not to make herself feel better, but for the Marines.
“I am really concerned about the survivor guilt,” she said. “I wanted them to know what they did was
appreciated.”
Once the Marines arrived in Boston, they were escorted off the plane by policemen to waiting vehicles,
which whisked them away to Rockland, Mass., a suburb of Boston.
Their first night was spent with the family and at the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post, where they
shared food, drink and stories with retired and former servicemembers.
Their second night was spent at a special Catholic mass which celebrated Walter and Palm Sunday.
Sunday was the big day. The Marines started by attending the annual South Boston St. Patrick’s Day
Breakfast as guests of honor, where they were received by U.S. Congressman Stephen Lynch and were
treated to a two-minute long standing ovation by the crowd.
After the breakfast, the Marines marched in the annual South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade, where they
were showered with applause and cheers from the more than 1 million spectators at the parade.
“This was overwhelming to see how welcoming the people of Boston were to us and how pro-military they
were,” said Staff Sgt. Brian P. Mullen, platoon sergeant for G Co., 1st platoon.
Mullen said the whole weekend really helped the Marines heal after the loss of O’Haire.
“We were able to represent him and the love he had for the Marine Corps, and it helps the Marines deal
with the grieving process to see that she has no guilt or blame toward them,” he said.
Far from being a sad occasion, the weekend was spent enjoying each other’s company and remembering
the good things about their fallen comrade and son.
“These are the people Wally spent his last hours with, they can tell me the stories about his last days, and I
can tell them about his life before,” Ms. O’Haire said. “We can each heal imperfectly on our own, but
together we can wholly heal.”
According to the Marines, the events made a definite impact.
“Seeing her and how she honors her son really helps with the whole grieving process by not mourning his
death but celebrating his life,” said Mullen.
The response of the average Americans who surrounded the Marines also made a big impression.
“Everywhere we’ve gone, people made us proud of what we do and who we are,” said Shepherd. “It really
helped us get a little bit of closure.”
Far from bitter, Ms. O’Haire said, “To the men and women who serve, I say thank you, and please don’t
ever have regrets; no regrets.”
After the close of the long weekend, which was capped with a VIP tour of the USS Constitution, the Marines
returned to Camp Lejeune, where they continued their preparation for the six month predeployment
training period as the BLT for the 26th MEU.
Following that training period, the 26th MEU is scheduled to deploy during the fall with the Iwo Jima
Expeditionary Strike Group.
Boston, Mass., USA-Marines and sailors from Company G, 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, march
in the annual South Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade, March 16, 2008, in Boston. The Marines marched
to honor the memory of Lance Cpl. Walter O'Haire, a member of G Co. who was killed in Iraq on March
9, 2007, in Fallujah, Iraq. (Official USMC photo by Cpl. Aaron J. Rock), Cpl. Aaron J. Rock, 3/15/2008
8:00 PM
March 21st, 2008 at 5:01 am
A UNIQUE GESTURE OF LOVE!
One of the nicest things can say about someone is that they are…UNIQUE! Let me give you an
example of…UNIQUE!
A woman whose son was killed in Iraq shortly after last year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade decided to fly
his platoon up to Boston for this year’s parade. She not only paid for all of their flights, she put them
up in hotels and fed them very well as well. That my friends is…VERY UNIQUE!
It was May 2007 when Maureen O’Haire’s son died while on patrol. Here we are less than a year
later and there’s Maureen standing at O Street and Broadway along with family & friends cheering
his platoon on. What A Tribute!
But then, Maureen O’Haire is indeed a very “UNIQUE” woman. She gave an extra push to the
Marine slogan “Semper Fi” (Always Faithful). At the St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast, host Senator Jack
Hart introduced Maureen and her son Walter’s Marine platoon to the assembled guests. The result
was a five minute standing ovation. It was a very nice gesture of praise and support.
It was also a rousing echo of support when people all around the world were able to tune in and view
the parade. It was a rousing echo of support to see how America did and always should honor our
brave and dedicated military men and women.
That, in part, is the difference between being here and not being over there. You can be for or
against something but you can’t be against the men and women who serve their nation proudly.
Because it is over there and not over here some people tend to take the great sacrifice men and
women who serve for granted.
People talk and when they do I make it a point to listen. I heard lots of talk about Maureen O’Haire
this past week. Two guys sitting in a coffee shop were talking about Maureen O’Haire bringing 22
men who were in her son’s platoon to Boston. They both agreed that this was a very nice thing for
her to do. They then went on to talk about their own military experience and how great it was to have
someone respect and acknowledge that service.
What Maureen did was to get people thinking and talking.
On Saturday evening in St. Vincent’s Church in South Boston Maureen and Walter’s platoon showed
up for a memorial mass. It was a mass of remembrance and a time to reflect on the sacrifice young
men and women make to service in America’s military. One thing is for certain, these 22 men
returned to their current base in North Carolina with a rousing round of support. Even in church they
were given a standing ovation.
This warm and wonderful gesture of love from Maureen to her son Walter’s Marine platoon is indeed
very…UNIQUE!
A mother loses her son and she responds by bringing his platoon buddies to South Boston to march
in the St. Patrick’s Day parade. She said that she was inspired by the fact that her son Walter had
driven up from North Carolina to stand at the corner of O street and Broadway to watch last year’s
parade. Walter got a weekend pass and hopped into a car and drove all night so he could watch the
parade. After the parade he drove all the way back to North Carolina. It was his last trip home.
Less that two months later on May 9, 2007 Walter O’Haire died a Marine in Iraq. His nickname was
“Gator” and he was six days shy of his 21st birthday. Little did he think on that March Sunday in
2007 that he was going to his last St. Patrick’s Day parade.
Then there’s Maureen thinking and wondering what could I do that would have my son share that St.
Patrick’s Day experience with his Marine buddies? I’ve got it! I’ll just contact the Marines and get
permission to fly his entire platoon to Southie for the parade. After all, this past November, Gator’s
platoon invited Maureen and family to spend Veterans’ Day at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. To
Maureen, it made perfect sense to return the hospitality.
Of course there’s a bit more to getting 22 Marines here than just having an idea. There was lot of
planning and logistics that had to be overcome. Besides, who is going to pay for all of this? To which
Maureen replied, “I will. They will be Gator’s guests.” REALLY!
So let me get this straight. You want the Marines to allow 22 of their men to come to Boston to
march in the St. Patrick’s Day parade and you are going to pay for all of their expenses? In effect
Maureen told the Marine military hierarchy that she would be totally responsible for everything all
weekend long. As the nursery rhyme goes, “…and every where that Maureen went the Marines were
sure to go.”
Not only does Maureen have a flock of her own children she has taken in and mothered more than
50 foster children. For Maureen, having 22 soldiers come to Boston was just another day at the
office.
Maureen’s was in effect being her son for the weekend. She did what her son would have done. She
got those Marines a weekend pass and off to the parade they went.
Every once in a while someone does something that gets people to pause and think. Nice gestures
by nice people. People doing things for other people that you never quite expected they would do.
Unfortunately, there is such a media rush to feature and to accentuate the negative. This was a
proud story they could not ignore. It was a genuine gesture that came from the heart.
How deep do you have to go into the newspaper to find a “Feel Good” story? How far do you have to
go into television news to see something positive being reported? What Maureen O’Haire did was
much more than bring a group of Marines to Boston to march in a parade. She held out her arms
and welcomed them to Gator’s world. She went beyond the uniform and let them share a part of her
son’s life. It was a positive reflection of all those who so bravely serve. She put the focus on all the
military for their service and sacrifice.
Thank you Maureen for your very… UNIQUE GESTURE OF LOVE!
1st Lt. Andrew J. Bacevich
Hometown: Walpole, Massachusetts, U.S.
Age: 27 years old
Died: May 13, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division,
Fort Hood, Tex.
Incident: Died May 13 in Balad, of wounds suffered when a makeshift bomb exploded near his unit
during combat patrol operations in Salah Ad Din Province.
Andrew John Bacevich
Of Walpole, died Sunday, May 13, 2007 in Iraq. He was 27 years old. Andrew was the beloved son of Andrew and
Nancy Bacevich of Walpole. Dear brother of Jennifer Bacevich-Montano of North Attleboro, Kathleen Bacevich of
Walpole, and Amy Bacevich of Ann Arbor, MI. He is also survived by his brother-in-law, Carlos Montano, and niece
Sofia, both of North Attleboro. Also survived by grandmother Martha Ellen Greenis of Crown Point, IN, as well as
many loving aunts, uncles, and cousins. The Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, May 21 at 10 AM at St. Timothy
Church in Norwood, with burial to follow at the Rural Cemetery in Walpole. Visiting hours will be held 3-8 PM on
Sunday, May 20 at the Delaney Funeral Home, 48 Common St., WALPOLE.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the First Lieutenant Andrew John Bacevich Memorial Fund at Boston
University, the address is Office of Development, Boston University, 1 Sherborn St., Boston, MA 02215.
Published in The Boston Globe on May 19, 2007
Army 1st Lt. Andrew J. Bacevich
27, of Walpole, Mass.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 13 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised
explosive device detonated near his unit during combat patrol operations in Salah Ad Din Province, Iraq.
Son of professor who has been critical of war is killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
BOSTON — The son of a Boston University professor who has been a critic of the war was killed in Iraq,
the Defense Department said May 14.
First Lt. Andrew J. Bacevich was the son of Andrew J. Bacevich, an international relations professor who
has said that the U.S. is mired in a war it cannot win through military might alone.
“Our reckless flirtation with preventive war qualifies as not only wrong, but also stupid. Indeed, the Bush
Doctrine poses a greater danger to the United States than do the perils it supposedly guards against,” the
elder Bacevich, a West Point graduate and retired Army lieutenant colonel, wrote in an opinion article in The
Boston Globe in March.
“We urgently need to abrogate that doctrine in favor of principles that reflect our true interests and our
professed moral values,” he wrote. The Globe said he declined to comment May 14 on his son’s death.
Bacevich did not immediately return telephone messages to The Associated Press left at his home and
office on May 14.
The younger Bacevich was killed May 13 when an improvised device exploded while he was on a combat
patrol in Salah Ad Din Province, Iraq, according to the military.
Bacevich, 27, was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Cavalry Division, at Fort Hood, Texas.
His sister, Jennifer Bacevich, 34, reached May 14 at the family’s home in Walpole, Mass., said her brother
joined the Army after he wasn’t able to enroll in ROTC because of his asthma. When the military eased its
restrictions, he went on to train to be an officer.
Despite his asthma, Jennifer said her brother was active and athletic.
“He was a guy who liked to run marathons,” she said. “He liked to be with his friends. He was a real funny
guy. He liked to run. He liked to play soccer.”
Her brother was single at the time of his death, she said.
The elder Bacevich is the author of “The New American Militarism: How Americans Are Seduced by War,”
published in 2005.
In an article in “The American Conservative” magazine last September, he wrote:
“It’s past time to re-examine the post-Cold War assumption that military power provides the preferred
antidote to any and all complaints that we have with the world beyond our borders.
“We must be strong and we must be vigilant. But we also need to be smart, and getting smart means
ending our infatuation with war and rediscovering the possibilities of politics.”
Romney recalls former aide killed by IED in Iraq
The Associated Press
BOSTON — The war in Iraq hit home for Mitt Romney this week, after a former Statehouse staffer was
killed by an improvised explosive device while serving in Iraq.
Army First Lt. Andrew J. Bacevich, 27, the son of a Boston University professor who has been a critic of the
war, served as a legislative aide to then-Gov. Mitt Romney in 2004. Bacevich handled all bills sent to the
governor’s desk for review and signature.
Romney, now a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, talked with Bacevich about his
decision to enlist before he left the Statehouse.
“I got to know Andrew as a legislative aide in my office, and before he left we met and talked about his
plans,” Romney said in a statement. “He was driven by a desire to serve, first as part of our team and then
as a member of the military. His loss is a deep personal loss for me and for all of those who knew him.”
Bacevich was killed May 13 when an IED exploded while he was on a combat patrol in Salah Ad Din
province, Iraq, according to the Defense Department. The soldier had been assigned to the 3rd Battalion,
8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, at Fort Hood, Texas.
Bacevich was a 2003 graduate of Boston University, where his father, Andrew Bacevich, is an international
relations professor. The elder Bacevich, a West Point graduate and veteran of the Vietnam and Gulf wars,
has criticized Bush’s strategy and said the U.S. is mired in a war it cannot win through military might alone.
In a statement, Bacevich’s family remembered him as a man of humor and handsome looks who had
overcome the challenges childhood asthma to be an Army officer and a marathon runner.
“Andy was a born leader who felt called to serve his country,” the statement said. “Our family will miss him
dearly and forever.”
Soldier killed in Iraq to be buried in Walpole
The Associated Press
BOSTON — A Massachusetts soldier killed in Iraq will be buried near his family’s home in Walpole, instead
of Arlington National Cemetery, to enable relatives to visit his grave more often, his father said May 18.
First Lt. Andrew Bacevich, 27, died May 13 of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device
detonated near his unit in Salah Ad Din province.
He will be buried in Maple Grove Cemetery in Norwood on May 21, following funeral services at St. Timothy
Catholic Church, said James Delaney, director of the funeral home handling the final rites. A wake is
scheduled for May 20, Delaney said.
Bacevich’s father, Andrew, said on WBUR-FM, a National Public Radio station in Boston, that the Iraq war
is probably headed for a “dismal conclusion.” The elder Bacevich is a veteran of the Vietnam and Gulf wars
and an outspoken critic of the current war.
“So our kinship is that he and I had a knack for picking the wrong war in which to serve,” said Bacevich, a
Boston University professor.
This Nov. 2006 photo provided by his family and released by the Massachusetts National Guard shows 1st
Lt. Andrew J. Bacevich of Walpole, Mass., on assignment in Iraq. Bacevich was killed Sunday, May 13,
2007, when an improvised device exploded while he was on a combat patrol in Salah Ad Din Province, Iraq.
(AP Photo/Bacevich family via Massachusetts National Guard)
Pfc. Matthew A. Bean
Hometown: Pembroke, Massachusetts, U.S.
Age: 22 years old
Died: May 31, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain
Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.
Incident: Died May 31 at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., of wounds suffered on
May 19 in Lutifiyah, Iraq, when he was struck by enemy small arms fire.
Matthew Alan Bean
BEAN Matthew Alan, Pfc., of Pembroke, May 31 , age 22, beloved son of Mary and Shawn Brennan of
Plymouth and Dana and Cheryl Bean of Pembroke. He is survived by his loving brother, Timothy Bean of
Pembroke, and his loving sister, Molly Brennan of Plymouth, and step-siblings, Rhiannon and Adam of
Pembroke. Cherished grandson of Loring and Brenda Nudd of Duxbury, Frank and Marsha Nudd of Maine,
and Joyce Bean and the late George Bean of Duxbury. He is also survived by several aunts, uncles and
cousins. A funeral service will be held on Friday, June 8, at the North River Community Church, 334 Old
Oak St., Pembroke, at 10 a.m. Interment in Center Cemetery, Pembroke. Visiting hours on Thursday at the
Shepherd Funeral Home, 216 Main St. Rt. 106, Kingston, from 2-9 p.m.
Army Pfc. Matthew A. Bean
22, of Pembroke, Mass.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade
Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died May 31 at the National
Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., of wounds sustained on May 19 in Lutifiyah, Iraq, when he was
struck by enemy small-arms fire.
Fort Drum soldier dies from wounds inflicted in Iraq
The Associated Press
BOSTON — A Fort Drum soldier who was shot by a sniper in Iraq while searching for missing U.S. soldiers
died May 31 of his wounds, his sister said.
Pfc. Matthew Bean, 22, was removed from life support at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda,
Md., and died early May 31.
Bean, a member of the Army’s 10th Mountain Division, was shot in the head May 19 while searching for a
fellow Massachusetts soldier and two others.
Spc. Alex R. Jimenez, 25, of Lawrence, and two comrades have been missing since a May 12 ambush
about 20 miles outside Baghdad. The body of one of the three, Pfc. Joseph Anzack Jr., 20, of Torrance,
Calif., was found May 22.
Bean underwent surgery in Germany and was flown to the U.S. on May 23.
Pfc. Matthew A. Bean, 22, of Pembroke
Tue Jun 05, 2007, 05:47 PM EDT
Pembroke - Pfc. Matthew Alan Bean, 22, of Pembroke, died May 31, 2007 from injuries sustained with the
Army’s 10th Mountain Division in Iraq.
The son of Mary and Shawn Brennan of Plymouth and Dana and Cheryl Bean of Pembroke, Mr. Bean was
raised in Pembroke. He was a 2003 graduate of Silver Lake Regional High School in Kingston. He attended
the University of Massachusetts Stockbridge School of Agriculture.
Mr. Bean was employed as a landscaper, specializing as an arborist with Down to Earth landscaping in
Pembroke, where he was also a member of the men’s softball team. He also held an Emergency Medical
Technician certificate.
Mr. Bean entered the United States Army in January of 2006.
He was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star and an Army Commendation Medal.
In high school he was a member of the football and wrestling teams. He also enjoyed judo, loved the
outdoors, snowboarding and fishing.
Mr. Bean was a Christian, involving himself with the youth group at the North River Community Church in
Pembroke.
In addition to his parents, Mr. Bean leaves a brother, Timothy Bean of Pembroke, a sister, Molly Brennan of
Plymouth; two stepsiblings, Rhiannon and Adam of Pembroke; his grandparents, Loring and Brenda Nudd of
Duxbury, Frank and Marsha Nudd of Maine and Joyce Bean of Duxbury; and several aunts uncles and
cousins. He was the grandson of the late George Bean.
A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 8, at the North River Community Church, 334 Old
Oak St., Pembroke. Interment will be in Center Cemetery, Pembroke. Visiting hours are 2 to 9 p.m.
Thursday, June 7, at the Shepherd Funeral Home, 216 Main St., Route 106 in Kingston.
Dedication of
Army Pfc Matthew A. Bean Memorial
Veterans Day, Sunday, November 11th, 2007
Photo courtesy Angie Townsend
Friends salute Matthew Bean
By Krystal Grow
Wed Jun 06, 2007, 10:37 AM EDT
This sign in honor of Matthew Bean of Pembroke was placed behind home plate at the Hanson Men's
Softball field Thursday.
Pembroke - On the brink of tears, Matthew Bean’s senior English teacher at Silver Lake Regional High
School, Kathy Drane described him simply as “wonderful.”
“He was the kind of kid everyone would want in their class, or as their son or neighbor,” she said. “He was
diligent, cooperative and responsive. He was very proud of what he was doing.”
Bean, a 22-year-old Pembroke resident, died May 31 from wounds he suffered after being shot in the head
by a sniper May 19 while searching for three missing U.S. soldiers in the Sunni Triangle region of Iraq. He
was a member of the Army’s 10th Mountain Division, and joined the Army in January 2006.
The Rev. Paul Atwater of North River Church, the Bean family’s priest and spokesman said Bean was
transported from Iraq to Germany to recover from the gunshot wound on May 23 and then transferred to
Bethesda Naval Hospital the following day. Atwater said Bean was “not responsive at all,” and his parents,
Dana and Cheryl Bean, made the decision to remove Matthew from life support.
Chief Willard Boulter of the Pembroke Police Department said the Bean family traveled to Logan Airport
Tuesday night, where an Honor Guard service was held in Matthew’s honor.
Bean graduated from Silver Lake Regional High School in 2003.
“He was really top drawer. I wish we had 150 more kids like him,” said Bob Laughlin, Bean’s former
guidance counselor at Silver Lake. “He was a deeply principled young man and a great student.”
Bean’s self-proclaimed “long lost uncle” George Bean of Missouri, remembers his nephew fondly.
“For not knowing him that well, I really miss him,” he said. “Dana was very proud of him. He will be
missed.”
Angie Townsend and Ashley Bowen knew Bean through the Hanson Men’s Softball League, where he
played with Townsend’s husband Travis and Bowen’s husband Michael.
“He was a great guy, always had a smile on his face,” Bowen said. “(He was) one of a kind. You’re never
going to find anyone else like him again.”
At a softball game May 31, a sign with Bean’s name, his number 20 and Down to Earth — the landscaping
company where Bean worked and which sponsored his team —was hanging behind home plate. An “RIP”
and American flag were added to the “Bean 20” which has been on display at the field since he was injured.
“It was very emotional,” Bowen said of Thursday night. “We just found out about Matt, and we had a
moment of silence.”
Townsend said the softball team is like a family, and that before he left for Iraq, Bean visited the field.
“He just wanted to see it one last time before he left,” she said.
Instead of an all-star game this year, Townsend and Bowen said the softball league would hold a one-pitch
game in Bean’s honor Saturday, July 7, starting at 10 a.m. Townsend said all of the teams will be involved,
with each player getting a single pitch in an at-bat. The winning team will receive a bat, and the remainder of
the team fees for the game will be given to Bean’s family.
“We’re retiring his shirt, and we’re going to put it in a case and hang it,” Townsend said. “We want his
family to know there’s people who cared about him. We’re going to miss him a lot.”
Atwater said Pembroke should be proud of Bean’s service.
“His service was very heroic. He was in the thick of the fighting, His troop had captured 20 of the top alQaeda figures, and he survived three roadside bombings,” he said. “People were asking about him at
Memorial Day events, offering their support to the family. The town obviously cares.”
Atwater said that even President George W. Bush recognized Matthew’s sacrifice, visiting him at Bethesda
Hospital May 25.
“He truly believed in what he was doing,” said Atwater. “We should all remember that. His family is
grieving, but not bitter. They see him as a hero, and he is.”
A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 8, at the North River Community Church, 334 Old
Oak St., Pembroke. Interment will be in Center Cemetery, Pembroke. Visiting hours are 2 to 9 p.m.
Thursday, June 7, at the Shepherd Funeral Home, 216 Main St. Route 106 in Kingston.
Bill Fonda contributed to this article.
http://pembrokemilitarysupportgroup.org/test.aspx
Correspondence can be sent to:
Pembroke Military Support Group
c/o Pembroke Town Hall
100 Center Street
Pembroke, MA 02359
info@pembrokemilitarysupportgroup.org
Staff Sgt. Daniel A. Newsome
Hometown: Chicopee, Massachusetts, U.S.
Age: 27 years old
Died: June 27, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division,
Fort Hood, Texas
Incident: Killed by a makeshift bomb in Baghdad.
Daniel Allan Newsome
SSG Daniel Allan Newsome CHICOPEE - SSG Daniel Allan Newsome, 27, of Chicopee, died Wednes-day, June 27th of
injuries sustained during the mission supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom in Baghdad, Iraq. Daniel was born in
Springfield and raised in Chicopee. Daniel attended Chicopee schools and graduated from Chicopee Comprehensive
High School in 1998. Daniel is survived by his wife Karen (Archambault) Newsome, their young son, his parents Eric
and Joanne Ritter, his mother-in-law, Jeanne Archambault, all from Chicopee, and his biological father, Flor Fuentes
of Springfield. He is also survived by his maternal grandmother, Carmen Breton of Chicopee, four brothers, Damon
Ritter of Chicopee, Calvin Ritter of Holyoke, David and Fly Fuentes of Springfield, his brother-in-law, Eric Archambault
of Chicopee, and two sisters, Janet Williams of North Carolina, and Florisa Fuentes of Springfield. Daniel was a man of
great courage and was devoted to duty, his fellow soldiers, and his country. He was a leader who loved his men and
was loved by them. He loved being a soldier. He received many Army awards and citations including the Purple Heart,
and The Bronze Star. Dan married Karen, his high-school sweetheart in 2005. It was obvious to all who knew them
that theirs was a love that would last a lifetime. Though Dan's life was cut short, that love lives on in Karen's heart.
Dan doted on his young son and spent every minute he could with him. He was eager to return home and teach his
boy all the things a father teaches a son. Dan was a devoted husband and father, and an outstanding son and
brother. Growing up, Dan spent countless days with his mother's family. He developed an especially close bond with
his mother's family. He developed an especially close bond with his aunt and uncle, Lorrie and Ken Willette, formerly
of Wilbraham, and their sons Jim and J.J. None of Dan'e brothers feel his loss more acutely than do these two of his
cousins. Dan made new friends easily and had many of them, especially his oldest and best friend Luke Delaney of
Chicopee. To know Dan was to love him, and for all who loved him, a cloud crossed the sun when he died. Those who
mourn his loss now bask in the flow of cherished memories. The calling hours will be held on Thursday at the Castle
of Knights on Memorial Drive in Chicopee from 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. at which time a funeral prayer service will take
place. Private burial services with full military honors will take place in the Massachusetts Veterans' Memorial
Cemetery in Agawam.
Contributions in Dan's memory may be made for the benefit of Dan's young son through the Daniel Allan Newsome
Memorial Fund, c/o the Polish National Credit Union, 46 Main St., Chicopee, MA 01020. The Corridan Funeral Home,
333 Springfield St., Chicopee is handling the funeral arrangements.
Published in The Republican on July 3, 2007
From Springfield CBS TV 3 cbs3springfield.com 06/29/07:
Family Remembers Chicopee Solider Killed in Iraq
By Liz Tufts
Watch The Story
Another serviceman from Chicopee is killed in the war. 27-year old Staff Sgt.
Daniel Newsome was known to many as a man who loved life.
The father of one, joined the army in 1998, soon after graduating from Chicopee
Comprehensive High School. But on Wednesday he gave the ultimate sacrifice...his
life.
He was killed in a bomb explosion in Baghdad.
Just last March he was featured in a stars and stripes article where he talked about
his dangerous duty.
"He had a couple of close calls, but he didn't have any illusions, he felt it was his
duty to fulfill his duty, " says his stepfather Eric Ritter.
But the call of his family was more powerful than his dedication to the army.
Newsome was half way through his second tour of duty, but he decided that he
wanted to return home with his wife and baby boy.
So he planned to leave the army next April.
"He wanted to support his family, he would do anything, and then he wanted to
come back home, " adds Ritter.
Although he won't be coming back home, the devoted father, friend, soldier, will
never be forgotten.
"He will remember him as a hero, i will love him til the day I die, " says Newsome's
wife Karen.
From The Boston Globe boston.com 07/06/07:
Chicopee bids farewell to another hometown soldier
By Claire L. Cummings, Globe Correspondent | July 6, 2007
CHICOPEE -- The fallen soldier's little boy smiled as Governor Deval L. Patrick
gave him a comforting rub on the back. The 1-year-old, dressed in a gray Army
exercise shirt and miniature camouflage pants, is already the spitting image of his
father, relatives said.
As family and friends gathered yesterday to remember Army Staff Sergeant Daniel
A. Newsome, they recalled that his life's mission was to raise his son to be a great
man. For those who love and miss Newsome, who died June 27 in Baghdad from
injuries he sustained in an explosion, it is a mission they will now make their own.
"All of us are the mold that made Dan the man he was, and though we cannot make
a new Dan . . . a new Staff Sergeant Daniel Allan Newsome, we can do our best to
mold and shape a man very much like him," said Eric Ritter, the soldier's stepfather.
"He already looks like his Daddy. His little hands and feet are Dan's. He has Dan's
eyes. And when he frowns, his forehead wrinkles just like his Dad's did."
Others said the 27-year-old Newsome was a responsible leader who took his job
seriously, but thrived on making people laugh.
"I always felt a little safer when we patrolled, because I knew he wouldn't hesitate
to do what he'd have to do to save my life," Staff Sergeant Jack Schnackenberg told
those in attendance.
Newsome lay in an open casket, his face lighted by a chandelier. Poster boards
lined one side of the room, which displayed photographs from several phases of the
soldier's life, from his own baby picture to a group shot with friends in front of a
limousine before a high school dance.
A slide show projected dozens of images to the tune of Eric Clapton's "Tears in
Heaven." Whether he's holding his newborn child or lounging in uniform in Iraq,
Newsome is smiling in nearly every photo.
In addition to Patrick, several law enforcement officers and firefighters also
attended the service.
Yesterday also marked the first day that flags on state buildings were lowered to
half-staff for the burial of a Massachusetts soldier killed in war, following Patrick's
order this week. Newsome's uncle, Concord Fire Chief Kenneth Willette, lobbied
the state to revisit its policy on the practice, long reserved for political leaders.
Newsome is the third soldier from Chicopee to die in the Iraq and Afghan conflicts.
The city's mayor said his death has overwhelmed the area.
"Each one's bad, but the multiple impact on the community has just been terrible,"
Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette said after the service. "The only results of Bush's
surge that we see are the number of caskets coming home. It's not sitting well with
people."
Outside the hall, some shoppers at a nearby supermarket paused from packing away
groceries to silently watch the procession leave for Massachusetts Veterans
Memorial Cemetery in Agawam. Others stood in the Castle of Knights parking lot
as several soldiers escorted Newsome's casket to the hearse.
"It's overwhelming for what they're doing for this gentleman," said Tammy
Boucher, 48, of Chicopee. ". . . It's a nice thing to see that everybody pulls
together."
Don and Shirley Dunham had seen the giant American flag suspended from two
fire engines outside the hall and walked over to pay their respects. Their grandson
was expected home soon for a two-week leave from Iraq.
"In World War II, you knew who your enemy was; you knew who you were
fighting," said Don Dunham, 79, who also served in the Korean war. "Over there,
you don't even know who the enemy is. Everybody's your enemy. That's why this
kid got killed; he didn't know who shot him."
Newsome had just visited home a couple of weeks ago. During his break,
Bissonnette said, the soldier and his wife, Karen, began planning for civilian life;
his enlistment was up in February.
"It's unfathomable to see people with so much promise have their lives snuffed out
like this," he said.
From The Republican masslive.com 06/29/07:
Chicopee mourns loss of city soldier in Iraq
By PAMELA H. METAXAS
CHICOPEE - The city is in mourning today after learning that Army Staff Sgt.
Daniel A. Newsome, 27, died Wednesday in Iraq from injuries suffered in a bomb
explosion.
Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette said he has ordered all city flags lowered to half
staff in honor of the Chicopee resident whose mother, wife and young child live
together here and whose father lives in Springfield.
Veterans Agent Ken Golash "is meeting with the family today and we are going to
be as helpful as we can in getting our fallen hero back home and to help the family
with whatever the family needs," the mayor said.
Newsome was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Calvary Regiment, 2nd Brigade
Combat Team, 1st Calvary Division, Food Hood, Tex.
An announcement of the soldier's death is posted on the Fort Hood Web site.
Bissonnette said, "Our understanding is that his mother, wife and young child live
together and his father lives in Springfield.
"This is the third one for Chicopee ... It's getting to be unbearable. We will be
working with the family on bringing the soldier home, and to which funeral home,
while giving the family the right to mourn. We will also be working with the family
to see if the burial will be in Agawam at the Veterans Cemetery or Arlington
(National Cemetery in Virginia)," the mayor said.
Bissonnette said he will also be contacting the governor's office next week. Gov.
Deval L. Patrick has attended funerals of soldiers around the state.
Newsome formerly served in Kosovo, according to The Republican files, and
graduated from Chicopee Comprehensive High School in 1998.
Other Chicopee casualties have been Army Spc. Christopher M. Wilson, formerly
of Chicopee, who died on March 29, 2007. He was an infantryman with the 10th
Mountain Division, Company A, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment out of Fort
Drum, N.Y. He died of injuries suffered in a rocket-propelled grenade explosion at
Korengal Outpost in Afghanistan.
Marine Capt. John W. Maloney, 36, of Chicopee, died on June 16, 2005. He was
assigned to Iraq when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb in June.
Army Staff Sgt. Daniel A. Newsome
27, of Chicopee, Mass.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team,
1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died June 27 in Baghdad of wounds sustained from an
improvised explosive device.
Chicopee soldier killed by explosive in Baghdad
The Associated Press
A soldier from Chicopee, Mass., was killed by an explosive in Iraq.
Staff Sgt. Daniel A. Newsome died June 27 of wounds suffered in a blast from an improvised explosive
device in Baghdad, the Department of Defense said June 28.
Newsome, 27, was assigned at Fort Hood in Texas to the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade
Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.
Newsome formerly served in Kosovo, according to according to The Republican newspaper of Springfield.
He graduated from Chicopee Comprehensive High School in 1998. His mother lives in Chicopee and his
father in Springfield.
About 60 Massachusetts natives have been killed in the Iraq war since it began more than four years ago.
Family remembers soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
After Army Staff Sgt. Daniel A. Newsome’s first tour of duty in Iraq, he returned to Hawaii and said he was
lonely. He e-mailed his friends asking if any would come visit him. And one — Karen, a woman he’d known
in high school — did.
“She said she loved him from the moment she met him in high school and knew that one day she was going
to marry him, and she did,” said his uncle and godfather, Kenneth Willette.
Newsome, 27, of Chicopee, Mass., died June 27 in Baghdad of wounds from an explosive. He was a 1998
high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas.
“When he was a teenager, he loved skateboards and fast cars,” his uncle said. “And even as an adult, he
loved working on his car. He had a pretty souped-up Honda. He was always adding something to it to make
it look better or go faster.”
Newsome was last home about a month ago, and the family made sure they celebrated his son’s first
birthday, even though it had not yet arrived.
“It was just a wonderful time,” Willette said. “The memory we’ll have of his son smashing birthday cake over
Danny and Karen’s faces is great. And it makes it harder.”
Staff Sgt. Daniel A. Newsome
United States Army
KIA 27 June 2007, Iraq
Soldier's death hits home as Chicopee mourns
By Daniel J. Muse, Globe Correspondent | June 30, 2007
Daniel A. Newsome loved skateboards, fast cars, and his family, who are reeling from the news
that the Army staff sergeant died while serving his second tour of duty in Iraq, his uncle said
yesterday.
Concord Fire Chief Kenneth Willette, who is also the godfather of the 27-year-old Chicopee
native, said Newsome enjoyed serving his country and had married his high school sweetheart,
Karen. They had a 1-year-old son, he said.
"We feel this is a terrible, heart-wrenching event, but there are so many families that are
experiencing this," Willette said in a telephone interview. "We just hope that this makes
everyone realize this is really going on, that soldiers are really dying. It's asking a lot of the
soldiers and their families."
Newsome died in Baghdad from injuries sustained June 27 when an improvised explosive
device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations, according to the Pentagon.
Newsome had been in Iraq since last October and was assigned to the First Battalion, Eighth
Cavalry Regiment, Second Brigade Combat Team, First Cavalry Division, based at Fort Hood,
Texas, the Army said.
His family in Western Massachusetts -- including his wife, his parents, and his stepfather -declined to be interviewed yesterday.
Willette said that Newsome's enlistment was up in February 2008 and that he was considering
leaving the Army.
"He was looking forward to settling down with his family and maybe buying a house," Willette
said. "He was looking to go to technical school for auto mechanics."
His uncle said Newsome had served as a peacekeeper in Kosovo and served a year in Iraq
before his current deployment. He was stationed in Hawaii between 2004 and 2005. He was
slated to return from Iraq in January 2008.
"When he was a teenager, he loved skateboards and fast cars," his uncle said. "And even as an
adult, he loved working on his car. He had a pretty souped-up Honda. He was always adding
something to it to make it look better or go faster."
Newsome was last home about a month ago, and the family made sure they celebrated his
son's birthday, even though it had not yet arrived.
"It was just a wonderful time," Willette said. "The memory we'll have of his son smashing
birthday cake over Danny and Karen's faces is great. And it makes it harder."
Newsome was a 1998 graduate of Chicopee Comprehensive High School and was the third
native of Chicopee to die in Iraq or Afghanistan, said Mayor Michael Bissonnette.
The others are Marine Captain John Maloney, who died in Iraq in 2005, and Army Specialist
Christopher Wilson, who was killed in Afghanistan earlier this year.
"We've had way too much experience with this," said Bissonnette, who pointed out that the
athletic field at Chicopee High School was named in Maloney's honor this year. "Everyone is in
a state of shock. A loss like this hits home."
According to the Army, Newsome's decorations and awards include the Purple Heart and the
Bronze Star. John Ellement of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
Army Staff Sgt. Jack G. Schnackenberg speaks during the funeral for Staff Sgt. Daniel A. Newsome. "He is a hero. He
saved my life on more than one occasion," Schnackenberg said during the services.
Republican Photo: Don Treeger
Staff Sgt. Alicia A. Birchett
Hometown: Mashpee, Massachusetts, U.S.
Age: 29 years old
Died: August 9, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 887th Engineer Company, 326th Engineer Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st
Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Incident: Died Aug. 9 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries suffered from a non-combat related accident Aug.
8 in Baghdad.
Wayne T. Jackson, an uncle of Alicia A. Birchett, recently came across a bit of insight into why she joined the Army.
Looking at a photo she had given him before she shipped out to Iraq, he discovered a note written on the back that
he had not previously noticed: "I am doing this to make you proud." Birchett, 29, of Mashpee, Mass., died Aug. 9 in
Baghdad of injuries from a non-combat accident. She was a 1995 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort
Campbell. "This one here was a gem," said Robert T. Hendricks, a cousin. "She always put everybody else first. And
this is not just a cliche, this is the real deal. This is who she is." A member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, she
enlisted in the Army in 1996 and served five international tours in her 12 years in the Army, including stints in
Germany and Korea. She was in charge of maintaining vehicles while in Iraq. "My wife was a strong, loving, giving
person," said her husband, Joe Birchett. "She loved to take care of people." She also is survived by three young sons:
Joe, Julian and Silas.
Alicia (Finklea) Birchett
MASHPEE - Alicia (Finklea) Birchett, ''Little Brown Bee,” 29, died on Aug. 8, 2007, from injuries sustained in
a truck accident in Baghdad, Iraq.
Born on Sept. 7, 1977, she is survived by her mother, Dorothea (Jackson) Finklea of Wareham; her
stepfather, Elie Pilet of Mashpee; and father, Alvin Finklea, of New York. She was the beloved wife of Joe
Louis Birchett; mother of Joe Louis Birchett III, Julian X. Birchett and Silas V. Birchett, all of Waynesboro,
Tenn.; sister of Teresa Jackson of Tennessee, Elie Pilet Jr. of Tennessee, Moise Finklea of Mashpee and
Eli Finklea of Wareham. Nephews include Keon Jackson, Aljah Jackson and Eli Finklea Jr. Nieces include
Dorothea T. Jackson and Jalajhia Finklea. Alicia also leaves behind a host of aunts, uncles and cousins.
She will be greatly missed. Alicia, we love you.
Alicia was a graduate of Falmouth High School, class of 1995. She enlisted in the Army in 1996 with 12
years served stationed in Fort Campbell in Kentucky. Tours include Germany, Korea and Iraq. Alicia was
residing in Waynesboro, Tenn., with her family.
Visiting hours will be in the John-Lawrence Funeral Home, 3778 Falmouth Rd. (Route 28), Marstons Mills,
on Friday, Aug. 17, from 5 to 7 p.m. A graveside service will be held on Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Old
Indian Cemetery at the Corner of Route 28 and Meetinghouse Road. www.johnlawrencefuneralhome.com
MOURNING TRIBE REMAINS PROUD OF SERVICE
By Stephanie Vosk
STAFF WRITER
August 17, 2007
Alicia Birchett’s mother, Dorothea Finklea, is consoled by Birchett’s husband, Joe Louis Birchett Jr., at the home in
Mashpee where the family of the Army staff sergeant who died in Iraq last week gathered last evening. Cape Cod
Times/Ron Schloerb
MASHPEE — Like her grandfather and other Wampanoag tribe members before her, Alicia Birchett signed
on to serve her country.
But, last week, after 12 years in the military and about six months in Iraq, the Army staff sergeant was killed
in a non-combat related accident, family members said.
"We have to have someone there to keep this place safe for our tribe," Birchett's uncle, Wayne Jackson,
said yesterday. "It's all about protecting our home."
Members of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe have served in every major conflict since the Revolutionary
War, according to tribe chairman Glenn Marshall, a former Marine.
Crispus Attucks, one of five people killed in the Boston Massacre in 1770, was a tribe member.
Alicia Birchett, 29, was the first tribe member killed during service since World War II, Marshall said.
"It's just a real tragic happening," the chairman said. "Alicia's service was something that resonates within
the tribe."
Birchett's husband and three boys — ages 2, 3, and 8 — flew in from Tennessee yesterday to grieve with
her family and other tribe members.
Joe Birchett met his wife at Fort Bragg in 1997 — she had just started her Army commitment and he was
finishing up. He is now a corrections officer.
The day after they met, she moved into his room, and the two have been a couple ever since.
"My wife was a strong, loving, giving person," Joe Birchett said yesterday. "She loved to take care of
people."
Alicia Birchett enlisted at age 17, shortly after graduating from Falmouth High School. She served in
Germany and Korea before going to Iraq.
"I'm very proud of my people and the way that we do the things that we do within the military," Marshall said
yesterday before going to the house to pay his respects to the family.
Marshall, who said he felt it was his duty to enlist, criss-crossed the globe from 1966 to 1972, serving in
Vietnam, Panama, Cuba, Japan, and the Philippines. He was partly inspired by John Wayne in the movie
"Sands of Iwo Jima," he said.
Wampanoag tribe member Curtis Frye III felt that same sense of duty when he enlisted in the Army 13
years ago.
This fall, he will embark on a 15-month tour of Iraq as a military police officer.
His grandfather, Curtis Frye, is the former police chief in Mashpee and also served in the military.
Frye, who lives in Falmouth and has four children, said the news of Birchett's death definitely hit home.
"I understand why she served and why she was doing what she was doing because I'm doing the same
thing," he said yesterday.
Frye, 33, said he thinks about the history his people have with the U.S. military. The English settlers and
American Indians clashed in King Philip's War in the 17th century.
The U.S. government, however, is making up for its wrong-doings partly with federal recognition, which the
Wampanaog received this year, Frye said.
He's giving back too, by serving his country, he said.
"The history's always going to be there, and in a sense now we're kind of creating a new history together,"
he said.
U.S. Rep. William Delahunt, D-Mass., visited Alicia Birchett's aunt's house yesterday to pay his respects to
the family.
As Alicia Birchett's mother, Dorothea Finklea, sobbed, Delahunt made his way through the surrounding
family members and spoke to her.
He thanked her for her daughter's service and told her what a proud mother she should be.
"Alicia was a very important member of this family," her uncle, Jackson, said. "She did what she wanted to
do, she joined the armed forces, and she did it to make us proud."
Stephanie Vosk can be reached at svosk@capecodonline.com.
Eagle-feather salute for ‘Little Brown Bee’
By Peter Gelzinis
Sunday, August 19, 2007
MASHPEE - At the dawn of her life, Alicia Birchett had been given the name “Little Brown Bee” by a Wampanoag
medicine man called Slow Turtle.
“The name was a reflection of her spirit,” said Eleanor Coombs. “Alicia had these huge brown eyes that were so full of
life, so full of curiosity. They were captivating. And she was so loving, so willing to take you into her embrace, our
medicine man saw her as this lovely little bee buzzing from flower to flower.”
A tribe in mourning
First Wampanoag to die in Iraq is laid to rest in Mashpee
By Ryan Haggerty, Globe Correspondent | August 19, 2007
MASHPEE -- The sobbing in the cemetery was loudest yesterday as taps gave way to the soft, rhythmic beating of a
drum.
"Oh, my God, no! My baby!" cried Dorothea Finklea, sitting next to the casket holding her daughter, Staff Sergeant
Alicia A. Birchett. Birchett, 29, a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, died earlier this month after she was
pinned by a truck while changing its tire in Baghdad.
She was remembered yesterday at the Indian Meetinghouse Cemetery as a driven and dedicated mother -- and a soldier
who died while following her life's calling.
Birchett had the courage and determination to "overcome fear and risk it all, to do something different, follow her
dream, and make her family and her people proud. And we have much to be proud of," said the Rev. Frances Houston,
a longtime friend who led the service, which blended Indian and military traditions.
Birchett, who graduated from Falmouth High School in 1995 and enlisted in the Army soon afterward, served five
tours of duty while raising three sons -- ages 8, 3, and 2 -- with her husband, Joe Louis Birchett.
"She loved them unconditionally," her husband said in an interview after the service. "She was my hero."
Burial was between two oaks, not far from tombstones decorated with US flags, marking the graves of other tribe
members who served in the military.
"The sacrifice that Alicia made [says something] about her as a person," Glenn Marshall, the tribe's chairman, said in
an interview. "She didn't think of herself. She thought of the people around her, and she wanted to protect them. She
went . . . to a place that she felt needed help, and she stood up for what she believed in."
A military honor guard, accompanied by Governor Deval Patrick, presented Finklea with the flag that had draped her
daughter's casket. She clutched the folded triangle throughout the rest of the ceremony.
After the honor guard fired a 21-gun salute and an Army trumpeter played taps, the mourners, who had gathered in a
half-circle around the grave, followed Wampanoag tradition by laying pine needles on the casket while tribe members
wearing traditional dress chanted and beat a large drum.
When the ceremony ended, Finklea, supported by family members, shook hands with each of the roughly 50 Patriot
Guard Riders -- veterans, mostly from the Vietnam era, who ride their motorcycles to funerals in a show of support for
fallen soldiers.
The riders had stood in a line behind the mourners throughout the service, each holding flags that whipped in the stiff
breeze.
Marshall said it was difficult to balance the pain of Birchett's death with the celebration of her life. "It's very hard for
us to accept that she's gone," he said. "Even though her spirit will be here, her physical loss is going to be hard, very
hard."
Birchett, who died on Aug. 9, a day after the accident, was the first Mashpee Wampanoag to be killed in Iraq.
She was the second female member of the military from Massachusetts to die in the war, according to the Associated
Press. Marine Captain Jennifer J. Harris of Swampscott was killed in a helicopter crash in Iraq in February.
rhaggerty@globe.com.
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
Staff Sgt. Joan J. Duran
Hometown: Roxbury, Massachusetts, U.S.
Age: 24 years old
Died: August 10, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne
Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Incident: Died from a non-combat related incident.
Joan J. Duran was known as "Superman" to friends for his extraordinary strength and lightning-fast
speed. At his funeral, pews were dotted with white T-shirts emblazoned with Duran's face on the
back and a winged Superman shield on the front. "He was always there to catch me if I fell," said
Humphrey Rodriguez, a friend Duran called Spider-Man. "He'd never leave anybody behind."
Duran, 24, of Roxbury, Mass., died Aug. 10 in Baqouba of injuries from a non-combat incident. He
was a 2002 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Bragg. When his car flipped over three
times on a highway, he pulled a shred of glass from his eye and calmly walked away. He was also
romantic, composing songs and poems for Andrea Silva, his girlfriend. Silva returned home one day
to find that Duran had sprinkled her bed with rose pedals and decorated the room with images of
Tinkerbell, the nickname he gave her. "He did things for me that girls get old and never
experience," Silva said. "I kept thinking that there's got to be something wrong with him, but it
never came." He also is survived by his mother, Milagros Garcia.
Joan J. Duran
In the service of his country in Baquba, Iraq, August 10th. Beloved son of Elpidio Duran & Milagros Garcia. Loving
brother of Ramon Espinal, Bladimil Pujols, Anderson Pujols & Aida Garcia, all of Roxbury. Also survived by his fiancee
Andrea Silvia of Woburn and several nieces, nephews & cousins. Funeral Services will be held at the Seventh Day
Adventist Spanish Church of Boston, 50 Stoughton St., (Uphams Corner), Dorchester Sunday, Aug. 19th at 11 AM.
Relatives and friends invited. Visiting hours at the Mann & Rodgers Funeral Home, 44 Perkins St., (corner of So.
Huntington Ave.), JAMAICA PLAIN Saturday 5-8 PM. Late graduate of Boston Latin High School, Class of 2002.
Interment in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Published in The Boston Globe on August 18, 2007
Roxbury soldier mourned: Paratrooper loved by all
By Mike Underwood
Monday, August 20, 2007
Tearful loved ones said their final goodbyes to Roxbury’s own “Superman” at an emotional funeral service
yesterday for Army Staff Sgt. Joan J. Duran.
“Joan will always be in the hearts of all his family and friends. He was loved by all who knew him,” said
family friend Andrea Kelly during the poignant service for 24-year-old Duran, who was killed Aug. 10 while
serving in Iraq. (Full article is archived)
Army Staff Sgt. Joan J. Duran
24, of Roxbury, Mass.; assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat
Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Aug. 10 in Iraq of injuries sustained in a noncombat-related incident.
Boston soldier killed in Iraq
The Associated Press
BOSTON — A Boston man is killed while on tour in Iraq.
The Department of Defense says 24-year-old Army Sgt. Joan Duran died Friday in a non-combat related
incident.
Duran was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd
Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, N.C.
His friends told The Boston Globe he was in his second Iraq tour and planned to become a college math
teacher.
Duran was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to the Boston area as a toddler. He was due to
return to Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood in November after four years of service in the Army.
A 2003 graduate of Boston Latin Academy, Duran’s friends said he was a straight-A student who won
honors for football and track.
“He was a hero. He always had passion for everything he did,” his childhood friend, 26-year-old Remy
Pena, told the Globe. “Whether it was tennis, carpentry, or cooking, he was always the best.”
After his tour, Duran planned to buy a house and marry his fiancée, Andrea Silva, 17, of Woburn, Pena
said.
“He was very loving and we were perfect for each other,” Silva told the newspaper.
Friends said Duran discussed the possibility of his death, and asked that his casket be adorned with
symbols of the Dominican Republic and the United States to match tattoos on his shoulders.
A memorial service is expected this week.
Joan J. Duran
Monday, August 13 2007 @ 05:25 PM EDT
News & Observer -- A deadly weekend for the 82nd Airborne began Friday with the death of Staff Sgt.
Joan J. Duran, 24, of Boston, who died of injuries suffered from a non-combat related incident near
Baquba, Iraq.
Duran was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
"[Duran] was an exceptional Supply Sergeant for C Troop, always ensuring that every paratrooper was
fully resourced prior to leaving the wire," said Capt. John P. Carsons, rear detachment commander for the
5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, in a statement.
Duran joined the Army in November 2002 and reported to the 82nd Airborne in May 2003.
He is survived by his mother, Milagros Garcia, and his brother, Ramon Espinal, both of Boston.
Staff Sgt. Joan J. Duran, 24, of Boston, was a supply sergeant with the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry
Regiment.
"He was an exceptional supply sergeant for C Troop, always ensuring that every paratrooper was fully
resourced prior to leaving the wire," Capt. John P. Carson, rear detachment commander for the 5th
Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, said in a statement.
"Staff Sgt. Duran will be sorely missed and will forever live in our memories," Carson said.
STAFF SGT. JOAN J. DURAN REMEMBRANCE FUNDRAISER KICK-OFF EVENT
Location
180 Mount Vernon Street
Boston, MA, 02125
The Joan Duran Remembrance Committee is hosting a Joan Duran Scholarship Fundraiser Kick-off
event from 7PM – 10PM at the Boston Teachers Union Hall.
There will be Hors D'oeuvres served and a Cash Bar, as well as music and a raffle (including a pair
of 2010 Red Sox tickets) as we commemorate Staff Sergeant Joan J. Duran, a class of ‘02 Boston
Latin School graduate.
Sgt. Duran was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team
of the 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, N.C. Joan died in Baquba, Iraq, on August
10th, 2007, in service to the United States of America.
All donations will go to the Joan Duran Boston Latin School Prize Night Scholarship Fund. Please
come for a great night to support a great cause!
Cost: $20 suggested minimum donation, includes 2 raffle tickets
Raffle Tickets: $10 each raffle ticket
Raffle Items Include: a Pair of 2010 regular season Red Sox Tickets, Autographed Red Sox
memorabilia, Pieces of Original Artwork, BLS Gear, and other great items
Refreshments: Hors D'oeuvres and a Cash Bar
Attire: Business Casual
Staff Sgt. Robert R. Pirelli
Hometown: Franklin, Massachusetts, U.S.
Age: 29 years old
Died: August 15, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Carson, Colo.
Incident: Killed by enemy small arms fire.
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (USASOC News Service) - An Army Special Forces Soldier was killed in Iraq Aug.
15 when his patrol made contact with the enemy in the Diyala Province.
Staff Sgt. Robert R. Pirelli, 29, a Special Forces engineer sergeant assigned to Company A, 3rd
Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Carson, Colo., was fatally wounded by
enemy small arms fire during a dismounted attack on an enemy position.
He deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2007 as a member of the Combined
Joint Special Operations Task Force - Arabian Peninsula. This was his first deployment to Iraq.
Pirelli, a native of Franklin, Mass., volunteered for military service and entered the Army in Dec.
2003 as an infantryman. After graduating the Special Forces Qualification Course, he was assigned
to 3rd Bn., 10th SFG(A) at Fort Carson, Colo., in June 2006.
His awards and decorations include two Army Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service
Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer
Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Combat
Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, the Special Forces Tab, the Bronze Star Medal, and the
Purple Heart.
Pirelli is survived by his parents, Robert and Nancy Pirelli; brother Shawn, and sister Stacey, of
Franklin, Mass.
Robert R. Pirelli
Of Franklin August 15 killed in action while serving his country in Iraq. Beloved son of Robert and Nancy (Sullivan)
Pirelli of Franklin. Brother of Shawn E. and Stacey L. Pirelli of Franklin. Grandson of Russell and Evelyn Sullivan of
Barefoot Bay Fla. Also survived by many aunts, uncles and cousins. His funeral mass will be celebrated on Saturday
August 25 in St. Mary's Church, Church Square, Franklin at 1:00p.m. Relatives and friends invited, burial with full
military honors in St. Mary's Cemetery Franklin. Calling hours Thursday and Friday 4-8 in the Ginley Funeral Home of
Franklin, 131 Main St., Franklin.
In lieu of flowers expressions of sympathy may be made in his memory to the Staff Sgt. Robert R. Pirelli Scholarship
Fund c/o Dean Bank P.O. Box 307, Franklin MA 02038. Ginley Funeral Homes of Franklin
www.ginleyfuneralhomes.com
Published in The Boston Globe from August 22 to August 24, 2007
Army Staff Sgt. Robert R. Pirelli
29, of Franklin, Mass.; assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Carson,
Colo.; died Aug. 15 in Baqubah, Iraq, of wounds sustained from enemy small-arms fire.
Green Beret from Franklin killed by small-arms fire in Iraq
The Associated Press
FRANKLIN, Mass. — The Pentagon says a Franklin soldier killed in Iraq died of wounds from small arms
fire in Baqubah.
Army Staff Sgt. Robert Pirelli died Aug. 15.
The 29-year-old Green Beret was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne),
based in Fort Carson, Colo. He had been due to come home in two months.
The MetroWest Daily News reports that Pirelli played right wing for the Franklin High School hockey team
before he graduated in 1996. He was one of two senior hockey players to win a booster club scholarship
and later graduated with a criminal justice degree from Northeastern University.
Teammate Matthew Wheeler, who won the other scholarship, told the newspaper Pirelli was a hard-working
and unselfish player who never gave up.
Pirelli is the second Franklin soldier to die in Iraq.
Robert R. Pirelli
Friday, August 17 2007 @ 04:54 AM EDT
Boston Globe -- FRANKLIN -- News of Staff Sergeant Robert R. Pirelli's death in Iraq spread
quickly through town yesterday, touching Franklin officials who never knew the 29-yearold Green Beret.
"It's a terrible tragedy," said Jeffrey D. Nutting, Franklin's town administrator, as he and other town
employees answered calls from residents about Pirelli's death, including one from a local church member
asking whether it was proper to lower the church's US flag to half-staff in the soldier's honor. Nutting said
it was.
"You never think it's going to hit home" Nutting said. "You see it on TV and in the papers, but it's always
somebody else."
This time it was Pirelli, a member of the Army's special forces who was due home in October, according to
family members. The military did not release details of his death.
Family and friends of Pirelli declined to comment yesterday, saying they preferred to wait until they knew
more.
Bob Fahey, Franklin's veterans agent, said Pirelli had been killed in combat. Pirelli's family learned of his
death Wednesday night, Fahey said.
While Pirelli's loved ones gathered outside his mother's house, friends and family of a woman who was
killed in Iraq last week and who belonged to the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe came together to mourn her
death.
Staff Sergeant Alicia A. Birchett, 29, of Mashpee died in Iraq on Aug. 9 when a truck's brakes failed while
she was changing a tire, her family said yesterday.
August 17, 2007
Special Forces Trooper Killed in Iraq
DefenseLink News reports that Staff Sgt. Robert R. Pirelli, 29, of Franklin, Massachusetts, was killed by
small arms fire during a dismounted attack on an enemy position in Iraq on August 15th. SSgt. Pirelli was
assigned as a a Special Forces Engineer Sergeant with Company A, 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group
(Airborne) at Fort Carson, Colorado.
From USASOC:
He deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2007 as a member of the Combined Joint
Special Operations Task Force – Arabian Peninsula. This was his first deployment to Iraq.
Pirelli, a native of Franklin, Mass., volunteered for military service and entered the Army in Dec. 2003 as an
infantryman. After graduating the Special Forces Qualification Course, he was assigned to 3rd Bn., 10th
SFG(A) at Fort Carson, Colo., in June 2006.
His awards and decorations include two Army Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi
Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional
Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Combat Infantryman Badge,
Parachutist Badge, and the Special Forces Tab.
Pirelli is survived by his parents, Robert and Nancy Pirelli; brother Shawn, and sister Stacey, of Franklin,
Mass.
He was on his first tour to Iraq and was scheduled to rotate home in October.
Godspeed, Staff Sergeant.
Photo courtesy of DoD/USASOC.
Town to dedicate rink to fallen soldier
Town to dedicate rink to fallen soldier
By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff
GHS
Mon Feb 18, 2008, 10:59 PM EST
FRANKLIN The Panthers will surrender the ice tonight to let local dignitaries dedicate Veterans Arena
Skating Rink to 29-year-old Staff Sgt. Robert R. Pirelli, a soldier killed in Iraq and one-time
Franklin High hockey player.
Gov. Deval Patrick signed a bill Friday to rename the facility the Robert R. Pirelli Veterans
Memorial Rink, and officials wanted to honor Pirelli tonight at the Panthers' last home game of
the season, said Dick O'Conner, spokesman for state Rep. James Vallee, D-Franklin.
Pirelli, a decorated Green Beret with the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), based in Fort
Carson, Colo., was killed by enemy fire in the Diyala Province of Iraq on Aug. 15, 2007.
Around 8 p.m., Vallee and Rick Sullivan, deputy commissioner of the Conservation and
Recreation Department, will speak briefly and dedicate the arena to Pirelli. State Sen. Scott
Brown, R-Wrentham, Sen. Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, and Pirelli's parents, Nancy and Robert
Pirelli, will also be on hand.
Pirelli, a 1996 Franklin High graduate, was one of two seniors to win a Booster Club
scholarship, and graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in criminal justice.
"He grew up playing hockey and was on the varsity hockey team. He was an avid hockey
player, and his dad was a hockey coach. He was an amazing guy, quite a young man,"
O'Conner said.
Pirelli joined the Army in December 2003.
He earned two Good Conduct Medals, a National Defense Service Medal, an Iraq Campaign
Medal, a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, a Non-commissioned Officer Professional
Development Ribbon, an Army Service Ribbon, an Overseas Service Ribbon, a Combat
Infantry Badge, a Parachutist Badge, and a Special Forces Badge.
Joyce Kelly can be reached at 508-634-7582 or jkelly@cnc.com.
Robert R. Pirelli
Of Franklin August 15 killed in action while serving his country in Iraq. Beloved son of Robert and Nancy (Sullivan)
Pirelli of Franklin. Brother of Shawn E. and Stacey L. Pirelli of Franklin. Grandson of Russell and Evelyn Sullivan of
Barefoot Bay Fla. Also survived by many aunts, uncles and cousins. His funeral mass will be celebrated on Saturday
August 25 in St. Mary's Church, Church Square, Franklin at 1:00p.m. Relatives and friends invited, burial with full
military honors in St. Mary's Cemetery Franklin. Calling hours Thursday and Friday 4-8 in the Ginley Funeral Home of
Franklin, 131 Main St., Franklin.
In lieu of flowers expressions of sympathy may be made in his memory to the Staff Sgt. Robert R. Pirelli Scholarship
Fund c/o Dean Bank P.O. Box 307, Franklin MA 02038. Ginley Funeral Homes of Franklin
www.ginleyfuneralhomes.com
Published in The Boston Globe from August 22 to August 24, 2007
Gathering gives military families support through grief
May 02, 2009 4:36 PM
R. SCOTT RAPPOLD
THE GAZETTE
Robert Pirelli's pain was like a cancer, eating away at him, sapping his will to live.
Through a national nonprofit, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, he has found the answers he
needed about the death of his son, Staff Sgt. Robert R. Pirelli, 29, a Fort Carson Green Beret killed in Iraq
in August 2007.
He's also found the comfort of knowing he is not the only one hurting.
"When you come to TAPS, people say, ‘I know what you're going through,' and they really do know what
you're going through," Pirelli said.
He came to Fort Carson from Boston this weekend for a TAPS grief seminar, one of 150 widows and
mothers, fathers and brothers, fellow soldiers and friends, who gathered to remember loved ones lost to war
and to find support in each others' stories.
"It lets the families know their loved ones' sacrifice is remembered and their life made a difference," said
Bonnie Carroll, who founded TAPS two years after the death of her husband, Brig. Gen. Tom Carroll, in a
1992 plane crash.
At the time, there was no support system in place for survivors to keep in touch with other military families
and people who served with their lost loved ones. She and the families of other people lost in the crash got
together on their own.
"Serving in the military, it's a culture. It's a way of life," she said.
TAPS, she said, is "a way for that family to reconnect with that life that was so important to their loved
ones."
In recent years, with the military fighting in two wars, its services have been needed more than ever.
This weekend was the third annual TAPS seminar at the post. Among the attendees were 40 children, who
wrote messages to their fathers or brothers, tied them to balloons and sent them aloft. It's not just far-off
families using the program.
Maj. Gen. Mark Graham, the Fort Carson commander, lost one son to a bomb in Iraq and another to suicide
while at college. He and his wife Carol got involved with TAPS.
"We realized there are a lot of people going through this and we weren't on our own," Mark Graham said.
Said his wife, "We've had a lot of tears and so much love."
Ronnie Barrett came from Johnson City, Tenn, for the seminar. His son, Sgt. Chad Barrett, with Fort
Carson's 3rd Brigade Combat Team, committed suicide in Iraq in February 2008.
For the father, coming here has been cathartic. "I didn't realize until I got here there would be so many
people with the same story I've got," he said.
At home, he said, "We knew people who lost loved ones because of the war, but not suicide."
Fort Carson has lost 254 soldiers in Iraq, and the Army is expanding the programs to work with survivors
and to keep them connected with the military community.
Said Graham, the post commander, "We're getting better at it, more than we ever wanted to have to get
better at it."
GLOBE EDITORIAL
The fallen live on
May 26, 2008
IN 1884, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., Civil War veteran and Supreme Court justice-to-be, gave perhaps the
most famous Memorial Day speech. "To us who remain behind is left this day," he said as he summoned to
mind his comrades from Massachusetts who had perished 20 years before. In the midst of the Iraq and
Afghanistan wars, the memories are rawer, and the pain fresher, for those who knew the men and women of
Massachusetts who have died this past year.
Staff Sergeant Robert R. Pirelli, once a hockey player at Franklin High School, was killed by
small arms fire in Iraq. "He gave it everything he had on the ice," a teammate told the Globe.
"But he did that with everything in his life."
Private First Class Kenneth J. Iwasinski of Belchertown was killed in a bomb explosion. His father said,
"When he came home on leave you could see that he saw a lot of bad things, but he still walked proud."
Staff Sergeant Daniel A. Newsome also died in an explosion. As a teenager in Chicopee, he loved skateboards
and fast cars. "He was looking forward to settling down with his family . . . to go to technical school for auto
mechanics," his godfather said.
Private First Class Matthew A. Bean of Pembroke was killed while searching for three fellow servicemen. At
his funeral, his brother recalled Matthew's advice: "You need to just grit your teeth and do it."
War is dangerous in ways that do not involve combat. Corporal Jeremy Paul Bouffard of Middlefield died in
a helicopter crash. "He chose to serve out of a sense of honor and commitment to the ideals of our nation,"
his family said.
Staff Sergeant Joan J. Duran of Roxbury died in a noncombat accident. "He made you feel so motivated," a
friend said. "Everything he did was perfect."
Specialist Christine M. Ndururi of Dracut died of an illness in Kuwait on the way to Iraq. Staff Sergeant
Alicia A. Birchett, a Wampanoag from Mashpee, died in an accident in Baghdad. "The family, the town, the
tribe, we are all hit pretty hard by it," said her uncle. "Alicia was a very loving person."
In a case still being investigated, Specialist Ciara M. Durkin of Quincy died in Afghanistan. "She was very
vocal about her feelings. She was constantly telling us she loved us," said her sister.
Holmes put it best: "Every year - in the full tide of spring, at the height of the symphony of flowers and love
and life - there comes a pause, and through the silence we hear the lonely pipe of death. But grief is not the
end of all. . . Our dead brothers still live for us, and bid us think of life, not death - of life to which in their
youth they lent the passion and joy of the spring."
Memorial services at Fort Carson for four Special Forces troops
Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Aug 31, 2007 | by TOM ROEDER
There are no prying eyes when Fort Carson's most secretive unit, the 10th Special Forces Group, goes to war,
and it's the same when the unit mourns a fallen soldier.
Staff Sgt. Robert R. Pirelli, a Fort Carson Green Beret who died Aug. 15 in Diyala province, Iraq, is one of
four Fort Carson soldiers out of 220 killed in Iraq who wasn't honored at a public memorial service at the
post.
Officials at U.S. Army Special Operations Command, who have never allowed public access to a memorial
service here for a Fort Carson Green Beret, said Thursday's service was closed to the public at the request of
Pirelli's family.
The services are government-sponsored rites organized by units after a soldier is buried. They are designed
to allow soldiers to remember their fallen comrades and let the community mourn the loss of soldiers it sent
to Iraq, the Army has said.
All but four of the services at Fort Carson have been open to the public. All four closed ceremonies were for
members of the post's 10th Special Forces Group, a secretive unit that conducts classified missions in Iraq.
Pirelli's family held a public service in his hometown of Franklin, Mass. Among the 500 mourners was
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, and journalists covered and photographed the funeral.
A spokesman for Pirelli's unit, though, said the family asked that the media be barred from the Fort Carson
service.
Lt. Col. Tim Nye, a spokesman for the Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., which
oversees 10th Group, said the closure of the Thursday service has nothing to do with the secret nature of the
Green Beret unit.
"It's not secret, it's private," Nye said.
Privacy is the rule for Green Berets, who have mourned their dead behind closed doors since the 2003
invasion of Iraq.
A sign of respect
Bear Cieri/Daily News correspondent
Road signs have been put up in Franklin that honor members of the military who died serving in Iraq, such as this one
for Staff Sgt. Robert R. Pirelli on Jordan Road.
By Ashley Studley/Daily News staff
Milford Daily News
Posted Sep 30, 2009 @ 12:03 AM
FRANKLIN —
After Veterans Agent Bob Fahey posted memorial signs for two Franklin soldiers who were killed in the Iraq
war, lifelong Franklin resident Rose Turco was struck with an idea.
"I come from a family of veterans, and we have always had a special affinity to veteran causes and issues,"
she said. "Having taught in Franklin during the Vietnam War, (I was) aware of the young men who had lost
their lives. As they put up signs for the Iraqi war casualties, I thought 'here are these six young men (who
were killed in Vietnam), and I'd like the town to honor them as well."'
Turco, 72, approached Fahey with the idea of creating six additional signs for the town's fallen Vietnam War
soldiers about eight months ago, she said. From there she went to Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting for
funding. If there are insufficient funds in the town's monument account, Nutting said, the town will cover the
cost of the signs, which Fahey expects will run around $85 each.
"I think the town can afford to spend $500 for the people killed in action," Nutting said.
Turco began researching the soldiers about six months ago. She first visited thewall-usa.com, the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial Web site where she found critical data such as the soldiers' branches of service, where
they were killed, and the age at which they died, she said.
From there, she referred to funeral director Charles Oteri of the Charles Oteri and Son Funeral Home on
Cottage Street. The funeral home's previous owner, Fred Passini of Passini Funeral Home, had saved the
newspaper clippings about each soldier for whom he performed funeral services.
"That was like opening up a treasure box, getting all that information," she said. "That gave me all the
(surviving) family members."
Turco has contacted the family members of each soldier, and has retrieved the information necessary for
the signs, which will be hung on the street where the soldier grew up.
"All of these young men died in the prime of their life, and they gave so much to their country," she said,
noting the soldiers died at the ages of 19, 20 and 22. "Their families have had to live with this. I'm certain
that those who I've spoken with are pleased that people are remembering their relatives."
Betty Pasquantonio Picard, 76, lost her only brother, John Pasquantonio, in the war in 1968. The Marine
was 19 years old when he was killed in action in Quang Tri, a province of South Vietnam.
"It's just nice that they're doing it," she said. "It was a sad time in our family, of course, especially with him
being the only boy and the youngest. It's nice that they're giving (him) some recognition."
With all the necessary information collected, Turco and Fahey will move on to place an order with New
England Signs in Avon. The two are still working out the plans for a dedication ceremony once the signs are
hung.
Soldiers Richard L Desper, Lawrence E. Garron Jr., John E. Pasquantonio, Joseph Paulette, Allan W.
Willard and Russell W. Shaw will each be honored.
The signs for Iraq casualties Shayne M. Cabino, 19, and Robert R. Pirelli, 29, were hung at Raymond Street
and Jordan Road over a year ago, Fahey said. Cabino was killed on Oct. 6, 2005, by a roadside bomb and
Pirelli was killed on Aug. 15, 2007, by enemy fire.
"I think any time you can recognize our veterans in any way, it's a wonderful thing," Fahey said. "We can
never do enough to thank our vets for what they've done, and the families who have shared in their
sacrifice."
Ashley Studley can be reached at astudley@cnc.com or 508-634-7556.
Pirelli Veteran's Skating Arena
Franklin, MA
The Staff Sgt. Robert Pirelli Veteran's Memorial Skating Arena was rededicated to honor the memory of the
fallen Medal of Valor recipient and former Franklin Panther. The arena was completed in 1973, opened to
the public on June 2, 1973. It was built under the direction of Governor Francis Sargent and the
Commissioner of Natural Resources, Arthur Bromwell, and the effort of Representative George Woods.
The Staff Sgt. Robert Pirelli Veteran's Skating Arena is a Commonwealth of Massachusetts public ice
skating facility, overseen by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). FMC has been
operating the arena for DCR since 1992. The arena is a full service skating facility offering an extensive
variety of skating programs for all ages and abilities. The facility features a pro shop operated by Hockey
Dog (508) 528-1974, a heated conference room, facilities for birthday parties, as well as a snack bar. The
Pirelli Veteran's Skating Arena provides patrons with affordable recreation in a clean, safe, and well
maintained facility.
910 Panther Way
Franklin, MA 02038
Phone: 508-541-7024
Fax: 508-528-9350
This arena is home to:
Franklin Hockey Association
Tri-Valley Indians YH
King Philip Walpole YH
Cpl. . Jeremy P. Bouffard
Hometown: Middlefield, Massachusetts, U.S.
Age: 21 years old
Died: August 22, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry
Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
Incident: Died in a helicopter crash in Multaka.
The start of Jeremy P. Bouffard's funeral service began with shared stories about his penchant for making people
laugh with jokes and pranks, including faux phone calls with his giggling sisters watching. "If your restaurant ever got
a call from an elderly Jewish man from Brooklyn named Saul Rosenberg asking if you found a pink cashmere cardigan
in a booth in the back, well, that wasn't Saul Rosenberg," said the Rev. E.S. Toby Quirk. Bouffard, 21, of Middlefield,
Mass., was killed Aug. 22 when his helicopter crashed in Multaka. He was a 2004 high school graduate and was
assigned to Schofield Barracks. Bouffard was a die-hard Red Sox fan _ his sister Maegan Davis said his exuberance
made it "nearly impossible to watch a game with him" _ but the only thing he was said to love more than his team
were his wife, Amanda, and son, Caleb. "Jeremy proposed to Mandy again and again and again," said Quirk. "They
would be in a public place, and he would ask to see the ring, and then he would get down on one knee and propose
all over again, loud and romantically." †Army Staff Sgt. Sandy R. Britt While on leave from Iraq, Sandy R. Britt met
his family in Myrtle Beach, S.C. His mother knew why. "The beach was something that would relax him," Sarah Arnold
said. "That's why we met in Myrtle Beach." Britt, 30, of Apopka, Fla., was killed Aug. 21 by an explosive near Baghdad.
He was a 1994 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Bragg. His aunt, Jane Owen, said she never expected
Britt to become a casualty. "I never thought that Sandy wouldn't have made it back because of how he was," she
said. "Sandy didn't show fear." He played soccer and enjoyed martial arts and surfing. Before joining the Army, Britt
served with a Navy underwater-demolition unit, his mother said. "He had been on special missions while he was in
the Navy," she said. "There was a lot I wasn't allowed to know, but I know he was in Afghanistan and other places on
secret missions." He also is survived by his wife, Valorie, and son, Taylor, 5. "I got a call from his captain at Fort Bragg
about how much he will be missed," Arnold said. "He said he was an exemplary soldier who always tried to do more."
Jeremy Paul Bouffard
BOUFFARD, Corporal Jeremy Paul Corporal Jeremy Paul Bouffard, 21, stationed in Schofield
Barracks, Wahiawa, Hawaii, died Wednesday, (August 22, 2007) in Kirkuk, Iraq. He was born in
Chester and grew up in Middlefield. He attended local schools and was a 2004 graduate of
Gateway Regional High School where he was a member of the Cross Country and Wrestling
teams. Jeremy attended Pioneer Valley Assembly of God Church where he was a member of the
worship team. After high school, Jeremy completed Basic Training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He
went on to graduate from both Infantry School and Airborne School. Jeremy was in the 2-35
HHC Reconnaissance Scouts Platoon, 25th Infantry Division, "Tropical Lightning," based in
Hawaii. Among other awards he received the Bronze Star, Combat Action Badge, Combat Infantryman Badge, the
Parachutist Badge or "Jump Wings", and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. Jeremy leaves his wife
Mandy (Burgess) Bouffard, formerly of Huntington, his son Caleb Matthew, his parents Stephen and Paula Bouffard
of Middlefield, his sisters: Maegan Davis of Northampton, Molly Bouffard of Great Barrington and Therese Bouffard
of Middlefield. He also leaves his maternal grandparents Douglas and Catherine Woodburn of Brewster, MA, his
paternal grandmother Theresa Bouffard of Princeton, MA, his mother–in-law Mary Caron of Chester and his father–
in-law Mark Burgess of Fairhaven, MA. In addition, he leaves many dear aunts, uncles and cousins and many close
friends including Caleb's godfather, Matthew Anderson of Chester. The funeral services for Jeremy will be held on
Friday August 31 at 1 p.m. at Bethany Assembly of God Church, 580 Main Street, Agawam, MA. Burial will follow in
the Massachusetts Veterans' Memorial Cemetery, 1390 Main Street, Agawam. Calling hours will be held on Thursday
at the Firtion-Adams Funeral Service 76 Broad Street, Westfield, MA from 4-8 pm.
Donations in Memory of Jeremy may be made to Jeremy Bouffard Memorial Fund for the Benefit of Caleb Bouffard,
c/o Citizens Bank, Branch #245, 672 Memorial Drive, Chicopee, MA 01020.
Published in Hartford Courant on August 29, 2007
WMass soldier mourned
Saturday, September 01, 2007 By ANGELA CARBONE acarbone@repub.com
AGAWAM - Army Cpl. Jeremy Paul Bouffard was mourned yesterday as a son, a brother, a
husband, a father and a hero.
More than 1,000 people crowded into the Bethany Assembly of God Church, 580 Main St., for
the funeral of the 21-year-old Middlefield soldier, who was killed when a Black Hawk
helicopter crashed in Multaka, Iraq, on Aug. 22. Among the funeral crowd were Gov. Deval L.
Patrick and Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray, as well as scores of military personnel and several
local elected officials.
Mourners alternately cried and laughed as Bouffard's pastor, sister and a brigadier general
spoke of the joyful young man for whom loyalty, service, faith and love were abiding
principles.
Bouffard and his family were members of the Pioneer Valley Assembly of God in Huntington.
Pastor Toby Quirk said that the church, with 300 seats, is one of the biggest in its area. "But
today, Jeremy, it's just not big enough for you and what you've done for us," he said.
Quirk said the Bouffard family spoke to him of so many fond memories, he could fill six
episodes of a miniseries.
"They really loved this guy," he said. "He made friends naturally and spontaneously. He had a
genuine appreciation for everyone in his path."
A boyhood drive to protect others from bullies transformed into a desire to serve his country,
Quirk said. Bouffard was a member of the scout platoon 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry
Regiment, whose mission was to rescue oppressed neighborhoods from terrorists that prey on
innocent civilians, Quirk said.
Quirk read a poem, "The Thinking Tree," that Bouffard had written when in training.
He also recounted some of the lighthearted pranks that the young man had carried out as a
teenager and told of the fallen soldier's love of his family, including his wife, Amanda, to
whom he proposed "again and again and again" just for the fun of it. Of Bouffard's young son,
Caleb, Bouffard would quote a line from Bouffard's favorite poem, "The Light of the Stars" by
Longfellow. "I see your hand, and I am strong again." He ended each call to his mother and
his final call to his father with three words, "I love you."...(Rest of Article is archived)
Tiny town mourns loss of a soldier
Native son killed in helicopter crash
By Ryan Haggerty, Globe Correspondent | August 24, 2007
MIDDLEFIELD -- This town of about 400 people, high in the Berkshires and roughly 40 miles northwest of
Springfield, was quiet yesterday, as it is most of the time, residents say.
But the silence, broken only by the constant sound of crickets and the occasional hum of a car's engine, mingled with
mourning yesterday, as residents learned that one of their own had been killed in Iraq.
Army Specialist Jeremy Paul Bouffard, 21, was one of 14 soldiers killed when a US Black Hawk helicopter crashed
Wednesday in northern Iraq, leaving no survivors, said his father, Stephen.
It was the highest one-day death toll of US troops in Iraq since January.
The nighttime crash, apparently caused by mechanical failure, occurred shortly after the helicopter had lifted off after
retrieving soldiers from a combat mission, according to a statement released by the military yesterday.
"Jeremy was a soldier who died doing his duty," said a statement released by the family yesterday.
"He chose to serve out of a sense of honor and commitment to the ideals of our nation. His job was difficult, but he
was content with himself, his family, and his life. He was clear-headed and positive about his future. We celebrate his
life, even as we mourn his loss."
Bouffard was an infantry scout with the 25th Infantry Division and was applying for warrant officer school and
helicopter pilot training, his family said.
Stephen Bouffard, a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, declined to comment further yesterday, telling reporters
gathered outside his ranch-style house that his family was not yet ready to speak about their loss.
The only visible signs in Middlefield yesterday of Bouffard's death, beyond the half-dozen cars parked outside the
family's house, were two US flags lowered to half-staff.
One flew in front of Town Hall, behind a granite monument to the 14 Middlefield residents who served in World War
II.
The other flew in the center of town, an intersection marked by a closed corner store and a white church, behind a
similar monument dedicated to the 13 residents who served in World War I.
But residents and officials interviewed yesterday made it clear that Bouffard's death was felt throughout town.
"Everybody feels it when it goes through a little town like this," said Larry Pease, who lives a few doors down from
the Bouffards and serves as the town's fire chief and chairman of the Board of Selectmen.
"He seemed like he was a good kid," Pease said.
"He was just a sweetheart," said Jeanne Axenroth, 21, who attended middle school and high school with Bouffard.
"He was never mean to anyone that I ever saw," Axenroth said.
Bouffard attended Gateway Regional High School in nearby Huntington and was also home-schooled for a time, his
father said.
Bouffard stood out as a leader from an early age, said a neighborhood friend who asked that his name not be used
because he had not yet spoken with the Bouffard family.
"He was a great person," the friend said. "He stood up for what was right."
Even those who did not know Bouffard personally said they were saddened by his death.
"In a small town, when someone loses a child, we're all losers," said Crystal Main, an employee at Middlefield's Post
Office, which is housed in a trailer. "We've all lost something of great meaning."
In addition to his father, he leaves his mother, Paula; his wife, Amanda; a son, Caleb; and three sisters.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report. Ryan Haggerty can be reached at
rhaggerty@globe.com.
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
W. Mass. towns unite in mourning soldier's death
Middlefield corporal's love of family and pranks recalled
Army Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Bouffard (top right) seated with family members at yesterday's funeral services in
Agawam for his son, Corporal Jeremy Bouffard. (STEVEN LEE MILLER FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE)
By Sarah E. Metcalf, Globe Correspondent | September 1, 2007
AGAWAM - If it takes a village to raise a child, the same can apply when it comes time to mourn one.
Almost 1,000 people from small hilltop communities in Western Massachusetts came to honor the life of
Corporal Jeremy Paul Bouffard, 21, of Middlefield, one of 14 soldiers killed Aug. 22 when a Black Hawk
helicopter crashed in Iraq.
With Governor Deval Patrick and Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray, residents of Middlefield,
Huntington, and Agawam came to pay respects to an outgoing soldier so popular that the service had to be
held at Bethany Assembly of God in Agawam, which has a 1,200-person capacity, instead of the small
church he attended in Huntington.
"Today Jeremy, it's just not big enough for you and what you've done for us," said the Rev. E.S. Toby Quirk,
senior pastor of Pioneer Valley Assembly of God in Huntington, who presided over the service.
The start of the service was marked with solemnity, but it wasn't long before laughter rang through the
church, as Quirk shared stories about Bouffard's penchant for making people laugh with jokes and pranks,
including faux phone calls with his giggling sisters watching.
"If your restaurant ever got a call from an elderly Jewish man from Brooklyn named Saul Rosenberg asking
if you found a pink cashmere cardigan in a booth in the back, well, that wasn't Saul Rosenberg," Quirk
deadpanned as the congregation erupted with laughter.
Bouffard was a die-hard Red Sox fan - his sister Maegan Davis of Northampton said his exuberance made
it "nearly impossible to watch a game with him" - but the only thing he was said to love more than his team
were his wife and son.
"Jeremy proposed to Mandy again and again and again," said Quirk. "They would be in a public place, and
he would ask to see the ring, and then he would get down on one knee and propose all over again, loud and
romantically."
Bouffard made friends easily and was fiercely loyal, said Quirk, citing an instance when he defended a boy
being bullied. It was clear from a young age that Bouffard was heading toward a life dedicated to the service
and protection of others, he said.
American flags hung from every telephone pole on Main Street yesterday as the Patriot Guard Riders, a
group of about 80 motorcyclists who honor fallen soldiers around the country, lined the entrance to the
church holding flags and creating an arch over mourners who slowly filed in, many hand in hand or with
arms around each other.
Bouffard's parents, Paula and Stephen, a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, and three sisters, Davis,
Therese, and Molly, filled the front row, along with his wife, Amanda, and baby son, Caleb, whose squeals
resonated in quiet moments during the ceremony.
Dozens of Army and Navy personnel were present, including one soldier who served with Bouffard and is
recovering from a gunshot wound to the head.
Bouffard was an athlete who would go to great lengths to get in shape, including wrapping himself in Saran
Wrap and jogging up and down stairs to make weight for the Gateway High School wrestling team.
But his strength went beyond muscle.
Choking back tears, Davis said her younger brother was one of the strongest people she had ever known,
emotionally as well as physically.
But he wasn't afraid to show a soft side. Even in high school, he made a habit of ending every phone
conversation with his parents by saying, "I love you."
"Those are the last three words that Jeremy said to his father," Quirk said.
Jeremy loved poetry. He had a tattoo of a verse from "The Light of the Stars" by Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow, and dabbled in writing his own poems, some of which were read at the service.
A third-generation soldier and a member of the 25th Infantry Division, Bouffard had been awarded the
Bronze Star and was applying for warrant officer school and helicopter pilot training.
His family's grief was mixed with pride yesterday. "We're all here because Jeremy impacted our lives. . . .
Sometimes it's all we can do, gather together and pray for the strength to face the future," Davis said. "Our
world will never be the same, and it's not because Jeremy is gone. It's because he was here in the first
place."
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
Spec. Ciara M. Durkin
Hometown: Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S.
Age: 30 years old
Died: September 28, 2007 in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Unit: Army National Guard, 726th Finance Battalion, Massachusetts Army National Guard, West
Newton, Mass.
Incident: Died of injuries suffered from a non-combat related incident at Bagram Airfield,
Afghanistan.
Ciara M. Durkin
Ciara M Durkin Quincy ��" Corporal Ciara M. Durkin, U.S. Army National Guard, in Afghanistan, born in
Connemara, Co. Galway, September 28 in the service of our country. Beloved daughter of Angela
(Cloherty), of Quincy and the late Tommy Durkin. Loving sister of Maura and Deirdre Durkin and Fiona
Canavan, all of Quincy, Pierce Durkin of Cambridge, Tom Durkin of Long Island, NY, Aine Durkin of
Buncranna, Co. Donegal, Angela Conneely and Owen Durkin, both of Annaghvane, Connemara, Co.
Galway. Also survived by 18 loving nieces and nephews and her many friends, especially her best friend
Haidee. Funeral from the Dennis Sweeney Funeral Home, 74 Elm Street, (off Hancock Street), Quincy
Center on Saturday, October 6 at 9 a.m. Funeral Mass in Saint John the Baptist Church, 44 School Street,
Quincy at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Visiting hours Friday evening, 4 to
9 p.m. Interment in Arlington National Cemetery, Washington D.C. at a later date.
Donations in her memory may be made to the wwwfirstgiving.com/positivethinker. For online directions and
guest book please visit dennissweeneyfuneralhome.com.
Kin say soldier hinted at concerns
Senators, Delahunt ask for Defense Department probe
A family photo of Ciara Durkin, taken in the summer of 2006.
By Michael Levenson and Noah Bierman, Globe Staff | October 3, 2007
The Massachusetts National Guard soldier from Quincy who died Friday in Afghanistan asked her relatives
to press for answers if anything happened to her while she was deployed, according to her family.
"She did say to us that she had concerns about things she was seeing when she was over there," Ciara
Durkin's sister, Fiona Canavan, said in an interview with WGBH-TV. "She told us if anything happened to
her, that we were to investigate it."
Questions surrounding Durkin's death prompted US Senators John F. Kerry and Edward M. Kennedy and US
Representative William D. Delahunt yesterday to call for the Defense Department to thoroughly investigate
the death of Durkin, a Quincy resident.
In a letter, Kerry urged Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates "to deploy your staff on this matter immediately,
so that the answers and circumstances around Specialist Durkin's death are uncovered, expeditiously and
thoroughly."
Delahunt, a Quincy Democrat, said his staff met yesterday with Army officials to find out how Durkin died.
Kennedy's office said he had spoken to Army Secretary Pete Geren yesterday to relay the family's concerns.
The Defense Department says it is investigating Durkin's death, which it described as a "non-combat-related
incident." Durkin's family says Army officials have told them she was found with a single bullet in her head,
lying near the church where she worshipped on the secure Bagram Airfield.
The Army has not publicly disclosed whether a weapon was found near her body.
The Massachusetts National Guard initially reported that Durkin was killed in action, though a Guard
spokesman later said the term meant only that Durkin was serving in Afghanistan at the time.
"When confusing information comes in, which is contradictory, it raises the level of anxiety during a very
difficult time," Kerry said in an interview yesterday. "It's very important to know what the facts are."
Canavan said yesterday that the family is trying to be patient as the Army investigates. An Army liaison has
met with the family every day, Canavan said.
Yesterday, the military told the family that investigators have interviewed every member of Durkin's unit "all
day, every day."
Canavan expressed gratitude to Kerry, a Vietnam veteran, saying, "We feel like somebody's got her back."
"It's just a matter of when are you going to let us know if somebody accidentally killed her or purposefully
killed her," Canavan said. "We're not letting it go. . . . We're not for one minute accepting anything at face
value."
Canavan said the family was wondering whether someone might have targeted Durkin because she was gay.
"Ciara was a lesbian, and that's bound to come out," Canavan said. "It is possible that someone over there
found that out, and, you know, maybe they were very homophobic."
The Adjutant General of Massachusetts, Major General Joseph C. Carter, pledged his support for the family.
"It is my focus to support the family by seeking the answers they need regarding the circumstances
surrounding the death of Specialist Durkin," Carter said in a written statement. "Along with the Durkin
family, we are anxious for answers and are anticipating the conclusion of the investigation."
Durkin, the eighth of nine siblings, was born in Ireland and moved to Massachusetts at age 9. After working
in information technology for a healthcare company, she enlisted in the Guard two years ago.
Her family says she admired military discipline and wanted to serve her country.
Kerry said the Durkin family desperately needs answers to three questions:
Why has the Army not responded to the Durkin family's request for an independent autopsy?
Why, after not responding to the family's request for an independent autopsy, did the Army fail to contact the
Durkin family with the Army's autopsy results? The family was told to be available to receive a phone call
between 1 and 3 p.m. on Oct. 1, and the Army never called.
Why has the Army refused to make Durkin's will and paperwork available to her family, so they can respect
her wishes as they plan her funeral and burial?
Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Withington, a Defense Department spokesman, said yesterday that Gates had
not received Kerry's letter but that the Pentagon would respond.
"We do feel there's a great lack of information but we're trying to be patient with them," Canavan said of the
military. "They keep telling us they're taking time so they get it right."
Michael Levenson can be reached at mlevenson@globe.com. Noah Bierman can be reached at
nbierman@globe.com.
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
Mystery surrounds death of soldier
Quincy woman is called a noncombat casualty
By Noah Bierman, Globe Staff | October 2, 2007
The Massachusetts National Guard soldier from Quincy who died in Afghanistan Friday was found with a
single bullet in her head lying near her church on a secure military base, her family said yesterday after a
briefing from Army officials.
The Department of Defense said in a statement yesterday that Ciara Durkin's injuries came from a "noncombat related incident" that is under investigation. The statement contradicts a Sunday statement from the
Massachusetts Army National Guard that said Durkin, an Army specialist, was killed in action. A guard
spokesman said the term was meant to imply that Durkin was deployed in Afghanistan at the time of her
death.
"We're completely in the dark," said Pierce Durkin, the soldier's 28-year-old brother. "Patience is probably
dissipating."
Family members, who are pushing for more information from Army officials, are girding for the possibility
that Ciara (pronounced Kee-ra) Durkin was killed by a fellow service member, intentionally or accidentally,
at the Bagram Airfield. They said they are confident that she did not commit suicide.
"The family has been going over this several times," Pierce Durkin said. "There is nothing to indicate that it
could have possibly been self-inflicted."
The unusual case is drawing intense interest from Ireland, where Durkin, 30, and most of her family were
born and where three siblings live. Her family is appealing to the Irish government, in addition to American
congressmen, for additional help in clearing up the details of her death. A US Central Command spokesman
in Afghanistan, reached by telephone yesterday, did not provide further details to a reporter.
Pierce Durkin said his family is hoping that the military will "speed up and that they will deliver a very
thorough and very honest and very fact-based and sincere report."
Inconsistent stories surrounding the injury to Army Private Jessica Lynch and the death of former
professional football player-turned-Army Ranger Pat Tillman have increased the family's skepticism, Durkin
said.
"We understand that military relations are so much connected to public relations concerns," he said.
"Therefore, if it was something that was unfavorable it would be handled from a public relations mindset not
a principled one."
The vast majority of deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan have been combat-related. The US military reported
yesterday that 3,100 of 3,799 deaths in Iraq and 252 of 438 deaths in Afghanistan were classified as combat
deaths.
Deaths listed by the military as nonhostile include injuries from car crashes and other logistical accidents, as
well as suicides. Durkin's unit, which handled financial accounts on the base, was not involved in combat.
Shooting deaths on a secure base are "very, very rare," said Ted Oelstrom, a retired lieutenant general who
directs the National Security Program at Harvard's Kennedy School. "There has been probably a handful of
these incidents over time."
Pierce Durkin was the last member of his family to hear from his sister. She left him a birthday greeting on
his voicemail at 1 a.m. Friday.
"She was saying, 'Pierce, I love you. I can't wait to see you.' And she started singing 'Happy Birthday,' " he
said.
The siblings were close, the two youngest in a family of nine children. When she was on leave in Quincy for
two weeks last month, she and her brother made plans to pool their money to buy a home so they could quit
paying rent. She wanted to go to school to study information technology or finance, her brother said.
"I don't think anyone could have gone from such a jovial mood on the 14th [of September] to such a 180"
degree turn toward suicide, Pierce Durkin said.
Ciara Durkin may have been on her way to or from church when she was killed, according to her sister Fiona
Canavan. Military officials told the family she was nearby when she was found.
"We know they had very frequent concerns about snipers over there," Canavan said. "But she was in a secure
area . . . which, even though the investigation is not complete, leads the family to believe it was what is
called 'friendly fire.' "
Military officials told Durkin family members the investigation could take as long as eight weeks.
Durkin's wake will take place from 4-9 p.m. Friday at the Dennis Sweeney Funeral Home in Quincy. Her
funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Quincy.
Noah Bierman can be reached at nbierman@globe.com.
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
A death shrouded by war, mystery
Soldier's family and friends want answers from Army
By Sally Jacobs
Globe Staff / November 18, 2007
One morning this past June, Ciara Durkin sat at her computer at Bagram Air Base in
Afghanistan and wrote a chilling e-mail to a friend in Massachusetts.
MORE STORIES LIKE THIS
"Ok. so today a crazy soldier pulled a 9mm on me . . . don't go telling people. . . . he's in jail and
i'm doing better. TTYL," she wrote.
Weeks later, Durkin, an Army specialist who worked in finance, dispatched another in a series
of e-mails to family and friends. The tone of this message, sent on the Fourth of July, was
utterly different. She was exultant.
"Well, as the first of the gang of us to officially hit the 4th of July (12:10 am here, lol) Happy
4th," Durkin wrote. "I am more than happy to be here making sure you have this day to
celebrate. Regardless of politics, this is worth it to me."
She signed off with a mention of her upcoming leave. "I'll be home in 2 months, no complaints
here."
Durkin, 30, came home as planned, but would never make it back for good. On Sept. 28th, her
body was found on the base with a single bullet in her head, her M-16 nearby. The Army has
declared her death a noncombat related incident, but has provided no more public information
about how the ebullient flame-haired soldier died.
There are only two ways that Durkin could have died: She either shot herself or was shot by
someone else on the base. Her first e-mail suggests she had something to fear. And friends and
family have said that she was a passionate young woman who had many plans for her life after
the service. They insist she would never have killed herself, and are increasingly anxious for the
Army to offer some definitive answers. Soon.
Durkin's family declined to be interviewed, saying they are waiting for the military's
explanation. Army officials also declined to answer any questions and have prohibited soldiers
on the base from talking with the media. In that silence, questions about Durkin's unexplained
death have multiplied.
First, there was the soldier who pointed a gun to her head, an encounter that she reported to
several people. Then there were her unsettling comments while on a home leave in early
September, just two weeks before her death. Durkin told several people that she had uncovered
some things that had made her some "enemies," although she did not say exactly what. Durkin,
an information technology specialist whose unit worked with finance and commercial
contractors, said that if something happened to her, "We should come and investigate," said
Dawn Hurley, a close friend of Durkin's.
"I didn't know what she meant," sighed Hurley. "Maybe I didn't want to know."Continued...
Durkin, nonetheless, seemed to thrive overseas. E-mails that she sent to a group of more than
two dozen friends and relatives reflect a soldier who was as enthusiastic about her military
experience as she was proud of it. Durkin had struggled with depression a few years earlier and
had sought treatment, according to one person who knew her. But friends say that those dark
days were long gone. Her boisterous e-mails have further convinced them that Durkin, an
ardent Red Sox fan who comes from a sprawling Irish clan, would never have taken her own
life.
Durkin also had extensive plans for after her return, expected to be in February. She hoped for
a job with a Boston bank, and was taking computer courses to enhance her resume. "Boy, I
can't wait. I'm so excited," Durkin wrote. "It feels good to talk about my plans after this
deployment because that means I'm not too far from it." Durkin, a lesbian, also had plans to get
married.
Those close to her do not believe that Durkin was targeted because of her sexual orientation.
Durkin had talked with her friends, before she enlisted, about the Army's "Don't Ask, Don't
Tell" policy, which allows gays and lesbians to serve as long as they do not disclose their sexual
orientation or act upon it. She was, they recall, not particularly concerned about being found
out. Durkin apparently did not reveal that she was a lesbian while in the service and, according
to one soldier who knew her, her unit members were as shocked by her death as the discovery
that she was a lesbian.
"It just doesn't add up," said Douglas Bailey, a spokesman who is representing the family at the
request of Senator John F. Kerry. "Ciara was very happy when she was home. She loved being
in the military; it was really the right place for her. The family absolutely does not believe it is
suicide."
The military has said that its autopsy should be done by the end of this month, but that its
investigation into how Durkin died could take many months, even years. An independent
autopsy, paid for by Kerry, is also expected to be presented to the family soon.
What will those reports say about the bullet that killed her? The Durkin family has been told it
was fired directly into her mouth, according to Bailey.
"All the evidence may add up to a suicide, or somebody who staged a suicide," added Bailey.
"The evidence would look the same either way."
A desire to enlist
Ciara Durkin was not the kind of woman some might expect to enlist in the military. She liked
to eat tofu scrambles and grow organic vegetables on the roof of her Jamaica Plain apartment.
She was a lover of animals and spent some of her spare time rescuing wild cats and playing
with her pet rabbit, Ms. Wilbur. She worked with Alzheimer's patients and the needy. A
member of the vestry of her church, she sometimes handed out small stickers that said, "God
Bless You."
Ciara Durkin was also precisely the kind of woman some might expect to enlist in the military.
A stocky figure with a barrel chest, she was strong and proud of it. Her daily uniform included
cargo pants, a T-shirt, and a Red Sox cap into which she vainly tried to cram her red curls. She
smoked Marlboro cigarettes and sometimes had lunch with female veterans at the VFW post.
She was a defender of creatures large and small.
"Ciara was the savior of marginalized populations," said Jennifer Jensen, Durkin's former
partner of seven years. "Bunnies, gay men, the elderly. She really believed in fairness for
everybody. She was their protector."
And so it was that when Durkin enlisted in the National Guard in fall 2005, no one was much
surprised. She had been talking about it for years.
"The surprising thing was that she finally did it," said Jensen. "But Ciara was very adventurous.
Anything worked for her. Anything. She was always the one who jumped off the boat first."
Adventure was part of it. But there were other reasons, too. Durkin wanted to use her military
benefits to get a college education. She had a keen mathematical mind and years of information
technology experience. She hoped to start a business on her return home, according to several
friends.
Durkin was also deeply patriotic. Born in Ireland, the eighth of nine children, Durkin came to
America at age 9. Her father died months after the family settled in Dorchester, leaving her
mother to raise the clan. As she grew older, Durkin celebrated the liberties of being an
American and exercised her right to vote with pride.
"She voted in every election she could," said Jensen. "It was very important to her."
If losing a parent and learning the customs of a new country were difficult for a young girl with
a brogue, Durkin did not show it. With her broad face of freckles and goofy sense of humor she kept a photo in her wallet of herself dressed for her prom. Proof, she would laugh, that she
could look like a girl - Durkin made friends fast in the Tedeschi's parking lot in Lower Mills and
the Dorchester playgrounds where she played stick ball.
And yet, somehow, she was different. Part of it was her boyish clothes. Durkin, as her friend
Kellyanne Mahoney, now a teacher at Boston Latin Academy, recalls, "always wore a backward
scally cap, shorts, and skateboard sneakers. At first I thought she was a little odd, the way she
always hung out with the boys. But I don't think there was anyone who knew her who didn't
like her."
Her boyish ways blended with a rescuer's zeal, even then. When her friends were in trouble, it
was often Durkin who calmed them down. When a young man fell down a steep hillside in
Dorchester one afternoon, it was Durkin who carried him back up. And when as a young
teenager, Jessica Pabon, a friend of Durkin's, found herself pressed up against St. Gregory's
Catholic Church in Dorchester by a group of bullies, it was Durkin who swept onto the scene
and got rid of them.
"She was bigger than they were so I think just her coming to my defense stopped it," Pabon,
who lives in Texas, wrote in an e-mail. "Ciara was . . . available for anyone who might need to
lean on her strength."
Although a member of the Fontbonne Academy class of 1994, Durkin was unable to graduate
with her class at the Catholic girls school in Milton because she did not have enough credits.
After two additional years of work with tutors she received her diploma in 1996, according to
Fontbonne president Anne Malone.
Durkin worked for a couple of years as a program assistant caring for Alzheimer's patients at
the Rogerson House in Jamaica Plain, formerly called the Boston Alzheimer's Center. But her
thoughts soon turned to the military.
A lover of the water, Durkin considered joining either the Navy or the Coast Guard, according
to several of her friends, and may have started to enlist. But in 1999, Durkin encountered a
seeming roadblock. On a September morning in Dorchester, she was arrested and charged with
possession of marijuana, according to Dorchester District Court records. The charge was
dismissed, but the incident apparently caused her to back off her plan to join the military, at
least for a while, according to one of her friends.
"Ciara said that that was why she did not go into the military the first time," said Jane
Greenspan, a friend whom Durkin met at her church, St. Luke's and St. Margaret's Episcopal
Church in Allston. "The charge happened in between the time she enlisted and then did not go.
She was very matter of fact about it. She did not screen a lot of details about her life."
Greenspan, a clinical psychologist and neighbor, knew Durkin well for a time. Between 2000
and 2005, Durkin worked in information technology and data management at Fenway
Community Health, a health center in Boston that specializes in services for gay men and
lesbians. But she also did some jobs on the side, and one of them was providing insurance
billing services for Greenspan's practice.
She had briefly tried medication to deal with depression, according to Greenspan, but she
found it made her manic and soon discontinued it.
"Ciara was not so much worried about her mental health, as she was puzzled about it," said
Greenspan, recalling their conversations. "She was really trying to figure out who she was and
why she was that way."
Another of Durkin's friends, who asked not to be identified, said that Durkin's depression
stemmed from difficulties in her relationship with Jensen and lasted only a few months.
Indeed, by 2005, Durkin seemed to have pulled herself out of her slump. She had a met a new
woman, Haidee Loreto. Having left Fenway Health that spring, Durkin decided to revisit her
dream of joining the military. In October, Durkin enlisted in the US Army National Guard and
was eventually assigned to the 726th Finance Battalion in West Newton. After training she was
deployed with the 13-member Task Force Diamond. This February, she went to Afghanistan.
She expected her tour to last one year.
A trip near the front lines
Durkin took to the Army well. In an April e-mail, she wrote that she liked her fellow soldiers,
and that the temperature never got below 70 degrees.
"I'm in a good mood, for the most part," Durkin wrote. "Kinda reaching my groove state now.
Watching a repeat of yesterday's Red Sox game. I don't know how it ended so no one tell me."
By May, the daily temperature had risen to the 90s. Durkin and the other soldiers were
required to drink eight bottles of water and two rehydration bottles a day. Durkin wrote that
she had received an Army Achievement Medal for working two jobs, one handling staffing
reports, the other managing the computer system. She said her workload had eased of late.
Safety was on her mind.
"My fellow troops are well, we are close and getting closer," Durkin wrote. "I have the best boss
in the world, SSG Sullivan. We are the best of friends and he watches out for me at every turn.
Regarding the battlefield itself, we're kicking butt. I am doing what I can to stay safe. 'Stay
Alert, Stay Alive,' is my motto."
In early July, Durkin headed out on a monthlong tour of eastern Afghanistan. Her job was to
set up computers and train soldiers on the Army's Eagle Cash system, a finance system for
military members overseas that uses stored-value cards. The tour would take her from Kabul to
Jalalabad to Sharana, some of which she videotaped. She flew in a Black Hawk helicopter:
"Now, that's the way to fly," she wrote.
Durkin was clearly excited to get close to the front lines, and felt her work was meaningful.
"Educating troops about money is a great feeling because they feel supported," Durkin wrote.
"The last thing a guy needs to worry about after fighting is if his finances are OK."
In her group e-mails, Durkin was chatty and sometimes jocular. She rarely mentioned politics
or the larger backdrop of the war. Nor did she ever make reference to the "enemies" she would
later describe to friends and family. Friends say that she wrote more intimately in her
individual e-mails, but they were of a similar positive tone.
There were two things, however, of some concern. Jensen noted that Durkin's e-mails became
far fewer as time passed, as though she were preoccupied. Durkin also e-mailed her friend
Dawn Hurley about the soldier who put his gun to her head, saying she had had a "close
encounter," but did not elaborate. Back home on leave, she told Hurley that, "he was someone
having a bad reaction, but she felt completely safe after that," said Hurley. "She said she was
OK."
Durkin also told her family about some worrisome things she had seen in Afghanistan, and
about enemies she might have made.
At the time, no one took her comments all together seriously. "They certainly believed that she
saw something she didn't like, but when she said they might need to investigate, it seemed it
might be a flip remark," said Bailey.
In any case, Ciara was home and the celebration was big. There were several parties. At one
barbecue, Durkin had a tattoo of a soldier done on her shoulder and back. She went to a few
Red Sox games, and visited her siblings and mother in Quincy. She spent time with her partner,
Loreto, to whom she was engaged.
And on Sept. 11th, she spent the day training at the Federal Reserve Bank in Boston, which
helps manage the military's Eagle Cash system. Durkin was excited about the visit and hoped
that she could get a job there when she returned home for good.
And that was a day she was very much looking forward to.
"I'm always a soldier, that's in my blood," Durkin wrote in one of her last e-mails. "But I will
enjoy a reprise from the whole war thing."
Sally Jacobs can reached at jacobs@globe.com.
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
At march, an honor for soldier
Quincy woman killed in combat
Ciara M. Durkin, 30, is the third female soldier from Massachusetts to die in the current wars. (JOHN BOHN/GLOBE
STAFF)
By Noah Bierman, Globe Staff | October 1, 2007
QUINCY - Her sisters walked 4 miles yesterday to raise money for cancer care. It was what Ciara M. Durkin
would have demanded, they said.
During the march, a moment of silence was held in honor of Durkin, a 30-year-old specialist in the
Massachusetts Army National Guard, who was killed in action last week in Afghanistan.
The Quincy woman pledged $100 for the Quincy Medical Center Cancer Walk and wrote: "I give because I
learned to stay strong here in Afghanistan because of your courage. I love you."
Durkin was born in Ireland, the eighth of nine children. A devoted aunt, she sent allowance money from a
war zone so her nieces and nephews would know she was thinking of them. She is the third female soldier
from Massachusetts to die in the current Mideast wars the first in Afghanistan. Circumstances of her death
have not been announced.
Family members said they were told she died Friday.
However, in a statement yesterday, the Massachusetts National Guard said Durkin was killed in action on
Thursday in Afghanistan. She had been assigned to Task Force Diamond, as part of a finance unit that had
deployed in November, the statement read.
"Whenever a soldier dies in the line of duty, it is a tragedy that affects us all," Major General Joseph C.
Carter, adjutant general of the Massachusetts National Guard, said in the statement. "Our thoughts and
prayers are with Specialist Durkin's family and her fellow soldiers."
The death is under investigation in accordance with US Central Command policy, the statement indicated.
Yesterday, her sister Deirdre Durkin's house in Quincy had become a shrine and a place to trade memories
about Ciara (pronounced Kee-ra). On the walls hung two painted portraits of her as a young girl, with lush,
curly red hair and a bright smile. On the dining room table and along the shelves sat photos of her at prom
during her student years at Fontbonne Academy in Milton; at communion and confirmation in Ireland; and
with family. One of her green Army dress uniforms hung by a window.
"She was very vocal about her feelings," said her sister Fiona Canavan, 44, of Quincy. "She was constantly
telling us she loved us . . . before she was even in the Army."
Before she enlisted two years ago, she worked in information technology for a healthcare company,
relatives said. She joined the Army National Guard because she admired military discipline and wanted to
do something for her country, they said.
She was sent to Bagram Air Base in February and was expected to end her tour of duty a year later. She
returned for two weeks with her family early last month - painting steps, mowing lawns, and building shelves
at her mother's and sister's houses, spending happy times with friends and family, and attending Red Sox
games to reconnect with her beloved team.
Her 17 nieces and nephews were Durkin's other passion.
"She was the aunt that would take them outside and play," said Canavan. "She rough-housed."
Together they would play foosball, and a game in which the children had to lie still and keep from laughing
as Durkin tickled, teased, or pretended to sit on them. If they showed their teeth, they would lose.
The children seldom won, Canavan said.
"She'd be all red-faced out there and beaming, herself," said Deirdre Durkin, 45.
Ciara Durkin took a special interest in Deirdre's three children because they lost their father, Barry Goonan,
to cancer eight years ago. Ciara Durkin lost her own father to a heart attack when she was 9 years old, just
six weeks after she and her parents moved to Massachusetts from Ireland. Deirdre said it was important to
Ciara that she serve as a role model for the youngsters.
She would announce bedroom inspections and threaten to withhold allowances for those who failed. But
she would deposit the allowance regardless, Deirdre Durkin said. She sent Deirdre's 14-year-old son, Brian,
a merit medal, something that is helping him as he grieves his aunt, Deirdre said.
In April, she sent the family an e-mail with a photograph of her and an American private contractor, who
explained in a note how Durkin had helped break his fall from a 26-foot ladder.
"Without a doubt, she saved my life," he wrote. "Her personal sacrifice has bonded her and I as friends (to
the bone) for life."
In other e-mails, Durkin told her sisters that she loved Afghanistan and was amazed by its landscape,
though a little bothered by the constant dust.
In July, she celebrated her 30th birthday with friends at the Kabul airport, the only place she could get Pad
Thai noodles, her favorite meal. The family sent her a package with cards and a four-hour video compilation
made from old home movies. It made her cry, the sisters said.
A few weeks ago, Durkin's last night on leave, the family took her to dinner at the Fowler House restaurant
in Quincy. Deirdre asked her sister if she had any reservations about returning to Afghanistan. She did not,
Ciara told her sister. On her way back to Kabul, Durkin's plane stopped for refueling in Shannon, Ireland,
where she called two sisters and a brother who live there. She planned to return to school when her service
ended, her sisters said.
Durkin's body was returned to the United States Saturday, Canavan said. Funeral arrangements have not
been finalized.
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
Pfc. Kenneth J. Iwasinski
Hometown: West Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
Age: 22 years old
Died: October 14, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division,
Fort Carson, Colo.
Incident: Killed when a makeshift bomb exploded near his vehicle during combat operations.
Kenneth J. Iwasinski
Kenneth J. Iwasinski BELCHERTOWN - Kenneth J. Iwasinski, 22, an American Soldier who was killed by an improvised
explosive devise in Baghdad Sunday, October 14, will be laid to rest with full military honors on Saturday, October 27
in So. Cemetery, Belchertown. Born in Springfield, April 13, 1985, he was the son of Dominick Iwasinski of
Belchertown and Tracy (Nagy) Taylor of Chicopee, and was the stepson of Tawnia Iwasinski and Matthew Taylor.
From a young age, Kenny aspired to go into the military, with a strong desire to serve and protect. Those dreams
came to fruition when he joined the Army in March of 2006. He will long be remembered for not only his patriotism
and bravery, but also as a devoted son and a big brother who was idolized. Besides his parents, he will be deeply
missed by his younger sister, Amanda Taylor, step brother Donny Prouty of Gilbertville, and step sister Laura Prouty
of Ware, along with his grandparents Joseph and Marion Iwasinski of Palmer, Peggy (her husband Al) McKinnon of
Amherst, Virginia Bush of Belchertown and Pete (his wife, Ann) Nagy of Holyoke. He also leaves many aunts, uncles,
cousins, nieces and nephews who are all very proud of him. He will be remembered in a Funeral Service on Saturday,
October 27 at 11:30 a.m. in the Belchertown High School, Old Springfield Rd., followed by burial in South Cemetery.
Calling hours will be held on Friday, October 26 from 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the Beers & Story Funeral Home, 10 Maple
St., (Rte. 202).
Because it was very important to Kenny that his sister, Amanda, go to college some day, the family has requested
that in lieu of flowers, donations be made for the benefit of a College Fund for Amanda Taylor, c/o United Bank, 528
Center St., Ludlow, MA 01056. For more information or to sign online guest book, please visit
www.beersandstory.com.
Published in The Republican on October 21, 2007
Belchertown soldier killed on patrol in Iraq
By Dwight B. Shepard
October 15, 2007, 4:59PM
By JOHN APPLETON
jappleton@repub.com
BELCHERTOWN - Army Pfc. Kenneth J. Iwasinski, 22, of Belchertown, was killed by an improvised
explosive device while on patrol in Iraq in a Humvee yesterday, his family said today.
Iwasinski, who enlisted in the Army in March 2006, had been stationed for a year in Iraq and had been
scheduled to return to this country but had his tour extended, his father, Dominick V. Iwasinski said.
"He felt he was making a difference," his father said. "In our eyes, he died a hero."
Dominick Iwasinski was informed of his son's death yesterday by the Army and was provided with more
details today.
He said his son was an infantryman, serving as gunner in the Humvee patrolling in southern Baghdad when
the bomb exploded. The elder Iwasinski said he believes the other three soldiers in the vehicle were injured,
but that has not been confirmed by the military.
Iwasinski had lived with his father and his stepmother, Tawnia M. Iwasinski, until he went in the Army.
His mother, Tracy J. Taylor, and his sister, Amanda Taylor, live in Chicopee, his father said.
More details in The Republican tomorrow.
Family from Mass. mourns soldier
Army Private First Class Kenneth J. Iwasinski, 22, of Belchertown, was killed in Iraq. His
father said he had a strong sense of patriotism.
By Elizabeth Ratto, Globe Correspondent | October 16, 2007
Army Private First Class Kenneth J. Iwasinski and his father had plans when the soldier returned from war
duty in Iraq.
They were going to work on a car together and catch up, the father, Dominick Iwasinski, said last night.
Instead, the elder Iwasinski was remembering his son - killed Sunday in Baghdad - for his strong sense of
patriotism and commitment to protecting his country.
"He was very patriotic," Dominick Iwasinski said in a phone interview from his home in Belchertown. "He
believed in everything he was doing [in Iraq], he just believed in it."
Iwasinski, 22, was a member of the Second Infantry Division's Second Brigade Combat Team, based in Fort
Carson, Colo. He was killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat
operations, the Department of Defense announced yesterday.
His family was notified of his death early yesterday, his father said.
Iwasinski was a gunner on the vehicle when he was killed, his father said.
"When he came home on leave, you could see that he saw a lot of bad things, but he still walked proud,"
Iwasinski said.
He said his son had left Belchertown High School before graduating, and enlisted in the Army just days after
receiving his GED in March 2006.
"When he enlisted, he knew he was going to Iraq," Iwasinski said. "He enlisted in the infantry. He knew he
was going into harm's way."
Iwasinski lived with his father and stepmother, Tawnia Iwasinski, in Belchertown.
His mother and sister, Tracy and Amanda Taylor, live in Chicopee, his father said.
According to the military, 3,819 US servicepeople have been killed in Iraq since the war began in March
2003.
Iwasinski said his son had served in Iraq for a year, and had been due to return to the states earlier this
month, before his duty was extended until January.
Funeral arrangements will be made once Iwasinski's body is flown back, probably later this week, his father
said.
Iwasinski said he is remembering his son for his big heart and his accomplishments.
"It takes someone special to do something like that and a special kind of commitment . . . I have to believe in
what he believed in," Iwasinski said.
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
Spec. Christine M. Ndururi
Hometown: Dracut, Massachusetts, U.S.
Age: 21 years old
Died: November 6, 2007 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Unit: Army, 4th Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Tex.
Incident: Died of a non-combat related illness in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.
Christine M. Ndururi
Army Spc. Christine M. Ndururi of Dracut; 21 DRACUT Army Spc. Christine M. Ndururi, 21, a resident of Dracut, died
unexpectedly Tuesday November 6th in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. She was born in Kenya on December 6, 1985, and was
a daughter of Wilson N. Wachira and Mary W. Mwaniki, of Dracut. She emigrated with her family to the United States
and moved to Dracut in February of 2003 when she was sixteen years old. She was a graduate of Dracut High School,
class of 2005. Christine enlisted in the Army reserves while a senior at Dracut High School. In March of 2006 she
entered the active Army and in September of that year she was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry
Regiment in Fort Hood, Texas, as an automated logistical specialist. She earned the National Defense Service Medal,
the Army Service Ribbon, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal. Prior to entering
the active Army she was employed as a certified nursing assistant by Tewksbury Hospital. Christine was a devout
Christian, and was an active member of the Kenyan Community Presbyterian Church [Ushindi] in Lowell. She enjoyed
singing and was a member of her church's choir. She also enjoyed playing and watching sports and watching movies.
In addition to her parents, she is survived by three brothers George Ndururi of Dracut, Simon Ndururi of California,
and Ambrose Ndururi of Dracut; a sister Faith Ndururi of Dracut; her grandparents Simon and Millcent Mwaniki and
Peninah Kiriamburi, all of Kenya; two nieces Maureen Wanjiku and Beatrice Waithiegeni, both of Kenya, and many
aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. She was also the granddaughter of the late John Kiriamburi. NDURURI Friends
may call at the DRACUT FUNERAL HOME on Thursday from 4 until 8 PM. Her Funeral Service will be held at 11 AM on
Friday in the First Church of the Nazarene, 1195 Varnum Ave. in Lowell. Interment in Oakland Cemetery in Dracut.
Memorial contributions may be made in her name to the Christine M. Ndururi Memorial Fund, c/o Bank of America,
501 Bridge St., Lowell, MA 01850. For online condolences and directions visit dracutfuneralhome.com. Published in
Lowell Sun on November 28, 2007
Body of Dracut soldier brought home from Kuwait
By J.J. Huggins , Staff writer
Eagle-Tribune
DRACUT - The body of Army Spc. Christine Ndururi was brought home yesterday afternoon, but her family
still does not know how she died in Kuwait last week.
The flag-draped casket bearing the body of the 21-year-old soldier was flown into Hanscom Air Force Base
in Bedford, where family and friends gathered and escorted it to Dracut Funeral Home on Lakeview Avenue.
Hundreds of military and civilian personnel left their offices and lined the streets on the base to pay homage
to Ndururi, said William Zounes, Dracut's director of Veterans Services.
"It was a nice tribute to the family," Zounes said. "Just seeing all that, it brings a tear to your eye."
"Before we bury Christine, we would like to know the cause of death," Ndururi's father, Wilson Wachira,
said Tuesday night.
Ndururi was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Hood, Texas, and was
headed to her first overseas deployment.
She died from a "non-combat-related illness" at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, according to the U.S. Department
of Defense. She had been in the country less than a day.
"Autopsy results are not available at this point, and when they are available, they will be provided to the
family," Shari Lawrence, deputy public affairs officer for the Army Human Resources Command in
Alexandria, Va., said yesterday.
Lawrence said she did not know when the results would be available.
Family members gathered at Dracut Funeral Home yesterday morning, along with Zounes, two men in Army
dress uniforms, 11 police officers, and about 10 bikers from Patriot Guard Riders - a group that honors
members of the military by attending their services and occasionally warding off protesters. There were no
protesters around the funeral home.
Ndururi called her mother, Mary Mwaniki, from a pay phone in Rhode Island on Monday, Nov. 5, the day
before she died and said she was headed to Kuwait, and then to Iraq. Her parents said she sounded fine and
was not sick.
'Christine did not die in vain' Still no word on why soldier died in Kuwait
By J.J. Huggins , Staff writer
Eagle-Tribune
DRACUT - Christine Ndururi's native country of Kenya is no stranger to terrorist attacks.
Ndururi, a 21-year-old Army specialist from Dracut, died Nov. 6 while serving her new country, the United
States.
"Christine did not die in vain," the Rev. William Theuri told more than 400 mourners at Ndururi's funeral
yesterday. "She can still remember the American embassy. Before the United States experienced the wrath of
the terrorists, Kenyans had paid the cost."
Terrorists struck the U.S. Embassy in Kenya in 1998, killing hundreds.
"She died fighting for democracy, where you can worship what you want," said Theuri, who is Ndururi's
father's cousin. "She died so her sisters can dance here. She died so that men and women in this country can
march down the streets of the United States between sunsets."
Ndururi died at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait from what the military has called "a non-combat related illness."
The military has done an autopsy, but the family has yet to learn why she died.
"We actually do not know yet," Army Chief Warrant Officer Jimmie Brooks said during a brief interview
after the funeral.
Family friend Peter Mutura delivered the eulogy and said, "Christine was a healthy and active young lady
with no real health issues."
"On Sunday, Nov. 4, 2007, Christine made several phone calls to family members and friends to wish them
well as she embarked on her deployment as part of the Operation Iraqi Freedom," he said. "However, on the
morning of Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2007, Christine met with her unexpected death at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait en
route to Iraq."
"Sometimes it takes a long time for us to get answers," Theuri told the mourners.
Relatives traveled from Kenya to attend the services. Friends and family packed the church and sang, danced
and paid tribute to the young woman they remembered as having a bright smile and a beautiful singing voice.
"Christine loved church and Christine loved singing," said the Rev. Karimi Mumbui, the celebrant.
Ndururi moved to Lowell from Kenya in February 2003 and attended Lowell High School before moving to
Dracut with her family and transferring to Dracut High School. She graduated in 2005 and planned to pursue
a nursing degree. She was active in Kenyan Community Presbyterian Church (Ushindi) in Lowell.
She joined the Army Reserves while she was a senior at Dracut High School. She also worked at a
Hannaford supermarket in town and as a nursing aide at Tewksbury State Hospital.
Ndururi entered active duty service in March 2006. She was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 3rd Armored
Cavalry Regiment at Fort Hood, Texas. She worked as an automated logistical specialist. She earned the
National Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and
the Iraq Campaign Medal.
Brig. Gen. Steven Wickstrom presented her with the Army Commendation Medal and the Good Conduct
Medal yesterday.
Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, D-Lowell, thanked Ndururi and praised her "generousness" and "willingness
to serve the United States of America, her new home."
"Our country is blessed by brave young women and men like Christine," she said.
The funeral was held at the First Church of the Nazarene in Lowell, and Ndururi was buried in Oakland
Cemetery in Dracut, next to Army Spc. Matthew Boule, 22, of Dracut, who died in Iraq on April 3, 2003.
Ndururi is survived by her father, Wilson Wachira; mother, Mary Wangui; brothers George Kariuki, Simon
Mwaniki and Ambrose Nderitu; sister Faith Wambui; and several other relatives.